Parade

Dirty Dancing nearly lost the songwriter behind its most famous moment before he ever wrote a note. When producer Jimmy Ienner called Franke Previte in late 1986, asking him to write a song for the film, Previte assumed from the title alone that he was being pitched something pornographic.

“I went, oh, jeez, Jimmy’s doing porn,” Previte later told WDHA.

At the time, Previte was the former lead singer of Franke and the Knockouts, known for the 1981 hit “Sweetheart,” but by 1986 he was without a record deal. He initially turned Ienner down, saying he didn’t have time. Ienner pushed back, insisting the project would change his life, and eventually talked Previte into giving it a shot.

Previte agreed, co-writing the lyrics to what would become “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” alongside composers John DeNicola and Donald Markowitz. He recorded a demo of the track himself, singing it with Rachele Cappelli, never expecting his own voice would end up in the finished film.

But it did. When the production filmed Dirty Dancing‘s now-famous final dance sequence, the polished studio version by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes wasn’t finished yet. So Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey danced to Previte and Cappelli’s original demo instead, and that scratch track stayed in the movie as the on-set music.

Medley and Warnes eventually recorded the official single, and the song went on to win the Academy Award for Best Original Song, a Golden Globe, and a Grammy. Previte’s own demo later resurfaced as a bonus track on a 1998 reissue of his old Franke and the Knockouts album.

Nearly four decades later, “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” remains inseparable from Dirty Dancing‘s ending, a song that almost never got written because its own songwriter briefly mistook the title for something else entirely.

I would love to paint myself as a Beta Mom who never, ever projects 20 years into the future and thinks about how her sons will be, especially given the wild state of the world (especially parts of the Manosphere). I’m not a helicopter parent (I simply do not have that kind of time), but I wouldn’t say I’m a cool, chill, “anything goes” mom, either. I’ve done too much of my own screen time and dubious app use, and listened to too many podcasts featuring Anxious Generation author Jonathan Haidt, to feel comfortable buying my kids an iPad or turning dinners into TV affairs.

So, I am always looking for tips on how to reduce screen time for kids, especially as my littles get bigger and the societal pull to game becomes stronger. A popular method is to come up with screen-free family night ideas. Analog dinners are one way my family does this, but I’m craving more face-to-face family bonding.

Some of it’s a tad selfish—I’ve been combating digital isolation since becoming a mom twice during the pandemic, and I never went back to work in an office. Even as I’ve reduced my time on social media (and even my inbox), I still want more human interaction in my life, especially with my favorite people: my family. So, I thought back to one family tradition I loved from the 1990s.

Since I wanted screen-free, introducing them to Boy Meets World got nixed (we do have a dog named Topanga, though). But I had another idea. While it wasn’t the smoothest-sailing sell, my kids have come to love it. Here’s what happened when I brought back one ’90s family tradition for a month, and why my kids won’t stop.

Related: 10 Old-Fashioned Summer Activities Kids Still Love That Don’t Require a Screen

The ‘Retro Friday’ Reveal: Swapping Screens for Board Games

Courtesy Beth Ann Mayer

I decided to resurrect one of my favorite screen-free ’90s family traditions by dusting off classic board games for kids.

Each Friday, we’d have a game night. It gave us a chance to enjoy face-to-face family bonding, combating digital isolation. It also helped my kids gain emotional awareness.

Related: How the Tin Can Landline Helped My Kids Connect Without Screens

The Psychology of ‘Face-to-Face’ vs. ‘Side-by-Side’ Bonding

One of the biggest goals of my experiment with family game night was to challenge us to engage more in face-to-face family bonding. When we’re watching Paw Patrol, Toy Story or Bluey, it’s all side-by-side. And that’s how video games will be, even if we’re playing together.

To be clear, I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with any of those TV shows or movies (we’ve watched all of them) or many video games. However, I’m all about mixing it up and moderation. My kids are also objectively adorable, so I wanted to see their full mugs, not just a side view.

Besides feeling personally warm and fuzzy, I was surprised by how much a change of view could shift how we treated and reacted to one another. As time went on, my older child began to notice when his younger brother was getting frustrated about falling behind. As a result, my older one stopped gloating so much every time he got a double-color card in Candy Land, inching a little closer to King Candy’s Castle.

It turns out that’s a huge selling point of board games for kids (and, frankly, adults)—and any activity that requires face-to-face interaction.

“They require us to pay attention to each other’s expressions, reactions and emotions,” explains Dr. Holly Schiff, Psy.D., a licensed clinical psychologist who treats children. “Board games naturally create those moments. Kids practice reading social cues, taking turns, negotiating, laughing together and having conversations that go beyond the activity itself.”

Related: 3 Psychologists Agree This Is the Most ‘Underrated’ Positive Parenting Habit

Overcoming the ‘Boredom Spike’: The First 15 Minutes

Courtesy Beth Ann Mayer

Despite my best efforts, my kids do love TV and movies, and often watch them at night. Detoxing from anything is hard, so I was ready for pushback. But I didn’t get much. I attribute my success here to the fact that I didn’t turn screens off and announce, “We’re doing game night!” Instead, the screens had already been off for hours.

I’m not a genius, just a mom who has noticed how hard it is for my kids to transition from screens to “harder” activities, like eating dinner or getting ready for bed. It leads to what psychologists call “the boredom spike.”

“The boredom spike is that uncomfortable period that often happens when a child transitions away from a highly stimulating activity, like screens, and into something slower-paced,” Dr. Schiff explains. “Screens provide immediate rewards, constant novelty and quick feedback, so when they’re removed, regular activities can initially feel ‘boring’ by comparison.”

Now, it wasn’t all good. My kids quickly got frustrated and started saying, “This is boring!” when I needed to refresh my memory on the rules of Candy Land and get acquainted with Race to the Treasure, a cooperative game. They’re used to life on-demand, whereas I remember dial-up internet. It was actually an unintentionally teachable moment.

“The important thing is that boredom isn’t necessarily a problem,” Dr. Schiff tells Parade. “It’s a space where creativity, imagination and independent thinking can develop. Kids often need time to move through that initial discomfort before they rediscover enjoyment in other activities.”

She encourages parents to manage their personal expectations of how these wholesome family traditions will start.

“The key is not expecting the transition to feel effortless,” she states. “Parents can acknowledge the discomfort while staying consistent: ‘I know this feels boring right now, but we’re going to try something different.'”

Dr. Schiff says you might be able to slightly reduce the spike in frustration and boredom by proactively having a plan in place rather than just removing screens and letting kids figure it out. That’s where the allure of playing games came in. We weren’t going to stare at a wall instead of watching TV; we were going to play. Game on!

