Posts filed under 'Soul'
Winners at Wednesday’s 48th Annual Grammy Awards:
Album of the Year: “How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb,” U2.
Record of the Year: “Boulevard of Broken Dreams,” Green Day.
New Artist: John Legend
Male R&B Vocal Performance: “Ordinary People,” John Legend.
Pop Vocal Album: “Breakaway,” Kelly Clarkson.
Rap/Sung Collaboration: “Numb/Encore,” Jay-Z featuring Linkin Park.
Song of the Year: “Sometimes You Can’t Make It on Your Own,” U2.
Female Pop Vocal Performance: “Since U Been Gone,” Kelly Clarkson.
Country Album: “Lonely Runs Both Ways,” Alison Krauss and Union Station.
Rap Album: “Late Registration,” Kanye West.
Rock Album: “How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb,” U2.
Rap Solo Performance: “Gold Digger,” Kanye West.
Rap Performance by a Duo or Group: “Don’t Phunk With My Heart,” The Black Eyed Peas.
Rap Song: “Diamonds From Sierra Leone,” D. Harris and Kanye West.
Solo Rock Vocal Performance: “Devils & Dust,” Bruce Springsteen.
Rock Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocal: “Sometimes You Can’t Make It on Your Own,” U2.
Hard Rock Performance: “B.Y.O.B.,” System of a Down.
Metal Performance: “Before I Forget,” Slipknot.
Rock Instrumental Performance: “69 Freedom Special,” Les Paul and Friends.
Rock Song: “City of Blinding Lights, U2, (U2).
Alternative Music Album: “Get Behind Me Satan,” The White Stripes.
Female R&B Vocal Performance: “We Belong Together,” Mariah Carey.
R&B Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals: “So Amazing,” Beyonce and Stevie Wonder.
Traditional R&B Vocal Performance: “A House Is Not a Home,” Aretha Franklin.
Urban/Alternative Performance: “Welcome to Jamrock,” Damian Marley.
R&B Song: “We Belong Together,” J. Austin, M. Carey, J. Dupri & M. Seal, (D. Bristol, K. Edmonds, S. Johnson, P. Moten, S. Sully & B. Womack, (Mariah Carey).
R&B Album: “Get Lifted,” John Legend.
Contemporary R&B Album: “The Emancipation of Mimi,” Mariah Carey.
Male Pop Vocal Performance: “From the Bottom of My Heart,” Stevie Wonder.
Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocal: “This Love,” Maroon 5.
Pop Collaboration With Vocals: “Feel Good Inc.,” Gorillaz Featuring De La Soul.
Pop Instrumental Performance: “Caravan,” Les Paul.
Pop Instrumental Album: “At This Time,” Burt Bacharach.
Traditional Pop Vocal Album: “The Art of Romance,” Tony Bennett.
Female Country Vocal Performance: “The Connection,” Emmylou Harris.
Male Country Vocal Performance: “You’ll Think of Me,” Keith Urban.
Country Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocal: “Restless,” Alison Krauss and Union Station.
Country Collaboration With Vocals: “Like We Never Loved at All,” Faith Hill and Tim McGraw.
Country Instrumental Performance: “Unionhouse Branch,” Alison Krauss and Union Station.
Country Song: “Bless the Broken Road,” Bobby Boyd, Jeff Hanna and Marcus Hummon, (Rascal Flatts).
Latin Pop Album: “Escucha,” Laura Pausini.
Latin Rock/Alternative Album: “Fijacion Oral Vol. 1,” Shakira.
Traditional Tropical Latin Album: “Bebo De Cuba,” Bebo Valdes.
Salsa/Merengue Album: “Son Del Alma,” Willy Chirino.
Mexican/Mexican-American Album: “Mexico En La Piel,” Luis Miguel.
Tejano Album: “Chicanisimo,” Little Joe Y La Familia.
Engineered Album, Classical: “Mendelssohn: The Complete String Quartets,” Da-Hong Seetoo, engineer (Emerson String Quartet).
Producer of the Year, Classical: Tim Handley.
Classical Album: “Bolcom: Songs of Innocence and of Experience,” Leonard Slatkin, conductor (Christine Brewer and Joan Morris, University of Michigan School of Music Symphony Orchestra).
Orchestral Performance: “Shostakovich: Symphony No. 13,” Mariss Jansons, conductor (Sergei Aleksashkin, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and Chorus).
Opera Recording: “Verdi: Falstaff,” Sir Colin Davis, conductor (London Symphony Chorus, London Symphony Orchestra).
Choral Performance: “Bolcom: Songs of Innocence and of Experience,” Leonard Slatkin, conductor (Christine Brewer, Measha Brueggergosman, Ilana Davidson, Nmon Ford, Linda Hohenfeld, Joan Morris, Carmen Pelton, Marietta Simpson and Thomas Young, Michigan State University Children’s Choir, University of Michigan Chamber Choir, University of Michigan Orpheus Singers, University of Michigan University Choir and University Musical Society Choral Union, University of Michigan School of Music Symphony Orchestra).
