Grammy winning country music icon Wynonna Judd says she got involved in the CBD industry because it's 'time to heal.'
Legendary singer-songwriter Paul Simon has unloaded his entire song catalog on Sony Music Publishing, the company announced on Wednesday.
Included in the deal are songs from across the musician's decades-long career including “The Sound of Silence,” “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” “Mrs. Robinson,” “Homeward Bound,” “Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard,” “Graceland" and many more, according to an online release.
"I’m pleased to have Sony Music Publishing be the custodian of my songs for the coming decades," said Simon, 79, in the online statement. "I began my career at Columbia/Sony Records and it feels like a natural extension to be working with the Publishing side as well.”
Simon's career began as half of the iconic duo Simon & Garfunkel. The two have released multiple studio albums and have sold over 100 million records, according to Sony.
Paul Simon has sold his entire song catalog to Sony Music Publishing. (Photo by Ian Gavan/Getty Images)
Simon launched a solo career after decades of success with Art Garfunkel and made successful music for many more years.
The star has won 16 Grammy Awards as well as a Grammy lifetime achievement award. He also received an Academy Award nomination in 2003 for the song "Father and Daughter," featured in the film "The Wild Thornberrys."
Simon is also a member of The Songwriters Hall of Fame and a two-time inductee into the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame. Additionally, he's a Kennedy Center honoree and the inaugural recipient of the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for popular song.
“Paul Simon is a masterful, once-in-a-lifetime songwriter whose remarkable body of work has generated an enduring influence on our culture and consciousness," added Jon Platt, chairman and CEO of Sony Music Publishing in the release. "From Simon and Garfunkel standards like ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ to solo classics such as ‘Graceland,’ Paul Simon’s music resonates deeply as a cultural touchstone for people all over the world."
Paul Simon (right) began his career as a duo with Art Garfunkel (left) before launching a successful solo career. (Photo by CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images)
He continued: "To represent his indelible songs is an incredible honor for Sony Music Publishing, so with tremendous pride, I welcome Paul to our family!”
Sony Music Group's chairman Rob Stringer echoed such sentiments: “We are truly honored to now represent the music publishing [catalog] of Paul Simon. To be entrusted with his songs and recorded music is a privilege of the highest artistic order for the Sony Music Group worldwide.”
(Warning: This post contains spoilers for Wednesday’s episode of “The Masked Singer.”)
“The Masked Singer” Season 5 returned Wednesday with an episode featuring Group B’s second performances and the show’s second “Wildcard” round. And just like last week, the night’s surprise contestant came in and managed to steal the slot from an existing competitor. In this case, it was newbie Crab who got more votes than Grandpa Monster, who was thus eliminated from the competition and unmasked at the end of the episode.
Following last Wednesday’s inaugural “Wildcard” round for Group A — which now consists of Russian Doll, Seashell, Robopine (f.k.a. Porcupine) and Orca (who ousted Raccoon) — Group B’s remaining contestants Grandpa Monster, Chameleon, Black Swan and Piglet took the stage again.
They each gave their second performances in front of panelists Jenny McCarthy, Ken Jeong, Robin Thicke and Nicole Scherzinger, as well as guest host Niecy Nash (filling in for Nick Cannon, who is recovering from COVID-19).
Once those four were done, the “Wildcard” round began, with crashing contestant Crab making their grand entrance by singing Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine.”
Then it was time for the judges and at-home audience to cast their votes for Wednesday’s top contestant.
The performer who came in last was Grandpa Monster, who sang Joan Jett’s “Bad Reputation.” Before Grandpa Monster was unmasked, Thicke guessed the contestant was Johnny Manziel, Scherzinger picked Jake Paul, Jeong said Kevin Hart and McCarthy thought The Miz. Grandpa Monster turned out to be YouTube star Logan Paul.
Read TheWrap’s interview with Paul about his time on “The Masked Singer” here.
“The Masked Singer” Season 5 began with 10 scheduled contestants, broken into two groups. After last week’s elimination of Danny Trejo’s Raccoon and addition of “Wildcard” contestant Orca, and the prior episodes’ cuts of Phoenix (Caitlyn Jenner) and Snail (Kermit the Frog), there are now eight remaining contestants, due to the fact that Crab took over Grandpa Monster’s slot in Group B via Wednesday’s “Wildcard” round.
