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'Jane The Virgin' Season 2 Premiere Revealed, Plus Complete First Season Released!

Justin Baldoni, Gina Rodriguez, Ivonne Coll, Andrea Nevado, Jennie Urman, Yael Grobglas, Jamie Camil and Brett Dier attend The Paley Center For Media's 32nd Annual PALEYFEST LA 'Jane The Virgin' screening at the Dolby Theatre on March 15, 2015 in Hollywood, California. Jason Kempin/Getty Images

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Legend

Vivian Green Talks New Album and Career

Link

Thanks ID love her coice.

Who Did It First?: Great Pop Cover Songs and Their Original Artists

by Bob Leszczak (2014)

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Everybody has to start somewhere. Businessmen start on the ground floor and try to work their way up the corporate ladder. Baseball players bide their time in the minor leagues wishing for an opportunity to move up and play in the majors. Musical compositions aren't very different, some songs just don't climb the charts the first time they're recorded. However, with perseverance, the ideal singer, the right chemistry, impeccable timing, vigorous promotion, and a little luck, these songs can become very famous. So writes Bob Leszczak in the opening pages of Who Did It First? Great Pop Cover Songs and Their Original Artists.

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In this second volume in the Who Did It First? series, Leszczak explores the hidden history of the most famous, indeed legendary, pop songs and standards. As he points out, the version you purchased, swayed to, sang to, and grew up with is often not the first version recorded. Like wine and cheese, some tunes do get better with age, and behind each there is a story. Included are little-known facts and amusing anecdotes, often gathered through Leszczak's vast archive of personal interviews with the singers and songwriters, record producers and label owners, who wrote, sang, recorded, and distributed either the original first cut or one of its classic covers. The second in a series of titles devoted to the story of great songs and their revival as great covers, Who Did It First? Great Pop Cover Songs and Their Original Artists is the perfect playlist builder. So whether quizzing friends at a party, answering a radio station contest, or just satisfying an insatiable curiosity to know who really did do it first, this work is a must-have."

Bilal

In Another Life

Bilal's years spent in career limbo feel like a relatively minor blip in the wake of the many artistically ambitious personal releases and guest projects the uncompromising singer has managed to string together in recent years. The instrumental role Bilal recently played on Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp A Butterfly has given some much-deserved shine going into his latest record, and In Another Life is primed to receive that attention.

Gifted composer and producer Adrian Younge brings his revivalist approach to '60s and '70s cinematic song orchestration to the album, laying out freshly recorded, retro-style soul and funk soundscapes for Bilal to drape his multilayered vocals and fragmented love tales over. The album manages to cover a fair bit of musical ground even within its clearly defined, four-decade-old sound spectrum, moving from the tragic, closing scene feel of "Star Now" and the comparatively breezy soul of "I Really Don't Care" to the clawing, rock-tinged "Lunatic." The singer also channels Prince on the provocative "Pleasure Toys," one of the record's few wholesale sonic divergences from an otherwise fairly steady combination of analogue keys, taut bass lines, bright drum breaks and range of additional, yet sparing, instrumentation.

Bilal finds an excellent match in Adrian Younge for the type of musical exploration he's embraced with his more recent output here, and In Another Life offers yet another example of Mr. Oliver's incredible range. (eOne)

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Diana Douglas Dies: Actress, 92, Was Kirk Douglas’ First Wife And Mother of Michael And Joel Douglas

‘Glen Campbell…I’ll Be Me’ Sets CNN Films Ratings Record

CNN’s Glen Campbell…I’ll Be Me took over as the most-watched CNN Films broadcast in the franchise’s history, clocking 2.76 million viewers in its Sunday 9 PM ET premiere. The docu, about Campbell’s life, music legacy and battle with Alzheimer’s disease, trounced its cable news competitors in overall audience and also finished first in the news demo, viewers 25-54, with 510,000 viewers.

Previously, CNN Films’ most watched docu had been Blackfish, which had opened with 1.356 million total viewers on October 24, 2013.

Glen Campbell…I’ll Be Me won first place in cable news for its time period on Sunday night for all three demos in its 9-10:45 PM ET premiere. MSNBC clocked 463K total viewers and 251K news-demo viewers; Fox News Channel logged 139K news demo viewers and 593K total viewers.

CNN’s Campbell docu also towered over its cable news competitors in the younger, 18-34 age bracket with 125K viewers, to MSNBC’s 48K and FNC’s 33K.

That said, I’ll Be Me was no match in the younger bracket for Blackfish, which still reigns as CNN Film’s best performer yet, with a whopping 471,000 viewers aged 18-34.

After its premiere, CNN immediately re-ran the docu and averaged 1.26M overall, and 268K in the news demo.

CNN telecast Glen Campbell…I’ll Be Me back-to-back on CNN/U.S. with limited commercial interruptions, sponsored by Eli Lilly and Company. Sister network, HLN, will encore the docu this Friday at 8 PM ET and the film will encore on CNN/U.S. on Saturday, July 4 at 9 PM ET.

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‘Amy’ Sparkles With $37K PTA, ‘Cartel Land’ Solid: Specialty Box Office

by Brian Brooks July 5, 2015 10:53am

The late Amy Winehouse drew big crowds to cinemas over the holiday weekend with one of the biggest debuts of any specialty release this year and certainly in the top tier for any documentary. In just six theaters, A24’s simply titled Amy grossed just over $222K for a robust $37,002 per-theater average, by far the biggest of any movie reporting grosses today. Sundance Film Festival award-winner Cartel Land also launched with a solid start in a pair of locations, while Sony Pictures Classics debuted Ken Loach’s Cannes ’14 feature Jimmy’s Hall in a trio of theaters, and Pureflix had the most sizable release among specialty pictures with Faith Of Our Fathers in 344 theaters. The Orchard added 262 theaters for The Overnight with Adam Scott, Jason Schwartzman, Judith Godrèche and Taylor Schilling. The Orchard also provided digital on-demand figures for Dior And I, totaling $115K in its first week.

Director Asif Kapadia’s Amy, featuring never before seen footage and tracks of the late Amy Winehouse ruled 4th of July weekend, opening in six theaters grossing $222,015 for a sensational $37,002 average. The film is one of the year’s best debuts and now the biggest documentary opener of 2015. Another doc about an artist who died at 27, HBO Documentary’s Kurt Cobain: Montage Of Heck opened with a $35,685 average in early June, but that film had about a week-long limited run in theaters before debuting on HBO. Amy will have a longer run in theaters.

“The film has been rapturously received by critics and audiences alike with an incredible 97% positive rank on Rotten Tomatoes and an audience approval rating to match. Sell-outs and added shows have been reported across the board with both crossover commercial and art house theaters doing record-breaking business,” A24 noted this morning in a statement.

Amy will expand nationwide this coming weekend, tying into a global campaign that launched with a nationwide debut in Winehouse’s home country Great Britain.

Sundance’s US Documentary Competition best director and best cinematography winner Cartel Land by Matthew Heineman, had a more challenging sell going up against Amy. The film is an on-the-ground look at the journeys of two modern-day vigilante groups and their shared enemy – the murderous Mexican drug cartels. Still, the film showed legs, grossing $17,161 for the weekend’s second-best average at $8,580. The Orchard said the title was the weekend’s top grosser at New York’s IFC Center.

“Cartel Land‘s New York opening represents an exciting start for this emotional, affecting film,” said The Orchard’s SVP of Film & TV, Paul Davidson in a statement. “Not only is Matthew’s honest look at the stark events south of the Border resonating with audiences, but as is the hope with documentaries such as this — sparking real discussion and potential change in Mexico.” The Orchard will expand Cartel Land to the top 20 markets including the ArcLight Hollywood, featuring filmmaker Q&As with executive producer Kathryn Bigelow and actor Josh Brolin.

Sony Classics opened Ken Loach’s Jimmy’s Hall in three theaters with a so-so start. The feature grossed $21,626, averaging $7,209. IFC Films opened Loach’s 2013 title The Angels’ Share in three theaters in April, 2013, grossing $18,837 ($6,279 PSA; $346,669 cume), while his Cannes Palme d’Or winner, The Wind That Shakes The Barley opened in 15 theaters in March, 2007, grossing $135,554 ($9,036 average). It went on to come $1,836,089 stateside. SPC co-president Michael Barker said they plan a slow “rollout throughout the summer.”

Pureflix opened Faith Of Our Fathers, starring Stephen Baldwin, hoping to tap 4th of July sentiment and the faith audience. The feature, by the studio that delivered the wildly successful God’s Not Dead ($60,755,732 come), grossed a sluggish $432,505 in 344 theaters Friday to Sunday, averaging $1,257. Its five-day cume is $621,296.

Focus World added 4 locations for A Little Chaos in its second frame, still struggling with a $126K three-day gross, averaging $1,448. The title, directed by Alan Rickman and starring Kate Winslet in a period feature, opened last weekend grossing $186K, averaging $2,241. Its two-week come is now just under $396K.

The Overnight, starring Adam Scott, Jason Schwartzman, Judith Godrèche and Taylor Schilling, had quite the theater boost over 4th of July weekend, adding 262 theaters in its third frame. The feature grossed $360,855, averaging $1,175. “Despite the overall hit the holiday weekend had on the box office, we’re encouraged by The Overnight’s small 15% drop week over week in core holdover theaters — less than 5% on Friday,” The Orchard’s Davidson said today.

Meanwhile, the company’s doc Dior And I became available via digital purchase at an average $13.99 price point, grossing an estimated $115K in its first week. The title has also remained the No. 1 doc on iTunes since its launch and is still in theaters in its 13th weekend. Dior And I grossed $2,230, bringing its theatrical come to $1,017,135.

Fox Searchlight’s Me And Earl And The Dying Girl crossed $4M over the weekend, grossing $1.32M in 870 theaters ($1,517 average), placing it 9th in the overall box office.

Also passing a milestone this weekend was Roadside/Lionsgate’s Love & Mercy, which easily crossed $10M in its 5th frame. The title grossed $725,500 in 444 theaters, averaging $1,634 ($10,513,315 cume).

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Alessia Cara: The Ultimate YouTube Cover Star Success Story

The Toronto singer got picked up by Def Jam just a year ago

Credit: Photo by Meredith Truax

By: Margaret Farrell // June 17, 2015

Who: This past August, Toronto teenager Alessia Cara’s unapologetic introvert anthem “Here” upturned #turntup party playlists with her airy, tenacious vocals and natural lyric flow. Though she seemingly came out of nowhere to many of her suddenly adulatory fans, Cara was actually discovered two years ago at age 16 via her YouTube channel, which she started in 2010 and has a not-too-shabby 31,000-plus subscribers. Referring to “Here,” one of the first demos she recorded, Cara tells SPIN over the phone, “The song is one of the oldest that we made. It sounds completely different than the demo. It’s just revamped and sounds so cool and different. It’s just always been special.” Eventually, she caught the eye of an A&R at Republic Records, who was impressed by her talent, but also moving to Def Jam. Getting signed only a year ago to the label that also boasts some of her idols (Kanye West and Frank Ocean, namely) has got Cara feeling a bit starry-eyed. “It doesn’t feel like it’s real at all,” she says. “I feel like sometimes I’m just watching myself outside of my body.”

Cover Me: Cara — who grew up with first-generation Italian parents spinning records by Queen, Elvis Presley, and contemporary Italian pop — began her YouTube career at 13. Though the fan of New Zealand sibling duo Broods and belters like Amy Winehouse and Michael Bublé has sung tunes by Édith Piaf and Drake, her most-watched video is a cover of the Neighborhood’s “Sweater Weather,” which amassed more than 700,000 views. Cara can’t remember a time when she wasn’t singing — or, conversely, a time when she decided she wanted to sing. “I think singing was always the first thing that I learned,” she says. “It would always be my number-one thing. I am a singer first.” Her page still hosts every cover she’s ever done, even though she wouldn’t be caught watching them for fear that self-criticism that would lead to her pressing the delete key. Still, she says, “I want to continue doing covers because I don’t want to all of a sudden have just one song and forget about all these things that got you there. It’s always good to be conscious of that stuff.” Besides, covers allow listeners to really “hear your voice and like you just for your voice,” not just the AudioShopped polish of fancy production studios.

Stranger Than Fiction: Cara co-wrote her debut album, Know It All (due this fall), with Sebastion Kole, who also happens to be friends with Ruben Studdard and is a onetime producer for Jennifer Lopez, as well as Flo Rida. He taught her how to perfect the songwriting craft since “I didn’t really write songs before my album,” Cara says. “I was always doing covers and writing stories and stuff. I wrote a couple songs when I was a kid, but I didn’t think I was that good at it.” Cara’s focus on the old writing adage — show, don’t tell — comes out on the heavily image- and wordplay-based “Here,” in lines like “Right next to the boy who’s throwin’ up / Cause he can’t take what’s in his cup no more,” and “Excuse me if I seem a little unimpressed with this / An antisocial pessimist / But usually I don’t mess with this.” Referring to an interview with Lorde, she agrees that writing fiction and poetry helped her write more condensed, meaningful lyrics. “In a song you have to make a sentence or a small little phrase feel ten times stronger because you only have three minutes,” she adds.

Wild Thing: Cara’s forthcoming second single, “Wild Things” (she’s also debuted another new minimalist acoustic ballad, “Scars,” during a TEDxTeen Talk in May), takes a more optimistic approach, embracing the perks of being a wallflower. It’s about “accepting yourself and kind of saying that at times, even though you don’t feel like you fit in anywhere, that’s okay, and who cares,” she says. Following “Here,” the lionhearted “Wild Things” empowers the individual; at the same time, “it is kind of upbeat and it’s a more positive approach than ‘Here.’” Cara admits that, somewhat cheeky title aside, Know It All is flooded with emotional honesty. It’s “very… opinionated,” she says slowly, searching for the right word. “In every song there is a very strong feeling that is trying to be portrayed. It seems like I know everything, but I really don’t at all. It’s somewhat of a sarcastic title.”

