Updates coming tomm. A little under the weather. Thanks and stay tuned.

^^^Hope you feel better soon!

Rod Stewart: I'm a pretend songwriter

added: 29 Sep 2015 // by: Music-News.com Newsdesk

Printable version

Rod Stewart has always tortured himself when it comes to his songwriting abilities.

The Scottish singer has had a hugely successful career, first with The Jeff Beck Group and then Faces before becoming a solo artist. With hits such as Maggie May and Sailing under his belt, anyone would think Rod had confidence in his songwriting, but in reality his view is the complete opposite.

'I've always tortured myself and thought, 'You're a pretend songwriter. You're a performer,' he confessed to Rolling Stone.

But working on his autobiography in 2012 set him on a path to reconnecting with his craft. Soon, the 70-year-old had penned enough songs for his 2013 record Time and following its success, he will soon release another album of his own material, Another Country.

'I'd done the Great American Songbook albums," he explained. "I'd done a soul album. I'd done a rock [covers] album. I backed myself into an alley because there's not much left to do except write."

It doesn't mean Rod is bored of singing his biggest hits though. The star will return to Las Vegas next year (Mar16) to resume his residency at Caesar's Palace and will happily take a trip down memory lane.

While he told the outlet in 1977 that he didn't want to be singing Da Ya Think I'm Sexy past the age of 50 and become a parody of himself, Rod still belts out the hit on a regular basis.

'You have to be able to laugh at yourself," he added. "You just have to."

Joking aside, Rod is just glad he is able to continue doing his dream job. Having lost his voice in 2000 for a number of months after surgery to remove a cancerous growth, the singer does everything he can to protect his instrument now.

'I treat my voice like it's the crown jewels," he said. "It isn't not working, I ain't happy. If I lost it forever, it would be a huge void in my life. Being up on that stage is highly addictive. There's no drug like it in the world."

Kurt Cobain demos to be released

added: 29 Sep 2015 // by: Music-News.com Newsdesk

Printable version

Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck documentary follows Kurt from his earliest years in this visceral and detailed cinematic insight of an artist struggling to come to terms and make sense of his place in the world.

The highly anticipated soundtrack album KURT COBAIN - MONTAGE OF HECK: THE HOME RECORDINGS will now be released by Universal Music on CD, cassette and digital formats on November 13th, 2015. A 2LP vinyl edition of KURT COBAIN - MONTAGE OF HECK: THE HOME RECORDINGS will follow on December 4th, 2015, along with a 7-inch single featuring 'And I Love Her' and 'Sappy (Early Demo)'.

Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck: The Home Recordings is an aural complement to the documentary in both concept and experience. Comprised from various early and raw cassette recordings made by Kurt alone, the soundtrack allows a rare, unfiltered glimpse into Cobain's creative progression from early song snippets and short demos to musical experiments and ultimately, pieces of songs or lyrics that eventually appeared on later Nirvana albums. The title, KURT COBAIN: MONTAGE OF HECK takes its name from a musical collage that was created by Cobain with a 4-track cassette recorder in 1988.

Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck: THE HOME RECORDINGS soundtrack will be released in both deluxe and standard formats: a 31 track deluxe album available on CD, cassette, 2LP vinyl, and a 13 track standard edition CD. The 31 track deluxe soundtrack showcases tracks from the documentary including spoken word, demos and full songs. The 13 track standard soundtrack focuses on the music discovered on Cobain's personal cassettes. The soundtrack will also be available in deluxe and standard digital editions.

The documentary, KURT COBAIN: MONTAGE OF HECK, is an authentic and unflinching look into Kurt's life, art and mind through his own unique lens. Following Kurt from his earliest years in Aberdeen, WA, through the height of his fame, the film creates an immersive cinematic insight into an artist who craved the spotlight even as he rejected the trappings of fame. Brett Morgen who wrote, directed and produced the documentary began working on it in 2007 when Cobain's family approached him with the idea and offered him unrestricted access to all of Cobain's personal and family archives. The documentary features Cobain and Courtney Love's only daughter, Frances Bean Cobain, as a co-executive producer on the film and includes footage from various Nirvana performances as well as unreleased home movies, recordings, artwork, photography, journals, demos, and songbooks, and revelatory interviews from Kurt's family and closest friends.

Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck, also internationally billed as Cobain: Montage of Heck, had its world premiere at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, and was released in theaters across the globe by Universal Pictures.

CHIC feat Nile Rodgers ON TOUR

CHIC feat. Nile Rodgers to headline Freeze Big Air

added: 29 Sep 2015 // by: Music-News.com Newsdesk

Printable version

CHIC featuring Nile Rodgers to headline Freeze Big Air 2015 in London on Saturday 14th November 2015.

The producers of Freeze Big Air 2015 are excited to announce that iconic R&B/dance band CHIC featuring Nile Rodgers are inviting London to 'Freak Out' and 'Get Lucky' at the capi- tal's biggest après-ski party this November at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

Freeze Big Air will be Britain's biggest-ever snow sports and music event, an unmissable cel- ebration of music and winter sports culture taking place to the soundtrack of the greatest dance band of all time: CHIC feat. Nile Rogers ' totally LIVE, playing their smash single I'll Be There.

As well as watching the world's best après party band in front of one of the capital's truly icon- ic backdrops, snow-loving visitors to Freeze Big Air will be able to sample all the alpine food and atmosphere of the mountains in one amazing day ' mulled wine, spiced cider, raclettes, fondue and the world's best snowboarders and skiers battling it out on the biggest real snow jump ever built in the UK,

And, with this being CHIC ft. Nile Rogers ONLY London date for winter 2015, tickets are ex- pected to go quickly. With loads more supporting acts and DJs to be announced, Freeze Big Air looks set to be the capital's official winter season curtain-raiser.

Tickets for Freeze Big Air are available from
www.freezebigair.com

And I just asked for a refund on my tickets.

The Who Announces Rescheduled Tour Dates

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By Associated Press | September 29, 2015 5:50 PM EDT

Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend of The Who perform during their Hits 50! North American tour at Barclays Center of Brooklyn on May 26, 2015 in New York City.

Kevin Mazur/WireImage

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The Who Hits 50! Tour will kick off in February.

The Who have announced the rescheduled dates for their axed fall tour, now kicking off in February 2016.

The band said Tuesday that "The Who Hits 50!" tour will start Feb. 27 in Detroit. The band's fall tour was canceled this month as lead singer Roger Daltrey recovers from viral meningitis.

Watch The Who's Roger Dal...oncertgoer

Daltrey said in a statement that "I am now on the mend and feeling a lot better." Guitarist Pete Townshend added that the band "will be coming back stronger than ever!"

Tickets for the originally scheduled shows will be honored at the new dates.

The tour, celebrating The Who's 50th anniversary, also will visit New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Toronto. It wraps on May 29 in Las Vegas.

JoeBala said:

Updates coming tomm. A little under the weather. Thanks and stay tuned.

Here's to hoping you get well very soon.

Fox has released the first full-length trailer for its upcoming X-Files event miniseries.

[img:$uid]http://i.imgur.com/JlaHAmE.jpg[/img:$uid]

Thank you for the well wishes guys and also for contrbuting to this thread while I was away.

Such Stories

The Hollywood Life of Jack Larson, America’s First Teen Heart-Throb

Jack Larson still kept some of the ephemera from when—as America’s first teen heart-throb—he played cub reporter Jimmy Olsen in The Adventures of Superman, from 1952 to 1958, opposite George Reeves in the title role.

He had magazines and photographs in boxes, and when I met Larson on December 12, 2012, at his home in Brentwood, Los Angeles, we talked from late afternoon into inky night.

He showed me the pictures of himself from back then: yes, he was handsome, boyishly, peppily sexy. I told him, truthfully, that—at 84—he still was. He was charismatic, erudite, witty, and a generous host. It was jolting to read that he had died on Sunday, aged 87.

I could have talked for longer than the three hours I was with Jack. I could have talked for days with him, honestly. He was that rare thing, a truly bewitching interviewee, and our encounter delightful from its greeting to its farewell.

I was there to speak to him about his friendship with Gore Vidal for my book In Bed With Gore Vidal, which focuses on Vidal’s sexuality and private life, but my attention—maybe like other visitors—was immediately taken by Larson’s home, the George Sturges House, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1939.

This is where Larson lived with James Bridges, his partner of 35 years, until Bridges died in 1993.

The house really is incredible, made of both brick and wood. Inside was a riot of papers, books, paintings, pictures, and artistic objects—Larson told me that they had to check with the Lloyd Wright estate before making any kind of changes. The balcony that wrapped around the property felt bigger somehow than the inside.

Before Bridges, Larson had been in a relationship with Montgomery Clift. He told the New York Times it had been Clift that had advised him to quit acting, after the producer Mervyn LeRoy told Larson in 1961 that he couldn’t have Larson appear in his picture—he was too known as Jimmy Olsen.

Larson’s fears of typecasting were proven true—ironic, as he was pretty freaked out by the fame that was suddenly his when he played Jimmy. Later in life, he became a playwright and librettist, and talked to me excitedly about the opening night in 1972 of Virgil Thomson’s opera Lord Byron, which Larson wrote the libretto for.

However, the Superman franchise wasn’t done for him: his early fame led to appearances in nineties TV shows like Superboy, Lois and Clark (as an aged Jimmy Olsen), and a cameo in Bryan Singer’s 2006 movie, Superman Returns.

A new generation of Superman fans hailed Larson, and he was also called to comment on Reeves’ mysterious death in 1959.

Larson recalled going to Reeves’ house, with Reeves’ ex-girlfriend Toni Mannix, after he was found shot dead. It was a suspected suicide, but the mystery of Reeves’ death remains an eternal Hollywood mystery.

“On seeing Christopher Isherwood like this, Gore said to him: ‘Everything good and fine is disappearing from the earth, and leaving the planet to the lizards.’”

Larson recalled seeing Reeves’ bloody bed-sheets massed in the bath. Mannix knew the location of two bullet marks: why was there more than one bullet mark if it was a suicide? How did Mannix know about the bullet marks?

As they left Reeves’ house, Mannix said dramatically: “I never would have believed that my love affair would have turned into tragedy.”

Larson told me had met Vidal in 1954, as the popularity of The Adventures of Superman was in the ascendant.

“We were at a party, and he had a sailor friend with him,” Larson told me. “Luckily he was a slim sailor, as I had an MG. I said to Gore, ‘I’m happy to drive you home, but this is a two-seat, so I don’t know how we’ll all fit.’ ‘Well, he’ll sit on my lap,’ Gore said.”

Larson drove Vidal and his companion back from the party in Santa Monica to the Bel Air Hotel, and during the trip Vidal spoke about his mother Nina, who he had a vituperative, complicated relationship with.

“He said a lot of bad things about his mother. He obviously detested her. I was very surprised to hear this.”

The two men became friends, and Vidal was even there the first night of Lord Byron at Lincoln Center.

“He was the first person to run out of the john at the intermission between the first and second act,” Larson recalled. “’So far, so good,’ he said.”

The failed Senate race campaign Vidal ran against Jerry Brown for the Californian Democratic nomination in 1982 Larson recalled as “ruthless.”

Larson, like Vidal, knew literary luminaries like Christopher Isherwood and Paul Bowles, and Larson recalled one dinner for Bowles at Isherwood’s house in Santa Monica Canyon, in the middle of a presidential campaign—Vidal was on TV prominently.

Vidal was irritated that he had been speaking at university campuses, where the students were more into Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac (who Vidal had had sex with), and the Beatniks rather than him.

“He was on his high horse about it, attacking these people—Ginsberg, Kerouac—as being near-illiterate, but young people were stupid they worshipped these people.

“He was very embittered and, as Gore was wont to do, got very, very drunk. After dinner he sat in the living room, and carried on being bitter and sardonic.”

Bowles, Larson said, had had enough with Vidal’s performative pity party.

“Gore, when there’s an election you’re all over national television,” Bowles told him. “On TV, you’re the Pontiff about elections. When you write a novel it becomes a bestseller, or a movie it becomes a great success, or a play and it becomes a Broadway hit. You’re as famous as can be. What can you possibly want that’s making you so unhappy?”

Vidal, Larson said, was definitely very drunk, and for quite a while—about two minutes—the group sat in silence, until Vidal replied to Bowles’ question.

“Well, I’ll tell you,” Vidal said. “I want crowds to follow me wherever I go. For instance, at this very moment there would be a crowd on top of the Palisades, a throng, waiting for me to make my exit from this house tonight and they would applaud my exit as I went.”

That night, Larson drove Bowles back to his hotel, and Bowles explained Vidal’s behavior thus: “He wants to be President of the United States like John F. Kennedy, and when John Kennedy was here there were famous pictures of the crowds watching JFK on the Palisades.”

Vidal had been a Kennedy intimate himself, but Bobby Kennedy had had him excommunicated from the White House. Vidal was bitterly upset about this, and his blunted political ambition. He never achieved office of any kind.

Vidal was also offended by the sometimes derogatory mentions he and partner Howard Austen received in Isherwood’s diaries—Vidal and Isherwood had a long, ranging, and mainly affectionate, association.

“When Isherwood was dying,” Larson told me, “he died in his own house. He had cancer of the prostate, which spread to his spine. He didn’t want to be in the hospital. It was a long death, and very painful, but that’s the way Christopher wanted it, without morphine.”

Larson recalled, “Sometimes Chris was awake, sometimes he was in a coma. Howard and Gore came to visit, and found him in this state. It was not a good sight. On seeing Chris like this, Gore said to him: ‘Everything good and fine is disappearing from the earth, and leaving the planet to the lizards.’

“And it turned out Chris could hear, and he woke and opened his eyes and said: ‘What’s the matter with the lizards?’"

Vidal admired Isherwood very much, Larson added, and I discovered that there was a lovely moment later in life, when, seeing a crowd waiting for Isherwood to sign copies of Christopher and His Kind at a gay bookstore, Vidal was moved by the devotion Isherwood commanded by being so open about his sexuality—in a way Vidal himself never was.

