Archive

MUSIC NEWS: WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2015

JOHN MELLENCAMP

John Mellencamp is on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert tonight.

John, along with Willie Nelson, will be guests on CBS' The Late Show with Stephen Colbert tonight. The show, which is in its second week, airs at 10:35 PM. John and Willie will be performing as well doing an interview to promote Farm Aid's 30th Annivesary concert, which takes place  this Saturday, September 19th in Chicago at the FirstMerit Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island. 

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THIS SATURDAY: FARM AID 30TH ANNIVERSARY IN CHICAGO, IL! 

This Saturday, September 19th, Farm Aid's annual benefit concert will head to Chicago, IL, taking place at the at FirstMerit Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island in Chicago, IL. 

Farm Aid 30 will feature Farm Aid board members Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, Neil Young and Dave Matthews (performing with Tim Reynolds), along with Imagine Dragons, Jack Johnson, Kacey Musgraves, Mavis Staples, Jamey Johnson, Old Crow Medicine Show, Holly Williams, Lukas Nelson & the Promise of the Real, Insects vs Robots, Ian Mellencamp and Blackwood Quartet!

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DRAKE - BET HIP-HOP AWARDS

Canadian rapper Drake is killing it on the charts.

And there's a good chance he'll be killing it when the B-E-T Hip-Hop Awards roll around next month. He already has 12 nominations for the 10th annual awards show, to be held in Atlanta on Oct. 9th. Big Sean picked up 10 nominations, while Nicki Minaj scored 9. Gathering up eight nods each are Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole. Snoop Dogg will host _ and the event will be taped for airing on Oct. 13th on B-E-T. 

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TAYLOR SWIFT - TOUR STAR POWER

Her name is on the marquee and on the tickets.

But these days when Taylor Swift does a show, you're likely to see other stars during the concert. As her 1989 World Tour continues, so does the list of celebrities she has invited on stage. Among the musicians she has shared the stage with are Nick Jonas, Mary J.Blige, Jason Derulo and John Legend, as well as Selena Gomez and Lorde. She has also brought in veterans like Joan Baez and newcomers like Canadian singer The Weeknd, and Fetty Wap. You don't have to carry a tune for Swift to carry you on stage. Non-musicians who have been on shows with Swift during the tour include Lisa Kudrow, Chris Rock, Julia Roberts _ as well as pro athletes like Kobe Bryant and Serena Williams. Swift says all those who have appeared already were attending the show _ and agreed to do the cameos. 

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TIMBALAND - MUSIC AND TV

He made his name as a big-hit producer. And now, Timbaland is using his star power to promote his latest music through T-V. Timbaland is executive music producer of the hit T-V series ``Empire.'' And he says he will use the show as a platform to get new music heard. He didn't elaborate on how he plans to do that.

But so far, his music and the show have meshed. The original soundtrack from Empire's first season made its debut at the top of the Billboard album charts. Timbaland hasn't announced a release date for his new album. 

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ELTON JOHN - VLADIMIR PUTIN

A case of musical diplomacy? Or musical delusion?

Depends on who you ask when it comes to Elton John and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The singer says he had a phone chat with the Russian leader to chew the fat over that country's attitude toward gays. In his Instagram post, John thanked Putin for the call and said he looked forward to meeting him in person to discuss Russia's treatment of gays. So far, so good, right? Only trouble: Russia says it didn't happen. A rep for Putin says there was no call _ though the government spokesman says the Russian president is open to chatting with Elton John _ even if it's to discuss gay rights issues. 

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KATY PERRY - CONVENT

Here's the latest on Katy Perry's effort to buy a hilltop convent in Los Angeles: a judge has signed off on a businesswoman's plan to keep paying 25-thousand dollars a month plus maintenance for the property. The woman making the payments wants to use the convent for a hotel and restaurant project. The Los Angeles Catholic archbishop wants to sell the property to Perry. And it will take additional court hearings to determine who ends up getting the right to sell the property. 

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DURAN DURAN - ON NERVOUSNESS

You might not think big-time pop stars get nervous before a performance. But Simon Le Bon of Duran Duran says he does.

