Los Angeles Lakers' Russell Westbrook says role changes nightly, but 'I'm not a quitter'

The late singer scored number 1 hits on the Hot 100, Hot Country Songs and Adult Contemporary charts.

After a battle with stage-four lung cancer, BJ Thomas, whose music career lasted more than 50 years, died on May 29 at his home in Arlington, Texas. He was 78.

Thomas was a chart force that began in the 1960s. He recorded 26 hits, including two of the top 10 at number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, from 1966 to 1983, and achieved number 1 singles in the Hot 100, Hot Country Songs and Adult Contemporary charts. His 1969 classic "Raindrops Keep Fallin 'On My Head" became his first leader in any Billboard poll, spending four weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100 and seven frames above Adult Contemporary.

Born in Hugo, Texas, and raised in Houston, Thomas also topped: "I Just Can't Help Believing" (One Week, Adult Contemporary, 1970); "Rock and Roll Lori" (One Week, Adult Contemporary, 1972); "(He Won't You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody's Song" (One Week a Week on Hot 100, Adult Contemporary and Hot Country Songs, 1975); "Whatever Happened for Old Age Love" (One Week, Hot Country Songs, 1983) and "New Looks from an Old Lover" (One Week, Hot Country Songs, 1983).

Thomas last sang a Top 10 Billboard Chart hit, known to millions before becoming a single: "As long as we understand each other," is credited to Steve Dorf & Friends, which Thomas And was sung by fellow multi-decade pop star Dusty. Springfield. It reached number 7 on Adult Contemporary in February 1989, serving as the theme song for the hit ABC sitcom Growing Pain.

Thomas initially appeared on the Billboard charts when his version of Hank Williams's "I'm So Lonesome I Can Cry" with The Triumphs entered the Hot 100 on February 19, 1966. It peaked at number 8 that April. He returned to the top 10 with "Hooked on a Feeling" at the peak of No. 5 in January 1969, later No. 1 for the 1974 Blue Swede. Thomas 'next Top 10, "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head," became his first Hot 100 leader in January 1970.

BJ Thomas' biggest billboard hits

Rank, Title, Artist, Hot 100 Peak Position, Year

1. "Raindrops Keep Fallin 'on My Head," No. 1 (four weeks), 1970

2. "(He Won't Play You) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song," No. 1 (Week One), 1975

3. "Hook on a Feeling," No. 5, 1969

4. "I'm So Lonesome I Can Cry" (with The Triumphs), No. 8, 1966

5. "I Can't Help Believing," Number 9, 1970

6. "Don't Worry Baby," Number 17, 1977

7. "Rock and Roll Lullaby," No. 15, 1972

8. "No Love at All," No. 16, 1971

9. "The Eyes of a New York Woman," No. 28, 1968

10. "Everybody's Out of Town," No. 26, 1970

BJ Thomas' biggest Billboard Hits recap is based on actual performance on the weekly Billboard Hot 100 chart. The songs are ranked based on the inverse point system, with the week at number 1 earning the most value. Due to the change in chart method over the years, epochs are weighted according to different chart turnover rates at different periods.

Thomas made his first breakthrough on Hot Country Songs in 1975 with his initial entry "(He Won't You Play) Another Sambandi Dun Sambadi Song Song", which led to that list. In 1975–2000, he performed 16 Hot Country Songs, including three No.1s out of five Top 10s. With his additional number 1s "Whatever Happened to Old Fashioned Love" and "New Looks from an Old Lover" in 1983, he was in the top 10 with "Two Car Garage" (No. 3) and "The Whole Worlds". Arrive. In Love When You're Lonely" (No. 10), both in 1984. They last toured the charts with "You Call That a Mountain" in 2000.

Thomas also earned 10 entries on the Billboard 200 album chart, led by the number 12-peaking Raindrops Keep Fallin 'on My Head in 1970.

Thomas posted his last Billboard chart appearance during his lifetime in 2013 when The Living Room Sessions reached number 39 on the Top Country Album. Unplugged career retrospective includes collaborations with Vince Gill, Lyell Lovett, Richard Marks and Keb 'Moe'.

