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JoeBala

Music+Tours+Film+TV+Tech|Fiona Apple W/Watkins Family Free Concert Stream Tomm 8/8/2015 :)|8|7|15 PT. 8

Part 1(4/21/14--6/20/14)Her|: http://prince.org/msg/8/406964

Part 2(6/20/14--8/3/14) Here: http://prince.org/msg/8/4...?&pg=1

Part 3(8/4/2014--10/4/2014) Here: http://prince.org/msg/8/409550

Part 4(10-4/2014 --11/30/2014) Here: http://prince.org/msg/8/4...?&pg=1

Part 5http://prince.org/msg/8/412806

Part 6: http://prince.org/msg/8/414118

Part 7: (04/09/15--6-9-15) Here: http://prince.org/msg/8/415448

Part 8. Org members please feel free to add any articles on any upcoming newsworthy music or movie releases.


Recording Engineer

Scott Weiland and The Wildabouts at the El Rey Theater

June 8, 20157:35 PM MST
Scott Weiland concert
Rating: 5 stars

Scott Weiland and his new band The Wildabouts played the El Rey Saturday Night. They took the stage at 11:15 pm. The opening acts were Stocklyn (9pm), Vox Waves (9:40pm), Blondfire (10:20pm). Each band’s set was 30 minutes with the Wildabouts having an hour 15 minute set. The Wildabouts consist of drummer Joey Castillo (Queens Of The Stone Age), Tommy Black (Golden State), and new guitarist Nick Maybury (Michelle Branch, Perry Farrell, Madden Brothers) who came in to replace Jeremy Brown who tragically passed away at the age of 34 just a day before the album came out. As always Weiland continues to reinvent himself vocally and appearance wise making Velvet Revolver, Stone Temple Pilots, and Wildabouts 3 different versions of Weiland. Regardless of the band Weiland is a great front man and has a great audience. This audience included crowd surfers and audience members that got onstage who were escorted out shortly after.

Scott Weiland
Alex Kluft

Weiland opened with Stone Temple Pilots song “Crackeman.” Other STP songs included “Meatplow,” “Big Bang Baby,” “Vasoline,” and ended with “Unglued.” At the end of the show Castillo threw apart his acrylic kit in a Keith Moon fashion. Although there’s been some bad comments on Weiland’s performance recently, the only thing wrong was the mic level or sound mix. The show itself was great and the band is perfect. When the show ended there was paid for meet and greet and signing that took place. It was much more than just taking a photo with the artist, fans got to talk with Weiland and the band.

.

L.A Reid slams ‘The X Factor’ as the worst thing he ever did: ‘I lowered my bar’

June 8, 20151:27 PM
It was a shocking night on the X Factor! Not only was Emblem3 sent home but L.A. Reid announced that he was quitting his judge's gig. L.A. said he needs to get back to business as the chairman and CEO of Epic Records.
It was a shocking night on the X Factor! Not only was Emblem3 sent home but L.A. Reid announced that he was quitting his judge's gig. L.A. said he needs to get back to business as the chairman and CEO of Epic Records.
on.aol.com

L.A. Reid says the worst thing he ever did was sign on to “The X Factor.” The Epic exec slammed the now-canceled Fox TV talent show spearheaded by Simon Cowell, saying his short stint on the show was a mistake. Reid’s comments came at a breakfast chat in Cannes, according to The Hollywood Reporter on Saturday. “It’s the worst thing I’ve ever done,” Reid said of his two seasons on “The X Factor” from 2011 to 2012.

NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 22: Chairman and CEO of Epic Records L.A. Reid attends 2013 BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Awards at Hammerstein Ballroom on August 22, 2013 in New York City.
Photo by Neilson Barnard/Getty Images for BMI

While Reid admitted he had fun working on the first season of the show, he revealed that season 2 was more complicated because he was trying to run a record label at the same time. He also blamed the show for affecting his taste in music, saying, “It almost destroyed it. It completely threw me off.” Reid said he actually had to lower his bar when he worked on the show, and he took on Simon Cowell’s musical taste, which doesn’t exactly sound like a compliment.

While L.A. Reid says “The X Factor” was the worst thing he ever did, he also blamed Cowell for setting the show up for failure when he announced that he expected to get 20 million viewers for its 2011 premiere. The show was instead watched by 14 million viewers, which would normally be considered a big success. “The X Factor” was canceled after three seasons and multiple changes to the judges’ panel.

One of the worst things L.A Reid did while on “The X Factor” was mistake one of Demi Lovato’s songs for an old fashioned ballad. After Cowell’s contestant, Drew Ryniewicz, covered the Disney star’s song, “Skyscraper,” Reid chastised Cowell for saddling his contestant with "songs for people that are 40." “Why are you doing songs that are so old? You’re so young,” a clueless Reid asked the teen contestant. Cowell promptly told Reid to shut up, while Paula Abdul explained the song was actually by teen pop star Lovato.

L.A. Reid hinted that “The X Factor” was the worst thing he ever did when he first announced he was leaving the show. At the time, Reid told Access Hollywood he had been neglecting his duties as chairman and CEO of Epic Records, and he added of his decision to quit the TV talent competition: "It saddens me a little bit, but only a little bit."

.

[Edited 8/7/15 14:09pm]

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Reply #1 posted 06/09/15 6:56am

JoeBala

Mary Ellen Trainor, Actress in All Four 'Lethal Weapon' Films, Dies at 62

Trainor with Bill Murray in the 1988 film 'Scrooged.'
Courtesy of Photofest

Mary Ellen Trainor, an actress who appeared in all four Lethal Weapon films and in several movies directed by her then-husband, Oscar winner Robert Zemeckis, has died. She was 62.

Trainor, who also stood out as homemaker Mrs. Walsh in The Goonies (1985), died May 20 of complications from pancreatic cancer at her home in Montecito, Calif., according to Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy, her lifelong friend and fellow San Diego State alumna.

Trainor married Zemeckis in 1980 and made her big-screen debut, at the suggestion ofMichael Douglas, in the pivotal role of Elaine, the kidnapped sister of Kathleen Turner’s character, in the director’s Romancing the Stone (1984). She and her husband later collaborated on Back to the Future Part II (1989), Death Becomes Her (1992) and the Oscar best picture winner Forrest Gump (1994) before they divorced in 2000.

Trainor portrayed Los Angeles police psychiatrist Dr. Stephanie Woods in the quartet of Lethal Weapon films and teamed with director Richard Donner on The Goonies and Scrooged (1988) as well.

Asked in a 2013 interview what she remembered most about working on Goonies, she said, "The shenanigans of the kids [Sean Astin, Corey Feldman, Jeff Cohen, Josh Brolin, Jonathan Ke Quan, et al]. They all fell in love with each other. And Dick Donner encouraged that."

She played TV news reader Gail Wallens in Die Hard (1988) and appeared in such other films as Ghostbusters II (1989), Action Jackson (1988), Grand Canyon (1991), Little Giants (1994),Congo (1995), Executive Decision (1996), Amy’s Orgasm (2001), Moonlight Mile (2002) andFreaky Friday (2003).

On television, Trainor had regular roles on the Fox sitcom Parker Lewis Can’t Lose, the ABC drama Relativity and the UPN-WB drama Roswell.

Known affectionately as “Mare” to her family and friends, she was born in San Francisco and attended San Diego State, where she studied broadcast journalism (and met Kennedy). Trainor landed a job as an on-air personality for radio station KSDO, then worked as a station editor at KCBS-TV and as a production assistant in Los Angeles. She then served as an assistant to the producer on Steven Spielberg's 1941, written by her future husband.

Survivors include her son, Alex, and his girlfriend, Kat; her mother, Jane; and siblings Ned,Jack, Barbara and Carolyn.

A memorial service will take place at 11 a.m. on June 19 at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Churchin Montecito.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation and The Wounded Warrior Project.

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Reply #2 posted 06/09/15 7:33am

JoeBala

Dexter's Jennifer Carpenter Joins Limitless, Get The Details

Dexter's Jennifer Carpenter Joins Limitless, Get The Details image
For former Dexter star Jennifer Carpenter, finding a permanent TV gig after the hit Showtime thriller has been something of a challenge. But she has now stumbled on her best chance yet at getting back in front of TV audiences, as she’s been added to the cast of the Limitless pilot being produced at CBS.

A small screen adaptation of Neil Burger’s 2011 film starring Bradley Cooper,Limitless stars Manhattan Love Story’s Jake McDormand as leading man Brian Sinclair. As in the film, he discovers a drug called NZT that makes him ridiculously smart and mentally sound, but here, Brian is inserted into a procedural narrative that puts him in the middle of the FBI, which uses his newfound smarts to help them solve cases.

That’s where Carpenter’s character comes into it, as she’ll play an investigator named Rebecca. According to Deadline, Rebecca is dynamic and has quickly climbed her way up the FBI ladder to success, but there are still some nagging thoughts concerning the reason why she got into law enforcement in the first place. Could it be her own secret criminal past, or that of a family member? Was she in a rogue D.A.R.E. program as a youth? I’m sure I’d have already figured it out if I had some NZT at my disposal.

Carpenter and McDorman are they only cast members that have been added toLimitless so far. The pilot is being written by Craig Sweeny, a veteran of TV series such as The 4400, Medium and Elementary. He’ll be executive producing alongside Cooper, Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, Todd Phillips, and more. Marc Webb, he of The Amazing Spider-Man fame, will be directing, as well as executive producing.


This will be Carpenter’s third pilot since Dexter came to a controversially awful end in 2013. She was first a part of the ABC project Sea of Fire, which involved a deadly small town scandal provoked by three teenage girls starring in a porno. She then joined USA’s comedic drama pilot Stanistan with Friday Night Lights’ Zach Gilford, in which she would have played a public affairs officer working at an American compound in the fictional country of Stanistan. While Limitless might not be what the world needs, it would be nice to see Carpenter on the regular again.

Carpenter’s other TV work in recent years has been on the vocal side, as she’s provided voicework for the animated series Pound Puppies and the Adult Swim show Robot Chicken. Other voicework includes the horror video game The Evil Within and Avengers Confidential: Black Widow & Punisher, in which she played Black Widow. As well, she starred in the 2014 horror feature The Devil’s Hand.

It’s not clear when Limitless will be going into production, but it’ll likely be underway in the next few months to allow decision time for the fall season.

Bradley Cooper To Recur On CBS Series ‘Limitless’

Limitless Bradley Cooper TV CBS

UPDATED: In addition to executive producing Limitless, the new CBS drama series based on his movie, Oscar-nominated actor Bradley Cooper will recur on the show, reprising his character from the 2011 movie, Eddie Mora. Cooper was a guest star in the pilot, directed by Marc Webb, and intends to appear as much as his schedule permits.

Limitless 4

Limitless centers on Brian Finch (Jake McDorman) — a new character that exists in the same world as Eddie Mora — who discovers the brain-boosting power of the mysterious drug NZT and is coerced by the FBI into using his extraordinary cognitive abilities to solve complex cases for them.

Unbeknownst to the FBI, Brian also has a clandestine relationship with Senator Edward Mora (Cooper), a presidential hopeful and regular user of NZT who has plans of his own for his new protégé. Craig Sweeny, Marc Webb, Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, Heather Kadin, Bradley Cooper, Todd Phillips, Ryan Kavanaugh, Tucker Tooley and Tom Forman executive produce for CBS Television Studios, K/O Paper Products and Relativity Television.

It is customary for feature actors serving as executive producers on series to recur, which is what Laurence Fishburne does on ABC’s black-ish.

I think it speaks to the quality of the show. Mark Webb directing is rad. Even though...

Cooper started on TV, with roles on The $treet, Jack & Bobby and Kitchen Confidential before making it big in features.

Preview:

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Reply #3 posted 06/09/15 7:42am

JoeBala

James Taylor Announces 'Before This World,' His First Album of New Songs in 13 Years

Before This World [CD/DVD Combo][Super Deluxe]

Five-time GRAMMY® Award winner James Taylor will release Before This World, the legendary singer/songwriter's first album of new songs since 2002's platinum-selling October Road.

Produced by Grammy Award®-winner Dave O'Donnell, Before This World features ten songs, nine of which are brand new James Taylor compositions, and is due out June 16th, 2015 from Concord Records.

In addition, the special 2-Disc CD/DVD Before This World Deluxe Edition includes the full-length album on CD plus "There We Were: The Recording of James Taylor's Before This World," a behind-the-scenes documentary about the making of the album on DVD. Through studio footage and interviews (including Taylor and album guests Sting and Yo-Yo Ma) this beautifully rendered 30-minute film provides an intimate look into Taylor's creative process and the recording of this landmark album.

Recorded at his home studio TheBarn, in Washington, MA, Taylor enlisted the longtime members of his band for the sessions including bassist Jimmy Johnson, drummer Steve Gadd, guitarist Michael Landau, keyboardist Larry Goldings, percussionist Luis Conte, fiddler and vocalist Andrea Zonn and vocalists Arnold McCuller, David Lasley and Kate Markowitz. Taylor also called on close friends Yo-Yo Ma and Sting to add their remarkable talent to the new album, (Ma's cello is heard on "You And I Again" and "Before This World"; Sting added vocals to "Before This World.") Additionally, Taylor's wife Kim and son Henry sing harmony on "Angels Of Fenway" and the classic folk tune "Wild Mountain Thyme."

Watch the album trailer:

On Before This World, Taylor continues to explore many of the themes that have absorbed him throughout his career. "My sort of self-expression and the autobiographical aspect of my work is a thru-line that links all my albums together," he explains. "I think I have grown musically, and I think people can hear it in what I played in '68, and you can hear it in what I'm singing about now. It is ongoing, it's still me, but it's still evolving." Offering heartfelt reflection and insight from a life well lived, Taylor traces the road's healing allure ("Stretch of the Highway"), revisits themes of recovery, ("Watchin' Over Me"), offers a song for agnostics ("Before This World"), looks at love's mystical properties ("You And I Again") as well as the redemptive spirit of baseball ("Angels Of Fenway"), and the beginning of his remarkable journey, ("Today Today Today"), the album's first track.

"When I set out to record a new song, I have an idea, in my mind's ear, of how it should sound," he explains in the album's liner notes. "It is rare that the finished product entirely measures up, indeed, sometimes I'm utterly surprised by where the session takes it. This time I'm completely satisfied that each of these ten songs is where it's meant to be."

The past ten years have been full of an extensive tour schedule and notable achievements for Taylor -- including his acclaimed One Man Band tour and concert performance film, which aired on PBS and was nominated for an Emmy Award, his wildly successful Troubadour Reunion tour and Live at the Troubadour album with Carole King, two collections of cover songs Covers and Other Covers, a heartwarming Christmas album, James Taylor at Christmas and 2014's sold out tour across the US, Europe and the UK.

It will also be a particularly special summer for Taylor, as he will be performing a full-length concert with his All-Star Band for the first time ever at Fenway Park on August 6th, with guest Bonnie Raitt, which sold out 32,000 seats in one day.

One of the defining musical figures of our time, Taylor continues to express himself and touch our lives with the enduring songs he creates. "I really just feel as if I want to make music now," he said as he completed work on the new album. "I've done a lot of thinking about why I continue to be compelled to do this kind of work, but I still feel a huge connection with it."

For a special message from James visit: www.jamestaylor.com

James Taylor set to release new CD in June

It’s true that James Taylor hasn’t released a record of new songs since 2002, but he hasn’t just been sitting around. Over the past 12 years, the 67-year-old singer-songwriter has released five CDs — live recordings, holiday music, and a collection of covers — and toured more or less constantly.

“I’ve been working as hard as I ever have in my life,” JT told us Monday, reached at his home in the Berkshires.

But he’s about to get busier. Taylor confirmed Monday that his new CD, “Before This World,” is finished and will be released June 16. Recorded at The Barn, his home studio in the Berkshires, the album features Taylor’s longtime band and a few of his famous friends, including Yo-Yo Ma andSting. (His wife, Kim, and son Henry also sing a few harmonies.)

Why so long between albums?

“It’s a very different kind of thing to prepare an album of original songs. I just needed to get back into the habit of writing lyrics,” he said. “I borrowed a friend’s place in Newport and went down there for a week at a time. After about two days of nothing happening, the songs would come through.”

As always, Taylor writes about what he knows: life on the road, love, and recovery. (Taylor was a heroin addict for several years.)

“More and more, I see how lucky I’ve been. That’s the general reaction I have to the life I’ve lived,” he said. “I’ve been unbelievably lucky and I’ve had great support.”

When Taylor released his first LP in 1968, he said he never imagined he’d still be making music all these years later.

“I thought very little about the future beyond the next tour or getting done with an album,” he said. “It’s like that line from ‘Copperline’: ‘I’m only living for the end of the week.’”

Not anymore. Next up are shows this month in Germany, the Netherlands, and Italy, and then back home for a concert at Tanglewood on July 4 and a sold-out show at Fenway Park Aug. 6.

“I wrote a song about the 2004 World Series, called ‘Angels of Fenway,’ ” he said. “I’m very keen to play it at Fenway.”

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Reply #4 posted 06/09/15 9:08am

JoeBala

D'Angelo Electrifies at Triumphant Second Coming Tour Opener

'Black Messiah' singer asserts his soul legend status onstage in Oakland

BY MOSI REEVES June 8, 2015
D'AngeloD'Angelo kicked off his Second Coming tour in support of his acclaimed new album, 'Black Messiah,' in Oakland with an electrifying set. Tom Tomkinson

When D'Angelo last visited Oakland in the spring of 2000, he was steaming from the deafening acclaim given to Voodoo, and the impact of his glistening naked torso in the "Untitled (How Does It Feel)." Backed by a troupe that featured drummer Questlove and producer James Poyser, he thrilled a sold-out crowd at the Paramount Theater, but his burgeoning sex symbol status nearly overshadowed a masterful performance.

D'Angelo
D'Angelo 'Black Messiah'... Review »

A little over 15 years later, D'Angelo returned to downtown Oakland's Fox Theater for the first night of his U.S. tour in support of his lionized comeback album, Black Messiah. (Much of the audience arrived late after watching their hometown favorite Golden State Warriors lose a heartbreaker in Game 2 of the NBA Finals, and so they missed an opening set by promising Australian singer-songwriter Meg Mac.) This time, he didn't strip off his shirt, instead opting for a series of modestly effective costume changes to complement his black T-shirt, pants and boots, like an assembly of hats, particularly a stylish white fedora, as well as a mud-and-lime colored trench coat and a white-ringed black shawl. His formerly glorious beefcake chest may have dissipated under time and age, but it wasn't forgotten, if the frequently delighted squeals from women in the audience were any indication.

Backed by the 10-piece Vanguard, D'Angelo and his singers – P-Funk veteran Kendra Foster, Jermaine Holmes and Ahrel Lumzy – took the stage with their arms raised in the air, paying homage to the icon "Hands Up, Don't Shoot," before launching into a feverish 12-minute rendition of "Ain't That Easy." The saxophonist and trumpeter piped wailed like the JBs' Maceo Parker and Fred Wesley. (Frustratingly, but perhaps due to a first-show mistake, D'Angelo didn't individually introduce the members of his band.) D'Angelo frequently alternated between strumming a guitar, vamping on a keyboard and strutting in the center of the stage while seemingly nodding directions to his musicians. During the intro to "Really Love," Foster performed a dazzling interpretative ballet. Meanwhile, veteran bassist Pino Palladino added a bottom that pulsed underneath like a heartbeat.

From James Brown to Prince, D'Angelo’s inspirations are still easy to spot. The heavy Prince influence isn't as strong as in years past, but he still tends to scream at key moments just like the Purple One. During an extended rendition of "Back to the Future Pt. 1," he and the band interspersed a melodies from Sly & the Family Stone's "Sing a Simple Song" as they chanted "Gangsta funk! Gangsta boogie!"

Yet D'Angelo worked the crowd with aplomb, and an earthy cool that was uniquely his own. For the dirge-like funk rock churn of "The Charade," his Black Messiah tribute to black men killed by law enforcement, he said, "We're gonna do this for Freddie Gray, Michael Brown and a lot of others that we don't know the names of. This is for us." Then he lightened the mood with by going back to his first hit, "Brown Sugar." "Where are all my brown sugars at?" he asked as the ladies screamed and folks sparked their joints. Later, in apparent reference to Curtis Mayfield's "Freddie's Dead," he and the Vanguard chanted, "Freddie's dead! No he ain't!"

He played nearly all of Black Messiah and left no room for past favorites like "Lady," "Cruisin'," "Shit, Damn, Motherfucker," "Send It On" and "Devil's Pie." No one seemed to mind as he chose to stick to call-and-response funk rave-ups like "Left, Right" and "Chicken Grease." However, he wisely closed the two-hour set with his best-loved song. Fifteen years ago, he'd end his performances of "Untitled (How Does It Feel)" by suffusing himself in Purple Rain lights. This time, there was blood red backlighting, an exhausted but ecstatic room cheering him on, and a vision of D'Angelo at the piano, still here after all these years, a soul icon in his own right.

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John Lennon's Guitar, Lost for 50 Years, Hits Auction Block

Long-lost 1962 Gibson acoustic used to write Beatles classics up for sale this November

BY RYAN REED June 8, 2015john lennonJohn Lennon's 1962 Gibson J-106E, lost for more than 50 years, will hit the auction block Julien's Auctions

The guitar John Lennon used to record early Beatles hits like "Love Me Do" is hitting the auction block in November – and the price tag is mind-boggling. The 1962 J-160E Gibson acoustic is estimated to bring between $600,000 and $800,000 at the Julien's Auctions sale, according to the New York Times.

The instrument is iconic enough, but its bizarre backstory offers extra collector appeal. According to the auction listing, Lennon purchased the jumbo Gibson in September 1962 and used it during the band's September 11th session at London's EMI Studios to record "P.S. I Love You" and "Love Me Do." Lennon reportedly employed the acoustic during early writing sessions with Paul McCartney, resulting in classics like "She Loves You," "I Want to Hold Your Hand," "Please, Please, Me," "All My Loving," "From Me to You" and "This Boy."

The guitar then went missing in December 1963 during the Beatles' Finsbury Park Christmas Show for 50 years, only to be identified and authenticated last year. Amateur guitarist John McCaw purchased the guitar in San Diego in the 1970s for "a couple of hundred dollars" and kept it in his collection, luckily choosing not to modify or refurbish it.

Last year, a friend recognized the Gibson in a book by Beatles memorabilia expert Andy Babiuk – and though the Fab Four historian said "99 percent" of such claims turn out to be "nothing," he was struck by the instrument's matching appearance and serial number, analyzing the wood grain to make his final determination.

"There's no mistaking it's the guitar," said Darren Julien, president and chief executive of the Los Angeles auction house.

The auction is scheduled for November 6th and 7th. Before then, the guitar will be displayed at two summer exhibitions, at the L.B.J. Presidential Library in Austin, Texas (from June 13th to 29th) and at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles (from July 2nd to September 7th). Prior to the sale, the piece will be put on public display at Julien's from November 2nd to 6th.

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'Festival People en Español' Heads to New York City in October

By Leila Cobo | June 04, 2015 9:56 AM EDT

Emilio and Gloria Estefan

Emilio and Gloria Estefan attends the ASCAP Centennial Awards at Waldorf Astoria Hotel on Nov. 17, 2014 in New York City.

Theo Wargo/Getty Images for ASCAP

Slated for October 17 and 18 at the Jacob Javits Center, the free two-day event is a celebration of Hispanic culture that features celebrities, opinion-makers, and leaders, and mixes panels and performances with family activities.

On the music side, this year's Festival, whose theme is "Your Voice, Your Power, Your Festival," will feature a panel with Emilio and Gloria Estefan -- tied to the launch of their musical On Your Feet! -- as well as a yet to be announced concert featuring other Latin acts.

Gloria & Emilio Estef...r Broadway

"Last year we celebrated millennials, this year, Latino leaders and their influence," said People en Español publisher Monique Manso, noting that the performers for the concert will mirror the festival's theme (last year, the millennial theme was echoed in a Disney-presented show that included Becky G and Zendaya).

"Festival" comes to New York after three successful years in San Antonio, Texas. Its move, says Manso, obeyed to multiple factors, including the large and diverse Latino community in the tri-state area, and the opportunities available to People en Español by hosting the event in its own backyard, which allows organizers to tap into other Time Inc. assets.

Because the Festival dates coincide with the New York previews of On Your Feet!, the musical based on the life and music of the Estefans, People has partnered with the show production to have a "Festival"-branded theater night Oct. 17 with "Festival" presence at the theater. "Festival" attendees will be able to purchase discounted tickets. The following day, during the actual "Festival," the Estefans and members of the show cast will speak at a panel.

For more information, visit: peopleenespanol.com/festival

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GRACE POTTER REVEALS ‘MIDNIGHT’ ALBUM ART, RELEASE DATE + TOUR PLANS

Grace PotterWilliams Hirakawa

After sharing her new single, “Alive Tonight,” Grace Potter has revealed the release date and cover art for her debut solo album, Midnight.

Set to drop on Aug. 14 via Hollywood Records, the disc’s cover art will definitely pop out at the record store with various shades of yellows, creams and purples. It’s also pretty straight forward showing a portrait of Potter with her guitar on the cover:

Grace Potter Midnight Cover ArtHollywood Records

Potter will also be hitting the road in support of her new album, as well as supporting the Rolling Stones tonight (June 3) and Neil Young on July 5. And don’t forget: She’ll be playing Mountain Jam this weekend!Grab your tickets here.

Grace Potter 2015 Tour
June 3 – Minneapolis, Minn. – TCF Bank Stadium (supporting The Rolling Stones)
June 5 – Hunter, N.Y. – Mountain Jam Festival
June 6 – Arlington, Texas – AT&T Stadium (supporting The Rolling Stones)
June 26 – Oklahoma City, Okla. – OKC Fest
July 5 – Milwaukee, Wis. – Marcus Amphitheater (supporting Neil Young and Promise of the Real)
July 17 – Des Moines, Iowa – Brenton Skating Plaza
July 18 – Sioux Falls, S.D. – Sioux Falls Jazz Fest
July 19 – Moorhead, Minn. – Bluestem Center For The Arts
July 20 – Green Bay, Wis. – Meyer Theatre
July 23 – Louisville, Ky. – Iroquois Amphitheater
July 24 – Cincinnati, Ohio – Taft Theatre
July 25 – Floyd, Va. – Floydfest
July 26 – Camden, N.J. – XPoNential Music Festival
July 28 – Lewiston, N.Y. – Artpark
July 30 – Toronto – Danforth Music Hall
July 31 – Montreal – Osheaga Festival
Aug. 1 – Portland, Maine – Thompson’s Point (with Lake Street Dive)
Aug. 2 – Canandaigua, N.Y. – CMAC
Aug. 4 – Park City, Utah – Deer Valley Amphitheater
Aug. 8 – Phoenix, Ariz. – Celebrity Theatre
Aug. 9 – Tucson, Ariz. – Rialto Theatre
Aug. 12 – Paso Robles, Calif. – Vina Robles Amphitheatre
Aug. 13 – Aug. 14 – Los Angeles – The Fonda Theatre
Aug. 15 – Oakland, Calif. – Fox Theater
Sept. 12 – Sept. 13 – Burlington, Vt. – Grand Point North Festival
Sept. 19 – Morrison, Colo. – Red Rocks Amphitheatre (with Galactic)
Sept. 20 – Del Mar, Calif. – Kaaboo Festival
Oct. 1 – Charleston, W.V. – Clay Center For The Arts
Oct. 3 – New York City – Radio City Music Hall (with Trampled By Turtles)
Oct. 10 – Nashville – Ascend Amphitheater (with Lake Street Dive)

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GARBAGE TO PLAY DEBUT ALBUM IN FULL ON 20TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR

Elias Tahan

It’s been two decades since alternative rockers Garbage released their self-titled debut and, to celebrate, the group are embarking on the 20 Years Queer Tour where they’ll play the album live in its entirety for the first time ever. Now we know when they’ll be bringing it to the U.S. with just-announced tour dates.