Instrumental Soloist(s) Performance (with Orchestra): “Beethoven: Piano Cons. Nos. 2 & 3,” Claudio Abbado, conductor; Martha Argerich (Mahler Chamber Orchestra).
Instrumental Soloist Performance (without Orchestra): “Scriabin, Medtner, Stravinsky,” Evgeny Kissin.
Chamber Music Performance: “Mendelssohn: The Complete String Quartets,” Emerson String Quartet.
Small Ensemble Performance: “Boulez: Le Marteau Sans Maitre, Derive 1 & 2,” Pierre Boulez, conductor, Hilary Summers, Ensemble Intercontemporain.
Classical Vocal Performance: “Bach: Cantatas,” Thomas Quasthoff (Rainer Kussmaul, Members of the RIAS Chamber Choir, Berlin Baroque Soloists).
Classical Contemporary Composition: “Bolcom: Songs of Innocence and of Experience,” William Bolcom (Leonard Slatkin).
Classical Crossover Album: “4 plus Four,” Turtle Island String Quartet and Ying Quartet.
Compilation Soundtrack Album for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media: “Ray,” Ray Charles.
Score Soundtrack Album for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media: “Ray,” Craig Armstrong, composer.
Song Written for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media: “Believe,” Glen Ballard and Alan Silvestri, songwriters, from “The Polar Express.”
Instrumental Composition: “Into the Light,” Billy Childs, composer.
Instrumental Arrangement: “The Incredits,” Gordon Goodwin, arranger (Various Artists).
Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s): “What Are You Doing for the Rest of Your Life?” Billy Childs, Gil Goldstein and Heitor Pereira, arrangers (Chris Botti and Sting).
Traditional Blues Album: “80,” B.B. King and Friends.
Traditional Folk Album: “Fiddler’s Green,” Tim O’Brien.
Contemporary Folk Album: “Fair & Square,” John Prine.
Native American Music Album: “Sacred Ground A Tribute to Mother Earth,” Various Artists.
Hawaiian Music Album: “Masters of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar Vol. 1,” Various Artists.
Reggae Album: “Welcome to Jamrock,” Damian Marley.
Traditional World Music Album: “In the Heart of the Moon,” Ali Farka Toure and Toumani Diabate.
Contemporary World Music Album: “Eletracustico,” Gilberto Gil.
Polka Album: “Shake, Rattle and Polka!” Jimmy Sturr and His Orchestra.
Musical Album for Children: “Songs From the Neighborhood The Music of Mister Rogers,” Various Artists.
Spoken Word Album for Children: “Marlo Thomas & Friends: Thanks & Giving All Year Long,” Various Artists.
Spoken Word Album: “Dreams From My Father,” Sen. Barack Obama.
Comedy Album: “Never Scared,” Chris Rock.
Musical Show Album: “Monty Python’s Spamalot.”
Gospel Performance: “Pray,” CeCe Winans.
Rock Gospel Song: “Be Blessed,” Yolanda Adams, James Harris III, Terry Lewis and James Q. Wright, (Yolanda Adams).
Rock Gospel Album: “Until My Heart Caves In,” Audio Adrenaline.
Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album: “Lifesong,” Casting Crowns.
Southern, Country, or Bluegrass Album: “Rock of Ages … Hymns & Faith,” Amy Grant.
Contemporary Soul Gospel Album: “Purified,” CeCe Winans.
Gospel Choir or Gospel Chorus: “One Voice,” Gladys Knight, choir director.
New Age Album: “Silver Solstice,” Paul Winter Consort.
Jazz Vocal Album: “Good Night, and Good Luck,” Dianne Reeves.
Jazz Instrumental Solo: “Why Was I Born?” Sonny Rollins.
Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group: “Beyond the Sound Barrier,” Wayne Shorter Quartet.
Contemporary Jazz Album: “The Way Up,” Pat Metheny Group.
Large Jazz Ensemble Album: “Overtime,” Dave Holland Big Band.
Latin Jazz Album: “Listen Here!” Eddie Palmieri.
Traditional Soul Gospel Album: “Psalms, Hymns & Spiritual Songs,” Donnie McClurkin.
Dance Recording: “Galvanize,” The Chemical Brothers featuring Q-Tip.
Electronic/Dance Album: “Push the Button,” The Chemical Brothers.
Bluegrass Album: “The Company We Keep,” The Del McCoury Band.
Contemporary Blues Album: “Cost of Living,” Delbert McClinton.
Producer of the Year, Non-Classical: Steve Lillywhite.
Short Form Music Video: “Control,” Missy Elliott Featuring Ciara and Fat Man Scoop.
Best Long Form Music Video: “No Direction Home” (Bob Dylan).
Recording Package: “The Forgotten Arm,” Aimee Mann and Gail Marowitz, art directors (Aimee Mann).
Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package: “The Legend,” Ian Cuttler, art director (Johnny Cash).
Album Notes: “The Complete Library of Congress Recordings by Alan Lomax,” John Szwed, album notes writer (Jelly Roll Morton).
Historical Album: “The Complete Library of Congress Recordings by Alan Lomax,” Jeffrey Greenberg and Anna Lomax Wood, compilation producers (Jelly Roll Morton).