Larson and I talked about how unique and puzzling Vidal’s relationship was with Howard Austen, his partner of over 50 years.

“He was always so offhand about Howard,” Larson told me. But Vidal was considerate too, he said, and the relationship “comradely”—Larson took Vidal at his word that he and Austen’s relationship had endured because they’d ceased having sex early on in the relationship.

Vidal said his true love had been his schoolmate Jimmie Trimble: some of his friends believe this; some felt Vidal had enshrined Trimble as a romantic ideal.

Both Vidal and Austen certainly enjoyed the services of hustlers—although in my research I found that the couple had a very close, intimate relationship. Vidal’s decline accelerated appallingly after Austen’s death in 2003.

“I said to Paul,” Larson recalled of talking to Bowles, “’I’m very mystified by Gore and he said to me that Gore has only ever been only interested in ‘prep school sex’—mutual masturbation.”

Vidal, of course, said he was bisexual. There is not much evidence of sustained relationships with women, but Larson believed one rumor that Vidal had slept with actress Elaine Dundy, who went on to marry the critic Kenneth Tynan. “She obviously liked sardonic men,” laughed Larson.

Near the end of his own life (he died in July 2012), Vidal invited Larson to little musical nights he had at this home in the Hollywood Hills.

The last memory Larson had of Vidal was the great author fast asleep in his chair in the living room, then set up as a mini-hospital room.

So many stories told so engagingly: by now evening was cloaking Larson’s house, and the living room was lit by only one or two lamps. A game of shadows was playing over the walls, and all these famous people we had been discussing felt very present.

Larson was tired, and I knew it was time to go, even though no fiber of mine wanted to leave. I thanked Jack Larson, gave him a long, emotional hug, and left. However he died, I hope this wonderful man wasn’t alone.

Kurt Cobain Beatles Cover Set for Seven-Inch Release

"And I Love Her" vinyl will also feature Nirvana singer's rare cut, "Sappy"

Kurt Cobain's haunting cover of the Beatles' "And I Love Her" will be released as a seven-inch vinyl with the rare cut "Sappy" Michel Linssen/Getty

Kurt Cobain's haunting cover of the Beatles' "And I Love Her," which debuted in Brett Morgen's documentary, Montage of Heck, will be released on seven-inch vinyl on November 20th, Stereogum reports.

The record features a rare Cobain original, "Sappy," on the B-side, and is scheduled to arrive two weeks after the release of the Montage of Heck soundtrack. Word of the seven-inch initially spread on the Vinyl Collector forum, where a pre-order link was posted. A spokesperson for Morgen confirmed the release to Rolling Stone.

Cobain's cover of "And I Love Her" was one of several previously unheard tracks Morgen unearthed while scouring the late Nirvana frontman's massive archives, which included a trove of homemade recordings. Considering Cobain once famously expressed his love of the Beatles while bashing Paul McCartney — who wrote "And I Love Her" — the discovery surprised Morgen.

"Nobody in Kurt's life — not his management, wife, bandmates — had ever heard his Beatles thing," the director told Rolling Stone. "I found it on a random tape. It's a Paul song. How's that for shattering the myth?"

It's unclear whether "And I Love Her" will also appear on the Montage of Heck soundtrack as Morgen has yet to provide an official track list. Morgen, however, did say the release will include "a mind-blowing 12-minute...rd track," as well as unreleased material not included in the documentary.

"I finished the film and there was all this other music," Morgen told KCRW's The Business in May. "No one asked me to do anything, I just started cutting the thing together and telling the estate that they should put this out. I think initially my thought was it would be a nice complement to the film. I don't have any financial stake in the album. Creatively, it should be out there as a thing for the fans."

The Montage of Heck soundtrack arrives November 6th, the same day as the film's DVD release.

Rita Moreno and Mandy Patinkin Join Voices in TV Series; Oscar Winner Also Releases New CD

By Andrew Gans
21 Sep 2015

The award-winning actress will voice the character of Abuelita, Nina's grandmother who helps her navigate childhood and learn about her culture. The series also features the voice of fellow Broadway Tony winner Mandy Patinkin in the role of Mr. Lambert, a gentle, sweet man who serves as the local librarian in Nina's multicultural neighborhood.

Michele Lepe will voice the role of Mami, and newcomer Isabella Farrier will voice the role of young Nina.

"Nina's World," according to press notes, "centers around six-year-old Nina, who lives in a vibrant, multicultural neighborhood with her Mami, Papi and Abuelita, and goes everywhere with her best friend Star. [The series] is a celebration of a little Hispanic girl’s life, her supportive and loving family, and of the individuals of a variety of cultures who make up Nina’s community. Its multilingual approach will incorporate English, some Spanish and American Sign Language, and will emphasize inclusiveness, as well as the value of communicating across multiple languages and appreciating other cultures."

In related news Moreno will release her first-ever all-Spanish recording, which is entitled "Una vez más," Sept. 25.

In 11 songs, the acclaimed artist interprets salsa, danzón, ballads, flamenco, jazz and a Spanish version of "Somewhere," the West Side Story classic.

"I am very proud of each of the songs," said Moreno in a statement. "They come dressed in some very impressive arrangements. Before recording the album I asked Emilio Estefan to include romantic songs because it's a genre that is hardly heard now. I also asked for songs that were close to my heart, to my roots. The result is wonderful: I just recorded the album that is closest to my heart."

Produced by Emilio Estefan, the album features orchestrations by Ricardo “Edito” Martinez and is currently available on pre-

Phil Woods: Legendary Jazz Saxophonist Dies At 83

By Gina Masilotti g.masilotti@hngn.com | Sep 30, 2015 06:08 PM EDT

Jazz saxophonist Phil Woods has passed away. (Photo : Twitter Photo Section)

Jazz legend Phil Woods has passed away. The alto saxophonist — who was well-known for his bright, clean sound and sterling technique — died Tuesday in East Stoudsburg, Pa., according to the New York Times. His booking agent, Joel Chriss, said the cause of death was complications with emphysema. He was 83 years old.

Woods had a love for Charlie Parker's music and was seen as the Parker of his generation. He was one of the big names to help bring jazz from its golden era to its incorporation in pop music, according to Yahoo News. He developed a proficiency in the fast-paced bebop style that Parker was known for, and even toured and recorded with musical legends Billy Joel and Paul Simon. One of his most legendary saxophone solos was on Joel's 1977 hit "Just the Way You Are."

Music producer Quincy Jones saw that Woods had a special talent from early on, and helped him put together his most popular tour. "It is an understatement to say Phil Woods was one of the greatest jazz alto saxophone players to ever set foot on this planet," Jones wrote on Facebook. "There was a very specific reason Phil played on nearly every album I've made since 1956 because he not only was the best jazz alto sax players there was, he was a truly beautiful person."

Woods first announced he had emphysema and would be retiring from touring during his last show, which was Sept. 4 in Pittsburgh, according to the Associated Press. He used oxygen to help him with that performance.

'I Dream Of Jeannie': Barbara Eden Has Us 'Still Dreaming Of Jeannie' After 50 Years [EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW AND PHOTOS]

By Steve Gidlow | Sep 18, 2015 01:16 AM EDT

The "Still Dreaming of Jeannie" marathon starts Saturday on Antenna TV. (Photo : Twitter Photo Section)

In 1965, ABC scored a ratings winner with the sitcom "Bewitched," the story of a sassy witch, Samantha Stephens, married to a mortal husband, Darren. Looking to cash in on that show's success, competitor NBC took a chance on producer Sidney Sheldon's idea: "I Dream Of Jeannie."

"Jeannie" centered on a hottie of a 2,000-year old genie, found on a beach by stranded astronaut Major Tony Nelson, and their life in their Florida home.

While never a ratings blockbuster during it's five-year run from 1965 to 1970, "I Dream Of Jeannie" made household names of stars Barbara Eden, Larry Hagman and Bill Daily and 50 years after making it's debut, "Jeannie" continues to be a favorite.

(Photo : Christopher Ameruoso)
This photo, as well as the following photos, were taken at Barbara Eden's home exclusively for HNGN by Christopher Ameruoso, the photographer behind the best selling book, "Shades of Elvis," a collaboration with Priscilla Presley.

Series star Eden was 34 when cast as Jeannie. Eden already had a long list of credits to her name working with the likes of Tony Randall, Paul Newman and Elvis Presley. She was even featured in an original episode of "I Love Lucy."

But it's the role of Jeannie that the now 84-year-old television icon will always be best remembered for thanks to eternal re-runs that have made it a favorite with all age groups.

"I am pleasantly surprised by the series longevity," admitted Eden to HNGN. "The age groups approaching me about the series have become so varied - young and old - it's so varied."

According to Eden, the most asked question she gets is, "How is your belly button?" That was also a major question in 1965. Censorship at the time prevented Eden from revealing too much skin. After all, the subtext of the show - idea of astronaut bachelor having at his disposal a naïve, scantily clad bombshell who is all too eager to please her "master" - was too much for some viewers to handle.

Producers did their best to keep the show family friendly and the wardrobe department even covered that scandalous navel with the waistband of her harem pants. Years later, there was talk of a "navel reveal" happening on the comedy show "Laugh In" - until censors once again intervened.

"It caused a big stir at NBC," Eden recalls. "Apparently there were never so many suits around a table talking about someone's bellybutton, all because of a proposed appearance on 'Laugh In'? They didn't let me do it."

The always-approachable Eden admits, "People will ask me to blink or grant them a wish, and they often ask about the bottle too."

(Photo : Christopher Ameruoso)
Jeannie was scandalous, but kept that belly button covered! Modern-day Barbara Eden has shed the bottle, but kept the beauty.

And what did become of the Jennine's bottle - the infamous Jim Beam decanter? (Yes, that's what it started out as before a Hollywood makeover.)

According to Eden, it's safe and sound in a safety deposit box, locked in bank vault. She was lucky enough to score the last one used on the series as production shut down. "Everyone was taking things from the set and a wardrobe woman said, 'you should have it.' I'm so grateful to her."

Unfortunately, Jeannie's original costume is long gone after the studio costume department loaned it out for Halloween parties. Despite numerous copies being made, according to Eden, "none survived."

Eden does have an original hat from the series and a replica costume that was made for a 1999 Lexis commercial where she reprised her role.

"I made the mistake of wearing it just a year ago," she admits with a laugh.

Sadly, Eden's "Jeannie" co-star Larry Hagman (who went on to 80's success as J.R. Ewing on "Dallas") passed away in 2012 at the age of 81, due to complications from a battle with cancer - something Eden says came as a shock.

The two remained close and had just been in Australia together prior to his passing. "It wasn't expected and he'd kind of beaten it," she says.

Bill Daily, who played Tony's best friend Major Roger Healey, currently lives a quiet life in New Mexico.

(Photo : Christopher Ameruoso)
"I Dream of Jeannie" trivia: Did you know that the genie bottle started out as a Jim Beam decanter? Who knew that bottle could fit such a lavish home!

Today, the miraculously ageless actress continues to work steadily. She appears in plays all over the country and thrills fans at autograph shows and conventions all over the world.

She has no plans of retiring anytime soon.

"While the industry might, I don't," she jokes. And don't hold out for that Dancing With The Stars appearance that fans keep asking her to do - it's not happening anytime soon.

"I like to watch it," Eden said. "In the beginning, they took non-dancers and you could watch the progress. Now everyone seems really young and has training.

I did ballroom at the Hollywood Palace and I can do it, but I don't think it's my time to do it now."

Are you "Still Dreaming of Jeannie?" Watch the "I Dream of Jeannie" marathon on Antenna TV starting on Saturday, Sept. 19 at 8 p.m. EDT with one of Eden's favorite episodes, "Lady in the Bottle."

Tidal Benefit Concert: Jay Z, Beyoncé, Prince, Nicki Minaj And Others To Perform At 'Tidal X: 1020' (TWEET)

By Manthan Chheda | Oct 01, 2015 08:59 AM EDT

Beyoncé, Jay Z, Prince, Usher, Nicki Minaj, Lil Wayne and T.I., among other artists, are slated to perform at “Tidal X: 1020,” a Tidal-sponsored benefit concert that will take place on Oct. 20 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.
(Photo : Twitter Photo Section)

A day after Jay Z announced that his music streaming service Tidal had reached 1 million subscribers worldwide, the rapper announced Wednesday that there will be a Tidal benefit concert to commemorate the achievement at the Barclays Center on Oct. 20 in Brooklyn, N.Y., according to Vulture.

The proceeds from the concert, which will include performances from Jay Z, Beyoncé, Nicki Minaj, Prince, Usher, Lil Wayne, T.I. and other artists, will be donated to the New World Foundation.

The show will also feature artists like Damian Marley, Alessia Cara, Benjamin Booker, Jidenna, Hit-Boy, Flatbush Zombies, Indochine, Fabulous, Thomas Rhett, DJ Cipha Sounds, DJ Reflex, Bas, Justine Sky, and Raury, Entertainment Weekly reported.

The concert, named "Tidal X: 1020," has been described as "the [first] in a series of philanthropic music events" and will be streamed live on its website for subscribers as well as non-subscribers. Viewers will also be given the opportunity to donate to the charitable cause. Pre-sale tickets for Tidal subscribers went on sale on Wednesday at 12 p.m. ET, and regular tickets will be made available for purchase on Friday at 12 p.m. ET and cost between $74 and $244.

Professional salsa dancer Jaina Lee Ortiz(To me she slightly looks like Teena Marie) steps into acting with starring role in 'Rosewood'

As a high school student in New York City, Jaina Lee Ortiz has fond memories of reading out the morning message on Monday morning. She was the student body president, and it was her duty to inform her fellow students what was for lunch along with making other school announcements.

Those Monday mornings often followed a long weekend of traveling to and from various countries where she was competing as a professional salsa dancer.

“Dancing was great. I got to travel the world, to Japan, all over Europe,” Ortiz told Fox News Latino recently. “I was the only person in my class traveling internationally on the weekends and coming back to school, which was pretty awesome. I think I grew up really fast because of that.”

