Iconic entertainer and eight-time Grammy winner Tina Turner died at age 83 at her home in Switzerland on Wednesday (May 24).
Her debut on the Billboard charts came in 1960 as part of Ike & Tina Turner, when “A Fool in Love” debuted at N. 10 on the Hot R&B Sides chart, ultimately reaching No. 2 on that chart. The duo earned 20 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including their enduring version of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Proud Mary,” which reached No. 4. As a solo artist, Turner would earn hits including “What’s Love Got to Do With It,” “We Don’t Need Another Hero (Thunderdome)” and “I Don’t Wanna Fight.” Turner also twice became a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame–as half of Ike and Tina Turner (in 1991) and as a solo performer (in 2021).
But when Turner launched her solo career with 1974’s Tina Turns the Country On!, this native of Brownsville, Tennessee (born Anna Mae Bullock in 1939) proved she also had plenty of country influence. The album included covers of songs by Hank Snow, Dolly Parton and more genre greats. The album came out the same year that The Pointer Sisters introduced their Grammy-winning hit “Fairytale” onstage at the Grand Ole Opry, and as Charley Pride continued a mighty streak of No. 1 country hits, opening doors for Black artists in country music — and also just over a decade after Ray Charles reimagined country classics on his indelibly influential Modern Sounds in Country & Western Music in 1962.
Though Turner never earned a hit on the Billboard country charts, her pop solo breakthrough came in 1984 with her album Private Dancer, which contained signature hits like “What’s Love Got to Do With It” and the album’s title track. Here, however, we look at some of Turner’s most memorable country music moments.
Time to start saving up, Swifties. The news that Taylor Swift is going on her first tour in five years is exciting enough, but once you see the star-studded list of guest artists she’s bringing along for the ride, you’ll really want to purchase a ticket.
The pop star announced Tuesday (Nov. 1) that she would be embarking on The Eras Tour, a celebration of all 10 of the studio albums she’s released since 2006 — at least, that’s what the trek’s title suggests. Swift also shared a poster advertising the tour’s 27-date U.S. leg on Instagram featuring a collage of photos of herself through the years, from the time of her self-titled debut to Midnights, which dropped less than two weeks prior to the tour news.
The Cats star hasn’t hit the road since 2018, when she launched her best-selling Reputation Tour. She had planned on performing again after the release of her 2019 record Lover in a concert series called Lover Fest, but canceled the shows due to the global coronavirus pandemic.
For those who are keeping count, this means that Tay has six albums-worth of new material that she’s never played live — if you include the previously unreleased vault tracks on 2021’s Fearless (Taylor’s Version) and Red (Taylor’s Version). Studio albums Folklore, Evermore and, of course, Midnights, have all also been released in the time between Lover and the Eras Tour.
Though additional international dates won’t be announced until a later time, Swift did also reveal exactly who’s joining her during her highly anticipated return to touring. A total of nine artists make up the supporting act lineup for the tour’s first leg — with two acts slated per night to open for Tay night — and some of them are very familiar faces for the Swiftie community.
Keep reading to see who’s joining Taylor Swift on her 2023 Eras Tour below:
From “Die for You” to “Creepin’,” The Weeknd has become almost synonymous with the upper regions of the Billboard Hot 100 in recent years. With the imminent premiere of his new HBO drama, The Idol, Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye is angling himself toward a new arena: television domination.
The Idol, which The Weeknd co-created with Emmy-nominated Euphoria producer and director Sam Levinson, is set to star Lily Rose-Depp, Troye Sivan, Moses Sumney, Jennie Ruby Jane, and, of course, The Weeknd himself. On Friday (June 2), the “Earned It” singer sat down with Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1 to discuss The Idol, the forthcoming soundtrack, and his new single “Popular,” which features Madonna and Playboi Carti.
“I’m definitely proud of it,” The Weeknd gushed. “And then Madonna, Madge. She’s the ultimate co-sign for this song, for this album, and for this TV show.”
Originally a collaboration between only The Weeknd and Playboi Carti, the “Can’t Feel My Face” singer revealed, “We’ve had a different version of this song prior. So I’ve had these vocals for a while and I’ve kind of just worked around it, and then kind of kept it in the tuck. But now it felt like it was time.”