He says he used to lie to himself about fighting off the butterflies _ at least until he figured out how to get those butterflies to fly in formation, so to speak. He says he once heard an actor say on the radio that when he gets nervous, he says to himself: ``it's not fear, it's adrenaline.'' Le Bon says he takes that to mean that when he gets nervous, it's because his body is getting ready to do something special. Duran Duran has a new album called ``Paper Gods,'' is available now. 

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JANIS JOPLIN'S OLD CAR UP FOR SALE

A car once owned by Janice Joplin us up for sale. It's a 1965 Porsche 356C Cabriolet. It was pearly white when Joplin bought it in September, 1968 _ but she gave it one of those crazy psychedelic paint jobs that were all the rage back then. The car will be auctioned this winter by Sotheby's in New York _ and is expected to fetch more than 400-thousand dollars. Joplin drove the car regularly until she died of a drug overdose in 1970. The car has been featured at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland the past two decades. 

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'AMERICA'S GOT TALENT' FINALS

Tonight, we'll know who wins the one-million dollar prize on ``America's Got Talent.'' The 10 finalists performed live at Radio City Music Hall in New York last night. They include a guy who calls himself the Professional Regurgitator, a ventriloquist and stuttering comic Drew Lynch. He developed his severe stammer after getting hit in the throat with a softball. Judge Howard Stern says he's so proud that Lynch was part of the competition. Tonight's live finale on N-B-C includes scheduled performances by Yolanda Adams and Rachel Platten. 

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LIONEL RICHIE

Lionel Richie is ready to go all night long in Las Vegas. 

The singer announced Wednesday that he will launch a residency called ``Lionel Richie _ All the Hits'' on April 27 at The AXIS at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino.Richie will play 20 shows in April, May, September and October. Tickets, which go on sale Friday, range from $59 to $199, not including service charges.The shows will include hits such as ``All Night Long (All Night),'' ''Hello,`` ''Stuck on You,`` ''Say You, Say Me`` and ''Dancing on the Ceiling.``Richie said in a statement: ``It's a high energy show that is a perfect match for such a vibrant city!''

(The Associated Press)

MUSIC NEWS: WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2015

CONCERT SLUGGING

A 60-year-old Winnipeg woman has been convicted of slugging a security guard in the face during an alcohol-induced tantrum on the floor of a John Fogerty concert. 

Gloria Kirouac was convicted of assault this week following a one-day trial and was given a conditional sentence, provided she gets counselling for anger management. 

The grandmother of five had denied any wrongdoing, claiming three staff members at the MTS Centre accosted her for no reason during the November 2014 event. 

But provincial court Judge John Combs saw it differently, calling Kirouac's version of events difficult to believe. 

He favoured the testimony of the guard who was punched, several colleagues and a Winnipeg police officer who were all on scene and dealt with an intoxicated Kirouac. 

He called her actions ``belligerent and unpleasant'' and said there's no evidence MTS Centre staff did anything wrong by asking her to return to her seat after she got up to dance. 

(Winnipeg Free Press)

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NICKI MINAJ, 50 CENT GET TV DEALS

Nicki Minaj's life story will be the basis for a new sitcom on A-B-C Family. The show will be based on her family's move from Trinidad to the U-S and her life growing up in Queens, New York. The sitcom will begin shooting in Queens this winter. Minaj will appear in the sitcom and act as its executive producer.

Meanwhile, 50 Cent will develop new shows for the Starz channel as part of a new two-year deal. He will also continue to serve as executive producer for the show ``Power,'' currently shooting its third season. 

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TOTO - BASSIST

Founding Toto bassist David Hungate jokes it's time for him to figure out what he wants to be when he grows up, so he's not going to tour with the band anymore. The 67-year-old Hungate says he doesn't have the stamina and resilience for extended touring, although playing with Toto has been one of the greatest honours of his life. Leland Sklar will take over bass duties beginning with Toto's European tour in January.

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LADY GAGA - BILLBOARD HONOUR

Billboard magazine has named Lady Gaga its woman of the year. Lady Gaga will be honoured at the Billboard Women in Music event in New York on Dec. 11th. The gala will be televised for the first time, running on Lifetime on Dec. 18th. 