Ortiz, 28, danced professionally for more than a decade before falling in love with acting a couple of years ago. She was in college when another student asked her to be in a student film, and the acting bug caught on.

“It was a five-minute short. When I went to the screening, I realized how terrible I was,” she said.

This inspired her to study the Meisner acting technique for a couple of years before moving to Los Angeles. On Wednesday night, Ortiz makes her professional acting debut on Fox’s “Rosewood,” opposite Morris Chestnut.

“I always wanted to play a role with so much range like [Det. Annalise] Villa,” she told FNL. “She’s strong. She’s smart. She’s tough, and she’s sexy. She’s your leading lady. And she’s Latina. It’s always been my dream.”

Ortiz went on to describe her character: “She can be feisty. She’s got an attitude. She’s impatient, but she’s loyal and she’s smart. I love her. I have so much respect for her. She’s like my alter ego.”

The show centers around Dr. Beaumont Rosewood (Chestnut), a pathologist who helps the Miami Police Department solve crimes. Ortiz's Villa is partnered with him.

“[Rosewood] is charming and smart and super optimistic – which really gets on her nerves,” Ortiz said. “But together they solve crimes in Miami. They are complete opposite people, but they realize they need each other to get the job done.”

She continued: “It’s not your typical cookie-cutter procedural. It’s a procedural, but it has elements of a serial show because it’s all character-driven. It’s all about the relationships, and it’s less about solving the crimes.”

Ortiz said getting ready for the role was a lot of fun, especially that she has a “cheat sheet” in her dad, who is a New York Police Department detective.

“I call my dad constantly. ‘How do I talk to this victim? How do I handle this situation?’ He has all the answers,” she said. “I use him for everything.”

She joked: “I got promoted faster than he did. He’s been doing this for 22 years, and boom! I became a detective in a year.”

Ortiz joins a short, but growing list of leading Latina actresses on TV, and it’s something that she could not be prouder of.

“It’s so empowering. It’s so refreshing,” she said. “I didn’t see Latinas on TV growing up. There was a point when I started acting … that I dyed my hair blonde, and I considered sticking blue contacts in my eyes because I didn’t see myself on TV. I thought: ‘I can’t be myself. I can’t show this side of me. I can’t show my culture because that’s not what they want.’”

Ortiz would like to see more roles and characters like Villa.

“When people see me on TV they can go, ‘Wait, that’s me. I can relate. I can do that.’ And it’s amazing,’ she said. “We [Latinas] are smart, successful people … We are not what people think we are.”

"Rosewood" premieres Wednesday at 8 p.m. on Fox.

PHOTO: MONKEES' Micky Dolenz Sits In with The Roots on Last Night's TONIGHT SHOW

On last night's TONIGHT SHOW on NBC, Monkees' Micky Dolenz made a special appearance, sitting in with the show's house band, The Roots. Check out the appearance at left!

This July, Micky Dolenz appeared in his new show "A Little Bit Broadway, A Little Bit Rock 'n' Roll" at New York's 54 Below. The show combined his love of Broadway with his love for rock 'n' roll and included some of the Monkees greatest hits, a few rarities and songs from musical roles he has performed and from shows he loves.

Dolenz is best known as the lead singer of the hugely successful rock 'n' roll band, The Monkees, which originated from the classic sixties TV show of the same name. The Monkees sold over 65 million records and has toured the U.S. (and much of the world) many times over.

Micky has also starred in musicals on Broadway, the West End, and in national tours including Disney's AIDA (Broadway), Pippin, Hairspray (West End), Grease, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Tom Sawyer, and more.

Micky has recorded two solo albums (Remember and King For A Day) and recently appeared in the world premiere of the new play Comedy Is Hard (Ivoryton Playhouse) by four-time Emmy winner Mike Reiss (The Simpsons).

‘Aligarh’ Set as First Hindi Film to Open Mumbai Festival

October 2, 2015 | 08:10PM PT

Hansal Mehta’s “Aligarh” will open the 17th Jio MAMI Mumbai film festival. This is the first time in the festival’s history that a Hindi-language film has opened it.

“Aligarh” is the tale of a professor who is suspended from his university after being accused of having a homosexual. A young journalist looking for his big break investigates the story. Manoj Bajpayee (“Gangs of Wasseypur”) and Rajkummar Rao (“Shahid”) star.

Mehta, who is currently at the Busan International Film Festival for the Oct. 4 world premiere of the film, told Variety: “We’re honoured. It is the first Indian film to open MAMI since it was founded. It is a tribute to the beautiful people that made “Aligarh” possible.”

The film will have its European premiere at the BFI London Film Festival on October 10.

Meanwhile, “Ludo”, a Bengali-language horror film directed by feature debutant Nikon and Q (“Tasher Desh”) will open the festival’s After Dark strand. Rii (“Cosmic Sex”) and Tillotama Shome (“Qissa: The Tale of a Lonely Ghost”) star. “Ludo” had its world premiere at the Fantasia International Film Festival, Montreal in July and will have its European premiere at the upcoming Sitges festival in October.

The Mumbai festival plays Oct. 29-Nov. 5.

‘Babel’s’ Guillermo Arriaga on Screenwriting, His Novel, Returning to Directing

Laura Antonelli/REX Shutterstock

October 3, 2015 | 01:55AM PT

Damon Wise

LONDON — Mexican writer, producer and screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga brings the Raindance Film Festival to a close this weekend with a masterclass on scriptwriting. Now 57, Arriaga came to international attention in Cannes with the 2000 Critics’ Week hit “Amores Perros.” The first in a trilogy made in collaboration with fellow Mexican Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, the film was followed by Venice and Cannes hits “21 Grams” and “Babel” in 2004 and 2006 respectively, and established Arriaga’s trademark non-linear, multiple-character writing style. After working with Tommy Lee Jones on the U.S. neo-western “The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada” in 2005, Arriaga made his directing debut in 2008 with “The Burning Plain,” an English-language domestic drama that starred Charlize Theron and gave an early platform to Oscar-winner Jennifer Lawrence.

Is it true that you don’t like the word “screenwriter”?
No, I have a problem with the word in Spanish. “Screenwriter” is the correct word in English because it says you write for the screen. The word “guionista” in Spanish means that you make just a blueprint. There’s not a piece of work — you are a very thin part of the movie. So it’s not a problem with the word “screenwriter.” It’s the Spanish word, which means that I am just making a guide.

Are you often called upon to give masterclasses?
Yes. I’ve been doing this around the world. This is the second time I’ve come here [to London] for this masterclass. I’ve been to Australia, New York, Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, Chile… Many, many places. I basically give the same masterclass, with very small variations. For example, I gave one to people making documentaries. But it is basically the same. What I want to share is my process of writing and how I structure my projects. Because I’m not only a writer, I’m a producer and director. And where I’m different from Robert McKee, for example, is that I use my own work to show my mistakes — what I did right and what I did wrong.

What’s your most crucial piece of advice?
My first thing I say is, the first rule in film is that there are no rules. What many people say in their seminars is that there are these rules that you have to follow. It’s not true. It’s not true. It’s a creative process. Cinema is still young and we’re still finding the language of cinema. It’s a 100-year-old medium. We have to find the language.

Has anything changed with the introduction of digital filmmaking?
I don’t think so. I promised myself that I would never shoot digital, and I have shot things in digital. But it hasn’t changed my habits. I don’t think it’s easier. It’s easier if you grab a little camera, but if you do shoot a film as cinema, then it’s basically the same thing. It’s actually a bit more difficult because of the lighting. Because digital still doesn’t have the quality of film – you have to be very careful with how you use the lenses and how you use the light.

How would you describe your process?
I do things that were never taught to me. For example, I don’t write outlines. I have no idea of the ending. I have no backgrounds of the characters. I do no research at all. Many writers think that without the ending you can’t write a word, but that’s not true. It’s about the content. How are you gonna work around the content? It’s the content that makes the structure and not vice versa. Some critics ask me why I don’t write naturally. But linear storytelling is not natural. In daily life we never tell linear stories. We always go back and forth.

So you don’t like rules?
Personally? No. I like the story to be as free as it has to be, because this is a process of discovery. You cannot be certain. But a sense of orientation is important for a writer. Many people get lost. Writing is the process of organizing a world. Myself, I can go outside in London without a map and I know exactly where I am. But that’s not something everyone has.

Do you write differently on a project that you know you will direct yourself?
No. My commitment is to the story, not to the director, not to the producer, not to myself. [Laughs] Even myself! I wrote a segment of “Words With Gods” [2014], a film I produced, and it was very difficult to produce and direct. But I, as a writer, have no concern for the director — even if it’s me.

You haven’t directed a film in nearly 10 years. Why not?
I was writing a novel, that’s why I stopped. I don’t multi-task. So I focused on that. It was almost four years in the writing, and I’m just finishing it now. I never imagined it would take me so long. And it’s long, almost 700 pages. It’s about a teenager in Mexico in the 60s. It has some aspects of the things I’ve lived and experienced, but it’s not an autobiography. Like “Amores Perros,” it’s very close to my experiences but it’s not my autobiography.

Talking of “Amores Perros,” do you have any plans to work with Inarritu again?
No. Right now, I am interested in directed what I write. I want to enjoy the fun part of writing, which is directing. I have two stories that I’m going to write now I’ve finished this novel. One is about capitalism. And one is about survival.

'The Affair' Season 2: Cynthia Nixon to guest star on Showtime series

Hector Cruz

TV Examiner

October 2, 2015 5:26 PM MST

Photo by George Pimentel/Getty Images

Cynthia Nixon will guest star in Season 2 of the Showtime series "The Affair." Entertainment Weekly reported Thursday, Oct. 1 that the "Sex and the City" alum will play a character named Marilyn Sanders, a blunt and challenging Manhattan couple’s therapist who is trying to help Noah (Dominic West) and Alison (Ruth Wilson) “come together after a period of strain.”

The Golden Globe-winning drama, created by Sarah Treem, explores what happens when married Montauk waitress Alison Lockhart (Wilson) falls for Brooklyn novelist and father of three Noah Solloway (West). Alison eventually left her husband, Cole (Joshua Jackson), for Noah last season

It was previously revealed that Catalina Sandino Moreno ("The Bridge") has joined the cast of "The Affair" for Season 2 as a new love interest for Cole. She'll play Luisa, an “independent and spirited” woman who illegally emigrated from Ecuador as a child and is now working her way through school. It's unclear how Luisa and Cole meet, but the upcoming second season will not only be told from the perspectives of leads Alison and Noah, but also from the point of view of Cole and Noah's ex-wife Helen (Maura Tierney), which will provide more insight into Cole as a character and his feelings towards Luisa. Richard Schiff ("The West Wing") will also join the series in a major recurring role as Bruce Butler’s (John Doman) longtime family lawyer, Jon Gottlief.

According to Deadline, the upcoming second season will explore the emotional and psychological effects of the affair that destroyed two marriages, and the crime that brings these individuals back together. It will find Alison attempting to move on from tragedy and build a lasting relationship while contending with the judgment of others and her own self-doubt, while her lover Noah is trying to balance the temptations of success, the family he left behind, and the woman he loves. Meanwhile, Helen attempts to piece her life together while navigating divorce proceedings, care for her children, and her parents’ noxious influence, as Cole struggles to overcome past heartbreak and start a promising new life.

In addition to starring as Miranda Hobbs in "Sex and the City," Nixon's TV credits also include "Hannibal," "Alpha House" and "The Big C." She next stars in Sundance winner "James White," slated for release in November.

"The Affair" Season 2 will premiere this Sunday, Oct. 4 at 10/9 p.m. CT on Showtime. The episode featuring Nixon will air later in the season. It will be preceded by the premiere of "Homeland," which is entering Season 5, at 9/8 p.m. CT.

Interview with Janice Gaines Motown Gospel's newest artist

Candace Walker

Atlanta Gospel and Christian Music

October 2, 2015 4:28 PM MST

Ignition PR

Emerging Gospel artist Janice Gaines was here in Atlanta recently touring with Erica Campbell on the Help 2.0 Tour and I was able to catch up with her for an exclusive interview.

Gaines is one of Motown Gospel's newest artists and has just completed a debut CD entitled "Greatest Life Ever" which will be released this month. After getting signed by Motown Gospel last year, Gaines came to the attention of super producer and Grammy Award winner LaShawn Daniels (Tamar Braxton, Brandy, Michael Jackson) who has taken her under his wing to produce and release her debut album. This was the first Gospel album Daniels has ever produced.

The result is breakthrough, contemporary gospel music that can reach people inside and out of the church. Additionally, Gaines is a former math teacher and has a passion and heart for young people. We talked about what it was like to work with Daniels, tour with Erica and what she wants her listeners to take away from her first CD which drops October 9th.

Candace Walker:

Thanks again for agreeing to the interview today. I got the music and I love the song Fall Into You. I have been playing that one constantly.

The title of your CD is Greatest Life Ever tell me about it and what made you decide to name it that?

Janice Gaines:

I worked with my dream producer with LaShawn Daniels, we got connected with him through an attorney friend and she sent him my music. He said I love her voice and would love to do a full Gospel record with her, which he has not done before. I was in the Dominican Republic on a missions trip with my church and serving children when I got the call and said yes Jesus! It is amazing that in a moment when I was away and couldn't control anything God was working it out for me back home. We decided in the beginning we are going to make good music without shying away from the message of Jesus Christ and my core believe is that life with Jesus is really The Greatest Life Ever. That became the title of the project.

CW:

It is an upbeat contemporary Gospel project was that your intention and it that the kind of music that what draws you?

JG;

It totally does. My mom is a musician, singer songwriter, and pianist. All of my life she has been in a top 40's band and I use to go to gigs with her. I got to see firsthand what it was like to see somebody give their all. While I grew up in the church because my dad is a minister and my mom is a minister of music, I also got a side of music that was probably without any holds barred. There are boundaries that probably should never be crossed but I really enjoyed the music she sung in her top 40's band as well as the music from church. It really gave me an ear for so many types of music and I really can't turn it off. So I love it all. When Mary Mary came out it was like oh my gosh two girls singing about Jesus I want it so that is the type of music I tend to turn to when I want music that is good and will be encouraging as far as being a Christian.

