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Four Emmys. Three Oscars. Two Grammys. One-half of a legendary songwriting team who made an enduring impact on the soundtrack of Hollywood.

Alan Bergman — whose collaboration with wife Marilyn resulted in dozens of indelible songs performed from everyone from Frank Sinatra to Barbra Streisand to Michael Jackson, and soundtracked everything from In the Heat of the Night to Severance — died Thursday at the age of 99. (Marilyn died in 2002.)

The Bergmans formed a formidable lyric-writing duo, teaming with several of the greatest composers of the 20th century, including Quincy Jones, John Williams, Ennio Morricone, Henry Mancini, and Marvin Hamlisch.

They received the Trustees Award from the Grammys in 2013 and were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1980; the couple also received the organization’s highest honor, the Johnny Mercer Award, in 1997.

Here are 10 must-hear classics from their award-worthy songbook.

“Nice ‘n’ Easy” (1960)

Cowritten with Lew Spence, the swinging lead single...

There exists a generation of late-night TV fans who argue things haven't been the same since Johnny Carson signed off. For them, good news is on the way.

Carson ended his tenure as host of The Tonight Show in 1992. It ended 30 years at the desk for the King of Late-Night. Following his retirement, Carson largely stayed out of the spotlight, save for sending in some jokes to David Letterman.

Now, Carson is returning to television thanks to streaming. Fifty episodes of The Tonight Show hosted by Carson, not seen in decades, are coming to Shout! TV. The streaming service operates Johnny Carson TV, a free ad-supported streaming channel dedicated to the late-night TV icon.

Per Vulture, the episodes will go live on Shout! beginning July 5. It brings the total number of Carson Tonight Show episodes available on the service to just over 470. Viewers can access the Carson archive through the Shout!

A new box set will examine Elvis Presley’s third act, collecting rare highlights from his L.A. recording sessions between 1970 and 1975. Sunset Boulevard, out Aug. 1, includes 89 rarities, more than half of which have never come out officially in the U.S., across five discs.

A preview of what the box set holds, “Burning Love (Take Two),” finds Presley’s band sounding groovy and funky, with lots of wah-wah on the guitar, as the King finds his footing with the vocal performance. He sang the more familiar hit version with more vim and vigor,...

Arthur Hamilton, the Oscar-nominated songwriter best known for his smoky torch-song classic “Cry Me a River,” memorably recorded by Julie London, Ella Fitzgerald, Joe Cocker and many others, has died. He was 98.

His death was announced this week by ASCAP and the Society of Composers and Lyricists; details were not immediately available.

Hamilton received his Oscar nom for best song (shared with composer Riz Ortolani) for “Till Love Touches Your Life” from Madron (1970), performed by Richard Williams and Jan Daley for the movie Western that starred Richard Boone and Leslie Caron.

For Warner Bros.’ Pete Kelly’s Blues (1955), starring and directed by Jack Webb, Hamilton created two wistful songs for Peggy Lee, who played an alcoholic jazz singer in the musical crime film — “He Needs Me” and “Sing a Rainbow,” which would evolve into a children’s classic.

“Cry Me a River” was sung by Fitzgerald for the film but did...

Last week, the Library of Congress unveiled the 2025 additions to its National Recording Registry, which aims to collect recordings deemed “culturally, historically or aesthetically important.” If you were Elton John, Steve Miller, Celine Dion, or the estate of the late Helen Reddy, you were probably thrilled. But one man, apparently, was not.

On last Friday’s episode of Real Time with Bill Maher, the comedian and commentator made headlines with his much-awaited — and now much parsed, praised, or pummeled — recap of his and pal Kid Rock’s visit to the...

Johnny Mathis has cancelled forthcoming gigs and announced his retirement from touring at the age of 89.

The veteran artist shared that he was suffering from “memory issues” (according to the UK’s Sun newspaper) and has decided to quit the road ahead of his 90th birthday.

Mathis’s decision was shared to his Facebook page, which said:

“While there are still some exciting concerts coming up, regrettably all Johnny Mathis concerts from June 2025 onwards are now cancelled.

“Please read the notice below, and contact individual venues directly with all ticket questions. Refunds will be made through the original point of purchase. Thank you, Mathis Fans.”

Following support and concern from fans, Mathis’s answered further questions about the prospect of filming his final concerts:

“It’s a lovely idea, but unfortunately filming or streaming the final concerts is not going to be possible. We’re sorry for any disappointment.

“Johnny...

Johnny Mathis has announced his retirement from live performances beginning in June 2025. His final show is on May 18th at the Bergen Performing Arts Center in Englewood, New Jersey.

“As many of you may already be aware, Johnny Mathis is approaching his 90th birthday this year,” reads a statement posted to Facebook on Wednesday. “So, it’s with sincere regret that due to Mr. Mathis’ age and memory issues which have accelerated, we are announcing his retirement from touring and live concerts.”

