Billie Holiday: Last News

still “The Boss” at 80 — and, over six decades into her legendary career, she’s working on keeping up that title.“I’ll never retire,” Ross, who will turn 81 on March 26, told an audience of adoring fans at the second of two sold-out shows at Brooklyn’s Kings Theatre on Saturday. In a year that has seen the deaths of such other music legends as Roberta Flack, Marianne Faithfull and Sam Moore of Sam & Dave, it was a welcome reminder that we still have other eternal pop icons among us.Indeed, Ross’ shows at Kings Theatre, celebrating the 10th anniversary of the venue, came as other octogenarian all-timers are still making moves — from 82-year-old Paul McCartney’s string of club shows at NYC’s Bowery Ballroom to Paul Simon, 83, announcing that he was un-retiring from the road for his “A Quiet Celebration” tour starting April 4 to Mick Jagger, 81, rocking the Oscars with a surprise appearance to present the Best Original Song award on Sunday.If anything, Ross’ two-night stand was a reminder that we should appreciate this eternal goddess while she is still here, blessing us with her presence.While other divas of her generation have passed on — from Aretha Franklin and Tina Turner to, most recently, Flack — Ross is still flexing her “Muscles.”When she opened to “I’m Coming Out” — her 1980 anthem that continues to symbolize liberation and empowerment for both the LGBTQ community and anyone else who needs a feather-boa-lifting boost — Ross was a true living legend in red ruffles.

Angelique Jackson Oscar nominee Andra Day has joined the cast of Bradley Cooper’s next film “Is This Thing On?” Cooper, a nine-time Oscar nominee himself, is directing the Searchlight movie, which also stars Will Arnett, Sean Hayes and Laura Dern. Cooper will play a supporting role.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Amazon Prime Video‘s upcoming scripted series about the life of Muhammad Ali has cast two more series regulars. Variety has learned that Omari Hardwick and Dana Gourrier have joined “The Greatest,” which is the first authorized scripted series about Ali’s life. The pair will appear alongside previously announced series lead Jaalen Best.

EXCLUSIVE: The Network has brought on veteran producer Hilary Shor as Head of Production at the streaming platform.

Selome Hailu Andra Day is joining the Season 2 cast of “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” as Athena. Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom, is one of the most important Olympian characters in Rick Riordan’s “Percy Jackson” books, being the mother of Annabeth Chase (Leah Sava Jeffries), Percy’s (Walker Scobell) close friend and fellow demigod. Day made her acting debut in Lee Daniels’ 2021 biopic “The United States vs.

Quincy Jones have been sharing a controversial interview in which he gave his true feeling about Donald Trump.The producer, musician and songwriter died on Sunday (November 3), aged 91. His seven-decade career saw him collaborate with a who’s who of music history, including Ray Charles, Billie Holiday and Frank Sinatra, and he went on to produce Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’, to this day the biggest selling album of all time.Since his passing, fans have been re-sharing some of Jones’ most outspoken statements in recent years, including when he described The Beatles as “the worst musicians in the world”, and when he spoke about when U2 made him stay in Bono’s castle “because Ireland is so racist”.It was in that same explosive interview with Vulture in 2018 – for which Jones actually later apologised – that he was unfiltered in his comments about the then-Republican president.“I used to hang out with him,” Jones began. “He’s a crazy motherfucker.

Empire, describing it as his “worst experience”.Daniels, who is known for directing films such as Precious and The Butler, created the Fox series that ran for six seasons from 2015 to 2020.The show revolved around the fictional hip-hop label Empire Entertainment and the drama of the family of the company’s founder as they fight for control of the empire. It starred Terrence Howard, Taraji P. Henson and Jussie Smollett and was one of the most-watched shows on network television at the time.But Daniels has shared the difficulties of his time helming the show, telling The Film Stage, “I only did Empire just so I could see what that experience was like.”“Horrible,” he described the overall experience.

Andra Day is opening up about a not-so-temporary decision for a role.

Raye surprised an audience at Montreux Jazz Festival when she covered songs from Nina Simone and Billie Holiday. Check it out below.During one of the festival’s famous ‘jam sessions’, Raye took to the Memphis stage to perform intimate covers of Holiday’s ‘All of Me’ and Simone’s ‘Feeling Good’.The intimate show, seen by only a few hundred people, followed her performance on the festival’s main Lake Stage as part of a double bill with Janelle Monáe.“I also stole a picture of Nina [Simone] from the Jazz festival,” she joked with the audience before starting the cover.

Andra Day was rising all the way up as a Grammy-nominated chanteuse — for her 2015 debut album, “Cheers to the Fall” — who sang like the spiritual goddaughter of Billie Holiday and Erykah Badu.Then in 2021, the 39-year-old singer — born Cassandra Monique Batie — flipped the script to become the Golden Globe-winning, Oscar-nominated star of “The United States vs. Billie Holiday,” the Lee Daniels-directed biopic about the same Lady Day who inspired her stage name.Now, nine years and three movies later — she also shot the indie drama “Exhibiting Forgiveness” and the upcoming supernatural thriller “The Deliverance” — Day is back to bringing her own jazzy, sultry vibes with her long-awaited second studio album, “Cassandra (cherith).”And she will continue to get her own gardenia groove back in the most pastoral of New York settings — Central Park — when she headlines the season kickoff of the SummerStage series with a free concert on Saturday.Still, she hasn’t completely kicked the Holiday habit.“There are some parts for sure that I could still shake and then some parts I’m realizing, well, I’m just growing, you know what I mean?” Day told The Post.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic Feeling angry about Apple’s ranking of the 100 best albums of all time, are you? Good. (From their point of view.) That’s exactly how you’re supposed to feel, given a list that aspires less toward any semblance of an informed or authoritative voice than a seeming sense of randomness that can only be explained away as rage bait.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor London- and Paris-based production, finance and international sales outfit Film Constellation has unveiled a first exclusive clip from Titus Kaphar’s well-received drama “Exhibiting Forgiveness.” Film Constellation will screen the film for buyers in Cannes on Tuesday. The film received glowing reviews after its January premiere at Sundance in the U.S.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music It’s a strange sensation to see an artist who you last saw performing “Lift Every Voice and Sing” before a global audience of 120 million-plus at the Super Bowl singing ten feet in front of you at the Blue Note jazz club in New York’s Greenwich Village. But that was the consolation prize for 400 lucky fans who may not have been invited to the Met Ball on Monday night but certainly had a more satisfying feast for the ears.