Related: ‘My Family’s Been Testing Nex Playground for 3 Weeks and It’s Been a Total Game-Changer’

3 Rules That Saved Our ’90s Family Night

As excited as I was to dig into board games for kids, it wasn’t my first rodeo with competition and children. Both of my kids can have some issues with losing (and winning) gracefully. It made me hesitant to go forward with a Retro Night, but I’m glad I did.

“The goal of family game night isn’t to create perfect behavior or avoid conflict,” Dr. Schiff emphasizes. “It’s really about creating a safe place where kids can practice connection, communication, patience and resilience. Those skills develop through repeated, everyday interactions.”

Here’s how I set that scene.

1. These are games of luck

My kids naturally want to be the “best” at everything, but you literally have no control over which Candy Land card you choose (unless the deck is stacked—which I may have done on one occasion when my older one wanted to play just me one more time and I wanted to go to bed).

I started each game by reminding them that someone would win and someone would lose, and it would be about luck, not who was “better” at anything, like when the Mets and Yankees play. (And, yes, I projected 20 years into the future and secretly hoped that they’d keep “luck” in mind before signing up for a gambling app).

In the end, it’s important to know how to lose, and I wanted to be a safe space for our kids to get acquainted with these feelings.

“Board games provide a safe, structured environment where kids can practice losing and learn that disappointment is temporary,” Dr. Schiff explains. “Losing a game gives children the opportunity to experience frustration, regulate their emotions and try again without the stakes being too high.”

When a child gets frustrated, she suggests validating the feeling, rather than trying to “solve a problem. She recommends saying, “It’s really disappointing when you were hoping to win.” 

“Then help them practice what comes next: taking a breath, congratulating the winner and thinking about what they might try differently next time,” she says.

We tried this approach, and it improved over the weeks. Because we were playing games of luck, “try differently” meant “react differently to losing (or winning if someone gloated).”

2. Adults set the standard

I’m quietly competitive. I grew up playing sports and still cover them. I can turn anything into a contest in my head, and sometimes I externalize that. I had to suppress those urges when playing games with my kids.

“Kids learn less from what we tell them and more from how we handle our own disappointment when things don’t go our way,” Dr. Schiff says. “Healthy competition creates shared memories and gives families a chance to play different roles: sometimes you win, sometimes you cheer someone else on, and sometimes you work together toward a common goal.”

Whether I won or lost, I smiled and shook everyone’s hand.

3. Kids pick the game

I thrust game night on my kids, but I let them choose what we played. Each child got to pick one game for us to all play.

“Giving kids a chance to choose helps them feel a sense of ownership and importance within the family,” Dr. Schiff says. “It communicates that their interests and preferences matter. It can be quite empowering. Choice also increases engagement because kids are more likely to invest emotionally in an activity they helped select.”

It definitely helped me gain immediate buy-in.

Related: People Who Were ‘Overly Competitive’ in Childhood Often Develop These 16 Traits as Adults, Psychologists Say

The Emotional Payoff: Why They Begged To Keep Going

Courtesy Beth Ann Mayer

Within two weeks, my kids knew that Friday meant games. One month later, the challenge stopped, but they wanted to keep going. They already mapped out games they wanted to play the following week and the week after that, determined to get through our once-dusty game cabinet. The laughs, conversations and attention we gave one another felt fresh, and we didn’t want to lose those feelings.

“When competition stays playful, it creates laughter, connection and opportunities for kids to see their parents as people who enjoy spending time with them, not just as rule-setters or problem-solvers,” Dr. Schiff notes.

It sure beats going down rabbit holes about all of the things “wrong” with boys today—or Reddit threads psychoanalyzing the characters from Sesame Street and Frozen.

Up Next:

Related: This 1990s Backyard Game Still Teaches Kids Teamwork Better Than Most Apps

Source:

• Dr. Holly Schiff, Psy.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist who treats children.

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Longchamp’s mini bags are so cute and so loved, but are also definitely not cheap. Each one retails for $120, which isn’t within everyone’s budget. (Definitely not mine!) Well, Target just dropped a spot-on dupe for the luxury brand’s Le Pliage Original Pouch, and shoppers are racing to grab one.

A New Day’s Elongated Nylon Top Handle Crossbody Bag looks almost identical to Longchamp’s Le Pliage Original Pouch that goes for $120. Meanwhile, Target’s version retails for just $20. $100 less? Um, yes, please!

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A New Day Elongated Nylon Top Handle Crossbody Bag, $20 at Target

Target

Shop It!

Available in seven colors including black (pictured above), cream, green, light blue, light yellow, light pink and red, these bags are perfect for everything from a night on the town to running errands on a Saturday afternoon. These purses are made of a woven polyester fabric and have a turnkey closure to keep everything safe and secure in your bag. There’s also a zipper pocket inside and another main compartment with a zipper closure as well.

This bag comes with a removable strap that you can adjust to your preferred length. What’s more, the purse also has a top handle for even more ways to carry it. Whether you want to wear it as a crossbody or on your wrist, it’s totally up to you and your personal preferences.

Related: Costco Is Selling Chic Strappy Sandals That Feel Like ‘Walking on a Cloud’

Customers love this Longchamp dupe, giving it an average rating of 4.6 stars on Target.com, with 87 percent of reviewers saying they would recommend the bag to others. Various shoppers appreciate it for helping them achieve that coveted Longchamp look for a whole lot less.

“Cute little bag if you wanted a mini Longchamp bag without the outrageous price. I find this mini tote very cute and fits all that I need when I use it,” said one fan in a five-star review on Target.com.

“Cutest bag with so many color options. Love this dupe for Longchamp. Very convenient and has enough space inside with a pocket,” said another happy Target shopper in a five-star review on Target’s website.

You can find this spot-on Longchamp dupe at select Target stores and on Target’s website.

Related: A Spot-On Crate & Barrel Lookalike Was Spotted at Dollar Tree, and It’s Just $1.50

As psychedelia spilled onto pop radio in 1967, an Ohio band found itself with exactly the right song for the moment.

The Lemon Pipers released “Green Tambourine” late that year, with 22-year-old Ivan Browne handling lead vocals. Its unusual mix of psychedelic effects, catchy pop hooks and an actual tambourine carried the group far beyond its regional following, ultimately giving the Lemon Pipers the only No. 1 hit of their career.

The song came from professional songwriters Paul Leka and Shelley Pinz, rather than the band itself.

Pinz reportedly drew inspiration from a street musician asking passersby for money, turning the image into a colorful tale of someone offering music in exchange for coins. Leka, who also produced the recording, surrounded the story with the trappings of late-’60s psychedelia, including echo, tape effects and distinctive instrumentation.

The combination was perfectly timed.

“Green Tambourine” began climbing the charts after its November 1967 release and reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in February 1968. It also became an international success, reaching the upper reaches of the charts in the U.K. and elsewhere and placing the Lemon Pipers squarely within the psychedelic-pop boom.

