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Music News: Madonna pays tribute to Prince at Billboard Music Awards

by Staff

May 22, 2016

At Sunday night's Billboard Music Awards, Madonna paid tribute to Prince with a rendition of "Nothing Compares 2 U," followed by a duet with Stevie Wonder on "Purple Rain." Watch the video at Stereogum. Also at the awards, Kesha sang Bob Dylan’s "It Ain't Me Babe."

The Star Tribune has published details of Prince's final days. According to the report, Prince was seeking treatment for opioid addiction in his final days, and Percocet was in his system at the time of his death — which likely occurred hours before the death was discovered by Paisley Park staff.

The Bremer Trust, managing Prince's estate until probate proceedings are complete, has started to remove items left at Paisley Park by fans, with the intention to preserve those items as part of Prince's legacy. Staff from the Hennepin History Museum and the Carver County Historical Society are involved with preservation of the artifacts. (Star Tribune)

A large print of an iconic photo of Prince in front of Minneapolis's Schmitt Music mural, taken in 1977 by Robert Whitman, has sold for $32,000 at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design's annual fundraising auction. (Star Tribune)

Chance makes chart history

Chance the Rapper’s Coloring Book has become the first release ever to chart on the Billboard 200 exclusively through streaming, as it debuts at number eight on this week's chart. Kanye West's The Life of Pablo has found chart success almost entirely through streaming, but there were also downloads of the album sold; Coloring Book is available exclusively to stream, meaning that its ascent into the top ten makes chart history. (Billboard) See Chance next month at Rock the Garden.

Anthony Kiedis bouncing back

Anthony Kiedis is "on the mend" and "feeling good," he says, after being hospitalized for "inflammation in my guts." Kiedis says he's sorry his band Red Hot Chili Peppers had to cancel performances while he was sick, but he's now taking better care of his health. (Billboard)

Courtney Barnett plays SNL

Courtney Barnett rocked the season finale of Saturday Night Live with "Nobody Really Cares If You Don't Go To the Party" and "Pedestrian at Best." Watch the performances at Billboard.

EODM dropped from French festivals

Eagles of Death Metal have been dropped from the lineups of two French festivals in the wake of comments frontman Jesse Hughes made this spring about last fall's terrorist attacks. Both the Le Cabaret Vert and Rock en Seine festivals canceled planned appearances by Eagles of Death Metal, the organizers saying they are in "total disagreement" with Hughes's allegations that staff at the Bataclan might have had inside knowledge of the attacks. Hughes has apologized for his statements. (Rolling Stone)

Remembering Nick Menza

Drummer Nick Menza has died at age 51 after collapsing onstage during a performance in California with his band OHM. Menza is best-known for performing with Megadeth from 1989 through 1998. (Rolling Stone)

Florence Welch sings with fan in hospice

Florence Welch (Florence & the Machine) visited a hospice care facility while on tour in Austin, Texas. While there, she visited and sang with a young fan who planned to attend Welch's concert but was unable to due to illness. (Billboard)

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This activity is made possible in part by the Minnesota Legacy Amendment’s Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund.