Latest news with #Checker
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Bad Company, Cyndi Lauper, Outkast, The White Stripes Lead Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Class of 2025
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has officially unveiled its 2025 class, confirming Bad Company, Chubby Checker, Joe Cocker, Cyndi Lauper, Outkast, Soundgarden and The White Stripes as this year's inductees. Ryan Seacrest announced the inductees on ABC's American Idol on Sunday night, the second year in a row the show revealed the Rock Hall class (ABC parent company Disney has the TV rights to the event). Aside from the performer category, Salt-N-Pepa and Warren Zevon are being honored with the Musical Influence award. Thom Bell, Nicky Hopkins and Carol Kaye are getting the Musical Excellence Award, and Lenny Waronker — the producer and executive best known for his longtime stint as the president of Warner Records — is this year's Ahmet Ertegun Award recipient. More from The Hollywood Reporter Bruce Springsteen Performs With Smokey Robinson, John Fogerty at 2025 American Music Honors Event How New Kids on the Block's Jonathan and Jordan Knight Breathed New Life Into HGTV Global DJ Alok Is Keeping Art Human and Bringing His True Self to the Desert The induction will take place November 8th at the Peacock Theater, and it will stream live on Disney+ that night. A special will air on ABC at a later date. The Rock Hall will announce on-sale information for tickets for the event at a later date. This will be the fourth time the induction will take place in Los Angeles, and the first time since 2022. 'Each of these inductees created their own sound and attitude that had a profound impact on culture and helped to change the course of Rock & Roll forever,' John Sykes Chairman of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, said in a statement. 'Their music gave a voice to generations and influenced countless artists that followed in their footsteps.' The nominees who missed the cut this year are The Black Crowes, Mariah Carey, Billy Idol, Joy Division/New Order, Maná, Oasis and Phish. The Crowes, Idol, Maná and Phish had never been nominated before. Phish handily won this year's Rock Hall fan vote (which counts for one ballot in the actual voting process), while Bad Company took second and Idol came in third. Joy Division/New Order were nominated back in 2023, while Oasis and Carey were both nominated for the first time in 2024. Last year's Rock Hall class included Cher, Mary J. Blige, Ozzy Osbourne and A Tribe Called Quest. Artists become eligible for the Rock Hall 25 years after their first commercial release. Checker, Cocker, Bad Company and Outkast are all getting in on their first nominations. Cocker's induction comes 11 years after the English singer died back in 2014, and eight years after Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell's tragic death in 2017. Lauper and The White Stripes were both previously nominated in 2023, while this was Soundgarden's third time on the ballot after nominations in 2020 and 2023. Checker's waited the longest for an induction out of this year's class, having released his first album back in 1960. Best of The Hollywood Reporter Most Anticipated Concert Tours of 2025: Beyoncé, Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar & SZA, Sabrina Carpenter and More Hollywood's Highest-Profile Harris Endorsements: Taylor Swift, George Clooney, Bruce Springsteen and More Most Anticipated Concert Tours of 2024: Taylor Swift, Bad Bunny, Olivia Rodrigo and More
Business Standard
28-04-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
Spearsoft Unveils Next-Gen AI-Powered Comprehensive Testing and AI Products for SMBs, Launches Globally
PNN New Delhi [India], April 28: Spearsoft has announced the global launch of its next-generation AI-powered platforms, purpose-built to address the operational complexities of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). This comprehensive suite of intelligent automation tools is engineered to optimize software development lifecycles, streamline talent acquisition, and enhance customer engagement--positioning SMBs for accelerated digital transformation and competitive differentiation. Enabling Intelligent Automation, Scalable QA, and Data-Driven Decision-Making Across Business Functions Reimagining Business Workflows with AI-Native Architecture At the core of Spearsoft's innovation lies a portfolio of AI-native applications designed to operationalize intelligence at scale. These platforms leverage cutting-edge technologies-- including generative AI, natural language processing (NLP), and machine learning--to automate critical business functions, reduce overhead, and enable data-driven agility. AI-Powered QA Automation Framework Spearsoft's automated testing suite transforms quality assurance by enabling test case generation and execution through natural language commands. Leveraging