“Cowboy Carter;” A New Chapter of Beyoncé’s Career
On March 12, pop and R&B icon Beyoncé Knowles announced the second act of her “Renaissance” Trilogy, “Cowboy Carter.” About a month after her country debut, with singles “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages,” she became the first Black woman with a number one single on the Billboard Hot Country Songs Chart. Honored to be bestowed with such a title, Beyoncé shared her aspirations for the future of the industry on Instagram: “My hope is that years from now, the mention of an artist’s race, as it relates to releasing genres of music, will be irrelevant.” In her announcement post, Beyoncé also detailed her passion for uniting people through music, while also “amplifying the voices of some of the people who have dedicated so much of their lives educating on our musical history.” As a Black woman, she felt that certain limitations had been placed on her, hindering her from fulfilling her passions. This incentivized her to challenge herself and break free from these restraints. Emphasizing her music as falling into a genre of its own, Beyoncé concluded her announcement with a powerful statement — “This ain’t a country album. This is a Beyoncé album.”
Stolen Slippers from “The Wizard of Oz” Returned to Rightful Owner
If you have watched the beloved classic “The Wizard of Oz” (1939), you will certainly remember the pair of ruby red slippers that Dorothy wore throughout the film. Four pairs of shoes were actually used during filming, with each being worth around 3.5 million dollars. Joe Maddalena, the executive vice president of Heritage Auctions, claims that they are the “most important prop in Hollywood history.” The Hollywood Reporter states that three out of the four pairs are currently held by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, The Smithsonian Museum of American History, and a private collector. The last pair, according to CNN, was stolen in 2005 from the Judy Garland Museum. After almost 19 years, these famous shoes have been returned to their owner, Micheal Shaw. Two men were charged with the theft of the slippers: Terry Jon Martin and Jerry Hal Saliterman. Martin pleaded guilty to breaking into the museum and stealing the shoes while Saliterman assisted in hiding the precious slippers. Micheal Shaw has now handed the slippers over to Heritage Auctions, which will display the shoes internationally before putting it up for auction.