“Popular” marks the second single from The Idol soundtrack following The Weeknd and Future’s No. 18-peaking duet “Double Fantasy.” Although “Popular” marks the first official collaboration between Madonna and The Weeknd, the Idol star promised that viewers will “hear more of her in the show. She is the ultimate pop star.”
With Madonna’s towering musical legacy and singular commercial success, it comes as no surprise that The Weeknd sings her praises. “I’ve always wanted to work with her,” he mused. “I’ve always wanted to write and produce a Madonna album … well, co-produce with her, of course … because she’s a visionary and she has such a singular vision, and I just want to come into her world and create a classic Madonna album. That was always my dream n… Hopefully, this is the appetizer for that.”
The Weeknd, who is currently in Portugal preparing for another leg of his globe-trotting After Hours Til Dawn Tour, worked on The Idol soundtrack alongside Sam Levinson and Mike Dean. “It’s such a labor of love and such a collaborative project,” he said. “You’ve got three maniacs in the studio … it’s a very cohesive body of work.”
Described as “very experimental, but still pop,” The Idol soundtrack also features production contributions from Across the Spider-Verse soundtrack curator and frequent Weeknd collaborator Metro Boomin.
The Idol is set to premiere on HBO Sunday (June 4). “I feel great because everyone involved feels great,” The Weeknd told Lowe of the show’s premiere. “We’re all so proud of what we made. It’s controversial. It is. And as you know, I’m no stranger to it. Sam is no stranger to it. We’re just excited for people to finally watch it and come up with their own opinion.”
When Bailey Zimmerman takes the stage to perform his brooding, multiweek Country Airplay chart-topper “Rock and a Hard Place,” the memories of a particularly bad breakup come flooding back to him.
“There was a girl I really loved. I wanted to give her the world and bought her a ring, and then she did some really messed-up stuff,” Zimmerman says. “Every time I see people cry during ‘Rock and a Hard Place’ when I’m singing it live, it takes me back to that moment. I remember being in my truck, screaming the lyrics to [Morgan Wallen’s] ‘Sand in My Boots’ because I was so sad and hurt. The line in ‘Rock’ about ‘We’ve been swinging and missing’ just resonated with me.”
When it comes to his career, Zimmerman (who is signed to Warner Music Nashville/Elektra Music Group) has been doing plenty of swinging — and making lots of contact. Now he’s not just screaming the lyrics to Wallen’s song: He’s opening the superstar’s stadium tour this summer. Less than four months after notching his first No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart with “Fall in Love” in December, “Rock” reached the top spot, too. “Fall in Love” was still on its way to No. 1 when Zimmerman’s management team began seeding radio executives with the follow-up single.
“ ‘Rock’ checked all the boxes — great lyric, great melody, and it perfectly fits the direction Bailey is going,” says The CORE Entertainment co-founder/CEO Kevin “Chief” Zaruk, who co-manages Zimmerman with 10th Street Entertainment. “The feedback we received was that it would be an even bigger hit.”
The early stations that jumped on “Rock and a Hard Place” were prescient: The song (written by Heath Warren, Jacob Hackworth and Jet Harvey) achieved even more chart success than its predecessor, leading Country Airplay for six weeks. And in April, it became Zimmerman’s first top 10 on the all-genre Hot 100.
In less than three years, the 23-year-old native of Louisville, Ill., has gone from burgeoning TikTok star to bona fide hit-maker and, now, Billboard’s inaugural country Rookie of the Year. After high school, he began working on a natural-gas pipeline in West Virginia and gained a modest TikTok following for his videos of custom-lifted trucks. Singing was simply a hobby for Zimmerman until December 2020, when he uploaded a video of himself performing “Never Comin’ Home,” a song he had written with high school friend Gavin Lucas. The track went viral, and Zimmerman gave his union notice the following day.
“It was funny, because they were like, ‘You mean we should just take you off the schedule for a bit?’ And I was like, ‘No, I quit. I’m done,’ ” Zimmerman recalls. He continued writing songs and moved to Nashville to record, adding producer Austin Shawn to the core group of collaborators helping him craft his raw, unflinching brand of rock-tinged country. Zimmerman recorded in a spare bedroom in Shawn’s house, cutting his vocals in a small closet. “It’s the same room [where] I met Bailey for the first time, where we talked about lifted trucks and dirt bikes for about three hours straight,” Shawn says.
