VANILLA ICE POSTPONES AUSTIN SHOW

AUSTIN, Tex. (AP) - Vanilla Ice says he was just hoping for a good time with his concert outside Austin, Texas, but he had no idea that coronavirus infections were so “crazy” there. He has postponed indefinitely tonight’s show at the Emerald Point Bar and Grill after it was criticized for happening during the pandemic. Last week, Texas Governor Greg Abbott shut down bars and clubs to stop the spread of the virus. Emerald Point is technically a restaurant and could keep the show on the schedule. Owner Barrett Brannam says he has been flooded with complaints. He calls himself “the most hated person on the planet right now over a Vanilla Ice show.”

MUSICIANS CALL ON UK GOVERNMENT TO HELP MUSIC BUSINESSES

LONDON (AP) - Paul McCartney, Ed Sheeran, The Rolling Stones and Dua Lipa are among more than 1,500 musicians asking the British government to help the live music scene, which is taking a hit because of the coronavirus pandemic. They say in an open letter the government must give financial support to the businesses that rely on concerts and employ thousands of people, or face mass insolvencies. The U.K government says it’s already supporting millions of furloughed workers, including the culture sector. It’s looking into what additional support it can provide. Others who signed the letter include Rod Stewart, Coldplay, Sam Smith, Celine Dion, Roger Daltrey, Eric Clapton and Radiohead.

LAUREN ALAINA AMONG PERFORMERS FOR “A CAPITOL FOURTH”

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Lauren Alaina is marking Independence Day with a rendition of “This Land Is Your Land” in front of the U.S. Capitol in Washington -- only she sang it weeks ago. Alaina is one of the performers on “A Capitol Fourth” on PBS. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, many of the performances were recorded in advance in front of iconic sites around the U.S. Alaina says it was a little weird because the only people who heard her sing were the film crew. Alaina says besides that, the main difference between that performance and the one she did for “A Capitol Fourth” two years ago is that she could see the Capitol better this time. Other performers on this year’s show include Patti LaBelle, John Fogerty, Brantley Gilbert, Trace Adkins, Andy Grammer and The Temptations.

BEN FOLDS IS ISOLATING IN AUSTRALIA

NEW YORK (AP) - Ben Folds went to Australia in March to play a series of shows, and he’s been happily stuck there. Folds tells Rolling Stone magazine he got an apartment in Sydney when most of the world shut down because of the coronavirus pandemic. Folds says even if he could leave, he’s got to make up the shows in Australia in January and he’d have to isolate for two weeks after coming back. He says he would have “nothing to do in the States except for trying to dodge a terrible virus and commiserate with everyone.”