Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.

Five-time Oscar winner John Williams composed the music for "War Horse," one of the five nominees for best score.<!--IMAGE-->

Williams garnered another bestsScore nomination for "The Adventures of Tintin," an animated blockbuster based on a Belgian comics series.

For Daniel Carlin, chairman of the film scoring department at the Berklee College of Music, nail biting excitement is the key to Tintin’s success.

“John is a master at the use of space," Carlin says. "He'll leave a bit of a hole for the sound of gunshot or a hit to a face or a crash, and then he’ll come in with a statement rather than, as many composers do, try to compete with the sound. I personally felt that "Tintin" was a more successful score than "War Horse."<!--IMAGE-->Alberto Iglesias composed the score for "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy."

For Rivers, the artful way that Iglesias conveyed Cold War suspense and intrigue is what earned him his Oscar nomination. “I think he does an excellent job of setting the atmosphere.”

Sometimes, highbrow musical ideas can be used to good effect by Hollywood, as in the case of "Hugo."

Film composer Wendy Blackstone has scored for eight Oscar nominees over the years. She hears echoes of minimalism in Howard Shore’s score for “Hugo,” an adventure drama about a boy living in a Paris train station.<!--IMAGE-->

“It has repetitive clauses in it that give a lulling kind of center to it which we can attribute to Terry Riley, Philip Glass and these forerunners of that kind of music," Blackstone says.

Whatever the composer's style, it must always serve the director’s vision.

“There are moments when the music can shine," Blackstone says. "But then there are moments when it should be out of the way and felt not heard."

Many critics believe French composer Ludovic Bource is the odds-on favorite to win best score for “The Artist.” It’s a mostly silent film, set during the late 1920s and early '30s, when silent films were giving way to the talkies.

Bource's score runs the emotional gamut.<!--IMAGE-->
For Berklee's Daniel Carlin, "The Artist" is a film composer's dream.

“I mean there are plenty of people that would have done this project for free if they'd been given the opportunity. You are not worried about dialogue or train wrecks or gunshots or door slams or car squeals. None of that stuff," Carlin says. "But it also makes one fully exposed. It doesn’t leave much room for error or padding. And I felt that this composer did a very diligent job of not taking shortcuts, of giving every scene its due, of somehow staying within that period without making it sound like we are listening to old music.”

All of the nominees will have to wait until Feb. 26, to learn who will score the “Best Score” Oscar.

Three acts received six Grammy nominations apiece: Bruno Mars, rock act the Foo Fighters, and Adele, who first tasted Grammy success in 2009, after being named Best New Artist. Inspired by a broken relationship, her sophomore album 21 is now the best-selling album of the 21st Century in her native United Kingdom. It was also the best-selling album of 2011 in the United States, and as of January, 2012 has sold 17 million copies worldwide. 21 is nominated for Album Of The Year, while the chart-topping hit “Rolling In The Deep” competes for Record and Song Of The Year.

Over the past decade, comparatively few  British acts found success on U.S. charts. The trend reversed itself in 2011. Adele and Jessie J earned hits on the pop singles chart, while folk-rockers Mumford & Sons continue to impress Stateside listeners. Last year the quartet competed for Best New Artist; this year, it drew four Grammy nominations, including Record and Song Of The Year for “The Cave.”



Also drawing four Grammy nominations is Bon Iver. Despite issuing its debut album in 2008, this folk-rock band from Wisconsin is competing in the Best New Artist category. Acts can be nominated for the year in which they achieve widespread awareness. Bon Iver is also competing for Best Alternative Music album, while the song “Holocene” is up for Record and Song Of The Year.

In a controversial move,  Grammy governing body the Recording Academy has narrowed the field of awards categories from 109 to 78. Many cuts involve smaller, ethnically-oriented genres, which drew criticism from the Rev. Jesse Jackson. The civil rights leader requested a meeting with Recording Academy president Neil Portnow, who expressed openness to hearing his views.    

The Best New Artist category - one of the most unpredictable - has produced winners ranging from so-called “one-hit wonders” to such super acts as The Beatles and Mariah Carey. Competing this year are Bon Iver; country act The Band Perry; rappers J. Cole and Nicki Minaj; and electronic artist Skrillex.

"I just want to say that the stain of racism and sexism is not just for people of color or women. It is all of our burden. All of us," Davis stressed. "And we absolutely - I don't care how ordinary you may feel - all of us can inspire change …every single one of us. Thank you."

Their success at the SAG awards makes Davis and Spencer favorites to win those same honors at the Oscars.  Awards analysts see the best actress category as a tight race between The Help star and Meryl Streep for her portrayal of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady.

Davis says it's gratifying because she knew that many black Americans today might be offended by the role these women were forced into by the realities of 50 years ago.

"It's very difficult because I thought 'do I want to play a character that could be viewed as so subservient?' But I see her as more than that," explained Davis. "This is all we were back then. Every once in a while you had someone who broke the norm, but you were maids …you were in subservient roles."

The struggle for civil rights is certainly a factor in the story, but Spencer says The Help is about much more.

"The civil rights movement is basically the backdrop. It's not about race. It is about relationships and empowerment. It's about doing what is right," Davis said.

Octavia Spencer and Viola Davis find out if they have also won Oscars when Hollywood's top honors are presented on February 26.

Five leading ladies are competing for the Oscar for best actress in a leading role. All have offered weighty performances but some are a cut above.

In "My Week with Marilyn," Michelle Williams captivates as Marilyn Monroe.

The film chronicles one week in the Hollywood icon's life while she filmed the musical “The Prince and the Showgirl” with Laurence Olivier in England.<!--IMAGE-LEFT-->

The story is told from the perspective of assistant producer Colin Clark, who falls in love with the charismatic but mentally-fragile Monroe.

Williams exudes energy and sexuality while capturing Monroe's vulnerability.

But that might not be enough.

In "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," Rooney Mara delivers a compelling performance as Lisbeth Salander, a punk computer hacker who helps journalist Mikael Blomkvist search for a woman who's been missing in Sweden for 40 years.<!--IMAGE-LEFT-->

Salander has suffered abuse from men.

Mara turns her into a dysfunctional but brilliant investigator who spares no one.

Fury drives and empowers her.

Mara earned the nomination, but Lisbeth Salander is an unsavory character and could cost Mara the award.

Glenn Close, nominated for her performance as Albert Nobbs, could face similar challenges in the Oscar race.<!--IMAGE-LEFT-->

Nobbs, a woman disguised as a man seeking a better life in male-dominated 19th century Ireland, is awkward and pathetic.  

Many say Glenn Close offers the performance of a lifetime.

But she is up against formidable opponents.

Meryl Streep, for one. She offers an intimate portrait of the aging Margaret Thatcher.<!--IMAGE-LEFT-->

Streep gives us a frail old woman trying to keep her dignity while battling dementia and, in flashbacks, the harsh and unyielding leader of a nation.

Streep masters Thatcher’s mannerisms and intonations for the role and the resemblance is uncanny.

Her character carries the film.

Streep has won two Oscars - the last one 30 years ago - and has been nominated another 17 times.

Many feel she is long overdue for a third.  

But her Oscar-worthy performance as "The Iron Lady" may not prevail because of our antipathy toward the real character she portrays.

Her strongest competition could come from Viola Davis, who plays Aibileen Clark in "The Help."<!--IMAGE-LEFT-->

She's an African-American maid who risks her life to help publish her story and that of other black maids working for white families in 1960s Mississippi.   

Davis delivers a gut-wrenching performance as the all-suffering black woman who raises white children while her own grow up alone.

If she nabs the award on Oscar night, she won't be standing alone.

She would validate all of the African-American maids who toiled for whites.

And that might be difficult for the motion picture academy to overlook.

Big changes are planned for the second season of “The X Factor.”  Host Steve Jones and judges Nicole Scherzinger and Paula Abdul will not be returning to the FOX-TV singing competition.  Abdul released a statement that said, “I’ve learned through my longevity in this industry that business decisions often times override personal considerations.  Simon and I, along with Fox and Fremantle, have been communicating about this for a while now, and I have absolute understanding of the situation.  Simon is, and will remain a dear friend of mine and I’ve treasured my experience working this past season with my extended family at Fox and Fremantle.  I want nothing more than for The X Factor to exceed ALL of their wildest dreams.  This truly has been a blessing and I am most grateful.”  A statement from “The X Factor” creator Simon Cowell says, “I want to say a massive thank you to Paula, Nicole and Steve for being part of The X Factor last year.  We had a lot of fun making the show together and importantly, we found some real talent and stars.  You do develop friendships with the people you work with and Paula, in particular, is a very close friend and I expect to be working with her on another project in the near future. I’m sure all three are going to have massive success in what they do next, but now is the time to thank them all for everything they did last year.”  As of now, music producer L.A. Reid is expected to return as a judge and mentor.

McGraw's New Album Scores on Billboard 200 Chart

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Country star Tim McGraw has the highest debut on this week’s Billboard 200 chart.  He sold 68,000 copies of his new album, Emotional Traffic, its first week of release to give him a Number 2 entry on the list.  That wasn’t enough to knock Adele out of the top spot.  According to Nielsen SoundScan, “21” sold 116,000 copies during the past week to keep Adele at Number One for an 18th non-consecutive week.  Other Top 10 debuts include Lamb of God’s “Resolution” (Number 3), “2012 Grammy Nominees” (Number 4), Ingrid Michaelson’s “Human Again” (Number 5), Kellie Pickler’s “100 Proof” (Number 7), Seal’s “Soul 2” (Number 8) and Kari Jobe’s “Where I Find You” (Number 10).

