NEW YORK (Reuters) - Former Temptations singer Richard Street died of a blood clot in a lung in a Las Vegas hospital at the age of 70, his widow said on Thursday.
Cindy Street said her husband died on Wednesday at St. Rose Dominican Hospital in Las Vegas. She had taken him to the emergency room on Friday after he had trouble breathing.
'He was fighting to the very last moment,' she said in a telephone interview from Las Vegas. 'He was very happy. He had the kind of life he wanted. We laughed all the time.'
Street, who had suffered from a blood clot more than a decade ago, was the second ex-member of the versatile Motown band to die this month after Otis 'Damon' Harris died at age 62.
The Temptations was one of the leading male vocal groups of the 1960s and early 1970s, surviving several personnel changes to tackle a wide range of musical styles with tight harmonies and well choreographed dance routines.
Street was not in the original 1960s lineup but joined the band in the early 1970s and continued for more than 20 years before pursuing a solo career.
During his tenure, the Temptations released a string of hits including the 1972 chart-topping classic 'Papa Was a Rollin' Stone' and 'Masterpiece' released the following year.
'He was very proud of being part of black history,' his wife said, adding he loved performing. 'He was very proud of what he had done.'
Street had completed a 45-show tour in Europe in September and October.
Funeral arrangements are incomplete, but will probably take place next week. Because her husband was a public figure, his widow said she thought she would open the services to the public. Street is also survived by four children.
(Additional reporting by Mike Collett-White; Editing by Patricia Reaney and Vicki Allen)
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Former Temptations singer Richard Street dies: CNN
(Reuters) - Former Temptations singer Richard Street has died aged 70, his widow Cindy Street told CNN.
He died on Wednesday at St. Rose Dominican Hospital in Las Vegas after suffering a clot in a lung, the broadcaster reported.
Street was the second ex-member of the versatile Motown band to die this month after Otis 'Damon' Harris passed away aged 62.
'He was really fighting for his life,' Cindy told CNN. 'He's a fighter. They're dancing up there in heaven, him and Damon,' she added. 'I'm in disbelief right now.'
The Temptations was one of the leading male vocal groups of the 1960s and early 1970s, surviving several personnel changes to tackle a wide range of musical styles with tight harmonies and well choreographed dance routines.
Street was not in the original 1960s lineup but joined the band in the early 1970s and continued for more than 20 years before pursuing a solo career.
During his tenure, the Temptations released a string of hits including the 1972 chart-topping classic 'Papa Was a Rollin' Stone' and 'Masterpiece' released the following year.
'He was part of black history. He was always proud of that. He sang on a lot of those classic songs,' Cindy said.
According to online reports, Street is survived by his wife and four children.
(Writing by Mike Collett-White, editing by Paul Casciato)
He died on Wednesday at St. Rose Dominican Hospital in Las Vegas after suffering a clot in a lung, the broadcaster reported.
Street was the second ex-member of the versatile Motown band to die this month after Otis 'Damon' Harris passed away aged 62.
'He was really fighting for his life,' Cindy told CNN. 'He's a fighter. They're dancing up there in heaven, him and Damon,' she added. 'I'm in disbelief right now.'
The Temptations was one of the leading male vocal groups of the 1960s and early 1970s, surviving several personnel changes to tackle a wide range of musical styles with tight harmonies and well choreographed dance routines.
Street was not in the original 1960s lineup but joined the band in the early 1970s and continued for more than 20 years before pursuing a solo career.
During his tenure, the Temptations released a string of hits including the 1972 chart-topping classic 'Papa Was a Rollin' Stone' and 'Masterpiece' released the following year.
'He was part of black history. He was always proud of that. He sang on a lot of those classic songs,' Cindy said.
According to online reports, Street is survived by his wife and four children.
(Writing by Mike Collett-White, editing by Paul Casciato)
U.S. singer Anastacia diagnosed with breast cancer again
LONDON (Reuters) - U.S. singer Anastacia has been diagnosed with breast cancer having successfully battled the disease in 2003, she said in a statement posted on her Facebook page.
The 44-year-old, who had major success outside the United States with hits like the 2000 dance favorite 'I'm Outta Love', has been forced to cancel plans to tour Europe starting in London on April 6.
'I feel so awful to be letting down all my amazing fans who were looking forward to 'It's A Man's World Tour',' she said in a statement. 'It just breaks my heart to disappoint them,' she said.
She added that she will continue writing and recording her new album and hopes to schedule a new tour as soon as possible.
(Reporting by Mike Collett-White, editing by Paul Casciato)
The 44-year-old, who had major success outside the United States with hits like the 2000 dance favorite 'I'm Outta Love', has been forced to cancel plans to tour Europe starting in London on April 6.
'I feel so awful to be letting down all my amazing fans who were looking forward to 'It's A Man's World Tour',' she said in a statement. 'It just breaks my heart to disappoint them,' she said.
She added that she will continue writing and recording her new album and hopes to schedule a new tour as soon as possible.
(Reporting by Mike Collett-White, editing by Paul Casciato)
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
American classical pianist Van Cliburn dies at age 78
(Reuters) - American pianist Van Cliburn, who awed Russian audiences with his exquisite Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff concertos and won fame and fortune back home, died on Wednesday at the age of 78.
Cliburn passed away at his home in Fort Worth, Texas, after suffering from advanced bone cancer, his publicist Mary Lou Falcone told Reuters. Cliburn announced in August 2012 that he had been diagnosed with the disease.
The lanky, blue-eyed Texan, who began taking piano lessons at the age of 3 and later trained at New York's prestigious Juilliard School, burst onto the world stage at the height of the Cold War and was the surprise winner of the first International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow in 1958.
His performance at the finale led to an eight-minute standing ovation, and the Russian judges asked Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev for permission to give the top prize to the 23-year-old American.
Cliburn's triumph helped spur a brief thaw in U.S.-Soviet relations and made him an overnight sensation in the United States, where his name was known even among those who did not follow classical music.
'It was he that was the symbol of peace for the Cold War,' Falcone said. 'He was embraced by both Eisenhower and Khrushchev in the 1950s and the only musician to have a ticker-tape parade in Manhattan.'
Time magazine dubbed him 'The Texan Who Conquered Russia' in a cover story following his victory, and New York City gave the pianist a hero's welcome upon his return from Russia.
Taken on by the powerful impresario Sol Hurok, Cliburn was able to command high fees and practically had carte blanche in the recording studio.
His recording of Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1, which he had played in Moscow, became the first classical album to go platinum and was the best-selling classical album for more than a decade.
Fans adored him for his innocence and charm more than for his music-making. In Philadelphia, a shrieking crowd tore the door handles off his limousine. In Chicago, the Elvis Presley fan club changed its name to the Van Cliburn fan club.
'He was an international legend,' Falcone said. 'Personally, he was a giant and publicly he was a giant.'
But in 1978, Cliburn walked off the stage, professionally exhausted. He played occasionally in the late 1980s and early 1990s, including a performance in the White House for President Ronald Reagan and visiting Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev.
TAUGHT PIANO BY HIS MOTHER
Critics said the publicity-fueled demand and the public's taste had kept him from growing beyond a relatively narrow collection of romantic pieces, such as his signature Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff concertos.
'Despite his fame, the Texas-sized pianist has been widely regarded among serious musicians as an immensely gifted but rather unreflective artist of unfulfilled and probably unfulfillable potential,' a New York Times critic wrote after Cliburn's retirement.
Born on July 12, 1934, in Shreveport, Louisiana, Harvey Lavan Cliburn Jr. was taught piano by his mother. He gave his first public recital at 4. By age 5, even though he could not read or write, he was completely literate in music.
He won several local and regional awards and in 1951 began studies at Juilliard under Rosina Lhevinne. She schooled him in the traditions of the great Russian romantic composers, setting the stage for Cliburn's victory in Moscow seven years later.
'My relationship with the Russians was personal, not political,' he said in a 1989 interview. He played in Moscow and St. Petersburg when he briefly returned to the concert stage years later.
Cliburn, a lifelong Baptist who did not smoke or drink, became a prominent and popular figure in the Fort Worth, Texas, area and was well known for his generosity, contributing vast sums to the Broadway Baptist Church and other causes.
He lived on what friends called 'Van Cliburn time.' He rose in the early evening, would dine at midnight and preside over after-dinner conversations at 4 a.m. Usually heading the dinner table was his mother, Rildia Bee, who lived with him until her death at 97.
In 1996, Cliburn was named in a palimony lawsuit by Thomas Zaremba, who claimed a portion of Cliburn's income and assets and accused Cliburn of possibly exposing him to the AIDS virus during a 17-year relationship. The lawsuit eventually was dismissed.
Cliburn also supported the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, a private and nonprofit-based enterprise that offers winners cash prizes, a Carnegie Hall debut and two years of touring arranged and promoted by the competition.
He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President George W. Bush in 2003 and was awarded the National Medal of Arts by President Barack Obama in 2011.
Cliburn is survived by his long-standing friend, Thomas L. Smith.
(Reporting by Eric Kelsey and Paul Simao; Editing by Cynthia Johnston, Alden Bentley, Gary Hill)
Cliburn passed away at his home in Fort Worth, Texas, after suffering from advanced bone cancer, his publicist Mary Lou Falcone told Reuters. Cliburn announced in August 2012 that he had been diagnosed with the disease.
The lanky, blue-eyed Texan, who began taking piano lessons at the age of 3 and later trained at New York's prestigious Juilliard School, burst onto the world stage at the height of the Cold War and was the surprise winner of the first International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow in 1958.
His performance at the finale led to an eight-minute standing ovation, and the Russian judges asked Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev for permission to give the top prize to the 23-year-old American.
Cliburn's triumph helped spur a brief thaw in U.S.-Soviet relations and made him an overnight sensation in the United States, where his name was known even among those who did not follow classical music.
'It was he that was the symbol of peace for the Cold War,' Falcone said. 'He was embraced by both Eisenhower and Khrushchev in the 1950s and the only musician to have a ticker-tape parade in Manhattan.'
Time magazine dubbed him 'The Texan Who Conquered Russia' in a cover story following his victory, and New York City gave the pianist a hero's welcome upon his return from Russia.
Taken on by the powerful impresario Sol Hurok, Cliburn was able to command high fees and practically had carte blanche in the recording studio.
His recording of Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1, which he had played in Moscow, became the first classical album to go platinum and was the best-selling classical album for more than a decade.
Fans adored him for his innocence and charm more than for his music-making. In Philadelphia, a shrieking crowd tore the door handles off his limousine. In Chicago, the Elvis Presley fan club changed its name to the Van Cliburn fan club.
'He was an international legend,' Falcone said. 'Personally, he was a giant and publicly he was a giant.'
But in 1978, Cliburn walked off the stage, professionally exhausted. He played occasionally in the late 1980s and early 1990s, including a performance in the White House for President Ronald Reagan and visiting Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev.
TAUGHT PIANO BY HIS MOTHER
Critics said the publicity-fueled demand and the public's taste had kept him from growing beyond a relatively narrow collection of romantic pieces, such as his signature Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff concertos.
'Despite his fame, the Texas-sized pianist has been widely regarded among serious musicians as an immensely gifted but rather unreflective artist of unfulfilled and probably unfulfillable potential,' a New York Times critic wrote after Cliburn's retirement.
Born on July 12, 1934, in Shreveport, Louisiana, Harvey Lavan Cliburn Jr. was taught piano by his mother. He gave his first public recital at 4. By age 5, even though he could not read or write, he was completely literate in music.
He won several local and regional awards and in 1951 began studies at Juilliard under Rosina Lhevinne. She schooled him in the traditions of the great Russian romantic composers, setting the stage for Cliburn's victory in Moscow seven years later.
'My relationship with the Russians was personal, not political,' he said in a 1989 interview. He played in Moscow and St. Petersburg when he briefly returned to the concert stage years later.
Cliburn, a lifelong Baptist who did not smoke or drink, became a prominent and popular figure in the Fort Worth, Texas, area and was well known for his generosity, contributing vast sums to the Broadway Baptist Church and other causes.
He lived on what friends called 'Van Cliburn time.' He rose in the early evening, would dine at midnight and preside over after-dinner conversations at 4 a.m. Usually heading the dinner table was his mother, Rildia Bee, who lived with him until her death at 97.
In 1996, Cliburn was named in a palimony lawsuit by Thomas Zaremba, who claimed a portion of Cliburn's income and assets and accused Cliburn of possibly exposing him to the AIDS virus during a 17-year relationship. The lawsuit eventually was dismissed.
Cliburn also supported the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, a private and nonprofit-based enterprise that offers winners cash prizes, a Carnegie Hall debut and two years of touring arranged and promoted by the competition.
He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President George W. Bush in 2003 and was awarded the National Medal of Arts by President Barack Obama in 2011.
Cliburn is survived by his long-standing friend, Thomas L. Smith.
(Reporting by Eric Kelsey and Paul Simao; Editing by Cynthia Johnston, Alden Bentley, Gary Hill)
Famed classical pianist Van Cliburn dies at age 78
(Reuters) - American pianist Van Cliburn, who awed Russian audiences with his exquisite Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff concertos and won fame and fortune back home, died on Wednesday at the age of 78.
Cliburn passed away at his home in Fort Worth, Texas, after suffering from bone cancer, his publicist Mary Lou Falcone told Reuters.
The lanky, blue-eyed Texan, who began taking piano lessons at the age of 3 and later trained at New York's prestigious Juilliard School, burst onto the world stage at the height of the Cold War and was the surprise winner of the first International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow in 1958.
His performance at the finale led to an eight-minute standing ovation and was so unexpected that the Russian judges reportedly had to ask Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev for permission to give the top prize to the 23-year-old American.
Cliburn's triumph helped spur a brief thaw in U.S.-Soviet relations and made him an overnight sensation in the United States, where his name was known even among those who did not follow classical music.
'It was he that was the symbol of peace for the Cold War,' Falcone said. 'He was embraced by both Eisenhower and Khrushchev in the 1950s and the only musician to have a ticker-tape parade in Manhattan.'
(Reporting by Eric Kelsey and Paul Simao; Editing by Cynthia Johnston and Alden Bentley)
Cliburn passed away at his home in Fort Worth, Texas, after suffering from bone cancer, his publicist Mary Lou Falcone told Reuters.
The lanky, blue-eyed Texan, who began taking piano lessons at the age of 3 and later trained at New York's prestigious Juilliard School, burst onto the world stage at the height of the Cold War and was the surprise winner of the first International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow in 1958.
His performance at the finale led to an eight-minute standing ovation and was so unexpected that the Russian judges reportedly had to ask Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev for permission to give the top prize to the 23-year-old American.
Cliburn's triumph helped spur a brief thaw in U.S.-Soviet relations and made him an overnight sensation in the United States, where his name was known even among those who did not follow classical music.
'It was he that was the symbol of peace for the Cold War,' Falcone said. 'He was embraced by both Eisenhower and Khrushchev in the 1950s and the only musician to have a ticker-tape parade in Manhattan.'
(Reporting by Eric Kelsey and Paul Simao; Editing by Cynthia Johnston and Alden Bentley)
Green Day's Armstrong comes clean on drink, prescription drugs
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong said alcohol and prescription drug abuse forced him into rehab last year after sessions when he would black out and have no memory of what he had done.
'I couldn't predict where I was going to end up at the end of the night,' Armstrong, 41, the lead vocalist and songwriter for the California punk rock band told Rolling Stone magazine in an interview.
'I'd wake up in a strange house on a couch. I wouldn't remember how. It was a complete blackout,' he said, opening up about years of addiction to drink and prescription drugs.
Green Day canceled their fall tour last year and postponed other dates after Armstrong entered treatment for what was described at the time only as 'substance abuse.'
