Entertainment News Roundup: Bill Withers, soulful singer dead at 81; Lloyd Webber musicals to be aired for free and more


Devdiscourse News Desk | Updated: 04-04-2020 02:35 IST | Created: 04-04-2020 02:30 IST
Entertainment News Roundup: Bill Withers, soulful singer dead at 81; Lloyd Webber musicals to be aired for free and more
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Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

Bill Withers, soulful singer of 'Ain't No Sunshine,' dead at 81

Bill Withers, a soulful singer best known for the 1970s hits "Lean on Me," "Lovely Day" and "Ain’t No Sunshine," has died at age 81 from heart complications, his family said on Friday. Withers produced nine albums, most of them written and recorded in the 1970s, starting with "Just As I Am," which included "Ain't No Sunshine," which won him the first of three Grammy Awards, according to his official website.

The shows must go on!: Lloyd Webber musicals to be aired for free

Fans of musical theatre forced by the coronavirus pandemic to stay at home will be able to watch some of Andrew Lloyd Webber's most popular shows for free on Youtube every week. The series, entitled "The Shows Must Go On!", will kick off on Friday with a 2000 filmed version of Lloyd Webber's 'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat' starring Donny Osmond and Joan Collins. It will be available for 48 hours from 1800 GMT.

'Top Gun' movie sequel moved to December as coronavirus hits home

The release of the much-anticipated movie sequel to "Top Gun" has been moved to December, Paramount Pictures said on Thursday, the latest disruption in the movie industry caused by the coronavirus epidemic. "Top Gun: Maverick," starring Tom Cruise, was originally scheduled to open in movie theaters worldwide on June 24 more than 30 years after the original movie launched his career as a global action star.

Disney shuffles movie schedule due to virus, 'Mulan' set for July

Walt Disney Co will release the live-action epic "Mulan" in movie theaters in July and Marvel's "Black Widow" in November, the company said on Friday as it reshuffled a schedule disrupted by the global coronavirus outbreak. Among other changes, Disney postponed the release of a new "Indiana Jones" movie by one year to July 2022, the company said in a statement.

Disney+ content to make exclusive Middle East debut on OSN

Walt Disney Co's Disney+ content will be available for the first time in the Middle East and North Africa on regional pay television and online streaming service provider OSN from April 9. Dubai-headquartered OSN has signed a "long-term" exclusive distribution rights agreement, OSN Chief Executive Patrick Tillieux told Reuters by telephone, declining to disclose further details.

Oprah Winfrey donates $10 million for coronavirus relief

Oprah Winfrey said on Thursday she was donating $10 million to coronavirus relief efforts, including a new venture to help get food to vulnerable Americans during the coronavirus epidemic. Winfrey, one of America's richest and most influential women, made the announcement on her social media platforms.

Netflix leads on downloads, but YouTube Kids grabs more hours

Netflix Inc led rivals YouTube, Amazon Prime, and Disney+ with over 59 million installs in the first quarter of 2020, but more time was spent on YouTube's Kids service as usage boomed following the shutdown of thousands of schools in March. YouTube, owned by Alphabet Inc's Google, collected $110 million in in-app spending during the same time period, the highest among major streaming apps globally, according to a report by analytics firms Apptopia and Braze.

Tone-deaf or tuned-in? Coronavirus epidemic proves a minefield for celebs

Taylor Swift is sending cash to some of her fans and Rihanna has donated $6 million to support people whose livelihoods have been upended by the coronavirus pandemic. Movie and record producer David Geffen said he is self-isolating in the Caribbean on his multi-million-dollar yacht, and Madonna posted a now-deleted video of herself in a bathtub filled with rose petals calling the virus "the great equalizer."

(With inputs from agencies.)

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