BJ Thomas, 'Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head' singer, 78. But dies

BJ Thomas, a Grammy-winning singer who enjoyed success on the pop, country and gospel charts with hit films such as "I Just Can't Help Believing," "Raindrops Keep Fallin 'On My Head" and "Hooked On A Feeling". Dead. He was 78.

Thomas, who announced in March that he had been diagnosed with lung cancer, died of complications of the disease at his home in Arlington, Texas on Saturday (May 29), a statement released by his representatives said.

A Hugo, Oklahoma-native who grew up in Houston, Billy Joe Thomas took a break in 1966 with a gospel-style cover of Hank Williams's "I'm So Lonesome I Can Cry" and sold millions and sold dozens of records Create. Hit genres. He reached number 1 in 1976 with "(He Won't You Play) Another Sambadi Dun Sambadi Rong Song" with pop, adult contemporary and native audiences. That same year, his Home Where I Belong became one of the first gospel albums to be certified Platinum, selling over 1 million copies.

His signature recording was "Raindrops Keep Fallin 'On My Head", the No. 1 pop hit and Oscar-winning, irreverent Western Butch Cassidy and the Sundance for Best Original Song as part of the soundtrack to one of the biggest films of 1969. child. Thomas was not the first choice to perform eccentric ballads by Burt Bacharach and Hal David; Ray Stevens turned down the songwriters. But his warm, soulful stint fits into the song's effortless mood, immortalized on film during the scene when Butch (Paul Newman) shows his new bicycle to Etta Place (Katherine Ross), the girlfriend of Sundance Kid (Robert Redford) .

Since then "Raindrops" have been heard everywhere from The Simpsons to Forrest Gump and were voted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2013. But, at first, not everyone was satisfied. Thomas was recovering from laryngitis while recording the soundtrack version and his vocals are sharper than the self-released tracks. Meanwhile, Redford suspected that the song was also in Butch Cassidy.

Redford told USA Today in 2019, "When the film released, I was highly critical - how did the song fit in with the film? It didn't rain." "At the time, it seemed like a dumb idea. How wrong I was."

Thomas later said that the phenomenon of "raindrops" exacerbated his addiction to pills and alcohol, dating back to his teen years, when a record producer in Houston suggested he take amphetamines to keep up his energy. . He was constantly touring and recording and taking dozens of pills a day. By 1976, while "(Hey You Don't Play) Another Sambadi Dun Sambadi Rong Song" was peaking at number 1, he felt it was "number 1,000".

"I was at the bottom with my addictions and my problems," he said on The Debbie Campbell Goodtime Show in 2020. He cited a "spiritual awakening" that he shared with his wife, Gloria Richardson, which helped him get clean.

Thomas had a few pop hits after the mid-1970s, but continued to score on the nation's charts with No. 1 songs such as "Whatever Happened for Old Fashioned Love" and "New Look from the Old Lover" kept. In the late 1970s and early 80s, he was also a top gospel and inspirational singer, winning two Dove Awards and five Grammys, including a Grammy in 1979 for Best Gospel Performance for "The Lord's Prayer".

Fans of the 1980s sitcom Growing Pain heard her as the singer of the show's theme song. He starred in a handful of films including Jory and Jake Corner and toured frequently. Recent recordings include The Living Room Sessions with cameos from Lyle Lovett, Vince Gill and Richard Marx. He planned to record in Muscle Shoals, Alabama in 2020, but sessions were delayed due to an epidemic.

Thomas married Richardson in 1968, and had three daughters: Paige, Nora and Erin. He and his wife worked on the 1982 memoir In Tune: Finding How a Good Life Can Be. His book Home Where I Belong appeared in 1978 and was co-authored by Jerry B. Jenkins, later famous for his left-behind million-sales behind religious novels written with Tim Lahey.

