MUSIC NEWS
Kevin Mazur/WireImageRock and Roll history was made on April 18 in Los Angeles when Heart, late disco queen Donna Summer, Randy Newman, Canadian prog-rock legends Rush, rap-rock pioneers Public Enemy, late bluesman Albert King and producers Quincy Jones and Lou Adler were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. You can check out all of the highlights from the star-studded event by tuning in to HBO on Saturday at 9 p.m. ET/PT to catch the
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Vanguard RecordsMost people watching the American Idol finale Thursday night would say that the duet that new Idol winner Candice Glover sang with Jennifer Hudson on the song "Inseparable" was one of the highlights of the evening. Someone who wouldn't say that is the woman who originally recorded the song: Natalie Cole.
Cole was evidently miffed that she wasn't invited to sing her song with Glover on the finale. In a message on her Twitter account, Natalie wrote, "Make no mistake. 'Inseparable'
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Photo: James O'MaraThe stars are coming out for Carole King this coming week. On Tuesday, she'll be saluted in Washington, D.C., by the likes of Billy Joel, James Taylor, Gloria Estefan...and President Obama.
King is the first woman ever to receive the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, which is given annually to a composer for his or her contributions to popular music. According to
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Photo: Danny ClinchNBC's popular comedy series The Office came to an end Thursday night after nine seasons with a one-hour special that centered around the wedding of characters Dwight and Angela. During the reception, the party-goers were shown dancing to a variety of popular songs including Bruce Springsteen's "Rosalita." Well, apparently the Boss was paying attention because he posted a note on his Twitter account that read, "Rosalita! Good choice for Dwight & Angela's wedding reception."
Angela Kinsey,
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GeorgeMichael.comGeorge Michael and cars just don't mix. The BBC reports that the singer was airlifted to the hospital Thursday after suffering a head injury in a car crash in the U.K.
A statement posted on George's Facebook page says that he is "fine" and only has "superficial cuts" as a result of the accident, which took place in Hertfordshire. The singer wasn't
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Duff-Loaded.comDuff McKagan reports that Missionary Position vocalist Jeff Angell, the frontman for his new side project Walking Papers, had a chance to be lead singer for Velvet Revolver. The former Guns N’ Roses bassist tells Rolling Stone that Angell got a shot to try out for the supergroup before they chose former member Scott Weiland as their singer.
"I hoped at some point I would
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Facebook.com/StingBack in 1989, Sting starred in a Broadway musical: a revival of The Threepenny Opera. Now, he's trying to raise some cash to bring his own production to the Great White Way.
The New York Post reports that the former Police frontman and his producing partner are trying to raise $15 million to bring their musical, The Last Ship, to Broadway next spring. Based on his autobiographical album The Soul Cages, the musical tells the story of a family of shipbuilders
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OMusicAwards.comMTV's O Music Awards returns this year, and a number of veteran artists have scored nominations. Neil Young, David Bowie and Yoko Ono each will compete for one honor at the third annual ceremony, which will stream live at OMusicAwards.com on June 19 at 7 p.m. ET. MTV's O Music Awards honor various achievements in the arena of digital music.
Young is among the nominees for the Analog Genius Award. The folk-rock great received his nod because of his work on the high-quality digital-music service Pono. Bowie, meanwhile, is in the running for the Too Much Ass for
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Photo: Alan SilfenIn the days leading up to the May 28 release of his new collaborative album, Wrote a Song for Everyone, John Fogerty will be all over the TV dial. In the next week alone, the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer has several appearances scheduled on various talk shows and specials.
On Sunday, the ex-Creedence Clearwater Revival frontman will be among the many musicians featured in the CBS concert special
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Peter Kramer/NBCWade Robson says Michael Jackson was a talented artist, but he alleges that the late performer was also "pedophile and a child sexual abuser." In an interview with the Today show's Matt Lauer, Robson stands by his lawsuit, claiming that when he was a child, Jackson sexually abused him.
Australian-born Wade was just a kid when he began performing alongside Michael, appearing in the King of Pop's music videos for "Black or White," "Jam" and "Heal the World." Though Robson had
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Columbia RecordsThe American Academy of Arts and Letters held its annual induction ceremony on Wednesday at its New York City headquarters, and Bob Dylan became the first rock-era musician to be accepted into the respected institution. According to RollingStone.com, the folk-rock legend did not attend the ceremony.
