Pulse Music

Ed Sheeran has won a copyright lawsuit over his hit single, "Shape of You."

A U.K. High Court ruled on Wednesday (4-6) that Sheeran had not plagiarized the 2015 song, "Oh Why" by Sami Chokri.

According to the Judge, Sheeran had neither deliberately nor subconsciously copied Chokri's work. He added that there were similarities between the one-bar phrase in "Shape of You" and "Oh Why," but said that such similarities are only a starting point for a possible infringement" of copyright.

Sheeran issued a video statement after the verdict and said that claims like this can be really damaging to the songwriting industry. He also pointed out that… with 60,000 songs being released every day on Spotify, and only 12 notes available, a coincidence is bound to happen.

TL;DR:

A 1980 Paul McCartney demo for Ringo Starr is set for auction later this month, according to The Independent. The cassette features McCartney on a vocal and piano run-through of the song "Attention," which the two former-Beatles recorded together that July in France for Ringo's 1981 Stop And Smell The Roses album.

The Maxell C-60 audio cassette lists "Attention," and two possible cover tunes pitched to Ringo for McCartney to produce -- Chuck Berry's version of "Route 66" and Carl Perkins' "Sure To Fall" -- which McCartney and Ringo went on to record.

The tape comes from the collection of Wings touring saxophonist and Liverpool and Hamburg intimate Howie Casey, who performed on the tracks. The cassette is expected to fetch over $13,000 when it goes under the hammer on April 26th via Omega Auctions.

Back in 2020, McCartney's 1991 demo for a song Ringo rejected, titled, "Angel In Disguise," sold below expectations, taking in less than $10,000.

Paul McCartney explained that the Beatles came into their own due to the perfect combination of talent, time, and sweat: "The thing, I think, made us what we were was doin' it a lot. 'Never had a day off. Hamburg -- we just work, work, work, worked. Y'know, and that's what I think made us so tight as a band. I mean, the bottom line for me is that we were a great little band. If I went (sings) 'Well, one for the money (claps)'; They'd never got (adapts think Liverpudlian accent) -- 'What's that?' (laughter, McCartney makes drum noises), Everybody would just be in, like, bang! We just knew each other that well, y'know."

Jack Harlow will release a new single, "First Class" on Friday (4-8). The song features a sampling of Fergie's 2006 hit "Glamorous." As a teaser, he posted a short clip from the studio. He's seen dancing and singing along, just after recording it.

The Louisville native, along with Lil Nas X, performed on the Grammy Awards on Sunday. Their song, "Industry Baby" was up for best melodic rap performance, but was beat out by Kanye West's "Hurricane."

Harlow's second album, Come Home The Kids Miss You, will be out on May 6.

TL;DR:

• Jack Harlow will release "First Class" on Friday (4-8).
• It features a sampling of Fergie's 2006 hit "Glamorous."
• Harlow's second album, Come Home The Kids Miss You, will be out on May 6.

While being interviewed by Kelly Clarkson, Backstreet Boys laughed about the time Machine Gun Kelly threw up at one of their concerts.

They were quick to point out that it wasn't their music that made him nauseous. Instead, Machine Gun Kelly said it was because it was so intense and the girls were screaming so loud, that he just suddenly threw up. It happened as the boys band made their grand entrance on their Millennium Tour.

Member, AJ McLean said, "It's a different kind of energy, and we thrive on that energy, you know? I mean, don't get me wrong, our kids were so happy that we were home for this last two years, but … our wives were like, ‘You have to go back to work. Please go back to work.'"

Backstreet Boys DNA World Tour continues April 8 in Las Vegas.

Machine Gun Kelly's next show is June 8 in Austin, Texas.

TL;DR:

• While being interviewed by Kelly Clarkson, Backstreet Boys laughed about the time Machine Gun Kelly threw up at one of their concerts.
• Kelly said it was because it was so intense and the girls were screaming so loud.
• It happened as the boys band made their grand entrance on their Millennium Tour.