Engineered Album, Non-Classical: “Back Home,” Alan Douglas and Mick Guzauski, engineers (Eric Clapton).
Remixed Recording, Non-Classical: “Superfly (Louie Vega EOL Mix),” Louie Vega, remixer (Curtis Mayfield).
Surround Sound Album: “Brothers in Arms 20th Anniversary Edition,” Chuck Ainlay, Bob Ludwig, Mark Knopfler (Dire Straits).
technorati tags: Awards, Grammys, 48th annual, winners, music awards
February 9th, 2006
The Pussycat Dolls have landed yet another hot MC. Snoop Dogg will be joining the ranks of past superstar collaborators Busta Rhymes, Timbaland and the Black Eyed Peas’ Will.I.Am, who’ve each churned out beats for the group’s platinum debut disc.
“You’re going to love our special guest on [this remix],” the group’s Nicole Scherzinger teased as the girls perused the racks of designer duds, shades and plush handbags at the 2006 Grammy Style Studio event Saturday.
After a bit of prodding, Scherzinger revealed the identity of the rapper who would be putting a fresh twist on their sultry new single, “Buttons”: none other than Doggfather himself.
“It’s the D-O-double-G, baby!” she exclaimed.
The girls first joined forces with the West Coast rapper for their sexy performance of “Santa Baby” on the 2005 Radio Music Awards in Las Vegas in December, where Snoop dressed up as Santa Claus.
It seems the Dolls have quite a knack for landing guest stars. Busta spat some rhymes on PCD’s debut single, the Cee-Lo-produced “Don’t Cha”, while Will is currently featured in the Dolls’ current clip, “Beep.”
Will and the Peas have even recruited the gals to open for them on their upcoming spring trek, which kicks off March 23 in Fresno, California, and the Dolls are prepping for the gig by giving their live show a massive overhaul.
“We’re reconfiguring [things] and starting all over with the choreography,” Scherzinger explained. “We want to make it really big because we’re on tour with the Peas and they always have the best show, so it’s definitely going to be high-impact and really high-energy.”
“We’re gonna put a little throwback to the Pussycat Dolls and show our history a bit [too],” added Pussycat Kimberly Wyatt.
“There’ll be some gymnastics, some fireworks and some skinny-dipping onstage,” Scherzinger joked.
The Dolls have been basking in the success of PCD and just returned from Germany, where they received the Golden Camera Award for Best International Pop Group. They have even higher hopes for the future, though.
“Next year we hope to be on the Grammys,” said Scherzinger. “[But right now] every day is like a roller coaster for us and we feel very fortunate and very blessed.”
technorati tags: Snoop Dogg, The Pussycat Dolls , Busta Rhymes, Timbaland, Nicole Scherzinger
February 8th, 2006
Album of the Year
Mariah Carey - The Emancipation of Mimi
Paul McCartney - Chaos and Creation in the Backyard
Gwen Stefani - Love, Angel, Music, Baby
U2 - How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb
Kanye West - Late Registration
Record of the Year
Mariah Carey - “We Belong Together”
Gorillaz - “Feel Good Inc.”
Green Day - “Boulevard of Broken Dreams”
Gwen Stefani - “Hollaback Girl”
Kanye West - “Gold Digger”
Song of the Year
Rascal Flatts - “Bless the Broken Road”
Bobby Boyd, Jeff Hanna & Marcus Hummon, songwriters
Bruce Springsteen - “Devils & Dust”
Bruce Springsteen, songwriter
John Legend - “Ordinary People”
W. Adams & J. Stephens, songwriters
U2 - “Sometimes You Can’t Make It on Your Own”
U2, songwriters
Mariah Carey - “We Belong Together”
J. Austin, M. Carey, J. Dupri & M. Seal, songwriters
Best New Artist
Ciara
Fall Out Boy
Keane
John Legend
Sugarland
Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
Mariah Carey - “It’s Like That”
Kelly Clarkson - “Since U Been Gone”
Sheryl Crow - “Good Is Good”
Bonnie Raitt - “I Will Not Be Broken”
Gwen Stefani - “Hollaback Girl”
Best Male Pop Vocal Performance
Jack Johnson - “Sitting, Waiting, Wishing”
Paul McCartney - “Fine Line”
Seal - “Walk on By”
Rob Thomas - “Lonely No More”
Stevie Wonder - “From the Bottom of My Heart”
Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocal
Black Eyed Peas - “Don’t Lie”
The Killers - “Mr. Brightside”
Los Lonely Boys - “More Than Love”
Maroon 5 - “This Love”
The White Stripes - “My Doorbell”
Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals
Black Eyed Peas & Jack Johnson - “Gone Going”
Foo Fighters Featuring Norah Jones - “Virginia Moon”
Gorillaz Featuring De La Soul - “Feel Good Inc.”
