Author: business

Adam Sandler’s tribute to dead ‘Happy Gilmore’ rival: Alligator Morris

Adam Sandler is paying tribute to his “Happy Gilmore” reptile costar and onscreen rival, Morris the alligator.

The movie star alligator was at least 80 years old and 11 feet long when he died in his retirement home, the Colorado Gator Farm said in a Facebook post on May 11. Morris was best known for his scene-stealing role in the 1996 comedy “Happy Gilmore,” where he faced off against Sandler’s ill-tempered golfer after greedily swallowing his golf ball.

Even though the alligator ended up decapitated by golf club in the comedy, Sandler remembered their real moments fondly with a heartfelt May 15 Instagram post.

“Goodbye, Morris. We are all gonna miss you,” Sandler wrote in the poignant tribute. “You could be hard on directors, make-up artists, costumers – really anyone with arms or legs – but I know you did it for the ultimate good of the film.”

Morris-less ‘Happy Gilmore 2’: Release date confirmed in new trailer featuring Bad Bunny

Adam Sandler remembers ‘Happy Gilmore’ memories of Morris the alligator

The post harkened back to the Vancouver set where Morris taught Sandler Hollywood life lessons.

“The day you wouldn’t come out of your trailer unless we sent in 40 heads of lettuce,” Sandler wrote. The episode “taught me a powerful lesson: never compromise your art.”

On screen, Gilmore pummeled the one-eyed alligator, who had previously taken the hand of mentor Derick “Chubbs” Peterson (Carl Weathers). Gilmore eventually presented Chubbs with the alligator head at the end.

Yet, Sandler, who has the sequel “Happy Gilmore 2” coming out on Netflix on July 25, recalled when the duo shared a Three Musketeers bar from the set’s craft services.

“And you let me have the bigger half,” wrote Sandler. “But that’s who you were.”

Will Morris the alligator appear in ‘Happy Gilmore 2’?

Morris was a big alligator star in his day, appearing in movies like “Interview with the Vampire,” “Dr. Doolittle 2” and “Blues Brothers 2000,” and beating out other leading reptiles to play the rogue killer in 1980’s “Alligator” and its toxic 1991 sequel, “Alligator II: The Mutation.”

After an unforgettable “Happy Gilmore” performance, Morris will not appear in “Happy Gilmore 2.”

“The decapitation in the first movie precluded your participation in the sequel,” Sandler wrote. “I will miss the sound of your tail sliding through the tall grass, your cold, bumpy skin, but, most of all, I will miss your infectious laugh. Vaya con dios, old friend.”

May 16, 2025
Sarah Jessica Parker ‘enraged’ at book bans and censorship

NEW YORK – The book world’s most creative minds gathered under a giant whale. It sounds like the start of a joke, but the evening’s tone was anything but. At a PEN America’s star-studded literary gala, hosted by comedian Amber Ruffin in the Natural History Museum’s ocean room, the evening’s unofficial theme was freedom of expression, or rather, the threatened state of it.

The night’s biggest speeches came from actors Sarah Jessica Parker and Taye Diggs, Wesleyan University President Michael S. Roth, author Jodi Picoult and PEN America President and author Jennifer Finney Boylan. All spoke about the Trump administration’s recent actions targeting free speech, diversity, equity and inclusion and public libraries.

“As writers, we also know that the most important part of our work is not the first draft, but the revisions. So I can tell you plainly, Donald Trump will not be the author of the final draft of this country,” Boylan said.

Sarah Jessica Parker ‘enraged’ about threat to public libraries

Parker was honored with a PEN/Audible Literary Service Honoree for her work as a lifelong reader, stewardess of literature and now publisher with her SJP Lit imprint. She’s also an executive producer of the 2025 documentary “The Librarians,” which follows librarians across the country fighting back against targeted efforts to ban and challenge library books.

In her acceptance speech, Parker said she was “enraged” at rising book bans but “incredibly moved by the librarians and advocates pushing back, like the freedom fighters who are standing up to the right to read, often at great personal risk.”