Wolfgang Van Halen has been forced to scrap the remaining shows on Mammoth WVH's tour with Dirty Honey, after members of the band's team tested positive for Covid. The next scrapped dates on the itinerary are -- April 8th in Nashville, Tennessee; April 9th in Dothan, Alabama; and April 10th and 12th in Orlando, Florida.

GuitarWorld.com posted: "Despite Mammoth WVH's cancelation of their shows, Dirty Honey will still perform as scheduled on these dates. For fans who bought tickets chiefly to see Mammoth WVH, refunds are available at point of purchase."

Mammoth WVH will be back on the road later this month for a string of dates -- including four shows in support of Halestorm.

Wolfgang Van Halen's message reads in full:

After an incredible weekend in Las Vegas with my family for the Grammys, I flew back yesterday to meet up with my band and crew in North Carolina to continue the Young Guns tour. This morning as everyone took Covid tests to re-establish the bubble that has served us on the tour, we came to find that members of our band and crew who didn't travel with me were positive.

I have tested negative via rapid and PCR tests for the last five days in preparation for the Grammys and still continue to do so. With only six shows left in the tour, it breaks my heart that we unfortunately won't be able to continue. Mammoth WVH will do our very best to make up the dates that we missed to the fans in those markets in the future.

The Weeknd and Swedish House Mafia will replace Kanye West as headliners at this month's Coachella. They'll perform in the closing Sunday night slot alongside fellow headliners Harry Styles and Billie Eilish. Earlier this week, it was rumored that Red Hot Chili Peppers were one of the contenders for the spot, which didn't seem to pan out. Kanye West pulled out of the tour on Monday April 4^th. The two-weekend event begins April 15^th.

In other Weeknd news… his singles "Blinding Lights" and "Starboy" have officially been certified Diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America. Diamond means a song moved 10 million units.

Megan Thee Stallion says she's gonna try to give up makeup until Coachella. She posted makeup-free photos on Instagram and Normani with support and said, "You're so beautiful sisterrrrr." Just a few hours after posting, she already had over 2 million likes.

Happy Birthday to John Oates of Hall & Oates, who turns 74 today (April 7th)!!! Oates, who just wrapped a seven-date acoustic run, played a sold out joint tour last summer, which once again billed Hall & Oates with Squeeze.

Out now is John Oates With The Good Road Band - Live. The set features live tracks from his 2018 shows in support of his critically acclaimed Americana album, Arkansas. 2020 saw the release of Live From Nashville, which features his touring ensemble, the Good Road Band.

In 2017, Oates published his autobiography, Change Of Seasons, via St. Martin's Press. In addition to his legendary work with Hall & Oates, the memoir discusses all aspects of Oates personal and professional life.

Back in 2015 John Oates, who juggles acoustic solo dates between Hall & Oates shows, issued his latest live DVD, the Nashville-based Another Good Road. In April 2014, Hall & Oates were finally inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame during the annual ceremonies held at Brooklyn's Barclays Center -- a full 17 years after they first became eligible.

John Oates co-wrote such Hall & Oates classics as "Sara Smile," "She's Gone," "Adult Education," "Maneater," "Delayed Reaction, " "You Make My Dreams," and "I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)."

Born in New York City in 1948, John Oates met Daryl Hall in 1967 and the pair released their first album, Whole Oates, in 1972. With 19 gold and platinum records, they're the most successful duo in rock history. John Oates says that he has his doubts whether Hall & Oates would have been as successful in today's musical climate: "Fortunately for Daryl and I, in the days when we started we were allowed to make mistakes -- we made three or four albums before we had any success. But in today's climate, if a Hall & Oates were to appear, who knows if you'd ever hear them? Not to say that what we've contributed to the music world is that great but, y'know, we have a legacy of pop music that we've created over 25 albums that would never exist in today's climate. And who knows how many amazing, talented people are out there with the potential to do who knows what, who may never get a chance to express themselves."

