Today is folk/rock icon Bob Dylan’s 70th Birthday. Dylan has not lost his mojo or beatnik mystique throughout the years. With films, books, music, and art from the enigmatic singer/songwriter/guitar player, it seems he is not a fading light but a shining beacon into the not-so-distant history of music. Rolling Stone describes Dylan’s anthology as “a catalog of masterpieces and throwaways: narratives, protests, romances, put-downs, travelogues, warnings, comedy, tragedies and those nonlinear, oracle song.” He is a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member, and a Grammy, Golden Globe, and Academy Award winner.
The sunglass wearing, cigarette smoking legend has been up to many projects lately including a 6 book deal with his publisher Simon & Schuster. The deal includes two sequels to his best-selling book Chronicles: Volume 1, plus four additional books. Chronicles spent 19 weeks on the New York Times best seller list. The first two books in the deal will be sequels to Chronicles making Dylan fans and rock and roll history buffs eagerly anticipate the new memoirs. Another book is expected to be a collection of musings from the Theme Time Radio Hour show from his Sirius XM radio show.
Here is a hodgepodge of various recent Dylan projects, both by him and about him.
A new film by Murray Lerner called The Other Side of the Mirror is a documentary of the Newport Folk Festival in1963,1964, and 1965 when Dylan famously plugged in, shocking the folk planet. (See video below.)
There is a new release of recently uncovered film lost 40 years ago of Dylan performing a show at Brandeis University in 1963, when he was 21.
A new Dylan biography, one of many written, titled The Ballad of Bob Dylan: A Portrait by Daniel Mark Epstein has recently been released.
Dylan completed the Drawn Blank series of 200 watercolors, which showed along with the release of a book by the same name which includes 170 reproductions from the show.
Another art show called The Brazilian Series includes 40 large scale acrylic paintings.
Dylan recently performed in China for the first time, playing a government approved set list.
Rolling Stone called on the world’s foremost Dylan experts to compile a list of the best Dylan songs. Check out the top 10. Download Music from the Dylan experts’ playlist.
1 “Like a Rolling Stone”
2 “A Hard Rain is Going to Fall”
3 “Tangled Up in Blue”
4 “Just Like a Woman”
5 “All Along the Watchtower”
6 “I Shall Be Released”
7 “It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)”
8 “Mr. Tambourine Man”
9 “Visions of Johanna”
10 “Every Grain of Sand”
Dylan will be on a whirlwind tour in July keeping up his wandering reputation, hitting the countries of Ireland, England, Israel, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and the US, in Costa Mesa, CA.
On tonight’s American Idol finale we will be seeing confetti raining down on either Lauren Alaina or Scotty McCreery. Last night’s country showdown slowed down the typical Idol finale pace but still had the felling of an old western. With cowboy boots and twangs being thrown down all over the place, the one left standing after the dust settled seemed to be young Alaina. (Who triumphantly made it through the fight with voice tied behind her back.) Though, the charm of Scotty’s Elvis-like voice should not be underestimated, as we’ve found out. We will all see who reins victorious and becomes American’s next American Idol, tonight on Fox at 8/7c.
Rumors of tonight’s performances are flying, but here are a few of the more likely conclusions. Duets will be sung by Lauren Alaina and Carrie Underwood and Scotty McCreery and Tim McGraw. Lady Gaga will be singing “Edge of Glory,” and Bono and the Edge will be performing tunes from their Broadway show Spiderman. Pia Toscano, Casey Abrams, Haley Reinhart, James Durbin, Jack Black, Tony Bennett, Judas Priest and Marc Anthony are also rumored to be making appearances. (Download Music from your favorite American Idol guest performers.)
So, what is next for the Idol Junkie? The Voice, The X Factor, Do You Think You Can Dance? Does the thought of life without Idol leave you with a whole in your soul bigger than an “OMG There’s No More Oprah” anxiety attack? What is the Idol addict to do between seasons? Well American Idol Tour of course. This summer the 11 top performers of the season’s show will head out on what is sure to be a grueling tour for the amateurs. They will play 46 shows between July 6th and Septempber 9th, hitting every major venue from here to Topika.
Check out Lauren Alaina and Scotty McCreery performing the duet “I Told You So” earlier in the season. Good luck to both of the finalists.
