OHMYGOSSIP — Steve Lacy has been honoured with his own Fender Signature Stratocaster guitar – dubbed The People Pleaser.
The 24-year-old guitarist – who shot to fame as a member of the alt R’n’B band The Internet in 2015 – admits it’s a “full-circle moment” as his first-ever guitar was a Fender Squier Strat.
The music and style icon – who has worked with the likes of Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, Solange, and Vampire Weekend – commented: “This guitar means so much to me. It’s a full-circle moment. My first guitar was a Squier Strat. It was the box set that came with an amp, case, quarter inch-the whole 9. Now I have my very own Fender Stratocaster guitar. The People Pleaser Strat, in a nutshell, is my dream guitar as a kid when I first started playing and my dream guitar as the guitarist I am today. An ode to the old classic design that Fender is known for with all the new specs that make a guitar feel like home. I hope everyone gets to experience the feeling of this guitar. I’m excited to see what people make with it.”
Steve unveiled the signature guitar by jumping through a limousine sunroof dressed head-to-toe in YSL in Los Angeles.
As per a press release, the instrument is “named for Steve’s trendsetting reputation, crowd-pleasing sounds, and innovative stage looks, was designed for tastemakers, cultural influencers, and bold players who crave soulful, R’n’B tones, outrageous singing solo sounds and everything in-between, like Steve himself. Known for his musical influence, street style, and notable brand partnerships with couture leaders in the industry such as Gucci and Louis Vuitton, the new model from Fender showcases Steve’s evolution from a hungry local Compton musician into an international chart-topping artist and guitarist.”
It boasts Player Plus Noiseless Pickups and Custom Steve Lacy Chaos Fuzz Circuit Voiced for Howling Sustain, Soaring Psychedelic Leads, and Roaring Riffs.
Evan Jones, the Chief Marketing Officer at FMIC, added: “Steve’s unique sound and style have distinguished him as one of the leading artists of the new generation, who keep the guitar’s role in music and culture exciting and relevant.
“Inspired by Steve, the ‘People Pleaser’ Stratocaster is designed to captivate audiences and appeal to guitarists seeking a unique instrument that stands out in their collection.”
The guitar is priced at £1,299.00. Head to Fender.com for more information.

Source: IconInsider.com

OHMYGOSSIP — U2 have “a lot of great material in the pipeline”.
Frontman Bono put a planned album called ‘Songs of Ascent’ on hold because he wants U2 to release a “noisy, uncompromising, unreasonable guitar album” first.
And guitarist The Edge says they’ve been busy working on lots of different tunes.
Asked if he’s working on new ideas with the guitar, he told Guitar Player magazine: “I know the answer to that. [laughs] I’ve been working a lot on new guitar music, and I’m very excited about it. It’s at that prototype stage where … who knows? But the answer to the question is ‘yes.’ I’m finding myself for the first time in a little while getting very excited about the electric guitar again. Maybe it’s something to do with the lockdown, having the time to not do very much.
“For me, that was such a creative opportunity.”
Asked if they would have still done the acoustic LP if it hadn’t been for the COVID-19 lockdown, he replied: “We’ll never know, will we? [laughs] We were due for some time off. We finished our last show in India in December of 2019. We came home, and almost immediately the world was turned upside down. That time would have been spent working on ideas and early-stage new songs. And we are.”
He teased: “We have a lot of great material in the pipeline.”
Bono revealed in October that the upcoming record – which the group have been teasing since 2009 – won’t be their next LP because he is keen to drop a rock record first.
He told The New York Times in October: “We all make mistakes. The progressive-rock virus gets in, and we needed a vaccine. The discipline of our songwriting, the thing that made U2 – top-line melody, clear thoughts – had gone.
“With the band, I was like, this is not what we do, and we can only do that experimental stuff if we have the songwriting chops. So we went to songwriting school, and we’re back and we’re good! Over those two albums, ‘Songs Of Innocence and Experience’, our songwriting returned. Now we need to put the firepower of rock ‘n’ roll back.
“I don’t know who is going to make our f***-off rock ‘n’ roll album. You almost want an AC/DC, you want Mutt Lange. The approach. The discipline. The songwriting discipline. That’s what we want.”
The Edge later teased that the ‘One’ rockers are hoping to put the album out ASAP.
Speaking to Rolling Stone, he said: “As soon as possible.
“But, of course, that’s just who I am. I think Bono is of the same ilk. We’re anxious and would love to get them out, but there will be a lot of options and other advice we’ll be taking about when to drop some new material. But just to say, we’ve been busy and very inspired creating new stuff.”