John Oates says that although he and Hall are officially the most successful duo in the rock era, they always considered themselves part of a larger entity: "We're two musicians, we're both self-sufficient, we can work on our own. We enjoy working with other people, it brings a breath of fresh air to the creative process, from the very beginning. We never saw ourselves as a classic 'duo.' We always had a band, the band was always a major part of our sound and our creative process. So even though we're two guys, kind of, on our album covers, there was always a cast of very important people working in the background."

John Oates told us that regardless of the genre -- like everything he's ever recorded -- its all starts acoustically with the song: "Daryl (Hall) and I have always been song purists. I mean, if you look at our early stuff, it is much more singer-songwriter oriented. Y'know, and then, of course, we went in a lot of different directions, y'know, experimental rock, and obviously the '80s were all about this pop thing that we got into. But the truth of the matter is, even during all of that; in my musical soul was this music. And I always returned to it -- it's just that no one ever knew about it and the massive popularity of what I was doing with Daryl, of course, overshadows everything."

It was 58 years ago today (April 7th, 1964) that the Supremes recorded their first chart topper, "Where Did Our Love Go." As with many Supremes hits, "Where Did Our Love Go" was penned by the songwriting team of Eddie Holland, Brian Holland, and Lamont Dozier -- but the song was not originally slated to be cut by the group. It was intended for the Marvelettes, who were having a lot more chart success at the time than the Supremes -- or the "No-hit Supremes," as they were jokingly referred to in the early days of Motown.

"Where Did Our Love Go" was originally written for Mary Wells, who had just left Motown in a contract dispute, and was partially recorded in a lower vocal register by the Marvelettes. Lead singer Gladys Horton didn't care for "Where Did Our Love Go" and rejected it outright. It was then offered to the Supremes who had no choice but to accept the tune and record it.

The recently-departed Mary Wilson told us that the Supremes were such a low priority at Motown in the early days that their material was entirely decided by label chief Berry Gordy Jr. and the songwriters. Wilson recalled how anxious the Supremes were to have a hit: "Y'know, we were still very young and we wanted hit records like Martha & the Vandellas and the Marvelettes because they were the ones having the hits. And I must add that we were the Supremes -- we're the first female group there -- so by these other girl groups coming in and getting hits, y'know, we were really desperate in terms of wanting one."

Wilson admitted that the group's first impression of "Where Did Our Love Go" was that it was a stiff: "We hated the record, okay? So we didn't know very much about what made a hit. All we knew was we had had 10 records out prior to that, most of them written by Smokey Robinson -- which were adorable songs -- but when Berry Gordy put us with the writing team of Holland-Dozier-Holland, that's when our hits started."

Eddie Holland told us that the key to all of the trio's greatest Motown hits came straight from the piano: "That was always the key to trigger off something; A riff on the piano, melody and ideas flowing. (And they'd say) 'Oh I like this. Ed go cut it, here's the idea, here's the track -- write this."

On August 22nd, 1964 the Supremes' "Where Did Our Love Go" knocked Dean Martin's "Everybody Loves Somebody" out of the Number One spot, and went on to top the charts for two weeks.

The song became their first of five consecutive Number One hits which went on to include "Baby Love," "Come See About Me," "Stop! In The Name Of Love," and "Back In My Arms Again."

Bruce Springsteen, Metallica, Jon Bon Jovi, Madonna, U2, Pearl Jam, Elton John, and Steve Nicks are among those set to participate on Friday, April 8th for the Global Citizen's social media rally in support of the Ukraine and other nations in desperate need of aid.

Rolling Stone reported the online Stand Up for Ukraine event takes place a day before "a pledging summit organized by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and European Commission President Ursula von Der Leyen. The aim of the summit will be to garner money to help those displaced by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Funds will also be directed to helping those in other conflict zones around the world, such as Yemen, South Sudan, and Afghanistan.

