Classic Rock

Warren Haynes reimagines Grateful Dead’s ‘Shakedown Street’ for upcoming album, 'Dreams & Songs'

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Warren Haynes 'Shakedown Street' (Evil Teen Records)

Warren Haynes takes on a Grateful Dead classic in the latest preview of his upcoming symphonic album, Dreams & Songs.

The Gov’t Mule frontman has released a cover of The Dead’s “Shakedown Street,” recorded at his 2019 Dreams & Songs symphonic show in his hometown of Asheville, North Carolina. For the show he was backed by the 64-piece Asheville Symphony Orchestra, as well as Oteil Burbridge, John Medeski, Jeff Sipe and Greg Osby.

“‘Shakedown Street’ is a really powerful orchestrated arrangement that enhances the power of the original, which I played and sang a ton of times with those guys through the years, especially with Phil Lesh and Friends, but with The Dead as well,” Haynes says. “It’s a very danceable song. A lot of people just focus on the groove and get lost in the rhythmic quality of it. The orchestra forces you to pay attention to it in a different way. It’s very dark and powerful and, I think, very effective.”

Details on when Dreams & Songs will be released will be revealed at a later date.

Haynes will once again perform with an orchestra next year when he brings his Dreams & Songs Symphonic Experience to Nashville on March 11 and 12. Tickets are on sale now.

Below is the track list for Dreams & Songs:
“Dreams and Songs (Part One)”
“Dreams”
“Banks of the Deep End”
“Spots of Time”
“Broken Promised Land”
“Thorazine Shuffle”
“Makes No Difference”
“Terrapin Station”
“Raven Black Night”
“Just Another Rider”
“Black Peter”
“Instrumental Illness”
“One”
“Shakedown Street”
“Whipping Post”
“Dreams and Songs (Reprise)”

The Rolling Stones collaborate with FIFA for new 'Foreign Tongues' variants

Posted today at 3:00pm

The Rolling Stones' 'Foreign Tongues' (Capitol Records)

The Rolling Stones have announced a new collaboration with FIFA to coincide with the upcoming World Cup tournament.

The Rolling Stones x FIFA - Foreign Tongues collab is made up of limited-edition vinyl variants of their upcoming album, Foreign Tongues.

The variants are the Host Nation Edition, featuring artwork inspired by the colors, iconography and cultural identity of host countries, the U.S., Mexico and Canada; the FIFA World Cup 2026 Edition, which celebrates the tournament with multi-colored artwork that surrounds the band’s iconic tongue and lips logo; and the Winners’ Circle Edition, which reimagines the logo inspired by the World Cup trophy and highlights past winners.

All three variants are available for preorder now.

The Rolling Stones are also one of the many artists appearing on the FIFA World Cup 2026 Official Album. The album features 18 tracks, with The Stones contributing a remix of the Foreign Tongues single “In the Stars.”

Foreign Tongues, The Stones’ first album since 2024’s Hackney Diamonds, drops July 10.

Viral Michael Jackson deep cut helps King of Pop set new chart record

Posted today at 2:20pm

Michael Jackson, 'Xscape' (Epic Records, MJJ Music, Sony Music Entertainment)

Michael Jackson's hit biopic has boosted his catalog of hits, but it's a deep cut that went viral that helped him capture an all-time chart record.

After becoming popular on social media, "Chicago," from The King of Pop's posthumous 2014 album Xscape, has now debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at #30. That makes Michael the first artist ever to have at least one new song debut on the Hot 100 in every decade since the '70s.

He sent 11 songs into the chart in that decade, according to Billboard, followed by 20 songs in the '80s. He then had 12 in the '90s, four in the 2000s, four in the 2010s and now one in the 2020s.

"Chicago" is now so popular that it's currently the singer's second-highest-charting song on the Hot 100, after "Billie Jean," which is at #19.

Xscape, which was released five years after Michael's passing, spun off two chart hits in 2014: "Love Never Felt So Good" featuring Justin Timberlake and "Slave to the Rhythm." "Chicago" was never a single.

'Paul Simon: The Quiet Celebration Concert' film coming to Hulu

Posted today at 1:00pm

'Paul SimonLL The Quiet Celebration Concert' (Hulu)

Paul Simon fans will now get to enjoy his A Quiet Celebration tour from the comfort of their own home.

