Sharon Osbourne revealed that she is “seriously thinking about running for mayor of Birmingham” during a Grammy Awards red carpet interview with Billboard host Leila Cobo. The music manager, television personality, and widow of heavy metal legend Ozzy Osbourne made the statement after receiving praise for her speaking skills at a Grammy-related event ahead of the February 1 ceremony. Osbourne previously indicated her political interest after learning someone with a terrorism conviction was allegedly seeking a Birmingham City Council seat. “This has nothing to do with racism. I think I’m gonna move to Birmingham and put my name down for the ballot to be on the council. I’m serious,” she said to GB News at the time. If Osbourne were to be elected mayor, she would replace current Lord Mayor Zafar Iqbal and be required to serve in the position for at least one year. (NME)
American Idol will stream live on Disney+ starting March 30th, marking the first time the competition series simultaneously broadcasts on both ABC and the streaming platform. The show joins Dancing With the Stars as Disney+’s second live unscripted series. A companion video podcast called American Idol Official Podcast will debut when live shows begin in late March, offering behind-the-scenes content and exclusive interviews. Season 24 premiered January 26th with 8.27 million viewers across platforms, up 20% from last year’s regular premiere. The show remains hosted by Ryan Seacrest with judges Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie. This season features new elements including the “Ohana Round” at Disney’s Aulani resort and Hollywood Week relocated to Nashville. Episodes continue airing live Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and next-day on Hulu. Story URL
Co-founder of Parliament-Funkadelic, William “Billy Bass” Nelson, has died at 75. A driving force on the band’s early albums, the bassist shaped their groundbreaking fusion of funk and psychedelic rock. His cause of death has not been disclosed.
On Tuesday (Feb. 3), Staind announced the dates and details of their 2026 North American tour marking the 25th anniversary of their third studio album, Break the Cycle. The headlining tour begins September 8 in Atlanta and concludes October 19 in Austin, Texas, and features support from Seether, Hoobastank, and Hinder at select dates. Before the main tour, the alt metal band will also play a series of festivals including Welcome to Rockville and Sonic Temple in May, plus Rock the Country in July. Break the Cycle is certified 5x-platinum on the strength of hits including “It’s Been Awhile,” “Outside,” “Fade,” and “For You.” Frontman Aaron Lewis said: “25 years later to be touring, celebrating this album and bringing our music to our fans near and far is something really special. I’m looking forward to going out with these guys. It’s like one big family reunion!” Ticket presales start Thursday (Feb. 5), with general on-sales beginning Friday (Feb. 6). (Consequence of Sound)
Paul Simon will extend his A Quiet Celebration Tour with a series of new North American dates beginning June 4 at Frost Amphitheater in Palo Alto, California. The 20-date summer run concludes July 17-18 with two shows at Ravinia in Highland Park, Illinois. Other notable stops include the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles (June 7) and a two-night stand at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado (June 12-13). The 84-year-old music legend also will return to his home borough of Queens on July 8 at Forest Hills Stadium, where he last performed in 2018 during his planned farewell tour. The 2026 tour features larger amphitheater venues compared to last year’s intimate theater shows, with tickets going on sale Friday (Feb. 6). These dates continue Simon’s live return after losing most hearing in his left ear, which forced a seven-year break from major touring. The North American shows follow a series of European dates running April 10 through May 20. (Rolling Stone)
Bruce Springsteen‘s “Streets of Minneapolis” debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Digital Song Sales chart dated February 7, selling 16,000 downloads in just two days following its January 28 release. The anti-ICE protest song marks Springsteen’s first No. 1 on the all-format Digital Song Sales survey, which began in 2004, and his first ever Top 20 entry on the tally. Springsteen quickly wrote and recorded the track following the deaths of Renée Good and Alex Pretti, who were both shot and killed by ICE agents in Minneapolis. He then performed it live for the first time on Friday (Jan. 30) at Tom Morello‘s Defend Minnesota benefit concert at the legendary Minneapolis venue First Avenue. The song also reached No. 20 on Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart with 678,000 streams and 175,000 airplay audience. Next week’s charts will reflect the first full seven-day tracking period for the release. (Billboard)