Other artists expected to perform are Billy Joel, Stevie Wonder, Green Day, Ozzy Osbourne, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Radiohead, Weeknd, Billie Eilish, Fall Out Boy, Kesha, Padma Lakshmi, Panic! At The Disco, Rufus Wainwright, Weezer, Rita Ora, K.D. Lang, Ellen DeGeneres, Ellie Goulding, Arlo Parks, Celine Dion, Hugh Jackman, Juanes, Garth Brooks, the Jonas Brothers, Kacey Musgraves, Pharrell, Tame Impala, Chris Rock, Jon Batiste, Alejandro Sanz, and Demi Lovato, among others.

President Zelenskyy called on the international community on behalf of his citizens who have been displaced and injured by the war, saying, "On April 9, the biggest online event 'Social Media Rally' will support people who were forced to flee Ukraine. I'm inviting everybody: musicians, actors, athletes, businessmen, politicians, everybody. Everyone who wants to join this movement and 'Stand Up for Ukraine.'"

Bruce Springsteen has long felt that the job he does is one that's existed through the ages -- long before arenas, albums, and MTV: "If you look at the role of storytellers in communities, y'know, going back to the beginning of time, y'know, they played a sort of. . . you played a very functional role in assisting the community in making sense of its experience, sense of the world around them, charting parts of their lives, getting through parts of their lives. I was interested in sort of the eternal role of storyteller-songwriter and how I was going to perform that function best."

For more information about "Stand Up for Ukraine," log on to: www.forukraine.com.

Coachella is still scrambling to find a replacement for Kanye West's headlining Sunday (April 17th and 24th) spot at the festival.

TMZ reports that organizers were eager to get Silk Sonic but were shot down because the Grammy-winning duo wouldn't have enough time to put a show together.

According to the outlet, The Weeknd and The Red Hot Chili Peppers are currently the top contenders.

Ye pulled out of the tour Monday (April 4th), with Variety reporting that he had not rehearsed or prepared for the show.

The Backstreet Boys announced Tuesday (April 5th) that they will be making additional tour stops on their DNA World Tour.

The group will now visit Nashville, Portland and Memphis in the US and kick off a European leg of the tour in Portugal on October 3rd.

The DNA World Tour starts this weekend with four shows at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas on April 8th, 9th, 15th, and 16th.

Ariana Grande, The Weeknd, and Kanye West were among the artists whose YouTube channels were hacked on Tuesday (April 5th) morning.

According to the Daily Mail, multiple accounts had bizarre videos uploaded, including one called, "Justin beber - Free Paco Sanz (ft. Will Smith, Chris Rock, Skinny flex & Los Pelaos)".

Paco Sanz is a Spanish criminal currently in prison for defrauding thousands of people by pretending to have a terminal illness.

The outlet reports that it is unclear if it was YouTube that fell victim to the hacker or a third-party social media management service.

Additional celebrities affected include Justin Bieber, Drake, Eminem, Harry Styles, Travis Scott, Taylor Swift, Lil Nas X and Michael Jackson.

Hailey Bieber is shutting down pregnancy rumors following her Grammy red carpet appearance alongside husband, Justin Bieber.

The model responded directly to an April 4th Instagram post from Radar that said, "Is a little #Belieber on the way? Fans are speculating that #HaileyBaldwin is pregnant after seeing what appeared to be a "baby bump" during her appearance at the 2022 #GrammyAwards this weekend."

She commented on Tuesday (April 5th), "I'm not pregnant leave me alone."

Def Leppard frontman Joe Elliott told us that the genesis of the band's new single, "Kick," is not that far off from how the band stumbled upon its classic "Pour Some Sugar On Me" from 1987's Hysteria.

"Kick" -- the lead single from the band's upcoming album, Diamond Star Halo, which drops on May 27th -- came about in nearly the same exact way the band's signature Top Two hit did 35 years ago: "Phil (Collen) rang me up and said, 'I've got this other song -- but we're done.' Well, it's open-ended; there's no delivery date, there's no record deal. And we better go band-wide with this and I think Sav (Rick Savage) was the first to comment: 'OMG -- 'Sugar' anyone?' (Laughs) What that was, was he wasn't comparing the song to the song -- he was comparing the situation to the situation. Back in 1986, '(Pour Some) Sugar (On Me)' was the last song written for Hysteria. We were done. It was an 11-track record -- finished. And then the idea of '. . . Sugar' came along and it became, arguably, the most important songs on the record -- if not our entire career."

