Salon News Today — August 21, 2026
Earth, Wind, & Fire Shares Health Update on Drummer John Paris: ‘Our Hope Is Strong’ and more — today's salon signal.
From music to film and back again, today's news has a distinct retro-futuristic vibe. The legendary band Earth, Wind, & Fire is giving fans an update on the health of drummer John Paris, and while the news is uncertain, the band is holding onto hope. Meanwhile, in a case that's been decades in the making, jurors in the Tupac murder trial are hearing a secretly recorded police interview with Keffe D, a man who has long been linked to the rapper's tragic death.
In lighter news, the intersection of music and film is also on display in a review of Agnieszka Smoczynka's new film, which combines eighties cyberpunk aesthetics with a post-apocalyptic vision. And in a testament to the power of self-promotion in the digital age, an emerging artist is making waves on Spotify with a staggering library of self-produced tracks. It's a reminder that in today's culture, sometimes the most compelling stories are the ones that blend old and new, music and film, and art and technology.
Today's signal:
• Earth, Wind, & Fire Shares Health Update on Drummer John Paris: ‘Our Hope Is Strong’ (rollingstone.com)
• Tupac Murder Trial: Jurors Hear ‘Secret’ Police Interview with Keffe D Admitting Role in Shooting (rollingstone.com)
• ‘Hot Spot’ Review: Eighties Cyberpunk Kitsch Is the Future in Agnieszka Smoczynka’s Peculiar Post-Apocalyptic Vision (variety.com)
• Jade Is Her Own Biggest Fan, and Has the Spotify Library to Prove It (rollingstone.com)