Charanjit Singh, Acid House Pioneer, Dead at 75

Bollywood session musician accidentally helped invent acid house with 1982 LP 'Synthesizing: Ten Ragas to a Disco Beat'

Charanjit Singh, a Bollywood composer and session musician that became an accidental pioneer in acid house music, passed away Sunday at the age of 75. Kyle Gustafson/The Washington Post/Getty

Charanjit Singh, a Bollywood composer and session musician that became an accidental pioneer in acid house music, passed away Sunday at his home in Mumbai, India. He was 75. The Wire reports that Singh died in his sleep.

In 1982, after decades working in Bollywood and releasing cover albums of popular Indian songs, Singh recorded his Synthesizing: Ten Ragas to a Disco Beat, an LP that boasted many of the hallmarks of acid house while predating the outbreak of that genre by five years.

To craft his sound, Singh made innovative use of the Roland TB 303 bass synthesizer – an instrument regarded as the backbone of acid house – paired with another machine, the Roland TR 808, one of the earliest programmable drum machines. Armed with his two instruments, Singh used the 303 to pump out Indian ragas while employing the 808 to give those traditional melodies a more contemporary beat. From there, Synthesizing: Ten Ragas to a Disco Beat was created.

"There was lots of disco music in films back in 1982," Singh told The Guardian in 2011. "So I thought why not do something different using disco music only. I got an idea to play all the Indian ragas and give the beat a disco beat – and turn off the tabla. And I did it. And it turned out good." However, upon release, Ten Ragas to a Disco Beat was a commercial failure. "It didn't click," Singh said. "It didn't have any publicity. Only sometimes you could hear it on the All-Indian radio station, filling the gaps."

However, five years later in 1987, the Chicago acid house trio Phuture released their classic "Acid Tracks," catalyzing the acid house movement and firmly putting a name on the genre Singh accidentally helped create. While there was no connection between Singh and the Chicago scene that helped spread acid house, Singh was later regarded as an unintentional pioneer in a field that later bore acts like 808 State and Aphex Twin. (When Singh's manager Rana Ghose played him Phuture's "Acid Tracks" for the first time in 2010, Singh said that song was repetitive and lacked "variations," Ghose wrote in The Quietus.)

After years in obscurity, Synthesizing: Ten Ragas to a Disco Beat was unearthed in 2002, and Singh finally received the fame and recognition that eluded him decades ago: He toured both sides of the Atlantic – his debut concert came in 2012 in Antwerp, Belgium – performing his now-classic LP, which was subsequently reissued. Singh also toured briefly with Das Racist's Heems. At the time of his death, Singh was preparing for another concert in London and was also working on an album of world folk music.

"I might try my version of folk songs of the world, from Nairobi. Indian folk songs as well, of course," Singh told Rolling Stone India in 2013. "I won't leave the disco beat, because people like to dance, no?"

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Justice is Not Just a Moniker But a Way of Life for Filmmaker Vanessa Verduga

Posted by eesparza on July 1st, 2015 12:26 PM | Spotlight

Justice Woman gets serious about issues in between sitcom laughs, action-sequences and colorful superheroine costumes. Find out why this web series dramedy, is also making waves battling reality-based social injustice.

Hollywood, CA—Justice Woman, a live action comic book series, represents many things to its legions of fans—but the most important symbol is that of real world activism. Vanessa Verduga, writer, producer, director and lead actress of the series states that art should always imitate life and that everything about Justice Woman’s larger than life persona does stretch above and beyond entertainment and straight into the real world behind the camera.

Justice Woman’s recent plot lines only serve to complement Verduga’s activism for various national and worldwide causes. She is a lawyer, a feminist, an immigration advocate and a proud Latina representing minorities in what is perhaps the last major entertainment venue that hasn’t embraced equality and cultural variety—comic books.

Verduga will make notable appearances at the San Diego Comic Convention from July 9-12 to meet her fans in person. She will also be speaking on the Women of Color in Comics ...t the SDPL (San Diego Public Library) at the Logan Heights Branch Sunday July 12th at 12:30 pm.

For more information, be sure to watch Verduga on CBS-KCAL9 Sunday Morning News July 5th, in an interview with Amber Lee where she talks more about San Diego Comic Con and the upcoming panel discussion, which will be a thoughtful conversation on diversity and how it impacts the multimedia industry.

“Transparency and honesty means everything today, especially in a world where people check out your Facebook and Twitter profiles to see what you’re like in ‘real life’,” says the award-winning actress. “If you’re just playing a character on TV and nothing matters…they’ve seen that before. But if you get involved in the community, tackling the same real world issues you address on the show, you prove that this is not all just for laughs. Social injustice is everywhere and it’s within our abilities to fight it as a united front. That’s the point of Justice Woman, on screen, on comic and even behind the camera. She’s an educator as much as she’s a costumed crime fighter.”

If Justice Woman’s recent success is any indication, the association of Real Life Superhero-Activist is working, as the web series has reached a new peak of two million web viewers, along with a host of national and international awards, including the 2015 Rome Web Awards (“Best Dramedy Trailer,” “Best Dramedy Actor” for Lee J. Kaplan and a “Golden Star” for Vanessa Verduga), as well as a nomination for the 2015 KWeb Fest, South Korea’s and all of Asia’s first web festival, the 2015 Miami Web Festival with a “Best Actress” nomination for Vanessa Verduga, and the 2015 Sicily Web Series Festival in Italy.

The show’s creator hopes that all this mainstream attention will not only help to influence the comic book industry for the better by featuring more minority and female characters, but also to promote greater equality and tolerance around world—changing legislation and preventing bullying, which is the very definition of Justice.

The Justice Woman Season 3 finale episode airs Tuesday July 14, 2015, shortly after Verduga makes rounds at the San Diego Comic Con from July 9-12—as always, in character and dressed to kill…or at least dressed to crime-fight.

Justice Woman Season 3 premiered on October 28th on its YouTube Channel:
http://youtube.com/JusticeWomanSeries

For more about Justice Woman visit: http:// JusticeWoman.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/JusticeWomanSeries | Twitter: @JusticeWoman1

For more information, check out this TV interview:
http://losangeles.cbsloca...eb-series/

Vanessa Verduga is an actor, writer, singer, director, producer and lawyer committed to examining social issues for their impact on the underprivileged and disenfranchised. She is the creator and star of the popular award-winning web series Justice Woman, which follows the story of an Assistant District Attorney, by day, who becomes a defender of truth and justice at night. Vanessa also stars and produces H.O.M.E., a feature film that examines the loss of communication told through the immigrant’s perspective, as well as The Hunting for Lost Characters, a sci-fi action short film that follow’s one man’ desperate attempt to save himself from deletion. Verduga is also a member of the Women in Comics Collective NYC International, an artistic and informative initiative that seeks to educate communities about the role and value of Women working in the comic book profession.

For more on Vanessa, visit: http://www.VanessaVerduga.com

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Will Smith Reveals Drake Collaboration on Son Jaden's Beats 1 Radio Station

Will Smith (Photo : AFP / Getty)

The Fresh Prince of Bel Air has announced that he's still getting jiggy with it and is collaborating with Drake. The rapper-turned-movie star divulged the news on his son Jaden's latest 24/7 Beats 1 radio show available on Apple Music.

For Jaden's very first episode, he spoke to his father, Will Smith, who called in to discuss his future endeavors, which include getting back into the music game. "I'm not sure what I'm going to do yet but I'm exploring. I'm in a creative ceiling," he said, according to Hypetrak.

"I can't write and stop, I have to keep going and going and write them out," he continued before teasing the upcoming partnership between himself and the Toronto native and former Degrassi star.

Smith put out his last album in 2005 titled Lost and Found and previously announced that he's recorded nearly "seven or eight" songs with rap mogul Kanye West, notes NME. After being photographed alongside each other in a Brazil studio in 2013, Smith went on record to explain he's been "messing around with Kanye."

"You know I've recorded a lot. I've recorded a lot. I don't have anything I like yet, but I've probably recorded seven or eight [songs]. It's not for certain, it's just explorative," he added.

The conversation led to writing processes and creativity procedures as well as Smith attributing his dedication and focus to his son. He mentioned a "group chat" in which Jaden may have been responsible for leading Smith and Drake to one another.

Although it's been a decade since Smith released some tunes, there's no doubt the 46-year-old star can figure out how to craft a few catchy tracks.

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Geico's Music Guest Stars: Salt-N-Pepa, Little Richard, Kenny Rogers and More

Little Richard enjoys breakfast...and insurance. (Photo : Geico)

The latest commercial from Progressive Insurance features Carnie Wilson of the '90s pop standouts Wilson Phillips, which once spent ten weeks at no. 2 on the Billboard 200 because MC Hammer simply refused to give up the no. 1 spot. Perhaps that sad lack of a no. 1 has resulted in the group being somewhat less recognizable to millennials than the emcee. Your correspondent and his wife argued about the wisdom of the guest spot while watching the commercial. It went something like this:

YC: I'm not sure people will recognize someone from Wilson Phillips.

YCW: I know this song ("Hold On" plays as the waiting music as Carnie attempts to file a claim).

YC: Right but no one is going to realize who Carnie Wilson is.

YCW: Who?

YC: The woman in the commercial.

YCW: She's the one who sings the song?

That said, I enjoyed the commercial, and most insurance companies understand that they can't get the most lucrative of sponsors because...the Rolling Stones don't need to do commercials. One company has spent the last decade atop the wacky insurance commercial game is, of course, Geico. We went back and found all of their oddball entries that feature musical guests (the aforementioned Hammer went with Nationwide).

Real Service, Real Savings

One of Geico's advertising campaigns brought in far more celebrities than any other was its "Real Service, Real Savings," which featured actual Geico customers discussing their pleasant experiences with the company...followed by celebrities giving dramatic reenactments of the same words. Three music stars swung by for the series: The Pips (although not frontwoman Gladys Knight) swung to give a soulful replication, Peter Frampton stood in the background, using his signature talk-box effect to play the testimony on his guitar, but the best had to be Little Richard's appearance. Anyone who's seen Richard love knows that he seemingly loses sanity when he's pounding on the piano...and this commercial is especially hilarious because he wails and squawks without the instrument, turning it into a more comical routine.

"I've Got Good News"

Many will remember the Geico campaign that opened, seemingly as a commercial for something other than insurance. One such TV spot opened with a rock band playing in the garage, before the frontman finally cuts the sound and explains to the guitarist that things just aren't working out. Suddenly an acoustic flourish comes from off-camera, and we move to see Stephen "Esteban" Paul sitting in the corner. The guitarist has made most of his money by hawking instructional videos and signature guitars on shopping networks such as QVC, wearing sunglasses and a bolero every time, so we're expecting him to explain how the fired guitarist can turn his fate around. Instead, Esteban's good news is that he saved a whole bunch of money on his car insurance by switching to Geico. The fact that we unwittingly had that last line memorized is a sign of good advertising.

Get Geico, Get Happy

This was perhaps the most musical of all the Geico campaigns, as every episode of the "Get Geico, Get Happy" commercials featured a pair of bluegrass musicians picking while repeating the line "how happy does...more happy than..." catchphrase. This episode's plot also involved '70s-'80s rocker Eddie Money, who found one of his most lasting hits in 1978 with "Two Tickets To Paradise." That song is turned into a predictable joke for this commercial as the guitarist operates a travel agency, using the opportunity to whip out his hit song whenever possible. The family in the ad reminds him that they need four tickets, not two, and that the trip will be the following month, unable to comply with "pack your bags, we'll leave tonight."

Did You Know?

One of the more recent successful Geico campaigns has involved citizens declaring that "everyone knows" that Geico is a great deal, which encourages their conversational partner to give them a more obscure fact. This particular spot, like the aforementioned Money ad, features a punchline that can be seen from a mile away. One of the young men looking at TVs at an electronics store asks his pal if he knew that "playing cards with Kenny Rogers gets old pretty fast." Rogers has had 17 no. 1 singles on the US Country Charts, but none have become as embedded in the genre's culture as "The Gambler," which essentially poker into a metaphor for life. Rogers appears at a poker table, singing the song incessantly, to the chagrin of his playing partners.

"When You're ______, You ___________"

The most recent Geico commercial to feature a musical guest star, and the most annoying to the aforementioned wife of your correspondent, features Salt-N-Pepa as part of the brand's "When You're _____" campaign. More specifically, "when you're Salt-N-Pepa, you push it. It's just what you do." The group is seen in a series of situations where telling folks to "push it, push it real good" makes sense, such as a football player driving a sled down the field, a couple at a Lamaze class and-your correspondent's favorite-simply instructing a man that he needs to push the door open...not pull it. As a side note, one of our favorite commercials thus far this year is the Dora The Explorer-themed chapter of this campaign.

ROCK 'N ROLL HALL OF FAMER DION ON FAME, MUSIC, DRUG ADDICTION AND RELIGION

BY ELLIOT STEPHEN COHEN

"I first started asking questions when I saw my friend Frankie Lyman (who sang "Why Do Fools Fall In Love") die in the winter of '68," recalls Dion, speaking about his religious conversion. "He was only 26 years old. I had been hanging out with him, using drugs. One day, I just got down on my knees and said, ‘God, if you're real, you gotta help me.’ I was committing a slow suicide. That's when my life was really spared. I haven't had a drug or drink since."

Born Dion Francis DiMucci in New York's Bronx Borough on July 18, 1939, as a child, he was attracted to the sounds of country music played on the radio. In 1957, a year after Rock and Roll took America by storm, Dion and local friends Carlo Mastrangelo, Angelo D'Aleo and Fred Milano formed a Doo Wop inspired vocal group, they called Dion and The Belmonts.

