The Fugees to Reunite for First Time in 15 Years to Celebrate 'The Score'

Photo Credit B+

For the first time in 15 years Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean and Pras Michel will take to the stage together Wednesday, reuniting one of the defining hip hop groups of the 1990s – Fugees.

In 1996 the trio's second album "The Score" shot them to superstardom. Hit singles "Killing Me Softly" and "Ready or Not" helped propel it to the top of the Billboard charts. The Fugees went on to become the first hip-hop group ever to be nominated for Album of the Year at the 1997 Grammy's, where "The Score" took home awards for Best Rap Album and Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group ("Killing Me Softly").

The group's first reunion since 2006, when the Fugees kicked off Grammy week with a free show in Hollywood, will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the seven-time platinum album, which has sold over 22 million copies and is the best-selling album ever by a hip-hop group. 

“The Fugees have a complex but impactful history,” said Hill in a statement. “I decided to honor this significant project, its anniversary, and the fans who appreciated the music by creating a peaceful platform where we could unite, perform the music we loved, and set an example of reconciliation for the world.”

Jean added: “As I celebrate 25 years with the Fugees, my first memory was that we vowed, from the gate, we would not just do music we would be a movement. We would be a voice for the un-heard, and in these challenging times, I am grateful once again, that God has brought us together.”

The reunion will also launch a 12-city world tour beginning with Wednesday's New York City "intimate" pop-up show that is scheduled to take place in an undisclosed location. According to reporting from Variety the New York show is in support of “Global Citizen Live,” a global broadcast event “calling on world leaders to defend the planet and defeat poverty,” to air on September 25. Those looking for an opportunity to attend can head here.

The rest of the tour will commence November 2 at United Center in Chicago and will make stops across the globe before finishing in Africa, with the final shows taking place in Nigeria and Ghana. 

FUGEES TENTATIVE TOUR 2021 DATES: 

• Wed, Sept 22 – NYC – ???
• Tues, Nov 2 – Chicago, IL – United Center
• Sun, Nov 7 – Oakland, CA – Oakland Arena
• Fri, Nov 12 – Los Angeles, CA – The Forum
• Thurs, Nov 18 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena
• Sun, Nov 21 – Miami, FL – FTX Arena
• Fri, Nov 26 – Newark, NJ – Prudential Center
• Sun, Nov 28 – Washington D.C. – Capital One Arena
• Sat, Dec 4 – Paris, France – La Defense Arena
• Mon, Dec 6 – London, U.K. – The O2
• ??? – Nigeria – ???
• Sat, Dec 18 – Ghana – ???

Patti LaBelle's 'Silver Throat' Sarah Dash, Dead at 76

Singer Sarah Dash, co-founder of the Grammy Hall of Fame group Labelle, which topped the charts in 1974 with the disco smash hit “Lady Marmalade," died Monday a the age of 76 according to reports from multiple media outlets.

No cause of death has been released but Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora, a close friend of the New Jersey native, confirmed the death posting on Facebook: “Trenton lost a star today with Sarah Dash’s passing. She is now with the angels.”

Photo Credit Instagram @sarahasindash

Called “the woman with the silver throat” by fellow R&B legend and Labelle frontwoman, Patti LaBelle, Dash co-founded Patti LaBelle & The Bluebelles which evolved through several iterations before becoming the rock and funk-infused Labelle.

In 1974 the group, then comprised of Dash, LaBelle and Nona Hendryx, scored its signature hit "Lady Marmalade" helping to spark the rise of disco as well as propelling the trio to worldwide notoriety.  Following the release that year they became the first "rock and roll" act to play the Metropolitan Opera House. Labelle was also the first group of African-American vocalists to be featured on the cover of Rolling Stone.

The group recorded five studio albums together before going their separate ways. They remained close, however, reuniting serval times. 

"We were just on stage together on Saturday and it was such a powerful and special moment," Patti LaBelle said in a statement to the New York Daily News following Dash's death. "Sarah Dash was an awesomely talented, beautiful, and loving soul who blessed my life and the lives of so many others in more ways than I can say. And I could always count on her to have my back! That’s who Sarah was...a loyal friend and a voice for those who didn’t have one.”

Dash (far right), in a publicity still for the Labelle's with lead singer Patti LaBelle (center) and Nona Hendryx.

Dash never stopped singing and performing. She earned a hit with the song "Sinner Man" as a solo artist in the 70s and had a top-10 hit in the 80s with "Lucky Tonight." She also was a session singer and toured and recorded with many groups, most notably the Rolling Stones. Dash also worked on several of Keith Richards' solo efforts. 

Trenton lost a star today Miss Sarah Dash. Here she is with Keith Richards - Time Is on my Side/ Sarah Dash https://t.co/lLKwtfYdZu via @YouTube

— Mayor Reed (@gusciora) September 20, 2021

RIP Sarah Dash. The news of her death today comes just 2 days after she joined @MsPattiPatti for a final performance of "Isn't It A Shame" - the last song they recorded together in 1976.

So glad Patti was able to give Sarah her flowers while she was here to receive them. pic.twitter.com/eb7cUNfCmJ

— Lavern Spicer (@lavern_spicer) September 20, 2021

Pfizer Says Covid-19 Vaccine Safe for Kids Ages 5 to 11

Photo Courtesy Pfizer 

Hope may finally be on the horizon for America’s kids. 

Monday, the same day data compiled by Johns Hopkins University confirmed Covid-19 as the deadliest pandemic in the country’s modern history with 675,000 U. S. fatalities reported, Pfizer announced a trial studying the effectiveness and safety of the Pfizer and BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11 generated a "robust" antibody response.

Today with @BioNTech_Group, we are proud to announce positive topline results from the pivotal trial of our #COVID19 vaccine in children 5-11 years of age. https://t.co/a1mSEgxNHQ pic.twitter.com/9xGfYEzFuy

— Pfizer Inc. (@pfizer) September 20, 2021

“Over the past nine months, hundreds of millions of people ages 12 and older from around the world have received our COVID-19 vaccine. We are eager to extend the protection afforded by the vaccine to this younger population, subject to regulatory authorization, especially as we track the spread of the Delta variant and the substantial threat it poses to children,” Albert Bourla, the chairman and CEO for Pfizer, said in a statement touting the early victory. “Since July, pediatric cases of COVID-19 have risen by about 240 percent in the U.S. – underscoring the public health need for vaccination. These trial results provide a strong foundation for seeking authorization of our vaccine for children 5 to 11 years old, and we plan to submit them to the FDA and other regulators with urgency.”

The study was conducted on a group of 2,628 children 5 to 11 years of age using 10-microgram dosages —as opposed to the 30-microgram ones used for those 12 and older — of the vaccine administered three weeks apart. According to Pfizer and BioNTech the vaccine “was safe, well tolerated and showed robust neutralizing antibody responses.” The companies said side effects were generally comparable to those observed in participants 16 to 25 years of age.

The strong results are a reason for optimism at a time when a surge of pediatric infections has swept the nation, but it could be some time before a rollout of the vaccine. 

The companies expect to include the data in a “near-term submission” for Emergency Use Authorization while they continue to accumulate the data needed to file for FDA approval for those in the age group. Trial results for children 2-5 years of age and children 6 months to 2 years of age are expected as soon as the fourth quarter of this year.