Entertainment News Roundup: Michael Buble finds a 'Higher' calling on latest album; Adele, Ed Sheeran, and Dave were nominated for Ivor songwriting awards and more

The lawsuit was pulled on Wednesday nearly two months after it was filed in the Central District of California and days before Snoop Dogg, whose real name is Calvin Broadus, was set to perform in February's Super Bowl halftime show near Los Angeles. Rock n' Roll singer Bobby Rydell dies at age 79 Rock n' Roll singer and actor Bobby Rydell, a teen idol in the 1950s and 60s who starred in the hit movie musical "Bye Bye Birdie" and recorded dozens of hits, has died in Pennsylvania, his website said.

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

Michael Buble finds a 'Higher' calling on latest album

After a 20-year career singer Michael Buble found a new focus for his 11th studio album, "Higher." "I was just so excited to, to try things to, to be things to not only to, to go to places where I might have feared to go earlier in my career or my life, but I was excited to rush in to the to the challenge."

Adele, Ed Sheeran, and Dave were nominated for Ivor songwriting awards

British singers Adele, Ed Sheeran, and Raye, rapper Dave and group Coldplay will compete for songwriter of the year at the Ivors, organizers said on Thursday, announcing nominees for the annual awards honoring those penning famous lyrics. Producer Dean "Inflo" Josiah Cover, who has worked with the likes of Adele and Little Simz, leads nominations for the awards for songwriters and screen composers with four nods, three of them in the best album category, the UK-based Ivors Academy said.

'The Northman' aims to tell Viking tale with accuracy and action

Filmmaker Robert Eggers says his new star-studded revenge epic "The Northman" is both a big popcorn movie and a truthful portrayal of Viking culture and mythology. Set in 895, the film stars Alexander Skarsgard as Viking prince Amleth, who flees his home in the North Atlantic after his uncle (Claes Bang) brutally kills his father, King Aurvandil (Ethan Hawke).

Actress Betty White's personal belongings to go under the hammer

Personal items that once belonged to the iconic comedic actress Betty White, including a gold watch from her mother, are set to go up for auction in September. Awards, paintings, scripts, jewelry, and red carpet outfits from the homes of "The Golden Girls" actresses were put on display at Julien's Auctions in Beverly Hills on Tuesday.

Camila Cabello gets 'true to herself' with new album

Popstar Camila Cabello went from a bad place to a good place in the making of her third album, "Familia" set for release April 8. The 25-year-old singer said part of that happiness came from a priority shift.

Woman who accused Snoop Dogg of sexual assault withdraws lawsuit

An unidentified woman has withdrawn a civil lawsuit she filed against Snoop Dogg in which she accused the American rapper of sexual assault and battery after attending one of his concerts in 2013, according to court documents. The lawsuit was pulled on Wednesday nearly two months after it was filed in the Central District of California and days before Snoop Dogg, whose real name is Calvin Broadus, was set to perform in February's Super Bowl halftime show near Los Angeles.

Rock n' Roll singer Bobby Rydell dies at age 79

Rock n' Roll singer and actor Bobby Rydell, a teen idol in the 1950s and 60s who starred in the hit movie musical "Bye Bye Birdie" and recorded dozens of hits, has died in Pennsylvania, his website said. He was 79. Rydell died on Tuesday of non-Covid-19 related pneumonia complications in a hospital in Abington, a statement on his website said.

Sheeran slams 'baseless' lawsuits after victory in 'Shape Of You' case

British singer Ed Sheeran said baseless copyright claims were damaging the music industry after he won a case at the High Court in London on Wednesday over whether a refrain in his 2017 mega-hit "Shape Of You" had been lifted from another artist. Sheeran had been involved in a legal battle with grime artist Sami Chokri, who performs as Sami Switch, and music producer Ross O'Donoghue, who had argued the hook from "Shape of You" had been copied from their 2015 song "Oh Why".

Pink Floyd joins forces with wounded Ukrainian singer in new song

British rock band Pink Floyd will release a new song on Friday to raise money for humanitarian relief in Ukraine, featuring the vocals of a Ukrainian singer who quit an international tour to fight for his country and was wounded. The single "Hey Hey, Rise Up" - Pink Floyd's first original new music in almost 30 years - was recorded last week and highlights singing by Andriy Khlyvnyuk from Ukrainian band Boombox, which was taken from a social media post.

Film academy moves up discussion of Will Smith slap to Friday

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has moved up its meeting to discuss possible sanctions against best actor winner Will Smith for slapping presenter Chris Rock to Friday, a letter from the group's president said. The board of governors of the organization, the group that hands out the Academy Awards, previously had been scheduled on April 18 to discuss the incident at last month's Oscars ceremony.