Armstrong said he decided finally to seek help after an onstage rant at the IHeartRadio music festival in Las Vegas in September 2012, where he angrily smashed his guitar after being told the band needed to wrap up their time on stage.
Referring to the Las Vegas incident, Armstrong said 'I remember tiny things.'
'The next morning, I woke up. I asked (my wife) Adrienne, 'How bad was it?' She said, 'It's bad.' I called my manager. He said, 'You're getting on a plane, going back to Oakland and going into rehab immediately,' the singer told the magazine in an advance excerpt released on Tuesday.
The band said in December that it would return to the road in March and Armstrong thanked fans for their support.
Green Day, formed in the late 1980s, has sold more than 65 million records worldwide, won five Grammys and produced hit albums such as 1994's 'Dookie,' and 2004's 'American Idiot.'
They are due to kick off their tour in Chicago on March 28.
Armstrong's full interview with Rolling Stone will be available on U.S. newsstands on Friday.
(Reporting by Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Jill Serjeant and Eric Walsh)
'I couldn't predict where I was going to end up at the end of the night,' Armstrong, 41, the lead vocalist and songwriter for the California punk rock band told Rolling Stone magazine in an interview.
'I'd wake up in a strange house on a couch. I wouldn't remember how. It was a complete blackout,' he said, opening up about years of addiction to drink and prescription drugs.
Green Day canceled their fall tour last year and postponed other dates after Armstrong entered treatment for what was described at the time only as 'substance abuse.'
Armstrong said he decided finally to seek help after an onstage rant at the IHeartRadio music festival in Las Vegas in September 2012, where he angrily smashed his guitar after being told the band needed to wrap up their time on stage.
Referring to the Las Vegas incident, Armstrong said 'I remember tiny things.'
'The next morning, I woke up. I asked (my wife) Adrienne, 'How bad was it?' She said, 'It's bad.' I called my manager. He said, 'You're getting on a plane, going back to Oakland and going into rehab immediately,' the singer told the magazine in an advance excerpt released on Tuesday.
The band said in December that it would return to the road in March and Armstrong thanked fans for their support.
Green Day, formed in the late 1980s, has sold more than 65 million records worldwide, won five Grammys and produced hit albums such as 1994's 'Dookie,' and 2004's 'American Idiot.'
They are due to kick off their tour in Chicago on March 28.
Armstrong's full interview with Rolling Stone will be available on U.S. newsstands on Friday.
(Reporting by Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Jill Serjeant and Eric Walsh)
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Justin Timberlake works with Marcus Mumford on Coen film music
(Reuters) - Justin Timberlake has brought his movie and music work together by teaming up with British singer Marcus Mumford from Grammy-winning folk band Mumford & Sons on the soundtrack for an upcoming Coen brothers film.
Timberlake, 32, said in a British radio interview this week that he and Mumford worked with veteran T-Bone Burnett and folk band The Punch Brothers on the soundtrack for 'Inside Llewyn Davis,' a film directed by Joel and Ethan Coen and starring Oscar Isaac and Carey Mulligan.
Mulligan married Mumford in April 2012.
'We all kind of worked on the music together and I don't know any other world where we would get the opportunity to collaborate like that, but it was so much fun. So not only will it be a great movie, but the music to it will be fantastic,' Timberlake told Britain's Capital FM radio station.
The film, co-starring Timberlake, John Goodman and Garrett Hedlund, follows a singer-songwriter exploring the folk music scene in 1960s New York. It is expected to be released later this year.
The 'Sexyback' singer, who first gained fame in the 1990s as lead vocalist of the boy band 'N Sync, stepped away from music five years ago to focus on films such as 'The Social Network' and 'Friends With Benefits.' But last month he released lead single 'Suit & Tie' ahead of his album 'The 20/20 Experience' out on March 19.
Timberlake is also starring in upcoming crime drama 'Runner, Runner,' alongside Ben Affleck and Gemma Arterton.
Mumford & Sons won two Grammy Awards earlier in February, including Album of the Year for 'Babel.'
(Reporting by Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Eric Walsh)
Timberlake, 32, said in a British radio interview this week that he and Mumford worked with veteran T-Bone Burnett and folk band The Punch Brothers on the soundtrack for 'Inside Llewyn Davis,' a film directed by Joel and Ethan Coen and starring Oscar Isaac and Carey Mulligan.
Mulligan married Mumford in April 2012.
'We all kind of worked on the music together and I don't know any other world where we would get the opportunity to collaborate like that, but it was so much fun. So not only will it be a great movie, but the music to it will be fantastic,' Timberlake told Britain's Capital FM radio station.
The film, co-starring Timberlake, John Goodman and Garrett Hedlund, follows a singer-songwriter exploring the folk music scene in 1960s New York. It is expected to be released later this year.
The 'Sexyback' singer, who first gained fame in the 1990s as lead vocalist of the boy band 'N Sync, stepped away from music five years ago to focus on films such as 'The Social Network' and 'Friends With Benefits.' But last month he released lead single 'Suit & Tie' ahead of his album 'The 20/20 Experience' out on March 19.
Timberlake is also starring in upcoming crime drama 'Runner, Runner,' alongside Ben Affleck and Gemma Arterton.
Mumford & Sons won two Grammy Awards earlier in February, including Album of the Year for 'Babel.'
(Reporting by Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Eric Walsh)
Bowie is back to best on new album, critics say
LONDON (Reuters) - David Bowie's first album of new music in a decade sees the influential musician back to his best, critics said in reviews rushed out on Tuesday, two weeks before its release.
'The Next Day', which hits stores in Britain on March 11 and a day later in the United States, could even be the 'greatest comeback in rock'n'roll history', according to The Independent's Andy Gill.
As well as a series of glowing reviews, this week also saw the launch of the second single from the 14-track album called 'The Stars (Are out Tonight)', accompanied by a surreal video starring the Starman himself and Tilda Swinton as his wife.
In it the middle-aged couple's daily routine is upset by the arrival of a group of mysterious, androgynous celebrities next door who enter their dreams and reawaken old desires and fears.
'They burn you with their radiant smiles/Trap you with their beautiful eyes' read the lyrics on Bowie's official website.
As befits an 'event' album with so much hype surrounding it, several newspapers gave The Next Day a track-by-track analysis.
'David Bowie's The Next Day may be the greatest comeback album ever,' said Gill in his five-star assessment.
'It's certainly rare to hear a comeback effort that not only reflects an artist's own best work, but stands alongside it in terms of quality,' he added.
Neil McCormick of the Telegraph also gave the record top marks, calling it 'an ... emotionally charged, musically jagged, electric bolt through his own mythos and the mixed-up, celebrity-obsessed, war-torn world of the 21st century.'
BOWIE MANIA
Even in an age when veteran musical comebacks are a daily occurrence, the fascination with Bowie appears to be huge.
Music magazine NME is dedicating a six-page cover feature to the singer, while the Victoria and Albert Museum in London is staging a major exhibition looking at his music, art and groundbreaking fashion.
More than 26,000 tickets have already been sold to the show, which opens on March 23.
Alexis Petridis, writing in the Guardian, argued that, while containing references to Bowie's past work, it largely avoided becoming a sonic memoir of a stellar musical career.
And he said that the secrecy surrounding the making of the album, and genuine media surprise when it was announced on Bowie's 66th birthday last month, risked overshadowing the quality of the music itself.
'That doesn't seem a fair fate for an album that's thought-provoking, strange and filled with great songs,' he said. 'Listening to it makes you hope it's not a one-off, that his return continues apace.'
Songs singled out by critics included 'Valentine's Day', couched, according to Gill, 'in one of the album's most engaging pop arrangements', and 'Dancing Out In Space', described by Will Hodgkinson of The Times as a 'nightclub smash'.
'You Feel So Lonely You Could Die', the penultimate track, provides the climax which McCormick calls 'fantastic, a lush companion piece to Ziggy's Rock'n'roll Suicide that drips vitriol in place of compassion.'
Now that the album is complete, the question on many fans' lips is whether Bowie will return to the stage to perform live.
The singer himself has dodged the limelight altogether since the comeback, but guitarist Gerry Leonard told Rolling Stone magazine that he thought it was '50-50' that Bowie would tour.
The glam-rock star, born David Jones in south London in 1947, shot to fame with 'Space Oddity' in 1969, and later with his alter ego Ziggy Stardust, before establishing himself as a chart-topping force in the early 1980s.
His long absence from the music scene led to speculation he had retired, with British newspapers reporting as recently as October that he had disappeared from the limelight for good.
Bowie's last album of new material was 'Reality', released a decade ago, and he underwent emergency heart surgery while on tour in 2004. His last stage performance was as a guest at a charity concert in New York in 2006.
(Reporting by Mike Collett-White, editing by Paul Casciato)
'The Next Day', which hits stores in Britain on March 11 and a day later in the United States, could even be the 'greatest comeback in rock'n'roll history', according to The Independent's Andy Gill.
As well as a series of glowing reviews, this week also saw the launch of the second single from the 14-track album called 'The Stars (Are out Tonight)', accompanied by a surreal video starring the Starman himself and Tilda Swinton as his wife.
In it the middle-aged couple's daily routine is upset by the arrival of a group of mysterious, androgynous celebrities next door who enter their dreams and reawaken old desires and fears.
'They burn you with their radiant smiles/Trap you with their beautiful eyes' read the lyrics on Bowie's official website.
As befits an 'event' album with so much hype surrounding it, several newspapers gave The Next Day a track-by-track analysis.
'David Bowie's The Next Day may be the greatest comeback album ever,' said Gill in his five-star assessment.
'It's certainly rare to hear a comeback effort that not only reflects an artist's own best work, but stands alongside it in terms of quality,' he added.
Neil McCormick of the Telegraph also gave the record top marks, calling it 'an ... emotionally charged, musically jagged, electric bolt through his own mythos and the mixed-up, celebrity-obsessed, war-torn world of the 21st century.'
BOWIE MANIA
Even in an age when veteran musical comebacks are a daily occurrence, the fascination with Bowie appears to be huge.
Music magazine NME is dedicating a six-page cover feature to the singer, while the Victoria and Albert Museum in London is staging a major exhibition looking at his music, art and groundbreaking fashion.
More than 26,000 tickets have already been sold to the show, which opens on March 23.
Alexis Petridis, writing in the Guardian, argued that, while containing references to Bowie's past work, it largely avoided becoming a sonic memoir of a stellar musical career.
And he said that the secrecy surrounding the making of the album, and genuine media surprise when it was announced on Bowie's 66th birthday last month, risked overshadowing the quality of the music itself.
'That doesn't seem a fair fate for an album that's thought-provoking, strange and filled with great songs,' he said. 'Listening to it makes you hope it's not a one-off, that his return continues apace.'
Songs singled out by critics included 'Valentine's Day', couched, according to Gill, 'in one of the album's most engaging pop arrangements', and 'Dancing Out In Space', described by Will Hodgkinson of The Times as a 'nightclub smash'.
'You Feel So Lonely You Could Die', the penultimate track, provides the climax which McCormick calls 'fantastic, a lush companion piece to Ziggy's Rock'n'roll Suicide that drips vitriol in place of compassion.'
Now that the album is complete, the question on many fans' lips is whether Bowie will return to the stage to perform live.
The singer himself has dodged the limelight altogether since the comeback, but guitarist Gerry Leonard told Rolling Stone magazine that he thought it was '50-50' that Bowie would tour.
The glam-rock star, born David Jones in south London in 1947, shot to fame with 'Space Oddity' in 1969, and later with his alter ego Ziggy Stardust, before establishing himself as a chart-topping force in the early 1980s.
His long absence from the music scene led to speculation he had retired, with British newspapers reporting as recently as October that he had disappeared from the limelight for good.
Bowie's last album of new material was 'Reality', released a decade ago, and he underwent emergency heart surgery while on tour in 2004. His last stage performance was as a guest at a charity concert in New York in 2006.
(Reporting by Mike Collett-White, editing by Paul Casciato)
Music sales post small rise in 2012, first since '99
LONDON (Reuters) - The music business broke a 12-year losing streak in 2012, posting a small but symbolic 0.3 percent rise in trade revenues to $16.5 billion, figures from the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) showed on Tuesday.
The slight increase will come as a relief to record label bosses who have watched the value of sales plummet from a peak of $28.6 billion in 1999, as illegal downloads and a reluctance to embrace the digital age hit revenues hard.
Once again it was the digital sector that showed the strongest growth, and for the first time more than compensated for losses in physical revenues.
'At the beginning of the digital revolution it was a common theme to say digital is killing music,' said Edgar Berger, president, international, at Sony Music Entertainment.
'Well the reality is, digital is saving music. I absolutely believe that this marks the start of a global growth story. The industry has every reason to be optimistic about its future.'
Record companies' digital sales rose about nine percent last year over 2011 to $5.6 billion and accounted for 34 percent of income overall.
Download sales increased 12 percent to 4.3 billion units globally. Digital album sales rose 17 percent to 207 million.
Subscription services such as Spotify and Deezer 'came of age' last year, according to the IFPI, and are expected to cross the 10 percent mark as a share of total digital music revenues for the first time.
Spotify has more than five million paying subscribers compared with three million at the end of 2011, and is the second largest source of digital music revenue in Europe.
Deezer has also expanded rapidly, reaching three million paying subscribers worldwide.
GLOBAL REACH IMPROVES
Executives said the increasing number of digital platforms had helped companies broaden their revenue base, and more services coming on stream were good news for the business.
'Until recently, the vast majority of our revenues came from a handful of countries,' said Stu Bergen, head of global marketing, recorded music, at Warner Music Group.
'Today, digital channels mean we can monetize markets worldwide much more effectively.'
There are ongoing tensions, however, between record labels and the technology companies who distribute their music, particularly over how revenues are shared and who has the real power in a rapidly shifting business landscape.
According to the IFPI, the most successful album of 2012 was British singer Adele's '21' which sold 8.3 million copies from 18.1 million in 2011.
U.S. artist Taylor Swift came second last year with 'Red' (5.2 million), British boyband One Direction took third and fourth positions with 'Up All Night' and 'Take Me Home' respectively (4.5 million and 4.4 million), and U.S. singer Lana Del Rey came fifth with 'Born to Die' (3.4 million).
In the digital singles charts, Canada's Carly Rae Jepsen claimed the crown with 'Call Me Maybe' (12.5 million copies sold) followed by Belgian-Australian Gotye with 'Somebody That I Used to Know' and Psy of South Korea with 'Gangnam Style'.
Brazil's Michel Telo was sixth with 'Ai Se Eu Te Pego'.
While the focus was on growth in the digital sector, physical format sales still accounted for 58 percent of revenues in 2012 down from 61 percent in 2011, and declines in the CD market in many countries continued to pose major challenges.
The IFPI, which represents the recorded music industry led by three 'major' labels Universal, Sony and Warner Music Group, also stressed the role the music industry played in the broader digital and social media explosion.
It said the top four figures in terms of Twitter followers were pop stars - Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry and Rihanna - followed by U.S. President Barack Obama.
Officials vowed to continue their fight against online piracy by urging Internet service providers to block access to illegal sites, demanding search engines to prioritize legal providers and discourage advertisers from featuring commercials on illegal sites.
(Reporting by Mike Collett-White)
The slight increase will come as a relief to record label bosses who have watched the value of sales plummet from a peak of $28.6 billion in 1999, as illegal downloads and a reluctance to embrace the digital age hit revenues hard.
Once again it was the digital sector that showed the strongest growth, and for the first time more than compensated for losses in physical revenues.
'At the beginning of the digital revolution it was a common theme to say digital is killing music,' said Edgar Berger, president, international, at Sony Music Entertainment.
'Well the reality is, digital is saving music. I absolutely believe that this marks the start of a global growth story. The industry has every reason to be optimistic about its future.'
Record companies' digital sales rose about nine percent last year over 2011 to $5.6 billion and accounted for 34 percent of income overall.