McCartney's 'Kisses on the Bottom' CD Drops

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On February 7, Hear Music/Concord Records will release Paul McCartney’s new album, “Kisses on the Bottom.”  The former Beatle’s first album since 2007 features guest appearances by Stevie Wonder and Eric Clapton.  “Kisses on the Bottom” includes McCartney’s interpretations of pop standards, plus two new songs.

MusiCares to Honor McCartney

On February 10, the MusiCares Foundation will honor 14-time Grammy winner Paul McCartney as its 2012 MusiCares Person of the Year.  The event will feature an all-star lineup of performers, including McCartney, Diana Krall, Tony Bennett, Coldplay, Alicia Keys and Katy Perry, among others.  Proceeds go to MusicCares, which helps musicians with financial, medical and personal issues.

Clarkson Sings National Anthem at Super Bowl

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Kelly Clarkson sang the National Anthem at Sunday’s Super Bowl XLVI.  Other artists who performed at the NFL championship game included Country star Blake Shelton and his wife Miranda Lambert, who sang a duet version of “America the Beautiful” during the pre-game festivities.  Madonna performed the half-time show, which featured the premiere of her new single, “Give Me All Your Luvin’.”

New Album Releases / February 7:

“Now That’s What I Call Music! 41” by various artists
“A Different Kind of Truth” by Van Halen
“Scars & Stories” by The Fray
“Home” by Dierks Bentley
“I’ll Take Romance” by Steve Tyrell
“Mr. P” by Patrice O’Neal
“Summer In Kingston” by Shaggy
“The Music Inside: A Collaboration Dedicated to Waylon Jennings, Volume II” by various artists.

Star Birthdays:

On February 5, Country singer Sara Evans celebrated her 41st birthday.  Sara was born and raised in Missouri.  She moved to Nashville in 1991, where she recorded one independent album.  In 1997, Sara’s major label debut, “Three Chords and the Truth,” was released on RCA Records.  Her Number One singles include “No Place That Far,” “Born To Fly,” “Suds In The Bucket,” “A Real Fine Place To Start” and “A Little Bit Stronger.”  In 2007, Sara divorced her husband of 14 years.  Reports of her personal problems broke in late 2006 while she was competing on the ABC reality show “Dancing with the Stars.”  In 2008, Sara married Jay Barker, who hosts a radio show in Alabama. She has co-authored two books, “The Sweet By and By” and “Softly and Tenderly.”  Sara’s first album in six years, “Stronger,” was released last year.  Its Number One hit, “A Little Bit Stronger,” became Sara’s first million-selling single.

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Singer Natalie Cole turned 62 on February 6.  The daughter of the late Nat King Cole made her professional debut at age 11.  In 1975, Natalie won the Best New Artist Grammy award.  Early in her career, she recorded pop and rhythm-and-blues material, but in 1991, she decided to return to her musical roots and recorded an album of her father’s pop standards.  The Grammy-winning collection included a studio-made duet version of “Unforgettable” with Nat King Cole.  Her next two albums, “Take A Look” and “Stardust,” contained similar material.  In 2002, Natalie recorded “Ask A Woman Who Knows,” her first album on jazz label Verve Records.  The set earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Jazz Vocal Album.  For her 2006 release “Leavin’,” Natalie covered songs made popular by Shelby Lynne, Sting, Fiona Apple, Kate Bush, and others.  Her latest album, “Still Unforgettable,” contains a virtual duet with her late father on “Walkin’ My Baby Back Home.”  The collection brought her a Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album.  In May 2009, Natalie underwent a kidney transplant.  She returned to performing later that year.

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February 6 marked the birth date of the late “King of Jamaican Reggae,” Bob Marley (born 1945).  In 1965, Marley formed The Wailers, a group that was responsible for popularizing reggae music worldwide.  His songwriting credits include “I Shot the Sheriff,” a Number One hit for Eric Clapton in 1974.  Marley died of cancer at age 36 on May 11, 1981.  

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Country superstar Garth Brooks turns 49 on February 7.  Garth’s rise to fame began in 1987, when he moved from Oklahoma to Nashville.  The following year, executives at Capitol Records saw him perform and signed him to the label.  In 1989, his self-titled debut album was released, which produced four Number One Country singles, including “If Tomorrow Never Comes” and “The Dance.”  Garth’s “No Fences” album stands among the biggest-selling Country albums of all time with 17 million copies sold in the U.S.  Sales of his 1994 anthology, “The Hits,” reached 10 million, making it the best-selling greatest hits release in Country music history.  The Recording Industry Association of America lists him as the second best-selling male solo artist of all time.  Elvis Presley leads with 130.5 million albums sold.  To-date, Garth’s total sales stand at 128 million.  Garth announced his retirement from touring in 2001.  Garth married Country singer Trisha Yearwood in 2005.  Their 2006 duet, “Love Will Always Win,” peaked at Number 23 on the Country chart.  “More Than A Memory,” from Garth’s 2007 “Ultimate Hits” anthology, became the first single ever to debut at Number One on the Country chart.  Garth was among the performers in Washington, D.C. during President Obama’s inaugural festivities.  He’s currently performing an extended solo engagement in Las Vegas.  Garth plans to reunite with his band in 2014 to launch a full tour.

February 8 marks the birth date of late Country-pop singer Dan Seals (born 1948).  The Texas native began performing at age four with his brother Jim.  In 1976, Dan helped form England Dan & John Ford Coley.  He left the pop duo four years later to pursue a solo career in Country music.  Throughout the 1980s, Dan recorded a string of Number One Country hits, including “Bop,” “I Will Be There,” “One Friend” and “Big Wheels in the Moonlight.”  His final album releases included the acoustic greatest hits collections “In A Quiet Room” and “In A Quiet Room II,” and 2002’s “Make It Home.”  In 2007, Dan was diagnosed with a rare form of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.  The following year, he underwent radiation treatments and received a stem cell transplant.  Dan succumbed to the disease on March 29th, 2009 at age 61.

Conductor, composer and arranger John Williams will turn 80 on February 8.  In 1980, he replaced Arthur Fiedler as conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra.  Williams held the post until 1993.  Williams also composes theme music for films and has received more Oscar nominations than any other living person.  In 1999, Sony Records released his film music anthology, “Greatest Hits (1969-1999).”  He composed themes for four Olympic Games - the 1984, 1988 and 1996 Summer Olympics and the 2002 Winter Olympics.  Williams was the recipient of a Kennedy Center Honor in 2004.  He composed the music for two new films, “The Adventures of TinTin: Secret of the Unicorn” and “War Horse.”  Both are among this year’s Academy Award nominees for Best Original Score.  Throughout his long career, Williams has won five Academy Awards and 21 Grammy Awards. 

Singer and influential songwriter Carole King celebrates her 70th birthday on February 9.  One of the “Brill Building” songwriters in the late 1950s, she collaborated with former husband Gerry Goffin on hits such as “Will You Love Me Tomorrow,” “Take Good Care of My Baby,” and the dance sensation “The Loco-Motion.”  Her 1971 solo collection “Tapestry” spent 302 weeks on Billboard’s Top 200 chart, 15 of those at Number One.  Sales reached 25 million copies worldwide.  Known as one of the most successful female songwriters of the rock era, Carole King was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (along with Gerry Goffin) in 1990.  Numerous performers, including Celine Dion, Rod Stewart, All-4-One and Amy Grant recorded new versions of songs from “Tapestry” for the 1995 tribute album, “Tapestry Revisited: A Tribute To Carole King.”  King’s latest studio album, “Love Makes the World,” was released on her own Rockingale Records in 2001.  The title track was a hit on the Adult Contemporary chart.  In 2003, King’s 1971 Number One single, “It’s Too Late,” was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.  “Tapestry” was added to the Hall in 1998.  King and Goffin received the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences’ Trustees Award in 2004 for their “outstanding contributions to the industry outside of performance.”  In 2005, Concord Records released King’s double-CD live set “The Living Room Tour,” which was recorded during her 2004 tour of the same name.  King was inducted into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame in 2007.  A new version of “Tapestry” was released in 2008.  The first disc of the double CD features the original album, plus one bonus track.  The second disc contains live versions of the songs that King recorded in 1973 and 1976.  In 2010, Carole teamed with James Taylor for a concert tour.  The “Troubadour Reunion Tour” was attended by more than 700-thousand fans and grossed over 59-million dollars.  Last year, she recorded her first Christmas album, “A Holiday Carole.”  King’s memoir, “A Natural Woman,” will be published in April.  

On February 10, pop and rhythm-and-blues singer Roberta Flack will celebrate her 75th birthday.  An Arlington, Virginia native, she worked as a high school music teacher in North Carolina.  Jazz musician Les McCann discovered Flack at a nightclub.  Her Number One singles include “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,” “Killing Me Softly With His Song,” and “Feel Like Makin’ Love.”  This week (February 7), 429/Savoy Records will release Flack’s first new album in eight years.  “Let It Be Roberta: Roberta Flack Sings The Beatles” features her interpretation of classic Beatles songs. 

On February 11, R&B singer Brandy will celebrate her 33rd birthday.  At age 15, the Mississippi native arrived on the music scene with her self-titled debut album.  The collection sold more than four million copies and produced such hits as “Baby,” “I Wanna Be Down” and “Best Friend.”  In 1998, Brandy recorded her second CD, “Never Say Never.”  She also starred in her own sitcom, “Moesha,” from 1996 to 2001.  Other acting credits include the lead role in the 1997 television movie “Cinderella” and the motion picture “I Still Know What You Did Last Summer.”  In 1999, Brandy appeared in the ABC television movie “Double Platinum” with Diana Ross.  Her 2002 album, “Full Moon,” featured the singles “What About Us?,” “Full Moon” and “He Is.”  Brandy secretly married producer Robert Smith in the summer of 2001.  She gave birth to their first child, a daughter named Sy’rai, in June of 2002.  Two years later, the couple separated and Smith announced they were never officially married.  Brandy countered that they had “a spiritual union and a deep commitment to each other.”  Her 2004 album, “Afrodisiac,” spawned two minor hits, “Talk About Our Love” and “Who Is She 2 U.”  She had more success in the U.K., where the album’s title track reached the Top 20.  In 2006, Brandy split from her career-long label, Atlantic Records.  Epic Records released Brandy’s fifth album, “Human,” in 2008.  In 2010, Brandy placed fourth on “Dancing with the Stars.”  She collaborated with her brother Ray J, mother Sonja and father Willie Norwood on the 2011 album, “Brandy & Ray J: A Family Business.”  Brandy’s next solo album is due out in March.  Her new duet with Monica, “It All Belongs To Me,” marks their first collaboration in 14 years.  