Source: IconInsider.com

OHMYGOSSIP — Ed Sheeran stood on a car to perform an impromptu gig on the streets of New York on Friday (05.05.23) .
The 32-year-old chart star thrilled passers-by by hopping up onto the bonnet of a vehicle which was parked outside his pop-up shop in Manhattan’s SoHo district and belting out tunes for the crowd.
Crowds gathered outside the ‘Ed Sheeran – The Subtract Experience Pop-Up’ as the singer serenaded them with songs including ‘Perfect’ and onlooker Priscilla Ignacio told MailOnline: “It was really sweet and it was quite amazing to see him play for people just on the street.”
The performance came a day after Ed won a $100 million legal battle over his track ‘Thinking out Loud’.
Ed was accused of copying elements of Marvin Gaye’s ‘Let’s Get it On’ and was sued by the heirs of the song’s co-writer, Ed Townsend.
The singer vehemently denied any wrongdoing and the case ended on Thursday (04.05.23) with Ed being cleared of the plagiarism accusations.
Speaking outside court, the pop star hailed his victory as a win for songwriters everywhere. He explained: “I’m just a guy with a guitar who loves writing music for people to enjoy. I am not and will not allow myself to be a piggy bank.
“I’m obviously very happy with the outcome of the case and it looks like I’m not having to retire from my day job after all. At the same time I’m unbelievably frustrated that baseless claims like this are allowed to go to court at all.
“We’ve spent the last eight years talking about two songs with dramatically different lyrics, melodies and four chords which are also different and used by songwriters every day all over the world.
“These chords are common building blocks which were used to create music long before ‘Let’s Get It On’ was written and will be used to create music long after we are all gone.
“They are in a songwriter’s alphabet, our toolkit, and should be there for all of us to use. No one owns them or the way they are played, in the same way that no one owns the colour blue.”
Ed concluded by revealing he’d been forced to miss his grandmother’s funeral in Ireland to be in New York for the trial and he “won’t get that time back”.

Source: IconInsider.com

OHMYGOSSIP — The Rolling Stones slept in a van to see their idol Buddy Guy perform.
The legendary rock’n’roll band named themselves after Muddy Waters’ 1950s blues classic ‘Rollin’ Stone’, and incorporated blues into their signature style, and Sir Mick Jagger was annoyed that some people had no idea who the black artists that they took inspiration from were.
Buddy told Guitar Player magazine: “America wasn’t ready for Muddy, B.B. or anybody until the British had to come and tell White America who B.B. King and Muddy Waters were. There was an American television show called ‘Shindig!’ and they were trying to get the Rolling Stones. And Mick Jagger said, ‘I’ll do it if you let me bring on Muddy Waters.’ White America said, ‘Who the hell is that?’ and he got offended. He said, ‘We named ourselves after his most famous record!’
Buddy, 86, who is retiring from the road, thought the Stones played better than him, and was surprised when Mick told him they camped in their van so they could catch him live.
He added: “After I became friends with them, they told me they’d slept in a van to watch me play. I said, ‘Man, y’all play better than me,’ and they’re like, ‘No! We got it all from you! We didn’t know it was possible to play the blues with a Strat until we saw you.'”
The Chicago blues pioneer – who was Muddy’s session guitarist – influenced generations of guitarists including Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Keith Richards, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jeff Beck, Gary Clark Jr. and John Mayer.