Guitarist Steve Marker said of the tour in a press release:

Garbage was born out of such unusual elements and unusual circumstances, and we were shocked when the first record became such a success. We’re just as surprised to be here now, intact, so many years later, enthusiastically preparing to get back on the road with that album and all its attendant b-sides and lord knows what else. A big piece of our lives remains caught up in the making of that record, and we know it holds a special place for the fans that have kept us going for so long. We can’t wait. This tour is going to be a blast.

Tickets will go on sale June 12 and can be purchased here. Check out the complete dates below. Later this summer, the band will also release a special 20th anniversary version of the album that will be remastered and feature all of the remixes plus previously unreleased versions of the songs.

Garbage 20 Years Queer Tour:

Oct. 6, 2015: San Diego, CA – Humphrey’s Concerts By the Bay
Oct. 7, 2015: Oakland, CA – Fox Theater
Oct. 8, 2015: Los Angeles, CA – Greek Theatre
Oct. 10, 2015: Las Vegas, NV – Blvd Pool @ Cosmopolitan Hotel
Oct. 13, 2015: Houston, TX – Bayou Music Center
Oct. 14, 2015: Austin, TX – Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater
Oct. 15, 2015: Dallas, TX – South Side Ballroom
Oct. 17, 2015: Chicago, IL – The Riviera Theatre
Oct. 18, 2015: Madison, WI – Orpheum
Oct. 19, 2015: Royal Oak, MI – Royal Oak Theater
Oct. 21, 2015: Boston, MA – Orpheum
Oct. 23, 2015: Westbury, NY – The Space @ Westbury
Oct. 24, 2015: Brooklyn, NY – Kings Theater
Oct. 26, 2015: Toronto, ON – Phoenix Concert Theatre
Oct. 28, 2015: Washington, DC – 9:30 Club
Oct. 29, 2015: Washington, DC – 9:30 Club
Oct. 31, 2015: Cologne, Germany – Palladium
Nov. 2, 2015: Copenhagen, Denmark – Store Vega
Nov. 4, 2015: Tillburg, Holland – 013
Nov. 5, 2015: Brussels, Belgium – Forest National
Nov. 7, 2015: Paris, France – Zenith
Nov. 8, 2015: London, UK – Brixton Academy
Nov. 9, 2015: London, UK – Brixton Academy
Nov. 11, 2015: Moscow, Russia – Crocus City Hall
Nov. 13, 2015: Manchester, UK – Academy
Nov. 14, 2015: Edinburgh, UK – Usher Hall

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HBO's 'The Brink': What the Jack Black, Tim Robbins Comedy Isn't ('The Daily Show') and What It Is

Photo of Liz Shannon Miller

By Liz Shannon Miller | IndiewireJanuary 8, 2015 at 9:11PM

The producers and stars of HBO's upcoming dark comedy reveal the origins of this upcoming series, which gives "Dr. Strangelove" a real-world edge.
1
Jack Black in "The Brink."
Merie W. Wallace/HBOJack Black in "The Brink."

Created by Roberto and Kim Benabib, and executive produced by Jerry Weintraub, Roberto Benabib and Jay Roach, HBO's "The Brink" stars Jack Black, Tim Robbins, Aasif Mandvi and Pablo Schreiber (most recently quite memorable as Pornstache on "Orange is the New Black") as part of an ensemble caught up in geopolitical turmoil on a global scale.

HBO has labeled "The Brink" a dark comedy, but bleak would be more accurate -- the first two episodes screened for critics are tonally on a level with "Dr. Strangelove." This, it turns out, is not a coincidence, as the cast and producers revealed at the winter TCA press tour today.

The creators got inspired by a museum trip.

Roberto Benabib, who wrote the pilot with his brother Kim, credited the initial inspiration for "Brink" to visiting a museum exhibit devoted to the films of Stanley Kubrick, including "Dr. Strangelove." "We realized that there wasn't a lot like it at the present point," he said, as opposed to the 1970s, where many comedies had a dark, political cast. This led them to wonder what, exactly, a TV show of that genre would be.

But "The Brink" is far more grounded than "Strangelove."

One thing Roberto noted was that much of the comedy of "Strangelove" had a broad, "Mad Magazine"-esque quality (with character names like "'King' Kong" and "'Bat' Guano.") So for "The Brink," the approach was focused on keeping some level of realism to it. "It's a comedy based in the real world, because what's going on is real serious," he said.

To that end, "The Brink" employed Urdu and Pashto as advisors to ensure their portrayal of Pakistan, especially, had realism to it -- saving the satire for the broader political figures, while Rafiq (Mandvi)'s family, trapped in the middle of the ensuing conflict, was portrayed more sensitively.

"[The producers] talked about tonally what they wanted and what I was entering into," Gugino said, who joined the show in Episode 2 to play Robbins' wife. "And what needed to be played was very real... There are some absurd circumstances and some heightened circumstances, but the relationship [between her and Robbins] is very real."

"The Brink" is not "The Interview."

"Kim Jong Un is not in this show," Weintraub stated in response to questions about whether the film's politics would land the show in a kind of trouble similar to that experienced by the Franco/Rogen comedy. He also expressed "there was no fear on this stage," when pushed on the question of its sensitive subject matter causing problems.

It's also not "The Daily Show."

The key distinction, for everyone, was the fact that the political comedies which now dominate late night are responding to live news events. "It's satire driven by character and not the day's news stories," Mandvi said.

But it made great use of its "Daily Show" alumnus.

Aasiv Mandvi in "The Brink."
Merie W. Wallace/HBOAasiv Mandvi in "The Brink."

Mandvi, who co-stars in the show, was also a part of the writing staff. "Aasif was in the room from day one," Kim Benabib said, offering up both an acting perspective as well as perspective on Pakistan, an area of the world Mandvi knows very well.

"Dr. Strangelove" wasn't the only inspiration, especially for the actors.

While Mandvi did watch "Strangelove" again before production and "found points of inspiration in it," Schreiber looked to another cultural touchstone: The classic war dramedy "M.A.S.H."

"'M.A.S.H.' was what stood out tonally," he said. "I really loved not just the tone but how it affected the politics of the day." He then mentioned hope that "The Brink" would have a similar effect.

Co-star Maribeth Monroe, who had been relatively quiet on the large panel, then chimed in: "My entire performance was an impersonation of Peter Sellars. Could you tell?"

Being a satire means it has to be funny.

Roach, who directed the first episode, has a backstory with HBO (directing the political dramas "Game Change" and "Recount"), but said his broad comedy experience -- his first major film was "Austin Powers" -- had a bigger impact. (Roach doesn't see "Game Change" as a comedy, for the record, no matter how absurd Sarah Palin might seem today.)

He also agreed to sign onto the project in less than 24 hours, according to Weintraub, despite an alleged tendency to be slow about it.

"It's a very exciting form of entertainment in that... it must be funny, but it is dealing with content and with issues that are relevant to how we are living today," Robbins said.

As dark as things might have gotten, it wasn't a tough shoot

"The set was run in a very human way," Robbins said. "This was actually a group of people who cared about their crew and their cast."

And Weintraub was effusive about the experience: "I would go into work with a smile on my face and go home with a smile on my face and get a big check at the end of it."

"I had a great time, even when I was being waterboarded," Black said. "We made that funny."

"The Brink" premieres summer 2015 on HBO.

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Ronnie Gilbert of the Weavers Dead at 88

Bold contralto helped spur 1960s folk revolution with Pete Seeger, Lee Hays and Fred Hellerman

BY JON BLISTEIN June 7, 2015
Ronnie Gilbert, Pete SeegerRonnie Gilbert and Pete Seeger in New York, September 13, 1984. Ebet Roberts/Redferns/Getty

Singer Ronnie Gilbert, who helped catalyze the folk revolution of the 1960s as one fourth of the Weavers, died of natural causes on Saturday in a retirement community outside of San Francisco, The New York Times reports. Her longtime partner, Donna Korones, confirmed the death. She was 88.

Watch Rare Pete Seeger F...om 1961 »

Gilbert's striking contralto was a distinct voice in a quartet full of them. The Weavers, which also included Pete Seeger, Lee Hays and Fred Hellerman, drew from various strains of American and global roots music, but were best known for their renditions of folk standards like "Kisses Sweeter than Wine," Woody Guthrie's "So Long, It's Been Good to Know Yuh" and Lead Belly's "Goodnight Irene."

The Weavers' first concerts were often free performances at union meetings and on picket lines. In 1949, about to break up, they were offered a two week residency at the Village Vanguard in New York City that proved so successful they stayed for six months. The stint earned the Weavers a deal with Decca Records, which led to television and radio appearances, and extensive touring.

Amidst their success, the group maintained their progressive and leftist politics, which drew the eye and ire of those in the anti-communist movement of the 1950s. In 1951, the Weavers were investigated by the Senate Internal Security Subcommittee, which sought to probe potentially subversive citizen threats, and soon they were blacklisted from performing and recording.

The group split, and Gilbert moved to California with her then-husband to start a family. But in 1955, the Weavers' manager, Harold Leventhal, arranged a concert at Carnegie Hall that sold out and revitalized interest in the band. While Seeger would leave the Weavers several years later, Gilbert, Hays, Hellerman and a series of replacement singers continued to perform and record until 1964. By then group's influence was already being heard in the music of Peter, Paul and Mary, the Limeliters, the Kingston Trio and Bob Dylan.

Over the next several decades, Gilbert worked as an actress and therapist, and eventually returned to music as well. In 1980, she reunited with the Weavers at Carnegie Hall, and in 1984 she toured with Seeger, Arlo Guthrie and Holly Near in a group called HARP. Her memoir, Ronnie Gilbert: A Radical Life in Song, will be published posthumously this fall.

Gilbert was born in Brooklyn in 1926. Her father, Charles, was a milliner from the Ukraine and her mother, Sarah, was a garment worker and union activist from Poland. When Gilbert was around 10, her mother took her to a union rally where singer and civil rights activist Paul Robeson sang.

In a 2004 interview for Voices of Feminism, an oral history project at Smith College, Gilbert said, "That was the beginning of my life as a singer and a — I wouldn’t call myself an activist, but a singer, a singer with social conscience, let’s say."

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JoeBala

Bonnaroo 2015: Don't miss out on these 9 sets

June 9, 20159:21 PM MST
Marcus Mumford back in 2011 during Mumford & Son's last Bonnaroo performance
John Patrick Gatta

We all know that this year’s Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, June 11-14 in Manchester, Tennessee, will be headlined by Billy Joel, Mumford & Sons, Deadmau5. And with more than 100 artists playing throughout each day the choices and schedule conflicts will, once again, be a frustrating reality. So, let’s highlight these 9 musical happenings this year that shouldn’t be missed:

--Throwback SuperJam Dance Party: This eclectic grouping seems more like a great party guest list than a compatible set for a late night Saturday jam session -- Pretty Lights, Run-D.M.C.'s Darryl McDaniels and Metallica bassist Rob Trujillo will lead Jack Antonoff (Bleachers, fun.) Chance the Rapper, Reggie Watts, Jamie Lidell, Eric Krasno, John Medeski, Karl Denson, Oteil Burbridge, Robert "Sput" Searight (Snarky Puppy), Brian Coogan and Brownout Horns with special guests Cherub and Rhiannon Giddens. But, at Bonnaroo what doesn’t make much sense on paper normally works very well onstage.

--Bluegrass Situation SuperJam featuring Ed Helms and Special Guests: Yes, actor Helms is also banjoist Helms and, once again, he hosts an all-day roots revival on Sunday in That Tent. He’ll be joined by Shakey Graves, Hurray for the Riff Raff, Sturgill Simpson, Bela Fleck & Abigail Washburn, Punch Brothers, and Jerry Douglas presents the Earls of Leicester. At the end it’s time for an epic jam with everyone invited.

--The New Basement Tapes: With Marcus Mumford (Mumford & Sons), Jim James (My Morning Jacket) and Rhiannon Giddens all performing separate sets on Saturday, it wouldn’t be much of a surprising to find them together onstage to perform something from the album, “Lost on the River,” which consisted of songs created that were based on unused Bob Dylan lyrics during his time living in Woodstock.

--Earth, Wind & Fire: I don’t care when their commercial peak was, EWF’s song such as “September,” “Shining Star” and “Boogie Wonderland” will bathe Bonnaroovians with timeless soul and musical joy.

--Old School Bonnaroo: While the festival has moved beyond its original jamband personality, the lineup still features a nod to those early days with Medeski, Scofield, Martin & Wood, Jerry Douglas presents the Earls of Leicester, Bela Fleck & Abigail Washburn.

--Guster: Even after two decades the quartet continues to display prime melodic chops on current single, “Endlessly” to go along with its quirky, self-deprecating stage presence.

--Houndmouth: The Indiana act made its ‘roo debut in 2013 at one of the smaller club stages. This year, the band’s graduated to That Tent on Thursday. Expect the crowd to go crazy for the can’t-get-it-of-your-head song “Sedona.”

--Royal Blood: The bass and drums duo sound thunderous but with a clever use of a fuzz pedal and other effects they still knock out worthwhile songs.

--“Birdman” with Antonio Sanchez: Wrongly ignored by the Academy of Motion Pictures and not receiving an Oscar nomination for his musical score to the Best Picture winning film, percussionist Sanchez will offer live accompaniment to a screening of the film.

For more information on Bonnaroo, visit www.bonnaroo.com/.

There is a app called Red Bull on Roku that will live stream all the shows.

Bonnaroo & Red Bull Partner For Exclusive Livestream

UPDATE 6/9 9:30 a.m. PT: Red Bull has revealed the artist lineup for its Bonnaroo live stream. Check out the preliminary schedule which features the likes of My Morning Jacket, Dopapod, The War On Drugs, Alabama Shakes, Medeski Scofield Martin & Wood and Ben Harper & Innocent Criminals:

Select performances from the 2015 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival will be livestreamed thanks to a partnership struck between festival organizers and Red Bull Media House. The exclusive three-year pact begins with this year’s event held at The Farm in Manchester, Tennessee from June 11 - 14.


Both www.redbull.tv/bonnaroo and www.bonnaroo.com will host the exclusive Red Bull Media House livestreams, which will also be available for viewing beginning each day at 6 p.m. ET on the Red Bull TV app on Android, iOS and Windows Phone devices, as well as through Apple TV, Samsung TV's Red Bull channels, and Amazon Fire TV, Kindle Fire, Nexus Player, Roku Players, Roku TV models, and Xbox 360 via a free app.


"We're excited to partner with Red Bull to create a rich digital destination that extends the Bonnaroo experience beyond the festival grounds," Jonathan Mayers, Co-founder, Superfly and Co-creator of Bonnaroo said in a statement. "Through the Red Bull TV livestream, we're able to connect with our global community of fans across more platforms than ever to ensure that they're a part of the festival experience from anywhere in the world."

Billy Joel, Mumford & Sons, Deadmau5 and My Morning Jacket are among the 2015 Bonnaroo headliners. Check out the Bonnaroo entry in the newly redesigned JamBase Festival guide and stay tuned for the Red Bull Media House livestream lineup announcement.

Bonnaroo Festival Livestream features include:
- Three channels that viewers can select from:
o One hosted by Sal Masekela & Ted Stryker featuring exclusive artist interviews, unprecedented behind-the-scenes access, unique POV angles and festival highlights for a more curated experience
o Two additional channels each capturing different live performances from the main festival stages for an "all live, all the time" experience
- Highlight performances available as VoD for 60 days so fans and festival goers alike can relive key moments and replay favorite artist sets
- Live chat functionality
- Second screen exclusive bonus footage featuring behind the scenes vignettes and interactive experiences brought to you across Red Bull's media network of Redbull.com, Redbulletin.com and it's social channels and partner outlets.


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JoeBala

Heroes Reborn News: Another Returning Cast Member, SDCC Panel

News Nick Harley 6/4/2015 at 2:50PM
Heroes Reborn

Heroes season 5, Heroes Reborn has a plot synopsis, official photos, and a timeslot on NBC. It also has another returning cast member.

When Heroes hit NBC way back in September 2006, the superhero craze that currently consumes the film world was just firing up. Batman and Superman had made their returns to the big screen, the X-Men capped their first trilogy, while a plethora of other superhero properties hit multiplexes and began development. Superheroes were a hot commodity in theaters, but as far as television, the market had barely been tapped. Sure, many superhero series graced screens during the ‘90s, and a few others like Smallville kept the genre alive during the next decade, but networks weren’t looking to comic book-inspired stories like today.

Heroes scratched the superhero itch in the TV world, stylizing itself to match the aesthetic of comic book panels while presenting origin stories in a world-building fashion that led into a season-encompassing arc. Fans and critics alike responded to Heroes’ spectacular first season, granting it high ratings and critical praise, but subsequent seasons lost the approval of both groups, and the show was unceremoniously axed by NBC in 2010.

Flash forward to 2015 and TV series like Agents of SHIELD, Arrow, Gotham, Agent Carter, and yes, The Flash are in vogue, leading NBC and creator Tim Kring to believe that it’s the perfect time to revisit the Heroes universe with a reboot, Heroes: Reborn. So what can we expect from Heroes season 5? We've compiled everything we know about Heroes: Reborn right here.

The Latest News

Noah Gray-Cabey, who portrayed Micha Sanders during Heroes’ original run, will appear for a “guest star turn” on Heroes: Reborn. The news came courtesy of aHeroes: Reborn promo reel that was shown at a Canadian upfront presentation.

Gray-Cabey’s Micha Sanders was the son of Niki Sanders and D.L. Hawkins, and like his parents, Micha possessed superpowers. Micha was not just a child prodigy, but a technopath who could control and manipulate machines and electronics. Just a child when the series started, Micha goes on to fight for posthuman rights and lives under the moniker of “Rebel” as a teen. Noah Gray-Cabey is now 19, so I’d expect him to get his hands a bit dirtier in this new run.

It has also been revealed that Heroes: Reborn will have a panel at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con. A date and room for the Heroes: Reborn panel is currently unknown, as well as who will appear at said panel, but the SDCCBlog is banking on Zachary Levi being in attendance. Levi will already be at SDCC for Nerd HQ.

Heroes Reborn Story

NBC released a new official synopsis for Heroes Reborn:

From original creator Tim Kring, the supernatural phenomenon begins again with a fresh crop of inspiring heroes who take on the ultimate struggle between those with extraordinary abilities and those with nefarious motives to hunt and harness their powers. Epic adventures await these newly empowered allies as they cross paths with some of the original characters (such as the beloved “HRG” and fan-favorite time-traveler Hiro Nakamura), unlocking the mysterious fate of the universe and their place within it. The cast of “Heroes Reborn” includes Jack Coleman, Zachary Levi, Masi Oka, Judith Shekoni, Robbie Kay, Henry Zebrowski, Kiki Sukezane, Ryan Guzman, Danika Yarosh, Toru Uchikado, Eve Harlow and Gatlin Green.

Heroes Reborn Premiere Date

There's still no official premiere date for Heroes Reborn, but we at least know when it will air: Thursday nights from 8-9 pm, leading into NBC's The Blacklist. Thirteen episodes are planned, and we're still expecting to see a digital series before that.

Heroes Reborn Trailer

So far, we've had limited glimpses of this new iteration of Heroes. Last February, we got this small teaser...

Almost a year later, this little ad ran during the Super Bowl.

NBC quickly offered up an official statement:

“The enormous impact Heroes had on the television landscape when it first launched in 2006 was eye-opening,” said NBC Entertainment President Jennifer Salke. “Shows with that kind of resonance don’t come around often and we thought it was time for another installment. We’re thrilled that visionary creator Tim Kring was as excited about jumping back into this show as we were and we look forward to all the new textures and layers Tim plans to add to his original concept. Until we get closer to air in 2015, the show will be appropriately shrouded in secrecy, but we won’t rule out the possibility of some of the show’s original cast members popping back in.”

An interesting note is that the version of the trailer that aired during the game didn't feature the glimpse of Zachary Levi as a new character, which brings us to...

Heroes Reborn Cast

We did our best to predict who'd be returning for this new season, but so far, Jack Coleman is the only member of the original cast that will be reprising his role as Noah Bennet, or as the fans love to call him, H.R.G.

Tim Kring also offered up this nugget regarding the return of Jack Coleman: "I approached Coleman because he was a character who had a spine through the series that allowed you to meet new characters. So he’s a character I wanted to make sure had a little part at the beginning of this thing."

As for new characters, Zachary Levi is said to be a major player in the new season, but there are no details on who he will be playing. The teaser even seems to suggest that he may not be the protagnist like many have speculated. In a statement, Levi said "One of my first, and fondest, memories of joining the NBC family in 2007 was having the pleasure of getting to know Tim Kring, and the cast of Heroes. I was a fan of their collective work and always thought it was such a fantastic and fun world they got to play in. With Heroes: Reborn, I’m honored to have the opportunity to bring more of that world to life, and excited to help in offering the fans of the franchise an epic new installation of a series that made such a huge impact on entertainment.”

Robbie Kay (Peter Pan on Once Upon a Time) has joined the cast of Heroes Reborn as a new character. No other details are currently available, but there hasn't been much in the way of announced casting until now. With Heroes Reborn about to ramp up production, we expect more casting announcements to follow shortly. (via Deadline)

Henry Zebrowski (A to Z) has joined the cast of Heroes Reborn. As with most of the other casting announcements, no details are being offered yet, but we do know he's a series regular. More on this as we get it! (via The Hollywood Reporter)

Hiro is coming back for Heroes Season 5! Masi Oka will return for Heroes Reborn. The announcement came via the official Heroes Twitter account.

Oka is the second major castmember to return after Jack Coleman. We imagine he won't be the last.

Jimmy Jean-Louis will reprise his role as "The Haitian" on Heroes Reborn. This is the guy who could erase people's memories and block the use of other superpowers nearby. Deadline first reported that Mr. Jean-Louis would return.

Dylan Bruce of Orphan Black fame will play a recurring role on Heroes: Reborn, according to a Deadline report. There are currently no character details available.

Greg Grunberg will be back for Heroes season 5. Gunberg played Matt Parkman, telepathic detective (which sounds like it would be an awesome title for a TV show) during the series' original run. Entertainment Weekly reports that he'll have a "guest arc" on the Heroes Reborn, so it won't quite be a regular thing.

Rya Kihlstedt (Dexter) has joined the cast of Heroes Reborn. Like most of the other new characters, no details are available about her role. Entertainment Weekly first reported the news.

Eve Harlow is joining the cast. You may know her from The 100, or for smaller roles in Juno, Jennifer’s Body and Lost After Dark.

The show has also added Francesca Eastwood (Jersey Boys) and Pruitt Taylor Vince (True Blood) in recurring roles. as usual, there are no details on their roles.

Nazneen Contractor (Covert Affairs) has joined the Heroes Reborn cast. All we know about her (courtesy of Deadline) is that her character's name is Farah and she's "a mysterious character who is militant, tough and stoic."

And who wants some more Mohinder? Deadline is reporting that original cast member Sendhil Ramamurthy has officially signed on to reprise his Heroes character, Dr. Mohinder Suresh, for a guest arc on the forthcoming Heroes: Reborn.

For five seasons, Ramamurthy played Mohinder Suresh, a son and geneticist obsessed with not only continuing his father’s research on evolved humans, but discovering his father’s murderer. Though Mohinder’s storylines had their ups and downs, including a bizarrely mishandled attempt to turn him into a walking homage to The Fly, his character certainly kick-started the events of the original series, and it’s fitting that he’ll be around to see the beginning of this new chapter.

As for who will definitely not be returning, Coleman's oncreen daughter Hayden Panettiere didn't even know that the return was happening and said she has, "nothing to do with it." Similarily, Milo Ventimiglia shot down rumors of a return, and recently, Zachary Quino confirmed that fan favorite Sylar will also be absent. You can also count out Ali Larter, who told fans that she's too busy with her new gig on TNT's Legends.

Heroes Reborn Digital Series

Heroes was one of the first major television shows to dive into the world of webisodes, so it's no surprise that Heroes: Reborn will be rolled out alongside a new digital series. Heroes Reborn: Digital Series will roll out simultaneously with the returning series on NBC.com. Also executive produced by Tim Kring, the series will be a part of a network-wide new streaming initiative by NBC. The online series will be available on all digital media platforms, like Hulu, and on-demand.

Heroes Reborn Official Images

We'll update this page as new information becomes available!

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JoeBala

[EXCLUSIVE] Vivian Green Talks New Album, Long-Standing Career, Motherhood & Adversity, The Neo- Soul Label, More

DOMINIQUE CARSON THU, JUN 11, 2015 INTERVIEW
[EXCLUSIVE] Vivian Green Talks New Album, Long-Standing Career, Motherhood & Adversity, The Neo- Soul Label, More

Vivian Green is back, and she is hotter than ever! The R&B veteran is releasing her fifth studio album, Vivid, on August 4, 2015, and she is ready to share her new sound and flavor with the world. On Green's new album, fans will be dancing and singing with her up-tempo records. Green's lead single, "Get Right Back to My Baby," is already in the Top 20 on Mediabase's Urban Adult Contemporary chart and BDS' Urban Adult Contemporary chart. It was also Urban AC Radio's most added record. Produced by hit-maker Kwame (LL Cool J, Mary J. Blige, Keyshia Cole, Christina Aguilera, and more), the record samples Frankie Beverly's classic hit, "Before I Let Go."

For the past 13 years, Green's wholesome voice helped changed the face of R&B and soul music. She introduced her voice to the world when she released the Billboard Top 20 hit, "Emotional Rollercoaster," and fans fell in love with her. Along with establishing a music career, Green is a devoted mother to her son, Jordan and says "being Jordan's mother is my life, and I wouldn't have it any other way."

