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.

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

<!--IMAGE-RIGHT-->

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

<!--IMAGE-LEFT-->

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

<!--IMAGE-LEFT-->

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.

<!--IMAGE-LEFT-->

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.

<!--IMAGE-LEFT-->

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.  

<!--IMAGE-LEFT-->

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.  

<!--IMAGE-LEFT-->

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.”

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

Williams garnered another best score 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.

"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."

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

<!--AV-->

With no limit to his musical range, Christian McBride has performed with hundreds of jazz, pop and rock greats, as well as hip-hop groups and classical singers.  Interplay brings out the best in the 39-year-old bandleader and composer, as heard on this montage from his album, featuring, in order, keyboardist George Duke, guitarist Russell Malone, vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater and saxophonist Ron Blake.

Christian is also paired with pianists Eddie Palmieri, Chick Corea and the late Dr. Billy Taylor; vocalists Angelique Kidjo, Sting and Gina Gershon; violinist Regina Carter; and trumpeter Roy Hargrove on the jazz standard “Baubles, Bangles and Beads.”

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.”

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

<!--IMAGE-RIGHT-->

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

<!--IMAGE-LEFT-->

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

<!--IMAGE-LEFT-->

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.”  

<!--IMAGE-LEFT-->

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.

<!--IMAGE-LEFT-->

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.  

<!--IMAGE-LEFT-->

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.

<!--IMAGE-LEFT-->

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.”

<!--AV-->

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.

<!--AV-->

Country music is famous for its unique sounding music and no band in country music is more recognizable to country music fans than the Oak Ridge Boys. The current foursome continues a tradition dating back more than 60 years with the release of their 31st album, "It's Only Natural".

"The Oak Ridge Boys are still here, still having fun, and still making new music," said Bonsall.  "Great things are going on."

The Oak Ridge Boys are celebrating the 30th anniversary of one of their biggest hits with the new album.

"[The new CD] has six songs that are songs we have had before that have been hits for the Oak Ridge Boys and then it has five brand new songs," William Lee Golden explained.  "We also re-recorded 'Elvira.'"

"It ['Elvira'] went to the top of the country charts and spilled over into pop and rock and roll and went to the top of those [charts]," Golden added.  "Everybody in America was singing "Oom-Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow' with Joe and the Oak Ridge Boys in 1981".  

Elvira earned the Oak Ridge Boys a 'Best Country Performance by a Group' Grammy award in 1982, and is just one of dozens of hits over the years. With all of their success and achievements it would be hard to pick a highlight, but Bonsall says, "I would have to say being inducted into the Grand Ole Opry recently certainly ranks up there among the highest of all the wonderful things we have had the opportunity to experience in our career."

How can a band manage to stay together for seven decades?  

"I think music has a healing power," Golden explained.  "I think when we are able to sing and work as much as we do and travel as much as we do and sing the songs as much as we do, that is the highlight of the day.  When we get to go on stage and sing together.  Music has a healing power and also has a rejuvenating power too."

The Oak Ridge Boys are currently on tour in support of their new album "It's Only Natural" and from the sound of things, they have no intention of slowing down.

The MusiCares Foundation has announced Paul McCartney as its 2012 MusiCares Person of the Year.  The 14-time Grammy winner will be honored at a gala on February 10.  The 2012 MusiCares Person of the Year special event features a cocktail reception and silent auction, followed by the gala dinner and all-star tribute concert.  Previous MusiCares Person of the Year honorees include Tony Bennett, Bono, Aretha Franklin, Elton John, Quincy Jones, Barbra Streisand and Stevie Wonder, among others.

Adele Edges Toward Breaking Billboard Record

<!--IMAGE-LEFT-->

Adele holds the top spot on the Billboard 200 chart for a 15th week with 21.  It’s the longest-running Number One album since 1998, when the soundtrack to “Titanic” held the summit for 16 weeks.  According to Nielsen SoundScan, sales of “21” now total 5.9 million copies.  Recent reports say Adele will make her return to performing at the February 21 Brit Awards.  She’s nominated in three Brit Award categories, including Best Female Solo Artist and Album of the Year.  Adele underwent vocal cord surgery in November 2011, which forced her to cancel her tour.  Adele is also nominated for six Grammy Awards.  RadarOnline.com reports that she’ll attend the Grammy ceremony in Los Angeles on February 12, but it’s still unknown if doctors will give her permission to perform.


Van Halen Gifts LA Schools with Guitars

<!--IMAGE-RIGHT-->

Guitarist Eddie Van Halen recently donated 75 guitars to Los Angeles public schools.  According to the Hollywood Reporter, he teamed with Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation to provide the instruments to schools that lack sufficient funding for their music education programs.  In a statement, Eddie said, “Music education and families are dealing with the economic times, and I wanted to help them.  If I can help a kid discover a liking, or even a passion for music in their life, then that’s a wonderful thing.  Music has provided a good life for me and hopefully it can help make life better for others with this donation.”

Emmylou Harris Plans Nashville Anniversary Concert

<!--IMAGE-LEFT-->

On January 21, Country singer Emmylou Harris will celebrate her 20th anniversary as a member of the Grand Ole Opry with a concert at Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium.  Harris was inducted into the Opry on January 25, 1992.  Her anniversary show will also feature appearances by Vince Gill, Shawn Colvin and Rodney Crowell, who is currently working with Harris on a duets album.  Grand Ole Opry vice president and general manager Pete Fisher said, “Emmylou is treasured not just by all of us at the Grand Ole Opry, but also by fans around the world.  She’s shared so many great musical moments with us over the past 20 years, singing with and introducing us to some of her favorite musical collaborators.  We’re excited to celebrate her Opry anniversary at the Ryman, a stage on which she’s displayed such incredible artistry through the years.”

Musical Events/Festivals/Benefits:

On January 15, the Smooth Jazz Cruise 2012 will begin its sail from Fort Lauderdale, Florida to Nassau, St. Thomas, St. Barth’s and Half Moon Cay.  Performers on the week-long cruise include David Sanborn, Kirk Whalum, Boney James, Rick Braun, Gerald Albright, and many other jazz stars.  In addition to nightly concerts, the cruise gives passengers the opportunity to interact with their favorite artists.  Daytime activities on the ship include cocktail parties hosted by the musicians, autograph and question-and-answer sessions, sporting events and contests.

Star Birthdays

<!--IMAGE-LEFT-->

Nigerian pop singer Sade turns 52 on January 16.  Sade arrived on the music scene in 1985 with the album Diamond Life, which won her that year’s Best New Artist Grammy Award.  After two more successful collections, she took four years off from recording.  Sade returned to the studio in 1992 to record Love Deluxe, an album that produced the pop and rhythm-and-blues hit “No Ordinary Love.”  She performed a year-long tour in support of Love Deluxe, then once again disappeared from the music scene.  Sade had a child with Jamaican record producer Bob Morgan, but the couple later divorced.  When things settled in her personal life, she recorded Lovers Rock, which was released in late 2000.  In 2002, she earned the Best Pop Vocal Album Grammy for the collection.  Her long-awaited comeback album, Soldier Of Love, was released in 2010.  The album has sold more than two million copies worldwide.  Its title track won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.  

January 16 marks the birth date of the late rhythm-and-blues singer Aaliyah (born 1979).  The Brooklyn-born artist made her professional debut at age 11.  She attended the Detroit High School for the Fine and Performing Arts.  In 1994, Aaliyah recorded her debut album, Age Ain’t Nothing But A Number, which sold more than one million copies in the U.S.  Two multi-million-selling albums followed - One In A Million in 1996 and her 2001 self-titled CD.  Aaliyah’s first posthumous album, “I Care 4 U,” was released in December of 2002.  It contained six new tracks she was working on at the time of her death (8/25/01) and some previously released hits.  Aaliyah and six others died when her private plane crashed after taking off from the Bahamas, where they were filming a music video.  Investigators found that the plane was “severely overloaded.”  

<!--IMAGE-LEFT-->

On January 17, rap-rock star Kid Rock (real name Robert James Ritchie) will celebrate his 41st birthday.  Kid Rock recorded his first album in 1990.  Eight years later, he achieved his big break with the album, Devil Without A Cause. His next two collections were The History of Rock and Cocky, which included his duet with Sheryl Crow, “Picture.”  In 2004, Kid Rock recorded a self-titled album that produced the autobiographical hit, “Single Father.”  In 2006, he released his first live album, Live Trucker.  Kid Rock married actress Pamela Anderson in July 2006.  The couple divorced five months later citing irreconcilable differences.  His 2007 album, Rock ‘N Roll Jesus, was the first Number One debut of his career.  The album sold three million copies in the U.S. and was the fourth biggest-selling album of 2008.  Its hit “All Summer Long” earned him a 2009 People’s Choice Award for Favorite Rock Song.  Kid Rock’s 2010 album, Born Free, includes collaborations with Martina McBride and T.I., Sheryl Crow and Bob Seger, and Zac Brown.  

