Richard Branson has remembered his late wife Joan Templeman as the “shining star” around which the Branson “family’s universe has always orbited.”

In a pair of posts on Instagram, Branson, the British businessman who founded the Virgin Group and launched scores of recording careers through his labels Virgin Records and V2, said he was “devastated” at the death of Templeman, aged 80.

“Heartbroken to share that Joan, my wife and partner for 50 years, has passed away,” he writes. “She was the most wonderful mum and grandmum our kids and grandkids could have ever wished for. She was my best friend, my rock, my guiding light, my world. Love you forever, Joan.”

The pair married on Necker island in 1989, owned by Branson, and had three children three children — Holly, Sam, and Clare Sarah, who died after four days — and five grandchildren.

In a followup post, Branson writes of her “radiant smile,” her joyfulness and her nurturing instincts. “Life will never be the same without her. But we have fifty incredible years of memories – years filled with tears and laughter, kindness, and a love that shaped our family more than words could ever capture. It was a relationship that worked. We just had lots of laughs. We were very lucky.”

Richard met his wife back in 1976 at the Manor, Virgin Records’ live-in recording studio. He fell for her “almost from the moment I saw her,” he wrote on his blog in 2020. “Joan was a down-to-earth Scottish lady and I quickly realized she wouldn’t be impressed by my usual antics.”

Templeman was, in his mind, Branson’s better half. “Joan has always been a steady source of wisdom and has played no small part in some of my better life decisions.” It was Templeman who convinced Branson to buy Necker island, for a knockdown price, which he went on to describe as “one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.”

Although the cause of death has yet to be announced, Branson confirms he was by Templeman’s side when she passed “quickly and painlessly”.

Joan’s “light is not gone,” he continues. “It’s just taken on a new shape. It will guide us forward. And we will carry her with us, always.”

Branson is considered one of Britain’s most successful entrepreneurs. He founded the Virgin brand with Nik Powell in the early 1970s, initially with Virgin Records, before expanding into other industries including air travel, record stores, hotels, wines, space tourism and more. He sold Virgin Records to Thorn EMI in 1992 for £560 million ($804 million), and continued to own the Virgin Megastores music retail chain until 2007, when the market for CDs was in a state of collapse.

Branson and Virgin Group returned to the record business in November 1996 with the launch of the indie label V2. Virgin Group sold a chunk in V2 Records to Morgan Stanley in 2002, and disposed its remaining stake to the U.S. investment bank in May 2006. UMG reached an agreement to buy V2 from Morgan Stanley later that year.

Post Malone used his halftime spot at the Dallas Cowboys’ Thanksgiving home game Thursday night (Nov. 27) to pay tribute to Marshawn Kneeland, the late Cowboys defensive end.

“We love you, 94,” Posty said near the end of his three-song medley at Arlington’s AT&T Stadium, referencing the number Kneeland wore during his two seasons with the Cowboys. “We love you.”

The “Rockstar” singer also sported a No. 94 pin on his blue and white satin jacket for the Cowboys’ duel with Kansas City Chiefs.

Kneeland died by a gunshot to the head earlier this month, at the age of just 24. His death is being investigated as a suicide.

A product of Western Michigan Broncos, the footballer earned second-team Mid-American Conference (MAC) honors in 2023, and, the following year, was selected by the Cowboys in the second round of the NFL draft.

For Posty, the high-profile gig was a triumphant homecoming. The celebrated hip-hop artist (real name: Austin Post) was raised in Grapevine, Texas, and his dad, Rich Post, was assistant director of food and beverage at the stadium from 2005 to 2019.

“I’m from Texas. I grew up a Cowboys fan and have been watching this halftime show for years,” Malone commented in a statement published on the Cowboys’ official site. “It’s a real honor to be part of the Red Kettle Kickoff with The Salvation Army and the Dallas Cowboys and help bring hope to so many people.”

For the big show, Posty powered through “Wrong Ones,” “Wow” and “I Had Some Help.”

Malone’s Thanksgiving thank-you might’ve done enough to lifted his beloved franchise, as the Cowboys ran out winners 31-28.

Post doesn’t pass on the opportunity to perform under the bright lights of the NFL. His previous football gigs include the Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans’ Christmas Day show last year; he performed before the 2024 Super Bowl when he sang “America the Beautiful,” and earlier in the year he headlined the Super Bowl 59 YouTube tailgate concert.

See clips from Post Malone’s halftime performance below.

It was no surprise that Jack White performed The White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army,” a sporting anthem, during his halftime set on Thursday (Nov. 27) at the Detroit Lions’ annual Thanksgiving Day Classic at Ford Field.

The real surprise came with a guest appearance by fellow Detroit icon Eminem, who co-executive produced the event alongside his manager, Paul Rosenberg.

The superstar rapper, decked out in a hoodie and custom-made Lions jacket, electrified the sold-out crowd by joining White and his band halfway through their seven-minute set for his “Till I Collapse,” which was sandwiched between White’s “That’s How I’m Feeling” and “Seven Nation Army.”

It was a first-ever onstage meeting between the two Detroit music standard bearers. It came in the wake of the White Stripes’ induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on Nov. 8, and also coincided with the 10th anniversary of the opening of White’s Third Man Records location in his hometown. Eminem was inducted into the Rock Hall in 2022.

