ICYMI: The week in music news for May 3-9, 2020

By JM Stephens 9:52am PDT, May 8, 2020

Beyonce and Tina Knowles-Lawson launch Houston Coronavirus Relief Initiative

Leave it to Beyonce to step up! It was announced on May 6 that Beyonce and her mother, Tina Knowles-Lawson, are launching a coronavirus testing effort in their hometown of Houston. "We hope this will become a movement and that it will encourage us to get tested and find out our status. The virus is wreaking havoc on the black community so we need a movement to prioritize our health," Tina told CBS News. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, almost 30 percent of COVID-19 patients in the United States are black or African American. Beyonce and Tina are also encouraging other celebrities to follow suit. Tyler Perry has already committed to getting something similar going in Atlanta.

Kraftwerk co-founder Florian Schneider is dead at 73

Florian Schneider, the German musician who co-founded the influential band Kraftwerk, passed away on May 6 from cancer a few days after turning 73. Kraftwerk is known in music circles for pioneering the use of electronic instruments including homemade and custom-built devices and influencing musicians across all genres.

RELATED: Stars we lost in 2020

Dwight Yoakam secretly married in March

Country music legend Dwight Yoakam has revealed that he and longtime love Emily Joyce tied the knot in March in front of a very small group of close friends and family. On May 4, his publicity team announced the nuptials and explained the small guest list was in order to follow social distancing guidelines. "Dwight Yoakam and Emily Joyce were married in March just prior to the [coronavirus] quarantine in a private ceremony at St Monica Catholic Church in Santa Monica, CA. At a time when there is so much uncertainty in the world, there are still happy moments. In the face of shutdowns and social-distancing requirements, love prevailed, and the less than 10 attendees were seated at least six feet from one another." The couple, who have been together for a decade, chose not to announce the news when it happened out of "respect to so many people affected by and on the front lines of this pandemic"

Quincy Jones loses $6.9 Million on Michael Jackson verdict appeal

Chalk this one up as a rare loss for music legend Quincy Jones. On May 5, a court ruled that the Michael Jackson estate does not owe Quincy $6.9 million in royalties and fees, overturning a 2017 decision. The legendary music producer had previously argued that he was owed some $30 million from the estate from Michael's "This Is It" concert film, two Cirque du Soleil shows and other revenue streams that followed the King of Pop's 2009 death. After a two-week trial, jurors awarded Quincy $9.4 million. The court that overturned the decision claimed that the original jury had misinterpreted Quincy's contract. The judge closed the case, saying, "The only compensation Jones was entitled to receive was royalties from record sales on remixes, and the evidence indicates he received them. If he wanted remixing fees, he had to negotiate them in separate agreements." It's not all bad for Quincy though, as he will still be paid $2.6 million from the estate for unpaid licensing fees.

Grimes explains her new son's unusual name

Elon Musk and Grimes got the internet talking about the name they gave their newborn son. On May 4, the couple welcomed a baby boy they named X Æ A-12 Musk. While many thought the name was a joke, Grimes hopped on Twitter to explain the inspiration. According to the new mom, X stands for "the unknown variable" while Æ is "my elven spelling of Ai (love &/or Artificial intelligence) and the A-12 portion refers to an aircraft the couple love. But fans were still confused about how you actually pronounce it. They later cleared it up with competing pronunciations. "It's just X, like the letter X. Then A.I. Like how you said the letter A then I," Grimes wrote on Instagram. Elon, however, told podcaster Joe Rogan, "I mean it's just X, the letter X. And then, the Æ is, like, pronounced 'Ash'… and then, A-12, A-12 is my contribution." This is the music star's first child. The Tesla and SpaceX CEO has five sons with his first ex wife, Canadian author Justine Wilson.

Adele thanked essential workers, but the internet obsessed over her weight

Superstar Adele took to Instagram on May 5 to thank fans for their birthday wishes and to praise essential workers for everything they're doing during these unprecedented times. The singer said, "Thank you for the birthday love. I hope you're all staying safe and sane during this crazy time. I'd like to thank all of our first responders and essential workers who are keeping us safe while risking their lives! You are truly our angels." However, the big news from the post had more to do with the photo she posted alongside the message. Fans commented on Adele's slimmed down figure and while Adele received lots of praise, many pointed out that there was something inherently problematic in everyone calling her beautiful because she'd lost weight. One fan commented, "I see that Adele is trending because people are saying how gorgeous she is since she lost weight. Y'all, we've been over this… Your weight doesn't determine your beauty. Your appearance doesn't determine your beauty. The number on the scale doesn't make you worthy or unworthy." The English singer has long dealt with other people's opinions about her weight. In 2012, designer Karl Lagerfeld famously said he wouldn't dress her because of her size, to which the singer clapped back, "I represent the majority of women and I'm very proud of that."

Madonna says she tested positive for Coronavirus antibodies

On May 1, pop icon Madonna revealed that she's tested positive for COVID-19 antibodies and would be venturing out into the world now that she is allegedly temporarily immune. "I took a test the other day, and I found out that I have the antibodies. So tomorrow I'm just going to go for a long drive in the car, I'm going to roll down the window and I'm going to breathe in the COVID-19 air. Yup. I hope the sun is shining," the singer said. On May 6, she revealed that she was ill during her European tour a few months ago. "I am not currently sick," she said on Instagram. "When you test positive for anti-bodies it means you HAD the virus which I clearly did as I was sick at the end of my tour in Paris over 7 weeks ago along with many other artists in my show." At the time, Madge just thought she "had a very bad flu."

Singer-songwriter Cady Groves is dead at 30

Singer-songwriter Cady Groves passed away on May 2. She was 30. She was best known for her 2012 single "This Little Girl" and her 2017 song "Oil and Water." The cause of death has yet to be determined. Shortly after the news broke, people on Twitter started speculating about how she died. Her brother defended his sister, saying, "I hate that I even have to do this, but apparently the world and internet is a cluster of twisted misinformation. She had some medical problems last fall and our best guess at this point until further testing is complete is that they had resurfaced. Please respect her name and family before sharing information that did not come directly from here."