Former Jerry’s Records owner now selling vinyl from Swissvale spot
Jerry “Vinylman” Weber owns hundreds of thousands of records. He’s not a fan of acquiring music on digital platforms. “I have never downloaded a song,” Weber said. “I have a flip phone. I am what you call ‘eccentric.’ ” Weber loves to help others acquire music. He owned Jerry’s Records...
Eileen Hertweck, wife of The Clarks guitarist, dies
Eileen Hertweck, wife of The Clarks guitarist Rob Hertweck, died on Saturday of leukemia, at the age of 42. The Pittsburgh music community is in mourning. Clarks bass player Greg Joseph posted a message on Facebook with a photo of the couple and their two daughters, ages 13 and 10....
Lady Gaga’s dogs recovered safely after theft, shooting
LOS ANGELES — Lady Gaga’s two French bulldogs, which were stolen by thieves who shot and wounded their walker, were recovered unharmed Friday, Los Angeles police said. A woman brought the dogs to the LAPD’s Olympic Community Police Station, just northwest of downtown, around 6 p.m, said Capt. Jonathan Tippet,...
Lady Gaga’s dog walker shot, French bulldogs stolen in LA
LOS ANGELES — Lady Gaga’s dog walker was shot and two of the singer’s French bulldogs were stolen in Hollywood during an armed robbery, police said. The singer is offering a $500,000 reward. The dog walker was shot once Wednesday night and is expected to survive his injuries, according to...
Mini-grants boost Lincoln Highway-linked arts programming
Art and music along the Lincoln Highway are getting a boost, thanks to mini-grants funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ Bureau of Recreation and Conservation and administered by the Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor. Westmoreland Cultural Trust received $675 toward creating an interactive video tour of its...
‘Blinding Lights’ and more hits the Grammys left in the dark
NEW YORK — The wattage in The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” wasn’t strong enough to compete at the Grammys — but the song isn’t the only electrifying No. 1 hit that the Recording Academy snubbed. The Weeknd joins an exclusive club of songs that were crowned biggest hit of the year...
Things to do in Western Pa.: Feb. 24, 2021Video
Revisit the royal wedding of Prince William and Duchess Kate reimagined as a “fantastical dreamscape,” or plan now to attend an old-fashioned, foot-stompin’ Pittsburgh St. Paddy’s Day party. Check out some online music or theater, satisfy your creative urges by signing up for an art class, or head to Ligonier...
Western Pennsylvania gospel group New Journey lands Dollywood gigVideo
Members of a Western Pennsylvania gospel trio reluctantly turned down their first chance to sing at Dollywood. When a second chance came around, they took it. New Journey, with two members from Westmoreland County, is booked for a day’s worth of shows on May 22 at the Tennessee amusement park...
Grammy-winning duo Daft Punk break up after 28 yearsVideo
NEW YORK — Grammy-winning electronic music pioneers Daft Punk have announced that they are breaking up after 28 years. The helmet-wearing French duo shared the news Monday in an 8-minute video called “Epilogue.” Kathryn Frazier, the band’s longtime publicist, confirmed the break up for The Associated Press. Daft Punk, comprised...
Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra celebrates its longevity with virtual program
The sounds of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra have resonated for 125 years. (That’s a quasquicentennial, according to the dictionary.) Feb. 27 will mark its first performance this year. The original plan included a year-long celebration culminating with a gala. But the pandemic crashed that party. “We definitely still want to...
Fat Boys member, radio host Prince Markie Dee dies at 52Video
NEW YORK — Prince Markie Dee, a member of the Fat Boys hip-hop trio who later formed his own band and became a well-known radio host, has died. He was 52. His death was announced Thursday by the SiriusXM station Rock The Bells, which did not provide a cause of...
Billie Eilish wins temporary restraining order against alleged stalker: ‘I worry for my safety’
A man allegedly stalking and threatening Billie Eilish outside her Los Angeles home has been ordered to keep his distance from the superstar singer pending a court hearing next month. John Matthews Hearle, 23, was served with a temporary restraining order Wednesday not far from the home Eilish still shares...