Def Leppard hits the road with Motley Crue, Poison, and Joan Jett & The Blackhearts on June 16th at Atlanta's SunTrust Park

Bassist Timothy B. Schmit is pretty impressed with the changes found in the Eagles' current stage show, where band performs its 1976 Hotel California album in its entirety.

Although the Eagles have never been one of those bands to feature a laser-filled live show or pyrotechnics, Schmit maintains that the recent concerts are leaving the band and fans breathless: "It's great on a lot of levels because it's a little more theatrical and it involves a 40-piece orchestra -- and at one point a choir comes out. And we do, top to bottom (Hotel California in) the set. What makes it really great is the audience reaction. They are just gobbling it up. It's really great."

Coming on May 6th is Timothy B. Schmit's latest solo album, Day By Day, which features such heavyweights as Lindsey Buckingham, Jackson Browne, John Fogerty, Benmont Tench, solo Beatles drummer of choice Jim Keltner, the Doobie Brothers' John McFee, and Kenny Wayne Shepherd.

Justin Bieber has teamed up with BetterHelp to offer his fans up to $3 million in free therapy.

Through the partnership, his 250-person touring crew will have access to the service for 18 months, and fans who register will get one month of free therapy.

The singer told Billboard Tuesday (April 5th), "The one thing I've learned over the years is that we all go through our ups and downs and we all need help sometimes. Being able to offer access to free therapy to my fans and tour family is a real blessing, and I'm humbled to be able to do it."

Paul McCartney's younger brother, Mike "McGear" McCartney, is heading up "The Forthlin Sessions" initiative that will see budding songwriters creating new music in the McCartney family's old Liverpool home at 20 Forthlin Road.

Britain's National Trust, which owns and oversees the McCartney home, will work with Mike McCartney, Pete Paphides, and consult with the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts (LIPA), in choosing the artists. The opportunity is open to "any unsigned, UK-based music artist aged over 18." "The Forthlin Sessions" will be recorded and publicized, offering vital opportunities for new musical talent to reach audiences.

According to the official press release:

"The Forthlin Sessions" will see unsigned music artists given the chance to visit, write, and perform at 20 Forthlin Road, sitting in the very same spots where around 30 of the world's most famous songs, including "Love Me Do," "I Saw Her Standing There," "Hold Me Tight," "I'll Follow The Sun," and "When I'm Sixty-Four" were written and rehearsed. It is also where Paul wrote his first-ever song, "I Lost My Little Girl."

To celebrate a year of the Beatles' anniversaries, including Sir Paul McCartney's 80th birthday in June, and the 60th anniversary of the Beatles' debut single "Love Me Do" in October, the charity will be celebrating the creativity sparked from the rooms of 20 Forthlin Road ("the birthplace of the Beatles"), by supporting a new generation of talent and bringing a place rich in popular music history, to a wider audience.

Mike McCartney told Sky News: "This house to me, is a house of hope. And I hope it will be for the young people that come through the doors. I would be in the other room learning photography, but whilst I'm doing all that I could hear guitar noises coming from this room. In there were what turned out to be two of the world's greatest songwriters, (Paul) McCartney and (John) Lennon. They were rehearsing from a school book on the floor, that's why this house is so unique."

He added: "I think it's a brilliant idea. Inviting young people to this house and giving them the opportunity of doing the same as us, coming from nothing and seeing where it takes them. . . All this is to me is a lovely little home where love came from."

Paul McCartney says that throughout the years, he's always used music as a way to celebrate his life and get him through his darker moments: "I know for me it often is a way -- that's why I say 'therapy.' Y'know, you're feeling bad, you skulk off into a corner with your guitar and you write something and somehow you seem to take yourself through it, and somehow you work through it with your music. So, I thank heaven for that."

