Thursday, March 29, 2012
Florence + The Machine get "Unplugged" for MTV
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Florence + the Machine kick off MTV's new season of "Unplugged" on April 9 with a show that singer Florence Welch called "amazing" as her powerful voice belted out hit songs like "Dog Days Are Over" in a candlelit room.
The soulful British singer and her backing band taped their "Unplugged" concert in New York's oldest synagogue building back in December to become the first of eight episodes airing across MTV and sister networks Vh1 and CMTe clubs and more recently we'v. The Civil Wars and Dierks Bentley also are slated to perform during the new season.
MTV debuted its Emmy-winning "Unplugged" series in 1989, and it became an instant hit by taking singers and bands typically associated with big sounding pop music and stripping them down to basic, acoustic instruments and vocalstadiums in the world with the kind of show that n. Over the years, the show has featured performances from popular artists including Mariah Carey, Eric Clapton, Nirvana and Jay-Z on intimate, often unconventional stages.
Backed by a 10-person choir, The Voices of Rivers, Welch performed fan favorites such as "Drumming Song" from her group's 2009 debut "Lungs," as well as the single "Never Let Me Go" from her most recent record, "Ceremonials."
Queens of the Stone Age's Josh Homme joined Welch for a cover of "Jackson," most famously sung by Johnny Cash and June Carterry of 50 fantastic years,' Jagger, Richar. Welch also covered "Try A Little Tenderness." Kanye West, who attended the taping with fellow rapper Q-Tip, sampled Otis Redding's version of the song on "Watch the Throne," his 2011 album with Jay-Z.
Welch said she was in awe of the former synagogue in which she and the Machine played and where the stage was decorated with dozens of candles.
"I had to stop myself after every song," Welch told Reuters0th anniversary celebrations for one of rock and . "I would be like, 'Wow.'
"It was so amazing performing the songs stripped back and just really being able to concentrate on the songs and the emotions," said Welch.
During the show, the soft-spoken singer told the live audience: "This is a real moment for me and to be doing an 'Unplugged' session is amazing."
NOT EASY BEING UNPLUGGED
Van Toffler, president of Viacom's Music and Logo Group, said MTV and its networks carefully select the artists they invite to perform, and self-promotion, even by big-name acts, is no guarantee of a spot on the show.
"We get lobbied by a bunch of artists," said Tofflere relationship between lead singer span cl. "We're quite selective about who ultimately gets to do an 'Unplugged.'"
"Unplugged's" striped-down approach suits the hard-to-classify, Grammy-winning folk duo The Civil Wars, who will appear on Vh1's "Unplugged" in May.
"We're kind of tailor-made for that," said the duo's John Paul White.
"We're already unplugged!" laughed his partner Joy Williams, who will be seven months pregnant when she tapes their episode of "Unplugged" slated for May.
"Growing up with the show, it's a strange full circle thing," said White 'This is our story of 50 fantasti. "We were talking about how big those 'Unplugged' shows were for us, to see our favorite artists in a different, more humanizing light."
Last year "Unplugged" expanded to include CMT, opening the series to country artistsasting success, 'span. Dierks Bentley, whose single "Home" is nominated for Song of the Year at Sunday's Academy of Country Music Awards, will follow The Civil Wars, with an episode of "CMT Unplugged" to air this spring.
"I love breaking my songs back down to their original acoustic foundation," said Bentley and lasting success, . "When I write these songs by myself or with friends, we just use acoustic guitars ..d in a joint statement, . so, it's fun to sometimes go back to just the simple groove and idea you had to begin with."
Toffler believes simplicity and rawness are the keys to "Unplugged's" lasting appeal out as a blues band pla. "Either you've got the chops in talent or you don't, and 'Unplugged' is not going to hide any blemishes in your capabilities," said Toffler.
(Reporting by Sabrina Ford; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)
This article is brought to you by DATING.
The soulful British singer and her backing band taped their "Unplugged" concert in New York's oldest synagogue building back in December to become the first of eight episodes airing across MTV and sister networks Vh1 and CMTe clubs and more recently we'v. The Civil Wars and Dierks Bentley also are slated to perform during the new season.
MTV debuted its Emmy-winning "Unplugged" series in 1989, and it became an instant hit by taking singers and bands typically associated with big sounding pop music and stripping them down to basic, acoustic instruments and vocalstadiums in the world with the kind of show that n. Over the years, the show has featured performances from popular artists including Mariah Carey, Eric Clapton, Nirvana and Jay-Z on intimate, often unconventional stages.
Backed by a 10-person choir, The Voices of Rivers, Welch performed fan favorites such as "Drumming Song" from her group's 2009 debut "Lungs," as well as the single "Never Let Me Go" from her most recent record, "Ceremonials."
Queens of the Stone Age's Josh Homme joined Welch for a cover of "Jackson," most famously sung by Johnny Cash and June Carterry of 50 fantastic years,' Jagger, Richar. Welch also covered "Try A Little Tenderness." Kanye West, who attended the taping with fellow rapper Q-Tip, sampled Otis Redding's version of the song on "Watch the Throne," his 2011 album with Jay-Z.
Welch said she was in awe of the former synagogue in which she and the Machine played and where the stage was decorated with dozens of candles.
"I had to stop myself after every song," Welch told Reuters0th anniversary celebrations for one of rock and . "I would be like, 'Wow.'
"It was so amazing performing the songs stripped back and just really being able to concentrate on the songs and the emotions," said Welch.
During the show, the soft-spoken singer told the live audience: "This is a real moment for me and to be doing an 'Unplugged' session is amazing."
NOT EASY BEING UNPLUGGED
Van Toffler, president of Viacom's Music and Logo Group, said MTV and its networks carefully select the artists they invite to perform, and self-promotion, even by big-name acts, is no guarantee of a spot on the show.
"We get lobbied by a bunch of artists," said Tofflere relationship between lead singer span cl. "We're quite selective about who ultimately gets to do an 'Unplugged.'"
"Unplugged's" striped-down approach suits the hard-to-classify, Grammy-winning folk duo The Civil Wars, who will appear on Vh1's "Unplugged" in May.
"We're kind of tailor-made for that," said the duo's John Paul White.
"We're already unplugged!" laughed his partner Joy Williams, who will be seven months pregnant when she tapes their episode of "Unplugged" slated for May.
"Growing up with the show, it's a strange full circle thing," said White 'This is our story of 50 fantasti. "We were talking about how big those 'Unplugged' shows were for us, to see our favorite artists in a different, more humanizing light."
Last year "Unplugged" expanded to include CMT, opening the series to country artistsasting success, 'span. Dierks Bentley, whose single "Home" is nominated for Song of the Year at Sunday's Academy of Country Music Awards, will follow The Civil Wars, with an episode of "CMT Unplugged" to air this spring.
"I love breaking my songs back down to their original acoustic foundation," said Bentley and lasting success, . "When I write these songs by myself or with friends, we just use acoustic guitars ..d in a joint statement, . so, it's fun to sometimes go back to just the simple groove and idea you had to begin with."
Toffler believes simplicity and rawness are the keys to "Unplugged's" lasting appeal out as a blues band pla. "Either you've got the chops in talent or you don't, and 'Unplugged' is not going to hide any blemishes in your capabilities," said Toffler.
(Reporting by Sabrina Ford; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)
This article is brought to you by DATING.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Aerosmith says new album brings "a little of 1975 back"
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Veteran rock band Aerosmith said on Wednesday they were bringing "a little of 1975 back" on a long-delayed album of new material to be released this summer to coincide with a U.Slion PlayStation Network . tour.
The band said they were working on finishing up the album - the first of new material since 2001's "Just Push Play" - ahead of the tour, but kept the title under wraps.
"The camaraderie's there, there's some songs that are new rock, and old rock and middle-of-the-road rock, and blues, piano systems security when hackers accessed. Joe Perry singing a couple of songs, I'm playing the drums, Joey sings, just all kinds of stuff," frontman Steven Tyler told Reuters.
Aerosmith, whose previous attempts to make a new album were dogged by a litany of health problems and internal strife, said they had been working with their long-time producer Jack Douglas to bring "a little bit of 1975 back."
The band will kick off their North American "Global Warming Tour" on June 16 in Minneapolis, playing 18 cities from Toronto to Oakland, California and Atlanta, GeorgiaOrganized Crime Agency/span, they were remanded o. Tickets go on sale from Friday.
"You're going to get some new songs from the new album and some old songs from the old albums and you're going to get new us and old us, and we're just going to go out and rock your world," Tyler, 64, told Reuters.
The volatile singer and "American Idol" judge was greeted by dozens of fans as the band swept into a Los Angeles news conference in flamboyant fashion - Tyler on a motorbike, drummer Joey Kramer in a white Lamborghini, guitarist Joe Perry in a taxi and bassist Tom Hamilton in a rickshaw5'James McCormick/span denied . Guitarist Brad Whitford is currently on tour with another band.
"We've been known to set the world on fire with our type of music...so we decided to call this The Global Warming Tour," Tyler told journalists.
