That's it for the first MNL of the year.

Scroll down to discover how stars like Bey, Tay, Madness and Madge brought in the New Year, Ariana's and Liam's NY resolutions and Chance the Rapper's heroics.

Plus find out what an Arctic Monkey has up his sleeve for next month.

Playing us out today will be the Hot 8 Brass Band, from Jools' Annual Hootenanny.

See you tomorrow, even if you are [ahem] 'working from home' still.

Image source, Getty Images

Marmalade singer Dean Ford has died at the age of 72.

The news was confirmed in a Facebook post by his daughter, external, calling him “an amazing man, a gentle soul, extremely talented musician and a great father and Pop Pop to his only grandchild Connor".

Born Thomas McAleese in Coatbridge, Lanarkshire, Ford co-founded Marmalade, first known as The Gaylords, in Glasgow in 1961.

Their song I See The Rain was praised by Jimi Hendrix as the "best cut of 1967".

The band topped the UK chart in 1969 withe their cover of The Beatles Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da.

Their biggest international hit, Reflections Of My Life, was also released that year,

Ford left the band in 1974 to pursue a solo career.

Read more, external

We bet they'd normally be tucked up in bed by that time but Suggs and the boys stayed up to provide the soundtrack to the build-up to midnight, as they rocked Big Ben in central London.

Watch above as they belt out an absolute stonker of a tune to help end/start the year.

Air sax at the ready.

If you were out on the razzle dazzle yourself while all this was going on you can relive the show now on the iPlayer.

This lot enjoyed it, for sure.

Image source, Getty Images

So the arrival of Cardi B into the big time was one of the 5 Things We Learned Last Year.

The New York rapper has been telling fans that she's determined to make 2019 her year too.

Speaking to fans on Instagram Live yesterday she said: “Of course, it’s going to be an album in 2019."

Her debut album, last year's Invasion of Privacy went to number one in both the US and UK.

Like Cardi, Brody Dalle, has also confirmed her band The Distillers, will be recording a new album this year.

They made a comeback last year, playing their first live gigs in 12 years.

The Australian posted the above pictures to mark her 40th birthday yesterday, alongside a long caption containing the words:

"Hello 40... HELLO making a Distillers record in April , oh yes das right ❤️⚡️✨‍♀️"

The band's last full-length album, Coral Fang, came way back in 2003.

Recording life begins at 40, as they say.

So there's two albums to look forward to this year, but 'what else is on the musical horizon?' - we hear you cry...

Well. here's eight predictions for music in 2019 from expert pop forecasters.

Jimmy is being treated in hospital after suffering a stroke following a Panto performance in Birmingham earlier this week.

Scroll down this page for more info.

Now his big brother Donny has thanked fans for their "thoughts and prayers".

Image source, Getty Images

This August marks 50 years since the seminal hippy New York State music festival.

More than 400,000 people showed up for the event and saw sets by the likes of The Who, Jimi Hendrix, Melanie, Santana (pictured above) and Joe Cocker.

To celebrate, a 50th anniversary show is being staged but the location has been changed from its original venue in the Catskill Mountains.

They must be expecting some size of crowd because organisers have said the 600-acre dairy farm "doesn't have the capacity".

No acts have yet been announced.

Thank God for that.

We wouldn't know what to do with ourselves if LG suddenly went straight edge.

The singer, who is due to release the follow-up to his #1 debut solo album later this year, has apparently been telling US radio station Sirius XM that, while he has cut down on the fags and booze a bit, he won't be turning into an angel in 2019.

“I know for a fact when I have not had cigarettes and not drank and have been behaving myself I sound a bit square,” he said.

“And I do not like that. I like to sound a bit rough and have a bit of character.”

He added: “I do behave myself a little, but not too much. I don’t want to sound like Aled Jones or Michael Buble."

An evening with Liam, singing Sinatra - can you imagine?

We're starting to think we were a tad under-dressed for New Year now.