Per Fox, “The season five contestants boast a combined 26 Grammy nominations, nine multi-platinum singles, four Academy Award nominations, three Super Bowl appearances, six gold medals and two world records.”
“The Masked Singer” airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on Fox.
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As the cover star of People's Beautiful Issue, Chrissy opened up about how she plans to pay tribute to him in her family's new home.
"We have this new [house] that we're building and this tree being planted inside the home, which is very relatable, yes, everyone has an indoor tree," Chrissy explained.
She continued, "The whole reason that I wanted it was so Jack's ashes could be in that soil and he could be with us all the time and grow through the beautiful leaves on this tree and always be a part of us."
"He wasn't just a moment in time. He was real and he was real to us and we loved him," Chrissy added.
Chrissy went on to say that while it's been a "roller coaster" of a year for everyone, it's been "beautiful" to see how people have rallied around them.
"There have been things in the past year that I never thought John would have to see, but it's also been so wonderful that we have prevailed and still see each other with so much more love than we could have ever, ever imagined ever in our lives," she expressed.
"I feel every piece of love from everybody around the world," Chrissy concluded.
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Britney Spears’ fans have speculated that a new Instagram post — in which she says she was “embarrassed,” by the NY Times’ “Framing Britney Spears” documentary and “cried for two weeks” — was not entirely written by the pop star.
Now, her former makeup artist Billy Brasfield is adding to the chorus, claiming to Page Six he personally spoke to Britney and that she told him she had no control over the caption.
In a post showing Britney dancing, the caption from her own Instagram states, “I didn’t watch the documentary but from what I did see of it I was embarrassed by the light they put me in … I cried for two weeks and well …. I still cry sometimes !!!!”
Brasfield, who has also worked with Mariah Carey, Beyonce and Christina Aguilera, contends of Britney, “The content is her, but … the words are NOT how she feels.”
Brasfield posted on his Instagram claiming that Britney told him that, “Of course watching certain things that are now so far in HER past … circumstances that she has already lived through, and has moved beyond, that are now being brought up over and over, can be #emotional. She ‘deals’ with it, and frankly very well … she is not ‘fragile’.”
Brasfield — who worked with Britney on “The X Factor” in 2012 through her 2013 video “Scream and Shout” — tells Page Six of the post, “I immediately knew it was not her,” alleging, “I texted her about it and she texted me back last night.”
“What was upsetting [about the post] — it was basically a narrative denouncing her fans and the Free Britney movement and people now taking a very conscious look at the facts and what is going on,” he tells us.
“Although it might be complicated for her, of course she is invested. It’s her life. She does not like being a victim, she never wanted to be a victim and doesn’t see herself as a victim. She sees herself as a survivor and has navigated this with patience and strategy.”
Brasfield believes that the post was meant to distract people from what is currently happening in court with Britney’s financial matters and conservatorship.
On Tuesday, Page Six reported that Britney’s father Jamie, who functions as her conservator, filed legal papers seeking to have the “Toxic” singer’s estate pay more than $3 million in legal fees — including nearly $2 million to his own lawyers.
“If approved by the judge, this money would come from Britney’s estate, meaning she essentially would be paying her own father’s lawyers to fight her in court,” a source told Page Six.
Jamie has also requested to continue receiving $16,000 per month for his role as co-conservator of the estate — as well as $2,000 per month for an office space.
Britney Spears and Jamie SpearsFilmMagic; AP
Fans have been speculating Britney did not write the social post, with one tweeting “There is not a single chance that Britney wrote this #FreeBritney.”
But Cassie Petrey, who runs Spears social media for the company Crowd Surf, in February commented on the rumors, insisting, “Britney creates her own posts and writes her own captions for Instagram.”
“She finds the Google images, Pinterest images, quotes, memes and everything else herself. Nobody is suggesting any of that stuff to her.”
Continuing, “Britney is not ‘asking for help’ or leaving secret messages in her social media. She is literally just living her life and trying to have fun on Instagram. My work on Britney’s social media does not involve her conservatorship in any way. That’s a court and lawyer thing … These are facts.”
A separate source close to Britney’s camp insists that the superstar wrote the social media post and alleged of Brasfield, “If he thinks he is speaking with Britney, he is not. He has no relationship with her. Maybe he is being catfished by someone pretending to be her.”
Jamie controlled Spears’ estate from 2008 until 2019 when he stepped aside due to health problems. Licensed fiduciary Jodi Montgomery temporarily replaced Jamie and has since taken steps to permanently succeed him at the star’s request.
