Well it's time to go...doh, doh, doh, doh...

That's your lots from us for this here hump day but scroll back down for some tribute to the late Gallic great Johnny Hallyday, U2, Patti Smith, the new BBC Introducing artist of the year Declan McKenna and some bad news (hopefully with a happy outcome) for the ledge that is Nile Rodgers.

We'll leave you with another ledge, Lord Ozzy of Osbourne as he shares his earliest music memory for the charity End The Silence which aims to help the estimated eight million children in orphanages around the world.

Worth a watch if you, like us, love music.

Image source, Getty Images

As far as news forecasts go that leaves quite a lot of wiggle room.

Debbie Harry is joined by fellow punk priestess Joan Jett as the pair take on high pressure new roles as pre-apocalyptic TV newsreaders for the final five days on earth.

The singer describes the video for the new single - taken from the New York band's latest album Pollinator - as "the most openly political video Blondie has ever done."

She said: "We wanted to comment on the bizarre state of media and news in the current political ‘idiocracy’ we are watching play out in real time and create our own news channel that dealt with current issues such as the environmental collapse, fossil fuels, bee population decline, global warming, sexism, patriarchy, Trump and Russia, feminism, consumerism, the marketing of war and more.”

The fake news bulletin was broadcast to fans before the encore of their final UK gig of the year a few weeks back.

You're going to want to sit down for this one...

Mark Savage
Music reporter, BBC News

Image source, Gwen Stefani

Roy Wood may have wished it could be Christmas every day - but Gwen Stefani is actually putting it into practice.

The No Doubt singer has spent the last 12 months surrounded by sleigh bells as she worked on her first festive album, recording classics like Let It Snow and Santa Baby in the blazing heat of summer.

"Did I put up a Christmas tree in the studio?" laughs the singer. "Not really. I just did it and had fun.

"I've gone through heartbreak and all that stuff to write my other records. This one was just so fun and easy."

Read more.

Image source, Getty Images

S Club 7, or more accurately S Club 3, are back with a new Christmas ditty.

Tina, Bradley and Jo have banded together for the new song Family, with a chunk of the proceeds reportedly going to to the Rainbow Trust Children's Charity, external.

It's out next week and has been written by Simon Ellis – who wrote songs such as Never Had A Dream Come True and Don't Stop Movin.

You can hear a snippet below...

The trio have apparently got some big shows lined up for 2018 in Singapore, Canada, Ukraine and Dubai.

Rae Morris gets to show off her her dance moves in the new promo for her single Atletico.

Shot on Bourbon Street in the famous French quarter of the US city, she even gets to join the second line in a procession and is joined at one point by some dancing bananas.

Yep. bananas.

According to Rae, New Orleans was "the perfect place for this video because it’s such a joyous city with the most infectious energy".

Also, bananas.

The first ever UK performance of Lin-Manuel Miranda's hit Broadway musical about the making of America will take place tonight at London's Victoria Palace Theatre.

The show promises hip hop, history, love, war, tears and some fun facts about the the first ever US President George Washington...

Ahead of the show, the actor and writer kindly put together a brief synopsis of the story in under three minutes with a little bit of help from seven-year-old presidential expert Macey Hensley.

Did you get all that? Okay, now breathe.

The cast of the original and ongoing Broadway version of the show should already know the story by now.

They sent a special good luck message across the Atlantic to their British counterparts.

Image source, Getty Images

He may have had a string of US chart hits (and high-profile girlfriends) but John Mayer is apparently still only human.

The singer had to cancel a gig last night after being admitted to hospital for an emergency appendectomy.

The singer was due to perform with Dead & Company - aka the remaining members of The Grateful Dead and friends - in New Orleans, but John's pesky appendix put paid to that as the below tweet confirms.

Get well soon John.

Image source, Getty Images

The Manchester band's touring company - which was activated in 2015 - is about to dissolve.

The Government's publicly available Companies House , externalwebsite shows that Second Touring Limited is to be struck off the register on 24 December.

That's two and half weeks from now.

We wouldn't rule out another last minute resurrection from the Manc fab four.