For Browne and his bandmates, the breakthrough proved difficult to repeat.

The Lemon Pipers followed “Green Tambourine” with “Rice Is Nice,” another Leka-Pinz composition that reached the Billboard Hot 100, but the group preferred playing heavier, more experimental material than the bubblegum-leaning songs its label wanted to release. That creative tension helped make the band’s time in the national spotlight relatively brief.

“We thought of ourselves as a psychedelic blues band,” keyboardist Bob Nave, told Cincinnati Magazine. “But what Leka was offering to them was pure saccharine-laced pop. The most tolerable song of the bunch was a whimsical number about a poor street musician.”

“I distinctly remember being in an 80th floor office in New York saying to myself, ‘I don’t want to record these stupid songs!'” added Browne.

To add insult to injury, the band struggled to recreate many of its songs live, further stifling its ability to grow and maintain an audience.

“Paul Leka orchestrated these great orchestrations with lots of instruments and so live we could never get close to it, so all we did was ‘Green Tambourine,'” Browne recalled years later in an interview. “Only ‘Green Tambourine.'”

The band’s biggest record, however, never really went away.

“Green Tambourine” became a touchstone of psychedelic pop, its bright melody and studio experimentation capturing the playful side of a period often associated with more sprawling rock compositions. The song has remained a familiar presence on oldies compilations and ’60s playlists ever since.

Nearly six decades after the Lemon Pipers first released it, “Green Tambourine” remains the band’s unmistakable calling card. With 22-year-old Ivan Browne behind the microphone, an Ohio psychedelic group turned one colorful pop song into a career-defining No. 1 hit.

Related: 1978 Pop Song, Written by Barry Gibb, Became a Career-Defining No. 1 Hit

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Universal has officially released its Halloween Horror Nights menu. Both Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood will have Halloween Horror Nights again this year, which means you’ll be seeing lots of your favorite horror movie characters, ghosts, goblins and more. Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando Resort runs from August 28 to November 1st, while Universal Studios Hollywood runs from September 3rd to November 1st. Both parks feature themes from popular media like Stranger Things, Evil Dead Burn, and Sinners, along with killer clowns, the undead, Ozzy Osbourne, and slasher-themed haunted houses. 

And while we’re looking forward to having scary fun, we also can’t wait to try all of the food. Universal recently released the menu for Halloween Horror Nights and the food looks scary good. The menu items are inspired by our favorite Horror films, Halloween treats and scary characters. The best part? There’s a multitude of desserts, snacks, meals and drinks to choose from! Each area features themed food stands. So, you can head over to the Stranger Things area for food inspired by the show, and then walk over to the Sinners area for some Southern comfort food. Here’s what you can expect to see on the menu. 

View this post on Instagram Sinners

• “Pick Poor Robin Clean” Wings
• Annie’s Juke Joint Catfish and Grits: Fried Catfish and Lowcountry Grits.
• Chow’s Southern BBQ Eggrolls: Crispy eggrolls filled with BBQ pulled pork and cabbage.
• Pecan and Whisky Bread Pudding: Warm bread pudding with a sweet pecan and caramel sauce.
• Remmick’s Burnt Ends
• Drinks: Pale Pale Moon Pale Ale Shady, Slide Guitar Smash, Prohibition Punch, Juke Juice, I Lied To You I Love the Blues-Berry.

Stranger Things

• El’s Battery Jerky: Mac’ n Cheese with garlic bread and jerky pieces. 
• Upside Down Chicken & Waffles: Savory cheese and potato waffle with crispy chicken.
• Steve’s Smuggled Peanut Butter Bites: Chocolate-covered peanut butter bites. 
• Hopper’s Recharger: 360 Vodka Mandarin Orange, yuzu juice, Powerade lemon lime, Monster Energy Zero Ultra.

Hellraiser

• Pinhead’s Skin & Meatballs: Pasta with spicy beef and pork chunks and marinara sauce. 
• Skin & Chips Nachos: Pork rinds with cheese sauce.
• Pleasure & Pain Brain: Brain custard with ripped teeth and skin vanilla cake pieces in strawberry sauce.
• Cenobite’s Kiss: Cuervo Tradicional blanco tequila, lemon juice, lime juice, huckleberry syrup and Liquid Heat bitters.

Meals and Snacks

• Twisted Philly: Philly cheesesteak stromboli with spicy Italian Sausage, peppers, onions and cheese sauce. 
• Elotes: Choice of cotija cheese and Tajín or Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. 
• Fried Dough: Choice of garlic parmesan or powdered sugar.
• Fritos Walking Taco 
• Fritos Vegan Walking Taco
• Bloody Bones: Smoked and charred BBQ ribs
• Torn to Shreds Pork Sandwich: Pork shoulder on a pretzel bun.
• Deathbringer Tempura Shrimp: Crispy shrimp tempura with eel sauce and sriracha mayo. 
• Carn “Evil” Smash Tacos: Smashed cheeseburger tacos with cheese, shredded lettuce, pickles, secret sauce and toasted sesame seeds. 
• Fried Pickles
• Twisted Tater Chips
• Death By Cheese Stick: Mozzarella cheese stick with marinara sauce.
• Jack & Odd Dog: Hot Dog with peppers, onions, Tostitos cheese sauce and Flamin’ Hot Cheetos.  

Desserts

• Fried PB&J bites: Battered strawberry PB&J, powdered sugar and strawberry jam. 
• Burnt Sando: Crispy brioche stuffed with pastry cream with a burnt sugar crust.

Other Beverages

• Phantom Punch: New Amsterdam Vodka, 360 Vodka, Sorrento Lemon, DeKuyper Triple Sec, lime, orange and cranberry juices, dragon fruit syrup, simple syrup.
• Oddfellow’s Elixir: Beer on Tap
• Maniac Mix: Beer on Tap
• Eddie’s Revenge: Old Forrester Bourbon, DeKuyper Blue Curaçao, blackberry syrup, lemonade.
• Howling Storm: Bacardi Superior Rum, Myers’s Dark Rum, passion fruit syrup, lemonade.
• Pineapple-Tilt-A-Whirl: Bacardi Superior Rum, cupcake syrup, coconut milk, Fanta pineapple. 
• Caramel Apple Slush Punch: Bacardi Superior Rum, Granny Smith apple syrup, caramel syrup, lemonade. 
• Orange Bumper Car Blast: New Amsterdam Vodka, vanilla cream syrup, coconut milk, Fanta orange.
• Strawberry Scrambler: St. Augustine gin, lemon juice, lavender syrup, Seagram’s club soda, Fanta strawberry. 
• Lucky Ticket Lemonade: Minute Maid Lemonade and raspberry jam.
• Meetz Booxy Limeade: Bloody Shiraz Gin, Misguided Spirits Gin, lime juice and simple syrup.
• Circus Peanut 4-Ever: Chica Chida, Cuervo Tradicional Blanco tequila, lime juice, agave syrup, Fee Brothers black walnut bitters.

