Entertainment News Roundup: Akon enters Congo mining sector; UK broadcaster talkRADIO reinstated on YouTube and more
Grammy Awards postponed to March 14, Recording Academy says The Grammy Awards ceremony due to take place on Jan. 31 has been rescheduled to March 14 because of the coronavirus surge in Los Angeles, organizers said on Tuesday.
Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.
Kimmel, Corden take shows back home as Hollywood urged to halt filming
James Corden and Jimmy Kimmel are taking their late night talk shows back home due to a surge in coronavirus cases in the Los Angeles area that has brought calls for production on all films and TV shows to be halted indefinitely. Corden tweeted on Monday that he was headed back to his garage to film "The Late Late Show" and would remain there "until it's safe to return to our studio."
UK music festivals call for help to survive until summer
Britain's music festivals will have to start pulling the plug on events for the second year in succession if they do not get government support to give them the confidence to book acts and contractors, the industry said on Tuesday. Jamie Njoku-Goodwin, chief executive at music industry trade body UK Music, said event organisers needed a date for when live music could resume and also for the government to back an insurance policy in case the pandemic caused new cancellations.
Neil Young joins rights harvest with sale of half his songbook
Singer-songwriter Neil Young has sold a half share of the rights to his entire catalogue of 1,180 songs to London-listed specialist investment firm Hipgnosis Songs Fund, the company said on Wednesday. Young, 75, famed for songs including "Heart Of Gold", "Rocking In The Free World" and "Devil's Sidewalk", has released over 50 studio albums and 20 live albums, of which seven went platinum and three multi-platinum.
UK broadcaster talkRADIO reinstated on YouTube
British national radio station talkRADIO on Tuesday said that YouTube had reinstated its channel from the video-sharing platform after a review. TalkRADIO has more than 400,000 listeners and is regulated by Britain's main broadcast watchdog, Ofcom.
Grammy Awards postponed to March 14, Recording Academy says
The Grammy Awards ceremony due to take place on Jan. 31 has been rescheduled to March 14 because of the coronavirus surge in Los Angeles, organizers said on Tuesday. The new date, announced by the Recording Academy and broadcaster CBS in a joint statement, clashes with the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards ceremony for film and television.
Rapper Dr Dre says he's 'doing great' in hospital after reported aneurysm
Veteran rapper and record producer Dr Dre said on Tuesday he was being treated by medics in hospital, after a media report said he had suffered a brain aneurysm and was in intensive care. Celebrity news website TMZ said Dre suffered the aneurysm - a bulge in a weakened blood vessel - on Monday and was taken by ambulance to the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.
R&B star Akon enters Congo mining sector in JV with state company
A company led by American-Senegalese R&B singer Akon has signed a deal to finance a copper and cobalt mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo in a joint venture with a state miner, according to a contract published by the mines ministry. The Grammy-nominated singer, known for hit songs like "Don't Matter" and "Smack That," has launched a number of business and philanthropic ventures across Africa in recent years, including a $6 billion futuristic city in Senegal and a cryptocurrency called Akoin.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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