By Wonderwall.com Editors
8:10am PDT, Nov 1, 2019
Taylor Swift set to receive American Music Awards artist of the decade honor
Taylor Swift will be receiving the artist of the decade award at the American Music Awards on Nov. 24. On Oct. 30, the AMAs tweeted, "She's won more #AMAs than anyone this decade… She's a five-time 2019 #AMAs nominee… AND she's performing at this year's #AMAs LIVE on Nov. 24… @taylorswift13 is our ARTIST OF THE DECADE." Taylor is a 23-time AMA winner and if she takes home just one more trophy, she'll tie Michael Jackson's record of 24 wins. She already holds the record for the most wins by a female performer.
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"Old Town Road" becomes second country single to reach Diamond status
It might feel like "Old Town Road" was the song of the summer, but the country megabit scored itself another record for Lil' Nas X this fall. On Oct. 29, the Recording Industry Association of America officially declared that the song had reached Diamond status, which means it's moved 10 million certified units. The earworm is the first song of 2019 to reach the milestone and only the second single labeled "country" to hit this mark (Florida Georgia Line's "Cruise" is the other).
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Infected toe stops R. Kelly from attending court hearing
On Oct. 30, R. Kelly's attorneys told a federal judge that the music star was missing his status hearing in a child pornography case in Chicago that day as he was suffering from a toe infection. Lawyer Steve Greenberg said that one of the singer's toenails had to be removed and the disgraced hitmaker — who's behind bars as he faces multiple sexual abuse charges — was worried someone might step on it as he was escorted to and from court. The singer's next hearing is set for Feb. 13.
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Little Feat guitarist Paul Barrere dead at 71
Little Feat's Paul Barrere, who served as guitarist and backing vocalist in the boogie rock band for nearly 50 years, died on Oct. 26 at 71. While no cause of death has been released, the guitarist had been battling liver disease and was previously diagnosed with hepatitis C. "It is with great sorrow that Little Feat must announce the passing of our brother guitarist, Paul Barrere, this morning at UCLA Hospital," the band said in a statement. Stars shared their reactions to the news, with Bonnie Raitt tweeting, "I just heard about the passing of another dear friend, Little Feat's Paul Barrere. A brilliant guitarist, singer and songwriter — a cornerstone of one of the greatest bands of all time. I'm glad he is free of pain and may he rest in peace."
Kanye West says he'll change lyrics to old songs for future performances
Kanye West is a changed man! And now he's changing the way fans will hear his old music when he performs live. The rapper, who announced that he was "saved" this year, told radio personality Big Boy on Oct. 25 that he won't perform his old music in its original form again. "We can play that beat, but I'm going to adjust [the lyrics]," Kanye said. On Oct. 25, Kanye dropped his gospel album "Jesus is King."
Kurt Cobain's "MTV Unplugged" sweater sells for $334,000 at auction
The iconic sweater that Kurt Cobain wore during Nirvana's famed 1993 "MTV Unplugged" performance hit the auction block on Oct. 26, and it went for a pretty penny! The green cardigan sold for an astounding $334,000, making it the most expensive sweater ever auctioned. This isn't the first time a Kurt sweater has raised serious cash: In 2015, a sweater previously worn by the late rocker — "a blend of acrylic, mohair and Lycra with five-button closure (one button absent), with two exterior pockets, a burn hole and discoloration near left pocket and discoloration on right pocket" — sold for $137,500 through Julien's Auctions.
Carrie Underwood's mom raps on stage
Who knew Carrie Underwood's mom had flow?! During Carrie's Oct. 24 concert in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the country crooner treated the audience to a surprise during her hit "The Champion." As the song moved into the rap portion — which was originally performed by Ludacris — Carrie's mom, Carole Underwood, hopped on stage and rapped the verse perfectly! Carrie later tweeted, "Got to share the stage with this amazing champion tonight! Of course, I'm talking about my mom! She crushed it!"
Ariana Grande's "The Twilight Zone"-inspired costume will freak you out
Ariana Grande took it up a notch for Halloween 2019. The pop star showed off a crazy-creepy Halloween costume on social media on Oct. 30 — a look inspired by a 1960 episode of "The Twilight Zone" called "Eye of the Beholder." On the episode, a character undergoes a series of surgeries to look "normal," but when her bandages are removed, it's revealed that she's been beautiful all along. The surgeons — whose body parts are disfigured and pig-like — called it a fail.
