Latest news with #BillyPreston
Forbes
21-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
‘The White Lotus' Helps Billy Preston Earn A Posthumous Top 10 Smash with 'Nothing From Nothing'
These days, the right sync in a popular TV show or movie can turn a forgotten classic into a charting hit, sending a decades-old cut surging back into the spotlight. That's exactly what's happened this week with one of Billy Preston's best-known smashes. The late singer-songwriter is enjoying a chart comeback thanks to The White Lotus, and thanks to that placement, he earns a pair of important posthumous wins. 'Nothing From Nothing' has long been a standout in Preston's catalog. The track returns to the Billboard charts this week after a prominent placement in the series finale of The White Lotus. The cut debuts at No. 6 on the R&B Digital Song Sales chart, easily entering the top 10. It also lands at No. 15 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Song Sales ranking. Neither of the rankings that 'Nothing From Nothing' appears on this frame existed during Preston's heyday. Both digital song sales lists track purchases on platforms like Amazon and iTunes—services that weren't introduced until the early 2000s, just a few years before Preston's death in 2006. 'Nothing From Nothing' gives Preston his first-ever appearance on these rosters, including a debut top 10 on the R&B Digital Song Sales chart. The renewed attention for 'Nothing From Nothing' stems directly from its inclusion in The White Lotus. The hit HBO show wrapped up its most recent season with a huge number of viewers, and many of them rushed to consume Preston's cut following the episode's airing. According to Spotify, streams of 'Nothing From Nothing' increased by 370% the day after the finale aired. Sales also saw a massive bump, helping the track earn its way back onto the Billboard charts. 'Nothing From Nothing' was released in 1974 as part of Preston's album The Kids and Me. The track became a massive success, hitting No. 1 on the Hot 100 – one of several leaders from the rocker and R&B powerhouse – and helping prove that the musician and Beatles collaborator was a true star.
USA Today
14-02-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Is 'SNL' new this Saturday? No, but you can watch the 1st episode of the show ever.
Hear this story There is no new episode of "Saturday Night Live" this Saturday night, but there is a special re-run to watch ahead of Sunday's 50th anniversary special for the long-running comedy show. On Feb. 15, NBC will re-air the first "SNL" ever from Oct. 11, 1975. Comedian George Carlin, who died in 2008, hosted the 50-year-old episode. American singers and songwriters Billy Preston and Janis Ian preformed as musical guests. Also appearing on the show that night was comedian Andy Kaufman and a sketch from Muppets creator Jim Henson. Ahead of that, NBC will air the documentary "Ladies & Gentlemen … 50 Years of SNL Music." Here's what to expect for "SNL" on Feb. 15. Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle. 'SNL' 50th anniversary special:Which celebrities will appear on the show? How to watch the first-ever 'SNL' The first 1975 "SNL" episode will air on NBC on Saturday, Feb. 15th at 11:30 p.m. ET/PT. Viewers can also stream it and past episodes on Peacock. Cast of the first 'SNL' episode Originally titled 'NBC's Saturday Night,' the premiere telecast gave audiences its first look at the cast dubbed the "Not Ready for Prime Time Players," which included: Dan Aykroyd John Belushi Chevy Chase Jane Curtin Garrett Morris Laraine Newman Gilda Radner Lineup for 'SNL' 50th anniversary celebration This weekend is packed full of programming to mark the show's 50th anniversary, starting Friday, Feb. 14 with "SNL 50: The Homecoming Concert," which will stream live on Peacock at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT, with fan screening events in Select IMAX Theaters at Regal Cinemas. Hosted by Jimmy Fallon, the concert will showcase performances from Arcade Fire, Backstreet Boys, Bad Bunny, Bonnie Raitt, Brandi Carlile and more. On Sunday, Feb, 16, the much-anticipated "SNL 50: The Anniversary Special" is set to air at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on NBC. It can also be streamed on Peacock. The three-hour comedy show will air live from Studio 8H in Rockefeller Center. NBC has announced several guest appearances for the special, including former hosts, cast members, writers and musical guests, in addition to comedy A-listers. We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn't influence our coverage. Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@ and follow her on X @nataliealund.