US pop star Taylor Swift was joined by model Gigi Hadid, actress Blake Lively and some more celeb friends in fancy dress for the final night of the festive season.

See if you can spot them above.

Here's a clue: Don't look for Taylor, look instead for Ariel from The Little Mermaid

Tay Tay posted the above picture, alongside the caption: "Mary Poppins, Audrey, Ariel, Ms. Frizzle, Cinderella, Gwen, Mr. Toad, Avril, Nancy Drew, Posh Spice, Rizzo, Frida Kahlo, Steve Irwin, Dorothy...

Image source, Getty Images

Good Cop Bad Cop is the name of the Monkeys' drummer's upcoming side project.

It which will see him produce Milburn frontman and fellow Sheffield rocker Joe Carnall's debut solo album.

They've shared a short clip below carrying the date 01.02.19 in the caption, which suggests when we might be able to hear it in full.

Late last year, it was revealed Matt plans to release a home-recorded John Carpenter-inspired record of his own, around October 2019.

Image source, KEVIN MAZUR / GETTY IMAGES

"Was there ever a better match between performer and venue than Lady Gaga and Las Vegas?"

That was the question begged by BBC Music reporter Mark Savage as the star took up residency in Sin City.

She's been busy lately promoting her Oscar-nominated movie, A Star is Born, but Gaga's Enigma show at the Park MGM didn't disappoint when it opened this weekend, as she flew onto the stage, trussed up in a harness while playing Just Dance on a keytar; and later performed from the top of a giant spider-robot.

Image source, KEVIN MAZUR / GETTY IMAGES

The show is themed around Gaga's quest to discover her true self, aided by an animated spirit guide.

Read more.

It's fair to say that another longstanding Vegas singing resident, Celine Dion, enjoyed it...

This happened over Xmas but we're well aware today that some of you music fans may just be coming round from a food/booze coma and may have missed it.

US pop star Miley Cyrus confirmed her marriage to Australian actor and long-standing partner Liam Hemsworth on Boxing Day.

The 26-year-old performed alongside producer Mark Ronson in the Radio 1 Live Lounge just before silly season, when her marital status was still single.

Seems like so long ago now, doesn't it?

Read more.

Good to know that her new marriage doesn't mean she's gone all grown-up...

So the heart-rending tale of the 2018 Bros reunion made many of us laugh, cry and cringe over Christmas.

Did you catch it? If not you can now over on the iPlayer.

After The Screaming Stops tells the story of 80s heart-throb siblings Matt and Luke Goss getting back together to perform for the first time in nearly 30 years, at London's O2 Arena last year, but like with many families at Christmas it doesn't always run as smoothly as some might like.

It also contains many moments of accidental absolute comedy gold, leading some to suggest that it may in fact be a Spinal Tap/The Office-style mocu-mentary.

Here's just a few of their best one-liners...

• "I made a conscious decision because of Stevie Wonder not to be superstitious" Matt Goss
• "I'm a Londoner. Embankment. Big Ben. Cab drivers." Luke Goss
• "The best toy we had growing up was a dart. No dart board, just a dart." Matt Goss
• "One of my songs is called We're All Kings. Which is about a man sweeping the road - he's one of my kings because I'm thankful I don't have to sweep the road." Matt Goss
• "The letters H.O.M.E. are so important because they personify the word home." Matt Goss

Read more.

Image source, Getty Images

Grime star Skepta has shown his solidarity with fellow artist J Hus, who was sentenced to eight months in jail after admitting carrying a knife in a public place.

Tweeting yesterday, Skep said simply "Free J Hus".

The 23-year-old rapper was jailed in December after being caught with a blade near the Westfield shopping centre in Stratford, east London, in June.

Judge Sandy Canavan said she would be failing in her duty if she did not jail J Hus - real name Momodou Jallow.

Skep appeared to offer some inspiration advice on his Twitter feed, with slogans like "Acceptance will set you free", "God's Plan" and - "Forever grateful".