Vivian Green took time out of her busy schedule to speak with Singersroom about her new album, "Get Right Back to My Baby" single, producer Kwame, her son, and more.

Check out our exclusive interview!

New Album, Vivid: Well, the title aligns with my name because it has the same roots of my name, Vivian. Vivid already means full of life, full of energy, real, and it's just appropriate for the music on this album. The single on the album, "Get Right Back to my Baby," has an upbeat energy. There are some ballads on there of course, but, this album is more up-tempo. It's more than what I did in the past, but it's soulful and R&B. Vivid is very fitting for the album, and it's just a whole new sound. Artists say this album is so different, but this is really different from the other four albums.

Keeping the Short Haircut: I had my haircut after my first album, but I cut it together because I think my fans like it this way. When I've done it other ways, it didn't receive the same as if it was super duper short.

Favorite Songs on the New Album: A song called "I'm Blessed," "All I Want is You," a funny song called, "1,2,3" and "Broken." "Broken" has an empowering theme for getting through situations that didn't work out. We have been getting great responses for "Broken," and it was actually the single contender for "Get Right Back to My Baby," but we'll see if it ends up being the second single.

"Get Right Back to My Baby" single and Sampling Maze ft Frankie Beverly's song, "Before I Let Go,": Well, Kwame produced the track so I can't talk about it as if I made it, but I can tell you what I do know about the record. Kwame produced my whole album, and he wanted the breakout single to be something that was familiar. Even if the person is not familiar with me, Vivian Green, they will be familiar with the song. It's a classic song that people love, and we were supported by Frankie Beverly, which was great because we went through the proper channels for sampling. Frankie Beverly really loved the song so once we got his approval, it was okay to release the song. But, Kwame wanted to work on a song that people would recognize even if they knew me or not. Either way, when they hear the song, they will say, "Ooh, I remember her, I love Vivian Green or who is this girl." Or they will say, "I will go buy her music because I didn't do it before. "

Working with Producer Kwame: We have a mutual friend, and our friend thought we should work together and thought it would be cool. I forget who reached out first but through our mutual friend, that's how it happened. He sent me some music, and we started working, but it's funny. It wasn't a great beginning; it was like, this is different for me, and I don't know. I was telling him this is what my fans want to hear, and Kwame was like, "you need some new energy, and you need something that is going to wake your fans [up]. A lot of people know about your records, but you need something strong and different." We finally got into a smooth mood, but originally we started out fussing and fighting. But, before we knew it, the album was done, and I love it. Kwame challenged me as a songwriter on this album as well.

Growth as an Artist & Woman Thirteen Years Later: I have grown as a singer because I am a better singer. The older you get, your voice gets better. Sometimes, we get older, and our voice starts to decline but hopefully, my voice doesn't do that. My first record album, A Love Story, I recorded it when I was 21-years-old, and my voice wasn't at its full capacity. I am a more confident singer than when I first started. I am also a better woman; I wasn't even a woman when I got my first record deal. I thought I was a woman; I thought I was grown, but I really wasn't. I was just getting into my adulthood, and I think a lot of people didn't really know because of the subject matter on the first album. People thought it was coming from an older perspective, but it wasn't at all. It was about a young lady overcoming her first heartbreak from her first love, so that was the idea behind my first album. But, I am nowhere the same person; it's a struggle for me because I know that the label I was on really pushed it, and it received a lot of attention. But, sometimes I feel like people don't allow you to grow from that or move past my first single, "Emotional Roller-coaster." There is no way I can be 21 or 22 years old again for my life, but those are the ages where I made the first album. I am going to keep pushing and being myself as a woman. I am not the sad girl that can only write sad songs every day of her life; I don't want that to be me at all. So, hopefully this album will do it.

Labeled as a "Neo-Soul Artist": I think it always bothered me because I never thought I was neo-soul. I felt like I was put into a box that I never thought I was. When you listen to my album, there's a more soul/pop sound to it. There are other artists who have done similar things, like Melanie Fiona. It's not quite neo-soul, but it's still soulful. I think it's a struggle that I've had my whole career. I don't necessarily like it and I don't think any artist does; we're creative. My first album was published in 2002, but I've been writing songs in the studio since I was 15 years old. It's hard to live up to the expectations that people only know you by from your first album or single. The music business can be difficult, and sometimes it has nothing to do with music, but somehow you have to put it together to make money.

Signed to an Independent Label: I really came from a big machine at Sony and my first two albums both did well. But, I wanted a different environment, and I wanted something that was more boutique because that machine system caused a lot of pressure. You were pressured to please people that were in charge or in power. I didn't want to feel pressured to do certain things because the person was putting up money to complete the project. I didn't want to feel that way anymore, so initially in 2010, when I was signed to E1, I was introduced to a different environment. I am now signed with Kwame's label, Make Noise Recordings. Oh yeah, the business is crazy but I am happy that I am able to put out music all of this time even though some people didn't know about my last two records. I am still making music and here is my fifth album; I'm still going, and I never had to do anything else. I can still perform on the road and write most of my songs. I am grateful that I am still singing, and I am not complaining. I am grateful for my walk and journey, which is my own. I try not to be competitive because I am not a competitive person. I do what I do and try not to compare myself to other people. In this business, when you do that, you drive yourself crazy. I am just happy that I've been making music for almost 13 years, and it's just a blessing.

Work & Motherhood: My mom [helps], and she is really just a mom and a grandmother who's like, "whatever you need, I'm there. If you need to drop Jordan (my son), just drop him off." She's like, "just give me my baby." She has been everything for the past 11 years, and she has been amazing. I don't know if I could've done all of this without her. I thank God I have her, and she has been my co-parent all of this time.

The five-year hiatus from the 'Vivian' and 'Beautiful' album; it was all for my son. He was born with an undiagnosed syndrome. It was a lot going on at that time; multiple surgeries and other issues with his health. But, he is stable; he is fine now. We don't go to the hospital hardly as much as we used to now. In those days, we would be at the hospital seven days a week and see seven different specialists. There were surgeries that doctors wanted to do that I was against. I am so happy because it's all behind us now. He is a highly functional child, and he takes his time. He is really strong, smart and has a vibrant personality. Jordan is funny, and I just love him; he's the best thing ever.

Staying Grounded: Jordan has made me a better person; he taught me to have more patience. I have more patience now than I had him in my life. I am more trusting because of him. My faith, spirituality, and my morals that I believe in has given me so much strength, and I can run through a brick wall (lol). I feel like I am a super strong person because of the things that have happened in my life. I think my life is meant to be this way, and I just want to continue to grow and be a better person every day. I am grateful for my experiences and where they brought me with my son and my music.

Follow the countdown to "Vivid" at www.VivianGreen.com. Keep up with Vivian Green on Twitter and Instagram by following @iamviviangreen.

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New Music

Ariana Grande The Remix........................

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Handwritten Jim Morrison poem found in Paris hotel could net $80K at auction

June 12, 20153:34 AM MSTFor some fans, the Doors' story ends with 1971's L.A. Woman, the band's last album with iconic frontman-lyricist Jim Morrison, who died that same year. But the remaining trio – keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger and drummer John D...
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For some fans, the Doors' story ends with 1971's L.A. Woman, the band's last album with iconic frontman-lyricist Jim Morrison, who died that same year. But the remaining trio – keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger and drummer John D...
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A poem written by Jim Morrison is up for auction, and it is expected to sell for up to $80,000. The handwritten poem was found among the late Doors frontman’s possessions in the Paris Hotel where he died in 1971, according to a report posted on Thursday by USA Today. The poem is written on both sides of the last page torn out of a thick notebook, and it’s expected to reach between $60,000 and $80,000 at an online auction by rock memorabilia auctioneer Paddle8, The auction runs through June 25.

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 12: Personal note books and some of the last pictures of The Doors lead singer Jim Morrison are displayed at the Park Avenue Armory which is hosting the New York Antiquarian Book Fair on April 12, 2013 in New York City. This years fai
Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Morrison’s notebook was originally intact, but it has been sold in pieces over several years. The page being sold at the Jim Morrison poem auction is numbered but not dated, and it is thought to be one of the last things the legendary Doors singer ever wrote. In what seems chilling now, give Morrison’s fate, the poem ends with the line "Last words, Last words out." The notebook was found inside Jim Morrison's "Fascination Trunk," which contained books and other notebooks that once belonged to the late musician.

Morrison was 27 years old when he was found dead in a Paris hotel in 1971, but his cause of death was never determined and no autopsy was performed. The Doors frontman was known for his heavy drug use and drinking, but last year singer Marianne Faithfull told Mojo magazine that her former boyfriend, a heroin dealer named Jean de Breiteuil, accidentally killed Morrison with a lethal dose of heroin. Faithfull previously wrote about Jean de Breiteuil in her autobiography, describing him as “the dealer to the stars.” Breiteuil died of a drug overdose in Morocco in 1971.

Faithfull’s theory on Morrison’s sudden death contradicts one put forth by a club manager, Sam Bernett, who once claimed Morrison died in a bathroom at his club and was then carried back to his Paris hotel. The Jim Morrison poem auction comes just a few weeks ahead of the 44th anniversary of the legendary singer’s death.

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Susan Olsen 'Brady Bunch' secrets revealed: Drugs, sex and doghouse snogging

June 12, 201512:18 PM MSTSusan Olsen talks about sibling rivalry on the show, the alleged hookups between her and co-star Mike Lookinland (Bobby Brady) and how much money the cast really makes on all of those "Brady Bunch" re-runs.
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Susan Olsen talks about sibling rivalry on the show, the alleged hookups between her and co-star Mike Lookinland (Bobby Brady) and how much money the cast really makes on all of those "Brady Bunch" re-runs.
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Susan Olsen's Brady Bunch secrets were revealed in a recent interview, and no one was safe from her shocking revelations about the beloved family-friendly television series. From the outside, it looked like the actors and actresses who starred in the 1970s era sit-com were having good clean fun. However, Susan Olsen's Brady Bunch secrets indicate that some of the on-set antics weren't actually as wholesome as they appeared.

Susan Olsen spills 'Brady Bunch' secrets, and no one is safe from little Cindy Brady's revelations.
Photo by Toby Canham/Getty Images

According to a June 12, 2015 report from News.com.au, Olsen herself and the little boy who portrayed Bobby Brady, Mike Lookinland, engaged in make-out sessions in the television family's prop doghouse, and they were only nine years old at the time. Middle siblings Jan and Peter (Eve Plumb and Christopher Knight) also hooked up during their time on the show.

Susan Olsen's Brady Bunch secrets included Maureen McCormick and Barry Williams, too. The actress and actor who played eldest siblings Marcia and Greg once enjoyed a romantic relationship, but Williams reportedly really wanted to woo Florence Henderson, a.k.a. Mrs. Brady. Olsen said Henderson didn't go for it, despite rumors over the years that the mother-son duo did enjoy a brief affair.

The 53-year-old actress spilled the beans on more than just on-set romance. She also explained that the cast didn't earn a whole lot of money portraying the iconic television family. They even had to pay for their own parking during the first season that the show aired. According to Celebrity Net Worth, the actress who portrayed Cindy Brady has an estimated net worth of $3 million. She disclosed that she and her husband once made a living growing and selling marijuana.

Susan Olsen's Brady Bunch secrets also involved former cast members and their current relationships, specifically mentioning that McCormick and Plumb never really got along. Today, the former television sisters don't even bother to speak. Speaking of McCormick, she allegedly let a fellow actress Susan Cowsill take the blame for shoplifting when they were all students at Hollywood Professional School.

As for the Brady Bunch family patriarch Robert Reed, it appears that the entire cast knew he was gay, but no one was willing to talk about his secrets. "He never meant for us to know," Susan Olsen revealed. "He never ever had any intentions of coming out of the closet and I think he might have been mortified to know that we knew."

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Watch Kacey Musgraves' 'Hee Haw'-Inspired 'Biscuits' Video

Goats, chickens, puppets and lots of down-home country flavor are the Grammy winner's co-stars in cheeky new clip

BY ANDREW LEAHEY June 10, 2015

Years before Same Trailer Different Park made her one of country music's leading women, Kacey Musgraves spent her weekends on the Texas Opry circuit, where she sang cowboy songs and western swing tunes while dressed up like Dale Evans.

Stagecoach 2015 photos

She resurrects that world of old-school variety shows — a place where fringe, twang, barnyard animals and Bible Belt schtick all collide — in the music video for "Biscuits." Released Wednesday, the clip finds Musgraves churning butter, petting chickens, dueting with a fiddle-playing Jim Henson muppet and square dancing across the stage. In a behind-the-scenes video of the shoot, she compares the clip to "Hee Haw meets Pee-wee's Playhouse meets Wes Anderson."

Musgraves stumbled across the song's cheeky tagline — "Mind your own biscuits and life will be gravy" — during a songwriter's session with Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally. At the time, the three were working on "Follow Your Arrow," a song that would ultimately appear on Musgraves' debut and, a year and a half later, win the 2014 CMA Award for Song of the Year. While working on material for her second album, Pageant Material, they pulled "Biscuits" out of storage, quickly beefing it up with lyrics about blazing your own path, minding your own business and, to paraphrase a piece of advice from Musgraves' mother, killing your enemies with kindness.

"Biscuits" was recorded in one of Nashville's most historic studios, RCA Studio A. Musgraves brought catered biscuits into the session to help lighten the mood, and session drummer Fred Eltringham wound up banging one of the cast iron biscuit pans during the song, turning the catering tray as an instrument. That same sort of "anything goes" spirit resurfaces throughout the "Biscuits" video, which, in addition to Musgraves, her road band and a host of boot scootin' extras, also stars a goat, a man dressed up as an ear of corn and, during the song's final chorus, an animated biscuit that bounces its way along a scrolling line of lyrics. Archie Campbell would've been proud.

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Ornette Coleman, jazz musician, dies aged 85

The alto saxophonist and composer Ornette Coleman, a controversial jazz innovator, dies in New York

Jazz saxophonist and composer Ornette Coleman, seen here at the Warsaw Summer Jazz  Festval in 2007, died on June 11 2015 aged 85
Jazz saxophonist and composer Ornette Coleman, seen here at the Warsaw Summer Jazz Festval in 2007, died on June 11 2015 aged 85 Photo: EPA

Ornette Coleman, a self-taught alto saxophone player who was feted as an avant garde genius of jazz, has died in New York aged 85.

His 1959 album The Shape of Jazz to Come is considered one of the most groundbreaking in jazz history – he was credited with launching the free jazz movement – but he was never interested in labels, saying: "Music is an idea more than a style. All the styles – classical, funk, church – are played by exactly the same notes. Styles wear out like shoes."

He unveiled his free jazz direction in November 1959, with a residency at the Five Spot club in New York. The performances divided jazz fans.

In 2007 (aged 77), Coleman won the Pulitzer Prize for music with his recording Sound Grammar, a document of a 2005 concert recorded live in Italy. After receiving the award, the saxophonist, trumpeter, violinist, composer, musical theorist and jazz revolutionary said: "I was very surprised. Just like a kid getting a big toy or something. I had no idea that that would occur."

Coleman was only the second person from the jazz world to receive the Pulitzer for music – it had gone to Wynton Marsalis in 1997.

He was born in 1930 in Fort Worth, Texas. "There were so many different kinds of music there – Irish, country and western, blues, sacred." The young Coleman absorbed all of these. But his conclusion was that, fundamentally, these were all just music: "It was being played by the same people with the same notes."

He grew up in a racially segregated America. Coleman received his first saxophone at age 14. His mother saved money to buy the instrument by working as a seamstress. At a dance in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in 1949 he was beaten up, and his saxophone smashed, prompting him to move to Los Angeles."I had some very tragic times in Baton Rouge," he later recalled. "Some guys beat me up and threw my horn away. 'Cause I had a beard, then, and long hair like the Beatles. I didn't want to be bothered with people that were unkind."

Ornette Coleman in Rome in 2009 REX FEATURES

Coleman wrote outside of the jazz genre, including string quartets, music for dance, woodwind quintets, and in the early Seventies, a symphony called Skies of America, composed with support from his Guggenheim Foundation Grant.

Ornette Coleman performing at the North Sea Jazz festival, in Rotterdam, in 2007 EPA

Coleman worked with a range of musicians, including Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead, Yoko Ono and Pat Metheny, and In 1991 played on the soundtrack for David Cronenberg's Naked Lunch. In 2007, he was honored with a Grammy award for lifetime achievement, in recognition of this legacy. He was married to poet Jayne Cortez (from 1954-1964) and they had one son, Denardo, who is now a bandleader.

Coleman's motto for his music, often uttered before starting his performances, was "I'd like to go out in space tonight."

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Don Henley on New Country Album: 'It's Who I Am'

'Cass County,' the Eagles icon's first solo record in 15 years, features guests Mick Jagger, Merle Haggard and Miranda Lambert

BY CRAIG SHELBURNE June 12, 2015
Don HenleyDon Henley traces his Texas roots on 'Cass County,' his first solo album in 15 years, which he previewed this week in Nashville. Tommaso Boddi/WireImage

Don Henley has been quietly coming to Nashville for the last five years, slipping in and out of recording studios. Now he's ready for everyone to know that Cass County, his first solo album in 15 years, is ready for release.

In a candid, comical exchange with Nashville journalist Beverly Keel at an intimate gathering a few miles from the swelling crowds of CMA Music Festival, Henley previewed the project, which will be released on Capitol Records. (An official release date has not yet been set.)

Wrapping up the half-hour exchange, Henley was asked what he'd like people to know about the album. After a beat, he deadpanned, "That it's for sale."

The moment of levity was a surprise to those who think of Henley with only a sour disposition. There was still a little bit of grumbling — he groaned into the microphone when asked about the long gap between albums — but for the most part, the Eagles icon appeared to be in good spirits.

"It's going to be interesting to see what happens with this record. I have no idea what's going to happen because the musical landscape now is so different," he observed. "You know, the bar is pretty low."

After some uncomfortable laughter from the industry crowd, Henley dryly quipped, "There, I said it." And then the room burst into applause.

"The great majority [of recording] was done right here in Nashville and I can truthfully say that I enjoyed making this record more than any record I've made in my career. And a lot of the reason is because of the people who participated," he told the audience. "There's some amazing musicians here and the best thing about it is, most of them are funny. So it was a real pleasure."

Henley previewed eight tracks from Cass County, and in that abbreviated list, the all-star guests included Merle Haggard, Mick Jagger, Alison Krauss, Miranda Lambert, Martina McBride, Ashley Monroe, Dolly Parton, Lucinda Williams and Trisha Yearwood.

"I woke up the other day and I said, 'Oh my God. I really screwed up because when I play live, these people aren't going to show up,'" Henley said with a laugh. "I chose people that I respect musically. People whose work I respect, whose voices I like, who are all great, authentic singers who can really sing when called upon to sing. Some of them are friends of mine and some of them I had never met before. I was flattered and flabbergasted when all of them said, 'Yeah.'"

Henley wrote a bulk of the new material with longtime collaborator Stan Lynch, the original drummer behind Tom Petty in the Heartbreakers. Lynch was also in attendance.

"He and I both have an abiding appreciation for rock & roll and country music, and the history of it. I think that's what's missing from a lot of records today," Henley stated. "They haven't gone to school on the older stuff, and gone back to the early days of the genre. So we do that — we talk about records and production and players. You've got to live and breathe this stuff. It's not a hobby. It's a calling. It's something that we love doing."

Henley seemed most at ease when reminiscing about growing up in Linden, Texas, in the northeast corner of the state near Arkansas and Louisiana. He also noted that he did a photo shoot for the project at his grandmother's old house, which he's kept in the family for years.

"Even though it was boring as hell sometimes, it was a good place to grow up. You could go outside and stay outside at night without being abducted, you know," he said. Of all the Cass County songs previewed, the most autobiographical was "Train in the Distance," about lying in bed at his grandmother's house and dreaming of a different life. The song features haunting harmony vocals from Lucinda Williams.

"This is a natural progression. It's not me trying to do the 'Don Henley country album'"

Later, asked for his thoughts about the Eagles’ musical influence on current country artists, Henley essentially deflected the question.

"Depends on who it is," he said. "To be perfectly honest, I think we've had some good influence and some bad influence."

In contrast to the country radio landscape, women are in abundance on Cass County. Lambert lends her distinct vocal to "Bramble Rose," a wistful song written by Tift Merritt, which also features the Rolling Stones' Jagger on vocals and harmonica. On "That Old Flame," McBride comes from a familiar place of empowerment and strength. Yearwood offers gorgeous harmony on "Words Can Break Your Heart," a bittersweet song about starting over after a devastating fight. Meanwhile, Parton almost steals the show on "When I Stop Dreaming," a Louvin Brothers classic with a sterling treatment that would make the Grand Ole Opry proud.

Throughout the set, a steel guitar adds elegance to the project. Although Henley, who revealed he'll tour behind the album, is quick to dismiss any notion of genre, many listeners would embrace it as a country album.

"I'm associated with California a lot because of that other band that I play in, but I really and truly was born and raised in Cass County, Texas. I'm a Southerner and a Texan," he said. "I have ancestors in Tennessee, Mississippi and Georgia. So this is a natural progression for me. It's not me trying to do the 'Don Henley country album.' It's who I am and where I come from."

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'Orange Is the New Black''s Danielle Brooks on Her 'Taystee' Gig

'OITNB' actress on how the show has changed the game: "Black people on TV — it's amazing!"

BY MAC MCCLELLAND June 12, 2015
Danielle BrooksPhotograph by Mark Seliger

At 25, Danielle Brooks is the self-described "baby" of Orange Is the New Black's series regulars. She always knew she'd be on TV; just not this soon. "I thought it was gonna be when I was like 40 years old," she says. "I startedOrange at 22, so that threw me for a loop." That's not to say the actress who plays Taystee, Litchfield's former drug-dealing orphan, isn't seasoned in her way. "I like to say I have a lot of wisdom. The reason I've been so successful at such a young age is that I learned from others' mistakes. I guess I am more than I thought, too, which is very interesting."

During our interview with Brooksfor our cover story on Orange Is the New Black, she spoke about her Julliard background and how the show's opened up the TV landscape for all types of actresses.

It seems like everyone on the show gets along really well.
I think they're all divas. [Pause] I'm just kidding. You're right; everyone is very nice, and we are trying to adjust as well as we can. It's crazy how quickly all of this happened for all of us. Most actors who have this amazing experience, they build to it. They have a show and it comes on once a week, and it grows as the show is on the air. But with ours dropping so quickly — our lives really did change in a matter of 13 hours.

It's a lot to adjust to, to try to figure out how to normalize your life in some way. Growing up my mother and my dad always told me to hold me head up high, and now I'm holding my head down low so nobody recognizes me at the grocery store.

You went to Juilliard, right?
I did — I'm a theater girl at heart. The first Broadway show I ever saw wasThe Color Purple. My dad went with me. And he was just complainin' the whole time because he's a big guy and he was saying, "These seats are so small." And I was like, "Be quiet Daddy, you're messin' up my experience!"

Is this the kind of experience you'd imagined when you were dreaming about being an actress?
Orange has been a really big gift to me. It's opened so many doors and I'm grateful that it's making such a difference in our society in terms of how we treat people. Having a show with women who come in all different shades, different ages, different sizes and we're so embraced by society — people see themselves within us, and that is such a huge deal. We're meant to fantasize and want to be what we see on television. That's what we're doing with the show: People are falling in love with us for who we are as human beings, not the things that don't matter.

Yeah, a lot of your castmates talk about the importance of visibility of all types of people — gay, trans, black, Latina — in the media landscape. . .
We're really changing some things. For African American women, it's been so cool to see so many black folk on TV! Black people on TV — it's amazing! Especially when you hear all the controversy about the Oscars and the Emmys, [with] people of color not being nominated. It's really shedding light on some issues that we have to fix.

Do you have grand plans for what you might want to do next?
I kind of have to just let things happen. I want to do Broadway, still. I want to do the movies. I want to taste everything. Right now I love working onOrange and with Netflix, and there's other things I want to do, like start a nonprofit organization for teens in communities that don't have access to the arts. I want to start a clothing line for the curvy woman, the vivacious brickhouse. I wanna leave a mark in the world. That's my goal: Say that I've given something to society that we really needed. I'm still trying to figure out what that is and how I can do it.

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Meet 'Orange Is the New Black''s Breakout Star: Ruby Rose

Aussie musician and model on joining the cast: "I have a crush on every single person on the show"

BY MAC MCCLELLAND June 11, 2015
Ruby Rose
Photograph by Mark Seliger

This season, Australian model, TV personality, actress and musician Ruby Rose joins the cast of Orange Is the New Black as Stella, a sexy, mysterious stranger rumored to turn the show's perennially troubled couple, Piper and Alex, into a love triangle. Rose, 29, auditioned hard for the part to get onto one of her favorite shows. "Especially for someone in the LGBT community, I don't think there's been a show that's so true about the experience of being gay or lesbian or trans. It's helping a lot of people discover who they are. And I think that's magic — you don't get that a lot on TV."

Talking to Rose for our cover story on the new season of Orange, we grilled her about that controversial "failure" quote, the benefits of therapy and how she "has a crush on every single person on the show." (You can also check out her short film on gender fluidity, "Break Free," below.)

There were some reports online that you had concerns aboutOrange at first. Did you think it was going to be exploitative?
I cringe every time I see that quote; it was taken totally out of context. [Talking to Sunday Style Magazine, Rose was quoted as saying "The show is obviously brilliant, but it has women directors, writers and producers; it's about women in a prison. Everything about it had 'failure' written on it."] What I was saying was that in the acting industry in general and [given] what we're provided in content on TV and in film, life in a women's prison is not something that's usually discussed or portrayed. And on top of that, the main characters are all female protagonists, it's written by a lot of women and cast by women — everything about it is amazing. I imagine producers seeing it pop up and being like, "I don't know about all this female power going on." It's definitely a minority in what we're usually offered.

So you were a fan of the show?
I was a really big fan of the first two seasons. I was a little bit late on the first because I was not in the country; I just saw it going crazy on social media. So I turned it on on a Friday, and three days later, I've just watched an entire series of a TV program; I was like, "There has to be something wrong with me." I had never binge-watched TV before Orange.

It's just not something that you'd think would have value written all over it. You wouldn't look at it and think, "That's gonna be a hit." You think that with superhero movies. There's something on that show that everyone can relate to. That's why it's so successful.

Which character did you relate to?
I related to everyone in a way. There's little bits of Alex and Piper I related to in my life — though probably more Alex. I have the cheekiness of Nicky, but then I'm like a hopeless romantic like Lorna [played be fellow Aussie Yael Stone]. There are parts of Poussey [played by Samira Wiley] that I connected with. But my character, Stella, is so similar in her mannerisms to me, and she's very androgynous. It's such a perfect fit.

