JOHN PRINE’S WIFE ASKS PEOPLE TO TAKE CORONAVIRUS SERIOUSLY
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - John Prine’s widow says her greatest wish is that people of all ages take the coronavirus outbreak seriously. Fiona Whelan Prine says in a statement her husband had been deeply sedated, but his body could not overcome the damage the virus had done on his body. John Prine died of complications from the coronavirus in Nashville on Tuesday at the age of 73. Fiona Whelan Prine says in lieu of flowers or gifts, fans may donate to the nonprofits ThistleFarm.org, RoomInTheInn.org or NashvilleRescueMission.org. The coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms for most people, but it can cause more severe illness, especially older adults and people with existing health problems.
HALSEY DONATES FACE MASKS
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Halsey has donated 100,000 face masks to hospitals in the Los Angeles area to help treat victims of the coronavirus. Halsey writes on Instagram she worked with the group Orange International to find the FDA-certified three-ply masks at a factory in China. Halsey says every day she is “in awe of the medical workers on the front lines.”
LORETTA LYNN WRITES BOOK ABOUT HER FRIEND PATSY CLINE
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Loretta Lynn still has a gift that Patsy Cline gave her decades ago: underwear. Lynn says she’s got a pair of lace panties that Cline gave her to spice up Lynn’s marriage. Lynn writes about her friendship with Cline in a new book called “Me and Patsy: Kicking Up Dust.” They met as Cline’s career was taking off and Lynn’s career was just starting. Lynn calls her the big sister she never had. Lynn says they were troublemakers, too. Lynn says if Cline was still around, “We’d probably both be in the pen.”
ANDREA BOCELLI SAYS HE WILL PRAY, NOT PERFORM
NEW YORK (AP) - Andrea Bocelli (ahn-DRAY'-ah boh-CHEL'-ee) says he will not perform a concert at a cathedral in Milan, Italy, on Easter, but a prayer. Bocelli says he will go to the Duomo (DWAH’-moh) of Milan on Sunday to pray, and he likes to think that everyone listening can pray with him. Bocelli will be accompanied by organist Emanuele Vianelli, but there will be nobody in the pews because the cathedral is closed due to the coronavirus outbreak. Bocelli will livestream it on his YouTube channel.
HOW RICK ASTLEY DEALS WITH SELF-QUARANTINE
LONDON (AP) - Rick Astley is passing the time in self-quarantine by listening to audiobooks, organizing his sock drawer and learning Neil Young songs. Astley says his friend is a voiceover artist who lives nearby, but they can’t see each other because of social distancing. His friend does audiobooks, and Astley says it’s nice to have one of your best friends read a book to you. That’s what he’s listening to while he organizes his sock drawer and “every other drawer in the house.” Astley says he’s got a home studio where he’s working on new music, but he’s also trying to figure out how to play Young’s song “Old Man.” Why that song? Astley says just because he wants to. Astley recently announced he’ll do a free concert in October for British health care workers.
___
Sound:
117786-a-57:12-(Rick Astley, musician)-"in the house"-Rick Astley's self-quarantine means organizing drawers (9 Apr 2020)
¤¤CUT ´117786 (04/09/20)££ 57:12 "in the house"
117787-a-91:92-(Rick Astley, musician)-"book to you (laughs)"-Rick Astley's self-quarantine means organizing drawers (9 Apr 2020)
¤¤CUT ´117787 (04/09/20)££ 91:92 "book to you (laughs)"
117788-a-123:60-(Rick Astley, musician)-"boxes I think"-Rick Astley's self-quarantine means organizing drawers (9 Apr 2020)
¤¤CUT ´117788 (04/09/20)££ 123:60 "boxes I think"
117789-a-112:32-(Rick Astley, musician)-"it right now"-Rick Astley's self-quarantine means organizing drawers (9 Apr 2020)
¤¤CUT ´117789 (04/09/20)££ 112:32 "it right now"
BET SPECIAL WILL FOCUS ON CORONAVIRUS AND PEOPLE OF COLOR
NEW YORK (AP) - Kelly Rowland, TV personality Terrence J and actress Regina Hall will host a BET special aimed at helping people of color deal with the coronavirus. The special “Saving Our Selves: A BET COVID-19 Relief Effort” will air April 22. Performers include DJ Khaled (KAL’-ehd), Charlie Wilson, Chance the Rapper, Kirk Franklin and Fantasia. Proceeds will benefit the United Way for use in African American communities severely impacted by the coronavirus.
ALESSO AND LIAM PAYNE MAKE VIDEO IN SOCIAL DISTANCING ERA
NEW YORK (AP) - When it came time for Alesso and Liam Payne to create a video for their new song “Midnight,” they did it the same way they created the song: they each did their separate parts. They could not film a video together because of social distancing, so Alesso filmed his part in the Los Angeles studio where he created the track and Payne sang on a balcony in London. Payne says it was nice to make a video “with a lot less noise around it.” Alesso says it was “refreshing” to do a video that way because it “let the song have the shine.”
FARM AID ORGANIZERS WILL PERFORM ONLINE TO SUPPORT FARMERS
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) - Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp and Dave Matthews will perform from their homes on Saturday as a show of support for family farmers and ranchers. “At Home with Farm Aid” will be streamed at the Farm Aid website and shown on AXS TV. Nelson says while farmers and ranchers are considered essential workers during the coronavirus outbreak, many have lost access to markets or seen a drastic drop in the prices they receive for their products. Nelson says the online concert will help Farm Aid as it distributes emergency grants.
OPRY WILL DO EASTER BROADCAST ON SATURDAY
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Trace Adkins, Jason Crabb and T. Graham Brown will do an Easter edition of the Saturday evening broadcast from the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee. Maddie and Tae will host a special pre-show. The Opry has been closed because of the coronavirus outbreak, but it has still maintained its Saturday night broadcasts, albeit in front of an empty auditorium.
by Margie Szaroleta