Entertainment
John P. Kee Honored at 2025 BMI Trailblazers of Gospel Music Awards

BMI celebrated the best in gospel music on Wednesday (April 3) at the 2025 BMI Trailblazers of Gospel Music Awards held at Flourish in Atlanta. Gospel music pioneer and pastor John P. Kee was honored as a Trailblazer of Gospel Music in recognition of his artistry and influence on the genre throughout his career spanning more than 40 years.
The private was ceremony hosted by Mike O’Neill, BMI’s president & CEO, and Catherine Brewton, vp, creative, Atlanta.
Throughout the afternoon, BMI saluted the 25 most-performed gospel songs of the previous year, leading up to the presentation of the BMI Gospel Song of the Year award, which went to “Goodness of God” written by Ed Cash, Ben Fielding (APRA) and Jason Ingram. Performed by CeCe Winans, the hit logged four weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Gospel Airplay chart and reached No. 2 on Hot Gospel Songs. The soulful ballad was Winans’ fourth No. 1 on the Gospel Airplay chart.
Kirk Franklin and Charles Jenkins tied as BMI’s Gospel Songwriter of the Year for each writing two of the most-performed gospel songs of the previous year. Franklin was honored for “All Things” and “Try Love,” giving him his fourth Songwriter of the Year award – three for gospel and one for Christian. Jenkins was recognized for his songs “God Be Praised” and “Look at God,” marking the first time he’s received this title. This brings his total of BMI Awards to eight.
BMI’s Gospel Publisher of the Year went to Capitol CMG for having the highest publisher share percentage of the top 25 songs, including BMI’s Gospel Song of the Year, “Goodness of God.”
As a Trailblazer of Gospel Music, Kee was honored for his signature blend of traditional and contemporary gospel music. O’Neill presented Kee with the honor, saluting his “extraordinary contributions that have greatly influenced the gospel genre and deeply touched the community.”
The musical tributes to Kee kicked off with Lena Byrd Miles performing “Yes Lord,” followed by Chrystal Rucker’s performance of “The Anointing.” The tributes continued with Kelontae Gavin singing “Never Shall Forget” and Jekalyn Carr performing “Standing in the Need.” Lisa Knowles-Smith and her children KJ and Ndia paid homage to Kee with renditions of “Lily in the Valley” and “He’ll Welcome Me.” Vanessa Bell Armstrong followed with “Wave It Away,” featuring Donald Lawrence and The Company. Zacardi Cortez ended the tribute with an uplifting performance of “Jesus is Real.”
Upon receiving the honor, Kee, known as the “Prince of Gospel,” thanked his family and friends, many of whom were in the room, for their love and support. “Every time you win an award, I win an award,” he said. “I’m just a proud Uncle John.” He went on to say that he was going to “flip the moment” by presenting BMI’s Brewton with a Lifetime Achievement Award for her “vision and determination that have paved the way for future generations of women in business.”
The ceremony concluded with Kee singing the opening line to his hit, “New Life” and he was joined with an impromptu celebration from many of the gospel greats in the room, including Isaac Carree, Zacardi Cortez, Eric Dawkins, Kirk Franklin, Jonathan McReynolds, Tasha Page-Lockhart, Lisa Page Brooks and Marvin Sapp.
Visit BMI’s website to see a full list of BMI’s Trailblazers of Gospel Music Award honorees.
Entertainment
No ‘Good’ Deed Goes Unpunished for Ariana Grande’s Glinda in Final ‘Wicked: For Good’ Trailer

In the final trailer for Wicked: For Good, Ariana Grande‘s character learns that a big price comes with being Glinda the Good.
Released on Wednesday (Sept. 24) — about two months before the Wicked sequel finally premieres in theaters on Nov. 21 — the preview shows how the blonde leading lady wrestles with her new role as Oz’s spokeswoman, as Cynthia Erivo‘s Elphaba attempts to expose the Wizard’s evil agenda while living in hiding. At first, Glinda is “obsess-ulated” with the gorgeous gown, tiara and mechanical flying bubble her public-facing life affords her — but everything quickly comes crashing down when she realizes that she’s on the wrong side of history, and that she just might be too late to save her former schoolmate from the wrath of Oz’s brainwashed citizens.
“I’m a public figure now, people expect me to …,” Glinda tells Elphaba at one point, with Dorothy’s fallen house and the Yellow Brick Road visible in the background.
“Lie?” the green-skinned witch cuts in, to which Glinda says defensively, “Be encouraging.”
Grande’s character is less sure of herself when she is confronted by Jonathan Bailey’s Fiyero, who accuses, “You can’t resist this.”
“Who could?” Glinda asks, to which the Winkie prince replies, “You know who could.”
Arriving one year after the first Wicked hit theaters and shattered movie-musical box-office records, For Good will serve as the film adaptation of the second act of the Broadway musical on which the live-actions are based. The soundtrack will also drop on Nov. 21, complete with two brand new songs sung by Grande and Erivo.
As revealed when the tracklist dropped a week prior to the new trailer, the title of Glinda’s bonus song is “The Girl in the Bubble,” while Elphaba’s added balled is called “No Place Like Home.”
Watch the final trailer for Wicked: For Good above.
Entertainment
Priscilla Presley Says That Leaving Elvis Presley Was ‘The Only Way to Survive’ in New Memoir ‘Softly, As I Leave You: Life After Elvis’

