Sam Rivers, longtime bass player and a founding member of Limp Bizkit, has died. He was 48.
The band (Fred Durst, Wes Borland, John Otto and DJ Lethal) revealed the news of Rivers’ death Saturday night (Oct. 18) in a tribute to the musician titled “In Loving Memory of Our Brother, Sam Rivers,” in a post on Instagram.
“Today we lost our brother. Our bandmate. Our heartbeat,” Limp Bizkit wrote on Saturday of Rivers, who was born in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1977 and was one third of the original formation of Limp Bizkit in 1994, alongside vocalist Durst and drummer Otto. (Borland and DJ Lethal joined in 1996.)
“Sam Rivers wasn’t just our bass player — he was pure magic,” his band members said. “The pulse beneath every song, the calm in the chaos, the soul in the sound. From the first note we ever played together, Sam brought a light and a rhythm that could never be replaced. His talent was effortless, his presence unforgettable, his heart enormous.”
Their statement continued: “We shared so many moments — wild ones, quiet ones, beautiful ones — and every one of them meant more because Sam was there. He was a once-in-a-lifetime kind of human. A true legend of legends. And his spirit will live forever in every groove, every stage, every memory. We love you, Sam. We’ll carry you with us, always. Rest easy, brother. Your music never ends.”
DJ Lethal left an additional comment on Instagram, writing, “We love you Sam Rivers. Please respect the family’s privacy at this moment. Give Sam his flowers and play Sam Rivers basslines all day! We are in shock. Rest in power my brother! You will live on through your music and the lives you helped save with your music, charity work and friendships. We are heartbroken. Enjoy every millisecond of life. It’s not guaranteed.”
Related
Gone But Not Forgotten: Musicians We Lost in 2025
Rivers’ cause of death has not been revealed.
He was diagnosed with liver disease in 2011 and received a liver transplant in 2017. Within this time period, he took a short hiatus from his work with Limp Bizkit — but was back with the band by 2018.
Limp Bizkit’s breakthrough came with the nu-metal band’s 1997 debut album, Three Dollar Bill, Y’all — featuring their cover version of George Michael’s “Faith,” which picked up radio airplay and had a music video in rotation on MTV and the network’s then-popular TRL (Total Request Live). But it was their 1999 sophomore album Significant Other that reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for the first time, and the set received three Grammy nominations — in the categories of best rock album and best hard rock performance (for their hit “Nookie,” as well as album track “Take a Look Around”). They’d have another Billboard 200 No. 1 with the 2000 album Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water.
To date Limp Bizkit has released a total of six full-length studio albums, with the most recent being 2021’s Still Sucks.
Limp Bizkit recently returned to No. 1 on a Billboard chart for the first time since 2011. The single “Making Love to Morgan Wallen” debuted atop Hot Hard Rock Songs, Alternative Digital Song Sales and Hard Rock Digital Song Sales the week of Sept. 27, 2025.
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2025-10-19 03:00:502025-10-19 03:00:50Sam Rivers, Limp Bizkit Co-Founder & Bassist, Dies at 48
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
Sabrina Carpenter is set to play host as well as musical guest during this week’s Saturday Night Live on Saturday (Oct. 18). Season 51 kicked things off with Bad Bunny earlier this month, but now the Man’s Best Friend singer is bringing her comedic chops and pop ballets to the iconic Studio 8H stage once again. After sharing a hilarious promo video of her channeling Sex and the City’s Carrie Bradshaw walking through 30 Rock, expect some can’t miss laughs from the pop singer’s hosting debut tonight airing on NBC at 11:30 p.m. ET/8:30 p.m. PT.
Want to watch SNL online without cable? Your easiest bet is to grab a free trial to DirecTV or FuboTV to stream an NBC live feed online without needing a subscription.
Keep reading to learn all the other streaming options to watch Sabrina Carpenter on SNL online without cable.
How to Stream Sabrina Carpenter on SNL for Free
In order to watch SNL, you’ll need to have access to NBC. If you have cable, then you just need to look up what channel NBC is on, which you can find it in your channel guide through your cable provider.
Don’t have cable? There are a few ways to watch Sabrina Carpenter’s Saturday Night Live episode online for free.