COMING BACK HOME
Formed in Boston in the 1970s, Aerosmith has sold over 150 million records worldwide and had hits like "Walk This Way" and "I Don't Want to Miss A Thing".
But they said playing at home was the biggest thrill.
"Coming back to American fans, that's my favorite part, because being on stage and getting the response that we're going to get hopefully from these new songs from American fans is something I really look forward to and something that has always held us together," said Kramer.
Aerosmith's last North American tour, in 2009, had to be scrapped midway through after Tyler, who had a history of drug addiction, fell off the stage and broke his shoulder, a unit of span class='yshortcuts' id='lw_133095. He later entered rehab for addiction to prescription painkillers.
Last year, he fell in the shower during Aerosmith's South American tour after passing out with stomach flu, but was back performing two days later.
"I'm going to be in a sling all night to hold me up!" Tyler joked on Wednesday of the upcoming gigs.
"It's all ludicrous, we've played...almost 5000 times nownline Entertainment PC games net. I've fallen of the stage four times, so it's alright, it gets a lot of press...I'm just an overactive kid that gets into a lot of troubleeath, to release 10 a. Let's wait to see what happens next," he said.
Tyler's decision in 2010 to join "American Idol" as a judge ruffled some feathers among his bandmatesvealed hackers had stolen. But Tyler said his role on the TV singing contest had brought Aerosmith a whole new audience.
"The music that we write, fortunately it's been seductive to all genres of peopleember, James Marks and span . There's going to be kids who are going to get introduced to Aerosmith all over again, and there's a bunch of new music that we're taking a risk and putting out of files, most of them . It's kind of futuristic rock, all the way across the board, we're just good for that," said the rocker.
(Reporting By Piya Sinha-Roy, Editing by Jill Serjeant)
This article is brought to you by MATCH.
The band said they were working on finishing up the album - the first of new material since 2001's "Just Push Play" - ahead of the tour, but kept the title under wraps.
"The camaraderie's there, there's some songs that are new rock, and old rock and middle-of-the-road rock, and blues, piano systems security when hackers accessed. Joe Perry singing a couple of songs, I'm playing the drums, Joey sings, just all kinds of stuff," frontman Steven Tyler told Reuters.
Aerosmith, whose previous attempts to make a new album were dogged by a litany of health problems and internal strife, said they had been working with their long-time producer Jack Douglas to bring "a little bit of 1975 back."
The band will kick off their North American "Global Warming Tour" on June 16 in Minneapolis, playing 18 cities from Toronto to Oakland, California and Atlanta, GeorgiaOrganized Crime Agency/span, they were remanded o. Tickets go on sale from Friday.
"You're going to get some new songs from the new album and some old songs from the old albums and you're going to get new us and old us, and we're just going to go out and rock your world," Tyler, 64, told Reuters.
The volatile singer and "American Idol" judge was greeted by dozens of fans as the band swept into a Los Angeles news conference in flamboyant fashion - Tyler on a motorbike, drummer Joey Kramer in a white Lamborghini, guitarist Joe Perry in a taxi and bassist Tom Hamilton in a rickshaw5'James McCormick/span denied . Guitarist Brad Whitford is currently on tour with another band.
"We've been known to set the world on fire with our type of music...so we decided to call this The Global Warming Tour," Tyler told journalists.
COMING BACK HOME
Formed in Boston in the 1970s, Aerosmith has sold over 150 million records worldwide and had hits like "Walk This Way" and "I Don't Want to Miss A Thing".
But they said playing at home was the biggest thrill.
"Coming back to American fans, that's my favorite part, because being on stage and getting the response that we're going to get hopefully from these new songs from American fans is something I really look forward to and something that has always held us together," said Kramer.
Aerosmith's last North American tour, in 2009, had to be scrapped midway through after Tyler, who had a history of drug addiction, fell off the stage and broke his shoulder, a unit of span class='yshortcuts' id='lw_133095. He later entered rehab for addiction to prescription painkillers.
Last year, he fell in the shower during Aerosmith's South American tour after passing out with stomach flu, but was back performing two days later.
"I'm going to be in a sling all night to hold me up!" Tyler joked on Wednesday of the upcoming gigs.
"It's all ludicrous, we've played...almost 5000 times nownline Entertainment PC games net. I've fallen of the stage four times, so it's alright, it gets a lot of press...I'm just an overactive kid that gets into a lot of troubleeath, to release 10 a. Let's wait to see what happens next," he said.
Tyler's decision in 2010 to join "American Idol" as a judge ruffled some feathers among his bandmatesvealed hackers had stolen. But Tyler said his role on the TV singing contest had brought Aerosmith a whole new audience.
"The music that we write, fortunately it's been seductive to all genres of peopleember, James Marks and span . There's going to be kids who are going to get introduced to Aerosmith all over again, and there's a bunch of new music that we're taking a risk and putting out of files, most of them . It's kind of futuristic rock, all the way across the board, we're just good for that," said the rocker.
(Reporting By Piya Sinha-Roy, Editing by Jill Serjeant)
This article is brought to you by MATCH.
"The Hunger Games" soundtrack tops Billboard chart
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - "The Hunger Games" official soundtrack shot to the top of the Billboard 200 album chart on Wednesday, following the film's record-setting opening weekend.
"The Hunger Games" soundtrack sold 175,000 copies last week, according to Nielsen SoundScan and is the first film soundtrack to debut at No- span class='yshortc. 1 since Michael Jackson's concert film "This Is It" topped the chart following his sudden death in 2009.
Produced by country musician T-Bone Burnett, "The Hunger Games: Songs from District 12 and Beyond" album features songs by Taylor Swift, Arcade Fire, Miranda Lambert, Maroon 5 and The Civil Wars.
The soundtrack's lead single "Safe and Sound," by Swift and The Civil Wars, was released in December as the film started gaining buzz, and clocked in at Noal from the local span cl. 30 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.
Swift's second single from the soundtrack, "Eyes Open," notched the Nolowed to play their own instrumen. 4 position on the Digital Songs chart this week, selling 176,000 copies.
The post-apocalyptic action film "The Hunger Games," based on the first of a best-selling series of young adult novels by author Suzanne Collins, was released on March 23 and scored the third-highest domestic film opening in history with $155 million at U.Shortcuts' id='lw_133. and Canadian box offices.
Elsewhere British singer Adele held onto the Nois three cohorts - span class='yshortcuts'. 2 spot with her Grammy-winning album "21," followed by indie rock band The Shins, who debuted their fourth studio album, "Port of Morrow," at Nortcuts' id='lw_1330540219. 3.
Last week's record-breaking chart-toppers, British boy band One Direction, slipped to Noo Clarksville' and 'I. 4 with their debut album "Up All Night," while alternative hip hop group Odd Future debuted at NoJones/span, former lead singer of the 1960s made-f. 5 with their collaborative set, "The Odd Future Tape Volw_1330540219_6'Christine Kearney/span; Wr. 2."
(Reporting By Piya Sinha-Roy, Editing by Jill Serjeant)
"The Hunger Games" soundtrack sold 175,000 copies last week, according to Nielsen SoundScan and is the first film soundtrack to debut at No- span class='yshortc. 1 since Michael Jackson's concert film "This Is It" topped the chart following his sudden death in 2009.
Produced by country musician T-Bone Burnett, "The Hunger Games: Songs from District 12 and Beyond" album features songs by Taylor Swift, Arcade Fire, Miranda Lambert, Maroon 5 and The Civil Wars.
The soundtrack's lead single "Safe and Sound," by Swift and The Civil Wars, was released in December as the film started gaining buzz, and clocked in at Noal from the local span cl. 30 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.
Swift's second single from the soundtrack, "Eyes Open," notched the Nolowed to play their own instrumen. 4 position on the Digital Songs chart this week, selling 176,000 copies.
The post-apocalyptic action film "The Hunger Games," based on the first of a best-selling series of young adult novels by author Suzanne Collins, was released on March 23 and scored the third-highest domestic film opening in history with $155 million at U.Shortcuts' id='lw_133. and Canadian box offices.
Elsewhere British singer Adele held onto the Nois three cohorts - span class='yshortcuts'. 2 spot with her Grammy-winning album "21," followed by indie rock band The Shins, who debuted their fourth studio album, "Port of Morrow," at Nortcuts' id='lw_1330540219. 3.
Last week's record-breaking chart-toppers, British boy band One Direction, slipped to Noo Clarksville' and 'I. 4 with their debut album "Up All Night," while alternative hip hop group Odd Future debuted at NoJones/span, former lead singer of the 1960s made-f. 5 with their collaborative set, "The Odd Future Tape Volw_1330540219_6'Christine Kearney/span; Wr. 2."
(Reporting By Piya Sinha-Roy, Editing by Jill Serjeant)
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Lionel Richie goes country on new album 'Tuskegee'
NASHVILLE, Tenn (Reuters) - If he hadn't known better, Lionel Richie jokes that he might have felt insulted when initially sitting down with some of today's top country stars to record his new album of duets, "Tuskegee."
"I pulled out the lyrics to the songs, and they were like, 'what's that?'