Pop singer Susanna Hoffs will turn 55 on January 17.  From 1981-1989, she performed in the female pop-rock quartet the Bangles.  The group debuted on the charts in 1986 with the Number 2 hit “Manic Monday” and later scored two Number One singles, “Walk Like An Egyptian” and “Eternal Flame.”  Hoffs recorded her first solo album, When You’re A Boy in 1991.  Five years later, her self-titled collection was released.  In 1997, Hoffs recorded a new version of the Burt Bacharach/Hal David composition “The Look of Love” for the motion picture soundtrack to “Austin Powers.”  The Bangles reunited in 1999 and released the album Doll Revolution in 2003.  Three years later, Susanna collaborated with Matthew Sweet on the album Under the Covers, Volume 1.  The collection includes their versions of songs by the Beatles, Neil Young, the Beach Boys, the Who, the Velvet Underground, Bob Dylan, and others.  In 2009, Hoffs and Sweet recorded the sequel, Under the Covers, Volume 2, which features their rendition of songs from the 1970s.  Last year, the Bangles toured to support their latest album, Sweetheart of the Sun.

<!--IMAGE-LEFT-->

On January 19, singer Dolly Parton will celebrate her 66th birthday.  Parton’s success is not limited to the Country field.  Her crossover hits include “Here You Come Again,” “9 To 5” and her 1983 duet with Kenny Rogers, “Islands In The Stream.”  In 1993, Dolly collaborated with Country legends Tammy Wynette and Loretta Lynn on the album Honky Tonk Angels.  Six years later, Dolly recorded the bluegrass album, The Grass Is Blue.  Her second bluegrass collection, “Little Sparrow,” was released in 2001.  Its title track brought Dolly a Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance.  The third in her series of acoustic bluegrass albums, titled “Halos & Horns,” was released in 2002.  The following year, Shania Twain, Norah Jones, Melissa Etheridge, Alison Krauss, and others recorded tracks many of Dolly’s classic songs for the tribute album, Just Because I’m A Woman.  Also in 2003, Dolly recorded For God & Country, a collection of patriotic and inspirational songs.  On her 2005 release, “Those Were the Days,” Dolly covered some of her favorite pop and folk songs from the 1960s and ‘70s.  In 2006, she was awarded a Kennedy Center Honor for her contributions to the arts.  Dolly co-starred with Jane Fonda in the 1980 movie “9 To 5” and took its title song to Number One on both the Country and pop charts.  She formed Dolly Records in 2009 for the release of her album, “Backwoods Barbie.”  Also in 2009, Dolly was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame.  In April 2009, her production of “9 To 5: The Musical” opened on Broadway.  The show received a record-setting 15 Drama Desk Award nominations and four Tony Award nominations, but closed in September due to poor ticket sales.  Dolly’s latest album, Better Day, came out in 2011.  Also last year, she received a Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award.  Dolly can now be seen in the film “Joyful Noise,” which also stars Queen Latifah.  

Singer Phil Everly of the Everly Brothers will turn 73 on January 19.  Some of the duo’s biggest hits include “Wake Up Little Susie,” “All I Have To Do Is Dream” and “Cathy’s Clown.”  The Everly Brothers broke up in 1973, but reunited 10 years later.  In 1986, they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  In 2001, the duo entered the Country Music Hall of Fame.  The Everly Brothers’ 1958 recording of “All I Have To Do Is Dream” was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2004.  In 2005, Varese Sarabande Records released two Everly Brothers compilations, “Too Good To Be True” and “Give Me A Future.”

January 21 marks the birth date of several singers: Mac Davis, best known for his 1972 Number One single “Baby Don’t Get Hooked On Me,” will turn 69; Woodstock veteran Richie Havens, who recorded the 1971 Top 20 single “Here Comes The Sun,” turns 71; opera tenor Placido Domingo will also celebrate his 71st birthday; and Billy Ocean, whose popularity peaked in 1984 with the hit singles “Caribbean Queen,” “Loverboy” and “Suddenly,” turns 62. 

Awards Presentations/Winners:

<!--IMAGE-LEFT-->

Pop singer Katy Perry was the big winner at the 2012 People’s Choice Awards, which were presented on January 11.  Perry was named Favorite Female Artist and Favorite Tour Headliner.  She also received the Favorite Song honor for “E.T.”, Favorite Music Video for “Last Friday Night” and one non-music award, Favorite TV Guest Star for her appearance in an episode of the comedy series “How I Met Your Mother.”  Other winners in the music categories included Demi Lovato, named Favorite Pop Artist; Bruno Mars, Favorite Male Artist; Rihanna, Favorite R&B Artist; Lady Gaga, Favorite Album for “Born This Way;” Eminem, Favorite Hip-Hop Artist; Taylor Swift, Favorite Country Artist; and Maroon 5, Favorite Band.

The 69th annual Golden Globe Awards were handed out on January 15 in Los Angeles.  Nominated for Best Original Score were Ludovic Bource for “The Artist,” Abel Korzeniowski for “W.E.,” Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross for “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,” Howard Shore for “Hugo” and John Williams for “War Horse.” (Bource won the award). Best Original Song nominees included Elton John and Bernie Taupin for “Hello Hello” from “Gnomeo & Juliet,” Chris Cornell for “The Keeper” from “Machine Gun Preacher,” Brian Byrne and Glenn Close for “Lay Your Head Down” from “Albert Nobbs,” Mary J. Blige, Thomas Newman, Harvey Mason, Jr. and Damon Thomas for “The Living Proof” from “The Help,” and Madonna, Julie Frost and Jimmy Harry for “Masterpiece” from “W.E.” (Madonna won the award) (See the complete list of winners here)

Look Who's Going on Tour!

On January 20, Country singer Jason Aldean will begin his “My Kinda Party” tour in Greenville, South Carolina.  The outing will feature special guest Luke Bryan and opening act Lauren Alaina, who placed second on last year’s “American Idol.”  Also on Aldean’s itinerary are appearances at many festivals, including “RodeoHouston,” “Country Thunder USA” and California’s “Stagecoach.”

<!--IMAGE-LEFT-->

On January 26, Michael Jackson’s children, Prince, Paris and Blanket, will attend a ceremony at Hollywood’s Grauman’s Chinese Theatre to honor their father’s legacy.  They’ll make hand and foot impressions in the cement with his sequined glove and shoes.  The following day (January 27), the Los Angeles debut of Cirque de Soleil’s “Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour” will take place at the Staples Center.

Youssou N'Dour to run for President of Senegal

<!--IMAGE-LEFT-->

Senegalese artist Youssou N’Dour has announced that he’ll run in his country’s presidential election on February 26.  The Grammy-winner, 52, will face 85-year-old incumbent Abdoulaye Wade.  N’Dour told the Associated Press, “For a very long time, many Senegalese of different backgrounds have called for my candidacy for the presidency next February.  I’ve listened, I’ve heard and I am responding favorably to their request.  I am a candidate.  It’s a supreme patriotic duty, the best I can give of myself.  I am the alternative to the current leadership in place in the country.”

Adele Tops Billboard 200 Again

<!--IMAGE-LEFT-->

British pop singer Adele returns to Number One on this week’s Billboard 200 chart with 21.  This marks her 14th non-consecutive week in the top spot.  According to Billboard, industry prognosticators predict the album will sell an additional 100,000 to 140,000 this week to keep its place at Number One for a 15th week.

Mariah Carey, Spike Lee among BET Honors Recipients

<!--IMAGE-LEFT-->

On January 14, the 2012 BET Honors will be presented at the Warner Theater in Washington, D.C.  This year’s recipients include singers Mariah Carey and Stevie Wonder, writer/poet Maya Angelou, filmmaker Spike Lee, America’s first black military pilots The Tuskegee Airmen, and inspirational coach Beverly Kearney.  Actress Gabrielle Union will host the event, which recognizes lifetime contributions and exceptional service to African-American culture.

'Billy Elliot' Musical Moves from Broadway to Washington D.C.

On January 8, “Billy Elliot: The Musical” will close on Broadway.  The show opened in late 2008, but tickets sales have slipped in recent months.  The touring production will continue.  It runs at Washington, D.C.’s Kennedy Center through January 15.  In 2009, “Billy Elliot: The Musical” won 10 Tony Awards, including Best Musical.

Parton, Latifah Team Up for New Movie

<!--IMAGE-LEFT-->

Dolly Parton and Queen Latifah’s new film, Joyful Noise, opens in theaters nationwide on January 13.  The movie tells the story of two choir directors (Parton and Latifah) in a small Georgia town who lead their gospel group through the National Joyful Noise Competition despite overwhelming odds.  

