On June 18, Sotheby's in New York will auction the handwritten lyrics to John Lennon's song "A Day In The Life." The auctioneer describes the track from the Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" album as "the revolutionary song that marked the Beatles' transformation from pop icons to artists." The lyrics are expected to fetch $500,000-$700,000.
Latin pop singer Ricky Martin will appear in the upcoming Broadway revival of "Evita." He's been cast to play the role of Che Guervera in the musical, which tells the story of Argentina's former First Lady Eva Peron. "Evita" will open in early 2012.
The 41st annual Songwriters Hall of Fame induction and awards dinner will take place on June 17 in New York City. This year's inductees are Leonard Cohen, David Foster, Jackie DeShannon, Johnny Mandel, Earth, Wind & Fire's Maurice White, Philip Bailey, Verdine White, Larry Dunn and Al McKay. In addition, Bob Marley, Laura Nyro, Sunny Skylar, Tom Adair, Matt Dennis and Jesse Stone will be honored with posthumous awards. Special award recipients include Phil Collins (Johnny Mercer Award), Taylor Swift (Hal David Starlight Award) and Phil Ramone (Howie Richmond Hitmaker Award).
On June 15, Steve Miller will release his first new studio album in 17 years. "Bingo!" is a collection of blues and R&B cover songs that were originally recorded by B.B. King, Lowell Fulsom, Jimmie Reed and Jimmie Vaughan, among others. Miller plans to release a second album of similar covers in early 2011.
Stevie Wonder, Jackson Browne and Brian Wilson are among the guests on Monica Mancini's new album of classic 1960s songs. Concord Records will release "I've Loved These Days" on June 15. Mancini says, "I'm beyond thrilled to have made this album and work with these artists and producers! For me, it's always about the songwriters and their songs. As an artist, it has been an important project for very personal reasons and what I needed to do. I hope people will discover new meaning in the music as I have. This is my way of exploring my musical heroes and discovering what their songs continue to reveal."
NEW ALBUM RELEASES:
New albums scheduled for release on June 15 include: "Now That's What I Call Music! 34" by various artists, "Thank Me Later" by Drake, "The Laws of Illusion" (first new album in seven years) by Sarah McLachlan, "Mojo" by Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, "Lilith 2010" by various artists, "Body Talk, Pt. 1" by Robyn, "Renmin Park" by Cowboy Junkies, "Alejandro: The Remixes" by Lady GaGa, "Pushing the Envelope" by Gerald Albright, "Red Dog Speaks" by Elvin Bishop and "On the Rural Route 7609" (4-CD box set) by John Mellencamp.
MUSICAL EVENTS/FESTIVALS/BENEFITS:
On June 16, pop star Ke$ha will perform a benefit concert in her hometown of Nashville. The victims of the May floods in Middle Tennessee will receive 100 percent of the proceeds from the show. Ke$ha says, "Nashville helped shape me as an artist and as a person and my love for this city is beyond words. I will continue to do anything I can to help rebuild this city and support the families and animals who have been affected by this tragedy."
AWARDS PRESENTATIONS/WINNERS:
Carrie Underwood was a double winner at the June 9 CMT Music Awards. She took home the Video of the Year trophy for "Cowboy Casanova" and the CMT Performance of the Year award for "Temporary Home." Other winners included Keith Urban, Male Video of the Year for "'Til Summer Comes Around;" Miranda Lambert, Female Video of the Year for "White Liar;" Lady Antebellum, Group Video of the Year for "Need You Now;" Brooks & Dunn, Duo Video of the Year for "Indian Summer;" Luke Bryan, Breakthrough Video of the Year for "Do I;" and Blake Shelton and Trace Adkins, Collaborative Video of the Year for "Hillbilly Bone."
TOUR DATES AND INFORMATION:
Two legendary bands, the Doobie Brothers and Chicago, will begin a U.S. tour on June 15 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Doobie Brothers will perform their greatest hits, plus songs from their upcoming new album. Dates with Chicago wrap up on July 22nd. The Doobie Brothers will continue their own tour through early October.
On June 19, Country star Toby Keith will kick off his "American Ride" tour in Holmdel, New Jersey. Trace Adkins will join him on the 41-city North American outing, which wraps up on September 25 in Boston, Massachusetts. Earlier this year, Trace left his long-time label, Capitol Records, and signed with Toby's record company, Show Dog-Universal Music.
Sotheby's to Auction Lennon Lyrics; Carrie Underwood Double Winner at CMT Awards