Get Johnny Mathis Tickets Here

The announcement concludes, “Johnny Mathis and his entire staff send their heartfelt gratitude to all Mathis fans worldwide for your continued love and support of his music! It’s truly been ‘Wonderful, Wonderful.'”

Mathis turns 90 on September 30th. He is best known for songs like “Wonderful! Wonderful!” and “It’s Not for Me to Say,” and received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award...

Johnny Mathis has announced he’s retiring from live stage performances due to “age and memory issues which have accelerated.”

The news was shared in a statement on the 89-year-old’s Facebook page Wednesday: “While there are still some exciting concerts coming up, regrettably all Johnny Mathis concerts from June 2025 onwards are now cancelled.”

“As many of you may already be aware, Johnny Mathis is approaching his 90th birthday this year,” the statement continued. “So, it’s with sincere regret that due to Mr. Mathis’ age and memory issues which have accelerated, we are announcing his retirement from touring & live concerts.”

According to Mathis’ website, the singer-songwriter has four concerts remaining on his 2025 Voice of Romance tour before he officially retires, including in Pennsylvania, Indiana, California and New Jersey, with his final show scheduled for May 18. As for the four canceled shows, “refunds will be made through the original point of purchase,...

Updated, with additional details: On his visit to the Kennedy Center this afternoon, the arts institution’s new chairman of the board, President Donald Trump, was asked by a reporter why it was so important for him to spend his time with the venue and on its lineup.

“You have so much on your plate. Why come here today?” the reporter asked.

Trump answered, “This represents a very important part of D.C., and actually our country, and I think it’s important to make sure that our country is good shape and is represented well. When people look at this — I’ve been hearing for a long time that they come here, and they’re disappointed when they come here. We want them to be excited.”

Just a couple of weeks into his presidency, amid the flurry of executive orders and tariffs, Trump seized control of the Kennedy Center...

Roberta Flack, the veteran Grammy-winning soul and R&b vocalist who recorded massive hits with “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” and “Killing Me Softly with His Song,” died Monday at age 88. Elaine Schock, Flack’s representative, confirmed the singer’s death from cardiac arrest. “Roberta broke boundaries and records. She was also a proud educator,” a statement read.

In 2022, Flack was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Als) and lost her ability to sing. The disease, her rep said at the time, “has made it impossible to sing and not easy to speak.

In celebration of Black History Month, 70s on 7 is counting down the 50 best soul hits of the 1970s — according to you, our listeners!

70s on 7 Soul CountdownYour favorite soul hits of the ’70sListen on the App

Listen on the App

Voting has closed and the results have been tallied. Now you can listen to the countdown in full anytime on the SiriusXM app or catch it on-air on 70s on 7 (Ch. 7).

Top Soul Hits of the ’70s

Songs our listeners voted on:

“ABC” – The Jackson 5

“After the Love Has Gone” – Earth, Wind & Fire

“Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” – Diana Ross

“Ball of Confusion” – The Temptations

“Bad Girls” – Donna Summer

“Ben” – Michael Jackson

“Best of My Love” – The Emotions

“Boogie Down” – Eddie Kendricks

“Boogie Fever” – The Sylvers

“Boogie Nights” – Heatwave

“Boogie Oogie Oogie” – A Taste of Honey

“Can’t Get Enough of Your Love, Babe” – Barry White

“Car Wash...

Alfa Anderson, the one-time lead vocalist of Chic who sang on classic disco songs including “Le Freak,” “Good Times,” and “I Want Your Love,” has died at the age of 78.

Nile Rodgers, the leader of Chic, shared news of Anderson’s passing on social media on Saturday. A cause of death was not disclosed.

After getting her start as a backing vocalist for artists such as Dionne Warwick and Roy Buchanan and vocal work on The Wiz soundtrack, Anderson auditioned for a role in Chic in 1977. She assumed co-lead vocalist following the departure of Norma Jean Wright in 1978 and went on to sing on some of the group’s biggest solo hits. She was also featured on Chic’s collaborations with artists including Sister Sledge (“We Are Family”), Diana Ross (Diana), and Johnny Mathis (I Love My Lady).

Following Chic’s initial disbandment in 1983, Anderson toured internationally with Luther Vandross.

Actor, Musician and Philanthropist Jeremy Renner to serve as Grand Marshal for the 92nd Anniversary of The Hollywood Christmas Parade Supporting Marine Toys for Tots.

The live parade presented in association with The City of Los Angeles will take place on the streets of Hollywood, CA on Sunday, December 1, 2024 starting at 6:00 p.m. at Hollywood landmark Tcl Chinese Theatre.

Jeremy Renner is an award-winning actor and dedicated philanthropist whose commitment to giving back is as integral to his identity as his celebrated film roles. In 2023, he founded the RennerVation Foundation, a youth-focused nonprofit dedicated to creating meaningful opportunities for children in foster care and at-risk youth. The foundation’s mission is to foster joy, growth, and a strong sense of belonging, offering these young individuals experiences and resources that allow them to embrace the fullness of childhood. With memorable performances in films including The Hurt Locker and the Avengers series,...