Reps for Britney declined to comment, and her lawyers didn’t respond to us. Crowd Surf did not comment further.
SPOILER ALERT: Do not read ahead if you have not watched Season 5, Episode 4 of “The Masked Singer,” which aired March 31 on Fox.
Logan Paul admits his experience on “The Masked Singer” got off to a rough start. Paul, who was the next celebrity to be unmasked on Wednesday’s episode of “The Masked Singer,” said learning to sing and dance at the same time for the show wasn’t exactly what he expected.
“I can barely sing, I’ve never performed in this way, let alone adding dancing to this,” said Paul, who performed as Grandpa Monster. “This is a nightmare. And it was at first, until I crossed that hump and really started falling in love with the show.”
But he recalled being “scared and hesitant” early on. “My PR team got the angry call, I was like, ‘this show is not for me I’m not good at it. They’re having me dance, I thought I was gonna sing!’” Paul said. “And they’re like, just trust the process, believe in yourself.”
So Paul did, and his tune changed after his first episode. “I was like oh my gosh, this really is fun,” he said. “Once you just like open up and let go, this is a great place to be vulnerable and get a fresh start, if you will, because you’re anonymous. And the moment I fell in love with the show then I got eliminated in round two!”
He then joked, “And that’s just the way it works, man. When you get attached to things, you get screwed over! Never fall in love, kids. That’s the lesson.”
Paul also fell in love with his costume, the elderly Grandpa Monster, precisely because it felt like the opposite of his energetic self. “I loved him,” Paul said. “So I didn’t I didn’t really need choices. I thought he’d be a fun misdirect in his geriatric nature, and then me like a kid, teeming with life on the inside like busting out of a grandpa costume. I thought that’d be funny and provide a nice little juxtaposition.”
Indeed, he managed to fool the show’s panelists. Nicole Scherzinger got close (but not quite) by naming Jake Paul — Logan Paul’s brother. Meanwhile, Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg went with Michael “The Miz” Mizanin; Ken Jeong thought it was Kevin Hart; and Robin Thicke thought it was Johnny Manziel (“Johnny Football”).
“I was stumped at the feedback and how many people did not guess me,” Paul said. “I was certain, like I think I even called my manager after the first performance and I was like, my voice is so identifiable, there are so many clips of me screaming, yelling, singing online. People are going to guess that it’s me, not to mention I’m jumping and sprinting and kicking across the stage. But few people guessed it was me. Which I guess proves the whole model of the show is that the anonymous singing is harder to predict than one would think.”
For his second song, Paul sang “Bad Reputation” by Joan Jett. Prior to that, he had performed “Mambo No. 5 (A Little Bit of…),” by Lou Bega. Had Paul continued, he was prepping Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” for his next song.
“I was convinced that I was gonna make it to round three,” he said. “I even said in the post-performance interview, I was like, there’s no way I’m going home tonight, I felt like I crushed it. I felt like the energy was there, I felt like my performance was fine.”
Meanwhile, this isn’t Paul’s only high-profile TV appearance this week; he’s also set to guest star on Friday’s episode of “WWE Smackdown” — also on Fox — as the guest of Sami Zayn. “I just doing stuff,” Paul said. “I like working and I like putting on big shows. Masked Singer blessed me with the opportunity to be on the show and WWE invited me.”
As for whether he wants to explore more singing, Paul said, “I would if I also didn’t have a million other things going on. It was tough to fit it in the schedule, they’re pretty demanding days. And I’m in a full training camp to fight Floyd Mayweather right now so the takeaway I had was just that I really do love performing and if I can continue to do that on a scale that big like I definitely will.”
Meanwhile, guest host Niecy Nash continued her run on Wednesday’s show, as the fill-in for regular host Nick Cannon, who was unable to return for the first several episodes of this season due to a COVID-19 diagnosis.
Also new this season, “wildcard” contestants will be introduced into the competition and join the battle for the golden mask trophy. Season 5 celebrity contestants will be split into two groups of five (A and B), but then all-new masked celebrities will jump into the “wildcard” rounds and compete as well. Additionally, the show has added a new character, a rooster named “Cluedle-Doo,” who promises to add some mischief to the proceedings and share additional clues to viewers.