Chicago Tribune
13-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Column: 50 years of ‘Saturday Night Live,' half fascinating, half underwhelming
If it felt like 'Saturday Night Live' took to the airwaves in 1975 with a renegade spirit, 50 years later it's become not only a late-night tradition, but traditional. Hitting the half-century mark is a milestone. But a show doesn't stick around that long because it's willing to experiment or step on toes, but because it is fully embraced by the establishment. That's the likely unintended subtext throughout the various behind-the-scenes documentaries produced by NBC ahead of the show's 50th anniversary special airing Sunday. These are in-house projects that stay on-message — warm and laudatory — but they are not without their fascinating moments. All can be streamed on Peacock. An additional programming note: The first episode of 'Saturday Night Live,' which originally aired on Oct. 11, 1975, with host George Carlin and musical guests Billy Preston and Janis Ian, will air on NBC in 'SNL's' usual late-night timeslot this weekend, in place of a new episode. 'Ladies & Gentlemen… 50 Years of SNL Music' Co-directed by Oz Rodriguez and Ahmir Thompson (aka Questlove), the two-hour documentary includes a remarkable 7-minute montage of 'SNL's' musical performances that opens the film. But it also puts a long-overdue focus on the show's musical history, which tends to get sidelined, and it's a good reminder of the sheer variety of music that has been featured over the years. The opening montage blends clips in a way that segues brilliantly from one to the next, as if the songs were sonic cousins that should have been considered in tandem all along. It's the kind of creative musical gambit we rarely see on TV, put together people who clearly love all genres of music and see how they're interrelated. The show's opening theme song is instantly recognizable — and in no way hummable. And yet it works. Here's how Jack White describes it: There is no consistent melody, 'it's just a wailing saxophone of someone being taken out of the building playing saxophone, by the police, and the microphone's still connected.' As someone points out, the similarities between music and comedy are many: Timing, cadence and misdirection. Not mentioned: The prolific use of drugs, especially in the '70s. But this is a cleaned-up version of 'SNL's' past, so … In the show's first two decades, it was more likely to expose lesser-known bands to a wider audience. Devo in 1978. Talking Heads in 1979. The B-52s in 1980. Funky Four Plus One in 1981 (the first hip hop group to perform on the show, thanks to host Debbie Harry using her clout to get them on). An appearance on national TV used to have a big effect. I wonder if that's still true, but with fewer places for singers and musicians to perform on live TV, the show still holds relevance in that regard. As 'SNL' increasingly became mainstream, the documentary is a reminder that the musical acts retained an unpredictable and rebellious edge for a bit longer. 'SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night Live' The four-part docuseries is hit-and-miss, but maybe that's fitting since the unevenness mirrors the show itself. This should feel more momentous, especially in the streaming era when a long run might be seven seasons. (According to a recent report in Vulture, 'SNL' remains 'consistently profitable despite being incredibly expensive to produce' at $4 million an episode.) Episode 1: 'Five Minutes': The show's audition process is infamous by this point. Each person steps on an empty stage and performs for a small group of stone-faced decision-makers. The awkward silence is true in some cases, but other times you can hear off-camera guffaws. Cast members (mostly from the past 20 years) reminisce about the experience as they watch footage of their auditions. Some are cringe, but a handful are surprisingly good, including Will Ferrell, who was fully-formed from the start. There are the people who didn't make the cut but went on to significant careers anyway: Jim Carrey, Jennifer Coolidge, Mindy Kaling, Kevin Hart, Stephen Colbert. The Dick Ebersol years — when executive producer Lorne Michaels left the show from 1981 to 1984 — might as well not exist, and there are only brief snippets of the original Not Ready for Primetime Players, including Dan Aykroyd and Jane Curtain. It's such a weirdly recent assemblage who are featured. The '70s, '80s and most of the '90s are elided, even though the whole point is that the show has been around for 50 years Of the show's casting and talent staff interviewed, you notice the dearth of Black people and other people of color and it makes you wonder in what ways — subconscious or otherwise — that's affected the show's lineup over the years. Ego Nwodim, who joined the cast in 2018, offers some insight into that, albeit indirectly: 'I felt like I could do the job in a way that would make it easier for the next Black woman. And I say this not to say that every day I'd go in thinking, 'This is for Black women!' — I wasn't. But I wanted the audience to have a point of reference of a Black woman they felt had the skill set to do the job and their brains could go, 'Oh yeah, she belongs.' And then the next Black woman who comes after me, my hope is her time is 5% easier because of the work I did there.' She says she benefits from the Black women who came before her. There were just five. In 50 years. In case you were wondering if nepotism is part of the 'SNL' fabric, of course it is! We learn that George Wendt called 'SNL' about considering his nephew Jason Sudeikis. Episode 2: 'More Cowbell': The weakest of the episodes, it functions as an anatomy of a sketch. Specifically the 'More Cowbell' sketch (technically called 'Recording Session') from 2000 starring Christopher Walken and envisioned by Will Ferrell as an absurdist version of Blue Öyster Cult recording the band's 1976 hit '(Don't Fear) The Reaper.' The sketch is fine. Funny even! I'm not sure it's interesting enough to warrant a one-hour, semi-tongue-in-cheek episode about the making of it. Surely there were other sketches with better backstories. Episode 3: 'Written