#WhatsHappening for December 19, 2018

Happy Hump Day, homeys! Hope you're all sailing smoothly towards the holiday weekend.

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Christian pop princess Amy Grant stopped by NPR's Tiny Desk Performance to spread some Christmas cheer Monday. Grant and a six-piece band played Be Together, from her latest album, Tennessee Christmas- as well as Tennessee Christmas, from her first holiday album, and Jingle Bells.

"Sometimes I've realized the bravest thing you can do at Christmas is go home, and sometimes the bravest thing you can do is like open the door and welcome everybody back."

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Russian President Vladimir Putin wants cultural leaders there to come with a way to control rap music instead of an outright ban on the genre.

At a meeting last Saturday with advisors, Putin says "if it is impossible to stop, then we must lead it and direct it..." adding that "rap is based on three pillars: sex, drugs and protest... this is a path to the degradation of the nation."

Many Russian rappers and other pop performers in the country have been subject to arrest and having their concerts shut down or even cancelled by authorities.

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On the heels of his birthday Monday, Art Neville of the Neville Brothers has decided to hang up his microphone, thanking "fans for all the wonderful years of support and for letting us share our music with the world."

Co-founder of not only the Neville Brothers, but also the Meters (also known as the Funky Meters), who enjoyed success in the late 70s. He toured with his Meters' bandmate George Porter, Jr. and Neville Brothers' guitarist Brian Stoltz until recently, and the group plan to celebrate their 25th anniversary next year.

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Trisha Yearwood has teamed up with Williams Sonoma to release her Frank Sinatra tribute album, Let’s Be Frank.

The album, Yearwood’s first full-length solo recording 2007's Heaven, Heartache and the Power of Love, will hit the chain's stores tomorrow and will be available everywhere February 15.

Yearwood said she'd thought "about doing a standards album for about 20 years now, so it’s been a long time coming" and when she "I worked with Don Was a couple of years ago on a Frank Sinatra 100th birthday tribute. We decided to find the time, and make the record together, under the flag of Sinatra."

Yearwood recorded the album backed by a 55 piece orchestra in the same Capitol Records studio where Sinatra cut many of his most famous tunes, and used Sinatra’s microphone for the sessions.

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Birthdays today include: Kevin Shepard of Tonic (50); Limahl of Kajagoogoo (60); Doug Johnson of Loverboy (61); Walter Murphy (66); John McEuen of Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (73); and Zal Yanovky of Lovin' Spoonful (74). #MusicalBirthdays