Columbia Records and Former Capitol Chief Jeff Vaughn Launch New Label, Signal

EXCLUSIVE: Following months of speculation, Deadline is now hearing from several sources close to the project that only is Damon Lindelof developing a new Star Wars film for Lucasfilm but that Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy has been set as director. Lindelof is co-writing the project, though it is unknown at this time who his writing partner might be. Insiders say the script is still being written which means production is likely far out. That said, sources add it was important to Lucasfilm and Lindelof that a director be brought on so that their own vision for where they see this story headed gets included in the script.

Out of the mouths of babes. Kody Brown and Christine Brown’s youngest daughter, Truely, didn’t hold back when speaking about her parents’ split on the latest episode of Sister Wives.

SPOILER ALERT: This story contains details from the season finale of House of the Dragon.

Jeremy Zimmer, co-founder and CEO of United Talent Agency, is the latest prominent Hollywood figure to speak out against Kanye West’s controversial claims of alleged mistreatment by Jewish people, which he has been doubling down on in media interviews.

Marlon Wayans is pushing back on political correctness and said that he will not change his comedy style to survive in this day and age and appease the current generation.

Marshawn Lynch, the former Seattle Seahawks running back, went viral after he caught himself dropping an F-bomb during his live appearance on ESPN.

They do! Logan Brown married longtime girlfriend Michelle Petty on Saturday, October 22, and mom Janelle Brown and former stepmom Christine Brown both attended.

Girl mom! Christina Perri and husband Paul Costabile have welcomed their second child, a baby girl, on Friday, October 22.

Fire cannot kill a dragon — or a franchise. HBO is returning to Westeros with the Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon, and once again the cast is almost unrecognizable outside of their wigs and costumes.

On the heels of Balthazar restaurateur Keith McNally blasting James Corden as the “most abusive customer,” he’s ever had, more celebrities are being called out for their awful restaurant behavior! Who are they? None other than Meghan Markle, Naomi Campbell, and Anna Wintour.

Michael B. Jordan is opening up about how important it was for him to make Creed III more “honest to the sport of boxing” by incorporating elements of Mexican culture.

THIS Morning’s resident vet was caught on camera pulling at a mum’s windscreen wipers in a bizarre road rage incident. Dr Scott Miller, 47, was recognised in dash cam footage from driver Heather Kenward — who said he was “abusive”.

WHEN Hamza Yassin was named as the 13th contestant on this year’s Strictly Come Dancing, many asked: “Who?” But now the shy wildlife photographer and presenter has captured the hearts of the nation, with head judge Shirley Ballas telling him on Saturday night: “You make our hearts sing, you make everybody smile.” And even the usually waspish Craig Revel Horwood admitted last night: “My goodness, you are a fantastic dancer.” His star moments on Strictly — a light-footed foxtrot in week one that was praised by the judges and marked Hamza out as a contender, and his electrifying salsa in week four that blew the roof off the ballroom bagging him the highest score of the series so far — hurtled him ahead of the much more well-known celebs. But it has not always been easy to get to the top of the leaderboard three times.

MARTINE McCutcheon is hard at work on her first new album in five years. The actress and singer's last record, 2017's Lost and Found, reached number 17 in the UK chart, and Martine is relishing putting together a follow up. She recently teamed up with her singer-songwriter husband Jack McManus for a track on the Fisherman's Friend One and All film soundtrack and the creative juices are flowing once again.

LOVE Island winners Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu and Davide Sanclimenti were spotted enjoying a spending spree in Selfridges today. The couple were seen grinning broadly as they left the shop laden with bags in Manchester. Davide showed he is a true gent as he carried Ekin’s  £2,800 Dior handbag along with their latest goodies.

CHARLOTTE Dawson is living the life after sharing photos of her plush new Lancashire home. The born and bred Manchester lass, her fiancé Matt Sarsfield and their son Noah have just landed a brand new home which is picture perfectly white.

DOCTOR Who favourite David Tennant made a sensational return to the show tonight - after outgoing time lord Jodie Whittaker regenerated “backwards.” For the first time in the history of the BBC1 sci-fi series, a doctor was seen morphing into a former incarnation. Next year David, 51, is expected to front a series of special episodes alongside former companion Catherine Tate, 52, to mark the 60th anniversary of the show.

HOLLYOAKS star Jorgie Porter is eagerly awaiting the arrival of her first baby and was determined to do it in style with an all-star baby shower most could dream of The actress invited a host of family and friends to join her in celebrating her upcoming arrival, with unique mocktails adorned with feathers, and a fabulous dinner. Jorgie looked fabulous with her baby bump on full display in a tight sheer dress with knee-high boots, and posted in front of a balloon arch which welcomed invitees at the entrance of the event.

PETER Andre was left horrified as his house was struck by lightning while daughter Princess was inside. The popstar, 49, was startled to discover that his chimney had been badly damaged, resulting in a crack down the middle. Peter shared a clip of the destruction, after several bricks were knocked out and landed on the lawn.