large language models (LLMs), the platform facilitates end-to-end test orchestration, accelerates test coverage, and ensures scalability without compromising product integrity. This empowers engineering teams to compress release cycles and drive continuous delivery with confidence. EVA - GenAI Powered Platform: A transformative enterprise platform designed to enhance operational efficiency through five advanced AI-powered modules. EVA-Recruit optimizes talent acquisition, while the Compliance Checker ensures regulatory adherence with precision insights. The Planner enables seamless scheduling through natural language, and PCPR proactively manages risks to keep projects on track. Prattle unlocks the power of unstructured data using RAG methodology--making EVA the future of intelligent enterprise innovation. Agentic AI Ecosystem for Cross-Functional Automation Spearsoft introduces a suite of AI agents and domain-specific assistants designed to augment human capabilities across business verticals. These agents harness deep learning and conversational AI to deliver autonomous task execution, contextual insights, and real-time decision support. Key components of this agentic AI ecosystem include: * LeadMagnet - An AI-driven demand generation engine that automates email sequencing, behavioural segmentation, and hyper-personalised outreach to optimise conversion funnels. * Spearbot - A multimodal conversational AI assistant, voice-enabled to facilitate natural language interactions, customer support automation, and seamless omnichannel engagement. * Smartkart - An AI-powered platform leveraging real-time behavioral analytics to deliver personalized recommendations, driving cross-sell/upsell and boosting engagement and retention. * Healthmate - A healthcare intelligence platform that delivers AI-enabled diagnostics, risk stratification, and personalised care pathways--powering preventive and precision medicine. * Claimify- An intelligent insurance assistant that automates claims triage, performs anomaly detection for fraud mitigation, and delivers predictive analytics to enhance operational efficiency and increase claims success rate. Executive Perspectives: Powering the Future of SMBs with AI Srinivas Goli, MD & Co-Founder of Spearsoft, emphasises: "Our agentic AI platforms are designed not just to support business operations, but to supercharge them--enabling SMBs to achieve 10x efficiency, agility, and growth. By automating core functions and embedding intelligence into everyday workflows, we're giving small and mid-sized enterprises the power to operate like tech giants--without the overhead." Praveen Puram, CEO & Co-Founder, says: "With our AI-powered testing architecture, we're not just automating QA--we're rearchitecting how SMBs approach product development. Our platform ensures faster time- to-market, reduced technical debt, and consistent product excellence at scale." Jennifer Baker, Strategic Advisor, stated: "With my extensive background in intelligent automation, digital strategy, and customer experience transformation, I'm excited to contribute to Spearsoft's AI and Quality Engineering (QE) initiatives. My guidance will help us strengthen capabilities, elevate delivery excellence, and scale innovative solutions that address the ever-evolving needs of our clients and partners." Pabba Chandrakamal, Marketing Head at Spearsoft, says: "Our agentic AI platforms are Game Changers for SMBs, providing them with advanced technologies to gain a competitive edge. We believe every business, regardless of size, deserves access to intelligent automation and AI, and Spearsoft is leading this transformation through innovative QA testing and agentic AI-driven solutions." About Spearsoft With over 25 years of industry experience, we are a global leader in software testing, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity. Leveraging our deep expertise in AI-driven personalization, custom model development, and sector-specific insights--alongside robust testing services-- we deliver reliable, secure, and high-performance solutions. Our comprehensive testing approach drives significant cost efficiency, with the potential for up to 10x improvement through AI-driven automation. We provide personalized AI solutions that align with business objectives, ensuring seamless AI integration within testing processes. Our solutions are built on deep industry knowledge, enabling the deployment of cutting-edge technologies that support scalable, reliable growth. To know more, visit: Contact Chandrakamal Pabba, Marketing Head Spearsoft Email: Pckamal@ (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
New York Times
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Chubby Checker, Outkast and the White Stripes Will Join the Rock Hall