In 1959, they were touring with Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and The Big Bopper when, on February 3, those three singers perished in a plane crash. If fate hadn't intervened, Dion would have been on that flight. According to Dion, the cost of a seat was $36, which he remembered was what his parents paid for a month's rent during his childhood in the Bronx. So he offered his seat to the 17-year-old Valens (famous for “La Bamba”) ... something he thinks about to this day.

The following year, after four years of success and hits like "I Wonder Why," "Don't Pity Me," "A Teenager In Love," and "Where Or When," Dion and The Belmonts went their separate ways, due to financial problems and musical differences. However, as a solo artist, Dion's star now rose even higher, with popular recordings like "Runaround Sue," "The Wanderer," "Ruby Baby" and "Donna The Prima Donna."

Increased dependency on drugs (plus the Beatles-led “British Invasion”) saw his career take a drastic turn downward. Things changed in 1968, when Dion decided to clean up his drug habit. He was presented with the socially relevant composition, "Abraham, Martin, and John," which ushered in a whole new era. Reinventing himself as a granny-glasses-and-beret-wearing acoustic guitar strumming troubadour, while most of his early contemporaries were resigned to the oldies circuit, Dion was attracting a whole new hip, sophisticated audience.

Noted rock journalist Dave Marsh has called Dion the only 50's rock star who has remained relevant. His most recent Grammy nomination came in 2007, for the "Son Of Skip James" album, and his latest studio offering, 2012's "Tank Full Of Blues" also received much critical praise.

Dion has infused his love of the blues and Christian faith into his work and has never stopped creating. He is currently working on a new album of all his original compositions.

Now living in Boca Raton, Florida, and involved in many projects like preaching to prisoners and working with people recovering from drug addiction, he has drastically cut down on touring. However, he will be doing a couple of rare concerts at Englewood, New Jersey's BergenPAC on July 8, and the following night at MAYO, in Morristown, New Jersey.

EXAMINER: How influential was Hank Williams when you first became interested in music?

DION: Hank Williams was definitely one the first people to make a real impression on me. I had an extensive collection of his records, probably every 78 he made. I was good friends with Lou Chicchetti at Cousin's Records Store on Fordham Road in The Bronx. He used to call me every time a new Hank Williams record came out. I was like the only guy in my Italian neighborhood who was into him. When I went on tour with Buddy Holly in '59 on that ill-fated Winter Dance Party tour, Waylon Jennings, who wasn't "Waylon Jennings" then, just a 21 year old kid trying to play bass, he was so impressed with all the Hank Williams songs I knew, he said (Dion imitates a Texas accent), "Where'd you say you were from?" (Laughs.) I had never met him before, but we became very good friends on that tour.

EXAMINER: You've also been very influenced by the blues for many years.

DION: Yes. I was steeped into the music of Jimmy Reed. You know how you get affected by something inside you that just resonated. I think one of the greatest compliments I've ever received was when this young kid came backstage at Joe's Pub, when I had the "Bronx In Blue" album out. He said, "What Jimmy Reed did for you, you do for me." That was kind of hard for me to even digest.

EXAMINER: Getting back to Buddy Holly, I understand, you're the only rock star who ever had Buddy Holly playing drums for him onstage.

DION: Yeah, that's true. The drummer on that tour, Carl Bunch, got frostbite from travelling on the bus. We had to drop him off at the hospital. So, on the shows, I sometimes played drums, and sometimes it was Carlo Mastrangelo, one of The Belmonts. We would switch off, just whoever could fill in here and there. The tour went on, you know.

EXAMINER: Speaking of The Belmonts, last year I met Angelo at an Oldies concert.

DION: Oh, Angelo, my hero! He's a great guy. I mean, he'll cook spaghetti for you and talk to you all day. He was one of the original Belmonts, but he wasn't on that Buddy Holly tour. He recorded with us, but then he went into the Navy. The guy definitely stuck to his commitments. Always a straight-up guy.

EXAMINER: At the time of the fatal plane crash, were you religious?

DION: No, not really. In fact when I got off that tour, I went straight to the Catholic Church to talk to Monsignor Pernicone. He said to me, "You know, Dion. In our faith, relationships never end. They don't remain stagnant. That's just the way it is. You prayed for those you lost, and one day you'll see them again, but your relationship will have moved on." I actually never knew that about the Catholic or Jewish faith at the time.

EXAMINER: More than 56 years have gone by since the crash. Do you ever think it was God's intervention that prevented you from getting on that plane?

DION: Well, I don't exactly ask myself that question, but when I think about it, I feel very grateful that I'm here. That's all I can say. I feel grateful that I saw my three daughters born, and have been able to go about my business of being a good father. A lot of people have many misconceptions about religion. I know what I'm talking about for myself. My mind is very ordered, so to speak. I need to put things in order.

EXAMINER: But do you ever think there was some mystical reason for why you didn't get on that plane, that your life was spared because you still had a lot of work left to do in this world?

DION: Well, in this world, sometimes people are taken away from us to prevent what's in store for them ... from my perspective anyway, which is very limited, to say the least. Sometimes I think I know everything, but I also underestimate what God really is. What the real deal is, I don't have the slightest idea, but I will tell you this: You couldn't find three guys more gracious and more talented than Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and The Big Boppper. They were like three angels in my life. Maybe God thought I had more work to do, and they didn't. Maybe their work was over already. Maybe I was spared to help those who need help getting out of drug addiction, alcoholism, doing jail time ...

EXAMINER: Now, shortly after that tour, you left The Belmonts and even though you began a very successful recording career the very next year, at only 21, you were hospitalized for heroin addiction. At what age did the drug usage begin?

DION: Oh, it started when I was 14. I was just a crazy kid. If you want to know, I got pulled into it big time. You know, at first you think you've found heaven. It cools you out, and then it really becomes hell. See, when you're not hooked up with your creator, to me that's a kind of insanity. It's a setup for dysfunction or even addiction. What are you gonna fill your life up with when you don't have that ultimate satisfaction or peace in your life? You try to fill it up with wealth, pleasure, honor, power, sex, drugs and Rock and Roll to try to feel good. Then you get this kind of low-grade panic like "It's not completely doing it for me. What's wrong?" You see people with a lot of money that are very unhappy. They're not satisfied with their lives.

EXAMINER: So, even your fame as a major rock star wasn't bringing you any personal satisfaction.

DION: Exactly. That's what happened to me. I came from nothing. My father never had real job, and now I had the success. I had had the girl I love. My bank account was full. I had a big contract with Columbia (Records). I was guaranteed a hundred thousand dollars a year for five years, which was big money in the early 60's. You think, acquiring all that stuff should cool you out, but for me it wasn't true. None of that was making me feel satisfied.

EXAMINER: In 1974, you made the album "Born To Be With You" with Phil Spector (currently incarcerated on a murder conviction – Ed.) ... that you were reportedly very unhappy with. What went wrong with the sessions?

DION: Phil Spector was not an easy guy to be with ... not easy to work with. I respected him so much. You know, we all love his music. I knew how to get along with him. He respected me, but being with him ... let me tell you, it was work! (Laughs.) Maybe at times he'd have had too many beers. You know, when you have too many beers, you become like a control freak on everything, but I still had a deep love for the guy. I mean, he was Phil Spector.

EXAMINER: What was the inspiration for "The Wanderer," which you co-wrote with Ernie Maresca? It seems you had the perfect image and attitude to do the song. I can't think of anyone else who could do the song more justice.

DION: Well, back then, Johnny Maestro of The Crests used to do a medley of my songs, and even Del Shannon would do a medley of my songs, "The Wanderer," "Runaround Sue," "Ruby Baby" … One time, a disk jockey asked me, "What do you think about the way Del Shannon and Johnny Maestro do "Runaround Sue," and I said, "They sing "Runaround Sue" much, much, much ... much better than I can sing "Runaway" or "Sixteen Candles." Those guys had special high voices. Man, they were good.

EXAMINER: But you really had the perfect persona make “The Wanderer” credible, to bring it to life.

DION: You know, "The Wanderer" is really a sad song. The lyrics go, "I roam from town to town. I go through life without a care. I'm as happy as a clown …" Clowns are not, in my mind, happy people. The character in the song is the kind of guy whose life is very empty, but he keeps going, searching for something. It's really a much darker song than it sounds like on the surface. This guy sounds like he's going to hell, but he's happy about it.

EXAMINER: Can you give me a few anecdotes about some people you worked with, like Roy Orbison?

DION: Roy Orbison was really unique, really distinctive in what he did. A great songwriter who taught me a lot about writing songs. A gentleman. A quiet man, and you'd think he'd be loud when he sang, but he was actually very quiet. If you were standing next to him when he hit the last note of his great hit "Crying," it was so soft, you almost wouldn't believe it. It sounds like it should be loud, but it wasn't.

EXAMINER: Del Shannon.

DION: Very underrated guy, a real artist. We could sit together and sing Hank Williams and George Jones songs all night. I went on tour with him a lot ... a troubled guy (Shannon fatally shot himself in the head in 1990 - Ed.), but I just loved listening to him. As I said, a truly great artist.

EXAMINER: Bobby Vee who, of course, was one of the singers who filled in for Buddy Holly on that tragic tour, and is now sadly in the early stages of Alzheimer's.

DION: Bobby Vee is a great guy. Someone you could easily hang with. Sweet man, beautiful man, a big-hearted guy, he and his whole family.

EXAMINER: You have a new album out, "Live At The Other End," which has the 1971 show released in its entirety for the first time. What are your impressions now, listening to it?

DION: I don't know. It's kind of hard to take because I'm so far away from it. I know it came from me, but I've done so much growing since then. There are things you would do a lot differently now. It's like, you being a writer, you look at some of your early stuff and you probably think ...

EXAMINER: It's terrible …

DION: Yeah, I would say things a little different now, but I told the record company that it's OK to release it, being that it's just like a little snapshot of me from '71.

EXAMINER: How is the new album coming along?

DION: Well, as a matter of fact, I just finished recording some new songs with The Black Italians, guys who play with the Conan O'Brien band. You know, if I didn't still feel relevant, I wouldn't be making another album, but I really feel more relevant today than I did when I was 21. So I wrote 12 new songs, some of the most awesome songs I've ever written in my whole life. Personally, I think they easily match up with "Runaround Sue," "The Wanderer," and "Abraham, Martin and John." Hey, you gotta hear this new song called "New York Is My Home," that I did with Paul Simon. Forget about Simon and Garfunkel. Let me tell you, it's now Simon and DiMucci ! (Laughs.)

EXAMINER: Tell me a little about some of the volunteer work you do.

DION: Not that long ago, there was a weekend retreat for disabled people ... some of them lying on gurneys ... some can't walk or even talk. Some may be war veterans ... people that nobody gives a sh... about. I went up there to entertain them, and man, it really makes you feel alive that you can do a little something to put a smile on people's faces ... call them by name, and sing a few songs to honor them. To me it's as big as doing Carnegie Hall.

EXAMINER: With your 76th birthday coming up very soon, do you still enjoy going out on the road?

DION: Well, I'm not really out on the road that much any more. There are guys like Bob Dylan and Mike Love (of The Beach Boys) who just love being out there. God bless them. I really don't know how they do it. I have a full life off the road. I was never in it just for the money or the career. That's why I'm comfortable with myself. I know who I am out of the spotlight. However, when I do perform, walking out on stage with my Tele, taking the stance and being the bandleader for the night, taking people on a trip ... it's still so much freakin' fun! It warms my heart seeing people getting such a kick out these songs. If you're performing for the right reasons, it's glorious.

EXAMINER: And performing keeps you young ...

DION: You know, back when I was in high school, I came out onstage with my guitar and had four guys playing behind me. We were just playing a dance, but I was standing in front of an audience rocking out. I'm still rocking out like when I was a kid. I haven't changed.

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2 Jul 2015

How to Watch San Diego Comic-Con 2015

Marvel, DC, and more every day.

By Mitch DyerSan Diego Comic-Con is going to be huge for comics, movies, television, and games this year. The event runs from July 9-12, and we've got a lot in store for you -- including coverage of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Deadpool, Batman v Superman, The Flash, Hateful 8, The Walking Dead, Arrow, and a lot more.

Star Wars: Force Awakens to Be Shown Off at Comic-Con - IGN News

00:37

At Comic-Con 2015, IGN will be running its own live show Thursday through Saturday from 1-5 each day. IGN Live will feature exciting interviews, demos, and news from the Con. We'll post the full sched...s SDCC Hub. Each day on the live stream, we'll be talking to folks from your favorite TV shows and movies, including Deadpool, The Walking Dead, Hitman: Agent 47, The Flash, Arrow, Ash vs. Evil Dead, Gotham, Agent Carter, Supergirl and many others. We'll also be showcasing game demos from Nintendo, LEGO and more.

In addition, IGN is partnering with The Nerd Machine to stream their Conversations For a Cause panels from Nerd HQ, which fans can watch on July 9-12 right here on IGN. Tune in to see panels with William Shatner, Joss Whedon, Yvonne Strahovski and many more.

We'll also be moderating panels, hosting signings, and geeking out about everything on display at SDCC.

This is how and where you can watch IGN's all-encompassing SDCC coverage. All times are in Pacific.

Where You Can Meet IGN

Are you attending SDCC this year? IGN Editors and Hosts will be all over the show, and we want to hang out with you.