Scotty McCreery thanked God as he nabbed the Idol title from Lauren Alaina on the American Idol finale last night! The country crooner from Garner, North Carolina won the 10th season of American Idol with the majority of the 122 million votes cast in his favor. With his bass voice and cartoonish looks, he created a stir in the hearts of teen girls everywhere, including 16-year old Alaina’s. The 17-year old is the youngest male to ever win the coveted title.
It was a star-studded evening with some standout performances. McCreery and Alaina opened the show with Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way.” James Durbin joined Judas Priest for both “Living After Midnight” and “Breaking the Law” but Jacob Lusk turned the attention back to gospel, singing “I Smile,” with Kirk Franklin and Gladys Knight. Casey Adams joined comedian Jack Black on the Queen tune “Fat Bottomed Girls.” Beyonce and the American Idol girls performed a medley of her hits. Tony Bennett sang with Haley Reinhart on “Steppin Out With My Baby.” McCreery and Tim McGraw pitched in on “Live Like You Were Dying.” Lil Jon stood in with TLC on “Waterfalls.” Beyonce performed her new single “One Plus One” and Lady Gaga pushed the R-rating on a mountain to her new song “Edge of Glory.” Bono and The Edge did “Rose Above” with Reeve Carney from the Spiderman musical. The American Idol Male medley was of Tom Jones’ hits and the man himself stepped in. Carrie Underwood joined Alaina on “Before He Cheats” and the show closed with Steven Tyler’s “Dream On.” (In case you missed it.)
Country Music ya’all!
Download music from featured country favorites such as Kenny Rogers, Patsy Cline, Willie Nelson, Oak Ridge Boys, Kitty Wells, Tim McGraw and the Charlie Daniels Band.
Check out Scotty’s audition then the country boy bringing home the prize in the American Idol finale.
Lady Gaga’s ‘Born This Way’ Breaks Album Sales Record
Lady Gaga is number one on the Billboard 200 chart of the week’s top-selling albums, for the second week in a row. According to Nielsen SoundScan data, she has managed to move more than 1.11 million units of her new album Born This Way, in the first week alone. Last week was the highest sales week since 50 Cent dropped The Massacre in 2005. The album which holds the all-time record sales in one week is NSYNC’s No Strings Attached which sold 2.4 million units in 2000. Lady Gaga has the best-selling, first-week album in a decade.
Born This Way did not sail to the top alone, a massive marketing campaign created a fever-pitch buzz around the album. No promotional stone was left unturned and the album catapulted to sales record status. Tactics included selling the album at Starbucks, Whole Foods and CVS, and samples were even played on FarmVille. (Make it easy on yourself and download music for a Lady Gaga playlist.) Only time will tell if Born This Way’s singles will capture the public’s imagination enough to hang-on to the coveted number-one.
Pink and her husband pro-motocross racer Carey Hart have a healthy new baby girl. Pink delivered the little bundle of joy by C-section yesterday in Los Angeles, California. The proud first-time Mama tweeted “We are ecstatic to welcome our new beautiful happy baby girl, Willow Sage Hart. She’s gorgeous, just like her daddy. #beyond blessed.” Pink announced her pregnancy on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in November.
The rock star and the racer first met during the X-Games in Philadelphia and have been married since 2006. Pink ,whose real name is Alecia Moore spent her own childhood in Doylestown, Pennsylvania outside of Philadelphia. Hart was raised in Seal Beach, California.
Download “Raise Your Glass” as a toast to the couple’s good fortune or download music for a Pink playlist with the tunes “Get the Party Started,” “Don’t Let Me Get Me,” “Lady Marmalade,” “Family Portrait” and “God is a DJ.”
Congratulations to Pink and Carey on the birth of their daughter!
Check out Pink performing “Glitter In The Air” with an amazing aerial act during the 2010 Grammy Awards. We are sure she will be up and singing and swinging in mid-air in no time.
The summer concert season is here and we have the 411 on all the hottest shows coming to town. There are so many smoking hot acts on tour that you can get summer off to a rockin’ start with a pop princess, a country vibe, or an American Idol tour.