Amy Winehouse biopic, Back To Black, is released today, which includes an original new song by Nick Cave.The film is directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson and follows the life and career of the iconic London singer, with the title role being taken on by Marisa Abela.The soundtrack, titled ‘Back To Black: Songs from the Original Motion Picture’, is set for release on May 17 via UMR/Island Records, and features three original recordings from Winehouse’s highly influential debut, ‘Frank’ and three songs from her multi-award-winning LP ‘Back To Black.It also includes a new original track called ‘Song for Amy’, which is sung by Cave.Cave, along with longtime collaborator Warren Ellis, composed and recorded the film’s score.A further five songs are included on the album, recorded by artists whom Amy Winehouse saw as an inspiration. These include tracks by The Shangri-Las, Billie Holiday, Minnie Riperton, Dinah Washington and Sarah Vaughan.The songs that appear in the film can all be found below.

Nick Cave and Warren Ellis have shared ‘Song For Amy’, a song they wrote for the new Amy Winehouse biopic ‘Song For Amy’ – listen below.The delicate, orchestrated track features over the opening credits of the film, which is out in UK cinemas now. Elegant strings underscore Cave’s deeply felt vocals as he sings, “You say that it’s time for us to call it a day / But I will love you anyway”.Listen to ‘Song For Amy’ below:Director Sam Taylor-Johnson’s Back to Black tells the Winehouse story in a feature film for the first time.

Owen Gleiberman Chief Film Critic “Back to Black,” the 2006 album that the new Amy Winehouse biopic takes its title from, is a record built on an exquisite contradiction. The music has a crispy delicious retro-bop bounce, a quality that extends to Winehouse’s vocals, which take the growling-cat stylings of jazz legends like Sarah Vaughan and Billie Holiday and kick them up into something playfully ferocious. Yet when you tune into the lyrics, they’re as dark as midnight.

EXCLUSIVE: Kelvin Harrison Jr. (Waves) has been set to lead a new, untitled Universal feature project from director Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) and producer Pharrell Williams (Hidden Figures), according to multiple sources, who also tell us that 2024 Academy Award winner Da’Vine Joy Randolph (The Holdovers) is in talks.

Amy Winehouse biopic, Back To Black, with it including an original new song by Nick Cave.The film is directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson and is set to be released in cinemas on April 12. It will follow the life and career of the iconic London singer, with the title role being taken on by Marisa Abela.Now, details of the official soundtrack to the movie have been shared – featuring songs by the singer herself, as well as tracks by other iconic artists.Titled ‘Back To Black: Songs from the Original Motion Picture’, the compilation album is set for release on May 17 via UMR/Island Records, and features three original recordings from Winehouse’s highly influential debut, ‘Frank’ and three songs from her multi-award-winning LP ‘Back To Black.It also includes a new original track called ‘Song for Amy’, which is sung by Nick Cave.Cave, along with longtime collaborator Warren Ellis, composed and recorded the film’s score.A further 5 songs are included on the album, recorded by artists whom Amy Winehouse saw as an inspiration.

waaaaaaave?Reba McEntire’s rendition of the national anthem clocked in at 95 seconds (1:35) Sunday night at the 2024 Super Bowl.That was a middle-of-the-pack length, historically. Renditions of “The Star-Spangled Banner” here have ranged from as little as 62 seconds to more than two and a half minutes.The 68-year-old country music and TV star told Apple Music that, in the lead-up, she typically practiced for the big night in the morning while showering.“I’ve been singing the national anthem in the shower [and] when we get in the car,” she said, referring to boyfriend Rex Linn.“He’ll say, ‘OK, sing it one more time.’ I said, ‘I think I know the words real good right now, so I’m all right.’”The longest-ever Super Bowl “Star Spangled Banner” came in 2013, when “Girl on Fire” singer Alicia Keys performed a version at the piano that lasted 156 seconds (2:36). And the quickest — short and sweet — was sung by “Sweet Caroline” crooner Neil Diamond.

Andra Day is about to sing at the big game!

Meredith Woerner Deputy Editor, Variety.com Changemaker of the Year, Maren Morris celebrated her honor at the Variety Hitmakers, presented by Sony audio, by listing off the women who inspired her including Taylor Swift, Sinead O’Connor and Billie Holiday. Introduced by singer and songwriter Maggie Rogers, her colleague praised Morris for using her voice to uplift others. to fight for gender and racial equality, and to re-imagine traditionally exclusive spaces, “specifically in the world of country music.” “She does it all with her head held high and with a sense of humor,” Rogers said.