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Related: Regal Announces It’s Bringing Back the Popular Butterbeer-Inspired ICEE

In 1966, Tim Hardin released a song about heartbreak that would ultimately become far better known through other voices.

“Reason to Believe” appeared on the singer-songwriter’s debut album, Tim Hardin 1, pairing a restrained folk arrangement with a painful question: “Why keep believing someone you know has deceived you?” The composition became one of Hardin’s most enduring works, inspiring recordings by numerous artists before Rod Stewart gave it one of its best-known interpretations.

Hardin’s original was striking in its simplicity.

“When I started I was a terrible guitar player,” Hardin told The Guardian. “Six months after I started I was broke so I gave lessons to college kids to make money. There are now an awful lot of very bad young guitar players around America as a result! Because of this I started out writing my own material because I wasn’t good enough to cope with anyone else’s involved arrangements. That’s why my songs are simple.”

Rather than filling the song with accusations, he focused on the emotional contradiction at the center of a broken relationship. The narrator knows he has been lied to but still wants to find a reason to trust the person responsible. Hardin’s understated delivery allowed that tension to carry the song, helping it stand apart from the more elaborate folk-rock productions emerging at the time.

Other musicians quickly recognized its potential.

The Youngbloods recorded “Reason to Believe” in 1967, while Karen Dalton included an interpretation on her 1966 debut, It’s So Hard to Tell Who’s Going to Love You the Best. The song would continue moving between folk, rock, and pop artists, gradually becoming a standard even as Hardin himself remained more of a songwriter’s songwriter than a mainstream star.

Then came Rod Stewart.

Stewart recorded “Reason to Believe” for his 1971 album Every Picture Tells a Story and released it as a single with “Maggie May” on the other side.

“I knew Rod from Marquee days when he used to see me with Alexis Korner and from meets on the road, when Pentangle and the Faces shared a hotel,” Danny Thompson from folk group Pentangle told Louder. “He wanted me to replace Ron Wood’s electric bass part with my acoustic. I doubt it took 20 minutes. After the playback, I’m off. Rod and his girlfriend, who was wearing thigh-length leather boots, saw me to the door and he held my bass while I got my car, an S1 Bentley. Rod’s jaw dropped. ‘I’ve always wanted one of those!’ He was an endearing bloke, a proper geezer. I did it because I thought Tim Hardin – who was huge on the folk circuit – would get a load of money. I didn’t even get paid. He still owes me 20 quid. He said, ‘I’ll make it up next time.’ But he never did.” 

Radio programmers increasingly favored “Maggie May,” which ultimately became Stewart’s enormous breakthrough hit, but his tender reading of Hardin’s composition remained closely associated with his early solo career.

Stewart wasn’t finished with the song, either. He returned to “Reason to Believe” years later, recording a new version for his 1993 live album Unplugged…and Seated, demonstrating how firmly the composition had remained in his repertoire.

Sixty years after Hardin first released “Reason to Believe,” its central conflict still feels immediate.

“People understand me through my songs,” Hardin once said in an interview. “It’s my one way to communicate.”

What began as an intimate folk song in 1966 went on to cross generations and genres, with Rod Stewart among the artists who ensured that Hardin’s quietly devastating composition would endure.

Related: 1965 Rock Song, With Singer Nicknamed ‘British Bob Dylan,’ Became a Major Hit

It’s still August, but the sounds of It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown are already taking over the airwaves. The iconic soundtrack to the 1966 special produced by legendary jazz pianist Vince Guaraldi has re-entered the Billboard Top Album Sales chart at No. 46 for the week of Aug. 22, proving that it’s never too early to get into the Halloween spirit.

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One of the holiday’s most recognizable recordings, It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown serves as the score for the animated perennial favorite of the same name. A half-hour spooky-season television special based on the Peanuts comic strip by Charles M. Schulz, the cartoon features Charlie Brown getting a trick-or-treating sack full of rocks, Snoopy living out his ace pilot fantasies, and Linus waiting in a pumpkin patch for the mythical Great Pumpkin.

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“You must get discouraged because more people believe in Santa Claus than in you,” Linus writes in his letter to the Great Pumpkin. “Well, let’s face it. Santa Claus has had more publicity. But being No. 2, perhaps you try harder.”

The classic debuted on Oct. 27, 1966, on CBS and continued to air annually on network television. In today’s era of streaming, however, the Emmy-nominated toon has moved over to Apple TV+, where it streams exclusively, along with all the other Peanuts programming and specials. Now, getting nostalgic is as simple as pressing play. But until recently, hearing the wonderful tunes from the special was a bit more complicated.

Concord reported that the original recordings were thought lost. The first 2018 soundtrack had to be reconstructed from the TV audio. Then, after producer Lee Mendelson died in 2019, his sons searched the family archives and found the original 1966 session reels—in boxes labeled “Big Pumpkin Charlie Brown,” no less. Those tapes became the basis for the 2022 definitive 24-track edition, which includes musical cues and alternate takes of classics like “Linus and Lucy,” “Trick or Treat,” “Graveyard Theme,” and “The Great Pumpkin Waltz.”  

According to InsideHook, Guaraldi’s relationship with Peanuts began in 1963 after Mendelson heard Guaraldi’s 1962 Grammy-winning hit, “Cast Your Fate to the Wind.” The track, which lays the foundation for “Linus and Lucy,” caught the attention of Mendelson, who recruited Guaraldi to the music for Schulz’s Peanuts projects, marking the start of a beautiful Peanuts relationship.

“Friends getting together and agreeing to have a good time,” Peanuts historian Derrick Bang told Den of Geek about the friendship between three men. “And you should include [animator] Bill Melendez. It was a quartet, not a trio. Schulz basically wrote the story outline, and then Mendelson would work with him and flesh it out, turn it into something that would run roughly 25 minutes. Melendez, at the same time, is taking notes and deciding on animated sequences.”

He added, “Occasionally, Guaraldi would be part of the conversation, most importantly in the case of Great Pumpkin. This was the show where Guaraldi decided that ‘Linus and Lucy’ would become the Peanuts theme. Guaraldi decided this was it. This was going to be the running theme for however long this series continued.”

Guaraldi, with support from bassist Monty Budwig and drummer Colin Bailey, became the Vince Guaraldi Trio and recorded the soundtrack at Desilu’s Gower Street Studio in Hollywood. Emmanuel “Mannie” Klein provided the trumpet, John Gray the guitar, and Ronald Lang the woodwinds, with John Scott Trotter, former music director for Bing Crosby, overseeing the production.

