When Naomi and Wynonna Judd, aka The Judds, first debuted on country radio in 1983 with “Had a Dream (For The Heart),” listeners’ ears perked up. Wynonna’s throaty, bluesy vocals and the mother and daughter’s glorious, intertwined harmonies were unlike anything else on the airwaves.

That song peaked at No. 17 on Hot Country Songs, and then eight No. 1 songs in a row followed, with the duo logging 14 total No. 1s.

Their song choices reflected their embrace of family, tradition and love (and often the heartache it could bring).

Naomi Judd died on April 30 at 76. No cause of death was given, though in a statement Wynonna and Naomi’s other daughter, Ashley, said she died of “the disease of mental health.”

Her death came one day before The Judds were to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame and three weeks after The Judds had announced “The Final Tour,” which was slated to kick off in September.

Though the list could go much longer, here are 10 of The Judds’ best songs, including some deep cuts. Included are the chart peak on the Hot Country Songs chart and the year the song debuted.

10. “Girls Night Out,” No. 1, 1985

At a time when women stepping out with their friends still felt like like a bit of a rarity, Wynonna and Naomi were celebrating the joys of heading out with your best pals and dancing “every dance until the boys go home,” and there was no stopping until last call. There’s nothing salacious here, just a celebration of leaving work and other worries behind as they go to “hear a band with a country sound.”

9. “Had a Dream (For the Heart),” No. 17, 1983

The Judds covered an Elvis Presley tune (his version was already a cover of the Teresa Brewer original) as their introduction to the world and won over hearts with their interpretation. Brett Maher’s production smartly put the focus on their stunning vocals from the start: Just listen to Wynonna’s a capella opening and try not to get chills. Side note: One of the background singers on Presley’s version was Larry Strickland, who went on to marry Naomi. Four years later, the pair took another Presley song, “Don’t Be Cruel,” to No. 10.

8. “Working in the Coal Mine,” 1985

Though it was never released as a single, fans gravitated toward the pair’s upbeat, cheeky cover of “Working in the Coal Mine,” Lee Dorsey’s 1966 pop hit. Featured on 1985’s album Rockin’ With the Rhythm, the duo reworked the tune as a mostly acoustic number and also gave a nod to the blue-collar mining industry that was an essential part of the community in their native Kentucky.

7. “Rockin’ With the Rhythm of the Rain,” No. 1, 1986

Bolstered by an insinuating guitar groove, “Rockin’” features some of the mother and daughter’s best harmonies as they sing in the round about the joys of sitting on a porch swing with your beau as the rain pours down. It’s an infectious, joyous vocal performance by both — and listen for Wynonna’s fun yelp at the end.

6. “Grandpa (Tell Me ‘Bout the Good Old Days),” No. 1, 1986

 

The Judds didn’t write this — Jamie O’Hara did — but they made it their own as they wistfully sang about a bygone time when “lovers really fall in love to stay,” “families really bow their heads to pray” and “the line between right and wrong didn’t seem so hazy,” accompanied primarily by a gentle acoustic guitar. An ode to traditional values that struck a chord with fans, and also with Grammy voters, it won the Grammy for The Judds in the country duo/vocal group category.

5. “The Sweetest Gift,” 1987

Recorded for the 1987 album Heartland, the tragic storyline finds a mother visiting her son in prison, bringing no judgment for his crime but instead delivering an unconditional smile. First recorded in the 1940s, Naomi and Wynonna sang it for Naomi’s mom on Mother’s Day in 1975, a time when Naomi could not afford to buy a gift for the holiday. A year later, a version by Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris climbed to No. 12 on the country chart. The Judds enlisted Harris to provide a third harmony for their spare track, accompanied only by guitar and mandolin. This was one of the songs the duo sang when they auditioned for RCA’s Joe Galante in 1983.

4. “Have Mercy,” No. 1, 1985

Heartache never sounded so buoyant or sassy. The song’s protagonist knows her man is stepping out on her as she witnesses, soaked at a bus stop, him riding by with his “arm around some little brunette” and sees the tell-tale lipstick on his collar. In lesser hands, the song could have been maudlin — especially when the cheater drains her bank account — but in The Judds’ capable hands, even though they sing of being in misery, their delivery is so on point, you can’t help but smile as you sing along. The song ranks at No. 26 on Billboard‘s list of Top Country Songs of All Time.