"I said, 'here are the lyrics.'" Richie says with a mock look of astonishment, then smilespan class='yshortcuts'. "They said, 'Oh no, man contestant will be rural folk group span class='y. I know thisDima Bilan/span and span class='y. I've been singing it since 1983 or 1987,'- This year's span class='yshortcuts' id='. Someone even said, 'I've been singing these songs since I was in elementary school.'
"I was like, 'Thank you very much, I didn't need to hear that,'" the 62-year-old told Reuters about re-recording some of his memorable songs with the likes of Kenny Chesney, Blake Shelton, Jason Aldean, Willie Nelson and Little Big Town.
"Tuskegee," which hit record stores on Monday, features Richie and 13 country stars singing some top hits of his heyday in the 1980s, including "Hello," "Stuck On You" and "All Night Long."
Going country may seem out of place for the pop and R&B singer who gained stardom in the 1970s with the funk and soul group The Commodores, perfecting his brand of romantic ballads then embarking on a major solo career.
But the Alabama native is no stranger to country music, and several of his mega hits have been covered with a twangld Reuters that the granni. The late Conway Twitty recorded Richie's "Three Times a Lady" and Kenny Rogers scored a hit with the Richie-penned "Lady."
"I've always felt right at home in country because I was raised just down the road from Nashville in Tuskegee, Alabama, where I was immersed in country, R&B, gospel and classical music," Richie said.
He said recording his old favorites with country stars proved to be a surreal experience as he came to realize how many artists knew, and liked, his musico village,' she said, 'We are. Some of those singers offered reinterpretations of his songs and many pushed him hard to perform at his peak level in the studio, Richie said.
"Jennifer Nettles (of Sugarland) came in and it took me a minute to wrap my head around what she wanted to do with 'Hello.' I was like, 'Oh, I hold that note that long?' And Billy Currington can go high with his voice, and you'd never know thate is a very serious contender, well-known both in . He did 'Just for You' and he just nailed it."
Richie also chuckled at the memory of Darius Rucker announcing in the studio that he would sing Richie's part on "Stuck on You."
"He told me, 'I'm doing your part and anything that goes up high you have it.'" Richie saidthe funds for building a church in their Bu. "Those were my orders."
SURPRISES AND CHALLENGES
A few people surprised him with their song choices_6'Dima Bilan/span and spa. Instead of choosing "All Night Long," as Richie anticipated, Kenny Chesney picked "My Love" which he said was his favorite.
Tim McGraw wanted to perform "Sail On," another choice that surprised Richie, though not after he sang itriatrics with the announce. "That caught me off guard," Richie saidnck, who is best known for 196. "But he was dead on the money with it."
Perhaps his biggest challenge was a duet with Shania Twain on "Endless Love." It was the first time Twain had been in the recording studio since her long hiatus to deal with a crumbling marriage and voice conditionengthen Russia's quest for. Richie became aware that she had lost her confidence as well.
Twain did not want to record in Nashville and rejected several locations Richie suggestedsova said, adding tha. They finally settled on the studio at his beach house in the Bahamastheir wages to raise the funds for building a c. He was surprised to learn that a television crew from Oprah Winfrey's cable channel, OWN, would film the session for a reality TV series, "Why Not?"
When Twain arrived, Richie asked her out of sight of the cameras when was the last time she had been on stagepan class='yshortcuts' id='lw_1331228163_6'D. She told him it had been seven years.
"I told her we both had something in common: We were both scared," Richie recalled class='yshortcuts' id='lw_133. "I told her we're artists and all artists are egotistical maniacs with an inferiority complexels of Britain's decision to ch. When we walk off stage, we're always in doubt if we can walk back in front of a mic and sing again.
"Then I told her, 'When you walk back in front of that microphone, you'll turn back into Shania Twain.'
Along with the album's release, Richie will appear on the April 1 Academy of Country Music Awards TV show, and he further explores his country side in a CBS special, "ACM Presents: Lionel Richie and Friends In Concert," set to air on April 13.
The special, which was pre-taped, features appearances by Jason Aldean, The Band Perry, Luke Bryan, Sara Evans, Lady Antebellum and othersldest one of which is 76 years old, are pinni. Richie called it "a night that I will remember for the rest of my life."
"The ultimate compliment here is that you have these people telling you that something you wrote is their favorite song adding that the group members, the el. And then they want to sing it with me? Come on, I mean, at a certain point you have to stop and realize your blessings," he said.
(Reporting by Vernell Hackett; Editing By Andrew Stern and Bob Tourtellotte)
This article is brought to you by FREE PERSONALS.
"I pulled out the lyrics to the songs, and they were like, 'what's that?'
"I said, 'here are the lyrics.'" Richie says with a mock look of astonishment, then smilespan class='yshortcuts'. "They said, 'Oh no, man contestant will be rural folk group span class='y. I know thisDima Bilan/span and span class='y. I've been singing it since 1983 or 1987,'- This year's span class='yshortcuts' id='. Someone even said, 'I've been singing these songs since I was in elementary school.'
"I was like, 'Thank you very much, I didn't need to hear that,'" the 62-year-old told Reuters about re-recording some of his memorable songs with the likes of Kenny Chesney, Blake Shelton, Jason Aldean, Willie Nelson and Little Big Town.
"Tuskegee," which hit record stores on Monday, features Richie and 13 country stars singing some top hits of his heyday in the 1980s, including "Hello," "Stuck On You" and "All Night Long."
Going country may seem out of place for the pop and R&B singer who gained stardom in the 1970s with the funk and soul group The Commodores, perfecting his brand of romantic ballads then embarking on a major solo career.
But the Alabama native is no stranger to country music, and several of his mega hits have been covered with a twangld Reuters that the granni. The late Conway Twitty recorded Richie's "Three Times a Lady" and Kenny Rogers scored a hit with the Richie-penned "Lady."
"I've always felt right at home in country because I was raised just down the road from Nashville in Tuskegee, Alabama, where I was immersed in country, R&B, gospel and classical music," Richie said.
He said recording his old favorites with country stars proved to be a surreal experience as he came to realize how many artists knew, and liked, his musico village,' she said, 'We are. Some of those singers offered reinterpretations of his songs and many pushed him hard to perform at his peak level in the studio, Richie said.
"Jennifer Nettles (of Sugarland) came in and it took me a minute to wrap my head around what she wanted to do with 'Hello.' I was like, 'Oh, I hold that note that long?' And Billy Currington can go high with his voice, and you'd never know thate is a very serious contender, well-known both in . He did 'Just for You' and he just nailed it."
Richie also chuckled at the memory of Darius Rucker announcing in the studio that he would sing Richie's part on "Stuck on You."
"He told me, 'I'm doing your part and anything that goes up high you have it.'" Richie saidthe funds for building a church in their Bu. "Those were my orders."
SURPRISES AND CHALLENGES
A few people surprised him with their song choices_6'Dima Bilan/span and spa. Instead of choosing "All Night Long," as Richie anticipated, Kenny Chesney picked "My Love" which he said was his favorite.
Tim McGraw wanted to perform "Sail On," another choice that surprised Richie, though not after he sang itriatrics with the announce. "That caught me off guard," Richie saidnck, who is best known for 196. "But he was dead on the money with it."
Perhaps his biggest challenge was a duet with Shania Twain on "Endless Love." It was the first time Twain had been in the recording studio since her long hiatus to deal with a crumbling marriage and voice conditionengthen Russia's quest for. Richie became aware that she had lost her confidence as well.
Twain did not want to record in Nashville and rejected several locations Richie suggestedsova said, adding tha. They finally settled on the studio at his beach house in the Bahamastheir wages to raise the funds for building a c. He was surprised to learn that a television crew from Oprah Winfrey's cable channel, OWN, would film the session for a reality TV series, "Why Not?"
When Twain arrived, Richie asked her out of sight of the cameras when was the last time she had been on stagepan class='yshortcuts' id='lw_1331228163_6'D. She told him it had been seven years.
"I told her we both had something in common: We were both scared," Richie recalled class='yshortcuts' id='lw_133. "I told her we're artists and all artists are egotistical maniacs with an inferiority complexels of Britain's decision to ch. When we walk off stage, we're always in doubt if we can walk back in front of a mic and sing again.
"Then I told her, 'When you walk back in front of that microphone, you'll turn back into Shania Twain.'
Along with the album's release, Richie will appear on the April 1 Academy of Country Music Awards TV show, and he further explores his country side in a CBS special, "ACM Presents: Lionel Richie and Friends In Concert," set to air on April 13.
The special, which was pre-taped, features appearances by Jason Aldean, The Band Perry, Luke Bryan, Sara Evans, Lady Antebellum and othersldest one of which is 76 years old, are pinni. Richie called it "a night that I will remember for the rest of my life."
"The ultimate compliment here is that you have these people telling you that something you wrote is their favorite song adding that the group members, the el. And then they want to sing it with me? Come on, I mean, at a certain point you have to stop and realize your blessings," he said.
(Reporting by Vernell Hackett; Editing By Andrew Stern and Bob Tourtellotte)
This article is brought to you by FREE PERSONALS.
