
Parents celebrate late B.C. teen's posthumous album release
Nell Smith, the 17-year-old who worked with the Grammy award-winning band The Flaming Lips, died in a car crash in October. Now, her first solo album is set to be released in April. Smith's parents say the release was exciting but listening to the new album was challenging, so soon after their daughter's death.

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Winnipeg Free Press
6 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Country musician Conner Smith fatally hit pedestrian with truck. No charges now, but probe ongoing
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Country musician Conner Smith fatally hit a pedestrian while driving his truck in Nashville over the weekend, and he currently faces no charges as an investigation continues, police said. Metro Nashville Police said Smith, 24, hit Dorothy Dobbins, 77, Sunday evening while she was crossing the road inside a marked crosswalk. Dobbins, a retired attorney, later died at a hospital. The Tennessee Bar Association posted on its website that Dobbins had been out walking her dog when she was hit. Police say Smith showed no signs of impairment. They believe the 'preliminary contributing factor' appears to be that Smith did not yield the right of way to the pedestrian. Smith's attorney, Worrick Robinson, said his client is cooperating with the investigation. 'His heart goes out to Ms. Dobbins' family during this incredibly difficult time,' Robinson said in a statement. Dobbins was a leader in the city's legal aid and family law communities, where she practiced for over 40 years, according to posts by the Bar Association and the Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands. She played a 'foundational role in opening Nashville's first domestic violence shelter,' according to a Facebook post from the Legal Aid Society, and she wrote the state's first order of protection legislation. Weekly A weekly look at what's happening in Winnipeg's arts and entertainment scene. Smith was a 2024 new male artist of the year nominee at the Academy of Country Music Awards. He released his first full-length album, 'Smoky Mountains,' in 2024. The Nashville native has had gold-certified hits with 'Take it Slow' and 'Creek Will Rise,' according to his label, Big Machine. Smith had performed at Nashville's CMA Fest over the weekend.


Toronto Sun
10 hours ago
- Toronto Sun
Country singer fatally strikes elderly woman using crosswalk in Nashville
Conner Smith attends Big Machine Label Group x CMA Fest 2025 at Lainey Wilson's Bell Bottoms Up on June 07, 2025 in Nashville, Tennessee. Photo by Terry Wyatt / Getty Images Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. Country singer Conner Smith was involved in a collision over the weekend that left an elderly woman dead. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The fatal crash happened in Nashville on Sunday night when the singer's Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck struck Dorothy Dobbins, 77, as she walked in a crosswalk on Sunday evening, the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department said in a news release. Dobbins, who police said lives near the scene, was taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center where she succumbed to her injuries. Smith's attorney, Worrick G. Robinson, confirmed to The Tennessean that the 24-year-old singer 'was involved in a car accident that tragically claimed a life.' Robinson added: 'His heart goes out to Ms. Dobbins' family during this incredibly difficult time. Mr. Smith continues to cooperate fully with the ongoing investigation.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Authorities said that Smith showed no signs of impairment, but preliminary finds indicate that he failed to yield the right of way to the pedestrian. No charges have been filed. RECOMMENDED VIDEO The incident took place on the final day of the annual CMA Fest, a four-day festival in Nashville that celebrates country music. Conner, who is signed to Big Machine Records' Valory label, performed at an event for the label on Saturday, and on stage that same day. Read More The Nashville native released his debut album Smoky Mountains last year. He has opened for Luke Bryan and was nominated for New Male Artist of the Year at the 2024 ACM Awards. Toronto Maple Leafs Toronto Blue Jays NHL Crime World


