#WhatsHappening for January 19, 2019

Yeah, whatever.

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When I was younger (and poorer), I drank cheap beer (Bud Light). I can't begin to describe how disgusting Bud Light Seltzer sounds to me.

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I mentioned this somewhere, but I'm not really familiar with any of the artists or songs nominated for Grammys. I remember reading an article somewhere last year that discussed how, as we age, our brains really do react differently to music, and the chemicals work to make us dislike new music. 

Basically, we're biologically wired to say "music was so much better when I was younger."

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Singer/songwriter David Olney passed away during a performance at the 30A Songwriters Festival in South Walton, Florida last night.

Olney was doing his second set of the day, performing with Amy Rigby, who said he "was in the middle of his third song when he stopped, apologized, and shut his eyes... (it) looked like he was just taking a moment."

"...Doctors in the audience and 30A folks were all working so hard to get him to come to…"

The folk-rock/Americana writer had recently finished work on his 20th album and had his compositions covered by Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt, Del McCoury, and Steve Earle. Olney was 71.

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I went to see "The Rise of Skywalker" last week. I loved it. And, just like I knew I would, I teared up during Carrie Fisher's scenes. It would have been incredible to see her figure even more centrally to the narrative (had she not died), but I thought they handled the Princess/General's finale as well as they could have.

I would have seen it in 3D (because I have freaking loved seeing Episodes VII and VIII that way), but I was suffering from a mother of a cold. Still, there was no way I wa not going to see it on the big screen, as I have every other Star Wars movie, going back to the original (except Solo).

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Lawyers for songwriter Josh Stone have filed suit in New York, alleging that Ariana Grande's 7 Rings is a ripoff of his composition You Need It I Got It, which he recorded under his stage name DOT.

The suit claims that two forensic musicologists have analyzed the choruses of both songs and found the "substantially similar."

"Literally, every single one of the 39 respective notes of 7 Rings is identical with the 39 notes of I Got It from a metrical placement perspective," according to court papers. "Said another way, the rhythm and placement of the notes and lyrics are identical."

The suit names Grande, Universal Music Corporation, producers, and numerous other defendants.

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Carlos Santana is the latest celebrity getting into the pot selling business, partnering with Left Coast Ventures to market a brand of cannabis under his name. As of Friday, no name for the strain had been announced, but if they don't call it "Smooth" or "Black Magic" something, they're missing a golden opportunity.

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Birthdays today include: John Wozniak of Marcy Playground (49); Whitfield Crane of Ugly Kid Joe (52); Jeff Pilson of Foreigner (61); Dewey Bunnell of America (68); Martha Davis of The Motels (69); Rod Evans of Deep Purple (73); Dolly Parton (74); Shelly Fabares (76); and Michael Crawford (78). #MusicalBirthdays