Legendary songwriter John Prine passed away Tuesday night after battling complications due to COVID-19. The singer’s wife, Fiona Prine, had been continuously updating fans on Prine’s state, saying he had spent over a week in intensive care. Following Prine’s passing, Fiona took to social media to share a heart-wrenching statement and urge people everywhere to follow the CDC’s coronavirus guidelines in order to curb the virus’ spread.

In the statement, Prine addressed the legendary singer’s death and thanked fans for their outpouring of love and support. Prine then reminded people of the importance of following the CDC’s guidelines and offered her condolences to other families who have lost loved ones due to the virus:

“Our beloved John died yesterday evening at Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville TN. We have no words to describe the grief our family is experiencing at this time. John was the love of my life and adored by our sons Jody, Jack and Tommy, daughter in law Fanny, and by our grandchildren.

John contracted Covid-19 and in spite of the incredible skill and care of his medical team at Vanderbilt he could not overcome the damage this virus inflicted on his body.

I sat with John – who was deeply sedated- in the hours before he passed and will be forever grateful for that opportunity.

My dearest wish is that people of all ages take this virus seriously and follow guidelines set by the CDC. We send our condolences and love to the thousands of other American families who are grieving the loss of loved ones at this time – and to so many other families across the world.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the outpouring of love we have received from family, friends, and fans all over the world. John will be so missed but he will continue to comfort us with his words and music and the gifts of kindness, humor and love he left for all of us to share.”

Prine also asked that, in lieu of gifts, people donate to non-profit organizations in John’s memory.

Read Fiona Prine’s full statement above.

In addition to the complications of actually filming shows, the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic is also a particular problem for wrestlers who live outside the US and are unable to get to those shows due to travel restrictions. One such wrestler is NXT Cruiserweight Champion Jordan Devlin, who still lives in his native Ireland and is currently unable to make it to Orlando, where NXT is filmed.

On today’s episode of WWE’s The Bump, NXT General Manager William Regal made an appearance (from home, of course) to announce that NXT will be holding a tournament in Devlin’s absence, to choose an Interim Cruiserweight Champion:

Due to current events, obviously Jordan Devlin is in Ireland, and he cannot defend his NXT Cruiserweight Championship, so I’ve decided that in the meantime we will hold a tournament for the NXT Cruiserweight Interim Champion. Now the competitors and the execution of this tournament I will let everybody know over all NXT social platforms in the next few forthcoming days so… believe me, we’re making the best of it.

The “Interim” part is interesting, and presumably means that Jordan Devlin will get a match upon his return with whoever holds that title, to determine the ongoing Cruiserweight Champion. And knowing Jordan Devlin, he’s bound to have a chip on his shoulder about it.

Regal was also asked about the NXT Tag Team Championship, which is currently held by Matt Riddle and Pete Dunne, with the latter currently being stuck in the UK. However, he wasn’t ready to announce anything on that yet:

Yes [laughs] another perplexing thing. So, Pete Dunne is in the UK, so… the Broserweights being the tag team champions… I’ve still got decisions to make on that, and hopefully I’ll have some kind of… I’m forming options. I want it to be the best possible option, and I will be letting you know hopefully in the next week.

Regal also promoted tonight’s “final” match between Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa. We still don’t know what’s going on with NXT UK going forward, but of course that’s not Regal’s domain despite his own nationality.

The family of John Prine confirmed the legendary singer passed away Tuesday night after a battle with COVID-19. Prine had spent over a week in intensive care after he developed pneumonia in both of his lungs. Musicians across genres, like Big Thief and Joan Baez, have offered their tribute to the songwriter by covering some of his iconic tracks. Celebrities like Stephen Colbert have given their condolences to Prine’s family following the news of this death. Now, Bill Murray shares how Prine’s music has had a lasting impact on his life.

In a video posted to Twitter, Murray explained how listening to Prine’s music helped lift him out of a depressive episode:

“So, once upon a time, it was the first time in my life I was, not what people call ‘clinically depressed,’ but a real bummer to be around, like, a real downer to be around. And I just couldn’t get myself to having any fun and I thought to myself, I remembered something my friend Hunter S. Thompson said during kind of an addled state he said, ‘We’re going to have to rely on John Prine for a sense of humor.’ Which I thought was one of those addled things that you say.”

But Murray followed Thompson’s instructions and put on Prine’s lengthy record Great Days. “I’m thinking to myself, ‘Who the hell put him in charge of a sense of humor,’ as I’m going way into this record,” Murray said. “But, there it was, this song ‘Linda Goes To Mars.’ And I heard the song and I went, ‘Huh.’ And that was the beginning of the return.”