If a down-home vibe is what you are feeling this summer Lady Antebellum, Taylor Swift, Willie Nelson or Kid Rock and Sheryl Crow, may be what it’s all about for you. This seasons concert line-up is a virtual music ala cart.
Britney Spears is rumored to be lip-syncing on her Femme Fatale tour, but her ravenous fans really don’t seem to mind. She’s making-up for the farce vocals with badass choreography, stage effects, S&M attire and of course, Nicki Minaj. Britney’s inspiration for the stage show is the femme fatales, throughout the ages. The stage show includes segments dedicated to Marilyn Monroe, motorcycle-mamas and Egyptians. It is sure to be the most manic show of the summer!
Rihanna’s smoking-hot Loud tour tickets are the guilty pleasure of the summer, for sure. With Cee-Lo-Green as show-opener for most of the tour, this concert is a must catch. Rhi-Rhi and Cee-Lo will be traversing Canada and then kicking off a leg in the states June 24-July 24. Next they’ll be in Europe, from August 17-December 22.
Katy Perry is out and about on her California Dream tour with shows all over North America and Europe with a few side trips to Brazil and Mexico. California Dream wraps-up November 22 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
Taylor Swift’s Speak Now tour is already rolling with the next show being June 25th in Foxboro, Massachusetts. Her huge tour covers all the expected North American cities, with a generous helping in the South, of course.
Lady Antebellum’s Get Close tour will be doing just that, as they wind their way to every country fair between Grand Junction, Colorado and Bangor, Maine from June 18th through September 5th.
Kid Rock is sure to be tearing-it-up with Sheryl Crow on the American road this summer, while on his Born Free tour. Crow is appearing at most tour stops but deserts on a few, like in Kids’ hometown of Detroit where Sammy Hagar will be stepping in. (Crow fans might want to check beforehand to see if she’s playing your local venue.)
Willie Nelson will be cruising around on his french-fry oil run, bio-diesel bus on his Country Throwdown tour (if he can stay out of trouble long enough). Nelson’s next show is on June 23 in Del Mar, California. On Sepember 25th he winds up his long stint with a last show in Rapid City, South Dakota. Willie, the legend.
NKOTBSB is the concert to see if you are in the mood for a musical flashback. The boy bands, New Kids on the Block and The Backstreet Boys, are coming to a stadium near you. (This may be the show to take the kids to.) Matthew Morison of Glee will be the opening act, kind of sealing the deal. I know you’re curious to see if those guys are going to lip-sync and if they can really dance for two hours. It’s a curiosity show which is going to need a lot of pyrotechnics for coverup- sorry, effect.
American Idol Live! 2011 tour has 45 confirmed dates. The Top 11 of this seasons show including Casey Abrams, Naima Adledap, James Durbin, Stefano Langone, Jacop Lusk, Scotty McCreery, Paul Mc Donald, Thia Megia, Haley Reinhart, and Pia Toscano will all be strutting their stuff.
The Foo Fighters are curently on tour in Europe and won’t be back state-side until mid-September when they will be hitting all the major cities.
Shakira will be shaking her hips in Mexico July15-31 then heading off to Europe June 7-June 14th, to finish her tour with two shows in Paris.
Download music for a summer tour playlist with song s such as:
If hip hop is a tribe, then Gil Scott-Heron was the chief. Heron passed away May 27th after falling ill upon returning home from a trip to Europe. The jazz, blues, soul and spoken word artist is best known for the composition “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised.” He gave a voice to the black community’s social and political issues through activism, poetry, literature and music. Scott-Heron has been called the “Godfather of Rap”- a moniker he humbly rejected. This man who clearly influenced the genres to rap and hip hop, counted among his own influences: Richie Havens, John Coltrane, Otis Redding, Billy Holiday and Nina Simone. (Download music for an inspirational playlist.)
Mr. Scott-Heron fought many battles during his life, including HIV and an addiction to crack. He once did a three-year stint in a New York prison with charges connected to his use of cocaine.
Scott’s funeral services were held at the Harlem Riverside Church. Scott’s daughter Gia read to poem she had written for her father and Stevie Wonder and Kanye West sang during the services. West performed his song “Lost in the World” which samples Heron’s poem “Comment #1.”
