Entertainment
Jesse Welles: Keeping the spirit of American folk music alive
The story of America can be told through the lyrics of folk music – songs of the Great Depression, the civil rights era, and the social revolutions of the 1960s. As folk singer Pete Seeger put it in 1967, “A song isn’t a speech; a song is not an editorial. If a song tries to be an editorial or a speech, often it fails as a song. The best songs tell a story, paint a picture, and leave the conclusion up actually to the listener.”
And if you’re wondering whether folk music is still relevant today, take a listen to Jesse Welles. He is 33 years old, with a voice older than his years, and a message that speaks across generations:
It ain’t the banks
And it ain’t the taxes
It ain’t the payday loans and the high rent homes
And predatory fees and practices …
If you worked a little harder
Then you’d have a lot more
So the blame and the shame’s on you
For being so damn poor, yeah
From “The Poor”
CBS News
If it seems fitting right now to have a guy with six strings singing about the times, Welles said, “Every dog has its day!”
Well, it’s your own damn fault you’re so damn fat
Shame, shame, shame
All the food on the shelf was engineered for your health
So you’re gonna have to take the blame
From “Fat”
Welles can be soft-spoken in person, but behind the microphone he sings loud and clear. He takes aim at anyone he thinks takes advantage of working people – the “folks” in folk music.
There ain’t no “you” in UnitedHealth
There ain’t no “me” in the company
There ain’t no “us” in the private trust
There’s hardly “humans” in humanity
From “UnitedHealth”
At a Greenwich Village record store last fall, Welles dug through his musical roots, and his mother’s influence: “She really liked Crosby, Stills and Nash, and she liked Fleetwood Mac,” he said. “She liked pretty, pretty music. But no one was really talking about Dylan. So, I suppose that was maybe the first solo space mission I flew, was to go and find, like, some hard folk music.”
CBS News 
He was in New York to perform on CBS’ “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” where he chose a song that speaks to the unease some feel about our moment in history:
Join ICE,
Boy, ain’t it nice?
Join ICE
Take my advice
If you’re lackin’ control and authority,
Come with me and hunt down minorities
Join ICE
From “Join ICE”
Welles is up for four Grammy Awards Sunday, recognition that this troubadour from Ozark, Arkansas, never expected, especially considering his talents seemed to be more on the football field rather than the stage.
He wasn’t always comfortable with his voice, which his sister said sounds like burnt toast. “But burnt toast is still edible!” he laughed.
With that simple and direct “‘burnt toast” sound, Welles gets millions of views on social media.
War isn’t murder
Good men don’t die
Children don’t starve
And all women survive
War isn’t murder
That’s what they say
When you’re fighting the devil
Murder’s okay
From “War Isn’t Murder”
He tapes himself, alone in the Arkansas hills, with lyrics that can seem ripped from the headlines, as in “No Kings.” But he laughs when asked if he sees himself as a political figure: “A political … ? Wow! No!”
Those songs got their start in his spare bedroom-turned-studio, where he played for us a new one:
I knew a man, his only wish
To answer to no one, drink like a fish.
He worked real hard and he got it all.
There was plenty to drink, and no one to call.
If you look down the road, you’ll see the sun
And it makes time, as you take time,
Just to end where you’ve begun.
I’ve got peace like a river.
I’ve got time.
I don’t need a thing
That ain’t already mine.
From “Peace Like a River”
Asked what he’s trying to say in his songs, Welles replied, “I can’t tell you what it means. Like, it’s up to everybody. Nobody is going to paint anything and tell you, ‘This is what I mean when I painted this.’ You know, that’s no fun. That takes away your experience.”
Welles has been embraced by legends of folk and rock. He recently performed with John Fogerty, and late last year he went into the studio with Joan Baez, bridging generations and bringing in new audiences.
Joan Baez and Jesse Welles perform “Don’t Think Twice It’s Alright” at The Filmore in San Francisco:
For Jesse Welles, it is his way of keeping the spirit of American folk music alive. “I think it’s important that it doesn’t go away,” he said. “It’s something that you know has been going on, it’s been going on for centuries and centuries. You wake up one morning and you go, this is what I do. This is what I was supposed to do.”
You can stream Jesse Welles’ Grammy-nominated album “Under the Powerlines (April 24 – September 24)” by clicking on the embed below (Free Spotify registration required to hear the tracks in full):
For more info:
Story produced by Ed Forgotson. Editor: Carol Ross.