The Killers kicked off a two-night stand at Forest Hills Stadium in Queens, New York, on Saturday night by honoring another band that played the same venue 60 years earlier.

“Some of you might know the history of the place,” Killers frontman Brandon Flowers told the crowd. “Obviously there were some amazing tennis matches that took place here. When we think about that historic Beatles performance at Shea Stadium, that was in 1965. But in 1964, 60 years ago, the Beatles did two nights here at Forest Hills. We thought that we would pay our respects.

Emily in Paris season 4 has officially come to an end with the release of part 2 on Sept. 12. Once again, the season finds Emily bumbling through professional and personal woes, but she does so with a bubbly spirit, a great fashion sense, and a catch soundtrack to back her up! And thankfully, there's a new Mindy original in season 4 part 2 for all of us to obsess over.

In the season 4 finale, Mindy joins Emily in Rome and hops on a piano in the piazza to play on an original song she has been writing. When the song goes viral online thanks to a tourist's video, Emily later names the song "Beautiful Ruins," and that's really what the song is: beautiful! Ashley Park couldn't be more talented, and it's so exciting that she sings another original song for the series.

Park also has a few additional music moments in part 2, much more...

While Mindy (Ashley Park) and co. gear up for the Eurovision Song contest in Season 4 of Emily in Paris, they have some time to practice their numbers. Whether it be a French rendition of a popular song, or the English hit itself, they often perform crowd-pleasers.

The soundtrack to Emily in Paris features many French artists that back the hustle and bustle of Emily’s life. Find all the songs featured in Season 4 of Emily in Paris below:

Episode 1: Break Point

“Swan Lake, Op. 20, Spanish Dance” by Tchaichovsky “Chat Dans La Nuit” by Dopamoon (feat. Romain Muller) “Love Is in the Air” by John Paul Young “Encore” by Dopamoon x Napkey “Paris Yeye Girl” by Bea Parks and Jack Lake “Visions” by Tample “Bollide” by Warner Chappell Music Group “Off” by Les Filles and Christopher “Café Bombon” by Sergey Kolosov, Ross Gidney “3 Bikinis” by David C [French Dance Version] “Memories” by...

Jerry Fuller, the songwriter and producer whose stellar career included such hits as “Travelin’ Man” for Ricky Nelson, “Young Girl” for Gary Puckett and the Union Gap, “Show and Tell” for Al Wilson and “Little Green Apples” for O.C. Smith, has died. He was 85.

Fuller died Thursday at his home in Sherman Oaks of complications from lung cancer, publicist Bobbi Marcus told The Hollywood Reporter.

Fuller’s first production for Puckett was the million-selling “Woman, Woman,” which was released in 1967 and peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. He then wrote and produced the band’s next three multimillion sellers, “Young Girl,” “Lady Willpower” and “Over You” — all top 10 songs, too — as the band outsold The Beatles in 1968.

“What can I say about a guy whose vision defined my musical identity and destiny,” Puckett wrote in a statement. “What can Anyone say about a man who gave So much to...

The Library of Congress has announced this year’s selection of 25 “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” pieces of recorded music to archive into the National Recording Registry, led by albums from Green Day, The Notorious B.I.G., and Blondie.

In addition to Green Day’s seminal Dookie, The Notorious B.I.G.’s classic debut Ready to Die, and Blondie’s commercial breakthrough Parallel Lines, other albums preserved among “the defining sounds of history” include Abba’s Arrival and The Chicks’ Wide Open Spaces. Jefferson Airplane’s Surrealistic Pillow and The Cars’ self-titled debut also made the list.

Songs include Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine,” Doug E. Fresh and Slick Rick’s “LA-di-Da-Di,” Perry Como’s “Catch a Falling Star,” Bobby McFerrin’s “Don’t Worry, Be Happy,” and Gene Autry’s “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer.” See the full list below and take a look at the Library of Congress’ full registry here.

Other than making records, what do Green Day, the Notorious B.I.G., classic crooners Perry Como and Johnny Mathis, Latin music giant Héctor Lavoe, and the late Bill Withers have in common? Not much, until today: Works by all those musicians, and over a dozen more, were announced as the latest additions to the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry.

Signed off on by then-president Bill Clinton in 2000, the Registry has aimed to collect recordings —musical performances, speeches, and other audio — deemed “culturally, historically or aesthetically important.” The first...

Robin Urdang is one of Hollywood's leading music supervisors, starting in the early 1990s with The Mambo Kings and working on everything from the Oscar-winning Nomadland to horror films like Suspiria and Bones and All.

She's been the music supervisor for all five seasons of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and won three Emmys for her work on the pilot episode "We're Going To The Catskills!" (Season 2 Episode 4) and "It's Comedy or Cabbage" (Season 3 Episode 5).