Download sales increased 12 percent to 4.3 billion units globally. Digital album sales rose 17 percent to 207 million.
Subscription services such as Spotify and Deezer 'came of age' last year, according to the IFPI, and are expected to cross the 10 percent mark as a share of total digital music revenues for the first time.
Spotify has more than five million paying subscribers compared with three million at the end of 2011, and is the second largest source of digital music revenue in Europe.
Deezer has also expanded rapidly, reaching three million paying subscribers worldwide.
GLOBAL REACH IMPROVES
Executives said the increasing number of digital platforms had helped companies broaden their revenue base, and more services coming on stream were good news for the business.
'Until recently, the vast majority of our revenues came from a handful of countries,' said Stu Bergen, head of global marketing, recorded music, at Warner Music Group.
'Today, digital channels mean we can monetize markets worldwide much more effectively.'
There are ongoing tensions, however, between record labels and the technology companies who distribute their music, particularly over how revenues are shared and who has the real power in a rapidly shifting business landscape.
According to the IFPI, the most successful album of 2012 was British singer Adele's '21' which sold 8.3 million copies from 18.1 million in 2011.
U.S. artist Taylor Swift came second last year with 'Red' (5.2 million), British boyband One Direction took third and fourth positions with 'Up All Night' and 'Take Me Home' respectively (4.5 million and 4.4 million), and U.S. singer Lana Del Rey came fifth with 'Born to Die' (3.4 million).
In the digital singles charts, Canada's Carly Rae Jepsen claimed the crown with 'Call Me Maybe' (12.5 million copies sold) followed by Belgian-Australian Gotye with 'Somebody That I Used to Know' and Psy of South Korea with 'Gangnam Style'.
Brazil's Michel Telo was sixth with 'Ai Se Eu Te Pego'.
While the focus was on growth in the digital sector, physical format sales still accounted for 58 percent of revenues in 2012 down from 61 percent in 2011, and declines in the CD market in many countries continued to pose major challenges.
The IFPI, which represents the recorded music industry led by three 'major' labels Universal, Sony and Warner Music Group, also stressed the role the music industry played in the broader digital and social media explosion.
It said the top four figures in terms of Twitter followers were pop stars - Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry and Rihanna - followed by U.S. President Barack Obama.
Officials vowed to continue their fight against online piracy by urging Internet service providers to block access to illegal sites, demanding search engines to prioritize legal providers and discourage advertisers from featuring commercials on illegal sites.
(Reporting by Mike Collett-White)
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Pop singer Jermaine Jackson changes last name to Jacksun
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Pop singer Jermaine Jackson officially has changed his name to Jermaine Jacksun for 'artistic reasons,' Los Angeles court officials said on Friday.
The Jackson 5 member and older brother of pop stars Michael and Janet Jackson filed a petition to change his name in Los Angeles Superior Court in November 2012. The change became official on Wednesday after a hearing, a court spokeswoman said.
The 58-year-old singer, who is on tour in Europe with his three surviving brothers, Jackie, Marlon and Tito, did not attend.
'If Prince and P Diddy can do it, why can't and shouldn't Jermaine?' Jacksun's attorney, Bret D. Lewis, said when the petition originally was filed.
Jermaine Jackson unofficially adopted the name Mohammad Abdul Aziz after converting to Islam in 1989.
(Reporting by Eric Kelsey; Editing by Jill Serjeant and Paul Simao)
The Jackson 5 member and older brother of pop stars Michael and Janet Jackson filed a petition to change his name in Los Angeles Superior Court in November 2012. The change became official on Wednesday after a hearing, a court spokeswoman said.
The 58-year-old singer, who is on tour in Europe with his three surviving brothers, Jackie, Marlon and Tito, did not attend.
'If Prince and P Diddy can do it, why can't and shouldn't Jermaine?' Jacksun's attorney, Bret D. Lewis, said when the petition originally was filed.
Jermaine Jackson unofficially adopted the name Mohammad Abdul Aziz after converting to Islam in 1989.
(Reporting by Eric Kelsey; Editing by Jill Serjeant and Paul Simao)
Friday, February 22, 2013
Jay-Z, Timberlake announce summer tour
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Rapper Jay-Z and Justin Timberlake are teaming up for a 12-city summer stadium tour that will include concerts in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago, music promoter Live Nation said on Friday.
The 'Legends of the Summer' tour will kick off at the Roger's Center in Toronto on July 17, and finish on August 16 at the Sun Life Stadium in Miami.
Venues in Boston, Detroit and Baltimore will also be included in the tour.
Earlier this week Live Nation said the duo, who together have won 23 Grammy awards and two Emmys and have sold 67 million albums, will also be performing together in London at the Wireless Festival on July 12-13.
Timberlake's new album, 'The 20/20 Experience,' which will be released next month, features 'Suit & Tie,' a collaboration with Jay-Z. The two performed a duet together at the Grammy Awards earlier this month.
(Reporting by Noreen O'Donnell; Editing by Patricia Reaney and Vicki Allen)
The 'Legends of the Summer' tour will kick off at the Roger's Center in Toronto on July 17, and finish on August 16 at the Sun Life Stadium in Miami.
Venues in Boston, Detroit and Baltimore will also be included in the tour.
Earlier this week Live Nation said the duo, who together have won 23 Grammy awards and two Emmys and have sold 67 million albums, will also be performing together in London at the Wireless Festival on July 12-13.
Timberlake's new album, 'The 20/20 Experience,' which will be released next month, features 'Suit & Tie,' a collaboration with Jay-Z. The two performed a duet together at the Grammy Awards earlier this month.
(Reporting by Noreen O'Donnell; Editing by Patricia Reaney and Vicki Allen)
Winners of the 2013 Brit music awards
LONDON (AP) - Winners of the 2013 Brit Awards, announced Wednesday:
British Female - Emeli Sande
British Group - Mumford & Sons
British Breakthrough Act - Ben Howard
British Male - Ben Howard
Critics' Choice - Tom Odell
International Female - Lana Del Rey
British Live Act - Coldplay
British Single - 'Skyfall,' Adele
International Group - The Black Keys
International Male - Frank Ocean
Special Recognition Award - Warchild
British Album - Emeli Sande, 'Our Version of Events'
Global Success - One Direction
British Female - Emeli Sande
British Group - Mumford & Sons
British Breakthrough Act - Ben Howard
British Male - Ben Howard
Critics' Choice - Tom Odell
International Female - Lana Del Rey
British Live Act - Coldplay
British Single - 'Skyfall,' Adele
International Group - The Black Keys
International Male - Frank Ocean
Special Recognition Award - Warchild
British Album - Emeli Sande, 'Our Version of Events'
Global Success - One Direction
Chicago bluesman Magic Slim dead at 75
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Guitarist Magic Slim, a mainstay of the Chicago blues scene who followed in the footsteps of such greats as Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf, died on Thursday at age 75, his manager said.
Slim, the son of Mississippi sharecroppers, gave up the piano and turned to guitar after losing his right pinky finger in a cotton gin accident at age 13. He died at a Philadelphia hospital where he had been under treatment for various ailments, manager Marty Salzman said.
A heavy smoker who suffered from emphysema and heart problems, Slim was forced by illness to cut short a tour with his band, the Teardrops, in late January, Salzman said.
Born Morris Holt in Torrence, Mississippi, Slim grew up on a farm and made his first trip to Chicago in 1955, starting off as the bass player for a friend and mentor known as Magic Sam, who lent the younger musician his nickname.
Slim cut his first record in 1966 and became a Chicago blues fixture in his own right, developing a guitar style that blended a distinct vibrato with a slide-guitar-like sound formed with his bare fingers against the strings.
Known for playing with picks on both the thumb and index finger of his right hand - a somewhat unusual technique, according to Salzman - the guitarist was recognized as much for his powerful, gruff vocals as his musicianship.
With more than 30 albums to his credit, Slim also was known for an encyclopedic mastery of the blues, Salzman said.
'There's probably not another bluesman who had quite the repertoire that Slim had,' he said.
While Slim lived in recent years with his family in Nebraska, 'Chicago was always like home to him,' his manager said.
(Writing by Steve Gorman; Editing by Cynthia Johnston and Peter Cooney)
Slim, the son of Mississippi sharecroppers, gave up the piano and turned to guitar after losing his right pinky finger in a cotton gin accident at age 13. He died at a Philadelphia hospital where he had been under treatment for various ailments, manager Marty Salzman said.
A heavy smoker who suffered from emphysema and heart problems, Slim was forced by illness to cut short a tour with his band, the Teardrops, in late January, Salzman said.
Born Morris Holt in Torrence, Mississippi, Slim grew up on a farm and made his first trip to Chicago in 1955, starting off as the bass player for a friend and mentor known as Magic Sam, who lent the younger musician his nickname.
Slim cut his first record in 1966 and became a Chicago blues fixture in his own right, developing a guitar style that blended a distinct vibrato with a slide-guitar-like sound formed with his bare fingers against the strings.
Known for playing with picks on both the thumb and index finger of his right hand - a somewhat unusual technique, according to Salzman - the guitarist was recognized as much for his powerful, gruff vocals as his musicianship.
With more than 30 albums to his credit, Slim also was known for an encyclopedic mastery of the blues, Salzman said.
'There's probably not another bluesman who had quite the repertoire that Slim had,' he said.
While Slim lived in recent years with his family in Nebraska, 'Chicago was always like home to him,' his manager said.
(Writing by Steve Gorman; Editing by Cynthia Johnston and Peter Cooney)
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Lady Gaga has hip surgery, calls injury "bump in the road"
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Lady Gaga said she has undergone surgery to repair an injured hip that forced the pop singer last week to cancel the remainder of her concert tour.
The 'Born This Way' singer thanked fans in a blog post on her littlemonsters.com fan website on Thursday, saying the setback was 'just a bump in the road.'
'As they wheeled me into surgery...I thought about all of your pain and perseverance, your unique family situations, school environments, health issues, homelessness, identity struggles,' wrote Lady Gaga, who often engages with her fans about their personal problems.
'So I thought to myself, 'I'm alive; I'm living my dream, and this is just a bump in the road,'' she added.
The 26-year-old singer tweeted on Wednesday that she was heading into surgery to treat a labral tear of her right hip.
No timetable has been set for Lady Gaga to return to performing, and her tour operator said last week that she would need 'strict downtime.'
Lady Gaga has been on the road for two years, performing concerts on six continents.
The injury forced her to cancel some two dozen concerts in the United States as part of her 'Born This Way Ball' tour.
(Reporting by Eric Kelsey, editing by Jill Serjeant and Cynthia Osterman)
The 'Born This Way' singer thanked fans in a blog post on her littlemonsters.com fan website on Thursday, saying the setback was 'just a bump in the road.'
'As they wheeled me into surgery...I thought about all of your pain and perseverance, your unique family situations, school environments, health issues, homelessness, identity struggles,' wrote Lady Gaga, who often engages with her fans about their personal problems.
'So I thought to myself, 'I'm alive; I'm living my dream, and this is just a bump in the road,'' she added.
The 26-year-old singer tweeted on Wednesday that she was heading into surgery to treat a labral tear of her right hip.
No timetable has been set for Lady Gaga to return to performing, and her tour operator said last week that she would need 'strict downtime.'
Lady Gaga has been on the road for two years, performing concerts on six continents.
The injury forced her to cancel some two dozen concerts in the United States as part of her 'Born This Way Ball' tour.
(Reporting by Eric Kelsey, editing by Jill Serjeant and Cynthia Osterman)
Mumford & Sons storm to top of Billboard 200 after Grammy win
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - British folk band Mumford & Sons jumped to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart on Wednesday after their album 'Babel' won a top Grammy honor, while several other Grammy performers received boosts on the U.S. charts.
'Babel,' which won the coveted Album of the Year prize at the Grammy awards on February 10, sold 185,000 copies according to figures from Nielsen SoundScan. The band also performed twice on the live television broadcast, which was watched by 28 million people.
The album was released in September 2012 and shot to the top of the Billboard 200 chart as one of the biggest-selling debuts of the year. It was ranked No. 4 last week before again claiming the top spot after its Grammy boost.
The official '2013 Grammy Nominees' compilation album, featuring songs by The Black Keys, Kelly Clarkson, Katy Perry and Gotye, landed at No. 2 this week, with 87,000 copies sold.
Grammy performers also saw their albums return to the top 10, with Bruno Mars' 'Unorthodox Jukebox' at No. 3, Taylor Swift's 'Red' at No. 4, The Lumineers' self-titled debut record at No. 6, FUN.'s 'Some Nights' at No. 7 and Maroon 5's 'Overexposed' at No. 10.
The digital songs chart also saw an impact from Grammy performances but none of the artists were able to oust indie rapper Macklemore and Ryan Lewis' 'Thrift Shop' from the top spot, which sold more than 412,000 downloads.
Rihanna's 'Stay' featuring Mikky Ekko received the biggest post-Grammy boost with more than 306,000 copies downloaded, coming in at No. 2.
Viral music video phenomenon 'Harlem Shake' by Baauer came in at No. 3, followed by Bruno Mars' 'When I Was Your Man' at No. 4 and Justin Timberlake's 'Suit & Tie' featuring Jay-Z at No. 5, following the pair's Grammy performance.
(Reporting by Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Jill Serjeant and Bill Trot)
'Babel,' which won the coveted Album of the Year prize at the Grammy awards on February 10, sold 185,000 copies according to figures from Nielsen SoundScan. The band also performed twice on the live television broadcast, which was watched by 28 million people.
The album was released in September 2012 and shot to the top of the Billboard 200 chart as one of the biggest-selling debuts of the year. It was ranked No. 4 last week before again claiming the top spot after its Grammy boost.
The official '2013 Grammy Nominees' compilation album, featuring songs by The Black Keys, Kelly Clarkson, Katy Perry and Gotye, landed at No. 2 this week, with 87,000 copies sold.
Grammy performers also saw their albums return to the top 10, with Bruno Mars' 'Unorthodox Jukebox' at No. 3, Taylor Swift's 'Red' at No. 4, The Lumineers' self-titled debut record at No. 6, FUN.'s 'Some Nights' at No. 7 and Maroon 5's 'Overexposed' at No. 10.
The digital songs chart also saw an impact from Grammy performances but none of the artists were able to oust indie rapper Macklemore and Ryan Lewis' 'Thrift Shop' from the top spot, which sold more than 412,000 downloads.
Rihanna's 'Stay' featuring Mikky Ekko received the biggest post-Grammy boost with more than 306,000 copies downloaded, coming in at No. 2.
Viral music video phenomenon 'Harlem Shake' by Baauer came in at No. 3, followed by Bruno Mars' 'When I Was Your Man' at No. 4 and Justin Timberlake's 'Suit & Tie' featuring Jay-Z at No. 5, following the pair's Grammy performance.
(Reporting by Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Jill Serjeant and Bill Trot)
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Singer Emeli Sande wins big at predictable BRIT awards
LONDON (Reuters) - Scottish singer Emeli Sande won the coveted best album honor at the BRIT Awards on Wednesday for 'Our Version of Events', confirming her status as favorite going into British pop's big night of the year.
The 25-year-old, who received a major boost by appearing at the Olympics opening and closing ceremonies last summer, also picked up the best British female artist on a night of few surprises in terms of winners and on-stage antics.
'I think I'm a very unlikely pop star,' an emotional Sande told a packed O2 Arena in London on receiving the best album prize.
'This is an album I wrote because I didn't have the confidence to sing these things in person. This is a dream, really, so thank you for this year and thank you for this award. I'm so grateful.'
Sande capped her success by performing a medley of 'Clown' and 'Next to Me' to close the ceremony, broadcast live on commercial channel ITV.
The other multiple winner was singer-songwriter Ben Howard, who picked up two of the dotted statuettes designed by Damien Hirst, for British breakthrough act and British male solo.