She continued, “To censor books is to limit imagination, curiosity, connection, empathy and inspiration. Libraries aren’t just buildings with shelves, they are a beacon. They are warm in the winter and cool in summer, and they are sanctuaries of possibility. They are the heartbeat of a neighborhood.”

Jodi Picoult, Taye Diggs speak about their banned books

Broadway and film actor Diggs, in introducing honoree and Macmillan CEO Jon Yaged, talked about his own experience with censorship as a children’s book author. Diggs is the author of five picture books, including “Chocolate Me!”, “Mixed Me!” and “Why? A Conversation about Race,” which focus on “being proud of your identity, what it means to be a true friend and having empathy for others,” he said.

“Not too controversial right? Unfortunately, that’s not the case. Several of my books have been banned or challenged in districts around the country for the crime of being too multicultural,” Diggs said.

Picoult, the evening’s gala cochair, is the author of dozens of bestselling novels, including “Nineteen Minutes.” The novel follows the aftermath of a school shooting and currently stands as the most frequently banned book in the country, according to PEN America’s 2023-2024 report.

“Margaret Atwood notwithstanding, I don’t think many writers could dream up an America as dystopian and dysfunctional as it is right now,” Picoult said. “I also know that many of us in this room who are authors, stand at a crossroads, where we understand that in a climate such as this, it is the artists who will lead the opposition, powerful stories and films and plays and translations that will spark readers to resist authoritarianism and to prevent history from repeating itself. We need our publishers and our booksellers to stand with us, and most of all, we need an organization like PEN to unify and protect us on the front lines of this ideological battle.”

Picoult praised the nonprofit organization for standing behind marginalized authors. PEN America has a history of legal action against attempted censorship, including a 2018 case against Trump to prevent censorship of the press and the more recent federal lawsuit challenging book restrictions and removals in Florida. More recently, PEN America compiled a list of more than 350 words that have been limited or removed from government websites and documents, including “abortion,” “women,” “disability,” “climate” and “race.”

PEN also honored imprisoned poet Galal El-Behairy with the PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write award. The Egyptian poet and activist was detained in 2018 on charges of terrorism, “spreading false news” and “insulting the Egyptian army” with his song “Balaha” and poetry book “The Finest Women on Earth.”

“In a time when many progressive organizations are buckling under the bullying of administration that uses threats and funding cuts to ensure obedience, PEN has done the opposite,” Picoult said. “It’s gotten louder, stronger, fiercer.”

New books to read this summer: Most anticipated releases for 2025’s hottest months

Clare Mulroy is USA TODAY’s Books Reporter, where she covers buzzy releases, chats with authors and dives into the culture of reading. Find her on Instagram, subscribe to our weekly Books newsletter or tell her what you’re reading at [email protected].

May 16, 2025
Morgan Wallen, Tate McRae release ‘What I Want’ song

Morgan Wallen and Tate McRae do what they want, and their new single “What I Want” is no exception.

The controversial country star’s collaboration with the up-and-coming pop superstar, released May 16, comes exactly one month after Wallen announced which artists would appear on his new album “I’m The Problem.”

But McRae fans have taken issue with her for working with the Nashville superstar, who recently raised eyebrows during his stint as “Saturday Night Live” musical guest when he abruptly exited the stage early before the show ended. The star was also previously caught on tape in a 2021 leaked video using a racial slur aimed at Black people, a year after the police-involved murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

Morgan Wallen, Tate McRae get romantic in ‘What I Want’ lyrics

In the chorus of “What I Want,” the pair croon, “‘You don’t want this heart, boy, it’s already broke’ / Told me everything she touch just goes up in smoke / Only stay a couple nights, then she gon’ be gone / I said, ‘Baby, you should know that’s what I want.’”

Tate McRae draws backlash for Morgan Wallen collab

The McRae feature marks Wallen’s first major collaboration with a woman.

After Wallen announced the collab, McRae fans flooded her April 16 Instagram post, slamming the “Revolving Door” hitmaker for her Wallen collab: “I was rooting for you, we were all rooting for you! How dare you?” one commenter said, while another added, “Girl we love you pls cancel that collab with Wallen pls.” One person wrote, “now why would you go and do that.”

McRae first teased the news on April 15 after she posted a picture of a jersey with Wallen’s initials on her Instagram story.