The compilation originally debuted on the Billboard Top Album Sales chart on Oct. 2, 2021, at No. 25, then peaked on Sept. 24, 2022, at No. 21. With the soundtrack re-entering more than two months before Halloween, it looks like fans are getting an early start this year, and more importantly, nowhere near tired of hearing Guaraldi’s magic.

Related: 19th-Century Nursery Rhyme, by Sarah Hale, Became Fuel for Some of Rock’s Greatest Guitar Solos 

We spend a surprising amount of time in bed, so why does bedding so often get treated like the background player of the bedroom? The bed is quite literally the biggest thing in the room, yet we’ll happily obsess over a nightstand lamp, a cute basket or the perfect little vase while our comforter is begging for a refresh. Maybe it’s time to give the bed its due.

And no, that doesn’t mean turning your bedroom into a five-star hotel suite. (Although how amazing would that be?) It doesn’t even require spending a small fortune on sheets you’re afraid to actually sleep on. (No one needs that.) Sometimes, all it takes is a simple and budget-friendly bedding swap to make the whole room feel a little more special. A fresh pattern can add personality while texture can make things feel cozier. Plus, the right colors can give even a bedroom with stark white walls a new lease on life.

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Chelsea Square Lina 3-Piece Comforter Set, $79.99 – $89.99 at Costco

Costco

That’s where a good comforter set comes in, like Costco’s Chelsea Square Lina 3-Piece Comforter Set. Its cool neutral tone is a particularly compelling case for letting your bed have a moment.

The boho look here comes from a tufted geometric pattern that adds texture to the comforter without going full-on fringe-and-tassel territory. Both the face and back are polyester, with the reverse made from brushed microfiber for a softer feel. Inside, there’s lightweight polyester fill, making it more of an all-season layer than a super-heavy winter comforter.

Related: Marshalls Is Selling a Stunning 2-Pack of Cordless Wall Sconces to Add Ambient Light Anywhere You Wish

There’s also some practical thinking baked into the construction. The fill is held in place with little “bartack” stitches, which are basically just small stitched-down sections designed to keep the stuffing from migrating into one giant lump after repeated use. Honestly, that’s one of the most annoying things a comforter can do.

For those worried about upkeep, the comforter is machine washable, too, which is always worth noting for something that lives on a bed and inevitably encounters everything from coffee spills to snack crumbs. Yes, even if you swear you’re going to limit that late-night bite to the kitchen.

If you aren’t totally sold on the gray colorway shown above, don’t worry—the set also comes in crisp white. However, if you’re looking to style a Twin-size bed, you’re out of luck. The set only comes in queen or king sizes.

Related: Costco’s Set of 2 Fluted Bowls Is the Chic Way to Serve Dinner—or Snacks

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It’s nearly that time to pull out your fuzzy blanket and enter the world of Stars Hollow through a rewatch of Gilmore Girls, the popular 2000s show that many superfans choose to revisit every autumn. The minute the crisp fall leaves hit the ground, Lorelai and Rory’s witty conversations are ready to consume your living room. Since you can’t visit Luke’s Diner in reality, we found a way to create the Gilmore Girls ambiance at home. Add the Gilmore Girls Stars Hollow Ceramic Stacking Mug to your viewing routine while it’s on sale at Amazon. 

The mug is currently just a little under $11 — its lowest price in 30 days. The glassware is already becoming a hit, with over 100 customers purchasing the ceramic piece in the past month. The mug can hold up to 13 ounces, which is a standard cup size, so you can easily fill it with your morning latte, hot apple cider as we get more into autumn, and virtually any other hot or cold beverage. 

Gilmore Girls Stars Hollow Ceramic Stacking Mug, $11 at Amazon

Courtesy of Amazon

Shop at Amazon

This mug, which is primarily white and painted blue on the inside, is truly “perfect” for any Gilmore Girl fan because it’s decorated with iconic graphics that nod to the series. It features the logo from Luke’s Dinner, the Dragonfly Inn, and Chilton Preparatory School, with pictures of the famous town gazebo and welcome sign. The gaps are filled in with pretty flowers, coffee cups, and food that the characters are seen chowing down on in the show. 

The best part about this mug is that the BPA-free ceramic can be placed on the top-rack of the dishwasher, plus it’s microwave-safe. The ergonomic handle makes it easy to transfer too, but just use a pot holder or dish rag to do so if it’s hot. The glassware is also stackable, which is ideal for those who are trying to save pantry space. You can even purchase a few of these for family members and store the mugs on top of each other. 

Shoppers agreed that the mug is a “high-quality” gift for loved ones, adding that it “feels sturdy without being too heavy.” Other customers said that the piece is “beautifully made,” “super cute,” and “detailed.” For many reviewers, the mug has become their go-to for their daily routines, since it especially “holds a generous amount of coffee or tea.” 

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So, turn on season one, pour yourself a cup of coffee, and get ready to feel like you’re right back in Stars Hollow. This adorable collectible mug is the perfect companion for your next Gilmore Girls binge. And at just $11 on Amazon, it’s a purchase we’re pretty sure even Taylor Doose would approve of.

Related: Amazon’s ‘Soft’ $29 Pointelle Knit Cardigan Has the Prettiest Scalloped Hem and Comes in 8 Fall-Ready Colorsv

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Sparta, the post-hardcore band, gave fans another surprise after announcing a major update about their upcoming Cut A Silhouette Tour.

The trio, composed of Jim Ward on lead vocals and guitar, Matt Miller on bass and Neil Hennessy on drums, is extending their U.S. run with more dates and locations.

In an Instagram update, the band announced “new shows” scheduled for November, with tickets and VIP meet-and-greet packages now available.

The 12-date run will kick off on Nov. 3 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, followed by a series of one-night concerts in major cities in Colorado, Utah, Washington and more before a four-date run in California.

Jim Ward of Sparta performs onstage during the “I Want Blood Tour” in 2025.

Rick Kern/Getty Images

The last two shows will be in Arizona and Texas.

Apart from Sparta’s performance, fans will get to see Public Opinion as a special guest at every show except the final date, which will feature Tribes & Kaliyah as supporting acts.

Back in May, the band announced the schedule for its U.K. and European fall tour, which will begin on Oct. 4 in Dublin, Ireland, and end the 16-date trek in Kortrijk, Belgium, on Oct. 22.

The months of touring are in support of their latest album, Cut A Silhouette, launched in May.

The Sparta frontman described their sixth studio album as a love-themed album and the conclusion of an era that includes the 2020 record Trust the River, Sparta in 2022 and the latest Cut A Silhouette.

“This feels like we’re a f—-g band again,” Ward mentioned in an interview as cited by Idioteq. “All three of us are in a room, we’re all writing together, we’re listening to each other; this is now a constructive creative process, and it’s now the end of this era. Like, I made it through.”

