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Dolly Parton Inducted into the 2022 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Dolly Parton was officially inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on Saturday night in Los Angeles.”I’m suddenly a rock star!” Dolly Parton stated, “This is an extremely special night for me.
” I’m sure many of you were aware that when they announced my induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, I didn’t believe I had done enough to merit it. And I didn’t realize it was about more than that at the time. But I’m incredibly honoured and proud to be here tonight.”
Pink praised Dolly Parton in her acceptance speech, and she later sang “Jolene” alongside Pink, Brandi Carlile, and other inductees Pat Benatar, Simon LeBon of Duran Duran, Rob Halford of Judas Priest, and Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart.
Parton also performed a new song, “Rockin’,” with her house band for the night, the Zac Brown Band. “I’m going to have to earn my way into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame,” she declared, dressed in a black leather costume with red jewels and playing a blues-rock riff on a matching heavy-metal Superstrat. “And you thought I couldn’t do it.”
In addition to Dolly Parton, Eminem, Duran Duran, Lionel Richie, Pat Benatar, Eurythmics, and Carly Simon were among the 2022 entrants. Highlights from the ceremony, which took place at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, will appear on HBO on November 19 and will be available to watch on HBO Max.
Duran Duran Stumbles at Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Lionel Richie took off. Pat Benatar yelled. Duran Duran faltered but remained elegant. Eminem was just Eminem.
The four performers celebrated very differently on Saturday night, but they are all now Rock and Roll Hall of Famers. Carly Simon, Eurythmics, Harry Belafonte, Judas Priest, and Dolly Parton are among those who enthusiastically accepted the prize after initially declining it.
Duran Duran entered the stage and began their 1981 breakthrough song “Girls on Film” as the first act inducted at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, following a stunning address from a shaved-headed Robert Downey Jr.
The raucous audience was there for it, but the music wasn’t. Except for singer Simon Le Bon, whose singing was a cappella, the band was nearly inaudible.
It was joyful, if unlucky, start to a mainly smooth and often victorious evening.
“The glorious spontaneous world of rock ‘n’ roll!” exclaimed Le Bon, 64, as the band halted for a retake.
They returned to full loudness, playing a set that featured “Hungry Like the Wolf” and “Ordinary World,” rapidly reverting to what Downey saw as their core quality: “CSF stands for cool, sophisticated fun.”
Hours later, Lionel Richie brought both chill and warmth to the room, opening his concert with a sparse rendition of his ballad “Hello” that seemed to make him nearly collapse from the weight of the situation.
“His songs are the soundtrack of my life, your life, everyone’s life,” Lenny Kravitz remarked during Richie’s induction.
Richie followed “Hello” with “Easy,” his 1977 smash with the Commodores. When Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl made a surprise appearance to play a guitar solo and swap vocals with Richie, the mood changed from slick to triumphant. This was followed by a singalong, jubilant rendition of 1983′s “All Night Long,” which elicited the most applause of the night.
During his victory speech, Richie slammed critics who accused him of moving too far from his Black origins.
“Rock and roll isn’t a hue,” he explained. “It’s just a sensation.” It’s a feeling. And if we let that attitude permeate the room, it will grow and grow and expand.”
The Eurythmics hit the stage next, performing a soulful, danceable rendition of “Missionary Man” from 1986.
“Well, I was born an original sinner. I was born from original sin,” singer Annie Lennox yelled four hours into the event, bringing the audience to its feet and clapping. It was followed by a spirited performance of their biggest song, “Sweet Dreams.”
Her musical partner, Dave Stewart, later described Lennox as “one of the finest performers, vocalists, and songwriters of all time.”
“Thank you, Dave, for this wonderful trip,” a sobbing Lennox replied.
Eminem was the outlier, as he has been throughout his career. He was the only hip-hop musician among the inductees, the only one whose heyday occurred after the 1980s, and he added an edge to the evening that was otherwise lacking outside of Judas Priest’s heavy metal stylings.
He also pushed the guest star game to new heights. He brought on Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler to sing the chorus of “Dream On” for 2003’s “Sing for the Moment,” which samples the Aerosmith classic, after opening briefly with 1999’s “My Name Is.” Then he brought Ed Sheeran to sing his verse from Eminem’s 2017 hit “River” as rain fell on the stage.
“I’m probably not supposed to be here tonight for a couple of reasons,” Eminem remarked as he accepted the award, wearing a black hoodie. “I know one. I’m a rapper, and here is the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.”
