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“Ronan,” the heart-wrenching song Taylor Swift wrote following an almost four-year-old’s sadly fatal battle with cancer, will appear on Swift’s re-recorded Red album, Billboard can confirm.
The song was written during the Red era, and now “Ronan” will have a place on Red (Taylor’s Version). The album’s re-recording has been completed and is scheduled to be released on Nov. 19.
“Ronan” is a ballad about a young boy named Ronan Thompson that was inspired by mother Maya Thompson’s blog, “Rockstar Ronan,” and it was written from her perspective. (Maya Thompson is credited as co-writer.)
The song’s verses remember those “best four years” — little Ronan’s bare feet, his laugh, his blue eyes, his dancing before bedtime, his race cars and plastic dinosaurs on the kitchen floor — and the unimaginable: “Flowers pile up in the worst way, no one knows what to say/ About a beautiful boy who died.” Ronan, who was born in May 2007, died from neuroblastoma in May 2011, just before he would have turned four.
It was a one-off record, available only on iTunes at the time, and Swift mostly made it through an (understandably emotional) televised performance of it for 2012’s Stand Up to Cancer telethon, with Ronan’s sweet face shown behind her on the stage.
Swift recently emailed Maya Thompson to ask her how she would feel about their song finding a home on the updated version of Red, which she previously said would have a total of 30 tracks.
As Thompson reports in the latest entry on her blog, part of Swift’s letter said: “I’ve recently completed the re-recording of my 4th album, Red. It’s really exceeded my expectations in so many ways, and one of those ways is that I thought it would be appropriate to add ‘Ronan’ to this album. Red was an album of heartbreak and healing, of rage and rawness, of tragedy and trauma, and of the loss of an imagined future alongside someone. I wrote Ronan while I was making Red and discovered your story as you so honestly and devastatingly told it. My genuine hope is that you’ll agree with me that this song should be included on this album. As my co-writer and the rightful owner of this story in its entirety, your opinion and approval of this idea really matters to me, and I’ll honor your wishes here.”
Thompson wrote that she “of course” granted her permission to add “Ronan” to Red (Taylor’s Version).
“I tried my best to articulate how much this meant to me through my tears, but there are not enough words in the English language that will ever be able to appropriately convey my feelings about this. Taylor has anchored you to this world so you will never be lost, and now she has ensured you will forever be safe in a new, permanent home,” she wrote to her late son. “She is once again going to give a voice to the often voiceless, the bereaved parents of the world. ‘Red (Taylor’s version)’ will be out November 19th and on that album, there will be you.”
She ended her blog post with heartfelt words for Swift: “Thank you for keeping Ronan safe. Thank you for never forgetting him. Thank you for breaking rules and breaking free. Thank you for that heart of yours that is made of pure gold. You are a constant source of inspiration to me in so many areas of my life, and there is nobody in the world I would rather have Ronan with than you.”
Broadway theatergoers will need to prove they’ve been vaccinated for COVID-19 and masks will be required when theaters reopen in the coming weeks, producers announced Friday (July 30).
Audience members will have to wear face coverings and show proof they are fully vaccinated by a FDA or WHO authorized vaccine when they enter the theaters until at least the end of October, the Broadway League said in a news release.
“Get vaccinated, and we’ll see you in the fall,” tweeted Broadway and TV star Jeremy Jordan. Composer Jason Robert Brown also agreed with the move: “That’s right. That’s where we’re at.”
There will be exceptions to the vaccine rule for children under 12, who are not yet eligible for any of the approved shots, and for people with a medical condition or religious belief that prevents vaccination, the theater operators said. Those individuals will need to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test. Masks are required for the audience except while eating or drinking in designated locations.
The League said theater owners anticipate a review of the safety policies in September and may include a relaxation of certain provisions if the science dictates after October.
“This is what we have as a community on Broadway decided and then we’re going to reevaluate it in October. It’s still fluid,” Bonnie Comley, board president of The Drama League, told The Associated Press. “This should be a positive thing. All these different unions that don’t always agree have come together to be able to do this before people come into the theater.”
The move comes a day after Actors’ Equity Association, the union which represents nearly 52,000 actors and stage managers, said it would require cast and crew members to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Company members who are not vaccinated, including those under the age of 12, must continue to wear masks, practice physical distancing when possible and undergo testing at least twice a week. The protocols apply to both Broadway productions and Equity-backed shows across the nation.