CW:

Now you are on tour with Erica Campbell one half of Marry Mary what has that been like?

JG:

Yeah you know honestly it is such a privileged! It is not lost on me that there are a lot of chicks that would love to be doing what I am doing. I met Erica years ago on the Women of Faith tour when I was on a praise and worship team. She didn't even know this kind of music could come out of me because I was singing what I was told to sing. I invited her and her husband to my listening party to hear the music and they were just so proud of me that they invited me to come along. I think that is epitome of what this is like for me in the fact there are people supporting me when they don't have to but they believe in me. They are giving me opportunities and it is fun and exciting it is the chance of a lifetime as a new artist and Erica is a sweetheart. Every night when I get through singing I come out and take a seat to watch her show because it's killer.

CW:

What is next for you Janice?

JG:

The album comes out October 9th and then I have a few more tour dates as well. I also wrote a devotional to go with the album. The devotional will cover each song and explain how the songs came to be. That is important for me to give that background.

Tove Lo bares all (literally) at The Wiltern in Los Angeles

Michael Cooper

LA Pop Music Examiner

October 2, 2015 5:59 PM MST

Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images for iHeartMedia

Tove Lo Queen of The Clouds Tour at The Wiltern

Rating: 4 stars

Swedish singer/songwriter Tove Lo (aka Ebba Tove Elsa Nilsson) bared all on stage (literally) when she flashed the audience on the LA stop of her Queen of The Clouds Tour. However, her body wasn't doing all of the talking, as she wowed the sold out crowd at the Wiltern Theatre with her strong vocals and incredible musicality.

With only one full album under her belt, last year's "Queen of The Clouds," Tove Lo is a relative newcomer to the pop scene. Nevertheless, two of her biggest hits from the album, "Talking Body" and the top 10 hit "Habits (Get High)" have helped establish her as a force to be reckoned with. She commanded the stage like a pro, with a strong presence that kept the audience hooked as she played her one album almost in its entirety.

Even with a few non-album songs, including one from the "Hunger Games" soundtrack, such a limited catalogue can lose the attention of more casual fans who may be there to hear the couple songs they know from the radio. Such was not the case with the Wiltern crowd, most of whom knew almost all of the singer's lyrics like a biblical doctrine. For those who did not know all of the songs, the singer's powerful voice and skills at both the drums and the keyboard kept all eyes on her for the 75-minute set.

Nevertheless, as a newer breakout, surely there are ways that Tove Lo can improve her live performances. One big way would be to interact more with her fans between songs. The 'Talking Body' singer barely spoke to the audience at all, save for a few LA shout-outs. She did not explain the stories behind any of her songs (something that is always interesting coming from a performer who also writes her own songs), tell any jokes, recite any anecdotes--her banter with the crowd was practically nonexistent. Sure, the music should and definitely did speak for itself, but fans like to hear a little more from an artist in concert, especially in a venue as intimate as The Wiltern.

Ultimately, however, Tove Lo showed that she is a talented artist who already has a very special connection with her fans. Leaving the concert, it wasn't the singer's breasts that would be the most memorable part of the night, but rather her incredible performance, proving that the part of Tove Lo's body doing the most talking is her body of work.

Beatles donate iconic song to PETA for use in animal adoptions campaign

Steve Marinucci

Beatles Examiner

September 29, 2015 6:09 PM MST

Play

The Beatles have allowed the use of "Can't Buy Me Love" to PETA for their latest campaign.

PETA/YouTube

The Beatles have allowed the controversial animal rights organization PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) to use one of their best-known songs, “Can't Buy Me Love,” for a campaign to promote the adoption of animals, the organization announced Sept. 29. The video, which you can see on this page, was directed by Steven Willis and features cats and dogs who have been adopted, included one recently rescued by the organization. "Can't Buy Me Love" was a No. 1 hit in both England and the U.S. for the group.

Apple Corps Ltd. - used by permission.

Also in the video are dancers from the Baila Conmigo salsa troupe, who were finalists on “America's Got Talent.” The group competed in 20 categories at the World Latin Dance Cup in 2012 and 2013 and won awards for first, second and third place.

Paul McCartney has long been an ardent supporter of PETA over the years. “With the help of PETA, people have been exposed to knowledge over the years and have learned what it’s about -- just how cruel we as a species are to our fellow inhabitants of the Earth,” he said in an interview.

“Glass Walls,” a short film narrated by McCartney and released by PETA in 2010, can be viewed online. It exposed the conditions of animals raised on farms and later killed in slaughterhouses. “I hope that once you see the routine cruelty involved in raising, transporting and killing animals for food, you'll join the millions of people who have decided to leave meat off their plates for good,” he said about the film. Free DVDs of “Glass Walls” have been handed out at his concerts in the past.

The organization got into a tussle with Sarah Palin in January after she posted photos online of her son Trig, who has Down syndrome, standing on the family dog. "PETA simply believes that people shouldn't step on dogs, and judging by the reaction that we've seen to Sarah Palin's Instagram photo, we're far from alone in that belief," said PETA president Ingrid Newkirk. Palin responded by saying, "Dear PETA, Chill. At least Trig didn't eat the dog."

‘The Martian’ review: One of the most satisfying cinematic experiences of 2015

October 3, 2015 5:32 AM MST

The Martian

Rating: 5 Stars

‘The Martian’ was directed by Ridley and had a screen play written by Drew Goddard. The adaptation of the novel was in the hands of two huge nerds, so they actually cared about the material. It made all the difference in the world. There are even some geek references for chuckles, and those references do not interrupt the flow of the film. There are also plenty of intense moments mixed with humor. It’s a difficult balance for certain. There have been plenty of movies where the humor and suspense simply clash. In the Martian, it really adds to the characters and makes the audience root for them all to succeed. Mark Watney (Matt Damon), the astronaut stranded on Mars after his crew mistakenly, yet understandably, believe that he was killed by debris during an emergency evacuation in a storm, has to get very creative in order to survive and eventually communicate with NASA. It’s a lot of fun to watch. There are also two other main groups of people: the crew of Watney’s mission lead by Melissa Lewis (the always great Jessica Chastain), and the people at NASA lead by the NASA director Teddy Sanders (Jeff Daniels). Both groups have to do a lot of creative problem solving throughout the film and that leaves no room for dull moments.

One of the greatest strengths of ‘The Martian’ is the ensemble cast. There is a plethora of terrific actors with very diverse types of work they’ve done in the past (comedy, drama, Marvel, Oscar contenders, ect), and these actors all work really well together and make their characters three dimensional. Unlike ‘Black Mass’ and ‘Everest,’ ‘The Martian’ makes great use of the talented actors in the ensemble. The way audience members truly get to know characters isn’t by them having heart to heart talks about their lives with other characters; it’s the way they react in different situations. That is what the story does well. From Watney trying to survive on Mars, down to characters will a small amount of screen, there is a real connection with the audience.

There is a subplot going on throughout the film time where high ranking members of NASA have varying points of view on how to deal with different situations like dealing with the press, whether or not to tell the crew that Watney survived the storm, and what measures (risk)they should take to rescue Watney. It shows that there are all kinds of people needed to make any organization succeed. Pragmatics and risk takers balance each other out. Director Sanders is looking at the big picture, Mitch Henderson (Sean Bean) sees that smaller things matter in the bigger picture, and Vincent Kapoor (Chiwetel Ejifor) is the person always looking for bigger possibilities. Donald Glover plays a young scientist who has those crazy ideas that just might work. Kristen Wiig plays a put upon, yet level headed media relations person for NASA, Chen Shu plays and engineer leading a team trying to build a rescue ship, and Mackenzie Davis plays a mission specialist who analyzes satellite photos to discover Watney’s actvity. The crew for the manned mission to Mars include: Rick Martinez (Michael Peña), Chris Beck (Sebastian Stan) Beth Johanssen (Kate Mara) and Alex Vogel (Aksel Hennie). They really do feel like a team.

‘The Martian’ opened nationwide for early screenings on October 1, 2015. It is currently playing at all mainstream theaters in the Greater Dayton area. It is definitely worth a trip to the theater, possibly even an IMAX showing. When it comes out of DVD and Blu Ray, the combo pack will make an excellent addition to any collection. Heck, it even defied the odds by not killing off Sean Bean and still being an awesome film. Note to examiner staff member, I am not submitting this for promotion on google news, please do not unpublish this or my resubmitted review for Everest, I'll promote this myself on my own social media.

Will Smith, DJ Jazzy Jeff Planning Summer 2016 World Tour

Fresh Prince reveals he's laid down 20 to 30 songs for new LP, plus 'Bad Boys 3' should arrive "within 12 to 16 months"

Will Smith's return to the music world will be much more than a cameo, as the actor revealed on Zane Lowe's Beats 1 radio show that the Fresh Prince will stage a full-blown musical comeback in 2016. Smith dropped his first verse in over a...sta" remix, and the actor announced that he has more than 30 newly recorded songs – "six or seven that I really, really like, that I'm trying to get the ideas to come out right," Smith said – in the works. "I'm shaking the rust off, knocking the dust off," he told Lowe.

Smith later hinted that he's "pretty certain" the he'll embark on his first world tour in the summer of 2016, and if the trek does happen, his cohort DJ Jazzy Jeff will be accompanying him on the road. "I'm terrified," Smith admitted.

Next year won't only see the resumption of Smith's music career: The actor also revealed that Bad Boys 3, the new installment in his buddy cop franchise with Martin Lawrence, should arrive "within the next 12 to 16 months." That's on top of his Christmas-bound football drama Concussion and his supporting role as Deadshot in the supervillain saga Suicide Squad.

Smith recognized how much hip-hop has changed since he and Jazzy Jeff released He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper in 1988 – "I’m from the era of 16 bars, hook, 16 bars, hook, bridge, hook, out," Smith said – but the 47-year-old says he's back in the studio on a daily basis honing his craft. "I'm definitely interested in pushing the envelope of spittin'—how far can you go? I'ma keep giving it a shot up until I'm 70 or 80 years old," Smith said. "I'm just trying to still find that voice; I have so many things that I wanna say. I'm struggling with saying 'em in a way that fit the flavor of music that I tend to like."

Smith also talked about the anxiety he felt when laying down the Bomba Estereo verse, knowing that people would hear him rapping again for the first time in a decade. "When you've had a certain amount of success, it seems like it should breed confidence. But it actually doesn't," Smith admitted. "It's the craziest thing; it's like when you win a lot and you lose the ability to lose, you're not allowed to lose anymore. You actually lose the ability to create; the reckless abandon. And it's something I'm getting back from watching my kids — they really don't care. That kind of reckless abandon and that lack of fear and not trying to protect anything and not trying to live up to a legacy or anything like that gives you freedom. ... Fear is the killer of creativity, man."

Smith admitted that he's preparing for possible disappointment in his return to music – or "failing forward," as he called it – and that the sci-fi bomb After Earth, co-starring his son Jaden Smith, was the first time he really experienced failure. To move past the M. Night Shyamalan dud, Smith hit the treadmill and tried skydiving in order to regain his confidence. "If you're not willing to fall on your face, you can't create at a high level," he said.

As for the "insane" Suicide Squad, which co-stars Jared Leto as the Joker, Smith revealed that, despite working side-by-side next to the actor for six months, the two had never exchanged small talk or pleasantries throughout the entire film shoot. "We've never exchanged a word outside of 'Action' and 'Cut,'" Smith said. "I literally have not met him yet … He was all-in on the Joker … I'm looking forward to meeting him."

Tupac Shakur's Earnest 1995 Prison Letter Selling for $225,000

Rapper talks rules of "Thug Life" and recording a post-jail album in five-page essay from Clinton Correctional Facility

By Daniel Kreps October 5, 2015

A handwritten five-page letter penned by Tupac Shakur while incarcerated in 1995 is now being offered with a $225,000 asking price Gerald Herbert/Getty

A handwritten five-page letter penned by Tupac Shakur while incarcerated in 1995 is now being offered with a $225,000 asking price. Memorabilia sellers Moments in Time are selling the letter, which the late rapper wrote to former Death Row employee Nina Bhadreshwar while serving nine months behind bars at the Clinton Correctional Facility (commonly referred to as Dannemora) on sexual assault charges, Complex writes.

In the letter, Shakur talks about following up his 1995 LP Me Against the World, which was released during his prison stint, as well as leaving the "Thug Life" behind. "When a normal man questions his existence, it begins with childhood, teenager, adult," Shakur muses. "However, when most black males examine their lives, especially those of us from the ghetto upbringing, realize this is not our development stages. Ours begins with a young dustkicker, a thug nigga and finally a boss playa. Each stage has many obstacles and pleasure, but they are all lethal if not played properly."

Moments In Time

Later, Shakur recounts being "schooled in the Rules of the Game" in Oakland, driving through Los Angeles during the 1992 riots and his own rise to stardom. "[Many] never survive the next level of Thug Life.... They become addicted to death. A True Boss Playa knows when to advance.... U must play the game, not let the game play u," Tupac writes.

The letter was meant strictly for Bhadreshwar, who also ran Death Row Magazine, to use, as Tupac writes in a preface to the essay, "I am not granting this information 2 any other publication, not even Time & Rolling Stone."

Tupac Shakur mug shot for the New York State Department of Corrections in 1995 Michael Ochs Archives/Getty

"Hopefully this will do some of U some good. If it does, then I don't sit in jail in vain," the rapper writes. "I'll see y'all in about 18 months. If it's still in me I'll drop another album, not 4 me but 4 the homiez that made it #1 and platinum in two weeks." Shakur was freed nine months into his sentence and released All Eyez on Me four months later.