In a Billboard feature published in 2023, Wallen opened up about his lack of collaborations with women in music.

“I’ve reached out to a couple of people, and they’ve turned me down,” Wallen told Billboard. “I just really want certain people, and I haven’t gotten the chance to do it yet. I’m going to keep trying to write songs for it or write with them.” He added that he “would love” to write with more women, as well.

Morgan Wallen controversy: From ‘SNL’ to arrest

One of Nashville’s biggest stars, Wallen has sparked controversy for a half-decade in the music industry.

Most recently, in a May 11 interview on “Sundae Conversation with Caleb Pressley,” Wallen clarified his decision to hug Oscar-winning “Anora” actress Mikey Madison and then abruptly walk off the SNL” set before the credits had finished rolling. When asked if the NBC sketch show made him “mad,” the singer denied this was the case.

Morgan Wallen addresses why he abruptly walked off ‘SNL’

“No,” Wallen said. “I was just ready to go home. I’d been there all week.”

He also made headlines last year after he was arrested and charged with throwing a chair off a balcony at collaborator Eric Church’s Chief’s rooftop bar on Broadway in Nashville. He pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts of reckless endangerment and was sentenced to seven days in a DUI education center and two years of supervised probation.

Contributing: Brendan Morrow

May 16, 2025
Kid Cudi, Lauren London, Dawn Richard: Their Diddy trial connections

The trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs is underway, in what is expected to be a closely watched and scandal-ridden celebrity trial.

Combs is on trial for an array of federal charges, including sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty to all counts.

At the start of trial, potential jurors were given a list of people and places related to one of the biggest names in music, in hopes of excluding individuals with too-close ties to the mogul’s massive web of connections – a unique challenge.

The names included Michael B. Jordan, Kid Cudi, Cassie Ventura Fine, singer Michelle Williams, Mike Myers, Dallas Austin, Lauren London and Dawn Richard.

The list, a who’s who of Hollywood and music elite, paints a picture of Combs’ far-reaching influence in the entertainment industry. Now with a jury set and witness testimony revealing new details about Combs’ alleged dealings, the public is learning more about just how embedded he truly is.

Diddy on trial newsletter: Step inside the courtroom as music mogul faces sex-crimes charges.

Cassie is star witness in Diddy trial

Known for the hit track “Me & U,” the lead single off her self-titled (and only) studio album, Ventura Fine is the prosecution’s star witness after alleging in a bombshell lawsuit in 2023 that Combs had trafficked, sexually assaulted and physically abused her during their decadelong relationship. The two “amicably” settled the lawsuit a day after her filing.

The former Bad Boy Records artist, who’d been dating the hip-mogul since she was 19, was on the stand for four days in Week 1, tearfully testifying about the alleged control he had over her career, the volatility of the producer’s moods and the frequent emotional, psychological and physical abuse she faced.

She has also revealed details about the drug-fueled “freak offs” they participated in, her eight-figure settlement and Diddy’s previously unknown opioid overdose in 2012.

Diddy’s connection to Kid Cudi

Kid Cudi was briefly romantically involved with Ventura Fine, Combs’ ex-girlfriend. The singer testified on May 14 that her 2011 romance with Cudi, born Scott Mescudi, angered Combs and sparked a violent outburst.

The Ohio-born rapper was first mentioned in Ventura Fine’s bombshell 2023 civil lawsuit against Combs, with Cassie citing an alleged incident in which Combs threatened to “blow up” Cudi’s vehicle, seemingly in retaliation for his relationship with Ventura Fine.

Cassie alleges Diddy assaulted and threatened her over Kid Cudi relationship

The alleged arson incident also appeared to be part of prosecutors’ case against Combs. Ventura Fine said in court that Combs discovered the relationship after going through her phone.

Per Ventura Fine’s account, Combs became angry and lunged at Cassie with a wine bottle opener between his fingers, but she said she managed to escape and went to a hotel, where she contacted Kid Cudi using a burner phone. She added that Combs threatened that he was “going to hurt Scott and I.”

USA TODAY has reached out to Kid Cudi’s rep for comment.