New Album Releases January 10:

“Fallen Empires” by Snow Patrol,
“Live from the Kitchen” by Yo Gotti
“Come Sunday” by Charlie Haden & Hank Jones
“For the Good Times” by The Little Willies
Original Broadway Cast Recording to “Silence!”

Star Birthdays:

<!--IMAGE-LEFT-->

On January 8, hip-hop singer, songwriter and producer R. Kelly celebrated his 45th birthday.  A native of Chicago, Illinois, he arrived on the music scene in the early 1990s with a string of hits that included “She’s Got That Vibe,” “Slow Dance (Hey Mr. DJ),” and “Bump and Grind.”  Following that success, Janet Jackson, Michael Jackson, Toni Braxton and other established artists hired him to write and produce tracks for them.  R. Kelly’s self-titled third collection was released in 1995 and became his first Number One album.  Two years later, he recorded the smash hit “I Believe I Can Fly” for the “Space Jam” film soundtrack.  The single won three Grammy Awards.  R. Kelly’s next solo album, “TP-2.com,” was released in 2000.  His 2003 album, “Chocolate Factory,” produced the Number 2 hit, “Ignition.”  In 2004, Kelly earned a Grammy nomination for the title track to “Happy People/U Saved Me.”  That same year, he collaborated with Jay-Z on the album “Unfinished Business.”  Kelly’s 2007 album, “Double Up,” became his fifth to debut at Number One on the Billboard 200 chart.  It included the track “Rise Up,” his tribute to the victims of the 2007 Virginia Tech shootings.  Kelly was arrested in 2002 on child pornography charges.  He was found not guilty at his trial, which took place in 2008.  Kelly’s 2009 “Untitled” album topped Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop chart.  In 2010, he released “Love Letter,” an album that was inspired by his soul music influences of the 1960s, ‘70s and ‘80s.  Last year, Billboard named R. Kelly the Number One R&B artist of the past 25 years.  In 2012, he plans to release his new album “Black Panties” and his memoir, “Soulacoaster: The Diary of Me.”  

January 8 marks the birth date of Elvis Presley (born 1935).  “The King of Rock and Roll” landed his first Number One hit in 1956.  He went on to become the biggest-selling recording artist in history.  Presley’s career accomplishments also included acting in more than 30 films, winning a Lifetime Achievement Grammy in 1971, and his posthumous induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986.  Presley died in 1977 at his Graceland home in Memphis, Tennessee.  He was 42.  The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) issued an Elvis Presley commemorative postage stamp in 1993.  It was the first in the USPS’s Legends of American Music Series.  In October 1994, an early celebration was held in Memphis to mark the 60th anniversary of Presley’s birth.  Performances from the concert were released on the album, “It’s Now Or Never: The Tribute To Elvis.”  In 2003, RCA released “Elvis 2nd To None,” which included two bonus tracks - a remixed version of “Rubberneckin’” and a previously unreleased song Elvis recorded in 1964, “I’m A Roustabout.”  In 2004, Sirius Satellite Radio launched a 24/7 all-Elvis channel.  Broadcasts air from a specially designed studio at Graceland.  In 2006, Sony/BMG Strategic Marketing celebrated the 50th anniversary of Presley’s first RCA recording sessions with the release of the box set, “Elvis #1 Singles.”  The label also reissued his Number One single “Heartbreak Hotel.”  According to Forbes magazine, Presley was the top-earning deceased celebrity of 2008.  He slipped to Number 4 on Forbes list in 2009, but advanced to Number 2 in 2010.  He remained in second place in 2011.  Last year, RCA Records/Legacy Recordings issued the 30-CD box set, “The Complete Elvis Presley Masters.”  Included are all of his 711 original master recordings, plus more than 100 additional rare tracks.  On January 3, Sony Music/Legacy released a deluxe double-CD package that pairs Presley’s 1971 albums “Elvis Country” and “Love Letters From Elvis.”  The collection is the first of several coming out this year to mark the 35th anniversary of his death.  

British rock singer David Bowie will celebrate his 65th birthday on January 8.  Bowie began performing with various groups in the 1960s before establishing his solo recording career the following decade.  In 1975, he recorded the Number One single “Fame,” which featured backing vocals by John Lennon.  Bowie topped the charts again in 1983 with “Let’s Dance,” a track from his “Changes” album.  In 1988, he formed Tin Machine, a rock group that recorded two albums.  In 1993, “Black Tie White Noise” marked Bowie’s first solo collection in six years.  Bowie’s 26th and latest studio album, “Reality,” was released in 2003.  In 2006, he received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.  Last year, Legacy Recordings issued a double-CD from Bowie’s 2003 “Reality Tour.”  

A.J. McLean of the Backstreet Boys will turn 34 on January 9.  The pop group debuted on the charts in 1997 with their self-titled album, which produced the hits “As Long As You Love Me,” “Quit Playing Games (With My Heart),” “All I Have To Give” and “I’ll Never Break Your Heart.”  Their 1999 sophomore album, “Millennium,” sold more than 13 million copies and was followed by the 2000 release of “Black & Blue.”  In mid-2001, the Backstreet Boys postponed their “Black & Blue Tour” for several months while A.J. got treatment for alcohol abuse, depression and anxiety.  The group spent much of 2004 working on the album “Never Gone.”  A.J. sang lead vocals on the CD’s first single “Incomplete,” which peaked at Number Six on the Hot 100 chart and at Number Four on the Adult Contemporary list.  The Backstreet Boys’ 2007 album, “Unbreakable,” featured the singles “Inconsolable” and “Helpless When She Smiles.”  The group performed a world tour in 2010 to support its latest album, “This Is Us.”  That was followed by a co-headlining North American tour in 2011 with New Kids on the Block.  Their “NKOTBSB” tour continues this year in Europe.  Also in 2012, the Backstreet Boys plan to record a new album.  Last month, A.J. married model Rochelle DeAnna Karidis.  

<!--IMAGE-LEFT-->

On January 9, Dave Matthews celebrates his 45th birthday.  The leader of the Dave Matthews Band was born in Johannesburg, South Africa.  In 1986, he moved to Charlottesville, Virginia where he immersed himself in the local music scene.  He formed the Dave Matthews Band in 1991.  The group’s hits include “Stay,” “The Space Between” and “Crush.”  Since 2000, Matthews has been on the Farm Aid board of directors with Willie Nelson, Neil Young and John Mellencamp.  In 2009, Pollstar named the Dave Matthews Band the Top Touring Act of the Decade.  The band had the third highest-grossing trek of 2010.  After 20 years of constant touring, they took most of 2011 off to spend time with their families.

January 10 marks the birth date of the late singer-songwriter Jim Croce (born 1943).  During his brief career, Croce recorded several hits, including “You Don’t Mess Around With Jim,” “I Got A Name” and the Number One singles “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown” and “Time In A Bottle.”  In 1973, Croce died in a plane crash while traveling to a concert in Sherman, Texas.  He was 30 years old.  

On January 10, singer Pat Benatar will celebrate her 59th birthday.  One of rock music’s most popular female singers of the 1980s, Benatar is best known for the Top 10 songs, “Hit Me With Your Best Shot,” “Love Is A Battlefield” and “We Belong.”  After taking two years off from music to devote time to her family, she returned in 1991 with the blues-flavored album, “True Love.”  In 1993, Benatar recorded the rock collection, “Gravity’s Rainbow,” which was followed by her 1997 album, “Innamorata.”  In 1999, Capitol Records issued Benatar’s three-CD retrospective, “Synchronistic Wanderings: Recorded Anthology 1979-1999.”  Her latest studio album, “Go,” was released in 2003.  That same year, she and her husband, guitarist Neil Giraldo, moved to Maui.  Neil runs an all-natural nutritional supplement company called “On the Rocks Nutrition.”  In 2010, Harper Collins published Benatar’s biography, “Between a Heart and a Rock Place.”

<!--IMAGE-LEFT-->

British rock singer Rod Stewart will turn 67 on January 10.  Stewart made his way into music by singing and playing harmonica while traveling throughout Europe.  During that time, he was discovered by blues legend Long John Baldry, who invited him to join his band.  Stewart later performed with the Jeff Beck Group and Small Faces (later renamed Faces), which he left in 1975 to concentrate on his already-established solo career.  Stewart’s biggest solo hits include “Maggie May,” “Tonight’s The Night (Gonna Be Alright),” “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy” and “Rhythm Of My Heart.”  His 1993 collection, “Unplugged...and Seated,” contains acoustic versions of many of those hits.  1998 marked the release of “When We Were the Boys,” his final album for Warner Brothers Records.  He was briefly signed to Atlantic Records, which issued his 2001 album, “Human.”  In 2002, Clive Davis signed Stewart to his J Records label.  Rod’s debut album for J was the standards collection, “It Had To Be You…The Great American Songbook.”  Since then, he has recorded the sequels “As Time Goes By…The Great American Songbook, Vol. 2, “Stardust…The Great American Songbook, Vol. 3,” “Thanks For The Memory…The Great American Songbook, Vol. 4” and  “Still the Same…Great Rock Classics of Our Time.”  Rod’s latest album, “Soulbook,” is a collection of 13 soul classics.  Last year, J Records issued “The Best of…the Great American Songbook,” a compilation of tracks from the five-album series.  Also in 2011, Rod’s wife, Penny Lancaster, gave birth to their second child together.  Rod is a 2012 inductee into the Rock and Hall of Fame with The Faces.  He entered the Hall for the first time in 1994 as a solo artist.