The former-Beatle explained that for him, songwriting is an extremely personal and often therapeutic process: "One thing with me, I don't really want to have anyone hear me writing a song. And I don't like the idea, 'cause I'm going to make mistakes. I'm gonna put words in I hate and then I'm gonna realize I hate them, I'm gonna change it. It's good to go away somewhere that, pretty much, people aren't gonna hear you. It's good if it's got a little bit of an acoustic, so little cupboards and cellars, bathrooms and little areas like that are good. Yeah, I like to just go and hide, hide away."

For more info, log on to: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/the-forthlin-sessions or @nationaltrust #TheForthlinSessions.

It was 57 years ago today (April 6th, 1965) that the Beach Boys began recording "California Girls." The song, which was the group's most ambitious recording up until then, featured a soaring orchestral production by the group's leader and producer Brian Wilson, alongside lyrics co-written by singer Mike Love.

Wilson wrote the music to the chorus during a dinner party in early 1965, and then enlisted the help of Los Angeles' top session players rather than use the band on the recording, as he was becoming accustomed to doing. Although the Beach Boys' vocals wouldn't be added until June 4th, on April 6th, he led the "California Girls" session at Hollywood's Western Recorders. Wilson has stated numerous times over the years that the backing track to "California Girls" is his favorite of all his Beach Boys productions.

The track itself was a far cry from the group's first single, 1961's "Surfin'," which only featured a double bass, an acoustic guitar, and a trash can as percussion. "California Girls" utilized drums, piano, vibes, assorted percussion, three guitars, both an electric and a double bass, three saxophones, a trumpet, and an organ, not to mention six-part harmony vocals -- all arranged by Wilson.

Shortly before his death in 2017, longtime fan Tom Petty explained that especially during his '60s heyday, Brian Wilson's musical vision in the studio was unparalleled in rock: "You really have to admire him as an artist for just having that kind of vision. 'Cause, it's y'know, anyone that makes records knows it's very hard to think that far ahead. Y'know, just to book all those guys for the session! Right? You're thinking pretty far ahead. You're really visualizing sound long before it's actually appeared if you call 19 guys down to the room."

There is some debate as to whether Wilson composed the song's signature introduction, or its main melody, during his first LSD trip earlier that year. "California Girls" was Wilson's first major production since quitting the road the previous December, after he suffered a nervous breakdown while on tour.

Beach Boys historian Jon Stebbins who authored the definitive biographies on the group's Dennis Wilson and David Marks says that while on tour, the farther Brian Wilson was away from home and the recording studio, the more miserable he became: "Brian pouted the whole time. He didn't wanna be out there. Y'know Brian was really depressed when he was out on the road, and he was basically on the phone talking to his girlfriend back home all the time. While the rest of them were out having fun."

The song marked the first vocal appearance of the group's newest member, Wilson's permanent on-stage replacement Bruce Johnston.

Mike Love told us that although the Beach Boys are frequently saluted for their progressive work on such studio albums as Pet Sounds, Smile, Sunflower, and Holland, it's their early pop hits that's remained their bread and butter: "Those are the pillars of our success. That's the basis of our popularity to today, because even if their parents hadn't met yet in the '60s, they'll still have the Beach Boys on their iPods. Groups like the Beatles and the Beach Boys -- and maybe the Motown groups -- I mean, that's some seriously great music."

Nearly 20 years later, Wilson talked about "California Girls" in a 1993 interview with Capitol Records, recalling, "Everybody was up. The whole gang was there. It became my favorite session. The intro to this song is the greatest piece of music that I've ever written. I was looking for an introduction that would be totally different to the rest of the song, but would lead into it. The song was a big record for us, but I really never liked anything but the intro."

"California Girls" was originally issued on the group's Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!) album on July 5th, 1965, and was released as single on July 12th. "California Girls" eventually peaked at Number Three, kept from the Top spot by the other massive hits from the Summer of '65, Bob Dylan's "Like A Rolling Stone" at Number Two, and the Beatles' Number One "Help!"

