Louisiana’s Cajun and Creole heritage will be showcased at 50th annual Festivals Acadiens et Creoles

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Louisiana's Cajun and Creole heritage takes center stage this weekend when the Festivals Acadiens et Creoles marks a half-century of honoring and celebrating the culture through music, arts, food and community. What started as a one day concert in 1974 to...

Celebrity birthdays for the week of Oct. 13-19

Celebrity birthdays for the week of Oct. 13-19: Oct. 13: Gospel singer Shirley Caesar is 87. Musician Paul Simon is 83. Keyboardist Robert Lamm of Chicago is 80. Country singer Lacy J. Dalton is 78. Actor Demond Wilson (“Sanford and Son”) is 78. Singer Sammy Hagar is 77. Singer...

In music and dance, Sudanese performers transport refugee audiences back home

CAIRO (AP) — As the performers took the stage and the traditional drum beat gained momentum, Sudanese refugees sitting in the audience were moved to tears. Hadia Moussa said the melody reminded her of the country's Nuba Mountains, her family's ancestral home. "Performances like...

Barbra Streisand, Dolly Parton, Martin Scorsese and more stars pay tribute to Kris Kristofferson

NEW YORK (AP) — Reaction to the death of Kris Kristofferson. The singer-songwriter and actor died Saturday at his home in Hawaii surrounded by family at age 88. ___ “The first time I saw Kris performing at the Troubadour club in L.A. I knew he was something...

Celebrity birthdays for the week of Oct. 6-12

Celebrity birthdays for the week of Oct. 6-12: Oct. 6: Actor Britt Ekland is 82. Singer-guitarist Thomas McClary (The Commodores) is 75. Singer Kevin Cronin of REO Speedwagon is 73. Guitarist David Hidalgo of Los Lobos is 70. Actor Elisabeth Shue is 61. Singer-songwriter Matthew...

Kris Kristofferson, singer-songwriter and actor who brought gritty realism to country music, has died at 88

Hello, I'm Johnny Cash's statue: A monument to the singer is unveiled at the US Capitol

WASHINGTON (AP) — Johnny Cash now stands among the most famous politicians, trailblazers and activists of American history as he became the first professional musician to be honored with a statue in the U.S. Capitol. Congressional leaders from both parties and members of the Cash...

JD Souther, who helped write ‘New Kid in Town,’ ‘Heartache Tonight’ and other Eagles hits, has died

LOS ANGELES (AP) — John David “JD” Souther, a prolific songwriter and musician who helped shape the country-rock sound that took root in Southern California in the 1970s with his collaborations with the Eagles and Linda Ronstadt, has died at the age of 78. Souther, who...

Celebrity birthdays for the week of Sept. 22-28

Celebrity birthdays for the week of Sept. 22-28: Sept. 22: Singer-dancer Toni Basil is 81. Actor Paul Le Mat (“American Graffiti”) is 79. Singer David Coverdale (Whitesnake, Deep Purple) is 73. Actor Shari Belafonte is 70. Singer Debby Boone is 68. Country singer June Forester of...

Morgan Wallen leads the 2024 Country Music Association award noms, Beyoncé's 'Cowboy Carter' snubbed

NEW YORK (AP) — He had some help: Morgan Wallen tops the 2024 Country Music Association Awards nominations with seven. For a third year in a row, Wallen is up for both the top prize — entertainer of the year — and the male vocalist categories. Rounding out the...