Watch Murray speak about the importance of Prine’s music above.

While quarantine is keeping everyone’s favorite musicians bored in the house, many are using the time productively. While Migos are finishing up their follow-up to Culture II, the group’s individual members have been working on solo endeavors as well. Offset has been promoting his new Quibi show, Skrrrt With Offset, while stockpiling blunts and (presumably) helping Cardi B create coronavirus content. Meanwhile, Quavo has seemingly decided that the current crisis won’t stop him from launching his long-awaited record label, Huncho Records.

Yesterday, the North Atlanta rapper, producer, and now label owner posted the official logo for Huncho Records on Instagram along with the tag for the nascent label’s official Instagram profile. “You Can Rap, Produce, Or Be A Athlete,” he wrote in the caption. “Be All You Can Be!”

Browsing the new label’s page reveals the label’s first three roster additions. Street Bud, the 16-year-old rapper who first got his start on Jermaine Dupri’s Lifetime reality competition show The Rap Game, put out his debut mixtape earlier this year. The two new additions include 904 ReeBock, whose debut single “Rocky” released today, and Brooklyn’s Pop Out Boyz, including four rappers: Joey Fettuccine, Fleazi Bambino, Apey Baby, and Stay Maccin.

Check out the trailers for each of Huncho Records’ new artists above.

On Tuesday, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers became the first NFL franchise to kick off something of an annual offseason tradition: teams unveiling their new uniforms for the upcoming campaign. One day later and the team that some joked inspired the Bucs’ new threads have dropped a new uni of their own.

The Atlanta Falcons sent out a tweet indicating that something new was on the way, marking the first time in nearly two decades that they’d change up their look.

This announcement came shortly after apparent photos of the team’s new look leaked. One day later and the team revealed what it has in store.

On their website, the Falcons indicated that the all-black ATL jerseys will be worn during home games, while their all-white threads are for road games. The red and black gradient unis will serve as alternates, with the black and white kits as alternates. Those alternates are, for me, the clear-cut best of the bunch, and while the all-black and all-white ones have some promise, the gigantic ATL across the chest and the font on the numbers are both a bit much. The gradients, meanwhile, look awfully video gamey.

In terms of the full scope of the team’s uniform options, they’ll also have a pair of red pants in the mix.

And beyond the jerseys and the pants, the Falcons will use this as a chance to bust out a new helmet, too.

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The Office fans can still find all nine seasons of the beloved comedy series on Netflix, but the streaming giant wanted more of the same vibe, and by god, they’ve got it now. Space Force sees The Office creator Greg Daniels re-team with Steve Carell, and this time, he’s managing people who send folks into space. In other words, bye bye, Scranton, Pennsylvania, and hello to new frontiers (apparently focused in Colorado), which will launch on May 29.

Space Force promises not only Carell but some damn fine talent to back him up. That includes John Malkovich (seen below in a still while holding an ominous-looking Post-It-type note), Lisa Kudrow, Ben Schwartz, Diana Silvers, Tawny Newsome, Jimmy O. Yang, Noah Emmerich, Alex Sparrow, and Don Lake. From the synopsis:

A decorated pilot with dreams of running the Air Force, four-star general Mark R. Naird (Steve Carell) is thrown for a loop when he finds himself tapped to lead the newly formed sixth branch of the US Armed Forces: Space Force. Skeptical but dedicated, Mark uproots his family and moves to a remote base in Colorado where he and a colorful team of scientists and “Spacemen” are tasked by the White House with getting American boots on the moon (again) in a hurry and achieving total space dominance.

The series will arrive not too long after a real-life “Space Force” (and this is still somehow not a joke) was launched by President Trump as the sixth branch of the U.S. armed forces, although we’ve yet to see exactly what this branch shall do, especially since a key satellite launch was postponed due to the ongoing pandemic. So, we’re probably gonna see what the Netflix series has to offer in a fictional sense before anything literally gets off the ground. Check out some Space Force stills below.

21 Savage may be best-known for his Slaughter Gang crew title and dead-eyed, murderous bars, but on Instagram, he’s been known to show his sensitive side, crooning along to ’90s and 2000s R&B hits to the delight of his fans. Likewise, OT Genasis hit it big with his love of the “Coco,” but experienced a resurgence in popularity recently when he covered Keyshia Cole’s hit “Love” and turned it into a Crip anthem. Now, the Long Beach native is challenging 21 for the “King Of R&B” crown with a tongue-in-cheek post covering another R&B classic.