Winnipeg Free Press
5 days ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Renée Elise Goldsberry talks new album, whether ‘Hamilton' return is an option and EGOT aspirations
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Renée Elise Goldsberry is most inspired by artists bold enough to take a career leap, even when there's no guarantee of a safe landing. Over the years, Goldsberry spent her celebrated career surrounded by fearless risk-takers. Now, the Tony and Grammy winner, best known for her breakout role in the Broadway musical 'Hamilton,' is taking a bold move of her own. She's stepping into the spotlight as a solo artist: Her debut album, 'Who I Really Am,' was released Friday. 'I'm surrounded by friends that do really crazy, brave, 'I could fail miserably' things,' said Goldsberry, whose role as Angelica Schuyler in Hamilton won her a Tony in 2016 for best featured actress in a musical. In that same year, she earned a Grammy for best musical theater album. 'They jump off cliffs, they start to fly, we get to see it and it's so inspiring that you put out an album,' she said. Goldsberry has made her presence felt in other Broadway projects including 'Rent' and 'The Color Purple.' She's had standout work on 'Girls5Eva' and 'The Good Wife ' and was on the daytime soap 'One Life to Live.' With 'Who I Really Am,' Goldsberry is carving her own musical path. The album is a 13-track project filled with soul, funk, blues and gospel vibes featuring a reimagined version of her iconic 'Hamilton' song 'Satisfied,' which was originally penned by Lin-Manuel Miranda. In a recent interview, Goldsberry talks to The Associated Press about finding her identity through the album, whether returning to 'Hamilton' is an option and aspirations for an EGOT, a term for the rare person who's won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony award during their career. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. ___ AP: You wrote 11 songs on the album. While creating this project, what did you discover more about yourself? GOLDSBERRY: I need to give myself license to be more than one thing. I think that's always been the case with recorded music for me. I've been writing since I was a kid. The challenge for me has always been feeling like you have to be extremely specific about a box when you're a recording artist. It has to all sound like one mood, one vibe. I had to give myself permission to not try to fit into a box that exists, or even a box that's specific. I gave myself license to express myself in all the ways it naturally comes out. AP: You started the album process in 2020. What was your initial thoughts on re-recording 'Satisfied'? GOLDSBERRY: Somebody said to me 'You could probably get a record deal and do an album if you re-record 'Satisfied.'' I said 'Absolutely no.' I'm absolutely not doing that. It already exists. It's perfect. The show is perfect. AP: What shifted your thinking? GOLDSBERRY: In the process of recording all the music, we rented a studio in Nashville. It's where Dolly Parton recorded 'Jolene.' It felt like all this history was there. We had all these great musicians there. We booked the studio for a week or two and we finished early, and they were going to let everybody go home. And I was like 'We might as well record this version of 'Satisfied' that I do in my concert, because we're sitting here.' And these cats are amazing. We started playing. They started playing, and our minds exploded. The control booth. Our brains exploded. It was so good. Then I started singing it. I said to us 'This belongs.' AP: Your 'Girls5Eva' co-star Sara Bareilles wrote the song 'Smiling.' How was it reuniting with her? GOLDSBERRY: I think she is one of the greatest singer-songwriters that has ever existed and might ever exist. I had the privilege of being in a concert with her. I opened for her at the Hollywood Bowl a couple of months ago. She was doing something new. I love artists and I'm one of them in this moment. But I love artists that do new things that might not work, bravely. She had orchestrated all of her music. She had a huge symphony orchestrated show. All the music that she had written. AP: What happened next? Weekly A weekly look at what's happening in Winnipeg's arts and entertainment scene. GOLDSBERRY: We got to see her jump off a cliff for the first time. It was one of the greatest things I ever saw in my life. I could start crying right now. It was so great. It's so brave. I'm surrounded by people like that, and it's so inspiring. They're all doing crazy things. All of them. Leslie Odom Jr. decided to go back to 'Hamilton.' Like that's insane. AP: Would you ever return to 'Hamilton'? GOLDSBERRY: That's what Leslie taught us: Never say never. AP: You're halfway to EGOT status. Is that something you feel like it's achievable? GOLDSBERRY: I'm not going to lie, I've thought of different ways I could slip in the back door, you know what I mean? Like I have a documentary called 'Satisfied' (which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival last year) about the journey in my life when I was part of the original company of 'Hamilton' and also trying to raise my young family. We were like, 'What original song can we put in this movie to contend for slipping in the Oscar category. … It's possible. But I'm less interested in the results of a journey than the journey itself.