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Music News: Buckwheat Zydeco dies at 68

Buckwheat Zydeco performs at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in 2010
Buckwheat Zydeco performs at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in 2010Rick Diamond/Getty Images

September 26, 2016

Stanley "Buckwheat" Dural Jr. has died of lung cancer at age 68. The singer-accordionist fronted the band Buckwheat Zydeco, sometimes simply being called by that name himself. A protégé of "zydeco king" Clifton Chenier, Dural became the first zydeco artist ever signed to a major label. (MPR News)

Country singer Jean Shepard has died at age 82. Shepard joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1955, and became the first female artist ever to spend 50 years with the Opry. Her 1956 album Songs of a Love Affair was one of the first LPs ever released by a solo female country artist. In 2011, Shepard was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. (Rolling Stone)

Stars come out in Washington

Public Enemy, the Roots, and Living Colour performed a free concert on Saturday to celebrate the opening of the National Museum of African American Heritage & Culture on the Mall in Washington, D.C. Among the songs performed by the Roots was their cover of Prince’s "Let's Go Crazy." (Billboard)

The White House has unveiled the lineup of the "South by South Lawn" mini-festival scheduled for Oct. 3. The Lumineers and Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings will be among the musical acts, with more potentially TBA. The festival will also include a screening of Before the Flood, a Leonardo DiCaprio documentary on climate change, scored by Trent Reznor and Mogwai. (Pitchfork)

Justin Vernon blasts corporate influence on music

In a new interview with the Guardian, Justin Vernon of Bon Iver calls Live Nation "bulls--t" and criticizes Beyoncé for allowing her Formation Tour to be sponsored by Pepsi. "I grew up loving bands like the Indigo Girls," he says, "and they stood for something, doing benefit shows and talking about s--t and changing culture or changing people's mindsets and raising awareness."

Robbinsdale theater saved — for now

The demolition of Robbinsdale's Terrace Theatre was halted on Saturday — but not until after a crew began to tear the building down. With the 65-year-old movie theater having fallen into disrepair since closing in 1999, the Robbinsdale City Council has supported a plan to tear the building down to make way for a Hy-Vee grocery store. A group of preservation-minded locals have obtained a temporary court order halting the building's destruction and want to reopen the theater as a venue for live music and theater, but renovation would cost $2.4 million. (Star Tribune)

Kanye helps Chance celebrate Magnificent Coloring Day

Kanye West made an unannounced appearance at Chance the Rapper’'s Magnificent Coloring Day festival in Chicago on Saturday. Kanye's visit was "a gift to Chance, who is one of Mr. West's most promising and vivid inheritors," writes the New York Times, "and also to the South Side of Chicago, where both men were raised."

R.I.P. G.L.O.S.S.

Hardcore band G.L.O.S.S. have announced they're breaking up, citing a "cult of personality" that's sprung up around them. "We all remain close friends, but are at a point where we need to be honest about the toll this band is taking on the mental and physical health of some of us," the band said in a statement. "We are not all high-functioning people, and operating at this level of visibility often feels like too much." The band have one more festival gig lined up next month, and say they're planning one final show in or near their hometown of Olympia, Wash. (Pitchfork)

Indie rockers got game

On Saturday in Montreal, Arcade Fire’s Win Butler hosted his annual "POP vs. Jock" charity basketball game. Pro basketballers took the court with Butler, his brother/bandmate Will Butler, and members of Vampire Weekend and the Strokes. (Pitchfork)

Moz covers Ramones

At his concert Saturday night in Brooklyn, Morrissey came out for an encore that included a cover of the Ramones’ "Judy is a Punk." (Pitchfork)