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Rock singer-songwriter Sheryl Crow will turn 49 on February 11.  The Missouri native moved to Los Angeles in 1986 and got her first big break singing backup vocals on Michael Jackson’s 18-month “Bad” tour.  Crow’s debut album, “Tuesday Night Music Club,” was released in 1993.  It was slow to make an impact until 1994, when the single “All I Wanna Do” was released.  The album went on to sell more than seven million copies in the U.S.  Her 1996 album, “Sheryl Crow,” produced the hits “Everyday Is A Winding Road” and “If It Makes You Happy.”  Sheryl’s 2002 CD, “C’mon, C’mon,” featured such guests as Don Henley, Stevie Nicks, Emmylou Harris, Lenny Kravitz and the Dixie Chicks’ Natalie Maines.  Hits from the collection included the title track, “Soak Up the Sun” and “Steve McQueen.”  Crow’s triple platinum 2003 CD, “The Very Best of Sheryl Crow,” featured her hit remake of Cat Stevens’ “The First Cut Is The Deepest.”  Crow’s 2005 album, “Wildflower,” earned a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Vocal Album.  Her 2008 album, “Detours,” produced the single “Love Is Free,” which was inspired by the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.  Other songs on the album dealt with events in her life, including her breakup with cyclist Lance Armstrong and battle with breast cancer.  In 2010, Sheryl appeared on the “Hope For Haiti Now” telethon.  Her performance of “Lean On Me” with Keith Urban and Kid Rock was included on the “Hope For Haiti Now” album.  She also joined many of today’s biggest music stars to re-record “We Are The World,” which also raised money for relief efforts in Haiti.  Sheryl’s latest album, “100 Miles From Memphis,” failed to produce any big hits.  

Awards Presentations / Winners:

On February 11, the Recording Academy will present its Special Merit Awards at an invitation-only ceremony in Los Angeles.  This year’s Lifetime Achievement Grammy Awards are going to the Allman Brothers Band, Glen Campbell, Antonio Carlos Jobim, George Jones, the Memphis Horns, Diana Ross and Gil Scott-Heron.  Trustees Award recipients include Dave Bartholomew, Steve Jobs and Rudy Van Gelder.  Celemony and Roger Nichols will be honored with the Technical Grammy Award.  The Recording Academy’s Neil Portnow said, “This year’s honorees offer a variety of brilliance, contributions and lasting impressions on our culture.  It is an honor to recognize such a diverse group of individuals whose talents and achievements have had an indelible impact on our industry.”

Look Who's Going On Tour!

On February 9, R&B singer Trey Songz will kick off his “Anticipation 2our” in Cleveland, Ohio.  The 18-city North American tour features special guest Big Sean.  Trey will be supporting his albums “Anticipation” and “Anticipation 2.”  He says, “This tour has literally been years in the making.  Every sound, every emotion that I ever expressed through my music you will get every single night.  No one will leave this show untouched.”

Hot Chelle Rae begins a 34-city North American tour on February 10 in Metarie, Louisiana.  The pop group’s itinerary also includes 12 shows in Australia and New Zealand from March 2-18 as the opening act for Taylor Swift.  Hot Chelle Rae’s new album, Whatever, includes the hits “Tonight Tonight” and “I Like It Like That.”

Tuesday, February 7 is the 200th anniversary of the birth of one of the world's best-loved writers - Charles Dickens. And although his novels depicting the harsh reality of life in 19th century England are from another age, Dickens remains a celebrated figure throughout Britain. Cities across the country are celebrating his life, including the place where he was born.

This is Portsmouth, about 100 kilometers south of London. It's a city with a proud past, one of the main homes of the British Navy.

Tourists come here to see the historic port. But though the cultural heritage is rich, the city is not.

Many people here are on welfare. The navy does not employ as many as it once did. The city's last remaining shipbuilder, providing a livelihood to 1,500 families, is under threat of closure.

But Portsmouth does have one thing it can never lose.

It's where one of Britain's most famous novelists, Charles Dickens, was born on February 7, 1812.

Portsmouth wants to make the most of its famous son.

The final touches are being put on a special exhibit at the city library. The star attraction - the original manuscript of Nicholas Nickleby, Dickens' third novel.

City council member Lee Hunt:

"We're going to get millions more people visiting our city, spending their money here," said Hunt. "Of course, those millions more people are going to arouse a curiosity of local children. Some, only some, who can't read and we hope that this whole celebration encourages them to pick up a Dickens novel and start reading."

Portsmouth may have been the city of Dickens' birth, but it was London where he spent much of his later childhood and adult life. It's locations in this city that spring to mind when you picture scenes or images in his novels. London's poor houses may have gone, but warehouses and old style arcades like these ones here in St. Katherine's dock in the east of the city center will be familiar to readers.

There are many locations central to Dickens' life and novels within just a few minutes' walk of this famous tourist spot.

Christopher West leads Dickens tours around these neighborhoods,  taking visitors, for example, to the site of the old Marshalsea Prison on the other side of the river, where Dickens' father was jailed for not paying his debts.

West says Dickens still fascinates his audience.

“He was championing the problems of not enough health care, not enough police, problems in school, problems in parliament, problems in the law, banking in particular," said West. "While we still have these problems - very relevant today.”

Here's West's favorite passage - it's from Great Expectations...

"In the little world in which children have their existence, whosoever brings them up, there is nothing so finely perceived and so finely felt as injustice," quotes West.

Powerful stuff now, as it would have been then. And will be, he says, in another 200 years.

Manning is still New York’s quarterback and is among 16 Giants players from their championship team.

“A lot of guys who will be key factors in this game did not play in that last Super Bowl, so I think we have to have the mindset that this is a new game;" Manning said "same teams but a lot of different make-up, and that what happened in that last Super Bowl doesn’t matter.  What happened in the last game of the season doesn’t matter.  It’s about what we do on Sunday, what we do in this game.”

He added that both teams in this Super Bowl have many fine players.

“Tom Brady is a great quarterback.  He’s got talented receivers, a good offensive line, good running back, and I think we are very similar.  We have a good offensive line, talented receivers, good running backs, so it should be a great game,” Manning said.

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Brady regularly gets asked about that missed opportunity four years ago for a historic undefeated season, and he’s determined to play better in this Super Bowl.

“I think all those games you lose there are plays you want back," Brady said. "You know, certainly, every time you lose a game you could have done more to help the team win. But when you win you don’t think about any of those things, you think about all the things you did well.  Hopefully that’s what I’m thinking about Sunday night.”

The Super Bowl is America's biggest sporting event, and fans all over the country have been planning parties and other celebrations for Sunday night. Thousands have converged for the game here in Indianapolis, which is hosting the Super Bowl for the first time.

The game will be played at Lucas Oil Stadium, which was opened in late 2008, and has artificial turf and a retractable roof.  It holds about 70,000 fans and is home to the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts, who won the Super Bowl in 2007 with Eli Manning’s older brother Peyton at quarterback.

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The halftime musical performer is veteran pop star Madonna.  When she spoke to reporters at a packed new conference Thursday, she said she would sing three of her older classics and one new song. Madonna hinted it would be “Give Me All Your Luvin’" but she offered no other details.

All commercials for the broadcast of the game sold out by the end of November.  The price for a Super Bowl ad rises every year and has now reached an average price of $3.5 million for 30 seconds.

This year’s game will be seen in nearly 200 countries and will be broadcast in about 25 languages. It will also be streamed live on the NFL.com web site.

"I had a burning desire to see black people presented on television in a positive light," said Cornelius.

Cornelius created Soul Train in 1970, with just $400. He hosted the hugely popular music and dance show for more than two decades. It was must-see TV for the latest fashion trends, innovative dance moves and black music hits.

Ralph Herndon is a pianist with the Choral Arts Society of Washington. He has fond memories of the show.

"Soul Train was like having a party at your house every Saturday. Something that our black youth had to look forward to, something they could identify with," said Herndon.

Soul Train helped to propel the musical careers of giants such as Michael Jackson, James Brown, Aretha Franklin and Marvin Gaye. The weekly show was the first TV program specifically geared towards African Americans.

By the time it went off the air in 2003 Soul Train had become one of the longest-running syndicated shows in U.S. television history. Cornelius hosted the show until 1993. Herndon said the TV icon helped so many recording artists.

"We probably would not have come this far had it not been for Don Cornelius and Soul Train being a catapult for a lot of black artists," said Herndon.

Other Soul Train fans agree and say Cornelius introduced the music of black Americans to the world, and to their fellow Americans.

"I'm Don Cornelius and as always in parting, we wish you love, peace and soul."

Immigrants are often caught between the cultures of their homeland and their adopted country. Mexican American playwright Josefina Lopez is showcasing the struggles of Latino immigrants through film, and through a community theater in Los Angeles. Our correspondent spoke with her about bringing those immigrant stories to the public.

Josefina Lopez speaks with actor Rene Rivera about his one-man play. Called The King of the Desert, it deals with his struggles growing up in a barrio, or ghetto, in Texas near the U.S. border with Mexico.