Source: IconInsider.com

OHMYGOSSIP — Andrew Lloyd Webber was “completely honoured” to have been asked to write the Coronation anthem.
The 75-year-old composing legend – who is known as the creator of musicals such as ‘Cats’ and ‘The Phantom of the Opera’ – wrote ‘Make a Joyful Noise’ for King Charles’ crowning ceremony on Saturday (06.05.23) and has now told how the monarch himself asked him to take up the prestigious gig over dinner.
He told The Telegraph: “We had a dinner and were talking about music. He said, ‘I suppose you wouldn’t be interested in doing an anthem?’ I said, ‘Of course, I would be completely honoured!’”
The Oscar-winning impresario – whose anthem was performed just moments after the crowning of Charles’ wife Queen Camilla at the Westminster Abbey service – went on to describe the monarch as a “remarkable man” and wanted to “pledge allegiance” to him with his composition.
He added: “I think it’s a gesture to a remarkable man and if I can pledge allegiance to someone like that, I shall. I think we are very, very blessed. In my view, he could have the most positive impact, not only in this country but around the world, in bringing people back to values that perhaps have been forgotten – more than anyone I’ve met.”
Earlier this year, the Lord – who was inspired by the Psalm 98 lyric ‘Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, the king’ – expressed his wish that the composition would inspire the country to unite amid such a historic occasion.
He said: “I played, and tried to sing, my early score for the King a few weeks ago. It seems so appropriate to the moment in the coronation service. I hope my anthem will encourage everyone across the country to go and ‘make a joyful noise’ in honour of this fantastic national occasion, and will be sung by many at other joyful occasions in the future!”

Source: IconInsider.com

OHMYGOSSIP — Guns N’ Roses bassist Duff McKagan’s guilty pleasure is Kylie Minogue.
The 59-year-old rocker admits he’s listened to a lot of pop music thanks to his two daughters, Grace ‘Grave’ Elizabeth, 25, and Mae Marie, 22, whom he has with his wife Susan – and he confessed to being into the Australian pop princess’ “real good rubbish” music.
Duff named Kylie’s 2004 greatest hits LP ‘Ultimate Kylie’ as the album “no one will believe I own”.
He told Classic Rock magazine: “I have way too many guilty pleasures. I have two daughters, man – there’s a lot of pop at my house. How about Antony The Johnsons? Not guilty enough? Okay, here’s one… What’s the chick’s name? She’s about my age… Kylie Minogue! Her music is real good rubbish.”
The musician – who will headline Glastonbury with Axl Rose and co next month – also shared how he wished he’d got to play for late music icon Prince and that Soundgarden’s 1996 record ‘Down On The Upside’ is one he wishes he’d made.
Duff – who has also performed in the supergroup Velvet Revolver with his former Guns N’ Roses bandmates Slash and Matt Sorum, as well as brief stints in Alice in Chains and Jane’s Addiction – told the publication: “That last Soundgarden album was f***in’ killer.
“I could name any Soundgarden record for this question, actually.
“I would love to have been part of any of their albums. I wish I’d been in Jeff Buckley’s band, too, or that I’d gotten to play with Prince.”

Source: IconInsider.com

OHMYGOSSIP — Pet Shop Boys have compared themselves to The Weeknd.
The 80s synth-pop duo – comprising Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe – love how the ‘Blinding Lights’ hitmaker releases “amazing pop records” but there is an air of mystery to the man behind the stage name, Abel Tesfaye.
Chris told Classic Pop magazine: “I don’t even know what he looks like. All I know about him is he can’t spell.”
Neil interjected: “That’s a great example. The life is very much part of the younger generation, to the extent that their life is very much part of pop music nowadays. But I don’t know what The Weeknd looks like either, and that’s because he doesn’t want you to know. He makes amazing pop records, so I think we could have been like him.”
Speaking about the Queen of Pop Madonna, Neil added: “And then of course, there’s Madonna. You think you know her, but she’s still got that classic 80s distance.
“She’s embraced Instagram, but only to create new imagery of herself. It’s always: ‘This is my new look.’ Madonna’s new look can be showing her bum to the camera, but it’s never revealing anything about the inner Madonna.”
Chris explained how he doesn’t get noticed on the street if he’s not wearing a cap and sunglasses which he wears to become a Pet Shop Boy.
Interestingly, The Weeknd – whose music career started in 2009 when he anonymously uploaded his unique style of R’n’B to YouTube – recently explained how he wanted to be judged for his music and not his looks.
The 33-year-old megastar told Interview magazine: “I wanted to be very calculated about how I wanted people to see me or hear my music. The initial reason I did that was I didn’t think I was marketable when I was younger, especially for R’n’B. I didn’t think I had the right look.
“The R’n’B look was very sexual back in the day. Obviously, there were a lot of singers that didn’t have the conventional R’n’B look, but for me, it was more of a personal thing. I liked getting an unbiased reaction from my music. People got to just judge me for the art, for the music I was putting out.”