In addition to music, Thomas loved baseball as a child and started calling himself BJ because many of the Little League teammates were named Billy Joe. In his teens, he was singing in church and joined a local rock band, Triumphs, with whom he would live in his 20s. He enjoyed Ernest Tubes, Hank Williams and other country artists his parents loved, but on his own he was inspired by the soul and rhythm and blues singers he heard on the radio or saw on stage, especially Jackie Wilson, whose hit ballad "To Be" Loved "Thomas" later covered and adopted as a kind of guide to her life.

"I grew up in a very poor state and I went through years of alcohol and drug addiction, so this song was always a touchstone for me. When you open yourself up to drugs and alcohol at such a young age, It becomes something to deal with for the rest of your life, ”he told the Huffington Post in 2014.

"Has a road blockage and heartbreak and failure time caused me to have these addictions. But I had that little piece of power from that song. That's the essence of the whole thing. To love and be loved. . And it takes a lifetime to complete it. It has always been an important part of my feelings. "

Nicki Minaj shared a cute new video of her baby

Nicki Minaj is giving fans a rare glimpse of her adorable child.

In a sweet video posted on social media on Saturday (May 29), in which Minaj's baby can be seen in a standing position - perhaps getting ready to support herself and finally taking a step on her own Is - the rapper talks to her younger one.

Minaj captioned the clip with a teddy bear emoji. Publicly referring to her fondly as "Papa Bear", keeping her real name a secret.

She welcomed her son with husband Kenneth Petty in late September. In October she first shared a picture of a small baby's leg, followed by a full picture of her adorable face in January.

🧸 pic.twitter.com/S02fwvhN7u

— BEAM ME UP SCOTTY OUT NOW (@NICKIMINAJ) May 29, 2021

Willow meets a strange figure in the 'Transparent Soul' video featuring Travis Barker

Willow kicks out in his new, official music video for "Transparent Soul" with Travis Barker.

The Blink-182 drummer is part of Willow's band which is on stage in a dark, raunchy club in a clip released on Friday (May 28).

As they play the pop-punk song, a version of willow makes its way through the crowd and runs into a mysterious (and terrifying) figure. In what she calls "one of my favorite parts of a music video," Willow finds herself making an emotional connection with the person when she walks out of the club.

Willow's heartburn "Transparent Soul" is a departure from some of the Smith family's earlier musical releases from the Smith family, which dates to their successful jam "Whip My Hair" in 2010. She recently said that a full album will drop collaboration with "Too Many" this summer. "

“I am so grateful for this tune as it was made in such introspective time (during the first few months of quarantine). It was the song that proved to me that I needed to overcome insecurities about making a project. Need this style," she explained earlier.

Mariah Carey Gets Thumbs Up from Jennifer Aniston Over 'Friends' Hairdo Throwback Photo

Rachel approved! Mariah Carey received a thumbs up from Jennifer Aniston on the singer's previous attempt to recreate the hairstyle of the actress' iconic Friends character.

On Friday (May 28), the 51-year-old superstar singer shared an exhausting photo on Instagram of her shaking wavy locks and half ponytail similar to Aniston's Rachel Green in the 1990s sitcom.

"A sad attempt at #FBF Rachel Hairdoo," Mimi captioned the snapshot of herself on stage, adding laughter-crying emoji and the hashtag #Friends.

Artist mentions

Mariah Carey

Aniston noted Carrie's position and left her seal of approval in the comments section. "Love It," the 52-year-old actress wrote with a flame emoji.

While Friends aired on NBC from 1994 to 2004, Star Aniston popularized her character's hairstyles. The most loved was' The Rachel ', a shoulder-length layered look with plentiful body that perfectly framed the actress' face; It was widely copied by fans.

Carey's throwback post arrived on time on HBO Max for the long-awaited Friends: The Reunion Special, which aired on Thursday. Hosted by James Corden, Special Friends stars Aniston, Matt LeBlanc, Lisa Kudrow, Courteney Cox, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer, with guest appearances by Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber and BTS.