Among the most popular triumphs was that of Frank Ocean, American R&B star who beat acts including Bruce Springsteen and Jack White to land the international male solo artist prize.
'Before this year I didn't get me any trophies in my life and I'm definitely a long way from working fast food in New Orleans,' he told the audience, referring to his humble upbringing before breaking into the musical mainstream.
Devon rockers Muse got the annual awards ceremony off to a rousing start with 'Supremacy', complete with fireworks and a full orchestra standing on balconies behind them.
Justin Timberlake wore a tuxedo to perform 'Mirrors', continuing his pop comeback ahead of the March release of 'The 20/20 Experience', his first album since 2006.
Taylor Swift donned a white, floating gown for 'I Knew You Were Trouble' before an instant change into a figure-hugging black outfit complete with skimpy shorts and knee-length boots.
STYLES BLUSHES
One Direction received one of the loudest screams of the night as they took to the stage to sing charity single 'One Way Or Another', which has reached No. 1 in 60 countries, underlining their status as global stars.
In recognition of that international reach, they were honored with the BRITs global success award.
James Corden, the comedian hosting the ceremony, made joking reference to One Direction's Harry Styles and his highly public love life.
'Sharon Osbourne is here, Annie Lennox is here. Who have you got your eye on?' Corden asked.
Styles, seated along with his bandmates at a dinner table in a room packed with hundreds of other stars and industry bigwigs, smiled sheepishly and hid his face behind an awards program.
Robbie Williams, who has won a record-breaking 12 BRIT Awards as a solo artist, sang 'Candy', and Mumford & Sons, winners of the British group award, performed 'I Will Wait'.
In the most hotly contested best album category, Sande had been up against Mumford & Sons for 'Babel', Alt-J ('An Awesome Wave'), Paloma Faith ('Fall to Grace') and Plan B ('Ill Manors').
Sande's was Britain's best-selling album in 2012, but the ongoing slump in CD sales last year loomed over what should be a celebration of the vibrant state of the country's pop music scene.
According to official figures, overall British album sales fell 11.2 percent to 100.5 million in 2012, despite a rise of nearly 15 percent in digital album sales.
While digital downloads account for an increasing share of record label revenues, the bulk still comes from physical CDs, and the steady decline blamed on online piracy and a shift towards buying singles online is a major concern.
Adele added to her groaning trophy cabinet with the best single award for James Bond theme 'Skyfall'. She was in Los Angeles rehearsing for her performance at the Oscars ceremony on Sunday and so was unable to collect the trophy in person.
American singer Lana Del Rey scooped the international female award, while Coldplay pipped The Rolling Stones to the best live act prize.
Veteran rockers the Stones were shortlisted after returning to the stage for a short, sellout tour of London and the United States at the end of 2012 to mark 50 years in the business. The last time they were nominated for a BRIT was in 1996.
(Reporting by Mike Collett-White, editing by Paul Casciato)
The 25-year-old, who received a major boost by appearing at the Olympics opening and closing ceremonies last summer, also picked up the best British female artist on a night of few surprises in terms of winners and on-stage antics.
'I think I'm a very unlikely pop star,' an emotional Sande told a packed O2 Arena in London on receiving the best album prize.
'This is an album I wrote because I didn't have the confidence to sing these things in person. This is a dream, really, so thank you for this year and thank you for this award. I'm so grateful.'
Sande capped her success by performing a medley of 'Clown' and 'Next to Me' to close the ceremony, broadcast live on commercial channel ITV.
The other multiple winner was singer-songwriter Ben Howard, who picked up two of the dotted statuettes designed by Damien Hirst, for British breakthrough act and British male solo.
Among the most popular triumphs was that of Frank Ocean, American R&B star who beat acts including Bruce Springsteen and Jack White to land the international male solo artist prize.
'Before this year I didn't get me any trophies in my life and I'm definitely a long way from working fast food in New Orleans,' he told the audience, referring to his humble upbringing before breaking into the musical mainstream.
Devon rockers Muse got the annual awards ceremony off to a rousing start with 'Supremacy', complete with fireworks and a full orchestra standing on balconies behind them.
Justin Timberlake wore a tuxedo to perform 'Mirrors', continuing his pop comeback ahead of the March release of 'The 20/20 Experience', his first album since 2006.
Taylor Swift donned a white, floating gown for 'I Knew You Were Trouble' before an instant change into a figure-hugging black outfit complete with skimpy shorts and knee-length boots.
STYLES BLUSHES
One Direction received one of the loudest screams of the night as they took to the stage to sing charity single 'One Way Or Another', which has reached No. 1 in 60 countries, underlining their status as global stars.
In recognition of that international reach, they were honored with the BRITs global success award.
James Corden, the comedian hosting the ceremony, made joking reference to One Direction's Harry Styles and his highly public love life.
'Sharon Osbourne is here, Annie Lennox is here. Who have you got your eye on?' Corden asked.
Styles, seated along with his bandmates at a dinner table in a room packed with hundreds of other stars and industry bigwigs, smiled sheepishly and hid his face behind an awards program.
Robbie Williams, who has won a record-breaking 12 BRIT Awards as a solo artist, sang 'Candy', and Mumford & Sons, winners of the British group award, performed 'I Will Wait'.
In the most hotly contested best album category, Sande had been up against Mumford & Sons for 'Babel', Alt-J ('An Awesome Wave'), Paloma Faith ('Fall to Grace') and Plan B ('Ill Manors').
Sande's was Britain's best-selling album in 2012, but the ongoing slump in CD sales last year loomed over what should be a celebration of the vibrant state of the country's pop music scene.
According to official figures, overall British album sales fell 11.2 percent to 100.5 million in 2012, despite a rise of nearly 15 percent in digital album sales.
While digital downloads account for an increasing share of record label revenues, the bulk still comes from physical CDs, and the steady decline blamed on online piracy and a shift towards buying singles online is a major concern.
Adele added to her groaning trophy cabinet with the best single award for James Bond theme 'Skyfall'. She was in Los Angeles rehearsing for her performance at the Oscars ceremony on Sunday and so was unable to collect the trophy in person.
American singer Lana Del Rey scooped the international female award, while Coldplay pipped The Rolling Stones to the best live act prize.
Veteran rockers the Stones were shortlisted after returning to the stage for a short, sellout tour of London and the United States at the end of 2012 to mark 50 years in the business. The last time they were nominated for a BRIT was in 1996.
(Reporting by Mike Collett-White, editing by Paul Casciato)
Singer Sande in line for big prize at BRIT awards
LONDON (Reuters) - Scottish singer Emeli Sande is favorite to win the coveted British album of the year honor later on Wednesday when the BRIT Awards are handed out in London.
Sande, whose profile received a major boost when she took part in the opening and closing ceremonies at the London Olympics last year, has been nominated for three prizes on British pop's biggest night.
She was also shortlisted for best British female, which Sande is expected by bookmakers to win, and best British single for 'Next to Me'. Sande features on another contender for the single prize, Labrinth's 'Beneath Your Beautiful'.
Arguably the most important category is British album, where Sande's 'Our Version of Events' is up against other acts who each picked up three nominations - Mumford & Sons for 'Babel' and Alt-J for 'An Awesome Wave'.
Sande's was Britain's best-selling album in 2012, but the ongoing slump in CD sales last year is likely to overshadow what should be a celebration of the vibrant state of the country's pop music scene.
According to official figures, overall British album sales fell 11.2 percent to 100.5 million in 2012, despite a rise of nearly 15 percent in digital album sales.
While digital downloads account for an increasing share of record labels' revenues, the bulk still comes from physical CDs, and the steady decline blamed on online piracy and a shift towards buying singles online is a major concern.
'DULL AND CONSERVATIVE'?
Some critics are also worried about the state of British music more generally, arguing that the quality of this year's international artist nominees, including Lana Del Rey and Frank Ocean, showed how U.S. singers were in the ascendancy.
'If this year's Brits promises to be underwhelming, the British music business has no one to blame but itself,' wrote Neil McCormick of the Daily Telegraph, describing many nominees this year as 'a little dull and conservative.'
Adele looks set to add to her groaning trophy cabinet with the best single award for James Bond theme 'Skyfall', while Del Rey and Ocean are bookmaker Ladbrokes' favorites for best international female and male respectively.
'There's a nailed on favorite in every category and it's hard to see any last minute upsets at this stage,' said Ladbrokes spokeswoman Jessica Bridge.
It may be that the big surprises this year at the BRITs, which have a reputation of rewarding commercial success over musical originality, came at the nominations stage.
Last month eyebrows were raised when Amy Winehouse was nominated in the British female solo category some 18 months after her death for a chart-topping album of unreleased songs and demos called 'Lioness: Hidden Treasures'.
And veteran rockers the Rolling Stones were shortlisted for best live act after they returned to the stage for a short, sellout tour of London and the United States at the end of 2012 to mark 50 years in the business.
The last time the group was nominated for a BRIT was in 1996, and the Rolling Stones are the only act to be nominated both at this year's ceremony at the O2 Arena and at the first BRIT Awards staged in 1977.
Performing at the awards ceremony will be Taylor Swift, Justin Timberlake, Muse, Robbie Williams, Sande, Mumford & Sons, Ben Howard and One Direction.
(Reporting by Mike Collett-White, editing by Paul Casciato)
Sande, whose profile received a major boost when she took part in the opening and closing ceremonies at the London Olympics last year, has been nominated for three prizes on British pop's biggest night.
She was also shortlisted for best British female, which Sande is expected by bookmakers to win, and best British single for 'Next to Me'. Sande features on another contender for the single prize, Labrinth's 'Beneath Your Beautiful'.
Arguably the most important category is British album, where Sande's 'Our Version of Events' is up against other acts who each picked up three nominations - Mumford & Sons for 'Babel' and Alt-J for 'An Awesome Wave'.
Sande's was Britain's best-selling album in 2012, but the ongoing slump in CD sales last year is likely to overshadow what should be a celebration of the vibrant state of the country's pop music scene.
According to official figures, overall British album sales fell 11.2 percent to 100.5 million in 2012, despite a rise of nearly 15 percent in digital album sales.
While digital downloads account for an increasing share of record labels' revenues, the bulk still comes from physical CDs, and the steady decline blamed on online piracy and a shift towards buying singles online is a major concern.
'DULL AND CONSERVATIVE'?
Some critics are also worried about the state of British music more generally, arguing that the quality of this year's international artist nominees, including Lana Del Rey and Frank Ocean, showed how U.S. singers were in the ascendancy.
'If this year's Brits promises to be underwhelming, the British music business has no one to blame but itself,' wrote Neil McCormick of the Daily Telegraph, describing many nominees this year as 'a little dull and conservative.'
Adele looks set to add to her groaning trophy cabinet with the best single award for James Bond theme 'Skyfall', while Del Rey and Ocean are bookmaker Ladbrokes' favorites for best international female and male respectively.
'There's a nailed on favorite in every category and it's hard to see any last minute upsets at this stage,' said Ladbrokes spokeswoman Jessica Bridge.
It may be that the big surprises this year at the BRITs, which have a reputation of rewarding commercial success over musical originality, came at the nominations stage.
Last month eyebrows were raised when Amy Winehouse was nominated in the British female solo category some 18 months after her death for a chart-topping album of unreleased songs and demos called 'Lioness: Hidden Treasures'.
And veteran rockers the Rolling Stones were shortlisted for best live act after they returned to the stage for a short, sellout tour of London and the United States at the end of 2012 to mark 50 years in the business.
The last time the group was nominated for a BRIT was in 1996, and the Rolling Stones are the only act to be nominated both at this year's ceremony at the O2 Arena and at the first BRIT Awards staged in 1977.
Performing at the awards ceremony will be Taylor Swift, Justin Timberlake, Muse, Robbie Williams, Sande, Mumford & Sons, Ben Howard and One Direction.
(Reporting by Mike Collett-White, editing by Paul Casciato)
Singer Morrissey requests meat-free Los Angeles concert venue
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - British singer Morrissey has convinced a Los Angeles concert venue to not sell meat at concessions during his performance next month.
The longtime animal rights activist and former singer for 1980s rock group The Smiths urged the Staples Center arena to shutter the concession stands of fast food chain McDonald's and to halt the sale of meat by other outlets at the venue for his March 1 performance.
'We respect Morrissey's lifestyle and his concern for the wishes of so many of his fans and are happy that we are able to honor his requests in this manner,' Lee Zeidman, the arena's general manager, said in a statement on Tuesday.
Staples Center operator Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) said the arena will also roll out a special line of meatless food concessions, including vegan sloppy Joes, vegan sushi, and hummus and pita bread.
'I don't look upon it as a victory for me, but a victory for the animals,' the 'Irish Blood, English Heart' singer said earlier this week.
AEG and its promoter subsidiary Goldenvoice will donate a portion of ticket sales from the show to the animal rights group PETA, Morrissey said.
Morrissey, 53, who co-wrote The Smiths' 1985 song 'Meat Is Murder,' postponed a series of concerts on his North America tour last month after being hospitalized for a bleeding ulcer.
He is expected to relaunch the tour with a performance on U.S. late-night talk show 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' next week.
(Reporting by Eric Kelsey; Editing by Jill Serjeant and Stacey Joyce)
The longtime animal rights activist and former singer for 1980s rock group The Smiths urged the Staples Center arena to shutter the concession stands of fast food chain McDonald's and to halt the sale of meat by other outlets at the venue for his March 1 performance.
'We respect Morrissey's lifestyle and his concern for the wishes of so many of his fans and are happy that we are able to honor his requests in this manner,' Lee Zeidman, the arena's general manager, said in a statement on Tuesday.
Staples Center operator Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) said the arena will also roll out a special line of meatless food concessions, including vegan sloppy Joes, vegan sushi, and hummus and pita bread.
'I don't look upon it as a victory for me, but a victory for the animals,' the 'Irish Blood, English Heart' singer said earlier this week.
AEG and its promoter subsidiary Goldenvoice will donate a portion of ticket sales from the show to the animal rights group PETA, Morrissey said.
Morrissey, 53, who co-wrote The Smiths' 1985 song 'Meat Is Murder,' postponed a series of concerts on his North America tour last month after being hospitalized for a bleeding ulcer.
He is expected to relaunch the tour with a performance on U.S. late-night talk show 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' next week.
(Reporting by Eric Kelsey; Editing by Jill Serjeant and Stacey Joyce)
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Jay-Z, Timberlake perform at first London Olympic park concert
LONDON (Reuters) - Rapper Jay-Z will return to the London Olympics site this summer where he performed at the 2012 Paralympics as the sporting complex takes on a new life as the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
Justin Timberlake and Jay-Z were named on Tuesday by live music promoter Live Nation Entertainment as headline acts for the Wireless Festival on July 12 and July 13.
Other acts will include Snoop Dogg, John Legend, Frank Ocean, Emeli Sande, Rita Ora, and DJ Calvin Harris.
Last month Live Nation said it had secured exclusive rights in 2013 to host concerts in the Olympic Park and Stadium complex in east London that was designed so it could be transformed into a space for entertainment, leisure and work after the Games.
The announcement was a boost for the British government which pumped public money into the London 2012 Games, adamant the Olympic site would not become an expensive white elephant.
'This is a stellar line up of stars that is set to bring the house down this summer at Queen Elizabeth Park London. It proves that our fantastic Olympic park is now a destination of choice for world class musical events,' London Mayor Boris Johnson said in a statement.
Live Nation said this would be Jay-Z's only European show this year and Timberlake's sole British festival appearance.
Earlier this month the two U.S. singers appeared together at the Grammys to perform their collaboration 'Suit & Tie' off Timberlake's first new album in seven years that is due out on March 18.