Much has been made of the diversity, in every sense, of the cast; as a model, do you feel like you were a more traditional choice for TV?
[Scoffing] "Model." I don't think of myself as a model. I'm genderqueer, and I've got tattoos. Since I got the part some people have asked me what it's like to be the hottest girl on the show, and I'm like, "What? That's not true, at all." Every single woman on that show is so sexy — it's really kind of crazy. Poussey is such a babe. Alex is out of control. Nicky has a thing about her. Every one of these girls has different sex appeal, whether they're vulnerable, or whatever it is. I have a crush on every single person on the show, much to my fiancée's amusement. And then when you get to know them off camera it's even worse because they're so talented, so nice, so funny; I've never laughed so hard in my life. I wish I could be as beautiful as them.

A lot of them, it turns out, have been through lots of therapy, or are really spiritual. . .
I fit into both those categories! I love therapy. I swear by therapy. I couldn't exist without therapy. And I'm in the program [Alcoholics Anonymous].

Orange is the New Black

A lot of us on the show have been through things in life that have taken us in different directions. We're almost all like underdogs. I say that in a positive way. There is no competition or weird insecurities; everyone's sort of rooting for each other. They've been through so much, and they're so successful. The positive message is: go to therapy [laughs]. There's hope for all of us.

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Rare Photo of Tupac Shakur on Roller Coaster Up for Auction

Autographed 1992 souvenir shows rapper riding the Viper at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California

BY RYAN REED June 11, 2015
Tupac
Tupac Shakur on a roller coaster. Paddle8

In 1992, the year after releasing his debut studio album, 2Pacalypse Now, Tupac Shakur decided to visit Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California. After waiting in line, he strapped into the Viper roller coaster, which automatically took his souvenir picture during an exciting peak of the ride. Now that amazing photograph – which features an autograph on the back – is being sold to the highest bidder as part of auction house Paddle8's "Legendary Sale."

A previous auction listing describes the item as "most likely unique color laser print souvenir photo," in "fine condition" and housed in the "original 6.25 x 4.75 Magic Mountain Viper folder." The reverse features a personalized black ballpoint autograph from the rapper-actor to his roller coaster seatmate "Daniel," which reads, "Peace Daniel, Be a Homie. 2Pac." The piece is accompanied by a letter of provenance from the original owner, which describes the chance encounter with a burgeoning hip-hop legend.

"In 1992, while attending Six Flag’s Magic Mountain...Tupac Shakur happened to be in front of me in the line," Daniel wrote in the message. "This roller coaster takes a picture of all the occupants on the ride, to be purchased as a souvenir photo. Since Tupac Shakur went on the roller coaster the same time as I did, I purchased a souvenir photo card which contained the picture of him...I approached Tupac Shakur with the souvenir photo card of him and asked him if he would autograph the photo card for me, which he gladly obliged."

Tupac Shakur
Paddle8

It's worth noting that while the three other people in the picture appear to be smiling with delight, Tupac's expression is stoic – as if the roller coaster's winding turns aren't fazing him a bit. (Unlike DMX, who shouted some intense gibberish during his viral-friendly amusement park outing).

The auction begins today, June 11th, and the Tupac photo isn't the only unique item up for grabs. The sale also includes a hand-written note from Elvis Presley on a piece of Hilton Hawaiian Village stationery with one side featuring a setlist for the Pearl Harbor charity concert on March 25th, 1961 and the other a letter to Gary Pepper, the singer's friend and president of his Memphis fan club.

Other notable items include a termination agreement rel...ous B.I.G. from Uptown Records to go to Bad Boy and a 1991 Nirvana concert flyer autographed by the band – Kurt Cobain, Krist Novoselic, Dave Grohl – along with the members of Hole (Courtney Love, Patty Schemel, Kristen Pfaff, Eric Erlandson) and Sister Double Happiness member Gary Floyd.

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Reply #10 posted 06/13/15 7:27am

JoeBala

Van Morrison Knighted by Queen Elizabeth

By Associated Press | June 12, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

Van Morrison

Van Morrison

Norman Seeff

The Belfast-born Morrison was honored Friday (June 12) by Queen Elizabeth II for his services to music and tourism in Northern Ireland, the inspiration for many of his classics. Many of his wistful, mystical songs are set on the streets of Belfast.

The musician, known for hits such as "Brown-Eyed Girl" and his unique take on American roots music, will join Sir Elton John, Sir Paul McCartney, Sir Mick Jaggerand several others in the British pantheon.

Morrison is among more than 1,000 people recognized by the queen in her annual Birthday Honors list for their achievements and services to the community.

Recipients in entertainment include Academy Award best actor winner Eddie Redmayne, who was named an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, or OBE. Redmayne has enjoyed a stellar year with a slew of awards for his portrayal of physicist Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything.

Sherlock actor Benedict Cumberbatch and Twelve Years a Slave actor Chiwetel Ejiofor were both named Commander of the Order of the British Empire, or CBE.

Kevin Spacey, who is finishing a 10-year run as artistic director at London's Old Vic theater, was awarded an honorary knighthood for his services to culture and British theater.

Spacey said he was "honored and humbled" by the monarch's recognition and thanked Britons for supporting his work. "I feel like an adopted son," he said.

Others honored included people from a wide range of professions, from sports players to historians, women's rights campaigners and health workers. They include Will Pooley, the first British person to contract the Ebola virus, who was honored for his services in tackling the outbreak in Africa.

Almost three-quarters of the list of 1,163 recipients is made up of those away from the public eye who are honored for their work in local communities.

Knights are addressed as "sir" or "dame." Recipients of the other honors have no title, but can put the letters after their names. The ranks for the Orders of the British Empire are Commander, Officer and Member, in descending order.

Country Music Hall of Famer Jim Ed Brown Dead at 81

Grand Ole Opry regular had a long list of hits as a solo artist and with his sibling trio, the Browns

BY STEPHEN L. BETTS June 11, 2015
Jim Ed Brown
Jim Ed Brown, a member of the Opry and Country Music Hall of Fame, has died of lung cancer. Jason Davis/Getty Images

Jim Ed Brown, whose easygoing vocal style led to a seven-decades-long career that included Grand Ole Opry membership and 2015 election into the Country...ll of Fame with his sisters Maxine and Bonnie Brown, died Thursday at Williamson Medical Center in Franklin, Tennessee, after a lengthy battle with cancer. He was 81.

Brown made the country charts as a solo artist, a duet singer, and with the Browns, whose spine-chilling 1959 classic, "The Three Bells" was a Number One country song for 10 weeks and also spent four weeks at the top of the pop singles chart. The singer was diagnosed with lung cancer in September of 2014. While undergoing treatment, Plowboy Records released In Style Again, his first solo effort in 40 years. The LP featured guest appearances from fellow Opry stars Vince Gill and Sharon and Cheryl White.

Brown was born April 1st, 1934, in Sparkman, Arkansas, and spent the first decade of his life on a farm, without electricity or running water. On Saturday nights, the family would gather to listen to the Grand Ole Opry. In 1952, his sister, Maxine, entered him into a talent competition at KLRA radio in Little Rock. In spite of not winning the contest, Brown was invited to appear on the station's Barnyard Frolic show. He was soon joined there by Maxine and in 1954 the duo signed with Abbott Records, scoring their first Top Ten country hit, "Looking Back to See," which the pair had also written. Sister Bonnie soon joined the act, which notched hits with "Here Today and Gone Tomorrow," "I Take the Chance," "Just As Long As You Love Me," and "I Heard the Bluebirds Sing," earning rave for their close sibling harmony.

The BrownsSiblings Maxine, Bonnie and Jim Ed Brown made up acclaimed act the Browns. Michael Ochs Archives

Although they were all considering retirement in the early Sixties, Brown, who had served in the U.S. Army and was running his father's sawmill, was encouraged by RCA producer and label chief Chet Atkins to return to Music City, where they would record the story song based on a French tune titled "Les Trois Cloches." "The Three Bells," the tale of newsboy Jimmy Brown, was a favorite of the Beatles and would go on to be recorded by dozens of acts, including the Carter Family, Roy Orbison and Alison Krauss.

The Browns joined the Opry in 1963, scoring more hits, including "Scarlet Ribbons (for Her Hair)," "The Old Lamplighter" and "Send Me the Pillow You Dream On." Although his sisters retired in 1967, that same year Brown recorded the classic "Pop a Top," one of his best-loved solo singles, which would again scale the charts in 1999, as Alan Jackson covered it on his Under the Influence LP.

From 1967 through 1974, Brown had Top Ten hits which included "Morning," "Southern Loving," "Sometime Sunshine" and "It's That Time of Night." In 1976, he teamed with Helen Cornelius for the chart-topping "I Don’t Want to Have to Marry You," also earning a CMA Vocal Duo of the Year award. More Top Ten hits would follow.

By the Eighties, Brown had also hosted several TV series, including Nashville on the Road, The Country Place and the TNN (The Nashville Network) talent showcase, You Can Be a Star. In 2003, he hosted the syndicated Country Music Greats Radio Show.

The Browns' official induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame will take place in October, but CMA CEO Sarah Trahern, Hall of Famer Bill Anderson and Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum CEO Kyle Young visited Brown in the hospital on June 4th to present him with a medallion commemorating his Hall of Fame membership.

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Sir Christopher Lee: Screen legend dies aged 93

Media captionNick Higham looks back at the life of Sir Christopher Lee, who has died at the age of 93

Sir Christopher Lee, the veteran actor and star of many of the world's biggest film franchises, has died aged 93.

The English-born actor, who made his name playing Dracula and Frankenstein's monster in the Hammer horror films, appeared in more than 250 movies.

He was best-known for his villainous roles - including Scaramanga in James Bond and evil wizard Saruman in The Lord of the Rings.

The actor's other credits include The Wicker Man and Star Wars.

The actor is reported to have died on Sunday at Chelsea and Westminster hospital in London, after being hospitalised for respiratory problems and heart failure.

Media captionA look back at some iconic moments in Sir Christopher Lee's acting career

A Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea council spokesman said: "We can confirm that the Register Office issued a death certificate for Mr Christopher Lee on Monday 8 June, Mr Lee died on Sunday 7 June."

He was knighted in 2009 for services to drama and charity and was awarded a Bafta fellowship in 2011.

One of the first to pay tribute was James Bond actor Roger Moore, who tweeted:"It's terribly [sad] when you lose an old friend, and Christopher Lee was one of my oldest. We first met in 1948."

Roger Moore tweet

His Lord Of The Rings co-star Dominic Monaghan said: "So, so sorry to hear that Christopher Lee has passed away. He was a fascinating person."

Sir Christopher also worked with director Tim Burton on five films including Sleepy Hollow (1999) and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005). Burton described him as "an enormous inspiration".

"The great, always criminally underrated Sir Christopher Lee has left us," actor and writer Mark Gatiss tweeted. "A Titan of Cinema and a huge part of my youth. Farewell."

George Lucas, who directed Sir Christopher in Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones, said: "Christopher was a great British actor of the old school. A true link to cinema's past and a real gentleman. We will miss him."

Actor Reece Shearsmith called him "an amazing gentleman who brought us so many iconic roles. He will be missed."

Broadcaster Jonathan Ross said: "So sad to hear that Sir Christopher Lee has died. A great actor, a great star, a surprisingly good singer and a lovely, lovely man."

Writer Neil Gaiman said he was "so lucky and proud" to have had Lee in the cast of BBC Radio 4's recent dramatisation of Neverwhere. "Great actor, great loss," hetweeted.

"We are deeply saddened to hear that Sir Christopher Lee has passed away," the British Film Institute (BFI) said.

Monster roles

Born into affluence in London in 1922, Sir Christopher traced his lineage to Charlemagne, the first Holy Roman Emperor.

After public school he served in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve during the Second World War, where he was mentioned in dispatches.

His screen career began when he joined the Rank Organisation in 1947, training as an actor in their so-called "charm school".

Sir Christopher Lee in 1951The actor spent 10 years filling smaller roles before signing with Hammer films

It was his association with British studio Hammer that made him a household name, playing characters such as Frankenstein's monster, The Mummy and Dracula in the late 1950s.

Sir Christopher would go on to reprise the trademark vampire role in a number of sequels, before finally laying him to rest in the 1970s.

He appeared in 1976's To the Devil a Daughter, the last horror movie of Hammer's original era, but returned to the Hammer stable for its 21st Century relaunch in 2011's The Resident, which starred Hilary Swank.

His 6ft 4in frame and pointed features often typecast him as a bad guy. His distant cousin Ian Fleming, author of the James Bond books, wanted him to play Dr No in the film of the same name - but that role went to Joseph Wiseman.

Lee eventually starred as Scaramanga in 1974's The Man With The Golden Gun.

He also played Fu Manchu in a series of films in the 1960s.

The Lord of the Rings trilogy and the Star Wars prequels - in which he played the nefarious Count Dooku - were the most successful films of his career from a commercial standpoint.

He also demonstrated his versatility in comedies like 1941 and Gremlins 2.

His other films included 1959's The Hound of the Baskervilles, The Three Musketeers (1973), and Jinnah - which he considered to be one of his most important films (1997).

Sir Christopher Lee BaftaThe actor was awarded a Bafta fellowship in 2011, and posed with his wife of 54 years, Brigit

"I've appeared in so many films that were ahead of their time - some of them were very good," the actor told the BBC News website in 2001. "Some weren't."

A lover of opera, Sir Christopher launched his singing career in the 1990s, with an album of Broadway tunes, including I Stole The Prince from Gilbert and Sullivan's The Gondoliers, and Epiphany from Sweeney Todd.

He also enjoyed an unlikely heavy metal career. In 2010, his album Charlemagne: By the Sword and the Cross won a Spirit of Metal Award from Metal Hammer magazine.

He marked his 92nd birthday by releasing an album of heavy metal cover versions.

Sir Christopher Lee interview: 'I’m softer than people think'

In this 2011 interview, Sir Christopher Lee, who died on June 7 2015, Hollywood legend and former Special Forces soldier, revealed his softer side










Christopher Lee
Christopher Lee Photo: Getty Images

Upstairs at the Bafta building on Piccadilly there is a wall lined with black-and-white stills from David Lean films, mostly from the Forties and Fifties. As he walks past them, Sir Christopher Lee, the 88-year-old screen legend, takes them in with knowing nods and says, almost under his breath: “And here’s Charles and Trevor and John.” (Laughton, Howard and Mills, for the record).

He’s worked with them all; in fact the record books show that Lee has worked with more Hollywood greats and been in more films than any other actor alive, some 350. When people come up to him and say they have seen him in all his films, he likes to say: “No you haven’t.” Even he hasn’t seen all his films.

The game Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon, indeed, would have worked just as well if it had been called Six Degrees of Christopher Lee (if Lee had rhymed with separation). He gets to Bacon in two, by the way, having starred in the 1977 film Starship Invasions, which also starred Sean McCann, who starred with Bacon in The Air Up There (1994). According to the online Oracle of Bacon, Lee is ranked second only to Rod Steiger as the centre of “the Hollywood galaxy”.

Lee is here at Bafta because his contribution to the film industry is about to be honoured with a Bafta Fellowship. “It means a lot to me,” he says, “because it is a pat on the back from the profession. I shall probably have tears on the night of the ceremony. I’m much softer than people think. I don’t present to the world an emotional face. I’m pretty good at self-control, but I am easily moved.”

He adds that when you have been through five years of war you tend to save tears for reality, rather than the make believe of the cinema. “That is real horror and blood. When the Second World War finished I was 23 and already I had seen enough horror to last me a lifetime. I’d seen dreadful, dreadful things, without saying a word. So seeing horror depicted on film doesn't affect me much.”

Christopher Lee played Scaramanga opposite Roger Moore's James Bond in The Man with the Golden Gun REX FEATURES

The only time you see tears from a soldier, he reckons, is at a military funeral. “Very difficult to keep them back. So many of my comrades from the war have died lately. And from the acting profession. Susannah York. John Barry. I turn to the Telegraph’s obituaries page with trepidation.” His best friend was the actor Peter Cushing and when he died in 1994, he felt there was no one left to have “remember when?” conversations with.


On the subject of his war record, Lee is like a man wrestling with a secret he longs to tell, metaphorically wincing in order to draw attention to an old war wound, only to say that he doesn’t want to talk about it. He will allude, for example, to his time with the Special Operations Executive, but when you ask him to expand he will look affronted.

“I was attached to the SAS from time to time but we are forbidden – former, present, or future – to discuss any specific operations.” Later he raises the subject again and says: “Let’s just say I was in Special Forces and leave it at that. People can read in to that what they like.”

You suspect he was quite the action man in his day. Nowadays he walks with a rather elegant cane because of an accident on a set in New Mexico last year that left him with a damaged knee and a broken vertebrae.

When I ask whether his Bafta Fellowship means more to him than his knighthood last year, he raises the cane playfully at me and says that the two honours are very different and that if I say otherwise “I shall unsheathe my sword stick!” Is it really a sword stick? “Wish it was. But I do know how to fight with a sword. I did all my own fight scenes and have the scars to prove it.”

Lee isn’t as tall as he once was, having, he thinks, lost about an inch from his full height of 6ft 5in, but he doesn’t stoop. Today he is wearing cords and a polo neck. He has a long, angular face, still piercing eyes and a white beard. As for his hair, let’s just say it fits.

His voice, meanwhile, is still deep and his recall is excellent. He never hesitates over a name. The keen intellect that enabled him to become multilingual – he is fluent in French, German, Spanish and Italian, and can also get by in Swedish, Greek and Russian – is still, it seems, in evidence.

Even at the grand age of 88 he has no intention of slowing down. He recently had a cameo in a yet-to-be-released sequel to his best film, The Wicker Man. He is also in negotiation to appear in The Hobbit, the prequel to The Lord of the Rings, in which he also starred. That is the thing about Lee: he is the king of the franchise, the only common denominator between the Lord of the Rings trilogy, the Star Wars series, the Hammer horrors and the Bond films (he played Scaramanga, Bond’s nemesis in The Man With The Golden Gun).

We shall come to those. For now I ask what he has against retirement. “It’s not for me. I hate being idle. As dear Boris used to say, when I die I want to die with my boots on. Which he did. As did Vincent. And Peter.” (He is referring to Karloff, Price and Cushing, of course.)

As we talk I notice he cannot bring himself to utter the D-word. Although he was very good as Dracula, it did cast a long shadow over his career. And now, for him, mentioning the count is almost a taboo, as mentioning Macbeth is for other actors. The most he will do is allude to him, when pushed. And he recalls with a shudder that when he was knighted last year the tabloids ran punning headlines such as “Fangs for the honour”.

Dracula cast a shadow over Christopher Lee's career

“Pathetic,” he says with a solemn shake of his head. “Pathetic.” He suits his knighthood because he is a man who carries himself with great dignity. And he not only votes Conservative but believes in the sanctity of marriage. He and his wife Gitte, a one-time Chanel model, married in 1961. They have one daughter. “The secret to a long marriage in the film industry? Marry someone wonderful, as I did. And always have her come along on location.”

His knighthood, also suits him and it is in keeping with the gentility of his upbringing. He attended Wellington College, his father was a colonel in the King’s Royal Rifles, his cousin was Ian Fleming, his mother was a Contessa. When he told her he wanted to be an actor she was mortified. “She did a real Bernhardt, saying: ‘The shame of it! Think of the shame you are bringing to the family!’ Then she said something which to this day I cannot argue with. ‘Think of all the frightful people you will meet!’”

Christopher Lee releases ...tal single

The 1958 film Dracula Has Risen From The Grave made him a star. Van Helsing was played by Peter Cushing and it had a huge international impact, in part because colour was still a novelty and there was so much blood in it. It was also partly because Lee brought out the dark, brooding sexuality of Dracula, something that his predecessor Bela Lugosi had never managed.

Three more Dracula films at the end of the Sixties consolidated his success. And all are considered classics of the genre to this day. Was it a problem that he was simply too good as Dracula? “I think there is a lot…” Long pause. “There is a lot of misunderstanding about me in that role. It had never been played properly before that. With me it was all about the power of suggestion to make the unbelievable believable.”

We have come to the other word that makes him shudder, typecasting. “The same happened to Peter and Vincent. They made some wonderful serious movies but are only known for horror. That was why I went to America. I couldn’t see anything happening here except a continuation of what had gone before. A couple of friends, Dick Widmark and Billy Wilder, told me I had to get away from London otherwise I would always be typecast.”

Christopher Lee in The Mummy, 1959 REX FEATURES

His first film upon arriving in Hollywood was Airplane 77 and he came close to actual death in that, having to act dead under water without breathing apparatus. “The stunt men made me an honorary member of their guild after that. I did all sorts of genres in America, some of which I don’t care to remember.”

Is he referring to the soft porn film, or is that an urban myth? “No that was long before, in 1970. But it is true I was in a soft porn film, though I had no idea that was what it was when I agreed to the role. I was told it was about the Marquis de Sade. I flew out to Spain for one day’s work playing the part of a narrator. I had to wear a crimson dinner jacket. There were lots of people behind me. They all had their clothes on. There didn’t seem to be anything peculiar or strange.”

He forgot about the film then one day, well, he tells it better. “A friend said: ‘Do you know you are in a film in Old Compton Street?’ In those days that was where the mackintosh brigade watched their films. ‘Very funny,’ I said. So I crept along there heavily disguised in dark glasses and scarf, and found the cinema and there was my name. I was furious! There was a huge row. When I had left Spain that day everyone behind me had taken their clothes off!”

Lee remained in Hollywood for a decade, playing in many genres including westerns. Anything, in fact, but horror. When he felt it was safe to return to Britain he was invited to appear on Wogan. Much to his chagrin, the producers thought it would be a good idea to open the show with Terry coming out of a coffin wrapped in a cape.


Christopher Lee as Count Dooku in the Star Wars prequel trilogy 2002-2005

When I watched that clip on YouTube as part of my research, I did feel sorry for Sir Christopher. The trouble is, combined with the sheer quantity of horror films that Lee made, there is also the inconvenient fact that he is obsessed with the occult in real life. He has a library of 12,000 books on the subject.

“Yes, it’s true,” he says, “ever since I read Aleister Crowley. It was my friend Dennis Wheatley who got me interested in the occult.” Wheatley also wrote the novel upon which one of Christopher Lee’s best films was based, The Devil Rides Out.

But the film of which Lee is most proud is Jinnah, about the founder of Pakistan, where he plays the title role. It was made in 1998 and James Fox plays opposite him as Mountbatten. He also has great affection for the four films he has made with Tim Burton. There is only one great director he would love to work with, and that is Clint Eastwood.

Lee has an old man’s tendency to dismiss whole generations with a sweep. “I’ve never looked on myself as a star,” he says. “Never. To me a star is a giant and where are the giants today? The Tracys, the Coopers, the Flynns?”

Who does he rate today, then? There must be someone. He thinks for a moment. “Leonardo DiCaprio. And my good friend Johnny Depp.”

As we part company, he has only one request. “Please don’t describe me in your article as a ‘horror legend’. I moved on from that.” Fair enough, Sir Christopher. Fair enough.

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JoeBala

Ornette Coleman: An appreciation

June 14, 20157:09 AM MST
Ornette Coleman's "Ramblin'"
YouTube

That pioneering jazz saxophonist/composer Ornette Coleman left a huge mark on jazz players of all stripesd is summarized by top New York trumpet player Barry Danielian.

Ornette Coleman's landmark album "The Shape of Jazz to Come."
Atlantic Records

“My first thought in relation to Orenette is gratitude,” says Danielian, who’s played with artists including Tower of Power, Bruce Springsteen and Blood, Sweat & Tears.. “I remember the first time I heard his music when I was in high school: It was the two recordings The Shape of Jazz to Come [1959] and This Is Our Music [1960]. I didn't understand it at all and it was way different than most of what I was listening to at the time. That said, I was really drawn to it. I became a big fan and although I don’t think it’s obvious in my playing, Don Cherry was someone I listened to a lot, and was very inspired by.”

Don Cherry, of course, was Coleman’s trumpeter. Coleman died Thursday at 85.

“If it had to put it in a word or two,” continues Danielian of Coleman, “I would say sincerity and honesty. That's what I felt. They were being themselves and playing what was true to them. As I've gotten older I think of that band-- Ornette, Cherry , [bassist Charlie] Haden , [drummer Billy] Higgens and later [Ed] Blackwell--and how courageous it must have been to just say, ‘This is who we are. This is what we're creating.’ Remember at that time NO ONE was playing like that and there is always a type of gravitational pull, even in jazz, to sound like what is happening* at that time. Miles' band, Trane's band, Art Blakey, Horace Silver.....you can go down the list of Jazz icons at that time and none of them sounded like Ornette or his band.”

As avant-garde as Coleman was, it’s no surprise that he appealed to the most foreward thinking or rock bands, NRBQ.

“I never thought he was far-out,” says co-founder Terry Adams. “His music sounded so regular to me, and as soon as I heard it we put a couple songs—‘Humpty Dumpty’ [from This Is Our Music] and ‘Ramblin’ [1959’s Change of the Century]—into the NRBQ replertoire. They were natural and organic and melodic.”

Besides NRBQ, “Everyone from John Coltrane to Leonard Bernstein recognized the importance of what Ornette was doing,” continues Danielian. “I told a non-musician friend just yesterday that there are musicians who change the way people think about playing their specific instrument, there are those whose playing influences people on every instrument, and there are musicians who change the way we think about playing music. Ornette was both, and his influence continues to reverberate. In a very real way he connected us more deeply to the DNA of black music--blues and swing--and at the same time freed us to be open to any possibility. There is a very small list of people who have done that. He is one of them.”

“And a sweet, humble, beautiful man with a generous and open spirit,” concludes Dainielian. “I dare say a musical saint!”

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Micky Dolenz of the Monkees appears at convention but not to sing

June 13, 20159:22 PM MST

Micky and Georgia Dolenz during this year's "Dwell on Design LA" convention.

Micky and Georgia Dolenz during this year's "Dwell on Design LA" convention.
Mimi Teller - used by permission.

Micky Dolenz of the Monkees may be known for his music, but that's not what he was doing at this year's "Dwell on Design LA" convention at the end of May. Dolenz, who started the furniture design and production companyDolenz and Daughters Fine Furniture with his daughter Georgia, appeared with her at the May 30 at the Los Angeles Convention Center where both emceed a panel discussion on design titled “A Return to Craftsmanship with Georgia and Micky Dolenz.” At the event, the father-and-daughter team shared their designs and their dedication to carrying on the tradition of craftsmanship in the design world. They also took questions from the packed audience.

The "Dwell on Design" convention, which is held annually and sponsored by Dwell magazine, drew designers, architects and design enthusiasts from all over the country. The magazine calls “Dwell on Design LA” America’s largest design event and says the 2014 event was attended by over 30,000 people. The convention features cutting-edge products, design industry leaders and thousands of experts in the field of design.