Source: IconInsider.com

OHMYGOSSIP — Ayra Starr keeps in touch with her fans over text.
The 20-year-old pop star – whose real name is Oyinkansola Sarah Aderibigbe – released her hugely successful debut album ’19 and Dangerous’ after shooting to fame when she posted covers onto Instagram in 2019 and has now revealed that four years into her career that she still likes to chat to her fans personally.
She told NME: “Me and my fans have been texting each other! One of them just got a job, and I told them I was so proud. It’s a way for us to communicate, and it also helps them see my personality more.”
The ’Sability’ hitmaker – who was awarded the Breakout Artist of the Year at 2022’s Net Honours – went on to recall feeling “warm” when her fans were able to sing along to every word of a little-known album track in a gig she did last summer as she explained that she always allows herself to “be in the moment” when it comes to putting pen to paper for a song so that she can create a more accurate depiction of how she is feeling at that time.
She added: “I have this song called ‘ASE’ – it’s not [my] most popular song, but I performed it on COLORS [last summer]. During a show I did [recently] people knew the lyrics [to it], it was crazy. They knew it word for word.
[When it comes to song writing ], I allow myself to be in the moment. I let myself be content wherever I am, so I can make music based on how I’m feeling. There’s a lot more pressure when you try to channel a feeling. I allow everything to be.”

Source: IconInsider.com

OHMYGOSSIP — Billy Lockett “hasn’t stopped crying” since completing his latest tour.
The 31-year-old singer has been in the industry since he was a teenager but only released debut ‘Abington Grove’ in February and admitted after wrapping his new tour in Newcastle on Sunday (07.05.23), that “all of his dreams” had finally come true after signing his third record deal.
He told The Sun newspaper’s Bizarre column: “This tour feels like everything’s come together. It is everything I’ve dreamed of since I was a kid. “I haven’t been able to stop crying because it’s been so hard. I’ve been signed and dropped twice. This is my third deal. And it’s my 30th tour, probably.”
The ‘Hard Act To Follow’ hitmaker – who has previously supported the likes of Lana Del Rey and Lewis Capaldi and played on ‘The Late Late Show with James Corden’ – went on to add that he has toured with “everyone under the sun” whilst on the road to his debut album but admitted that all of the “stress” and “worry” that came with trying to build his career over the course of the last decade has all been “worth it” as he has now managed success on his own.
He said: “I’ve supported everyone under the sun and I’m 31 now. I started trying to properly do this when I was 18 and all the stress, worry, overthinking and debt is totally worth it now.”
The Northhampton-born star recently described is music as pure “entertainment” but also hoped that his back cataologue could help someone with personal struggles such as grief or getting over addiction.
He told TheLineOfBestFit: “It’s entertainment at the end of the day, I want people to be able to listen to it from beginning to end, and If one song can help someone get over their loved one dying, telling someone they love someone or getting to grips with an addiction problem that’s amazing, but all I really want is people to feel something with these songs and to enjoy them.”