Madonna's "MDNA" receives lukewarm welcome from critics
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The music doesn't stop for pop icon Madonna, and neither does the controversy, as the 53-year-old 'Queen of Pop' returns to the spotlight with her latest album "MDNA".
The uptempo record "MDNA" sees Madonna continue her love affair with dance music in an album dedicated to club-friendly tracks.
And Madonna has lost none of her ability to push boundaries, just as she did 25 years ago with themes of sexuality and youth rebellion.
The title, "MDNA" -- an allusion to the drug MDMA or ecstasy -- has caused a stir, while the music video for the second single, "Girl Gone Wild", has been slapped with an age restriction after YouTube deemed it too raunchy for under 18 year-olds.
The video, shot in black and white, sees the singer writhing and grinding with scantily dressed men, in a style similar to her "Erotica" days, when the video for her song "Justify My Love," was banned by MTV in 1990.
Madonna has said that the title meaning of her 12th studio album is threefold -- a reduction of her name, an abbreviation for "Madonna DNA," and a reference to ecstasy and the euphoria often experienced by its users.
But some music critics haven't exactly been blown away despite Madonna recruiting a bevy of top dance music producers, including house music DJ Benny Benassi, electro-pop duo LMFAO and her Grammy-winning "Ray of Light" album producer William Orbit.
Randall Roberts of the Los Angeles Times gave the album two out of four stars, saying it doesn't "offer much in the way of innovation," and that the iconic singer had "fallen behind...she is no longer setting the conversation in a genre she essentially invented."
The songs are tied together with hard bass beats and electro-synth tunes in uptempo dance songs like "Gang Bang" and "Girl Gone Wild," where the matriarch of modern pop music sings lyrics like "I know good girls don't misbehave, misbehave, but I'm a bad girl anyway."
"Falling Free" is one of the few tracks that change pace from the album's dance-core theme, described by Billboard's Keith Caulfield as a "gorgeous ballad." The Golden Globe-winning song "Masterpiece," from the soundtrack of Madonna's film "W.E." also stood out with its delicate acoustic guitar melody.
The singer doesn't shy away from her personal life, with lyrics such as "I tried to be your wife, diminish myself, and swallowed my life," in "I Don't Give A," featuring rapper Nicki Minaj, seen as an allusion to her former marriage with British director Guy Ritchie.
Billboard's Keith Caulfield called the album "a collection of thoroughly pumping pop tunes, some of which are slices of sheer brilliance," praising tracks such as "Gang Bang."
Alexis Petridis of British newspaper The Guardian, gave the album three out of five stars, calling it "business as usual" for the pop star.
Petridis added; "What's striking isn't that Madonna is still with us...so much as where she still is: a commanding presence at the absolute center of pop, as capricious and changeable a genre as music has to offer."
But Nitsuh Abebe of New York Magazine said "a lot of the music here feels hollow and strained...There is much expensive workmanship and machine-tooling around here, but not much...Madonna."
(Reporting By Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Jill Serjeant)
This article is brought to you by RELATIONSHIP ADVICE.
The uptempo record "MDNA" sees Madonna continue her love affair with dance music in an album dedicated to club-friendly tracks.
And Madonna has lost none of her ability to push boundaries, just as she did 25 years ago with themes of sexuality and youth rebellion.
The title, "MDNA" -- an allusion to the drug MDMA or ecstasy -- has caused a stir, while the music video for the second single, "Girl Gone Wild", has been slapped with an age restriction after YouTube deemed it too raunchy for under 18 year-olds.
The video, shot in black and white, sees the singer writhing and grinding with scantily dressed men, in a style similar to her "Erotica" days, when the video for her song "Justify My Love," was banned by MTV in 1990.
Madonna has said that the title meaning of her 12th studio album is threefold -- a reduction of her name, an abbreviation for "Madonna DNA," and a reference to ecstasy and the euphoria often experienced by its users.
But some music critics haven't exactly been blown away despite Madonna recruiting a bevy of top dance music producers, including house music DJ Benny Benassi, electro-pop duo LMFAO and her Grammy-winning "Ray of Light" album producer William Orbit.
Randall Roberts of the Los Angeles Times gave the album two out of four stars, saying it doesn't "offer much in the way of innovation," and that the iconic singer had "fallen behind...she is no longer setting the conversation in a genre she essentially invented."
The songs are tied together with hard bass beats and electro-synth tunes in uptempo dance songs like "Gang Bang" and "Girl Gone Wild," where the matriarch of modern pop music sings lyrics like "I know good girls don't misbehave, misbehave, but I'm a bad girl anyway."
"Falling Free" is one of the few tracks that change pace from the album's dance-core theme, described by Billboard's Keith Caulfield as a "gorgeous ballad." The Golden Globe-winning song "Masterpiece," from the soundtrack of Madonna's film "W.E." also stood out with its delicate acoustic guitar melody.
The singer doesn't shy away from her personal life, with lyrics such as "I tried to be your wife, diminish myself, and swallowed my life," in "I Don't Give A," featuring rapper Nicki Minaj, seen as an allusion to her former marriage with British director Guy Ritchie.
Billboard's Keith Caulfield called the album "a collection of thoroughly pumping pop tunes, some of which are slices of sheer brilliance," praising tracks such as "Gang Bang."
Alexis Petridis of British newspaper The Guardian, gave the album three out of five stars, calling it "business as usual" for the pop star.
Petridis added; "What's striking isn't that Madonna is still with us...so much as where she still is: a commanding presence at the absolute center of pop, as capricious and changeable a genre as music has to offer."
But Nitsuh Abebe of New York Magazine said "a lot of the music here feels hollow and strained...There is much expensive workmanship and machine-tooling around here, but not much...Madonna."
(Reporting By Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Jill Serjeant)
This article is brought to you by RELATIONSHIP ADVICE.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
UK boy band One Direction breaks Billboard record with debut album
LONDON/LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - British boy band One Direction has become the first UK group to debut at Noy really offended Mick and I reg. 1 in the U.SKeith Richards/span has apologize. Billboard 200 album chart, adding another victory in their whirlwind success story.
The band sold more than 176,000 copies of their debut album "Up All Night", making chart history in the United States, with the record soaring straight to the top of the digital charts within minutes of its official release on March 13th, a statement from the band's label Syco said on Wednesday.
One Direction's debut album knocked last week's chart topper, Bruce Springsteen's "Wrecking Ball," from Noan class='yshortcuts' id='lw_1331900769_. 1 and came in ahead of Adele's Grammy-winning album "21," which remained at No,' An eagerly anticipated wor. 2 with 148,000 copies sold last week.
The boy band came together on Britain's "The X Factor" television talent contest after judge Simon Cowell suggested they sing together as a band rather than on their own.
Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson, all aged between 18 and 21, joined forces and became hot competition during the 2010 edition of "The X Factor," finishing in third place.
"When we got put together as a group, we couldn't imagine ourselves coming to America, let alone releasing our album here, so for us to be sitting at the top of the U.S id='lw_1331900769_0'Keith Richards/span has apolo. album charts is unbelievable," Horan said in a statement.
Over 10,000 fans turned up for the band's first live TV performance on the NBC's Today Show in New York.
The band have also racked up more than 204 million views on video website YouTube, have 12 million followers on Twitter and 3.6 million fans on Facebook.
"I couldn't be happier for One Direction, it is an incredible achievement," Cowell said.
One Direction's debut single "What Makes You Beautiful" won a BRIT Award in February and sold more than 131,000 copies in its first weeking Stone magazine/span, the two rock'n'. Their entry at No happen until 2013 at the ea. 28 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart also marked the highest singles debut from a British band since the Spice Girls' "Wannabe" in 1997.
"It's beyond a dream come true for us," fellow band member Styles said.
One Direction were signed to Cowell's Syco label in 2011 in partnership with Columbia Records in the United States.
Syco Entertainment is a music television, film and digital joint venture between Cowell and Sony Music Entertainment whose assets include The X Factor and Got Talent, as well as artists such as Leona Lewis, Susan Boyle, Il Divo, Cher Lloyd, One Direction & Labrinth.
One Direction's 2013 UK/Ireland Arena Tour sold out immediately with more dates needing to be addedreleased in September, (. An estimated 300,000 tickets were sold in the first dayagger/span for derogatory comments . One Direction's tour of Australia & New Zealand sold out in just three minutes.
(Additional reporting by Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Paul Casciato)
The band sold more than 176,000 copies of their debut album "Up All Night", making chart history in the United States, with the record soaring straight to the top of the digital charts within minutes of its official release on March 13th, a statement from the band's label Syco said on Wednesday.
One Direction's debut album knocked last week's chart topper, Bruce Springsteen's "Wrecking Ball," from Noan class='yshortcuts' id='lw_1331900769_. 1 and came in ahead of Adele's Grammy-winning album "21," which remained at No,' An eagerly anticipated wor. 2 with 148,000 copies sold last week.
The boy band came together on Britain's "The X Factor" television talent contest after judge Simon Cowell suggested they sing together as a band rather than on their own.
Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson, all aged between 18 and 21, joined forces and became hot competition during the 2010 edition of "The X Factor," finishing in third place.
"When we got put together as a group, we couldn't imagine ourselves coming to America, let alone releasing our album here, so for us to be sitting at the top of the U.S id='lw_1331900769_0'Keith Richards/span has apolo. album charts is unbelievable," Horan said in a statement.
Over 10,000 fans turned up for the band's first live TV performance on the NBC's Today Show in New York.
The band have also racked up more than 204 million views on video website YouTube, have 12 million followers on Twitter and 3.6 million fans on Facebook.
"I couldn't be happier for One Direction, it is an incredible achievement," Cowell said.
One Direction's debut single "What Makes You Beautiful" won a BRIT Award in February and sold more than 131,000 copies in its first weeking Stone magazine/span, the two rock'n'. Their entry at No happen until 2013 at the ea. 28 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart also marked the highest singles debut from a British band since the Spice Girls' "Wannabe" in 1997.
"It's beyond a dream come true for us," fellow band member Styles said.
One Direction were signed to Cowell's Syco label in 2011 in partnership with Columbia Records in the United States.
Syco Entertainment is a music television, film and digital joint venture between Cowell and Sony Music Entertainment whose assets include The X Factor and Got Talent, as well as artists such as Leona Lewis, Susan Boyle, Il Divo, Cher Lloyd, One Direction & Labrinth.
One Direction's 2013 UK/Ireland Arena Tour sold out immediately with more dates needing to be addedreleased in September, (. An estimated 300,000 tickets were sold in the first dayagger/span for derogatory comments . One Direction's tour of Australia & New Zealand sold out in just three minutes.
(Additional reporting by Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Paul Casciato)
UK boy band breaks U.S. charts record with debut album
LONDON (Reuters) - British teen band One Direction became the first UK group to enter the U.Se Kearney/span; Writing by Steve Gorman; Editing . Billboard 200 chart at number one.
The band sold more than 176,000 copies of their debut album "Up All Night", making chart history in the United States, with the record soaring straight to the top of the digital charts within minutes of its official release on March 13th, a statement from the band's label Syco said on Wednesday.
The boy band came together on Britain's The X Factor TV talent contest after judge Simon Cowell suggested they sing together as a band rather than on their own.
Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson joined forces and became hot competition during the 2010 edition of The X Factor, finishing in third place.
"When we got put together as a group, we couldn't imagine ourselves coming to America, let alone releasing our album here, so for us to be sitting at the top of the U.Sding to an official from the local span class. album charts is unbelievable," Horan said in a statement.
Over 10,000 fans turned up for the band's first live TV performance on the NBC's Today Show in New York.
The band have also racked up more than 204 million views on video website YouTube, have 12 million followers on Twitter and 3.6 million fans on Facebook.
"I couldn't be happier for One Direction, it is an incredible achievement," Cowell said.
One Direction's debut single "What Makes You Beautiful" won a BRIT Award in February and sold more than 131,000 copies in its first weeklead singer of the 1960s made-fo. Their entry on the Billboard Hot 100 also marked the highest debut from a British band since the Spice Girls in 1998.
"It's beyond a dream come true for us," fellow bandmember Styles said.
One Direction were signed to Cowell's Syco label in 2011 in partnership with Columbia Records in the United States.
Syco Entertainment is a music television, film and digital joint venture between Cowell and Sony Music Entertainment whose assets include The X Factor and Got Talent, as well as artists such as Leona Lewis, Susan Boyle, Il Divo, Cher Lloyd, One Direction & Labrinth.
One Direction's 2013 UK/Ireland Arena Tour sold out immediately with more dates needing to be added='yshortcuts' id='lw_1330540219_6'Chri. An estimated 300,000 tickets were sold in the first dayband span class='yshortcuts' id='lw_13. One Direction's tour of Australia & New Zealand sold out in just three minutes.
(Reporting by Li-mei Hoang; Editing by Paul Casciato)
The band sold more than 176,000 copies of their debut album "Up All Night", making chart history in the United States, with the record soaring straight to the top of the digital charts within minutes of its official release on March 13th, a statement from the band's label Syco said on Wednesday.
The boy band came together on Britain's The X Factor TV talent contest after judge Simon Cowell suggested they sing together as a band rather than on their own.
Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson joined forces and became hot competition during the 2010 edition of The X Factor, finishing in third place.
"When we got put together as a group, we couldn't imagine ourselves coming to America, let alone releasing our album here, so for us to be sitting at the top of the U.Sding to an official from the local span class. album charts is unbelievable," Horan said in a statement.
Over 10,000 fans turned up for the band's first live TV performance on the NBC's Today Show in New York.
The band have also racked up more than 204 million views on video website YouTube, have 12 million followers on Twitter and 3.6 million fans on Facebook.
"I couldn't be happier for One Direction, it is an incredible achievement," Cowell said.
One Direction's debut single "What Makes You Beautiful" won a BRIT Award in February and sold more than 131,000 copies in its first weeklead singer of the 1960s made-fo. Their entry on the Billboard Hot 100 also marked the highest debut from a British band since the Spice Girls in 1998.
"It's beyond a dream come true for us," fellow bandmember Styles said.
One Direction were signed to Cowell's Syco label in 2011 in partnership with Columbia Records in the United States.
Syco Entertainment is a music television, film and digital joint venture between Cowell and Sony Music Entertainment whose assets include The X Factor and Got Talent, as well as artists such as Leona Lewis, Susan Boyle, Il Divo, Cher Lloyd, One Direction & Labrinth.
One Direction's 2013 UK/Ireland Arena Tour sold out immediately with more dates needing to be added='yshortcuts' id='lw_1330540219_6'Chri. An estimated 300,000 tickets were sold in the first dayband span class='yshortcuts' id='lw_13. One Direction's tour of Australia & New Zealand sold out in just three minutes.
(Reporting by Li-mei Hoang; Editing by Paul Casciato)
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
George Michael "fighting fit," to re-start tour
LONDON (Reuters) - British singer George Michael has rescheduled dates of a tour he was forced to cancel when he fell ill with severe pneumonia last year and spent several weeks in a Vienna hospital.
'George Michael is back in good health and fighting fit after a battle with pneumonia,' said a statement released on his behalf on Tuesday.
The 48-year-old former Wham! frontman will re-start his 'Symphonica' tour on September 4 with a new concert in Vienna, where he will donate 1,000 tickets as a thank you to the medical staff who treated him.
'I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you first to the doctors and nurses who saved my life and took such great care of me and to all my fans, family and friends for their love and support,' he said.
'I'm looking forward to seeing everyone.'
Michael, who went on to pursue a successful solo career recording hits including 'Careless Whisper', 'Faith' and 'I Want Your Sex', will also perform at the Palais Garnier Opera House in Paris on September 9.
He will perform the postponed concert at London's Royal Albert Hall on September 29, and organizers said original tickets to cancelled dates will still be valid.
Michael has sold an estimated 100 million records over his career and has a personal fortune valued at around 90 million pounds ($120 million).
But the Grammy Award-winning artist has a history of run-ins with the law, notably in 2010 when he spent four weeks in a British prison for driving under the influence of cannabis.
(Reporting by Mike Collett-White, editing by Paul Casciato)
'George Michael is back in good health and fighting fit after a battle with pneumonia,' said a statement released on his behalf on Tuesday.
The 48-year-old former Wham! frontman will re-start his 'Symphonica' tour on September 4 with a new concert in Vienna, where he will donate 1,000 tickets as a thank you to the medical staff who treated him.
'I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you first to the doctors and nurses who saved my life and took such great care of me and to all my fans, family and friends for their love and support,' he said.
'I'm looking forward to seeing everyone.'
Michael, who went on to pursue a successful solo career recording hits including 'Careless Whisper', 'Faith' and 'I Want Your Sex', will also perform at the Palais Garnier Opera House in Paris on September 9.
He will perform the postponed concert at London's Royal Albert Hall on September 29, and organizers said original tickets to cancelled dates will still be valid.
Michael has sold an estimated 100 million records over his career and has a personal fortune valued at around 90 million pounds ($120 million).
But the Grammy Award-winning artist has a history of run-ins with the law, notably in 2010 when he spent four weeks in a British prison for driving under the influence of cannabis.
(Reporting by Mike Collett-White, editing by Paul Casciato)
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Richards apologizes to fellow Rolling Stone Jagger
LONDON (Reuters) - Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards has apologized to Mick Jagger for derogatory comments he made about the lead singer in his 2010 memoir 'Life', which caused a rift within the band.
In comments reported by Rolling Stone magazine, the two rock'n'roll veterans agreed it was time to move on.
Fans will be relieved to see them burying the hatchet, as the row had threatened to undermine plans to celebrate the Rolling Stones' 50th anniversary this year and to go on another world tour.
'Looking back at any career you are bound to recall both the highs and the lows,' Jagger was quoted as saying that when he was at Fox he helped develop such. 'In the 1980s for instance Keith and I were not communicating very well.
'I got very involved with the business side of the Stones, mainly because I felt no one else was interested, but it's plain now from the book that Keith felt excluded, which is a pity with 'Smash' is not its sub. Time I reckon to move on.'