• Thursday, July 9, 2pm-3pm: IGN Comics Editor Joshua Yehl is moderating New DC Universe – Mysteries in Space: Are You Ready? in Room 6DE
• Thursday, July 9, 3pm-4pm: IGN Editor Roth Cornet will be in Room 6A moderating Powers: Ordinary Heroes, Extraordinary Possibilites: A Deeper Look at the Hit PlayStation Series
• Thursday, July 9, 5pm-6pm: IGN TV Executive Editor Eric Goldman will talk to Bryan Cranston, Seth Green and the creators of SuperMansion, the upcoming stop-motion animated series, in the Hilton Bayfront's Indigo Ballroom

• Friday, July 10, 12:30pm-1pm: The 100 panel in Ballroom 20 comes to you moderated by Eric Goldman, as the cast and creator talk Season 3
• Friday, July 10, 3pm-4pm: Join Joshua Yehl again in Room 6DE as he moderates New DC Universe – Justice For all: Are You Ready?
• Friday, July 10, 7:30pm-8:30pm: Eric Goldman is at Room 24ABC to moderate An Inside Look at Shout! Factory, Shout! Kids, and Scream Factory
• Friday, July 10, 7:30pm-8:30pm: If you'd rather see critics talk about reviews in Room 5AB, check out Roth on the Your Opinion Sucks!: Rotten Tomatoes: Critics vs. Fans panel

• Saturday, July 11, 10:30am-11:30am: In Room 5AB we'll have Roth diving deep as the moderator of AMC's Into the Badlands
• Saturday, July 11, 5:15pm-6:15pm: Room 6BCF has IGN Writer Matt Fowler moderating the Person of Interest panel, to learn what's in store for Season 5
• Saturday, July 11, 5:30pm-6:30pm: Get your witch on with Eric Goldman as he moderates the Salem panel in Room 6A
• Saturday, July 11, 7:30pm-8:30pm: IGN Editor in Chief Steve Butts is talking to Creative Assembly in Room 26AB for Total War: Warhammer: Bringing Tabletop Gaming to Life

Where to Watch

Can't make it to San Diego? You can watch SDCC on pretty much every connected device in your home or pocket. Here are some links to the apps (download them today!) and other places where you can watch the SDCC live stream and IGN's show coverage as well. Watch the SDCC 2015 live stream on...

• Desktop Computer
• Phone or Tablet
• IGN's iOS App
• IGN's Android App
• IGN's PlayStation 4 App
• IGN's Xbox One App
• IGN's Xbox 360 App
• Roku
• IGN App for Android TV
• IGN for Amazon Fire TV

Don't miss a minute of our SDCC coverage. With Star Wars, MCU, and DC exploding on film, television, and in comics, SDCC is going to be superb.

Mitch Dyer is an Editor at IGN. He hosts IGN Arena, a podcast about MOBAs.

Comic-Con 2015: 'Batman v Superman' stars, KISS, 'Hunger Games' stars and more

July 5, 2015 10:19 PM MST

Carla Hay

Movies On Demand Examiner

"Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" stars Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill and Gal Gadot at Comic-Con International 2014 in San Diego

Getty Images

The 2015 edition of Comic-Con International (the world's largest pop-culture convention), which is set to take place in San Diego from July 9 to 12, will feature less movie presentations in Hall H (San Diego Convention Center's largest room, which holds about 5,000 people) than in recent years. There used to be a time (about five years ago) when most of the panels in Hall H were for movies. Now, most of the Hall H panels are for TV shows. Hall H panels are the ones that usually get the most attention, since they have the biggest audience turnouts and the most high-profile star appearances and sneak previews.

Several major studios have toned down their presence at Comic-Con International in 2015. Sony, Paramount and Marvel Studios have all opted to not make any presentations at Hall H this year. And most of the remaining major movie studios that will have Hall H presentations will not have the usual number of media interviews for the movies, presumably in an effort to prevent spoiler information about the movies from leaking. The publicity teams at 20th Century Fox, Disney/Lucasfilm and Warner Bros. Pictures have informed the media that they will not be having red-carpet interviews, press conferences and other usual interview opportunities at Comic-Con before or after their Hall H presentations in 2015.

That doesn't mean there won't be any star power at Comic-Con. Here are the biggest movie highlights:

All times listed are Pacific Daylight Time.

Thursday, July 9, 2015

"The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2": Although it hasn't been officially announced, expect stars Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth to return to Comic-Con to promote this last installment in the "Hunger Games" movies series. The three stars were at Comic-Con in 2013 to promote "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire." The Comic-Con panel discussion is from 12 p.m. to 1:15 p.m. Lionsgate will release "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2" in the U.S. and Canada on Nov. 20, 2015.

"Scooby-Doo! and KISS: Rock and Roll Mystery": For this direct-to-video animated movie, KISS members Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer will join voice cast members Pauley Perrette, Grey Griffin and Matthew Lillard; directors/producers Tony Cervone and Spike Brandt; and writer Kevin Shinick for a panel discussion and video presentation, from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Warner Bros. Home Entertainment will release "Scooby-Doo! and KISS: Rock and Roll Mystery" on Digital HD on July 10, 2015, and on Blu-ray Combo Pack and DVD on July 21, 2015.

Open Road Films will do a panel discussion/presentation from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., but no further details have been announced.

Friday, July 10, 2015

"Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens": The panelists announced so far are Lucasfilm president/producer Kathleen Kennedy, director J.J. Abrams, writer Lawrence Kasdan. But the "special guests" should include Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill (three of the stars from the first three "Star Wars" movies to be released), in addition to the strong possibility that "The Force Awakens" stars Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong'o, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley and John Boyega could also make appearances. Disney's Lucasfilm will release "Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens" in the U.S. and Canada on Dec. 18, 2015.

Kevin Smith makes his annual Comic-Con presentation. This year, the filmmaker talk about his movies "Mallbrats" and "Yoga Hosers," in addition to his reality show "Comic Book Men." Smith's panel takes place from 7:15 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Saturday, July 11, 2015

Warner Bros. Pictures will present these movies with panel discussions and sneak-preview footage from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.:

• "Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice," with director Zack Snyder and stars Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Jesse Eisenberg, Jeremy Irons, Holly Hunter and Gal Gadot. This will be the first full-fledged panel discussion with the stars of the movie. (Affleck, Cavill and Gadot made a brief photo-op appearance for the movie at Comic-Con in 2014.) The U.S./Canada release date for "Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice" is March 25, 2016.
• "Pan," with stars Hugh Jackman, Garrett Hedlund and Levi Miller and director Joe Wright. The U.S./Canada release date for "Pan" is Oct. 9, 2015
• "The Man from U.N.C.L.E.," with stars Henry Cavill, Armie Hammer, Alicia Vikander and Elizabeth Debicki. The U.S./Canada release date for "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." is Aug. 14, 2015.

Screen Gems will present these movies with panel discussions and sneak-preview footage from 12:15 p.m. to 1:15 p.m.

• "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies," with stars Lily James, Sam Riley, Bella Heathcote, Douglas Booth, Jack Huston and Matt Smith, along with writer/director Burr Steers and the book's author Seth Grahame-Smith.
• "Patient Zero," with stars Matt Smith, John Bradley, Natalie Dormer and Clive Standen along with director Stefan Ruzowitzky and screenwriter Mike Le.

The Weinstein Company's "The Hateful Eight" panel from 1:30 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. has only announced so far that writer/director Quentin Tarantino and unnamed cast members will be in attendance. Those cast members should include Comic-Con regular Samuel L. Jackson, as well as Kurt Russell, Walton Goggins and Jennifer Jason Leigh. The U.S./Canada release date for "The Hateful Eight" is Dec. 25, 2015.

Legendary Pictures will present these movies with panel discussions and sneak-preview footage from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., but has not yet announced who will be on these panels

• "Warcraft": director Duncan Jones with stars Robert Kazinsky, Paula Patton, Dominic Cooper, Travis Fimmell and/or Ben Foster could be among those on the panel. The U.S./Canada release date for "Warcraft" is June 10, 2016.
• "Crimson Peak": Expect to see director Guillermo del Toro, along with stars Charlie Hunnam, Jessica Chastain, Tom Hiddleston, Mia Wasikowska and/or Doug Jones. The U.S./Canada release date for "Crimson Peak" is Oct. 10, 2016.

20th Century Fox is keeping so quiet about its panel that takes place from 5:45 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. that the studio hasn't even announced which movies will be presented. However, most people are guessing that "X-Men: Apocalypse" will be the main attraction. In 2013, 20th Century Fox had an all-star Comic-Con panel for "X-Men: Days of Future Past," so expect another star-studded presentation for "X-Men: Apocalypse" that should include Jennifer Lawrence, Channing Tatum, Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy, Oscar Isaac, Evan Peters, Sophie Turner, Kodi Smit-McPhee and Rose Byrne. "X-Men: Apocalypse" is set for release in the U.S. and Canada on May 16, 2016. And speaking of "X-Men: Days of Future Past," there will be a special Comic-Con screening of the Blu-ray "X-Men: Days of Future Past Rogue Cut" at Reading Cinemas Gaslamp 15 in San Diego at 8 p.m. on July 11, 2015.

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Micky Dolenz 54 Below Rehearsal Exclusive Interview!

Link: http://www.themacwire.com...interview/

Red Lane, Nashville Hall Of Fame Songwriter, Dies At 76 [Video]

Red Lane, who was a songwriter for country stars like Tammy Wynette, Willy Nelson, and Waylon Jennings, died this week after losing his battle with cancer. He was 76.

Lane was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1993 for his contributions to country music, and in 2010, he was featured in the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s Poets and Prophets series. He found success with his own music which was released by RCA in the early 1970s. His hit “The World Needs a Melody,” reached the Top 40, according to Rolling Stone magazine.

Although his music was widely appreciated by the country music scene, he found more success writing songs for other artists, reports Canada Journal.

Red co-wrote the Tammy Wynette number one hit “‘Til I Get It Right,” and his portfolio includes “Blackjack County Chain” for Willy Nelson and the Del McCoury Band, “The Eagle” for Waylon Jennings, “My Own Kind of Hat” for Merle Haggard, “Tell Me Something Bad About Tulsa” for George Strait, and “He’ll Be Back” for Lee Ann Womack. Lane also played guitar on recorded music for “Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash, Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, Bobby Bare, Nelson and Jennings, and played in Haggard and Dottie West’s bands” reports Canada Journal.

As previously reported by the Inquisitr, Red Lane was born Hollis Rudolph DeLaughter in Zona, Louisiana. The son of sharecroppers, Lane’s father, a musician, taught Red to play guitar at the tender age of 10. According to family legend, Red’s father sold his favorite.22 rifle to buy a guitar – and Red Lane’s career as a hit song writer was born.

The Lane family moved frequently, and after graduating from high school in Indiana, Red joined the Air Force where he served as an aircraft engine mechanic. He had wanted to become a pilot, but since he was color blind, he was disqualified from that mission reports the Tennessean.

In addition to his passion for music, Lane was also fascinated with planes and aviation, and eventually was able to get his pilots license. In the 70s, he started parachuting out of air crafts, and in a 1975 interview with the Tennessean, he said that it was “the nearest mettle tester [he’d] ever experienced.” For more than 30 years just outside of Nashville, Lane lived in a DC-8 passenger jet, which he had converted into a house, reports Rolling Stone.

According to the Tennessean, Red Lane’s extensive experience was a skydiver was the inspiration behind the song “The Day I Jumped From Uncle Harvey’s Plane,” recorded by Roger Miller.

Funeral arrangements for Red Lane have not been made available.

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Natalie Martinez & Jessica Szohr Join DirecTV’s ‘Kingdom’

Natalie Martinez (Secrets and Lies) is set as a regular and Jessica Szohr (Gossip Girl) as a recurring on the the upcoming second season of DirecTV’s MMA drama Kingdom. The series, from creator/showrunner Byron Balasco, follows the story of Alvey Kulina (Frank Grillo) who owns and runs a mixed martial arts gym called Navy St. Gym in Venice, California, with his girlfriend, Lisa (Kiele Sanchez).

Martinez, repped by Atlas Artists and WME, will play Alicia Mendez, described as a woman who is damaged with self-destructive tendencies. Although talented, she is fairly inexperienced fighter who takes a meeting with Lisa (Sanchez). Whitney doesn’t have a very impressive record, but she appreciates the fact that Lisa’s a straight shooter who really means to help her. Szohr, repped by Atlas Artists and ICM Partners, will play Laura Melvin, an artist/photographer who’s “read everything, been everywhere,” and immediately intrigued by Jay (Jonathan Tucker) whom she wants to hire for a photo shoot. Nick Jonas and Matt Lauria also star.

Kingdom, from Endemol Shine Studios, just started production on Season 2 in Los Angeles.

‘Self/Less’ Star Natalie Martinez: ‘I’d Be Kind Of Interested To See Life As Another Gender’ [Video]

Self/Less delivers a new take on the standard Frankenstein myth, as science advances far enough to allow anyone with enough money to shed their old body for a new one. Natalie Martinez stars as Madeline in the Self/Less story of Damian Hale (Ben Kingsley), a billionaire who pays a small ransom to exchange his aged cancer-ridden body for that of a youthful, healthy body, no questions asked. Hale comes out in the form of Ryan Reynolds, but soon learns that his renewed youth has come at a price.

Natalie Martinez’s character figures prominently into the plot of Self/Less and the role allows Natalie to deliver a powerful performance in this sci-fi mystery. Although no stranger to sci-fi, having spent some time in the CBS drama Under The Dome, Martinez still felt drawn to Self/Less from the moment she read the script.

“I like jobs that are kind of challenging,” Self/Less’ Martinez said. “I always like to push myself and be like, ‘Can I do it?’ And after I do it I feel such a sense of accomplishment. The type of movie it is, that sci-fi psychological thriller… This is actually set in real science so it’s not really that far off so I kind of like those movies that make you kind of think. You know what I’m saying? Like, ‘Would you?’ ‘Could you?'”

It seems Natalie echoes what many people would probably say, when confronted with the choice that drives the plot of Self/Less. Ms. Martinez seems to respond with confidence, when she declines the idea of beginning again in a new body as is seen in Self/Less.