On January 11, R&B singer Mary J. Blige celebrates her 41st birthday.  The nine-time Grammy winner signed her first recording deal in 1989.  Her many hits include “Real Love,” “Not Gon’ Cry,” “Family Affair,” “Be Without You,” “Just Fine” and “I Am.”  In 2007, Geffen Records released “Growing Pains,” which climbed to Number One on the Billboard 200 and won a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Album.  In 2010, Blige released “Stronger With Each Tear” on her own label, Matriarch Records.  She collaborated with Swiss Beatz, Ne-Yo, Jay-Z and others on her new collection, “My Life II…The Journey Continues.”  

Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters will celebrate his 43rd birthday on January 14.  Grohl was born in Ohio and grew up in Springfield, Virginia, where he performed in various local bands during the 1980s.  From 1990 to 1994, Grohl was the drummer of the Seattle-based grunge band Nirvana.  In 1995, he formed the Foo Fighters, which signed with Capitol Records for the release of their self-titled debut album.  The group’s second album, “The Colour and the Shape,” was released in 1997.  In 2006, the Foo Fighters’ first live album was released.  “Skin and Bones” contains performances from the band’s 2006 acoustic tour.  That was followed by the 2007 studio set, “Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace.”  In 2008, Grohl announced to BBC Radio One that the Foo Fighters were going on hiatus.  He said, “We’ve never really taken a long break, I think it’s time.  After doing Wembley we shouldn't come back for ten years because we’ve played to everybody.”  The band included two new songs and several previously unreleased tracks on its 2009 “Greatest Hits” compilation.  Last year, the Foo Fighters released the album “Wasting Light,” which was recorded in Dave Grohl’s garage.  The set debuted at Number One on the Billboard 200 chart.  

Awards Presentations/Winners:

The 2012 People’s Choice Awards, honoring fan favorites in film, television and music, will be presented on January 11 in Los Angeles.  Lady Gaga, Beyonce and Katy Perry lead the contenders in the music categories with five nominations each.  Following close behind are Adele with four nods and Taylor Swift with three.  The event will air live on CBS-TV.  (Complete list of nominees available at www.peopleschoice.com.)

Look Who's Going on Tour!

<!--IMAGE-LEFT-->

Brad Paisley will kick off his “Virtual Realty World Tour 2012” on January 12 in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  Opening the shows are American Idol winner Scotty McCreery and the Country Music Association’s reigning New Artist of the Year, The Band Perry.  The first leg of the trek will take them to 20 U.S. cities before wrapping up on March 3 in Lexington, Kentucky.

On January 12, Country trio Rascal Flatts, special guest Sara Evans and opening act Hunter Hayes will begin their “Thaw Out 2012” tour in Charleston, West Virginia.  Dates run through February 18.  Rascal Flatts’ eighth album is scheduled to drop on April 3.

Kelly Clarkson kicks off her 32-city North American “Stronger Tour 2012” on January 13.  Her itinerary begins in Mashantucket, Connecticut and wraps up on April 10 in San Diego, California.  The outing will also feature special guest Matt Nathanson.  In other news, it’s just been announced that Kelly will be a mentor on the upcoming second season of “The Voice,” which premieres on February 5.  She’ll join Miranda Lambert on Blake Shelton’s ‘Team Blake.’

The Country star kept a high profile throughout the past year by winning her first Grammy Award, taking home her second consecutive Country Music Association Female Vocalist of the Year Award, and marrying fellow Country star Blake Shelton.  And, she’s poised to have another stellar year in 2012.

<!--AV-->

Miranda’s new album, “Four The Record,” debuted at Number One.  She becomes the only artist in the Country Album chart’s history to enter in the top spot with each of her first four releases.  Last year, Miranda recorded a side project with singer-songwriter friends Ashley Monroe and Angaleena Presley as Pistol Annies.  The trio’s “Hell On Heels” album also opened at Number One on the Country list.

Since the 2005 release of her major label debut album “Kerosene,” Miranda has charted her own musical course.  Her fans have understood her personality from the beginning, but Miranda’s feisty attitude stood in the way of radio success early in her career.  She finally developed a relationship with Country radio with the release of her 2009 album, “Revolution,” which produced two Number One hits.

After spending some time at home for the holidays, Miranda is back at work to promote her new album.  “Four The Record” features many guests, including Steve Winwood, Josh Kelley, Patty Loveless and Little Big Town’s Karen Fairchild and Kimberly Schlapman.  Miranda also invited her husband to duet with her on this track, called “Better In The Long Run.”

Miranda and Blake will both kick off their 2012 concerts on January 12.  Chris Young and Jerrod Niemann will open shows on Miranda’s “On Fire” tour.  

Miranda wrote the album's second single “Over You” with her husband.  The poignant song pays tribute to Blake’s late brother Richie, who died in an automobile accident in 1990.

Madonna has signed a new recording deal with Interscope Records.  Billboard reports that the three-album deal is worth $40 million.  The deal is in partnership with Live Nation.  Madonna signed a 10-year multi-rights contract with Live Nation in 2007.  Her first album for Interscope will be released in March 2012.  Its lead single, “Gimme All Your Luvin,” is scheduled to drop in late January.

Buble Tops Billboard Album Chart

<!--IMAGE-RIGHT-->

Michael Buble stays at Number One on the Billboard 200 chart for a third week with his new holiday album, Christmas.  According to Nielsen SoundScan, the set sold 479,000 copies during the past week.  Sales of Christmas now total more than 1.5 million copies in the U.S.

Four new albums make Top 10 entries on this week’s Billboard 200.  The Black Keys’ El Camino debuts at Number 2, Amy Winehouse’s Lioness: Hidden Treasures comes in at Number 5, Glee: the Music, Season 3: Volume 7 lands on the list at Number 9 and Korn’s The Path of Totality enters at Number 10.

'Sleigh Ride' Most popular Holiday Song, ASCAP Says

Performing rights organization ASCAP reports that “Sleigh Ride” is the most-played holiday song for the second year in a row.  Mediaguide compiled the Top 10 list after tracking songs played on 2,500 U.S. radio stations.  Rounding out the Top 10, in descending order, are “Winter Wonderland,” “The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire),” “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!,” “Jingle Bell Rock,” “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” “Do You Hear What I Hear?,” “It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas,” “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” and “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.”

Lady Gaga Tops Forbes Biggest Earners List

<!--IMAGE-LEFT-->

Lady Gaga leads Forbes magazine’s 2011 Top-Earning Women in Music list.  Her album sales, concerts and endorsements brought in $90 million.  Taylor Swift is in second place with $45-million, followed by Katy Perry, who earned $44 million.  Rounding out the Top Five are Beyonce with $35 million and Rihanna with $29 million.

Mariah Carey, Stevie Wonder to Receive BET Honors Awards

<!--IMAGE-RIGHT-->

Black Entertainment Television (BET) has announced its 2012 BET Honors recipients.  They include singers Mariah Carey and Stevie Wonder, writer/poet Maya Angelou, filmmaker Spike Lee, America’s first black military pilots group The Tuskegee Airmen, and inspirational coach Beverly Kearney.  The 2012 BET Honors will be presented on January 14 at the Warner Theater in Washington, D.C.

New Album Releases / December 20:

“Dreamer the Believer” by Common
“TM 103 Hustlerz Ambition” by Young Jeezy
“The Juice” by Roscoe Dash
“The Rum Diary” the original motion picture soundtrack

Star Birthdays:

<!--IMAGE-LEFT-->

Pop star Christina Aguilera celebrated her 31st birthday on December 18.  In 1999, she recorded her self-titled debut album.  It featured such hits as “Genie In A Bottle,” “I Turn To You” and “What A Girl Wants,” and also earned her a Grammy Award for Best New Artist.  One year later, Christina’s recorded her first Spanish language album, “Mi Reflejo.”  In 2001, she collaborated with Lil’ Kim, Mya and Pink on a remake of Patti Labelle’s classic “Lady Marmalade.”  The song was included in the film, “Moulin Rouge.”  Christina supported her 2003 album, “Stripped,” on a co-headlining tour with pop star Justin Timberlake.  In 2004, she recorded a remake of the Rose Royce classic “Car Wash” as a duet with Missy Elliott.  It was featured on the motion picture soundtrack to “Shark Tale.”  Also in 2004, Christina collaborated with hip-hop star Nelly on “Tilt Ya Head Back,” which appears on his CD, “Sweat.”  In 2005, she married music executive Jordan Bratman, who worked for Christina’s management company.  The couple welcomed their son Max in 2008, but separated the following year.  Christina’s 2006 album, “Back To Basics,” reached Number One in 13 countries.  She describes the collection as “a throwback to the 20s, 30s and 40s-style jazz, blues and feel-good soul music, but with a modern twist.”  In 2008, Christina signed an exclusive deal with Target for the release of her anthology, “Keeps Gettin’ Better: A Decade of Hits.”  Her fourth album, “Bionic,” was released last year.  The set sold very poorly, but generated two Number One hits on Billboard’s Hot Dance chart.  Also in 2010, Christina starred with Cher in “Burlesque.”  Christina contributed eight songs to the film’s soundtrack.  This year, she was hired as a judge and mentor on the NBC reality show “The Voice.”  Christina will return for the second season, which begins on February 5.  