This season’s costumes include Raccoon, Seashell, Black Swan, Snail, Grandpa Monster, Phoenix, Chameleon, Russian Doll(s), Porcupine, The Piglet and the wildcards. Paul as Grandpa Monster Trejo joins previously unmasked celebrities Danny Trejo (as Raccoon), Caitlyn Jenner (as Phoenix) and Kermit the Frog (as Snail).
The Season 5 contestants boast a combined 26 Grammy nominations, nine multi-platinum singles, four Academy Award nominations, three Super Bowl appearances, six gold medals and two world records.
The show’s panelists are also once competing for a “Golden Ear” trophy based on their first impressions of each masked performer (which McCarthy won last time). Jeong and McCarthy Wahlberg each had a point so far, heading into this episode. This week, for Grandpa Monster, McCarthy Wahlberg went with Morgan Freeman; Jeong went with Emmitt Smith; Thicke’s was Jonny Manziel; and Scherzinger went with Cam Newton. None of them got a point.
Here were the other contestants and their performances on episode two, “Group B Wildcard Round — Rule of Claw”:
Piglet, “The Masked Singer” Courtesy of Fox
Piglet
Song: “Good to Be Alive (Hallelujah),” by Andy Grammer Piglet’s 1st crush: Meg Ryan. “I’m a romantic, she’s the queen of romcoms, it’s a match made in heaven.” Panel guesses: JC Chavez, Austin Mahone, Jonathan Knight Voice-over: “Making my debut on this stage with four days notice was a wild ride. But I countered my nervious energy with a love song that made me feel right at home. When you’ve got your eye on the prize, no pain, no tears and no archnemesis can stand in your way. I always had the chops. But it was my competitive nature that made me a hometown hero. When I got to the big leagues, I never anticipated a lifetime of competition with my archrivals. But that only made me train harder. Because I never throw in the towel. Tonight, when those lights come on, it’s Friday night all over again, even on a Wednesday. Clear eyes, full belly, can’t lose.” Previous song: “Speechless,” by Dan + Shay Previous panel guesses: Adam Lambert, Charlie Puth
Black Swan, “The Masked Singer” Courtesy of Fox
Black Swan
Song: “In My Blood,” by Shawn Mendes Black Swan’s 1st crush: D’Angelo. “His voice and talent, he plays every instrument, he’s just the one for me.” Panel guesses: Demi Lovato, Lindsay Lohan, Ashlee Simpson Voice-over: “I might have seen confident while I was singing, but I was terrified. So hearing all the love from the panel felt amazing. It made me want to put into words how thankful I am to the person who brought me to life and gave me the confidence to start this journey. It hasn’t always been an easy journey for us. The higher I flew, the harder it became for them to keep up. I saw their heartbreaking, so I had to let them go. It was the hardest decision of my life. Over time, I realized I was only able to soar because of the wings they gave me. Eventually we were able to fly back into each others’ lives, just like birds of a feather do. I’m thankful we never gave up on each other, and I hope this performance shows them how much they mean to me.” Previous song: “Barracuda,” by Heart Previous panel guesses: Anya Taylor-Joy, Camilla Cabello, Leona Lewis.
Chameleon, “The Masked Singer” Courtesy of Fox
Chameleon
Song: “21 Questions,” 50 Cent feat. Nate Dogg Chameleon’s 1st crush: Salma Hayek. “I have a thing for hot ladies. And the chick right here is smokin’.” Panel guesses: Iman Shumpert, Dwyane Wade, 2 Chains Voice-over: “I knew if I was going to hold my own against these powerhouse singers, I couldn’t just blend in. I had to stand out and let my flow shine. My whol life has been about embracing what makes me unique. And I’ve made it my quest to help others shine too. When I was young, someone inseperable from me was constantly attacked for who she was. It was hard to witness, but I helped lift her up until she was ultimately able to embrace what made her unique. But then tragedy struck, and she was taken from me. It was the most difficult thing I think I ever faced. Now I honor her memory by fighting for those who don’t feel accepted. Because I want everyone to feel proud showing their true colors.” Previous song: “Ride Wit Me,” by Nelly Previous panel guesses: Dwight Howard, Redfoo, Nick Cannon
WILDCARD: Crab
Song: “Ain’t No Sunshine,” by Bill Withers 1st crush: Janet Jackson. “We grew up together on ‘Good Times.’” Panel guesses: Lenny Kravitz, Bobby Brown, Johnny Gill Voice-over: “All my life I dreamed of being a star. And I was blessed that my dream came true in a flash. Everyone around the globe wanted to be like me. I felt like a King Crab. But with every blessing, tragedy seems to follow. It’s been a struggle dealing with the darkness that has followed me and my family. We’ve endured so many twists, turns and traumas. But through the pain, it’s the strength of my family that allows me to stand and be a star again. My song tonight is a tribute to that love and the family members who have gone before me. Because after all the darkness, it’s time to finally let the light back in.”