Herbie Hancock Featuring Christina Aguilera - “A Song for You”
Stevie Wonder Featuring India.Arie - “A Time to Love”
Best Pop Vocal Album
Fiona Apple - Extraordinary Machine
Kelly Clarkson - Breakaway
Sheryl Crow - Wildflower
Paul McCartney - Chaos and Creation in the Backyard
Gwen Stefani - Love, Angel, Music, Baby
Best Dance Recording
The Chemical Brothers Featuring Q-Tip - “Galvanize”
Deep Dish - “Say Hello”
LCD Soundsystem - “Daft Punk Is Playing at My House”
Fatboy Slim & Lateef - “Wonderful Night”
Kylie Minogue - “I Believe in You”
New Order - “Guilt Is a Useless Emotion”
Best Electronic/Dance Album
The Chemical Brothers - Push the Button
Daft Punk - Human After All
Fatboy Slim - Palookaville
Kraftwerk - Minimum-Maximum
LCD Soundsystem - LCD Soundsystem
Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance
Eric Clapton - “Revolution”
Robert Plant - “Shine It All Around”
Bruce Springsteen - “Devils & Dust”
Rob Thomas - “This Is How a Heart Breaks”
Neil Young - “The Painter”
Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocal
Coldplay - “Speed of Sound”
Foo Fighters - “Best of You”
Franz Ferdinand - “Do You Want To”
The Killers - “All These Things That I’ve Done”
U2 - “Sometimes You Can’t Make It on Your Own”
Best Hard Rock Performance
Audioslave - “Doesn’t Remind Me”
Nine Inch Nails - “The Hand That Feeds”
Robert Plant - “Tin Pan Valley”
Queens of the Stone Age - “Little Sister”
System of a Down - “B.Y.O.B.”
Best Metal Performance
Ministry - “The Great Satan”
Mudvayne - “Determined”
Rammstein - “Mein Teil”
Shadows Fall - “What Drives the Weak”
Slipknot - “Before I Forget”
Best Rock Song
Foo Fighters - “Best of You”
Weezer - “Beverly Hills”
U2 - “City of Blinding Lights”
Bruce Springsteen - “Devils & Dust”
Coldplay - “Speed of Sound”
Best Rock Album
Coldplay - X&Y
Foo Fighters - In Your Honor
The Rolling Stones - A Bigger Bang
U2 - How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb
Neil Young - Prairie Wind
Best Alternative Music Album
The Arcade Fire - Funeral
Beck - Guero
Death Cab for Cutie - Plans
Franz Ferdinand - You Could Have It So Much Better
The White Stripes - Get Behind Me Satan
Best Female R&B Vocal Performance
Amerie - “1 Thing”
Beyoncé - “Wishing on a Star”
Mariah Carey - “We Belong Together”
Fantasia - “Free Yourself”
Alicia Keys - “Unbreakable”
Best Male R&B Vocal Performance
Jamie Foxx - “Creepin’ “
John Legend - “Ordinary People”
Mario - “Let Me Love You”
Usher - “Superstar”
Stevie Wonder - “So What the Fuss”
Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals
Beyoncé & Stevie Wonder - “So Amazing”
Destiny’s Child - “Cater 2 U”
Alicia Keys Featuring Jermaine Paul - “If This World Were Mine”
John Legend Featuring Lauryn Hill - “So High”
Stevie Wonder Featuring Aisha Morris - “How Will I Know”
Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance
Mariah Carey - “Mine Again”
Fantasia - “Summertime”
Aretha Franklin - “A House Is Not a Home”
Alicia Keys - “If I Was Your Woman”
John Legend - “Stay With You”
Best Urban/Alternative Performance
Floetry - “SupaStar”
Gorillaz - “Dirty Harry”
Van Hunt - “Dust”
Damian Marley - “Welcome to Jamrock”
Mos Def - “Ghetto Rock”
Best R&B Song
Destiny’s Child - “Cater 2 U”
Rodney Jerkins, Beyoncé Knowles, Ricky Lewis, Kelly Rowland, Robert Waller & Michelle Williams, songwriters
Fantasia - “Free Yourself”
Craig Brockman, Missy Elliott & Nisan Stewart, songwriters
John Legend - “Ordinary People”
W. Adams & J. Stephens, songwriters
Alicia Keys - “Unbreakable”
Garry Glenn, Alicia Keys, Harold Lily & Kanye West, songwriters
Mariah Carey - “We Belong Together”
J. Austin, M. Carey, J. Dupri & M. Seal
Best R&B Album
Earth, Wind & Fire - Illumination
Fantasia - Free Yourself
Alicia Keys - Unplugged
John Legend - Get Lifted
Stevie Wonder - A Time to Love
Best Contemporary R&B Album
Amerie - Touch
Mariah Carey - The Emancipation of Mimi
Destiny’s Child - Destiny Fulfilled
Mario - Turning Point
Omarion - O
Best Rap Solo Performance
Common - “Testify”
Eminem - “Mockingbird”
50 Cent - “Disco Inferno”
Ludacris - “Number One Spot”
T.I. - “U Don’t Know Me”
Kanye West - “Gold Digger”
Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group
Black Eyed Peas - “Don’t Phunk With My Heart”
Common Featuring the Last Poets - “The Corner”
Eminem Featuring Dr. Dre and 50 Cent - “Encore”
The Game Featuring 50 Cent - “Hate It or Love It”
Ying Yang Twins - “Wait (The Whisper Song)”
Best Rap/Sung Collaboration
Ciara Featuring Missy Elliott - “1, 2 Step”
Common Featuring Kanye West & John Legend - “They Say”
Destiny’s Child Featuring T.I. and Lil Wayne - “Soldier”
Jay-Z Featuring Linkin Park - “Numb/Encore”