Your best bet is to subscribe to Peacock, which is the official NBC streamer. The Peacock Premium Plus plan ($16.99 per month) gives you access to the NBC channel, which means you can watch SNL live. There is no free trial for the streaming platform, but if you want to watch the episode on-demand, Peacock does comes with an ad-supported plan that’s only $10.99 per month month and you’ll have access to new episodes of SNL the day after it airs.
Want to watch SNL online for free? DirecTV also offers a five-day free trial and the live TV streaming service also includes NBC as part of its channel lineup. Use the free trial to stream SNL online free from your phone, tablet, computer or smart TV.
FuboTV offers a seven-day free trial when you sign up for one of its plans. You’ll gain access to more than 200 live TV channels — including NBC — so you can watch the Sabrina Carpenter SNL episode for free. After your free trial is over you’ll be charged the subscription price based on the plan you choose or you can cancel at anytime.
You can also expand your streaming library through Hulu + Live TV, which gives you access to the entire Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN Unlimited libraries on top of hundreds of live TV channels, like NBC.
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2025-10-19 03:00:492025-10-19 03:00:49‘Saturday Night Live’ Stream: How to Watch Sabrina Carpenter’s Hosting Debut Online Free
With just hours to go until Sabrina Carpenter takes over SNL, the singer reminded fans to tune with an Instagram post full of backstage snapshots.
“TONIGHT,” Carpenter captioned her photo post, tagging @nbcsnl and topping it off with a red lips emoji.
The pics give viewers a glimpse at her dressing room and outfit options. There’s also a peek at what looks to be a table read or writing session, and at the actual cue card that was used filming this week’s promo spot — all at SNL‘s 30 Rock headquarters in New York City.
Related
Sabrina Carpenter Confesses Her ‘Greatest Fear’ in ‘SNL’ Promos — And It’s <em>Exactly</em> the Same as Marcello Hernandez’s
Saturday night (Oct. 18) marks Carpenter’s first time hosting SNL, and her return as musical guest. The “Manchild” hitmaker performed during a May 2024 episode and was featured on February 2025’s SNL50 special, for which she sang a duet with Paul Simon and co-starred in one of Marcello Hernandez’s “Domingo” sketches. (She’d already had a run-in with Domingo at one of her concerts on the Short n’ Sweet Tour, during her “Juno” bit; he was the crowd member arrested for being too hot at a Los Angeles stop.)
With a background in sitcoms, plenty of experience on the live stage and a knack for penning punchy song lyrics, Carpenter is primed to let her comedic side shine Saturday night.
As musical guest she’s promoting her latest album, Man’s Best Friend, which made its debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in August.
Scroll through Carpenter’s Instagram snapshots from her SNL rehearsal week below.
Keith Urban had a hilarious reaction to a fan’s comment during his recent tour stop in Nashville.
The 57-year-old country star’s split from Nicole Kidman came up during the final show of his High and Alive World Tour at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Friday (Oct. 17).
Related
Nicole Kidman Files to Divorce Keith Urban After 19 Years of Marriage
Keith Urban Changes ‘The Fighter’ Lyric Inspired by Nicole Kidman at a Recent Concert
Keith Urban Launches ‘Rising Star Scholarship’ For Next Generation of Country Stars
In a video shared by media agency Nashville Experience on Instagram, Urban crouched down to ask a fan her name while interacting with the crowd, but was caught off guard by her response.
“What’s your name?” the “Blue Ain’t Your Color” singer asked. The woman’s reply was initially inaudible through the microphone. “What? I’m not going to like your name? What?” he said, prompting the fan to reveal, “It’s Nicole.”
Urban responded playfully by dropping to the ground, raising his arm as the crowd erupted in laughter, before popping back up to continue the show.
Kidman, 58, filed for divorce from Urban on Sept. 30 after 19 years of marriage, citing “marital difficulties and irreconcilable differences.” The couple, who began dating in 2005 and married in Sydney in 2006, share two teenage daughters.
Urban’s lighthearted moment with the fan came just one day after he canceled his concert at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, S.C., on Thursday (Oct. 16) due to laryngitis that had affected him for several days.