Diddy’s connection to Michael B. Jordan

Ventura Fine touched on a connection to actor Michael B. Jordan as Combs’ attorneys scrutinized Cassie’s other relationships in court May 15. Ventura Fine said Combs suspected that she was in a relationship with the Emmy-nominated actor after the pair broke up in 2015, per Fox News. At the time of their split, the singer-actress was filming a movie in South Africa. (Cassie starred in the musical drama “Honey 3: Dare to Dance,” which was set in South Africa and reportedly concluded filming in December 2015.)

Dawn Richard. Lauren London. What do the other celebrities on the list have to do with Combs?

Dawn Richard, a former member of the Combs-founded groups Danity Kane and Diddy – Dirty Money, is likely on the list as she filed a lawsuit last year alleging she witnessed his abuse of Ventura Fine and was also sexually assaulted, falsely imprisoned and deprived food, sleep and pay by the “Bad Boy Records” founder.

Actress Lauren London, who also appears on the list, has been open about Combs’ support for her in the wake of the death of her late partner, rapper Nipsey Hussle.

Dallas Austin, a fellow music producer, came up in the business at a similar time to Combs, and may have made the list for his close childhood relationship with late model Kim Porter, a longtime romantic partner of Diddy’s. Austin was also mentioned as one of the attendees of Ventura Fine’s 21st birthday party.

It is not immediately clear why Destiny’s Child singer Williams or actor Myers made the list, though there is a brief segment in “Austin Powers,” among Myers’ most famous movies, that pokes fun at the music mogul. USA TODAY has reached out to all of their reps for comment.

Why is Diddy on trial?

Combs is facing federal sex-crimes and trafficking charges in a sprawling suit that has eroded his status as a power player and kingmaker in the entertainment industry.

He was arrested in September 2024 and has been charged with racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty to all five counts.

Where can I watch the Diddy trial?

The trial will not be televised, as cameras are typically not allowed in federal criminal trial proceedings.

USA TODAY will be reporting live from the courtroom.

Contributing: USA TODAY staff

May 16, 2025
Jin of BTS on songwriting, creating new album ‘Echo’ and solo tour

Kim Seok-jin is not only part of BTS, the bestselling musical act in South Korean history with seven members, millions of records sold and myriad awards won. Jin is also a solo artist.

When he released his first solo album, the man called “Worldwide Handsome” by fans wanted to hone in on happiness. He had just finished his mandatory military service in South Korea months prior, and the aptly named “Happy” released in November 2024, peaking at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 chart.

“Those were more about easy listening songs; the songs that I would love to listen to myself,” Jin tells USA TODAY.

But with his new album “Echo”, out now, the 32-year-old wanted to dive deeper into his craft, underscoring an emotional depth to his songwriting and stronger performance presence.

“The fans told me that they want to see me on stage, so this time around, I said, ‘Let’s focus more on performing,’” he says.

Jin thought about BTS’ fans, known as ARMY, while working on “Echo,” adding they were the reason he was able to release “another album so soon.”

“I’m really happy that I’m back with another album after my release last year,” he says. “It’s an honor for me. I am very grateful.”

Jin reveals how he curated the songs for ‘Echo’

Performance played a vital role in shaping the tracklist for “Echo,” Jin reveals.

“I received almost 1,000 songs for this album, and first I shortlisted about 30 of them. I picked out the 30 that I loved … then I had a second listen to them, third listen to them,” he explains. “I try to picture that image of myself in my head on stage with these songs. I thought, ‘This song can bring out a new facet of myself that ARMY would love to see,’ or ‘This would be a blast on stage.’”

The next step was to consider what his fans would like. “It’s the ARMY that listen to my music, and that’s what really means the world to me,” he adds.

From there, Jin narrowed down the final count to seven songs, each exploring themes of love and connection.

“The definition of love can be different for the different tracks in this album,” Jin explains. “I think love comes in many forms. It could be love between lovers (or) between family members … Friendship can be another form of love. So I wanted to touch on these multiple aspects of love.”

When Jin wrote lyrics for the album, he honed in on specific scenarios.

