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Pop Daypop

Elton John is named TIME’s Icon of the Year

Just ahead of the release of his upcoming documentary, Never Too Late, the legendary Sir Elton John has been named Time’s ‘Icon of the Year.’

NBC’s ‘Today Show’ co-host Al Roker said during a segment announcing the Icon of the Year: “As important as his music is, his philanthropy and his activism, you know works for AIDS and so many other charities, is just nonstop.”

Elton wrote on Instagram: “TIME Icon of the Year – what an honour! Reflecting on my journey – from the highs and lows of my early career to the peace and happiness of life now with my husband and two wonderful sons – I’m reminded of the incredible support and love that have shaped my path. This accolade is a personal milestone and a reminder to the world that being yourself is truly iconic.”

In a new cover story for the publication, John sat for an interview in which he looked back over his career, stating: “If people remember that we tried to change the world a little bit, we were kind, we tried to help people … And then, apart from that, there was the music.”

Never Too Late, which premieres on Disney+ this Friday, Dec. 13th, sees John preparing for his Dodger Stadium concert, which would be his last. He says: “I honestly don’t miss going on tour. I’m 77 and, you know, I’ve done four and a half thousand shows, I’ve gone how many flights. I have two young boys that need me. I have David as my husband that needs me. I love spending time with my boys, and I love being here, at this house.  And I understand why people find it hard to stop, but I didn’t find it hard at all.”

Editorial credit: Fred Duval / Shutterstock.com

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Pop Daypop

Jelly Roll, Linkin Park, Stray Kids among additional performers at 2024 Billboard Music Awards

Jelly Roll, Linkin Park, Stray Kids, Fuerza Regida, Megan Moroney and Shaboozey have been added to the lineup of performers for the 2024 Billboard Music Awards (BBMAs), hosted by actress/comedian Michelle Buteau and airing live on Thursday, December 12th at 8 pm ET/PT on Fox and Amazon’s Fire TV Channels.  The newly-added performers join previously announced artists including Coldplay, Seventeen, Teddy Swims, and Tyla.

The BBMAs honors the year’s biggest artists, albums, songs, producers, and songwriters across multiple genres, as determined by year-end performance metrics on Billboard’s Year-End Charts, which measures music consumption from the Billboard charts dated October 28, 2023, through October 19, 2024.

Zach Bryan, Taylor Swift, Morgan Wallen and Sabrina Carpenter are the leading finalists this year; while Benson Boone, Chappell Roan, Shaboozey, Teddy Swims, Tommy Richman, and Tyla are all finalists for the first time this year.

The 2024 Billboard Music Awards airs live on Thursday, December 12th at 8 pm ET/PT on Fox and Amazon’s Fire TV Channels, and on-demand on Paramount+. The special will also air the next day on Hulu.

Editorial credit: Featureflash Photo Agency / Shutterstock.com

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Country Daypop

Jelly Roll, Linkin Park, Stray Kids among additional performers at 2024 Billboard Music Awards

Jelly Roll, Linkin Park, Stray Kids, Fuerza Regida, Megan Moroney and Shaboozey have been added to the lineup of performers for the 2024 Billboard Music Awards (BBMAs), hosted by actress/comedian Michelle Buteau and airing live on Thursday, December 12th at 8 pm ET/PT on Fox and Amazon’s Fire TV Channels.  The newly-added performers join previously announced artists including Coldplay, Seventeen, Teddy Swims, and Tyla.

The BBMAs honors the year’s biggest artists, albums, songs, producers, and songwriters across multiple genres, as determined by year-end performance metrics on Billboard’s Year-End Charts, which measures music consumption from the Billboard charts dated October 28, 2023, through October 19, 2024.

Zach Bryan, Taylor Swift, Morgan Wallen and Sabrina Carpenter are the leading finalists this year; while Benson Boone, Chappell Roan, Shaboozey, Teddy Swims, Tommy Richman, and Tyla are all finalists for the first time this year.

The 2024 Billboard Music Awards airs live on Thursday, December 12th at 8 pm ET/PT on Fox and Amazon’s Fire TV Channels, and on-demand on Paramount+. The special will also air the next day on Hulu.

Editorial credit: Featureflash Photo Agency / Shutterstock.com

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Go Country 105

Nashville Notes: Trace Adkins' 'Naughty List' + Gabby Barrett's Christmas album photoshoot

Trace Adkins has dropped a music video for his new holiday track, “Naughty List,” which he wrote with Monty Criswell and Derek George. The festive visualizer features Trace, Santa Claus and a good ol’ stack of Christmas presents, and you can watch it now on YouTube.

Kacey Musgraves hopped on Instagram to pen a reflection on her Deeply Well World Tour, which wrapped Saturday in Nashville. “This chapter has been so *deeply* meaningful and gorgeous, and I can honestly say it's the most fun I've ever had on tour. Gonna miss the wolf walk, the ribbon dancing, the levitating, Kill Bill, the singalongs, the moss pit, the pre-show shots, the exploring of cities, the unbelievable catering, the looks, the laughter, and of course, the friends,” she shares. You can read Kacey’s full note and check out photos from the closing night on Instagram.

Gabby Barrett has given fans a behind-the-scenes look at the photoshoot for her holiday album, Carols and Candlelight. “We brought Christmas to July for the Carols and Candlelight album shoot,” Gabby says. You can check it out now on social platform X.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

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Go Country 105

Brett Young to headline Jack Daniels' free Nashville holiday concert

Brett Young has been tapped as headliner for Jack Daniels’ Carols by the Barrels concert.

Happening Dec. 17 at Bridgestone Arena’s outdoor plaza, the free event will feature exclusive giveaways, holiday cocktails, photo opportunities with Jack Daniel’s 7-tier Barrel Tree and more. 