Source: IconInsider.com

OHMYGOSSIP — Ed Sheeran says writing pop is “more challenging” than any other form of music.
The singer/songwriter has insisted he’s never been bothered by negative reviews of his work because he accepts his music is never going to be universally adored – but he’s adamant pop stars should be respected because coming up with a catchy tune is one of the most difficult jobs in the industry.
During an appearance on ‘CBS Sunday Morning’, he explained: “I used to care a lot [about reviews] because I spent my whole life trying to become successful.
“But you’re not always going to be everything to everyone. Like I’ve never really been a critical darling, but I don’t know, I think it’s more challenging to write pop music than any other kind of music.”
Ed also spoke out about winning his recent copyright trial after he was accused of copying Marvin Gaye’s classic ‘Let’s Get it On’ in his hit ‘Thinking out Loud’ – insisting court cases over musical similarities are likely to continue despite his legal victory.
He explained: “I just think it comes with the territory … There’s like four chords that get used in pop songs. And if you just think mathematically the likelihood of this song having the same chords as this song – there’s multiple, multiple songs – it’s all the same four chords … you are going to get this with every single pop song from now on.
“Unless it just stops, which I don’t think it does because it’s a big money business to take things to court. But you can only get caught out if you’ve done something wrong, and I have not done something wrong. I used four chords that are very common cords to use.”

Source: IconInsider.com

OHMYGOSSIP — Kerry Ellis often feels “inspired” by Sir Brian May.
The 44-year-old musical theatre actress has worked with Queen legend Brian, 75, multiple times over the years after he first spotted her in the ensemble of ‘My Fair Lady’ in 2002 and the ‘Bohemian Rhapsofy’ hitmaker jumped at the chance to play on ‘Battlefield’, the lead single from her new album ‘Kings and Queens.’
She told Hello Magazine: “I’m in my mid-forties now, so it was really important to make something I want to listen to. This album feels more laid back and relaxed. I played it to Brian with a nudge-nudge, wink-wink and he came back and said ‘I’d love to play on it!’ I make him laugh because it’s as though we’re from different planets, but we inspire each other because we’re so different. ”
Kerry – who since originating the role of Meat in Queen jukebox musical ‘We Will Rock You’ in 2002 has become known as one of the biggest stars of West End with leading roles in ‘Wicked’, ‘Oliver!’ and ‘Cats’ – has so far released ‘Anthems’, ‘Kerry Ellis’ and ‘Golden Days’ as well as EP ‘Wicked in Rock’ and went on to admit she likes to “challenge” herself , which is why she has now signed up to take on the role of Titania in Stafford’s summer production of Shakespeare’s ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream.’
She added: “I like to challeng myself, but I did question myself with this one because of the expectation that comes with Shakespeare. I’m glad I went for it because I’m loving learng it – it’s like going back to A-Level English!”
‘Battlefield’ is out now, stream and download at https://slinky.to/Battlefield
‘Kings and Queens’ is due for release on 12 May.
Pre-order at https://slinky.to/KingsAndQueens

Source: IconInsider.com

OHMYGOSSIP — Rebecca Ferguson has promised to give a “powerful performance” at Eurovision in honour of Ukraine.
The 36-year-old singer – who shot to fame when she became runner-up on the seventh series of ‘The X Factor’ behind winner Matt Cardle and has since released a string of hit albums – is representing her hometown of Liverpool during the semi-final of Eurovision on Friday as the Northern city takes on hosting duties for last year’s winners Ukraine amid their ongoing war and has teamed up with 2010 Ukrainian representative Alyosha for a performance she hopes will bring about “unity and love” to the international competition.
Speaking on ITV’s ‘Good Morning Britain’, she said: “So I’ll be performing with Alyosha who is a Ukrainian singer. She performed at Eurovision in 2010, it will be a really powerful performance, and it will be really reflective of what’s going on now, what’s happening with the women in Ukraine having to leave their husbands. The whole performance is a story really, it’s really powerful, and me and Alyosha are really excited. We had a good chat yesterday and we talked about out performance we said that first of all Liverpool is really proud that we’re going to host it but we want the message of it to just to be about love and unity, which is what Eurovision is about and that’s what we’re going to be portraying .”
The ‘Nothing’s Real But Love’ songstress went on to describe the atomosophere in Liverpool as “amazing” ahead of the contest on Saturday (13.05.23) and thanked her hometown for all the support they have given her over the course of her career.
She added: “The atmosphere has been amazing. I had a little wander round yesterday to see friends and the city is buzzing. I think the Liverpool council have done an amazing job and everyone is just really keen to show off the city and really do Eurovision for Ukraine.”
“Liverpool has been so supportive of me, without them I wouldn’t be where I am so I am really proud to be representing them and to be part of it.”