Kylie Jenner reunited with her ex-boyfriend Travis Scott over the weekend to celebrate their kids’ back-to-back birthdays.
The SICKO MODE rapper went all out as he took charge of the birthday celebrations for Stormi, who turned eight years old on February 1, and Aire, who turns four the very next day.
Videos and photos from the birthday bash shared online showed a lavish fantasy land partly inspired by Travis’ Astroworld, with custom signs reading “Stormi World” and “Planet Aire” scattered throughout the venue. The proud dad even designed giant inflatable versions of his children’ s heads modeled after his iconic Astroworld mask at the venue’s entrance.
Inside the sprawling venue was a desert-themed fantasy land complete with full-scale carnival rides, including a pink roller rink and a diner. One sweet moment showed Stormi skating around an indoor roller rink while Travis stayed close, holding her hand and helping her keep her balance.
Kylie was also hands-on throughout the party, joining Travis to sing “Happy Birthday” to both kids as they stood in front of the elaborate setup.
Among the attendees was Kylie’s sister Khloe Kardashian, who shared snaps from the bash to her Instagram Stories.
The children’s grandmother, Kris Jenner, also took to Instagram to pay a special tribute. “Happy birthday to my precious Stormi and Aire! You are both loved beyond measure, and you make our world brighter every single day. Happy birthday my angels!” the matriarch wrote.
Notably missing from the festivities was Kylie’s current boyfriend, Timothée Chalamet, who did not appear in any photos or videos from the event.
Kylie and Travis, who dated on and off from 2017 until 2023, once again showed that when it comes to Stormi and Aire, they’re a united front.
Paris Hilton says it’s all water under the bridge with Lindsay Lohan.
Appearing on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen on Thursday, January 29, the Simple Life alum revealed that she and her longtime rival have reconciled and even bonded over motherhood after years of public tension.
“We are planning to get the kids together,” Hilton, 44, shared. “I am so happy for her. She is glowing. We love being moms.”
Both women have entered a very different chapter of life since their headline-making party days, bonding over motherhood. Hilton shares son Phoenix and daughter London with husband Carter Reum, while Lohan welcomed son Luai with husband Bader Shammas. According to the reality TV star, becoming mothers helped put old drama into perspective.
Their feud famously dates back to 2006, when rumours swirled about a love triangle involving Greek shipping heir Stavros Niarchos. That same year, oil heir Brandon Davis insulted Lohan while out with Hilton, who was caught on camera laughing. Lohan later claimed Hilton hit her at a party, which Hilton strongly denied.
The jabs continued for years. In 2017, Hilton said Lohan “wasn’t invited” to the iconic “Holy Trinity” night with Britney Spears. And during a 2019 WWHL appearance, she called Lohan “lame” and “embarrassing.”
But by 2022, Hilton insisted there were “no bad vibes,” saying, “We’re not in high school.” She later revealed she reached out to congratulate Lohan on her engagement and even offered some mom-to-mom advice when the Parent Trap star announced her pregnancy in 2023.
The federal government on Sunday allowed the Pakistan cricket team to participate in the Men’s ICC T20 World Cup 2026 but barred the Green Shirt from playing the February 15 match against India.
The development came following a meeting between Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Mohsin Naqvi and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in the federal capital.
Sources familiar with the matter told Geo News that the ICC’s biased treatment of Bangladesh was the main reason behind the decision.
Tensions flared between the cricket boards of Bangladesh and India after Bangladesh’s star pacer Mustafizur Rahman was removed from the Indian Premier League (IPL) on the directions of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), sparking outrage in Dhaka.
Later, the BCB requested the ICC to shift their matches outside India, but the international cricket body rejected the plea. In view of BCB’s firm stance, the ICC replaced them with Scotland in the showpiece event, saying it was not feasible to change the schedule so close to the February 7 start of the tournament.
Referring to the government of Pakistan’s decision, the sources said that the decision aimed at expressing solidarity with Bangladesh.
“The Pakistan team has been instructed not to play the February 15 match against India as a protest,” the sources added.
India’s Jay Shah, who was elected unopposed as chairman of the sport’s world body in August 2024, has turned the ICC into “Indian Cricket Council” with his biased decision, said the sources.
“The principles of justice and equality have been shattered by biased decisions,” the government sources said, adding that double standards were being adopted while making decisions from the ICC platform.
In view of the prevailing situation, it was necessary to register the protest, the government sources added.
Kylie Jenner reunites with Travis Scott for their kids’ joint birthdays
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Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan turn over a new leaf after decades-long feud
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