We caught up with Robin to chat about all things Maisel as she reflects on the final season and how she, along with creator Amy Sherman-Palladino and Dan Palladino, has curated the musical tapestry of one of television's most lauded comedies.

Can you break down what your job entails for those who don't know?

It varies between projects. Generally speaking, it's clearances, licensing, finding music, procuring soundtracks, finding and hiring composers.

For me, more often than not,...

As with most of Martin Scorsese's movies, the Goodfellas music soundtrack adds to the brilliance of the movie with perfectly placed songs. It features a relentless soundtrack full of Italian crooners, American standards, and several classic pop-rock songs. The featured music at once provides a sense of familiarity while underscoring thematic elements and character personalities. Released in 1990, Goodfellas is based on Nicholas Pileggi's 1985 book Wiseguy: Life in a Mafia Family, which documents the experiences of American gangster Henry Hill. It is considered one of Scorsese's best as well as one of the greatest mob movies of all time and the Goodfellas music soundtrack adds to its legacy.

In Goodfellas, Hill (Ray Liotta) recounts 25 years of working for the Lucchese crime family, working alongside mob colleagues Jimmy Conway (Robert De Niro) and Tommy DeVito (Joe Pesci), but knows that he'll never become a "Made Man" due to his lack of pure Italian blood.

In its most infamous monster-of-the-week episode, "Home," Fox's "The X-Files" took the idea of small-town American isolationism to the furthest extreme network TV would allow. First broadcast in October 1996 — two months before the TV Parental Guidelines system went into effect — "Home" juxtaposes Norman Rockwell images with hidden horrors that could be triggering even now for some viewers. In the span of one hour, the episode toggles between blue skies, baseball, a cornfield and Cadillac, '50s pop, references to "The Andy Griffith Show," and much uglier subject matter like infanticide, birth defects, home invasion, violence against Black people, and an incestuous mutant family.

To say it delved into taboos would be an understatement. This wouldn't be your average rerun: Fox withheld airing "Home" again for a full three years until October 1999, by which time the episode would be carrying the show's first and last TV-ma rating. "Only on Halloween ... would...

Golden Globes pianist Chloe Flower wants to make one thing super clear: She was not playing music over the winners’ speeches at the 2023 Golden Globes. She also tells The Hollywood Reporter that she cleared the air with Michelle Yeoh, who had joked “I can beat you up” when music played during her acceptance speech.

“I’m feeling great,” says Flower the following day. “I saw Michelle, and she embraced me. She reached out and grabbed my hand, and I was like, ‘I would never play during your speech.’ We talked for a minute, so it was really nice.”

Yeoh, 60, won best performance by an actress in a musical or comedy for her performance in Everything Everywhere All At Once. As the piano started to play to usher Yeoh off the stage, the actress joked: “Shut up, please. I can beat you up.”

“It’s really important for Asian women — especially Asian women today,...

Clint Eastwood's impulse for directing goes back to his early days working on the 1959 TV series "Rawhide." As he described in an interview with Patrick McGilligam printed in the 1999 book "Clint Eastwood: Interviews," edited by Robert E. Kapsis and Kathie Coblentz, he stated that working among cattle while on horseback -- "Rawhide" is about cattle ranchers who fend off bad guys in the Old West -- gave him ideas as to how shots could look better. The story goes that he wanted to take a camera onto a horse with him and film Pov shots in the middle of the bovine action. He was denied on "Rawhide," and was not permitted to direct any episodes. It seems that, in the late '50s and early '60s, actors directing their own TV shows had yet to prove lucrative for CBS.

Eastwood wouldn't direct a feature film until 1973, making his...

Thom Bell, who helped to create the soul songs style that became known in the 1960s and 1970s as “The Sound of Philadelphia,” died Thursday in Bellingham, Washington. He was 79 and no cause of death was given.

His lawyer, Michael Silver, confirmed the death.

Bell, along with fellow producers and songwriters Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, were the forces behind the lush orchestrations that characterized The Sound of Philadelphia. Bell, Gamble, and Huff were known as “The Mighty Three,” working out of a Broad Street building and creating a song factory that dominated the era’s charts and Top 40.

Dyanna Williams, a music journalist and broadcast personality, announced Bell’s death on her social media accounts Thursday afternoon.

“Beloved songwriter arranger, producer Thomas aka Randolph Bell aka Thom Bell, co-architect of The Sound of Philadelphia with Gamble & Huff. Soundtrack to our lives music The Delfonics The Stylistics The Spinners Deniece Williams...

The MPTF “Lights, Camera, Take Action!” telethon raised 867,986 on Saturday night to benefit the 100-year old charity’s support of entertainment industry members in need.