3. “Mama He’s Crazy,” No. 1, 1984

One of the duo’s twangier songs and sweetest, “Mama He’s Crazy” celebrates finding the love of a good man who is crazy in a good way — or “crazy over me,” as they sing. A stirring ballad with a happy ending both lyrically and career-wise, it became the duo’s first No. 1 — making The Judds only the second female country duo to take a song to No. 1, following The Davis Sisters in 1953.

2. “Why Not Me,” No. 1, 1984

The song’s top-tapping, finger-snapping melody plays in perfect counterpoint to the tale of unrequited love. The object of her affection has been searching “from here to Singapore,” without ever noticing the girl next door. No matter how many times you listen hoping for a different resolution, it ends with “this country girl’s still free.” A perfect track from start to finish, and one of Wynonna’s best vocals.

1. “Love Can Build a Bridge,” No. 5, 1990

Though it inexplicably didn’t reach the top of the chart, it’s hard to think of a song that better exemplifies everything that The Judds stood for. Co-written by Naomi, the sweeping ballad with gospel overtones emphasized building a bridge between hearts that could overcome all our differences. A number of other artists recorded it, including Cher with Chrissie Hynde, Nenah Cherry and Eric Clapton, but The Judds’ version remains the pinnacle. Their CMT Awards performances from earlier in April 2022 will be go down as their last live performance, and it’s a fitting last grace note for a song that will live on for generations.

A musical stage version of Almost Famous is almost ready for Broadway.

An adaptation of Cameron Crowe’s Oscar-winning 2000 film — about William Miller, a 15-year-old scribe in the 1970s who gets the assignment of a lifetime when Rolling Stone sends him on tour with a fictitious up-and-coming band — is coming some time in 2022.

“It’s All Happening… Broadway 2022,” reads a message on artwork posted to the show’s website and in its new Twitter description.

No other details are currently known about the production timeline or specifically when it will debut, though it will likely be during either the fall or winter of the 2022-2023 season.

According to the show’s synopsis, like the film which is loosely based on Crowe’s experiences, Miller “will be thrust into the rock-and-roll circus, where his love of music, his longing for friendship, and his integrity as a writer collide.”

The book and lyrics are by Crowe, with original music and lyrics by Next to Normal composer Tom Kitt. It will be directed by Jeremy Herrin (Wolf HallNoises Off and People, Places and Things). The production was first teased on social media in a video from Crowe featuring Pulitzer Prize winner Kitt back in September 2018.

When the show was initially announced, the producing team consisted of Lia Vollack for Columbia Live Stage, Joey Parnes, Sue Wagner and John Johnson.

The show had its world-premiere run in 2019 at San Diego’s The Old Globe after going through a late 2019 spring developmental lab in New York City.

The original film earned a best screenplay win for Crowe at the Oscars and best supporting actress nominations for stars Kate Hudson and Frances McDormand. The film also starred Billy Crudup, Patrick Fugit, Jason Lee and Philip Seymour Hoffman.

This article originally appeared on The Hollywood Reporter.

Naomi Judd, half of the iconic duo The Judds, with her daughter Wynonna, passed away unexpectedly Saturday, April 30, at age 76. Though no specific cause of death was given, Wynonna and Naomi’s other daughter Ashley said in a statement to The Associated Press that she died “of the disease of mental illness.”

The Judds, the most successful female duo of all time,  were about to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame on Sunday (May 1).

Between 1983 and 2000, the mother-daughter team rolled up 25 Hot Country Songs appearances, which encompassed 14 No. 1s and 20 top 10s.

Starting with “Mama He’s Crazy,” their first No. 1 in August 1984, and “Cry Myself to Sleep” in January 1987, The Judds snapped up eight straight leaders. Their 14 No. 1s rank them first among female duos and second among all twosomes to Brooks & Dunn (20).

On Top Country Albums, The Judds scored 10 top 10s, including four No. 1 sets.

