A blast of severe winter weather last week caused thousands of Southwest Airlines flight cancellations and spiraled into a complete meltdown of its flight system. In the days since, the carrier’s scramble to recover has been slow and, some passengers argue, largely unsuccessful. But experts say Southwest’s mess is actually the culmination of issues that have been building over several years.
Since Dec. 22, the beleaguered airline has canceled more than half of its typical flight schedule, and by late Wednesday about 87% of all canceled flights in the US were from Southwest alone, according to industry trackers FlightRadar24 and FlightAware.
The dire situation, which has exasperated passengers and caught the eye of government regulators, has magnified this week as other major airlines recovered from the extreme cold, ice and snow that gripped much of the United States over the holiday weekend.
The company has apologized to its passengers and employees for the daily cancellations and reduced its capacity by roughly two thirds on Thursday, according to a CNN review of flight data.
This week’s meltdown is not the first time the company has found itself in this predicament. In October 2021, Southwest canceled more than 2,000 flights over a four-day period. While the airline blamed the crisis partly on bad weather in Florida, Southwest canceled flights for far longer than its competitors.
But much of Southwest’s mess may be the result of long-term problems unrelated to the weather.
Chief among them are outdated internal processes and information technology. Southwest’s scheduling system hasn’t changed much since the 1990s, according to Captain Casey Murray, president of the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association.
Southwest has also acknowledged the company’s outdated infrastructure. “We’ve talked an awful lot about modernizing the operation, and the need to do that,” CEO Bob Jordan told employees in a memo obtained by CNN.
Over the years, the airline’s cancellation rate has crept up, tripling from 2013 to September 2022, the most recent data available from US Bureau of Transportation Statistics, which tracks the airlines’ performance, and well before the recent crisis.
The bureau has only released data for 2022 through September. To ensure a fair comparison, CNN only analyzed the carrier’s data from January to September in previous years.
Cancellation rates among airlines fluctuate year-to-year, depending on weather and other factors, such as Covid-19, which resulted in a major industry-wide disruption in the early months of the pandemic in 2020.
But Southwest has consistently failed to perform as well as its competitors when it comes to cancellations, according to bureau data.
In several years over the last decade, the airline had higher cancellation rates compared to other major airlines, the data shows.
It’s not just cancellations. Southwest has also seen its on-time percentage slide in recent years to the lowest point in a decade. Through September of 2022, well before the carrier’s current struggles, only about 7 in 10 of its flights have arrived on time.
LOS ANGELES — The family of rapper Theophilus London filed a missing persons report with Los Angeles police this week and are asking for the public’s help, saying he hasn’t been seen in months.
London’s family and friends believe someone last spoke to the musician in July in Los Angeles, according to the family’s statement released Wednesday from Secretly, a music label group that has worked with London.
London’s relatives have been trying to determine his whereabouts over the last few weeks and filed a police report earlier this week, the statement said.
Officer Annie Moran, an LAPD spokesperson, confirmed Wednesday that a report for London had been taken. A department news release said London was last seen in the Skid Row area on Oct. 15, and his family has lost complete contact with him.
“Theo, your Dad loves you, son,” his father, Lary Moses London, said in the family’s statement. “We miss you. And all your friends and relatives are searching for you. Wherever you are send us some signal. No matter what we will come get you son.”
London posted prolifically on Instagram, but his last posts also came in July.
London, 35, was born in Trinidad and Tobago and later raised in the Brooklyn borough of New York. He was nominated for a 2016 Grammy for best rap performance for a featured spot alongside Paul McCartney on Kanye West’s “All Day.”
London has frequently collaborated with the artist now known as Ye, who produced and guested on 2014’s “Vibes.” London would often post updates on Ye’s “Donda” and “Donda 2” on Instagram, even saying that he was “promoted to tackle media duties” on Ye’s behalf for the month of February.
London himself has released three studio albums — 2011’s “Timez Are Weird These Days,” “Vibes” and 2020’s “Bebey.” He recently was a featured artist on Young Franco’s “Get Your Money,” released this past September — the month before he was last seen.
While “Vibes” was a Warner Records release, “Bebey” was released on London’s own label, My Bebey Records.
“I wanted to see what a sense of family is, a sense of me having a plot of land, building a house on my own land, instead of sleeping at a hotel for the rest of my life,” he told Complex of branching out on his own in 2020.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The chorus against Ticketmaster’s contentious concert pricing practices is growing, numbering among them Zach Bryan and friends.
The country music artist dropped a live album, “All My Homies Hate Ticketmaster,” on Sunday. With it came a statement posted to social media in which he decried “a massive issue with fair ticket prices to live shows lately.”
“I’ve decided to play a limited number of headline shows next year to which I’ve done all I can to make prices as cheap as possible and to prove to people tickets don’t have to cost $450 to see a good and honest show,” Bryan wrote, cautioning that he didn’t have control of ticket prices for festivals he’ll play.
The statement doesn’t mention Ticketmaster by name except in the new album title, though he tagged the company in a separate Instagram post displaying the track listing. A message seeking comment from Ticketmaster was not immediately returned.
Ticketmaster has faced a slew of bad press and scrutiny in recent weeks, notably around the botched rollout of tickets for superstar Taylor Swift’s upcoming Eras Tour.
Ticketmaster Mexico is also in hot water over a Bad Bunny concert in Mexico City where thousands were left in the cold thanks to fake tickets. Mexico’s consumer protection agency announced an investigation, but Ticketmaster Mexico denied the December concert was oversold and instead blamed false tickets bought through unofficial channels and “temporary interruptions in the ticket reading system, which unfortunately momentarily impeded recognition of legitimate tickets.”
Experts say the frustration over Ticketmaster’s practices could drive political engagement, which Bryan alluded to in his statement when criticizing inaction while “huge monopolies sit there stealing money from working class people.”
A songwriter “trying to make ‘relatable music for the working class man or woman’ should pride themself on fighting for the people who listen to the words they’re singing,” he added.
As of Monday morning, Bryan enjoyed a one-two punch atop Apple Music’s country chart: The 24-track “All My Homies Hate Ticketmaster,” a recording of his Nov. 3 show at Colorado’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre, is at No. 1, followed by his 2022 major label debut, “American Heartbreak.”
Taylor Swift was up. Elon Musk was in, out, in and maybe out again. Tom Cruise was back. BTS stepped aside, and so did Serena Williams, and Tom Brady too — oops, scratch that.
Ok, so maybe it wasn’t on the level of a moon landing, or selection of a pope. But henceforth all you need say is “the slap” and people will know what you mean — that moment Will Smith smacked Chris Rock at the Oscars and a global audience said, “Wait, did that happen?” Even in the room itself — maybe especially in the room itself — there was a sense everyone had imagined it, which helps explain why things went on as normal, for a bit.
The pandemic was over, phew! Well, of course it wasn’t. But live entertainment pushed forward in 2022, with mask mandates dropping and people rushing to buy things like, oh, Taylor Swift tickets!
We’ll take any segue to mention Swift, who already had a big year in 2021, but just got bigger — heck, she broke Billboard records and then she broke Ticketmaster. (No word if she got her scarf back).
On the big screen, there were big comebacks. Mourning its dearly missed star, Chadwick Boseman, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” was a box office triumph. James Cameron’s “Avatar” made a splashy December return.
Then there was Cruise, turning 60 in ’22 just like the Rolling Stones, swooping into Cannes with his most successful movie and showing, like those still-touring rockers, that when they tell you “The end is inevitable,” as they do in “Top Gun: Maverick,” you can always reply: “Maybe so, sir, but not today.”
Will audiences one day find Cruise – or the Stones, for that matter – too wrinkled and past the sell-by date? Maybe so, but not this year.
Our annual, totally selective journey through a year in pop culture:
JANUARY
It’s GOLDEN GLOBES time. But is a Globes with no telecast, boozy celebs or red carpet a Globes at all? The embattled Hollywood Foreign Press Association, reeling from stunning failures over diversity, holds a private event and plans a comeback next year. Hey, remember the original wardrobe malfunction? Well, JANET JACKSON says she and JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE have moved on, and so should we. The New York Times buys Wordle, and we’re all thinking in five-letter words (though W-O-R-D-L-E is six, just saying.) Meanwhile, it’s a month of loss, heading off a year of loss: pioneering Black actor, director and activist SIDNEY POITIER dies at 94.
