Motörhead’s Mikkey Dee Details Near-Death Sepsis Diagnosis

Former Motörhead drummer Mikkey Dee says he’s lucky to be alive following a sepsis diagnosis over the holiday period.

The Swedish percussionist shared news of his health scare on social media on Thursday (Dec. 2), explaining that he had been hospitalized following a blood infection he described as “very serious”.

“I was admitted for three weeks but now I am home fighting this bastard bacteria,” he shared. “Thankfully, I have received fantastic care at the Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Gothenburg, my hometown.

“So thanks a million to all the Doctors and Nurses that have been giving me the most excellent care,” he added. “After several operations, I am now back home and the numbers are all going in the right direction. Still lots of recovery and rehab in front of me.”

In an interview with Swedish publication Aftonbladet, Dee expanded upon the experience. He told the outlet that what began as a simple sprain quickly evolved into something far worse on the weekend before Christmas.

“The ankle swelled up like hell, then it took on a weird shape and appearance and looked like an overcooked ham,” Dee said. “I became very ill so I had to go by ambulance to Sahlgrenska and there they found that I had sky-high values, so I became priority one there.

“It was surgery right away, the first of three. They cut away what was dead and infected and badly infested. It was not a good journey I was on… Another day and I’d be playing drums with Lemmy in heaven. I can say that.”

In some strange synchronicity, Dee’s brush with death occurred almost nine years to the day since his Motörhead bandmate Lemmy Kilmister passed away, on Dec. 28, 2015. Notably, his health scare also took place mere weeks after he took to social media to refute premature reports of his death.

First rising to fame as a member of Danish outfit King Diamond in the ’80s, a stint with Don Dokken saw Dee recruited by Motörhead to replace Phil ‘Philthy Animal’ Taylor on drums. Dee would remain with the group until their 2015 dissolution in the wake of Lemmy’s passing, and joined German rockers the Scorpions the following year.

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Rock Hall Chairman Rules Out Name Change, Says New Categories Could Be Added in the Future

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is destined to always evolve, says chairman John Sykes, but while new categories could arrive in the future, a new name for the establishment is out of the question.

Sykes’ comments were published in a new interview with Vulture, which arrived on Tuesday (Dec. 31), just one day before the 2024 Rock Hall induction ceremony hit streaming services. In the piece, Sykes opens up about the current state of the foundation, and touches on previous calls for a name change, especially given how more pop and hip-hop artists have found themselves inducted in recent years.

“I think it’s because some people don’t understand the meaning of rock and roll,” Sykes explains. “If you go back to the original sound in the ’50s, it was everything. As Missy Elliott calls it, it was a gumbo. It just became known as rock and roll. So when I hear people say, ‘You should just change it to the Music Hall of Fame,’ rock and roll has pretty much covered all of that territory. Rather than throwing the name out, it’s doing a better job of communicating to people where rock and roll came from and what it’s truly about. Once they hear it that way, they understand.

“The best story to convey this was when a great friend of mine, Jay-Z, got inducted a few years ago,” he continued. “I was so excited. But he told me, ‘Rock is dead. It should be called the Hip-Hop Hall of Fame.’ And I said, ‘Well, hip-hop is rock and roll.’ He goes, ‘No, it isn’t.’ And I said, ‘We’ve got to do a better job explaining it. Little Richard, Otis Redding, Chuck Berry — these artists were the cornerstones of rock and roll. If you look at the sounds over the years, those artists ended up influencing hip-hop.’ Jay-Z hemmed and hawed, but he showed up to the ceremony. That made me feel like we had done our job to communicate that rock and roll is open to all.”

These comments echo Sykes’ previous recollection of the discussion, as printed in Jay-Z’s Book of HOV just last month.

“My last words, as I pleaded for Jay to come to Cleveland to accept his award, were that rock n’ roll is not any one sound, rather a gumbo,” he wrote. “To paraphrase the great Berry Gordy, rock n’ roll created the sound of young America. It’s a spirit, and the spirit of hip-hop and rap connected rock n’ roll with an entirely new generation.”