In an interview in 2014, Dolenz talked about how the father-daughter furniture design company came about. “I've always had a workshop in my house. And I've always done a lot of woodwork and metal work and electronics and all kinds of stuff. And one of my daughters, Georgia, is quite handy with tools and stuff like that and learned how to do that in a theater degree. And one day we were building a coffee table for her boyfriend, and I joked and said, 'We should start a company Dolenz and Daughters Fine Furniture'." The company was founded in 2013.

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Steve Martin receives AFI 43rd Life Achievement Award

June 13, 201510:05 PM MST
Honoree Steve Martin (L) and AFI President and CEO Bob Gazzale attend the after party for the 2015 AFI Life Achievement Award Gala Tribute Honoring Steve Martin at the OHM Nightclub on June 4, 2015 in Hollywood, California.
Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Turner Image

The American Film Institute honored comedic legend Steve Martin on Saturday, June 13 with a broadcasting of their presentation of the Life Achievement Award as well as a tribute to the artist on TBS.

Late Saturday night, notable heroes of comedy attended to short speeches honoring the man, myth and legend that is Steve Martin through personal stories of influence and inspiration -- growing up with the comedy stars records and movies -- and experiences working together and how the comedian brought something fresh and bright to everything he did.

Diane Keaton, Jack Black, Conan O'Brien, Steve Carell, Tina Fey, Martin Short and Carl Reiner were among the list of creative voices whom had either been touched by Martin in a profound way, influencing their own careers, or had the privilege themselves of working alongside him. Their shared experiences were a touching part of a lengthy night filled with laughs and endearing smiles as fond memories of the past flashed before the screen- the telling the stories of a great comedian with nostalgia and fervor.

Born in 1945, Martin grew up in the heyday of the great comedy geniuses- a word he lovingly described after a lifetime of work (both successful and not) as "...someone who never gets involved in comedy." Though Martin was often described as such (a genius) throughout the night by several of his peers and colleagues.

Martin was presented the award at the night's end by Mel Brooks, another professed genius of comedy who's body of work kept us laughing throughout the 20th century in films like The Producers, Blazing Saddles and History of the World, Part I. Upon its acceptance, Martin left his audience with an appropriate quote from Jack Benny:

"I don't deserve this award, but I have arthritis and I don't deserve that either."

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Reply #12 posted 06/15/15 7:34am

JoeBala

Interview with Halsey: Her music, and on tour with the Imagine Dragons

June 14, 20159:19 PM MSTGhost

How does a young artist have a hit single, land a record deal, sell-out a headlining club tour, and get invited to open for the Imagine Dragons on their current Smoke + Mirrors tour, all before turning 21? Meet Halsey, Brooklyn’s own Ashley Frangipane, who has achieved relative overnight success despite the two years of perseverance to get where she is today.

Halsey: Live at the Moda Center, Portland OR
Photo: www.1369photos.com with permission

When you’re 20, two years is not overnight. But when running the gauntlet of the music industry, it might as well be. This was no accident, nor did Halsey simply fall into her success. Everything she has achieved so far has been through a dedicated effort, a passionate desire to succeed, and stout confidence in her marketing and musical ability, not to mention the love and support of family, friends, and fellow collaborators. All the while, adhering to the cornerstone of her conviction, never being anything but honest and true to herself.

In a recent phone interview the night after Halsey opened for the Imagine Dragons and Metric at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon, which marked the official start of the Imagine Dragons 2015 North American tour, Frangipane admitted her fatigue after a whirlwind few days preparing for the tour and the late night celebration after the first night’s performance. A tired, yet engaged Frangipane regrouped to share more about the excitement of playing her first arena show and the momentum of her thriving career.

From the sold-out night clubs to jumping to the arena stage, no doubt, is a huge step for any artist. Given the Halsey trio of Frangipane, keyboardists and pad controller Greg Stero and drummer Nate Lotz where surrounded by the Imagine Dragons massive stage set, including eight elaborate 30-foot digitally projecting triangular columns bordering the perimeter of the stage, it looked like were playing in a fortress. It gave the band plenty of room to showcase their soulful electric pop sound that weaved seamlessly between grooving pop, dance, and alternative sounds.

The 7-song opening set was a veritable sampler of the band’s music as they covered tracks from both the recent EP release Room 93, and featured songs from her upcoming album Badlands, to be released in the fall, and available to pre-order through iTunes. The release will coincide with her headlining tour later this year.

With a relaxed comfort, Halsey gave a spirited performance to the early crowd who packed around the stage walkway that extended 30 feet in front. In her customary shiny turquoise blue two-piece top and shirt, coordinated with her trademark matching blue hair, the young artist embraced the big stage like a veteran. Starting the evening off with the gritty “Castle” and strolled the stage while motioning to the crowd.

Halsey continued her evenly paced set with four songs from her Room 93 EP, including the learned awareness of “Hold Me Down”, and the song that has ignited her career, the gutsy independence of “Ghost”. Despite the expressive lyrics and natural storytelling of her music, the songs are finely fashioned in an alternative electro-pop that effectively compliments the lyrics. Even with noted comparisons to artists like Lourde and Banks, the latter of which Halsey has expressed a desire to work with, Frangipane is her own persona and projects a style that renders an earnest balladry that’s reflective, accessible, vulnerable yet decidedly confident and passionate.

In her ascent from night club to arena, Halsey sang confidently relaxed, and moved gracefully around the stage. She was prepared and had a game plan for her first arena appearance, explaining, ”I think, just generally, adding a bit more energy. The cool thing about my show and me is that I’m a writer, and I’m a writer first if I don’t have music. It’s great to go in and figure things out the cool things in each song because I have songs on the EP that are a little bit more vibey, a little bit more dark and chill that are for smaller club environment and a festival environment. And I have some songs that are bigger and poppier, and to be honest, they were songs I didn’t prefer to play live as much as the vibier songs. I got to really appreciate them fully last night when I played them in a room that size.” Ever the student to the process she added, “It’s all a learning experience for me.”

Halsey quickly points out that it was just 18 month ago she was playing to be people who had no idea who she was. Fast forward a year and she headlining a sold out club tour, and that meant a different approach to her music. Going from no one knowing who she was, to those who did the second time around, Halsey is using this tour to showcase herself in the best way possible. She expressed sincere gratitude for the fans that have come to see her and knows who she is playing to by adding, “If I go out there and am myself and I do what makes me comfortable and what I think is true to my artistry and they don’t like it, then that’s fine. I walk off stage and I know there’s nothing there’s nothing I could have done differently. But not to try to cater to a certain crowd, then I walk off stage wondering ‘Maybe I should have been myself?’, and so I want to avoid that at all costs.”

On her webpage, Halsey has a succinct bio entry. “I am Halsey. I will never be anything but honest. I write songs about sex and being sad.” Simple and straightforward. By showing loyal and new fans alike, she confirmed her mission statement during her performance. She is who she says she is. Graciously accepting the compliment offered, Halsey replies “I guess it’s about finding a sense of authenticity. When I first started writing songs a lot of people are saying to me you write one hell of a pop song. I think at first I kind of resented that and I was like, ‘No, I don’t want to be a pop artist. I want to be a pop star! No, this isn’t what it’s about.’ But I found a happy medium between music with a pop sensibility and music I think has dignity, that I think is true and has a storytelling element to it. It really is just about having that authenticity for me. Whether it’s writing songs, being on stage, being interviewed, meeting fans – I just try to be myself which is kind of exhausting because almost feels like it never shuts off.”

She acknowledged the duality of performers, real versus artistic, and knowing the challenge to be on all the time. But she chooses the simple approach by being herself and offered, “I’m kind of me all the time, and it’s definitely exhausting.” With reflective laughter she continued, “It’s been working for me so far and people seem to receive it really well, and that’s the greatest blessing an artist can ask for, is that people accept them for who there are.”

With the release of her Room 93 EP on Spotify, she offers commentary for each track. Her warmth and matter-of-fact approach reveals her youthful spirit. She is equally engaging when interviewed by a young fan, Piper, on Kids Interview Bands video, and reveals her playful side. One might wonder where the seductive empowerment and sensitive vulnerability come into play when approaching writing and performing. Frangipane asserted,I don’t think that one of me has to be a certain way and another of me has to be a certain way. It’s all the same person. I think that’s what people forget a lot when they’re dealing with artists. I’m a human and I’m multidimensional, if I was the perfect form of anything I’d be boring. If I was a free spirit all the time I would be boring, I would lack depth. If I was dark and enigmatic all the time then I would lack relatability.”

She uses an example of everyday interactions, from your local barista who is in a bad mood or the door you hold open for someone else. You would perceive them differently depending on their present state of being just as you would be. Like someone who does interviews. Thus, we form an opinion through that experience. With a light sigh, revealing this isn’t the first time the subject has come up, she calmly answered, “It’s not about balancing vibe or personality. Some days I am more playful than others and some days I’m a little bit more reserved. I think that every person who interviews me or every fan who meets me gets a unique experience because I’m a human. Just like every person who meets you gets a unique experience.” And further touching on some of the darker elements in her lyrics, she explained, “I’m multidimensional, but at the same time I think my music is dark because, my music being that way allows me to be a little more light-hearted and having a jump in my step in the day because I’m not carrying that baggage. The therapy for me with that baggage is putting it in my music so I get it out of me. And I kind of exercise my demons, if you will, by putting it into songs. It lets me live a little more easily.”

Halsey is quick to understand how the machine works and is appreciative of all involved, especially when being interviewed. Because honey still attracts more bees than vinegar. But there’s nothing pretentious in her demeanor. Given the conversation, you are most likely to get Halsey’s ‘A’ game, with the understanding a favor is being done for her, as word spreads to those who have yet to discover the young songstress. But she reasserts her core beliefs and adds, “Again, I think that plays back into the authenticity and honesty of it all. I’m not one thing. I don’t have to worry about staying on brand or staying true to what everyone thinks is my artist personality is because I have a bunch of personalities and I’m a person and that what this project is about, me being a person, you know?”

In continued discussion on the effects of the music industry, especially for a new artists, and what she’s already experienced, Halsey stays in the present and speaks self-assuredly, “I don’t think that I could ever be unhappy because it’s not up to the industry to decide my success, that’s up to me, you know. If I write songs that I’m happy with and finish my album, Badlands, that’s out in August. I’m so excited for everyone to have it.” And without concern about whether it digestible or too weird, alternative or pop, light-hearted or dark, because it’s all there. She concluded with, “At the end of the day, I’m happy with my record. And I think it’s the best record I could have possibly put out. The same thing I thought when I finished my record is the same thing I think about when I step out on stage. If I make myself happy and do everything in my power, then I can’t be upset if it doesn’t land because there’s nothing more I could have done.”

Frangipane marvels in the realism of her adventure. “This project took off way faster than I thought it was going to. I inked my record deal 365 days ago and I played in arena last night and the Imagine Dragons are giving me the opportunity of a life time to be able to do this thing. I surprise myself every day.” Spoken with awe and slight disbelieving laughter, she shared, “When I see pictures of myself on stage and see people who like my music, it’s incredible to me that I don’t look as out of place as maybe I might feel. I’m just here to write music. And I guess I kind of approach it the same way I did before there was a record deal, before there was a fan base, before there was anything, and write what I want to say. And it’s the only form of therapy I’ve ever known.”

An artist always hopes their music reaches its intended audience and is able to make that connection to establish themselves and their career. Admittedly, Halsey was amazed at her sudden recognition. Especially in light of being passed over during a tryout for a major musical show. The producers dismissed her textured and ebbing voice, stating she couldn’t sing pop music. She had a niche voice, catering to a single audience. Ironically, it was those same producers who wanted to work together after hearing the single “Ghost”. Upon their offer, Halsey candidly replied, “No, thanks. Sorry.”

Frangipane continued sharing how her career changed after “Ghost” got airplay. “It was an interesting process, and I think it was definitely interesting for everyone to see because I put that song online last January (2014) and charted in the Top 40 on the Alternative charts overnight. I had no fan base, didn’t have a record deal. I didn’t have a manager, I had nothing. I got a few quotes for a third party distributer.” And in the every present world of DIY music marketing, she laughed while saying, “I paid my money to have it be allowed on iTunes and I made all my artwork myself on Photoshop!”

And it was the first time I was every put out as Halsey, and it just blew up overnight and was getting machine love and blog love from these really, really incredible taste makers. And that night, the night I put the song on iTunes I got email from five record companies.” Recounting the memory with nervous laughter she continued, “And I panicked! I called my friend Anthony, who was setting me up with studio sessions via friends at the time, and I was like, ‘Can you pretend to be my manager? What are we going to do? I don’t know what I’m doing.’ So he and I went into work the next and started taking label meetings. And he was sitting with his legs crossed and his hands in his lap saying, ‘Oh, yes’, acting as cool as can be, without having any idea what he was doing. Like I have any idea of what I’m doing! Just totally, totally clueless. Literally, like two 13 year old kids who just won the lottery or something. And we told them all that we wanted to wait. They said they wanted to put it into development and sign a development deal. Pretty much own half of whatever I made, and make me the artist they wanted me to be.” With humor and exasperation Frangipane continued, “I’m like, ‘F-that!’ I didn’t have a record deal yesterday, and if I don’t have one tomorrow I’m not going to be going to be upset. I’m not going to do that. So we waited a couple of months.”

Frangipane recalls a couple months later when Sirius called and throws “Ghost” into their rotation, because they believed in Halsey, which struck her as revolutionary. “We don’t live in a day of age where the radio plays what they think is good, we live in a day of age when the radio plays what record companies are paying million dollar marketing campaigns behind. It’s all political so the day of picking up the phone was, really, honestly inspiring to me. It kind of made me realize there are people in this industry who believe in music and believe in artist development stories, and even seeing people grow. And it started because I was on Sirius. And we went back to these record companies, and said, ‘This happened and I didn’t have you, so why do you want to be a part of this project?’

And with the experience, Halsey developed a new outlook and approach that landed her at her new home and label with Astralwerks. Frangipane was exuberant. “They’re incredible. Just like a big family and they do it how I want all the time. It was the best experience possible for me because it wasn’t like, look what we did for you. It was a bunch of people who signed me as a cute electro-pop act and let it grow and let it take it’s time. They were waiting for me to come into myself. And then it happened. And they kind of turned around and said, ‘Wow, look what you did when we weren’t paying attention to you’. And it was a really vindicating moment for me. Not that they weren’t supportive as all hell as they could possibly be, they let me do whatever I wanted.”

With continued amazement Frangipane shared, “I handed them my album because they had heard two songs on it before I delivered it. They had no idea what I was making.” Hearty laughter ensued, “I could have handed them experimental frickin’ house yodeling. I could have given them any record and they trust you. ‘Make whatever you want’. Again, this goes back to idea of Sirius playing my song before I had a deal, it was their immediate support.” Her continued gratitude is reflected in the appreciation of her music being played alongside personal inspirations of artists like of Ariana Grande.” But Frangipane is quick to note, “I guess it pays off because we are all really proud of what we built. We still have a really, really long ways to go, hopefully. But if not, I put out a record I’m really proud of.” And with humble satisfaction she concluded, “So, it’s all good.”

Much has been learned during the whirlwind ride of Halsey. When asked about sharing words of encouragement to new artist, she promptly responded saying, “Make sure that you always follow your gut instinct cause 9 times out of 10, your way is going to work. And you never, ever, ever, ever see articles in the new industry from artist’s project who didn’t work or artist’s who’s projects fell through that are saying, ‘I don’t know what happened, man. I did everything my gut was telling me to, I followed my heart, I was true to myself, and my project just f-in’ tanked!’ What you really hear people saying is, ‘I let someone else dictate my project and I listened to people and let them take control of it, and now I wish I would have stayed true to myself.’ A project rarely fails when an artist is being themselves. Even though the temptation to do what is popular, to do what people with more authority are telling you to do, stay-true- to-yourself because nine times out of ten you can’t fail.”

As the interview comes to the end, a whole new touring experience begins. Different cities, new venues, new people. And as Halsey embraces the excitement of new horizons, there is much to look forward to. Frangipane reflects on the pending journey and sincerely replied, “Learning from them (Imagine Dragons and Metric) as much as I can. Learning from people who lived this dream and lived this life way, way longer than I have. And try and soak up everything I can just about how they act, how they carry themselves, how they control the crowd, what they are doing because I have an incredible amount of respect for them. I definitely have their music and listened to it on iTunes before I even thought I wanted to be a musician and before I knew what I was going to do. They spoke to me, and they still do. It’s just incredible to be sharing this experience with them.”

In a dream come true, nothing is lost on what the new tour experience offers. By Frangipane’s girlish, giddy laughter, you sense she must be pinching herself often. She continued with her thoughts and expressed, “I can’t believe I get to be on every day of the tour, like it’s a one-time thing or I won a contest, like battle of the bands. It’s just really bizarre to me. But they’re just incredible and really supportive and I’m very fortunate that I keep getting lucky with people who care about me as much as I respect and admire them.”

Unless you have dedicated yourself to searching out new bands coming through Portland, you probably missed her when she played with The Kooks and Priory in November 2014. And if you didn’t make it to the Moda Center, you are still in luck. Halsey will be returning to Portland in the fall, late October - November at the Wonder Ballroom. Keep track of this talented, young artist. She’s a woman on a music mission.

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Reply #13 posted 06/15/15 7:47am

JoeBala

Nile Rodgers Launches FOLD! Festival

By Stacey Anderson | June 14, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

Nile Rodgers Oscars 2015

Nile Rodgers performs onstage during the 23rd Annual Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Awards Viewing Party on February 22, 2015 in Los Angeles, California.

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for EJAFChic mastermind Nile Rodgers has a new pet project: the FOLD! Festival, a weekend of rock, pop, funk, hip-hop and country music that will hit the Martha Clara Vineyards in Riverhead, Long Island, New York from August 4-5. (It even comes with a fun acronym: FOLD! stands for "Freak Out Let's Dance!")

Rodgers will have an active hand in the inaugural FOLD! programming: his seminal disco band Chic will perform, as will Beck, Duran Duran, Janelle Monàe, Pharrell Williams, Keith Urban and other diverse artists. Early press materials suggest the Grammy-winning Rodgers will jam onstage with several of those acts, as well: "Over two nights, Rodgers will create the ultimate mash-up between each artist’s distinctive sound and his own groundbreaking style," said a release.

Rodgers will also use the weekend to stage onsite recording sessions with the performers. His co-producers are Michael Ostin – the co-founder of Rodgers’ new record label, Land of the Good Groove – and Peter Herman of Nile Rodgers Productions. The festival is all-ages, and times nicely with the rumored summer release of Chic's first studio album in 23 years. Tickets are available now.

Nile Rodgers Curates Own Festival Featuring Beck, Duran Duran, Janelle Monae, Pharrell And More

BY JESSIE MORRIS
JUN 4, 2015

Nile Rodgers has recruited some famous friends and performers for the lineup for his inaugural FOLD (FreakOutLet’sDance) Festival. Announced this week on his Facebook, the annual's lineup will include Beck, Janelle Monáe, Pharrell Williams, Chaka Khan, Eric B, Q-tip, Keith Urban and more. The lineup will also include Duran Duran who recently completed their album produced by Rodgers witht he first single "Pressure Off" to be released in September. The news also comes as we wait for Rodgers to release his first Chic album since 1992 with the release date still to be announced.

The two-day festival will take place August 4 and 5 at Riverhead, New York's Martha Clara Vineyards from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. each day including a children’s festival timeslot from 9 a.m. to midday. The festival is expected to draw 10,000 people. A portion of proceeds will be donated to local charities. Look out for more details coming soon.

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Janet Jackson Unbreakable World Tour Hits Atlanta on September 26, 2015

June 15, 20157:17 AM MST
Janet Jackson Unbreakable World Tour Hits Atlanta on September 26, 2015
Janet Jackson Unbreakable World Tour Hits Atlanta on September 26, 2015
Livenation

Music icon, multiple GRAMMY® Award-winner and multi-platinum selling artistJanet Jackson today announced details of her highly-anticipated international tour. The UNBREAKABLE WORLD TOUR will return one of this world's most influential entertainers back to the live stage in support of her upcoming album due out this Fall on Rhythm Nation Records/BMG. This first leg, a 36-date tour, 30 of which are promoted by Live Nation, will take the legendary artist to cities throughout the U.S. and Canada starting Aug. 31 in Vancouver, BC with shows lined up in Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, Atlanta, San Diego, San Francisco and more. All dates are being co-produced by Miss Jackson’s Rhythm Nation.

Tickets for the first North American live performances will go on sale starting June 22 at JanetJackson.com. American Express Card members can purchase tickets for select shows before the general public beginning Monday, June 15 at 10:00 a.m. through Friday, June 19 at 10:00 pm.

"American Express is thrilled to partner with an iconic artist like Janet Jackson on the UNBREAKABLE WORLD TOUR and bring our Card Members an opportunity to purchase tickets before the general on-sale date,” said Walter Frye, V.P., American Express Entertainment. “Adding Janet to our industry-leading ticketing partnerships is rooted in our mission to serve our Card Members’ deep passion for music."

Janet Jackson is one of the most influential entertainers of the modern era. Her music has won her 6 GRAMMY® Awards, 2 Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, a nomination for an Academy Award along with dozens of American Music Awards, MTV Video Music Awards, BET Awards and Billboard Music Awards. She has received accolades as an actor as well, including the NAACP Best Supporting Actor award. Janet is a published author, choreographer, dancer, businessperson, philanthropist and one of biggest-selling artists in popular music history. With sales of over 160 million records worldwide, Janet Jackson stands as one of the best-selling artists of all time with a string of hits that have left an indelible impression on pop culture. Her music and artistry has opened doors through which other top artists have followed, while acknowledging her impact on their musical perceptions.

For Janet Jackson news, please follow www.twitter.com/JanetJackson.

JANET JACKSON - UNBREAKABLE WORLD TOUR – FIRST LEG

All dates, cities and venues below subject to change.

All dates below on sale June 22.

Date

City

Venue

Monday, August 31, 2015

Vancouver, BC

Pepsi Live at Rogers Arena

Wednesday, September 02, 2015

Calgary, AB

Scotiabank Saddledome

Friday, September 04, 2015

Edmonton, AB

Rexall Place

Saturday, September 05, 2015

Grand Prairie, AB

Revolution Place

Monday, September 07, 2015

Saskatoon, SK

SaskTel Centre

Tuesday, September 08, 2015

Winnipeg, MB

MTS Centre

Friday, September 11, 2015

Grand Rapids, MI

Van Andel Arena

Saturday, September 12, 2015

Cincinnati, OH

PNC Pavilion at Riverbend Music Center

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Toronto, ON

Air Canada Centre

Thursday, September 17, 2015

Raleigh, NC

Walnut Creek Amphitheatre

Friday, September 18, 2015

Charlotte, NC

PNC Music Pavilion

Sunday, September 20, 2015

Miami, FL

American Airlines Arena

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Orlando, FL

Amway Center

Thursday, September 24, 2015

Tampa, FL

Amalie Arena

Saturday, September 26, 2015

Atlanta, GA

Chastain Park Amphitheatre

Sunday, September 27, 2015

Nashville, TN

Ascend Amphitheater

Tuesday, September 29, 2015

Memphis, TN

Fedex Forum

Wednesday, September 30, 2015

New Orleans

Smoothie King Center

Friday, October 09, 2015

Las Vegas, NV

The AXIS @ Planet Hollywood

Saturday, October 10, 2015

Las Vegas, NV

The AXIS @ Planet Hollywood

Tuesday, October 13, 2015

San Francisco, CA

Bill Graham Civic Auditorium

Wednesday, October 14, 2015

San Francisco, CA

Bill Graham Civic Auditorium

Friday, October 16, 2015

Los Angeles, CA

The Forum

Saturday, October 17, 2015

San Diego, CA

Viejas Arena

Monday, October 19, 2015

Phoenix, AZ

Comerica Theatre

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Santa Barbara, CA

Santa Barbara Bowl

Thursday, October 22, 2015

Santa Barbara, CA

Santa Barbara Bowl

Saturday, October 24, 2015

Salt Lake City, UT

EnergySolutions Arena

Sunday, October 25, 2015

Denver, CO

Pepsi Center

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Kansas City, MO

Sprint Center

Thursday, October 29, 2015

St. Louis, MO

Chaifetz Arena

Friday, October 30, 2015

Omaha, NE

CenturyLink Center

Sunday, November 01, 2015

Minneapolis

Target Center

Tuesday, November 03, 2015

Chicago, IL

Chicago Theatre

Wednesday, November 04, 2015

Chicago, IL

Chicago Theatre

Thursday, November 12, 2015

Honolulu, HI

Neal S. Blaisdell Center Arena


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Reply #14 posted 06/15/15 8:18am

JoeBala

Interview with Redeemer director Ernesto Diaz Espinoza

June 14, 201511:42 PM MSTRedeemer trailer 1

Most people associate the martial arts genre with Asian cinema, but there are not only varying arts around the world; there are also rising action stars as well. In 2006 director Ernesto Diaz Espinoza teamed up with then unknown star Marko Zaror to unleash the first South American martial arts film Kiltro. Over the years this team has delivered more of their signature action, but Espinoza has also stepped out of the genre with his segment short in The ABCs of Death. Now Espinoza and Zaror have teamed up once again for their latest martial arts action film Redeemer. I had the chance to sit down with this pioneer in South American martial arts filmmaking to discuss his career and Redeemer.

Redeemer
Ernetso Diaz Espinoza
Official Image
Ernetso Diaz Espinoza

Bobby: Where the idea of the Redeemer came from?

Ernesto: Marko and I wanted to work together again since Mandrill and we were looking for a concept that we haven’t done before. We got this idea of the former hitman that was searching for redemption. We were looking for motivation for the character that we never used before and redemption was the way we wanted to go.

Bobby: This is like the third or fourth time that you and Marko have worked together. How did your working relationship come together?

Ernesto: Marko and I have been friends since high school. We made a couple of short films in high school and then we started to make real movies. It’s always just been two friends making movies just now it is professional and the real deal, but it’s the same relationship as it was back then. It feels the same as when we started.

Bobby: With some of the previous collaborations like Kiltro and Mirageman you guys focused more on the superhero element, but here it had a grittier tone. Did you have to change up your process in developing these different types of films?

Ernesto: It’s pretty similar, but in this one we wanted to take the best of our other movies and put it together here. The experience of the other movies was really helpful to approach the shooting of these fight scenes. Because we always have a short time to shoot here because of the conditions we have here in Chile, we wanted to use the time the best way could to shape the fight scenes and the experience of the other films was the key that made that happen.

Bobby: You have a very old school approach to the action style. Is this by design or does it just kind of happen that way with the people you work with?

Ernesto: It comes from two things. One is to try and find a way to replace the budget problem with ideas to make a fight scene look different from the Hollywood movies. We want to look different because we cannot imitate. We don’t want to be a cheap version of those big movies. We want to have a unique look and way of shooting. The other factor is that when you have a martial artist like Marko in front of the camera, you have to take advantage of his talents and what he can do without wires and all of that stuff. When you have that talent you don’t have to fake it or do any camera angle tricks you just shoot what he can offer and do.