Gwen Stefani Featuring Eve - “Rich Girl”
Best Rap Song
50 Cent - “Candy Shop”
Kanye West - “Diamonds From Sierra Leone”
Black Eyed Peas - “Don’t Phunk With My Heart “
The Game Featuring 50 Cent - “Hate It or Love It”
Missy Elliott Featuring Ciara and Fat Man Scoop - “Lose Control”
Best Rap Album
Common - Be
Missy Elliott - The Cookbook
Eminem - Encore
50 Cent - The Massacre
Kanye West - Late Registration
Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media
Josh Groban - “Believe” (from “The Polar Express”)
Glen Ballard & Alan Silvestri, songwriters
The Arcade Fire - “Cold Wind” (from “Six Feet Under: Volume 2 - Everything Ends”)
The Arcade Fire, songwriters
Wyclef Jean - “Million Voices” (from “Hotel Rwanda”)
Jerry Duplessis, Andrea Guerra & Wyclef Jean, songwriters
Tom Petty - “Square One” (from “Elizabethtown”)
Tom Petty, songwriter
Danny Elfman - “Wonka’s Welcome Song” (from “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”)
John August & Danny Elfman, songwriters
Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media
“Beyond the Sea” (Kevin Spacey)
“Napoleon Dynamite” (Various Artists)
“No Direction Home: The Soundtrack - Bootleg Series, Vol. 7″ (Bob Dylan)
“Ray” (Ray Charles)
“Six Feet Under: Volume 2 - Everything Ends” (Various Artists)
Best Score Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media
“The Aviator” (Howard Shore, composer)
“The Incredibles” (Michael Giacchino, composer)
“Million Dollar Baby” (Clint Eastwood, composer)
“Ray” (Craig Armstrong, composer)
“Star Wars Episode III - Revenge of the Sith” (John Williams, composer)
Producer of the Year, Non-Classical
Danger Mouse
Demon Days (Gorillaz)
Nigel Godrich
Chaos and Creation in the Backyard - Paul McCartney
Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis
“Be Blessed” (Yolanda Adams)
“Dance With My Father” (Celine Dion)
“Harajuku Girls” (Gwen Stefani)
“Never Too Much” (Mary J. Blige)
“Nobody Cares” (Deborah Cox)
“Pure Gold” (Earth, Wind & Fire)
“These Boots Are Made for Walkin’ ” (Jessica Simpson)
Steve Lillywhite
How To Dismantle an Atomic Bomb (U2)
Mr. A-Z (Jason Mraz)
The Neptunes
“Already Platinum” (Slim Thug Featuring Pharrell)
“Hollaback Girl” (Gwen Stefani)
“Let’s Get Blown” (Snoop Dogg)
“On & On” (Missy Elliott)
“Say Somethin’ ” (Mariah Carey Featuring Snoop Dogg)
“Touch” (Omarion)
Best Short Form Music Video
Missy Elliott Featuring Ciara and Fat Man Scoop - “Lose Control”
Gorillaz Featuring De La Soul - “Feel Good Inc.”
Jamiroquai - “Feels Just Like It Should”
Martina McBride - “God’s Will”
Sarah McLachlan - “World on Fire”
February 7th, 2006
He’s known as the R., a.k.a. Kells, a.k.a. the Pied Piper, a.k.a. the King of R&B, and R. Kelly needs more aliases. He’s feeding the public one more at least: Mr. Show Biz.
On Friday (February 3) Kelly announced plans for what he’s calling his Light It Up Tour, which he’s headlining as “Mr. Show Biz.”
As to what adopting the nickname Mr. Show Biz means, his label reps said they weren’t sure. Kelly hasn’t told them yet.
He also hasn’t announced whether or not he’ll have any opening acts. The only thing the singer is disclosing is the itinerary — whose string of small-venue gigs makes this his first theater tour since 2001 — and the fact that he’ll have a live band with him. Tickets for select shows are already on sale.
R. Kelly tour dates according to Jive Records:- 3/9 - Kansas City, MO @ Midland Theater
- 3/10 - St. Louis, MO @ Fox Theater
- 3/11 - Tulsa, OK @ Brady Theater
- 3/12 - Oklahoma City, OK @ Civic Center Music Hall
- 3/14 - Houston, TX @ Jesse Jones Hall
- 3/16 - Dallas, TX @ Nokia Theater
- 3/17 - Austin, TX @ Bass Hall
- 3/18 - Little Rock, AK @ Theater at Alltel Arena
- 3/20 - Atlanta, GA @ Fox Theater
- 3/24 - Miami, FL @ James L. Knight Center
- 3/25 - Clearwater, FL @ Ruth Eckerd Hall
- 3/26 - Jacksonville, FL @ Moran Theater
- 3/28 - Raleigh, NC @ Raleigh Memorial Auditorium
- 3/29 - Charlotte, NC @ Ovens Auditorium
- 3/31 - Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium
- 4/1 - Memphis, TN @ Cannon Center
- 4/3 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Heinz Hall
- 4/7 - Boston, MA @ Wang Center
- 4/8 - Philadelphia, PA @ Tower Theater
- 4/9 - Atlantic City @ House of Blues
- 4/12 - Newark, NJ @ New Jersey Performing Arts Center
- 4/18 - New York @ Radio City Music Hall
- 4/23 - Indianapolis, IN @ Murat Theater
- 4/26 - Chicago, IL @ Chicago Theater
- 4/28 - Milwaukee, WI @ Milwaukee Theater
- 4/29 - Minneapolis, MN @ Orpheum Theater
technorati tags: R. Kelly, Kells, Mr. Show Biz, Kelly, On Tour, tour dates
February 5th, 2006
Hitmaker also setting up joints for Bow Wow, Ludacris, Monica, LL Cool J.