How Marshmello Altered Reality for His UEFA Champions League Final Performance

"If there's a chance to do something like, 'Wow, I've never seen anything like this before," says the producer, "Those are the opportunities I like to take."

Last March, a fleet of engineers, dancers, drummers, virtual and extended reality magicians, choreographers, designers, and an electronic music superstar gathered at a soundstage in an industrial area in Long Beach, California.

Over the course of three days of shooting, this huge crew used every instrument at their disposal to make it appear that superstar producer Marshmello was performing inside a European soccer stadium thousands of miles away. To perform magic, 'Melo also needed to expand his skills.

"I had to practice dance moves," says producer, Chris Comstock. "Choreography is something I've never done."

The massive effort - two years in the making - was for Marshmello's six-minute opening ceremony performance for the UEFA Champions League final, which is taking place today (29 May) in Porto, Portugal. See full performance below.

The producer was originally scheduled to play in the iconic show titled Dua Lipa in 2018 and Imagine Dragons in 2019, though that performance was eventually canceled due to COVID-19. In the run-up to the show, Pandemic will perform an important last-minute scuffle that made it such that everyone involved in the performance was working on it until a few days ago.

But that curveball was yet to come when the production team first pivoted to 2021, initially gathered to determine whether the performance would take place virtually or in person in Istanbul, where the match was to be played first.

Christa Carnegie, COO of The Shalizzi Group, Marshmellow's management company, says, "Last year was the summer season, it was like, 'Are we planning another physical performance or have we gone completely digital?". "Then I saw that this creative came and I forced their hand, like, 'We're doing digital. It's going to be on the next level.'"

"If there's a chance to do something like, 'Wow, I've never seen anything like this before," Comstock says, "Those are the opportunities I like to take."

Conceived by creative director S. Devlin, known for his work with artists such as Beyoncé, Lorde and The Weeknd (including the latter's 2021 Super Bowl halftime show), the opening ceremony was designed to twist reality and make viewers question the house. It was designed that Marshmello was in the stadium - and if so, how the things they were seeing onscreen were actually happening.

"It was a little tricky for everyone to understand, because it literally has no context," Carnegie says of the creative concept. "There are going to be points where we are filling the stadium with sky and water." While such effects can never occur to the IRL, through mixed reality technology, anything and everything became possible.

To begin with, a production team first flew to Istanbul, capturing images of every inch of the stadium - from seat cushions to cracks in the walls - to allow digital teams to make their virtual renderings as realistic as possible. Meanwhile, 'Mello and his team gathered a setlist of hits to make the already global star appealing to audiences around the world, while the show's sponsor Pepsi helped include guest stars Selena Gomez and Khalid.

"For us and for UEFA, it's really important that the artist resonates around the world, and you have to appeal to football fans as well," says Ellen Healy, PepsiCo's senior marketing director of music and entertainment. Ponytail "It's finding the right balance between the type of music, who they are, what the performance looks like and how you build that relationship. Every year the list of potential artists isn't too long."

This year in particular, Pepsi was looking for a highly digital act aimed at raising awareness of the phenomenon through digital content. 'Melo, with nearly 30 million Instagram followers, an age-old worldwide audience and an arsenal of genre-expanding global hits, was an obvious choice. All he had to do was montage the playlist.

"I wanted to pick my songs that people know," Comstock says of the show's six-song setlist, including "Come and Go," "Wolves," "Happier," "Alone," "Silence," and Friends are included. "" Perhaps you knew the singer and didn't know it was me. This is my opportunity to say, 'These are all my little kids I've made over the years.'

For Comstock and his team, the show's vast streaming potential was not unfamiliar, with more than 10 million virtual attendees tuning in to Marshmello's 2019 virtual performance inside Fortnite, an event considered a major development from artist fans How to connect For the Marshmello team, it was important that any subsequent virtual performance would expand on that milestone.

"We've been asked to do many of these concerts since Fortnite," Carnegie says. "We don't think we can ever take a step back from it. If we don't think we can rise again, it's not really suitable for us."

