By Mariel Turner
8:30am PDT, Jun 14, 2019
Maren Morris defends topless Playboy photoshoot
Maren Morris isn't here for your critiques. The country music star snapped back at fans who disapproved of her decision to pose topless for Playboy after she shared a preview, in which she's covering her breasts, on Instagram. "The thing about me is, I make music for myself. I learned later that it touches others, which is the most wonderful byproduct of a songwriter's calling," she wrote on her Instagram Story on June 13. "Some can slut-shame me for my lyrics about sex, and you can put me in your little box, but I just want to live and love. I recently accepted myself and will put these photos in a frame because I'll never have this moment back."
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Over 500K song recordings lost in 2008 Universal Studios fire
More than 500K song titles and 118,230 music assets — lost tape and artistry with an estimated worth of $150 million — was destroyed in the devastating 2008 Universal Studios fire, according to newly obtained legal documents. Universal Music Group archives were being housed in Building 6197 on a lot at Universal Studios Hollywood when a fire sparked on June 1, 2008. A large portion of the company's original recording masters including works by Sammy Davis Jr., Nirvana, Quincy Jones, Neil Diamond and Elton John were destroyed, The New York Times reported on June 11.
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After hack, Radiohead releases 18 hours of unheard material to benefit charity
Radiohead is committed to giving back — so much so that the band put out 18 hours of unreleased material from their 1997 album "OK Computer." The release, which the music group shared on Bandcamp, will benefit Extinction Rebellion, a climate change organization. "We got hacked last week – someone stole Thom [Yorke]'s minidisc archive from around the time of 'OK Computer,' and reportedly demanded $150,000 on threat of releasing it," guitarist Jonny Greenwood wrote in a statement on June 11. "So instead of complaining – much – or ignoring it, we're releasing all 18 hours on bandcamp in aid of Extinction Rebellion. Just for the next 18 days. So for £18 you can find out if we should have paid that ransom."
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Miley Cyrus apologizes for "insensitive" comments about hip hop
Miley Cyrus issued an apology on June 11 for "insensitive" remarks she made about hip-hop music in a 2017 Billboard interview. The pop star told the magazine that she could no longer listen to the genre because of the lyrical content — four years after she released her own hip-hop influenced album, "Bangerz." Miley addressed her controversial remarks in a comment posted to YouTube: "…I am aware of my platform and have always used it the best way I know how and to shine a light on injustice. I want to start with saying I am sorry. I own the fact that saying … 'this pushed me out of the hip hop scene a little' was insensitive as it is a privilege to have the ability to dip in and out of 'the scene.'"
Celebrity deaths
Bushwick Bill, a member of the hip-hop group The Geto Boys, died on June 10 after battling stage 4 pancreatic cancer. He was 52. Tre Da Kid, a prominent rapper from Maryland, was fatally shot on June 7. He was 32.
Taylor Swift's new album drops on Aug. 23
During a June 13 Instagram Live video, Taylor Swift announced that she'll be releasing her newest album, "Lover," on Aug. 23 — her first under a new artist-friendly multi-year contract with Republic Records and Universal Music. Fans blew up social media hours later when the pop star released the second single from the album, the politically charged "You Need to Calm Down," at midnight. The video will follow on June 17.
Steve Lawrence reveals he has Alzheimer's disease
Steve Lawrence, a member of the musical duo Steve and Eydie with late wife Eydie Gormé, has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, according to a letter released by his spokesman on June 11. "Dear Friends, There have been a number of rumors and some press reaching out to me and I feel it's important that I tell my own truth," he shared. "I have been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, and it's in the early stages. I am being treated with medications under the supervision of some of the finest doctors in the field. Fortunately, they have managed to slow down this horrific process. I'm living my life, going out in public and trying to spend as much time as possible with my family and friends while I am still able to engage and enjoy."
Federal court to rehear "Stairway to Heaven" copyright dispute
On June 10, The 9th Circuit court voted to rehear arguments surrounding a copyright dispute over Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven." The band's lawyers and plaintiff Michael Skidmore's legal team both requested the move after the federal court ordered another trial in September 2018. Skidmore, the trustee of Spirit guitarist Randy California, claims that Led Zeppelin copied the intro of "Stairway" from Randy's "Taurus."
Usher reveals massive head and neck tattoo
Usher is sporting a whole new look! On June 7, the R&B-pop star revealed he'd inked a large tattoo on the back of his head that stretches down to his shoulder blades. The new geometric ink "was inspired by transformation, Sacred geometry and an ancient Berber talisman to mark the cardinal points in the sky and allow travelers to find their way across vast distances," according to an Instagram post shared by Usher's tattoo artist, Dillon Forte.