In February 2015, another handwritten Tupac letter was unveiled at a Grammy Museum tribute to the rapper, revealing that Shakur planned an all-star ONE NATION album featuring artists like Outkast, E-40, Scarface, Smif-n-Wessum and many more. A rare photo of Shakur riding a rollercoaster at...c Mountain was also unearthed and put on the auction block.

TV Review: ‘American Horror Story: Hotel’

Suzanne Tenner/FX

October 6, 2015 | 06:45AM PT

Brian Lowry

TV Columnist @blowryontv

Ryan Murphy has become a master of marketing through concept and casting, nowhere more so than in the “American Horror Story” franchise. Yet the latest edition of the FX series, subtitled “Hotel,” outdoes itself on that score by adding Lady Gaga to its high-profile repertory company, where the mantra seems to be, “The scenery’s free; eat all you can chew.” Gaga delivers only a few clipped lines of dialogue, but who cares? She’s gloriously photographed, in a venue where strands-of-hair placement are vital, plot scarcely matters, and sensual pleasures invariably go hand in hand with buckets of blood.

The opening credits incorporate the 10 Commandments into the visuals, which is interesting, given what a sizable debt this project owes to Stanley Kubrick’s version of “The Shining.” Granted, there’s a fine line between homage and heist, but at the very least, Murphy (who directed the 90-minute premiere, co-written with collaborator Brad Falchuk) should be grateful that “Thou Shalt Not Steal” doesn’t specifically address the propriety of liberal borrowing.

See More:‘American Horror Story: Hotel’ Cast on the ‘Darkest,’ ‘Sexiest’ Season Yet

Filled with arresting imagery, much of the action takes place in a beyond-creepy L.A. hotel, beginning with a couple of beautiful European tourists who make the mistake of booking online — and not checking the distance from Universal Studios. The long, sloping hallways include weird sounds and images and spectral tykes, to the point where all that’s missing is a kid racing around on a tricycle.

Of course, getting to one of the rooms requires dealing with a not-very-helpful desk clerk (Kathy Bates, naturally) and her sidekick, played by Denis O’Hare, who goes by the name Liz Taylor. The strange doings at the hotel, and an anonymous phone call, bring unwanted attention from a local detective (Wes Bentley). Not surprisingly, he’s haunted by his past.

As for Gaga, she spends much of her time with the equally striking Matt Bomer, and the two are introduced via a wordless sequence in which they lure a young couple back to the hotel, where the duo resides. In keeping with “American Horror Story’s” habit of sexualizing violence, and vice versa, suffice it to say that nobody should expect to get their security deposit back.

See More:Watch: ‘American Horror Story: Hotel’ Opening Sequence Gets Biblical

At the heart of “American Horror Story” is an obvious love of movies, as well as a clear desire, tinged with naughtiness, to push boundaries as far as FX’s “Oh what’s the use?” censors will allow. That said, there’s almost an indifference to story — after the premiere, it’s hard to see a huge motivation to watch in order to unlock the show’s lingering mysteries — while luxuriating in an atmosphere that, among other things, includes particularly appropriate use of a certain Eagles song.

Whatever the shortcomings, the extraordinarily well-timed addition of Gaga to the mix should render any naysaying moot, practically speaking, establishing this as a sort-of event that plenty of people will feel obligated to check out (or in). Viewed that way, Gaga’s primary role is to help bait the hook, at one point describing the hotel to an outsider by purring, “Maybe this place is special.”

In the grand scheme of things — and especially the context of the previous “AHS” editions — it’s really not. But as is so often the case, if your party can assemble the right guest list, it doesn’t really matter how the conversation goes after that.

TV Review: 'American Horror Story: Hotel'

(Series; FX, Wed. Oct. 7, 10 p.m.)

Production

Filmed in Los Angeles by Ryan Murphy Prods. and Brad Falchuk Teley-vision in association with Twentieth Century Fox Television.

Crew

Executive producers, Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, Tim Minear, Jennifer Salt, James Wong, Bradley Buecker, Alexis Martin Woodall; producer, Robert M. Williams Jr.; director, Murphy; writers, Murphy, Falchuk; camera, Michael Goi; production designer, Mark Worthington; editor, Adam Penn; music, Mac Quayle; casting, Robert J. Ulrich, Eric Dawson, Carol Kritzer. 90 MIN.

Cast

Lady Gaga, Kathy Bates, Angela Bassett, Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Matt Bomer, Denis O’Hare, Wes Bentley, Cheyenne Jackson, Chloe Sevigny, Finn Wittrock, Mare Winningham, Lennon Henry, Shree Grace Crooks

'Soul Train The Musical' Coming to Broadway, To Be Penned By 'CSI' Creator

Elle Breezy Thu, Oct 01, 2015 News, R&B News0 Comments

Get on board the Soooooul Train!

The iconic show created by Don Cornelius will see the bright lights of Broadway, and interestingly enough, the creator of the CSI franchise Anthony E. Zuiker will write the script.

Zuiker says the endeavor is close to his heart. "I speak from the heart when I say that Soul Train touched me deeply,” he said in a statement. “It has impacted this country on so many levels, bringing joy and hope to so many people out there, including me."

Zuiker will work with Rock of Ages producer Matthew Weaver. The two briefly paired up to make The Harlem Globetrotters Story, but that project never came to pass. Weaver said of Zuiker, "His commitment to Soul Train, the era, the people and the music is unbridled, and his willingness to share his passion and vision with the Soul Train community is what makes him such an original. Anthony’s vision for Soul Train the musical is emotional, deep, funny, edgy and authentic. I think people are going to be very surprised and deeply touched.”

The production is being called a "lyrical narrative” about Cornelius’ life and creation of the show featuring the classic soul hits of yore including, Minnie Ripperton’s “Loving You,” Ike & Tina Turner’s “Proud Mary” and more.

Soul Train went on to become the longest-running, first-run, nationally syndicated music program in television history.

R&B Veteran Christopher Williams Drops New Single 'Too Late'

Elle Breezy Mon, Oct 05, 2015 Music, R&B Music

Soul singer Christopher Williams is back with his first album in 14 years called Simply Christopher.

This is the first single called “Too Late,” a smooth, step-worthy tune that has Williams trying to convince his love interest that he’s the best choice. “Why be so cautious, when everything you want is in your face / Don’t let it be too late,” he warns.

About this new music, Chris says, “It has been a long time coming since I released new music, and words can’t describe how excited I am for my fans to see what I have been working on. The time is now, and I am ready to connect with them all as well as meet new ones along the way,” he adds.

Williams is best known for his 1991 No.1 Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop single “Dreamin’” from the film New Jack City as well as his accompanying role.

“Too Late” will drop on iTunes and all digital retailers on Friday, October 23 (preorder above). Simply Christopher (which follows his 2001 LP Real Men Do) will arrive on March 25, 2016.

Ana Villafañe Talks Playing Gloria Estefan, Broadway And Dream Roles [EXCLUSIVE]

By Natalie Roterman | Sep 16 2015, 01:45PM EDT

Actress Ana Villafañe attends the Pamella Roland Spring 2016 fashion show at The Whitney Museum of American Art on September 11, 2015 in New York City. Ben Gabbe/Getty Images

Talk about ones to watch; Ana Villafañe might be the new kid on the block on Broadway, but this is only the beginning for the triple-threat beauty. Ana will be playing one of her lifelong idols, seven-time Grammy winner Gloria Estefan in the upcoming musical “On Your Feet!” It's not for no reason that casting director Jerry Mitchell and the Estefans say they had an instant connection with Villafañe, (who attended the same high school as Gloria). “She walked into the room, and I immediately thought to myself - 'this is it'. Not only was she beautifully reminiscent of a young Gloria, but she embodied her energy and spirit in such a captivating way. And then she fully rose to the occasion by giving a sensational audition,” Mitchell explained. And captivating she is.

We sat down to talk with Ana about what her experience has been like (with two months of previews in Chicago), and the hard work she’s put in to transform into one of the biggest musical icons of all time.

Latin Times: Can you describe the feeling of being ‘the chosen one’ to play Gloria?

Ana Villafañe: Well, I cried like a baby when I got the phone call, which was 40 minutes after leaving the last audition. But lately it’s been hitting me more and more what a symbol they are for our culture, so I’ve been feeling that excitement in my gut get bigger every day.

LT: So what happens next? How do you start your transformation into Gloria?

AV: It actually started before. As soon as I knew I had the audition I started to work on it because she has a very specific performance style. From the sound of her voice, her iconic moves, to the way she connects with her fans when she’s onstage; her style is effortless, so I really wanted to do that justice.

LT: What’s been the hardest part so far?

AV: I think the music, although she’s helped immensely with the voice. I have a degree in music and one of the classes is specifically to learn how to listen. Listening is the key to be able to recreate a sound. You want to be able to adopt a certain style of singing more than to imitate it. And her fans know exactly what she sounds like, so I have to be able to give that to them.

LT: I’m always blown away by the level of energy in every Broadway performance. How do you guys do it every night?

AV: I’m not sure! I just met Katina Miller, who just won the Tony for “Pipen,” and she told me that if you train like you would for a marathon and treat it that way, your body’s muscle memory will just kick in. But also for me, as soon as I hear the first drum crash of “Rhythm Is Gonna Get You” it just takes over and something happens; it’s like a switch that turns on when the curtains open and you feel the lights.

LT: But what if you have a bad day?

AV: That definitely happens. There’s days when your body is hurting; I absolutely worship the dancers. Their bodies go through so much and they do it eight days a week. But yeah, there’s definitely days when you have to push through. I do a lot of yoga, and you learn different techniques to stretch. I also learned to warm up and cool down my voice. There’s definitely a whole new lifestyle you have to adopt.

LT: What’s your favorite part of the show?

AV: I think it might be “Tradición” right now. But it depends on the day. “Tradición” is such a celebration, and we drink café cubano that we make there every day, so we have an inside joke that that’s the song where we start feeling the caffeine, and it’s a gunshot, the rest of the show just flies by.

LT: What’s the best advice you’ve gotten from Emilio and Gloria?

AV: Emilio is so wise; I always say ‘he speaks in Fortune Cookies,’ because everything he says should be written in a book. I have a long list of drafts on my Twitter with his quotes. One of my favorites is, 'You have one life, one chance to do it right.' But he just said that in the middle of a normal conversation. It’s very inspiring to be around them and to see them live their lives like that. And as for Gloria, she’s a rockstar; so laid back, normal and so maternal. She’s given me a lot of advice on how to stay grounded, and I think that's why she’s so successful, because she hasn’t lost herself. They’ve always remained true to who they are, their culture, themselves as a couple and as individuals. Gloria never had to go through different chapters and reinvent herself constantly. She's the true diva, without acting like one.

LT: I can imagine this being the absolute dream role already, but who would you want to play in the future?

AV: Honestly, I try to take things as they come and even with this, I could’ve never imagined a role so perfect. A story which is not only about her, but she drives it. She is no one’s puppet and I get to play Gloria from 17 to 33, which is another privilege because it’s so many roles in one. So I have no idea what could come in the future but I certainly hope it’s something along the lines of this.

LT: What advice would you give anyone who’s pursuing a career in entertainment but is ready to give up?

AV: I guess to know that you can always change people’s minds. I’ve auditioned for roles where they were looking for something completely different and convinced them otherwise. But you have to put in the work, do your homework, train and be the best you can be. Remember, there’s a chance out there for everyone when ‘no’ is not an option.

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[Edited 10/6/15 7:48am]

Demi Lovato Opens Up About Mental Health

Demi Lovato Opens Up About Mental Health (ABC News)

Singing sensation Demi Lovato wants Congress to make mental health a top priority and she heads to Capitol Hill Tuesday to meet with members of Congress to raise awareness of mental illness.

Earlier today she spoke candidly at the National Council for Behavioral Health’s annual Hill Day in Washington, D.C., about her own mental health struggles. The popular singer credited her friends and families for her recovery.

“The people around me know my deepest, darkest secrets,” she told the audience.

Lovato has joined five leading mental health advocacy organizations to encourage people to use their own voices to make a difference in mental health. She kicked off the "Be Vocal" campaign in a livestream video on Periscope this afternoon.

Her trip to the nation’s capital coincides with her recent nude and make-up free shoot for Vanity Fair magazine. She told the magazine she wanted to do the untouched photographs to encourage other women to overcome body-image issues. She has publicly struggled with eating disorders and entered rehab in 2010 to address emotional and physical issues.

"What does it mean to be confident?" Lovato said, according to Vanity Fair. "I want to show the side of me that’s real, that’s liberated, that’s free. What if we do a photo shoot where it’s totally raw? Super sexy, but no makeup, no fancy lighting, no retouching and no clothing. Let’s do it here, let’s do it now.”

Lovato has not shied away from allowing her fans – known as "Lovatics" – to see glimpses of her personal life and raw emotions. Every week she usually starts with a “No Makeup Monday” self-portrait on Instagram. Another recent post showed her comforting her great-grandmother after the death of her great-grandfather “Papa."

[img:$uid]http://i.imgur.com/2E96pnv.jpg?1[/img:$uid]


The Cure Announces North American Tour
10/06


The Cure will embark on a 25-date North American tour in 2016.


The full details of the tour will be unveiled in January, but so far the band has announced shows at in Los Angeles May 22, Chicago on June 10, and New York City June 18.

Visit TheCure.com for ticket details. Scottish band The Twilight Sad will open for all three dates.

Robert Smith previously covered The Twilight Sad song "There's a Girl in the Corner," so perhaps there will be an onstage collaboration between the two bands. Though they've headlined festivals and performed shows in select cities here and there, this tour will be The Cure's first full-length North American trek since 2008.

Link

Billy Joe Royal, Country and Pop Singer, Dead at 73

"Down in the Boondocks" singer had a string of country hits in the Eighties

"Down in the Boondocks" singer Billy Joe Royal, pictured here in a 1970 promotional photo, has died at age 73. Smith Collection/Gado

Billy Joe Royal, who scored the 1965 Top Ten single "Down in the Boondocks" and also made frequent appearances on the country chart in the Eighties, died suddenly Tuesday morning at his Marietta, North Carolina home, according to the Tennessean. He was 73 years old.