His longtime laryngologist had advised “complete vocal rest,” according to a statement from the arena.
“Hey Greenville, I’m so SO sorry to have to cancel the show,” Urban said in a statement of his own (per People). “I know all the logistics it takes to get to a concert these days and I’ve never taken any of that, or any of YOU for granted. I’m looking forward to getting back there when we can!!!!!”
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2025-10-19 03:00:482025-10-19 03:00:48See Keith Urban’s Reaction to a Concert Fan Saying Her Name Is ‘Nicole’ Amid His Nicole Kidman Divorce
Selena Gomez seems to be responding to recent remarks made by Hailey Bieber about their respective beauty brands.
The 33-year-old Only Murders in the Building star shared a social media post that many interpreted as a reaction to Bieber, 28, whose Rhode Beauty line is now available at Sephora alongside Gomez’s Rare Beauty.
Related
Selena Gomez Says Hailey Bieber Reached Out After Getting Death Threats: ‘This Isn’t What I Stand For’
Hailey Bieber Thanks Selena Gomez for ‘Speaking Out’ Against Feud Rumors: ‘I Believe Love Will Always Be Bigger’
Selena Gomez & Hailey Bieber Pose for Photos Together at Academy Museum Gala
“Just leave the girl alone,” Gomez wrote in a since-deleted Instagram Story on Friday (Oct. 17). “She can say whatever she wants. Doesn’t affect my life whatsoever. It’s just about relevance not intelligence.”
Gomez, who recently married producer Benny Blanco, went on to urge her followers to show kindness.
“All brands inspire me,” she added. “There is room for everyone. And hopefully we can all stop.”
Her post came days after Bieber’s interview with WSJ Magazine, where the model — who married Gomez’s ex-boyfriend Justin Bieber in 2018 — discussed Rhode’s expansion and emphasized that she isn’t interested in competing with other brands on store shelves.
“It’s always annoying being pitted against other people,” Bieber said. “I didn’t ask for that. When people want to see you a certain way and they’ve made up a story about you in their minds, it’s not up to you to change that.”
She added, “I think there is space for everybody. I don’t feel competitive with people that I’m not inspired by.”
Although reports of an alleged feud between Gomez and Bieber have swirled over the years, both have denied any bad blood between them. In March 2023, Gomez came out in defense of Bieber after after learning she was facing criticism online.
“Hailey Bieber reached out to me and let me know that she has been receiving death threats and such hateful negativity,” Gomez wrote on Instagram post at the time. “This isn’t what I stand for. No one should have to experience hate or bullying.”
She added, “I’ve always advocated for kindness and really want this all to stop.”
After five years of winning in at least one of her two categories, Kelly Clarkson was shut out at the 2025 Daytime Emmys. The awards were held at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, Calif., on Friday (Oct. 17). Mario Lopez hosted the show.
Drew Barrymore won outstanding daytime talk series host for The Drew Barrymore Show. This is the second year in a row that Clarkson has been upset in this category (which she won the four years before that). She lost last year to Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos, the married stars of the syndicated Live With Kelly and Mark.
Related
Kelly Clarkson Returns to Instagram After Former Husband’s Death With Sentimental ‘Idol’ Post: ‘It Is a Gift to Find Your Purpose’
Billy Idol Reflects On ’80s Club Days With Drew Barrymore
Drew Barrymore Shares ‘Pinch Me’ Throwback Photo With Young SZA on ‘Drew Barrymore’ Music Video Set
This year, Live With Kelly and Mark won outstanding daytime talk series, ending (or at least interrupting) The Kelly Clarkson Show’s four-year hold on the category. This is the second top program award for the long-running Live franchise. Live! with Regis and Kelly (when Ripa teamed with talk show legend Regis Philbin) won outstanding talk show – entertainment in 2012.
Barrymore has had a multi-faceted career, starting as a child star in E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial. In 2018 she was the subject of Bryce Vine’s Billboard Hot 100 hit “Drew Barrymore.”
The Drew Barrymore Show also won best directing team and best hairstyling/makeup, for a total of three wins. The Kelly Clarkson Show won two – best lighting direction and best live sound mixing/sound editing.
