Music

Macklemore Speaks Out on Palestine and ICE at First Show Since Ed Sheeran Tour Exit

• Macklemore renewed his calls for Palestinian freedom at Red Rocks.
• He was performing publicly for the first time since leaving Sheeran’s tour.
• His solo streams rose 172% after the tour controversy.

Macklemore returned to the stage at Colorado’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre and reiterated his support for Palestinians, while also voicing concern for people affected by conflict and by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The performance was his first since being removed from Ed Sheeran’s tour, after venues objected to…

In 1983, Jamie Lee Curtis was rejected for a comedy. It led to some of the biggest roles of her career

• Paramount initially turned Curtis down for Trading Places.
• Director John Landis convinced the studio to cast her.
• The comedy helped lead to A Fish Called Wanda and True Lies.

Jamie Lee Curtis’s horror fame nearly worked against her when Paramount rejected her for the female lead in the comedy Trading Places, despite director John Landis wanting her for the role. Landis persuaded the studio to cast her, helping Curtis move beyond the typecasting that could have confined…

The Motown artists George Harrison crowned as the greatest: “That’s the music I still like”

• Harrison named Smokey Robinson and Stevie Wonder as favourites.
• Motown and Chuck Berry influenced the Beatles’ early music.
• Harrison said he preferred Indian music to most contemporary pop.

George Harrison said he remained especially fond of Tamla Motown, naming Smokey Robinson and Stevie Wonder as his favourites. His comments show how Motown shaped the Beatles’ early sound and how Harrison’s tastes differed from much of the contemporary Western pop he later heard. In a 1976 interview,…

AI Firm Behind India’s ‘Mahabharat’ Series Turns to Indonesian Myth in Cross-Border IP Pact (EXCLUSIVE)

• Galleri5 is taking its AI filmmaking tools to Indonesia.
• The partnership will develop stories based on Indonesian mythology and history.
• “Echoes of Nusantara” is the first concept being discussed.

Indian AI company Galleri5 is partnering with Collective Studios’ Historyverse and Indonesia’s Singhasari Special Economic Zone to develop films and series based on Indonesian mythology and history. The venture aims to pair local creative expertise with AI-assisted production tools, helping stories rooted in Indonesia reach wider audiences. The…

Elvis rights holders sue Anthropic over alleged song use in AI training

• Presley’s rights holders sued Anthropic over alleged AI training use.
• The case names 274 songs and seeks up to $150,000 per song.
• The complaint alleges Claude reproduced songs despite safeguards.

Elvis Presley’s music rights holders sued Anthropic, alleging it used his songs without permission to train AI models and that its Claude system reproduced copyrighted material. The case adds to wider disputes over whether AI companies can use copyrighted music to train their systems. The lawsuit names 274…

In 1980, the Ramones released their highest-charting album. Joey Ramone called making it a “living hell”

• *End of the Century* became the Ramones’ highest-charting album.
• Phil Spector’s production broadened their sound and audience.
• Joey called the difficult sessions enlightening as well as hellish.

The Ramones’ 1980 album *End of the Century*, produced by Phil Spector, became the band’s highest-charting record in the United States and the UK. Its pop ballads, 1950s influences and orchestral arrangements helped the punk group reach beyond its underground audience, though the attempt to broaden their appeal…

Relay closes as PHP flaw warning lands, Moana tops Disney+

The AI start-up folded after larger firms added similar tools, while PHP site owners face urgent security fixes. Moana leads Disney+ streaming, and Laika’s Wildwood reaches the screen after 16 years.

In 1969, Robert Redford’s big-screen “baptism of fire” went disastrously wrong: “They dumped it”

• Redford produced *Downhill Racer* for about $1.6 million.
• Paramount released it widely against his wishes.
• The film won critical praise but was not a commercial success.

Robert Redford’s first executive producer project, the 1969 sports drama *Downhill Racer*, became an early lesson in the financial and distribution pressures of Hollywood. He helped bring the film to production on a limited budget, but Paramount released it widely despite his view that it was not suited…

Born 90 Years Ago Today in England, the Rock Legend Who Spent 30 Years With the Rolling Stones Before Walking Away

• Bill Wyman played bass for the Rolling Stones for 31 years.
• He left in 1993, saying the decision was overdue.
• He continued releasing solo music and formed the Rhythm Kings.

Bill Wyman, born in Lewisham, London, on 24 October 1936, was the Rolling Stones’ bassist from 1962 until he left the band in 1993. His steady playing featured on many of the group’s best-known songs, and his departure ended a 31-year run as the band’s global profile grew.…