Quick, who wins Oscars this month? Well, “CODA” does, a feel-good drama with a largely deaf cast, and TROY KOTSUR becomes the first deaf actor to win an acting Oscar. Alas, all anyone can talk about is — you know. SMITH, who wins the best actor award not long after slapping Rock over a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, won’t truly address the issue until the end of the year, so keep reading. KARDASHIAN watch: Kim K is declared legally single again in her ongoing divorce with YE, the rapper formerly known as KANYE WEST. And BRADY, retired for 40 days, says, “Never mind!”
APRIL
It’s GRAMMY time, and JON BATISTE wins big, taking five statuettes. The musician’s huge year will later include performing at the first state dinner of the Biden administration, for French President Emmanuel Macron. The next day Macron will meet with MUSK (thanks for the segue, Monsieur le President) who begins his acquisition of TWITTER this month, leading to untold — and still unfolding — changes at the social media giant.
Only one wedding, Britney? BENNIFER has two! Maybe what happens in Vegas usually stays in Vegas, but not when you have 227 million followers on Instagram. With a winking reference to being a “Sadie” (married lady) JENNIFER LOPEZ directs fans to her newsletter where she shares pics of her quickie wedding to BEN AFFLECK. “Love is beautiful,” she writes. “And it turns out love is patient.” Speaking of patience, fans of BEYONCÉ are rewarded for theirs with the release of her long-awaited “Renaissance,” her first solo album in six years.
AUGUST
So, we were saying … Bennifer’s second wedding, on Affleck’s compound in Georgia, is bigger and fancier. One wedding, one split: KARDASHIAN and DAVIDSON are no longer. In other summer news, the world remembers PRINCESS DIANA, whose shocking death happened 25 years ago, and whose life is being rehashed for a new generation in the current season of “The Crown.” Only days after the anniversary, that same Netflix series will pause production as a mark of respect for QUEEN ELIZABETH II as Britain — and the world — mourn the beloved monarch, who dies at age 96 after more than 70 years on the throne.
SEPTEMBER
Mounting political intrigue in Europe, and by that we mean, did spit fly at the Venice premiere of “Don’t Worry Darling”? Either way the movie, directed by OLIVIA WILDE and starring her boyfriend (alleged spitter STYLES), is saddled – or blessed? – with more than its share of extracurricular drama. At the EMMYS, behold SHERYL LEE RALPH, who wins for “Abbott Elementary” and schools the crowd on the power of dreams and self-belief. “This is what believing looks like,” she says. You know what else believing looks like? Rachel Berry from “Glee” – aka LEA MICHELE – at last getting to play Fanny Brice in “Funny Girl” on Broadway. In sports, with four rueful words that resonate with working moms everywhere, SERENA WILLIAMS says she’s stepping aside from tennis, because “something’s got to give.”
Did we say LAST month was Taylor Swift month? Well now, millions of eager fans crowd a presale for her much-awaited Eras Tour, resulting in crashes and endless waits. Ticketmaster cancels the general sale, citing insufficient stock. Multiple state attorneys general announce investigations. Takeaway: People want Taylor Swift tickets. At the multiplex, they also want their Wakanda. “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” meets the double challenge of following up one of the biggest blockbusters in history and losing its biggest star.
DECEMBER
Love ’em or hate ’em, here come HARRY and MEGHAN again, with a Netflix documentary watched very closely by royalty across the pond. Over at Twitter, MUSK says he’ll step down as CEO — after polling users — once he finds someone “foolish” enough to replace him. Cameron’s “AVATAR” sequel finally appears, 13 years after the original broke records, and yes, moviegoers flock to Pandora once again. And bringing the year full circle, SMITH emerges to promote his new film, “EMANCIPATION,” hoping people will forget about … what was it? … at least enough to check out the movie.
In this year of comebacks, will Smith’s be the biggest?
NEW YORK (AP) — Maxi Jazz, a DJ and singer who fronted the eclectic British dance band Faithless known for such hits as “Insomnia” and “We Come 1,” has died. He was 65.
Faithless announced his death on social media Saturday, saying he “died peacefully in his sleep last night.”
“He was a man who changed our lives in so many ways. He gave proper meaning and a message to our music. He was a lovely human being with time for everyone and wisdom that was both profound and accessible,” the band’s statement reads.
Additional details about his death were not immediately available.
Born Maxwell Fraser in London, Maxi Jazz emerged in the British club scene in the 1980s as a DJ on pirate radio and founder of the Soul Food Cafe System. He later formed Faithless along with producer-instrumentalist-DJ Rollo Armstrong, keyboardist-DJ Sister Bliss and singer-songwriter Jamie Cotto. They drew upon such a wide range of influences that their record company described their debut album “Reverence,” released in 1996, as “folk-house-hip-hop-blues-ambience-jazz-rap for the dance floor and sofa.”
“Reverence” did not catch on initially, but eventually gained a wide following; the band went on to global popularity through its dynamic stage performances and albums including “Outrospective” and the greatest hits collection “Forever Faithless.”
Faithless broke up in 2011, but reunited recently, without Jazz, who had since formed Maxi Jazz & The E-Type Boys.
Today is Tuesday, Dec. 27, the 361st day of 2022. There are four days left in the year.
Today’s Highlight in History:
On Dec. 27, 1979, Soviet forces seized control of Afghanistan. President Hafizullah Amin (hah-FEE’-zoo-lah ah-MEEN’), who was overthrown and executed, was replaced by Babrak Karmal.
On this date:
In 1822, scientist Louis Pasteur was born in Dole, France.
In 1831, naturalist Charles Darwin set out on a round-the-world voyage aboard the HMS Beagle.
In 1904, James Barrie’s play “Peter Pan: The Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up” opened at the Duke of York’s Theater in London.
In 1932, New York City’s Radio City Music Hall first opened.
In 1945, 28 nations signed an agreement creating the World Bank.
In 1958, American physicist James Van Allen reported the discovery of a second radiation belt around Earth, in addition to one found earlier in the year.
In 1985, Palestinian gunmen opened fire inside the Rome and Vienna airports in terrorist attacks that killed 19 people; four attackers were slain by police and security personnel. American naturalist Dian Fossey, 53, who had studied gorillas in the wild in Rwanda, was found hacked to death.
In 1995, Israeli jeeps sped out of the West Bank town of Ramallah, capping a seven-week pullout giving Yasser Arafat control over 90 percent of the West Bank’s 1 million Palestinian residents and one-third of its land.
In 1999, space shuttle Discovery and its seven-member crew returned to Earth after fixing the Hubble Space Telescope.
In 2001, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld announced that Taliban and al-Qaida prisoners would be held at the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
In 2002, a defiant North Korea ordered U.N. nuclear inspectors to leave the country and said it would restart a laboratory capable of producing plutonium for nuclear weapons; the U.N. nuclear watchdog said its inspectors were “staying put” for the time being.
In 2016, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (shin-zoh AH’-bay), accompanied by President Barack Obama, visited Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, where he offered his “sincere and everlasting condolences to the souls of those who lost their lives” in Japan’s 1941 attack; Abe did not apologize, but conceded his country “must never repeat the horrors of war again.” Actor Carrie Fisher died in a hospital four days after suffering a medical emergency aboard a flight to Los Angeles; she was 60.
Ten years ago: An Indian-born man, Sunando Sen, was shoved to his death from a New York City subway platform; suspect Erika Menendez later pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to 24 years in prison. (Authorities say Menendez pushed Sen because she thought he was Muslim; Sen was Hindu.) Retired Army general Norman Schwarzkopf, 78, died in Tampa, Florida.
Five years ago: Freezing temperatures and below-zero wind chills socked much of the northern United States. Houston Astros star second baseman Jose Altuve was named AP Male Athlete of the Year after leading the team to its first World Series title. A power outage struck parts of Disneyland in California, forcing some guests to be escorted from stalled rides.
One year ago: U.S. health officials cut isolation restrictions for asymptomatic Americans infected with the coronavirus from 10 to five days, and similarly shortened the time that close contacts needed to quarantine; officials said the guidance was in keeping with growing evidence that people with the coronavirus were most infectious in the two days before and the three days after symptoms developed. Defense officials said a U.S. Navy warship, the USS Milwaukee, remained in port in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, with about two dozen sailors – or nearly a quarter of its crew – testing positive for COVID-19.