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KEITH URBAN - BUSKS

That street musician hoping that you'll toss a coin into his guitar case might just be the kind of guy who can command top dollar for tickets to his concerts. Keith Urban has posted a Facebook photo of himself playing guitar on the street in Denver.

The caption is, ``Makin' some scratch in Denver today!'' It's unclear whether Urban made any money or was recognized. Urban was in Denver with the ``American Idol'' auditions. 

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OBIT - FRANKIE FORD

``Sea Cruise'' singer Frankie Ford has died.

The Jefferson Parish Coroner's Office in Louisiana says Ford died Monday of natural causes. He was 76. Ford hit number 14 in 1959 with ``Sea Cruise.'' He never had another top-40 hit. Ford started singing when he was a child and got his first break in the late 1950s. He was called into a New Orleans studio to cover songs by local black singers who got limited airtime on the radio because of racial discrimination. 

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KEITH RICHARDS - ALBUM - DOCUMENTARY

Keith Richards finally released his second solo album in 23 years because it was a matter of timing. As Richards puts it, ``The thing is I work with this other band.'' Richards says his ``Crosseyed Heart'' album has been ready for 18 months but he had to wait for a break in the Rolling Stones schedule. A documentary about the album called ``Keith Richards: Under the Influence'' has been released to Netflix. Why Netflix? Richards says he knows little about things like that and leaves it up to his manager. He says, ``I'm not a businessman, particularly. I just happen to make lots of money.'' 

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THE WHO - TOUR DATES

Roger Daltrey says he's on the mend and feeling a lot better after a bout with viral meningitis. The Who have rescheduled the concerts they had to postpone because of Daltrey's illness. The Who will resume their North American tour Feb. 27th in Detroit. 

The Winnipeg show will take place on May 4.

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CHRISTINA AGUILERA - ECUADOR

Christina Aguilera could not help looking at the faces of the people of Ecuador and wonder if she looks like them.

Aguilera's father is from Ecuador, and she made her first trip there recently as a volunteer global spokeswoman for Yum! Brands' World Hunger Relief. Aguilera says she went out to the farmlands where women and children were not living as much as surviving. She says the children had nearly nothing but were so grateful for what they have. She says they had no musical instruments but they still made up songs with their hands and feet. Aguilera has filmed a public service announcement to bring awareness to the issue. It will run next month. The World Hunger Relief initiative has raised 600-million dollars in cash and food for charity in eight years. 

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PHARRELL WILLIAMS - READING FOR CHILDREN

Pharrell Williams is trying to get books in the hands of young readers in low-income families. Williams and the non-profit literacy organization FirstBook will donate up to 50-thousand books to children. Williams' publisher, Penguin Young Readers, says it will donate a book for every Twitter post with the hashtag ``readHappy'' with a thought about why reading makes you happy. Williams' picture book, ``Happy,'' comes out next week.

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PINK - MUSICAL

A musical about Pink has gone to the workshop phase with a new title. Broadway-dot-com reports the production will be called ``True Love'' instead of its original title of ``Mean (The Musical).'' The show is inspired by Pink's life and will feature her music. It's set for a developmental workshop on Oct. 10th at the Emerging Arts Theatre's New Works Series festival. 

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STEVE EARLE - MIXED SUPPORT

Steve Earle says it's important to have a Southern voice urging Mississippi to remove the Confederate flag emblem from its state flag, and he's got one. Earle says people will probably disqualify him because he's lived in New York for the last ten years, but he put out the song ``Mississippi It's Time'' anyway.

Earle says a few people have walked out of his concerts when he plays that song, and one person told him on Twitter, ``Shut up and sing 'Copperhead Road.''' However, another commenter tweeted, ``The spirits of slaves are smiling down on you.'' 

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CDA-WALK-OF-FAME

There will be some new inductees into Canada's Walk of Fame in November. Hockey broadcasters Don Cherry and Ron MacLean will be among them. The ceremony is held in Toronto. Walk of Fame C-E-O Melanie Hurley says Canadians love the ``Coach's Corner''

commentators. Cherry, MacLean and pop crooner Michael Buble were among the seven Canadians named to the 2015 induction class yesterday. Another entrant is the late actor Lorne Green and Olympic medallist Silken Laumann.

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(The Associated Press)