On the other hand, fans will get to see and hear the band’s new music as they continue their multi-city Cut A Silhouette Tour.

November 2026 Tour Schedule

Nov 03: Albuquerque, NM: Backstage at Revel
Nov 04: Denver, CO: Marquis
Nov 05: Salt Lake City, UT: Urban Lounge
Nov 06: Boise, ID: Neurolux
Nov 07: Seattle, WA: Clockout Lounge
Nov 08: Portland, OR: Show Bar
Nov 10: San Jose, CA: The Ritz
Nov 11: San Francisco, CA: Rickshaw Stop
Nov 12: South Pasadena, CA: Sid The Cat
Nov 13: San Diego, CA: Soda Bar
Nov 14: Phoenix, AZ: Nile Underground
Nov 21: El Paso, TX: Lowbrow Palace (with Tribes & Kaliyah; no Public Opinion)

Related: English Rock Band Announces USA Shows for ‘Injury Episode World Tour’

Benjamin “Benny” Latimore, the Southern soul-blues singer, pianist, and songwriter who spent more than fifty years shaping the genre, has died at 86.

Latimore was born in Charleston, Tennessee, in 1939, and grew up steeped in country radio, Baptist church hymns, and Delta blues. He broke into the music business as a backing pianist for Florida bands, including Steve Alaimo’s, before landing his first studio sessions around 1965 with Henry Stone’s Miami-based Dade label. A move to Glades Records in the early ’70s paid off fast: his 1973 reworking of T-Bone Walker’s “Stormy Monday” cracked the R&B Top 30, and a gender-flipped cover of Gladys Knight’s “If You Were My Woman” followed soon after.

Then came the song that defined him. “Let’s Straighten It Out” topped the R&B chart in 1974 and crossed into the Billboard Hot 100, a career peak he followed with two more Top 10 R&B hits, “Keep the Home Fire Burnin'” (1975) and “Somethin’ ‘Bout ‘Cha” (1976), before the hit streak cooled toward the decade’s end.

Rather than fade, Latimore rebuilt. He signed with Malaco Records in 1982 and released seven albums of modern blues material over the following years, stepping away briefly in the mid-’90s for a stint with J-Town before returning to Malaco in 2000. He later recorded for Mel Waiters’ Brittney Records and, in 2007, launched his own label, LatStone, with longtime collaborator Henry Stone, the same producer who’d given him his first break decades earlier.

Even outside his own catalog, Latimore stayed busy in Miami’s soul scene as a session pianist, playing on Joss Stone’s The Soul Sessions and Mind Body & Soul alongside fellow Florida veterans Betty Wright, Timmy Thomas, and Willie Hale. He made a late-career television appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in 2014, and in 2017 was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame.

Wendell Pierce has slimmed down since his days on the beloved series The Wire.

Pierce, 62, is best known for his role as Bunk Moreland on the iconic crime series, which ran from 2002 to 2008 on HBO. But Pierce has done endless memorable roles in addition to playing Moreland, such as films like Waiting to Exhale and Ray and other TV series like Treme, Chicago PD, and Jack Ryan. Now starring on Elsbeth, the star hit the red carpet premiere of They Fight in New Orleans at the Orpheum Theater this weekend and showed the world that he’s looking healthier than ever. Revealing a slimmer physique, it’s safe to say Pierce has his health and fitness regimen in check.

Erika Goldring / Getty Images

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To watch Pierce in the trailer for They Fight, watch below. Don’t miss another Wire alum you might recognize!

For a classic Bunk Moreland moment from The Wire, watch below:

What Is Wendell Pierce’s Workout Like?

Last year, Pierce told WebMD that while he has to travel a lot for work, he turns to group sports when he’s home in New Orleans. Pierce told the publication he loves to seek out a pickup basketball game or a partner for tennis. If he doesn’t have a workout buddy, he makes sure to stay regimented about stretching.

“When it comes to aging, I find the stretching of my muscles and joints to be one of the most important habits I have,” Pierce said. “I’m more consistent with that than anything.”

What Is Wendell Pierce’s Nutrition Plan Like?

Pierce knows his family’s health history isn’t ideal. His father was largely sedentary. That’s why he’s so focused on eating healthy these days. Pierce sticks to fresh fish and vegetables and makes sure to avoid eating out all the time.

“The act of cooking helps me eat better—and eat less,” Pierce continued. “It’s a classic move. The chef is satisfied by the time the meal is prepared and others are eating. I taste as I cook, and I serve the meal satisfied.”

Related: ‘The Wire’ Star Bobby J. Brown’s Official Cause of Death Revealed Following Fire

A random Reddit thread just brought back a massive wave of 90s music nostalgia, and it has fans completely divided over a song we all know.

We all remember when R.E.M. went on Sesame Street to sing “Furry Happy Monsters.” The performance came years after the original 1991 hit, but it introduced an entirely new generation of kids to the song. It was pure, bright childhood joy. But the real song behind it, “Shiny Happy People,” has a much weirder, darker history that fans are still fighting about online today.

The internet debate started when a user asked what the song actually means. For years, people believed a rumor that the lyrics were making fun of forced happiness in Chinese communist propaganda posters. Some fans still insist the song is pure irony, pointing out that lead singer Michael Stipe looked visibly annoyed in the music video. In fact, Stipe grew to hate the track so much that he refused to play it live for decades.

However, other fans in the thread quickly shut the rumor down. They pointed out that the band never confirmed the propaganda theory. Plus, guest singer Kate Pierson from The B-52s always insisted it was just a happy song about love.

The funniest twist? Stipe was in a horrible mood the morning they filmed the Sesame Street version, but the Muppets completely cheered him up. That silly puppet video actually became the last time the band ever played the song together. Even comedian Denis Leary famously roasted the song on MTV back in the day, only to later admit—half-jokingly—that he actually respected the band. Love it or hate it, the track was huge—even Kurt Cobain once called R.E.M. the greatest band ever. Decades later, we still can’t stop talking about it. Even now, the song still splits fans every time it resurfaces online.

In 1970, New York rock band Mountain released a memorable track that would help define a genre and go on to inspire one iconic hard rock legend decades later.

“Mississippi Queen” was released in Feb. 1970 and featured on the band’s debut album, Climbing!, also known as Mountain Climbing!. It is regarded as Mountain’s most successful song, reaching No. 21 on the Billboard Hot 100 shortly after its release.

“Corky Laing had this lyric and he came to my apartment in Manhattan,” guitarist Leslie West told Best Classic Bands of the song’s beginnings. “He says, ‘Look, I have this lyric, ‘’Mississippi Queen.’ He said when he was in Nantucket and playing this bar and the power went out, he was just playing the drums and shouting the words ‘Mississippi Queen, do you know what I mean?'”