White played a blue guitar for the occasion, while his rhythm section sported Lions attire. “I love you Detroit,” the rocker shouted as the performance came to a feedback-drenched conclusion. More than 400 Lions season ticket holders who volunteered to be part of the show rocked along in front of the stage.

Eminem and White — who each created special limited edition merchandise related to the game and halftime show — were well represented before the performance as well. The Ford Field PA blasted “Seven Nation Army” shortly before the Lions took the field, and White’s “Taking Me Back” during the time-out music in the first quarter. “Till I Collapse” was featured as hype music prior to kickoff.

The show marked the first event in a new three-year partnership between the Detroit Lions, Burbank-based Jesse Collins Entertainment — known for producing previous Super Bowl halftime shows — and Eminem and Paul Rosenberg. Eminem and Rosenberg also collaborated with the Collins organization on the June 2024 concert celebrating the opening of Michigan Central, which also featured a performance by White.

“It’s an honor for us to team up with the Lions and be a part of the greatest tradition in Detroit sports,” Rosenberg said in a statement announcing the partnership. “We look forward to putting together unforgettable shows featuring world-class artists for the fans at Ford Field and the tens of millions watching around the country.”

The Lions also launched a new initiative with Feeding America with Thursday’s game.

Adding to the day’s hometown flavor was Grammy-winning gospel singer CeCe Winans, a Detroit native who flew in that morning from Nashville to perform the National Anthem.

“It’s an honor,” Winans told Billboard at Ford Field. “I grew up with seven brothers and a dad, so the Lions game was on every year. There were 10 of us so we couldn’t get all those tickets, so we watched on TV. To be able to be here to do the anthem is a lot of fun, and honor and amazing.”

The Lions game against NFC North division rival Green Bay Packers was the first of three NFL Thanksgiving Day games.

HUNTR/X brought KPop Demon Hunters to the 2025 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

The fictional K-pop girl group — voiced by EJAE, Audrey Nuna and REI AMI — made its daytime television debut during the annual celebration in New York City on Thursday (Nov. 27).

Accompanied by a giant balloon of the blue demon cat from Netflix’s record-breaking animated film, HUNTR/X delivered a dynamic performance of their chart-topping single “Golden,” which spent eight weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Dressed in all black, the trio powered through the high-energy track alongside a crew of golden-gloved dancers and atop a stage emblazoned with their logo. A burst of fireworks followed as the crowd cheered them on.

Earlier this year, HUNTR/X made its first live televised appearance performing “Golden” in a sketch with Bad Bunny on the season 51 premiere of Saturday Night Live on Oct. 4. The group later delivered its first full-length live performance of the song on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Oct. 7, where they also sat down for an interview.

In addition to “Golden,” three other tracks from the film’s soundtrack — “How It’s Done,” “What It Sounds Like” and “Takedown” — have reached the top 40 of the Hot 100. The soundtrack also made history as the first film soundtrack to top the U.S. albums chart since Encanto in 2022.

HUNTR/X wasn’t the only performer at this year’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Other appearances included Cynthia Erivo, Lainey Wilson, Ciara, Foreigner, Debbie Gibson, Jewel, Lil Jon, Kool & the Gang, Taylor Momsen, Busta Rhymes, Shaggy and Teyana Taylor.

Check out HUNTR/X’s performance of “Golden” here.

Global talent agency Wasserman Music has expanded its flourishing U.K. operation with a trio of new leadership hires across tour marketing, artist services, and artist representation.

The company has enlisted Paul Ryan as senior vice president and agent. Ryan is renowned in the U.K. rock and metal space, having worked across artist management and promotion for scene-leaders Bring Me the Horizon and Architects, among others.

He will continue to work with those acts, alongside Cradle of Filth, Lamb of God, Malevolence and Sleep Token, as well as newly signed names TesseracT and Currents.

Rebecca Laurie joins Wasserman as a manager on the tour marketing team, overseeing domestic and global tour marketing for U.K. agents. Laurie brings over a decade of experience, having spent five years in festival and tour marketing at AEG, as well as stints with UROK and DICE.

Chris Lander has been appointed as vice president within Wasserman’s artist services team. Having held senior roles across podcast production at Global Media, he has contributed to popular U.K. shows including My Therapist Ghosted Me, LuAnna: The Podcast and Take That: This Life. 

Lander has also worked in talent development, with a previous roster of leading British comedians and podcast hosts such as James Acaster, Nish Kumar and Deborah Frances-White. His new role will see him identify and execute opportunities for artists in film and television, digital media, gaming, literary, content and IP development, social impact, and more.

Back in September, meanwhile, Wasserman’s Laura Flynn was promoted to a management position on the tour marketing team. She has since worked across successful U.K. arena tour launches for RAYE, Louis Tomlinson, D-Block Europe and The Neighbourhood.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Paul, Chris, and Rebecca to our team, and to have Laura join our tour marketing division,” Alex Hardee, Wasserman Music executive vice president and managing executive, said in a statement.

“Each brings a unique skill set that strengthens our presence in the U.K. and broadens the opportunities we can deliver for our artists. Their passion, experience, and vision will be invaluable as we continue to grow.”