Bruce Springsteen’s one-man show is the only performance currently running on Broadway. Antoinette Chinonye Nwandu’s Pass Over is set to open Wednesday at the August Wilson Theatre. Most other theaters will open in September or October after being shuttered since the coronavirus pandemic hit in March 2020.
Ticket holders for performances scheduled through Oct. 31 will be notified of the vaccination policy, Broadway League officials said. For performances in November 2021 and beyond, the theater operators will review the policy and make changes if science dictates, they said.
“As vaccination has proven the most effective way to stay healthy and reduce transmission, I’m pleased that the theatre owners have decided to implement these collective safeguards at all our Broadway houses,” Broadway League President Charlotte St. Martin said in a statement.
Ahead of the expected release of Donda, Kanye West has scheduled an album release event in Atlanta.
Kanye West Presents the Donda Album Release will take place on Thursday, Aug. 5 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium — where the rapper has been living as he completes work on his 10th album, and the location where his Donda listening event to preview the highly anticipated project went down about a week ago. The planned start time for the event is 9 p.m. ET.
Tickets for the Aug. 5 event will be on sale on Monday (Aug. 2) at 10 a.m. ET at Ticketmaster. Ticket prices will range from $30 to $75.
Demna Gvasalia, currently the creative director of Balenciaga, is providing creative direction for the Donda release event.
The album Donda, named after West’s late mother, was originally expected on July 23, but is now slated to drop on Aug. 6.
Primary Wave has acquired 42% of Prince’s estate, making the publishing company the largest individual share holder of the late artist’s holdings. The deal gives Primary Wave rights to Prince’s publishing, master recording income stream, name, likeness and brand.
“Prince is in the highest echelon of artists. It’s very hard to imagine an artist more interesting to Primary Wave than Prince. I would put Prince, Bob Marley, Stevie Nicks, Whitney Houston and Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons among our top artists,” Primary Wave CEO Larry Mestel tells Billboard. “When you throw in Smokey Robinson and all the others, we think we have a very impressive family of artists.”
New York-based Primary Wave has been acquiring expectancy interests in the Prince estate piecemeal for the last 17 months from three of his six heirs. However, the situation is complicated because the estate remains in probate administered through Comerica Bank & Trust and none of the heirs have received any distribution of assets. Sources say the probate issues could be resolved as early as the end of the year.
According to documents filed July 20 in Minnesota’s Carver County district court, in March 2020 “the protocols” surrounding the estate were amended after Primary Wave purchased a portion of Prince sibling Tyka Nelson’s expectancy interest. Subsequently, an April 2021 order confirmed Primary Wave’s acquisition of 100% of the expectancy interest of Nelson’s late half brother, Alfred Jackson, and on July 2, the company finalized acquisition of 100% of half brother Omarr Baker’s expectancy interest.
“As a result of its acquisition of 100% of Alfred Jackson and Omarr Baker’s expectancy interests in the Estate, and a portion of Tyka Nelson’s expectancy interest in the Estate, Primary Wave now hold the largest single expectancy interest in the Estate,” according to the court papers. Mestel declined to disclose financial details.
Though the court filing does not break down percentages, Primary Wave now has ownership of 42% of the estate, but controls 50%, according to the Wall Street Journal, which broke the news Friday (July 30). Three other Prince half siblings — Sharon Nelson, Norrine Nelson and John Nelson — control almost all of the remaining portion, with advisers Charles Spicer and L. Londell McMillan holding small portions, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Mestel declined to comment on the subject, but sources say Primary Wave is not in conversation with the other heirs to buy any of their interests.
McMillan, who was not immediately reachable by Billboard, told the Wall Street Journal that the Nelson siblings he represents were eager to work with Primary Wave. “No matter what, we are going to fight to preserve the legacy of Prince,” he said. “We would like to bring the purple back and actually do things the way Prince did.”
Prince’s probate case has been an exceptionally complicated one with more than 2,711 court filings, including motions, affidavits, memos and dispositions. Prince died April 21, 2016, with no will. Minnesota probate courts determined his assets would be divided between his six surviving siblings. Comerica was appointed as personal representative in February 2017 and the estate has been mired in controversy ever since.