Paul Simon: The Quiet Celebration Concert, an almost two-hour concert film, will air on Hulu and Disney+ starting June 26.

The film was recorded live at McCaw Hall in Seattle back in August. It features performances of songs from his most recent album, Seven Psalms, as well as new renditions of classic hits. The tour, which he launched in April 2025, was Simon’s first after dealing with the loss of hearing in his left ear.

“This tour has enabled me to play with musicians again. I really missed it,” says Simon. “Everybody has enjoyed the experience so much. There’s been a feeling of camaraderie and elation that we were playing this piece of music that we were really interested in, and that had a significant effect on me.”

“It made for one of the most extraordinary tours I’ve done — maybe the most joyous,” he adds.

In addition to the concert film, a companion album will be released Oct. 9 digitally and as a three-LP or two-CD set.

Simon kicked off a new leg of the tour on Wednesday in Stanford, California, and will play there again on Thursday. A complete list of dates can be found at PaulSimon.com.

Disney is the parent company of ABC News and Hulu.

Hear previously unreleased Prince song from upcoming posthumous album, 'Timeless'

Posted today at 12:00pm

Prince's 'Timeless' (Prince Estate/Legacy Recordings)

A new posthumous Prince album is being released in August, filled with rare and previously unreleased material.

Timeless, dropping Aug. 28, will feature 10 tracks from Prince's vault, all of which were recorded between 1977 and 2016.

And fans are getting their first taste of the album with the just-released single "Stone," which was recorded in the spring of 1995. The track is now available via digital outlets.

According to a press release, Timeless gives fans insight into Prince’s “remarkable artistic evolution across nearly four decades, from his earliest studio recordings as a teenage prodigy in Minneapolis to one of his final recorded performances,” offering “a rare opportunity to hear previously unheard chapters of his creative journey.”

The annual Prince Celebration is currently happening across Paisley Park in Chanhassen, Minnesota, and downtown Minneapolis. It will feature exclusive listening sessions for the album, as well as conversations with collaborators who’ll share stories behind the newly unearthed recordings. Prince Celebration 2026 runs through Sunday.

Below is the track list for Timeless:
"I Am You" - 1977
"Tick Tick Bang" - 1981
"Heaven" - 1985
"I Wonder" - 1989
"With This Tear" - 1991
"Stone" - 1995
"Calabama" - 2003
"The Guilty Ones" - 2007
"Bestest Friend" - 2012
"How Come You Don't Call Me Anymore? (Live)" - 2016

The Beatles and Apple Corps officially recognize Global Beatles Day

Posted today at 11:00am

Global Beatles Day (© 1967 MPL Communications Ltd / Photographer: Tony Gale

The Beatles’ message of “All You Need is Love” will once again be celebrated June 25 on Global Beatles Day, and this year it's gotten the official support of The Beatles.

The fan initiative was launched in 2009 by lifelong fan Faith Cohen. It celebrates the anniversary of the legendary band’s 1967 live performance of “All You Need is Love” on the BBC’s Our World special, which marked the first international satellite television broadcast of the song.

Apple Corps Ltd, the company founded by The Beatles, has now officially recognized the fan celebration. To mark the occasion, on June 25 it will release a colorized version of the Our World performance to YouTube for the first time.

“More than ever, the message of The Beatles, and of ‘All You Need Is Love’ speaks to something vital for community, connection, and the power of bringing people together,” Apple Corps CEO Tom Greene wrote in a recent letter to Cohen. “That is what makes Global Beatles Day so special. It asks nothing more than for people, wherever they are, to stop, listen, and share a little joy.”

Fans can sign up to take part in Global Beatles Day. More info can be found at GlobalBeatlesDay.com.

On This Day, June 4, 1984: Bruce Springsteen releases 'Born in the U.S.A.'

Posted today at 10:15am

On This Day, June 4, 1984…

Bruce Springsteen released what would become one of his most successful albums, Born in the U.S.A.

The album, recorded with The E Street Band, spent seven weeks at #1 on the Billboard 200 Albums chart and produced seven top-10 singles: the title track, "Dancing in the Dark," "Cover Me," "Glory Days," "I’m on Fire," "I’m Goin’ Down" and "My Hometown."