Live Nation plans to hold the Wireless Festival and Hard Rock Calling events at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and avoid a repeat of previous years when the concerts were staged in London parks and triggered complaints from nearby residents.
Concert-goers were surprised in July when microphones were suddenly switched off on Paul McCartney and Bruce Springsteen in mid-duet when a Hyde Park concert ran over time.
(Reporting by Belinda Goldsmith, editing by Paul Casciato)
Justin Timberlake and Jay-Z were named on Tuesday by live music promoter Live Nation Entertainment as headline acts for the Wireless Festival on July 12 and July 13.
Other acts will include Snoop Dogg, John Legend, Frank Ocean, Emeli Sande, Rita Ora, and DJ Calvin Harris.
Last month Live Nation said it had secured exclusive rights in 2013 to host concerts in the Olympic Park and Stadium complex in east London that was designed so it could be transformed into a space for entertainment, leisure and work after the Games.
The announcement was a boost for the British government which pumped public money into the London 2012 Games, adamant the Olympic site would not become an expensive white elephant.
'This is a stellar line up of stars that is set to bring the house down this summer at Queen Elizabeth Park London. It proves that our fantastic Olympic park is now a destination of choice for world class musical events,' London Mayor Boris Johnson said in a statement.
Live Nation said this would be Jay-Z's only European show this year and Timberlake's sole British festival appearance.
Earlier this month the two U.S. singers appeared together at the Grammys to perform their collaboration 'Suit & Tie' off Timberlake's first new album in seven years that is due out on March 18.
Live Nation plans to hold the Wireless Festival and Hard Rock Calling events at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and avoid a repeat of previous years when the concerts were staged in London parks and triggered complaints from nearby residents.
Concert-goers were surprised in July when microphones were suddenly switched off on Paul McCartney and Bruce Springsteen in mid-duet when a Hyde Park concert ran over time.
(Reporting by Belinda Goldsmith, editing by Paul Casciato)
Singer Fergie says she and actor Josh Duhamel expecting baby
(Reuters) - The Black Eyed Peas singer Fergie said on Monday that she and her husband, actor Josh Duhamel, are expecting a baby.
'Josh & Me & BABY makes three!!!,' she tweeted. She also posted photos of herself and her husband as toddlers.
It is the first child for the couple married in 2009.
Duhamel, 40, appeared in the 'Transformers' movies and stars this year in the film 'Safe Haven.'
Fergie, 37, whose real name is Stacy Ferguson, joined The Black Eyed Peas in 2002 for their third album, 'Elephunk,' which proved to be a huge commercial success.
(Reporting by Ellen Wulfhorst in New York; Editing by Barbara Goldberg)
'Josh & Me & BABY makes three!!!,' she tweeted. She also posted photos of herself and her husband as toddlers.
It is the first child for the couple married in 2009.
Duhamel, 40, appeared in the 'Transformers' movies and stars this year in the film 'Safe Haven.'
Fergie, 37, whose real name is Stacy Ferguson, joined The Black Eyed Peas in 2002 for their third album, 'Elephunk,' which proved to be a huge commercial success.
(Reporting by Ellen Wulfhorst in New York; Editing by Barbara Goldberg)
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Prince to headline Montreux jazz with three pricey concerts
GENEVA (Reuters) - Prince returns to the Montreux Jazz Festival in July to give three concerts at the 47th edition, the first after the death of founder Claude Nobs, organizers said on Thursday.
The American singer and musician is booked to give three shows on July 13, 14 and 15, the Swiss festival said in a statement.
'Groovy, funky and the undisputed master of improvisation, Prince's performances are all unique and unpredictable,' it said of the 54-year-old viewed as a pioneer of online music distribution and maverick in the business.
Prince first appeared on the famed Montreux stage in 2007, then showed up at 3 a.m. to jam with his band at a late-night jazz cafe along Lake Geneva. He gave two back-to-back shows on the same night in 2009, drawing fans from across Europe for a rare appearance on the continent.
Tickets go on sale on Friday morning, at a whopping 175 Swiss francs ($190)(standing) and 395 francs for a seat.
'We consider him one of the headline acts,' festival spokeswoman Emilie Loertscher told Reuters.
The rest of the line-up will be announced on April 18.
Nobs, who founded the Montreux Jazz Festival nearly 50 years ago, died in January at age 76 after several weeks in a coma following a skiing accident.
The Swiss impresario immortalized by rock group Deep Purple as 'Funky Claude' in the song 'Smoke on the Water', lured the biggest stars of the music world including Miles Davis, Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin to the annual event.
(Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay, editing by Paul Casciato)
The American singer and musician is booked to give three shows on July 13, 14 and 15, the Swiss festival said in a statement.
'Groovy, funky and the undisputed master of improvisation, Prince's performances are all unique and unpredictable,' it said of the 54-year-old viewed as a pioneer of online music distribution and maverick in the business.
Prince first appeared on the famed Montreux stage in 2007, then showed up at 3 a.m. to jam with his band at a late-night jazz cafe along Lake Geneva. He gave two back-to-back shows on the same night in 2009, drawing fans from across Europe for a rare appearance on the continent.
Tickets go on sale on Friday morning, at a whopping 175 Swiss francs ($190)(standing) and 395 francs for a seat.
'We consider him one of the headline acts,' festival spokeswoman Emilie Loertscher told Reuters.
The rest of the line-up will be announced on April 18.
Nobs, who founded the Montreux Jazz Festival nearly 50 years ago, died in January at age 76 after several weeks in a coma following a skiing accident.
The Swiss impresario immortalized by rock group Deep Purple as 'Funky Claude' in the song 'Smoke on the Water', lured the biggest stars of the music world including Miles Davis, Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin to the annual event.
(Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay, editing by Paul Casciato)
Irish composer Raymond Deane talks Achill, Alma and ABBA too
DUBLIN (Reuters) - Irish composer Raymond Deane chafes at what he sees as a lack of recognition in his homeland for classical composers in a country better known for traditional fiddling and rock supergroup U2 than for notes on staves.
'Classical music means Mozart and Beethoven and when you say Irish classical music their eyes just widen,' Deane, who recently turned 60, told Reuters over lunch at a French-style bistro in Dublin.
'Classical music doesn't do much for the tourist industry except frighten off the tourists.'
Deane, who also is an activist who has taken up the causes of East Timorese and Palestinian human rights and campaigns to get artists to boycott Israel, described the Irish composer's plight in the 1990s as 'the honor of non-existence'.
Though he can rattle off the names of more than a half dozen Irish men and women composers of international stature, he says little has changed.
The difference is this year, Deane's often haunting, sometimes playful chamber pieces got an airing at a birthday celebration in a Dublin church, one of his orchestral works was played at the National Concert Hall and September will see a concert staging of a new opera, 'The Alma Fetish'.
The last, a collaboration with librettist Gavin Kostick, is a musical treatment of a theme that probably - actually, undoubtedly - would have been banned in Roman Catholic Ireland not too many years ago.
It is based on the love affair between composer Gustav Mahler's widow Alma, a femme fatale for many a European intellectual, and the Austrian painter Oskar Kokoschka. He became so enamored of her he ordered up a life-size doll shaped, in all respects, like Alma.
Although the performance will be a concert staging, Deane said the doll will be there in some form or other, possibly in projections.
'You couldn't not have it, because it's absolutely central,' he said, adding that he was in part attracted to the story of Alma's and Kokoschka's affair because of the Olympia doll character in Offenbach's opera 'The Tales of Hoffmann'. Alma also seduced Oskar to the main theme of one of Deane's favorite operas, Wagner's 'Tristan und Isolde'.
'Alma seduced Oskar to the 'liebestod' but in my version she sings and plays it as a Viennese waltz,' he said.
In a sign of the pan-European roots of his inspiration, Deane has quoted and used themes from composers as diverse as Mahler, Mussorgsky and Stockhausen in a musical career that began at about age 10 when his family moved from scenic but rustic Achill Island, off Ireland's west coast, to Dublin, and Deane began writing down improvisations at the piano.
'It's ridiculous, everyone is immature at the age of 10 but I was a particularly immature 10-year-old, and to think I've stood by a decision I made then, there's really something absurd about it.'
Here's what else he had to say about getting a musical education via the BBC's classical station Radio 3, what he did or didn't learn from his professors and why he makes no secret about liking ABBA's 'Dancing Queen':
Q: You studied under some of the musical greats of the 20th century, including the eternal enfant terrible Karlheinz Stockhausen. What did that do for you?
A: ''Study' in quotation marks - anybody else who would have gone through my particular curriculum vitae, studying with (composer) Gerald Bennett in Switzerland, Stockhausen in Cologne...would have made some use of them, seen them as opportunities. To a large extent I wasted all the opportunities that were offered to me by these people, quite perversely.'
Q: So where did you learn your craft, or more simply, how did you become a composer?
A: 'I went to the usual university, did a degree at Maynooth (National University of Ireland), a doctorate. But my main musical education really was BBC Radio 3. When we came to Dublin in my early teens I had this old transistor radio that was really my main connection to the outer world and it wasn't linked up to anything so the reception from the BBC was diabolical. The static was amazing and sometimes it would disappear completely. I would tune in and hear 'tssshh' and through this I would hear the music and then 'tssshhh'. Sometimes it would disappear and I would try to imagine what I was missing. I think a lot of the kind of perverse quality of some of those early pieces of mine stems from that - a distant relationship and a rather distorted relationship to something.'
Q: Plus you and your composer friend Gerald Barry, in the days a quarter of a century ago before you swore off the drink, used to have some late evenings in which he'd play Rod Stewart and you'd pick ABBA, particularly 'Dancing Queen'.
A: 'I was a big fan of ABBA, I still have a lot of time for ABBA, I have a lot of time for the Beatles, a lot of time for Neil Young...Bruce Springsteen. My CD and record collection has a lot of non-classical stuff in it. I probably draw the line at rap.'
(Editing by Paul Casciato)
This article is sponsored by real estate news.
'Classical music means Mozart and Beethoven and when you say Irish classical music their eyes just widen,' Deane, who recently turned 60, told Reuters over lunch at a French-style bistro in Dublin.
'Classical music doesn't do much for the tourist industry except frighten off the tourists.'
Deane, who also is an activist who has taken up the causes of East Timorese and Palestinian human rights and campaigns to get artists to boycott Israel, described the Irish composer's plight in the 1990s as 'the honor of non-existence'.
Though he can rattle off the names of more than a half dozen Irish men and women composers of international stature, he says little has changed.
The difference is this year, Deane's often haunting, sometimes playful chamber pieces got an airing at a birthday celebration in a Dublin church, one of his orchestral works was played at the National Concert Hall and September will see a concert staging of a new opera, 'The Alma Fetish'.
The last, a collaboration with librettist Gavin Kostick, is a musical treatment of a theme that probably - actually, undoubtedly - would have been banned in Roman Catholic Ireland not too many years ago.
It is based on the love affair between composer Gustav Mahler's widow Alma, a femme fatale for many a European intellectual, and the Austrian painter Oskar Kokoschka. He became so enamored of her he ordered up a life-size doll shaped, in all respects, like Alma.
Although the performance will be a concert staging, Deane said the doll will be there in some form or other, possibly in projections.
'You couldn't not have it, because it's absolutely central,' he said, adding that he was in part attracted to the story of Alma's and Kokoschka's affair because of the Olympia doll character in Offenbach's opera 'The Tales of Hoffmann'. Alma also seduced Oskar to the main theme of one of Deane's favorite operas, Wagner's 'Tristan und Isolde'.
'Alma seduced Oskar to the 'liebestod' but in my version she sings and plays it as a Viennese waltz,' he said.
In a sign of the pan-European roots of his inspiration, Deane has quoted and used themes from composers as diverse as Mahler, Mussorgsky and Stockhausen in a musical career that began at about age 10 when his family moved from scenic but rustic Achill Island, off Ireland's west coast, to Dublin, and Deane began writing down improvisations at the piano.
'It's ridiculous, everyone is immature at the age of 10 but I was a particularly immature 10-year-old, and to think I've stood by a decision I made then, there's really something absurd about it.'
Here's what else he had to say about getting a musical education via the BBC's classical station Radio 3, what he did or didn't learn from his professors and why he makes no secret about liking ABBA's 'Dancing Queen':
Q: You studied under some of the musical greats of the 20th century, including the eternal enfant terrible Karlheinz Stockhausen. What did that do for you?
A: ''Study' in quotation marks - anybody else who would have gone through my particular curriculum vitae, studying with (composer) Gerald Bennett in Switzerland, Stockhausen in Cologne...would have made some use of them, seen them as opportunities. To a large extent I wasted all the opportunities that were offered to me by these people, quite perversely.'
Q: So where did you learn your craft, or more simply, how did you become a composer?
A: 'I went to the usual university, did a degree at Maynooth (National University of Ireland), a doctorate. But my main musical education really was BBC Radio 3. When we came to Dublin in my early teens I had this old transistor radio that was really my main connection to the outer world and it wasn't linked up to anything so the reception from the BBC was diabolical. The static was amazing and sometimes it would disappear completely. I would tune in and hear 'tssshh' and through this I would hear the music and then 'tssshhh'. Sometimes it would disappear and I would try to imagine what I was missing. I think a lot of the kind of perverse quality of some of those early pieces of mine stems from that - a distant relationship and a rather distorted relationship to something.'
Q: Plus you and your composer friend Gerald Barry, in the days a quarter of a century ago before you swore off the drink, used to have some late evenings in which he'd play Rod Stewart and you'd pick ABBA, particularly 'Dancing Queen'.
A: 'I was a big fan of ABBA, I still have a lot of time for ABBA, I have a lot of time for the Beatles, a lot of time for Neil Young...Bruce Springsteen. My CD and record collection has a lot of non-classical stuff in it. I probably draw the line at rap.'
(Editing by Paul Casciato)
This article is sponsored by real estate news.
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Beyonce shows marriage, miscarriage and Blue Ivy in documentary
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Beyonce is letting fans into her charmed life, introducing daughter Blue Ivy to the world and talking about motherhood, marriage and miscarriage in a new documentary.
The 31-year-old pop singer and her rapper husband, Jay-Z, 43, one of music's most influential couples, have been guarded about their private life.
But in 'Life is But a Dream,' airing on Saturday on cable channel HBO, Beyonce gives fans a glimpse of her working life and even a peek at baby Blue Ivy, who has been fiercely shielded from paparazzi since her birth in January 2012.
The 'Crazy in Love' singer addresses the widely reported claim from 2011 that she was faking her pregnancy, calling it 'the most ridiculous rumor I've ever heard of me.'
'To think that I'd be that vain ... especially after losing a child. The pain and trauma from that just makes it mean so much more to get an opportunity to bring life into the world,' she says in the documentary.
The Grammy-winning singer shows footage of a sonogram, her growing bump and grainy video of herself posing nude as she neared her due date.
The HBO film, which Beyonce co-directed, is part of a return to performing by the singer, who took a year off after her first child was born.
The arrival last year of Blue Ivy Carter gained worldwide media attention and prompted Beyonce to share more with her fans, launching a Tumblr page with snapshots that showed glimpses of her family life, including the baby.
Her miscarriage had been kept secret from the public until Jay-Z referred to it in his song 'Glory,' that he released following the birth of Blue Ivy.
In the documentary, Beyonce touched on the topic briefly, saying, 'It was the saddest thing I've ever been through.'
'My life is a journey. ... I had to go through my miscarriage, I believe I had to go through owning my company and managing myself ... ultimately your independence comes from knowing who you are and you being happy with yourself,' she said.
'Life is But a Dream' serves as a coming-of-age for the star as she entered motherhood.
She gives audiences a peek into her four-year marriage to Jay-Z, showing footage of the couple singing Coldplay's 'Yellow' to each other.
'This baby has made me love him more than I ever thought I could love another human being,' she says.