Bobby: A lot of the martial arts films that come along don’t focus as much on the action anymore as the story. This one has a ton of action and the story to back it up. When you are writing do you try to find ways to work in an action sequence or just let it happen as you tell the story?

Ernesto: It’s a mix of those two things. Obviously when we approach a martial arts film we want to have as many fights as we can, but they have to make sense with the story. If it doesn’t make sense then it is going to hurt the movie. I tried to create a story where these fight scenes are organic to it.

Bobby: The idea behind this character is perfect for a franchise character. Are there any plans or hopes to revisit this character?

Ernesto: Yes, we have thought about that. We don’t know if it’s going to be a sequel or a story before, like a prequel or something. I see this like a modern western where he has been traveling town to town solving things in every town he stops in so maybe we can tell more of those stories.

Bobby: I love that idea. Without spoiling the film, one of the coolest aspects is his ritual to decide if he should help people or not. That aspect is very clever and emotional. Where did that idea come from?

Ernesto: That was a very old idea that I had since maybe high school. When I was studying filmmaking the idea of this guy playing that in the morning to see if he deserved to live one day more and how was he going to live that day. From there I mixed it with this story of redemption and it came together.

Bobby: One of the coolest things about this movie is that he says so much with just his expressions and fighting as opposed to his mouth. It adds so much more punch to the overall character and finished product.

Ernesto: I’m glad you appreciated that because that is the way Marko expresses himself so we wanted to use that in the movie.

Bobby: We know Marko does martial arts, but do you do any training as well?

Ernesto: (laughs) No, no, no, I’m just a martial arts movie fan. Marko has taught me some, but just basics. I don’t train.

Bobby: I know you are promoting Redeemer, but do you have anything else coming up that you can tell us about?

Ernesto: I am working on two or three more ideas. One of them is with Marko maybe another martial arts modern western similar to Redeemer or a sequel and a couple of others that are more into the gangster genre.

Bobby: I love your films and think this might be the best one you guys have made yet. I wish you all the luck and appreciate you taking the time to speak with me.

Ernesto: Cool man, thank you very much.

Check out Redeemer in theaters and VOD now.

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Idris Elba To Star In Film Adaptation Of Paulo Coehlo's 'The Alchemist'

Idris Elba
British actor Idris Elba poses during a photocall for the series 'Mandela, my dad and me' during the MIPTV (Marche International des Programmes de Television), in Cannes. VALERY HACHE/AFP/Getty Images

Brazilian novelist Paulo Coelho first sold the rights of his best seller “The Alchemist” to Warner Bros. in 1994 for only $250,000. In fact, the sum was so small that when Coehlo offered to buy back the rights after a few years when nothing happened with the project, he tried to buy it for $2MM. An offer which was refused. Now, after 11 years, it seems like the project will finally come to life hands of Harvey Weinstein, withLaurence Fishbourne as the director and Idris Elba as the star.

Deadline reports that one of the questions that’s been stopping the project from developing is just how much action should be in the widely spiritual novel’s adaptation. Budget for the movie has been discussed at up to $100MM. When the announcement broke at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, Weinstein implied the project seems like a perfect fit for a Middle East investor, “The film will be a bridge to the Middle East. The book has been an overwhelming success there. It’s a part of the world we need to know more about and extend bridges to it,” said Weinstein.

The project will most likely begin shooting in 2016 and in the meantime,Elba can be seen in the upcoming “Star Trek 3,” as well as his work behind the camera in the upcoming documentary “Mandela, My Dad & Me” where the music of “Mi Mandela,” an album of South African music recorded by Elba, will be featured too.

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Demi Lovato Thrilled To Be Working With Wilmer Valderrama On 'From Dusk Till Dawn'

DemiLovato
Demi Lovato attends Mudd and Op present Digifest at Citifield on June 6, 2015 in New York City. Getty

Demi Lovato and longtime boyfriend Wilmer Valderrama are set to team up for for Valderrama’s directorial debut, where he will act too. “I’m going to be in it as well. When I did ‘Larry Crowe’ and I saw that Tom Hanks could direct, produce, write and star in a movie all at the same time, he kind of gave me hope that it was possible for me to do, too,” the actor explained. The project will begin next year, but before that, the two will be teaming up in the small screen this fall.

Despite not revealing any details, Lovato announced that she was alreadyworking on the series' season two finale, through her Instagram with a photo of herself and director Robert Rodriguez. The post was captioned, “Me and the boss...we worked from #dusktilldawn...get it? Y'all aint ready...” and another one with her love and fellow cast member, Wilmer Valderrama, both in Texas looking very happy to be there.

The show is set between Texas and Mexico, and the upcoming 10-episode season will allegedly show the cast facing an even bigger threat than last time, and Lovato is set to guest star only in the season finale. “From Dusk Till Dawn” comes back in El Rey Network and Miramax on August 25.

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‘Los Cowboys’ Cast: Ivette Saucedo Talks Her About Role In Upcoming Hulu Series [INTERVIEW]

Los Cowboys star Ivette Saucedo
Interview with Ivette Saucedo star in the Hulu series 'Los Cowboys'Los CowBoys
On January 26, 2015 Hulu will be taking audiences for a ride in the premiere of the real-life Latino dramedy series, 'Los Cowboys'. The half-hour English-language reality series follows the lives of young and ambitious Latinos who are pursuing stardom and most importantly respect. Los Cowboys show how in the Mexican tradition field of Charreria (Mexican rodeo) as they juggle their families and careers while living in the United States. The team is composed of an interesting but witty grouping including, Alex - an avid horse and rodeo enthusiast, Marisela - the sassy team wife who keeps the charros in check, Robert - the wild card team captain and horse trainer who always speaks his mind, Rafael - the all-star charro and dedicated team leader, Adrian - the LA county firefighter heartthrob but charro rookie and a former model/beauty queen Ivette who is as fierce on a horse as she is on the runway.
Ivette Saucedo who is a sexy beauty queen and is as fierce on the catwalk as she is on horseback. She is a cast member of “Los Cowboys,” reality series premiering on Hulu. Ivette is a professional and competitive horse rider in an equestrian drill team which has won many awards and has traveled throughout the United States and internationally performing the traditional art of Escaramuza. She has competed in hundreds of events and was the first and only crowned Reina (queen) to represent the United States in the Escaramuza de Reinas for four years. Ivette Concepcion Saucedo, of Mexican and Spanish descent, represented Spain in the Queen of the Universe Pageant and was crowned as Queen of the Universe 2013. She is a fashion connoisseur, planning on opening her own clothing store while continuing her current efforts in multiple international charities and advancing the mission of UNESCO in bringing peace and cohesiveness to the world. Latin Times spoke to Ivette about her role and experience in 'Los Cowboys'.
Latin Times: I want to know how long have you been riding horses and your experience doing so?
Ivette Saucedo: I have been riding horses since before I can walk. It’s something that is not out of the ordinary for me. I remember when I was elementary school and my dad use to pick me up from elementary school with horses and bring a horse for me so I can walk back with my horse and he could ride his. This is something I have done all my life. For my sister and I this was our hobby and its caramusa. We would have this caramusa practice and that was my childhood. It was my life and I continue to do it. I am passionate about horseback riding.
LT: Your background is mainly in modeling and fashion. What interest you about acting and reality tv?
IS: The modeling thing came about since I was little. I use to see magazines and use to say I want to do that. Until this day my favorite model is Cindy Crawford. I think she is the most timeless beauty and I adore her. I think she is beautiful. It was something that I wanted to do and started when I was 11 years old. But I faced challenges I was either too voluptuous, too ethnic, too exotic, my hair was too dark or my hair was too long there was always something. Throughout the years I was able to develop a stronger mind and don’t let it bother me. When one door closed the other one would open. I did a pageant and my dad passed away he always wanted me to be in pageants. He would also say I was so beautiful you should do that and I know you can. My friend signed me up for a pageant and I did it and all the money raised went to non-profit organizations. It was such an honor to be a part of that. After, the pageant I started modeling again and acting. I got asked to be part of a few reality shows that people would tell me you should do this until I came across ‘Los Cowboys.'
LT: How did you get casted for the reality show 'Los Cowboys'?
IS: My friend Alex which is the producer told me that he was thinking about making a reality show about Charol Diaz I was like there is no way I want to do anything else. This show highlights Latinos in a beautiful way. There is no drama it's funny it shows our beautiful tradition and our culture. It shows how Latinos really are and that's how I became part of this production.
LT: Tell me about your role and your experience working with so many men?
IS: I am super competitive so to me everything they can do I can do better. It’s really fun because I know these guys all my life since I was a little girl. They treat me like their sister but sometimes they don’t have filters. I have to tell them I don’t want to hear this boy stuff. They are like my brothers and they take care of me. It’s fun to be around them although sometimes they are hard on me but they are like my brothers. Not all reality TV has to be about drama and this is one of the things I love about this project that it highlights Latinos in a positive way. Sometimes we do argue about small stuff but we go back to normal right away. We are a family and we get over things.
LT: Any other projects or roles that you would like to share with us?
IS: I am getting into acting and it’s something that I find challenging but I want to start concentrating on that. Also, I want to go back to school and finish my nursing school. I have many goals I want to accomplish. I want to continue pursing acting and modeling for as long as I can. When I have children I want to give back to them my legacy like my father gave to me.

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JoeBala

Billy Joel closes out Bonnaroo with a hit-heavy set of nostalgia

Billy Joel performs at the  Bonnaroo Music and Arts

(C Flanigan/WireImage)

Day four of Bonnaroo had a bit of a sleepy start, but by the time The Piano Man took the main stage Sunday night, striding out to the opening bars of “My Life,” the mood was popping.

The seasoned vet and six-time Grammy winner eased into a two-hour set that saw him reach all the way back to 1971 for “Everybody Loves You Now” and then dig out hit after hit. He played his first ever chart-topper, “Piano Man,” as well as “Uptown Girl,” “She’s Always A Woman,” and “It’s Still Rock and Roll To Me.” Appropriately, the crowd welcomed them all with massive reactions.

Billy Joel performs at the  Bonnaroo Music and Arts

What was a surprise, however, was when he stepped in front of the piano, apple red guitar in hand, and brought out his longtime crew member Chainsaw for a blistering rip through AC/DC’s “Highway To Hell,” a track he’s performed with Joel many, many times. Hands flew up (most with iPhone cameras open and recording) and everyone was dancing for the set’s only guest star. And as if the song wasn’t enough, Chainsaw’s departure one-upped it. “And that’s how it’s done bitches!” he proclaimed, exiting stage right.

Billy Joel performs at the  Bonnaroo Music and Arts

Joel then worked up to “Only The Good Die Young” and closed with a riff-tastic rendition of “Big Shot.”

Joel hasn’t put out new material in 20 years, but based on the palpable delight that seemed to reach festival-goers of all ages, he’ll never actually need to again. Timeless songs are as fun to sway, cheer, and groove to today as they were in 1973 when he first hit the charts.

Elsewhere on the Farm, Sunday’s lineup took a while to gain steam.

Billy Joel performs at the  Bonnaroo Music and Arts

Bonnaroovians were slow to emerge from their campsites during the festival’s last day, since the four days of 90-degree heat and late nights took their toll. But fans slowly slid into the afternoon with mother-son folk duo Madisen Ward and Mama Bear, who provided the easiest welcome at The Which Stage. They worked through tracks off their debut album, Skeleton Crew, which dropped last month in front of a very tame crowd—many of whom got comfy sitting in the grass.

The Very Best were the first act of the nearly 100-degree day to get a true reaction from their crowd at This Tent. Smiling and jiving through their Afro-western blend of tunes, it became impossible not to join in, especially as they closed with their 2009 breakout song, “Warm Heart of Africa.”

Florence Welch got to command a festival stage free of crutches—she broke her foot after jumping off Coachella’s main stage this spring—and while she performed with a noticeable limp, she opened the weekend’s penultimate set with “Lay Me Down,” and danced straight into “Ship To Wreck,” off new release How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful.

Billy Joel waves to the crowd as before he performed

“Are you surviving out there?” she then questioned her sweaty masses. “It’s so hot! Is everyone drinking enough water?”—to which she got a healthy wave of laughter (guess they, like, weren’t?). Welch and her backing band overlapped with Robert Plant and his Sensational Space Shifters, and the decent-sized group that wanted to catch him before Billy Joel’s closing set booked it over to the main stage.

Bonnaroo 2015 Photo Diary: Kendrick Lamar, Alabama Shakes, Against Me!, Flying Lotus, Tears for Fears, Sylvan Esso, Elle King, Earth Wind & Fire, & More

Photographer Chris Jorgensen has once again set up shot at Bonnaroo, a four-day, multi-stage camping festival held on a 700-acre farm in Manchester, Tennessee. Each day we'll be posting some of his up-close-and-personal shots of the bands, the fans, and the press events.

MANCHESTER, TN - JUNE 12: Kendrick Lamar performs during the 2015 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival on June 12, 2015 in Manchest

Kendrick Lamar

Kendrick Lamar

Kendrick Lamar

MANCHESTER, TN - JUNE 12: Brittany Howard of Alabama Shakes performs during the 2015 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival on June 1

Alabama Shakes

Brittany Howard of Alabama Shakes

Courtney Barnett

MANCHESTER, TN - JUNE 11: Raury performs during the 2015 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival on June 11, 2015 in Manchester, Tenne

Raury

MANCHESTER, TN - JUNE 11: Dej Loaf performs during the 2015 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival on June 11, 2015 in Manchester, Te

Dej Loaf

MANCHESTER, TN - JUNE 11: Tove Lo performs during the 2015 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival on June 11, 2015 in Manchester, Ten

Tove Lo

Little May

Unlocking The Truth

Against Me!

Laura Jane Grace of Against Me!

Against Me!

Laura Jane Grace of Against Me!

Flying Lotus

Flying Lotus

Tears for Fears

Tears for Fears

Tears for Fears

Curt Smith of Tears for Fears

Tears for Fears

Roland Orzabal of Tears for Fears

Sylvan Esso

Amelia Meath of Sylvan Esso

Sylvan Esso

Amelia Meath of Sylvan Esso

MANCHESTER, TN - JUNE 12: Kacey Musgraves performs in concert during day 2 of the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival on June 12,

Kacey Musgraves

MANCHESTER, TN - JUNE 12: Elle King performs in concert during day 2 of the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival on June 12, 2015 i

Elle King

Elle King

Earth Wind & Fire

Earth Wind & Fire

Ben Harper

Ben Harper

Tanya Tagaq

Canadian throat singer Tanya Tagaq

Unknown Mortal Orchestra

Ruban Nielson of Unknown Mortal Orchestra

Mumford & Sons

Mumford & Sons

Mumford & Sons

Marcus Mumford of Mumford & Sons

Mumford & Sons

Winston Marshall of Mumford & Sons

My Morning Jacket

My Morning Jacket

My Morning Jacket

Jim James of My Morning Jacket

Slayer

Slayer

MANCHESTER, TN - JUNE 13: D'Angelo performs during day 3 of the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival on June 13, 2015 in Manchester

D'Angelo

Slayer

Tom Araya of Slayer

Gary Clark Jr.

MANCHESTER, TN - JUNE 13: Gary Clark Jr. performs during day 3 of the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival on June 13, 2015 in Manc

Gary Clark Jr.

MANCHESTER, TN - JUNE 13: Andrew Hozier-Byrne, known as Hozier, performs on the "What" stage during the 2015 Bonnaroo Music &

Hozier

MANCHESTER, TN - JUNE 13: Donald Glover of Childish Gambino performs at the 2015 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival  on June 13,

Childish Gambino

Bleachers

Jack Antonoff of Bleachers

Catfish and the Bottlemen

Vann McCann of Catfish and the Bottlemen

MANCHESTER, TN - JUNE 13: Chance the Rapper and SZA perform onstage at The Other Tent during Day 3 of the 2015 Bonnaroo Music

MANCHESTER, TN - JUNE 13: Chance the Rapper performs on the "Other" stage during the 2015 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival on J

SZA AND CHANCE THE RAPPER

Phox

Monica Martin of Phox


Little May

Australian band Little May hangs around backstage.

The Temples

British psycheledic band the Temples take a smoke break backstage.

The Temples

Temples lead singer James Bagshaw

Courtney Barnett

Courtney Barnett

Courtney Barnett

Courtney Barnett

Houndmouth

Katie Toupin of Houndmouth

Houndmouth

Zak Appleby of Houndmouth

Brandi Carlile

MANCHESTER, TN - JUNE 14: Betty Who performs in concert during day 4 of the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival on June 14, 2015 i

Betty Who

Houndmouth

Matt Myers of Houndmouth

Mac Demarco

Mac Demarco

Mac Demarco

Pierce McGarry of Mac Demarco

Parlour Tricks

Parlour Tricks

Parlour Tricks

Lilly Claire of Parlour Tricks

Raury

Raury

Raury

Raury

Ryn Weaver

Ryn Weaver

Strand of Oaks

Strand of Oaks

Strand of Oaks

Strand of Oaks

Unlocking the Truth

Unlocking the Truth

MANCHESTER, TN - JUNE 14: Singer Florence Welch of Florence and the Machine performs onstage at What Stage during Day 4 of th

Florence AND THE MACHINE

D'Angelo And The Vanguard

D'angelo and Jesse Johnson

The 7 Björk-iest Things About Björk's Governors Ball Set

By Alex Gale | June 07, 2015 2:38 PM EDT

Bjork

Bjork performs during the 2015 Governors Ball Music Festival at Randall's Island on June 6, 2015 in New York City.

C Flanigan/WireImageOn Saturday (June 6), Björk played the main stage at the end of day two of Governor’s Ball to tens of thousands of people. It’s a big moment for any musician, even one as legendary as Björk. But anyone who thought Björk would tone down her high-concept theatricality, her delightful weirdness, her, well, Björk­­-ness, doesn’t know the Icelandic singer-songwriter well. Here are the seven Björk-iest moments of her awesomely bizarre Governors Ball performance.

1) Her costume.

Björk was wearing a fuzzy black/green/purple outfit that was out there even for her. We think it was a spider, but it could’ve been a moth, a centipede, or any number of creepy-crawly creatures that you don't want to look at for too long. There were three-pronged wing/leg things coming out her shoulders. Her head and face were covered in a sheer mask. We're no entomologists, but Bjork wears arthropod well.

2) The videos of nature being extra nature-y.

Ever since her earliest work Björk has been obsessed with nature — the video for “Human Behavior” anyone? But after her 2011 Biophilia project, she’s gone full blown NatGeo — if NatGeo was dedicated only to nature’s ickiest creatures at their ickiest, that is. The videos that played behind her during her Governor’s Ball set had it all: Moths laying disgusting egg thingies? Check. Millipedes having an orgy? Double check. Slugs hanging upside down from snot strings and spewing weird blue goo? Barf. But hey, it was sort of fascinating and beautiful at the same time, as long as you hadn’t eaten right beforehand.

3) Her song selection.

Björk’s set was basically the antithesis of what most acts do at big-stage festival gigs. She, her orchestra, laptop-wielding producer Haxan Cloak and percussionist Manu Delago played only a couple of her more well-known '90s hits, sticking mostly with obscure cuts from her heartbreaking, breakup-inspired new album Vulnicura. The crowd got noticeably thinner, but not because Bjork wasn’t great — she was just a little too Björk for a crowd of mostly twentysomethings and teens who were there tofestival, man.

4) Her dance moves.

Björk moved in mysterious ways, but probably not like Bono meant. Inspired by whatever creature she was dressed up as, she shimmied to one side of the stage, then fluttered back, then did weird robot pantomime moves, then vogued bizarrely.

5) Every time she said, “thank you.”

If you’ve ever seen Björk, you know that her favorite words in the English dictionary are “thank” and “you.” In fact, those are often the only two words she ever says. Sometimes, in her thick Icelandic accent, she’ll say them stoically, sometimes happily, sometimes robotically. And at Governors Ball, let's just say she was as grateful as ever.

6) When she demanded that the crowd “karaoke.”

There were only a couple times Björk uttered more than “thank you.” Once she basically said the same thing: “I aprrrrrrreciate you,” emphasis on the R. But more delightful than that was toward the end of her set, when she instructed the crowd to sing along to “Hyperballad.” Or, to let her tell it: “C’mon — Karaoke!” Singing along to Bjork is never easy, but the fans that were left at that point, were diehards, so they happily, clumsily, obliged.

7) The fireworks.

Björk’s songs were mostly depressing, and her performance was often confounding. But she saved a big payoff for the end of her set: fireworks. They blew repeatedly from the top of the stage during “Hyperballad,” time with huge flames blasting from behind the orchestra. After the strange journey she took the audience on, it was, like much of her best music, downright cathartic.

Editor's Note: Billboard misidentified Haxan Cloak as Arca, The story has been updated to reflect the mistake.

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JoeBala

Duran Duran to release new album 'Paper Gods' on Sept. 18 in U.S.

June 15, 20155:30 PM MSTJohn Taylor, Roger Taylor, Simon Le Bon, and Nick Rhodes of Duran Duran attend the David Lynch Foundation's 'The Music Of David Lynch' at The Theatre at Ace Hotel on April 1 in Los Angeles.
John Taylor, Roger Taylor, Simon Le Bon, and Nick Rhodes of Duran Duran attend the David Lynch Foundation's 'The Music Of David Lynch' at The Theatre at Ace Hotel on April 1 in Los Angeles.
Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Duran Duran's new album, "Paper Gods," will be released Sept. 18 in the United States, the band announced June 15 on its official website and social media. The album, Duran's 14th studio effort, will be available Sept. 11 in the rest of the world.

"Paper Gods" features the work of producers Nile Rodgers and Mark Ronson, both longtime Duranies, as well as Josh Blair and Mr Hudson. The album includes guest stars Janelle Monae, former Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante, Kiesza, and Lindsay Lohan, among others.

Fans of the band won't have to wait until September to hear the first single, "Pressure Off" featuring Monae. That song is available to buy digitally this week, the band said. In the meantime, the Mirror UK offered a preview of the single.

Keyboardist Nick Rhodes and bassist John Taylor told duranduran.com that the band harks back to the New Romantic superstars' early sounds on "Paper Gods." “It’s great to be able to lift people’s spirits — and your own — with a strong shot of pure pop, but the world we live in isn’t all just made of that stuff, so it seems natural to me that we have kept one foot in the darker, more Gothic side of life,” Rhodes said. “We found a whole new level of inspiration on this album.”

"Paper Gods" has been in the works since 2013. “We’ve allowed ourselves the time to make music that we can be proud of,” singer Simon Le Bon said. "The only rule is it’s got to be music you can live with for the rest of your life.”

The "Notorious"-era funk of "Pressure Off" joins other tunes such as "Only In Dreams" on the new album. "We’re fortunate to be able to be inspired by our own back catalogue – not many bands can say that," drummer Roger Taylor said.

Duran also revealed the album's artwork, a collaboration overseen by China Chow and created by Los Angeles artist Alex Israel. Images featured in the artwork are iconic ones from the band's career: the cherry ice cream smile of "Rio," the Sumo wrestler from the "Girls on Film" video, the ice cream cone from "Perfect Day."

Details of the album's release date follow news last week that the band would be embarking on tours of the U.S. and U.K. this summer.

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Lost footage from Laurel and Hardy silent found

June 15, 20153:49 PM MSTLaurel and Hardy in Battle of the Century (1927)
Laurel and Hardy in Battle of the Century (1927)
author

Every year in Culpepper, Virginia, there is a workshop called Mostly Lost, where existing footage from random silent movies is screened for film historians in an attempt to identify the film and place it in its historical/cultural context. The identification of lost films has rescued many silent movies from obscurity. So much material from the era of silent movies is lost; it is exciting for film buffs when even a fragment of sought after material is discovered in private collections. They can turn up in unlikely places. Only a few years ago, a Charlie Chaplin movie from his first year in films was found in a garage sale by historian/archivist Paul Gierucki.

It has just been announced at the most recent Mostly Lost workshop in June of 2015, a long lost reel from a two-reel Laurel and Hardy comedy, “The Battle of the Century” (1927) has been found among the belongings of a deceased film collector. “The Battle of the Century” has quite a recent history. It is best known by modern audiences in truncated form, first from an anthology of silent comedy released in the 1950s, and subsequent home video releases containing this footage.

A bit of the film’s recent backstory: In 1957, producer Robert Youngson put together a compilation of classic silent comedy footage entitled “The Golden Age of Comedy.” While it contained no footage of such heavyweights as Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, or Harold Lloyd, it presented wonderfully funny material with the Keystone cops, Harry Langdon, Will Rogers, Ben Turpin, and several other comics from the teens and twenties who were being forgotten by the fifties. This low budget production played big city art houses at first, but the response was so favorable, its release was extended, and Youngson went on to make more such movies. Critics were almost unanimous in singling out the Laurel and Hardy footage from “Golden Age of Comedy” as the anthology’s highlight. One of the scenes came from their 1927 pie fight film “The Battle of the Century.” For years, this was the only footage available, as reports indicated the film was in terrible condition and Youngson preserved what he could with the existing material. What we got was a good portion of the climactic pie fight. In 1979, some earlier footage from the film, featuring Laurel in a boxing match (with Lou Costello sitting in the audience as an extra) was found and restored to the Youngson footage.

In 2004, a noted film collector by the name of Gordon Berkow passed away. His estate included over 2000 16mm films that he had been acquiring since the 1950s. Film composer and historian Jon Mirsales discovered among Mr. Berkow’s films the complete second reel of “The Battle of the Century” containing not only the pie fight footage that Youngson offered, but all of the second-reel footage presumed lost. It is on 16mm film, but struck from the original 35mm negative. The footage has been placed in the custody of Serge Bromberg of Lobster Films for restoration. For persons with an interest in cinema’s rich history, this is a truly important find.

Apparently there are plans to eventually make a more complete version of "The Battle of the Century" available on DVD. But the initial news is exciting and allows us to realize that the many sought after films still considered lost could perhaps someday be discovered and identified.

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Katherine Waterston lands Harry Potter spinoff female lead role

June 15, 20154:12 PM MST

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Warner Bros. announced on Monday that British actress Katherine Waterston will play the female lead in the highly anticipated Harry Potter spinoff, “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.” Waterston is best known for her roles in “Inherent Vice” and the upcoming Steve Jobs biopic. She will portray a witch named Tina, or Porpentina, opposite Eddie Redmayne’s Newt Scamander.

Unlike previous Harry Potter films and novels, which were set primarily in London, “Fantastic Beasts” will take place in the U.S. According to Warner Bros., the screenplay, written by J.K. Rowling, involves Newt, a magizoologist, meeting Tina in New York City as he travels to study magical creatures. Harry Potter director David Yates—who directed the last four installments—will direct “Fantastic Beasts,” which is due in November 2016. The movie and its story come from Newt Scamander’s Hogwarts textbook, “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.” No official word on whether there will be a novel, though with the movie due in a little less than 18 months, it’s safe to assume that if there is a book version, it will come after the motion picture’s release.