Today’s Birthdays: Actor John Amos is 83. Rock musician Mick Jones (Foreigner) is 78. Singer Tracy Nelson is 78. Actor Gerard Depardieu is 74. Jazz singer-musician T.S. Monk is 73. Singer-songwriter Karla Bonoff is 71. Rock musician David Knopfler (Dire Straits) is 70. Actor Tovah Feldshuh is 69. Journalist-turned-politician Arthur Kent is 69. Actor Maryam D’Abo is 62. Actor Ian Gomez is 58. Actor Theresa Randle is 58. Actor Eva LaRue is 56. Wrestler and actor Bill Goldberg is 56. Bluegrass singer-musician Darrin Vincent (Dailey & Vincent) is 53. Rock musician Guthrie Govan is 51. Musician Matt Slocum is 50. Actor Wilson Cruz is 49. Actor Masi Oka is 48. Actor Aaron Stanford is 46. Actor Emilie de Ravin is 41. Actor Jay Ellis is 41. Christian rock musician James Mead (Kutless) is 40. Rock singer Hayley Williams (Paramore) is 34. Country singer Shay Mooney (Dan & Shay) is 31. Actor Timothee Chalamet is 27.
Björk had a cooler Christmas. And this was back in 1988, so you never even had a chance.
Before I explain why, I need to be very, very clear about something: I absolutely hate televisions. I hate them, I think they’re the droning banes of any household and it’s entirely because of personal baggages I have surrounding various people I’ve lived with. When I’m really, really pissed off, and I walk into a room with a television, I have to fight the impulse to beat that thing with a bat, à la Office Space‘s infamous printer scene.
So the fact that Björk, in under five minutes, has managed to charm me into seeing televisions in a different light, is nothing short of a (Christmas) miracle.
Behold, the infamous “Björk Explains TV” video:
(From the Sugarcubes: Live Zabor film, uploaded by user igorbuenocorrea)
I only just got into my Björk era this past year, so I never the knew the context of this video; I’d seen the quote, “You shouldn’t let poets lie to you,” get passed around, but I liked the quote so much, I never thought to look into its origins. The origins, as it would turn out, far surpass any expectations I could ever have.
Apparently, an Icelandic poet once told young Björk that televisions effectively hypnotize people by sedating them with lightwaves and then sending them direct messages about this or that. A fairly common superstition back in the day! But then, Björk read a Danish book that educated her on the realities of television, and she became convinced that it’s really quite something.
She made this video because it was the holidays, and while she says Icelandic people love Christmas, she often found herself watching a lot of TV during that time of year. So to dissuade fellow skeptics, she took apart her TV and explained all of its little contraptions, comparing them to “a little model of a city.” All of this was done with her typical poetic way of speaking, and her soft, relaxing voice.
And then, of course, she ends the video on the most unintentionally metal line possible: “You shouldn’t let poets lie to you.” This wasn’t even a formal interview, it was for a road doc for her former band, The Sugarcubes. The fact that it’s blown up this much speaks volumes about her natural charisma, and how gravitating she is as an artist.
Can’t get any cooler than that. Happy Holidays readers, enjoy your filthy, beautiful televisions.
The chorus against Ticketmaster’s contentious concert pricing practices is growing, numbering among them Zach Bryan and friends.
The country music artist dropped a live album, “All My Homies Hate Ticketmaster,” on Sunday. With it came a statement posted to social media in which he decried “a massive issue with fair ticket prices to live shows lately.”
“I’ve decided to play a limited number of headline shows next year to which I’ve done all I can to make prices as cheap as possible and to prove to people tickets don’t have to cost $450 to see a good and honest show,” Bryan wrote, cautioning that he didn’t have control of ticket prices for festivals he’ll play.
The statement doesn’t mention Ticketmaster by name except in the new album title, though he tagged the company in a separate Instagram post displaying the track listing. A message seeking comment from Ticketmaster was not immediately returned.
Ticketmaster has faced a slew of bad press and scrutiny in recent weeks, notably around the botched rollout of tickets for superstar Taylor Swift’s upcoming Eras Tour.
A presale event in mid-November crashed the site and left many fans without tickets; the planned general sale for the stadium tour was subsequently scrapped because the dominant ticketing giant had run out of tickets. The debacle has even led several state attorneys general to open investigations.
Ticketmaster Mexico is also in hot water over a Bad Bunny concert in Mexico City where thousands were left in the cold thanks to fake tickets. Mexico’s consumer protection agency announced an investigation, but Ticketmaster Mexico denied the December concert was oversold and instead blamed false tickets bought through unofficial channels and “temporary interruptions in the ticket reading system, which unfortunately momentarily impeded recognition of legitimate tickets.”
Experts say the frustration over Ticketmaster’s practices could drive political engagement, which Bryan alluded to in his statement when criticizing inaction while “huge monopolies sit there stealing money from working class people.”
A songwriter “trying to make ‘relatable music for the working class man or woman’ should pride themself on fighting for the people who listen to the words they’re singing,” he added.
As of Monday morning, Bryan enjoyed a one-two punch atop Apple Music’s country chart: The 24-track “All My Homies Hate Ticketmaster,” a recording of his Nov. 3 show at Colorado’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre, is at No. 1, followed by his 2022 major label debut, “American Heartbreak.”
Taylor Swift was up. Elon Musk was in, out, and in. Tom Cruise was back. BTS stepped aside, and so did Serena Williams, and Tom Brady too — oops, scratch that.
But the slap? The slap was everywhere.
Ok, so maybe it wasn’t on the level of a moon landing, or selection of a pope. But henceforth all you need say is “the slap” and people will know what you mean — that moment Will Smith smacked Chris Rock at the Oscars and a global audience said, “Wait, did that happen?” Even in the room itself — maybe especially in the room itself — there was a sense that everyone had imagined it, which helps explain why things went on as normal, for a bit.
The pandemic was over in 2022, phew! Well, of course it wasn’t. But live entertainment pushed forward, with mask mandates dropping, and people rushing to buy things like, oh, Taylor Swift tickets!
We’ll take any segue to mention Swift, who already had a big year in 2021, but just got bigger — heck, she broke Billboard records and then she broke Ticketmaster. (No word if she got her scarf back).
It was a year of celebrity #MeToo cases like Harvey Weinstein (again), R. Kelly (again), Kevin Spacey, Paul Haggis, Danny Masterson. And the Johnny Depp-Amber Heard defamation trial, its every excruciating turn captured on TV.
On the big screen, there were big comebacks. Mourning its dearly missed star, Chadwick Boseman, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” was a box office triumph. James Cameron’s “Avatar” planned a December return.
Then there was Tom Cruise, turning 60 in ’22, just like the Rolling Stones, swooping into Cannes with his most successful movie, and showing, like those still-touring rockers, that when they tell you “The end is inevitable,” as they do in “Top Gun: Maverick,” you can always reply “Maybe so, sir, but not today.”
Will audiences one day find Cruise – or the Stones, for that matter – too wrinkled and past the sell-by date? Maybe so, but not this year.
Our annual, totally selective journey through a year in pop culture:
JANUARY
It’s GOLDEN GLOBES time. But is a Globes with no telecast, boozy celebs or red carpet a Globes at all? The embattled Hollywood Foreign Press Association, reeling from stunning failures over diversity, holds a private event and plans a comeback next year. Hey, remember the original wardrobe malfunction? Well, JANET JACKSON says she and JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE have moved on, and so should we. The New York Times buys Wordle, and we’re all thinking in five-letter words (though W-O-R-D-L-E is six, just saying.) Meanwhile, it’s a month of loss, heading off a year of loss: pioneering Black actor, director and activist SIDNEY POITIER dies at 94.
FEBRUARY
What would a year in pop culture be without BRITNEY? Just months after her liberation from her restrictive conservatorship, Spears is reported to have signed a mammoth book deal, but at year’s end we’re still waiting for news. RIHANNA is pregnant! TOM BRADY retires! (Stay tuned, on that one.) TAYLOR watch: JAKE GYLLENHAAL speaks out, saying he really has nothing to do with that song, that it’s about an artist’s relationship with her fans — but fans shouldn’t be cyberbullying, either.
MARCH
Quick, who wins Oscars this month? Well, “CODA” does, a feel-good drama with a largely deaf cast, and TROY KOTSUR becomes the first deaf actor to win an acting Oscar. Alas, all anyone can talk about is — you know. SMITH, who wins the best actor award not long after slapping Rock over a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, won’t truly address the issue until the end of the year, so keep reading. KARDASHIAN watch: Kim K is declared legally single again in her ongoing divorce with YE, the rapper formerly known as KANYE WEST. And BRADY, retired for 40 days, says, “Never mind!”
APRIL
It’s GRAMMY time, and JON BATISTE wins big, taking five statuettes. The musician’s huge year will later include performing at the first state dinner of the Biden administration, for French President Emmanuel Macron. The next day Macron will meet with MUSK (thanks for the segue, Monsieur le President) who begins his acquisition of TWITTER this month, leading to untold – and still unfolding – changes at the social media giant.