“When writing ‘Loser’, I imagined if I dated someone back in my school days, I would have felt this way about this person, and for ‘Don’t Say You Love Me’, it’s really about how lovers know that their relationship is falling apart, but because there is that lingering love left, it’s really hard to let go,” he says.

The track “Nothing Without Your Love” is another special one for Jin since it is about the love that he feels about ARMY when he’s performing.

“I think there are all these different types of love, and love is such a comprehensive term that really embodies all of these facets. So this is truly an album that is full of love,” he says.

2024 Paris Olympic Games: BTS’ Jin to join torch relay.

Finding Jin’s voice through rock

Jin has always had an affinity for rock, and that shines through on “Echo.” “This album really delves into the genre that I hold close to my heart,” he says.

“I just stayed true to the voice tone that I have, and that’s how I found myself in love with the band sound,” Jin adds.

Jin is not the only member of BTS to venture into solo work. The other six have also released their own albums, each’s discography highlights the distinct and individual talents in BTS.

“As BTS, because we’re a team, we have to have a mixture of all the different voices that we have and all the different colors that we have,” Jin explains. “But when we’re doing our solo gigs and solo albums, then we can really find the one sweet spot that hits hard for (ourselves). As a team, we have our beautiful color, but as solo artists, I think we can also unleash our creativity and our own voices.”

Jin talks about 2025 solo world tour

Jin is embarking on his first solo world tour to coincide with the album release. This includes eight US stops, including in Anaheim, California and Newark, New Jersey.

“I have limited time and places that I can go to,” Jin says. “Since J-Hope is on tour right now, I decided to go to places where he couldn’t go.

“I know that there are a lot of passionate ARMY in the US, and I love seeing that every single time they welcome us with so much love and support. So every time I go to the US, I’m so excited to see them.”

May 16, 2025
Weeknd updateMovies

Weeknd updateMovies

May 16, 2025
Aubrey O’Day of Danity Kane could testify

One of Sean “Diddy” Combs’ fiercest critics could testify in his federal sex-crimes trial.

Danity Kane singer Aubrey O’Day, once a rising star in Combs’ orbit, has been subpoenaed to testify in his trial, according to a person familiar with the situation but not authorized to speak publicly to USA TODAY.

Combs recruited O’Day when he formed the girl group Danity Kane on MTV’s “Making the Band” in 2005.

On May 14, the 41-year-old O’Day chronicled being in New York City on her Instagram stories, writing, “Hey New York!!! Where y’all think I should head first?” with the scales of justice emoji.

Diddy trial updates: Sean Combs’ lawyers hone in on turbulent Cassie relationship

In June 2024, O’Day opened up about Combs’ legal trouble, telling People magazine that “there’s no vindication when you’re a victim of someone. … Anyone being exposed, or any truths being told, don’t change the reality of what you experienced.”

The “Celebrity Apprentice” alum added: “It’s a forever thing that you have to wake up every day and choose to evolve past. It doesn’t go away. It’s like childhood trauma. We don’t like to think it just disappears in our thirties, but really we start realizing how bad it really is in our thirties.”

Federal prosecutors are expected to call O’Day’s fellow Danity Kane alum Dawn Richard to testify next in court, following Casandra “Cassie” Ventura Fine’s harrowing testimony this week.

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs on trial for alleged sex-crimes

Combs was arrested in September 2024 on charges of racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution, remains in custody at the Special Housing Unit in Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center.

He is currently on trial, and his ex-girlfriend Ventura Fine took the stand during the week of May 12. In court, she testified that Combs repeatedly threatened to release videos of her participation in his alleged drug-fueled “freak offs,” raped her after their 2018 split and was physically abusive on numerous occasions.

What kind of a physical toll does an emotionally abusive relationship take on someone?

Ventura Fine’s testimony – which comes a year after CNN released 2016 hotel surveillance video that showed Combs kicking, hitting and dragging her at a now-closed Los Angeles luxury – has lasted several days. She also detailed portions of the hotel incident in her testimony.

Aubrey O’Day publicly supported Cassie’s testimony in Diddy trial

Shortly after Ventura Fine’s May 14 testimony ended, O’Day wrote on X that “so many people have thumbs that are more active than their minds. Fear yields a heavy hand- It’s easy to say, it could never be me when you have never been handed those shoes to walk in #Cassie.”

