Music

Anne Feeney, the influential folk musician and labor activist whose “Have You Been to Jail for Justice” has served as an anthem for activists worldwide, died of Covid-19 on Wednesday. She was 69. Her daughter, Amy Sue Berlin, confirmed the news on Wednesday night. “It is with a very heavy heart that we must announce the passing of our courageous, brilliant, beautiful mother, Anne Feeney,” Berlin wrote on Facebook. “We were very lucky that she fought hard enough to open up her eyes, and give us a couple days to...

Jim Weatherly's best-known song is "Midnight to Train to Georgia," but it's another song that he wrote that was recorded by Gladys Knight and the Pips that helped forge an important country music relationship with Ray Price.Price, a Country Music Hall of Famer artist, released "You're the Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me" in 1973, and it became his final No. 1 hit. Knight would release her version one year later, taking it to Top 5 on the pop charts — without a doubt it's this version that's best remembered.On Twitter, she reflected on...

Rolling Stone interview series Unknown Legends features long-form conversations between senior writer Andy Greene and veteran musicians who have toured and recorded alongside icons for years, if not decades. All are renowned in the business, but some are less well known to the general public. Here, these artists tell their complete stories, giving an up-close look at life on music’s A list. This edition features drummer Chester Thompson. When Chester Thompson joined Genesis as a drummer for the Wind and Wuthering tour in 1977, he had every reason to think...

It all happened so fast. On Tuesday morning (Feb. 2), Morgan Wallen was country music's fastest-rising star, but come Wednesday (Feb. 3), you can't even find him on the radio.What, exactly, did Morgan Wallen say?Per TMZ, Wallen returned home from a night out in Nashville on Sunday (Jan. 31) and was saying goodbye to friends outside in his driveway, when he was caught on video hurling the N-word at a buddy. An apology came swiftly, but so too did the consequences: In addition to most of country music's major radio players, Spotify and Apple Music have pulled...

Trent Reznor has issued a statement denouncing his former friend and collaborator Marilyn Manson, as Pitchfork reports. His statement comes in the wake of Manson’s former partner Evan Rachel Wood’s allegations that Manson groomed her and abused her during the course of their relationship. Following Wood’s statement on Monday morning, at least four other women made similar accusations. After news of the accusations came to light, a story involving Reznor that appears in Manson’s 1998 autobiography, The Long Hard Road Out of Hell, resurfaced. In it, Manson claims he and...

After a tough year like 2020, fans and artists alike are more than ready to turn the page to 2021. But despite the continuing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, a new year means promising new beginnings -- and we're betting these artists have big things in store for the coming year.Some, such as Katie Pruitt, Jamie Wyatt and S.G. Goodman, put out remarkable projects during 2020 that left their growing fanbases clamoring for more. Others, including Breland and Priscilla Block, have gone viral with hit songs that transcended a traditional radio trajectory, finding new...

Julien Baker has tapped her Boygenius bandmates Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus for “Favor,” the latest single from her upcoming album Little Oblivions. “I used to think about myself like I was a talented liar,” Baker sings across an animated lyric video, as Bridgers and Dacus provide backing vocals. “Turns out that all my friends were trying to do me a favor.” “Favor” was recorded in Nashville on the same day that Dacus and Baker contributed vocals to Bridgers’ “Graceland Too,” as well as an upcoming song of Dacus’. “That...

Morgan Wallen has issued an apology after he was caught using a racial slur on video. The country singer tells TMZ he is "embarrassed and sorry" after footage surfaced of him using the N-word in a video a neighbor captured.TMZ broke the news of the video on Tuesday night (Feb. 2), posting a clip that purports to show Wallen returning home on Sunday night (Jan. 31) after spending the night out with a group of friends. The group are being very loud and boisterous, which, according to the celebrity gossip site,...

Sophie, the acclaimed U.K. electronic pop producer who died on January 30th, pushed music’s cutting edge forward relentlessly in her work with artists across genres. One of her most notable collaborations was with Vince Staples, producing two tracks for his 2017 album Big Fish Theory. Here, in a new interview, the Long Beach, California rapper talks about how he got to know Sophie on a tour of Australia in 2016, and how their friendship went beyond music. This interview has been lightly condensed and edited. I can get bored fast...

Dolly Parton donated $1 million to help fund research for what became Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine, but the singer hasn't yet gotten her shot, she explains in a new interview with the Associated Press.Even though Parton's age makes her eligible to get the vaccine — she turned 75 on Jan. 19 — she says she's planning to wait a little longer so that others who need the shot can get their doses first."I don't want it to look like I'm jumping the line just because I donated money. I'm very funny about that," Parton...

Gang of Four: 77-81, an LP compilation of the English post-punk band’s seminal work that was originally scheduled for this past December, will now be released on March 12th after a delay due to production issues. (A CD version will arrive later on April 23rd.) The limited-edition box set gathers Gang of Four’s influential early work from the late Seventies and early Eighties, including Entertainment! and Solid Gold (both remastered from the original analog tapes), an exclusive singles LP, and an exclusive double LP of the never officially released Live at American Indian Center...

When Blake Shelton returns to his coaching role on Season 20 of NBC's The Voice, he'll have some serious star power in his corner: Superstar duo Dan + Shay will be Battle Advisors for Team Blake this season.On Monday (Feb. 1), Shelton remarked during an interview with Access that bandmates Shay Mooney and Dan Smyers will provide invaluable pointers for his team members, especially when it comes to the finer points of vocal harmony."The way come together and vocalize together and make music, I thought that would be a great mentor to have, these two....

Marilyn Manson’s record label, Loma Vista Recordings, has split with the musician after several women, including Evan Rachel Wood, accused him of abuse, Variety reports. In a statement, Loma Vista wrote: “In light of today’s disturbing allegations by Evan Rachel Wood and other women naming Marilyn Manson as their abuser, Loma Vista will cease to further promote his current album, effective immediately. Due to these concerning developments, we have also decided not to work with Marilyn Manson on any future projects.” Manson began working with Loma Vista for his 2015...

All-vocal country group Home Free try their hand at one of rock 'n' roll's greatest classics with their take on "American Pie," singer-songwriter Don McLean's beloved hit from 1971. Home Free's version commemorates the 50th anniversary of the song's original release, and includes a guest spot from none other than McLean himself."Being in the studio with Don McLean was a really special moment for us," recounts Austin Brown, who sings tenor. "Just hearing him talk about what the song means to him and give details on the moment I wrote it...