MAY
So imagine you’re sipping cocktails at the MET GALA and a musician comes sauntering through, playing the melodica — of course it’s BATISTE, because the Met Gala’s that kind of crazy party. The biggest splash of the night, though, is KARDASHIAN, on the arm of boyfriend PETE DAVIDSON, wearing the same sequined, skin tight gown MARILYN MONROE wore to sing “Happy Birthday” to JFK in 1962. In movies, “Top Gun: Maverick” opens, the highest-grossing domestic debut in CRUISE’S career, and his first to surpass $100 million on opening weekend. HARRY STYLES fans rejoice! His album, “Harry’s House,” is here.
JUNE
Stunning news for the global fanbase of BTS as the K-pop supergroup announces it’s taking a break to focus on members’ solo projects. On the legal front, a Virginia jury hands DEPP a victory in his very messy libel case over allegations of domestic abuse, finding that former wife HEARD defamed him in a 2018 op-ed. On a happier note, Britney gets married….
JULY
Only one wedding, Britney? BENNIFER has two! Maybe what happens usually stays in Vegas, but not when you have 227 million followers on Instagram. With a winking reference to being a “Sadie” (married lady) JENNIFER LOPEZ directs fans to her newsletter where she shares pics of her quickie wedding to BEN AFFLECK. “Love is beautiful,” she writes. “And it turns out love is patient.” Speaking of patience, fans of BEYONCÉ are rewarded for theirs, with the release of her long-awaited seventh studio album, “Renaissance,” her first solo album in six years.
AUGUST
So, we were saying …. Bennifer’s second wedding , on Affleck’s compound in Georgia, is bigger and fancier. One wedding, one split: KARDASHIAN and DAVIDSON are no longer. In other summer news, the world remembers Princess Diana, whose shocking death in a car crash happened 25 years ago, and whose life is being rehashed for a new generation in the current season of “The Crown.” And only days later, that same Netflix series will pause production briefly as a mark of respect for Queen Elizabeth II as Britain — and the world — mourn the beloved monarch, who dies at age 96 after more than 70 years on the throne.
SEPTEMBER
Mounting political intrigue in Europe, and by that we mean … did spit fly at the Venice premiere of “Don’t Worry Darling”? Either way the movie, directed by OLIVIA WILDE and starring her boyfriend (alleged spitter STYLES), is saddled – or blessed? – with more than its share of extracurricular drama. At the EMMYS, behold SHERYL LEE RALPH, who wins for “Abbott Elementary” and schools the crowd on the power of dreams and self-belief. “This is what believing looks like,” she says. You know what else believing looks like? Rachel Berry from “Glee” – aka LEA MICHELE – at last getting to play Fanny Brice in “Funny Girl” on Broadway. In sports, with four rueful words that resonate with working moms everywhere, SERENA WILLIAMS says she’s stepping aside from tennis, because: “Something’s got to give.”
OCTOBER
The second HARVEY WEINSTEIN trial opens in Los Angeles. ADIDAS drops YE, part of a cascade of companies that will sever ties with the rapper over his antisemitic and other troubling comments. The MUSK era begins at TWITTER as the world’s richest man carries a sink into the office, to “let that sink in.” HEIDI KLUM’s Halloween costume is a slimy, glistening rain worm. But before the month worms away from us, let’s cede it to SWIFT for dropping her new album, “Midnights” (Spotify’s most-streamed album in a single day), then adding seven bonus tracks, then becoming the first artist to occupy all top 10 slots on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Let THAT sink in! P.S. Celebrity divorce watch: BRADY and wife GISELE BUNDCHEN split.
NOVEMBER
Did we say LAST month was Taylor Swift month? Well now, millions of eager fans crowd a presale for her much-awaited Eras Tour, resulting in crashes and endless waits. Ticketmaster cancels the general sale, citing insufficient stock. Multiple state attorneys general announce investigations. Takeaway: People want Taylor Swift tickets. At the multiplex, they also want their Wakanda. “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” meets the double challenge of following up one of the biggest blockbusters in history and losing its biggest star.
DECEMBER
Love ‘em or hate ’em, here come HARRY and MEGHAN again, with a Netflix “documentary” being watched very, very closely by royalty across the pond. Cameron’s “AVATAR” sequel finally appears, 13 years after the original broke records. Will viewers flock to Pandora once again? And bringing the year full circle, SMITH emerges to promote his new film, “EMANCIPATION,” and hoping people will forget about … what was it? … at least enough to check out the movie.
In this year of comebacks, will Smith’s be the biggest?
Taylor Swift was up. Elon Musk was in, out, and in. Tom Cruise was back. BTS stepped aside, and so did Serena Williams, and Tom Brady too — oops, scratch that.
But the slap? The slap was everywhere.
Ok, so maybe it wasn’t on the level of a moon landing, or selection of a pope. But henceforth all you need say is “the slap” and people will know what you mean — that moment Will Smith smacked Chris Rock at the Oscars and a global audience said, “Wait, did that happen?” Even in the room itself — maybe especially in the room itself — there was a sense that everyone had imagined it, which helps explain why things went on as normal, for a bit.
The pandemic was over in 2022, phew! Well, of course it wasn’t. But live entertainment pushed forward, with mask mandates dropping, and people rushing to buy things like, oh, Taylor Swift tickets!
We’ll take any segue to mention Swift, who already had a big year in 2021, but just got bigger — heck, she broke Billboard records and then she broke Ticketmaster. (No word if she got her scarf back).
It was a year of celebrity #MeToo cases like Harvey Weinstein (again), R. Kelly (again), Kevin Spacey, Paul Haggis, Danny Masterson. And the Johnny Depp-Amber Heard defamation trial, its every excruciating turn captured on TV.
On the big screen, there were big comebacks. Mourning its dearly missed star, Chadwick Boseman, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” was a box office triumph. James Cameron’s “Avatar” planned a December return.
Then there was Tom Cruise, turning 60 in ’22, just like the Rolling Stones, swooping into Cannes with his most successful movie, and showing, like those still-touring rockers, that when they tell you “The end is inevitable,” as they do in “Top Gun: Maverick,” you can always reply “Maybe so, sir, but not today.”
Will audiences one day find Cruise – or the Stones, for that matter – too wrinkled and past the sell-by date? Maybe so, but not this year.
Our annual, totally selective journey through a year in pop culture:
JANUARY
It’s GOLDEN GLOBES time. But is a Globes with no telecast, boozy celebs or red carpet a Globes at all? The embattled Hollywood Foreign Press Association, reeling from stunning failures over diversity, holds a private event and plans a comeback next year. Hey, remember the original wardrobe malfunction? Well, JANET JACKSON says she and JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE have moved on, and so should we. The New York Times buys Wordle, and we’re all thinking in five-letter words (though W-O-R-D-L-E is six, just saying.) Meanwhile, it’s a month of loss, heading off a year of loss: pioneering Black actor, director and activist SIDNEY POITIER dies at 94.
FEBRUARY
What would a year in pop culture be without BRITNEY? Just months after her liberation from her restrictive conservatorship, Spears is reported to have signed a mammoth book deal, but at year’s end we’re still waiting for news. RIHANNA is pregnant! TOM BRADY retires! (Stay tuned, on that one.) TAYLOR watch: JAKE GYLLENHAAL speaks out, saying he really has nothing to do with that song, that it’s about an artist’s relationship with her fans — but fans shouldn’t be cyberbullying, either.
MARCH
Quick, who wins Oscars this month? Well, “CODA” does, a feel-good drama with a largely deaf cast, and TROY KOTSUR becomes the first deaf actor to win an acting Oscar. Alas, all anyone can talk about is — you know. SMITH, who wins the best actor award not long after slapping Rock over a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, won’t truly address the issue until the end of the year, so keep reading. KARDASHIAN watch: Kim K is declared legally single again in her ongoing divorce with YE, the rapper formerly known as KANYE WEST. And BRADY, retired for 40 days, says, “Never mind!”
APRIL
It’s GRAMMY time, and JON BATISTE wins big, taking five statuettes. The musician’s huge year will later include performing at the first state dinner of the Biden administration, for French President Emmanuel Macron. The next day Macron will meet with MUSK (thanks for the segue, Monsieur le President) who begins his acquisition of TWITTER this month, leading to untold – and still unfolding – changes at the social media giant.