But if it turns out to be true, then as singer Ian Brown told a Glasgow crowd this summer.

"Don't be sad it's over, be happy that it happened".

Nile Rodgers has revealed that he has been receiving treatment for cancer once again but that his prognosis is "100% recovery".

The Chic guitarist, who declared himself cancer free during his Sunday afternoon 'legends slot' appearance at Glastonbury this summer, says doctors found a mysterious growth while he was being treated for E. coli in August.

The 65-year-old New Yorker expressed his shock in an online video.

He said: "After the last seven years of amazing life I would have never believed that my body would be invaded by another cancer.

"Cancer really? I'm Done. 2018 here I come!"

Nile expanded on his health situation in a lengthy online 'opus'.

He wrote: "During my brief stay in the hospital to treat E.coli, the doctors discovered a mysterious growth on my right kidney which looked like cancer.

"Well...it was CANCER! In fact, it was two different cancers within one mass.

"Unlike my reaction to my first Big-C diagnosis seven years ago, I was more relaxed, analytic and calm. I was surrounded by professionalism and empathy which gave me a surprising sense of inner peace."

He added: "After the doctors told me, 'We believe it's cancer,' I did a lot of gigging and a lot of flying: Two countries in South America, Dubai, Japan, Ireland, Liverpool, London and we ended our last round of this year's gigs in Brooklyn, NY.

He went on to add that while the health scare has delayed some of his plans for next year that 2018 promises to bring something "beyond any of my wildest dreams."

We'll have to wait for the next instalment of his blog however for that one.

Read more , externalon Nile's website.

BBC Introducing

The insanely talented teenager was apparently dragged from his bed earlier than normal this morning to accept the award from Radio 2's Jo Whiley, live on BBC Breakfast.

A slightly shell-shocked Declan - wearing a cheeky 'I want to go home' slogan on his t-shirt said he was "delighted" to win.

"It's amazing, it's such a great thing to be part of," he said.

"He came and did a session for me," added Jo, "and he was so commanding. He had all these other musicians but he was in charge of what everyone was doing."

Well done Dec, check him out at Radio 1's Big Weekend earlier this summer, below.

Ps. Declan wants to thank you all personally for your "support, love and all that..."

Enough said.

He can't stress that enough.

The 23-year-old singer, who was raised in Ontario, Canada by his mum and grandmother appears to be making up for lost time with father Jeremy.

JB posted the above pic of the lads and dads day out, alongside the following caption: "I️ love continuing to get to know my father I️ love working through hard things to get to the good things.. relationships are worth fighting for especially with family!! Love you forever and always daddy!"

The iconic singer-songwriter endearingly fluffed her lines at a tribute concert for her late friend, the actor and playwright Sam Shepard in Brooklyn, New York.

During her performance of Dancing Barefoot, she paused before asking: "What is it? I’ve sung this nine-million times".

She added bashfully: "Sam really liked when I did this. He would actually taunt me... So I’m sure he’s enjoying this right now."

It follows her stumble over the lines of Bob Dylan's A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall at his Nobel inauguration, external, which she also managed to sail through with no small degree of poise and grace.

Following Eminem's lead (scroll down), Camila Cabello has confirmed details of her debut album including the release date and title...

...and it's not what we all thought. Not one bit.

Earlier this year, the 20-year-old said it would be called The Hurting. The Healing. The Loving.

But now she's explained it will simply be called - Camila.

In an Instagram message to her 'Camillizers' (we're not sure about that one) the singer wrote: "My debut album is finally finished. Now I'm trying to steady my heartbeat.

"Thank you for being so patient with me this year, I can't wait for you to hear what has been the soundtrack to the past year of my life.

The self-titled record will be with you on 12 January.

Read more.

NME

Liam Gallagher is to headline next year's NME Awards and pick up a godlike genius gong in the process.

In a typically modest video message on the music site, Liam - bizarrely stumbling up a hill - said: “I wanna thank the NME for their godlike genius award. It’s about **** time as far as I’m concerned.”

Tickets for the gig at London's Brixton Academy on 14 February are on sale now.