Born April 3, 1942, in Valdosta, Georgia, Royal made his singing debut at just five years old and earned his first paycheck playing a New Year's Eve show that also featured Gladys Knight. By the time he was nine, he was taking steel guitar lessons, with an eye toward playing in his uncle's band. Royal would go on to perform on the Marietta radio show Georgia Jubilee, where he met Joe South, the songwriter who penned both "Down in the Boondocks" and Royal's Top 20 follow-up "I Knew You When."

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In Memoriam: Country Sta...n 2014 »

Royal, who had also performed in the house band at the Gilley's-like Bamboo Ranch in Savannah, Georgia, toured with Dick Clark's Caravan of Stars alongside Herman's Hermits, Jackie DeShannon and others, with a backing band featuring future members of Chicago. He hit with the Top 15 single "Cherry Hill Park" in 1969, garnering a few more minor pop hits before signing with the Atlantic label and releasing a number of successful country singles, including the 1985 Top 10 "Burned Like a Rocket." The singer's 1987 LP, The Royal Treatment, was certified gold and featured "I'll Pin a Note on Your Pillow," which peaked at Number Five on the country chart. His 1989 remake of the Aaron Neville hit "Tell It Like It Is" just missed the chart summit, landing at Number Two. That same year, he had a second Number Two country single with "Till I Can't Take It Anymore."

In 1988, Royal was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame. In recent years, he toured with longtime friend and fellow crossover artist B.J. Thomas, releasing the 2007 LP Going by Daydreams, on Thomas's Raindrops Records label. The project was produced by the legendary Chips Moman. According to the Tennessean, Royal's final live performance took place September 24th at the Gwinnett County Fair in his native Georgia.

Royal is survived by his ex-wife, Michelle Royal, daughter Savannah Royal, and two stepsons, Trey and Joey Riverbank. Funeral arrangements are pending.

Kevin Corcoran, known to generations of Disney fans as 'Moochie,' dies at 66

David ColkerContact Reporter

Disney child actor Kevin Corcoran, who played the irrepressible Moochie in the “Spin and Marty” serials on “The Mickey Mouse Club” and went on to play roles in films such as “Old Yeller,” died Tuesday at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank. He was 66.

The cause was colorectal cancer, said his wife, Laura.

Moochie — an adorable, talkative kid who was always getting into jams — was not far removed from the real-life Corcoran, said David Stollery, who played Marty. Corcoran was 7 when he started appearing in the series that took place on a dude ranch.

“He was just this little rambunctious bundle of energy,” Stollery said in an interview Wednesday. “He was Moochie, a perfect fit for the character.”

The character was so popular that Corcoran as Moochie was featured in other Disney productions, including the film “The Shaggy Dog.”

Other Disney child stars of the era got more notice and bigger parts. But viewers took the pint-sized Corcoran to heart.

“To kids of my generation, Moochie was an irresistible figure, a kid we could all relate to,” film critic Leonard Maltin said in taped comments released by Disney. “Because he was so genuine, not a goody-goody type of a model child.

“He had a touch of mischief and curiosity, and you couldn’t help but like him.”

Stollery said that even at a young age, Corcoran was a professional who knew his lines and took direction.

But Corcoran admitted that he didn’t always have to fake being mischievous. “Tommy Kirk and I had a great relationship,” Corcoran said in a 2000 Times interview. He played Kirk’s younger brother in several productions, and the two often played practical jokes on each other.

“I remember one sequence,” Corcoran said, “in which I was supposed to be throwing rocks at him. Tommy and I had been battling off-screen about something, so instead of the prop rubber rocks, I started throwing real ones.”

Among the other Disney films in which he appeared were “Toby Tyler, or Ten Weeks with a Circus,“ “Pollyanna” (opposite Hayley Mills) and “Swiss Family Robinson.”

He was also in several non-Disney productions, including guest spots on TV series such as “Wagon Train,” “The Littlest Hobo” and “My Three Sons” with one of his favorite actors, Fred MacMurray.

In his late teens, he made a sudden decision to quit acting after auditioning for a role that was only vaguely defined.

“I said, ‘Well, what is this character about?’” he said in a 2012 San Francisco Chronicle interview. “And they fumbled around because they didn’t know. Then it hit me. You know what? I know more about making movies than the guy making this picture. I’m done acting.”

Corcoran went on to a career behind the camera. And unlike many child actors, he had a quiet life with a long marriage and no public drama.

“I enjoy entertaining people and doing good work,” he told the Chronicle. “I’m glad my life didn’t have to be a spectacle.”

He was born into a show business family on June 10, 1949, in Santa Monica. “While my father was working at MGM, he heard that children were needed to play some extra roles,” he said in an interview with Walt Disney Productions for a company biography.

“By the time I arrived — No. 5 of eight children — the Corcoran kids had been established in the industry.”

One of his earliest appearances was in the film “The Glenn Miller Story,“ released in 1954. His first Disney appearance was the short “Adventures in Dairyland,” and it led to him being cast in “Spin and Marty.”

After quitting acting, Corcoran got a theater arts degree at Cal State Northridge. His career was mostly in television, where he worked as a producer on several shows, including “Murder, She Wrote,” “The Shield” and “Sons of Anarchy.” He also directed two episodes of “Murder, She Wrote.”

In 2006, he was named a Disney Legend by the studio where he saw his most success as an actor and where he did occasional work, including producing episodes of the “Herbie, the Love Bug” series in 1982.

“I’ll always be ‘Mooch’ to the guys around here,” he said in the studio interview. “Heck, they’ve practically raised me.”

In addition to his wife, Corcoran is survived by his sisters Che Keene, Noreen Corcoran and Kerry del Villar, and a brother, Hugh Corcoran.

Singer-comedian Elizabeth Ramsey, 83, passes away

By Edwin P. Sallan, InterAksyon.com
October 8, 2015 · 1:34 pm

Elizabeth Ramsey in a screenshot from her 2012 Datu Puti commercial.

Singer-comedian Elizabeth Ramsey has passed away in her sleep. She was 83 years old.

Her daughter, singer and TV host Jaya, announced her demise on Facebook Thursday morning.

“Mama Beth is now with our Lord… 83 years has been full. Love and laughter, she has given not just our family but the whole nation. Thank you for your love and prayers and I rejoice because she passes in her sleep. In peace. In God’s loving arms. Bye mama, until we meet again. I love you forever. Thank you Jesus,” Jaya posted.

Last August, it was reported that Ramsey was confined at the intensive care unit of an undisclosed hospital following what Jaya said was a hyperglycemia attack and not a stroke as had been initially reported.

Ramsey recovered and Jaya vowed to make sure her mother feel loved as she also declared her intention to take her under her personal care in her own home.

With an entertainment career spanning over five decades, Ramsey was a native of San Carlos, Negros Occidental who was best known for her wacky delivery of English and Tagalog in her trademark Visayan accent, as well as for her signature song “Waray-Waray,” a song also recorded by legendary American singer Eartha Kitt.

In March of last year, Ramsey shared her life story in a DZMM radio interview with hosts Jobert Sucaldito and Ahwel Paz. In that interview, she revealed that she had been raised in a broken family and had started performing with bands at the age of 16 to be of financial help to her then ailing mother.

She later worked as a househelp when she came to Manila as she admitted that she was not really big on going to school and was more interested in singing. By 19, her father married her off but her desire to be a performer never waned.

She finally got her big break when she joined the singing contest of the noontime show “Student Canteen” and became an undefeated champion.

After that, Ramsay never stopped performing in places like the Manila Grand Opera House and Clover theaters mixing music and her livewire brand of comedy as she later became known as both “Queen of Rock and Roll” and the “Original Queen of Comedy.”

Over the years, she appeared on several films and television programs even as she never stopped doing live shows both here and abroad. One of her memorable screen performances came opposite Fernando Poe Jr. in the 1959 movie “Prinsesa Naranja”.

In 1963, she was even nominated for a FAMAS Best Supporting Actress award for her performance in “Ang Bukas ay Akin” topbilled by Charito Solis and Nestor de Villa, both now deceased.

Two of Ramsey’s most memorable performances were in television commercials. In 1976, she spoofed the legendary Egyptian queen Cleopatra for the now defunct detergent bar, Superwheel. The commercial became famous for her catch phrase, “Magapatuka na lang ako sa ahas” which would later become a feature film starring Chiquito and a novelty hit single for her.

In 2012, she also starred in a commercial for Datu Puti vinegar where she gamely “flirted” with TV5′s Derek Ramsay.

“Hindi mo nga ako Mama pero Papa kita… Sino’ng nanay mo?!” went her famous lines in that commercial.

Elizabeth Ramsey with daughter Jaya which the latter posted on Facebook last Mother's Day, and (right) with grandchildren Sabriya and Dylan in a Facebook post last August.

In an interview with InterAksyon last year, Jaya talked fondly about her mother and the thrill of sharing the same stage with the one and only Elizabeth Ramsey.

“You know, I recently did a tour with my mom. Imagine, 83 na siya, hanggang ngayon nagto-tour pa rin. She’s still got it, the voice and everything. Gustong gusto nya, ako ang nag-i-introduce sa kanya pag magkasama kami sa show,” she quipped.

Move over, Adele — you're no longer the best voice in music

• Andrew Stern

• Oct. 6, 2015, 5:13 PM

Getty ImagesGrace Potter summons her power.

Adele does not have the best voice in music. Nor does Beyoncé, Ariana Grande, Christina Aguilera, Lady Gaga, Kelly Clarkson, Mariah Carey, or any other pop superstar you might have pictured in your mind.

No, the best voice in music belongs to a woman many probably do not know. She’s Robert Plant good. Freddie Mercury good. She’s, dare I say, Aretha Franklin good.

The best voice on planet earth right now belongs to Grace Potter.

Potter recently threw down a two-and-a-half hour rock show for the ages at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. With nary an empty seat in the house, she took to the stage like a hurricane, leaving no one unaffected in her wake. She was a mystical flower child spinning and twirling in a haze of fog in front of a giant screen projecting stars and galaxies behind her. She ran around the stage, jumped up and down with the beat, cajoling the fans onto their feet before settling into position.

Getty ImagesGrace Potter's galactic backdrop at Radio City Music Hall.

Then, planted firmly at center stage, arms outstretched wide to her sides, she seemed to begin absorbing power from the universe itself, drawing in energy from everyone in the room. Her hand reached to the sky, channeling every last drop of force the ether could muster. You could feel the galactic storm building inside her. The power trapped within her body, yearning to be unleashed.

After a deep breath, she opened her mouth and unleashed a tsunami of righteous sound. It was a miracle the speakers didn’t instantaneously combust from the force of her voice. With her band creating an often ethereal soundscape as prelude to the sonic detonation, she would repeatedly shatter the auditory dream state with a nuclear explosion of unadulterated vocal power.

Fear not for the future of music — the Gods of Rock have seen fit to grace us with Grace.

The gathering storm

Grace Evelyn Potter was born in the small town of Waitsfield, Vermont, to parents involved in the woodworking craft. She went to St. Lawrence University, where she met Matt Burr, a drummer who convinced Potter to form a band with him (they’ve been bandmates ever since and married in May of 2013). After her sophomore year, Potter dropped out of college to pursue music professionally.

Getty ImagesPotter unleashes the beast.

For the first decade-plus of her career, Potter was the frontwoman for the relatively successful and uber-talented Grace Potter & the Nocturnals.

The band released three studio albums from 2007 to 2012, with the single “Paris (Ooh La La)” receiving widespread commercial airplay. Their brand of raw, soulful rock struck a chord with audiences across America, and the group began headlining 1,000 to 1,500 person venues.

From the beginning, it was obvious Potter had a major-league voice. Their third album, the aptly titled "The Lion, the Beast, the Beat," showcases the lion’s roar within the diva; but, it wasn’t until her first solo studio album, "Midnight," released August 14th of this year, that she uncaged the full fury of the beast within.

Midnight

On first listen, "Midnight" left me wanting more. As a longtime follower of Grace Potter & the Nocturnals — and a deep lover of their soulful rock sound — I wasn’t sold on the turn toward pop rock Potter had taken sans Nocturnals.

But, as I got past the pop trappings adorning the album, I discovered the raw power hidden within the tracks. “Hot to the Touch,” “Alive Tonight,” and “Delirious” are raucous dance rock anthems sure to get you moving. “Look What We’ve Become” and “Instigators” are pop-punk tunes with some dirty grit. Other tracks like “Empty Heart,” “The Miner,” “Low,” “Nobody’s Born With a Broken Heart,” and “Let You Go” deliver soulful songs in different musical veins, but all are good to excellent tunes sure to speak to listeners’ hearts.

But, “Delirious” demonstrates what makes Potter so special.

Around the song's three-minute mark, it descends into an experimental, trance-like interlude common to many Led Zeppelin opuses (e.g., “Whole Lotta Love”). At this point, many digging the pop-y vibe of the album so far might be tempted to press fast-forward, but exploding out the other side of the musical meander at 3:57 is a guitar solo for the ages, except it’s not a guitar squealing in the upper registers… it’s Potter’s voice doing the shredding.

The producer doubles a soloing guitar with Potter as she reaches stratospheric levels of pitch and volume, and the two instruments sound almost as one. The outro of the song is Potter’s voice alone, and you can be forgiven if you thought it was actually a guitar ending the song. I’ve never heard a voice used like this before because no other voice could do what she just did.

Radio City Music Hall

After listening to the album on repeat for the two days leading up to the show, I was terrified Potter wouldn’t unleash the full force of her voice as heard on "Midnight." But then I remembered, she’s one of the best performers I’ve ever seen.

I had the privilege of attending a Grace Potter & the Nocturnals show at the House of Blues in Dallas, Texas, a few years ago. On the floor it was standing room only, and my friends and I arrived as early as allowed to get a spot right against the stage. I had never seen someone dominate a room the way she did that night.