Also on the performance lineup are country newcomers Kelsey Hart and Harper Grace.

Carols by the Barrels will benefit Operation Ride Home, which reunites junior-enlisted service members with their families for the holidays.

For more information, visit jackdaniels.com.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

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Go Country 105

Brenda Lee's all smiles shopping for her Christmas vinyl at Target

It’s not every day you see Brenda Lee “Rockin’ Around” Target looking for her album.

But that’s what the music icon did recently – and her team captured it on video.

Dressed in a red coat and pushing her shopping cart around, Brenda arrives at Target’s music section and spots her Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree vinyl on a rack.

“Aww!” Brenda expressed upon seeing her LP, before picking it up and taking the pink disc out of its sleeve to check it out.

“Hey! My vinyl, Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree, is now available. Guess who’s got it? Target,” the singer, who turned 80 on Wednesday, tells fans in the Instagram Reel.

Brenda then proceeds to the checkout line to purchase her LP before holding it and exclaiming, “Yay!”

Brenda was recently awarded a plaque for her RIAA-certified seven-times Platinum hit “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.”

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

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Go Country 105

Luke Bryan, Chris Stapleton, Lainey Wilson + more added to Nashville's NYE special on CBS

The lineup for CBS’ New Year's Eve Live: Nashville's Big Bash just got bigger.

Luke Bryan, Chris Stapleton, Lainey Wilson, Luke Combs, Eric Church, Miranda Lambert, Post MaloneTyler Hubbard, Shaboozey, Zach Top and Brittney Spencer are set to perform at the five-hour music event.

They join previously announced performers Kane Brown, Jelly Roll, Parker McCollum and Keith Urban, who’ll double as the show’s host.

Keith, Kane and Jelly will headline the Bicentennial Park stage, while Parker will perform at the Brooklyn Bowl with special guests.

The music party culminates at midnight CT with the iconic Music Note Drop from the Bicentennial Mall stage.

New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash airs Dec. 31 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS and Paramount+.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

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Go Country 105

Dan + Shay light up 'The Voice' stage with 'It's Officially Christmas'

Dan + Shay returned to The Voice on Tuesday to perform “It’s Officially Christmas.”

Set against a brightly lit festive backdrop with Christmas trees, Dan + Shay performed their original tune while decked out in dapper, holiday-ready attires.

“It’s officially Christmas/ And I’m officially yours/ I’m officially wishing/ For something not in a store/ It’s already December/ The snow’s falling too/ Then all of a sudden, it’s true/ It’s officially Christmas/ Now that I’m with you,” the season 25 coaches sing in the yuletide song.

Tuesday’s show wrapped with Team Michael Bublé singer Sofronio Vasquez being crowned the season 26 winner.

You can find “It’s Officially Christmas” on Dan + Shay’s debut holiday album, It’s Officially Christmas: The Double Album, out now.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

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Go Country 105

Shaboozey added as 'Billboard' Music Awards performer

Shaboozey is set to perform at the Billboard Music Awards.

He joins previously announced performers Jelly Roll, Megan Moroney, Teddy Swims and more.

Shaboozey’s up for six BBMA awards: Top New Artist, Top Song Sales Artist, Top Country Song, Top Selling Song, Top Hot 100 Song and Top Streaming Song for “A Bar Song (Tipsy).”

Other country artists with nods include Jelly, Megan, Luke CombsPost MaloneLainey WilsonChris StapletonBailey Zimmerman, Zach Brown Band and Kenny Chesney.

The 2024 Billboard Music Awards air Thursday at 8 p.m. ET on Fox and Fire TV Channels, and on-demand on Paramount+.

If you missed Shaboozey’s CMA Awards performance of “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” and “Highway,” you can rewatch it now on YouTube.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

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News Daypop

NY Attorney General rejects demand from Trump to drop $480M fraud case

The New York Attorney General’s Office has rejected a demand from President-elect Donald Trump to drop the , $480 million civil business fraud case against him.

NY Attorney General Letitia James had been urged by Trump defense attorney John Sauer in a Nov. 26 letter to dismiss the case “for the health of our Republic.”  Sauer wrote: “President Trump has called for our Nation’s partisan strife to end, and for the contending factions to join forces for the greater good of the country. This call for unity extends to the legal onslaught against him and his family that permeated the most recent election cycle.”

Sauer had argued that the continuation of the case will impede Trump from carrying out his presidential duties.  However in a two-page letter, Deputy Solicitor General Judith Vale responded that “this Office will not stipulate to vacate the final judgment already entered by Supreme Court, New York County, in this action or otherwise seek to dismiss the action.”  Vale added that there is “no merit” to Sauer’s claims, and that Trump’s upcoming inauguration “has no bearing” on the outcome of the trial or his ongoing efforts to challenge the judgment, saying: “Presidents do not have immunity from civil lawsuits arising from unofficial conduct, and such lawsuits may proceed while the President is in office. This civil enforcement action is not a criminal action, and [Manhattan] Supreme Court did not impose any criminal sanction on Mr. Trump or any other defendant.”

The civil case was brought by AG James in 2022, and accuses Trump, his two adult sons, his business and key executives within it of falsely inflating Trump’s assets to boost his stated net worth and obtain financial perks. Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Arthur Engoron found Trump liable for fraud and held a bench trial to determine penalties in February, ordering Trump to pay more than $450 million in fines and interest. That penalty included millions of dollars in prejudgment interest that will accrue by $111,983 every day until it is paid, with Trump’s total judgment and interest totaling more than $486 million.

A New York appeals court in March reduced the bond amount to $175 million; the appeals court has yet to issue a decision.

Editorial credit: Steve Sanchez Photos / Shutterstock.com