“My neighborhood is buzzing with conjunto music, a distinctly Tex-Mex sound," said Rivera.

This is the kind of story Lopez wants to put on stage at her community theater, called Casa 0101. Casa is Spanish for “home.” Zero-one-Zero-One refers to the digital bits and bytes of the information age.

She told an earlier immigrant story in Real Women Have Curves, an acclaimed play that became a successful film 10 years ago. Lopez coauthored the screenplay and America Ferrera starred in the film.

Woman in garment factory: “Are you going to be working here full-time?”
Ferrera: “No. I'm just helping out my sister until I find a better job.”
Woman: “Oh, me too. I'm just working here until I win the lottery.”

Lopez says that story needed to be told.

“I wrote it because I had never seen anything about people like me, women my size," she said. "So to have so many people embrace Real Women Have Curves and to have a buzz and people waiting and the excitement, I was like, wow, it's speaking a truth that goes beyond being Latino or being a woman. It's about people always underestimating you.”

In his play being performed now at the theater, Rene Rivera looks at the difficulty navigating life between two cultures.

“It is the life of a Hispanic family living in the United States and yet not being part of the United States," said Rivera. "And so being sort of locked and stuck in between the two cultures, and trying to be reverent to both of them.”

It's opening night for the new production, and this play has a personal message for one Mexican-born immigrant, medical researcher Alonso Arellano.

“This is wonderful," said Arellano. "I want this to stay and to grow. We should have more theaters like this.”

Josefina Lopez says there are thousands of stories like this from the Latino community and other immigrant groups just waiting to be told.

Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.

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In Japan, Nippon Television will show a tape delay of the game shortly after midnight on Monday.  Ikuma Isaac is a reporter for NTV, which is a licensed partner of the NFL and has a crew of 26 here in Indianapolis.  He covers the National Football League throughout the season for a popular weekly one-hour show called "NFL Club" that is watched by 30 million people.

Isaac says his station uses the Katakana language for foreign names and football terms, like this:

“Let’s say it’s ((Japanese)), first and 10, ((Japanese)), [New York Giants Quarterback] Peyton Manning, he’s dropping back, ((Japanese)), he got the pass through, ((Japanese)), or end zone is, you know, 'endozone,' touchdown is 'touchadown.'  So I don’t know if you’d be learning any Japanese.  But if a Westerner or if an English speaker actually listened to a Japanese broadcast of football, they would probably get what is going on,” Isaac said.

Isaac says that because many viewers are learning the game of American football, the play-by-play announcers on NTV’s main network make sure they explain the rules.

Florian Bauer of Germany’s SAT.1 television says soccer, of course, is the popular sport in his country.  But he says he loves American football and that in his broadcasts he tries to educate others about his passion.

“I think the Super Bowl is prestige, and it’s one of the greatest events -- even if it’s not the greatest event -- in the whole world.  And I think we have to be very proud to broadcast it,” Bauer said.

The NFL’s David Tossell says that virtually no matter where you are in the world, you should be able to find Sunday's Super Bowl telecast.

Fans will be subjected to metal detector searches and pat downs, and will be limited to what they can bring in to the stadium.  There is even a limit to the length of spectators’ camera lenses - 15 centimeters.

Only those with tickets will be allowed into a designated security perimeter around the stadium.  On Super Bowl Sunday, temporary flight restrictions will be in place prohibiting private aircraft from operating in a large radius around the sports complex.
It is a comprehensive operation to provide a safe and secure environment for all.

Some information for this report was provided by AP.

It took a complicated series of preposterous and unexpected actions to set up this smashing punch line in a video called The Creamed Egg. Nearly two and a half minutes of mechanical zaniness included balls rolling down troughs, bouncing off the floor, tripping switches, engaging pulleys, lifting cups of water and other surprises along the way.

The Creamed Egg needed six months of trial and error to prepare. It took three days and 200 attempts to film a successful sequence. Above all it took patience, something artist Joseph Herscher describes as a belief in an end goal, in his case - making people laugh.

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“And as long as I never let go of it, that vision, and I never stop believing that it’s going to pay off, then I can just keep on working forever," he said. "It’s the trial and error that’s time-consuming. So you know what trial and error means: trial means hope and error means reality.”

Herscher says he has gotten ideas from the drawings of farfetched machines by the late American cartoonist Rube Goldberg, whose name is associated in the United States with preposterous complexity. Herscher turns the implausible into reality, using familiar objects in unfamiliar ways. That, he says, makes people think about them not as a means to an end, but rather as potential forms of amusement.

“Parts of our lives are so mechanical that it’s sort of nice to stop and think about these parts and have a bit of fun with them," said Herscher. "I guess because I’ve been making these sorts of things my whole life, I’ve built up a library in my head of everyday objects and what you can do with them.”

And he continues to expand that library, for example, spending time in hardware stores to tinker with objects to learn how they roll, fall or collide.  

Herscher earns a living in New York creating cell phone apps.  He was born in the city, but raised in New Zealand. He began playing with contraptions at the age of five and says he got his sense of humor from his father. Both parents were performers.

“We’re human beings, we like to play, and I’m trying to inject playfulness into machines again," he said. "And not necessarily just trying to do the job as efficiently as possible, but actually playing around along the way and doing the job as inefficiently as possible.”

Joseph Herscher’s latest work, The Page Turner, has gotten more than four and a half million hits on YouTube. And probably even more laughs.

Stephanie sets out to bring in her man, actually the guy she dated for a while in high school who is now a fugitive.

MORELLI: "Stephanie Plum? Vinnie sent you to bring me in?"
STEPHANIE: "You're going down, Morelli."
MORELLI: "You know what? You're sexy as hell."

Katherine Heigl, known for her role on the TV medical drama Grey's Anatomy and for numerous romantic comedies, dyed her blonde hair brunette and adopted an edgy "Jersey girl" attitude to play Stephanie.

"I think there's something about her that's really endearing," Heigl says. "She's a decent person with a big heart, and she is sort of fearless and courageous and perpetually puts herself in situations where she is just in over her head, but doesn't take herself or other people very seriously. She has this great perspective on life that happens to really funny and witty and charming as well.

"She's sort of that hapless heroine that you don't get a lot of," the actress adds. "You get the overly-perfect heroines that you can never aspire to be like, but Stephanie is sort of an everyday girl."

It was more than an everyday job for Heigl, who also produced the film based on the first Stephanie Plum novel published in 1994.<!--IMAGE-LEFT-->

"It was so important to me to keep the film really close to the book because that's what I fell in love with and that's what millions of people have fallen in love with in the One For The Money Stephanie Plum series," explains Heigl.

One For The Money could be expected to appeal mainly to female audiences, but Heigl thinks it reaches across gender lines.

"The murder-mystery storyline is kind of dark and little edgy and gives it a 'vibe' that is not purely 'chick-flick-ish.' I think it isn't just a girl's movie," she insists. " I think it's a good time for everyone, men included."

There are 18 novels in the Stephanie Plum seriesm, and if One For The Money is successful, Katherine Heigl hopes to put more of the books on film.

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"Even in ancient Egypt, the Egyptians exhibited dwarfs from the Sudan," she said. "So this is a very, very old story."

And yet it recurs throughout history, as the exhibit reveals, with disturbing frequency.

The Colonial Era
Europeans began exhibiting humans after explorer Christopher Columbus travelled to the Americas in the 15th century. But as recently as the 1950s, people from Africa, Asia and the Americas were displayed in circuses, fairs, parks and freak shows.

"During the 19th century, it became a real entertainment, a real business, to exhibit exotic people and mostly colonial people," said Snoep. "To exhibit someone in a zoo or in international and colonial fairs [was] also a way to justify the colonial project."

And then there were the so-called "freaks and savages" - people with deformities who were put on exhibit.

While many of those caged for touring exhibits - for example, "Hottentot Venus" from South Africa, who was first paraded around Europe in the early 1800s - died, others, like a Togolese man called Nayo Bruce, profited from the phenomenon.

"He went to Berlin in the early 1890s and then very soon, he said 'I will be the businessman, I will be the director of my own village,'" said Snoep. "He organized a sort of Togolese village with his Togolese friends and family and made a tour through Europe for 20 years."

Human exhibits began dying out in the 1930s, as public interest shifted to movies and other forms of entertainment.

A Contemporary Connection
The Quai Branly exhibit, the idea of former French football star Lilian Thuram, takes us to the present day with a video of people who are "different" because of how they look, feel and think.

Thuram, a native of the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe who heads a foundation that educates about racism, says the human zoos helped promote racial hierarchy theories developed by 19th century anthropologists.

"According to these 'scientific theories,' the white race was considered superior," he said. "The scale went down to the so-called 'black race,' which was considered the missing link between monkeys and man."

Thurman says these misguided theories persist today, when, for example, he hears football fans make monkey sounds as black players are on the field. He hopes the show, which draws these parallels between past and present, can make people understand racism as an intellectual fabrication that developed historically, and, as such, can be dismantled.

Although prejudice remains, "Human Zoos: The Invention of the Savage," which runs through June, will make us think hard about our own origins and, perhaps, consider the kind of world we'd like to one day inhabit.

Some information for this report was provided by AP and AFP.

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In The Descendants, a bittersweet family drama directed by Alexander Payne, George Clooney plays Matt Smith, a successful lawyer who finds himself at life's crossroads.

After a boating accident, his wife is in a coma and is to be taken off life support. Overnight, Matt becomes a single parent to his two daughters. As if that is not enough, he finds out that before the accident his wife was cheating on him.

In portraying Matt, Clooney loses his Hollywood persona. Matt is frumpy, and he's awkward with his kids and everyone else around him. He appears lost as he tries to make sense of what is happening to him.  

With six Oscar nominations and one Oscar award under his belt, Clooney represents the status quo in Hollywood, but in a good way. He's as attractive as he is talented.