General Hospital won seven awards, tops for the night, followed by The Drew Barrymore Show,The Secret Lives of Animals and Secret Lives of Orangutans (three awards each), and Black Barbie, Days of Our Lives, Delicious Miss Brown, Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade, Entertainment Tonight and The Kelly Clarkson Show (two awards each).
Entertainment Tonight won outstanding entertainment news series for the sixth consecutive year, while the host team (Cassie DiLaura, Denny Directo, Kevin Frazier, Rachel Smith and Nischelle Turner) won outstanding daytime personality – daily. But an ET-branded program remembering a TV legend, Bob Newhart: A Legacy of Laughter, An Entertainment Tonight Special, surprisingly lost outstanding daytime special to Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade.
Sir David Attenborough, 99, won outstanding daytime personality – non-daily for the Netflix program, Secret Lives of Orangutans. In so doing, he set a new record as the oldest person to win a Daytime Emmy, beating Dick Van Dyke’s record by one year. Van Dyke won outstanding guest performer in a drama series last year at 98 for his performance on Days of Our Lives.
Selena Gomez’s Food Network series Selena + Restaurant was nominated for outstanding culinary instructional series, but lost to Delicious Miss Brown on the Food Network. Gomez has now gone 0-3 at the Daytime Emmys, 0-5 at the Primetime Emmys and 0-1 at the Children’s and Family Emmys. (Bottom line: She is due for a win.)
Three top entertainment media brands – Billboard, Variety and The Hollywood Reporter – were recognized in the nominations (though none wound up winning). Billboard Presents was nominated for outstanding short form program. Variety Studio: Actors on Actors and Off Script With the Hollywood Reporter were both nominated for outstanding arts and popular culture program.
Billboard Presents are the video cover profiles that Billboard produces for some of its cover artists. The specific episode submitted for the series was the cover video with conductor Gustavo Dudamel. Other Billboard Presents segments include cover videos with A$AP Rocky, Tyler, The Creator and Charli XCX.
The In Memoriam segment included talk show pioneer Phil Donahue; game show hosts Chuck Woolery, Peter Marshall and Wink Martindale; fitness guru and personality Richard Simmons; televangelist Jimmy Swaggart; acting legend James Earl Jones; and Food Network star Anne Burrell.
The awards are presented annually by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. If it seems like more than a year has gone by since the last Daytime Emmys, you’re right. Last year’s Daytime Emmys were held on June 7, 2024 the Westin Bonaventure Hotel in Los Angeles.
Unlike the past five years, when the show aired on CBS, this year’s program streamed live on watch.theemmys.tv and on the Emmys app.
Veteran broadcast journalist Deborah Norville received a lifetime achievement honor.
Here are the 2025 Daytime Emmy nominations in selected categories, with winners marked. For the full list of winners, go here.
Outstanding Daytime Talk Series
The Drew Barrymore Show, CBS Media Ventures
The Jennifer Hudson Show, Warner Brothers Television Distribution [JHUD Productions | Warner Bros. Unscripted Television | Telepictures]
The Kelly Clarkson Show, NBCUniversal Syndication Studios
WINNER: Live With Kelly and Mark, Disney Entertainment Distribution
The View, ABC
Outstanding Daytime Talk Series Host
WINNER: Drew Barrymore, The Drew Barrymore Show, CBS Media Ventures
Jenna Bush Hager, Hoda Kotb, TODAY With Hoda and Jenna, NBC
Kelly Clarkson, The Kelly Clarkson Show, NBCUniversal Syndication Studios
Mark Consuelos, Kelly Ripa, Live With Kelly and Mark, Disney Entertainment Distribution
Jennifer Hudson, The Jennifer Hudson Show, Warner Brothers Television Distribution