MAY
So imagine you’re sipping cocktails at the MET GALA and a musician comes sauntering through, playing the melodica — of course it’s BATISTE, because the Met Gala’s that kind of crazy party. The biggest splash of the night, though, is KARDASHIAN, on the arm of boyfriend PETE DAVIDSON, wearing the same sequined, skin tight gown MARILYN MONROE wore to sing “Happy Birthday” to JFK in 1962. In movies, “Top Gun: Maverick” opens, the highest-grossing domestic debut in CRUISE’S career, and his first to surpass $100 million on opening weekend. HARRY STYLES fans rejoice! His album, “Harry’s House,” is here.
JUNE
Stunning news for the global fanbase of BTS as the K-pop supergroup announces it’s taking a break to focus on members’ solo projects. On the legal front, a Virginia jury hands DEPP a victory in his very messy libel case over allegations of domestic abuse, finding that former wife HEARD defamed him in a 2018 op-ed. On a happier note, Britney gets married….
JULY
Only one wedding, Britney? BENNIFER has two! Maybe what happens usually stays in Vegas, but not when you have 227 million followers on Instagram. With a winking reference to being a “Sadie” (married lady) JENNIFER LOPEZ directs fans to her newsletter where she shares pics of her quickie wedding to BEN AFFLECK. “Love is beautiful,” she writes. “And it turns out love is patient.” Speaking of patience, fans of BEYONCÉ are rewarded for theirs, with the release of her long-awaited seventh studio album, “Renaissance,” her first solo album in six years.
AUGUST
So, we were saying …. Bennifer’s second wedding , on Affleck’s compound in Georgia, is bigger and fancier. One wedding, one split: KARDASHIAN and DAVIDSON are no longer. In other summer news, the world remembers Princess Diana, whose shocking death in a car crash happened 25 years ago, and whose life is being rehashed for a new generation in the current season of “The Crown.” And only days later, that same Netflix series will pause production briefly as a mark of respect for Queen Elizabeth II as Britain — and the world — mourn the beloved monarch, who dies at age 96 after more than 70 years on the throne.
SEPTEMBER
Mounting political intrigue in Europe, and by that we mean … did spit fly at the Venice premiere of “Don’t Worry Darling”? Either way the movie, directed by OLIVIA WILDE and starring her boyfriend (alleged spitter STYLES), is saddled – or blessed? – with more than its share of extracurricular drama. At the EMMYS, behold SHERYL LEE RALPH, who wins for “Abbott Elementary” and schools the crowd on the power of dreams and self-belief. “This is what believing looks like,” she says. You know what else believing looks like? Rachel Berry from “Glee” – aka LEA MICHELE – at last getting to play Fanny Brice in “Funny Girl” on Broadway. In sports, with four rueful words that resonate with working moms everywhere, SERENA WILLIAMS says she’s stepping aside from tennis, because: “Something’s got to give.”
OCTOBER
The second HARVEY WEINSTEIN trial opens in Los Angeles. ADIDAS drops YE, part of a cascade of companies that will sever ties with the rapper over his antisemitic and other troubling comments. The MUSK era begins at TWITTER as the world’s richest man carries a sink into the office, to “let that sink in.” HEIDI KLUM’s Halloween costume is a slimy, glistening rain worm. But before the month worms away from us, let’s cede it to SWIFT for dropping her new album, “Midnights” (Spotify’s most-streamed album in a single day), then adding seven bonus tracks, then becoming the first artist to occupy all top 10 slots on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Let THAT sink in! P.S. Celebrity divorce watch: BRADY and wife GISELE BUNDCHEN split.
NOVEMBER
Did we say LAST month was Taylor Swift month? Well now, millions of eager fans crowd a presale for her much-awaited Eras Tour, resulting in crashes and endless waits. Ticketmaster cancels the general sale, citing insufficient stock. Multiple state attorneys general announce investigations. Takeaway: People want Taylor Swift tickets. At the multiplex, they also want their Wakanda. “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” meets the double challenge of following up one of the biggest blockbusters in history and losing its biggest star.
DECEMBER
Love ‘em or hate ’em, here come HARRY and MEGHAN again, with a Netflix “documentary” being watched very, very closely by royalty across the pond. Cameron’s “AVATAR” sequel finally appears, 13 years after the original broke records. Will viewers flock to Pandora once again? And bringing the year full circle, SMITH emerges to promote his new film, “EMANCIPATION,” and hoping people will forget about … what was it? … at least enough to check out the movie.
In this year of comebacks, will Smith’s be the biggest?
Since its beginnings, rock-and-roll music has always had a place in fashion. The typical rock look isn’t as prominent these days, but it still exists in leather biker jackets (and actually leather anything), flared pants, and graphic tees. If you’re attending a rock concert in 2023, the crowd may look a bit different than in the ’80s, but that doesn’t mean you can’t embrace the rock-and-roll vibe. Rock concerts make for a fun opportunity to dig into your edgy side and try something that may be outside your typical style.
If you are heading to a rock concert and aren’t sure what to wear, we’ve put together 11 simple formulas that create the most showstopping looks. So we’ve got you covered if you are looking for a casual and comfortable fit to wear in the mosh pit or searching for a dressier.
Scroll on to see the rock-and-roll outfits we’ve put together, plus a few of our favorite pieces to help re-create the looks. And while this story is focused on rock-appropriate outfits, don’t miss our piece on stylish concert outfit ideas for all kinds of music.
Maxi Jazz, lead singer for the British band Faithless, has died at age 65, a representative for the band confirmed to CBS News Saturday. The band also confirmed his death in posts to social media.
Jazz, whose real name was Maxwell Fraser, “died peacefully in his sleep” on Friday night, the band posted to its Twitter account. No other details about the death were immediately provided.
“He was a man who changed our lives in so many ways,” the band wrote in a separate statement on Facebook. “He gave proper meaning and message to our music.”
Maxi Jazz of Faithless performs at V Festival at Weston Park on Aug. 21, 2016, in Stafford, England.
Ollie Millington/Redferns/Getty Images
In their statement, Jazz’s bandmates, Rollo and Sister Bliss, remembered the late singer as “a lovely human being with time for everyone and a wisdom that was both profound and accessible.”
They described Jazz as a “brilliant lyricist, a DJ, a Buddhist, a magnificent stage presence, car lover, endless talker, beautiful person, moral compass and genius.”
Jazz formed the electronic music band with Rollo, Sister Bliss and Jamie Catto in 1995. They released several platinum albums, and are probably best known for their hits “Insomnia” and “God Is a DJ.”
Faithless often focused on political themes in their music. The cover for their 2020 album “All Blessed” used a photo of refugees snapped by journalist Yannis Behrakis to reinforce the album’s theme of immigration, the band explained on YouTube.
Jazz, also an avid soccer fan, was named associate director for the Premier League club Crystal Palace in 2012.
In a statement Saturday, Crystal Palace said the team would walk out to a Faithless song for its match Monday against Fulham as a tribute to Jazz.
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Maxi Jazz, a DJ and singer who fronted the eclectic British dance band Faithless known for such hits as “Insomnia” and “We Come 1,” has died
NEW YORK — Maxi Jazz, a DJ and singer who fronted the eclectic British dance band Faithless known for such hits as “Insomnia” and “We Come 1,” has died. He was 65.
Faithless announced his death on social media Saturday, saying he “died peacefully in his sleep last night.”
“He was a man who changed our lives in so many ways. He gave proper meaning and a message to our music. He was a lovely human being with time for everyone and wisdom that was both profound and accessible,” the band’s statement reads.
Additional details about his death were not immediately available.
Born Maxwell Fraser in London, Maxi Jazz emerged in the British club scene in the 1980s as a DJ on pirate radio and founder of the Soul Food Cafe System. He later formed Faithless along with producer-instrumentalist-DJ Rollo Armstrong, keyboardist-DJ Sister Bliss and singer-songwriter Jamie Cotto. They drew upon such a wide range of influences that their record company described their debut album “Reverence,” released in 1996, as “folk-house-hip-hop-blues-ambience-jazz-rap for the dance floor and sofa.”
“Reverence” did not catch on initially, but eventually gained a wide following; the band went on to global popularity through its dynamic stage performances and albums including “Outrospective” and the greatest hits collection “Forever Faithless.”
Faithless broke up in 2011, but reunited recently, without Jazz, who had since formed Maxi Jazz & The E-Type Boys.
Since releasing his first album in the mid-1980’s, Chris Isaak has been a fixture on the music charts, including “Wicked Game,” his signature top-10 hit. But there’s nothing wicked about his song-set today, it’s music from his second holiday-themed album. From “Everybody Knows It’s Christmas,” Isaak performs “Dogs Love Christmas.”