Cast and Crew of MPTF Telethon

The telethon aired live on Ktla 5, with presenting sponsors City National Bank and UCLA Health leading the philanthropic charge. Acclaimed Emmy-nominated actress and writer Yvette Nicole Brown, currently seen in Disenchanted, and beloved game show host and Emmy winner Tom Bergeron co-hosted the show on-air, with Ktla’s Sam Rubin hosting the in-studio phone bank. Writer-producer Phil Rosenthal, who also appeared during the program, and David Wild produced the show. The telethon celebrated MPTF’s significant safety net support to the entertainment community and offered viewers a night of unforgettable musical performances and appearances by special guests. Industry celebrities including Spencer Garrett, Clark Gregg, Annette O’Toole, Michael McKean, Rob Morrow, Jessica Rothe, and Adrienne Visnic took donations on a phone bank throughout the event.

Click here to read the full article.

The Motion Picture & Television Fund hosted a telethon Saturday to raise funds for the organization that recently shared it “desperately” and “urgently” needed donations following the pandemic. It raised 867,986.

The telethon aired live on Los Angeles’ Ktla 5 on Saturday. The Phil Rosenthal and Tom Bergeron-produced event was hosted by Emmy-nominated actress and writer Yvette Nicole Brown and game show host and Emmy winner Tom Bergeron.

In a recent letter that was also published in The Hollywood Reporter, MPTF CEO Bob Beichter explained that the organization has always survived year to year and deficit to deficit.

“We are now operating in dangerous territory, rapidly depleting our cash reserves,” he wrote. “Our ability to continue to support the thousands of industry members on our campus and in the community who depend on MPTF for food, shelter, charitable assistance, medical care and socialization literally hangs in the balance.

Tonight’s MPTF’s telethon on Ktla raised 858,493 for Hollywood’s 101-year-old charitable organization – exceeding the 750,000 that it had targeted. Jeff Bridges, who was one of the many stars who appeared on the show, noted that the MPTF is in “dire straits” due to the extraordinary Covid expenses it’s racked up over the last three years.

MPTF said in October that it’s facing its “imminent demise” unless it raises 10 million-12 million in cash donations by the end of this year in order to meet its bank line compliance and continue ongoing operations.

Related: MPTF To Hold Telethon December 10 On Ktla As Charity Struggles To Meet Fundraising Goals To Stay Afloat

MPTF president and CEO Bob Beitcher said last week that the current fundraising campaign has only raised about half of that. Tonight’s telethon – called Lights, Camera, Take Action! – gets them nearly 1 million closer to meeting its fundraising needs.

The Motion Picture & Television Fund’s star-packed telethon Lights, Camera, Take Action! airs live Saturday on Ktla beginning at 7 p.m. It hopes to raise at least 750,000 to defray some of the 9 million in direct Covid expenses it’s racked up over the past three years – and to help keep more than 250 residents of the retirement village from having to move out.

If you can’t watch it on Ktla, you can watch the livestream above.

The 101-year-old charitable organization said in October it’s facing its “imminent demise” unless it raises 10 million-12 million in cash donations by the end of the year in order to meet its bank line compliance and continue ongoing operations.

MPTF president and CEO Bob Beitcher said a week ago that the current fundraising campaign has only raised about half of what’s needed. MPTF officials hope tonight’s two-hour telethon will get them a little closer.

MPTF is proud to announce the “Lights, Camera, Take Action!” telethon, airing live in primetime on Los Angeles’ Ktla 5 on Saturday, December 10, 2022 from 7:00 Pm to 9:00 Pm local time and also available across the country via Ktla.com and MPTF.com.

Acclaimed Emmy-nominated actress and writer Yvette Nicole Brown, currently seen in Disenchanted, and beloved game show host and Emmy winner Tom Bergeron are slated to host the fundraising event, while writer-producer Phil Rosenthal, who will also appear during the program, and David Wild will produce the show whose presenting sponsors include City National Bank and UCLA Health. The telethon will celebrate MPTF’s significant safety net support to the entertainment community and offer viewers a night of unforgettable musical performances and appearances by special guests. Industry celebrities will be taking donations on a phone bank throughout the event. All funds raised from the Ktla telethon will benefit MPTF.

Click here to read the full article.

Adam Wade, the suave singer and actor who registered three Top 10 hits on the Billboard 100 in 1961 and appeared in films including Shaft, Crazy Joe and Claudine before making history as a game show host, has died. He was 87.

Wade died Thursday at his home in Montclair, New Jersey, after a battle with Parkinson’s disease, his wife, singer Jeree Wade, told The Hollywood Reporter.

The Pittsburgh crooner drew comparisons to Johnny Mathis when he scored hits in 1961 with the romantic ballads “Take Good Care of Her,” which reached No. 7 (the tune was later recorded by Elvis Presley), “The Writing on the Wall” (No. 5) and “As If I Didn’t Know” (No. 10).

In a 2014 interview, Wade said he “was trying to imitate Nat King Cole, my boyhood idol, not Johnny Mathis. So I guess that tells you how good my imitating skills were.”

In...