Outstanding Arts and Popular Culture Program
WINNER: Black Barbie, Netflix [shondalandmedia]; Executive Producers: Betsy Beers, Milan Chakraborty, Camilla Hall, Grace Lay, Sumalee Montano, Shonda Rhimes, Jyoti Sarda; Co-Executive Producers: Scott Collins, Alison Eakle, Sara Fischer; Producers: Lagueria Davis, Aaliyah Williams
Folk Americana Roots Hall of Fame, PBS [Bright Blue Media Group]; Executive Producers: Thomas Davison, Pamela Picard, Josiah Spaulding
Off Script With The Hollywood Reporter, IFC [The Hollywood Reporter]; Executive Producers: Nekesa Mumbi Moody, Elisabeth D. Rabishaw, Maer Roshan, Jason Rovou; Supervising Producer: Stephanie Fischette; Senior Producer: Lesley Corral; Producers: Jeanie Pyun, Lacey Rose, Tiffany Taylor, Curtis Thompson; Segment Producer: Chinedu Unaka
The Swift Effect, Peacock; Co-Executive Producers: Cody Broadway, Diane Petzke; Senior Supervising Producer: Meredith McGinn; Coordinating Producer: Julianne O’Hara; Producers: Pedro Iguaran, John Launchi
Variety Studio: Actors on Actors, PBS; Executive Producers: Michelle Merker, Donna Pennestri, John Ross, Andrew Russell, Ramin Setoodeh; Producers: Maris Berzins, Georg Kallert, Diana Nguyen, Rob Schroeder
Outstanding Short Form Program
WINNER: Ballin’ Out, Outsports; Executive Producers: Jim Buzinski, Cyd Zeigler; Producers: Joel Chiodi, Michael Franklin, Eric Korsh, Niq Lewis; Director: Michiel Thomas
Billboard Presents, Billboard.com; Executive Producers: Shira Brown, Leila Cobo, Dana Droppo, Hannah Karp, Christina Medina, Mike Van; Supervising Producer: Ciara Zimring; Line Producer: Mateo Vergara; Producer: Emily Fuentes
Catalyst, LinkedIn News; Executive Producers: Courtney Coupe, Enrique Montalvo; Supervising Producers: David Pond, Dan Roth, Wesley Wingo; Senior Producers: Nina Melendez Ibarra, Stephen Francisco Valdivia Duarte; Coordinating Producer: Michaela Greer; Producers: Joy Carlos, Taisha Henry, Jessica Jimenez, Julia Lull, Sarah Scully, Brandon Stefanowitz, Sujata Thomas, Rachel Wang
Eat This With Yara, The Chef Preserving Gaza’s Cuisine Amid a Genocide, AJ+; Executive Producer: Shadi Rahimi; Senior Producers: Dylan Bergeson, Yara Elmjouie
Live Like a Champion, Healthline [Lucky Tiger Productions]; Executive Producers: Brendan Anderer, Tracy Stickler; Supervising Producers: Tom Placke, Sam Sabawi; Producer: Marc Lesser
Outstanding Music Direction and Composition
Mysteries of the Terracotta Warriors, Netflix; Original Music Jerry Lane
National Parks: USA, National Geographic [Stronghold Studios, LLC]; Composer Colin Clark
The Secret Lives of Animals, Apple TV+ Composer Kyle Rodriguez
WINNER: Secret Lives of Orangutans, Netflix [Silverback Films]; Composer: David Mitcham, Score Co-Producer: Michael Whight
Secrets of the Neanderthals, Netflix [BBC Studios]; Composer: Anže Rozman; Additional Music: Enzo Hwang, Kara Talve; Score Producer: Russell Emanuel; Score Supervisor: Greg Rappaport
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2025-10-18 03:01:482025-10-18 03:01:48Drew Barrymore Wins in an Upset Over Kelly Clarkson at 2025 Daytime Emmys
Lowell is embarking on a new creative partnership with Universal Music Canada.
The Canadian songwriter and producer, born Elizabeth Lowell Boland, has struck up a strategic collaboration with the major label, fusing her creative knowledge and hitmaking prowess with UMC’s A&R team.
Related
Meet Nathan Ferraro, One of the Canadian Songwriters Credited on Beyoncé’s ‘Texas Hold ‘Em’
‘VIBE’ Is Joining Forces With ‘Rolling Stone’
Solange Appointed First Scholar-in-Residence at USC Thornton School of Music
Lowell is a proven powerhouse in the music industry, working with artists like pop it-girls Beyoncé, Charli XCX, Tate McRae and homegrown talent including The Beaches, Lu Kala, Sofia Camara and more. From producing to writing to A&R, Lowell has a skilled hand in artist development.