Busy churning out hits for the likes of Mariah, Janet, Usher and many more, and with a horde of up-and-comers waiting in the wings, Jermaine Dupri seems to be finding little time for himself these days.
“I’m not makin’ no more records,” Dupri said of putting his own music career on halt. “I’m kind of off the market and in producer mode [right now], so I’m just in one studio to the next trying to mold artists. I’ve got so many that are in the stables, and they gettin’ real antsy, like, ‘Hey, it’s our turn to go.’ “
That comes as no surprise for the established hitmaker and Virgin executive, who in the last year alone has scored Mariah four chart-toppers (for “It’s Like That,” “We Belong Together,” “Shake It Off” and “Don’t Forget About Us”). It also garnered the singer eight Grammy nods, including Song of the Year and Record of the Year for “We Belong Together,” as well as Album of the Year for The Emancipation of Mimi .
Carey may be the reigning performer of the moment, but 2004’s breadwinner, Usher, is itching to reclaim his title. Dupri said he’s already been approached by his good friend about returning to the recording studio.
“He called me like three or four days ago and was like, ‘It’s about that time,’ ” said Dupri, who ushered Mr. Entertainment to the top of the Billboard albums chart two years ago with Confessions and produced his smashes “Burn,” “Confessions Part II” and “My Boo” featuring Alicia Keys.
“I think [Usher’s] getting the bug again,” Dupri continued. “It’s kind of boring for him to just be sitting around. He wants to hear himself on the radio and see himself [back] on television.”
Also eager to make her way back onto the scene after a brief hiatus is Dupri’s main squeeze, Janet Jackson. The two have been working on her still-untitled forthcoming LP, which is set to drop later this year and whose first single is due out by the summer.
“We’re in the studio every day trying to get her record together,” said Dupri. He’s teaming up with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, the famed production duo who catapulted the R&B singer to stardom when they helmed her 1986 album, Control, and have been staples on her records ever since.
“If I can give you anything to look forward to on her record, it’s gonna have the greatness of Jimmy and Terry, and I guess you could say the greatness of me [and Janet] combined into one record,” he continued.
Dupri said he’s also considering a collaboration between Mariah and Janet, which would mirror Whitney Houston and Mariah’s 1998 hit “When You Believe.”
“That’s been on my mind for a couple weeks now,” Dupri admitted. “The hardest part is figuring out a song that fits both of them, because you have two different styles of artists, and the thing when you’re dealing with divas is you don’t want to overshadow either one, so if you were to do a song for them, it would have to work where both of them would feel they were on the same pedestal, or else someone’s gonna have a problem.”
In addition to Miss Jackson’s LP, Dupri is also finishing up Monica’s latest, Street Butterfly; setting up joints for LL Cool J, Ludacris, Da Brat and Bow Wow; and readying the sophomore disc from Dem Franchize Boyz, due February 7. All the while, Dupri’s co-authoring his autobiography, “Young, Rich and Dangerous: My Life in Music”.
“I wanted to put a book out because I feel like I’m one of the leaders in the industry right now, and I think kids have been missing a person to follow,” said Dupri, who cites childhood mentor Quincy Jones for paving his way.
One trick of the trade is to always be on the lookout for new talent, says the hip-hop producer, who helped bolster the careers of Usher, Ludacris, Kris Kross and even Kanye West, when he brought on one of the aspiring rapper’s beats on his 1998 solo album, Life in 1472.
“You never know who’s standing in the room with you,” he explained. “Always check it out because that person could be the next superstar.”
“For me to say I gave Kanye his actual start, that’s history that goes down in the books,” Dupri continued, “and I always wanted to be part of history. In everything I do, I try to make sure it goes down in some way people [will remember].”
technorati tags: Mariah Carey, Usher, Jermaine Dupri, LL Cool J, Ludacris, Bow Wow
February 5th, 2006
Multi-platinum artist Ashanti filed a federal lawsuit Jan. 27 over the unauthorized release of demos recorded more than eight years ago.
The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court in New York, names as defendants Genard Parker, Ellenwood, Ga.-based TEAM Entertainment, German distributor ZYX Music, Australian companies Big Records Australia and Rajon Distribution, Japanese label Farm Records, and U.K. companies Simply Vinyl Recordings and Unique Corp.