Elsewhere in his new discussion, Sykes also looked towards the future of the Rock Hall and the potential for further new categories. While the annual induction ceremony has always featured Performers, Musical Influences (previously called ‘Early Influences’ before 2023), and the Ahmet Ertegun Award (previously called ‘Non-Performers’ before 2008) as categories, it has expanded further in the past.

In 2000, the Rock Hall introduced the Sidemen category to honor those who are often overlooked in the grand scheme of things, with the category being renamed the Award for Musical Excellence in 2010. Likewise, between 2018 and 2020, roughly half-a-dozen songs were chosen each year as the singles that shaped rock history. As Sykes explains, there’s the potential to dig even deeper into the music industry to honor those who keep the industry turning.

“We’ve discussed ways we could recognize not only artists but those around them who’ve had an impact on the sound of rock and roll. Fans often don’t even know who helped break these artists,” he added. “It could be record-company presidents, it could be lawyers, it could be agents. We also want to look at specific songs that change culture. That could be another category.”

Concluding his interview, Sykes also discussed a number of artists who have been overlooked in previous years, including The B-52s, “Weird Al” Yankovic, the Pixies, and Phil Collins’ solo career.

Labelling Yankovic a “genius” who is yet to make it “close” to the ballot, Sykes expressed confidence that the others may make it in some day.

“There’s been a group of nominees who’ve been passionate about the Pixies,” he said. “The same thing with Warren Zevon, who actually did get on the ballot one year. I’m passionate about Warren, and he’ll get in, too. But the Pixies have had a lot of support.”

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Selena’s Killer Yolanda Saldívar Begins Parole Review Process in Texas

Yolanda Saldívar, the obsessed fan who was sent to prison for the murder of Tejano superstar Selena in 1995, has started the parole review process, according to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

Saldívar, who is now 64, was found guilty of murdering Selena on Oct. 23, 1995, and later sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole in 30 years. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice’s website lists her parole review date as March 30, 2025, and notes that the parole review process begins roughly six month before an inmate’s parole eligibility date for a first review, with an institutional parole officer responsible for reviewing the inmate’s file “for all appropriate documents, including letters of support and protest.” After reviewing the file and interviewing the inmate, the officer prepares a case summary for a “Board voting panel,” which “normally will vote on the case just prior to the parole eligibility date.”

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What Would Selena Want?: As Netflix Series Begins, The Battle Over Her Estate Wages On

A former nurse who insinuated herself into Selena’s orbit during the singer’s rise to fame, Saldívar founded the star’s official fan club and was later named manager of her Selena Etc. clothing boutiques. However, the relationship soured after Selena and her family accused Saldívar of embezzling money from Selena’s businesses and fired her from her role.

Things came to a tragic end on March 31, 1995, during a meeting between Selena and Saldívar at a Days Inn in Corpus Christi, Tex., when Saldívar shot Selena in the shoulder with a .38-caliber revolver as Selena, who had come to retrieve financial records, attempted to flee. The singer succumbed to her injuries that afternoon, just two weeks shy of her 24th birthday. Saldívar surrendered after a more than nine-hour standoff with police. She has long maintained that the shooting was an accident.

Selena’s death was followed by a massive outpouring of public grief, with mourners numbering in the tens of thousands attending a viewing of the singer’s open casket ahead of her funeral. She has since been recognized as one of the most influential Latin artists in history, helping usher in the mainstream popularity of Tejano music. Following her death, five of her singles hit No. 1 on Billboard‘s Hot Latin Tracks chart, and her final studio album, Dreaming of You, reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200, with its title track also rising to No. 22 on the Billboard Hot 100. Her life has been dramatized in both a hit 1997 feature film starring Jennifer Lopez and Netflix’s Selena: The Series starring Christian Serratos as the late singer.

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Billy Joel Teams Up with Jason Bonham to Play ‘Whole Lotta Love’ at New Year’s Eve Concert

Billy Joel rung in the new year in style, joining forces with Jason Bonham for a rendition of Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love”.

Performing at Long Island’s UBS Arena on Tuesday (Dec. 31), Joel’s end-of-year spectacular was a special for one for numerous reasons. Not only was the night preceded by Jason Bonham’s Led Zepellin Evening as the opener, but the lengthy set saw the veteran musician roll out plenty of fan favorites for the night, along with a few rarer tracks from his extensive into his back catalog.