The documentary shows Beyonce putting herself and her team through grueling choreography rehearsals in 2011 and planning every second of her performances at big awards shows that year.
Beyonce began her comeback with a controversial lip-synched performance of the national anthem at President Barack Obama's inauguration in January, followed by a live performance at the Super Bowl halftime show that wowed critics.
She has also announced a new album for this year. 'The Mrs Carter Show World Tour' - Jay-Z's real name is Sean Carter - will kick off in April with more than 40 performances in Europe and North America.
'Life is But a Dream' airs on HBO on Saturday, the same day as Beyonce's interview with Oprah Winfrey on the OWN cable channel.
(Reporting By Piya Sinha-Roy, editing by Jill Serjeant and Doina Chiacu)
This article is sponsored by free dating site.
The 31-year-old pop singer and her rapper husband, Jay-Z, 43, one of music's most influential couples, have been guarded about their private life.
But in 'Life is But a Dream,' airing on Saturday on cable channel HBO, Beyonce gives fans a glimpse of her working life and even a peek at baby Blue Ivy, who has been fiercely shielded from paparazzi since her birth in January 2012.
The 'Crazy in Love' singer addresses the widely reported claim from 2011 that she was faking her pregnancy, calling it 'the most ridiculous rumor I've ever heard of me.'
'To think that I'd be that vain ... especially after losing a child. The pain and trauma from that just makes it mean so much more to get an opportunity to bring life into the world,' she says in the documentary.
The Grammy-winning singer shows footage of a sonogram, her growing bump and grainy video of herself posing nude as she neared her due date.
The HBO film, which Beyonce co-directed, is part of a return to performing by the singer, who took a year off after her first child was born.
The arrival last year of Blue Ivy Carter gained worldwide media attention and prompted Beyonce to share more with her fans, launching a Tumblr page with snapshots that showed glimpses of her family life, including the baby.
Her miscarriage had been kept secret from the public until Jay-Z referred to it in his song 'Glory,' that he released following the birth of Blue Ivy.
In the documentary, Beyonce touched on the topic briefly, saying, 'It was the saddest thing I've ever been through.'
'My life is a journey. ... I had to go through my miscarriage, I believe I had to go through owning my company and managing myself ... ultimately your independence comes from knowing who you are and you being happy with yourself,' she said.
'Life is But a Dream' serves as a coming-of-age for the star as she entered motherhood.
She gives audiences a peek into her four-year marriage to Jay-Z, showing footage of the couple singing Coldplay's 'Yellow' to each other.
'This baby has made me love him more than I ever thought I could love another human being,' she says.
The documentary shows Beyonce putting herself and her team through grueling choreography rehearsals in 2011 and planning every second of her performances at big awards shows that year.
Beyonce began her comeback with a controversial lip-synched performance of the national anthem at President Barack Obama's inauguration in January, followed by a live performance at the Super Bowl halftime show that wowed critics.
She has also announced a new album for this year. 'The Mrs Carter Show World Tour' - Jay-Z's real name is Sean Carter - will kick off in April with more than 40 performances in Europe and North America.
'Life is But a Dream' airs on HBO on Saturday, the same day as Beyonce's interview with Oprah Winfrey on the OWN cable channel.
(Reporting By Piya Sinha-Roy, editing by Jill Serjeant and Doina Chiacu)
This article is sponsored by free dating site.
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Dave Clark Five bassist Rick Huxley dies aged 72
(Reuters) - Rick Huxley, the bassist for the 1960s British Invasion pop-rock group the Dave Clark Five, has died, the band's leader said on Tuesday. He was 72.
Huxley died unexpectedly at his home in the English countryside on Monday, Dave Clark told Reuters.
The band scored No. 1 hits on both sides of the Atlantic during its decade-long run from 1960-1970.
'Glad All Over' holds the honor of knocking the Beatles' 'I Want to Hold Your Hand' out of the top spot on the UK chart in 1964, while 'Over and Over' topped the U.S. chart in 1965.
The cause of death was not immediately known, said Clark, who added that Huxley had been 'sprightly and in good shape' despite suffering from emphysema for several years.
'I spoke to him on Friday and he was in great spirits,' Clark said in a telephone call. 'He went through a recent doctor's check and had a good, clean bill of health. This came totally out of the blue, and I'm just devastated.'
Clark remembered Huxley for his modest demeanor and humor.
'He always made me smile and I'll miss that immensely,' Clark said. 'He was never arrogant and flashy. He was a gentleman and very low key. He was a very, very talented musician and a great friend.'
The Dave Clark Five was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008.
Huxley was born in Dartford, England, east of London, the same town that is home to the Rolling Stones lead singer Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards.
Huxley is survived by two sons and a daughter.
(Reporting by Eric Kelsey in Los Angeles; Editing by Jill Serjeant and Mohammad Zargham)
This article is sponsored by technology.
Huxley died unexpectedly at his home in the English countryside on Monday, Dave Clark told Reuters.
The band scored No. 1 hits on both sides of the Atlantic during its decade-long run from 1960-1970.
'Glad All Over' holds the honor of knocking the Beatles' 'I Want to Hold Your Hand' out of the top spot on the UK chart in 1964, while 'Over and Over' topped the U.S. chart in 1965.
The cause of death was not immediately known, said Clark, who added that Huxley had been 'sprightly and in good shape' despite suffering from emphysema for several years.
'I spoke to him on Friday and he was in great spirits,' Clark said in a telephone call. 'He went through a recent doctor's check and had a good, clean bill of health. This came totally out of the blue, and I'm just devastated.'
Clark remembered Huxley for his modest demeanor and humor.
'He always made me smile and I'll miss that immensely,' Clark said. 'He was never arrogant and flashy. He was a gentleman and very low key. He was a very, very talented musician and a great friend.'
The Dave Clark Five was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008.
Huxley was born in Dartford, England, east of London, the same town that is home to the Rolling Stones lead singer Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards.
Huxley is survived by two sons and a daughter.
(Reporting by Eric Kelsey in Los Angeles; Editing by Jill Serjeant and Mohammad Zargham)
This article is sponsored by technology.
Monday, February 11, 2013
Grammys draw 28 million TV viewers; winners get iTunes bump
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Some 28.1 million Americans watched the Grammy Awards show on television, a predictable 30 percent drop from last year's emotion-filled ceremony following the death of singer Whitney Houston, according to ratings data on Monday.
Despite the lower numbers, Sunday's 3-1/2-hour show broadcast live on CBS was the second-largest TV audience for the music industry's big night since 1993, and many critics gave the show a thumbs up.
'For the first time in too long, the Grammys telecast was a good time in and of itself - a refreshingly coherent celebration of our increasingly incoherent popscape,' wrote Chris Richards of the Washington Post.
'There were A-game performances, trophy-hoarders who deserved to win them and very few reasons to wince, grouse or wish you were watching 'Downton Abbey',' Richards added.
In the absence of new music from big names such as Lady Gaga or Beyonce, Sunday's Grammy show highlighted rising stars and younger artists and spread the top prizes over a wide variety of acts.
British folk band Mumford & Sons won Album of the Year for 'Babel,' indie-pop trio fun. won Song of the Year for 'We Are Young' and Australian singer Gotye won Record of the Year for 'Somebody That I Used to Know.'
Many of the winners and performers found themselves high on the iTunes sales chart on Monday, with Justin Timberlake leading the charge with pre-orders for his upcoming album 'The 20/20 Experience,' his first since 2006.
FUN.'s album 'Some Nights' and 'Babel' were also among the Top 5 on the iTunes albums chart on Monday.
Mikael Wood of The Los Angeles Times said smaller, intimate moments, like Rihanna's stripped down balled 'Stay', stood out among the bigger production numbers on Sunday night's show.
'In a 3-1/2-hour blur of high-tech spectacle, these performances felt like reaffirmations of core musical values - honest, unaffected, simple,' wrote Wood
Rob Sheffield at Rolling Stone Magazine noted that in the past few years 'the Grammys bash has turned into the awards show that really aims to capture the crackle and sparkle of pop music, in all its demented excess. And last night was full of demented moments. It had R&B crooners and big-cheddar teen smoothies.'
Sheffield said Taylor Swift's Alice in Wonderland-themed opener 'set the tone for a whole night of over-the-top performances.'
Sunday's telecast also featured Sting, Rihanna and Bruno Mars joined Ziggy and Damian Marley in a tribute to late reggae singer Bob Marley. Elton John teamed up with Mumford & Sons, Mavis Staples, Zac Brown Band and Brittany Howard of Alabama Shakes for a tribute to late U.S. rock musician Levon Helm.
The 2012 Grammy telecast attracted 39.9 million viewers and was the second-largest Grammy TV audience ever, thanks largely to British singer Adele's six wins and performance comeback after throat surgery and the drowning death of Houston in a bathtub in a Beverly Hills hotel the night before show.
(Reporting By Jill Serjeant and Piya Sinh-Roy; Editing by Xavier Briand and Cynthia Osterman)
Despite the lower numbers, Sunday's 3-1/2-hour show broadcast live on CBS was the second-largest TV audience for the music industry's big night since 1993, and many critics gave the show a thumbs up.
'For the first time in too long, the Grammys telecast was a good time in and of itself - a refreshingly coherent celebration of our increasingly incoherent popscape,' wrote Chris Richards of the Washington Post.
'There were A-game performances, trophy-hoarders who deserved to win them and very few reasons to wince, grouse or wish you were watching 'Downton Abbey',' Richards added.
In the absence of new music from big names such as Lady Gaga or Beyonce, Sunday's Grammy show highlighted rising stars and younger artists and spread the top prizes over a wide variety of acts.
British folk band Mumford & Sons won Album of the Year for 'Babel,' indie-pop trio fun. won Song of the Year for 'We Are Young' and Australian singer Gotye won Record of the Year for 'Somebody That I Used to Know.'
Many of the winners and performers found themselves high on the iTunes sales chart on Monday, with Justin Timberlake leading the charge with pre-orders for his upcoming album 'The 20/20 Experience,' his first since 2006.
FUN.'s album 'Some Nights' and 'Babel' were also among the Top 5 on the iTunes albums chart on Monday.
Mikael Wood of The Los Angeles Times said smaller, intimate moments, like Rihanna's stripped down balled 'Stay', stood out among the bigger production numbers on Sunday night's show.
'In a 3-1/2-hour blur of high-tech spectacle, these performances felt like reaffirmations of core musical values - honest, unaffected, simple,' wrote Wood
Rob Sheffield at Rolling Stone Magazine noted that in the past few years 'the Grammys bash has turned into the awards show that really aims to capture the crackle and sparkle of pop music, in all its demented excess. And last night was full of demented moments. It had R&B crooners and big-cheddar teen smoothies.'
Sheffield said Taylor Swift's Alice in Wonderland-themed opener 'set the tone for a whole night of over-the-top performances.'
Sunday's telecast also featured Sting, Rihanna and Bruno Mars joined Ziggy and Damian Marley in a tribute to late reggae singer Bob Marley. Elton John teamed up with Mumford & Sons, Mavis Staples, Zac Brown Band and Brittany Howard of Alabama Shakes for a tribute to late U.S. rock musician Levon Helm.
The 2012 Grammy telecast attracted 39.9 million viewers and was the second-largest Grammy TV audience ever, thanks largely to British singer Adele's six wins and performance comeback after throat surgery and the drowning death of Houston in a bathtub in a Beverly Hills hotel the night before show.
(Reporting By Jill Serjeant and Piya Sinh-Roy; Editing by Xavier Briand and Cynthia Osterman)
Black Keys win three as Grammys spread widely
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The Grammy awards were bestowed widely on Sunday as Australian singer Gotye, New York indie-pop trio FUN. and British folk band Mumford & Sons took home top honors on the music's industry's biggest night.
On an evening that rewarded mostly young or lesser known artists over veterans and household names, British folk band Mumford & Sons picked up two Grammys, including the coveted Album of the Year for 'Babel.'
Unlike last year, when British singer Adele swept the board with six trophies, there was no single big winner.
Ohio rockers The Black Keys, formed by Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney, took home three Grammys including Best Rock Album for 'El Camino.' Auerbach also won the prestigious Producer of the Year award, bring his tally to four.
Mumford & Sons went into the ceremony with six nominations but the Londoners had to wait until the last minutes of the 3 and 1/2 hour televised show to claim the top prize.
'We just sort of resigned ourselves that last year was Adele's year and this year would be the Black Keys' year,' lead singer Marcus Mumford told reporters backstage, adding that it felt 'awesome' to finally win.
FUN. was named Best New Artist and won Song of the Year for its smash 2012 hit 'We Are Young.'
'I don't know what I was thinking writing the chorus of this song. This is HD (television), everyone can see our faces, and we are not very young. We have been doing this for 12 years,' lead singer Nate Ruess said while accepting the award.
Australia's Gotye won three Grammys, including Record of the Year for his heartbreak hit 'Somebody That I Used to Know.'
The singer-songwriter said he was surprised by the runaway global success of the song, which was recorded in a barn on his father's property in Australia.
'I wouldn't mind if I don't have another song that has a moment like this... I have written maybe better songs and hopefully will write better songs,' Gotye told reporters backstage.
Rappers Jay-Z and Kanye West walked off with three trophies, two for their collaboration 'N****s in Paris' and one for their song 'Mercy,' which also featured R&B star Frank Ocean.
The 80-plus Grammy categories are voted on by members of the Recording Academy, which is made up of creative and industry professionals in the music world.
But only a handful of awards were presented on Sunday's telecast, which included performances from Rihanna, Elton John, Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, Alicia Keys, and Bruno Mars.
JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE RETURNS
The night's other winners included electronic music DJ Skrillex with three awards, Adele, Zac Brown Band, Miguel.
Kelly Clarkson, the first winner of TV contest 'American Idol,' gave a shout out to up-and-coming Los Angeles R&B artist Miguel as she collected her Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Album, saying, 'I don't know who the hell you are but we need to sing together... That was the sexiest damn thing I've ever seen.'
One of the night's most anticipated performers, Justin Timberlake, returned to the spotlight with his first televised performance since he released 'Suit & Tie' in January, his first new song in five years.
Timberlake sang and danced with performers dressed in suits and ties in a throwback black and white speakeasy-style set, joined by rapper Jay-Z.
The former member of boy band N'Sync also debuted a smooth R&B song called 'Pusher Love Girl,' from his upcoming album 'The 20/20 Experience.'
Country-pop darling Taylor Swift kicked off the show with a circus-themed set for her hit single 'We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together.'
Bruno Mars, Rihanna and Sting joined Ziggy and Damian Marley for a lively tribute to late reggae singer Bob Marley, featuring 'Locked Out of Heaven,' 'Walking on the Moon' and Marley's hit love song 'Could You Be Loved.'
Rihanna chose to forego her usual dance-heavy stage performances for a stripped-down rendition of the ballad 'Stay,' accompanied only by a piano.
Fusing rock and R&B, pop-rockers Maroon 5 joined Alicia Keys on stage to duet on their hits 'Daylight' and 'Girl on Fire.'
Britain's Elton John led a tribute to the late U.S. rock musician Levon Helm of 'The Band,' singing 'The Weight' with Mumford & Sons, Mavis Staples, Zac Brown Band and Brittany Howard of Alabama Shakes.
The song was also dedicated to the victims of the Sandy Hook school tragedy in December, where 20 children and six staff were shot to death.
(Additional reporting by Nichola Groom and Sue Zeidler; Editing by Jill Serjeant, John Stonestreet)
On an evening that rewarded mostly young or lesser known artists over veterans and household names, British folk band Mumford & Sons picked up two Grammys, including the coveted Album of the Year for 'Babel.'
Unlike last year, when British singer Adele swept the board with six trophies, there was no single big winner.
Ohio rockers The Black Keys, formed by Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney, took home three Grammys including Best Rock Album for 'El Camino.' Auerbach also won the prestigious Producer of the Year award, bring his tally to four.