<!--IMAGE-LEFT-->

Keith Richards turned 68 on December 18.  In 1963, he co-founded The Rolling Stones.  Richards has also recorded two solo albums, Talk Is Cheap and Main Offender.  In 1994, he joined the other members of the Rolling Stones for their “Voodoo Lounge” world tour, which was the highest-grossing tour of that year.  Their 2002 40-track anthology, “Forty Licks” includes many hits that span the group’s five-decade career and also four new songs.  The Stones spent two years touring throughout the world to support their 2005 album, A Bigger Bang.  The trek was named the top-selling tour ever after grossing more than $558 million.  Last year, Richards wrote his autobiography, “Life.”  Rolling Stone magazine called it “one of the best rock memoirs ever.”   The Rolling Stones will celebrate their 50th anniversary in 2012.  Richards told The Associated Press, “I’m hoping to do something about it.  Right now, I don't want to go too much into it. I'm pulling the boys together and (will) see what happens.  It’s a work in progress.  I’m not Nostradamus on this, but we all want to do something for the big 5-0.”

December 21 marks the birth date of the late rock singer and composer Frank Zappa (b. 1940).  Zappa formed the Mothers Of Invention in the mid-1960s and began his solo recording career the following decade.  He was regarded as rock music’s leading satirist with compositions such as “Don’t Eat the Yellow Snow” and the Top 40 hit “Valley Girl.”  In 1990, Zappa was diagnosed with prostate cancer.  He lost his battle with the disease on December 4, 1993.  Zappa spent the last two years of his life composing orchestral music and participated in some European concerts that featured his works.  In 1995 and 1996, Rykodisc Records reissued CD versions of several albums in his catalog.  In celebration of his 70th birthday, the Zappa Family Trust is issuing the 3-CD set, “Frank Zappa at the Hammersmith Odeon.”  The collection features performances from his band’s 1978 three-night engagement in London.  

December 21 also marks the birth date of the late guitarist Carl Wilson (b. 1946).  At age 14, he began performing with the Beach Boys.  The California band scored several Number One hits in the 1960s, including “Good Vibrations,” “Help Me, Rhonda” and “I Get Around.”  In 1988, the Beach Boys returned to the top of the charts with “Kokomo,” a song that was featured in the film “Cocktail.”  That same year, the group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  Wilson died of cancer on February 6th, 1998.

<!--IMAGE-RIGHT-->

Singer Jordin Sparks turned 22 on December 22.  Jordin was the season six winner of “American Idol,” which led to a record deal with Jive Records.  Her self-titled debut album was released in 2007.  Its hits included “Tattoo,” “No Air” and “One Step At A Time.”  “No Air,” featuring Chris Brown, earned a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals.  The title track of Jordin’s latest album, “Battlefield,” was written and produced by One Republic’s Ryan Tedder.  It reached Number 10 on the Hot 100 chart.  Last year, Jordin acted on Broadway in the Tony Award-winning musical, “In The Heights.”  She’s now working on her third album, which is due out in 2012.  Next August, Jordin will make her big screen debut in a remake of the 1976 film, “Sparkle.”  

Robin Gibb, formerly of the Bee Gees, celebrated his 62nd birthday on December 22.  The Bee Gees 1970s hits include “How Can You Mend A Broken Heart,” “Stayin’ Alive” and “Night Fever.”  After several minor hits in the early 1980s, the Bee Gees reappeared in the Top 10 in 1989 with “One.”  In 1994, Robin was inducted into the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame.  Three years later, the Bee Gees earned a spot in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  The group’s 1997 album, “Still Waters,” was followed in 1998 by its live collection, “One Night Only.”  The CD featured performances from the Bee Gees’ pay-per-view 1997 New Year’s Eve special.  Robin’s twin brother Maurice died in 2003 after undergoing surgery to correct an intestinal block.  The Bee Gees’ 2005 compilation, “Number Ones,” includes the track “Man in the Middle,” which Robin and his older brother Barry wrote as a tribute to Maurice.  In 2006, Koch Entertainment released Robin’s holiday album, “My Favourite Carols.”  Each of the Gibb brothers is showcased on the new 4-CD box set “Mythology.”  The collection includes two previously unreleased Maurice Gibb songs and one previously unreleased Andy Gibb track.  This past October, Robin revealed that he is undergoing treatment for liver cancer.  In November, he posted a message on his website that said, “I wish to thank my family, friends and fans and the many thousands of people who do not know me but have enjoyed Bee Gees music and have wished me well.  I have been very unwell and am now on the road to recovery, and your prayers and wishes are a great tonic to me.”  (“How Deep Is Your Love”

<!--IMAGE-RIGHT-->

Latin pop star Ricky Martin turned 40 on December 24.  Born in Puerto Rico, Ricky first gained popularity in America for his Broadway role in “Les Miserables.”  In 1999, his self-titled debut album was released.  It produced Ricky’s Number One hit “Livin’ La Vida Loca.”  Many other hits followed, including “She Bangs,” “Shake Your Bon Bon,” “The Cup of Life” (the official song of the World Cup France ’98, which topped charts in more than 30 countries) and “She’s All I Ever Had.”  His second English language CD, “Sound Loaded,” was released in 2000.  In 2003, Sony issued “Almas Del Silencio,” Ricky’s first Spanish language collection since 1998.  His latest studio album, 2005’s “Life,” spawned the dance hit “I Don’t Care,” featuring Fat Joe and Amerie.  Ricky was named the 2006 Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year for his accomplishments as an entertainer and humanitarian.  He launched his People for Children Foundation in 2004.  The organization works toward the elimination of human trafficking, especially trafficking of children.  He has also served as a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF.  In 2008, Ricky became the father of twin boys that were born to a surrogate mother.  He named them Valentino and Matteo.  Ricky’s memoir, “Me,” was published last year.  Last month, he wrapped up a world tour in support of his latest album, “Music+Soul+Sex.” In early 2012, Ricky will star on Broadway in a new production of “Evita.”  

Awards Presentations/Winners:

Nominations for the 69th annual Golden Globe Awards have been announced.  Here are the nominees in the two music-related categories.  Up for Best Original Score are Ludovic Bource for “The Artist,” Abel Korzeniowski for “W.E.,” Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross for “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,” Howard Shore for “Hugo” and John Williams for “War Horse.”  Best Original Song nominees are Elton John and Bernie Taupin for “Hello Hello” from “Gnomeo & Juliet,” Chris Cornell for “The Keeper” from “Machine Gun Preacher,” Brian Byrne and Glenn Close for “Lay Your Head Down” from “Albert Nobbs,” Mary J. Blige, Thomas Newman, Harvey Mason, Jr. and Damon Thomas for “The Living Proof” from “The Help,” and Madonna, Julie Frost and Jimmy Harry for “Masterpiece” from “W.E.”  The Golden Globe Awards will be handed out on January 15 in Los Angeles.

<!--AV-->

“It slants in two halves in a sense," he said.  "There’s a half that’s somewhat contemporary sounding.  It’s not very traditionally driven.  The second half of the record is [with] a lot of steel guitar playing by Paul Franklin and the songs are very different on the back half of the record.  They’re much more traditional, a couple of really neat story songs.  The first half is a lot of guitar playing - hence the title ‘Guitar Slinger’ - probably more-so than most records I’ve made in my past.  I’m following what my ears and my heart are telling me to do.  I don’t plan it, I just kind of react to it.”

Vince’s wife, Amy Grant, and their three daughters all contributed to the album.  Grant co-wrote three songs, including their duet “True Love,” which also features her daughter Sarah Chapman.  Siblings Corrina and Jenny Gill guest on the haunting track “Billy Paul,” a song Vince wrote after his friend of 20 years killed his girlfriend and himself.  Other poignant songs include “Buttermilk John,” Vince’s tribute to his late steel guitar player John Hughey, and “Bread and Water,” which Gill says is loosely based on his late brother Bob.