Chubby Checker is finally joining the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, 65 years after 'The Twist' became a No. 1 hit and an international dance craze. Checker, 83, who has campaigned for decades to be admitted to the pantheon — at one point taking out a full-page ad in Billboard magazine that said 'I want my flowers while I'm alive' — is part of the 40th annual crop of performer inductees. He is joined by Joe Cocker, the White Stripes, Outkast, Cyndi Lauper, Bad Company and Soundgarden, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation announced on Sunday evening, after a Rock Hall-themed segment on ABC's 'American Idol.' Those artists — a lineup that mixes classic rock, hip-hop, 1990s-vintage alternative rock and a female pop icon — will formally join the hall on Nov. 8 in a ceremony at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles that will stream live in Disney+. Checker, Cocker, Outkast and Bad Company were all accepted on their first nomination. The induction of the White Stripes, the stylish garage-rock minimalists whose 'Seven Nation Army' has become a stadium-rousing standard, could lend some anticipatory drama to this year's ceremony. Since the band broke up in 2011, Meg White, its drummer, has become one the great recluses of 21st-century pop, rarely seen in public and declining all interview requests — which would make any possible appearance by her a major coup for the Rock Hall. Among the other honors this year, Salt-N-Pepa, the pioneering female rap group, and the singer-songwriter Warren Zevon will receive the musical influence award. The musical excellence citation will go to the keyboardist Nicky Hopkins, the studio bassist Carol Kaye and the producer Thom Bell, a key figure in Philadelphia soul. Lenny Waronker, a producer and longtime executive at Warner Bros. Records, will receive the Ahmet Ertegun Award. Among the nominees who failed to make the final cut this year are Oasis, the Britpop standard-bearers who have reunited for perhaps this year's most in-demand world tour, and Phish, the veteran Vermont jam band. Phish won the hall's fan ballot — a single vote, entered alongside those submitted from the hall's voting body of more than 1,000 music historians, industry professionals and previously inducted artists. Other nominees who didn't make the cut include Mariah Carey, the Black Crowes, Billy Idol, the Mexican rock band Maná and the linked British groups Joy Division and New Order. The Rock Hall has come under close scrutiny over the makeup of its inductee classes, receiving particularly harsh commentary over its low numbers of women; as of 2023, women made up just 8.8 percent of inducted individuals, according to one scholar's count. The hall has pledged to address those disparities, even revising its definition of rock 'n' roll as 'a spirit that is inclusive and ever-changing.' After some gains in recent years — with lauded inductions of Janet Jackson, Sheryl Crow, the Go-Go's and Kate Bush — the latest crop of performer inductees may draw more complaints. It includes just two women: Lauper, who rose to fame in the 1980s with hits like 'Girls Just Want to Have Fun' and 'Time After Time,' and Meg White of the White Stripes. Artists become eligible for nomination to the hall 25 years after the release of their first recording.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Fans all say same thing as AFL world erupts over Max Gawn's post-match moment
AFL fans and commentators are singing the praises of Max Gawn after a staggering performance and classy post-match speech on Thursday night blew everyone away. Gawn returned to his brilliant best as the Melbourne Demons beat Richmond 12.11 (83) to 9.9 (63) at the MCG on Anzac Day eve. The ruckman was everywhere as he tallied 25 disposals, nine marks, six clearances and a dozen score involvements as the most influential player on the ground. Tellingly, the Tigers only made the scoreline a lot closer at the death because Gawn was rested and taken off the ground. Gawn's starring performance earned him a second-consecutive Frank 'Checker' Hughes Medal - awarded to the best player on ground in the annual Melbourne-Richmond clash on Anzac Day eve. The 33-year-old delivered a brilliant speech after being bestowed the honour. "It's been 10 years (of the fixture) and the occasion is never lost on me," he said. "This is an unbelievable game to be able to play in. We had an amazing speaker this week in Paul Warren, and it just puts a lot of things into perspective for the group. We are truly honoured to be able to play in this game and I can't wait to watch tomorrow as well because it is a truly special weekend for the Anzacs." The AFL world was quick to praise Gawn for his performance on Thursday night, as well as the way he spoke afterwards. "He's just an extraordinary leader and we've seen in the last two weeks once again he's been able to drive the right things and lead the footy club incredibly well," said coach Simon Goodwin. "We do hope he keeps playing to this standard. That would be nice. He's got enormous pride in his game and you're seeing one of the best