Variety Promotes Jem Aswad to Deputy Music Editor

Chris Willman Music WriterDoug Smiley, the marketing director for Verve Music Group, died Saturday, February 27. He had been diagnosed with Stage 4 Pancreatic Cancer less than a month before dying at home in Maplewood, NJ, surrounded by family.

Bill C. Davis, whose 1981 Broadway hit play Mass Appeal was adapted for a 1984 feature film starring Jack Lemmon and Željko Ivanek, died Feb. 26 following a brief illness, his family has announced. He was 69.

New York Times documentary Framing Britney Spears when it drops locally on Channel Nine.WATCH: Mike Munro interviews Britney Spears on A Current Affair in 2001The eye-opening documentary caused a stir overseas last month when it shined a light on the controversial questions some media has asked over the years as well as some of the seemingly unfair criticism she’s been subjected to over the years.It wasn’t just the US press who were notorious for prying into her personal life, and among the

CNN correspondent Jim Acosta, who built a reputation as a bulldog at White House Press briefings during the Trump administration, got a taste of his own medicine Friday at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Orlando, Fla.

 America Ferrera  is already an Emmy and Golden Globe winner, but she’s about to add another accomplishment to her growing resume. The actress is set to make her feature directorial debut with an adaptation of the New York Times bestselling novel, I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter.

NEW YORK -- Author and editor Nadja Spiegelman is heading a new literary magazine that will highlight writing from around the world. Astra Quarterly will likely release its first issue later this year.“It feels like the ideal moment for a publication whose primary focus is on international literature.

America Ferrara is set to make her feature directorial debut with an adaptation of the young adultnovel I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter for Netflix. The New York Times bestseller from Erika L.

Emmy and Golden Globe winner America Ferrera is set to make her feature directorial debut with an adaptation of the New York Times bestselling novel, I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by author Erika Sánchez, who will serve as a co-producer on the film. Anonymous Content and MACRO are producing the pic, which will be released on Netflix.

 Mariah Carey  and  Cardi B  had a one-on-one conversation for Interview magazine about their upbringing, hair, image, and even if they have a favorite brand of bra. The rapper even revealed that despite what other people might think, her mom was very overprotective and opposed that Cardi listens to rap or music with adult content.“I’m from New York, so I heard Biggie outside every single day,” said the Bronx native, born Belcalis Almánzar to Trinidadian and Dominican parents.

Viva la Diva! Real Housewives of New York star Luann de Lesseps took to Instagram on February 22 to share quite the scandalous photo, showing off her toned, well, everything. The cabaret singer bared-all, wearing nothing but skimpy bikini bottoms and artfully placed sea star stickers on her breasts. 

NEW YORK -- Carnegie Hall will miss an entire season for the first time for the first time in its 130-year history.Carnegie said Thursday it was canceling performances from April 6 through July at its three venues, extending a closure that started last March 13 due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.Carnegie hopes to reopen in October for its 2021-22 season and intends a delayed season announcement in late spring.The pandemic also caused the Metropolitan Opera to miss a season for the first time,

NEW YORK -- Genevieve Young was a publishing editor with a long and diverse legacy.She entered the business in the early 1950s, when there were few female editors and even fewer Asians. She worked with authors ranging from Herman Wouk to Betty Rollin and played a key role in the writing of Erich Segal's “Love Story,” the novelization of the Oscar-winning movie of the same name that is currently marking its 50th anniversary.

February in New York usually consists of a different kind of hustle and bustle, with editors, bloggers and the usual fashion suspects running from show to show, in shoes we promised our friends were walkable (wrong) and coats we promised were warm enough (wrong again).

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorMarisa Lauro-Norris, a 15-year veteran of Def Jam Recordings and its parent company, Universal Music, has been promoted to senior vice president of international marketing, it was announced today by interim chairman/CEO Jeff Harleston.  In her new role, Lauro-Norris will lead all inter­national marketing activities at the Def Jam label.

If you’ve got a secret, don’t count on Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino to keep it!

NEW YORK -- Golden Globe nominations for best original song are full of Black Girl Magic, with nominees including R&B singers H.E.R., Celeste and Andra Day, who also earned an acting nod for her portrayal of Billie Holiday.Veteran songwriter Diane Warren and Grammy and Tony winner Leslie Odom Jr. — also a double nominee — round out the nominees for best original song at the Globes, which will air live on Feb.

The Pretty Reckless‘ Taylor Momsen has given her thoughts on the gender divide within the rock industry, explaining that music should be judged “simply on what’s the best”.The New York band are set to release their fourth studio album ‘Death By Rock And Roll’ on February 12 and have previewed the project with its title track, ‘Broomsticks’, ’25’ and the Tom Morello-featuring ‘And So It Went’.During a new interview with The Forty-Five, frontwoman Momsen was asked about the latter single as well