Bailey Zimmerman photographed on May 18, 2023 at The Underdog in Nashville.
Zimmerman signed his co-management deal in 2021 and announced his label deal the following year. Now he’s one of several artists who have recently ascended swiftly from social media virality to packing venues. (The Neal Agency books his shows.) He’s acutely aware that he sidestepped years of the grueling club shows that typically pave the way to country stardom — and that his learning curve is happening publicly. A few months ago, a clip of him singing off-key live went viral, leading him to post an endearing video in which he apologized for sounding “absolutely awful” before launching into a sturdy a cappella version of “Rock and a Hard Place” to prove he had simply experienced an off night.
“You can say, ‘You didn’t have to go through the 10 years in the bars to get where you are at.’ At the same time, [those artists] had plenty of time to deal with things like your mic not being on or your [in-ear monitors] going out — they could learn all that in clubs,” Zimmerman says. “I had to learn it in front of thousands of people.
“The first two years were rough,” he continues. “I got [vocal cord] nodules and had to not talk for almost three months. My voice was so weak, and I had to build it back slowly — I never went hoarse for a show, thank God, and I never needed surgery. But my voice is stronger now, and I’ve learned how to take care of it.”
Bailey Zimmerman photographed on May 18, 2023 at The Underdog in Nashville.
Not that Zimmerman has had much time to ponder his whirlwind success. Following its May 12 release, his major-label full-length debut, Religiously. The Album, entered the Top Country Albums chart at No. 3 and the Billboard 200 at No. 7.
“We’ve been working so hard, and to see the songs touching people like they have is amazing,” Zimmerman says. “And to be Rookie of the Year for Billboard is such a big deal. I can’t wait to call my mom — she’s going to freak.”
The Eras Tour is going global. After keeping fans waiting for months, Taylor Swift announced Friday (June 2) that she’s bringing her best-selling show to Latin America with summer and autumn stops in Mexico, Argentina and Brazil, featuring Sabrina Carpenter as her opener.
“Really thrilled to tell you this!!” the pop star wrote in a post to her social media accounts. “Mexico, Argentina and Brazil: We are bringing The Eras Tour to you this year!”
“@SabrinaAnnLynn will be joining us on all of the shows!” she continued, calling the 24-year-old “Nonsense” musician a “sweet angel princess.” “LOTS more international dates to come soon, promise!”
Swift concluded her post by directing fans to her touring website for more information on registering for ticket pre-sales and on-sales. And while the “Anti-Hero” singer’s relationship with Ticketmaster has been strained recently (she slammed the company in November for mishandling high-demand sales for the American Eras Tour dates), Swift’s Latin American tickets will be sold through the ticketing platform.
A total of eight Eras Tour dates are currently slated for Swift’s venture to Latin America. Starting Aug. 24, she’ll play three consecutive shows at Mexico City’s Foro Sol. The Grammy winner will then return in November for a pair of shows at Estadio River Plate in Buenos Aires, followed by shows at Estádio Nilton Santos in Rio de Janeiro and Allianz Parque in São Paulo.
Echoing Swift’s words, a note at the bottom of a digital flier for the leg reads, “Additional international dates will be announced soon.”
See all of Taylor Swift’s Latin America Eras Tour dates below:
Really thrilled to tell you this!! Mexico, Argentina and Brazil: We are bringing The Eras Tour to you this year! Sweet angel princess @SabrinaAnnLynn will be joining us on all of the shows! Visit https://t.co/sWLDCJoj1P for more information on your registrations, pre-sales and… pic.twitter.com/yraYdo1Q26
A judge in Greene County is handing down a not guilty verdict in the case against a former Missouri State University professor accused of killing a colleague.
Edward Gutting was facing charges of first-degree murder and armed criminal action in the dead of Marc Cooper, and the assault of Cooper’s wife in 2016.