However, his performance as Matt King is reminiscent of Ryan Bingham, the driven businessman dealing with loneliness and middle age that Clooney played in Jason Reitman’s 2009 drama Up in The Air.

Clooney received a nomination for that role but did not win the Oscar. So, the question is will he get an Oscar this time around for a similar performance.

Oscar nominee Jean Dujardin does something quite different.  He offers a tour de force performance as George Valentin, a 1920s silent movie star who loses fame and fortune with the advent of the "talkies."

In The Artist, by Michel Hazanavicius, Dujardin exudes star power. His elegance, expressiveness and infectious smile represent what was alluring in silent films. Dujardin could reap the Oscar unless voters opt for the more wholesome and down to earth character of Los Angeles gardener Carlos Calindo, played by Mexican actor Demian Bichir in the drama A Better Life.

Carlos Calindo is an illegal alien and a devoted father. He wants a better life for his son.

Bichir offers a multilayered performance tackling a subject that speaks to many.

But, as the underdog among the contenders, an award for Bichir would be a surprise.

The Academy's voters could instead be swayed by the all-American character of Billy Beane, the general manager of the Oakland As baseball team, played by Brad Pitt in Moneyball.

Pitt gives a solid performance as the man who employs unorthodox methods to build a baseball team headed for the play-offs.

But the deck could be stacked against him. There's also Gary Oldman, who towers over Pitt in a fine-tuned performance as super spy "Smiley" in the thriller Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.

But Gary Oldman's British reserve could alienate voters in the Academy, who might feel that his character is too arcane for the American palate.

All bets are on George Clooney's name in that famous envelope or maybe Monsieur Dujardin.  For sure, Oscar night will be interesting this time around.

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There are homes and personal items that belonged to people who are no longer with us, including artists, scientists, photographers, and a U.S. president.

Leibovitz says she went on a journey from 2009 to 2011, taking photos of places that moved her, including landscapes.   She says the collection represents a renewal of her spirit. Earlier, her lover, Susan Sontag, a famous author, died of cancer. And Leibovitz had financial troubles and almost lost control of her photo archives.  

"There's some searching going on," said Leibovitz.  "I discovered some things about myself which were really comforting."

Leibovitz was inspired by the 20th century American artist Georgia O'Keefe and traveled to New Mexico to photograph her homes and a box of handmade pastels.

She also captured images of items that belonged to President Abraham Lincoln, including the hat and gloves he was carrying in 1865 when he was assassinated.  

"What she's really trying to do is evoke the presence of people, in a way, despite their absence," said Andy Grundberg who curated the exhibit.

Leibovitz has been a photographer for 40 years and is known for her shots of celebrities.

She told reporters she hadn't planned to focus on people from the past, but felt drawn to them.

"What really drew me to them, I think that they stand out.   I thrive on history.  I love it," added Leibovitz.

Leibovitz was fascinated by sharpshooter Annie Oakley, a star in Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show in the late 1800s.  She photographed Oakley's boots and one of her shooting targets.

Leibovitz also found inspiration at Graceland, the mansion of rock and roll legend Elvis Presley, where she took a picture of his motorcycle.

Grundberg says the exhibit is "a portrait of Leibovitz."

"This is a way of understanding how Annie Leibovitz thinks about the world through the pictures that she's taken of people and places that are important to her," noted Grundberg.

To honor landscape photographer Ansel Adams, Leibovitz took a picture of his darkroom.  Adams, who died in 1984, was devoted to photographing the wilderness in the American west. He was also a leader of the conservation movement.

Leibovitz did photos similar to Adams' famous pictures of Yosemite Valley in California.  

"The best homage you can make was photographing that valley that he saved," Leibovitz said.

The photos in the exhibit are also included in a book that Leibovitz hopes will inspire people.  She says she'll continue doing portraits, but also wants to take other kinds of photos.

British pop singer Adele continues to set records this week as her album “21” spends a 17th week atop the Billboard 200 chart.  Billboard reports that she now has the longest run at Number One since the soundtrack to “The Bodyguard,” which ended its 20-week reign in May 1993.

Adele also reaches the top spot on this week’s Hot 100 chart.  Her latest single, “Set Fire to the Rain,” is the third consecutive Number One hit from “21.”  According to Nielsen SoundScan tracking, the song sold 185,000 copies during the past week, which pushes its total downloads past the two-million mark.

An Oklahoma hospital will have to give back a $500,000 donation to Country singer Garth Brooks.  During a week-long jury trial, Garth testified that he made the donation in 2005 with the understanding that Integris Canadian Valley Regional Hospital in Yukon, Oklahoma would build a women’s center and name it after his late mother, Colleen Brooks.  The jury ruled that the hospital must return the donation and also pay Brooks an additional $500,000 in punitive damages.

Singer Jason Derulo is recovering from a serious injury that happened a few weeks ago during his tour rehearsals.  According to reports, Derulo was performing a dance move and landed on his head, which fractured a vertebrae.  He told People magazine that his girlfriend, singer Jordin Sparks, is helping him mend.  He said, “We’ve gotten closer because of my accident.  It’s awesome to have someone you can talk to and she’s a wonderful person.”  Derulo added that he’s using his recovery time to work on a new album.

The New York Times reports that Lady Gaga’s parents, Joseph and Cynthia Germanotta, have opened an Italian restaurant in New York City.  Cynthia told the newspaper that Joanne Trattoria will not pander to fans of the singer.  “If they’re expecting to come in here and see Grammys and pictures and stuff like that, it’s not going to happen," she said.

On January 31, Hip-O/Universal Music Enterprises will release former Beatle Ringo Starr’s new album, “Ringo 2012.”  The collection features collaborations with Charlie Haden, Kenny Wayne Shepard, the Eagles’ Joe Walsh, the Eurythmics’ Dave Stewart, Don Was and Edgar Winter, among others.  Ringo is giving his fans the opportunity to make the video for the album’s first single, “Wings.”  Ringo will personally pick the winner, who receives a $3,000 prize.

On February 3, Country star Keith Urban will make his first concert appearance since having vocal cord surgery in November 2011.  He’ll perform on the Grand Ole Opry show at Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium.  Also on the bill are Vince Gill, Craig Morgan, Emmylou Harris, Del McCoury, the Oak Ridge Boys, Josh Turner and Ricky Skaggs.  Special guests include Shawn Colvin and Rodney Crowell.  Keith has also rescheduled his “All for the Hall” concert for April 10.  The show, which benefits Nashville’s Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, was among the events that were postponed due to Keith’s surgery.

NEW ALBUM RELEASES:

New albums scheduled for release on January 31 include: “Born To Die” by Lana Del Rey, “Old Ideas” by Leonard Cohen, “Beyond Magnetic” by Metallica, “God, Love & Romance” by Fred Hammond, “Galaxy” by Jeff Lorber, “Hello Cruel World” by Gretchen Peters and “Crazy” by Candy Dulfer.

AWARDS PRESENTATIONS/WINNERS:

Nominations for the 84th annual Academy Awards have been announced.  Best Picture nominees include “The Artist,” “The Descendants,” “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close,” “The Help,” “Hugo,” “Midnight in Paris,” “Moneyball,” “The Tree of Life” and “War Horse.”   Turning to the music categories, the Best Original Score nominees are John Williams for “The Adventures of Tintin,” Ludovic Bource for “The Artist,” Howard Shore for “Hugo,” Alberto Iglesias for “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” and John Williams for “War Horse.”  Up for Best Original Song are “Man or Muppet” by Bret McKenzie from “The Muppets” and “Real in Rio” by Sergio Mendes from “Rio.”  The Oscars will be handed out on February 26 in Los Angeles. 

Kenny Chesney leads the nominees for the 47th annual Academy of Country Music (ACM) Awards.  His nine nominations include Male Vocalist of the Year, Album of the Year for “Hemingway’s Whiskey” and Entertainer of the Year.  He shares the Entertainer category with Jason Aldean, Brad Paisley, Blake Shelton and Taylor Swift.  Jason Aldean collected six nods, followed by Lady Antebellum with five and Brad Paisley with four.  The 2012 ACM Awards will be handed out on April 1 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. 

TOUR DATES AND INFORMATION:

On February 3, Irish female vocal quartet Celtic Woman will kick off a 60-city North American tour in Nashville, Tennessee.  The group features new addition Susan McFadden, who was born in Dublin and is best known as a London West End musical stage star.  Celtic Woman will be supporting its new album, “Believe.”

Director Jeanne Hallacy said former political prisoner and activist Ko Bo Kyi inspired her to make “Into the Current,” which made its regional debut in Bangkok Thursday to a sold-out audience at the Foreign Correspondents' Club.

“His mandate was, as a former political prisoner, he was going to work every which way he could on the global stage, to ensure that all these prisoners could be released,” she said.

Ko Bo Kyi spent seven years in prison in Burma before escaping to Thailand, where he co-founded the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners in 1999.

Burmese authorities announced this month that they would be releasing 651 of the estimated 2,000 political activists behind bars in an effort to promote national reconciliation.

Ko Bo Kyi said those who remain in prison should not be forgotten.

“Political prisoners do not receive timely medical treatment, so there is not enough medication, and there are not enough doctors for the prisoners, therefore the prisoners suffer a lot,” he said, adding that even after their release, life is not easy.

He pointed to the case of Thet New, who died shortly after being freed under the government amnesty this month. The activist is believed to have died from the effects of torture suffered in prison.

Free, but not

Ko Bo Kyi said those who survive are still punished professionally and personally.

“The Burmese government doesn’t recognize the existence of political prisoners. Therefore, even after they were released, they are blacklisted. They do not receive passports. They do not get back their license,” he said.