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Since releasing his first album in the mid-1980’s, Chris Isaak has been a fixture on the music charts, including “Wicked Game,” his signature top-10 hit. But there’s nothing wicked about his song-set today, it’s music from his second holiday-themed album. From “Everybody Knows It’s Christmas,” Isaak performs “Almost Christmas.”
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Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.
Since releasing his first album in the mid-1980’s, Chris Isaak has been a fixture on the music charts, including “Wicked Game,” his signature top-10 hit. But there’s nothing wicked about his song-set today, it’s music from his second holiday-themed album. From “Everybody Knows It’s Christmas,” Isaak performs “Winter Wonderland.”
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Former President Barack Obama has revealed his favorite music, movies and books from 2022.
Obama, who annually shares his end-of-the-year favorites lists, shared his most-liked picks from this year on Friday.
Obama also listed the Netflix documentary “Descendant” as among his favorites and noted that his pick was “biased” as his company Higher Ground – which he co-founded with former First Lady Michelle Obama in 2018 – produced the flick.
Obama also shared his picks for his favorite songs of 2022 which included Kendrick Lamar’s “The Heart Part 5,” “Break My Soul” by Beyoncé, SZA’s “Shirt” and Steve Lacy’s “Sunshine” featuring Fousheé.
The former president also shared his favorite books from the past year, as well, which included Michelle Obama’s “The Light We Carry” and Charmaine Wilkerson’s “Black Cake.”
You can check out Obama’s full list of favorite reads from the past year below.
NEW YORK — Thom Bell, the Grammy-winning producer, writer and arranger who helped perfect the “Sound of Philadelphia” of the 1970s with the inventive, orchestral settings of such hits as the Spinners’ “I’ll Be Around” and the Stylistics’ “Betcha by Golly, Wow,” has died at age 79.
Bell’s wife, Vanessa Bell, said that he died Thursday at his home in Bellingham, Washington, after a lengthy illness. She declined to give additional details.
A native of Jamaica who moved to Philadelphia as a child, Thom Bell drew upon the classical influences of his youth and such favorite composers as Oscar-winner Ennio Morricone in adding a kind of cinematic scale and grandeur to the gospel-styled harmonies of the Spinners, Stylistics, Delfonics and other groups.
Few producer-arrangers compared to Bell in setting a mood — whether the celebratory strings and horns kicking off the Spinners’ “Mighty Love,” the deadly piano roll at the start of the O’Jays’ “Back Stabbers” or the blissful oboe of “Betcha by Golly, Wow,” a soulful dreamland suggesting a Walt Disney film scored by Smokey Robinson.
“Nobody else is in my brain but me, which is why some of the things I think about are crazy — I hear oboes and bassoons and English horns,” he told recordcollectormag.com in 2020.
“An arranger told me ‘Thom Bell, Black people don’t listen to that.’ I said, ‘Why limit yourself to Black people?’ I make music for people.‘”
Bell, often collaborating with lyricist Linda Creed, worked on more than 30 gold records from 1968-78 as Philadelphia became as much a center of soul music as Detroit and Motown Records were in the 1960s. He was an independent producer but so vital to the Philadelphia International Records empire built by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff that the publishing company they formed together was called Mighty Three Music.
Bell’s other hits included the Delfonics’ “La-La (Means I Love You),” the Stylistics’ “You Make Me Feel Brand New,” Joe Simon’s “Drowning in the Sea of Love” and Elton John’s “Mama Can’t Buy You Love.”
He is widely credited with reviving the Spinners, a former Motown act that hadn’t had a hit in years. Bell took them on in the early 1970s and helped create such hits as “I’ll Be Around,” “Ghetto Child” and “The Rubberband Man.”
The Spinners’ chart-topping “Then Came You” featured Dionne Warwick, who had been skeptical that the up-tempo ballad would catch on. Bell tore a dollar bill in half and got Warwick to agree that whoever guessed wrong about the song would have to inscribe an apology on their half of the money and send it to the other. Bell would long hold on to the signed note he received from Warwick.
He also worked with some personal favorites, such as an album with Anthony Gourdine of Little Anthony of the Imperials, one of his early influences, and “I’m Coming Home” and “Mathis Is …” for Johnny Mathis, whom Bell would call the most talented singer he ever worked with, “sterling of sterling.”
Bell won a Grammy in 1975 for best producer, but within a few years, the Philadelphia sound had been overtaken by other trends. He had just a handful of hits in the 1980s and after, including Deniece Williams’ “Gonna Take a Miracle” and James Ingram’s “I Don’t Have the Heart.” He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2006, and received an honorary Grammy in 2017. Three years later, his work was highlighted in the anthology “Ready or Not: Philly Soul Arrangements & Productions, 1965-1978.”
“To put it in a nutshell, he’s responsible for everything that’s happened to me in my career,” Stylistics lead singer Russell Thompkins Jr. told the Seattle Times in 2018. “He helped me in knowing my vocal range, finding the best way to sing a song. Everyone was his instrument. It didn’t matter if you were a singer, a trombonist or a studio engineer. You were part of his construction.”
One of 10 siblings, Thomas Randolph Bell grew up in a household where both parents were accomplished musicians and only classical works were heard. He was taking piano lessons by age 5 and thought of becoming a conductor, but he could not ignore the sounds he was imagining in his head — high notes keyed to his own tenor — or discovering on the radio, notably Little Anthony and the Imperials’ mournful “Tears On My Pillow.”
“I fell in love with the whole production,’’ he told the Seattle Times. “I listened to the background, the bass, a lot more than just the lyrics.”
Thanks to such longtime friends as Gamble and Huff, he became well connected in the local music scene. He and Gamble were together briefly in Kenny Gamble & the Romeos, and he also worked as an arranger and session player for the Cameo and Parkway labels, where artists included the Delfonics and Chubby Checker of “The Twist” fame. Gamble and Huff began producing together in 1967, and Bell was soon working with them on songs by Jerry Butler and Dusty Springfield among others.
In the early 1970s, he met Creed, a Philadelphia-born Jew who as a teen fell in love with soul music and with Bell formed a rare interracial musical partnership. Their songs often began with Bell creating a melody and arrangement and Creed providing the words.
For “You Are Everything,” a Stylistics hit which opens with “Today I saw somebody/Who looked just like you/She walked like you do,” inspiration was found during a break from recording.
“We’re walking down the street. We’re looking around, because there’s always something in the street to write about,” Bell told NPR in 2006. “I saw this guy crossing, we were all crossing, and this guy stopped in the middle of the street and he looked back. Then he looked back again. He’s looking at this woman. And he calls out this girl’s name. And he was chasing her, and the girl looked at him like he was crazy. I was watching this, and I said, ‘Creed, I’ve got an idea.’”
The most famous Canadian musicians have made a name for themselves by getting onto your playlists, but they also earned a pretty penny in the process. But just how wealthy are they?
Through the years, Canada has given the world some amazing musicians across many different genres. For this list of the richest musicians born in Canada, we excluded rich musicians considered Canadian but born elsewhere — think Rufus Wainwright, who was born in New York City; K’Naan, who was born in Somalia; or actor-musician Kiefer Sutherland, who was born in the UK.
Here are 21 of the richest musicians in the world who were born in Canada, ranked by estimated net worth in US dollars, according to available online sources like Celebrity Net Worth and Wealthy Gorilla.
21. Robbie Robertson (Estimated net worth: $50 million)
As lead guitarist and songwriter for the Band, Robbie Robertson brought us iconic songs like The Weight. It is said that he honed his guitar-playing skills while visiting his Indigenous mother’s relatives on the Six Nations Reserve near his hometown of Toronto.
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Outside of the Band, he’s played with some of the richest rock stars and released his first solo album in 1987. He’s also contributed to the soundtracks of several Martin Scorcese movies and wrote/co-wrote three books, including his autobiography. He is an Officer of the Order of Canada and Celebrity Net Worth estimates his fortune at $50 million.
20. Anne Murray (Estimated net worth: $50 million)
Nova Scotia-native Anne Murray had already gained popularity in Canada when, in 1969, she released the song Snowbird. This hit made her the first Canadian artist to receive a gold record in the United States and catapulted her to fame. The hits kept coming throughout the 1970s and ’80s, as did the awards, among them 24 Juno Awards — more than any other artist — and four Grammys. She is a Companion of the Order of Canada and has been awarded the Order of Nova Scotia.
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According to Celebrity Net Worth, this trailblazer for female Canadian singers has an estimated net worth of $50 million.
19. Sarah McLachlan (Estimated net worth: $50 million)
You can’t think of female musicians of the ’90s without Angel playing in your head. Sarah McLachlan’s most famous song wasn’t her first hit, though.