From the moment she walked on stage to the instant the “get the hell out” lights came up after she exited, the audience stood transfixed, completely under her spell. Her combination of sultry sexuality, unbridled energy, deep emotion and raw power took hold of everyone in attendance.

Andrew Stern

I didn’t get quite the same feeling on Saturday.

Potter and her band gave every bit the Dallas performance and more, but the room was ill suited to her gifts. As so perfectly described by my girlfriend, "When you see Grace Potter live, you want to be in her aura."

With a stage so massive and a floor full of nothing but seats, I felt oddly detached from the virtuoso performance Potter gave. I wanted to be in general admission, standing room only, shoved against the stage, but the classic beauty and dignified luxury of the music hall introduced an unwelcome physical distance between performer and audience. Potter and company gave one of the most impressive performances I’ve ever witnessed, but I wanted to be closer, enveloped in Potter's presence.

My proximity jealousy notwithstanding, Potter turned in the best vocal performance I’ve ever heard. She is categorically the best vocalist alive right now, and she puts it to good use.

Despite the tinge of pop that crept into "Midnight," it is an excellent album from an unrivaled musician. If you’re not familiar with her or her band, get on it. You’re missing out on a generational talent you’ll one day tell your grandkids about.

Potter has that special sauce that great performers all seem to possess. The Bowies and Plants and Mercuries of the world have an aura of sexuality, power, brilliance and otherworldliness. The stage’s galactic backdrop suited the performance beautifully because Potter channeled a force beyond this world.

In the song “The Lion, The Beast, The Beat,” Potter proclaims: “Somebody let the beast out baby!”

Did they ever.

Sara Bareilles gets 'Brave' with revelations in new memoir

a day ago

Randee Dawn

TODAY

We're used to Sara Bareilles being courageous; she is the woman behind the mega-hit "Brave."

But becoming that way was a learning process, part of which started when she was still in elementary school, teased for being a "fat kid," as she revealed on TODAY Wednesday.

"It was a very formative experience for me," she said. "I still see that girl every single day."

But, as she discusses in her new memoir, "Sounds Like Me: My Life (So Far) in Song," it also taught her something. "It's been a real exploration in learning to practice positive self-speak and also to share that," she said, noting that she wants to model positivity for her sister and nieces and other young women in her world.

"I think about them and [want] to encourage them to know that you don't necessarily grow out of it; it's something that you have to practice and nurture," she said.

Feeling "ostracized," she looked for another way to discover who she was. "I went towards a place where I felt like I could find my voice," she said, explaining how she got into theater and then performed her own songs on stage.

TODAY

Sarah Barielles while she was still in school.

But just because she's brave today doesn't mean she doesn't have some embarrassing things she'd still like to keep hidden. "I didn't know where else to sort of pour out my emotions and [I have] stacks of horribly embarrassing journals," she laughed. "Letters to Leonardo DiCaprio and [Kate] Winslet!"

"Sounds Like Me: My Life (So Far) in Song" is now available in bookstores.

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[Edited 10/8/15 8:07am]

Kool & the Gang Honored With a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

October 8, 2015 | 11:00AM PT

Latin AMAs 2015 Red Carpet Photos: Lucero, Chiquis, Angélica Vale And More In The Best, Worst Fashion Moments!

The red carpet has been rolled out at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood for the Latin American Music Awards 2015. Telemundo is throwing one of the biggest bashes for the inaugural show of this award show honoring the best in Latin music. All all-star lineup has been set to make it an unforgetable evening full of life and good vibes. One of the big moments at the Latin AMAs will be the Celia Cruz tributethat will feature La India. Other artists confirm to take the stage include Maluma, CD9, Chiquis Rivera and Jencarlos Canela. We've seen some of the rehearsals action like Luis Coronel, Jesse & Joy, Gloria Trevi, Gerardo Ortiz, Il Volo and Farruko. See the best and worst fashion moments from the red carpet down below and tell us which was your favorite in the comments section!

See the best and worst fashion moments from the Latin AMAs 2015 red carpet. Getty

BEST: Ximena Duque impressed us with this ensemble at the Latin AMAs. Getty

BEST: Carmen Villalobos looks stunning in this LaBourjoisie ensemble. She is a 10 all around! Getty

GOOD: Carlos Ponce added a little color to the red carpet of the Latin AMAs. Getty

MEH: We are digging Angélica Vale going with back to the Latin AMAs, but how many spanx is she wearing? It looks like homegirl can barely breath. Makeup is beautiful though. Getty

WTF is this Adrienne Bailon? Don't love how you look like a robot in this. Getty

BEST: Lucero shines in this Jossy Javier outfit at the Latin AMAs 2015 red carpet. Getty

BEST: We can't believe we are saying this, but Chiquis Rivera looks divine. Her gown outlines her best assets and the color is a great compliment to her skin tone. We could do without that horrible lip color, but overall it's a winning look. Getty

BEST: Maluma, this is not an outfit that is red carpet worthy, but you just make everything look so sexy, we'll forgive you this time. Getty

The boys of CD9 rocked the Latin AMAs red carpet. Getty

BEST: Aymee Nuviola wore a dress inspired by Celia Cruz, the character she plays in the new Telemundo series. Getty

BEST: Fernanda Castillo, Doña Moniquita on "El Señor De Los Cielos," drove up the sexiness at the Latin AMAs. Getty

Gloria Trevi wore a LaBourjoisie ensemble that is a stunning design. Is it us or does Trevi is looking a lot like Charo? Getty

Latin American Music Awards 2015 Winners: Enrique Iglesias, Daddy Yankee, Nicky Jam Win Big, Plus Full List!

By Maria G. Valdez | Oct 08 2015, 11:41PM EDT

Daddy Yankee, Enrique Igleias, Nicky Jam and Gente de Zona were just some of the winners of tonight's first-ever Latin American Music Awards 2015. Check out the full list here. Did your favorites win? Getty

After seeing the incredible Hispanic influence and how well it did in the American Music Awards, having Pitbull as host for consecutive years, JLo’s tribute to Celia Cruz that had Justin Timberlake on his feet dancing and clapping, and many other Latino artists that were either invited, performing or nominated, it was about time that we had our own Latin American Music Awards. This time around, Telemundo organized the first-ever LAMAs, which were held at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on October 8, 2015.

The show, hosted by Lucero, included performances by CD9, Jesse & Joy, Luis Coronel, Gloria Trevi, Il Volo, Farruko and an incredible tribute to Celia Cruz featuring Aymée Nuviola, one of the Celias from the new Telemundo show “Celia,” inspired in the life of “La Reina de la Salsa,” and performers Yuri, Maluma and La India. Enrique Iglesias, although not present, was one of the most awarded stars of the night, along with Nicky Jam and Daddy Yankee. Gente de Zona also went home with more than one award. Check out the complete winners list below!

Artista del Año: Enrique Iglesias

Sencillo del Año: "El Perdón" - Nicky Jam & Enrique Iglesias

Álbum del Año: "A Quién Quiera Escuchar" - Ricky Martin

Artista Femenina Favorita: Gloria Trevi

Nuevo Artista del Año: J Balvin

Colaboración Favorita: "El Perdón" - Nicky Jam & Enrique Iglesias

Canción Streaming Favorita: "El Perdón" - Nicky Jam & Enrique Iglesias

Artista Masculino Favorito- Pop/Rock: Enrique Iglesias

Canción Favorita-Pop/Rock: "La Mordidita" - Ricky Martin Feat. Yotuel

Dúo o Grupo Favorito-Pop/Rock: Camila

Artista Masculino Favorito-Urbano: Daddy Yankee

Canción Favorita-Urbano: "Sígueme y te Sigo" - Daddy Yankee

Dúo o Grupo Favorito-Urbano: Gente de Zona

Artista Favorito-Tropical: Romeo Santos

Canción Favorita-Tropical: "La Gozadera" - Gente de Zona Feat. Marc Anthony

Artista Masculino Favorito-Regional Mexicano: Luis Coronel

Canción Favorita-Regional Mexicano: Y Así Fue" - Julión Álvarez y su Norteño Banda

Banda, Dúo o Grupo Favorito-Regional Mexicano: Julión Álvarez y su Norteño Banda

Artista Favorito-Crossover: Demi Lovato

Canción Dance Favorita: "I Want You To Know" - Zedd Feat. Selena Gomez

Enrique Gratas Dead At 71: Estrella TV News Anchor Dies After Serious Health Battle

Enrique Gratas has passed away at the age of 71, EstrellaTV confirmed via their Facebook account. "With deep sorrow, Estrella TV informs that the renown presenter and newsman Enrique Gratas died today October 8," the message reads. "Enrique Gratas that is part of the history of Spanish-language television in the United States, was at the forefront of 'Cierre de Edición' for the last six years. Our condolences to the family members. We will miss you dearly." Although the official cause of death was not revealed, it was known that he had a lung condition that made his health deteriorate.

Gratas hosted the Estrella TV late night news called "Cierre de Edición." He had been absent since late August and at the end of September the newscast released a audio statement with his voice. "I am going through a difficult time in my life," he said. "An illness that I have to fight to be able to overcome it, but I wanted you to know." Enrique Gratas is most notably known for his hard sensationalist newscast "Ocurrió Así," which was very succesful at the time. After several years helming the Telemundo newscast he jumped ship to Univisión to host the late night news with "Última Hora." Following his tenure at the network he once again made the move to Estrella TV where he was last seen. May he rest in peace.

Marvel's 'Jessica Jones' Release Date News: Purple Man Revealed In Latest Trailer; Plus Series Previewed In Free Digital Comic [VIDEO]

By William Cannon | Oct 09 2015, 02:23PM EDT

Netflix Original Series Marvel's "Jessica Jones." Netflix

Marvel has released another teaser trailer for the coming Netflix Original Series "Jessica Jones," but this time around the focus is on the villain.

This teaser has David Tennant providing creepy voiceover as Zebediah Kilgrave, aka the Purple Man, who is taunting Jones by telling her he knows her secrets. In the comics Jones and the Purple Man have a long nasty history and if this teaser is any indicator it looks like he may be the reason for Jones early retirement.

Meanwhile, Marvel has released a 12-page companion comic book, which is available on ComiXology and Marvel's own digital comic store. It reunites the creative team behind "Alias," the 2001 comic book series in which Jessica Jones first appeared, with "Powers" Brian Michael Bendis writing, Michael Gaydos drawing and David Mack providing cover artwork. Bendis shared the cover art on Tumblr and described the issue as something that "celebrates the new show and the connective tissue that will build between the series."

The issue will give viewers a real chance to see the character Jessica Jones, played by Krysten Ritter in the Netflix Original Series.

All episodes of Marvel's "Jessica Jones" will arrive on Netflix Nov. 20.

Madonna Attends Late-Night Prince Concert at Paisley Park

After Madonna's St. Paul, Minnesota show, singer and entire touring entourage visit Prince's nearby complex

By Daniel Kreps October 9, 2015

Two musical titans collided in Minnesota as Madonna attended an intimate Paisley Park jam session hosted by Prince Karrah Kobus/NPG Records/Getty, Eduardo Verdugo/AP

Two musical titans collided in Minnesota late Thursday night as Madonna attended an intimate Paisley Park jam session hosted by Prince. Minnesota public radio station the Current reports that Madonna and her entire touring crew – having performed at St. Paul's Xcel Energy Center earlier in the night – ventured to Prince's nearby Chanhassen, Minnesota complex to watch the rocker and his backing band 3rd Eye Girl deliver a late-night gig.

According to the Current, a handpicked group of roughly 30 people were notified earlier in the night that something "extra-special" might go down, and by 1:30 a.m., Madonna and her crew began disembarking tour buses. Before Prince took the stage, Madonna's dancers turned the sparsely packed Paisley Park venue into a synchronized dance party. At 2:15 a.m. local time, Prince, accompanied by Madonna, finally made his way onstage. However, Madonna took her spot in a roped-off VIP section to watch Prince perform.

Prince's short set featured new track "Stare," three Hit N Run Phase One tracks ("X's Face," "1000 Xs & Os," "Ain't About to Stop"), an extended cover of Bill Withers' "Use Me" and renditions of the title tracks from Guitar and Sign o' the Times. At one point during the show, Madonna and Prince briefly "whispered something back and forth" before Madonna and her touring crew left the building. While the Current's account of the evening ends at 3 a.m., Prince reportedly played two more after-hours sets, even inviting the remaining fans onstage.

Sadly, the evening did not feature a duet of "Love Song," Prince and Madonna's Like a Prayer collaboration. In 2011, the years-long, much-publ... to an end after Madonna was spotted at Prince's Madison Square Garden in New York. The pair briefly dated in 1985, but snippy comments made in the ensuing years caused a rift between the artists.

Madonna at one point called Prince "a little troll," adding in a 1994 interview that while on a date with Purple Rain singer, "He was just sipping tea, very daintily. I have this theory about people who don't eat. They annoy me." Over a dozen years later, at a 2007 London concert, Prince joked, "I got so many hits y'all can't handle me. I got more hits than Madonna's got kids."

Junk Mail: The Weeknd 'Beauty Behind the Madness' Album Review

by Music Times Staff Aug 31, 2015 17:44 PM EDT

The Weeknd, 'Beauty Behind the Madness' (Photo : Republic Records)

Welcome to Junk Mail, where a few Music Times staffers email back-and-forth about each week's biggest release throughout the work day. This week, Carolyn Menyes, Ryan Middleton, Johny Blue and Lindsay Haddox chat about The Weeknd's new album, Beauty Behind the Madness.

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Ryan Middleton: There have been few artists making the impact that The Weeknd has been this year. He has had arguably the song of the summer in "Can't Feel My Face" and his bonafide bedroom anthems "Earned It," "Often" and "The Hills" have set a new standard for sensual R&B.

Now his highly anticipated sophomore album Beauty Behind The Madness is here. The album is dripping with with steamy sexual references, but just like the man behind the words, there is a lot more to this LP than what meets the eye. What are your guys' initial thoughts?