The track is known for its powerful instrumentals, including its famous cowbell introduction and the legendary guitar riff which was once voted among Guitar Magazine‘s “50 Heaviest Riffs of All Time,” published in May 1995.

“I started fooling around with the guitar in the apartment and I came up with this riff and it’s three chords,” West explained. “We went really quickly into the studio and Felix told him to count it off and he counted it off with a cowbell. We left it in there.”

In 2005, the late Black Sabbath front man, Ozzy Osbourne, put his own spin on “Mississippi Queen,” releasing a version of the track on his cover compilation album Under Cover. Osbourne’s take of the song features West on guitar and reached No. 10 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Airplay chart.

Fans of the Prince of Darkness have praised his cover, with several stating that they “didn’t know it existed” until playing the audio on YouTube.

“How dare this exist without my knowledge beforehand,” one person commented in 2026. It’s beautiful.”

Related: 1974 Rock Hit, Paying Homage to Wolfman Jack, Still Stands the Test of Time

Ella Langley, who’s already on a historic Billboard chart run this year, just became part of Illinois State Fair history following her performance on Friday night.

The “Choosin’ Texas” crooner officially tied the Illinois State Fair Grandstand attendance record set by fellow country star Lainey Wilson just a mere 6 days prior.

On Saturday, Aug. 15, Wilson performed in front of 15,533 “screaming fans and made history,” fair officials revealed, but she had some stiff competition, as Langley took the stage on Aug. 21.

The Illinois State Fair revealed that Langley’s performance tied Wilson’s, also drawing a total of 15,533 fans.

Fans weren’t convinced, especially seeing how many fans showed up without tickets, as one wrote, “That doesn’t even count how many people I saw parked outside the grandstand listening to the concert!!”

“Wow the way they were piling i thought she would have broke it!” someone else noted.

Langley and Wilson’s achievements come just a year after the attendance record was set by another female country star—Megan Moroney.

According to State Fair officials, Moroney held the record for the biggest crowd with 15,532, meaning that Wilson toppled her by just one additional fan.

Moroney previously broke Lil Wayne’s record by a little over 100 extra fans, who set it the year before with 15,427 people.

Prior to that, another country artist led the charge—Jason Aldean—who set the record with 15,329 and actually held it for more than a decade!

Langley has taken the music world by storm this year, with her single topping the charts for a whopping 18 weeks, so a massive turnout at the fair makes sense.

Wilson, however, remains the title holder for the crowd attendance at her Sunday, Aug. 16 show at the Iowa State Fair, where she drew 17,360 fans, according to KCCI Des Moines.

The attendance record edged out the previous record held by another country icon—Chris Stapleton—set in 2021 by 40 fans.

The Iowa State Fair Grandstand is noticeably bigger than the Illinois State Fair Grandstand, with the former holding roughly 3,000 more seats.

Congrats to the leading women in country music!

Guitarist Dean DeLeo has enjoyed a professional music career spanning more than 40 years. Today, Aug. 23, 2026, he celebrates a personal milestone as he turns 65.

Born Aug. 23, 1961 in New Jersey, DeLeo co-founded Stone Temple Pilots — formerly known as Mighty Joe Young — in 1989 with his bassist brother Robert DeLeo, drummer Eric Kretz, and the late lead singer Scott Weiland.

The band broke out into the mainstream in 1993 following the slow-burn debut album, Core, released a year earlier in Sept. 1992. Reaching the No. 3 spot on the Billboard 200, Core featured what is arguably one of the band’s most famous tracks, “Plush.”

“Plush” hit the top spot on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Airplay chart (then known as the Album Rock Tracks chart), where it stayed for one week. And the success of the beloved track didn’t stop there. In 1994, “Plush” won a Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance, and has since featured in a handful of TV and movie soundtracks, including 2021’s King Richard and an episode of drama series Billions.

The successes kept coming for STP, with several more No. 1 hits, both in the U.S. and overseas, along with three more Grammy nominations. But DeLeo wouldn’t necessarily class himself as a rockstar.

“I’ve got to tell you that term, ‘rock star’, I don’t care much for it,” he told Classic Rock in an interview. “But I never really looked at Scott like that. I looked at him like my brother. He was my brother, and we were in this thing together. We all wanted the same thing – to make an indelible mark on the face of music.”

In 2005, former Major League Baseball pitcher and musician Bronson Arroyo covered “Plush” as part of his cover compilation album, Covering the Bases. He has credited the song for being the track that got him into music.

“I wasn’t really much into music until 1992 when I heard Stone Temple Pilots’ ‘Plush’ on the radio one day when I was sitting in my room when I was about 15,” he told Billboard around the time of the album release. “That song kind of jump started my interest in music because I hadn’t heard anything that sounded like it before.”

Related: ’60s Rock Icon, Nicknamed ‘The Lost Beach Boy,’ Turns 78

For millions of fans, Rick Springfield will always be the voice behind “Jessie’s Girl.”
Others first fell for him as Dr. Noah Drake on General Hospital, where he became one of daytime television’s biggest heartthrobs while launching a music career that would define the early 1980s.
Today, Aug. 23, Springfield celebrates his 77th birthday — and more than four decades after becoming a household name, he’s still filling concert venues and surprising fans with his energy.

Born Richard Lewis Springthorpe in Sydney, Australia, in 1949, Springfield began performing with rock bands before moving to the United States to pursue music. After years of trying to break through, everything changed in 1981.
That year, Springfield released “Jessie’s Girl,” which topped the Billboard Hot 100 and earned him the Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance. Around the same time, he was captivating daytime audiences as Dr. Noah Drake on General Hospital, making him one of the decade’s biggest crossover stars. 

American Broadcasting Companies via Getty Images

American Broadcasting Companies via Getty Images

Springfield went on to score additional hits including “Don’t Talk to Strangers,” “I’ve Done Everything for You” and “Affair of the Heart,” while continuing to act in television series including Californication, True Detective and American Horror Story. 

These days, Springfield is proving that age hasn’t slowed him down.

The rocker continues to tour regularly, and in June, fans couldn’t stop talking about his physique after a concert video shared to his official Instagram showed the then-76-year-old performing shirtless with the same energy that made him famous in the ’80s. The viral clip even caught the attention of Joe Rogan and Tommy Lee, who marveled at Springfield’s performance. 

View this post on Instagram

Springfield has a simple explanation for why he still has so much energy.

“Music keeps you young anyway,” he recently told People while discussing aging alongside fellow rocker Sammy Hagar. 

Despite decades in the spotlight, Springfield has remained refreshingly grounded about the work he loves.

Christopher Polk/Penske Media via Getty Images

Christopher Polk/Penske Media via Getty Images

More than 40 years after “Jessie’s Girl” first dominated the airwaves, Springfield continues to balance music, acting and touring while proving that one of the ’80s biggest stars is still giving audiences exactly what they came to see.

