Singer-songwriter Bill Withers has died. He wrote and sang a string of soulful songs in the 1970s that have stood the test of time, including “Lean On Me,” “Lovely Day” and “Ain’t No Sunshine.”     According to a statement released from his family to The Associated Press, the 81-year-old died in Los Angeles from heart complications. “Lean On Me,” was performed at the presidential inaugurations of both Barack Obama and Bill Clinton. Lately, people have posted videos of their versions of the song as inspiration during the coronavirus pandemic. …

The director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Health, Anthony Fauci, considered by many to the be the face of the U.S. battle against the coronavirus, will be immortalized Friday with his own bobblehead figurine.The bobblehead figures are being created and marketed by the the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. They will sell for $25 with $5 from each sale going to the American Hospital Association and its “100 Million Mask Challenge,” an effort to raise money for sorely needed surgical masks across …

American country music singer Dolly Parton has launched “Good Night with Dolly,” a 10-week read-aloud series for children on YouTube and other internet platforms.“This is something I have been wanting to do for quite a while, but the timing never felt quite right,” Parton said.  “I think it is pretty clear that now is the time to share a story and to share some love.”Parton read the 90-year-old classic The Little Engine That Could in the first episode Thursday evening.The books chosen for the series “will focus on comforting and reassuring children during the shelter-in-place mandates” put in place because of the coronavirus pandemic Parton’s Imagination Library said.The library, inspired by Parton’s father, who could …

Postponing the Tokyo Olympics to 2021 will make the event more costly for all parties, the International Olympic Committee acknowledged on Thursday, although it offered few details on what the final bill might be.Four directors of the Olympic body held a conference call three days after Tokyo’s new dates were finalized, with the games pushed back to July 23-Aug. 8 next year because of the coronavirus pandemic.While the new dates cleared up any uncertainty about the event’s future, there are still plenty of question marks as the IOC begins to …