Source: IconInsider.com

OHMYGOSSIP — Ed Sheeran’s songs will help to “build hopes and dreams for others”, according to his late pal Jamal Edwards’ mum.
Brenda Edwards – the mother of music producer Jamal, who died aged 31 in February 2022 – has congratulated Ed for being cleared in his $100 million copyright case on Thursday (04.05.23), over the allegation his ‘Thinking out Loud’ song ripped off Marvin Gaye’s ‘Let’s Get it On’.
Singer Brenda has advised Ed, whose new album ‘Subtract’ was released on Friday (05.05.23), to “keep smiling in the face of adversity”.
She wrote on Instagram: “I love you so much, and know how stressful this was for you sweetheart. Congratulations Ed, I’m happy to know that your creativity and songs will continue to help to build hopes and dreams for others. Keep Smiling in the face of adversity #comon #nobodyownsthecolourblue (sic)”
On Ed’s new 14-song album ‘Subtract’, he sings of his grief following the death of Jamal, and after his wife Cherry Seaborn, 30, was diagnosed with a tumour last year while pregnant with their second child.
Ed sings in his tune ‘Life Goes On’: “Tell me how my life goes on with you gone?”
The new record has already been widely praised by critics.
In March, Ed told how ‘Subtract’ was partly inspired by his “unbreakable bond” with his wife Cherry, with whom he has two-year-old daughter Lyra, and 12-month-old daughter Jupiter.
While launching his new album in March, he revealed the track ‘No Strings’ was inspired by Cherry’s tumour ordeal as well as advice his father had given him on marriage.
As he introduced the song to the audience at the Eventim Apollo in London, he said: “My dad said to me when I got married, ‘You will not know what real love and marriage is until there’s death and real sickness’.
“He said that because that happened when he first married my mum.
“There was real, real grief that happened in the family and real, real sickness that ended up in grief that they had to go through.”
Ed has also told how his track ‘Spark’ explores the notion of “moving on” from trauma.
He said: “You know in movies when people have break-ups and they put everything into the fire and go, ‘It’s a new dawn’? I feel like that’s a healthy thing sometimes, to move on and be like, ‘That was then and this is now’.
“The lyrics in this chorus are ‘We’ll build a fire, we’ll torch our old life and hope that the original spark of what made it amazing survives and we’ll just move on from it.’ ”

Source: IconInsider.com

OHMYGOSSIP — Lizzo has cancelled a show in Montreal, Canada after falling sick with the flu.
The 35-year-old pop star had been due to perform at the city’s Montreal Bell Centre on Thursday night (04.05.23) but she scrapped the concert at the last minute on the advice of doctors after she found herself battling a fever, sore throat and a headache.
She apologised to fans in a video posted on Instagram, saying: “I had a sore throat last night and a headache, and I went to bed. And I woke up this morning and it was worse, and my body is weak and I have chills, and my head hurts. Normally, if it’s just a cold, I would shower, I would eat, take some medicine[and] it gets better. But this is getting worse. I think it’s the flu and I have to make the unfortunate decision to cancel today. I want to find a date to reschedule, but I just can’t perform tonight. This is the second time I’ve had to cancel due to health in my entire career. I will make it up to you Montreal. I’m so sorry.”
The show was called off just an hour before it had been due to start, with a statement which explained: “As per doctor’s orders, Lizzo is unable to perform tonight at the Bell Centre. More details will be announced soon for the new date.”
The cancelled show comes after a busy week for the ‘Juice’ star, who performed at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival last Friday (28.04.23) and then attended the Met Gala in New York on Monday (03.05.23).
Lizzo’s next concert is scheduled for Saturday night (06.05.23) at the XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut.