Johny Blue: My first introduction to The Weeknd was via his remix of Drake's "Trust Issues." Since then I've had a bittersweet relationship with him. While I appreciated the ambient R&B haze his music is always enveloped in, both his voice and lyrical content have always thrown me off. Unfortunate for me, considering that most people find those to be where his true appeal lies.

It's been a big year for Abel Tesfaye as his brand shifted from underground Alt&B prince to Billboard It-Man. And while his VMA performance and Apple Music commercial solidify him as a bonafide pop force, it seems his music is still lost in translation. One part mixtape, one part pop album, Beauty Behind the Madness finds the least likely pop star trying to find his way through the mainstream maze while still attempting to hold on to his identify. When left in his own world he sounds confident, poised and in control (See "The Hills", "Often" and "Real Life"), but when pulled away from his sound the results can be as awkward as his VMA two step. "Can't Feel My Face" is still my least favorite, with "In the Night" following closely behind. Too much knock off Michael Jackson vibes for me.

Lindsay Haddox: Ever since first hearing The Weeknd I could not get enough of his voice. I am always impressed by what he does musically and after hearing Beauty Behind the Madness I can say that his effect on me is still the same. The first song on the record "Real Life" is put together phenomenally and is a great opener for the record. I also love the instrumental on that song, and in general the album seems to have a really nice flow.

I love the use of string instruments he has throughout the whole album, which seems to pay tribute to some rock and stray away from strictly the R&B category and while I do see the Jackson influences (especially in "Can't Feel My Face") I don't think it's a bad thing. I don't see him becoming more mainstream as him getting lost and not being able to create a good album, I feel that he is merely growing as an artist and getting himself some radio hits/number one singles along the way. I have definitely listened to the whole album through multiple times and see myself continuing to.

Carolyn Menyes: It is interesting to see Abel make his way through as he transitions from niche artist to a bona fide hitmaker. I think in its essence that Beauty Behind the Madness is still very much a Weeknd album.

It's interesting to have your perspective on this album, John, and I think you're going to force us all to think a little more critically. I actually do understand your half pop album/half mixtape critique. Some of this record is still really, really raw and gritty and other parts are really polished pieces of pop. I think what helps a little more to bridge this gap is the subject matter.

Let's take "Can't Feel My Face," for instance, the album's lead single and a total Jackson rip-off courtesy of Max Martin of all people. I think this song is a total banger and I embrace it's old school vibe and that hook for days. The drop into the chorus is beyond infectious. However, I can see how this sound is a little jarring for a longtime Weeknd fan and I can see how, to you, it would sound a little force. But, what still makes this song such a Weeknd track is its subject matter. He loves drugs and f*cking b*tches, as he says on "Tell Your Friends," and that's 100 percent what this song is.

So, John, I get you think this album is uneven? What are your thoughts on this, Ryan?

RM: I get where you are coming from John with the dual nature of the album. There are the hits and then the other tracks, but I think he needs to do that to try and bridge the gap between his new found star status to the Kiss Land The Weeknd. It could also just be a timing thing that some of these were recorded and chosen well before tracks like "The Hills" and "Can't Feel My Face" were bubbling up into the smashes they are now and rather selected to tell the story he has in this LP.

While he does deviate from the theme of love at times, The Weeknd is a simple man who just loves to f*ck and do drugs. Unlike most pop-R&B albums, The Weeknd, actually creates a story with Beauty Behind the Madness, albeit a very explicit and raw one. It is a much darker and honest view of love then a more idealistic and toned down romantic view of relationships. The Weeknd knows hos in 2015.

A lot of the attention has gone to "Can't Feel My Face," but another jam is "Losers," which has the same type of throwback feel and has the hit potential of "Can't Feel My Face" (bold statement number one). It sticks out like the Max Martin-produced hit, but it is also good to see some diversity in there as I think we would be criticizing him if there were just 14 copies of "Earned It."

JB: Okay maybe I need to give it another listen or two. Again, for me The Weeknd's appeal was always the sound and not the subject matter, so maybe that is why I find this album (easily his most musically diverse) a bit jarring.

As I work my way through listen number two I do note that he does stay pretty on topic and I commend him for bringing that kind of consistency to an album that would have felt really disconnected otherwise. I will also note a level of consistency in the albums cinematic nature. It's no surprise his biggest hit prior to "Can't Feel My Face" was "Earned It," from a movie soundtrack. I get a lot of '70s soul feels especially from records like "Tell Your Friends" and "Losers", even though Labrinth sounds more at home amongst the soul claps and piano riffs than our Canadian friend.

I do now realize that the album's first single "Often" was released over a year ago which could also speak to why the album feels a bit torn to me, considering how much his commercial appeal has increased in that time span. How do we feel about the features? My opinion on the Labrinth record kind of follows through to Ed Sheeran and Lana Del Rey's contributions.

LH: A sad but true fact is that there comes a time for an artist -- who wants to see success-- where they seem to basically have to sell out and I don't mean that in a harsh way towards this record. The Weeknd went from being a feature on someone like Drake's song to having some of the biggest hits and it only makes sense that his newest album produced multiple radio hits. When I first heard "Can't Feel My Face" it reminded me of something Bruno Mars would be singing but you cannot deny how catchy the tune is. This leads me to saying hearing him go more mainstream in certain songs I expected.

The Ed Sheeran feature sounds just as dark as its name "Dark Times" and has a lot of soul to it as we have said this record has in general. I like this feature more then most and find myself pulled into listening to it more but I am not in any way disappointed with the features. Abel could have had whoever he wanted on this record and put multiple features but he kept it simple and had artists on that you may not have expected. I am intrigued with his decision on who to feature but I appreciate that he didn't throw a ton of rappers on here and instead had featured artists that spoke to the tone of music he was creating.

I do really want to shed light on the last song on the record, "Angel." As we have been speaking about The Weeknd changing his sound I thought this song sounded a lot like some of his older stuff and is very much a love song towards a girl who he is not with anymore but still hopes she finds someone. To me this song is what The Weeknd does best and the reason we have grown to love him.

CM: Wow. I have so much territory to work off of here. Y'all went IN.

I can't tell whether or not The Weeknd sold out; that always feels like such a harsh term to me, so I guess I'm leaning toward saying no. I do think he's edging toward a more a pop sensibility, but he's once again, bridging the gaps in a way that I think makes a lot of sense for where he's at in his career. And adding in a hook to your music and pumping up that dance-ability does not a sell out make.

You mentioned that "Often" was technically this album's first single, release in July 2014. That's actually one of my favorite songs and I think it brings together the extremes of Kiss Land and something like "Can't Feel My Face" into something more centered. It has an inherent PBR&B feel with those classic sexin' lyrics you expect from The Weeknd. But the way the chorus flows is very, very catchy. You could hear this in the club easily.

Saying "Losers" could be as big of a single as "Can't Feel My Face" is a very, very bold statement. I love how different it is than a lot of the rest of the album, with the trumpets and the piano -- it somehow feels very New Orleans to me. But, I think it lacks a meaty hook, so I'd be shocked if it even gets promoted off the album.

I also think that the features were very on #brand for The Weeknd. Labrinth is cool. Lana Del Rey is very cool. Ed Sheeran isn't quite so cool but he can pull out this jazzy, R&B edge that works shockingly well on this sort of record. I was actually surprised that "Dark Times" worked as well as it did. I like Sheeran's album x a lot and I like this record/The Weeknd in general too, so I don't know why I expected that song to be a mess, but I did. Instead, I think they played off each other well.

RM: I do agree that he has gone a little more towards the mainstream, but the mainstream has also shifted towards his sound as a result of his success. His hooks have gotten better and because of that, his tracks have gotten a lot catchier more radio-friendly.

I will give you those bold statements to drop an earthquake up in here (Labrinth anybody?). Even though this may be the smallest collab, it fit the feature the best and tells a different story about Abel dropping out of high school at the age of 17 to pursue his music dream, which has turned out pretty good if I might add.

The Lana Del Rey is the most straight up feature, though her vocal fits perfectly on the track. Ed Sheeran blends in with "Dark Times" in a way that stretches himself beyond his own guitar-wielding, cheery pop sensibilities. It is good to see them both get pushed in this darker direction artistically.

Lindsay I am glad you brought up "Angel." It completes the story arc that The Weeknd is trying to tell. It could be about some woman in his past he wants to find love, but it also acknowledges that while the women he has been dealing with throughout the album are not perfect, neither is he. "I'm so desensitized to these emotions yeah, no emotions, baby."

He opens that idea in "Real Life" saying "I am not worth the misery / I am better off when I am unloved."
The Weeknd is known for his hits, but there are some deeper conflicts that he wants to express to the world through his lyrics.

JB: Great observations, you guys actually made me revisit "Angel" and it is a really well written and produced song. It's an excellent closer because it ties up the record nicely and feels neither mixtape or pop, but somewhere in the middle. "Tell Your Friends" has gotten a few plays from me as well. It's an interesting marriage of The Weeknd's raunchy swagger and Kanye West's College Dropout era production. This album was clearly an experimental effort, seeing how they could take The Weeknd's signature and mesh it with other sounds.

Ryan, I like the point you made about the mainstream shifting towards his sound. It is true that while many alternative acts have dabbled in mainstream sounds to gain a more wide spread appeal, the mainstream itself has developed quite the ear for alternative acts and this project is a great example of an artist trying to meet his listeners in the middle. As a result he can take a pop record like "Can't Feel My Face" (which production-wise could have easily gone to Maroon 5 or Bruno Mars) and infuse it with his unique brand of sex driven R&B. I'm curious to see how much further he can blur the lines as he moves into the next project. As far as next single goes I wouldn't be surprised if "In the Night" gets the push, it falls in nicely behind "Face."

LH: To focus in on the mainstream talk I agree that it is shifting more towards his sound. That's where I was going when I first brought it up and I don't think that it is a bad thing to be so called mainstream. That's how artists make a lot of their money by releasing singles that are ear friendly to their audience. Also I think that has helped The Weeknd because when you look back to The Trilogy you don't really hear many single worthy songs -- nothing wrong with that at all -- but Beauty Behind The Madness really allows you to get the best of both worlds, old school Weeknd and the newer stuff. As the audience/listeners we really get to see how Abel has grown as an artist with his newest record.

I see what John is saying about "In the Night" becoming the next single, it would definitely pair well with "Can't Feel My Face" and I can see not only myself, but others having an enjoyable jam session in their cars to "In the Night." To talk about how he has chosen his singles is pretty interesting because "The Hills" came out a little before "Can't Feel My Face" but they put off making "The Hills" a single until he was just about to release his album, but I had heard it back in May. I think it's because it's a little more raunchy and harder sounding then the first two singles he released before. Just something interesting to think about when it comes to why artists do what they do.

Also a notable song is "Shameless" it sounds very raw to me and the guitar in it absolutely slays. I don't see it as a single, but I do see it as a song to point out on the record because it's really pretty great. I'm also a sucker for good guitar solos in a song.

CM: If you're talking sounding just like Michael Jackson, look no further than "In the Night." He even has the intonations down to a T. I think it could work as a single.

I'm glad we're talking about "The Hills," because it's actually the official lead single of this record but it got slightly pushed to the side when "Can't Feel My Face" took off. That's not to give "The Hills" no credit; as "Face" sits at No. 1 on the charts this week, "The Hills" is holding its own at No. 4. That's no song to shake a stick at -- it's a total hit in its own right. I like it because it's just so the epitome of The Weeknd. This whole record is, in a way. This feels so transitionary. We have The Weeknd of the past in something like "Tell Your Friends," but we also have this poppy dude. I like it.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

JB: In the wonderful world of PBR&B I've always found myself more a fan of acts like Miguel and Frank Ocean. Which says a lot of my critique of The Weeknd, considering it's his raw, blatant subject matter and nasally falsetto that's always turned me away. Maybe I just prefer a couple more layers on my moody R&B crooners. Now that he's become the most visible of the genre I have to commend him for actually pushing to find a balance while some acts just stay their musical courses (Lana Del Rey) and others completely go pop (Ed Sheeran). While BBTM may not get another listen from me anytime soon, I've found new respect for Abel and will definitely be on the listen for what comes after this, because I feel like the next project will be where he truly finds the balance I feel this one still lacked, and create something a little more my speed.

LH: I agree "The Hills" is a fantastic song and one of my favorite songs off the record and I'm very glad to see it getting radio time. This record is a big transition record for The Weeknd, but unlike other artists who get lost when they have transitional record I feel that he has nailed it. I was extremely excited to hear what this record was going to sound and be like and I cannot say I was disappointed with the outcome. I've been a fan of his since I heard The Trilogy and I'll definitely continue to fan girl over The Weeknd. Unlike John, I like The Weeknd a bit more then Miguel (still a fan) but will also be listening to this record on repeat for a while.

RM: With Beauty Behind The Madness, The Weeknd cemented his status as one of the biggest stars in the world. It has been a quick rise for Tesfaye on the back of some massive singles, but putting out a complete record that is able to tell a story of love and internal struggle puts him one peg above his competition. He experiments with production, going back to some more throwback funky elements and even letting loose some guitars for solos, but the R&B dripping with sex remains a constant. BBTM is out just in time for Grammy consideration and don't be surprised to see it take home some hardware.

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Mariah Carey Announces 2nd Annual Christmas Concert Series
10/09
Link

Get ready for a Mariah Carey Christmas...again. The singer will be kicking off her second annual All I Want for Christmas Is You concert series in New York City on December 8.

The five-show series will take place at New York’s Beacon Theatre and feature songs from the festive diva's iconic 1994 Merry Christmas album, as well as tunes from 2010’s Merry Christmas II You.

Pre-sales for Mariah’s official fanclub members begin Monday, October 12 at 10 a.m. ET, with general tickets going on sale Saturday, October 17 at 10 a.m. ET.

In addition to the holiday-themed concerts, Mariah is also directing a Hallmark channel Christmas movie called Melody & Mistletoe and releasing a holiday lipstick for MAC called “All I Want.”

Here is the list of dates for her All I Want for Christmas Is You concert series:

12/8
12/9
12/14
12/15
12/17