Mumford & Sons went into the ceremony with six nominations but the Londoners had to wait until the last minutes of the 3 and 1/2 hour televised show to claim the top prize.
'We just sort of resigned ourselves that last year was Adele's year and this year would be the Black Keys' year,' lead singer Marcus Mumford told reporters backstage, adding that it felt 'awesome' to finally win.
FUN. was named Best New Artist and won Song of the Year for its smash 2012 hit 'We Are Young.'
'I don't know what I was thinking writing the chorus of this song. This is HD (television), everyone can see our faces, and we are not very young. We have been doing this for 12 years,' lead singer Nate Ruess said while accepting the award.
Australia's Gotye won three Grammys, including Record of the Year for his heartbreak hit 'Somebody That I Used to Know.'
The singer-songwriter said he was surprised by the runaway global success of the song, which was recorded in a barn on his father's property in Australia.
'I wouldn't mind if I don't have another song that has a moment like this... I have written maybe better songs and hopefully will write better songs,' Gotye told reporters backstage.
Rappers Jay-Z and Kanye West walked off with three trophies, two for their collaboration 'N****s in Paris' and one for their song 'Mercy,' which also featured R&B star Frank Ocean.
The 80-plus Grammy categories are voted on by members of the Recording Academy, which is made up of creative and industry professionals in the music world.
But only a handful of awards were presented on Sunday's telecast, which included performances from Rihanna, Elton John, Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, Alicia Keys, and Bruno Mars.
JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE RETURNS
The night's other winners included electronic music DJ Skrillex with three awards, Adele, Zac Brown Band, Miguel.
Kelly Clarkson, the first winner of TV contest 'American Idol,' gave a shout out to up-and-coming Los Angeles R&B artist Miguel as she collected her Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Album, saying, 'I don't know who the hell you are but we need to sing together... That was the sexiest damn thing I've ever seen.'
One of the night's most anticipated performers, Justin Timberlake, returned to the spotlight with his first televised performance since he released 'Suit & Tie' in January, his first new song in five years.
Timberlake sang and danced with performers dressed in suits and ties in a throwback black and white speakeasy-style set, joined by rapper Jay-Z.
The former member of boy band N'Sync also debuted a smooth R&B song called 'Pusher Love Girl,' from his upcoming album 'The 20/20 Experience.'
Country-pop darling Taylor Swift kicked off the show with a circus-themed set for her hit single 'We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together.'
Bruno Mars, Rihanna and Sting joined Ziggy and Damian Marley for a lively tribute to late reggae singer Bob Marley, featuring 'Locked Out of Heaven,' 'Walking on the Moon' and Marley's hit love song 'Could You Be Loved.'
Rihanna chose to forego her usual dance-heavy stage performances for a stripped-down rendition of the ballad 'Stay,' accompanied only by a piano.
Fusing rock and R&B, pop-rockers Maroon 5 joined Alicia Keys on stage to duet on their hits 'Daylight' and 'Girl on Fire.'
Britain's Elton John led a tribute to the late U.S. rock musician Levon Helm of 'The Band,' singing 'The Weight' with Mumford & Sons, Mavis Staples, Zac Brown Band and Brittany Howard of Alabama Shakes.
The song was also dedicated to the victims of the Sandy Hook school tragedy in December, where 20 children and six staff were shot to death.
(Additional reporting by Nichola Groom and Sue Zeidler; Editing by Jill Serjeant, John Stonestreet)
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Chris Brown crashes car on eve of Grammy Awards
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Embattled R&B singer Chris Brown crashed his car into a wall in upscale Beverly Hills on Saturday, and later told police officers he was trying to elude aggressive paparazzi, police said.
The crash came on the eve of the Grammy Awards, almost exactly four years after Brown assaulted his girlfriend, singer Rihanna, the night before the awards show in 2009.
In the latest incident, Brown told Beverly Hills police that photographers were chasing him right up until the crash, said police Sergeant Kurt Haefs.
The singer was not cited or arrested at the scene, Haefs said. He added the damaged vehicle may have been towed away.
Media reports indicated Brown was driving a black Porsche.
A representative for Brown, who was not injured in the accident, did not immediately return calls on Saturday evening.
Brown pleaded guilty in 2009 to beating and punching Rihanna and he faces ongoing legal troubles stemming from the case.
A Los Angeles judge on Wednesday ordered a new report on the community service Brown was due to perform as a result of the conviction, after prosecutors accused the singer of cutting corners on the work.
Prosecutors have cited occasions when they said Brown was not at the recorded location of his community service and instead was performing or traveling, once on a private jet bound for Cancun, Mexico.
Rihanna, who has admitted that she has resumed dating Brown, accompanied him to his court hearing on Wednesday.
Brown's attorney, Mark Geragos, has denied the latest allegations about the singer's community service and accused prosecutors of persecuting his client.
This year, Brown's 'Fortune' is nominated for best urban contemporary album at the Grammy Awards.
(Editing by Alex Dobuzinskis and Sandra Maler)
The crash came on the eve of the Grammy Awards, almost exactly four years after Brown assaulted his girlfriend, singer Rihanna, the night before the awards show in 2009.
In the latest incident, Brown told Beverly Hills police that photographers were chasing him right up until the crash, said police Sergeant Kurt Haefs.
The singer was not cited or arrested at the scene, Haefs said. He added the damaged vehicle may have been towed away.
Media reports indicated Brown was driving a black Porsche.
A representative for Brown, who was not injured in the accident, did not immediately return calls on Saturday evening.
Brown pleaded guilty in 2009 to beating and punching Rihanna and he faces ongoing legal troubles stemming from the case.
A Los Angeles judge on Wednesday ordered a new report on the community service Brown was due to perform as a result of the conviction, after prosecutors accused the singer of cutting corners on the work.
Prosecutors have cited occasions when they said Brown was not at the recorded location of his community service and instead was performing or traveling, once on a private jet bound for Cancun, Mexico.
Rihanna, who has admitted that she has resumed dating Brown, accompanied him to his court hearing on Wednesday.
Brown's attorney, Mark Geragos, has denied the latest allegations about the singer's community service and accused prosecutors of persecuting his client.
This year, Brown's 'Fortune' is nominated for best urban contemporary album at the Grammy Awards.
(Editing by Alex Dobuzinskis and Sandra Maler)
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Springsteen says "freaky" to be honored at pre-Grammys tribute
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Bruce Springsteen was honored as MusiCares Person of the Year on Friday at a star-studded pre-Grammys event where some of the biggest names in music like Sting, Alabama Shakes and Neil Young paid homage to 'The Boss.'
The annual event, now in its 23rd year, celebrates a star's musical achievements and philanthropic work, and is hosted by Grammy organizers to kick off the weekend of the awards show.
The 55th annual Grammy Awards will air this Sunday on CBS.
Past Musicares honorees include Bono, Tony Bennett, Aretha Franklin and ex-Beatle Paul McCartney.
'It's kind of a freaky experience,' said Springsteen, 63, as he accepted the award, saying it was 'like the Italian wedding' he never had with his wife Patti Scialfa, or a 'huge Bar Mitzvah.'
Scialfa later accompanied Springsteen on vocals and guitar, along with other members of his band, as he performed a set of his hits, including 'We Take Care of Our Own,' 'Born to Run' and 'Glory Days.'
Earlier in the night, he helped boost the value of an auctioned signed guitar. 'With this guitar comes one free guitar lesson with me,' he said to the audience to trigger more bids. Then he threw in a ride in the sidecar of his Harley motorcycle, and his mom's lasagna. The guitar sold for $250,000.
All of the proceeds from the show and silent auction go to Musicares, which provides support to struggling musicians in financial, medical and personal need.
Other artists including Ben Harper, Emmylou Harris, Jackson Browne, John Legend and Patti Smith performed songs to honor Springsteen.
Springsteen recently performed at the 12/12/12 Hurricane Sandy charity concert in Madison Square Garden to raise funds for the thousands affected by the superstorm.
The singer-songwriter from New Jersey has sold more than 120 million albums worldwide and is vying for three Grammys on Sunday, including best rock album for 'Wrecking Ball.' His single 'We Take Care of Our Own' is nominated for both Best Rock Song and Best Rock performance.
President Barack Obama used 'We Take Care of Our Own' as one of his top campaign songs in last year's election, in which he defeated Mitt Romney.
(Editing by Mark Trevelyan)
The annual event, now in its 23rd year, celebrates a star's musical achievements and philanthropic work, and is hosted by Grammy organizers to kick off the weekend of the awards show.
The 55th annual Grammy Awards will air this Sunday on CBS.
Past Musicares honorees include Bono, Tony Bennett, Aretha Franklin and ex-Beatle Paul McCartney.
'It's kind of a freaky experience,' said Springsteen, 63, as he accepted the award, saying it was 'like the Italian wedding' he never had with his wife Patti Scialfa, or a 'huge Bar Mitzvah.'
Scialfa later accompanied Springsteen on vocals and guitar, along with other members of his band, as he performed a set of his hits, including 'We Take Care of Our Own,' 'Born to Run' and 'Glory Days.'
Earlier in the night, he helped boost the value of an auctioned signed guitar. 'With this guitar comes one free guitar lesson with me,' he said to the audience to trigger more bids. Then he threw in a ride in the sidecar of his Harley motorcycle, and his mom's lasagna. The guitar sold for $250,000.
All of the proceeds from the show and silent auction go to Musicares, which provides support to struggling musicians in financial, medical and personal need.
Other artists including Ben Harper, Emmylou Harris, Jackson Browne, John Legend and Patti Smith performed songs to honor Springsteen.
Springsteen recently performed at the 12/12/12 Hurricane Sandy charity concert in Madison Square Garden to raise funds for the thousands affected by the superstorm.
The singer-songwriter from New Jersey has sold more than 120 million albums worldwide and is vying for three Grammys on Sunday, including best rock album for 'Wrecking Ball.' His single 'We Take Care of Our Own' is nominated for both Best Rock Song and Best Rock performance.
President Barack Obama used 'We Take Care of Our Own' as one of his top campaign songs in last year's election, in which he defeated Mitt Romney.
(Editing by Mark Trevelyan)
Friday, February 8, 2013
Dame Shirley Bassey to appear at the Academy Awards
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Dame Shirley Bassey, who recorded the theme songs for the James Bond films 'Goldfinger,' 'Diamonds Are Forever' and 'Moonraker,' will make her first appearance at the Academy Awards this month, the show's producers said on Friday.
Bassey, whose career has spanned more than six decades, will perform at the awards show on February 24 in Los Angeles, along with others including Adele, Norah Jones and Barbra Streisand.
'Her association with film music is world renowned and we are proud that she will be making her first Oscar appearance on our telecast,' Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, the producers of the show, said in a statement.
The 76-year-old British singer has recorded more than 44 albums, has sold more than 135 million records and has performed in concert halls across the world. Last June, she sang at Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee concert in London.
The Academy Awards will be broadcast live on ABC television and in more than 225 countries worldwide.
(Reporting by Doreen O'Donnell; Editing by Doina Chiacu)
Bassey, whose career has spanned more than six decades, will perform at the awards show on February 24 in Los Angeles, along with others including Adele, Norah Jones and Barbra Streisand.
'Her association with film music is world renowned and we are proud that she will be making her first Oscar appearance on our telecast,' Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, the producers of the show, said in a statement.
The 76-year-old British singer has recorded more than 44 albums, has sold more than 135 million records and has performed in concert halls across the world. Last June, she sang at Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee concert in London.
The Academy Awards will be broadcast live on ABC television and in more than 225 countries worldwide.
(Reporting by Doreen O'Donnell; Editing by Doina Chiacu)
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Keep breasts, buttocks under wraps, CBS tells Grammy performers
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Grammy performers have been told to cover up at Sunday's big music awards show, and keep their buttocks, nipples and genitals under wraps. Their politics can't show either.
In a 'wardrobe advisory,' broadcaster CBS also asked musicians and audience members likely to appear on camera at the February 10 Grammy Awards ceremony to avoid wearing brand names on T-shirts as well as clothing with political or activist slogans.
'Please be sure that buttocks and female breasts are adequately covered. Thong type costumes are problematic. Please avoid exposing bare flesh under curves of the buttocks and buttock crack,' said the memo issued by CBS standards and practices department and obtained by entertainment industry website Deadline.com on Wednesday.
'Obscenity or partially seen obscenity on wardrobe is unacceptable for broadcast,' the note added.
The warning follows a lengthy court battle over indecency and obscenity standards on U.S. network television.
CBS, a unit of CBS Corp, was fined $550,000 by the Federal Communications Commission for airing a glimpse of Janet Jackson's breast when her costume slipped while singing at the Super Bowl half-time show in 2004.
The fine was later thrown out and that decision was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in June 2012. CBS has expressed 'deep regret' for the incident.
The annual Grammy Awards ceremony honors the best musicians of the year, but is also a major promotional showcase for rising stars and upcoming albums.
In 2010, singer Pink performed upside down in a flesh-colored bodysuit, while Rihanna last year wore a plunging black dress on the red carpet.
Performers at Sunday's three-hour show in Los Angeles include Rihanna, Justin Timberlake, Maroon 5, Frank Ocean, Alicia Keys and Elton John.
(Reporting By Jill Serjeant; Editing by Doina Chiacu)
In a 'wardrobe advisory,' broadcaster CBS also asked musicians and audience members likely to appear on camera at the February 10 Grammy Awards ceremony to avoid wearing brand names on T-shirts as well as clothing with political or activist slogans.
'Please be sure that buttocks and female breasts are adequately covered. Thong type costumes are problematic. Please avoid exposing bare flesh under curves of the buttocks and buttock crack,' said the memo issued by CBS standards and practices department and obtained by entertainment industry website Deadline.com on Wednesday.
'Obscenity or partially seen obscenity on wardrobe is unacceptable for broadcast,' the note added.
The warning follows a lengthy court battle over indecency and obscenity standards on U.S. network television.
CBS, a unit of CBS Corp, was fined $550,000 by the Federal Communications Commission for airing a glimpse of Janet Jackson's breast when her costume slipped while singing at the Super Bowl half-time show in 2004.
The fine was later thrown out and that decision was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in June 2012. CBS has expressed 'deep regret' for the incident.
The annual Grammy Awards ceremony honors the best musicians of the year, but is also a major promotional showcase for rising stars and upcoming albums.
In 2010, singer Pink performed upside down in a flesh-colored bodysuit, while Rihanna last year wore a plunging black dress on the red carpet.
Performers at Sunday's three-hour show in Los Angeles include Rihanna, Justin Timberlake, Maroon 5, Frank Ocean, Alicia Keys and Elton John.
(Reporting By Jill Serjeant; Editing by Doina Chiacu)
Kraftwerk mixes art with music in sell-out shows
LONDON (Reuters) - German electronic music pioneers Kraftwerk have always aimed to combine music and art so performing at London's Tate Modern was the ideal venue for them after three years of planning.
Kraftwerk took over the 800-capacity Turbine Hall at the art gallery on Wednesday to play the first of eight consecutive shows, each focused on a different album, starting with 'Autobahn' from 1974 and ending with 'Tour de France' from 2003.
The sight of four middle-aged men in skintight neon suits standing almost motionless on stage behind a line of consoles backed by 3D images may look bizarre to the uninitiated but to the group's devoted following it all seems to make sense.
When tickets went on sale in December, priced at 60 pounds ($95) each, the demand crashed the gallery's website.
Two similar eight night runs at New York's Museum of Modern Art and in Kraftwerk's home town of Duesseldorf were also sold out with massive demand to see the group hailed by some as one of the most influential in pop history.
Catherine Wood, curator of contemporary art and performance at the Tate Modern, said it made sense for Kraftwerk to perform in an art gallery, and particularly at the Tate Modern which was once a power station - the English translation of Kraftwerk.