"California Girls" went on to become the Beach Boys' signature song. Starting in the early '70s, the group regularly used it as their opening number at concerts. Both Brian Wilson's band -- featuring Al Jardine and Blondie Chaplin -- and the touring version of the Beach Boys featuring Mike Love and Bruce Johnston still include the song in every performance.

Nearly 20 years later, Wilson talked about "California Girls" in a 1993 interview with Capitol Records, recalling, "Everybody was up. The whole gang was there. It became my favorite session. The intro to this song is the greatest piece of music that I've ever written. I was looking for an introduction that would be totally different to the rest of the song, but would lead into it. The song was a big record for us, but I really never liked anything but the intro."

"California Girls" was originally issued on the group's Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!) album on July 5th, 1965, and was released as single on July 12th. "California Girls" eventually peaked at Number Three, kept from the Top spot by the other massive hits from the Summer of '65, Bob Dylan's "Like A Rolling Stone" at Number Two, and the Beatles' Number One "Help!"

"California Girls" went on to become the Beach Boys' signature song. Starting in the early '70s, the group regularly used it as their opening number at concerts. Both Brian Wilson's band -- featuring Al Jardine and Blondie Chaplin -- and the touring version of the Beach Boys featuring Mike Love and Bruce Johnston still include the song in every performance.

Early-1960s's pop sensation Bobby Rydell has died at the age of 79 of pneumonia, according to TMZ. Rydell, who also appeared in 1963's Bye Bye Birdie, will forever be remembered for his string of 19 Top 40 hits -- including his 1960 Top Two signature smash "Wild One" and such Top Ten favorites as "We Got Love," "Swingin' School," "Volare," "The Cha-Cha," and "Forget Him."

In later years, he often toured with fellow Philly icons Fabian and Frankie Avalon as "The Golden Boys Of Bandstand." Rydell, who was born Robert Louis Ridarelli on April 26th, 1942 in Philadelphia, is survived by a son and a daughter. He was saluted in the musical Grease, with its high school -- Rydell High -- named in his honor

Not too long ago, we asked Bobby Rydell when he knew that music would be his calling in life: "I guess it was from the downbeat, to tell you the truth. Honestly, this has never been a job for me. Y'know it's a lot of fun to get up onstage and do what you do and try to please an audience. So if it ever becomes a job, I think that's when I would, y'know, think about it, get second thoughts, and y'know, hang it up."

Britney Spears has confirmed that she is writing a memoir.

The "Toxic" singer wrote in a now-deleted Instagram post Monday (April 4th), "Well I'm writing a book at the moment and it's actually healing and therapeutic... it's also hard bringing up past events in my life. I've never been able to express openly!!! I can only imagine that I do sound childish but I was extremely young with those events took place."

Her post makes it sound like the memoir will be pretty juicy by adding, "I'm not the type of person to bring up UNCOMFORTABLE CONVERSATIONS well because it's just NOT RESPECTFUL … but come on LET'S ACTUALLY TALK ABOUT IT!"

Spears did not mention a release date for the book or whether it had been picked up by a publisher, but previous reports state that she has sold the title to Simon and Schuster for $15 million.

Selena Gomez says that staying off the internet has improved her mental health.

While celebrating the launch of her new platform, Wondermind, during an appearance on Good Moring America Monday (April 4th), the singer said, "I haven't been on the Internet in 4-and-a-half years. It has changed my life completely. I am happier, I am more present, I connect more with people. I understand how powerful the Internet is, and in so many ways it's done the best things for the world. But for me, I get to my news that is actually important I get through people in my life."

Though she is the second most followed woman on Instagram, she revealed previously that her assistants post on her behalf.

Shawn Mendes has announced 13 additional Wonder: The World Tour shows in the US & Canada, with 86 arena dates announced so far spanning across North America, the UK & Europe.

The new dates include stops the singer's hometown of Toronto, new shows in San Diego, and St. Louis, as well as a second stop in Brooklyn.

Mendes will be joined in North America by supporting acts Dermot Kennedy and Tate McRae.