In the suit Ashanti claims she recorded demos for Parker and T.E.A.M. to shop for a major-label deal when she was 16 years old. They failed to land a deal; the artist claims she never intended or authorized them to release the demos as an album.
In a separate lawsuit, TEAM and Genard won a $630,000 judgment against Ashanti last July for failing to allow them to produce additional albums for her in breach of a production agreement she signed as a teenager.
The current complaint alleges that last year, various editions of a compilation album called “Can’t Stop” appeared in the market with Ashanti’s name in large print and recent photographs of her on the covers. On two of the tracks she only sings background vocals, while on another she is not performing at all.
February 1st, 2006
On the heels of its farewell tour and album, Destiny’s Child will perform live for the final time when it sings the National Anthem before the 2006 National Basketball Association All-Star Game. The contest will take place Feb. 19 in Houston and will be broadcast live by TNT.
Destiny’s Child’s members are already busy with solo projects. As previously reported, Beyonce Knowles will be seen this month in the remake of “The Pink Panther” and is hoping to begin work on a new album this summer. Kelly Rowland has penciled in a June 13 release for her sophomore solo set, while Michelle Williams’ next project is expected sometime this summer.
January 31st, 2006
Contemporary urban stars Nelly, John Legend and Jamie Foxx will appear alongside a host of Motown legends at Motown Music Fest, to be held Feb. 4 at Detroit’s Masonic Temple, the day before the National Football League’s Super Bowl XL.
Among the Motown acts set to perform at the event are the Four Tops, the Miracles, the Contours, the Dramatics, the Former Ladies of the Supremes, Freda Payne, Brenda Holloway, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, the Velvelettes and Paul Hill. The house band will feature members of Motown’s legendary Funk Brothers.
Two separate shows will be held on Feb. 4; tickets range from $93 to $1,000 and are available through Ticketmaster. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Detroit’s Kronk Recreation Center. The night before, Masonic Temple will host the Super Bowl Gospel Celebration, featuring Patti LaBelle, the Clark Sisters, Mary Mary and Hezekiah Walker.
As previously reported, a number of other high-profile music events are on tap in conjunction with the Super Bowl at Detroit’s Ford Field. As part of Bud Bowl, Snoop Dogg and 3 Doors Down will perform Feb. 3-4 at Club 1620, a specially created climate-controlled staging area inside the Motor City’s open-air Tiger Stadium.
On the day of the game, Aretha Franklin and Aaron Neville will perform the National Anthem, backed by pianist Dr. John. John Legend and Joss Stone will join Stevie Wonder on stage at the pre-game show, while the Rolling Stones will play at halftime.
“The network is worried what we’re going to do,” Stones frontman Mick Jagger said from the stage last night (Jan. 18) at New York’s Madison Square Garden. “[So] I’m going to show both my t*,” he added, referring to Janet Jackson’s infamous “wardrobe malfunction” during the 2004 halftime show.
January 20th, 2006
It’s being reported that the freakish, car-crash marriage between Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown is about to end in a messy, car-crash divorce. And we know exactly what you’re thinking.
You’re thinking that if Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown divorce, who’ll be around to poke their fingers up Whitney’s bum and yank out nuggets of constipated poo, aren’t you? Anyone? OK, so it was just us…
Whitney Houston (CDs) and Bobby Brown never appeared to have the most stable of marriages; rumours of drug addiction and domestic violence have long surrounded the couple, and a divorce never seemed too far away. And now, if reports are to be believed, that divorce is finally happening.
When they started out, Whitney Houston was the biggest female star on the planet - releasing giant-sounding wedding reception songs that got to number one and stayed there for months and months. And Bobby… well, Bobby was the boy who sung Candy Girl and the theme-tune to Ghostbusters 2. But as years progressed, Bobby and Whitney became more and more of a joke. And what’s the best way to deal with a negative public image? Describing how you pull excrement from your wife’s arse on your own reality TV show, of course.
Being Bobby Brown was Whitney and Bobby’s chance to shine a light on what a lovely, and publicly misconstrued, couple they really were. Shame, then, that the show revolved mainly around Bobby describing how he manually relieved Whitney’s constipation. One TV critic went so far as to call the show:
“The most disgusting and execrable series ever to ooze its way onto television.”
Not that the woes of Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown ended there. Just last month the pair were named Tackiest Couple Of The Year by readers of Star magazine.
But now, after reports that Bobby Brown was seen “flirting with a bevy of beauties backstage at a concert telling them he was no longer with his wife,” it looks like a divorce really is on the cards for Whitney and Bobby.
Oh Whitney, didn’t you almost have it all? Yours was the greatest love of all. Maybe now you just wanna dance with somebody… else. Hey, where are you going? Come back, we’ve got a million of these…
Source: Heckler Spray
January 18th, 2006
It was yet another unhappy New Year for the music industry: Despite hits by Mariah Carey, 50 Cent and Green Day, 2005 saw album sales drop 7.2 percent as labels continued to struggle with adapting to the age of the iPod and the Internet. Overall, consumers bought 48 million fewer albums than in 2004, marking a disastrous twenty-one percent slide from the industry’s peak in 2000, according to Nielsen SoundScan. And the holiday season, which typically accounts for forty percent of annual sales, was a bust. “It was arguably the worst in the music business’s history,” says Steve Bartels, Island Records president.