Read more., external

The build up to and aftermath of the awards, will see a series of other NME Awards Shows take place across the capital, from the likes of Franz Ferdinand, Peace and She Drew The Gun.

The music mag has also announced an NME Awards Road Trip which will see the likes of The Vaccines, Bastille, The Amazons and 2018 awards host Huw Stephens perform a string of DJ sets around the country.

Read more., external

BBC Radio 2

He's not Bono or The Edge, but the other one from U2; bass player Adam Clayton has been telling Radio 2's Chris Evans about the band's recent world tour and their forthcoming special on BBC One.

Adam from Ireland, whose wife is Brazilian, says the people of the two countries are "very very similar."

"They like to sing. They can dance, we can't...and they like music.

"And they don't like things to get too serious."

The climate's roughly similar too we reckon.*

Listen above.

*Maybe not.

Image source, Getty Images

The tracklist for Eminem's forthcoming album Revival - which we now know is definitely not a drug - features bigger names than a Welsh train station.

Album opener Walk on Water includes working mum Beyonce, while a hot new rapper to look out for called Ed Sheeran appears on track five River.

Pink returns the favour, following M's appearance on her latest album, on track 16, Need Me.

Elsewhere there are appearances from Alicia Keys, Kehlani, Phresher, X Ambassadors and Skylar Grey.

Skylar filled in for Beyonce, Rihanna AND Dido during a recent US TV appearance, external with the rapper, so she clearly knows what she's doing.

The 19-track album is out a week on Friday and you can check the full list below.

Many of you can't wait to hear what an Emin-Ed collab will sound like...

Others are less sold on the idea...

Image source, Getty Images

Musicians including Lenny Kravitz, the Brian Jonestown Massacre's Anton Newcombe and Celine Dion have paid tribute to France's biggest rock star Johnny Hallyday, who has died after a battle with lung cancer.

The 74-year old singer - who remained relatively unknown outside of France - sold about 100 million records and starred in a number of films in a career that began in 1960.

He was made a Chevalier of the Legion D'Honneur (the french equivalent of a Knighthood) in 1997.

His wife Laeticia said: "Johnny Hallyday has left us," the AFP news agency reported.

Lenny thanked him for his "friendship, sweetness and support".

Read more.

Image source, Getty Images

BBC Radio 1 DJ Clara Amfo has been announced as the replacement for Reggie Yates on BBC One's Top of the Pops festive specials.

Yates stepped down from the shows on Monday after apologising for making "ill-considered remarks" about Jewish music industry managers in a podcast.

He had co-hosted the festive shows with Fearne Cotton since 2004.

"I'm so happy and honoured to be presenting Top of the Pops alongside Fearne," said Clara in a statement, before tweeting her thanks to well-wishers - presumably from a packed commuter train below.

Read more.

Image source, Getty Images

US pop queen Beyonce was on hand last night to hand US black rights protester Colin Kaepernick Sports Illustrated‘s Muhammad Ali Legacy Award

The former San Francisco 49ers quarterback first took a knee during the ritual playing of the pre-football national anthem, in a move of civil disobedience against the treatment of black people in America.

It led to many other players following suit and were subsequently criticised by their own President Donald Trump.

Colin's actions have left him without a club and he filed a grievance against NFL team owners, accusing them of conspiring not to hire him because of his protests.

Beyonce said: “Thank you for your selfless heart and your conviction, thank you for your personal sacrifice.

"To change perception, to change the way we treat each other, especially people of colour."

She added: "We're still waiting for the world to catch up."

Bey's husband Jay-Z has paid similar tribute to players like Colin during his 4:44 album tour dates in the States.

Watch some fan-shot footage above.

Image source, Getty Images

Hello everyone and welcome back to Music News LIVE.

Let's get through today together and the weekend will soon be here.

Today, we'll bring you Beyonce's tribute to an American football player and champion of black rights plus tributes to French rock star Johnny Hallyday.

Eminem's collab-ridden album has some Perfect names you may just recognise, Justin Bieber reminds us all how much he loves his daddy and poor John Mayer is rushed to hospital for an emergency appendectomy.

Ouch.

We hope the thought of that won't put you off your breakfast too much.