Source: IconInsider.com

OHMYGOSSIP — Post Malone is set to be bestowed with the Hal David Starlight Award.
The Songwriters Hall of Fame announced that the ‘Circles’ hitmaker will be this year’s recipient of the prestigious honour at the Songwriters Hall of Fame Induction and Awards at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City on June 15.
The award recognises young songwriters whose work is impacting the music industry.
Chairman, Nile Rodgers, said in a statement: “Over the last few years I have had the pleasure of watching Posty become one of the biggest artists in the world and he’s done it by writing phenomenal songs.
“Way before Post Malone was a superstar, he was a great songwriter, and this is his first step into the Songwriters Hall of Fame!”
The 27-year-old megastar follows in the footsteps of the likes of Lil Nas X, Halsey, Ed Sheeran, and Taylor Swift in receiving the prize.
The announcement comes after Snoop Dogg, Gloria Estefan, Electric Light Orchestra’s Jeff Lynne and more were chosen for induction into the 2023 Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Sade, Teddy Riley, Glen Ballard and Liz Rose are also being honoured at the induction ceremony.
Rap icon Snoop – who is known for hits including ‘Drop It Like It’s Hot’ and ‘Gin and Juice’ – follows in the footsteps of previous hip-hop inductees Missy Elliott and Jay-Z in being recognised for their songwriting.
Estefan is known for the classics ‘Rhythm Is Gonna Get You’ and ‘Let’s Get Loud’, while ELO star Lynne penned timeless classics such as ‘Mr. Blue Sky’ and ‘Evil Woman’ and ‘Hold On Tight’.
Nile said: “The music industry does not exist without songwriters delivering great songs first. Without them there is no recorded music, no concert business, no merch.
“The 2023 slate represents not just iconic songs but also diversity and unity across genres, ethnicity and gender, songwriters who have enriched our lives and, in their time, literally transformed music and the lives of billions of listeners all over the world.”

Source: IconInsider.com

OHMYGOSSIP — 50 Cent is embarking on a mammoth global tour to mark 20 years of his seminal debut studio album, ‘Get Rich or Die Tryin’’.
The rap icon – whose real name is Curtis Jackson – will kick off the jaunt with a North American leg, beginning on July 21 in Salt Lake City.
The European leg commences on August 28 in Amsterdam, and the UK dates include Glasgow, Manchester, London, and Birmingham in November.
He will have hip-hop legend Busta Rhymes join him for the entirety of the run. Jeremih is opening the North American shows, with more special guests to be announced.
Fans can expect to hear songs Curtis hasn’t performed live in “decades”.
At the dates where it’s legal, the ‘Candy Shop’ hitmaker will be selling his very own Curtis ’50 Cent’ Jackson’s Sire Spirits brands, Branson Cognac and Le Chemin du Roi Champagne, at select Live Nation venues.
The ‘Just a Lil Bit’ hitmaker is also set to add further concerts in Australia, New Zealand, Asia and Europe.
Head to 50cent.com for ticket details.
Meanwhile, the ‘In da Club’ hitmaker recently admitted he would love to “offer new music” to fans.
The rapper’s last studio album was 2014’s ‘Animal Ambition’, and while he has achieved everything he could dream of in music, he admits it would be nice to perform new tunes for fans at his concerts.
He told Billboard: “I get the attention that I want from music when I want it.
“I just went out and toured 45 countries, and everywhere was sold out. That made me want to offer new music that I could integrate into everything now. I’ve done what I wanted to do in the [sales] capacity. I’ve sold over 35 million records. Not singles — albums.”
Reflecting on the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, the star admitted he found his experience within the community “uncomfortable” as he made lots of rivals on his way to the top.
He said: “My run was so uncomfortable that everyone would like to forget that it happened. That’s just the way it is with the artist community.
“I didn’t come in being friendly because I had to find a way into it — not find a way to be good enough to work in the community. The biggest compliment in the early stages was that artists felt like they’d made it when they got the deal. You had to earn the right to have the deal.”