Another focus of the film, co-produced by the Democratic Voice of Burma, is Ko Bo Kyi’s lifelong friend, the writer and poet Min Ko Naing.  He is considered Burma’s most prominent opposition leader after Nobel Peace Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, and was released earlier this month.

Associated Press

Min Ko Naing forms a human chain with the '88 Generation Student Group. Rangoon, May 27, 2007.

“It was because of his unyielding stance, and the enormous risks that he took, over and over again, that put him in that position of being a leader of what was called the ‘88 Generation Group,” said Hallacy.

Min Ko Naing spent 16 years in solitary confinement, and emerged from prison in 2007, only to lead another protest that returned him to jail later that year.

The human toll

The human toll exerted on the government’s opponents is explored in “Into the Current.” Min Ko Naing speaks ruefully of his former girlfriend, who he says, “now belongs to someone else,” following his many years in prison. Ko Bo Kyi bid farewell to his parents when he fled Burma more than a decade ago. And Aung San Suu Kyi had to give up her family life with her late husband Michael Aris and her sons.

“Despite all of that, what is their response? It’s informed by their Buddhist belief, Metta, loving kindness,” said Hallacy.

In the film, Aung San Suu Kyi is asked if the National League for Democracy will show mercy to members of the former military government. “We all need mercy,” she said.

Aung San Suu Kyi spent 15 years under house arrest over the past two decades. She was released in 2010, just days after controversial elections that gave Burma its first nominally civilian government since 1962.

She will be among the candidates vying for a seat in parliamentary by-elections in April. It will be the first time that she has been allowed to seek political office.

Forty years ago, a new women’s magazine appeared on American newsstands alongside the periodicals exclusively devoted to housework, motherhood, and catching a man. Ms.Magazine, founded by veteran journalist and feminist Gloria Steinem and backed by glossy New York Magazine, promised to be something more: a place where women could read about real women like themselves, and connect to the nascent women’s movement - devoted to equality in the workplace and in all aspects of their lives.

The right to legalized abortion and birth control was just one of many powerful issues embraced by the women’s liberation movement of the early 1970s.  Like the civil rights movement,  equality, justice and community were key ideals for the feminists of that era.

Letty Cottin Pogrebin, a founding editor, says Ms. was a product of that moment and also helped it to coalesce.    

"I think it had a double purpose: to say ‘this is what’s happening’ and also ‘you’re not alone,’ and also ‘here is what to do if you are already annoyed, angry, upset, or oppressed.’ You organize," explained Pogrebin. "You start by having consciousness raising groups, that is, little groups of women who met once a week or a couple times a month to share their commonality, to say ‘When were you ever denied your rights?’ ‘Have you ever done anything about it?’"     

Pogrebin says that in the offices of Ms. and on its pages, the conversation about feminism was often lively and probing.    

“You say ‘why was it foreordained that women will not be able to handle tools? Why was it foreordained that there’s something sissy about being able to take care of a baby?" Pogrebin explained.    

Suzanne Braun Levine edited the magazine from 1972 to 1988. She says members of Ms.’s staff were discovering for themselves where they stood on various issues - from prostitution to the changing role of men and the meaning of equality itself.   

“Although nobody really believes it, we really didn’t have an agenda as such," noted Levine. "The agenda was to illuminate women’s experience, and to thereby reassure women that they weren’t alone and they weren’t crazy. Still, that was the political message. But the other aspect of the magazine was to tell the storiesof creative and adventuresome and interesting and funny women and what they were really doing."  

Some radical feminists felt Ms. was “watering down” their ideas for mainstream readers. But the magazine did break new ground, says Pogrebin. One issue dealt with domestic violence. It had a woman with a black eye on its cover.   

“The idea of putting that on a cover was just beyond imagining for that era," Pogrebin noted. "You couldn’t find acknowledgment that the greatest amount of violence that was committed against women was from people they knew and supposedly loved or who supposedly loved them.”  

Ms. is credited with being among the first to bring the issue of sexual harassment in the workplace to widespread attention. Ms. pointed out what women already knew: that such behavior was more than a personal violation. It forced many women to choose between their dignity and their jobs.  

“A secretary would say what her male boss did and a woman executive would say what her male boss did. So it crossed class because masculine power kind of trumped every other kind of class distinction,” Pogrebin said.

Ms. was also critical in changing views on abortion, which was illegal in most U.S. states except to save a mother's life. The magazine published a statement signed by thousands of women, admitting they had had abortions.    

“It was an exposure, It was dangerous and I thought therefore it was one of the most meaningful things we did,"  Pogrebin said.

In 2012, American women live in a vastly different world than the one that Gloria Steinem and her staff navigated in 1972.

Suzanne Braun Levine says the fact that her 25-year-old daughter takes the possibilities and accomplishments of women for granted is bittersweet.  

“I am so glad she doesn’t know how it was," Levine said. "She can’t imagine getting anyone’s permission to get a credit card. She can’t imagine needing a companion to go to a restaurant she likes. The downside is that as, for example, we lose the right to abortion, I am not sure she understands how important it is to fight to hold on to it."   

Ms. Magazine is only quarterly now.  Other causes and media are filling the niche it once monopolized.  

The magazine turns 40 this month.

Martin Scorsese's 3D adventure movie "Hugo," a fantasy tribute to French film pioneer George Melies, leads the list with 11 nominations, including one for Best Director, numerous technical categories and the most coveted of all, Best Picture of the Year.

Actress and previous Oscar nominee Jennifer Lawrence announced the top category.

"The films selected as best picture nominees for 2011 are  "War Horse," "The Artist," "Moneyball," "The Descendants," "The Tree of Life," "Midnight in Paris," "The Help," "Hugo" and "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close."<!--IMAGE-LEFT-->

"The Artist," a French-made black-and-white silent film about old-time Hollywood, has 10 nominations, including writing and directing for Michel Hazanavicius, Best Actor for its star Jean DuJardin and Best Supporting Actress for co-star Berenice Bejo, who expresses the sentiment heard most often.

"Just being nominated is already an honor and already unbelievable," she said.

The nominees are chosen by peer groups within the 6,000-member Academy, comprised of men and women who work as actors, writers, directors, composers and various other filmmaking crafts.

While it's politically correct to protest the competitive aspect of the awards, Best Actress nominee Viola Davis says it's nice to be recognized.

Related slide show

"You always want your work to be acknowledged," she said. "I can't do it in the room or in front of the mirror in my bathroom. I do it for the appreciation and enjoyment of an audience, so it means a lot."

Davis' performance in "The Help," about black maids working for white families in the south in the 1960s, puts her in the running for Best Actress alongside Meryl Streep for "The Iron Lady;" Michelle Williams in "My Week With Marilyn;" Glenn Close for "Albert Nobbs" and Rooney Mara as "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo."

Best Actor nominees are DuJardin in "The Artist;" George Clooney for "The Descendants;" Brad Pitt for "Moneyball;" Gary Oldman for "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" and Mexican actor Demian Bichir for "A Better Life."

Films from Belgium, Canada, Poland, Israel and Iran are competing for Best Foreign Language Film.

Veteran Hollywood executive Brian Grazer, who will produce this year's Oscar telecast, sees no clear front-runner.

"I'm a little bit surprised and excited that a big Hollywood movie, 'Hugo,' got 11 nominations; and I think that it's a very unpredictable race that's going to happen right now," he said.

Winners of the 84th annual Academy Awards will be revealed in the global telecast from Hollywood on Feb. 26.

"Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close," the Academy-award nominated drama by filmmaker Stephen Daldry, is based on the novel by Jonathan Safran Foer. The story, though rooted in the September 11 tragedy, does not focus on the event. It follows an 11-year-old boy who suffers from the loss of his father at the World Trade Center.

Oskar Schell cannot comprehend why the person he loved most died on the morning of September 11.  

An intellectually-gifted child, Oskar also has symptoms of Asperger's syndrome and is fearful of the world. But he finds shelter in his father's presence. Together they solve historical puzzles or go on imaginary expeditions.

Thomas Schell, portrayed by Tom Hanks, spent endless hours helping Oskar ease into the outside world. When he dies, Oskar cannot let

"To prolong the contact that he had with his father, who is now no longer living, he goes to his closet that hasn't been touched in a year and finds, oddly enough, a key inside a vase that is sitting up on the top shelf," says Hanks. "And that key has the name Black attached to it. And he is convinced that Black is the name of somebody who had some connection with his father."

Oskar, played by newcomer Thomas Horn, visits hundreds of New Yorkers.

"He goes to all the people named Black in New York City," Horn says, "all the five boroughs, and tries to find out what the key means."

Oskar is accompanied by an old man who rents a room in his grandmother's apartment. The role is played by Max von Sydow, who is nominated for Best Supporting Actor.

"It is a story about 9/11 and it's an important story about someone who chooses a therapy to come over all the shock without knowing that it is a therapy," he says.  

Director Stephen Daldry makes 9/11 personal through the pain of Oskar and the Schell family. Actress Sandra Bullock, who portrays Oskar's mother, says the story is based on accounts of real people who lost loved ones in the attacks.

"We were able to have access to phone messages that those people that were left behind received from the people who were in the tower," Bullocks says. "The thing I was most amazed by was that, at that moment when I think the person realized they were not going to make it, they left messages of hope and love and affection."

Though an American story, "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" is a New York tale, about a community forever bound by a shared experience of historic proportions.

And it's about accepting that people are not always in control, that events don’t always make sense.  

Stephen Daldry's film meanders, but the stellar cast, starting with young Thomas Horn, as well as the weighty nuances, make this a must-see film.

Hollywood seems to agree. "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" is contending for an Oscar, the entertainment industry's highest honor. It's nominated for Best Picture.