In contrast to CD sales, digital-song downloads jumped 150 percent in 2005 as consumers bought 352 million of them. “With digital technology, everyone’s figured out that a business built only on the manufacture, distribution and sale of CDs has ended,” says Dixie Chicks manager Simon Renshaw, echoing many other industry veterans. “The traditional model can’t continue.”
Where Are the Hits?
In 2000, the industry’s last boom year, the top five albums — including megahits by Britney Spears and Eminem — sold a combined 38 million copies. The top five in 2005 sold just 19.7 million. Mariah Carey had the comeback story of the year, selling 5 million copies of The Emancipation of Mimi, the year’s top album. Green Day, who sold 1.8 million copies of American Idiot in ‘04, sold 3.4 million more in ‘05. And a baby diva, American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson, broke through, selling 3.5 million copies of Breakaway.
Just below the top ten, there were signs of hope, as developing artists — Ciara, Young Jeezy, Fall Out Boy — all sold at least 1 million copies. But expected best sellers from Missy Elliott and Santana barely broke 500,000 copies. “Last year you had releases from superstars such as U2, Eminem, Lil Jon,” says Best Buy music buyer Lon Lindeland. “This year didn’t match that.”
Latin music was the only genre to see increased sales in 2005. As the reggaeton-heavy “hurban” radio format grew — taking over rock stations in several major markets — the genre’s sales leaped 12.6 percent. Sales of alternative rock fell 8.8 percent, hip-hop dropped 7.8 percent and R&B saw an 11.6 percent decline. “Consumers who used to buy a lot of hip-hop are now buying Latin records,” says Virgin exec Jerry Suarez. “It’s something for the younger demographic to get excited about.”
Digital Music Surges
In 2005, digital downloads became a major moneymaker for the first time, earning more than $500 million as sales of digital tracks jumped from 141 million in 2004 to 353 million in 2005, and sales of digital albums rose from 5.5 million to 16.2 million. In the fall, Apple’s iTunes Store became one of the ten biggest U.S. music retailers, ahead of Tower and Sam Goody. And in the last week of 2005, digital single sales exploded to a record-setting 19.9 million — outselling CDs for the first time in history — as about 11 million Christmas-gift iPods flew off shelves. The digital boom helped offset some of the labels’ losses; using SoundScan’s formula of counting every ten sold singles as an album, album sales dropped just 3.9 percent.
Ring tones were even more profitable, as revenues doubled to $600 million. Real tones — actual music rather than tinny reproductions — became the dominant format.
But as sales shift toward digital distribution, battles are brewing over how much downloads should cost, and who should get the money. Apple CEO Steve Jobs called the labels “greedy” for suggesting iTunes should charge more than ninety-nine cents for hits; Warner Music Group CEO Edgar Bronfman Jr. shot back, “We want, and will insist upon having, variable pricing.” Artists, meanwhile, complain that their royalties from digital tracks — fourteen cents is the typical rate — don’t make up for the loss of income from CD sales. “This is where the sales are going,” says Josh Grier, a music lawyer for Wilco. “But being part of the transition might be a bad thing.”
Major-Label Woes
As the industry contracted, market share declined or remained steady for three of the four major record companies. The exception was Universal Music Group, which sold thirty-two percent of all music and six of the year’s top ten albums. Warner, which became the first publicly traded record label in 2005, managed to hold steady, thanks to Green Day and the Asylum subsidiary, which scored hits with Houston rappers Paul Wall and Mike Jones. EMI dropped just 0.4 percent, with strong releases from Coldplay and Gorillaz. “It’s not a growth market,” says Arista exec Tom Corson. “This is a mature market that’s being attacked on all sides.”
Of all the labels, Sony BMG — which merged in 2004 — had the toughest year: The company’s market share shrunk three percent, it paid $10 million to settle a payola investigation (Warner eventually settled for $5 million) and had to recall 4.7 million CDs that included invasive copy-protection software. “How does a record label self-destruct?” says Darryl Pitt, manager of the Bad Plus, whose CD was recalled. “This is a pretty good way.”
The labels continued to battle piracy, filing hundreds of lawsuits against peer-to-peer downloaders. But in the month of November, for instance, twenty-one percent more users traded music online than in the same period the year before.
The Indie Scene
As the majors stumbled, independent labels gained market share, accounting for eighteen percent of CD sales in ‘05. Indie labels proved especially adept at Internet marketing via outlets like MySpace; the emo label Victory Records sold 558,000 copies of Hawthorne Heights’ album The Silence in Black and White without radio play. And several hip indie acts — the Arcade Fire, Interpol and Bright Eyes — sold more than 250,000 copies each. The indie model of earning profits on a broad range of small-scale releases, rather than focusing on blockbusters, may offer a new direction for the majors. “The major labels want to say the glass is half full,” says Gwen Stefani’s manager Jim Guerinot. “I think everybody’s getting the message: You better get a fucking smaller glass. The music business is a different game.”
- Rolling Stone
January 15th, 2006
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