Dylan did send a statement that read, "I feel extremely honored and very lucky to be included in this pantheon of great individual
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Surfdog RecordsCongratulations appear to be in order for Eric Clapton, who's expected to become a grandfather for the first time in the coming days. The Daily Mail reports that the guitar legend's oldest daughter, 28-year-old Ruth Clapton, is preparing to give birth to her first child later this month.
A friend of the Clapton family tells the newspaper, "The baby is due any day and Eric is ecstatic."
The 68-year-old rocker is said to have a close relationship with Ruth, whom
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Facebook.com/GraceSlickOfficialFormer Jefferson Airplane/Jefferson Starship singer Grace Slick may no longer be making music but she continues to follow her artistic muse as a prolific painter. Slick will pay a visit to four galleries in four separate California cities this week in celebration of a new display of her art titled "Once upon a Time."
Slick's appearances will take place tonight at the San Francisco Art Exchange in San Francisco, Friday at the Gordon Huether Gallery in Napa, Saturday at the Norcal Modern Gallery
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RCA/Legacy RecordingsA massive box set featuring all of the studio albums Harry Nilsson recorded for RCA Records will hit stores on July 30. The RCA Albums Collection features 17 CDs, including expanded versions of 14 of the late singer/songwriter's RCA releases, plus three newly compiled discs of outtakes, demos and rarities.
Nilsson, who died of heart failure in 1994 at age 52, is perhaps best known for his smash cover
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RootsRockRevival.comAllman Brothers Band fans may want to head to the scenic Catskills Mountains in early June, when the group's founding drummer Butch Trucks will help host a five-day music camp called the Roots Rock Revival. The event, which will take place June 3 to June 7 at Full Moon Resort in Big Indian, New York, also will feature Allmans bassist Oteil Burbridge and The North Mississippi Allstars' Luther and Cody Dickinson.
The Roots Rock Revival will offer attendees such activities as music classes, seminars and workshops, presentations,
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Capitol RecordsAfter years of doing covers records, Rod Stewart rediscovered his love of songwriting for his new album Time...and it's paid off.
Time has debuted at #7 on the Billboard 200 chart and, as the publication notes, it's Stewart's highest-charting album of original material since, believe it or not, 1979, when Blondes Have More Fun was #1 for three weeks.
Rod has had top 10 albums since 1979, of course, but everything that charted
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Photo: Jon HillSammy Hagar has revealed details about a new album he's been working on with Journey's Neal Schon, as well as two of the Red Rocker's Chickenfoot band mates -- bassist Michael Anthony and drummer Chad Smith. In a new video posted on Hagar's official YouTube channel, Sammy reports that the project is basically a reincarnated version of his old supergroup HSAS, which featured Schon, journeyman bassist Kenny Aaronson and former Santana drummer Michael Shrieve.
The
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ABKCO RecordsThree classic Rolling Stones albums will be issued on high-quality, 180-gram clear vinyl later this month to commemorate the band's half-century anniversary and current 50 and Counting Tour. The discs, 1968's Beggar's Banquet, 1969's Let It Bleed and the two-LP 1971 compilation Hot Rocks 1964-1971, will hit stores on May 28.
The albums are part of a planned series of archival Stones releases "The Rolling Stones Clearly Classic."
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Apple Corps Ltd.Help!, the 1965 film that marked The Beatles' second foray into the movies, will be released on Blu-ray for the first time on June 25. Help! will be available as a single disc that offers a digitally restored version of the flick and 5.1 audio, as well as an hour's worth of bonus features.
Among the extras are a 30-minute making-of documentary, interviews with cast and crew members, a short about the movie's restoration, a deleted scene, plus trailers and radio ads. The Help! Blu-ray also
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429 RecordsSome revised details have been revealed about Stephen Stills' upcoming blues project The Rides. The supergroup, which also features guitarist Kenny Wayne Shepherd and founding Electric Flag keyboardist Barry Goldberg, is now set to release its debut album, Can't Get Enough, on August 27, several weeks later than initially reported.
The 10-track collection includes four brand-new songs co-written by Stills, Goldberg and Shepherd. Can't Get
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Eagle Rock EntertainmentJust a reminder that Paul McCartney will be in attendance for a special premiere theatrical screening of the 1976 concert video Rockshow that will be held today at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts in London. The ex-Beatles legend will be on hand to introduce the film, which features footage captured during Paul McCartney & Wings' 1976 U.S. tour.