Investigators say Gutting was previously diagnosed with schizophrenia, while prosecutors argued that diagnosis had no bearing on his actions during the murder.
The judge ultimately found him not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect.
Gutting will be remanded to Department of Mental Health for an undetermined period of time.
Though Gunna has remained mum since his release from jail last December, on Friday (June 2), he finally addresses his skeptics in his new song, “Bread & Butter.”
The black-and-white visual gives the song an ominous tone as Gunna candidly speaks on his plea deal and the snitching allegations pinned against him. “Never gave no statement or agreed to take no stand on’ em /Whatever you n—as on, then trust me, I’mma stand on it/ Lawyers and that DA did some sneaky s–t, I fell for it/ On my P’s and Q’s because this time I be prepared for it,” he raps.
Gunna continues to stand tall amid the drama and doesn’t relent under the pressure by further skewering his detractors, saying, “You bitch a– n—as got me the topic of the chat/ You switched on me when you know you in business with a rat/And the boy, that’s like your brother, ain’t nobody speak on that.”
“Bread and Butter” is Gunna’s first song post-jail after accepting a plea deal last year. Though his YSL counterpart Young Thug remains incarcerated over charges that include allegations of murder, carjacking, armed robbery, drug dealing and illegal firearm possession over the past decade, Gunna continues to insist he did not snitch on the “Hot” rapper.
“While I have agreed to always be truthful, I want to make it perfectly clear that I have NOT made any statements, have NOT been interviewed, have NOT cooperated, have NOT agreed to testify or be a witness for or against any party in the case and have absolutely NO intention of being involved in the trial process in any way,” the rapper wrote in a statement after his release last December.
Several rappers have been critical of Gunna’s release, including Lil Durk, who recently spoke to Akademiks about his thoughts on his “What Happened to Virgil” collaborator. “[You] should’ve went in there and kept your mouth closed,” he said. “If you a rat, I f–king hate you ’cause I love Thug.”
A bear cub is dead after being hit by a car in southwest Springfield Thursday night.
Offiicials say the cub was seen several times in the city Thursday afternoon into Thursday evening before authorities were called to a scene on James River Freeway near Glenstone.
When they arrived, they found the bear cub dead in the road.
The Missouri Department of Conservation was alerted, and the eastbound off-ramp of the freeway was closed while the DOC cleared the scene.
BTS‘ Suga is returning with another episode of his popular drinking show, Suchwita, and this time, it features a very special guest sitting down for a chat. A teaser for Suga’s upcoming 12th episode of the program was shared on Friday (June 2), and features fellow BTS member Jin just before he enlisted in the South Korean military.
Suga and Jin — whose identity is hidden behind an image of a cube — share alcohol in the video and reflect on training days, and talk about BTS fans and army preparations. “Right now, I’ll probably giving my best in serving my country,” Jin says in the clip. “I’m sure I’ll be doing just fine, so don’t worry too much. Please don’t forget BTS and keep on showing your love and support.”
“Seriously, you were the hardest guest to invite on the show,” the rapper said, to which “The Astronaut” singer replies, “It’s four days before I enlist. I have four days to go. The members said to me, ‘Wouldn’t ARMYs love to see you on a show with SUGA while you’re in the army?’ So I decided to come on the show.”
Later on during Jin’s appearance, he talks about how he wasn’t prepared to debut as a member of BTS. “I was someone who shouldn’t have debuted at that time … there were very few things I was good at,” he explains. “I wasn’t a good singer. I wasn’t a good dancer. There wasn’t much I could show anyone.”
Suga, however, disagrees and says, “What do you mean you weren’t good at anything? There is no one on our team who can do what you do.”
The special episode of Suchwita will be released on June 10, just three days before BTS’ 10th anniversary. To celebrate, Yeouido, Seoul, will host the annual BTS 10th Anniversary FESTA on June 17. More details will be announced leading up to the date.
Watch the teaser for Suchwita with Jin in the video above.
The latest pool to open in the Ozarks is the Boswell Aquatic Center in Lebanon.
City Parks Director John Shelton says the pool opens Saturday. He says it is about time for a major renovation of the facility, with a zero entry and some other things to keep it updated.
Admission to the pool is four dollars for anyone above three years old.