The singer, who was born in Halifax and adopted by the local McLachlan family, had already made her mainstream breakthrough in Canada seven years earlier, in 1991. Around the same time, she released Angel, she launched the Lilith Fair tour, which showcased female musicians only, in response to concert promoters and radio stations that wouldn’t feature two female musicians in a row.
Among Sarah’s awards are three Grammys and 12 Juno Awards. She is an Officer of the Order of Canada and a Member of the Order of British Columbia. Wealthy Gorilla estimates her net worth at $50 million.
18. Mylène Farmer (Estimated net worth: $50 million)
French superstar Mylène Farmer actually hails from Canada. She was born in Pierrefonds in Quebec.
She started her career as a model and with small acting parts before releasing her debut album in 1986. She’s since had a record-breaking 21 number-one singles in the French charts, among them a duet with Sting, Stolen Car. She regularly plays to packed stadiums.
17. Alanis Morissette (Estimated net worth: $60 million)
If you were old enough to sing in the mid-’90s, you probably belted out “You, you, you oughta know!” at least once. Ottawa native Alanis Morissette was a child star and had two pop albums to her name when, in 1995, Madonna’s Maverick Records signed her on and released Jagged Little Pill. The album has become such a classic that it spawned two re-releases, an acoustic re-recording and a musical nominated for 15 Tonys.
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She was the leather-clad ‘It Girl’ of the decade. She even played God in Kevin Smith’s Dogma. There have since been more acting roles, including a stint in Weeds, a podcast, seven more albums and a total of seven Grammys and 14 Juno Awards, among others.
16. Avril Lavigne (Estimated net worth: $60 million)
Born in Belleville and raised in Napanee, Ontario, Avril Lavigne was only 14 when she won a radio competition and got to perform with Shania Twain in front of 20,000 people. The next year, she landed a record deal and at the age of 17 in 2002, she released her debut album, Let Go, which would become the best-selling album of the 21st century by a Canadian artist.
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Just like her subsequent albums, her style evolution has been reflecting the different points in her life’s journey since then. She launched her own clothing line, Abbey Dawn, in 2008, has released three fragrances and has a few acting roles under her studded belt. Celebrity Net Worth estimates her fortune at $60 million.
Considering how many people claim they hate Nickelback, the band’s members are doing quite well for themselves, thank you very much. Ryan Peake isn’t even the leader of the band, and he’s made it onto our list of the top richest Canadian-born musicians.
He was born in Brooks, Alberta and grew up some 130 km to the north in Hanna, where he met Chad and Mike Kroeger. Their first band played mainly Metallica covers.
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It was Ryan who took out a $30,000 loan to fund the group’s new band, Nickelback, in the early days. With the $65 million the guitarist, keyboardist and singer has to his name now, as estimated by Celebrity Net Worth, it’s safe to say going into debt back then was well worth it.
14. Bryan Adams (Estimated net worth: $75 million)
Think of celebrities rocking the Canadian tuxedo through the years, and chances are that an image of Bryan Adams pops into your head.
Born in Kingston and raised in Ottawa and North Vancouver, the rocker bought his first guitar when he was 12. He dropped out of school to play in a band and used his college fund to buy a grand piano. His first three solo albums did well but it was the fourth, Reckless — released in 1984 — which spawned the megahits and the comparisons to Bruce Springsteen.
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Alongside his prolific career as a musician – he has a Grammy and 18 Juno Awards to his name – he’s had a successful second career as a photographer. He’s received the Order of British Columbia and is an Officer of the Order of Canada. Wealthy Gorilla estimates his fortune at $75 million.
13. Chad Kroeger (Estimated net worth: $80 million)
Singer and guitarist (and former Mr. Avril Lavigne) Chad Kroeger was born and raised in Hanna, Alberta.
In 1995 he co-founded Nickelback with his brother Mike, their cousin Brandon and their friend Ryan Peake. While Brandon was later replaced by Daniel Adair, the band is still going strong. Chad also plays in another band, The Suits XL, and has collaborated with artists as diverse as Carlos Santana and Timbaland. He also co-wrote hits for Daughtry and Tim McGraw.
12. Michael Bublé (Estimated net worth: $80 million)
It took a Canadian to help make the Great American Songbook popular again. Born and raised in Burnaby, BC, young Michael Bublé originally wanted to play professionally for the Vancouver Canucks. His musical talents won in the end, though.
Initially he sang wherever he got a paying gig, did some acting and released three indie albums. He later convinced producer David Foster to sign him on to his record label, 143 Records. In 2003, Michael Bublé was released, followed by a Christmas EP and a live DVD/CD, earning him a Juno Award for Best New Artist of the Year in 2004.
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Since then, he’s released one chart topper after another, won four Grammys and multiple Juno Awards, and received the Order of British Columbia. He has a fortune of an estimated $80 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
The son of Syrian and Lebanese immigrants, Paul Anka was born and raised in Ottawa.
When he was 15, his uncle gave him $100 and he used it to travel to New York, where he recorded Diana. The song became a smash hit and is still one of the most successful songs ever by a Canadian artist.
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Subsequent hits turned him into a teen idol. He also wrote songs for other artists: among these were the theme tune for The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and the English lyrics for Frank Sinatra’s signature song, My Way.
He made a comeback in the 1970s and another one in the ’90s. He’s also done quite a bit of acting, had a nightclub in Las Vegas and is co-founder of a tech startup. He is an Officer of the Order of Canada and Celebrity Net Worth estimates his net worth at $80 million.
10. William Shatner (Estimated net worth: $100 million)
Captain Kirk is a musician? Some might call it a stretch but yes, he’s worked with artists ranging from Brad Paisley to Iggy Pop.
Born and raised in Montreal, William Shatner graduated from McGill University with a degree in economics, but the stage was his calling. His acting career is still going strong, as is his career in music. He released his first album in 1968, introducing the world to his dramatic, somewhat-bizarre spoken-word covers of hit songs, with musical accompaniment.
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His music hasn’t raked in awards like his acting has — he has two Emmys and a Golden Globe — but his other side gig has earned him several awards: he breeds champion horses on his farm in Kentucky.
He is an Officer of the Order of Canada and Celebrity Net Worth says he’s worth an estimated $100 million.
9. Joni Mitchell (Estimated net worth: $100 million)
Joni was born in Fort Macleod, Alberta and grew up in Saskatoon. After dropping out of art school, she played in folk clubs in Calgary and Toronto. In 1965 she left for the United States, where her first big successes came from other artists recording her songs. Her debut album was released in 1968.
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She’s received 10 Grammys, three Juno Awards and a Kennedy Center Honor. She is also a Companion of the order of Canada. According to Wealthy Gorilla, she has an estimated net worth of $100 million.
Her songs have been so influential that Chelsea Clinton was even named after one of them.
8. David Foster (Estimated net worth: $150 million)
Victoria-born David Foster isn’t famous so much for his own music — although he has recorded some hits earlier in his career — as for the music he composed and produced for others. His songwriting credits include Earth, Wind and Fire’s After the Love Has Gone, Peter Cetera’s Glory of Love, several songs for Chicago, the Canadian charity single Tears Are Not Enough and the themes for the 1988 and 2002 Winter Olympics and the 1996 Summer Olympics.
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He’s produced music for a wide range of artists, including fellow Canadians Michael Bublé, Celine Dion and Bryan Adams. He’s also appeared in several reality TV shows, including an episode of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills back when then-wife Yolanda joined the cast.
Among his awards are 16 Grammys and a Golden Globe. Plus, he is an Officer of the Order of Canada. Celebrity Net Worth estimates his fortune at $150 million.
7. Neil Young (Estimated net worth: $200 million)
Born in Toronto, Neil Young grew up in several places in Canada and even spent a stint in Florida to recover from polio. He started playing in bands in high school in Winnipeg and after dropping out, played the city’s folk circuit. After moving to Los Angeles in 1966, he found his first chart success as a member of Buffalo Springfield.
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He went on to write and record a string of what would become classics as a solo artist, with Crazy Horse, and as a member of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. In the 1990s, he became known as the “Godfather of Grunge.”
In addition to his music, he’s been co-owner of a model-train manufacturer and developed a digital media player. He also co-founded Farm Aid and the Bridge School.
He has multiple Grammys, seven Juno Awards, the Order of Manitoba and is an Officer of the Order of Canada. Wealthy Gorilla puts his estimated net worth at $200 million.