'They have a history of engaging with visual art, with minimal form, and perform in a way that is completely at odds with the usual idea of the rock star by putting the robot in the foreground,' Wood told Reuters.
'It takes away the aura of the artist and they have played with that in a very knowing way.'
In fact only one of the original members of Kraftwerk remains in the group -- Ralf Hutter -- and no details were available on the other three musicians in the line-up.
INFLUENCE ON POP
Kraftwerk rarely does interviews and a request for one this week was unsuccessful. In 2009, Hutter sent a robot in his place for an interview on a British television show.
The group dates back to 1970 when Hutter and Florian Schneider began the Kraftwerk project at their Kling Klang Studio in Duesseldorf, experimenting with electronic music and creating images of the future and the digital age.
Their international breakthrough came in 1974 with 'Autobahn' and they went on to build a strong following for using robotic and technical innovations in performances as well as computerized compositions.
They are credited for being the godfathers of synthpop, hip-hop and all range of electronic offshoots and cited as an inspiration for groups like Joy Division, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, and Human League.
In the past two decades Kraftwerk has produced little new material which some critics put down to the fact that synthesizers and electronics are now fully integrated into mainstream pop and dance music.
The restrospective performances at the Tate Modern, titled 'The Catalogue 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8', were their first London dates since 2004 and the crowd, handed 3D glasses on entry, was dominated by middle-aged men on Wednesday.
The show started with robotic figures in suits towering out of the screen over the audience as the group performed 'The Robots' before a Volkswagen Beetle sped up and down a motorway to their hit song 'Autobahn'.
Lunar landscapes, the galaxy, musical notes all rose and emerged from the screen during the two-hour show that started and ended precisely on time and included 'The Model' from 1981, their most successful UK single.
Fans and critics described the show as 'mesmerising', 'spectacular' and 'unique', even after 40 years.
'As a work of art, part of an abstract history lesson set to music, ghostly echoes of the 20th century, it is mesmerising,' Paul Morley wrote in The Telegraph.
(Reporting by Belinda Goldsmith, editing by Paul Casciato)
Kraftwerk took over the 800-capacity Turbine Hall at the art gallery on Wednesday to play the first of eight consecutive shows, each focused on a different album, starting with 'Autobahn' from 1974 and ending with 'Tour de France' from 2003.
The sight of four middle-aged men in skintight neon suits standing almost motionless on stage behind a line of consoles backed by 3D images may look bizarre to the uninitiated but to the group's devoted following it all seems to make sense.
When tickets went on sale in December, priced at 60 pounds ($95) each, the demand crashed the gallery's website.
Two similar eight night runs at New York's Museum of Modern Art and in Kraftwerk's home town of Duesseldorf were also sold out with massive demand to see the group hailed by some as one of the most influential in pop history.
Catherine Wood, curator of contemporary art and performance at the Tate Modern, said it made sense for Kraftwerk to perform in an art gallery, and particularly at the Tate Modern which was once a power station - the English translation of Kraftwerk.
'They have a history of engaging with visual art, with minimal form, and perform in a way that is completely at odds with the usual idea of the rock star by putting the robot in the foreground,' Wood told Reuters.
'It takes away the aura of the artist and they have played with that in a very knowing way.'
In fact only one of the original members of Kraftwerk remains in the group -- Ralf Hutter -- and no details were available on the other three musicians in the line-up.
INFLUENCE ON POP
Kraftwerk rarely does interviews and a request for one this week was unsuccessful. In 2009, Hutter sent a robot in his place for an interview on a British television show.
The group dates back to 1970 when Hutter and Florian Schneider began the Kraftwerk project at their Kling Klang Studio in Duesseldorf, experimenting with electronic music and creating images of the future and the digital age.
Their international breakthrough came in 1974 with 'Autobahn' and they went on to build a strong following for using robotic and technical innovations in performances as well as computerized compositions.
They are credited for being the godfathers of synthpop, hip-hop and all range of electronic offshoots and cited as an inspiration for groups like Joy Division, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, and Human League.
In the past two decades Kraftwerk has produced little new material which some critics put down to the fact that synthesizers and electronics are now fully integrated into mainstream pop and dance music.
The restrospective performances at the Tate Modern, titled 'The Catalogue 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8', were their first London dates since 2004 and the crowd, handed 3D glasses on entry, was dominated by middle-aged men on Wednesday.
The show started with robotic figures in suits towering out of the screen over the audience as the group performed 'The Robots' before a Volkswagen Beetle sped up and down a motorway to their hit song 'Autobahn'.
Lunar landscapes, the galaxy, musical notes all rose and emerged from the screen during the two-hour show that started and ended precisely on time and included 'The Model' from 1981, their most successful UK single.
Fans and critics described the show as 'mesmerising', 'spectacular' and 'unique', even after 40 years.
'As a work of art, part of an abstract history lesson set to music, ghostly echoes of the 20th century, it is mesmerising,' Paul Morley wrote in The Telegraph.
(Reporting by Belinda Goldsmith, editing by Paul Casciato)
Frank Ocean, FUN. are front-runners heading into Sunday's Grammys
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - R&B artist Frank Ocean and indie-pop group FUN. go into Sunday's Grammy Awards ceremony as front-runners for the music industry's top accolades in a year where new talent and male artists have attracted most of the attention.
After last year's Grammy ceremony was dominated by British singer Adele, and her best-selling album '21,' this year's awards show will be all about men.
FUN., Ocean, British folk band Mumford & Sons, rocker Dan Auerbach, Jay-Z and Kanye West each received six nominations, while Auerbach's band, The Black Keys, got five.
'It will be a very exciting night because it's so much the antithesis of last year, which was a once-in-a-lifetime show with Adele and her moment,' Jim Donio, president of the National Association of Recording Merchandisers, told Reuters.
With the absence of new music from many major pop artists in the past year, emerging talent features prominently at the Grammys.
Pop chart staples Kelly Clarkson, Katy Perry, Adele and Rihanna all picked up nominations for the 55th annual Grammy Awards, but only Clarkson and Taylor Swift received Record of the Year nods.
In the Album of the Year category, one style of music is making a comeback.
'This year seems very different ... we're seeing rock music and guitar music coming back to the Grammys and being appreciated this year,' said Patrick Doyle, assistant editor of Rolling Stone magazine.
New York-based FUN., made up of Nate Ruess, Andrew Dost and Jack Antonoff, stormed the charts in 2012 and are back this year. They are the only artists going into Sunday's awards with nominations in the top four categories - Album, Record and Song of the Year as well as Best New Artist.
But unlike last year, where Adele was a clear favorite and went home with six Grammys, this year's big winners are less predictable. Experts said the chances are slim of one person or band winning the coveted trifecta of Song, Record and Album of the Year.
'I think voters went out of their way almost to assure that you're not going to see the photo of one person clutching six Grammy awards. There won't be one unified winner,' said James Montgomery, senior writer at MTV News.
OCEAN MAKING WAVES
FUN. had one of the biggest-selling singles of 2012 with their infectious hit 'We Are Young' featuring Janelle Monae, which is up for three Grammy awards. Both Doyle and Montgomery think they may take both the Song and Record of the Year titles.
'They're taking a classic sound and putting hip hop productions and fresh sounding beats on top of anthem-like melodies,' Doyle said.
The trio face strong competition from Ocean, who is nominated in six categories, including Best New Artist, Album of the Year and Record of the Year.
Ocean, 25, has paved an unconventional path to the Grammys after emerging on the music scene a few years ago as part of the Odd Future hip hop collective.
His debut album 'Channel Orange,' released in July, has been both a commercial and critical success.
The singer made waves after revealing that his first love was another man, an admission of same-sex attraction that was seen as groundbreaking in the hip hop community, which is often criticized for hostility towards homosexuals.
Ocean and FUN. will be competing with blues-rockers Alabama Shakes, folk-indie group The Lumineers and country singer Hunter Hayes for Best New Artist.
'Alabama Shakes, The Lumineers and Hunter Hayes may all draw from the some basic vote group, which leaves the race between FUN. and Frank Ocean. And due to his album success and story, I think it may be Frank Ocean,' Montgomery said.
Both Montgomery and Doyle said Ocean may be also win the night for Album of the Year.
'His album was so soulful and new, and it sounds really like nothing else. It's a completely honest record that people can really relate to, something that hasn't been seen or heard in a long time,' Doyle said.
'He's going to be a huge presence at the Grammys because there's no one like him.'
The Grammys Awards will be presented in Los Angeles and shown live on CBS television on Sunday.
(Reporting By Piya Sinha-Roy, editing by Jill Serjeant and Stacey Joyce)
After last year's Grammy ceremony was dominated by British singer Adele, and her best-selling album '21,' this year's awards show will be all about men.
FUN., Ocean, British folk band Mumford & Sons, rocker Dan Auerbach, Jay-Z and Kanye West each received six nominations, while Auerbach's band, The Black Keys, got five.
'It will be a very exciting night because it's so much the antithesis of last year, which was a once-in-a-lifetime show with Adele and her moment,' Jim Donio, president of the National Association of Recording Merchandisers, told Reuters.
With the absence of new music from many major pop artists in the past year, emerging talent features prominently at the Grammys.
Pop chart staples Kelly Clarkson, Katy Perry, Adele and Rihanna all picked up nominations for the 55th annual Grammy Awards, but only Clarkson and Taylor Swift received Record of the Year nods.
In the Album of the Year category, one style of music is making a comeback.
'This year seems very different ... we're seeing rock music and guitar music coming back to the Grammys and being appreciated this year,' said Patrick Doyle, assistant editor of Rolling Stone magazine.
New York-based FUN., made up of Nate Ruess, Andrew Dost and Jack Antonoff, stormed the charts in 2012 and are back this year. They are the only artists going into Sunday's awards with nominations in the top four categories - Album, Record and Song of the Year as well as Best New Artist.
But unlike last year, where Adele was a clear favorite and went home with six Grammys, this year's big winners are less predictable. Experts said the chances are slim of one person or band winning the coveted trifecta of Song, Record and Album of the Year.
'I think voters went out of their way almost to assure that you're not going to see the photo of one person clutching six Grammy awards. There won't be one unified winner,' said James Montgomery, senior writer at MTV News.
OCEAN MAKING WAVES
FUN. had one of the biggest-selling singles of 2012 with their infectious hit 'We Are Young' featuring Janelle Monae, which is up for three Grammy awards. Both Doyle and Montgomery think they may take both the Song and Record of the Year titles.
'They're taking a classic sound and putting hip hop productions and fresh sounding beats on top of anthem-like melodies,' Doyle said.
The trio face strong competition from Ocean, who is nominated in six categories, including Best New Artist, Album of the Year and Record of the Year.
Ocean, 25, has paved an unconventional path to the Grammys after emerging on the music scene a few years ago as part of the Odd Future hip hop collective.
His debut album 'Channel Orange,' released in July, has been both a commercial and critical success.
The singer made waves after revealing that his first love was another man, an admission of same-sex attraction that was seen as groundbreaking in the hip hop community, which is often criticized for hostility towards homosexuals.
Ocean and FUN. will be competing with blues-rockers Alabama Shakes, folk-indie group The Lumineers and country singer Hunter Hayes for Best New Artist.
'Alabama Shakes, The Lumineers and Hunter Hayes may all draw from the some basic vote group, which leaves the race between FUN. and Frank Ocean. And due to his album success and story, I think it may be Frank Ocean,' Montgomery said.
Both Montgomery and Doyle said Ocean may be also win the night for Album of the Year.
'His album was so soulful and new, and it sounds really like nothing else. It's a completely honest record that people can really relate to, something that hasn't been seen or heard in a long time,' Doyle said.
'He's going to be a huge presence at the Grammys because there's no one like him.'
The Grammys Awards will be presented in Los Angeles and shown live on CBS television on Sunday.
(Reporting By Piya Sinha-Roy, editing by Jill Serjeant and Stacey Joyce)
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Justin Bieber becomes youngest artist with five No. 1 albums
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Canadian pop star Justin Bieber became the youngest artist to land five chart-topping albums in the United States on Wednesday when his latest record, 'Believe Acoustic,' debuted atop the Billboard 200 album chart.
'Believe Acoustic,' which features stripped down versions of Bieber's songs from his fourth No. 1 album, 'Believe,' released last June, as well as three new songs, sold 211,000 copies in its first week according to figures from Nielsen SoundScan.
The album also topped iTunes downloads charts in 63 countries, and became a hot topic on social media platforms as the singer's 34 million-strong followers on Twitter raced to purchase the record as soon as it was released.
Bieber was previously tied with former Disney star Miley Cyrus with four chart-topping albums before turning 19, and he is only one of nine artists in Billboard history to have a No. 1 album for four consecutive years.
Bieber's 19th birthday is March 1.
The singer, who failed to pick up a Grammy nomination this year despite having a top-selling album and sold-out world tour in 2012, will be hosting and performing on NBC's 'Saturday Night Live' this week, the night before the Grammy awards.
Four new albums debuted in the top five of the Billboard 200 chart this week, led by 'Believe Acoustic.'
Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli's 14th studio album, 'Passione,' landed at No. 2 with sales of 93,000, while Canadian sister duo Tegan & Sara notched No. 3 with their seventh studio album, 'Heartthrob,' selling 49,000 copies.
R&B singer Charlie Wilson came in at No. 4 with his latest record, 'Love, Charlie,' selling 44,000 copies in its first week.
Singer Beyonce saw a boost in sales following her widely praised performance at the Super Bowl in New Orleans on Sunday, which was watched by more than 108 million people.
For the week ending Sunday, February 2, digital sales of Beyonce's songs 'Halo,' 'Crazy In Love' and 'Single Ladies' saw the biggest bumps. There were 19,000 digital copies of 'Halo' sold, a 338 percent increase from the previous week.
The new Destiny's Child compilation album, 'Love Songs,' didn't see as big a bump, selling under 6,000 copies last week.
(Reporting By Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Patricia Reaney and Jackie Frank)
'Believe Acoustic,' which features stripped down versions of Bieber's songs from his fourth No. 1 album, 'Believe,' released last June, as well as three new songs, sold 211,000 copies in its first week according to figures from Nielsen SoundScan.
The album also topped iTunes downloads charts in 63 countries, and became a hot topic on social media platforms as the singer's 34 million-strong followers on Twitter raced to purchase the record as soon as it was released.
Bieber was previously tied with former Disney star Miley Cyrus with four chart-topping albums before turning 19, and he is only one of nine artists in Billboard history to have a No. 1 album for four consecutive years.
Bieber's 19th birthday is March 1.
The singer, who failed to pick up a Grammy nomination this year despite having a top-selling album and sold-out world tour in 2012, will be hosting and performing on NBC's 'Saturday Night Live' this week, the night before the Grammy awards.
Four new albums debuted in the top five of the Billboard 200 chart this week, led by 'Believe Acoustic.'
Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli's 14th studio album, 'Passione,' landed at No. 2 with sales of 93,000, while Canadian sister duo Tegan & Sara notched No. 3 with their seventh studio album, 'Heartthrob,' selling 49,000 copies.
R&B singer Charlie Wilson came in at No. 4 with his latest record, 'Love, Charlie,' selling 44,000 copies in its first week.
Singer Beyonce saw a boost in sales following her widely praised performance at the Super Bowl in New Orleans on Sunday, which was watched by more than 108 million people.
For the week ending Sunday, February 2, digital sales of Beyonce's songs 'Halo,' 'Crazy In Love' and 'Single Ladies' saw the biggest bumps. There were 19,000 digital copies of 'Halo' sold, a 338 percent increase from the previous week.
The new Destiny's Child compilation album, 'Love Songs,' didn't see as big a bump, selling under 6,000 copies last week.
(Reporting By Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Patricia Reaney and Jackie Frank)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)