Lowell was a part of the Grammy-nominated songwriting behind Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter hits “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “Bodyguard,” and she helped pen Camara’s charting hit “Girls Like You,” which has made waves across the Billboard Canadian Hot 100 and Billboard Canada airplay charts.
“Universal Music Canada and I have been unofficially working together all the way back to our joint work with bülow, and more recently, Valley, Sofia Camara, and more. I’m so excited to be able to be even more involved with the team and all their amazing artists,” says Lowell.
In this new partnership, Lowell will work alongside UMC’s A&R team, led by Amanda Kingsland and Shawn Marino, who were named co-heads of A&R this year.
“Her remarkable success as a songwriter and her ability to craft global hits speak volumes, but more than that, Lowell has an exceptional gift for finding and nurturing talent while helping artists grow into their best selves,” shares Kingsland.
“Lowell is a creative force,” says Adam. “Her incredible passion and fearless approach to music make her one of one. We exist to help artists achieve artistic and commercial success on a global stage out of Canada, and we are so excited, and grateful Lowell is joining us to supercharge that mission.”
Lowell echoes a similar sentiment, detailing her excitement to work with Adam, calling them “kindred spirits,” as she embarks on this new journey.
“I have so much respect for her, not only what she has already achieved in a short time in her position but what I know she will do moving forward,” she shared. “She has quickly shown me her uniquely immense respect for creatives, and in thinking outside of the box, which is imperative in this rapidly changing industry. Her willingness to grow and learn even from the top inspires me.”
MGK To Headline Grey Cup Halftime Show in Winnipeg
Mgk is headed to Winnipeg.
The rapper and singer will headline this year’s Grey Cup halftime show at Princess Auto Stadium on Nov. 16, the Canadian Football League (CFL) has announced.
Related
Mgk Earns His Third Top Rock & Alternative Albums No. 1 With ‘Lost Americana’
The Grammy-nominated hitmaker, born Colson Baker, is known for defying boundaries and crossing genres to reach fans of hip-hop, pop, rock and alternative — making him a prime performer for the football crowd. Mgk’s work has been a success on the charts, with his most recent album, Lost Americana, reaching No. 9 on the Billboard Canadian Albums chart.
“Canada has some of the best fans, so I’m excited to play the Grey Cup halftime show and to see some epic Canadian football,” the singer said in a statement.
It’s clear Mgk has an affinity for Canada. In August, he played a surprise show at Toronto’s Horseshoe Tavern, debuting a couple of unreleased tracks before his seventh studio album came out.
Following his Grey Cup halftime show performance, Mgk kicks off his highly anticipated Lost Americana Tour in support of his seventh studio album of the same name, with stops in Calgary, Edmonton, Hamilton, Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver. Billboard Canada Women in Music Global Rising Star Julia Wolf will join for select dates.
Joining Mgk as Grey Cup performers are Canadian alt-rockers Our Lady Peace, who are opening the festivities at the Grey Cup kickoff show, and emerging singer Catie St. Germain, who will perform the national anthem.
“We’re delivering a remarkable sound and atmosphere that will match the world-class action and entertainment on the field,” said CFL commissioner Stewart Johnston in a statement. “An iconic Canadian band to kick things off, a powerful Manitoban voice to honour our anthem and a rising megastar to electrify halftime. It’s going to be a show as unforgettable as the game itself!”
Canadian Music Organizations Raise Concerns About Artificial Intelligence at the House of Commons
Music industry stakeholders are speaking up about AI before the Canadian House of Commons.
On Wednesday, Oct. 8, representatives from some major music industry groups (SOCAN, Music Publishers Canada and Music Canada) appeared before the House of Commons’ Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage, which is studying the effects of technological advances in artificial intelligence on the creative industries.
Related
Spotify Pledges AI Tools That ‘Will Not Replace Human Artistry’ as It Partners With Major Labels
The committee is talking to many groups in the cultural and creative industries, but it is an especially hot topic within music, where the use of AI has exploded at a rapid rate.
One of the people who spoke in Ottawa was Music Publishers Canada (MPC) CEO Margaret McGuffin.