“I do not need to do this twice!” Martinez explained. “I’m just really happy right now in the position I’m in. This is a situation I feel like the grass isn’t greener on the other side. I’m happy, I’m content. I feel like you’re given that chance. You’re given once chance to live it up to the fullest and live life and do everything it is that you’ve ever thought of or imagined and at the finish line just figure it out.”

Ms. Martinez does confess to using the technology in Self/Less to satisfy her own curiosity about living life on the other side of the fence.

“If anything, I’d be kind of interested to see life as another gender,” Martinez says. “I’ve had my trials and tribulations and amazing times as I woman. I wanna figure out what those are for a man. You know? That’d be kind of interesting.”

Self/Less will be released in theaters on July 10.

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Björk, Manchester International Festival, review: 'very beautiful indeed'

Despite basing her show around heartbreak, Björk was clearly having fun, says Rob Hughes

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Amanda Peterson, former actress best known for 'Can't Buy Me Love,' found dead at 43: report

Ron Galella/WireImage

Former actress Amanda Peterson, pictured in 1988, was discovered dead in her Colorado home at the age of 43.

“Can’t Buy Me Love” star Amanda Peterson was found dead in her Colorado home Sunday, a tragic end for a former actress once considered a major up-and-comer in Hollywood, TMZ is reporting.

No cause of death has been announced for Peterson, who would have turned 44 on Wednesday, though her father told the gossip site that, “she had some illness and a sleep apnea problem that may have contributed."

The actress, who broke into show business as one of the orphans in the 1982 movie musical, “Annie,” she had a prolific working actor career that peaked five years later with the NBC drama, “A Year in the Life,” on the small screen and “Can’t By Me Love” on the big screen.

The success of Peterson’s turn opposite Patrick Dempsey in that high school romantic comedy never translated to wider success.

By 1994, after the forgettable family movie, “Winderrunner,” Peterson retired from t he industry and moved back to her home town of Greeley, Colo.

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Jerry Weintraub, the legendary Hollywood producer and Emmy award winner, died in Santa Barbara of heart failure on Monday, an individual with knowledge of the situation told TheWrap. He was 77.

His film credits include “The Karate Kid,” “Ocean’s Eleven,” “Nashville” and “National Lampoon’s Vegas Vacation.”

Weintraub’s 2014 climate change documentary “Years of Living Dangerously” netted him the Emmy for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series. The year prior he took home Outstanding Miniseries or Movie for “Behind The Candelabra.”

Also Read: Jerry Weintraub: How I Snookered Elvis Presley, Saved Sinatra

Before getting into the movie business, Weintraub had a successful career in music. He was the personal manager of John Denver, and also managed or promoted several heavyweight acts including Frank Sinatra, Led Zeppelin, Elvis Presley, Neil Diamond and the Carpenters.

In 2010, Weintraub teamed with author Rich Cohen to write his memoirs, called “When I Stop Talking, You’ll Know I’m Dead: Useful Stories from a Persuasive Man.” He was profiled in an HBO documentary called “His Way” in 2011.

In March of this year, he contributed a “My Perfect Day” column to Vanity Fair, which had “ribs and lunch with my golden retriever” in the headline.

But in it, he said his days were really made by meetings with friends and people he’d worked with including “Steve Roth, Sly Stallone, George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Bruce Willis, George Schlatter and Don Cheadle.”

Photos: Hollywood's Notable Deaths of 2015 (Photos)

He also mentioned associates Jay Roach, Nancy Lesser, Jack Black and Tim Robbins, and executives like Sue Kroll and Dan Fellman, Steven Soderbergh and Gary Ross.

Weintraub’s first gig in Hollywood was as talent agent at Lew Wasserman’s MCA, which he left to form his own personal management firm. There he co-founded the vocal group The Doodletown Pipers and managed acts like Joey Bishop, the Four Seasons and singer Jane Morgan, who later became his wife.

The following year, Weintraub founded the Weintraub Entertainment Group to produce movies and TV shows with funding from Columbia Pictures, Odeon, Coca-Cola and the American Tobacco Co. He landed a $145 million credit line from Bank of America and signed a 20-year deal with Columbia, which called for the mini-major studio to produce seven films a year.

Also Read: George Clooney Remembers 'Ocean's Eleven' Producer Jerry Weintraub

A famously proficient negotiator, Weintraub put together numerous financing deals for WEG, but they became so intertwined and overlapping they eventually caused trouble.

An $85 million deal for the Thorn-EMI Entertainment Library prompted Bank of America to pull out of its loan deal with WEG.

BofA came back with partner Credit Lyonnais to fund the company a year later, but Columbia sold its share of WEG after hiring Peter Guber and Jon Peters away from Warner Bros. A year later, WEG filed for bankruptcy, and Weintraub signed on to a production deal at Warner Bros.

Jewish and an inveterate cigar smoker, Weintraub also was that rare political breed: a conservative in show business. A self-described “George Bush Republican,” Weintraub was a major contributor to right-leaning causes and politicians, though he supported the presidential campaign of Barack Obama. “I want him to succeed. But I’m a little worried,” he told The Daily Beast.

Also Read: 'Karate Kid' Star Ralph Macchio Remembers Producer Jerry Weintraub: 'You Were 1 of a Kind'

Update, July 6 2015, 3:38pm PST: Reps for Weintraub tell TheWrap that the producer died of heart failure in Santa Barbara, contrary to original reporting by TMZ

“Etta James is my all-time favorite singer. I’ve said it in every interview, in every story, in every on- and off-camera question. That music was always such a huge escape for me, even from a young age.” - Christina Aguilera

Thanks ID. I saw Tamia on that trio tour a couple of years ago and she was amazing live.

Joni Mitchell's 'remarkable progress'

added: 8 Jul 2015 // by: Music-News.com Newsdesk

Joni Mitchell is reportedly making 'remarkable progress'.

The 71-year-old folk singer is currently recovering at home after suffering an aneurysm just over three months ago.

Although there have been conflicting reports about the true status of Joni's health, new legal documents obtained by People magazine have highlighted a promising prognosis.

"When I arrived she was seated at her kitchen table feeding herself lunch," Joni's attorney Rebecca J. Thyne wrote in the court papers, which were filed on July 2. "She also told me that she receives excellent care from caregivers round-the-clock. It was clear that she was happy to be home and that she has made remarkable progress. She has physical therapy each day and is expected to make a full recovery."

Joni's longtime friend Leslie Morris was appointed her temporary conservator in May. And lawyer Rebecca suggested in the most recent legal filing that Leslie's conservatorship be made permanent because Joni cannot make 'informed medical decisions' on her own.

The iconic Blue singer was rushed to hospital in Los Angeles on March 31, after being found unconscious at her residence.

Her friend David Crosby, of rock band Crosby, Stills & Nash, was the first to reveal she had an aneurysm, making the revelation while speaking to HuffPost Live in May.

David also lent his unwavering support for Joni during her rehabilitation process.

'She's going to have to struggle back from it the way you struggle back from a traumatic brain injury,' he told the outlet. "She's a tough girl and very smart. So, how much she's going to come back and when, I don't know and I'm not going to guess. I love her. She's probably the best of us ' probably the greatest living singer-songwriter."

Kelly Rowland lands guest-starring role on 'Empire' as Luscious Lyon's mother

Former "X Factor" judge Kelly Rowland has signed a deal to guest star on second season of the musical drama series "Empire," according to E! News. She is portraying the mother of ruthless music mogul Luscious Lyon (played by Terrence Howard) in a flashback scene.

In 2015, "Empire" became Fox's biggest hit entertainment show. The series (which also stars Taraji P. Henson as Luscious' ex-wife Cookie) is a prime-time soap opera about patriarch Luscious Lyon, his dysfunctional family and their scandals and secrets. The first season of the show ended with Lyon imprisoned for the murder of his best friend. Season 1 of "Empire" has several celebrity guest stars (including Jennifer Hudson, Mary J. Blige, Naomi Campbell and Courtney Love). The show's second season will be even more star-studded: Chris Rock, Lenny Kravitz, Alicia Keys, Marisa Tomei and Adam Rodriguez have all been announced as making appearances.

Rowland was a judge on "The X Factor" U.K. in 2011 and on "The X Factor" U.S. in 2013. She rose to fame in the late 1990s as a member of Destiny's Child, which disbanded in 2006. Destiny's Child has since done a few reunion performances since the breakup. Rowland is working on her fifth solo album, whose title and release date are to be announced.

As previously reported, Rowland gave birth to her first child, a son named Titan Jewell Witherspoon, on Nov. 4, 2014. Rowland married her manager Tim Witherspoon in a small, secretive ceremony in Costa Rica on May 9, 2014. According to Us Weekly, sisters Beyoncé Knowles and Solange Knowles were among the approximately 30 guests who attended the wedding. Beyoncé and Rowland are former members of Destiny's Child. Speaking of Beyoncé and Solange, they were seen hanging out with Rowland and Missy Elliott at the Essence Music Festival in New Orleans on July 4, 2014. The pals posted photos of themselves on social media.

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Luke Bryan shares track list for new album 'Kill the Lights'

Mandy Robinson

Oklahoma City Country Music Examiner

July 7, 2015 12:10 PM MST

Luke Bryan

Photo by Anna Webber/Getty Images for Crown Royal

Luke Bryan has shared the new track list for his upcoming album "Kill the Lights." On Monday, Taste of Country shared what everyone can expect to hear from this upcoming album. It will have six songs that he wrote himself, but it will also have a huge collaboration that he is really proud of and fans are going to love.

The 4th track on the album is "Home Alone Tonight" which features Karen Fairchild of Little Big Town. They are not sharing a lot of information about this song, but you know putting these two together is going to be a huge hit. Fairchild doesn't do much without the group so this song had to be a great one for her to agree to do this on with Bryan.

Here is the track list for Luke Bryan's new album "Kill the Lights." It will be released on August 7. If you want to get all of the tracks, you will need to check it out at Target because that is the only place you can get the three bonus tracks.

1. “Kick the Dust Up” (Dallas Davidson, Chris Destefano, Ashley Gorley)
2. “Kill the Lights” (Luke Bryan, Jody Stevens, Jeff Stevens)
3. “Strip It Down” (Bryan, Jon Nite, Je. Stevens)
4. “Home Alone Tonight” (Feat. Karen Fairchild) (Jo. Stevens, Cole Taylor, Jaida Dreyer, Tommy Cecil)
5. “Razor Blade” (Jeff Hyde, Ryan Tyndell, Rodney Clawson)
6. “Fast” (Bryan, Clawson, Luke Laird)
7. “Move” (Bryan, Michael Carter, Jay Clementi)
8. “Just Over” (Chase McGill, Brad Tursi, Jessie Jo Dillon)
9. “Love It Gone” (Jo. Stevens, Clementi)
10. “Way Way Back” (Bryan, Gorley, Clawson)
11. “To the Moon and Back” (Tom Douglas, Hillary Lindsey, Tony Lane)
12. “Huntin, Fishin’ and Lovin’ Every Day” (Bryan, Davidson, Rhett Akins, Ben Hayslip)
13. “Scarecrows” (Gorley, Trevor Rosen, Shane McAnally)
Target Exclusive Tracks:
1. “Corner Booth” (Bryan, Cole Swindell, Jimmy Robbins)
2. “Little Boys Grow Up and Dogs Get Old” (Bryan, Lane)
3. “Buddies” (Bryan, Davidson)

Fans of Luke Bryan have already heard the song "Kick the Dust Up." He has released this one to country radio and is already playing it live at his concerts. He shared today on Twitter that you can pre-order the album from Target already so you don't miss out on any of his new music that is coming soon!

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Fiona Apple, Kanye West, Beck Eyed For New Q-Tip Album

By: Carl Williott / July 2, 2015

@cwilliott

Just a few months after Yeezus dropped in 2013, Kanye West had already begun talking about the follow-up LP. Soon after, in December of that year, Q-Tip claimed he and Rick Rubin were tapped as producers on the Yeezus follow-up. Yet here we are a year-and-a-half later, still without that project and without any solid details about its producers, Q or otherwise. But Q-Tip assures Billboard that he is collaborating with Kanye — only, it appears it’ll be for Tip’s next album.

The Tribe Called Quest vet says he’s putting the finishing touches on his long-gestating album Last Zulu, which he hopes to get out this year. And in addition to working with his G.O.O.D. Music boss West on the LP, he says he’s in talks to get features from Fiona Apple and Beck.

“Marsha Ambrosius and I have been writing, we have Beck, and talking to Fiona Apple, and some other singers — they’re all going to be singing the choruses,” he told the site. (No mention of Dr. Dre, though.)

Tip also assures fans that Swish has not been scrapped. “Rick [Rubin] and I were gonna do the record, and Kanye went through different phases musically, so we’ve yet to reconnect on his project,” he said. “We’ve met a few times and he’s kept me up to speed here and there on what’s happening. He’s done the same with my record. We’ve been talking about some ideas for my record as well. We’re still in step. It’s not like [Kanye] scrapped any of it, that’s a rumor.”

Now’s a good time to go back over the record of these two guys promising new projects. You might recall that Q-Tip also said that Cruel Winter was a go back in October 2012. And Kanye has already promised the album would be released within a year of Yeezus, changed its title once (that we know of) and promoted a tour film that...n released. So with these two, they can give us as much advance notice as they want, but we’ll only know when we know.

Kendrick Lamar reveals Reebok shoes designed to promote peace between gangs

The Lamar-designed Ventilator shoe will be released later in July

Pooneh Ghana/NME

Photo: Pooneh Ghana/NME

Luke Morgan Britton, 8th July 2015

A new shoe range designed by rapper Kendrick Lamar aiming to support harmony between gangs is set to be released by Reebok later this month.

After announcing his partnership with Reebok last year, Lamar's first shoe design, called the Kendrick Lamar x Reebok Ventilator, has been unveiled with a message advocating peace between gangs.