6. Drake (Estimated net worth: $250 million)
Born and raised in Toronto, Drake began his career as a teen actor in Degrassi: The Next Generation. Five years later, he released his first mixtape and in 2010, his debut album, with the singles Over and Find Your Love, confirming that he had joined the big leagues. He’s since gone on to win, among others, four Grammys and multiple Juno Awards.
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He’s a co-founder of the record label OVO Sound, the production company DreamCrew and the gaming organization 100 Thieves, and has business partnerships and endorsement deals with a range of companies. He’s still acting too.
5. Dan Aykroyd (Estimated net worth: $250 million)
Born and raised in Ottawa, Dan Aykroyd is best known for an illustrious movie and TV career, which helped make him one of the wealthiest Canadian actors.
He started his comedy career as a member of the cast of The Hart and Lorne Terrific Hour, which starred Lorne Michaels. This opened the door for him to join Saturday Night Live, where he and John Belushi created a musical sketch that would lead to a band, hit singles like Soul Man, several albums and two movies. The Blues Brothers Band still tours.
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Among Dan’s awards are an Emmy, a Member of the Order of Ontario and a Member of the Order of Canada. He is co-founder of the House of Blues chain, Crystal Head Vodka and has stakes in several wineries too, earning him an estimated net worth of $250 million, according to Wealthy Gorilla.
4. Justin Bieber (Estimated net worth: $285 million)
When the London-born Justin Bieber was 12, his mom posted a video of him performing in a local singing competition on YouTube and the rest is history. Among his many awards are two Grammys and eight Juno Awards.
His business ventures include a nail polish line, a fragrance line, a clothing line, a deodorant line, clean water tech and limited-edition Crocs, Vespas and Timbits. He also tops the list of richest YouTubers, with an estimated net worth of $285 million, according to Wealthy Gorilla.
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3. The Weeknd (Estimated net worth: $300 million)
The Weeknd was born in Toronto and raised in Scarborough as Abel Makkonen Tesfaye, the son of Ethiopian immigrants.
After dropping out of school at 17, he later began releasing his music on YouTube. In 2011, he co-founded the record label XO and released his debut mixtape. His first album Trilogy, was released in 2012. It went platinum and set the tone for things to come. When he performed at the Super Bowl halftime show in 2021, he was the first Canadian solo artist to headline the show.
He’s done a bit of acting and has had several partnerships and endorsement deals bringing in extra income. Among his awards are four Grammys and 17 Juno Awards. He also holds multiple Guinness World Records. According to Wealthy Gorilla, he has an estimated net worth of $300 million.
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2. Shania Twain (Estimated net worth: $400 million)
Born in Windsor and raised in Timmins, Ontario, young Eilleen Twain started singing in bars as a child to help her family pay the bills. After graduating high school, she joined a cover band and performed all over Ontario. In the early ’90s, she landed a record deal, changed her name to Shania and in 1993, released her debut album. Her second album produced some country hits, but it was the third, Come On Over, that made her a crossover star.
Two additional studio albums, two Las Vegas residencies and a string of awards that include mulitple Grammys and 13 Juno Awards later, she is an Officer of the Order of Canada with an estimated net worth of $400 million, according to Wealthy Gorilla.
1. Celine Dion (Estimated net worth: $800 million)
Celine Dion was born and raised in Charlemagne, Quebec. At 12 years old, she co-wrote her first song with her mother and one of her brothers. Another brother sent a recording of her singing the song to her future husband René Angélil, who then mortgaged his home to finance her first record. This record became a hit and soon Celine became the first Canadian to get a gold record in France. She learned English and two years later, released her English-language debut.
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She now has 15 French and 12 English albums in her discography and has, among others, five Grammys and 20 Juno Awards to her name. She is a Companion of the Order of Canada and a cultural icon.
Business ventures like her own perfume line and the Nickels restaurant chain have helped build her fortune to what Wealthy Gorilla estimates at $800 million.
Canadian crooner Michael Bublé chats about his love for BC, Celine Dion and new music
It wouldn’t be hyperbolic to say that Prince is one of the most influential musicians of all time.
Beyonce credits Prince with taking her to the next level as an artist by recommending she learn to play piano. Lianne La Havas had tea parties with him. Frank Ocean — despite his own almost mythical status — was rendered starstruck just by the sight of him. And countless artists credit Prince’s majestic performances and his iconic catalogue as major inspirations.
Prince died on April 21, 2016 at only 57, but his legacy is untouchable. Known for breaking the boundaries of music, being politically outspoken, and constantly challenging social norms of race, gender, and sexuality, Prince is remembered as one of the greatest, and for good reason.
On April 8th, it was announced that a posthumous album by the artist will be released on June 30th, 2021. Recorded in 2010 but never released, the announcement of the upcoming Welcome 2 America has fans eagerly awaiting its arrival.
According to his estate, the album is “a powerful creative statement that documents Prince’s concerns, hopes, and visions for a shifting society, presciently foreshadowing an era of political division, disinformation, and a renewed fight for racial justice.”
The title track is already up for streaming, making fans miss his discerning eye on culture and unflinching political honesty. The song contains lyrics like: “Land of the free, home of the brave / Oops, I mean, land of the free, home of the slave,” which culminates with the musing that, “Transformation happens deep within.”
The promise of the new Prince album has everyone revisiting his catalogue, reminiscing about his iconic outfits, and even thinking about his famous dramas and disputes. Prince wasn’t afraid of saying what he meant — and why would he be? He was Prince.
But in 2006, Justin Timberlake took offense to an offhand comment by Prince at the Emmy Awards, and took it upon himself to write a diss verse about Prince for a Timbaland track.
After Justin’s 2006 hit single “SexyBack,” Prince, known for his sensuality, reportedly said: “For whoever is claiming they are bringing sexy back, sexy never left!”
Justin was not amused, however, and sparked drama when — while presenting the award for Best Original Song: Motion Picture at the Golden Globes in 2007 — he accepted the award on Prince’s behalf for the Happy Feet single “Song of the Heart.” In his impromptu acceptance speech, he seemingly mocked Prince’s height, crouching below the microphone as he spoke in corny imitation.
However, it seems this wasn’t enough for Justin. Months later, Justin appeared on the Timbaland and Nelly Furtado track, “Give It to Me.” The song was hyperbolically described as the “first pop diss track” and saw Justin, Nelly, and Timbaland airing out their disputes over a quintessential early 2000s beat.
Fellow producer Scott Storch had accused Timbaland and Justin of not crediting him on “Cry Me A River.” Meanwhile, Nelly Furtado and Fergie apparently were experiencing tensions which Furtado now regrets airing out — all fueling the fire for the diss track.
Timbaland – Give It To Me ft. Nelly Furtado, Justin Timberlakeyoutu.be
Justin’s verse obviously references Prince, attempting to reduce the legend’s accomplishments by making self-aggrandizing comments about his own commercial success.
“Could you speak up and stop mu-mumbling? / I don’t think you came in clear / When you’re sittin’ on the top / It’s hard to hear you from way up here,” Justin begins the verse, claiming he was at “the top” of the music industry and inflating his own fame in a deluded comparison.
“We missed you on the charts last week / Damn, that’s right, you wasn’t there,” Justin continues… as if the measure of artistry can be dictated by chart performance and radio play. Now that we’re in an era where artists are more openly skeptical of institutions like award shows and the ephemerality of streaming plays, this seems even more egregious as a measure of comparison.
Justin then moves to directly address his grievances, leaving no question as to who and what he is talking about, saying, “Now if sexy never left, then why is everybody on my sh*t? / Don’t hate on me just because you didn’t come up with it.” This part of the verse is so absurd that it is almost comical. To claim that Prince, who spent his career dispelling archaic notions about sexuality and performing provocatively, didn’t “come up with it” shows an astounding level of egoism.
Justin Timberlake’s diss track is an extreme example of his cognitive dissonance, exemplifying the way his career was influenced profoundly by Black culture, Black artists, and Black music, but he fails to acknowledge its impact.
Taking on one of the most famous performers of all time in a shallow diss track over a generic pop beat is embarrassing on its own, but is even more inexplicable remembering that it came so soon after his Super Bowl performance with Janet Jackson, for which she was torn down while he was unaffected.
And his apology for the harm he caused Janet Jackson and Britney seems even more fickle when we remember that, after Prince’s death, Justin did a tribute to the music legend… as if we hadn’t all heard him disparage Prince on “Give It To Me.”
I wouldn’t be surprised if JT’s next move is another tribute to Prince, or a cover of “Welcome 2 America,” or even raising a hologram of Prince (like the Tupac Coachella hologram) to join him in performing. After everything that Timberlake has done, nothing much would surprise me anymore.