Here are The Judds’ 20 biggest hits on Billboard‘s Hot Country Songs chart.

1. “Have Mercy,” 12/28/1985 peak date, No. 1 (2 weeks at No. 1)
2. “Cry Myself to Sleep,” 1/24/1987, No. 1 (1 week)
3. “Why Not Me,” 12/22/1984, No. 1, (2 weeks)
4. “Change of Heart,” 1/14/1989, No. 1 (1 week)
5. “Love Is Alive,” 8/31/1985, No. 1 (1 week)
6. “Let Me Tell You About Love,” 9/30/1989, No. 1 (1 week)
7. “Mama He’s Crazy,” 8/4/1984, No. 1 (1 week)
8. “Grandpa (Tell Me ‘Bout the Good Ole Days),” 5/10/1986, No. 1 (1 week)
9. “Give a Little Love,” 8/27/1988, No. 2
10. “Young Love (Strong Love),” 5/6/1989, No. 1 (1 week)
11. “Rockin’ With the Rhythm of the Rain,” 8/6/1986, No. 1 (1 week)
12. “Girls Night Out,” No. 1, 4/27/1985, No. 1 (1 week)
13. “Maybe Your Baby’s Got the Blues,” 11/14/1987, No. 1 (1 week)
14. “I Know Where I’m Going,” 7/18/1987, No. 1 (1 week)
15. “Turn It Loose,” 3/26/1988, No. 1 (1 week)
16. “Love Can Build a Bridge,” 2/23/1991, No. 5
17. “One Hundred and Two,” 6/22/1991, No. 6
18. “Born to Be Blue,” 10/20/1990, No. 5
19. “One Man Woman,” 1/27/1990, No. 8
20. “Don’t Be Cruel,” 4/11/1987, No. 10

This recap is based on weekly performance on Billboard‘s weekly Hot Country Songs Chart. Songs are ranked based on an inverse point system, with weeks at No. 1 earning the greatest value and weeks at lower spots earning the least. Due to changes in chart methodology over the years, eras are weighted differently to account for chart turnover rates over various periods.

The newly christened Kia Forum in Inglewood, Calif., oozed with soul Friday night (April 29) as Maxwell and his fellow gurus of love — Joe and Anthony Hamilton — rolled into town for the latest stop on Maxwell’s The Night Tour. As Maxwell proclaimed at one point to a screaming audience, “We’re three Black men here on this stage to celebrate you.”

Given that this particular tour stop was rescheduled from its original April 15 date owing to COVID-19 protocols, audience anticipation was revved up even higher.  However, the R&B trio more than met the demand expected of them, packing a lot into their respective sets. Among the celebs in the audience co-signing their electric performances were Bobby Brown, Kelly Rowland, Lalah Hathaway and Beyoncé’s mom, Tina Lawson.

Maxwell’s 75-minute performance included the faves that have continued to propel his 26-year, five-album career (blacksummers’NIGHT, finale to his 2009-launched trilogy, is due this year). Opening with an energizing take on “Sumthin Sumthin,” the three-time Grammy winner quickly segued into “Dancewitme” and then “Lifetime” before welcoming the audience, thanking them for their ongoing support and launching into “Fortunate.” Rocking the head-crowning Afro that harkens back to his 1996 Urban Hang Suite days, Maxwell also proved he still possesses the sensual, undulating moves that continue to keep his legion of female fans enraptured.

Delving further into his catalog, Maxwell wrapped his warm, mellow vocals around additional songs such as “Bad Habits,” “Stop the World” (even dropping to his knees) and “Pretty Wings.” But just as deliciously pleasing were his detours, like his sexy riff on Prince’s “Do Me, Baby” and a compelling cover of the Heatwave standard “Always and Forever.” Of the latter, Maxwell noted to the multi-generational audience, “This song is for everybody. Your parents, aunts, uncles, sisters, brothers and your children.”