This legend’s discography contains more than 35 albums, many with long-time collaborator Brian Jackson.
Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony’s seven-year marriage has ended in divorce. The A-list couple announced their split in a joint statement to the A.P., “We have decided to end our marriage. This was a very difficult decision. We have come to an amicable conclusion on all matters. It is a painful time for all involved and we appreciate the respect of our privacy at this time.”
J-Lo’s marriage to Marc Anthony was her third, as she was previously married to both Ojani Noa and Chris Judd. Anthony’s marriage to J-Lo was his second, the first being to former Miss Universe, Dayanara Torres.
Lopez, 41 and Anthony, 42 are the parents of three year-old twins, Max and Emma.
J Lo has not made an announcement concerning whether she will be returning to Idol this season but she has stated, she is taking a break to spend time with her children.
The power couple has been slated to host a Latin version of American Idol called Q’Viva! The Chosen, no announcement has been as to the fate of this show.
J-Lo, however, is a confirmed performer on Ryan Seacrest’s new iHeart Radio festival, being held September 23-24 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, alongside Steven Tyler and Lady Gaga.
Check out J-Lo and Marc Anthony performing together on last season’s American Idol.
Amy Winehouse, the soul, jazz and R&B singer has passed-on. She was found dead at her home in Camden Square, London on Saturday.
The 27 year-old’s first album was Frank in 2003. Her sophomore follow-up Back to Black in 2006 brought the singer five Grammys. The album’s breakout single “Rehab” contains the now eerie lyrics “they try to make me go to rehab. I say no, no, no.” The immensely talented Winehouse struggled with an addiction to crack cocaine and alcohol and had checked out of rehab after one week in June. Winehouse’s management canceled her 2011 summer tour after she appeared incoherent in Belgrade, during the very first show.
The bee-hived and cat-eyed diva joins many musical legends in the dead at 27 club. Amy Winehouse is now making music on the flipside with Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison and Kurt Cobain- in heaven. How sad to lose such talented performers to the trappings of addiction and the well-documented rock bottom of a rock and roll lifestyle.
Let’s hope for others suffering with addictions that the song “Rehab” will be a reminder of the ultimate price Ms.Winehouse has paid by saying “no, no, no” to treatment.
R.I.P Amy Jade Winehouse. Another musical legend gone too young, too soon.
Download music for an Amy Winehouse playlist with songs such as “Amy, Amy, Amy,” “(There is) No Greater Love,” “Back to Black,” “I Heard Love is Blind,” and of course “Rehab,”- the remix.
Nick Lachey and Vanessa Minnillo Wedding to Air on TLC
Published July 27th, 2011 by Kristin H in Gossip, News, weddings
Nick Lachey's second wedding to Vanessa Minnillo will be broadcast as a reality show, as was his first marriage to Jessica Simpson.
Nick Lachey, 37, and Vanessa Minnillo, 30, have tied the knot after five years of dating and will be airing the nuptials and pre-wedding preparations on a TLC special presentation. The show, tentatively titled Nick and Vanessa’s Dream Wedding, will air July 30th9/8c. The couple, who became engaged last November, said their I-do’s at Sir Richard Branson’s estate on Necker Island in the British Virgin Islands.
Friends and family of the newlyweds were presented with plane ticket-baring wedding invitations and treated to an island getaway.
The two are currently honeymooning in St. Barts.
This will be the second televised wedding for Lachey; whose first marriage and newlywed home-life with Jessica Simpson, were broadcast on MTV’s Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica. The pop-star couple were married in 2002, and divorced in 2005.
Download music for a Nick Lachey playlist with tunes such as “What’s Left of Me,” “I Can’t Hate You Anymore,” “Beautiful,” “I Do It for You,” “You’re Not Alone,” and “Ordinary Day.”
Is Lachey’s wedding a publicity stunt to revive his post-Jessica career? Does he need some quick cash? Whatever the reasoning behind broadcasting his romances to the world, it seems taboo at repeat the same type of wedding. I guess only time will tell how yet another very public union works out for Nick Lachey.
Check out the video for “What’s Left of Me” featuring his new wife Vanessa. The couple starting dating after he asked her to be in his video, as a pick-up line and she replied, “Call my agent.” She landed the gig -and a husband.