Cartoon favorite ‘SpongeBob’ is Stage Right’s next musical
A talking yellow sponge took the cartoon world by storm when “SpongeBob SquarePants” debuted in 1999. “It was on in my house ad nauseum in both of my kids’ lives,” said Tony Marino, co-founder of Stage Right performing arts school and professional theater company in Greensburg. Stage Right’s Student Company...
Greensburg’s singing florist Gary Pratt has new album, record label
Greensburg’s singing florist Gary Pratt is celebrating two steps forward in his musical career. The owner of Le Jardin Florals and Home Accents has a new album and a new record label. With a March 26 release date, “Something Worth Remembering” will be the country singer’s third full-length album. The...
Man arrested in hit-and-run death of Nicki Minaj’s father
MINEOLA, N.Y. — A 70-year-old man arrested Wednesday in the hit-and-run death of rapper Nicki Minaj’s father stopped briefly to ask the injured man if he was OK but didn’t call for help, police said. Charles Polevich faces charges of leaving the scene of an incident and tampering with physical...
Pittsburgh’s Miss Freddye nominated for several music awards
A song published 120 years ago, “Wade in the Water,” is making waves for a local singer today. Freddye Stover, known in the regional music scene as Miss Freddye, debuted her version of “Wade in the Water” as her latest single. ‘I grew up in church listening to ‘Wade in...
Chick Corea, jazz great with 23 Grammy Awards, dies at 79Video
NEW YORK — Chick Corea, a towering jazz pianist with a staggering 23 Grammy Awards who pushed the boundaries of the genre and worked alongside Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock, has died. He was 79. Corea died Tuesday of a rare form of cancer, his team posted on his website....
Taylor Swift has finished redoing sophomore album ‘Fearless’Video
NEW YORK — Last year, Taylor Swift gave us a lot of new music. This year it will be old — the pop star has announced she’s dropping the first of her re-recorded albums. Swift said online Thursday that “Fearless: Taylor’s Version” is finished and “will be with you soon,”...
Morgan Wallen tells fans not to defend his racist language
Country star Morgan Wallen asked fans not to downplay the racist language he was caught saying on camera and said that he accepted the punishments he faced. TMZ posted a video last week of Wallen saying a racial slur and Wallen apologized at the time. Wallen posted a five-minute Instagram...
Britney Spears reminds us of the ‘person living behind the lens’ amid film dramaVideo
After FX’s buzzy Britney Spears documentary exposed the toxic ways in which the media circus descended on her as a rising pop star, Spears delivered a poignant message on Instagram about fame. On Tuesday afternoon, the singer posted three-year-old footage of herself performing her hit single “Toxic” and offered an...
Springsteen charged with drunken driving; Jeep ad on pause
HIGHLANDS, N.J. — Bruce Springsteen is facing a drunken driving charge in New Jersey, prompting Jeep to put on pause the Super Bowl television commercial that features him. Springsteen was arrested Nov. 14 in a part of the Gateway National Recreation Area on the New Jersey coast, a spokesperson for...
Westmoreland Symphony’s Young Artist Competition winners to hit virtual stage
The Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra and its Academy of Music will present its 2021 Young Artists Competition winners’ recital as a virtual event this year. The program will premiere at 3 p.m. Feb. 21 on the symphony’s YouTube channel. The young artist competition is open to students who reside or take...
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame announces 2021 class nomineesVideo
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has announced the nominees for its 2021 induction Wednesday morning. Jay-Z, Foo Fighters, Rage Against the Machine, Mary J. Blige and Iron Maiden were among the nominees. The full nominee list is: • Mary J. Blige • Kate Bush • Devo • Foo...
Things to do in Western Pa.: Feb. 10, 2021
The doldrums of February is a good time to hunker down at home and watch a movie. The Carnegie Mellon International Film Festival, Row House Cinema and Pittsburgh Cultural Trust have at-home streaming options, ranging from serious to silly. Also coming up are music livestreams, art and theater happenings and...
Digital series connects music lovers to Pittsburgh Symphony
On a warm fall night in Downtown Pittsburgh, members of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra performed in the Heinz Hall garden. Principal oboist Cynthia Koledo DeAlmeida complemented the symphony’s strings ensemble for Ennio Morricone’s “Gabriel’s Oboe” with a sound that resonated, a memorial to the composer who died in July. Port...