The off-white design features the word "red" on the heel of the right shoe and "blue" on the heel of the left, with “Kendrick Lamar” and “TDE” inscribed on the front of the tongue and “neutral” in bold font on the inside.

The red and the blue are to signify a call for peace between the Bloods and the Crips, the two respective colours of the opposing gangs in Los Angeles.

See an image of the shoes in question below.


This is not the first time Lamar has advocated this type of message. In his cover art for his song 'i', released back in September, the rapper showed two rival gang members dressed in red and blue forming hearts with their hands.

While talking about the art, Lamar said in a September 2014 interview: "Where I’m from, there’s a lot of gang culture and things like that, so instead of throwing on up gang signs, which we used to, I put a Blood and I put a Crip together and we’re throwing up hearts. Sparking the idea of some type of change through music or through me because I go back to the city now and people give me the honour and respect that, you know, this kid can change a little bit something different that’s been going on in the community."

The Kendrick Lamar x Reebok Ventilator will be available July 18 for £130 ($143).

Netflix’s ‘Daredevil’ Casts Elodie Yung as Elektra

TV | By Linda Ge on July 7, 2015 @ 3:00 pm

“G. I. Joe: Retaliation” actress will portray iconic comic book character opposite Charlie Cox

Elektra is headed for Hell’s Kitchen, with Marvel and Netflix casting Elodie Yung in the role of the iconic Marvel superhero for Season 2 of “Daredevil.”

Charlie Cox stars on the series as Matt Murdoch, the blind lawyer by day, superhero by night who seeks to save New York City’s Hell’s Kitchen.

A sometime love interest for Cox’s character, in the comics Elektra Natchios studied martial arts with Stick, who was also Murdoch’s sensei, and spent time as an assassin and bounty hunter. Jennifer Garner played the same character in Marvel’s 2003 “Daredevil” movie starring Ben Affleck, and then in her own solo spinoff film in 2005.

“After a worldwide search, we found in Elodie the perfect actress to embody both Elektra’s impressive and deadly physicality, as well as her psychological complexity,” Jeph Loeb, Executive Producer and Head of Marvel Television, said in a statement. “Paired with Charlie as Matt Murdock, the two will bring one of the most beloved and tumultuous comic book relationships to life with all the accompanying sparks and spectacular action sequences the show is known for.”

Yung joins fellow newbie Jon Bernthal, who will play The Punisher.

Season 2 of “Daredevil” will premiere in 2016.

Doug Petrie and Marco Ramirez will serve as showrunners for “Daredevil’s” second season, taking over for Steven DeKnight, who shepherded the first season. The duo worked closely with DeKnight and Drew Goddard on the show’s first season.

Ramirez, Petrie and Goddard will serve as executive producers along with Loeb.

Elden Henson, Deborah Ann Woll and Vincent D’Onofrio also star on the show, which is the first of a planned Marvel Netflix universe.

Other superhero dramas set to premiere on Netflix over the next several years include “AKA Jessica Jones,” starring Krysten Ritter, “Luke Cage” starring Mike Colter, “Iron Fist” and “Defenders,” a teamup featuring the four Marvel superheroes together for the first time.

Yung, who played Rooney Mara’s love interest in David Fincher’s “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” and the character of Jinx in “G.I. Joe: Retaliation,” will soon be seen on ABC’s “Of Gods and Prophets.” She is represented by Finch & Partners, Gersh and Generate.

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Lionel Richie scores first UK number 1 in 23 years after show-stopping Glastonbury set

Tamara Hardingham-Gill for Metro.co.uk Sunday 5 Jul 2015 5:18 pm

Lionel Richie wows the Glastonbury crowds (Picture: AP)

He brought the house down when he performed at Glastonbury recently, and Lionel Richie’s rousing set has helped him soar to the top of the UK album chart.

The 66-year-old singer’s greatest hits album The Definitive Collection may have been released in 2003, but it managed to move up 103 positions in the chart after everyone got a load of him in action at the Somerset festival.

Of course no one was more chuffed than the star, who hasn’t had a number one UK album since his compilation record Back to Front came out in 1992.

The 66-year-old was one of the best performers at Glasto (Picture: WireImage)

‘I was overwhelmed performing at Glastonbury in front of all those people and for the fans to make the album Number 1 is ‎unbelievable,’ he told OfficialCharts.com.

‘The UK has always been a special place for me, thank you, I love you all.’

The Hello singer, who quit his group the Commodores to go solo career in the early eighties, had everyone up on their feet when he took to the Pyramid stage at Glasto, including the stewards!

Meanwhile fellow Glastonbury performers Florence + The Machine and James Bay’s albums How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful and Chaos and the Calm also jumped up the charts, and both are currently in the top five.

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See Comic Book Artist Alex Ross' Official Beatles Artwork

"There's something about almost every era, related to each album, that I can find inspiration from," Ross says

The Beatles have hired legendary comic book artist Alex Ross to create a series of paintings of the band Alex Ross

Alex Ross made his name with his painted, nearly photorealist artwork for superhero comic books, most famously Kingdom Come and Marvels. Now he's turning his hand to a different set of visual icons. Rolling Stone can exclusively reveal Ross's series of illustrations of the Beatles, created with the blessing of the band's organization Apple Corps. Ross is set to unveil the artwork in person at this week's Comic-Con International in San Diego.

The first fruit of the project was a six-foot-wide print of the band; a painterly, CinemaScope-style re-envisioning of the distinctly cartoony, two-dimensional imagery from the Beatles' 1968 animated movie Yellow Submarine.

"I was very much raised on that film," Ross tells Rolling Stone, "so I know every detail of it, and I can import that into my work, as though it was a live-action film that they starred in. I was warned at the outset that they might not get approval from the [John Lennon and George Harrison] estates to release it formally — that it was a kind of test. I thought I might not get another chance at this, so I wanted to put everything plus the kitchen sink in one piece of art."

The initial Yellow Submarine print turned out well enough, though, that Apple and Ross now have an ongoing relationship. Next up is a set of four images that Ross is working on now: portraits of the individual Beatles, each surrounded by vignettes from Yellow Submarine, and again illustrated in Ross's modeled, hyper-realistic style rather than Heinz Edelmann's stylized, flat designs from the actual movie. (The portrait of Ringo Starr includes a scene based on the film's sequence in which time goes backwards and the Beatles are turned into younger versions of themselves; Ross worked from reference photos of what the four of them actually looked like as children.)

The look of the Fab Four in Ross's Yellow Submarine images is based on his research into the real-life sources for Edelmann's designs, which he notes were mostly inspired by the Beatles' outfits and hairstyles at the release party for Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. "They took great liberties with the colors and everything, but those were the particular hairstyles," Ross says. "I love the idea of treating the movie as if they'd been engaged to make this absurd fantasy that they actually filmed on some kind of green-screen soundstage."

Ross will eventually go on to illustrate other phases of the Beatles' career, but notes that he has a special fondness for their visual presentation during the Rubber Soul period of late 1965. "It's just on the precipice before they would completely blow out to greater individuality," he says. "But there's something about almost every era, related to each album, that I can find inspiration from."

And he takes obvious delight in illustrating the Beatles themselves. "The four of them were just fascinating-looking men," Ross says. "These are incredibly unique faces. And what they introduced to the world was such an avant-garde expression, opening us up from what had been a very stifled look for men. They completely overwhelmed a generation."

Joy Williams Debuts Solo Material at Intimate New York Show

(Photo by Andy Barron, courtesy Seven Design Works)

By Annie Reuter

Joy Williams’ solo set last night (May 14) in New York was one part concert, and one part art exhibit. And it was all parts mesmerizing.

Best known as one-half of four-time GRAMMY-winning country-folk duo the Civil Wars, Williams performed her second of three select tour dates at New York’s Gramercy Theatre to a very attentive crowd.

The audience was hearing the majority of the new material from her forthcoming album Venus for the first time, and they gave the singer-songwriter their unyielding attention. Six songs in, Williams showed her appreciation when addressing the crowd for the first time.

“I should have worn waterproof mascara you guys,” she said, getting emotional. “It feels really good to be back here. I can’t believe you all came.”

Having spent the past week in New York, Williams said she loves the fact that she can walk one city block and smell “Italian food and weed and subway scuzz and 12 different kinds of cologne and perfume,” adding that she feels “energized and exhausted and invigorated” all at the same time.

“The last couple years for me have been jam packed with life, too. You can feel more alive for being in that condensed place or you can shut down,” she told the crowd. “But I’m really glad to say that the waking up to all the things I’ve experienced in the last few years has helped bring me to this exact spot with each one of you tonight.”

Williams had gone through several emotional hurdles and plenty of career and life changes over the past few years. These include the ending of the Civil Wars, the death of her father to cancer and the birth of her son.

Williams began her set with the emotional track “What a Good Woman Does,” in which she sings about not having lost her voice despite all that’s taken place. Accompanied only by piano, I was immediately captivated by her ethereal vocals. It was a powerful way to start the show and to reintroduce herself as a solo artist.

But it wasn’t just her voice that was captivating. She put her full body into the performance, frequently waving her arms in the air and dancing along to the rhythms and beats of the mostly brand-new material.

In addition to the music, Williams’ performance featured a visually stunning backdrop that eerily and fittingly enhanced the music’s moods and emotions. If a song was about heartbreak, tree branches were shown growing with no leaves. If it was about love, red light covered the stage and engulfed Williams’ body. The effect was mesmerizing.

During an interview the morning after the show, Williams opened up to Radio.com about this unique presentation, and the idea to paint the picture of her new music with a unique set design. Because in many ways, the set was as much a part of her show as her songs.

“I wanted this show to be intimate and also transportive,” she explains. “I wanted the visuals to illustrate that feel, too. There are certain moments in the first song involving graphics for the show—‘The Dying Kind’—when you’re looking at it, it looks like something very cosmic or almost spatial in some way. Then you realize it’s actually cells dividing and multiplying, [and] it’s a child being formed.”

(Credit: Andy Barron)

Williams stood in front of a screen for the majority of her performance as images and colors danced around her.

“This idea of what I saw in my mind’s eye was even surprising to me at points,” she continues. “I would just write them down and take photos, screen captures of textures I found interesting. Then I compiled them and sent them to a company called Seven Design Works. They’re one of the best in the world for live production. I knew we were onto something good, and the live show could be not just a concert but hopefully an experience.”

Williams’ new music and the set design did indeed help make the concert an intimate experience, one that felt like you were watching from the comfort of her living room. She, however, likens it to getting to know one another during a first date over a glass of wine.

“If I consider it like that, then it doesn’t feel overwhelming to me. This is a slow ‘getting to know you’ in a 45-minute set.”

(Credit: Andy Barron)

Throughout her set, Williams danced along to the music, waving her arms in motion of the song against tribal beats and cosmic images. Her voice would crescendo at the more poignant moments and then fade to a whisper. No matter the change, the audience hung on every word.

There were songs of passion, longing and heartbreak. Whether it was about her former band the Civil Wars, her father passing or being a new mom, the honesty and vulnerability that fans loved so much in her former duo’s music was showcased in every one of her solo songs as well.

Williams likened starting over again as being “scary as hell” during her last song of the night, current single “Woman (Oh Mama).” The powerful song with tribal beats, hand claps and Williams’ confident vocals showcased her ability to rise above the trials she faced over the past few years.

“There’s something about the last few years that I’ve been through that have totally broken me in a lot of ways,” she says. “But you can choose to break down or you can choose to break open, and I’m really, really proud of the fact that the breaking open has been happening for me. We all have that choice, and we all make that in our own ways, less gracefully and definitely not perfectly.”

She added that all the struggles she’s been dealt has been worth the fight.

“I’ve found an inner strength in myself that I never knew I had and I have a new chapter in my life that you guys are a part of and that matters to me.”

Joy Williams setlist – May 14, 2015 at Gramercy Theatre:

“What a Good Woman Does”
“The Dying Kind”
“Before I Sleep”
“Sweet Love of Mine”
“Not Good Enough”
“The One That Got Away” (The Civil Wars)
“One Day I Will”
“Until the Levee”
“Before I Sleep”
“Dust to Dust” (The Civil Wars)
“Woman (Oh Mama)”

Joy Williams on The Civil Wars and Her New Album, VENUS

Interview: https://medium.com/cuepoi...3116a48b1f

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Lil Wayne Announces His Own Music Festival, Lil Weezyana

(Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

By Scott T. Sterling

You’re no one until you have your own music festival.

Lil Wayne is about to find out first hand with the launch of Lil Weezyana, a freshly minted music fest set in his hometown of New Orleans, LA.

The turnaround time on this one is pretty quick: Lil Weezyana is set to happen on August 28th.

The news of the festival was announced by the rapper’s longtime manager, Cortez Bryant, on his Instagram page (see the posting below).

“We coming home to give the city the greatest concert ever!,” Bryant boasts underneath a photo of the event poster, which is pretty epic in itself.

Fans have barraged the Instagram post in search of more details regarding the event, but so far all we know comes courtesy of Complex, who report that Lil Weezyana will feature a reunion of the Hot Boys, Wayne’s breakout group from the ’90s that also included Juvenile, B.G. and Turk.

Tickets for the festival, which is happening at Bold Sphere Music at Champions Square, go on sale to the public on July 11, with a presale set to start on July 7.

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How Queen Embraced Disco, Conquered America, Then Bit The Dust

Article: https://medium.com/cuepoi...c48103ac62

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[Edited 7/8/15 9:01am]

Song Of The Day:

Ashley Monroe - Weed Instead Of Roses

Acoustic Version(Last song)

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Ashley Monroe Previews 'The Blade' at Intimate Nashville Show

Singer-songwriter calls out her all-star collaborators as she goes through each track of her upcoming album

Ashley Monroe previewed her new album, 'The Blade' at a small Nashville show on Tuesday. Rick Diamond/Getty Images

Ashley Monroe's appearance at Nashville hotspot 3rd and Lindsley on Tuesday night served up classic, traditional-leaning country music with 21st century sass and gave concertgoers a chance to hear much of what is destined to be one of the year's top albums. It also introduced the audience to some of the singer-songwriter's talented friends, even though most of them were nowhere in sight.