ever in the game go about his craft. What we've seen in the last few weeks is he's just reminding everyone that there's that little bit more left in him." RELATED: Vision emerges of Nick Daicos' ugly on-field act towards opponent Fans all say same thing about Jack Ginnivan amid massive ban The Demons started the season in diabolical fashion with five-straight losses. But they've now won back-to-back games - and Gawn has been the stand-out. It comes after Goodwin revealed earlier this year that Gawn hadn't been at his best on-field because of personal issues he's been dealing with away from footy. Goodwin copped backlash for opening up speculation about Gawn's private life, forcing Gawn to reveal he'd been dealing with an illness in the family for some time. Absolute beast of a human. He deserves every accolade he gets. — Jeffreyhead (@JeffHeadSC) April 24, 2025 The Magnificent Max Gawn was sensational again tonight. He was rested for the last 8 minutes of the game and he still had 34 Hitouts, 25 Disposals, 9 Marks and 4 Tackles. He was in beast mode 💪 @melbournefc @7AFL @AFL @FOXFOOTY @kayosports — Aaron ⚓🏀 ⚾️ 🏈 (@bowling23) April 24, 2025 Possibly the greatest Dee — SDopions (@ScottDA74169473) April 24, 2025 Still the best ruckman in the up Hall of Famer. — Matt Buckingham (@Choppa_91) April 24, 2025 Max Gawn = Good Bloke & Champion 👏 #AFLDeesTigers — Fraze... (@TigerFraze) April 24, 2025 Max Gawn awarded the Frank 'Checker' Hughes Medal. Well deserved ❤️💙 — Hayley (@Hayleyyemma) April 24, 2025 Goodwin said he hopes a renewed focus on pressure can be the turning point in his side's season. A dominant third quarter on Thursday night saw Melbourne deliver the fifth-best pressure rating of any side in the last five years. "When you start to value the right things in the game, that's the biggest thing, that shift of the energy," Goodwin said. "We were focusing on some things in the game and getting very disappointed when they weren't happening. "Now we've re-centred our focus about what's important in the game and you can see our ability just to keep playing. We play with an energy, a determination, a grit and a resilience that people that have watched Melbourne over the last seven or eight years have come to know. That identity is starting to come back and with that, belief is starting to come back, which is a great thing for our footy club." with AAP
New York Times
12-02-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Chubby Checker, Phish and Outkast Among Rock Hall Nominees
Outkast, Phish, Chubby Checker, Billy Idol, the Black Crowes and the Mexican band Maná are among the first-time nominees for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. This year's ballot, announced by the hall on Wednesday, will also include Oasis, Joe Cocker, Mariah Carey, Cyndi Lauper, the White Stripes, Bad Company and Soundgarden, as well as Joy Division and New Order, the band that members of Joy Division formed after the death of its lead singer, Ian Curtis. As in recent years, the latest nominees represent a mix of eras and subgenres. Those include boldface rock 'n' roll names from the 1960s, '70s and '80s (Cocker, Idol), punk and alternative heroes (Joy Division, Soundgarden, the White Stripes), arena-filling giants (Oasis, Phish), a hip-hop act (Outkast) and a nod to the world outside mainstream Anglo-American pop (Maná). Given the intense pressure the Rock Hall has faced in recent years to correct its poor record of admitting women to the pantheon, the inclusion of just two female performers — Carey and Lauper, neither of them new to the ballot — may bring yet more scrutiny to the institution despite its promises to reform. For longtime Rock Hall watchers, the biggest news this year may be Checker. His song 'The Twist' — a cover of a B-side originally released by Hank Ballard and the Midnighters — was a global phenomenon in the early 1960s, and it stands as one of the biggest hits in the history of the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. But until now, Checker, 83, has been ignored by the Rock Hall, despite years — decades, even — of complaints from his fans and protests by Checker himself. (Ballard, who died in 2003, was inducted into the hall in 1990.) In 2001, Checker took out a full-page ad in Billboard magazine calling on the Rock Hall — along with nominators of the Nobel Prizes — to recognize him for the song that, he said, became 'the biggest dance of the century.' 'I want my flowers while I'm alive,' he wrote. 'I can't smell them when I'm dead.' In 2018, the Rock Hall included 'The Twist' in a new honor, a list of singles that shaped rock 'n' roll. Artists become eligible for nomination 25 years after the release of their first recording. The nominations are voted on by more than 1,000 music historians, industry professionals and inducted artists. The winning nominees are to be announced in April, and this year's induction ceremony will be held in Los Angeles in the fall.