The album’s lead single is the Grammy-nominated ballad “Threaten Me With Heaven.”  Gill explains that he gained a special connection to the tune following the 2010 death of his friend Will Owsley.

“It’s a song I wrote with Amy my wife, and a fellow named Dillon O’Brian and another fellow named Will Owsley," he said.  "This time last year, my friend Will [Owsley] took his life.  He was a really gifted musician and a great singer and a tremendous guitar player.  We wrote songs together and hung out together a bunch, and life just…he couldn’t get through it and struggled and took his own life.”

<!--AV-->

In 2011, the Eli Young Band earned its first Number One Country hit with “Crazy Girl.”  Although it took 38 weeks to reach the summit, the song was played on radio more than any competitor to make it the Number One Country single of the year.  In 2011, the Eli Young Band moved to Republic Nashville Records.  The two-year-old label’s roster also includes Martina McBride, Sunny Sweeney and The Band Perry.

Sibling trio The Band Perry had the biggest breakout success of any Country newcomer during the past year.  “If I Die Young” was the most downloaded digital Country single of 2011.  Eleven months after its Number One success on the Country chart, the song ascended to the top of the Adult Contemporary list.  The Band Perry’s follow-up hit, “You Lie,” ranks at Number Five on Billboard’s yearend Hot Country Songs chart.  

In 2011, Lady Antebellum released its third album, “Own the Night,” but the trio was still riding high on the success of its previous release, “Need You Now.”  “Need You Now” gave the group five Grammy Awards, and it was this year’s fourth best-selling Country album.  “Own the Night” ranks two spaces lower at Number Six.

Two “American Idol” finalists made Billboard’s Top Five New Country Artists yearend list.  First runner-up Lauren Alaina placed at Number Three.  She says highlights of 2011 include the release of her first album “Wildflower,” making her Grand Ole Opry debut, and performing at the White House for President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama.  

“American Idol” winner Scotty McCreery is the year’s Number One New Country Artist. “The Trouble With Girls” was one of two hits from 18-year-old Scotty McCreery’s debut album, “Clear As Day.”   Its Number One entry on the Billboard 200 and Country Albums charts made him the youngest male artist to open in the top spot.  “Clear As Day” also had the highest first-week sales of any solo Country artist in 2011.

The Number One Male Country Artist of the year was 34-year-old Georgia native Jason Aldean.  He earned his big break with his fourth album, “My Kinda Party.”  The set has sold more than two million copies in the U.S. alone and ranks at Number Four on the all-genre Billboard 200 yearend chart.  Two songs from the album reached Number One, including the Country-rap hit, “Dirt Road Anthem,” which also tops Billboard’s yearend Ringtones chart.

Jason Aldean’s fans showed their support by giving him six wins at the recent 2nd Annual American Country Awards…more than any other nominee. Aldean is one of four Country artists listed among the Top 25 tours of 2011.  The others include Toby Keith, Kenny Chesney and Taylor Swift, who had the year’s Number One Country tour and ranks at Number 5 overall.

Swift’s “Speak Now” album was the year’s Number One Country seller, and trailed only Adele on the Billboard 200 yearend chart.  Swift also earned several industry awards throughout the year.  They include being named the Country Music Association’s and Academy of Country Music’s Entertainer of the Year, the American Music Awards’ Artist of the Year, and Billboard’s Woman of the Year.  At only 22, she’s the youngest recipient of Billboard’s prestigious honor.  

Taylor Swift closes 2011 with one of the fastest-rising chart hits of her career, “Ours.”

One of the big “buzz bands” of the year was The Civil Wars. Joy Williams and John Paul White may sound like they’ve been making music together for years. But in reality, the two paired during a songwriting camp not too long ago. They come from totally different parts of the country: Joy is a westerner, from Santa Cruz, California, while John Paul is from Muscle Shoals, Alabama, in the southern United States. But when they met at songwriting camp, the two realized they had a very special chemistry. It wasn’t romantic - both are married to other people. In fact, both Joy and John Paul have said in interviews that they believe their onstage partnership works so well because they aren’t a couple - singing songs about love or a “heartbreak tune” night after night would be too difficult!

<!--AV-->

The Civil Wars released their debut CD “Barton Hollow” at the start of 2011. It kicked off what turned out to be a very good year for fans of American roots music, whether they preferred the smooth sound of the Civil Wars, Abigail Washburn’s blend of American and Chinese folk traditions or anything in between - like the stark, gritty songs that Rod Picott wrote for his critically acclaimed “Welding Burns.”

Bluegrass artists also offered plenty of stellar releases in 2011, both traditional, modern, and unexpected. Actor and writer Steve Martin has incorporated the banjo into his work from the earliest days of his comedy career and is finally being respected as a premiere picker.

This year, Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers released the follow up to the 2009 Grammy-winning best bluegrass CD “The Crow.” “Rare Bird Alert” has also been nominated for that honor, and is one reason Steve and the band took home the International Bluegrass Music Association’s “Entertainer of the Year” award this year.

This was also a standout year for The Gibson Brothers. The upper New York state-based band had the number one album on "Bluegrass Unlimited" magazine’s Top 10 chart for about eight months. “Help My Brother” also claimed the top spot on the Pop Matters website’s “Best of Bluegrass 2011” list, and was also the International Bluegrass Music Association’s pick for Album of the Year.

One of the final releases of 2011 was also one of the year’s most eagerly awaited. “This One’s For Him,” is a double-disc tribute to acclaimed Texas singer-songwriter Guy Clark. Featuring performances by top roots stars including: Rodney Crowell, Joe Ely, Patty Griffin, Ray Wylie Hubbard, and James McMurtry, who chose to sing “Cold Dog Soup,” it will surely be a topic of conversation well into the new year.

<!--IMAGE-LEFT-->

No pop album cast a longer shadow in 2011 than Adele’s 21. Released in January, it chronicled the young British singer’s struggles in a failed relationship. Already the 10th best-selling album of all time in her native England, it’s expected to sell 15 million copies globally by year’s end. Adele is nominated for six Grammy Awards, including Record, Song, and Album of the Year. She hopes to be able to perform at the February 12 Grammy ceremony, having recently undergone throat surgery.

<!--IMAGE-RIGHT-->

Diametrically opposing Adele’s confessional ballads are the supercharged hip-hop dance hits of Nicki Minaj. Last November, the New York rapper released her long-awaited debut album Pink Friday, and soon became a full-fledged star. Radio hits such as “Super Bass” and a slot on Britney Spears’ North American tour helped Nicki earn Billboard magazine’s nod for Rising Star of 2011.

<!--IMAGE-LEFT-->

Earning the Billboard Woman of the Year trophy was Taylor Swift, who turned 22 on December 13. A star since age 16, she spent much of the year on a global tour promoting her third album, Speak Now. Highlighting her U.S. dates were guest appearances by other acts; stars ranging from Nicki Minaj and Justin Bieber to rapper T.I. gladly came when Taylor called. The young singer reinforced her squeaky-clean image by donating more than $1 million to charity over the past year.

<!--IMAGE-RIGHT-->

Providing a somber counterpoint to this female trio’s triumph was the tragedy of Amy Winehouse. The 27-year-old singer died from alcohol poisoning in her London home on July 23. Her final recording, a duet rendition of “Body and Soul” with Tony Bennett, was released in September to commemorate her 28th birthday. Sales proceeds go to the Amy Winehouse Foundation, founded by her father Mitch to help at-risk youth. The posthumous compilation album Lioness: Hidden Treasures topped the British album chart following its December 5 release.

<!--IMAGE-LEFT-->

Women didn’t have the market all to themselves in 2011: rapper Lil’ Wayne was the year’s most successful male artist. His album Tha Carter IV sold more than one million copies in its first week.

Also enjoying a banner year was Bruno Mars. The 26-year-old singer - whose real name is Peter Hernandez - received six Grammy nominations. One, Non-classical Producer of the Year, honors his songwriting-production trio, The Smeezingtons.

<!--IMAGE-RIGHT-->

The man who revolutionized music retailing in the 21st Century, Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, died of cancer in October at age 56. His iPod music player and iTunes store have irrevocably altered the global entertainment field.

Also leaving us in 2011 were hip-hop performers Nate Dogg and Dwight “Heavy D” Myers; rock guitarist Gary Moore and Warrant singer Jani Lane; and musician-poet Gil Scott-Heron.

In November, Michael Jackson’s physician Conrad Murray was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the singer’s death in 2009. He was sentenced to four years of incarceration.

<!--IMAGE-LEFT-->

Finally, R.E.M disbanded in September. Thirty-one years into their careers, the members of the Rock Hall of Fame band decided to call it a day. Lead singer Michael Stipe said “All things must end, and we wanted to do it right, to do it our way.” The quartet’s biggest U.S. hit single - from 1991, was “Losing My Religion.”