Harry Potter means big bucks to the movie industry and the many facets of movie merchandising, so it should come as no surprise that the spinoff will beat least a trilogy. Wave that wand, Hermione, there’s lots o’ cash to be made here! In case you must know and can’t wait for “Fantastic Beasts” to be released, the movie will hit the big screen on November 18, 2016. Let’s hope J.K. writes screenplays as well as she writes books.

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From YouTube to ‘The Gallows': Interview With Chris Lofing and Travis Cluff!

The Gallows (image source: New Line Cinema/WB)

Little has been known about New Line Cinema’s The Gallows, a new found-footage horror film from up-and-coming filmmakers Chris Lofing and Travis Cluff.

Before it was a major motion picture, opening in theaters July 10th, 2015, it was a short film that premiered on Bloody-Disgusting. Now, Blumhouse is behind the feature-length horror film that stars Cassidy Gifford, Ryan Shoos, Reese Mishler and Pfeifer Brown.

In The Gallows, “Twenty years after an accident caused the death of the lead actor during a high school play, students at the same small town school resurrect the failed stage production in a misguided attempt to honor the anniversary of the tragedy—but ultimately find out that some things are better left alone.

Bloody Disgusting, in addition to landing the world premiere photos (on display here, too) from The Gallows, caught up with Lofing and Cluff, who talked about everyting from the film’s genesis to its iconic villian!

“We were originally inspired when we saw movies like Paranormal Activity and The Blair Witch Project getting made,” the duo tell Bloody in an exclusive interview, where they speak about guerilla filmmaking. “We didn’t have any money or resources but we felt that we could tell a story we were passionate about and, like those two movies, shoot it in a very grounded real way. We developed a script and managed to raise a few thousand dollars here and a few there. We pretty much learned on the fly. We were guerilla filmmaking not by choice, but because we had no other choice. On a shoe-string budget and a crew of less than five people, the film was shot within Fresno in about two weeks. Looking back, it’s the best thing that could have happened to us. Because we didn’t live in Hollywood, we used the Internet to get attention. That’s when we cut a trailer and put it online.”

That was just the beginning of the micro-indie that could. Here Lofing and Cluff explain how The Gallows ended up at Blumhouse, and then at New Line Cinema.

“After seeing the trailer right here on Bloody-Disgusting, Dean Schnider at Management 360 contacted us and wanted to see more,” they explained. “Dean was looking at the project from a producer’s standpoint and thought there was something special with The Gallows. We had literally no experience in Hollywood so this was all very new and exciting to us. After spending more time with Dean, he wanted to take us on as clients as well. 360 shared the film with Jason Blum. Everyone seemed to agree that with a little more work on the movie, it could be great. It was important for us that any changes to the movie felt authentic and real. We were really encouraged that 360 and Jason were in our corner and really let us do our thing and were actually adamant that it remain our vision and we continue making the movie in the same way. We were over the moon when New Line/Warner Bros. were interested. Again, we are from Fresno and only know about these studios when we see their logos before our favorite movies. We couldn’t be happier to be working with them.”

The synopsis reminds me of Terror Train, which is why I asked about the duo’s 80’s influences.

They explained: “It was very much influenced by 80’s horror. Actually Chris is big fan of all things 80’s even though he was born in 1990. Both of us are fans of older horror films and admit that we are not as well versed in modern horror.

As for it being found-footage, the duo speak to the state of the subgenre and say exactly what I want to hear, found-footage was the most organic way to make this movie.

“We didn’t shoot our film in found-footage because it was popular and we didn’t shy away from it when several found-footage attempts fell short in recent years,” says the duo. “There were two big factors for us. We wanted to make The Gallows as raw and real as possible, and second, we barely had any money, production equipment or crew. This forced us to look at a more guerrilla approach. found-footage was the most organic way to tell our story and we believed it would make the overall experience more terrifying and simply more genuine and organic. We hope this comes through in our movie and makes it stand out. It was really important that the reason our characters were holding a camera felt natural. We went as far as withholding the actual script from our actors and having them use their real names in the movie so it would be as close to reality as possible. We think found-footage has been and will continue to be a great storytelling tool.”

Something else I gathered from one of the synopses is that The Gallows has a villain, and I was curious as to if it’s iconic enough to become part of a franchase (we really need a new Elm Street orFriday the 13th).

The Gallows has a scary villain that we’ve never seen before so we hope he becomes iconic!,” they exclaimed while revealing they do have sequel concepts. “We have ideas for what a sequel can be but our total focus has been making this first movie as great as possible.”

The Gallows will open in theaters July 10th from New Line Cinema. Watch this spot for a trailer as soon as it arrives!

Marc Anthony 'Magnus Media': Puerto Rican Singer Signs Gente De Zona To New Entertainment Company

Marc Anthony, Gente De Zona
Marc Anthony (L) and Gente de Zona pose during La Voz Kids finale at Universal Orlando on June 6, 2015 in Orlando, Florida. Gerardo Mora/Getty Images

Following the launch of his new entertainment company, "Magnus Media," Marc Anthony has signed his first artists ---Cuban duo Gente De Zona.

Anthony signed the boys after their collaboration in "La Gozadera." According to Billboard, the "Vivir Mi Vida" singer was hooked withRandy Malcom's and Alexander Delgado's style when he first heard the song and stated: “I heard the future of music. The song is a smash."

Magnus Media was created by the Puerto Rican salsa singer to invest in new artists, and help them establish connections, and direct contact with big brands. Among their operations are: artists management, a record label, music production, digital content design, film, television, and a marketing division to impulse Latino content, and creations in the U.S. and the world.

“Magnus is a company that has been needed for quite a while now.” Expressed the singer in a press communicate. “A great variety of Latino artists are considered to be between the biggest brands out there. However, and unfortunately, a lot of my colleagues, and also new artists in development, don’t have the support they need to turn their talent into a long-lasting business.”

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[Edited 6/15/15 17:57pm]

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Jim Brown and Elvis

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Elvis And The V.I.P / Jim Brown: Vip

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Katy Perry's Newest Moschino Ads Are Here -- and She's Practically Naked! (PHOTOS)

(Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images)

Sarah Kinonen
06/15/2015 AT 11:41 AM ET

Katy Perry Moschino madness continues! Last week, the star shared that she’s the new face of the label, posting a colorful photo of herself in a ’90s inspired look, plus a pixie cut. Now, the singer is giving us another glimpse at the campaign — and the ads are getting sexier.

Katy Perry MoschinoCOURTESY KATY PERRY/MOSCHINO

In a new practically NSFW photo, Perry rocks a colorful fur coat draped over half of her naked body, along with a multi-colored quilted handbag and gold leather pumps, showing off some serious sideboob. Her Kris Jenner-esque pixie cut is still intact.

Katy Perry x Moschino Autumn/Winter 15-16

The star also shared another ad from the colorful campaign clad in a purple sweater dress. She carries an extra-large bright orange backpack, plus, a quilted cross-body in the photo. And the accessorizing didn’t stop there — she also wears two bucket hats to complete the bold look.

Katy Perry x Moschino Autumn/Winter 15-16

Katy Perry x Moschino Autumn/Winter 15-16

Katy Perry x Moschino Autumn/Winter 15-16

Katy Perry x Moschino Autumn/Winter 15-16

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Here it comes: Monkees convention in 2016 will honor group's 50th anniversary

June 16, 20152:45 PM MSTFrom left, Mike Nesmith, Micky Dolenz and Peter Tork in concert in 2013.
From left, Mike Nesmith, Micky Dolenz and Peter Tork in concert in 2013.
Photo by Handout/Getty Images

Monkee Jam 2016, a gathering of fans that will feature a celebration of The Monkees' 50th anniversary, will take place on June 4, 2016 in Atco, New Jersey, organizer Jodi Ritzen announced June 16. “This is really about the fans,” she said. The event, which will be be held outdoors on a farm at 672 Old White Horse Pike in Atco, organizers says, to mimic that of Woodstock. Tickets for the convention are now available at the official event website,

The event, produced by the group who have presented past Monkees and Brady Bunch conventions, will feature several Monkees tribute bands, including the Characters and the Blue Meanies. Other bands, guests and surprises will be announced over the next few months.

"What we are most excited about " says Ritzen "is putting together the largest Monkees Walk ever recorded. The plan is at 6 p.m, we will go straight across the farm of which the event is being held to recreate the famous Monkees walk that we have been doing since 1966.”

Along with music, vendors, trivia and reuniting with fans from around the world, there will also be a showing of the classic film “Head” on the movie screen. "We are looking to do exactly what has been done with the classic 'Rocky Horror Picture Show' where fans dress in costume and interact with the movie." says Ritzen.

Last year's convention featured all three living members of the Monkees – Micky Dolenz, Mike Nesmith and Peter Tork. The three Monkees announced a joint tour during the event.

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Legendary songwriting team of Gamble and Huff named SongHall co-chairmen

June 16, 20151:17 PM MST
The story of the songwriting team Gamble & Huff.
YouTube

The legendary “Sound of Philadelphia” songwriting team of Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff—known popularly and professionally as Gamble & Huff--have been elected co-chairmen of the the Songwriters Hall of Fame (SHOF), and will now utilize their visibility, commitment, achievement and artistic contributions in furthering the interests of the organization and of songwriting and music communities everywhere.

Gamble & Huff
Songwriters Hall of Fame

"I am absolutely delighted with the election of Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff--among the greatest and longest-lasting songwriting teams in music history--as the co-chairs of the Songwriters Hall of Fame," said SHOF president/CEO Linda Moran this morning. "I have no doubt that the prestige and magical touch that Kenny and Leon have brought to all things musical will start a wonderful new chapter for our organization."

In a joint statement, Gamble and Huff said, “We are extremely honored and proud to serve as chairmen of this very prestigious organization, the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Songwriting is the very core of who we are creatively in the music industry. Therefore, this co-chairmenship position and honor means a lot to us as we honor and proudly support all our fellow songwriters everywhere. More importantly, we look forward to working with Linda Moran and the Songwriters Hall of Fame board of directors to promote this great organization and its mission to honor and support its prolific array of songwriters associated with it. As we have experienced, every hit record ever produced always started with us as great songwriters first!”

Gamble & Huff were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1995. In 2014, they received the organization’s greatest honor, the Johnny Mercer Award, exclusively reserved for a songwriter or songwriting team who has already been inducted in a prior year, and whose body of work is of such high quality and impact that it upholds the gold standard set by the legendary Johnny Mercer.

The pair have been writing music together for more than 50 years, their output totaling over 3,500 songs, including 30 chart pop and R&B hit singles and 50 gold, platinum and multi-platinum certifications. Their catalog includes hits such as The Supremes' "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me," "Don't Leave Me This Way" by both Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes and Thelma Houston, Jerry Butler's "Only The Strong Survive," "If You Don't Know Me By Now" by Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes and Simply Red, the O'Jay's "For The Love Of Money," Billy Paul's "Me and Mrs. Jones" and the theme song for Soul Train, "TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)."

They have won five Grammy Awards for their songwriting and have collected 86 BMI Pop and R&B Awards; they also founded Philadelphia International Records (PIR) as the outlet for their creative vision and the launching pad for the Philly Soul sound, a unique blend of R&B rhythms, sweet soul vocals, deep funk grooves, pulsing horn charts and lush string arrangements with melodic structures combining elements of pop, jazz and world music.

Gamble & Huff have been inducted into the Philadelphia Music Foundation's Walk of Fame, The Dance Music Hall of Fame and the The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. They have received the Trustees Award from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, the Ivor Novello Award from the British Academy of Composers and Songwriters, and the Pop Icon Award from BMI. They continue to write songs together to this day.

Established in 1969, the Songwriters Hall of Fame bridges music's past and future, enshrining and celebrating musical pioneers while reaching out to the music community in grooming the next generation of songwriters.

[The Examiner contributes to the Songwriters Hall of Fame's newsletter.]

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Jill Scott's New Album Will Be Called 'Woman'; Reveals Cover Art and Release Date

DJ JUSMUSIC TUE, JUN 16, 2015 NEWS, R&B NEWS
Jill Scott's New Album Will Be Called 'Woman'; Reveals Cover Art and Release Date

Jill Scott has a greatest hits collection called 'Golden Moments' that arrived in stores today via Hidden Beach, but it looks like the music veteran is thinking new music. She took to Instagram earlier today (June 16) to share the album cover and release date for her upcoming fifth studio album, Woman.

"Love Village, here is the album cover for #WOMAN, which will be released on July 24th!," Scott writes.

The cover art showcases a facial close-up of the Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter, which is shaded by the color blue with the text "WOMAN" repeated over her face.

'Woman' is heralded by the sultry new single, "Fools Gold," a tune that sees her journeying back to a time where she was mentally weak in a relationship.

In addition to the upcoming release, Jilly from Philly will launch a 25-city U.S. summer tour on July 13th in Pittsburgh, PA. The trek will make stops in big cities like Baltimore, NYC (Brooklyn), Atlanta, Houston, and Los Angeles before wrapping August 28th in Phoenix, AZ.

We're looking forward to hearing Jilly's new project!

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Kat DeLuna Gets Naked and Werks Her "Bum Bum" in New Video

DJ JUSMUSIC TUE, JUN 16, 2015 VIDEOS, R&B MUSIC VIDEOS0 COMMENTS

If you're an ass man (or woman), this video may have you hot and bothered.

Kat DeLuna strips down to her birthday suit and shows her "Bum Bum" in the visual for her new single featuring R&B crooner Trey Songz (who doesn't appear in the video). Sampling reggae artist Sister Nancy’s 1982 hit, in the clip, Kat puts the focus on her ASSets and lets her man know he "can get it every hour."

DeLuna is known for turning up the clubs with songs like "Whine Up!" and "Party O'Clock," and although "Bum Bum" is a slower tempo record, people will definitely get frisky to it.

About her new single, DeLuna says, "This song is evidence that music transcends generations, and for that I want to specially thank Sister Nancy for originating such an incredible song that left its musical imprint culturally for years to come. I hope 'Bum Bum' becomes your summer anthem!"

DeLuna is prepping her third studio album, the follow-up to 2010’s Inside Out, which was released exclusively in Belgium, France, Poland and Japan.

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Dascha Polanco, Eugenio Derbez And Raquel Welch To Be Honored By Latino Media Awards

Dascha Polanco Eugenio Derbez Raquel Welch
Dascha Polanco, Eugenio Derbez, Raquel Welch amongst honorees selected by The National Association of Latino Independent Producers. Reuters/Getty/Reuters

The National Association of Latino Independent Producers, NALIP, has announced this year’s honorees for the 16th annual Latino Media Awards ceremony, which will happen in Hollywood, Los Angeles this June 27. Amongst the winners is legendary actress Raquel Welch, who will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award, along with well as Mexican TV and movie star Eugenio Derbez, who will be honored with the Outstanding Achievement Award, and “Orange Is The New Black” actress Dascha Polanco will be honored with the prestigious Lupe Award.

NALIP Executive Director, Axel Caballero explained, “no one likes to use the word ‘legend’ lightly” so it’s only appropriate to use to merely begin describing what Welch is. The honor is awarded to which artists who have had a deep impact on the entertainment industry as a leader for the arts and for Latinos. Polanco’s Lupe Award aims to spotlight Latino talents who have had a serious amount of buzz and have a promising future ahead of them in the business.

After being ranked as the No.1 most influential Hispanic male in the world by Variety, Derbez will receive the outstanding honor for achieving tremendous success and producing quality Latino content. His last movie “Instructions Not Included” became the most successful Spanish-language film in the US as well as internationally. Other recipients of the award include, Salma Hayek, “Modern Family” star Sofía Vergara and Kenny Ortega.

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NBC 'Emerald City' Casting News: Adria Arjona Set To Play Lead Character, Dorothy

Adria Arjona
Actress Adria Arjona has been cast in her first lead TV role for NBC's upcoming "Wizard of Oz" spinoff, "Emerald City." Getty Images

It’s been a busy year for Guatemalan singer Ricardo Arjona’s daughter,Adria. After recurring appearances on CBS’s “Person of Interest” and a role in HBO’s season two of “True Detective,” the actress has landed her lead role on NBC’s “Wizard of Oz” inspired series, “Emerald City.” David Schulner who will write and executive produce along with Shaun Cassidy, is now bringing the project, which was originally developed between 2013 and 14 to life. The show’s style will reportedly be a modern day version of Oz meets “Game of Thrones.”

Just like the original 1939 Judy Garland movie, “Emerald City” takes Dorothy and her pooch to a far away world after a tornado hits. In this case, the mystical land will have warriors fighting for their kingdoms, resurrecting witches black magic and bloody battles. There’s suspicion that the 20-year-old lead (Adria Arjona's character) will arrive to the fable Land of Oz as the chosen one, since the story will be based on Baum’s original 14 books with the same name as the show.

In addition, the actress is currently working on a movie titled “The Belco Experiment” which “revolves around the American Belco company in South America which is mysteriously sealed off at the beginning of a work day, and its employees are ordered to kill each other or be killed themselves,” as explained by director James Gunn. The cast includesTony Goldwyn, Melonie Díaz, John C. McGinley and John Gallagher Jr., amongst others.

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Gina Rodriguez Graces 'Glam Belleza Latina' Magazine Cover; Talks About Idea Of Minorities In The Media [PHOTOS]

GBLSummerCover gina rodriguez
Actress Gina Rodriguez on the cover of Glam Belleza Latina Magazine for its 2015 summer issue. Photo by Doug Inglish

It’s been a wonderfully busy year for the star of CW’s hit show “Jane the Virgin,” Gina Rodriguez, who won the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a comedy, making her only the fourth Latina to win an acting Globe since the awards’ inception, in 1944. Rodriguez is taking the leap to Hollywood blockbusters in a film starring Mark Wahlberg about the BP oil spill. In addition, she joined some of the biggest comedy actresses of the moment in “The Hollywood Reporter’s” round table and cover story, and now the Puerto Rican actress covers Glam Belleza Latina’s S...2015 issue and opens up about her Golden Globe win, changing the idea of minorities in the media, and embracing her natural beauty.

While her amazing Golden Globe acceptance speech said very much, when asked what the award meant to her, Rodriguez responded, “the nomination itself was the win,” before explaining why. “I want to be acknowledged for what I do. For people to stop and say, ‘She can act her ass off. I want to work with her.’ That way I can tell more stories,” she said. Going further into the matter, Rodriguez says she sees one of the purposes of her career to “change the idea of minorities in the media,” not necessarily by herself, but joining a movement. “Growing up, I never saw my home life reflected on-screen, and that made me feel a certain way about myself. It’s not only about my ethnicity; it made me feel a certain way about my beauty.”

The actress says she still embraces the values she grew up with, that celebrate natural beauty. “I’m real and I’m not put-together all the time. Like, that is just the truth. And to live up to that is just too much. It’s not sustainable at all.” Rodriguez insists that the Latino community urgently needs to understand its collective strength. “The more we show them that our united front can blow something up, the more they’re going to open those doors because it’s no longer a risk. This isn’t about racism. It’s about money.”

Gina RodriguezGlam Belleza Latina cover star Gina Rodriguez:“i want to change the idea of minorities in the media” Courtesy Photo: GBL by Doug InglishGina RodriguezGlam Belleza Latina cover star Gina Rodriguez:“i want to change the idea of minorities in the media” Courtesy Photo: GBL by Doug Inglish

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Carlos Santana's Daughter Stella Shines in 'Switch' Video: Exclusive

By Angie Romero | June 16, 2015 12:20 PM EDT

stella santana 2015

Stella photographed in New York in 2015.

Taryn Anderson

In the new music video for her latest single “Switch,” the 30-year-old singer/songwriter shows an innate soulfulness and sultriness not unlike the voices she grew up listening to and loving in the Bay Area -- women like Brandy, Missy Elliott, and Lauryn Hill. “That whole era of music really shaped me,” she tellsBillboard. “There was a strong sense of melody, a soulful quality that I am just drawn to, so when I started making music that’s just what started coming out of me.”

It was two years ago that STELLA got serious about pursuing music, inspired (like many great artists) by heartbreak. After attending Pepperdine University, she packed up and moved to New York, where she still lives. In August 2014, the yoga enthusiast unveiled her debut single...Reason.”

“Switch” is a collaboration with Sam Ahrendt and Don Steele, who go by the nameCaswell, the same production duo behind the equally soulful track “Friends,” both of which will appear on STELLA's upcoming debut album, Selfish, due in the fall of 2015. Jared Evan (himself an artist) is handling most of the production for the album.

"'Switch’ was the first song that I wrote after my break-up,” says STELLA, who has been playing guitar and piano since she was five. “I didn’t have a melody or a beat for it yet; I just kind of wrote the lyrics out. It was cathartic. I remember sitting on the couch, and it took the whole day for it to come out of me. I was just sobbing, but there was a feeling inside me that kept me going. When my producers played me the beat I thought, ‘This is how I felt that day.’”

STELLA says dad Carlos taught her how to write and sing with transparency. “I remember I would watch musical shows with my dad and he would say things like, ‘I don’t feel that person.’ When I was little it felt like he was judging them but now it feels more like discernment; being able to tell when someone is just singing versus someone who is giving you a piece of their soul. At the time I was like, ‘No, they’re cool,’ and he’d be like, ‘No, they’re wack,’ “ recalls STELLA with a chuckle.

The video for the “Switch,” directed by Taryn “Teek” Anderson, has an artsy feel to it, with STELLA wearing angel wings and wigs and making her way throughout an entire day of emotional turmoil. “I wanted to go through that first day when you wake up after you’ve broken up with someone and it hurts,” she says. “You think, ‘How am I going to go through this whole day?’ So it was about moving through those thoughts and emotions -- do you call them back? Do you text him? Do you leave him alone? You can’t figure anything out so I wanted the video to show that pain. Then at the end, there’s a switch. You feel empowered after you realize ‘Wait, I made this decision, I chose to not be with you’ instead of just wondering ‘Why me?’”

STELLA shares that she wasn’t always so spiritual -- or musical, for that matter. It took maturity, as it does for everyone. But being born into the family that she did certainly helped.

“Growing up we would always meditate as a family but I always thought it was boring; I wanted to go outside and play,” shares STELLA. “But eventually I understood it. If we saw a scary movie or something my parents would always tell us to pray, and ask for protection. So I grew up with this idea that I was protected and maybe it’s delusional but it seems to be true so far. They definitely instilled that in us and it’s ongoing. We’re always learning and developing more spiritually.”

Music wasn’t just coming at STELLA from her father’s side. Her mother, Deborah, is herself the daughter of legendary blues guitarist Saunders King, and wrote a memoir about her journey toward spiritual fulfillment (she and Carlos were married for over 30 years, had three children, and separated in 2007). STELLA's brother Salvador Santana is an accomplished musician and keyboardist in his own right, and while Stella doesn’t rule out a family collaboration in the future, for now she’s focused on finding her own sound. In fact, this dedication to herself is what inspired the album’s essence and title, she says.

“I don’t think selfish is a bad word or an insult necessarily. I’ve been called selfish in relationships and I’ve always taken it as somewhat of a compliment because I think that, especially as women, we’re taught to nurture other people and always be giving toward others but never to ourselves first. So I decided two years ago that I was going to end that relationship, I was going to pursue this dream and not get distracted. If I feel lonely or sad, I’m going to write about it -- from the heart, like my dad always says. ”

Listen to STELLA on her Soundcloud page.

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Rick And Adam In Cancun June 2015.

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Watch Celia Cruz Telemundo Musical Telenovela Trailer! [VIDEO]

During the Telemundo Upfront presentation this week they announced a new telenovela series based on the life of the legendary singer, Celia Cruz. “Celia” is the story of the internationally renowned Cuban musical artist, Celia Cruz. Born in the midst of the Cuban Revolution, Celia was a woman with an extraordinary talent. Her inimitable voice transformed her from a humble, shy, ordinary, young woman into a superstar with the world at her feet. Celia turned salsa into the most popular Latin music genre in the world and became a woman, who despite being far from her home land, was able to honor it and demonstrate that there are no impossible dreams.

Miami singer to portray Celia Cruz in a TV series

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Lauryn Hill - Feeling Good (Nina Simone Cover)

ELLE BREEZY THU, JUN 18, 2015 MUSIC, R&B MUSIC
Lauryn Hill - Feeling Good (Nina Simone Cover)

For RCA’s forthcoming six-song tribute album Nina Revisited: A Tribute To Nina Simone, Lauryn Hill covers one of Simone’s signature song “Feeling Good.” The album which will accompany Liz Garbus's Netflix documentary, "What Happened, Miss Simone?" which will premiere on June 26.

Hill is the perfect person to cover this tune, as she evokes the right, raw emotion through her raspy voice. She said in a statement, "Because I fed on this music … I believed I always had a right to have a voice. Her example is clearly a form of sustenance to a generation needing to find theirs. What a gift."

The tribute album will arrive on July 10.

Usher, Tyrese, and Kenny 'Babyface' Edmonds to Perform at 2015 Ford Neighborhood Awards

DJ JUSMUSIC THU, JUN 18, 2015 NEWS, TOURS GIGS & EVENTS
Usher, Tyrese, and Kenny 'Babyface' Edmonds to Perform at 2015 Ford Neighborhood Awards

Music veterans Usher, Tyrese Gibson and Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds have been tapped to perform during the 13th Annual Ford Neighborhood Awards at the Philips Arena on Saturday August 8th in Atlanta, GA. Steve Harvey will host the "dazzling night of glamour, filled with laughs, unpredictable moments, exuberant speeches and inspiring entertainment."

Anthony Anderson, Wendy Raquel Robinson, David and Tamela Mann, Michelle Williams, Erica Campbell, Yolanda Adams, Kym Whitley, Roland Martin, Shirley Strawberry, Nephew Tommy, and Carla Ferrell are among the host of celebrity presenters expected to attend.

Created by Steve Harvey and television/radio/film producer Rushion McDonald, the Neighborhood Awards Weekend (formerly the Hoodie Awards) recognizes and celebrates men and women from all over the United States who uplift their neighborhoods through their contributions and excellence as entrepreneurs, religious and community leaders, educators and more.

The 2015 Ford Neighborhood Awards show is the cornerstone event in a four-day lineup of entertainment running August 6-9th in Atlanta, with other signature events during the weekend taking place at the Georgia World Congress Center, featuring appearances from Ne-Yo, Doug E. Fresh, Nephew Tommy, Sheryl Underwood, Erykah Badu, Jodeci, Salt-N-Pepa, Jazmine Sullivan, K. Michelle, Avery Sunshine, Yolanda Adams and more.