In the music world, it’s pretty much a given that the mellower the artist, the more troubled he or she may be — think of the demons lurking behind those all those languid guitar strums or yacht-rock tempos. (See: the Doobie Brothers.) And thanks to the new documentary Sheryl, which premieres on Showtime May 6th, we can now add another name to that list: Sheryl Crow.

As we approach next year’s 30th anniversary of Tuesday Night Music Club, the album that made her a star after several false starts,...

Norah Jones has unearthed a 22-year-old recording of “Hallelujah, I Love Him So,” her take on Ray Charles’ classic 1959 single “Hallelujah, I Love Her So.” The recording is one of 22 previously unreleased tracks set to appear on the 20th anniversary reissue of the singer’s Grammy-winning debut Come Away With Me, scheduled for release on April 29.

Jones first tackled “Hallelujah, I Love Him So” during her first demo sessions with Blue Note in 2000 alongside bassist Lee Alexander and percussionist Dan Rieser with Jesse Harris on harmonica.

The outtakes from that...

Beverly Noga, a longtime music publicist known for work with high-profile acts including Sonny & Cher and The Bee Gees, died from cancer on October 8, a family spokesperson confirmed to Deadline. She was 87.

Noga is said to be the first woman ever to own her own PR agency, founding Contemporary Public Relations with business partner Bobbi Cowan (niece of famed publicist Warren Cowan) in 1964. This was the company through which she repped legendary pop duo Sonny & Cher, along with Grammy-winning disco trio The Bee Gees. Additional clients included Cream, The Turtles, Three Dog Night, Paul Revere and the Raiders, Eric Burden and the Animals, Joe Cocker, Blind Faith, and the Chambers Brothers.

Noga continued to rep the Chambers Brothers after shutting down Contemporary PR, founding and running her own companies (Hebewillen Enterprises and Hebewillen Publishing) with Willie Chambers up until her death.

Noga came from a musical family. Her parents, John and Helen Noga,...

Robin French, a talent agent who worked with legends including Marlon Brando and Elizabeth Taylor and later headed production at Paramount Pictures in the late 1970s, has died. His family said he had been in declining health for the past few months and died September 6 in Palm Desert, CA.

“Dad left knowing that we love him so much, and that we are all safe and secure thanks in large part to his fierce devotion to us,” his children said in a statement. “He was so smart, funny, loyal, friendly, grumpy, opinionated and just a one-of-a-kind guy. We will all miss him forever, but feel so lucky that he was our Dad.”

French began his career as an agent at Chartwell, working with his father, Hugh French — a former actor who become an agent whose clients in the 1950s and ’60s included Brando, Taylor and Richard Burton — and Jerry Perenchio.

During his agenting days,...

Deck the halls with bows and arrows. It is a wonderful time of the year for Disney+, which dropped the first Hawkeye trailer down the chimney.

Marvel’s latest live-action series will be a Christmas show, and Clint Barton, a.k.a Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), is re-gifting his archery set to young hero Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld). Clint still has the vision to hit a target, but his hearing may not be so great anymore. We can plainly see Hawkeye’s hearing aid, which could end up being the result of an injury suffered on the show.

You can watch the trailer here:

The trailer features one of the most rousing fast-waltz celebrations ever crooned. “It’s The Most Wonderful Time of The Year” was written by the songwriting team of Eddie Pola and George Wyle. It is such a standard it’s been the theme song for Christmas Seals several times.

Laufey evokes Roberta Flack oldies and early Tracey Thorne on “I Wish You Love,” a swooning cover of a standard that appears on Typical of Me, the 22-year-old singer’s debut EP. Many of the tracks were written in Laufey’s dorm room while she was a student at Berklee College of Music.

“I Wish You Love” has a fascinating history — it was initially written by Charles Trenet and recorded several times in France during the 1940s before Albert Beach penned an English-language version. After the new rendition of the...

Albert Brooks is back as a guest voice on “The Simpsons” this Sunday for the first time in six years, and Variety has a sneak peek at his latest role on animated series.

In “Yokel Hero,” Cletus (Hank Azaria) becomes a singing sensation, with the help of Homer (Dan Castellaneta). Then Cletus turns on his fans, ruining everything. Brooks makes a guest-voice appearance as the “Slick Manager” (that’s the character’s name) at “United Parasites Management Company,” eager to sign Cletus and make him a star. Scroll down to watch the first-look clip.

“Yokel Hero,” which airs Sunday, March 7 at 8 p.m. on Fox, is the first time Brooks has provided a guest voice on “The Simpsons” since 2015.

Executive producer Al Jean touted Brooks’ appearance this time out as longer than normal, “almost all of the third act… and of course, he’s always hilarious. It’s really funny to record him,...

Michelle Williams is on board to portray another entertainment icon, in the Peggy Lee biopic “Fever” for director Todd Haynes, Variety has confirmed. MGM is in talks to back the film. Marc Platt, Reese Witherspoon, and Killer Films’ Pamela Koffler and Christine Vachon are producing. Doug Wright (“Quills”) is writing the screenplay.