By: A Week Inside the 'SNL' Writers Room': This would be compelling if James Franco hadn't already made a documentary called 'Saturday Night' documenting the same process. It's embarrassing how alike the two projects are. For a more comprehensive, warts-and-all look at the show, you can check out the nonfiction book 'Live from New York: An Uncensored Story of Saturday Night Live as Told by Its Stars, Writers, and Guests.' There's also a new biography about 80-year-old Michaels by Susan Morrison called 'Lorne: The Man Who Invented 'Saturday Night Live'' that broaches topics these documentaries studiously avoid, including staff pushback Michaels received when he booked Donald Trump to host during his campaign for president in 2015: Despite Michaels' insistence that the show was non-partisan, the writers felt he was putting his thumb on the scale and ''helping' Trump — a sentiment that was only bolstered amongst staff who recalled to Morrison that Michaels had wanted to 'tone down a harsh Trump sketch' and allow him to show 'some charm.'' The writers are droll about their second-tier status. 'I believe our names roll by extremely fast over shots of the castmates hugging and meeting the famous people,' says head writer Streeter Seidell. A lot of famous people were writers on the show — but only became famous once they left the show and found opportunities on camera, including Will Arnett, Larry David, John Mulaney, Sarah Silverman. The writers produce their own sketches, meaning they write the scripts but are also responsible for helping to shape the performances and working with the rest of the crew on the sets and costumes. Louie Zakarian, head of the makeup department, has been building prosthetics on the show for nearly 30 years. 'We did a 'Game of Thrones' sketch and we had one night to build a dragon,' he says. I would have loved an episode focusing on how these art departments actually function on such a short timeframe, creating everything from scratch each week. 'You are fully in charge of three to four minutes of live network television,' says Mulaney about the autonomy writers are given. 'NBC had nothing to say about it. Nothing. And when they did, we'd tell them no. We're like 25 and we'd go, 'We're doing it.'' It's a weird framing considering the show isn't in the business of controversy or boundary pushing. Writer Celeste Yim's path to the show: 'I went to NYU for playwriting and was like, 'Great, this is it, I'm going to be a playwright and write about things that really matter.' And then basically immediately got the most corporate comedy job in the world.' This is the first time someone actually names it instead of buying into the lore — 'SNL' may be desperate to style itself as bold, but at the end of the day, it's just corporate. More than anything, you feel a deep sympathy for the writers. They seem beaten down and miserable, in it for the rare adrenaline rush of a sketch getting big laughs, but also mostly because it's the kind of resume item that can lead to other jobs down the line. There's nothing easy about comedy and the pressure to write funny material on a short deadline is daunting. I think it's OK that a lot of it doesn't work. But you wonder if the environment fostered by Michaels is the only way to do it. (As the aforementioned Vulture piece points out: 'His age has added an undercurrent of queasiness to the 50th anniversary victory lap as Michaels's empire rolls on without a firm succession plan. For better or worse, the machinery of American comedy has built up around him, and no one knows how the laugh factory will function if Michaels retires — or what it means if he chooses to cling to the show into his twilight years.') Here's Tina Fey: 'The rewrite tables were tough. They were grouchy. People would take the rundown of the show and just go through it, sketch by sketch, and make fun of it. Make fun of the title. Goof on it, goof on it, goof on it. You would leave the room fully knowing that that writers room was taking a (dump) on it while you were gone, and it just was kind of the way it was.' 'I don't know if it's the same anymore,' she says (the documentary doesn't bother providing an answer). 'Maybe it should get that way again a little bit,' Fey adds, and it would have been enlightening to hear why she thinks that kind of backbiting is beneficial to creativity. The idea that people can only do their best work under those circumstances probably deserves to be challenged. Episode 4: 'Season 11: The Weird Year': Finally, Ebersol's existence is (barely!) acknowledged, if only because Season 11 marked Michaels' return to 'SNL' as executive producer, taking over for Ebersol. Michaels' eye for talent has always been one of his strengths, but you could say the same of Ebersol, who assembled casts that included Eddie Murphy, Billy Crystal and Martin Short. Well, regardless, Michaels cleared house when he came back, hiring a number of performers — including Randy Quaid, Anthony Michael Hall and Robert Downey Jr. — who had little or no previous sketch comedy experience. The episode is the only one that even vaguely criticizes Michaels, but you really have to read between the lines because he's portrayed as a godlike figure. (Even at this point, he was already living a certain lifestyle; people remember being called out for meetings by the pool at his house in the Hamptons.) That Michaels failed to create an environment in which a talent like Damon Wayans could thrive is such a big mark against him (Michaels fired him that season). There's a lot of emphasis that the show faltered during Season 11 (tensions between the writers and the cast is alluded to) but the documentary and its participants don't analyze more deeply the why of it all. At any rate, the season ended with a sketch that literally envisioned the cast set on fire. I had forgotten that Michaels brought Francis Ford Coppola on to direct an episode that season, with Coppola on camera for some of it. It's such a departure for the show and just the kind of experiment you wish the show had embraced in the years since. Jon Lovitz has the best observation about the show, then and now: 'We're live but we're not taking advantage of it.'