Tickets for the Ford Neighborhood Awards show and weekend events are available via Ticketmaster. To connect for the latest updates on the 2015 Neighborhood Awards Weekend, visit: www.NeighborhoodAwards.com.

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The Who expands 2015 North American tour schedule

June 18, 20151:35 PM MST

The Who's Roger Daltrey and Pete Townsend perform during the Who Cares Benefit For Teen Cancer America Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center at The Theater at Madison Square Garden on February 28, 2013 in New York City

The Who's Roger Daltrey and Pete Townsend perform during the Who Cares Benefit For Teen Cancer America Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center at The Theater at Madison Square Garden on February 28, 2013 in New York City
Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images

The Who has added another new date to their 2015 North American tourschedule. The legendary British rockers will perform their only Colorado show on Dec. 10 in Denver at the Pepsi Center.

According to an article posted June 18 at Hey Reverb, the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers will be making their first appearance in the city since their Quadrophenia Tour rocked the town back in 2013. The new show announcement comes on the heels of the legendary British rockers' decision to expand their 50th anniversary tour into December to accommodate three postponed shows from the spring leg, as well as two dates from their upcoming fall leg. The dates were moved so that frontman Roger Daltrey, who was stricken with swollen vocal chords in May, can have a few more days between shows to rest his voice.

Pre-sales for the Denver performance begin Mon., June 22 at 10 a.m. MT. Tickets go on sale to the public Fri., June 26 at 10 a.m. MT. Tickets are available at AXS. See below for The Who's revised 2015 North American tour schedule.

The multi-platinum sellers wrapped up the first North American leg of their 50th anniversary tour on May 30 in Queens, New York, Forest Hills Stadium. Following a short breather, The Who will begin a tour of Europe and the U.K., which will include a headline appearance at Glastonbury on June 28.

Produced by AEG Live, The Who Hits 50! Tour will return to North America on Sept. 14 in San Diego, California, at Valley View Casino Center. Tickets for all U.S. shows are available at AXS.

See below for The Who's revised 2015 fall North American schedule. For all the latest details on The Who, click here.

The Who Hits! 50 Tour 2015 fall North American schedule (rescheduled dates bolded):
Sept. 14 – San Diego, Calif., Valley View Casino Center
Sept. 16 – Anaheim, Calif., Honda Center
Sept. 19 – Las Vegas, Nev., The Colosseum At Caesars Palace
Sept. 21 – Los Angeles, Calif., Staples Center
Sept. 25 – Portland, Ore., Moda Center
Sept. 27 – Seattle, Wash., KeyArena At Seattle Center
Sept. 29 – Vancouver, British Columbia, Rogers Arena
Oct. 1 – Calgary, Alberta, Scotiabank Saddledome
Oct. 3 – Edmonton, Alberta, Rexall Place
Oct. 6 – Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, SaskTel Sports Centre
Oct. 8 – Winnipeg, Manitoba, MTS Centre
Oct. 10 – Minneapolis, Minn., Target Center
Oct. 13 – Milwaukee, Wis., BMO Harris Bradley Center
Oct. 15 – Chicago, Ill., United Center
Oct. 17 – Detroit, Mich., Joe Louis Arena
Oct. 19 – Toronto, Ontario, Air Canada Centre
Oct. 23 – Pittsburgh, Pa., Consol Energy Center
Oct. 25 – Newark, N.J., Prudential Center
Oct. 27 – New York, N.Y., Madison Square Garden Arena
Oct. 29 – Boston, Mass., TD Garden
Nov. 1 – Washington, D.C., Verizon Center
Nov. 4 – Philadelphia, Pa., Wells Fargo Center
Dec. 2 – Toronto, Ontario, Air Canada Centre
Dec. 4 – Louisville, Ky., KFC Yum! Center
Dec. 6 – St. Louis, Mo., Scottrade Center
Dec. 8 – Kansas City, Mo., Sprint Center
Dec. 10 – Denver, Colo., Pepsi Center
Dec. 13 – Oakland, Calif., Oracle Arena

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Lianne La Havas - What You Don't Do

DJ JUSMUSIC MON, JUN 22, 2015 VIDEOS, R&B MUSIC VIDEOS

Sultry songstress Lianne La Havas delivers the brand new song and video for, "What You Don't Do," the latest single from her forthcoming second album, 'Blood'. In the accompanying breezy clip, directed by Leila & Damien de Blinkk, the British singer-songwriter rocks several springy outfits as she beautiful conveys the intimate and ambient lyrics.

"What You Don't Do," the follow-up to previously released single, "Unstoppable," was produced by Matt Hales of Aqualung. The relationship record continues to showcase Lianne's buoyant and wistful delivery

'Blood', which was inspired by Lianne's family's heritage, is slated to arrive on July 31 via Warner Bros Records, and follows her 2012 debut 'Is Your Love Big Enough?'

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Ginette Claudette - Saving Sunday

DJ JUSMUSIC MON, JUN 22, 2015 MUSIC, R&B MUSIC
Ginette Claudette - Saving Sunday

Singer/songwriter Ginette Claudette unwraps the buttery, social media-inspired new single, "Saving Sunday." Produced by Swagg R'Celious, on the hard-hitting and soulful track, the budding singer oozes romantic and soothing lyrics about her adoring affections for her man.

"I'm saving Sunday for you / Music all through the house / I got your breakfast right there and nothing under my blouse / I'm saving Sunday for you / Wanna keep you around / Stay with me til the sun goes down"

That's a happy man!

Listen: https://soundcloud.com/gi...ay-ginette

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Ginette Claudette - LMK

ELLE BREEZY TUE, AUG 19, 2014 MUSIC, R&B MUSIC

Songstress Ginette Claudette attempts to keep the lines of communication open on her new smooth jam “LMK" (Let Me Know).

Produced by August Rigo & Claudette, the rising singer softly coos about her need for correspondence in her relationship: “Say what's on your mind / Don't be wasting precious time / Love ain’t always blind, baby you know I can see fine / Let me know.”

Also, in honor of the release of “LMK,” Ginette is allowing fans to ask her questions using the hashtag #LMK all day today (Aug. 19), and she’ll post the answers via pictures on her Instagram (@GinetteClaudette).

Also cop Ginette's current debut album Tainted Emotions on iTunes here and download "LMK" above!

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Reply #25 posted 06/22/15 3:21pm

JoeBala

Dimaiores - Last Song in The Club Feat. Bruno Mars

DJ JUSMUSIC MON, JUN 22, 2015 MUSIC, R&B MUSIC

Dimaiores draws inspiration from R. Kelly's hit "Feelin' on Your Booty" for their brand new single, "Last Song in The Club," featuring Bruno Mars. On the mid-tempo groove, the collective is looking to transcend the club to the days when the night ended with a slow jam, turning all the Drunks into lovers. Mars' presence is merely for background!

Download if you did it!

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New Upcoming Music:

.............................................................Henry Green - Slow

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Reply #26 posted 06/22/15 4:43pm

JoeBala

Netflix Shares Trailer for Nina Simone DocumentaryWhat Happened, Miss Simone?

It's out June 26 on Netflix

By Corban Goble Netflix Shares Trailer for Nina Simone Documentary What Happened, Miss Simone?

Today, Netflix shared the trailer for What Happened, Miss Simone?, their Nina Simone documentary. Check it out below. Helmed by Oscar-nominated director Liz Garbus (Bobby Fischer Against the World, Killing in the Name), the fully authorized doc incorporates concert footage, archival material, and interviews taking place over three decades. The movie will be available on June 26.

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Reply #27 posted 06/23/15 3:21pm

JoeBala

James Horner, Oscar-Winning 'Titanic' Composer, Dead In Plane Crash

Posted: 06/23/2015 12:46 am EDT Updated: 06/23/2015 9:59 am EDT
Kevin Winter via Getty Images

James Horner, the award-winning composer behind some of Hollywood's biggest films, died in a plane crash outside Santa Barbara, California on Monday, according to multiple reports. He was 61.

Horner was an avid pilot and was flying...312 Tucano when he was killed, according to Variety. The crash sparked a brushfire that was put out by local fire crews, but the plane was completely destroyed.

His death was confirmed by Sylvia Patrycja, who The Hollywood Reporter noted is listed on his fi... assistant. Patrycja wrote on Facebook on Monday night, "We have lost an amazing person with a huge heart and unbelievable talent. He died doing what he loved. Thank you for all your support and love and see you down the road."

Horner composed the music for mo... 100 films, including "Titanic," "Avatar," "Field of Dreams," "Apollo 13," "Braveheart," "A Beautiful Mind" and two "Star Trek" movies. His work on "Titanic" earned him two Academy Awards, one for the film's score and one for its iconic theme song, "My Heart Will Go On," which was performed by Celine Dion. Horner, who wrote the music, shared that award with lyricist Will Jennings.

Born in Los Angeles in 1953, Horner grew up in London and att...e of Music, according to his biography on the Pacific Symphony website. He earned degrees in composition from USC and UCLA, and began his scoring career with 1979 film "The Lady In Red," according to IMDB. He also did the 1978 picture "The Watcher," but wrote the music for "The Lady in Red" first.

His big break was the 1982 blockbuster "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan." When the producers couldn't afford to hire Jerry Goldsmith, who did the music for "Star Trek: The Motion Picture," they hired Horner, who would also score the third film in the franchise, 1984's "The Search for Spock."

By "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country" in 1991, the producers could no longer afford Horner, who had risen to prominence in the industry.

In 1986, he earned his first Academy Award nomination for "Aliens," which was also his first collaboration with filmmaker James Cameron -- but it wasn't necessarily an auspicious beginning. The film was plagued by delays and six weeks before it opened, Horner still hadn't even seen the film yet, much less written the music. He also clashed with both Cameron and producer Gale Anne Hurd.

"It was a nightmare," Horner later recalled, saying he didn't think he'd ever work with Cameron again, and that the feelings were mutual.

"I think we both felt life was too short to have these conflicts," Horner said. "We sort of parted after that."

But after the filmmaker heard Horner's "Braveheart" score, the two teamed up again for "Titanic" in 1997 and "Avatar" in 2009.

“In Titanic, I challenged you to do an...violinists, and with the use of haunting vocals and bittersweet Celtic pipes, you reinvented the romantic score," Cameron said in a 2011 tribute to the composer, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Cameron continued:

"Avatar was a very different challenge — to capture the heart and spirit of an alien culture without alienated the audience. By combining the sweep of a classic orchestral score with indigenous instrumentation and vocals, you came up with a unique sound that created both the epic sweep of the film and also childlike sense of wonder of experiencing that fantastic world for the first time… I look forward to our next collaboration and I can’t wait to hear what you come up with next.”

Cameron has been working on multiple "Avatar" sequels, and Horner had said he would continue to work on the films "if I last that long."

IMDB lists Horner as winning 48 major awards a... 64 others. Along with his two Oscars for "Titanic" he received eight other Academy Award nominations.

Horner was also nominated for 11 Grammy Awards, winning five, including two for "My Heart Will Go On" and two for "Somewhere Out There" from the 1986 film "An American Tail."

Many of those who worked with Horner, as well as the many more who have been touched by his music, paid tribute to the composer on Twitter.

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Reply #28 posted 06/23/15 3:39pm

JoeBala

Dick Van Patten, ‘Eight Is Enough’ Star, Dies at 86Dick Van Patten dead

RON GALELLA, LTD./WIREIMAGE
JUNE 23, 2015 | 07:50AM PT

Dick Van Patten, who played the paterfamilias on the 1980s TV dramedy “Eight Is Enough,” died on Tuesday morning. He was 86.

Patten died at Saint John’s Hospital in Santa Monica, Calif., due to complications from diabetes.

The always-genial, round-faced actor also appeared in Disney films including “Freaky Friday” (the original, Jodie Foster version) as well as Mel Brooks comedies “High Anxiety,” “Robin Hood: Men in Tights” and “Space Balls.”

Though long associated with television and film comedies, the actor spent a great deal of time on stage, making the first of his two dozen or so appearances on Broadway as a child back in 1937, in Kurt Weill’s “The Eternal Road.”

He had most recently appeared onscreen in a guest role as Lester on TV Land’s “Hot in Cleveland.” Other relatively recent credits include “7th Heaven” in 2004, “Arrested Development” in 2005, “That ’70s Show” in 2006 and “The Sarah Silverman Program” in 2008.

Van Patten starred as Tom Bradford, the father of eight children, on ABC’s “Eight Is Enough” from 1977-81. The show was based on the life of journalist Tom Braden, who had written a book of the same name. Van Patten also appeared in the 1987 reunion movie and 1989’s “An Eight Is Enough Wedding.” He reprised the role of Tom Bradford via voice work on the animated sitcom “Family Guy” in 1999.

Richard Vincent Van Patten was born in Kew Gardens, N.Y.

He made his Broadway debut in Kurt Weill’s “The Eternal Road,” a spectacle of Jewish history, in 1937 (in 2000, the centenary of Weill’s birth, Van Patten attended a full restaging of the mammoth six-hour work at Brooklyn’s BAM). The next year the youngster appeared in Paul Osborn’s hit “On Borrowed Time,” which was adapted into a film starring Lionel Barrymore and Cedric Hardwicke, and appeared in “Run Sheep Run”; in 1939 he was part of the George S. Kaufman-Moss Hart spectacle “The American Way.” There followed “The Land Is Bright,” by Kaufman and Edna Ferber, in 1941-42, with the young actor still credited as Dickie Van Patten; Thornton Wilder’s original comedy “The Skin of Our Teeth” in 1942-43; Edward Chodorov’s “Decision” in 1944; “The Wind Is Ninety” in 1945; Terrence Rattigan’s enormous hit “O Mistress Mine,” starring Lunt and Fontanne, in 1946-47, marking the first time he was credited as Dick Van Patten; and “Mister Roberts,” in which the actor was a replacement for David Wayne as Ensign Pulver.

After “Mister Roberts,” Van Patten was missing from Broadway until a one-night stint in “Have I Got a Girl for You!” in 1963; two years later he was stage manager and understudy on the original Ruth Gordon-Garson Kanin play “A Very Rich Woman.” In 1968 he appeared in the Renee Taylor and Joseph Bologna-penned, Charles Grodin-directed comedy “Lovers and Other Strangers,” which would soon be adapted for the bigscreen. The next year the actor appeared in “But, Seriously…”; Van Patten returned to Broadway for the final time in 1974-75 in Herb Gardner’s comedy “Thieves.”

In addition to his work onstage, Van Patten was involved in television from early on. He was a series regular as son Nels on CBS’ “Mama,” a series about a Norwegian family in San Francisco based on the play and movie “I Remember Mama,” starting in 1949.

After 1970 the actor was a steady presence on the smallscreen for the next several decades. During the 1970s he guested on “I Dream of Jeannie,” “That Girl,” “Sanford and Son,” “McMillan and Wife,” “Love, American Style,” “Kolchak: The Night Stalker,” “Phyllis,” “Maude,” “The Streets of San Francisco,” “The Six Million Dollar Man,” “One Day at a Time.”

During and after the run of “Eight Is Enough,” he guested some six times on “The Love Boat,” and during the 1980s he guested on series including “Murder, She Wrote” and “The Facts of Life.” Later he appeared on “Touched by an Angel,” “Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman” and “Love Boat: The Next Wave.”

Van Patten’s first series-regular gig came on the brief, Don Adams-created cop spoof “The Partners,” which also starred Adams and ran in 1971-72. He recurred on “The New Dick Van Dyke Show” in 1973-74 as Max Matthias, and he played Friar Tuck on ABC’s brief Robin Hood spoof “When Things Were Rotten,” co-created by Mel Brooks (who much later cast Van Patten in his 1993 feature spoof “Robin Hood: Men in Tights” as the Abbot). After “Eight Is Enough,” he tried the series-regular route again with CBS’ brief 1990-91 drama “WIOU,” a primetime soap set at a TV station.

He made his feature debut in the 1963 horror “Violent Midnight” but more significantly played one of the scientists who aid the lead character in 1968’s “Charly,” starring Cliff Robertson as a mentally handicapped man who is provided with a medical treatment that renders him a genius — for a while.

In 1972 he appeared in the Larry Hagman-directed horror comedy “Beware! The Blob.” More impressive was his supporting role in the Clint Eastwood Western “Joe Kidd” the same year. He also appeared in sci-fiers “Soylent Green” and “Westworld”; several Disney features, including Bob Crane starrer “Superdad,” “The Shaggy D.A.” and “Freaky Friday”; and a number of Brooks films starting with 1977’s “High Anxiety.”

Van Patten served as a commentator for the World Series of Poker from 1993-95.

His memoir “Eighty Is Not Enough,” co-authored with Robert Baer, was published in 2009.

Survivors include wife Pat, to whom he was married since 1954; three sons, actors Nels Van Patten, James Van Patten and Vincent Van Patten; a sister, actress Joyce Van Patten; and a much younger half-brother, director-producer Timothy Van Patten.

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Reply #29 posted 06/23/15 4:06pm

JoeBala

Lianne will tour North America this fall, starting September 23, with stops in NYC, LA, DC, Chicago, Boston, San Francisco, Toronto, and more. Tickets for the fall shows go on sale this Friday and include a digital download of the forthcoming album, Blood, available starting release day, July 31. For a full list of dates, visit liannelahavas.com.

The brand new video for the new single 'What You Don't Do' is here.
Watch now...

Lianne La Havas - Official Video

The forthcoming album Blood is out 31 July and will be available as a digital download, on CD and vinyl. Pre-order now and get 'Unstoppable' and 'What You Don't Do' instantly (where available). Pre-order on iTunes, Amazon and the Official Store.



Limited-edition signed copies of the album are also available. Signed 12” vinyl is available exclusively here.

Lianne HQ x

TOURDATES

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Janet Jackson returns with new single, 'No Sleeep'

June 23, 20152:03 PM MSTJanet Jackson 'No Sleeep'
Video permission courtesy of YouTube.com

Janet Jackson comes back after 7 long years of no music with a new single called, “No Sleeep.”According to MSN Entertainment on June 22, this new single brings her back with her producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. The new single is everything the title says it to be when Janet brags, “Whenever we meet, we aint gonna get no sleep.” The song is described as a “steamy mid-tempo bedroom romp.”

Janet Jackson releases new single titled, 'No Sleeep.'
Photo by Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images

In other news about Ms. Jackson is that not only has she returned after 7 years of no music to this new single she has released that promises a lot more when she drops her new album this fall, but she is also being honored with the Ultimate Icon: Music Dance Visual Award at the 15th annual BET awards. According to All Hip Hop, Jackson will be the first one to receive this award. What an honor that must be! Before Jackson accepts this amazing award, there will be a performance by Chris Brown, Tinashe, and Ciara who will all be paying homage to her.

Jackson goes on tour in November to promote her new album that will be available this fall. The new album will be available while she is on her Unbreakable World Tour.

Make sure to not miss Janet Jackson accept her award during the 15th Annual BET awards that will air June 28 at 8pm EST. The awards show on BET will be hosted by Black-ish stars Tracey Ellis Ross and Anthony Anderson. During the awards show, you can also see performances by the Empire cast, Nicki Minaj, Kendrick Lamar, Meek Mill, and Ne-Yo. Don’t miss out on this exciting event even if you have to set your DVR’s for it!

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'Criminal Minds' Season 11 cast: Aisha Tyler lands recurring role

June 23, 201512:14 PM MST
Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images

Aisha Tyler is set to join the cast of "Criminal Minds" for Season 11.Entertainment Weekly reported Monday, June 22 that the actress will have a recurring role during the upcoming new season.

Tyler joins the show following the departure of her former "Ghost Whisperer" co-star Jennifer Love Hewitt and the temporary absence of AJ Cook. Both actresses are pregnant, and Hewitt has left the series after one season, while Cook is going on maternity leave.

"Criminal Minds" showrunner Erica Messer has previously stated that Cook will be absent for about five episodes, with production on Season 11 starting in July. According to TV Guide, she has also toyed with the idea of having rotating agents, including bringing back some old faces.

In the new season, Aaron Hotchner (Thomas Gibson) interviews several candidates in an effort to replace Kate Callahan (Hewitt). Tyler's character, Dr. Tara Lewis, a psychologist with an eye on forensic psychology and its application toward the criminal justice system, proves to be the best applicant and ends up helping out the Behavioral Analysis Unit team in an investigation.

Dr. Lewis has studied and come face-to-face with psychopaths, interviewing them and determining if they are fit to stand trial. In the process, she made herself find the humanity inside these broken individuals in order to learn if there was a conscience behind their brutal crimes.

Tyler currently stars in FX's "Archer," serves as a co-host on "The Talk," and as host of "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" on The CW. Her other TV credits include "Friends," "Talk Soup," "CSI," "24" and the aforementioned "Ghost Whisperer." Season 11 of "Criminal Minds" premieres Wednesday, Sept. 30 at 9/8 p.m. CT on CBS.

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Actress Barbara Bain inducted to The Hollywood Walk of Fame

June 23, 20152:10 PM MST

Long overdue and well deserved, actress Barbara Bain has been inducted toThe Hollywood Walk of Fame as part of the “Class of 2016". Bain paved the way for actresses to step out of the female typecasts. She became a household name with her break out role as the smart and sexy spy Cinnamon Carter on ‘Mission Impossible’. With this, as well as her role as Dr. Helena Russell on Gerry Anderson’s Sci-fi show ‘Space:1999’, she broke the mold of the typical housewife, teacher, and librarian. This Chicago born talent paved the way for actresses to play intelligent, tough, and respected characters. Bain also happens to be the first actress in history to win three consecutive Emmy Awards for Best Actress.

Actress Barbara Bain inducted to The Hollywood Walk of Fame
Photo by David Livingston/Getty Images

Campaign organizer, Rosie Badgett, shared a message from Barbara Bain: "WOW! Hugs, hugs, hugs and more hugs all around...you guys are amazing. Such dedication and such diligence! There are not enough words to express my respect and gratitude.”

Loyal fans Paul Bens, Rebecca Eisenhuth, Rosie Badget, and Karen Ales created an Indigogo campaign to help with the funding. Without their hard work and the support of the fans, this would not have been possible. Paul, Rebecca, and Rosie took time out of their busy schedules to chat about their adventure with this project.

Q. Have you had the chance to stroll along the Hollywood Walk of Fame? How will it feel for you to see Barbara Bain’s well deserved star?

A. Rosie Badgett: As a matter of fact, just this past Friday, we were at the Stella Adler Theatre, which is right on the Walk of Fame, to see a wonderful play by Alexa Devman called "Three Stories" that Barbara directed as part of the Blank Theater’s Young Playwright's Festival.

A. Rebecca Eisenhuth: Back when we first began this whole campaign, we took a picture of Barbara outside that theatre standing in front of one of the empty stars. I remember thinking "One day."

A. Rosie Badgett: We got to talk to Barbara a bit Friday night and very briefly mentioned how the decision from the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce was due within the next few weeks. Little did we know it would only be a couple of days later that we'd have an answer.


A. Rebecca Eisenhuth: We were all just so terribly thrilled because Barbara so greatly deserves the honor.

Q. I know the answer will be “It was all worth it,” but exactly what went in to making this happen?

A. Rosie Badgett: Well, many years ago our friend Terry Bowers (the president of Barbara's Fan club back in the day) worked very hard and raised a lot of money to get Barbara a star. But as time went by, the costs associated with the star just kept increasing and the fundraising goal became seemingly insurmountable.

A. Rebecca Eisenhuth: Back in 1999, when we were planning "Breakaway: The Convention" for Space: 1999”, Terry and Barbara decided that the money Terry had raised should be donated to charity since the star seemed out of reach. So, over $10,000 was donated to charity in the names of Barbara and her ‘Space: 1999’ co-star, Barry Morse. So Terry is due big thanks for all the hard work and effort she put into that first attempt.

A. Paul Bens: Back in 2011, we all started planning another ‘Space: 1999’ convention and we thought about the star again. When we discussed it with Barbara, all of us were excited about it - Rosie, Becky, myself, our cohort Karen (who prefers to remain net-anonymous) and Barbara herself.

A. Rebecca Eisenhuth: We started a crowd-funding campaign. We knew it was an uphill battle and we started with zero money and had to raise over $30,000.

A. Rosie Badgett: But we were blessed by the response to the perks. So many people helped us out there.


A. Rebecca Eisenhuth: Yeah, John and Kathy, former presidents of the Space: 1999 Alliance, went through their storage and donated a lot of classic 1999 merchandise that we could use as "perks." Mateo Latosa of Powys Media jumped in and donated a ton of books, as did Blam! Ventures' Drew Gaska. Dealer Warren Friedrich jumped in with some nice donations as did Tim Mallett.

A. Paul Bens: I just know we're gonna forget someone. Apologies if we do.

A. Rosie Badgett: Don't forget Paul Stankevitch who recorded a video from Barbara for us while she was in the U.K.

A. Paul Bens: The outpouring of support was amazing from everybody, across all Barbara Bain fandoms: ’Mission: Impossible’, ‘Space: 1999’, all of them.

A. Rebecca Eisenhuth: So we spent some time with Barbara having her sign all these things and hearing great stories and having a wonderful time.

A. Paul Bens: But Barbara's fans really, really pulled through for us. I think in that first campaign, we raised over half the money we needed for the star. We were really overwhelmed by everyone's generosity.

A. Rosie Badgett And then Barbara went through her personal mementos looking for other items which we could use to raise the rest. And oh, boy! Did she have stuff!

A. Rebecca Eisenhuth: Original ‘Mission: Impossible’ scripts, magazines, lunchboxes and even the original sequined cheerleader outfit she'd worn for a ‘Mission: Impossible’ charity event in 1967.


A. Rosie Badgett: Barbara would pull something out and say, "Do you think anyone would have any interest in this?"

A. Rebecca Eisenhuth: Our jaws hit the floor at everything she gave us. Paul: We were floored. We knew that with all the stuff Barbara had given us, plus a dinner with her that we had planned as a perk, we would at least get close to the goal.

A. Rebecca Eisenhuth: That was a hoot. We have to thank Steve, Kathryn, Janet, Anita and Marianella for joining us for that dinner!

A. Rosie Badgett: It was many, many phone calls, emails, planning meetings, meetings to pack and mail “perks,” and such. A lot of hours, but it was also a lot of fun. It has been a labor of love for all of us, because Barbara is not only a wonderful actress, but also just such a lovely, warm human being.

A. Rebecca Eisenhuth: So, really, to get back to your initial question, do we have any special thanks...absolutely. Barbara, of course, and her daughter Susan Landau, really helped us out to reach people we hadn't reached, to and those who donated money (some of whom were celebrities) and to all the fans who rallied behind us and helped by donating money or simply spreading the word.

A. Paul Bens: If it wasn't for those fans, this could never have happened. Barbara has such a loyal fan base and each and every one of them came through not only for her, but for us as well. We are so incredibly grateful to each and everyone.

A. Rosie Badgett: Yes, thank you to all of you. And hopefully we'll see some of you at the induction ceremony.

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