All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
Priscilla Presley was with Elvis Presley for around 14 years before they split; however, the pair had known each other for years before they wed in 1967.
The time in between and following Priscilla and Elvis’ divorce was a tough spot for Priscilla, and one she wasn’t super open about — that is, until now. In her new memoir Softly, As I Leave You: Life After Elvis, the actress shares the difficult but inspiring journey beyond the walls of Graceland post-split with the King, choosing to put herself and her daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, first.
A hardcover version of the book is now on sale and can be purchased now on Amazon for $22.38, while paperback will run you $32. A Kindle version retails for $15.99. If you’re a superfan of Priscilla and the Presley family, you can also snag a signed version of the memoir via Barnes & Noble for $32. The piece makes a great gift for the avid Elvis collector in your life. If you’d rather listen to the memoir, we won’t judge, you can do so with Audible via a subscription which costs $7.95 a month, a price tag less than a physical copy.
Softly, As I Leave You: Life After Elvis
A new memoir by Priscilla Presley.
If you didn’t know, Priscilla met Elvis when she was just 14 and he was 24. The singer was serving in the U.S. Army in 1959 in Germany. The pair remained romantically connected for years, even with distance between them and in 1967, they were wed in a simple and very secret ceremony in Las Vegas. While their separation in 1973 was painful for Priscilla, this novel highlights why it was so important for the Naked Gun star to leave.
It seems that Priscilla lost touch with herself throughout her relationship with Elvis. Leaving allowed her to find herself again. Through the book, we are treated to snippets of Priscilla’s life pre- and post-Elvis and how she had to reinvent herself a second time as the single mother after the performer’s death in 1977.
Today, we are taken through how Priscilla was able to transform Graceland into an international destination and helped guide the development of Elvis Presley Enterprises, turning the King’s legacy into a full-on business. If you are an Elvis fan, this gives readers a unique perspective on his life, as told by his ex-wife. It also gives Priscilla’s story more context for those who aren’t too familiar with her life and career.
Entertainment
Calvin Harris’ Ex-Business Manager Denies $22M Fraud Claims: ‘Categorically False’

Calvin Harris‘ former longtime business manager is firing back against bombshell fraud claims, saying he never stole from anybody and that the Scottish DJ willingly agreed to invest in his Los Angeles real estate development project.
Thomas St. John, an entertainment industry-focused accountant who runs the eponymous firm Thomas St. John Group, is currently wrapped up in thorny arbitration proceedings with his former client Harris (Adam Wiles). He’s accused of abusing his access to Harris’ accounts in order to fund his side venture: the construction of a recording studio and office space complex in Hollywood.
Harris claims that St. John tricked him into investing $22.5 million in the project, known as CMNTY Culture Campus, which he says turned out to be a “complete boondoggle” that he “has not received a single penny in return for” — while suggesting that St. John pocketed much of the money for himself.
However, a representative for St. John says in a new statement that the allegations are “categorically false.” The rep denies that St. John engaged in any self-dealing, adding that Harris is one of nine above-board investors who “knowingly signed investment agreements” to get involved in CMNTY Culture.
“Not a single dollar has been misappropriated, all investor entitlements remain intact, and the project continues to advance within the normal entitlement timeline,” says St. John’s rep in the Tuesday (Sept. 23) statement. “We will continue to take every necessary step to set the record straight and to ensure that these malicious, bad-faith attacks are recognized for what they are: entirely without merit.”
While CMNTY Culture was initially designed to house a recording studio and office space, St. John has since shifted the plans and is now developing a residential apartment complex on the same tract of land in Hollywood. According to his rep, the project is proceeding apace and “is expected to approach a $1 billion valuation” upon completion.
“While the entitlement process has naturally taken longer than initially projected due to unprecedented interest, macroeconomic conditions and significant city red tape, it remains firmly within its promised schedule and is now on the verge of securing final entitlements, an important milestone that will unlock substantial value,” adds St. John’s rep.
Thomas St. John Group has offices in Los Angeles, London, Amsterdam and Stockholm. The management firm’s U.S. arm recently filed for bankruptcy, citing hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid rent in L.A. and multiple pending legal actions.
One creditor listed in the firm’s bankruptcy papers is Philip Lawrence, a songwriter and producer who made his name collaborating with Bruno Mars. Lawrence used to be a client of St. John’s and at one point invested $10 million from the sale of his catalog into CMNTY Culture Campus, according to court filings in Lawrence’s own personal bankruptcy case.
-
Entertainment6 months ago
New Kid and Family Movies in 2025: Calendar of Release Dates (Updating)
-
Entertainment3 months ago
Brooklyn Mirage Has Been Quietly Co-Managed by Hedge Fund Manager Axar Capital Amid Reopening Drama
-
Tech6 months ago
The best sexting apps in 2025
-
Entertainment5 months ago
Kid and Family TV Shows in 2025: New Series & Season Premiere Dates (Updating)
-
Tech7 months ago
Every potential TikTok buyer we know about
-
Tech7 months ago
iOS 18.4 developer beta released — heres what you can expect
-
Tech7 months ago
Are You an RSSMasher?
-
Politics7 months ago
DOGE-ing toward the best Department of Defense ever