He is only the 10th hip-hop musician in the Hall of Fame, with over 300 members.
He was inducted by Dr. Dre, his producer and mentor, whom he credits with saving his life.
The night, however, was defined by 1980s hitmakers.
In her induction speech, Sheryl Crow observed, “Pat always dug into the deepest part of herself and came roaring out of the speakers.”
Benatar, recognized alongside her longtime musical collaborator and husband Neil Giraldo, took the stage with him and immediately demonstrated her power.
“We are young!” exclaimed the 69-year-old as she soared through a rendition of 1983’s “Love is a Battlefield.”
Inductees who did not attend the ceremony included Duran Duran guitarist Andy Taylor, who has been battling advanced prostate cancer for four years, the 95-year-old Belafonte, and Simon, who lost sisters Joanna Simon and Lucy Simon, both vocalists, to cancer on back-to-back days last month.
Carly Simon was nominated for the first time this year, more than 25 years after becoming eligible. Olivia Rodrigo, 60 years Simon’s junior and by far the night’s youngest performer, played “You’re So Vain,” Simon’s hallmark tune.
Janet Jackson emerged in a black costume with a large mound of hair atop her head, duplicating the cover of her breakout album “Control,” as she inducted writer-producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, who worked on that and many other recordings with her.
When the candidates were released in May, Parton “respectfully” rejected them, stating that it didn’t seem appropriate for her to take a slot as a true country artist. She was persuaded otherwise and ended up being the headliner on Saturday night.
“I’m a rock star now!” she said as she took her award. “This is going to be a very, very, very special night.”
Parton stated that she would have to earn her seat retrospectively.
She vanished and reappeared moments later, dressed in black leather, holding an electric guitar and performing a song she had made just for the occasion.
“I’ve been rockin’ rockin’ rockin’ rockin’ rockin’ rockin’ rockin’ rockin’ rockin’ rockin’ rockin’ rockin’ rockin’ rockin’ rockin’ rockin’ rockin’ rockin’ rockin’ rockin’ rockin’ rockin’ rockin’ rock
On her country hit “Jolene,” she capped the night by leading an all-star jam with her fellow inductees. Le Bon, Benatar, and even Judas Priest’s Rob Halford all sang a stanza.
“This is a star-studded stage,” Parton stated. “In the city, I feel like a hillbilly.”
Source: Rolling Stone, AP, VOR News
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The new head of the Army has stated that Britain must be prepared to fight a war within three years.
Gen Sir Roland Walker has issued a warning about a variety of risks in what he calls a “increasingly volatile” environment.
However, he stated that war was not inevitable and that the Army had “just enough time” to prepare to prevent conflict.
He stated that the Army’s fighting capacity would be doubled by 2027 and tripled by the end of the decade.
Gen Walker warned that the Britain was under threat from a “axis of upheaval” in his first speech as Prime Minister on Tuesday.
Among the primary concerns confronting the Britain in the next years, as noted by the general in a briefing, is an enraged Russia, which may seek vengeance on the West for helping Ukraine, regardless of who wins the war.
He stated: “It doesn’t matter how it finishes. I believe Russia will emerge from it weaker objectively – or completely – but still very, very dangerous and seeking some form of retaliation for what we have done to assist Ukraine.”
Britain’s Government Defence Review and Military Challenges
He also warned that China was determined to retake Taiwan, and Iran was likely to seek nuclear weapons.
He stated that the threats they posed may become particularly acute in the next three years, and that these countries had formed a “mutual transactional relationship” since the war in Ukraine, sharing weaponry and technology.
However, he stated that the path to conflict was not “inexorable” if the UK re-established credible land troops to assist its deterrent strategy for avoiding war.
In his speech, he described his force of slightly over 70,000 regular troops as a “medium-sized army” and made no direct call for additional resources or men.
However, he pushed the British Army to adapt swiftly, focussing on technology such as artificial intelligence and weaponry rather than numbers.
His ultimate goal is for the Army to be capable of destroying an opponent three times its size.
This would entail firing quicker and farther, he said, aided by lessons learnt from the Ukraine war.
The general’s speech at the Royal United Services Institute land warfare conference comes only one week after the government began a “root and branch” defence review to “take a fresh look” at the challenges facing the armed services.