Aubrey O’Day likens experience with Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs to ‘childhood trauma’

Combs formed Danity Kane with Aundrea Fimbres, D. Woods, Shannon Bex, Richard and O’Day. The pop group disbanded and reunited several times since their formation, most notably with O’Day being removed from the group in 2008, although she later returned.

In a December 2022 episode of the hit “Call Her Daddy” podcast hosted by Alex Cooper, O’Day alleged that Combs fired her because she wouldn’t do things he requested “in other areas” besides music.

Contributing: Naledi Ushe

May 16, 2025
‘Hurry Up Tomorrow’ brings The Weeknd to the movie screen

LAS VEGAS − Abel Tesfaye, the musician known as The Weeknd, is a certified smash.

Tesfaye, the movie star, is more of an unknown commodity.

Audiences get to see both at work in the psychological thriller “Hurry Up Tomorrow” (in theaters now), a metafictional tale of a pop superstar dealing with the complexities of fame and celebrity. The movie is a companion project to The Weeknd’s album of the same name (released in January), even as Tesfaye himself looks to be moving into a new phase of his creative life.

Tesfaye loves that partnering on the film – his first – with co-writer/director Trey Edward Shults (“It Comes at Night”) gave him a chance to focus his artistry. “With all my past work, the music video is when I’m always kind of micromanaging everything. And it was the first time I got to just do my job and be an actor,” Tesfaye tells USA TODAY in an interview alongside Shults and co-star Jenna Ortega.

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“Hurry Up Tomorrow” the album is the third part of the ”After Hours” trilogy for the R&B/pop singer/songwriter, who’s headlined the Super Bowl, won four Grammy Awards, nabbed a Guinness World Record and topped charts with hits like “Blinding Lights,” “Can’t Feel My Face,” “Starboy” and “Heartless.”

The concept for the movie “Hurry Up” existed well before the music. After pitching the story idea to Shults, Tesfaye sent him song demos, unfinished material and references from older songs that the director would put in the script. “It was amazing,” says Tesfaye, 35, who had a cameo in Adam Sandler’s “Uncut Gems” and starred in HBO’s short-lived “The Idol.”

Tefaye stars in the movie as a fictionalized version of The Weeknd struggling in his professional and personal lives after a painful breakup. His coke-snorting, hype-man manager Lee (Barry Keoghan) enables Abel’s toxic, self-destructive narcissism, but after Abel’s voice fails him during a sold-out concert (which happened to the real Tesfaye in 2022), he meets a mysterious young woman named Anima (Ortega). Feeling an instant connection, they enjoy a night of Santa Monica Pier rides and deep conversation, which leads to a harrowing journey of self-reflection on Abel’s part.

Like the album, the movie “Hurry Up Tomorrow” builds to the title track. A key scene where the onscreen Abel needs to be the most honest with himself “originated with a monologue in the script and then a song was also required,” Shults recalls. “So Abel wrote this song, and I was like, ‘Well, we don’t need the monologue anymore. Get that out of here!’ ”

Akin to Shults, Tesfaye found another like-minded collaborator in Ortega. He says he was “blown away” finding out the actress was a fan of Daniel Lopatin, the electronic musician also known as OPN, who co-composed the film’s score with Tesfaye. “I was like, that’s a deep cut. She has real taste. And that was an incredible sign for us.”

As a music lover, Ortega was excited to be part of a movie that blends the sonic and the emotional. (She also gets her own music moments, including singing in the shower.) Her character represents “this sensitive side” of Tesfaye “that he maybe didn’t feel like he got the opportunity to show so often, in a delicate way,” she says.

Tefaye’s music is “so much deeper and darker” than it sounds, Ortega adds. “The lyrics are always very profound or very isolating, and they resonate with a lot of people. And I love the juxtaposition of this music that you’d hear in a club but then also that feeling that you have on the car ride back.”