“The committee was very interested in hearing our perspectives,” she tells Billboard Canada. “Nearly every song ever written by a Canadian songwriter has already been scraped and stolen by these AI companies without consent, credit or compensation. Imagine that someone accessed your paycheque without permission and that this behaviour was normalized. This is an important issue for creators and businesses in the creative industries and it is wonderful that the Heritage Committee is listening.”
SOCAN CEO Jennifer Brown also spoke at the hearings. Along with MPC, the organization has major concern for fair compensation and royalties for rightsholders.
“The Standing Committee engaged in a good dialogue with the witnesses,” says Andrea Kokonis, SOCAN chief legal officer and general counsel. “Jennifer Brown reinforced the importance of a healthy licensing market, as well as SOCAN’s long-standing expertise in licensing and royalty distribution — across every new technology that’s reshaped the music industry — positioning us to help ensure fair, practical solutions for both creators and AI companies.”
To McGuffin and MPC, the current situation is alarming.
“Unfortunately, the music industry has seen mass theft of copyright-protected songs by AI companies, both on the input side — for the purpose of training AI models — and output side — the development and publication of unlicensed generative AI models.”
“This poses serious risks for Canada’s creators and the companies that invest in them. To derive fair value for the use of this copyrighted material, the music publishing industry routinely grants licences to technology companies. AI developers should be no different. The emerging market for licensing music to AI developers should be encouraged, including by requiring AI companies to disclose and maintain records of all their training data,” she explains.
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2025-10-18 03:01:472025-10-18 03:01:47In Canada: Beyoncé, Charli XCX Songwriter Lowell Pairs With Universal; Mgk to Play Grey Cup Halftime
Waylon Jennings died in 2002 after a stellar career on the charts, including 16 No. 1s on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs ranking, and 11 No. 1s on Top Country Albums.
Songbird marks Waylon’s first top 10 on the 34-year-old Top Album Sales chart, as it starts at No. 6 with nearly 9,000 copies sold in the United States in the week ending Oct. 9, according to Luminate.
Songbird is one of three debuts in the top 10 on Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart, where Taylor Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl storms in at No. 1 with 3,479,500 copies sold (the largest sales week for an album in the modern era, since Luminate began tracking data in 1991). Stray Kids’ former No. 1 KARMA rises 5-2, the KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack steps 4-3, Sabrina Carpenter’s chart-topping Man’s Best Friend climbs 10-4, AFI’s Silver Bleeds the Black Sun debuts at No. 5 (nearly 10,000; marking the fourth top 10 for the act), P1Harmony’s EX falls 2-7 in its second week, KATSEYE’s Beautiful Chaos jumps 16-8, Cardi B’s AM I THE DRAMA? is a non-mover at No. 9 and Mariah Carey’s Here for It All falls 1-10 in its second week.
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2025-10-18 03:01:472025-10-18 03:01:47Waylon Jennings’ From-the-Vaults ‘Songbird’ Soars Into Top 10 on Five Billboard Charts
Slipknot says a cyber-squatter has been using the URL slipknot.com to advertise counterfeit merchandise for more than two decades — and the heavy metal band is now waging a legal battle in pursuit of the domain name.
A federal lawsuit filed on Wednesday (Oct. 15) alleges that an anonymous web operator has held the domain slipknot.com since 2001. Unable to use this domain for Slipknot’s official website, the famously masked metal band hosts its store on the clunkier URL slipknot1.com.
Related
From Taylor Swift to KISS, the Bootleg Music Merch Business Is Hurting Artists — And It’s Getting Worse
‘VIBE’ Is Joining Forces With ‘Rolling Stone’
Solange Appointed First Scholar-in-Residence at USC Thornton School of Music
Little is known about the slipknot.com cyber-squatter, other than the fact that they own a post office box in the Cayman Islands. The band, which has been recording music and touring since the 1990s, says this individual clearly had bad intentions from the outset.
“The domain name was registered in an effort to profit off of plaintiff’s goodwill and to trick unsuspecting visitors — under the impression they are visiting a website owned, operated or affiliated with plaintiff — into clicking on web searches and other sponsored links,” writes Slipknot’s lawyer Craig Reilly.