This was an opportunity to take up the UEFA opportunity. Not only has this type of technology never been used before, in terms of exposure, Comstock agrees that inaugurating the ceremony is similar to performing a Super Bowl halftime show. Both are sponsored by Pepsi; Both reach a large global audience (especially as soccer, or football, as it is referred to everywhere in the world, is consistently considered the world's most popular sport) and both post-sale and streaming In addition to promoting streaming shows all.

Back in Long Beach, Khalid came to play his role in "Silence" and Gomez performed his vocals for "Wolves". (While the team tried to get Anne-Marie to SoCal to perform on "Friends", the UK quarantine protocol made the timeline impossible.)

Meanwhile, 15 dancers, a number confined due to security protocols, were expanded to a fleet of 100 performers through the magic of technology. At the edge of the stage, choreographer Jaquel Knight, known for his work with Beyoncé and Megan Thee Stallion, 'trained Melo through his moves.

Initially, the production team did not plan to announce that the show was taking place virtually, intended to create something so realistic that viewers would not be able to tell if 'Melo was performing digitally or from the actual stadium. ("I feel like I'm shooting for an Avengers film," Comstock says of the reality-bending production process.)

But plans changed just weeks before today's match, when the Champions League final was moved from Istanbul to Portugal. Competing with two UK teams and in the "Red List" of COVID-19 travel destinations in the country of Istanbul, taking the event to Portugal made it possible for more UK fans to participate.

The location change threw a big wrench in production, with creative teams scrambling to replace the imagery of the Istanbul Stadium with scenes from the Portugal venue. Fortunately, because Porto's Estadio do Drago is a relatively new facility, the team was able to redo detailed shots of the stadium based on already existing technical drawings. And because the crew knew precisely which stadium shots they needed to change, a full digital rendering of the new stadium was not necessary.

Navigating the curveballs of a global pandemic was, in the end, just one more solution to be solved in a performance that ultimately hit all the benchmarks the creative team had imagined. Over the course of six minutes, Marshmello danced among the army of fellow Marshmellos; He wandered through a cityscape, mixing the 16 finalist cities of the tournament, he played the guitar while the fireworks followed him and his music exploded while the Estadio do Drago was filled with water. In fact, the only thing Mello didn't do was to take to the field for the actual match.

"I think I formed a travel team when I was 8 years old," Comstock says of his football career. "Then I realized I was a little better at music."

Jay-Z Recalls DMX Bringing a 'Whole Arena' to Tears While Performing Live

Jay-Z is reminiscent of the late rapper DMX's unmatched stage presence.

On Friday (May 28), during the season premiere of LeBron James's HBO series The Shop: Uninterrupted, the 51-year-old hip-hop mogul opened up about watching DMX's performance - and being a little apprehensive. live on stage.

"X is about to move forward, and I like, I want to see," J begins his story. "X is going in front of me. And then he goes (grows up), and the f --- ing arena goes crazy. First of all, it's getting deaf, and I'm like, 'Oh s--. -. "

The rapper continues, "He has one thing, like Alize and Hennessy mixes, it looks like blood, like he's drinking blood, and he's running back and forth. In the middle of the show, and then he's his Takes off the shirt. And the whole crowd goes wild."

Jay-Z then recalls in amazement how DMX was able to bring emotional tears to the crowd with a furious scream.

"He's going crazy, isn't he? And I'm like, 'S ---'. First the boys are going crazy, now the girls are going crazy. And then he reaches the end, and he starts a prayer." Does. And now they're crying, the whole arena is crying. And they're like, 'Okay, now you go.' "

DMX died on April 9 after suffering a heart attack due to a drug overdose. He was 50 years old.

Other guests on The Shop's season opener were Latin rapper and singer-songwriter Bad Bunny, WNBA star Neneca Ogwumike and marketing executive Paul Rivera.

You know you’re a legend when you got Hov shook 🔥❌ #RIPDMX #TheShopHBO pic.twitter.com/Ydbc7Kv7PJ

— UNINTERRUPTED (@uninterrupted) May 29, 2021