The Boss released his first music videos to promote the album, kicking things off with “Dancing in the Dark," directed by Brian De Palma and featuring a then-unknown Courteney Cox, well before her Friends fame.

With Born in the U.S.A., Springsteen became a global superstar, selling over 30 million copies of the album worldwide. The album was certified 17-times Platinum by the RIAA and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2015.

'Say, do you remember' when Earth, Wind & Fire performed at NYC's Tribeca Fest opening night?

Posted today at 9:10am

L-R: EWF's Ralph Johnson, Philip Bailey and Verdine White and R: Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson attend the 'Earth, Wind & Fire' opening night premiere during the 2026 Tribeca Festival, June 3, 2026 (Getty Images)

Oscar-winning filmmaker and Roots member Questlove kicked off New York City's Tribeca Festival Wednesday night with the premiere of his new documentary, Earth, Wind & Fire (To Be Celestial vs. That's the Weight of the World) -- followed by a live performance from the film's subjects.

After dedicating the movie to all the members of the Rock & Roll Hall of Famers both past and present, "and most importantly," to late EWF founder Maurice White, Questlove said, "I desperately wanted to figure out, how can I contribute to the chaos that we're living in right now."

He added, "This [film] allowed me to tell a metaphysical story about how nine individuals sort of tricked us into positivity. And that's what I want you people to take from this."

With commentary from Stevie Wonder, Barack and Michelle Obama, Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea, Anderson .Paak, H.E.R., Jimmy Jam and Lionel Richie, the doc tells the story of how Maurice White, the product of a traumatic childhood, manifested his goal of creating "music for a universal audience" with a visionary blend of soul, funk, R&B, Afro-futurism, jazz and pop.

Over 100 million record sales, legendary concert tours, a string of hits and six Grammys followed, but so did financial issues and interpersonal struggles between Maurice and the other bandmembers.

The film also details EWF's impact on fellow musicians: Stevie Wonder admits he ripped off EWF's "Shining Star" for his own song "I Wish," Michael Jackson showed up to EWF's tour with a "yellow legal pad" to take notes, and Prince told EWF's manager that after he saw the group live, he "wanted to quit."

Following the screening, the current EWF lineup, including Philip Bailey, Ralph Johnson and Verdine White, took the stage at New York's Beacon Theatre with The Roots to perform "Shining Star," "That's the Way of the World" and, of course, "September."

New York (Knicks) state of mind: Cheer for NBA team with new Billy Joel merch

Posted today at 8:15am

Billy Joel attends MSG Entertainment and Billy Joel special franchise announcement at Chase Square at Madison Square Garden on June 1, 2023 in New York City. (John Lamparski/Getty Images)

Billy Joel spent 10 years performing at New York's Madison Square Garden, and now he's lent the title of one of his signature songs to a collection of merch that celebrates the Garden's other residents -- The Knicks -- making it to the NBA Finals.

Called the New York State of Mind collection, the collab with the Sportiqe brand is now available online, and inside New York City's NBA Store. It includes a hoodie and a tee, each one sporting the Knicks logo and the words "New York State of Mind."

The collection is the start of future Sportiqe Billy Joel merch collabs, which will tie in with other New York teams and venues through 2026. The brand did something similar in 2025 with Frank Sinatra and the New York Yankees.

Sportiqe co-founder Jason Franklin says in a statement, "I started taking piano lessons when I was 8 years old because I loved Billy Joel – the first song I ever learned to play was one of his songs. Thirty-six years later, it’s incredibly meaningful to launch this collaboration during the Knicks’ long-awaited return to the Finals."

The Knicks will play the San Antonio Spurs at the Garden during games 2, 4 and, if necessary, 6.

Peter Frampton on the new documentary about his life: 'It was quite amazing to see it all in one go'

Posted today at 5:00am

Frampton, a documentary about Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Peter Frampton, will premiere Thursday night at New York City's Tribeca Festival, and Frampton himself will make an appearance at the screening.