Earlier this year, the Internal Revenue Service slapped the estate with a bill for $32.4 million in federal taxes after it valued Prince’s estate at $163.2 million, according to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune that was $80 million more than Comerica’s $82.3 million valuation. The estate will remain in probate until the tax issue can be resolved, however, the Wall Street Journal says that the IRS and estate are making progress, including reaching an agreement on the value of Prince’s real estate assets.
The probate status prohibits Primary Wave from taking any action for now or even talking about upcoming plans, but Mestel is confident about the future. “We have a very good working relationship with the rest of the heirs and [Comerica],” he says. “Right now, the estate is totally in the hands of the personal representative until it comes out of probate.”
After Prince’s death, some plans have been put into effect through Comerica and previous administrator Bessemer Trust, including an 2016 administration deal with Universal Music Publishing Group that remains in place, as does a partnership between the estate and Sony’s Legacy Recordings to issue physical titles from his catalog. Furthermore, on Friday Prince’s NPG Records put out Welcome 2 America, a previously unreleased album recorded by the musician and his band in 2010.
Additional reporting by Chris Eggertsen.
Slipknot released a moving tribute video to honor drummer Joey Jordison, who died on July 26 at the age of 46.
The band’s 8-and-a-half minute video highlights Jordison’s performances, as well as interview excerpts and behind-the-scenes clips.
“Our hearts go out to Joey’s family and loved ones at this time of tremendous loss. Joey Jordison’s art, talent, and spirit could not be contained or be held back. Joey’s impact on Slipknot, on our lives, and on the music that he loved, is incalculable. Without him there would be no us. We mourn his loss with the entire Slipknot family. We love you, Joey,” the band wrote on social media on Friday (July 30).
Jordison’s family confirmed the news of his death on Tuesday (July 27). “We are heartbroken to share the news that Joey Jordison, prolific drummer, musician and artist passed away peacefully in his sleep,” they said in a statement. Jordison’s cause of death has not been reported.
His family said they “will hold a private funeral service and asks the media and public to respect their wishes.”
Jordison formed Slipknot in 1995 along with Shawn Crahan and Paul Gray, and he performed with the band through 2013, when it was announced that the group would be “parting ways” with him.
Before his departure, Slipknot earned three top 10s on the Billboard 200, including one No. 1 with All Hope Is Gone (Sept. 13, 2008), an album that also ruled the Top Rock Albums and Hard Rock Albums charts. With Jordison, Slipknot also had four top 10s on Mainstream Rock Airplay.
Jordison won a Grammy with Slipknot for best metal performance in 2005 for “Before I Forget,” which was one of seven Grammy nominations he received for his work with the band.
Watch Slipknot’s tribute to Jordison below.
The Guccis have arrived in style in MGM’s first trailer for the upcoming film House of Gucci.
The true-crime drama centers on the murder of fashion trailblazer Maurizio Gucci (Adam Driver), orchestrated by his wife at the time, Patrizia Reggiani (Lady Gaga).
“It was a name that sounded so sweet, so seductive, synonymous with worth, style, power, but that name was a curse, too,” Gaga’s Reggiani says in a voiceover opening the trailer that gives a glimpse into the lives of the Italian fashion family.
Reggiani, then Maurizio’s wife, was convicted of orchestrating Guccio Gucci’s grandson’s death after he had an affair. She spent 18 years in prison, where she became known as the “Black Widow.” She was released in 2016.
The Ridley Scott drama is based on the 2001 book, The House of Gucci: A Sensational Story of Murder, Madness, Glamour, and Greed, written by Sara Gay Forden, which used the murder to delve into the complex history of the famous family, complete with infighting, corporate intrigue and plenty of money.
“This project has long been a labor of love for both Ridley and me,” said Giannina Scott, who will produce the film alongside her husband under their Scott Free banner. “The story is so epic, the stakes so high and the characters so richly drawn.”
MGM’s film chairman Michael De Luca expressed his excitement in a statement to have been a part of the studio bringing the project to life. “Nothing typifies bold, audacious originality more than a film by Ridley Scott.”
Jared Leto, Jeremy Irons and Salma Hayek round out the cast.
House of Gucci will be released to theaters on Nov. 24.
Watch the full trailer below.
This article was originally published by The Hollywood Reporter.