In many regions of the globe, surviving a war is followed by surviving the peace. From Laos, where this new documentary was filmed, to Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, Cambodia, and many other countries, local inhabitants live in daily fear of stepping on a landmine or unexploded ordnance left after a recent conflict.
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Surviving the Peace, filmed in Laos in May 2011, reflects a situation found in many countries. It features a young father who is blinded when a bomb left over from the Vietnam War explodes in the fire he is making at his home.

“The guy had most of his face deformed and we were this close [to him]. They allowed us in and we were complete strangers. It felt like we were given a gift from these people to be allowed into their lives,” said filmmaker and cinematographer Rick Gershon.

He said that he and his partner Nathan Golon received a warm welcome in Laos. Even though, as Golon pointed out, the subject they were covering was a sensitive issue.

“We had sensitivities to the fact that here we are in these people’s homes as Americans and these were American bombs that injured people. We never felt the slightest bit of reproach from these people,” Golon.

The documentary was the idea of Patricia Loria, marketing manager for an organization called "Mines Advisory Group," or "MAG."

“The story is powerful not only for Laos, but hopefully it is powerful enough for everyone who really cares about justice, their children, or just helping others,” said Loria.

The United Nations estimates more than 110 million active mines are still scattered in 70 countries around the world. This means one landmine for every 52 people. MAG currently has about 3,500 people working around the world to clear and destroy leftover weapons - most of them local residents. Jennifer Lachman, the executive director of MAG America, said the organization has one main goal.

“…  helping people recover and get back on their feet safely and prosperously after conflicts," said Lachman.

MAG has worked in more than 35 countries since it began in 1987... Its work earned it the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize. It has most recently worked in the northern Iraqi region of Kurdistan - and in Libya.

“Libya is an example where we launched an emergency operation as soon as areas were safe enough for us to work there. We trained members of the National Transitional Council to work with us to destroy ammunitions and secure them,” said Lachman.

This is not the first time MAG has taken the cinematic route to raise awareness about its cause. The group also has produced films about Bosnia and the Democratic Republic of Congo - and is working on two others - about Angola and Sudan.

The New York subway system is one of the largest in the world, ferrying nearly eight and a half million people around the city every week. Riders find more than transportation below the streets; amid the dirt and the grime and the screech of the trains, there is also music. The subway system is like a free concert hall, offering almost every kind of music, from West African kora to American bluegrass to Vietnamese string instruments and Mexican mariachi bands.

You never know what you might encounter, depending on the day of the week and the particular station. At a subway platform below Pennsylvania Station one afternoon recently, Rawl Mitchell, an immigrant from Trinidad and Tobago, was playing the steel drums. He said he’s been performing in the subway since the mid-1990s.

“The people do appreciate the music,” he said. “They stand around listening, and if it pleases them, they applaud and put their money in the case or whatever. They usually clap and say, you know, it’s nice. They offer me some positive feedback.”

Singer-songwriter Rosateresa, who often sings on a station at 14th Street, has been at it almost as long. She moved from Puerto Rico to study classical voice several decades ago. “My mission is to sing like the jilguero - the jilguero is a Puerto Rican bird - that wakes up the sun. My mission is to sing like a brook, without stopping," said Rosateresa.

Mitchell and Rosateresa both perform independently, outside the transit authority’s official “Music Under New York” program, which sponsors 150 performances each week, by more than 200 individuals and groups. Those in the official MTA program must audition yearly. Mitchell said he’s usually visiting Trinidad and Tobago in the spring when auditions are held. For her part, Rosateresa says she is too much of a rebel to participate in the official program.

“It’s a long story,” she said, “but my family did not support my singing - that’s the shortest version - and when I discovered I could sing in the subway, I could be rebellious that way. You can either be rebellious or have a license, but you cannot have both,” she said.

Court cases have held that subway singers have a First Amendment right to perform and do not need MTA permission. Still, now and then police tell them to stop.

"Occasionally a policeman will tell me to go. And I go. I don’t argue with men with guns, that’s my motto,” said Rosateresa.

Like Rosateresa and Mitchell, musicians who participate in “Music Under New York,” earn only whatever people choose to give. Opera singers Tom McNichols and Patricia Vital, part of a group called “Opera Collective,” said they love performing in the subways, though it isn’t lucrative.

“Music in general is not about for the money, and music under New York is definitely more about making opera accessible than it is about making a living,” McNichols said.

Folksinger Wendy Sayvetz has been a Music Under New York performer for 22 years, almost as long as the program has existed. She says she’s as proud of her work in the subways and rail stations as she is for having once sung at the White House.

“Most people don’t really get what this is about, that we actually love this gig,” she said. “The features about us on the news tend to go for the cliché, that we’re down and out. I actually had someone say to me once, ‘Is something wrong with you? You’re so good, what are you doing here?’”

Sayvetz and a partner are developing a musical play about subway musicians in part to challenge that stereotype. “Light in the Tunnel” will feature 20 subway performers and groups, all playing themselves.“It’s not about,‘Oh, we don’t have to play in the subway anymore,’ Sayvetz said. “We want people to go, ‘Oh, subway music is the best thing!'”

Yet many people already feel that subway music is the best thing. Even in the age of personal MP-3 players, busy New Yorkers sometimes stop in their tracks to listen. And now and again, a spontaneous dance party will break out - as when a group of New York teenagers taking the subway at 42nd Street found the jazz of Welf Dorr’s “Underground Horns” impossible to resist.

Blues legend Etta James died of leukemia on January 20.   The 73-year-old singer also suffered from kidney disease and dementia.  Born Jamesetta Hawkins in Los Angeles, she was discovered by musician, producer and bandleader Johnny Otis, who also died this week (January 17) at age 90.  Etta James was a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, whose many R&B hits included “The Wallflower,” “All I Could Do Was Cry” and her signature tune “At Last.”  Last month, Etta’s personal physician announced that she was terminally ill.  She would have celebrated her 74th birthday on January 25. 

Adele Holds On to Top Billboard 200

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This week, British pop star Adele hangs onto the Number One position on the Billboard 200 chart for the 16th week with 21.  She now ties a record held since 1998 by the Titanic soundtrack.  According to Billboard, 21 becomes only the 20th album in the 56-year history of the Billboard 200 to spend at least 16 weeks in the top spot.

Springsteen Working on New Album

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More details are emerging about the upcoming Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band album.  Titled Wrecking Ball, the set will be released on Columbia Records on March 6.  The group will support the collection with U.S. and European tours.  Manager Jon Landau released a statement that says, “Bruce has dug down as deep as he can to come up with this vision of modern life.  The lyrics tell a story you can’t hear anywhere else, and the music is his most innovative of recent years.  The writing is some of the best of his career and both veteran fans and those who are new to Bruce will find much to love on ‘Wrecking Ball.’”

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Exhibit to Feature Grateful Dead

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio plans to open a Grateful Dead exhibit on April 12.  “Grateful Dead: The Long, Strange Trip” will feature over 100 items, including five Jerry Garcia guitars and other instruments that belonged to the group’s members, original lyric sheets and artwork.  The display is scheduled to run through December 31.

New CD Honors Amnesty International

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On January 24, Fontana Distribution will release the four-CD set “Chimes of Freedom: Songs of Bob Dylan Honoring 50 Years of Amnesty International.”  Artists who donated songs to the 73-track collection include Adele, Maroon 5, Sting, Ziggy Marley, the Dave Matthews Band, Sugarland, Miley Cyrus, and many others.  Seventy of the songs were recorded especially for the release.  Producer Jeff Ayeroff said, “This album is a powerful fusion of the music community’s respect for Amnesty’s life-affirming work and for Bob Dylan’s enduring brilliance.”  All of the artists, session musicians, arrangers, engineers, producers and recording studios worked pro-bono to support the human rights cause.

New Album Releases / January 24:

“100 Proof” by Kellie Pickler
“2012 Grammy Nominees” by various artists
“Believe” by Celtic Woman
“Human Again” by Ingrid Michaelson
“Bangarang” (EP) by Skrillex
“WOW Gospel 2012” by various artists
“NOW That’s What I Call Country Ballads” by various artists
“Soul 2” by Seal
“Comeblack” by The Scorpions
“Hard Knocks” by Joe Cocker
“Gaither Homecoming Celebration” by Bill & Gloria Gaither

Star Birthdays:

Singer Steve Perry celebrated his 63rd birthday on January 22.  From 1978 to 1987, he performed with the rock band Journey.  Three years before leaving the group, Perry recorded his first solo album, “Street Talk.”  Its four chart hits included the Top 5 single “Oh Sherrie.”  After a long break from the music business, he returned in 1994 with his second solo collection, “For the Love of Strange Medicine.”  In 1996, the members of Journey reunited to record “Trial By Fire.”  The album produced the Number One Adult Contemporary hit, “When You Love A Woman.”  In 1998, Perry announced that he was again leaving Journey to pursue solo projects.  He recorded two tracks for the soundtrack to the motion picture “Quest For Camelot.”  Also in 1998, Columbia Records issued Perry’s anthology, “Greatest Hits + Five Unreleased.”  In 2009, Sony Legacy released another greatest hits compilation, “The Very Best of Steve Perry.”  In a 2010 interview with Classic Rock Presents AOR, Perry said he had written about 50 new songs.  He added, “I can definitely smell a solo project on the horizon.  I will be recording some music.”  

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On January 24, singer Neil Diamond will celebrate his 71st birthday.  Neil began recording in 1961 and scored his first Top 10 single five years later with “Cherry, Cherry.”  In 1980, Neil starred in and composed the music for the motion picture “The Jazz Singer.”  In 1993, he paid tribute to legendary songwriter’s on the album, “Up On the Roof - Songs From the Brill Building.”  In 1996, Neil recorded “Tennessee Moon,” his first full album of new songs in four years.  It featured guest performances by violinist Mark O’Connor, late Country legends Chet Atkins and Waylon Jennings, and others.  In 2003, Columbia Records released Diamond’s five-CD box set, “Stages: Performances 1970-2002.”  2005’s “12 Songs” became his first Top 10 debut on the Billboard 200 chart.  In 2007, it was re-released as a double CD with a second disc of unreleased demo recordings and alternate takes, and two bonus tracks.  In 2009, Neil was honored as MusiCares Person of the Year in recognition of his “exceptional artistic achievements as well as his philanthropic work, which has included many generous charitable donations over the years.”  Last year, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and was also the recipient of a Kennedy Center Honor.