Billie Eilish, her mother Maggie Baird, and Justin Lubliner, CEO of Eilish’s label Darkroom, are also in early discussions about possibly coming aboard the film as executive producers. Eilish has cited Lee as an inspiration; in December 2019, the singer-songwriter told Variety, “I used to listen to tons of old music — Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, Etta James, Johnny Mathis and people like that — where all the songs had a perfect songwriting structure.”

Born Norma Deloris Egstrom in 1920, Peggy Lee is today likely best known for her sultry version of the song “Fever,” which became a sensation after she...

The 80-year-old actor and activist recalls being raised among film royalty, avoiding the draft for Vietnam, and his losing streak at tennis tournaments

I was born in 1940 and went to an American prep school, The Hill School, in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, in the 50s. It was all white boys: no people of colour, no Hispanics, no Chinese, and it was all very organised and bound in tradition. Other kids brought records to school by people such as Johnny Mathis, Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett. To me, they seemed like stylised crooners singing about some fake emotion and I found them quite boring. I later grew very fond of Tony Bennett, but at that time he didn’t seem to project that wonderful persona through his music.

Stephanie O’Keefe has been elected president of the American Federation of Musicians Local 47, becoming the first woman president in the union’s 123-year history. John Acosta, who served three two-year terms as president, did not seek re-election. In the local’s other elections, Danita Ng-Poss has been elected secretary-treasurer – the first person of Asian descent to serve as a titled officer of the union – and Rick Baptist has been re-elected to a fourth term as vice president.

“I am honored to be elected president of Local 47,” said O’Keefe, a professional French hornist. “It has been a goal of mine for many, many years to be an advocate for my fellow musicians. We are the producers of one of the most valuable commodities on Earth; music has been an integral part of every culture, in every part of the world, for thousands of years. Yet, somehow, the producers of this commodity are often undervalued,...

It doesn’t take Sherlock Holmes to clue us in on who is the Queen of Jazz. It’s Ella Fitzgerald, my dear Watson, Lady Ella. William Basie began to boogie-woogie piano keys at a Harlem club catering to “uptown celebrities.” After a quick stomp through Kansas City, he came back as Count Basie. There are few true royalties among jazz, ask anyone waiting for residual checks, but as Duke Ellington made clear, these two had that thing which made them swing. Eagle Rock Entertainment is dropping two documentaries celebrating these American jazz icons: Ella Fitzgerald: Just One Of Those Things and Count Basie: Through His Own Eyes exclusively on digital formats on Sept. 11.

“Recently enjoying a hugely successful Virtual Cinema release, Ella Fitzgerald: Just One Of Those Things presents a deep, insightful look into the life of The ‘First Lady Of Song,’” according to the press statement. “Ella Fitzgerald’s journey is thoroughly explored,...

“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” took a trip to the Apollo Theater in its Season 3 finale. In a new Amazon Prime Video panel honoring the legacy of the Apollo, co-star Sterling K. Brown, who plays Reggie in the third season, discusses how the show finds a way to merge the Black and Jewish experiences on the Apollo stage. “We have a shared history of struggle and performance and I think that legacy of performance comes out of struggle and oppression, the desire and the need to entertain, to put people at ease so that we can be safe,” says the Emmy-winning actor. Watch the exclusive full 36-minute video above.

Wanda Sykes, who plays stand-up comedian Moms Mabley, recalls how playing the legendary comic was just as nerve-wracking as when she herself performed at the Apollo. As she recalls thinking in her first time doing the Apollo, “If you bomb, everyone’s...

Emmys’ song category (officially original music and lyrics) embraces a wide spectrum of tunes, from amusing late-night trifles to powerful concluding anthems. This year the Television Academy’s voting members chose seven worthy songs penned by Oscar winners, Grammy winners and more.

The Black Godfather

(Netflix)

When Clarence Avant’s daughter, Nicole, asked songwriter Pharrell Williams to consider writing an end-title song for the documentary about the music executive’s life, he confesses, “I thought I knew this man’s legacy. I had no idea his fingerprint was on so many things we all benefit from.” So, with fellow songwriter Chad Hugo, he penned “Letter to My Godfather,” drawing inspiration from many musical genres, “to reflect his eclectic reach in terms of business and influence.” The lyrics — “he’s our chandelier, to bring the light” — were Williams’ metaphor for Avant’s ability to throw open the doors to “these often...

Leroy McClain plays the charismatic crooner Shy Baldwin on Amazon’s “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.” The actor won his first SAG Award earlier this year as part of the show’s sprawling ensemble.

McClain recently spoke with Gold Derby senior editor Susan Wloszczyna about what brought him to “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” how his role was a true collaboration and whether he will return for Season 4. Watch the exclusive video interview above and read the complete transcript below.

See‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’ Emmy interviews: Amy Sherman-Palladino, Jane Lynch, Wanda Sykes and more [Watch]

Gold Derby: This is kind of an expected question but I just wonder how did you come to be cast as Shy Baldwin, who’s a popular crooner who gives Mrs. Maisel her big break by going on tour and opening her universe for that season?

Leroy McClain: I had actually just come back into town in New York where I live.

“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” has an enviable batting average when it comes to Emmy Awards for music supervision — the past two have gone to the team of show creators Amy Sherman-Palladino and Dan Palladino and music supervisor Robin Urdang. But this year, the “Maisel” crew has its sights on the original song competition, unfamiliar territory for the Amazon Prime Video hit.

While the soundtrack to season three contains the showtunes, classical music, Klezmer and iconoclastic standards of the era, the showrunners set about creating a palette of new music for Shy Baldwin (LeRoy McClain), the singer for whom titular comedian Midge Maisel (Rachel Brosnahan) serves as an opening act.

The creators sought to give Baldwin a unique musical personality, someone rooted in a ’50s crooner style with a taste for the burgeoning soul music, and tasked songwriters Thomas Mizer and Curtis Moore to listen to Johnny Mathis and Sam Cooke...

In our 100th episode, Edgar Wright takes us on a musical journey through some of his favorite cinematic needle drops.

Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode

Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls (1970)

Baby Driver (2017)

Reservoir Dogs (1992)

Vanishing Point (1971)

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

Deja Vu (2006)

Man On Fire (2004)

The Bourne Supremacy (2004)

The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)

Alien (1979)

The Mexican (2001)

Gremlins (1984)

American Graffiti (1973)

Star Wars (1977)

Jaws (1975)

The Exorcist (1973)

Halloween (1978)

The Amityville Horror (1979)

Dawn of the Dead (1978)

Deep Red (1976)

Suspiria (1977)

Shaun of the Dead (2004)

Monty Python And The Holy Grail (1975)

An American Werewolf In London (1981)

The Long Goodbye (1973)

The Evil Dead (1983)

Face/Off (1997)

The Wizard Of Oz (1939)

Mandy (2018)

The Hallow (2015)

The Nun (2018)

Mulholland Drive (2001)

Christine (1983)

Blue Collar (1978)

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)

Mauvais Sang (1986)

Frances Ha (2012)

The Lovers On The Bridge (1991)

Holy Motors (2012)

Annette (Tbd)

Goodfellas (1990)

Mean Streets (1973)

Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore (1974)

Raging Bull (1980)

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

Mad Max (1979)

Babe (1995)

Happy Feet (2006)

Dr. Strangelove...

Early on in “Ella Fitzgerald: Just One of Those Things,” singer Patti Austin tells the story of how Fitzgerald — traveling with a big band in the 1930s and apparently the only one on the bus with no interest in getting high — would sit in the back with her coat over her head to act as her “own personal filtration system.” That’s good for a laugh, and it’s also good for a sense of relief, in being reminded that this will be the rare film about a 20th century jazz giant that doesn’t have to worry about when to start in on the tragic foreshadowing. Living to a ripe old age, in this genre of documentary, is not just one of those things.

It’s suggested in director Leslie Woodhead’s film that Fitzgerald lived a fairly lonely life when she was off the road — but it’s...

How do you craft a mythical hit single from 1959? That was the challenge for songwriters Thomas Mizer and Curtis Moore (“For The Love Of Tiffany”), who were tapped by “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” creator Amy Sherman-Palladino and executive producer Dan Palladino to compose five original songs for Season 3’s newest character, pop star Shy Baldwin (Leroy McClain). This was a marked departure from the usual jukebox playlists used as the musical backdrop for the misadventures of Rachel Brosnahan’s stand-up comic, Midge.

The first song the duo tackled was “One Less Angel,” a joyous crowd pleaser for Baldwin to perform with his backup singers, The Silver Belles. “It put us in a situation just like writers would’ve written songs at that time,” said lyricist Mizer. “Amy was very specific about wanting Shy Baldwin to have his own identity, to be recognizable as one person [based on a composite of Sam Cooke and Johnny Mathis...

How do you craft a mythical hit single from 1959? That was the challenge for songwriters Thomas Mizer and Curtis Moore (“For The Love Of Tiffany”), who were tapped by “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” creator Amy Sherman-Palladino and executive producer Dan Palladino to compose five original songs for Season 3’s newest character, pop star Shy Baldwin (Leroy McClain). This was a marked departure from the usual jukebox playlists used as the musical backdrop for the misadventures of Rachel Brosnahan’s stand-up comic, Midge.

The first song the duo tackled was “One Less Angel,” a joyous crowd pleaser for Baldwin to perform with his backup singers, The Silver Belles. “It put us in a situation just like writers would’ve written songs at that time,” said lyricist Mizer. “Amy was very specific about wanting Shy Baldwin to have his own identity, to be recognizable as one person [based on a composite of Sam Cooke and Johnny Mathis...