Rockshow also will be shown at a variety of other U.K. cinemas on Wednesday, while U.S. theaters will start hosting similar screenings on Thursday. These screenings also will feature a taped
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Vanguard RecordsOn May 28, John Fogerty will celebrate his 68th birthday -- and the arrival of his latest album, Wrote a Song for Everyone -- with a special one-off performance at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles. Members of the ex-Creedence Clearwater Revival frontman's fan club now have the chance to purchase a limited number of pre-sale tickets to the show via JohnFogerty.com.
The event also will
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Eagle Rock EntertainmentA Beach Boys TV special that originally aired on NBC in 1976 will be released as a DVD and a digital download on June 18. The Beach Boys: Good Vibrations Tour includes footage of the band performing at California's Anaheim Stadium while supporting their 15 Big Ones album, which included a hit cover of the Chuck Berry tune "Rock 'n' Roll Music." The group's lineup at the time featured all five original members -- brothers Brian, Carl and Dennis Wilson, Mike Love and Al Jardine.
The
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Facebook.com/EltonJohn; Franck Prevel/Getty ImagesAn impressive list of music stars, including Elton John, U2's Bono, Paul Simon and Sting, were on hand to entertain the many wealthy and famous guests who attended the 25th anniversary Robin Hood Foundation gala, held Monday at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City. The event raises money to fight poverty and help those in need in the New York City area.
According to
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Mary McCartney/MPL Communications Ltd.Continuing his support of animal-rights causes, Paul McCartney is backing an initiative by the Cruelty Free International organization seeking a global ban on cosmetics testing on animals. In March, a similar ban went into effect throughout the European Union after a long campaign by the BUAV, the founding organization of Cruelty Free International.
"I have supported…the BUAV over the years with its campaign to
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NARAS.orgThe Recording Academy has set the dates for the next two years for what it calls "music's biggest night." The 56th Annual Grammy Awards is set to air live from Los Angeles' Staples Center on January 26, 2014, and the 57th Annual Grammy Awards will air February 8, 2015, the Academy announced Monday.
This year's live telecast attracted 28.7 million viewers, a decline from 2012's awards, which got a bump due to the unexpected death of pop icon Whitney Houston. Still, ratings were the second highest since 1993. The Recording Academy -- which awards the Grammys -- will continue its tradition of producing a week-long
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Capitol/UMEReleased in 1983, the album Sports -- which eventually hit #1 in 1984 -- turned Huey Lewis & the News into superstars, thanks to hits like "I Want a New Drug," "The Heart of Rock & Roll," "Heart and Soul" and "If This Is It." The 30th anniversary reissue of that disc hits stores Tuesday, and Huey says he thinks all those songs still hold up just fine.
"They don't sound dated," he tells ABC News Radio. "Interestingly, some of the songs we wrote when we were in our 30s are sort of more appropriate for some people of our age now."
He notes, "Y'know, we started before music television, and so our
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Facebook.com/JermaineJacksonOfficialChoreographer Wade Robson earlier this month alleged that he was sexually abused by Michael Jackson, but the late King of Pop's brother Jermaine Jackson says the whole thing is a load of nonsense. More precisely, Jermaine tells TMZ that Wade is "full of s**t."
As previously reported, Robson claims in his lawsuit against MJ's estate that, as a child, he spent time at homes owned by Michael. Wade alleges that he was molested, but
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Aretha's RecordsAretha Franklin has canceled two upcoming concerts because she needs to undergo treatment for an undisclosed medical condition. The nixed performances were scheduled to take place on May 20 at the Chicago Symphony Center with members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and on May 26 at Foxwoods Resort & Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut.
Young R&B singer Janelle Monáe has signed on to take Franklin's place at the May 20 show, held in conjunction with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra's 24th annual Corporate Night fundraising event.
A rep for Ms. Franklin declined ABC News Radio's
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Frontiers RecordsWhitesnake will release a new two-CD concert album this summer that gathers together 25 performances from the pop-metal band's massive 2011 tour in support of their Forevermore album. Made in Britain – The World Record is due out on July 9, and includes live renditions of such Whitesnake classics as "Here I Go Again," "Still of the Night" and "Is This Love," as well as selections from the group's latest studio effort and much more.
As its title suggests, Made in Britain
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