Veteran music journalist Vernell Hackett, a longtime chronicler of Nashville’s top music artists, died on Aug. 14 in Chicago, after suffering from cardiac arrest. Hackett was 77.

Born Vernell Dell Boswank, she grew up in the small Texas town of Riesel, and graduated from Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas. 

Though she initially had plans to pursue a career in crime reporting, her passion for music led her on a path to becoming a top music journalist. She and her husband Ken relocated to Buffalo, N. Y., to live closer to his family, before relocating to Nashville. Hackett worked for booking agent Tandy Rice at Top Billing International, where Rice represented artists including Dolly Parton, Jim Ed Brown, Jerry Clower, Porter Wagoner, Jeannie C. Riley, Tom T. Hall and others. 

Hackett was known for her heartfelt and vivid storytelling, her deep connections with artists and songwriters, and her passion for music and creativity. Hackett’s work in journalism included time as an editor of Country News, Country Rhythms and American Songwriter magazines. Hackett was a co-founder of American Songwriter magazine, and she served as the publication’s editor-in-chief for over a decade. She also freelanced for many publications, as well as radio syndicators.

During her career, Hackett also worked in public relations, including time as part of the Country Music Association’s communications department. In the 1980s, Hackett worked with a young rodeo cowboy by the name of Chris LeDoux, who also dreamed of being a country music singer. LeDoux went on to earn the top 10 Billboard Country Airplay chart hit “Whatcha Gonna Do With A Cowboy” in 1992, while his song “Cadillac Ranch” reached the chart’s top 20 in 1993. LeDoux passed away in 2005, and Garth Brooks honored LeDoux’s memory with the song “Good Ride Cowboy.”

Hackett also represented artists including bluegrass artist Dale Ann Bradley, Americana duo Jesse and Noah, nitty gritty dirt band founding member John McEuen, and singer-songwriters Ryan Murphey, Joni Harms and Randy Huston.

She was also an author, writing books including a biography of Carrie Underwood. She also penned the book Ghosts, Gangsters and Gamblers of Las Vegas, with her longtime friends and colleagues Liz Cavanaugh and Michelle Honick.

Beyond music, Hackett was a champion for animal rights, working with rescue shelters and supporting the Robyn’s Nest shelter. Many years ago, after Hackett asked that friends bring dog food in lieu of gifts to her birthday party, a longtime tradition was started, which ultimately resulted in thousands of pounds of pet food, as well as monetary donations, being made to Robyn’s Nest.

“Vernell was my close personal friend for decades. Sometimes, we would talk two or three times a week,” The Oak Ridge Boys’ Duane Allen said in a statement. “The last week of her life, she sent a beautiful poem that was suitable to hang on any wall. She was always positive. I sent her a funny video of a very small dog singing and a big dog hitting the small dog with flip-flops. Vernell and I had three things in common. She loved the Lord, her friends and animals. I look forward to seeing her in Heaven, rejoicing with our many mutual friends, and I can imagine that there will be many of our four-legged friends to keep us company.” 

Musician Michael Martin Murphey added in a statement, “Vernell Hackett was the kindest, most down-to-earth journalist and human being I’ve ever known. She had a sense of what the common, everyday country music fan is looking for in a story…Vernell went out of her way to support me on my journey.”

“Very sad to hear about Vernell’s passing; she was always so very kind to us, and we feel privileged to have known her through the years,” said David Bellamy of The Bellamy Brothers said in a statement. “We send prayers and condolences to her family and loved ones.” 

Hackett is survived by her nephew Glen Boswank (Nashville, Tennessee) and niece Katy Prewitt (Kaufman, Texas).

Classical violin and K-pop. At first glance, the two may seem like worlds apart, but ALL’N is carving out a new path between them in his own way. A classically trained musician who won international violin competitions and performed as both a concertmaster and soloist with orchestras, he eventually discovered another possibility—one that could not be fully expressed through the violin alone. Rather than putting the violin aside, however, that realization led him to expand the places the violin could go.

The Comedy Bang! Bang! podcast and multiple festivals appear to be distancing themselves from Reggie Watts following a disturbing Rolling Stone report that detailed his allegedly toxic, controlling and at times abusive behavior toward ex-girlfriend Katherine McCollough, who died by suicide this spring after developing an addiction to drugs over the course of their relationship.

The outlet reported Monday (Aug. 24) — four days after the initial investigation was published — that the Watts-composed Comedy Bang! Bang! theme song had been notably absent from the latest episode, despite serving as the intro music since 2011. Instead, Rolling Stone writes that the installment was preceded by “a generic British woman’s voice” that simply stated the episode’s number.

Also in the aftermath of the publication’s shocking report on Watts, the 2026 lineups for Greenbelt Festival, Shambala Festival and Electric Picnic no longer display his name. As previously announced, Watts had been scheduled to perform at all three events over the course of the weekend of Aug. 27-30.

Billboard has reached out to Watts’ reps for comment.

The developments come after the musical comedian faced lengthy accusations from numerous people interviewed by Rolling Stone of him pressuring his former partner, McCollough, into using heavy amounts of dangerous substances such as ketamine in order to remain emotionally close with him throughout their romance, which lasted from approximately May 2024 to October 2025. A few months after their breakup, McCollough — a Cornell law student and eventual producer for some of Watts’ comedy endeavors — traveled to Peru to obtain a euthanasia agent and end her life.