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One of the reasons we love “The Masked Singer” so much is that we are obsessed with trying to figure out the names of the famous faces hidden beneath those elaborated masks. Within seconds, we knew that the Phoenix was Caitlyn Jenner when she performed for the one and only time on episode 2 of season 5 back on March 17. Since then, we’ve been busy trying to crack the codes of the identities for the rest of the contestants in Group B.
These four famous folk returned to compete on March 31 disguised as the Black Swan, Chameleon, Grandpa Monster and Piglet. We readily admit that the one name we are least certain about is that of the celebrity hiding inside the Grandpa Monster costume.
On St. Patrick’s Day, he had the joint rocking with his cover of “Mambo No. 5” by Lou Bega. We’ve watched that performance and his clues video over and over and think we might just know who he is now. Keep reading for all “The Masked Singer” spoilers, including the identity of Grandpa Monster, who is someone a lot younger than he has led us to believe.
We think that the Grandpa Monster is Jake Paul, the 24-year-old who became a YouTube sensation with his older brother Logan Paul when they were both teenagers. Don’t believe us? Well consider the way that Jake’s bio fits in with the clues offered by Grandpa Monster.
Grandpa Monster readily admits he caused a lot of trouble when he was younger. Jake and Logan Paul have certainly courted controversy over the years, pushing the envelope with their video stunts for YouTube and Vine. The latter, which was an off-shoot of Twitter, showcased six-second videos. In the clues video for Grandpa Monster, we saw a blackboard with the number “6” on it. It was written to look like a football play; both boys played on their high school team.
There was then a scene with a teacher who pulled Grandpa Monster aside to let him know he was smarter than the character he was playing. This put us in mind of Jake’s two-season stint on the Disney Channel series “Bizaardvark,” in which he played the dim-witted Dirk Mann beginning in 2016.
We saw a shot of a test score of 97%; Jake was born in 1997. And we spotted a weight that weighs 6.2 tons; Jake stands 6’2″ tall. As for the image of a star hitting a web, that certainly symbolizes Jake’s start in show biz.
Jake dropped the single “It’s Everyday Bro” featuring Team 10 back in 2017. It sold more than a million copies, earning platinum status. Since then he has released a slew of tunes, so we know he loves to raise his voice in song.
We won’t know for sure if Jake Paul is Grandpa Monster until he is unmasked. That will happen when he loses an audience vote or wins the show. Do you think we are right about the true identity of Grandpa Monster? Sound off in the comments section with your best guesses.
Be sure to make your predictions to influence our reality TV racetrack odds. You can keep changing your predictions until just before the next episode airs on Fox. You’ll compete to win eternal bragging rights and a spot on our “The Masked Singer” Season 5 leaderboard. See our contest rules and sound off with other fans in our reality TV forum. Read more Gold Derby entertainment news.
'The Masked Singer' Season 5: Clues, guesses and spoilers
Since the interview first aired, it has become understood that William, 38, is not pleased with his brother and sister-in-law, who also made mention of William's wife, Kate Middleton, during the interview.
Now, a source has told Us Weekly that the Duke of Cambridge wants to publicly share his side of the story.
Prince William is reportedly 'struggling' to hold back sharing his side of the story following Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's recent tell-all interview. (WireImage)
"The queen is insisting that the royals handle the matter privately," said the insider
Furthermore, they also said that Queen Elizabeth II "thinks that retaliating will only add fuel to the fire and make the situation worse."
That doesn't mean William isn't antsy about responding to the claims, however.
"William is struggling to hold back," shared the source. "He wants to get his side out there."
The insider said that the mention of Middleton is his priority for wanting to speak out, as he's reportedly felt "very protective" over his wife since Markle claimed Middleton made her cry around the time of her wedding to Harry.
Additionally, the royal would like to "clear the racial allegations," said the source.
Prince William reportedly wants to speak out to defend his wife Kate Middleton, who has been accused of making Meghan Markle cry. (AP Photo/Rui Vieira)
Reps for Kensington and Buckingham Palaces did not immediately respond to Fox News' requests for comment.