Richards added: 'Mick's rightand online video, Vie. He and I have had conversations over the last year of a kind we have not had for an extremely long time and that has been incredibly important to me.
'As far as the book goes, it was my story and it was very raw, as I meant it to be, but I know that some parts of it and some of the publicity really offended Mick and I regret that.'
An eagerly anticipated world tour by one of the world's biggest music acts is now not expected to happen until 2013 at the earliest, according to the same magazine.
Some industry sources had put the delay down to the argument between Richards and Jagger, but Rolling Stone said it may be more closely linked to concerns over Richards' health.
'The quality of the guitarist's performances declined after he suffered a head injury on vacation in Fiji in April 2006, midway through the Bigger Bang tour,' the magazine said.
As well as the tour, the Rolling Stones have announced the July 12 release of a picture book tracing their rise to global famenetwork, Comcast plucked G. The band debuted at the Marquee Club in London's Oxford Street on the same date in 1962.
There will also be a 'groundbreaking' documentary film released in September.
(Reporting by Mike Collett-White; Editing by Steve Addison)
In comments reported by Rolling Stone magazine, the two rock'n'roll veterans agreed it was time to move on.
Fans will be relieved to see them burying the hatchet, as the row had threatened to undermine plans to celebrate the Rolling Stones' 50th anniversary this year and to go on another world tour.
'Looking back at any career you are bound to recall both the highs and the lows,' Jagger was quoted as saying that when he was at Fox he helped develop such. 'In the 1980s for instance Keith and I were not communicating very well.
'I got very involved with the business side of the Stones, mainly because I felt no one else was interested, but it's plain now from the book that Keith felt excluded, which is a pity with 'Smash' is not its sub. Time I reckon to move on.'
Richards added: 'Mick's rightand online video, Vie. He and I have had conversations over the last year of a kind we have not had for an extremely long time and that has been incredibly important to me.
'As far as the book goes, it was my story and it was very raw, as I meant it to be, but I know that some parts of it and some of the publicity really offended Mick and I regret that.'
An eagerly anticipated world tour by one of the world's biggest music acts is now not expected to happen until 2013 at the earliest, according to the same magazine.
Some industry sources had put the delay down to the argument between Richards and Jagger, but Rolling Stone said it may be more closely linked to concerns over Richards' health.
'The quality of the guitarist's performances declined after he suffered a head injury on vacation in Fiji in April 2006, midway through the Bigger Bang tour,' the magazine said.
As well as the tour, the Rolling Stones have announced the July 12 release of a picture book tracing their rise to global famenetwork, Comcast plucked G. The band debuted at the Marquee Club in London's Oxford Street on the same date in 1962.
There will also be a 'groundbreaking' documentary film released in September.
(Reporting by Mike Collett-White; Editing by Steve Addison)
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Doobie Brothers' drummer dies of cancer at age 65
(Reuters) - Mike Hossack, a longtime member of rock band The Doobie Brothers, has died of cancer at the age of 65, the band's manager said on Tuesday.
Hossack, who helped give the band its distinctive sound with two drummers in the early 1970s, died peacefully on Monday at his home in Dubois, Wyoming, manager Bruce Cohn said.
'Mike was a one-of-a kind guy and a longtime member of the Doobie Brothers,' Cohn said in a statementrs will publish a photographic record of thei. 'He was a fighter and fought the big battle with cancer and I speak for Mike's family and the entire band when I say he will be greatly missed.'
New Jersey-born Hossack began playing drums at the age of 12tcuts' id='lw_1330687089_4'Thames & Hudson/s. After serving in the Navy in Vietnam in the late 1960s he was planning a career in law enforcement before getting his first gig with a California band called Mourning Reign.
That led to an invitation to join the northern California band The Doobie Brothers in 1971, where he became the second drummer and was heard on early hit songs like 'Blackwater', 'Listen to the Music' and 'China Grove.'
Hossack left the Doobie Brothers in 1973 and formed Bonaroo, worked with other bands, and became a partner in a Hollywood recording studio.
He rejoined the Doobie Brothers in 1987 for a series of benefit concerts for Vietnam war veterans, and remained with them when the band reformed to make albums like 'Cycles', 'Brotherhood' and 2010's 'World Gone Crazy.'
Founding member and guitarist Tom Johnston said Hossack was 'an incredible musician, a studio quality drummer.'
'The last few years, he was brave and determined to keep on playing in the face of ill health, and I will always admire him for that,' Johnston said on Tuesday.
Doobie Brothers' singer and songwriter Pat Simmons said he and Hossack were friends for 43 years.
'We shared some wonderful adventures together, times I will never forget of Rolling Stones photog. Thanks for all those wonderful memories Mike, and all the great musicof their rise to fame and lasting success, . We love you,' Simmons said.
(Reporting By Jill Serjeant, editing by Christine Kearney)
This article is brought to you by DATING ADVICE.
Hossack, who helped give the band its distinctive sound with two drummers in the early 1970s, died peacefully on Monday at his home in Dubois, Wyoming, manager Bruce Cohn said.
'Mike was a one-of-a kind guy and a longtime member of the Doobie Brothers,' Cohn said in a statementrs will publish a photographic record of thei. 'He was a fighter and fought the big battle with cancer and I speak for Mike's family and the entire band when I say he will be greatly missed.'
New Jersey-born Hossack began playing drums at the age of 12tcuts' id='lw_1330687089_4'Thames & Hudson/s. After serving in the Navy in Vietnam in the late 1960s he was planning a career in law enforcement before getting his first gig with a California band called Mourning Reign.
That led to an invitation to join the northern California band The Doobie Brothers in 1971, where he became the second drummer and was heard on early hit songs like 'Blackwater', 'Listen to the Music' and 'China Grove.'
Hossack left the Doobie Brothers in 1973 and formed Bonaroo, worked with other bands, and became a partner in a Hollywood recording studio.
He rejoined the Doobie Brothers in 1987 for a series of benefit concerts for Vietnam war veterans, and remained with them when the band reformed to make albums like 'Cycles', 'Brotherhood' and 2010's 'World Gone Crazy.'
Founding member and guitarist Tom Johnston said Hossack was 'an incredible musician, a studio quality drummer.'
'The last few years, he was brave and determined to keep on playing in the face of ill health, and I will always admire him for that,' Johnston said on Tuesday.
Doobie Brothers' singer and songwriter Pat Simmons said he and Hossack were friends for 43 years.
'We shared some wonderful adventures together, times I will never forget of Rolling Stones photog. Thanks for all those wonderful memories Mike, and all the great musicof their rise to fame and lasting success, . We love you,' Simmons said.
(Reporting By Jill Serjeant, editing by Christine Kearney)
This article is brought to you by DATING ADVICE.
Japan maestro Ozawa vows return after break
TOKYO (Reuters) - Seiji Ozawa, Japan's most famous conductor, on Tuesday pledged to return to performing next year, a week after saying he would take time off to recover from a recent spell of bad health that has included bouts of pneumonia.
The former Vienna State Opera musical director, 76, who before that was conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, was diagnosed with esophageal cancer in January 2010 and completed treatment later that year.
'Up until now I had too much faith in my own physical strength and ended up making trouble for everybody,' Ozawa was quoted as telling the daily Yomiuri Shimbun in an interview.
'I will take a different path to rehabilitation and from next spring on, little by little resume my activities.'
His doctor said in a statement last week that Ozawa had been diagnosed with a mild case of pneumonia in February, and while it had cleared up after a week in hospital, Ozawa's lack of strength meant he should take a break from performing.
Ozawa, who said last week that the decision to rest had been 'extremely difficult', told the newspaper that he had reluctantly concluded this was true.
'Even if I didn't feel anything during performances, once they ended I was always terribly exhausteder this year at the Hall . A full schedule in that state would be impossible,' he said.
Ozawa, who underwent endoscopic lower back surgery in January 2011, took a six month break from conducting at that time and was forced to cancel a number of performances later that year as well, including taking part in a Chinese music festival.
'I was much more tense than I used to be before each performance, and I think part of my exhaustion afterwards was due to this psychological stress,' he was quoted as saying, noting that he himself was aware he hadn't yet fully recovered
Ozawa was one of the first Asian classical musicians widely recognized abroad and has strived to revitalize the classical music scene in his native country by founding the Saito Kinen orchestra, named after his former music teacher.
(Reporting by Elaine Lies; Editing by Joseph Radford)
This article is brought to you by SINGLES.
The former Vienna State Opera musical director, 76, who before that was conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, was diagnosed with esophageal cancer in January 2010 and completed treatment later that year.
'Up until now I had too much faith in my own physical strength and ended up making trouble for everybody,' Ozawa was quoted as telling the daily Yomiuri Shimbun in an interview.
'I will take a different path to rehabilitation and from next spring on, little by little resume my activities.'
His doctor said in a statement last week that Ozawa had been diagnosed with a mild case of pneumonia in February, and while it had cleared up after a week in hospital, Ozawa's lack of strength meant he should take a break from performing.