STRICTLY Come Dancing is embroiled in a new fix row after Tony Adams made it through to the fifth week. The former Arsenal star, 56, performed a cha-cha to the Grandstand theme tune on Saturday night and while he is highly entertaining, he’s not considered to be the strongest dancer.

THEY’RE probably still celebrating after winning the NTAs TV Presenter gong for the 21st time – but Ant & Dec now have to put down the fizz and focus on a new project. As well as journeying to Australia for the latest series of I’m A Celebrity, the duo are developing a pilot for a quiz show involving celebrity contestants. As yet unnamed, it’s being created through their production company, Mitre, and could air as early as next year on ITV.

STRICTLY star Matt Goss has revealed he got cha cha chills with a visit from his mum’s ghost. Carol, who died in 2014, came to him last weekend after he was voted off the show. Bros singer Matt told The Sun: “The night after I left the series I didn’t want to watch the show and I just wanted to be in my own bubble.

MICHELLE Keegan left fans hot under the collar after she stripped naked for a bath on Sunday evening. The actress, 35, enjoyed some rest and relaxation after her boozy night out in Manchester.

SHAMELESS Netflix bosses were last night branded “sadistic and wicked” for recreating Princess Diana’s final hours for The Crown. Haunting scenes show Di — played by Elizabeth Debicki — in a limo before her horrific crash in a Paris tunnel. Her close friend Simone Simmons told The Sun that the hit drama risked forcing Princes William and Harry to recall “the most painful time” of their lives.

DOCTOR Who fans have bid a tearful farewell to Jodie Whittaker as she bows out of the series after four years. The actor became the Thirteenth official regeneration of the Doctor in 2018, and after a collection of specials and three series, she's handed over her sonic screwdriver. In her final moments, fans knew she was set to regenerate after another showdown with her biggest enemies – with The Master (Sacha Dhawan), Daleks and Cybermen all making an appearance to take her down.

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor Two decades ago, as the turn-of-the-century NYC indie-rock scene burst out of its East Village and Williamsburg incubators, few probably expected that the Yeah Yeah Yeahs would end up having the most wide-ranging career of the bunch. After all, a trio consisting of a wiz-kid guitarist, powerhouse drummer and a fireball lead singer might have made for explosive shows and a scrappy, deceptively diverse debut EP, but with no shade intended to the Strokes, Interpol, LCD Soundsystem, TV on the Radio and all the others, the multiple musical directions the band would go did not seem to be in the cards. The Yeahs had the first hit single of the pack (2003’s “Maps”) and varied their approach with each successive album, peaking with 2009’s unexpectedly electronic-heavy “It’s Blitz.” That album represented the end of that particular thread: The group released one more, rockier album “Mosquito” in 2013 (which, significantly, fulfilled their major-label contract) and then basically went on hiatus. In the years since, singer Karen O released a stellar collaboration with Danger Mouse, “Lux Prima” and co-composed the score for the animated film “Where Is Anne Frank?,” guitarist Nick Zinner also scored films and worked with Phoebe Bridgers and Songhoy Blues, and drummer Brian Chase started his own label. Such hiatuses are often permanent, but the group reunited for a tour in 2017, and five years and a pandemic later, there’s finally a reunion album — and it continues the group’s evolution with a powerful, more seasoned take on their earlier sounds.

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor With lead vocals by Springsteen, “Only The Strong Survive” features songs from the catalogs of Motown and Stax Records, the songwriting duo of Gamble and Huff and more. This album, Springsteen’s 21st studio outing, will also feature guest vocals by soul great Sam Moore, as well as contributions from the E Street Horns, string arrangements by Rob Mathes, and backing vocals by Soozie Tyrell, Lisa Lowell, Michelle Moore, Curtis King Jr., Dennis Collins and Fonzi Thornton. Bruce Springsteen commented: “I wanted to make an album where I just sang. And what better music to work with than the great American songbook of the Sixties and Seventies? I’ve taken my inspiration from Levi Stubbs, David Ruffin, Jimmy Ruffin, the Iceman Jerry Butler, Diana Ross, Dobie Gray, and Scott Walker, among many others. I’ve tried to do justice to them all—and to the fabulous writers of this glorious music. My goal is for the modern audience to experience its beauty and joy, just as I have since I first heard it. I hope you love listening to it as much as I loved making it.”

DEALSPophouse Entertainment has acquired a 75% stake in the recording and song catalogues of Avicii. “Tim was not only one of the world’s best DJs, he was an extremely productive genius who always went his own way, mixing genres, challenging conventions and creating music history”, says Pophouse CEO Per Sundin.