He added that, at the time, he had not yet spoken to Harry about the contents of the interview. Gayle King recently reported that the brothers have since spoken, but conversations were "not productive."
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Today marks Nipsey Hussle's death anniversary, and many have come forward to celebrate the late rapper's memory. His girlfriend Lauren London took a moment to speak on the profound loss she continues to feel, while many of his hip-hop peers offered their own reflections. One such message came from T.I, who has been relatively quiet on social media since finding himself embroiled in a legal situation.
Vivien Killilea/Getty Images
In any case, Troubleman took the time to share a few thoughtful words on Nipsey Hussle's legacy, looking back on what sounds like an eventful night the pair experienced in Atlanta. "It's important to remember...Energy can not be destroyed...only transferred & redistributed," he begins, alongside a clip of Hussle dropping knowledge in an interview. "Nip You've impacted the generation immeasurably & Your legacy will live on forever."
I" miss our discussions & being able to challenge my plans & perspective by bouncing ideas off of each other over bottles of 1942 when we arbitrarily run into one another," he continues. "Like the time you came to Atlanta & I pulled up on you & we went to see Dave Chappelle,blew gas backstage after the show and mobbed to Magic City... the 3 of us exchanging philosophy about life, society, family, future vacation plans, business, politics, street shit, real estate, religion, & pretty much anything that came up on the way to the bottom of the bottle."
"Dave and I still talk about that night to this day & every time we do," concludes T.I. "I can feel the same energy as that night. And it's that energy that YOU produced and shared with so many of us that'll live FOREVER!!! We All Love, Appreciate & Miss you Lil Bro." Check out T.I's message to Nipsey Hussle below, and rest in peace to the West Coast visionary.
Lauren London paid tribute to her late longtime partner, Nipsey Hussle, in a moving Instagram post Wednesday, which marked the second anniversary of his death.
The actor posted a photo of Hussle, who was fatally shot on March 31, 2019, outside of Marathon Clothing, the store he founded in South Los Angeles. He was 33.
London wrote in the post’s caption that the day Hussle was killed “changed the course of my life forever. ”
″[Two] years, and it feels like yesterday and eternity all at the same time,” she added. “Grief and Healing have been constant companions on this journey.”
Hussle, born Ermias Asghedom, was widely celebrated for his longtime efforts to revitalize his South Los Angeles community. The rapper’s first studio album, “Victory Lap,” earned him a Grammy nod in 2018. He won two posthumous Grammys last year and earned a nod for his feature on Big Sean’s song “Deep Reverence” at this year’s show.
London’s Instagram post dedicated to Hussle on Wednesday also included the following touching tribute:
In Honor of His life and demonstration... May all of Heaven exalt Your name for all You did on Earth and beyond. Brave and Beloved Soul, Ermias. You are missed deeply. You are loved immensely. You will forever be.
The actor honored Hussle in an Instagram post on Valentine’s Day last month, sharing a slide of photos featuring a photo of herself looking up at the sky as well as a picture of the late rapper.
″‘Look Up Boogie’ God Is Love,” she captioned the post.
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NEW YORK (AP) — Historians estimate that 1 in 4 American cowboys were Black but you would be hard pressed to find a movie genre whiter than the Western. “Concrete Cowboy,” an urban Western about African American riders in Philadelphia starring Idris Elba, is about an often unseen — and persisting — Black cowboy culture.
“Concrete Cowboy” is a father-son drama set around Fletcher Street Stables, one of the oldest and last-remaining of Philadelphia’s hardscrabble inner-city stables. It dates back more than 100 years to when horse-drawn wagons were used to deliver produce, laundry and milk. But through tenacity and improvisation, Fletcher Street has remained a cherished refuge and an ardent pastime for both kids and adults on the streets of Philadelphia’s Strawberry Mansion.
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“That’s a tough neighborhood but if you’re on top of horse, people literally look up to you,” says Gregory Neri, author of the novel “Ghetto Cowboy,” the basis for the film directed by Ricky Staub.
Neri first heard about the stables in 2008 when a friend sent him a link to a Life magazine article about Fletcher Street.
“The first image I saw was this Black kid on the back of a horse in the middle of the inner city in North Philly,” says Neri. “I had the reaction most people have, which is: ‘What is this? What’s going on here?’”