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Refreshing your bedroom doesn’t have to be a major undertaking. A quick bedding swap can instantly give the space a makeover with minimal effort. Whether you’re looking for something cozy to ease into fall or you’re ready for a splash of color, the Exclusivo Mezcla Floral Comforter Set makes a beautiful choice.

Available in 10 botanical patterns, the set includes a comforter and a pair of matching shams. Right now you can snag the pink version on sale at Walmart for just $30, down from its original $56. Other options are also available, including brown, green, beige, orange, and black from $36. It’s a small investment that can have a big impact on any bedroom!

Exclusivo Mezcla Floral Comforter Set, From $30 (was $56) at Walmart

Courtesy of Walmart

Shop at Walmart

The comforter’s microfiber cover is brushed for softness — a particularly priceless detail for bedding that you can use year-round. Brushing eliminates any stiffness, instead leaving the fabric more supple, malleable, and velvety-smooth to the touch. During the fall and winter months, it’ll only amplify the material’s coziness.

It’s also comfortingly plump, with a polyester filling that mimics the lofty feel of down. You won’t even realize it’s not the real thing thanks to its 220 grams-per-square-meter weight. That’s just substantial enough to keep you warm, but not so heavy that it will weigh you down or feel uncomfortable during warmer periods. 

The prints are brilliant — and there are options ranging from light and airy to bold and dramatic. So, you can base your decision on the intensity you want to bring to the room. Some of the patterns have an etched watercolor quality and can lend the room a dreamy, garden-inspired vibe, while richer tones exude a sophisticated feel.

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Related: Walmart’s ‘Lovely’ $17 Faux Flowers Add a ‘Bright and Cheerful’ Touch to Fall Porches and Patios

Caring for the set is a breeze. You can safely toss it in the washing machine using cold water, then tumble dry with low heat. The patterns are designed to stay true through repeated washing, so you can expect it to look as good in the future as it does today! Pick up the vintage-style Exclusivo Mezcla Floral Comforter Set while it’s on sale for as low as $30 at Walmart.

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In October 1977,  one of the biggest tragedies in rock history took place when the plane carrying the band Lynyrd Skynyrd crashed in  Mississippi, killing lead singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines, backup singer Cassie Gaines, the band’s road manager, and the two pilots.

Two years later, surviving Lynyrd Skynyrd members Gary Rossington and Allen Collins formed the Rossington Collins Band, joined by fellow Skynyrd survivors Billy Powell and Leon Wilkeson. Female vocalist Dale Krantz, guitarist Barry Lee Harwood, and drummer Derek Hess filled out the band.

Though the Rossington Collins band’s run was brief,  the spinoff band produced a 1980 hit, a song that diehard fans still recall even though it slipped from the spotlight.

“Don’t Misunderstand Me,” from the Rossington Collins Band’s debut album Anytime, Anywhere, Anyplace, became a Top 55 hit on Billboard’s Hot 100 in August 1980. Four decades later, it remains an overlooked gem from a remarkable chapter in the musicians’ history.

Written by Collins, Krantz and Harwood, the song blended Skynyrd’s Southern rock roots and distinctive twin guitars with a melodic, catchy chorus and clever vocal interplay between Krantz and Harwood.

Rossington, who later married Krantz, once told Rock Cellar magazine that his future wife was hired because the band wanted to stand apart from Lynyrd Skynyrd by having a female lead.

“She’s a great, great singer,” he said in 2016. “Back when we started the Rossington Collins Band, we didn’t want to get another male singer right off the bat and start playing because it would just be like we went on without Ronnie, and we didn’t want to do that at the time. We thought if we got a female lead singer that would change the look and sound of the band, so that’s what we did. She was just a great singer, and I loved her looks and we got along.”

Rossington added that after both of their marriages fell apart, he and Krantz “decided to get together and fell in love through the music.”

“It happened really quick,” he shared.

The Rossington Collins Band didn’t do a lot of interviews to promote their music.  Instead, MCA Records went to radio host Redbeard, later known for In the Studio With Redbeard, for one big interview instead of forcing the new band to endure repeated questions about the Skynyrd plane crash.

The lack of promotion, bad timing, and tensions within the band may have contributed to why Rossington Collins Band didn’t last. The group came to an end in 1982 after two albums.

More than 45 years later, fans on Reddit and  other social media platforms think the Rossington Collins Band, and “Don’t Misunderstand Me” in particular, were “criminally underrated.”

“This song takes me on a ride down memory lane! This band was so underrated,” one fan wrote on YouTube.

“I wished they would have went further than they did. I love this song,” another agreed.

“This song hit my core upon the first listen, it still affects me the same today,” another wrote. “RIP Gary Rossington.”

Related: 1981 Southern Rock Hit, Often Compared to Lynyrd Skynyrd, Got Its Title From Dinah Shore

Fans watching this celeb romance barely had a year to get attached. The whiplash of seeing a couple go public, collaborate on a record, and then separate within a few short months was undoubtedly shocking for those rooting for them.

Dakota Johnson and singer Role Model have ended their relationship less than a year after the pair first sparked dating rumors. The actress, 36, and the musician, 29, whose real name is Tucker Pillsbury, had kept their romance low-key, which made the timing of the split all the more surprising to followers.

The two were first linked in late 2025, when they were photographed looking close at a dinner with friends. What they had in common, apparently, was music. Johnson recently turned up on Pillsbury’s new album, Chuck Timely & the Hourglass, lending a spoken-word cameo to one of its tracks. The record debuted at No. 10 on the Billboard 200, and in an interview published only weeks before the breakup, Pillsbury spoke warmly about bringing her into the studio, admitting he had once been hesitant to blend work with the relationship before he came around.

One would assume a cameo on a partner’s album signals closeness rather than an ending, but the short gap between the two events left fans trying to put together a timeline. Representatives for both Johnson and Pillsbury had not commented as of the initial reports, according to coverage of the split.

Related: Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo Reunite for a Tearful ‘Wicked’ Duet

For Johnson, the news follows another closely watched event. She and Coldplay’s Chris Martin ended their roughly eight-year relationship in June 2025, closing out an on-and-off romance that had included an engagement. She has been candid in recent interviews about resisting rigid expectations around relationships, marriage, and timelines.

Pillsbury, meanwhile, spent the past year in a career surge. His single “Sally, When the Wine Runs Out” became a viral sensation, fueled in part by a running live bit in which he invited celebrities onstage to play the song’s “Sally.” The rotating cast of guest Sallys grew into a who’s-who of famous faces, turning his concerts into a recurring pop culture event.

Neither has publicly addressed the reasons behind the decision, and given how private the relationship stayed from the start, it is possible neither will. What is left is a brief, closely followed romance between a marquee actress and a musician in the middle of his biggest year.

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