Rounding out the night’s set list with his latest Billboard Adult R&B No. 1, “Off,” and 2016 hit “Lake by the Ocean,” Maxwell brought the show to an emotional climax with “Ascension (Don’t Ever Wonder).” At one point, he stood away from the microphone to listen to the whole audience sing an entire verse back to him. A smiling Maxwell wiped at his eyes before exiting the stage and then returning a few minutes later to close with “Whenever Wherever Whatever.”

Joe and Anthony brought their A games, too. Dressed in black pants and shirt, accented by a glittering silver jacket, Joe whisked the audience on a deep-rooted journey back to a host of his own R&B/pop hits including “Stutter,” “All the Things (Your Man Won’t Do)” and “I Wanna Know” as well as his collaborations on faves such as Case’s “Faded Pictures” and Big Pun’s “Still Not a Player.” Along the way, amid shout-outs and screams, the songwriter-producer underscored why his smooth vocals still captivate.

Hamilton’s church-honed vocals also kept the audience on its feet from “So in Love,” his guest collaboration with Jill Scott, to his early 2000 breakthrough hits “Comin’ From Where I’m From” and “Charlene.” Garbed in a black pinstripe suit complemented by a wide-brimmed white hat, Hamilton had fans singing along earnestly to his signature love ballad “Point of It All” as well as Luther Vandross’ “Superstar,” a cover he recorded with Jennifer Hudson for his latest album, Love Is the New Black.

The 25-city Night Tour is the second national arena outing presented by the Black Promoters Collective. Its first was New Edition’s 30-city Culture Tour featuring Jodeci and Charlie Wilson, which wrapped on April 10. The Night Tour continues Saturday night (April 30; rescheduled from April 16) in Oakland, Calif., before ending its run in Florida (Tampa, May 7; Miami, May 8).

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Goldenvoice has quietly instituted a new rule banning Confederate flags at this year’s Stagecoach, according to the General Resort Rules page on the festival’s official website. The change was first spotted by Palm Springs’ Desert Sun.

The rule bans “divisive symbols, including, without limitation, Confederate flags and racially disparaging or other inappropriate imagery/public displays” on Stagecoach’s campground, known as the “The Resort.”

Goldenvoice declined to comment when Billboard reached out about the ban.

Stagecoach attendees have previously complained in online forums about the display of Confederate flags at the festival. One of them, Gigi Mitchell, started a Change.org petition in 2020 calling for a ban, though it garnered just 57 signatures.

The Confederate flag has long had a presence at country music events, though modern-day stars including Maren Morris, Mickey Guyton and Luke Combs have more recently been critical about the display of the racist symbol at concerts. Guyton, one of only a handful of Black performers to find success in country music, has recalled “singing in front of Confederate flags” at concerts while on tour. “That absolutely inspired [my song] ‘Black Like Me,’” said Guyton, who scored a Grammy nod for best country solo performance for the 2020 track, marking the first nomination for a Black female solo artist in the category.

During a virtual panel on inclusivity at the annual Country Radio Seminar in February 2021, Morris slammed the display of Confederate flags at country music festivals. “I don’t want to play those festivals anymore,” she said at the time. “If you were a Black person, would you ever feel like going to a show with those flying in the parking lot? No. I feel like the most powerful thing as artists in our position right now is to make those demands of large organizations, festivals, promoters, whatnot. That’s one of the things we can do, is say, ‘No, I’m not doing this. Get rid of them.’”

During the same panel, Combs apologized for photos that had recently surfaced of him posing with the Confederate flag. Claiming the photos were seven or eight years old, Combs went on to say, “I think as a younger man, that was an image I associated to mean something else, and as I’ve grown in my time as an artist and as the world has changed drastically in the last five to seven years, you know, I’m now aware of how painful that image can be to someone else. … I would never want to be associated with something that brings so much hurt to someone else.”

The Confederate flag – which was brandished on the battlefield by Confederate troops during the Civil War but was never the official military or government symbol of the Confederacy – became a symbol of racist hate for white supremacist groups starting in the post-Reconstruction period. In 1948, the flag was adopted by the pro-segregation “Dixiecrat” political party, which was founded in resistance to civil rights reforms ushered in by then-president Harry Truman.

A Brooklyn federal judge on Friday sided with Vans and banned all future sales of Tyga‘s “Wavy Baby” sneakers, ruling that they likely violated the sneaker company’s trademarks.