While the seldom-heard 1982’s “A Room of Our Own” got a look-in, rarer still was a performance of 1974’s “Souvenir”, which received only its 13th showing from across the past 40 years.

However, one of the most notable songs from the evening was one that wasn’t Joel’s own. Just over a third of the way through the set, Joel switched his focus to welcome Bonham and his band to the stage for a rendition of 1969’s “Whole Lotta Love”.

“We’re going to bring a guest onstage and do this next song,” Joel said to the crowd. “We have fun playing this, especially with this guy. Please welcome Jason Bonham. You all know this song. It’s not a piano song.”

With Bonham performing drums on the song his father helped make famous more than five decades ago, Joel’s longtime guitarist and vocalist Mike DelGuidice sang lead on the track, relagting Joel to the background somewhat.

Hearing Joel perform “Whole Lotta Love” isn’t a rarity (in fact, he also performed it at his previous New Year’s Eve celebration at the same venue), and it seamlessly fit in amongst the rest of the set, which also featured renditions of The Rolling Stones’ “Start Me Up”, and Derek and the Dominos’ “Layla”, which was used to fill time ahead of the midnight countdown.

The show also wrapped up a big year for Joel, who not only concluded his record-breaking ten-year Madison Square Garden residency (earning $266.7 million from 1.9 million ticket sales to 104 shows), but also released “Turn the Lights Back On” – his first new lyrical single in nearly 20 years.

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Charli XCX’s ‘Brat’ Lights Up London Eye in New Year’s Eve Fireworks Show

London’s New Year’s Eve fireworks display was, apparently, brat. The celebration took pace on the River Thames as Big Ben struck midnight on Dec. 31, 2024 to ring in 2025.

Charli XCX’s big year made it into the city’s annual fireworks display airing on BBC and ITV; her influence on the fireworks show is immediately recognizable as Brat green lights the sky.

The night’s Brat-inspired moment is captured in the photo above, and can be seen in full here, via a clip Charli’s fans shared on X (formerly Twitter). Along with that familiar shade of green, album track “Apple” plays and “london” appears typewritten in the style of Charli’s album art.

Elsewhere on New Year’s Eve, Charli shared reflections on Brat‘s massive success over the past year on Instagram.

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Charli XCX Celebrates Her ‘Highs in 2024’ With Memory-Filled Photo Carousel: ‘Thank You for…

“So many highs in 2024 and i cba to post them all but here’s some of my fav memories and fav people. love you all so much and thank you for everything. sorry i’m a lot sometimes xx,” she wrote on Dec. 31.

The caption went along with a photo carousel looking back at the year of Brat, with snapshots with friends and from the rollout of the album — and its companion release, Brat and it’s completely different but also still brat. Some highlights included pictures with her fiancé (The 1975’s George Daniel) and friends, and a behind-the-scenes cue card shot from her SNL hosting gig.

Brat arrived in June, reaching No. 3 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. It also led the Top Dance/Electronic Albums chart 29 weeks.

Brat and it’s completely different but also still brat, a variation of the original album featuring collaborations with Ariana Grande, Billie Eilish, The 1975, Lorde, Robyn, Troye Sivan, Bon Iver, Julian Casablancas, Caroline Polacheck and more, followed in October.

Charli’s fall Sweat Tour with Sivan earned $28 million, with 297,000 tickets sold over the course of 22 shows in the U.S. and Canada, according to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore. 

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Selena Gomez & Fiancé Benny Blanco Ring in the New Year With Sweet New Photos

Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco are starting off 2025 on a sweet note. The singer-actress shared a series of photos on New Year’s Eve that offer a glimpse at the engaged couple enjoying each other’s company.

“Happy new years,” Gomez captioned the Dec. 31 post, which includes eight pictures, most of them being cute selfies of the two together — lounging, attending a party and shopping at T.J. Maxx.

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Selena Gomez Kisses Fiancé Benny Blanco in Snuggly Holiday Snapshot

One snapshot features Gomez’s younger sister, Gracie, and a scrumptious-looking ice cream sundae from Serendipity that the siblings seemed to be sharing.