The Final Lap Tour 2023 – North America dates:
Fri Jul 21 – Salt Lake City, UT – Maverik Center
Sun Jul 23 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena
Tue Jul 25 – St. Louis, MO – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre – STL
Thu Jul 27 – Noblesville, IN – Ruoff Music Center
Fri Jul 28 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena
Sat Jul 29 – Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center
Mon Jul 31 – Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage
Wed Aug 02 – Montreal, QC – Bell Centre
Thu Aug 03 – Mansfield, MA – Xfinity Center
Sat Aug 05 – Darien Center, NY – Darien Lake Amphitheater
Sun Aug 06 – Cleveland, OH – Blossom Music Center
Tue Aug 08 – Bristow, VA – Jiffy Lube Live
Wed Aug 09 – Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center
Fri Aug 11 – Hartford, CT – XFINITY Theatre
Sat Aug 12 – Camden, NJ – Freedom Mortgage Pavilion
Sun Aug 13 – Virginia Beach, VA – Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach
Tue Aug 15 – Raleigh, NC – Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
Wed Aug 16 – Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion
Thu Aug 17 – Atlanta, GA – Lakewood Amphitheatre
Sat Aug 19 – Tampa, FL – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
Sun Aug 20 – West Palm Beach, FL – iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre
Tue Aug 22 – Tuscaloosa, AL – Tuscaloosa Amphitheater
Thu Aug 24 – Houston, TX – Toyota Center
Fri Aug 25 – Dallas, TX – Dos Equis Pavilion
Sun Aug 27 – Albuquerque, NM – Isleta Amphitheater
Tue Aug 29 – Phoenix, AZ – Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre
Wed Aug 30 – Los Angeles, CA – Crypto.com Arena
Thu Aug 31 – Chula Vista, CA – North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre
Sat Sep 02 – Mountain View, CA – Shoreline Amphitheatre
Mon Sep 04 – Sacramento, CA – Golden 1 Center
Wed Sep 06 – Ridgefield, WA – RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater
Thu Sep 07 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena
Fri Sep 08 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena
Sun Sep 10 – Calgary, AB – Scotiabank Saddledome
Mon Sep 11 – Edmonton, AB – Rogers Place
Wed Sep 13 – Winnipeg, MB – Canada Life Centre
Fri Sep 15 – St. Paul, MN – Xcel Energy Center
Sat Sep 16 – Chicago, IL – United Center
Sun Sep 17 – Detroit, MI – Pine Knob Music Theatre

European tour dates:
Thu Sep 28 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Ziggo Dome
Fri Sep 29 – Hamburg, Germany – Barclays Arena
Sat Sep 30 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Royal Arena
Wed Oct 4 – Oslo, Norway – Spektrum*
Thu Oct 5 – Trondheim, Norway – Spektrum*
Sat Oct 07 – Stockholm, Sweden – Avicii Arena
Mon Oct 09 – Riga, Latvia – Arena Riga*
Wed Oct 11 – Lodz Poland – Atlas Arena
Sat Oct 14 – Berlin, Germany – Mercedes-Benz Arena
Sun Oct 15 – Oberhausen, Germany – Rudolf-Weber-Arena
Fri Oct 20 – Zurich, Switzerland – Hallenstadion
Sat Oct 21 – Nice, France – Palais Nikaia
Sun Oct 22 – Milan, Italy – Mediolanum Forum
Tue Oct 24 – Munich, Germany – Olympiahalle
Wed Oct 25 – Mannheim, Germany – SAP Arena
Thu Oct 26 – Brussels, Belgium – Forest National
Sat Oct 28 – Prague, Czech Republic – O2 Arena
Tue Oct 31 – Strasbourg, France – Zenith
Thu Nov 02 – Nantes, France – Zenith
Fri Nov 03 – Paris, France – La Defense Arena
Mon Nov 06 – Dublin, Ireland – 3Arena
Thu Nov 09 – Glasgow, Scotland – OVO Hydro
Fri Nov 10 – Manchester, England – AO Arena
Sat Nov 11 – London, England – The O2
Sun Nov 12 – Birmingham, England – Resorts World Arena

Source: IconInsider.com