The documentary covers Frampton's entire life and career, and features commentary from Bill Wyman, Roger Daltrey, Tom Morello, Cameron Crowe, Sheryl Crow, Nancy Wilson of Heart, Alice Cooper and Ringo Starr. While there are plenty of high points -- like Frampton Comes Alive! becoming, at one point, the best-selling album of all time -- the doc covers many low points as well, like the car crash that nearly killed him, the period when he was flat broke, and his life today, living with a degenerative muscle disease.

Frampton jokes that he was "exhausted" after seeing his whole life onscreen.

"When you see it all in one hour and 50 minutes ... it's a lot of stuff," he tells ABC Audio. "Y'know, it's 60 years' worth, basically, of career and life, and so yeah, it was quite amazing to see it all in one go."

At one point in the film, Cameron Crowe describes one of Peter's Frampton Comes Alive! concerts as "the peak of rock." Frampton says that wasn't necessarily good thing.

"I knew it was the peak of rock for me," he laughs. "You can't get much higher." But, he admits, "It just got too big for me. The #1 in the charts, the stadium shows -- so exciting. But when you become the biggest record in history -- I'll take #2, not #1, in anything, because there's so much pressure on the #1. And so for me, it was very hard at that point."

Seeing the results of that pressure is one of the things Frampton wants fans to take away from the documentary.

"I've always wanted people to know exactly what was happening at various times when they were just [putting] that album on and [playing] it over and over and again," he says.

"And also how it affected me, as opposed to them. I think it gives everybody a really good sense of how the business was back then."

KISS guitarist Ace Frehley’s most-used guitar sells for over $500,000 at auction

Posted yesterday at 4:00pm

Ace Frehley’s Les Paul guitar (Courtesy of Julien's Auctions)

Ace Frehley’s most-played guitar brought in big bucks at auction.

The late KISS guitarist’s 1975 Les Paul sold for $512,000 at Julien's Auctions' Music Icons auction, which took place May 29-30 at the Hard Rock Café Times Square.

The guitar was described in a press release as Frehley's "constant companion" from the beginning of his career and was used "more than any other guitar in his arsenal."

Other Frehley items that sold at auction include: a 1997 Gibson signature Les Paul, which he played at Super Bowl 33, for $57,600; a custom Gibson Les Paul Jr, which he played during the 1996 KISS reunion tour, for $57,600; a life-size stage-worn Destroyer mannequin, which sold for $51,200; and a stage-worn purple jumpsuit, which sold for $11,520.

Other big sellers at the auction include: Eddie Van Halen’s autographed Charvel art series guitar from his last performance with Sammy Hagar, which sold for $115,200 and a belt worn by The Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger at their 1969 Hyde Park concert, which sold for $51,200.

Chrissie Hynde baffled by people who film and take pictures during concerts

Posted yesterday at 2:30pm

Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders performs at BBC Radio 2 In The Park 2023 at Victoria Park on September 17, 2023 in Leicester, England. (Photo by Cameron Smith/Getty Images)

Chrissie Hynde has shared her thoughts on concertgoers who record and take pictures on their phones during concerts, and let’s just say she’s not a fan.

"Question: What is it with people and their phones?" the Pretenders frontwoman writes on social media. "But my real question is: why do people have to film or take pictures at concerts or museums? Why???"

She then mentions discussing the topic with singer Emmylou Harris before Harris’ recent concert in London.

"This is a subject that comes up every time I meet any artist. It’s become like an unpleasant fug hanging over the head of all artists," Hynde writes. "You can plaster a venue with signs requesting ‘NO CAMERAS’ but people don’t respect it. It’s as if people feel entitled, even though the artist clearly has asked them not to do it."

She notes that Bob Dylan goes so far as to have fans lock up their phones before his shows, writing, "You would think an artist of his stature could make a simple request and the audience would respect it… no chance."

Hynde says recording and filming at concerts is "like a weird compulsion that people can’t control," noting, "no one seems to be able to understand why artists don’t like it." She then compares it to "a mosquito buzzing around your head when you’re trying to go to sleep."

Hynde shares that at Harris’ London show she encountered a man who was recording the whole concert and when someone told him it was rude and distracting, he told them to "mind their own business."

"My conclusion is: if Jesus Christ were to walk into a room, the first thing everyone would do would be to pull out their phone," she writes. "Can someone please explain?"