The lawsuit claims slipknot.com hosts pay-for-click advertising that directs users to counterfeit Slipknot merchandise, including versions of the band’s signature masks, t-shirts and sweatshirts emblazoned with the band’s trademarks. These sponsored links hurt sales of official Slipknot merch, the band alleges.
Related
Meet the Companies Fighting the Online Counterfeit Merch Business
“A fan of plaintiff or someone who otherwise wanted to purchase authorized Slipknot merchandise would undoubtedly visit the slipknot.com website assuming it belonged to plaintiff and then purchase the slipknot merchandise linked to on the site, causing damages to plaintiff,” writes Reilly.
Slipknot is now bringing claims under the Anti-Cybersquatting Consumer Protection Act, a 1999 federal statute that created a pathway for individuals to reclaim domain names through litigation. They’re asking a judge to enter an injunction giving them ownership of slipknot.com.
The case also accuses slipknot.com’s unknown site operator of trademark infringement and unfair competition. Slipknot is seeking unspecified financial damages in addition to an injunction.
A Slipknot rep did not immediately return a request for comment on Friday (Oct. 17).
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2025-10-18 03:01:462025-10-18 03:01:46Slipknot Sues to Reclaim Slipknot.com From Bootlegging Cyber-Squatter
Sebastian Zar, an attorney whose clients included Post Malone, died suddenly on Sunday (Oct. 12). He was 36.
The New York-based Zar worked for Theo Sedlmayr & Associates. “We’re received an outpouring of messages from people in our industry sharing their thoughts about Sebastian,” Sedlmayr told Billboard. I like to believe that’s because he was a kindred spirit to many, passionate about supporting creators of music in all its forms. He’ll be deeply missed by everyone whose lives were touched by his positive energy.”
Related
Jonathan Mayers, Bonnaroo Co-Founder, Dies
‘VIBE’ Is Joining Forces With ‘Rolling Stone’
Solange Appointed First Scholar-in-Residence at USC Thornton School of Music
In 2018, Billboard highlighted Zar, who grew up in Great Neck, N.Y., as a “rising star” — one of five industry executives still in their 20s but already making an impact. At the time, Billboard wrote: “While at Syracuse University School of Law, Zar began managing artists. At 26, he started his own law firm. He has since landed at Sedlmayr, where his clients include Post Malone and Pusha T.” Zar told Billboard of his desire to meet whatever his clients needed: “In the streaming age, a lot of these young artists don’t want a label deal,” says Zar. “I’m willing to put on as many hats as necessary to get them to where they want to be.”
Range Media Partners’ Matt Graham, who had known Zar for nearly 20 years, says the late attorney made an instant impression. “Sebastian’s hustle, commitment and constant desire to find the next great artist was apparent from the day I hired him as an intern 17 years ago and that fire was never extinguished,” he tells Billboard in a statement. “I loved him for his confidence and for staying present in my life and the lives of everyone he cared about. He never let too much time pass without catching up. I’m gutted to lose him as a friend and little brother, and we are all worse off in the music industry without him advocating on behalf of the artists he loved so much.” Zar worked with Range as outside counsel.
Like Graham, Universal Music Publishing Group chairman and CEO Jody Gerson had known Zar for years, first becoming aware of him through her son. “My son Julian followed Sebastian’s music blog, Watch My Ego, when he was in high school. He reached out to Sebastian, and the two quickly bonded over their shared love of music and discovering new artists,” Gerson tells Billboard. “Later, Sebastian told Julian he was applying to law school and hoped to practice entertainment law. He asked if I might write him a letter of recommendation, and after getting to know him better, I was more than happy to do it. I was thrilled when he called to say he’d been accepted — and even more thrilled years later when Theo Sedlmayr took a chance on him and brought him into the firm. Sebastian was a truly special person, and he has left us far too soon.
“I am deeply saddened by his passing and send my heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones,” Gerson continues. “His parents should be so proud. Sebastian was a beautiful and kind person — a wonderful attorney, and at his core, a genuine music fan. We will miss him dearly.”
Zar is survived by his siblings, James Zar and Kimberly Bloorian.
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2025-10-18 03:01:452025-10-18 03:01:45Sebastian Zar, Attorney Who Represented Post Malone & More, Dies at 36
