“It was like, ‘Congratulations, you just bought Leo Fender’s company. Now you gotta learn how to make guitars’”: The origins of Ernie Ball Music Man – and how it all started with a bass

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(Image credit: Ernie Ball Music Man) Ernie Ball Music Man is honoring the 50th anniversary of its gold-standard bass, the StingRay, with an equally golden model. Consequently, it’s got Sterling Ball, son of Ernie, reflecting on the iconic instrument’s – and the company’s – origins. It’s a celebratory bass fitContinue Reading

Primary Wave Nears Deal to Acquire Kobalt, Which Would Create a $7B Indie Music Powerhouse

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Trending on Billboard Primary Wave is in the advanced stages of putting together a deal to acquire Kobalt Music Group, the gigantic independent music publishing administration company, which would create a powerhouse independent music company with over $7 billion in assets, Billboard estimates.  Primary Wave’s portfolio, which includes stakes inContinue Reading

‘SNL’ Star Tells Connor Storrie That ‘Heated Rivalry’ Is Just Like Her Relationship With Mumford & Sons

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“We just met,” Marcus Mumford whispers to Storrie after Saturday Night Live star Sarah Sherman’s claim. Connor Storrie, Mumford & Sons and Sarah Sherman in ‘SNL’ promos NBC/YouTube Trending on Billboard A lot of people have been watching Heated Rivalry as escapist entertainment, but for Saturday Night Live castmember SarahContinue Reading

Music Industry Moves: Suno Names Former Merlin CEO Jeremy Sirota Chief Commercial Officer

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Empire Publishing, the publishing division of the independent powerhouse music company of the same name, has entered a new agreement with Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Shaboozey, who is also on the Empire label. His track record of course includes the RIAA-Diamond certified hit “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” and the gold album “WhereContinue Reading

Kid Rock Predicts God Will ‘Cut Down’ Journalists for Reporting (Accurately) That He’s Charging Up to $5,000 for Tour Tickets

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Kid Rock wasn’t kidding around when sang a song about finding Jesus to conclude the recent Turning Point USA alternative halftime show. He got religious again on social media Friday, although this time the musician was speaking about divine judgment — which he suggested God may enact on journalists whoContinue Reading

“My tech said, ‘This bass looks tiny on you.’ I lowered the strap so it would look cooler. You have to throw your whole body into it”: Bought from grunge icons and stolen before Soundgarden reunited – the story of Ben Shepherd’s 1972 Fender Jazz Bass

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(Image credit: Getty Images) Soundgarden’s Ben Shepherd first appeared in the pages of Bass Player for a 1993 feature on alternative-rock. He was even on the cover, but that doesn’t mean he was happy about it. Speaking to Bass Player again in 2013 he revealed, “I was bummed out becauseContinue Reading

19 Heartbreaking Blended Family Stories the World Needs Right Now

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Blended family life could be harsh — stepchildren build walls, stepparents carry secrets. But these 19 touching stories show that quiet moments of kindness can change even the deepest wounds forever. They prove what the world needs to hear: a real family is built, not born. My stepmom sold my dog. I was twelve. No conversation, no warning, no goodbye. One day I cameContinue Reading