KISS announces new 'Destroyer' book and tarot card set

Posted yesterday at 1:30pm

Cover of KISS' 'Destroyer' (Island Def Jam)

KISS is continuing the 50th anniversary celebration of their fourth album, Destroyer.

To mark the milestone, the band is set to release the new book, KISS Destroyer: The Definitive Visual History, on Oct. 27, described as “an official, authorized retrospective chronicling the band’s first platinum studio album and the legendary tour that followed.”

The book will feature interviews with more than 50 people, including new interviews with KISS members Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, and producer Bob Ezrin. The book also contains previously unpublished photos, as well as deep dives into the album's songs, tour info and more.

KISS is also releasing the Official KISS Tarot Deck and Guidebook on Sept. 29, featuring a one-of-a-kind deck of tarot cards with custom artwork. It comes with a 128-page guidebook offering the meanings and interpretations of each card.

Released March 15, 1976, Destroyer featured future KISS classics "Detroit Rock City,” “Shout It Out Loud,” “God of Thunder” and the ballad “Beth,” which became their first top-10 single. The album peaked at #11 on the Billboard Albums chart, making it the third consecutive KISS record to make the top 40.

Within a year, Destroyer was certified Platinum by the RIAA, making it the band’s first Platinum record; it was eventually certified double Platinum.

Taylor Swift praises Paul McCartney's 'inspiring' new album

Posted yesterday at 12:00pm

Paul McCartney during The Beatles' concert in Milan, Italy, 24th June 1965. (Sergio del Grande / Mondadori via Getty Images); Taylor Swift performs Nov. 1, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Kevin Mazur/TAS24/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management)

Taylor Swift has met Paul McCartney several times, and she attended his concert in LA in March. Now, she's promoting his new album on her Instagram Story.

Sharing one of Paul's posts about his new album, The Boys of Dungeon Lane, Taylor wrote, "Never not inspired by this eternally exceptional artist."

During an interview last month with BBC Radio 2, McCartney was asked how he perceives Taylor's global fame and if he'd give her any advice on dealing with it.

"You do see the parallel, y'know, like the fame and the amount of fame and the worldwide fame that Taylor Swift has and that [The Beatles] had," he replied. "But I don't think she needs any advice, [to] tell you the truth!"

But in a way, Paul may have inspired Taylor's Eras Tour. When the two sat down for Rolling Stone's Musicians on Musicians series in 2020, she told him that she'd gone to see him around 2010 or 2011.

"The thing I took away from the show most was that it was the most selfless set list I had ever seen. It was completely geared toward what it would thrill us to hear," she told him. "It had new stuff, but it had every hit we wanted to hear ... [a]nd I just remembered thinking, 'I’ve got to remember that,' that you do that set list for your fans."

She continued, "I think that learning that lesson from you taught me at a really important stage in my career that if people want to hear 'Love Story' and 'Shake It Off,' and I’ve played them 300 million times, play them the 300-millionth-and-first time."

Michael Stipe & Andrew Watt perform 'I Played the Fool' on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!'

Posted yesterday at 11:00am

Michael Stipe attends Apple TV's "Shrinking" special FYC event at Quality Italian on May 02, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by John Nacion/Getty Images)

R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe and producer Andrew Watt were the musical guests on Jimmy Kimmel Live! Tuesday night, where they performed “I Played the Fool,” the theme song to Steve Carell’s HBO series The Rooster.

The pair was joined by some A-list friends for the performance, with Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith behind the drum kit, and former Peppers guitarist Josh Klinghoffer on piano. Klinghoffer appeared on the original recording of the song, while blink-182's Travis Barker played drums on it.

Stipe and Watt released “I Played the Fool” in March to coincide with The Rooster premiere.

Stipe revealed during an April appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert that his long-in-the-works debut solo album is expected out later this year. There’s no word on whether “I Played the Fool” will be on it.

In other R.E.M. news, Peter Buck’s band Drink the Sea, which also features Screaming Trees/Mad Season drummer Barrett Martin, has announced a new set of U.S. dates that begin Aug. 30 in Vashon Island, Washington, and wrap Sept. 24 in Kirkland, Washington. The tour will be in support of their new album, which is due out Oct. 2.