Defence Secretary John Healey launched the assessment, describing the existing status of the armed forces as “hollowed-out” and stating that “procurement waste and neglected morale cannot continue”.
According to the most recent Ministry of Defence (MoD) numbers from April 2024, the Britain’s regular Army forces total 75,325 troops (excluding Gurkhas and volunteers).
That figure has been declining in recent years, as recruiting has failed to match retention. The previous Conservative administration lowered the planned headcount from 82,000 to 72,500 by 2025.
Members of the NATO military alliance have agreed to spend at least 2% of GDP on defence by 2024, but several countries are unlikely to fulfil this goal.
The Britain presently spends 2.3% of its GDP on defence. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has previously stated that the defence review will include a “roadmap” for increasing this to 2.5%, however he has yet to provide a date for this promise.
Source: BBC
News
Katie Ledecky Hopes For Clean Races At Paris Olympics In The Aftermath Of The Chinese Doping Scandal
PARIS — Katie Ledecky is looking for clean Olympic races. On Wednesday, Hope had pretty much reached her limit.
The American swimmer hopes to add to her six gold medals as she competes in the 400, 800, and 1,500 meters at the Paris Games. Her program starts with the heavy 400 on Saturday, featuring Ariarne Titmus and Summer McIntosh.
Katie Ledecky | ESPN Image
Katie Ledecky Hopes For Clean Races At Paris Olympics In The Aftermath Of The Chinese Doping Scandal
The 27-year-old Katie is competing in her fourth Summer Olympics, but the first since a doping scandal involving almost two dozen Chinese swimmers who tested positive for a banned chemical before the Tokyo Games — yet were permitted to compete with no consequences. The controversy has raised serious worries regarding the effectiveness of anti-doping initiatives.
Katie Ledecky | Vogue Image
“I hope everyone here is going to be competing clean this week,” Ledecky claimed. “But what truly counts is, were they training cleanly? Hopefully this has been the case. Hopefully, there has been worldwide testing.”
The International Olympic Committee has expressed concern over the ongoing US investigation into possible doping by Chinese swimmers. While awarding the 2034 Winter Olympics to Salt Lake City on Wednesday, the IOC urged Utah officials to do whatever they could to stop the FBI investigation.
“I think everyone’s heard what the athletes think,” Katie added. “They seek transparency. They want more answers to the remaining questions. At this point, we are here to race. We are going to race whoever is in the lane next to us.
“We are not paid to conduct the tests, so we trust those who follow their regulations. That applies both today and in the future.
Katie Ledecky | ESPN Image
Katie Ledecky Hopes For Clean Races At Paris Olympics In The Aftermath Of The Chinese Doping Scandal
SOURCE | AP
As the summer holidays begin, London may experience an official heatwave with temperatures reaching up to 29 degrees Celsius.
The Met Office predicts a long period of sunny and dry weather for London after a soggy spring and summer.
After a cloudy day on Saturday, temperatures are expected to reach 27C on Sunday, with lots of sunlight.
On Monday and Tuesday, temperatures are forecast to peak at 29 degrees Celsius. Monday is forecast to offer more sunlight, while Tuesday may see some gloomy weather.
Temperatures are expected to remain in the high 20s next week, with lows of approximately 18C.
According to the Met Office, a heatwave is “an extended period of hot weather relative to the expected conditions of the area at that time of year, which may be accompanied by high humidity.”
In the United Kingdom, a heatwave is proclaimed when daily temperatures meet or surpass a certain level for at least three consecutive days.
In London, the heatwave threshold is 28 degrees Celsius.
The Met Office reported that the UK is experiencing hotter and wetter weather on average due to climate change.
The UK experienced its warmest May and April on record this year, despite damp and dismal conditions in many areas.
According to the Met Office’s State Of The UK Climate 2023 report published on Thursday, the UK experienced historic levels of extreme weather last year.
In the United Kingdom, 2023 was the second warmest year on record, bringing storms, flooding, strong heatwaves, and rising sea levels; only 2022 was warmer.
It was 0.8°C higher than the average from 1991 to 2020, and 1.66°C higher than the 1961 to 1990 average.
However, 2023 will be a “cool year” in comparison to 2100, based on the planet’s warming trajectory.
The government’s plan to adapt to the hazards presented by climate change is currently being challenged in the High Court by campaigners who allege the Tory administration’s July 2023 National Adaptation Programme (NAP) fails to adequately address 61 concerns.
Source: The Standard
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