Two days after a key hearing, U.S. District Judge William F. Kuntz issued a temporary restraining order blocking a New York art collective called MSCHF from continuing to sell the sneaker – a surreal, warped version of Van’s classic Old Skool sneaker launched in collaboration with Tyga on April 18.

Vans sued MSCHF earlier this month, calling the Wavy Baby “blatant trademark infringement.” MSCHF argued back that the shoe was a work of art protected by the First Amendment, but Judge Kuntz was unswayed.

“Despite defendant’s assertions the Wavy Baby shoes belong in museums and galleries for exhibition, the production of 4,306 pairs of shoes places the Wavy Baby shoes on a mobile footing vastly different from one found at the Brooklyn Museum,” the judge wrote.

MSCHF had argued that the shoe was a parody, designed to comment on “sneakerhead” culture. But in Friday’s injunction ruling, Judge Kuntz said he – and, more important, consumers – didn’t quite get the joke.

“Whatever the actual artistic merits of the Wavy Baby shoes, the shoes do not meet the requirements for a successful parody,” Judge Kuntz wrote. “While the manifesto accompanying the shoes may contain protected parodic expression, the Wavy Baby shoes and packaging in and of themselves fail to convey the satirical message.”

The injunction was relatively harsh. Since MSCHF argued that nearly all of the Wavy Babys had already been sold and shipped, Judge Kuntz ordered the company to place any funds earned from the brand into escrow so they could be potentially returned to any customers. He also ordered MSCHF to cancel or reverse any orders it could.

In a statement to Billboard, MSCHF’s attorney Megan K. Bannigan vowed that the company would fight on, saying the decision entirely omitted key legal precedents. “The court’s decision fails to recognize MSCHF’s First Amendment rights to artistic expression, regardless of the particular medium or form of that expression,” Bannigan said. “MSCHF will continue to litigate this case, including through all available appeals, to secure its and all artists’ freedom to make their art.”

Tyga announced the Wavy Baby in an April 6 post on Instagram, sparking plenty of buzz but also immediate comparisons to Vans. Footwear News said the shoe “appears to be loosely based on the classic Vans Old Skool” that had been altered with a “wave-like aesthetic.” The site HighSnobiety went bolder: “MSCHF & Tyga’s Insane Skate Shoes Look Like Liquified Vans.”

Three days before the shoes were set to drop on April 18, Vans filed suit – claiming MSCHF’s sneakers violated its trademark rights and demanding an immediate restraining order. Citing its own efforts to collaborate with artists and riff on its own designs, Vans argued that consumers would think Wavy Baby was an authorized product, not a parody by a separate company.

MSCHF fired back with interesting arguments. It admitted that the Wavy Baby was based on the Old Skool, but said it had a legal right to use the shoe as “the cultural and physical anchor when creating its art.” The company said it wanted to critique “consumerism inherent in sneakerhead culture” and “the phenomenon of sneaker companies collaborating with anyone to garner clout and shoe sales.”

It also stressed that there was no need for a temporary restraining order since all roughly 4,000 pairs of the Wavy Baby had already been sold and the company had no plans on selling more in the immediate future.

Those arguments clearly didn’t persuade Judge Kuntz. Despite MSCHF’s changes, he said the two shoes had “striking visual similarities,” and that “multiple independent sources” had been confused about whether Vans was involved in the project. He also didn’t buy the company’s promises about future plans.

“Defendant failed to make any representations it will not continue to produce iterations of the Wavy Baby shoes following the conclusion of the present litigation for one reason: it intends to precisely that,” Judge Kuntz wrote.

The ruling not only bans MSCHF from selling more of the Wavy Baby, but it also strongly indicates that the company will lose the case when it is fully litigated, which could subject the company to damages. That could lead to a quick settlement – a common outcome in trademark cases after such early-stage rulings. For instance, after losing a similar ruling to Nike last year over Lil Nas X’s “Satan Shoe,” MSCFH quickly struck a deal to end the dispute. If the case doesn’t settle, the case will move into discovery and toward an eventual jury trial.