Tesfaye’s bold and electric presence onstage and onscreen is an intriguing counterpoint to the thoughtful and soft-spoken man who sits for a chat about his movie. (When someone pays him a compliment, he beams with politeness and humility.) Ortega points out that Tesfaye has “a cinephile’s brain,” and while music has long been a passion for the Canadian-bred son of Ethiopian immigrants, “my first love was always film,” says Telfaye, who’s currently on tour as The Weeknd. Telfaye used music to “get me closer to making movies,” and he would “implement the DNA of cinema in my music videos.”

“So The Weeknd, to me, is just one long film that was like a never-ending 15-year movie. Now I feel like I got to the end of it, and I’m starting this new journey with these incredibly talented artists.”

Wherever he goes from here, it’ll probably sound great.

May 16, 2025
‘James Bond,’ ‘Walking Tall’ star was 89

Joe Don Baker, a Hollywood veteran who first rose to fame as tough-talking Sheriff Buford Pusser in “Walking Tall,” has died, his family announced. He was 89.

The announcement of his May 7 death, published on Legacy.com by his family May 13, did not cite a cause.

A Texas native and army veteran, Baker infused a real-life sense of southern toughness into his roles. Studying at the Actor’s Studio in New York before traveling to Los Angeles to make it to the big screen, he guest spotted on a smattering of television shows before his big break came with “Walking Tall.”

The 1973 film, which chronicled the story of a Tennessee sheriff battling to save his hometown from corruption and vice, became an unexpected and overnight hit, propelling Baker to fame.

At 37, his not-yet-noticed acting prowess was suddenly gaining wide acclaim as critics across the country lauded the breakout star of the low-budget, if not thrilling, watch. Baker went on to play a host of characters on either side of the law − both detectives and cops, as well as troubled ex-cons and mafia men.

His roles were not limited to either side of the law enforcement equation, though. Across his almost 60 films, he portrayed several politicians as well as a star baseball player in Robert Redford’s “The Natural.”

Before his retirement in 2012, he made an indelible mark on the entertainment industry, famed not just for “Walking Tall” but also for “Charley Varrick,” in which he played a mafioso, and “Mitchell,” which saw him as a no-nonsense detective. Baker also starred in “Fletch” and became a “James Bond” regular, appearing in three 007 films.

Baker, who married Maria Dolores Rivero-Torres in 1969 before the pair divorced 11 years later, has no children.

“He is survived by relations in his native Groesbeck, who will forever cherish his memory. He is mourned by a small but very close circle of friends who will miss him eternally,” the obituary posted to Legacy.com reads.

“As we say goodbye to Joe Don, we hold onto the memories and the love he shared with us,” it continued. “Though he may no longer be with us in body, his spirit will always remain, a guiding light in the lives he touched. Rest in peace, Joe Don. You will be dearly missed but never forgotten.”

May 16, 2025
Beyoncé’s tour sparks spike in ‘Cowboy Carter’ playlist creation

We’ve got “Cowboy Carter” at home.

Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter and the Rodeo Chitlin’ Circuit Tour has the internet buzzing. and as the groundbreaking shows roll out, fans are finding ways to embrace the concert experience from their homes.

According to Spotify, there has been a 2,400% increase in the creation of “Cowboy Carter” playlistw on its platform. Furthermore, the music powerhouse noted a 2,250% increase in daily searches for the album name.

Due to these high numbers, Spotify is allowing fans to customize their playlist cover art with exclusive “Cowboy Carter” stickers.

Of course, the Grammy-winning singer is on the second stop of her “Cowboy Carter” tour. She performed her first show at Soldier Field in Chicago May 15, and she’s expected to hit the stage on the same stage for a total of three nights. The remaining shows are set for May 17 and May 18.

As fans know, Beyoncé first debuted the highly anticipated show at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on April 28 with 39 songs on the set list. She performed a total of five shows there, and the concerts proved to be revolutionary spectacle filled with fashion, different music genres and most notably country music and politics.

The nine-city tour will span the U.S. and Europe with the grand finale taking place in Las Vegas on July 26. Beyoncé has already made history with her scheduled tour dates, including by playing the most dates at SoFi Stadium of any artist.

Follow Caché McClay, the USA TODAY Network’s Beyoncé Knowles-Carter reporter, on Instagram, TikTok and X as @cachemcclay.

May 16, 2025