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On January 25, singer and pianist Alicia Keys celebrates her 31st birthday.  Born in New York, she began playing piano at age seven and wrote her first song at 14.  That track, called “Butterflyz,” appeared on her 2001 debut album “Songs In A Minor.”  The album brought her five Grammy Awards and sold more than six million copies in the U.S.  Alicia was only 18 when she signed her first major label deal with Columbia Records.  She left the label due to creative differences and Clive Davis signed her to Arista Records.  Alicia was then signed to J Records, which Davis formed in 2000.  In 2004, Alicia debuted at Number One on the Billboard 200 chart with “The Diary of Alicia Keys.”  The album sold eight million copies worldwide.  Her 2007 collection, “As I Am,” was produced the Number One hit “No One” and earned her two Grammy nominations.  Also in 2007, she appeared in two motion pictures, “Smokin’ Aces” (with Ben Affleck) and “The Nanny Diaries” (with Scarlett Johansson).  In 2008, Alicia starred in the film “The Secret Life of Bees.”  Her 2009 duet with Jay-Z, “Empire State of Mind,” spent five weeks at Number One.  In 2010, Alicia released her latest album, “The Element of Freedom,” which became her first to top the U.K. Albums chart.  Alicia married record producer Swizz Beatz in July 2010 and gave birth to their son Egypt in October.  After J Records closed its doors in 2011, it was announced that her future albums will be released by RCA Records.  

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Guitarist Eddie Van Halen will turn 57 on January 26.  In 1974, he formed the California-based rock band Van Halen.  The group rose to stardom in the 1980s with such hits as “Why Can’t This Be Love,” “When It’s Love” and the Number One single “Jump.”  Van Halen’s 1998 album, “Van Halen 3,” featured a new lead singer, former Extreme vocalist Gary Cherone.  Cherone was released from the band in 2000.  In 2001, Eddie was diagnosed with mouth cancer from which he has recovered.  Singer Sammy Hagar reunited with Van Halen in 2004 to perform a U.S. concert tour.  Eddie and his wife of 25 years, actress Valerie Bertinelli, divorced in 2007.  The couple has one son, 20-year-old Wolfgang Van Halen, who replaced Michael Anthony as Van Halen’s bass guitarist.  Van Halen was inducted into the Rock and Hall of Fame in 2007.  That same year, the band brought back David Lee Roth as its lead singer.  Van Halen’s 2007-2008 reunion tour with Roth grossed 93-million-dollars, which set a record for the group.  In June 2009, Eddie Van Halen married his publicist Janie Liszewski.  Van Halen’s new album, “A Different Kind of Truth,” will be released on February 7.  It marks their first album with David Lee Roth since 1984.  The album’s first single, “Tattoo,” debuts on Billboard’s rock chart this week at Number 16.  Van Halen will kick off a North American tour on February 18.

On January 27, Country singer Tracy Lawrence will celebrate his 44th birthday.  In 1991, Tracy arrived in Nashville from his home state of Texas.  Less than one year later, he was signed to Atlantic Records.  The title track from his debut album, “Sticks and Stones,” went to Number One and was followed by several other chart hits.  Tracy’s second album, “Alibis,” produced four chart-topping singles.  In 1996, Atlantic Records issued Tracy’s first live set and the studio album, “Time Marches On.”  In 2004, he was signed to DreamWorks Records, which released “Strong.”  The album’s hits included “It’s All How You Look At It,” “Sawdust On Her Halo” and “Paint Me A Birmingham.”  2008’s “For the Love” was the first release on Tracy’s own label, Rocky Comfort Records.  “For The Love’s” first hit was “Find Out Who Your Friends Are.”  A second version of that song, featuring Country stars Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney, became Tracy’s first Number One single in 10 years.  In 2009, he released his first Christian music album, “The Rock.”  

Pop singer Nick Carter turns 32 on January 28.  Nick began acting in commercials when he was 10.  Two years later, he landed a spot with the Backstreet Boys.  The pop group’s first album was released in 1997.  “Millennium” and “Black & Blue” followed in 1999 and 2000, respectively.  Carter’s 2002 debut solo album, “Now Or Never,” included five songs that he co-wrote.  The Backstreet Boys returned in 2005 with the album, “Never Gone.”  Their 2007 collection, “Unbreakable,” produced only two minor hits, “Inconsolable” and “Helpless When She Smiles.”  In 2010, the Backstreet Boys toured to support their latest album, “This Is Us.”  The group performed shows last year throughout Latin America and Vietnam, and also co-headlined a North American tour with New Kids On The Block.  Nick’s second solo album, “I’m Taking Off,” was released in 2011.  The Backstreet Boys are currently working on a new album, which is due out later this year.  

Singer and pianist Sarah McLachlan will celebrate her 44th birthday on January 28.  Since arriving on the pop music scene in 1989, Sarah has sold more than 15 million albums in the United States.  Her hits include “Angel,” “Adia,” “I Will Remember You,” and “Building A Mystery.”  In 1997, she launched the first Lilith Fair festival tour, a successful showcase for female musicians.  McLachlan was expected to record a new album in 2002, but those plans were delayed due to her mother’s death and the birth of Sarah’s first child.  Her 2003 album, “Afterglow,” earned a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Vocal Album.  In 2006, she recorded the holiday CD, “Wintersong,” which sold more than two million copies worldwide and brought her Grammy and Juno Award nominations.  Sarah gave birth to her second daughter in 2007.  In 2010, she organized the first Lilith Fair Tour since 1999.  Colbie Caillat, Sheryl Crow, The Courtyard Hounds, Miranda Lambert and Mary J. Blige were among the many artists who joined Sarah on the tour.  In 2002, she created the Sarah McLachlan Music Outreach program for at-risk youths in Vancouver.  It operated out of a church basement until last year, when she opened the Sarah McLachlan School of Music.  Also in 2011, she released her latest album, “Laws of Illusion.”

Awards Presentations/Winners:

On January 24, actress Jennifer Lawrence and Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences president Tom Sherak will announce nominations for the 84th Academy Awards.  Nominees in 10 of the Academy’s 24 categories will be revealed during an early morning broadcast from the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.  The 2012 Oscars will be presented on February 26 in Los Angeles.

Look Who's Going On Tour!

Rock singer Emilie Autumn will begin a North American tour on January 25 in Kansas City, Missouri.  Her “Fight Like A Girl” trek will stop in 27 cities through February 26.  Dates in the United Kingdom and Europe are scheduled to take place in March and April.

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On January 27, Lady Antebellum will kick off the first half of its “Own the Night 2012 World Tour” in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  Guests on the outing include Darius Rucker and husband-and-wife duo Thompson Square.  Sixty-five North American concerts are scheduled through June 30.  Lady A’s Charles Kelley said, “This is the tour we’ve always dreamed of putting together. We got to help design the stage and really collaborate on new production ideas.  I can’t wait for the next nine months!”

Country star George Strait begins an 11-city U.S. tour on January 27 in Lafayette, Louisiana.  Joining him on the tour is Martina McBride.  George will be supporting his 39th studio album, “Here For A Good Time.”  Martina’s latest collection, “Eleven,” features the hits “Teenage Daughters” and her current Top 10 ballad, “I’m Gonna Love You Through It.”  George said, “I love Martina.  She’s been on our tours before and she’s great.  I’m really looking forward to the tour.  Martina will definitely make it a special night.”

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When Etta James sang Mack Gordon and Harry Warren’s “At Last,” the dozens of other versions by everyone from Nat “King” Cole to Beyonce seemed to pale in comparison.  It was Etta’s signature song that launched her acclaimed career that spanned more than 50 years.

Etta James was born Jamesetta Hawkins in Los Angeles, California.  She began formal music lessons at age five and sang solos in a choir at her Baptist church.  Following a stint as a gospel singer on a local radio broadcast, she formed an all-girl vocal trio called The Creolettes.  She was only 16 when the group, under the direction of producer Johnny Otis, changed its name to The Peaches and signed with Modern Records.  Their first hit was Etta’s own composition, “The Wallflower (Roll With Me, Henry).”

“The Wallflower (Roll With Me, Henry)” was a Number One hit on the Rhythm and Blues charts in 1955.  Soon after, Etta James and her group The Peaches parted ways, allowing her solo career to flourish.

Etta signed with Chess Records in 1960 and began recording for its subsidiary labels Argo and Cadet.  Her debut album, “At Last”, yielded six Top 20 R&B singles, all of which crossed over onto the pop chart.

She continued her streak of hit singles and albums throughout the 1960s.  By 1968, when she released her best-selling pop tune, “Tell Mama,” her repertoire grew to include soul, rock, jazz, duets and string orchestrations.

Etta’s struggle with drug addiction began in the 1960s.  She was in and out of a psychiatric hospital for years but remained committed to her singing career.  She conquered her drug problem at age 50, after seeking treatment at a substance abuse center.

Etta James won multiple Grammy Awards, including Best Traditional Blues Album, “Blues To The Bone” in 2004.  She earned a Grammy Award for Lifetime Achievement, and her hit songs “At Last” and “The Wallflower (Roll With Me, Henry)” were both inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.  She was also the winner of more than 15 Blues Music Awards.

Other accolades included her induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Blues Foundation’s Hall of Fame, and the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Rolling Stone magazine named her one of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.