Ozawa, who said last week that the decision to rest had been 'extremely difficult', told the newspaper that he had reluctantly concluded this was true.
'Even if I didn't feel anything during performances, once they ended I was always terribly exhausteder this year at the Hall . A full schedule in that state would be impossible,' he said.
Ozawa, who underwent endoscopic lower back surgery in January 2011, took a six month break from conducting at that time and was forced to cancel a number of performances later that year as well, including taking part in a Chinese music festival.
'I was much more tense than I used to be before each performance, and I think part of my exhaustion afterwards was due to this psychological stress,' he was quoted as saying, noting that he himself was aware he hadn't yet fully recovered
Ozawa was one of the first Asian classical musicians widely recognized abroad and has strived to revitalize the classical music scene in his native country by founding the Saito Kinen orchestra, named after his former music teacher.
(Reporting by Elaine Lies; Editing by Joseph Radford)
This article is brought to you by SINGLES.
Monday, March 12, 2012
Whitney Houston's daughter hears mom talk to her
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Whitney Houston's daughter on Sunday said she still hears her mom encouraging her 'keep moving, keep going,' and the pop star's sister-in-law revealed new details of the day Houston died in their first public interviews since the singer's death.
Bobbi Kristina Brown, 19, told talk show host Oprah Winfrey that she was 'doing okay ..was inspired in part by the Be. I'm doing as good as I possibly can' since her mother was found lifeless in the bathtub of her room at the Beverly Hills Hilton hotel on February 11, the eve of the music industry's Grammy Awards.
'I can hear her voice, you know, and spirit talking to me, telling me, you know, 'keep moving babyeveral hits that sold. I'm right herees film 'A Hard Day's N. I got you' ..9;s office, . she's always with me, Jones and his three cohor. I can always feel her,' Bobbi Kristina Brown told Winfrey.
'I feel her pass through me all the time,' said Brown, whose father is singer Bobby Brown.
Houston and Brown's only daughter said she feels her mom's presence in the house they shared in Atlanta Jones, 66, born . The 'lights turn on and off, and I go 'mom, what're you doing?' ..f 1966 to August of 1968,. I can still laugh with herarksville' and 'I'm a Believer,' . I can sit there and I can still talk with her.'
Houston was 48-years-old when she diednstruments on their early records, Jone. She rose to fame in the 1980s and enjoyed a long career that peaked with her 1992 hit 'I Will Always Love You' from the movie 'The Bodyguard.'
But her life was plagued by a troubled marriage to singer Brown, and she had previously admitted to heavy use of cocaine, marijuana, alcohol and prescription pills.
Officials have said prescription drugs were found in the hotel room where she died, but a cause of death is still pending toxicology tests which are expected later this month.
The interview, which took place at the Atlanta home of Houston's brother Gary and sister-in-law and manager Patricia, revealed new details of the day the singer died.
FACE DOWN IN BATHTUB
Oprah opened the broadcast by saying 'members of the family told me she (Houston) was face down and naked' in the bathtub, and Patricia revealed that Houston's assistant, Mary, discovered the singer's body in the hotel room bathtub.
A security guard who is Patricia Houston's brother tried in vain to resuscitate Houston in the room but was unsuccessful.
He was 'trying to revive her to the point of exhaustion,' Patricia Houston said, 'and I called his name540219_4'Micky Dolen. I said, 'Ray ..id='lw_1330540219_7'Peter Tork/span - h. let it go.' They (paramedics) asked him to moveomedy series 'The Monkees,' which was inspired in. He was on his knees id='lw_1330540219_4'Mi. He said, 'I tried.' He was so out of breath.'
A tear rolled down Patricia Houston's face as she recalled the sight of her sister-in-law lying dead on the hotel room floor records, Jones and his three cohort. 'She had a peacefulness on her, a look on her of copies, including 'Last . She had a peaceful look,' Patricia Houston said.
Winfrey asked Patricia Houston if she believed drugs were involved in the singer's deathspired in part by the Beatles f. Patricia Houston said she believed the pop star's worse days of drug abuse were behind her, although she stopped short of saying Houston was not on drugs or drinking on the day of she died.
'I don't think drugs (were) an issue for her before her deathf the rock quartet featured on the N. I don't know what happened that daycuts' id='lw_1330540219_2'The M. Do you understand what I'm saying,' Patricia Houston said.
Finally, Winfrey asked Houston's brother Gary whether Brown, whom Whitney Houston divorced in 2007, was asked by Houston's family not to attend the singer's funeral and Gary replied 'Absolutely not.' Brown did turn up for the funeral, but left early, blaming a mixup with security over seating.
He said his family was not angry about a picture of Houston in her casket that was printed in the tabloids following her death, and added that his mother long ago had premonitions about a young demise for his sister.
'I remember my mother used to say .. of copies, including 'Last. Whitney's not going to be with us too long,' Gary Houston saidrtcuts' id='lw_1330540219. 'She's an angel class='yshortcuts' id='lw_13305. She's a gift.'
(Reporting By Bob Tourtellotte; Editing by Sandra Maler)
This article is brought to you by MATCHMAKING.
Bobbi Kristina Brown, 19, told talk show host Oprah Winfrey that she was 'doing okay ..was inspired in part by the Be. I'm doing as good as I possibly can' since her mother was found lifeless in the bathtub of her room at the Beverly Hills Hilton hotel on February 11, the eve of the music industry's Grammy Awards.
'I can hear her voice, you know, and spirit talking to me, telling me, you know, 'keep moving babyeveral hits that sold. I'm right herees film 'A Hard Day's N. I got you' ..9;s office, . she's always with me, Jones and his three cohor. I can always feel her,' Bobbi Kristina Brown told Winfrey.
'I feel her pass through me all the time,' said Brown, whose father is singer Bobby Brown.
Houston and Brown's only daughter said she feels her mom's presence in the house they shared in Atlanta Jones, 66, born . The 'lights turn on and off, and I go 'mom, what're you doing?' ..f 1966 to August of 1968,. I can still laugh with herarksville' and 'I'm a Believer,' . I can sit there and I can still talk with her.'
Houston was 48-years-old when she diednstruments on their early records, Jone. She rose to fame in the 1980s and enjoyed a long career that peaked with her 1992 hit 'I Will Always Love You' from the movie 'The Bodyguard.'
But her life was plagued by a troubled marriage to singer Brown, and she had previously admitted to heavy use of cocaine, marijuana, alcohol and prescription pills.
Officials have said prescription drugs were found in the hotel room where she died, but a cause of death is still pending toxicology tests which are expected later this month.
The interview, which took place at the Atlanta home of Houston's brother Gary and sister-in-law and manager Patricia, revealed new details of the day the singer died.
FACE DOWN IN BATHTUB
Oprah opened the broadcast by saying 'members of the family told me she (Houston) was face down and naked' in the bathtub, and Patricia revealed that Houston's assistant, Mary, discovered the singer's body in the hotel room bathtub.
A security guard who is Patricia Houston's brother tried in vain to resuscitate Houston in the room but was unsuccessful.
He was 'trying to revive her to the point of exhaustion,' Patricia Houston said, 'and I called his name540219_4'Micky Dolen. I said, 'Ray ..id='lw_1330540219_7'Peter Tork/span - h. let it go.' They (paramedics) asked him to moveomedy series 'The Monkees,' which was inspired in. He was on his knees id='lw_1330540219_4'Mi. He said, 'I tried.' He was so out of breath.'
A tear rolled down Patricia Houston's face as she recalled the sight of her sister-in-law lying dead on the hotel room floor records, Jones and his three cohort. 'She had a peacefulness on her, a look on her of copies, including 'Last . She had a peaceful look,' Patricia Houston said.
Winfrey asked Patricia Houston if she believed drugs were involved in the singer's deathspired in part by the Beatles f. Patricia Houston said she believed the pop star's worse days of drug abuse were behind her, although she stopped short of saying Houston was not on drugs or drinking on the day of she died.
'I don't think drugs (were) an issue for her before her deathf the rock quartet featured on the N. I don't know what happened that daycuts' id='lw_1330540219_2'The M. Do you understand what I'm saying,' Patricia Houston said.
Finally, Winfrey asked Houston's brother Gary whether Brown, whom Whitney Houston divorced in 2007, was asked by Houston's family not to attend the singer's funeral and Gary replied 'Absolutely not.' Brown did turn up for the funeral, but left early, blaming a mixup with security over seating.
He said his family was not angry about a picture of Houston in her casket that was printed in the tabloids following her death, and added that his mother long ago had premonitions about a young demise for his sister.
'I remember my mother used to say .. of copies, including 'Last. Whitney's not going to be with us too long,' Gary Houston saidrtcuts' id='lw_1330540219. 'She's an angel class='yshortcuts' id='lw_13305. She's a gift.'
(Reporting By Bob Tourtellotte; Editing by Sandra Maler)
This article is brought to you by MATCHMAKING.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Russian grannies in geriatric Eurovision Song battle
MOSCOW (Reuters) - This year's Eurovision song contest is shaping up to be a battle of the geriatrics with the announcement that a folk group comprised of elderly ladies will represent Russia.