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor Orlando Wharton has been named executive vice president of Capitol Music Group and president of Priority Records. The announcement was made by CMG chair & CEO Michelle Jubelirer, to whom Wharton will report.  According to the announcement, in his new position, Wharton will sign and guide artists across CMG’s portfolio of labels, and will relaunch the legendary Priority Records label as a dedicated home for new, developing and established hip hop artists.  Wharton will assume his positions at CMG early next year, and will be based at the company’s offices in New York. The announcement closely follows the company’s hiring of Doja Cat co-manager Gordan Dillard as EVP of A&R and artist development.

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor Metallica have announced that they will perform a special tribute concert on Nov. 6 to honor Jonny and Marsha Zazula, the founders of their original label, Megaforce Records. The group, which will be joined by fellow Megaforce alums Raven, will perform songs from their early career, dating from 1983 and ’84. The concert will take place at the 7,000-capacity Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla. — an unusually small venue for the band. The Zazulas, for decades an influential and well-respected power couple on the metal scene, passed away within a year of each other in 2021 and 2022.

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor In recent years, artists have created a booming business out of essentially putting their archives on tour — the “David Bowie Is” and “Rolling Stones Exhibitionism” — traveling exhibitions of their wardrobes, instruments and multiple other artifacts from their long careers. Well look out, because here comes “Pavements 1933-2022: A Pavement Museum” — a semi-jokingly titled international museum exhibition from the legendary indie-rock band featuring “previously unseen imagery, artwork and ephemera, commendations and commemorations, alongside rumored relics of the band’s real and imagined history (as well as exclusive merchandise and classic museum souvenirs),” according to the announcement. (The “1933” part is a deep reference to Pavement’s debut EP, “Slay Tracks 1933-1969,” which of course was released in 1989.)

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor Days after top YouTube exec Robert Kyncl was named as the next CEO of Warner Music Group, the company revealed in an SEC filing that he will earn approximately $15 million in his first year on the job, depending on performance targets. When Kyncl’s name was first mentioned as a potential successor to outgoing CEO Stephen Cooper, who leaves after 11 years in the role, many wondered whether the job would be sufficiently appealing for the executive who led Netflix from DVDs to streaming and has been YouTube’s business chief for much of his 12 years at the company. However, the SEC filing makes clear that the job is financially appealing: He will receive a base salary of $2 million, a target performance-based bonus of $3 million and an annual grant of performance share units with an aggregate, pre-tax value of $10 million.

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor Pharoah Sanders, an American jazz saxophonist whose career sprawled across six decades, has died at the age of 81. His death was confirmed to Variety by a representative for his label, Luaka Bop. “We are devastated to share that Pharoah Sanders has passed away,” the label’s statement reads. “He died peacefully surrounded by loving family and friends in Los Angeles earlier this morning. Always and forever the most beautiful human being, may he rest in peace.” His soulful playing and leading role in the style often described as spiritual jazz placed him at the edge of the genre’s innovation for many years, initially in bands with such explorers as Sun Ra (who dubbed him “Pharoah”) and John Coltrane and later by leading his own ensembles.

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor The Temple of Dendur in the Egyptian art wing of New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art is one of the most unique and visually arresting places in a city filled with them, containing the 2,000-year-old Temple itself along with other sculptures and pieces of art, a large reflecting pool and a giant, 25-foot-tall floor-to-ceiling window that extends the entire length of the hall and overlooks Central Park. It also may be the most unique and visually arresting music venue in the city. Over the years the room has hosted concerts by everyone from Interpol to the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, but it’s hard to think of a more fitting artist for such a setting than Pakistani singer Arooj Aftab, who won a Grammy earlier this year for her song “Mohabbat” from her latest album “Vulture Prince,” and was also nominated for Best New Artist.

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor Compton-based house-music producer-singer Channel Tres has inked a deal that sees him joining RCA Records in partnership with L.A. indie Godmode. The partnership kicks off tonight with the release of the new single “No Limit,” with his debut full-length album “Real Cultural Shit” arriving later this fall. The album will also feature his singles from earlier this year, “Acid in my Blood,” “Ganzfeld Experiment” and “Just Can’t Get Enough.” Channel Tres, who has toured with Robyn, Vince Staples, Disclosure and Toro y Moi and performed at Coachella and New York’s Gov Ball, calls his style of dance music “Compton house”; it meshes the rhythms of Chicago house and Detroit techno with the bite of West Coast rap.

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor As it did with Taylor Swift earlier this year, New York University’s Clive Davis Institute has introduced a course on Lana Del Rey for this fall. Taught by journalist and author Kathy Iandoli, the two-credit course, “Topics in Recorded Music: Lana Del Rey” runs Oct. 20-Dec. 8. According to an NYU rep, the course will examine Del Rey’s contributions to 21st Century pop stardom, her relationship to feminism, her musical influences and artists she has influenced, and her connection to social justice movements such as  #BlackLlivesMatter, #MeToo and #TimesUp. Del Rey was honored with the Decade Award at Variety‘s Hitmakers event in December.