Jazz history was made at the 53rd annual Grammy Awards** when singer and bass player Esperanza Spalding was named the year’s Best New Artist.  It was the first time that a jazz artist took home the award.

Spalding’s third solo album Chamber Music Society was an overwhelming success, landing at Number One on the jazz chart. Following her Grammy win, it climbed into the Top 40 on the Billboard 200 pop albums chart.  It was one of the best-selling jazz albums of the year, behind Joy To The World by Pink Martini, three albums by singer Michael Buble: Hollywood: The Deluxe, Crazy Love and Christmas, and, at Number One, Tony Bennett’s Duets II.

<!--IMAGE-LEFT-->

Bennett’s follow-up to his 2006 release Duets: An American Classic marks the first time he’s reached the Number One spot on Billboard’s Top 200 albums chart.  Tony Bennett, who turned 85 in August, is the oldest living artist to debut at Number One.  He shares his love for the Great American Songbook with Norah Jones on “Speak Low,” as well as Lady Gaga, Aretha Franklin, Mariah Carey, Willie Nelson and a dozen more.

It’s not too late to wish Wynton Marsalis a happy birthday.

<!--IMAGE-RIGHT-->

Trumpeter Wynton Marsalis celebrated his 50th birthday with a series of concerts at Lincoln Center.  To coincide with the festivities, the nine-time Grammy winner, and the **first jazz artist to win a Pulitzer Prize for music, released an ambitious collection of his works from 1999 and 2000 titled Swingin’ Into The 21st!

While there was plenty to celebrate in 2011, it was also a time for remembrance.  Sadly, the jazz world bid farewell to pianists George Shearing and Ray Bryant, trumpeter Snooky Young, drummer Paul Motian, bassist Charles Fambrough, guitarist Cornell Dupree, and vocalist and poet Gil Scott-Heron.

Gone but not forgotten is saxophonist John Coltrane who would have turned 85 years old in September.  Coltrane’s 1961 album Africa/Brass is part of the commemorative box set First Impulse: The Creed Taylor Collection, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the House That Trane Built, Impulse Records.

**We earlier said the 54th Grammy Awards instead of the 53rd, and that Wynton Marsalis was the only jazz artist to win a Pulitizer Prize for Music, VOA regrets the error.

Shane Dwight is one of Nashville’s most talked about guitar players.  He’s certainly one of its busiest.  After relocating to “Music City” in 2008, he signed with a major label, performed hundreds of shows, and recorded three solo albums, including his most recent release, A Thousand White Lies.

While Shane’s move to Nashville opened new doors, it took a toll on his personal life.  The breakup of his marriage is reflected in original songs like “True Love’s Gone,” “Broken” and “Love’s Last Letter.”  But, there are plenty of upbeat tunes as well, supported by guest vocalists Bekka Bramlett and The McCrary Sisters.

<!--IMAGE-LEFT-->

Like Shane, Boy Wells blends a variety of styles on his debut album Blue Skies Calling, from Southern rock and blues to country, jazz and bluegrass.

Boy Wells is a veteran of the Washington, D.C. blues-rock scene.  His close friend and mentor was the late guitar virtuoso Danny Gatton, who generously taught him some tricks of the trade.  Wells sang and played guitar in various blues and country-rock bands, including an Allman Brothers tribute group, before settling down near Austin, Texas in 2006.

<!--IMAGE-LEFT-->

Another veteran garnering rave reviews is singer and guitarist James Armstrong.  Living Blues magazine described him as being a “well-balanced combination of fire, technical proficiency and taste.”  James embarked on his first cross country tour while in his teens, and later played alongside such blues greats as Albert Collins and Big Joe Turner.  He released his debut album in 1995, Sleeping With A Stranger.

James returned to the studio for the first time in more than a decade to record Blues At The Border, featuring “Somebody Got To Pay.”

Marlon, Tito and Jackie Jackson will be in Japan on December 13 and 14 to perform two concerts as a tribute to their late brother Michael.  The shows will also feature some Japanese artists, including popular R&B star A.I.  The Jacksons and A.I. plan to release a duet, called “Letter in the Sky,” on December 14.

On December 17, Julien’s Auctions will sell the contents of Michael Jackson’s leased Los Angeles home.  The 600 pieces include furniture, artwork, and other personal family items.  The headboard from the bed in which Michael died was removed from the auction at the request of his estate.

Guns N' Roses, Red Hot Chilli Peppers Among Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductees

<!--IMAGE-LEFT-->

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has announced its Class of 2012.  The Faces, Guns N’ Roses, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, the Beastie Boys, Donovan and the late Laura Nyro will be added in the Performers category.  In addition, late blues great Freddie King will be inducted in the Early Influences category, late producer Don Kirshner will be honored with the Ahmet Ertegun Award and engineer/producers Glyn Johns, Cosimo Matassa and the late Tom Dowd will receive the Award For Musical Excellence.  The 27th Annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductions will be held on April 14, 2012 in Cleveland, Ohio.  The ceremony is being taped for a May 2012 HBO special.

Buble Tops Billboard 200 Chart

<!--IMAGE-LEFT-->

Pop singer Michael Buble’s new holiday album, Christmas, spends its second week at the top of the Billboard 200 chart.  With 293,000 additional copies sold during the past week, total sales of the album have surpassed the one million mark.  Christmas is the seventh album to sell more than one million copies in 2011.

New Album Releases December 13:

“Back To Love” by Anthony Hamilton
“Welcome Reality” by Nero
“Made In Germany” by Rammstein
“The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1, The Score

Musical Events/Festivals/Benefits:

<!--IMAGE-LEFT-->

December 16, cable channel TNT will air the 30th anniversary “Christmas In Washington” special.  This year’s lineup includes Justin Bieber, Cee Lo Green, Jennifer Hudson, The Band Perry and Victoria Justice.  The show’s audience includes President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama.  “Christmas In Washington” benefits the Children’s National Medical Center.

Kennedy Center Honorees Include Neil Diamond, Meryl Streep

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts held its 2011 Kennedy Center Honors Gala on December 4.  This year’s honorees included cellist Yo-Yo Ma, singer Barbara Cook, saxophonist Sonny Rollins, actress Meryl Streep and singer-songwriter Neil Diamond.  An all-star lineup of surprise guests saluted the entertainers.  The event will air on CBS-TV on December 27.

Kanye Leads Grammy Nominations

<!--IMAGE-LEFT-->
Kanye West leads the nominees for the 54th annual Grammy Awards.  His seven nods include Song of the Year and Best Rap Song for “All of the Lights” and Rap Album of the Year for My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.  Kanye’s collaborative album with Jay-Z, Watch the Throne, brought him three of his seven nominations.  Other leading contenders include Adele, Bruno Mars and the Foo Fighters with six mentions each.  All three appear in the Album of the Year category alongside Lady Gaga and Rihanna.

In the all-genre category of Record of the Year are Adele’s “Rolling In The Deep,” “Holocene” by Bon Iver, Bruno Mars’ “Grenade,” “The Cave” by Mumford & Sons and Katy Perry’s “Firework.”  Best New Artist nominees include The Band Perry, Bon Iver, J. Cole, Nicki Minaj and Skrillex.  This year, the Recording Academy decreased the number of Grammy categories from 109 to 78.  The awards will be presented on February 12, 2012 in Los Angeles.  (Complete list of nominees at www.grammy.com.)

Morgan, Beach Boys on Board for USO's 'Christmas Concert for the Troops' Concert

<!--IMAGE-LEFT-->
On December 6, the USO of Metropolitan Washington will present “Christmas Concert for the Troops” at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.  The invitation-only event honoring active duty military will feature performances by Country singer Lorrie Morgan, the Beach Boys and Tony Award winner John Lloyd Young, who is currently on Broadway in “The Jersey Boys.”  They’ll be backed by the National Symphony Orchestra.  Co-hosting the show are actor John Stamos and Miss America 2011 Teresa Scanlan.

Winehouse's Posthumous Album Drops

<!--IMAGE-RIGHT-->
On December 6, Universal Republic will release Amy Winehouse’s posthumous album, Lioness: Hidden Treasures.  The 12-song collection includes alternate versions of previously released tunes, as well as two new tracks that she planned to include on her third album.  Also featured are her final studio recording, “Body & Soul,” which she sang with Tony Bennett for his latest album “Duets II,” and covers of songs by Donny Hathaway, the Shirelles and Ruby & the Romantics. 

In other news, the dress Winehouse wore on the cover of her Grammy-winning Back To Black album was recently auctioned for charity.  Museo de la Moda, a fashion museum in Santiago, Chile, paid $67,000 for the dress.  Proceeds will go to the foundation set up by her father to fund programs for at-risk children.