Dylan, Springsteen, Joel make 'New York Times' readers’ choice list of the greatest living American songwriters

Posted yesterday at 10:15am

Musician Bob Dylan Performs onstage during the 37th AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Michael Douglas at Sony Pictures on June 11, 2009 in Culver City, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for AFI)

The New York Times released a list of the 30 greatest living American songwriters back in April, based on feedback from more than 250 music insiders and six Times critics. The list drew criticism from music fans, so the paper has now decided to give them their say.

The Times has now released a readers' choice list of the 100 greatest American songwriters, noting, "As soon as we decided to make a list of the 30 greatest living American songwriters, we could guess how readers would respond to the results: with a combination of enthusiasm and outrage, quickly letting us know which of their favorites we had unconscionably forgotten."

"We didn’t want all that passion to go undocumented. So we invited readers to assemble their own list — with a formal poll," they added.

The new list is the result of over 25,000 ballots cast, resulting in “nearly 12,000 distinct choices,” which were narrowed down to 100 artists.

While the original list didn’t rank the songwriters, the reader’s choice list does. Bob Dylan lands at #1, followed by Paul Simon at #2, Bruce Springsteen at #3 and Carole King at #4. Billy Joel, who did not make the original list, ranks at #5.

Rounding out the top 10 are Stevie Wonder, Taylor Swift, Dolly Parton, James Taylor, who also didn’t make the original list, and Willie Nelson.

Other artists who didn’t make the original cut but landed on the readers' choice list include: Jackson Browne, David Byrne, Stevie Nicks, Donald Fagen, Don Henley, John Fogerty, R.E.M., Bonnie Raitt, Jack White, Pearl Jam, Stephen Stills, Patti Smith, Beck, Lana Del Rey, Noah Kahan, John Mellencamp, Chrissie Hynde, Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor, Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong, The National and Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl.

On This Day, June 3, 2002: Queen, Paul McCartney and more perform for Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee

Posted yesterday at 9:35am

On This Day, June 3, 2002 ...

Queen, Paul McCartney and Phil Collins were among the artists who performed at Party at the Palace, a concert held at London’s Buckingham Palace Garden to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II.

Billed as the greatest concert in Britain since Live Aid, the event drew around 2 million applications for its ticket lottery, with 12,000 people attending.

Other performers included Eurythmics' Annie Lennox, Bryan Adams, The Beach Boys' Brian Wilson, Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, Joe Cocker, The Kinks' Ray Davies, Rod Stewart, and Black Sabbath’s Ozzy Osbourne and Tony Iommi. Elton John prerecorded his performance from inside the music room at Buckingham Palace.

The concert kicked off with Queen's Brian May performing "God Save The Queen" from the roof of Buckingham Palace. McCartney closed the show with several Beatles classics, including all-star performances of “All You Need is Love” and “Hey Jude.”

'So wonderful and generous': Céline Dion remembers late duet partner Peabo Bryson

Posted yesterday at 9:04am

Celine Dion and Peabo Bryce attend 19th Annual American Music Awards on Jan. 27, 1992 in Los Angeles, California. (Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)

Céline Dion is remembering Peabo Bryson, her duet partner on the Grammy-winning hit "Beauty and the Beast," from the Disney film of the same name. Peabo died on Tuesday at age 75 after suffering a stroke earlier in the week.

Céline was still a newcomer when she recorded "Beauty and the Beast," and Peabo was added to the duet because at the time, she wasn't considered a bankable enough star to sing the song herself. It marked the first time that a Disney song from a movie had been re-recorded as a pop track to make it more radio friendly.

"Beauty and the Beast" hit the top 10 in 1992, won Céline and Peabo the Grammy for best pop performance by a duo or group with vocals.

On her Instagram Story, Céline posted a photo of her and Peabo together at the American Music Awards. She wrote, "I'm heartbroken to hear that we lost Peabo Bryson today. His incredible voice and his kind spirit embodied the beauty of song and performance."

"He was so wonderful and generous to me all those years ago, when we recorded 'Beauty and the Beast.' He made me so comfortable, as I was just learning to sing in English," she continued. "He will remain for me always as a real symbol of the joy that music has brought to my life. His voice and his talent will be missed..."