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
SNL's First Episode Will Re-Air on NBC to Celebrate Its 50th Anniversary
Everyone's favorite sketch comedy show, Saturday Night Live, will celebrate its 50th anniversary by re-airing its first episode. On February 15, NBC will broadcast the first SNL episode a day after a three-hour special for the anniversary. Additionally, a special episode will air the next day with a multitude of special guests, some whom are already announced and others as surprises. SNL's first episode originally aired on October 11, 1975, hosted by comedian George Carlin. You may remember from his iconic comedy special about the seven forbidden words you cannot say on air. At the time the show was actually not SNL, but instead called NBC's Saturday Night. The recent film Saturday Night follows the hectic process of the show broadcasting live for the first time. It is not the best film in the world, but it definitely gives insight into that October night. In a similar fashion to today's SNL, there were musical guests, specifically Billy Preston and Janice Ian. NBC's Saturday Night had its own ensemble cast that included Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Chevy Chase, Jane Curtin, Garrett Morris, Laraine Newman, and Gilda Radner. Just like present-day, they had special guests Andy Kaufman and Muppets creator Jim Henson. On February 14, before the re-airing of the first SNL episode, NBC is broadcasting a compilation of popular holiday sketches from the show's history. Right after the broadcasting of the first episode, the documentary directed by Questlove, Ladies & Gentlemen… 50 Years of SNL Music, will air. NBC is doing a slew of events for the 50th anniversary to lead up to 'SNL50: The Anniversary Episode' on February 16, which has a number of confirmed special guests, including Quinta Brunson, Bad Bunny, Sabrina Carpenter, Miley Cyrus, Robert De Niro, Ayo Edebiri, Tom Hanks, Paul McCartney, and many more. For more information on all the guests coming back and what's airing when, head to SNL's Instagram.
CNN
27-01-2025
- Entertainment
- CNN
Questlove says upcoming ‘SNL' special is ‘love letter' to show's 50 years of musical performances
NBC's celebration of 'Saturday Night Live's' 50-year history will continues this week with a new 3-hour documentary titled 'Ladies & Gentlemen… 50 Years of SNL Music.' Nearly 1,000 artists have performed on the Studio 8H stage since 'SNL' debuted on October 11, 1975, according to the show, with the first being funk and soul musician Billy Preston. 'I remember when we come on the air, we're following Watergate, the last helicopter out of Vietnam, the city is broke, the church is being questioned and so everything seemed to be, if not crumbling, at least open to question,' the show's creator Lorne Michael said in a trailer for the doc, speaking of the series' debut. At that moment in time, Michaels added, 'we just came on and did a show that we would want to see and music was a big part of that.' According to an official synopsis, 'Ladies & Gentleman' will look back at the hundreds of performers who've taken the stage at 'SNL' and will reveal 'untold stories behind the culture-defining, groundbreaking, and news-making musical performances, sketches, and cameos of the past 50 years.' 'Ladies & Gentlemen' was co-produced by Oz Rodriguez and Roots drummer and Oscar-winning filmmaker Questlove, who wrote in an Instagram post over the weekend that 'every second of this doc is a love letter of sorts.' The doc will feature commentary from artists including Miley Cyrus, Mick Jagger, Dave Grohl, Billie Eilish and Paul Simon, among others, plus actors who've graced the 'SNL' stage like Maya Rudolph, Eddie Murphy, Bill Hader and more. 'SNL's' 50th anniversary will culminate with a special on February 16, airing on NBC. 'Ladies & Gentleman… 50 Years of SNL Music' will air on NBC on Monday at 8 p.m. EDT/PDT.