Singing Mariah Carey’s 1995 hit “Always Be My Baby,” Genasis captioned his teasing post by declaring himself “King Of R&B” with an emphatic “period, pooh!” He capped the challenge by tagging 21 Savage, writing “U don’t want no smoke.” The comments were filled with verified accounts declaring their allegiance to one or the other, including Joe Budden, Snoop Dogg, and even Tamar Braxton, who rather than choosing sides, heckled OT with, “At least u singing the queen.”

With hit battles in full swing on Instagram Live, a direct sing-off between 21 Savage and OT Genasis has the potential to be immensely entertaining as both seem to have similar senses of humor, not taking themselves too seriously even though they’re better known for mean-mugging and menacing their way through their gritty catalogs. Someone get Swizz to set this one up.

Watch OT Genasis’ cover of Mariah Carey above.

New Zealand indie-rockers The Beths spent the last year and a half touring the world to devoted fans and opening for the likes of The Pixies and Death Cab For Cutie. Following the arduous period, the quartet reflected on their nomadic life, regrouped, and wrote an album: The Beths announced their sophomore record Jump Rope Gazers with the spirited lead single “Dying To Believe.”

According to a statement, Jump Rope Gazers “tackles themes of anxiety and self-doubt with effervescent power-pop choruses and rousing backup vocals, zeroing in on the commonality and catharsis that can come from sharing stressful situations with some of your best friends.” The recent track is woven with the same themes, as vocalist Elizabeth Stokes reckons with the distance that inevitably comes between friends as life passes by. “I’m sorry for the way that I can’t hold conversations / They’re such a fragile thing to try to support the weight of,” Stokes sings.

Listen to “Dying To Believe” above. Below, find The Beths’ Jump Rope Gazers cover art, tracklist, as well as the band’s upcoming tour dates.

1. “I’m Not Getting Excited”
2. “Dying To Believe”
3. “Jump Rope Gazers”
4. “Acrid”
5. “Do You Want Me Now”
6. “Out Of Sight”
7. “Don’t Go Away”
8. “Mars, The God Of War”
9. “You Are A Beam Of Light”
10. “Just Shy Of Sure”

11/08 — Perth, WA @ HBF Park*
11/11 — Melbourne, VIC @ Marvel Stadium*
11/14 — Sydney, NSW @ Bankwest Stadium*
11/17 — Brisbane, QLD @ QSAC Stadium*
11/20 — Dunedin, NZ @ Forsyth Barr Stadium*
11/22 — Auckland, NZ @ Mt Smart Stadium*

* with Green Day, Weezer, and Fall Out Boy

Jump Rope Gazers is out 7/10 via Carpark Records. Pre-order it here.

Some of the artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

When George Lucas appeared at Star Wars Celebration in 2017, he gave a necessary reminder to the thousands-strong crowd: much like the Wu-Tang Clan, Star Wars is for the children. “It’s a film for 12-year-olds. This is what we stand for,” he said. “You’re about to enter the real world. You’re moving away from your parents. You’re probably scared, you don’t know what’s going to happen. Here’s what you should pay attention to: Friendships, honesty, trust, doing the right thing. Living on the light side, avoiding the dark side.” Also, death sticks. Stay away from death sticks.

Star Wars as kid-friendly entertainment is one of the reasons why Ahmed Best, who played the much-maligned Jar Jar Binks in the prequels, agreed to host the Disney+ series Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge. Think: Legends of the Hidden Temple in a galaxy far, far away. “[Kids have] always given me the feedback and the positivity that I always looked for,” he recently told interviewer Jamie Stangroom. When I was Jar Jar, I would always get great responses from kids and I really wanted to, not just continue that, but give back to the kids. I wanted to give them something else, because Star Wars has since skewed older and there isn’t very much for the kids anymore in Star Wars.”

In the post-Lucas era, Best believes Star Wars has gotten too adult.

“It’s very much for the millennials and gen-Xers like myself…so kids are kind of left out of these, and the kids have to go to the animated series in order to get their dose of Star Wars, or they do like Phantom Menace. Phantom Menace is very much a kids movie. The new iterations of Star Wars are not really skewed towards kids, which is not something that George ever really wanted to do. George was always about the kids, and he used to say that if you get the kids, you have fans for the next 20 years; he was very much about kids. This idea that the movies are for adults is a very new thing, to be honest.”

Best’s point can be picked apart (how kid-friendly is talk of trade disputes?), but to be fair, I thought this was the funnest sh*t ever, pun intended, when I was nine years old.

It’s still kinda funny now.

(Via Comic Book)