She concluded, "My heart is with your family, and may you rest in peace, Peabo. Love, Céline xx..."

Meanwhile, Peabo's close friend Regina Belle, who duetted with him on the #1 Aladdin hit "A Whole New World," said in a statement that a few days after his stroke, she visited him in the hospital and sang that song to him. She added, "Rest peacefully, my friend. Thank you for the music, the memories, and the magic."

Bruce Springsteen, Peter Frampton and more: Tribeca Festival hits New York City

Posted yesterday at 5:00am

Bruce Springsteen on Jimmy Kimmel Live!/(Disney/Randy Holmes)

The 25th anniversary edition of New York's Tribeca Festival gets underway on Wednesday with the debut of a documentary on Earth, Wind & Fire, followed by a performance by the legendary band. The festival closes with an Alicia Keys documentary, and in between, there are films focusing on everyone from Madonna, Sara Bareilles and Katy Perry to Peter Frampton, Travis Barker and Mumford & Sons, all of whom will make appearances.

"Musically related projects in movies or just doing concerts, it's all great. Music is great, and the more we get, the better," Tribeca Festival co-founder Robert De Niro told ABC Audio.

"And there are amazing stories about artists and their longevity and what they've gone through to be able ... to sing their songs," festival co-founder Jane Rosenthal adds. "And you just learn about different musicians and who they are as people and how they all work together."

During one of the festival's closing events, U2's Bono will present the Harry Belafonte Voices for Social Justice Award to Bruce Springsteen for using his platform to "advance equality, dignity, and human rights." Patti Smith will perform.

"What he's doing is great," De Niro says of Springsteen. "And he has a voice that's very big ... and he's enraged the way ... many of us [are]. So God bless him."

The festival's head of music programming, Vincent Cassous, says tapping stars like Madonna to do Q&As after their screenings, and acts like Earth, Wind & Fire to perform after theirs, is part of the festival's plan to "make it something that you can't miss."

Cassou says the Frampton documentary will be a highlight, since the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer will make an appearance despite living with a degenerative muscle disease.

"I think it's going to be one of the most emotional moments at the festival, for sure."

'Beauty and the Beast' singer Peabo Bryson dies at 75

Posted Tuesday evening

Peabo Bryson performs onstage during the Thurgood Marshall College Fund 28th Annual Awards Gala at Washington Hilton on November 21, 2016 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Teresa Kroeger/Getty Images for Thurgood Marshall College Fund)

Legendary singer and songwriter Peabo Bryson has died. He was 75.

The Grammy Award winner, known for his hit songs and duets, including "Beauty and the Beast," "A Whole New World" and several R&B classics, died on Tuesday, according to a statement from his family.

"He transitioned peacefully at 5:00 p.m. ET on the evening of Tuesday, June 2, 2026, surrounded by the love of his family and those closest to him," according to the statement.

The statement continued, "In this deeply difficult moment, the family asks for privacy as they mourn the loss of a beloved husband, father, family member, friend and artist whose impact extended far beyond the stage."

The statement went on to say: "We are tremendously moved by the outpouring of love, prayers and support from fans, friends, and colleagues around the world. While our hearts are broken, we find comfort in knowing how deeply Peabo was loved and how many lives were touched by his voice and his generous spirit. His legacy and music will live on for generations to come."

The news of Bryson's death comes days after a representative for the singer confirmed to ABC News that he had suffered a stroke and was receiving medical care.

Bryson was known for two hit Disney duets: "Beauty and the Beast" with Céline Dion, from the film of the same name, and "A Whole New World" with Regina Belle, from Aladdin. "Beauty and the Beast" hit the top 10 in 1992; "A Whole New World" hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1993, becoming the first Disney movie theme to do so. Both songs earned Bryson and his duet partners Grammys for best pop performance by a duo or group with vocals.

He is also known for songs including his first top 10 pop hit "If Ever You're in My Arms Again," as well as “Can You Stop the Rain," “Feel the Fire," "Tonight, I Celebrate My Love" and "You're Looking Like Love to Me." Among his many collaborations were duets with Roberta Flack, including "Born to Love" in 1983, and "For You and I" with Angela Bofill.