Michael Jackson's Doctor Sentenced to 4 Years in Jail

<!--IMAGE-LEFT-->
Dr. Conrad Murray, the physician convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Michael Jackson, has been sentenced to a four-year prison term.  Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor chastised Murray for giving Jackson the operating room anesthetic propofol that was responsible for Michael’s death, and also for the lack of remorse Murray has shown.  Jackson’s family said they were pleased with the sentencing, were not seeking revenge, and plan to move forward with their lives.  Due to overcrowding in California’s prisons, the time Murray spends in jail will likely be much shorter than four years.

Alicia Keys Produces Broadway Show

<!--IMAGE-LEFT-->
On December 8, the new comedy Stick Fly will open on Broadway.  Singer Alicia Keys produced the show.   “This is a story that everybody can relate to," Alicia says. "I’m passionate about this play because it is so beautifully written and portrays Black America in a way that we don’t often get to see in entertainment. I know it will touch audiences who will find a piece of themselves somewhere inside this house.”

New Album Releases December 6:

“Glee: The Music 7” by the cast of “Glee”
“The Path of Totality” by Korn
“Revolver” by T-Pain
“Love After War” by Robin Thicke
“Hats Off to the Bull” by Chevelle
“El Camino” by The Black Keys
“The MF Life” by Melanie Fiona
“Paramount Sessions” by Adam Lambert & Steve Cooke
“A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas” the original motion picture soundtrack

Musical Events/Festivals/Benefits:

<!--IMAGE-LEFT-->
On December 9, New York radio station Z100 will hold its 2011 “Jingle Ball” charity event at Madison Square Garden.  This year’s performers includes Lady Gaga, Pitbull, Hot Chelle Rae, Kelly Clarkson, Demi Lovato, David Guetta, LMFAO, Foster the People and Gym Class Heroes.  The sold-out show will benefit the national anti-bullying program STOMP Out Bullying.

The 31st annual John Lennon Tribute takes place in New York City on December 10.  Artists covering Lennon’s classic songs at the show include Steve Forbert, Bettye LaVette, Lucy Kaplansky, Rich Pagano, Richard Barone, Toshi Reagon and Ari Hest.  Performances from last year’s 30th John Lennon Tribute were digitally released on November 15th, with proceeds going to the Japanese Red Cross for its ongoing earthquake relief efforts.

Awards Presentations/Winners:

<!--IMAGE-LEFT-->
The 2nd Annual American Country Awards were presented on December 5 in Las Vegas.  Jason Aldean and the Zac Brown Band led the contenders with eight nominations each, including Artist of the Year.  Following close behind was the new husband-and-wife duo Thompson Square with seven nods.  Taylor Swift and The Band Perry received six mentions apiece.  During the ceremony, legendary Country group Alabama received the Greatest Hits Award.  Between 1980 and 2011, Alabama has topped the Country chart 34 times.  The American Country Awards aired live on FOX-TV.

Look Who's Going On Tour!

<!--IMAGE-LEFT-->
On December 7, Country star Vince Gill and his wife Amy Grant will begin their sixth holiday tour in Baltimore, Maryland.  “The Twelve Days of Christmas” outing will stop in 10 additional cities before wrapping up with two sows in Nashville on December 20 and 21.  “Christmas audiences are special," Grant says. "They tend to involve the whole family, and their emotions are a wonderful mix of anticipation and reverence.  It’s a thrilling experience for both of us.”  The shows will feature Grant and Gill singing holiday standards and contemporary Christmas songs.

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

<!--AV-->

The evening kicked off with Grammy winners Emmylou Harris, Alison Krauss and Jerry Douglas performing “I’ll Fly Away” in celebration of the 10th anniversary of the hit “O’ Brother Where Art Thou?” movie soundtrack.

Song of the Year is a tough category at every music awards show, and it was no different at the Americana Honors and Awards. The Decemberists and Gillian Welch, Elizabeth Cook, Hayes Carll and Justin Townes Earle were all vying for the honor. And the winner? Justin Townes Earle for “Harlem River Blues,” the title track to his most recent CD.

“I wrote Harlem River Blues because when I was 17 years old I read the [book] ‘Basketball Diaries’ by Jim Carroll.  And he talked about jumping off the cliffs into the Harlem River, so I have to thank Jim Carroll,” he said.

In 2009, Justin Townes Earle won the New/Emerging Artist trophy - and this year that honor went to Mumford and Sons. The Avett Brothers had another Duo/Group of the Year win, their third after winning that category in 2001 and 2010.

Other highlights included Lifetime Achievement awards for Dobro player Jerry Douglas, and Lucinda Williams, who was honored for her songwriting. In her speech, Williams spoke of “giving back” to the music community.

“One of the most rewarding things for me is discovering, advising and helping new artists who are working so hard to make a life of music," she said  "Just like I was ‘that girl’ who was kicking around for so many years. I want this honor tonight to stand for that dream, to stand for the perseverance, the will and the heart it takes to make it all come true. I’m standing here now as living proof that it can happen. To make a life making music is the greatest thing you can do. It is a blessing and I am blessed.”

The third Lifetime Achievement Award of the evening was the one for performance, and it was given to Gregg Allman.

It was also a big night for multi-instrumentalist Buddy Miller, who led an all-star house band that supported the award show performers. Not only did Buddy win Artist of the Year, he also added another Instrumentalist of the Year trophy to his cabinet. But that’s not all - he was also singled out by Robert Plant who won Album of the Year for “Band of Joy.” In his acceptance speech, Plant profusely thanked Miller for his contribution to the album.

“I have to thank really especially Buddy Miller because I saw Buddy playing with Emmylou [Harris] back on that ‘Wrecking Ball’ tour in Dublin, Ireland a few years ago. I saw the consummate player of all the licks and beauty and the soliloquy of great American music that I’d ever heard in my life," Plant said. "Or put together in one guy with a hat on. And I was flabbergasted. When we toured the ‘Raising Sand’ tour, I said to the forces that be, I said we can’t go anywhere without Buddy Miller! And I’m never going to go anywhere without Buddy Miller. Ever!”

Robert Plant followed up his Album of the Year acceptance speech with a performance of the song “Monkey” from his award winning “Band of Joy” CD, just one of the many live performances of the evening.

Those are lyrics to the ghazal “Yeh Nahin.” It's Punjabi for “Wandering Dusty Paths,” composed by Kiran Ahluwalia. Born in India, raised in Canada, now living in New York and touring the world with her band, Ahluwalia’s own path has been wandering ever since she first heard these traditional love songs as a girl.

“Even though the words were beyond the comprehension of a 10 year old, I was just mesmerized by the music," says Ahluwalia, in the apartment overlooking Harlem she shares with her husband, fellow musician and producer Rez Abassi.

Ahluwlia is known for her daring collaborations with musicians from far flung corners of the globe. In her new CD, “Aam Zameen: Common Ground,” she teams up with Tinariwen, a Tuareg desert blues band from Mali, as well as traditional Tuareg musicians and a Gambian “ritti” player.

When Ahluwalia and the Tuareg musicians met in France to record, they often had to resort to hand gestures to convey ideas. She says they experimented, rehearsed, gesticulated and laughed together for hours before the recording session began.

“So when I walked into that Paris studio all of my energy pods were open, and oh my God, at the end of that day like 20 people had jumped inside of me,” she says. “We just found a completely instant connection after we started singing."

That kinship can be heard in “Musst Musst" the CD’s signature song. Ahluwalia knew it was a risk for her mostly Indian musicians to play a traditional Sufi Muslim song from Pakistan with Tuaregs in a Saharan blues style. But South Asians and Tuaregs both combine hand clapping and call and response in their traditions, and somehow it worked.

“I think we all succeeded in integrating our different backgrounds so well, it is one unit. There was no dividing line.”

While the musical styles that Ahluwalia explores are rooted in particular cultures, emotions are universal. For example, even though she spoke no Portuguese, she immediately recognized the sense of love and longing that are the hallmarks of the Portuguese “Fado” and sought out a partnership with Fado instrumentalists that resulted in her 2007 “Wanderlust” CD.  

“I almost never know the words when I am falling in love with a different type of music,” says the singer. “It’s really everything else in the music: the feeling of the phrases, the melody, the rhythm, and the mood it creates… that is touching me.”

Sometimes, the moods in Ahluwalia’s collaborations are joyful, as in “Jhanjra,” a traditional Punjabi folk-song she recorded with the Celtic fiddler Natalie MacMaster. At other times, she has collaborated with traditional Afghani musicians and Inuit “throat singers.”

Ahluwalia says that she is drawn to collaboration because as an India-born woman raised in Canada, “I myself am a collaboration. Culturally and musically, those two influences are very much within me and my own identity. On the other hand, I’m a citizen of the world. And the entire world is there for me to be influenced by.”

Just where Ahluwalia’s travels will take her after her current tour is anyone’s guess. However, one thing is certain: while remaining rooted in her own musical heritage, she will continue to honor the traditions of others to create a musical world where geographic boundaries need not apply.