The news that Russia's Eurovision contestant will be rural folk group Buranovskiye Babushki comes on the heels of Britain's decision to choose septuagenarian crooner Engelbert Humperdinck as its entry for the song contest in May.
The group, from Russia's Republic of Udmirtia, some 1,300 km (800 miles) east of Moscow, have embarked on their hunt for musical glory after having failed to win approval to represent their country in two previous attempts.
Clad in the traditional red headscarfs and long dresses of their region, thumping feet shod in tree bark shoes and urging the audience come and dance, they outsang such rivals as 2008 Eurovision winner Dima Bilan and Julia Volkova, a former member of the band Tatu, which topped the UK charts in 2003.
The choice of a folk band will strengthen Russia's quest for the top spot at the competition, said young Muscovite Viktoria.
'These are traditions, culture should not be forgotten,' she said.
This year's annual Eurovision song contest -- a blockbuster television event watched by some 100 million people -- will be held in Baku, capital of former Soviet republic Azerbaijan.
Buranovskiye Babushki producer Kseniya Rubtsova told Reuters that the grannies will have their work cut out for them if they hope to defeat the 75-year-old Humperdinck, who is best known for 1960s hit 'Release Me'.
'He is a very serious contender, well-known both in our country and the world over,' Rubtsova said, adding that the group members, the eldest one of which is 76 years old, are pinning their hopes on God.
'The group is sending their wages to raise the funds for building a church in their Buranovo village,' she saids sense of humor, but it. 'We are hoping for the divine help.'
(Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin; additional reporting by Dmitry Madorsky, editing by Paul Casciato)
This article is brought to you by FREE PERSONALS.
The news that Russia's Eurovision contestant will be rural folk group Buranovskiye Babushki comes on the heels of Britain's decision to choose septuagenarian crooner Engelbert Humperdinck as its entry for the song contest in May.
The group, from Russia's Republic of Udmirtia, some 1,300 km (800 miles) east of Moscow, have embarked on their hunt for musical glory after having failed to win approval to represent their country in two previous attempts.
Clad in the traditional red headscarfs and long dresses of their region, thumping feet shod in tree bark shoes and urging the audience come and dance, they outsang such rivals as 2008 Eurovision winner Dima Bilan and Julia Volkova, a former member of the band Tatu, which topped the UK charts in 2003.
The choice of a folk band will strengthen Russia's quest for the top spot at the competition, said young Muscovite Viktoria.
'These are traditions, culture should not be forgotten,' she said.
This year's annual Eurovision song contest -- a blockbuster television event watched by some 100 million people -- will be held in Baku, capital of former Soviet republic Azerbaijan.
Buranovskiye Babushki producer Kseniya Rubtsova told Reuters that the grannies will have their work cut out for them if they hope to defeat the 75-year-old Humperdinck, who is best known for 1960s hit 'Release Me'.
'He is a very serious contender, well-known both in our country and the world over,' Rubtsova said, adding that the group members, the eldest one of which is 76 years old, are pinning their hopes on God.
'The group is sending their wages to raise the funds for building a church in their Buranovo village,' she saids sense of humor, but it. 'We are hoping for the divine help.'
(Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin; additional reporting by Dmitry Madorsky, editing by Paul Casciato)
This article is brought to you by FREE PERSONALS.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Garth Brooks headed to Country Music Hall of Fame
NASHVILLE (Reuters) - The Country Music Association on Tuesday named three stars for induction into its Hall of Fame including superstar Garth Brooks and veterans Connie Smith and Hargus 'Pig' Robbins.
Brooks, who has sold more than 128 million albums worldwide in his career, became a superstar of the 1990s with albums such as 'Ropin' the Wind' and 'No Fences' and was heralded for his live stage actsned, according to accounts in the music press. He took a break from heavy touring in the early 2000s, but in recent years has been performing more often.
The 50-year-old Brooks was picked for the Country Music Hall of Fame in its 'Modern Era Artist' category.
At Tuesday's announcement in the Nashville-based Hall of Fame, Brooks said it was an honor to be named but added it seemed premature with others such as Randy Travis, Keith Whitley and Ricky Skaggs still not inducted.
'It's kind of odd to be in this room,' he said ever shoot, . 'You want to be mentioned in the same breath with George Strait and Reba McEntire -- those are the two heroes I grew up with,' he said, adding others like Merle Haggard and George Jones.
'Now you're gonna get to be in the same hall with them? Make no mistake, I don't think I'm on that levelestions remain about the . But it's pretty cool to have your name listed with them,' he said.
Piano player Hargus 'Pig' Robbins was announced in a category for recording and touring musicianscuts' id='lw_1330687089_0'Rolling Stones/span fir. He was among the most sought-after music artists in Nashville for what became known as the 'Nashville sound' of the late 1950s and 1960s.
Robbins, 74, also was part of an elite group of studio session musicians known as the Superpickers, The 35. He played with hundreds of artists including Haggard, Jones and Reba McEntire.
He lost one eye at age two and became completely blind at age foure recently we've filled the l. He earned his nickname as a young student after sneaking out of class and returning 'dirty as a pig,' a teacher saider Richards portrayed Jagger . The nickname stuckr and many taken from the archive of the Dai. Like Brooks, Robbins said he was 'honored' to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Connie Smith, 70, was selected in the Veterans Era artist categoryan class='yshortcuts' id='. She rose to fame in the 1960s and saw her debut single, 1964's 'Once a Day,' claim the Noraphic autobiography, whic. 1 spot on Billboard magazine's record charte group have said a tour was likely, no announce. It was the first time a female country singer reached Nohose years ago, 'Cu. 1 -- a feat that went unmatched for 20 years.
She stepped out of the limelight during her career to focus on familyt stadiums in the world with the kind. In the late 1990s, she married singer Marty Stuart and by the 2000s had returned to singing and recording again.
'I'm still enjoying music,' she said at Tuesday's announcement.
In fact, Smith said she was riding high this week because in addition to the announcement this morning she became a grandmother for the eighth time.
The induction of Brooks, Robbins and Smith will take place later this year at the Hall of Fame's Ford Theater in Nashvillen of Rolling Stones p. The Country Music Association created the Hall of Fame in 1961 and induction is considered the industry's top honor.
(Reporting by Vernell Hackett; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte and Christine Kearney)
Brooks, who has sold more than 128 million albums worldwide in his career, became a superstar of the 1990s with albums such as 'Ropin' the Wind' and 'No Fences' and was heralded for his live stage actsned, according to accounts in the music press. He took a break from heavy touring in the early 2000s, but in recent years has been performing more often.
The 50-year-old Brooks was picked for the Country Music Hall of Fame in its 'Modern Era Artist' category.
At Tuesday's announcement in the Nashville-based Hall of Fame, Brooks said it was an honor to be named but added it seemed premature with others such as Randy Travis, Keith Whitley and Ricky Skaggs still not inducted.
'It's kind of odd to be in this room,' he said ever shoot, . 'You want to be mentioned in the same breath with George Strait and Reba McEntire -- those are the two heroes I grew up with,' he said, adding others like Merle Haggard and George Jones.
'Now you're gonna get to be in the same hall with them? Make no mistake, I don't think I'm on that levelestions remain about the . But it's pretty cool to have your name listed with them,' he said.
Piano player Hargus 'Pig' Robbins was announced in a category for recording and touring musicianscuts' id='lw_1330687089_0'Rolling Stones/span fir. He was among the most sought-after music artists in Nashville for what became known as the 'Nashville sound' of the late 1950s and 1960s.
Robbins, 74, also was part of an elite group of studio session musicians known as the Superpickers, The 35. He played with hundreds of artists including Haggard, Jones and Reba McEntire.
He lost one eye at age two and became completely blind at age foure recently we've filled the l. He earned his nickname as a young student after sneaking out of class and returning 'dirty as a pig,' a teacher saider Richards portrayed Jagger . The nickname stuckr and many taken from the archive of the Dai. Like Brooks, Robbins said he was 'honored' to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Connie Smith, 70, was selected in the Veterans Era artist categoryan class='yshortcuts' id='. She rose to fame in the 1960s and saw her debut single, 1964's 'Once a Day,' claim the Noraphic autobiography, whic. 1 spot on Billboard magazine's record charte group have said a tour was likely, no announce. It was the first time a female country singer reached Nohose years ago, 'Cu. 1 -- a feat that went unmatched for 20 years.
She stepped out of the limelight during her career to focus on familyt stadiums in the world with the kind. In the late 1990s, she married singer Marty Stuart and by the 2000s had returned to singing and recording again.
'I'm still enjoying music,' she said at Tuesday's announcement.
In fact, Smith said she was riding high this week because in addition to the announcement this morning she became a grandmother for the eighth time.
The induction of Brooks, Robbins and Smith will take place later this year at the Hall of Fame's Ford Theater in Nashvillen of Rolling Stones p. The Country Music Association created the Hall of Fame in 1961 and induction is considered the industry's top honor.
(Reporting by Vernell Hackett; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte and Christine Kearney)
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