عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Entertainment

Cyndi Lauper, Chubby Checker Chosen for Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 

Cyndi Lauper performs on the Pyramid Stage during the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm, in Pilton, Somerset, Britain, June 29, 2024. (Reuters)
Cyndi Lauper performs on the Pyramid Stage during the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm, in Pilton, Somerset, Britain, June 29, 2024. (Reuters)
TT
TT

Cyndi Lauper, Chubby Checker Chosen for Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 

Cyndi Lauper performs on the Pyramid Stage during the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm, in Pilton, Somerset, Britain, June 29, 2024. (Reuters)
Cyndi Lauper performs on the Pyramid Stage during the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm, in Pilton, Somerset, Britain, June 29, 2024. (Reuters)

"The Twist" singer Chubby Checker, pop star Cyndi Lauper and grunge rock band Soundgarden were among the acts chosen for induction this year into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

"American Idol" host Ryan Seacrest announced the 2025 inductees during the ABC singing competition show on Sunday.

Others selected for the Rock Hall in Cleveland included English rock group Bad Company, hip-hop act Outkast, rock and blues singer Joe Cocker and garage rock duo The White Stripes.

The artists will be inducted during a ceremony that will stream live on Disney+ from Los Angeles on Nov. 8.

Inductees were chosen by fans and industry experts. Artists must have released their first recording at least 25 years ago to be eligible.

A singer and dancer, the now 83-year-old Checker was known for popularizing various dance styles including the twist and the limbo in the 1960s.

Bad Company came together in 1973 and recorded hits such as the self-titled "Bad Company".

British singer Cocker made the music charts with songs such as "You are So Beautiful" and "Up Where We Belong" with Jennifer Warnes, and was known for his legendary cover of The Beatles' "With a Little Help from My Friends" performed at Woodstock.

Lauper, 71, stood out in the 1980s during the heyday of music videos with her colorful hair and outfits and upbeat songs such as "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun."

Soundgarden, part of the 1990s grunge rock scene in Seattle, was led by Chris Cornell, who died by suicide in 2017.

"Hey Ya!" band Outkast was formed in Atlanta by Big Boi and Andre 3000 in 1992. The White Stripes, from Detroit, led a resurgence of garage rock in the 2000s.

Most Viewed

 
 
Entertainment

Denzel Washington Receives Surprise Honorary Palme d'Or at Cannes Premiere for 'Highest 2 Lowest'

US actor Denzel Washington receives the Honorary Palme d'Or from US director and executive producer Spike Lee ahead of the screening of the film "Highest 2 Lowest" at the 78th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France, on May 19, 2025. SAMEER AL-DOUMY/Pool via REUTERS
US actor Denzel Washington receives the Honorary Palme d'Or from US director and executive producer Spike Lee ahead of the screening of the film "Highest 2 Lowest" at the 78th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France, on May 19, 2025. SAMEER AL-DOUMY/Pool via REUTERS
TT
TT

Denzel Washington Receives Surprise Honorary Palme d'Or at Cannes Premiere for 'Highest 2 Lowest'

US actor Denzel Washington receives the Honorary Palme d'Or from US director and executive producer Spike Lee ahead of the screening of the film "Highest 2 Lowest" at the 78th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France, on May 19, 2025. SAMEER AL-DOUMY/Pool via REUTERS
US actor Denzel Washington receives the Honorary Palme d'Or from US director and executive producer Spike Lee ahead of the screening of the film "Highest 2 Lowest" at the 78th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France, on May 19, 2025. SAMEER AL-DOUMY/Pool via REUTERS

Denzel Washington sandwiched a whirlwind trip to the Cannes Film Festival, in between Broadway performances, for the premiere of Spike Lee's “Highest 2 Lowest” on Monday — and was rewarded with a surprise: an honorary Palme d'Or.

Cannes had flipped around some of its scheduling to accommodate Washington's speedy France trip, which came on his lone off-day while performing “Othello” in New York. Cannes Film Festival chief Thierry Frémaux surprised Washington with the award before the Monday night premiere, The Associated Press reported.

“This is my brother, right here,” said the film’s director, Spike Lee, who passed the award to Washington.

“This is a total surprise for me,” said Washington.

The festival usually gives out one or two honorary Palmes each edition — last year, the awardees were Studio Ghibli and George Lucas. Last week, Robert De Niro received one on the festival's opening night. De Niro's award was announced in advance, but surprise prizes aren't unheard of: In 2022, Tom Cruise was presented with a surprise honorary Palme d'Or just before the screening of “Top Gun: Maverick.”

The premiere also had another surprise: Rihanna attended and walked the carpet afterward with partner A$AP Rocky. Earlier this month, she revealed at the Met Gala that she was pregnant with their third child.

While the festival's photo calls usually happen the day after a film's premiere, Cannes hosted one for “Highest 2 Lowest” earlier Monday so Washington could attend. The actor, playfully posing with Lee and co-star A$AP Rocky, showed no signs of jet lag and left once the screening began.

“He told me to tell you: Thank you for the love,” Lee told the crowd after the screening. “He's on Broadway doing ‘Othello,’ so it really took a lot for him to fly here. Let's give it up for Denzel Washington, please.”

Lee also came to Cannes with obligations back in New York on his mind. He arrived at the film’s premiere decked out in Knicks colors and wearing a blue and orange striped suit. Lee ended his brief speech in the Palais by hollering: “New York Knicks!”

That Washington would be able to make the trip had been a sticking point for Cannes.

When the festival first announced its lineup last month, “Highest 2 Lowest” wasn't included. Within hours, however, Lee himself announced the film was heading to Cannes. Representatives for the festival said they had been waiting for confirmation that Washington would attend to walk the red carpet.

“Highest 2 Lowest,” a remake of Akira Kurosawa's 1963 film “High and Low,” will be released in theaters by A24 on Aug. 22 before streaming on Apple TV+ on Sept. 5.