“Concrete Cowboy,” which premiered last fall at the Toronto International Film Festival and debuts Friday on Netflix, shines perhaps the brightest light yet on an abiding community of Black cowboys now facing an uncertain future. It was shot in the vacant lots Fletcher Street cowboys ride in, and its co-stars -- alongside a cast of Elba, Caleb McLaughlin, Method Man and Jharrel Jerome -- include many of the stables’ actual riders.
In a genre that’s been perpetually drawn to American myth and open plains, “Concrete Cowboy” is urban, contemporary and authentic.
“My dad was a big Western fan. I grew up sort of watching them with a side eye,” says Elba, also a producer. “It didn’t occur to me until the Bob Marley song ‘Buffalo Soldier,’ which opened my interest about Black cowboys. And it occurred to me: I’ve been making films forever and I’ve never been offered a Western. You realize there’s a deep history that spans America and Africa over decades, centuries in fact, that you’ve never seen in film.”
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As film historian Mia Mask, introducing a series on Black Westerns for the Criterion Channel, has noted: “Hollywood definitely whitewashed the image of the frontier.” The word “cowboy,” itself, was a racist term for a Black ranch worker. (A white one was a cowhand.) John Wayne’s character in John Ford’s “The Searchers” was based on a Black man.
For the actors, encountering and enmeshing with the community was an eye-opening experience. McLaughlin, the 19-year-old “Stranger Things” star, plays Cole, a wayward 15-year-old sent by his mother to live with his estranged father, Harp (Elba).
“It was all a new experience,” says McLaughlin. “Being in Philly, there are actually horses that live in people’s homes there. It’s not just two blocks of people with horses. It’s a whole community. There are people with cowboy boots walking around. There are babies riding ponies. I was like, ‘Wow, this is different.’”
Staub, making his directorial debut, had initially planned to shoot the entire movie with local non-professional actors.
“Obviously, when Idris Elba shows interest in being in your movie, you pivot,” he says, chuckling. “When I was talking with Idris, it was probably a little brazen, I said, ‘I don’t want this to feel like Halloween, like you’re playing dress up. To me, you need to do the most work to fit into this world and not vice versa.’”
Staub first learned about Fletcher Street while living in Philadelphia. One rider that he befriended, Eric Miller, introduced him around and they began to conceive, a little quixotically, of a movie. Miller, who had once been set to play Harp, was shot and killed just a week before prep began on the film. “Concrete Cowboys” is dedicated to him. Still, Miller’s vision helped guide the production.
“Eric echoed something to me that really had a lot of impact. When he was growing up, he loved cowboy films. These guys even played cowboy videogames on their phones. Everything was about that cowboy life,” says Staub. “But he didn’t have a film growing up where cowboys looked like him. What Eric wanted to leave was essentially a Western reimagined with the Black community.”
On set, Staub was flanked by riders looking over his shoulder on the monitor or shouting lines to Elba. “I recognized this was their story to tell,” Staub says.
For Elba, who’s also to star in the upcoming revenge Western “The Harder They Fall,” it was more like making a documentary.
“I’m very open to telling stories that have a common truth but a unique perspective,” Elba says. “People in London, in Hackney where I grew up, will watch ‘Concrete Cowboy’ thinking it might be a Western and go, ‘Oh man.’”
The Fletcher Street Stables are also imperiled. The vacant lot its riders had long used -- and which they’re seen riding through frequently in the film -- is currently being developed. To survive, Fletcher Street needs a more permanent home. To facilitate that, the filmmakers have helped organize a nonprofit, the Philadelphia Urban Riding Academy, and a GoFundMe. They’re trying to raise money for an equestrian center and to convince Philadelphia government officials that the Fletcher Street heritage is worth preserving.
“We’ve been losing these stables one by one to gentrification. Fletcher Street is one of the first and last. It’s kind of like our history is being erased,” says Erin Brown, director of the Philadelphia Urban Riding Academy.
Brown, who served as a consultant, extra and stunt rider on the film, first started riding as a 6-year-old. She vividly remembers, as a kid, watching the cowboys riding down the street from her great-aunt’s porch. Since then, Fletcher Street has been her home.
“You come to the stables and you feel this love,” says Brown. “It builds you as a person.”
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's charitable efforts continue as they recently supported an advocacy organization focused on improving the lives of moms and families.
Over the weekend, the famous pair spoke virtually to a storytelling group from MomsRising and offered praise to the participants, E! News has learned exclusively. The group holds gatherings with the aim of promoting change and awareness for crucial issues facing women and mothers.
"The meeting with Prince Harry and Meghan was a huge boost for MomsRising members, some of whom are struggling without jobs, childcare, paid leave, health care and other essentials during the pandemic," MomsRising Executive Director and CEO Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner tells E! News in a statement. "The Duke and Duchess were kind, compassionate and incredibly supportive, both on a personal level and of the policies that would help get their lives back on track."
The exec continues, "The Duchess also reminded us that, especially in times of self-doubt, we should take the opportunity to see ourselves through our children's eyes. Because to our children, we're superheroes. That really resonated with so many of us."
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But Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, also raised eyebrows with the suggestion that the couple were married in secret three days before the ceremonial extravaganza broadcast around the world.
On Tuesday the man who married them addressed the issue publicly for the first time, saying this wasn't the case and that the big royal event on May 19, 2018, was in fact the real one.
"The legal wedding was on the Saturday," the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, who is the head of the Church of England, told Italian newspaper La Repubblica.
"I signed the wedding certificate, which is a legal document, and I would have committed a serious criminal offence if I signed it knowing it was false."
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In the bombshell-laden interview broadcast on CBS earlier this month, Meghan told Oprah: "Three days before our wedding, we got married — no one knows that."
"We called the archbishop and we just said look, this thing, this spectacle is for the world but we want our union between us," she said.
She said it was "just the two of us in our backyard with the Archbishop of Canterbury." Harry added it was "just the three of us."
March 17, 202101:47
This led commentators to question whether such a ceremony would have been legal, given that under English law it would need to have witnesses and to take place in a registered venue.
Following Welby's comments, NBC News contacted Harry and Meghan's representatives by email but they declined to immediately comment on the record.
The detail about the wedding was just one moment in a lengthy interview that has prompted weeks of recriminations. Meghan painted the palace as deeply out of touch, uncaring on mental health, and unsympathetic to — and even complicit in — the racism they say drove them out of the country
Buckingham Palace released a response on behalf of Queen Elizabeth II expressing concern and sadness at Harry and Meghan's account of their experience. The statement said that "while some recollections may vary," these issues would be dealt with privately by the family.
Harry's brother, Prince William, batted away the race allegations, telling reporters in London earlier this month: "We're very much not a racist family."
The Sussexes finalized their split from the royal family last month a year after "stepping back" from public duties and relocating to America as the fairytale wedding turned into a nightmare.
Harry, 36, was recently named the chief impact officer at Silicon Valley startup BetterUp Inc., a San Francisco-based health tech company that offers professional and mental health coaching,
Alexander Smith
Alexander Smith is a senior reporter for NBC News Digital based in London.
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Britney Spears responded to Framing Britney Spears in a lengthy Instagram post, writing that she was “embarrassed by the light they put me in.” The post, which shows Spears dancing to Aerosmith’s “Crazy,” details her thoughts on the documentary, which premiered on Hulu in February.
“My life has always been very speculated… watched… and judged really my whole life,” Spears wrote to her 29 million followers, adding that she’s felt “judged” and “insulted” by the media. “I didn’t watch the documentary but from what I did see of it I was embarrassed by the light they put me in,” she continued. “I cried for two weeks and well…. I still cry sometimes !!!!”
Since the release of Framing Britney Spears, there have been renewed calls to #FreeBritney, bringing the singer’s conservatorship by her father into question. Last month, a lawyer for Spears’ father Jamie, Vivian Lee Thoreen, told CNN, NBC News and Good Morning America that Jamie only has his daughter’s best interests in mind.
“[Jamie] would love nothing more than to see Britney not need a conservatorship,” Thoreen told CNN. “Whether or not there is an end to the conservatorship really depends on Britney. If she wants to end her conservatorship, she can file a petition to end it.”
While Britney has remained largely silent since the documentary premiered until now, her boyfriend Sam Asghari slammed Jamie in a February Instagram post. “Now it’s important for people to understand that I have zero respect for someone trying to control our relationship and constantly throwing obstacles our way,” Asghari wrote. “In my opinion, Jamie is a total dick.”
The BBC has announced plans for the release of an upcoming documentary on Spears’ conservatorship to follow Framing Britney Spears. Helmed by BAFTA-winning journalist Mobeen Azhar, the film, tentatively titled Britney, will center on the #FreeBritney movement and the singer’s recent court appearances. It has yet to receive a confirmed air date.