Watts’ lawyer, Andrew Brettler, vehemently denied all claims that the former Late Late Show With James Corden bandleader was ever “abusive” toward any of his romantic partners, adding that it’s “dangerously false” to link McCollough’s suicide to her relationship with Watts. “Ms. McCollough did not need any so-called ‘encouragement’ from him [to take drugs],” the attorney told Rolling Stone, calling McCollough an already “experienced” drug user prior to meeting Watts.

Numerous people close to McCollough, however, told the publication that the South Carolina native had only previously taken drugs in small quantities before dating Watts, a vocal advocate of using ketamine as a means of spiritual enlightenment who would allegedly goad his then-girlfriend into taking drugs in large amounts. One source who remained anonymous claimed in the report that Watts is “incredibly reckless” with how he “administers” dosages of ketamine to other people, including but not limited to McCollough.

“I’m confident if she never met Reggie, she’d be alive,” an anonymous former classmate of McCollough’s told Rolling Stone.

Sources alleged plenty of other alarming behaviors exhibited by Watts, accusing him of withholding payment for McCollough’s part in producing and financing one of his comedy specials and his improv talk show Watch Watts Happen Live. Five other women who previously dated Watts told Rolling Stone that they, too, had experienced Watts being allegedly emotionally and psychologically abusive toward them during their relationships with him, which his attorney denied and called “false.” The attorney also denied one woman’s accusation that Watts had knowingly exposed her to an STD, while providing no response to a different claim that Watts had allegedly filmed a sexual encounter with a partner without her knowledge.

If you or someone you know is currently struggling with depression, suicidal thoughts or substance abuse issues, call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by dialing 988 or contact the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration at 1-800-662-4357. 

Dr. Dre is sharing his thoughts on AI’s growing role in music.

In an interview with The New York Times alongside his longtime business partner Jimmy Iovine, the legendary rapper and producer called AI a “new tool for creativity” and said he doesn’t see it “as a threat.”

In the piece, published Sunday (Aug. 23), Dre compared resistance to AI with the skepticism that initially greeted drum machines and synthesizers.

“I had a discussion with a few people a few days ago,” Dre told the Times. “They were against AI and I’m like, ‘OK, you sound like the person that would have been against the drum machine when it came out.’ Or synthesizers, right? It’s a new tool for creativity. Some people are afraid of learning new things.”

Dre also acknowledged that he is using AI in his own music, explaining that he views the technology “as a tool to see what it would do with what I just did.”

“I’m embracing it. I can’t wait to see what’s going to happen with this,” he added.

The N.W.A. alum also pushed back on the idea that AI is inherently a threat to musicians. “I think the only people that see it as a threat are the people who have trouble creating,” the superproducer said.

Iovine expressed a similarly optimistic view of AI’s potential in music. The veteran music executive said there are “a lot of closet AI producers out there,” prompting Dre to reply, “That’s a good way to put it. They’re using it, they just don’t want to admit it.”

“I’m very pro-AI in music creation,” Iovine said. “I don’t see the downside at all. There will be some crappy music. There’s crappy music now. In the studio, when gifted people have AI, they’re going to make better records.”

Dre and Iovine co-founded Beats Electronics and Beats Music before selling Beats to Apple for a reported $3 billion-plus in 2014.

Their comments come as the music industry continues to grapple with the rapid rise of generative AI and questions surrounding creativity, authenticity, copyright and artists’ rights.

Apple Music recently said that its AI Transparency Tags will become visible to listeners later this year as “Made With AI” labels. The platform will require content providers to disclose when AI has been used to create a material portion of content.

The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and other music-industry organizations announced a voluntary track-labeling program in July that distinguishes between “AI-Generated” and “AI-Assisted” recordings.

ENHYPEN’s eighth mini album, THE SIN : BLISS, tops this week’s new music poll.

In a poll published Friday (Aug. 21) by Billboard, music fans selected the K-pop heavyweights’ second installment in the ongoing THE SIN series as their favorite new release of the week.

THE SIN : BLISS rose above a number of new releases this week from artists including Sam Smith, Weezer, Stella Lefty and Reba McEntire. At the poll’s closing time on Sunday, ENHYPEN’s new mini album had come out on top with nearly 73% of the vote.

THE SIN : BLISS marks ENHYPEN’s first release since HEESEUNG announced his departure from the group to pursue a solo career. Now a six-member act comprising Jake, Jay, Sunghoon, Sunoo, Jungwon and Ni-ki, the group recently completed the Latin American and U.S. legs of their BLOOD SAGA trek, their largest world tour to date.

In July, ENHYPEN took part in San Diego Comic-Con 2026, where they introduced global audiences to “DARK MOON,” HYBE’s original story inspired by ENHYPEN’s narrative universe.

Before the release of THE SIN : BLISS, the group had landed nine titles on the Billboard 200, including six top 10 appearances: MANIFESTO : DAY 1 (No. 6 in 2022), DARK BLOOD (No. 4, 2023), ORANGE BLOOD (No. 4, 2023), ROMANCE : UNTOLD (No. 2, 2024), DESIRE : UNLEASH (No. 3, 2025) and THE SIN : VANISH (No. 2, 2026).

Next up, ENHYPEN will take the BLOOD SAGA tour to the United Kingdom and Europe from February through March 2027.

Trailing ENHYPEN in Billboard’s poll this week was the “other” category with nearly 12% of the vote, followed by Sam Smith’s fifth album, Hazel Eyes, with 7%.

Check out the final results of this week’s poll below, and visit Billboard’s Friday Music Guide for more must-hear new releases.