Another photo in the bunch shows a paper plate, with beans on one side and the words “I LOVE YOU” etched on the other.

Gomez and record producer Blanco, who went public with their relationship back in December 2023, have been documenting their happiness on Instagram this holiday break. Over the weekend, they uploaded a loved-up picture of a romantic kiss.

The couple announced the news of their engagement on Dec. 11, 2024, with Gomez writing on Instagram, “forever begins now.” She shared a video of her marquise-cut diamond engagement ring soon after. “I’ve just dreamed of this moment my whole life,” she said in the clip. Meanwhile, Blanco revealed a behind-the-scenes look at the proposal.

Gomez and Blanco were first linked professionally in 2019, when they collaborated on the track “I Can’t Get Enough” with Tainy and J Balvin. In 2023, the they teamed up for Gomez’s song “Single Soon.”

See her New Year’s Eve photo carousel below.

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Rihanna Reveals She ‘Didn’t Drink All Year’ in 2024 While Celebrating New Year’s Eve

Rihanna went alcohol-free in 2024.

On Wednesday (Jan. 1), the 36-year-old singer and entrepreneur took to social media to share a video of herself ringing in the New Year with friends. In the clip, Ri reveals that she abstained from alcohol over the past 12 months while celebrating the countdown to 2025, holding up her phone to capture the iconic ball drop in New York City’s Times Square.

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Here’s How Fans Reacted to Rihanna Performing Her Own Songs at Karaoke

“Y’all, I didn’t drink all year,” Rihanna proudly told her 150 million Instagram followers after the clock struck midnight. “I didn’t drink all year.”

The brief clip shows the “Diamonds” singer enjoying a low-key New Year’s Eve celebration, dressed casually in a gray robe and surrounded by a group of friends who helped with the countdown while holding up their drinks. Ri rang in the New Year in New York City alongside her boyfriend, A$AP Rocky, People reports. The couple shares two sons: RZA, 2, and Riot, 1.

“New Year, New Me,” she captioned the IG post.

In another Instagram video, Rihanna is seen goofing around with friends while using her Fenty Hair shampoo to properly clean a hair extension. “You owe me a new bottle!” she playfully says to her pals. “For one stinkin’ track!” She captioned the post, “De Dirt!!! We walking into 2025 CLEANSED baby! 1 track at a time! Also tell @mdollas11 stay out my bathroom!”

In late December, Rihanna surprised fans with an impromptu visit to Manhattan’s Girls Love Karaoke, where she took the stage to perform “Needed Me” and “Sex With Me” from her 2016 album, Anti. In fan-captured footage from the event, the “Work” hitmaker can be heard telling the excited crowd that she only had about five minutes to spare, joking that her “battery” was “about to burn out.”

Check out Rihanna’s New Year’s 2025 celebration post on Instagram below.

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See Photos From ‘Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest 2025′

Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest featured performances from the Jonas Brothers, Carrie Underwood, TLC, Lenny Kravitz, Tinashe, Alanis Morissette with Reneé Rapp and many others. See the best photos from the Dec. 31 special below.

Ryan Seacrest spent his 20th time as New Year’s Rockin’ Eve host, while co-hosts Rita Ora joined in the year-end festivities in Times Square and Dayanara Torres in Puerto Rico.

The show had artists on stage on the West Coast, Las Vegas, New York’s Times Square and Puerto Rico.

Among the pictures in this photo gallery you’ll also see Dasha, Teddy Swims, Laufey, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Blake Shelton, Megan Moroney, T-Pain, Cody Johnson, Thomas Rhett, Ernest, Natasha Bedingfield, Fat Joe, Ja Rule.

The Jonas Brothers celebrated the night by sharing an announcement of new music: a new song with Marshmello, which Nick says is being released on Jan. 17. “We’ve got a ton of announcements coming,” he teased, adding, “I’ll be making a return to Broadway next year in The Last Five Years, which I absolutely can’t wait to do. There’s a lot coming, so stay tuned,” Nick added.

Kevin shared that a “big tour” is on the horizon in 2025 for the band, while Joe said their New Year’s Eve performance would have “a lot of songs that you’ll hear on the next tour. Kind of a sneak peek of what’s coming.”

Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest 2025 aired on Dec. 31 on ABC, then streamed on Jan. 1 on Hulu. Dick Clark Productions is owned by Penske Media Corporation; PMC is also the parent company of Billboard.

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Neil Young Backs Out of Glastonbury 2025: ‘It Is a Corporate Turn-Off’

Neil Young has announced that he will not be performing at the 2025 Glastonbury Festival.

On Tuesday (Dec. 31), the legendary Canadian rocker, 79, shared a message with fans on Neil Young Archives explaining his decision to back out of the massive music event, which takes place annually at Worthy Farm in Somerset, England.

“The Chrome Hearts and I were looking forward to playing Glastonbury, one of my all time favorite outdoor gigs,” Young wrote in the brief letter. “We were told that BBC was now a partner in Glastonbury and wanted us to do a lot of things in a way we were not interested in. It seems Glastonbury is now under corporate control and is not the way I remember it being.”

He continued, “We will not be playing Glastonbury on this tour because it is a corporate turn-off, and not for me like it used to be. Hope to see you at one of the other venues on the tour.”

Young did not specify what exactly Glastonbury and the BBC had requested that led to his withdrawal. The BBC has been a long-time broadcaster of the festival, streaming and airing portions of the event, including a global broadcast for the first time last year, according to Rolling Stone.

Billboard has reached out to Glastonbury’s representatives for comment.

In November 2024, Glastonbury revealed that Rod Stewart would be the first artist announced for the 2025 festival. The legendary musician was the first confirmed act for the event, which is set to take place from June 27-29. Tickets for the festival have already sold out.

While Glastonbury has not yet revealed the headliners for 2025, several names have been speculated, including Olivia Rodrigo, Sam Fender, Harry Styles and Lady Gaga. Young had also been rumored to perform at the festival.

A timeline for the headliner announcements has not been confirmed, but the full lineup is typically revealed in the spring.

In late November 2024, Young revealed plans for a European tour, which will feature mostly outdoor venues. He followed up with another message on Wednesday (Jan. 1), telling Neil Young Archives readers that “tour announcements for the summer are coming very soon.”

Young last performed at Glastonbury in June 2009, with portions of the show broadcast on the BBC. The set included tracks like “The Needle and the Damage Done,” “Words,” “Rockin’ in the Free World” and a cover of The Beatles’ “A Day in the Life,” Rolling Stone reports.

Young’s new band, the Chrome Hearts, features Micah Nelson (guitar), Spooner Oldham (organ), Corey McCormick (bass) and Anthony LoGergo (drums). The group made its live debut in September 2024 at Farm Aid and recorded a new album last year, tentatively titled Talking to the Trees.

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Jonas Brothers Tease Big Announcements for 2025 Ahead of New Year’s Eve Performance

The Jonas Brothers are gearing up for a busy 2025.

On Tuesday (Dec. 31), the sibling trio of Kevin, Joe, and Nick Jonas reunited for a special appearance at Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest in New York City. Ahead of their high-energy performance, the group — celebrating their 20th anniversary this year — teased some exciting projects on the horizon.

“We’ve got a ton of announcements coming. First up, we’ve got a new song with Marshmello dropping on January 17th,” Nick shared with Seacrest in a pre-performance interview in Times Square.

The “Jealous” singer also revealed, “I’ll be making a return to Broadway next year in The Last Five Years, which I absolutely can’t wait to do. There’s a lot coming, so stay tuned.”

Kevin then hinted at a “big tour” in 2025 for the Jonas Brothers, while Joe mentioned that the band’s New Year’s Eve performance would offer a sneak peek of “a lot of songs that you’ll hear on the next tour. Kind of a sneak peek of what’s coming.”

After the clock struck midnight, Kevin, Joe, and Nick took the stage in Times Square to perform “Play My Music” from their 2008 Camp Rock movie. The trio also delivered their hit “Sucker,” which topped the Billboard Hot 100 in 2019, and a cover of The Cranberries’ “Dreams.”

In addition to the Jonas Brothers, the Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve special featured performances by Mickey Guyton, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, TLC, Kapo, Carrie Underwood and Rita Ora.

Check out Seacrest’s NYE interview with the Jonas Brothers below.

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