Image source, Getty Images

In case you were in any doubt as to his political allegiance, the American rapper has kicked off the new year with a new show of support for the US President.

He's promised to perform live in his Maga (Make America Great Again) cap once again, despite pal Pusha T saying he had ditched it.

"One of my favourite of many things about what the Trump hat represents to me is that people can't tell me what to do because I'm black," he wrote on Twitter.

Another tweet contained three dragon emojis, a reference to the 'dragon energy' he apparently shares with his "brother", the POTUS.

New year, same old Ye.

Image source, Getty Images

The ever-modest rapper and philanthropist revealed he pulled a man from a burning car around Easter last year following a crash.

Explaining what happened on Instagram, Chance said the car hit a wall ahead of him and he dragged the unconscious man from the driver's seat.

He ended the post saying that he has no idea what had happened to the unfortunate soul but thankfully the story has a happy ending, as he later revealed on his Twitter account that someone had messaged him to say that it was his uncle he has saved and he had survived.

Miracles do happen in downtown Chicago.

Image source, Getty Images

Pop star Jimmy Osmond has thanks fans after he was taken to hospital after suffering a stroke following a pantomime performance in Birmingham.

The 55-year-old youngest member of the famous Osmond family was playing Captain Hook in Peter Pan.

His spokesperson said:"He is grateful for all the well wishes and will be taking time out in the new year."

Jimmy has been replaced by Darren Day who said he would "dedicate every single performance" to the stricken singer.

Read more

Image source, Getty Images

Sorry to crush your dreams so early in the new calendar year, fellas...

Ari, who chronicled her love life in her recent smash hit, Thank U, Next, has made it her New Year's resolution to it alone.

The 25-year-old singer - who had a very public split with fiance Pete Davidson in October, shortly after the death of her ex-boyfriend Mac Miller - professed on Twitter that she's focusing on herself for the foreseeable.

After a fan posted an article titled; "Who is Ariana dating now?!", she responded herself with; "spoiler for the rest of this year / probably my life: it's no one. please refer back to this tweet for future questions."

Got that?

Seems Miss Grande is already married to the job anyway, telling fans; "our relationship is real".

Rolling Stone magazine

The star was a a surprise guest at New York’s iconic LGBTQ venue Stonewall Inn on 31 December.

She performed her track, Like a Prayer, and was joined on stage by her dapper-looking son David to duet on the Elvis classic, I Can't Help Falling in Love With You.

Madge told patrons: “If we truly look and we truly take the time to get to know one another, we would find that we all bleed the same colour and we all need to love and be loved.

“Love, thank you people, we’re fighting for love."

Read more, external

Well not just us two - you guys as well.

The US pop behemoth (or more likely one of her team) produced a rapid fire look-back at her 2018 to herald in the new year.

Watch the minute-long video above, which begins with Bey and hubby rapper Jay-Z celebrating NYE and goes on to include some of their personal highlights of the past 12 months, including daughter Blue Ivy shushing them at the Grammys and moments from their joint On The Run II tour, as well as the trailer for the forthcoming Lion King remake, which features Bey's vocals.

All soundtracked by Andy Stewart's classic version of Auld Lang Syne.

"Wishing you a beautiful 2019," reads the caption.

And to you Bey.

Morning everybody and welcome to the first Music News LIVE of 2019.

We hope you partied like it was 1999.

First thing is to say is that it's Wednesday, as we know that can be confusing on your first day back.

We've so much to catch up on from around the music world over the festivities, including:

• How the stars, like Beyonce, Madonna and Taylor Swift saw out NYE
• Ariana Grande vows to stay single throughout 2019 and "probably my life"
• Chance The Rapper has a new alter-ego - Chance the Hero
• Arctic Monkeys drummer Matt Helders releases a clip from his new musical project

• And Kanye West starts 2019 the way he ended 2018... with another Twitter rant

First up, check out the 5 Things We Learned Last Year and we'll get cracking.