Looking radiant in a summery white outfit and accompanied by her impeccable (and also smartly dressed) band, the Tennessee native displayed her unending Southern charm throughout an hour-long set that included most of the songs from the upcoming LP, The Blade. She also threw in a Pistol Annies' tune ("Unhappily Married"), the Number One hit she penned with fellow Annie, Miranda Lambert ("Heart Like Mine"), a Gram Parsons cover ("Hickory Wind") and a couple of tracks from her 2013 Like a Rose album, including the cheeky "Weed Instead of Roses" and the title track, a co-write with legend Guy Clark, whom she noted was rolling a cigarette in one hand and a joint in the other when she arrived for their writing session.

Although there's no question it was Monroe's night, it might as well have also been billed as "co-starring some of Nashville's finest songwriters," as throughout the night she called out many of her collaborators. While introducing the Pistol Annies track to thunderous applause, she hastened to mention that her trio partners, Lambert and Angaleena Presley, were not going to be joining her onstage. One who was in attendance, however, was Jessi Alexander, whose contributions on The Blade include "If the Devil Don't Want Me" and "Winning Streak," which the pair wrote with Chris Stapleton, and "If Love Was Fair," written by Monroe and Alexander with Steve Moakler.

The show was kicked off with "I Buried Your Love Alive," a co-write with Matraca Berg that featured a thumping bass beat from bluegrass vet Mike Bub. The cheery single, "On to Something Good," from Monroe and co-writers Luke Laird and Barry Dean was, as the singer noted, one of the more upbeat offerings in a show that mostly specialized in emotionally intense, warts-and-all portraits of real life.

To that end, the highlight of the night was unquestionably the title track – the one tune on The Blade which Monroe didn't write at all. That's certainly not to suggest that her own efforts weren't enthusiastically received, but the song, written by Allen Shamblin, Jamie Floyd and Marc Beeson (the latter two of whom were among the crowd), is an especially arresting one; the kind of country music that raises every hair on the back of your neck. She may not have written it, but Monroe sells the hell out of it, every breathtaking note of the way.

The Blade is due July 24th from Warner Music Nashville and after an opening slot on the Rascal Flatts Riot Tour, Monroe joins Lambert's Roadside Bars and Pink Guitars trek this fall.

[Edited 7/8/15 9:31am]

A Woman's World: "Exposed and Raw," Writing Waitress Moved Sara Bareilles to Tears

By Carey Purcell
08 Jul 2015

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Sara Bareilles, the acclaimed singer-songwriter who penned the pop hits "Love Song" and "Brave," is making her musical theatre debut as the composer of the new musical Waitress. And, she's bringing her whole family with her.

Though Bareilles' career has, until now, existed in the spectrum of modern music, she spent many of her childhood years on the stage of her community theatre, performing in Little Shop of Horrors and The Mystery of Edwin Drood. Bareilles, who was also "obsessed" with The Sound of Music, Cats, The Phantom of the Opera and Miss Saigon, watched her mother and sister star in various productions.

Sara Bareilles

Bareilles recalls musical theatre as the first genre of music she fell in love with and credits her sister, who is nine years older than she, for her own involvement in the craft.

Now Bareilles is playing a new role, and she's doing it on her own: composer of the new musical Waitress, which will begin performances at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, MA, Aug. 2. An adaptation of the 2007 film of the same name, which starred Kerri Russell, Waitress follows the life of small-town woman Jenna, played by Tony Award winner Jessie Mueller, who works a dead-end job at a diner while living a stifled life with an abusive husband. After an unexpected pregnancy introduces her to Dr. Jim Pomatter, Jenna, who harbors a gift for creating delicious pies, begins to consider a different kind of life.

Jessie Mueller
Photo by Nathan Johnson

Bareilles, who was introduced to the project by its director, Tony Award winner Diane Paulus (Hair, Pippin), said she accepted the job because "I was a little bit scared of it, and it felt slightly bigger than I thought I could manage. I was on a kick of trying to see myself take on things that felt a bit scary."

She hadn't seen the film, which was written and directed by Adrienne Shelley, but after watching it, Bareilles was drawn to its soulful atmosphere and the fact that it wasn't perfect.

"I kind of just said, 'Let's try,'" Bareilles said. "Stepping back into theatre, a childhood dream, I always felt like I would be onstage. I hadn't imagined myself in a composer role... I find it so satisfying to be behind the scenes and writing the music and watching it elevated and characterized by different voices than my own. It's so exciting. I made a pact with Diane that if at any point it wasn't going well, she had to be honest with me and tap me on the shoulder and let me know."

Bareilles, who rose to acclaim in 2007 with the hit "Love Song," has sold over one million records in the United States. She has received five Grammy nominations, as well as earning a nomination for a Grammy for Album of the Year. She served as a celebrity judge on "The Sing-Off" on NBC and her book, "Sounds Like Me: My Life (So Far) in Song," will be released in October by Simon & Schuster.

Despite her varied accomplishments, Bareilles has described the process of writing the music for Waitress as the most vulnerable she has ever been.

"If I have ever been cracked open and felt exposed and raw, it's through this process," she said. "I think [it's] in large part due to the fact that I'm a first-time theatre composer. I'm very aware that I'm stepping into some sacred ground here and wanting to do right by the legacy that's been set before me. It's a genre I love and have respect for, but I also want to feel like I can tip my hat to what has come before but also make the storytelling my own."

Keala Settle, Jeanna de Waal and Jessie Mueller in rehearsal
Photo by Amanda Martin

Bareilles was surprised by how invested she became in her characters, which, she said, explore many aspects of her own personality. She described hearing the song "She Used To Be Mine," the first song she wrote for Jenna, as moving her to tears.

Bareilles' strength and ability to be vulnerable artistically as well as personally has come, in part, from her determination to remain herself in a male-dominated industry that prizes appearance and image.

"I always describe it as feeling like being pat on the head: 'Oh, that's cute you have an opinion,'" she said of her first years in the business. "I don't experience that as much as when I was starting out, but there was so much of that. I felt like I was stomping and screaming to get anyone to hear me as a voice of authority. We were talking about my own music and my own creation.

"I've been told to wear different things, to look different, to lose weight, to look sexier, to wear more hair, to wear more makeup. The language of that ends up being about our physical presence. It's happened in the recording studio and around the conference table. I don't have as much tolerance for it anymore. I don't think that I get regarded in that exact same way anymore, because I think I've fought back in my own way over the years. It's still something that is very present."

Waitress, which is both written and directed by women, premieres following the history-making Tony Award win of Fun Home, the first production to w...e by women. In her speech at the June 7 broadcast, composer Jeanine Tesori said, "For girls, you have to see it to be it."

"I think it's beautifully put," Bareilles said, reflecting on Tesori's staement. "I think we can also flip the phrase around. 'Be it to see it, too.' The more we can liberate to be what we don't see, is a new way to look at that. I, like probably a lot of women out there, want to see more of my perspective — and by my, I mean female perspective — reflected in the work on a larger scale. It's going to help balance and inform the medium that is reflective of what's actually out there. The more I can be in a position to encourage more little girls to thinking big and writing the songs for theatre productions or writing the music they want to hear or dressing the way they want to see people be dressed…kind of bending the rules to be the pioneers they're waiting for."

Members of the cast and creative team learn how to make pies
Photo by Mark Mauriello

While stepping into the role of pioneer herself, Bareilles has brought a bit of her family with her. Mentioning a scene when Jenna's character bakes a pie that uses blackberries, she evoked memories from her own family's kitchen.

"That's one of my childhood memories," she said. "My mom would bake blackberry pies with us, and we had all these wild blackberry bushes and [would] pick bowls of them and bring them into the kitchen and roll out the crust and make homemade blackberry pies."

"It's been an inspired and exciting journey to be on," she concluded. "We've maintained that collaborative spirit that I was so intrigued by initially. Our creative team is small. The production team as well as our creative team feels like a chamber piece. Nothing's gotten too big. It's all stayed really intimate. That's been hugely satisfying for me creatively. I didn't know how deeply I was going to fall in love with this. And two-and-a-half years in it's by far my favorite thing I've ever done."

Discover Music through Samples, Cover Songs and Remixes

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• Every Single Night (2012)
  was sampled in

  • Pray by Gilbere Forte (2012)
  • Intro (Vice Haus Deluxe) by ForteBowie (2013)
  • Born King by Dion Jetson feat. Ben Official and Jack Red (2014)
• The Way Things Are (1999)
  was sampled in

  • Birds of a Feather by Black Sheep feat. Q-Tip, Mike Gee and Trugoy the Dove (2010)
• Criminal (1996)
  sampled

  • Streets of Cairo or the Poor Little Country Maid by Sol Bloom (1893)

  was covered in

  • Criminal by Natalie Cole (2006)
  • Criminal by Vitamin String Quartet (2006)

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• Father and Son (2003)by Johnny Cash feat. Fiona Apple
  is a cover of

  • Father and Son by Cat Stevens (1970)
• Everyday (2011)
  is a cover of

  • Everyday by Buddy Holly (1957)
• Across the Universe (1998)
  is a cover of

  • Across the Universe by The Beatles (1969)
• Sally's Song (2006)
  is a cover of

  • Sally's Song by Catherine O'Hara (1993)
• Sleep to Dream (1996)
  was covered in

  • Sleep to Dream by Bettye LaVette (2005)
• Fast as You Can (1999)
  was covered in

  • Fast as You Can by Vitamin String Quartet (2006)
• Pure Imagination (2013)
  is a cover of

  • Pure Imagination by Gene Wilder (1971)
• Please Send Me Someone to Love (1998)
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  • Please Send Me Someone to Love by Percy Mayfield (1950)
• You're the One I Love (2012) by Sara Watkins feat. Fiona Apple
  is a cover of

  • You're the One I Love by The Everly Brothers (1964)

Scream Queens Debuts Bloody Gorgeous Character Posters

Fifteen character posters from Scream Queens debut online

Red is in this year as FOX (via EW) has debuted fifteen gorgeous (and bloody) character posters from their upcoming “Scream Queens,” a new comedy-horror anthology series from Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, Ian Brennan and Dante Di Loreto, the executive producers of “Glee” and “American Horror Story.” Check them out in the gallery below!

The first episode will make it’s world debut screening at Comic-Con International on Saturday, July 11 at 9:15-10:15pm in Room 6DE.

Jamie Lee Curtis (Halloween), Emma Roberts (“American Horror Story: Freak Show”), Oliver Hudson (who replaces Joe Manganiello due to scheduling), Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award nominee Lea Michele (“Glee”), Academy Award nominee Abigail Breslin (Little Miss Sunshine, Zombieland, August: Osage County) and Keke Palmer (Akeelah and the Bee, “Masters of Sex”) will star in the limited series.

Additionally, Grammy Award nominee and actress Ariana Grande will guest-star in a recurring role, as will Nick Jonas (“Kingdom”).

The first installment in the new anthology series revolves around a college campus which is rocked by a series of murders, and will premiere September 22 on FOX.

“Scream Queens” is produced by 20th Century Fox Television in association Ryan Murphy Television. The series is co-created by Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan. Murphy, Falchuk, Brennan and Dante Di Loreto will serve as executive producers.

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The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 Comic-Con Motion Poster

Lionsgate releases The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 Comic-Con motion poster

Following eight new character posters which you can view below, Lionsgate has now also revealed The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 Comic-Con motion poster and yet another poster featuring Katniss in anticipation of the upcoming franchise finale’s San Diego panel. You can view both posters below and be sure to check out the special message we received from Lionsgate as well.

With the nation of Panem in a full scale war, Katniss confronts President Snow (Donald Sutherland) in the final showdown. Teamed with a group of her closest friends – including Gale (Hemsworth), Finnick (Sam Claflin), and Peeta (Hutcherson) – Katniss goes off on a mission with the unit from District 13 as they risk their lives to stage an assassination attempt on President Snow who has become increasingly obsessed with destroying her.

The mortal traps, enemies, and moral choices that await Katniss will challenge her more than any arena she faced in The Hunger Games.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 is directed by Francis Lawrence from a screenplay by Peter Craig and Danny Strong and features a cast that also includes Academy Award-winner Jennifer Lawrence, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jeffrey Wright, Willow Shields, Sam Claflin, Jena Malone with Stanley Tucci and Donald Sutherland reprising their original roles from The Hunger Games and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.

The lineup is joined by The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 co-stars Academy Award-winner Julianne Moore, Mahershala Ali, Natalie Dormer, Wes Chatham, Elden Henson and Evan Ross.

The film will be released in theaters and IMAX on November 20, 2015.

Madonna’s Hacker Gets 14 Months in Jail
07/2015


Read article here

Omar Sharif, ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ and ‘Dr. Zhivago’ Star, Dies at 83

July 10, 2015 | 07:00AM PT

American character actor Irwin Keyes dead at 63

American character actor Irwin Keyes passed away Wednesday at the age of 63 from complication due to acromegaly. He is best known for his character Hugo Mojelewski, George Jefferson's personal bodyguard on The Jeffersons and for playing a heavy in the b-movies The Exterminator, Zapped!, House of a 1,000 Corpses and The Warriors. Keyes' turned his medical condition into a career in show business like other famous celebrities such as Richard Kiel, André the Giant and motivational speaker Anthony Robbins. He was working on two films before his passing and is survived by his second wife Tracy Fontaine.

Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images for CineVegas

Born on March 16, 1952 in New York City, New York; Irwin Keyes grew up in Amityville, New York and graduated from State University of New York at New Paltz with a degree in English. He got into cinematic acting in 1978 with small roles in the raunchy comedy Team-Mates and the Sean S. Cunningham directed Manny's Orphans. Keyes first notable appearances was as a big brutish NYPD cop in the cult classic The Warriors and in the Lloyd Kaufman adult comedy Squeeze Play as a bouncer. His most notable role was as Hugo Mojelewski, the glass eating bodyguard for George Jefferson in the American sit-com The Jeffersons.

Irwin Keyes became a b-movie character actor thanks to his menacing yet unique look and appeared in such productions as Motorama, Disturbed, Death Wish 4: The Crackdown, Frankenstein General Hospital and Exterminator 2. He also appeared in more mainstream films as Joe Rockhead in The Flintstones, The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas and small parts in the television series Tales From the Crypt, Moonlighting, Married With Children, On the Air and Thirtysomething.

During the nineties, Irwin Keyes concentrated on direct-to-video movies and started to make the rounds at horror movie conventions. He made a mainstream comeback of sorts with his role in House of a 1,000 Corpses and appeared on an episode of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation in the 2000's.

Irwin Keyes was a great character actor whose physical acting and aura was very underrated. He had a comedic side which was greatly demonstrated in The Jeffersons and played the ultimate heavy. Fans of b-movies and horror films lost a talented individual and he will be missed. For more information about Irwin Keyes please visit these sites Wikipedia, IMDB, Variety, Daily Mail and Entertainment Weekly.

Netflix series 'Between' renewed for Season 2 to premiere in 2016

Netflix has renewed dystopian drama "Between" for Season 2, Entertainment Weekly reports. Star Jennette McCurdy first announced the news on Twitter Wednesday, July 8, writing: "The quarantine is not yet over...Season 2 of #Between confirmed for 2016."

“I’m thrilled to be continuing on with a second season of 'Between,'” the "iCarly" and "Sam & Cat" actress added in a statement. “Working with Netflix, City, and the entire cast and crew has been such an enjoyable experience and I can’t wait for more.”

"Between," a co-production between Canadian network City and Netflix, tells the story of the small town of Pretty Lake in which everyone over the age of 21 dies of a mysterious plague, while the rest of the population is under quarantine by the government and forced to fend for themselves. McCurdy stars as Wiley Day, a pregnant teenage daughter of a minister. The series co-stars Jesse Carere, Ryan Allen, Justin Kelly, Kyle Mac, Jack Murray and Brooke Palsson.

The six-episode first season premiered on May 21. According to the Hollywood Reporter, "Between" is not only Netflix's first Canadian original series, but also the first where the streaming service ditched its popular binge-viewing model to release one episode each week. It also ran weekly on City in Canada, and streams in the country on the Shomi service. It will be released on Netflix Canada with a year's delay. "Between" will return for Season 2 with six new hour-long episodes next year. The drama was created by Michael McGowan and executive produced by Don Carmody and McGowan.

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Archie Comics heads to Comic Con with new look

Phyllis Thomas

Animation Examiner

July 11, 2015 10:56 AM MST

P.Thomas

The pop culture classic Archie Comics series will heading to Comic Con with a new updated look. The publisher who created the popular titles, Archie, Jughead, Betty & Veronica, Josie & The Pussycats, Sabrina the Teenage Witch and the hit "Afterlife with Archie" series will launch an all-new "Archie #1."

The new comic book series is the first of three “New Riverdale” titles set to roll out over the next during the next two years include a new "Jughead" title in October. Archie comics fans will remember that Jughead is Archie's best friend who had a passion for cheeseburgers and "Betty and Veronica" next summer. Betty and Veronica are longtime rivals for Archie's affections as the fremenies grew up together. Fans who attend can get a chance to win a free comic bok from the series.

The Comic Con schedule for the rest of the weekend:

Archie Comics Panels at Comic-Con International: San Diego 2015

Dark Circle Comics, Saturday, 7/11/15, 1:00p.m. - 2:00p.m., Room: 29AB

Get in on the ground floor of 2015’s most ambitious comics imprint as Alex Segura (editor of Dark Circle Comics), Jon Goldwater (co-CEO/publisher), ( Mike Pellerito (president of Archie Comics), Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (chief creative officer), and key talent like Adam Christopher and Chuck Wendig (co-writers, The Shield), and Frank Tieri (writer, The Hangman)expand the cinematic and literary universe of titles coming from Dark Circle Comics, including The Black Hood, The Shield, andThe Hangman!

Archie Action, Sunday, 7/12/15, 1:00p.m. - 2:00p.m., Room: 32AB

What do the heroes of SEGA and CAPCOM do when facing unbeatable odds? They unite their forces! Find out more about this summer’s blockbuster Archie Action crossover event, WORLDS UNITE, as Vincent Lovallo (Editor of Sonic the Hedgehog, Mega Man) is joined by Mike Pellerito (president of Archie Comics), Alex Segura (SVP-publicity and marketing), Evan Stanley(writer/artist Sonic Universe), and Edwin Huang (artist of Mega Man) to take you behind the scenes and break the latest news and announcements!

Archie Comics Exclusives

"Archie #1" SDCC Exclusive Variant A

Get in on the ground floor of this summer’s most-talked about comic book relaunch from the superstar creative team of Mark Waid and Fiona Staples with this Comic-Con International: San Diego exclusive ARCHIE #1 variant cover! Featuring brand-new cover artwork from series artist Fiona Staples depicting Archie, Betty, and Jughead enjoying the outdoors, this variant is extremely limited and a must-have for all attendees!

Price: $20.00

ARCHIE #1 SDCC Exclusive Variant B

Get in on the ground floor of this summer’s most-talked about comic book relaunch from the superstar creative team of Mark Waid and Fiona Staples with this additional Comic-Con International: San Diego exclusive ARCHIE #1 variant cover! Featuring cover artwork from series artist Fiona Staples depicting the gang outside of Riverdale High, this variant is extremely limited and a must-have for all attendees!

Price: $20.00

Also available at the Archie Comics Booth:

ARCHIE #1 Fiona Staples Regular Cover

ARCHIE #1 Blank Sketch Cover

MEGA MAN #50 “Worlds Unite” SDCC Exclusive Sketch Variant

Celebrate 50 issues of Mega Man with the latest chapter in the globe-smashing Sonic/Mega Man crossover event featuring a Comic-Con International: San Diego exclusive cover! This special edition anniversary comic showcases in-progress cover artwork by Archie Action Legend Patrick “Spaz” Spaziante! Don’t miss out on this limited edition comic featuring everyone’s favorite super fighting robot!

Price: $10.00

SDCC Exclusive Dark Circle Comics Poster

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Charlie Wilson memoir reveals journey overcoming addiction and being homeless

Ken Simmons

NY Celebrity Examiner

July 9, 2015 7:05 PM MST

Charlie Wilson describes his heart wrenching journey from rags to riches, riches to rags, and back to riches in his poignant memoir, I Am Charlie Wilson, that was published June 30, 2015. In an exclusive interview on July 8, 2015 in New York City, he explained how he fell from recording number one hits, to being a homeless crack addict lying in the gutter in Hollywood, and then reemerging as a solo star.

Cindy Ord/Getty Images

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"I wanted to do this book for years," Wilson says. "I wanted to share my story with people who are struggling, those with an addiction. This is a book of redemption, faith, survival and love."

In the book, the singer reveals how he rebounded from devastating personal and professional setbacks. Numerous people have told him his story has given them the strength to turn their lives around.

"When I was at Madison Square Garden last year," he recalled, "a woman came up to me after the show. She said, 'When I saw you testifying about how the Lord saved you, I said if he can be that strong, then I can do it too.' She quit drugs."

A nine-time Grammy nominee, Wilson grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and broke into show business as the lead singer of his family group The Gap Band, featuring his brothers Robert and Ronnie Wilson. They were hot in the 1970s and 1980s with numerous hits (Outstanding”, "Party Train", "Yearning for Your Love", "Burn Rubber on Me", “You Dropped a Bomb on Me”, and “Oops Upside Your Head”), then faded away, leading Charlie down a desperate road of despair, drugs, and homelessness.

"I went from rags to riches, riches to rags, to the curb and being homeless," he confesses. "But really, it was never riches. All those Gap Band albums, we never got paid. No royalty checks. I didn't know what a royalty check looked like. I was signing contracts and being mismanaged. I thought we were family, Total Experience Records," he continues. "We would be on stage singing for thousands of people and feeling like superstars. Then get off stage and struggle to get just $150. Many shows whenever got paid."

Financial problems led to his downward spiral, but now at 62 years old, Wilson's solo career is on a roll, He has the look of success, far removed from when he appeared close to death in the 1990s. He seems to have discovered the fountain of youth, looking 20 years younger. "I am Benjamin Button (referring to the 2008 Brad Pitt movie, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button). I get younger as I go," he says with a laugh.

After being considered a "has been" two decades ago, now Wilson is one of the most admired veterans of the music industry. In 2013, he received a Lifetime Achievement honor at the BET Awards, featuring an unforgettable tribute performed by Justin Timberlake, Pharrell Williams, Stevie Wonder, Snoop Dogg, India Arie and Jamie Foxx. The same year, he also was named the Lifetime Achievement recipient at the Trumpet Awards. In 2009, he was presented with the Soul Train Icon Award.

Three years following The Gap Band's final number one single, "All of My Love," Wilson released his first solo album in 1992 with moderate success. In 2002, he hit number one for the first time as a solo artist with his single "Without You." In 2010, he released "You Are" which remained number one on the Billboard Urban Adult Contemporary chart for 13 weeks.

"I was singing about his wife (Mahin) and I sung it like I was singing my last record.," he remembers fondly. "Singing about someone you love dearly. Other people want to say it but don't know how, so I sang it for them." This year, Charlie and Mahin are celebrating their 20th wedding anniversary. They've enjoyed eternal love for two decades after meeting when Wilson was facing his greatest crisis.

"I met my wife in rehab," Wilson remembers about what in retrospect was one of the greatest connections of his life, a life saving connection. "I was in a 28 day program and she was a counselor. She was there for me." When asked it if was love at first sight, Wilson says, "I claimed that."

However, Mahin, did not initially have similar feelings for him.

"She said, "I don't see you like that," Wilson remembers. But when her dog Tasha, who growls at everyone, liked Wilson, the ice was broken.

Now they are inseparable, always together, never apart, partners in love and advancing his career.

With Mahin guiding his rehabilitation, Wilson cleaned up his life. He not only survived his drug addiction, he emerged healthier and more disciplined than ever, personally and professionally. After 40 years in music, the former Gap Band lead vocalist is admired for his longevity and his unrivaled vocal ability and showmanship. He's an icon to multi-generations including much younger hip-hop and R&B stars.

Nicknamed Uncle Charlie by Snoop, Wilson has collaborated many times with the famed rapper. More importantly, he is thankful for his friendship, and coming to his aid when he was helpless.

"Snoop is so beautiful," Wilson says with sincere gratitude. "He allowed me and my wife into his private life. He listened to my music a lot. He told me one day he saw me when I was down and out and he started crying. He was the first one that was there for me. Whenever I needed something, he went into his pocket."

Snoop was one of the few people in the music business who did not lose faith in Uncle Charlie. For many years, Wilson was rejected by record labels, being told his career was finished.

"Now at events, I see all the music executives who could have helped me but rejected me," says Wilson. "All of them lost their jobs, Now they try to hug me at all the awards shows. These were the ones who sent me messages saying I was washed up and probably still on drugs. Finally, someone gave me a chance, and now, eight number one singles later!"

Looking back at his life, Wilson says, "This book is an inspiration to someone. For people who are suffering from addiction, you don't have to drown. I got up and found another family, a real family. God wanted me to show him how strong I was."

After years of mismanagement, Wilson's career turned around when his current manager, Michael Paran, took charge of his career. After huge success with the Gap Band, Wilson started his solo career at the bottom and had to prove himself again.

"I sang in clubs and I would see the photos backstage of stars who sold out shows there, like Luther Vandross," says Wilson. "There would only be 100 people in the room. I was so embarrassed."

Eventually, Wilson was back on top of the charts, this time as a solo artist. From clubs, he advanced to performing in theaters, and selling out.

"Then one day, I told Michael, I went to do arenas," Wilson recalled. "He said, 'If we go to arenas and we don't sell enough tickets, we'll look like idiots. If we sell the tickets. we'll like like geniuses.' I said, 'I'd rather look like geniuses.' Call Charlie and Michael geniuses, because the 2015 Forever Charlie arena tour (featuring Kem and Joe) sold out and is the number one R&B tour of the year.

This year's Essence Music Festival demonstrated Wilson's overwhelming popularity. After rocking the main stage at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on July 3, 2015, Wilson was like the piped piper, leading a massive crowd of fans from his concert, to his book signing.

"I jumped into the audience and started hugging people," Wilson remembers. "I said, 'Follow me to my book signing,' and thousands followed me. The fire marshal was upset. It was crazy."

Now over twenty years sober, Wilson is grateful for rising like a phoenix from the ashes. He recalls how his love of music began at an early age.

"My mother taught me how to play music. She taught me piano and guitar. She could play anything," he states with deep admiration. "I remember asking her to slow down so I could get the notes. My father was a preacher. I would warm up for my father when I was four years old singing in the church. One time I performed and I asked my father how did I do, he said "you tore this place up."

Now Wilson is "tearing" up arenas all across the country.

He has become a positive role model with his music, and his campaign for sobriety and prostate cancer awareness. After being diagnosed with cancer in 2008, Wilson became the national spokesperson for the Prostate Cancer Foundation. He is now a living symbol of how to survive cancer.

"I believe in God," he testifies. "He kept his promise. I keep my promise. Every show, I thank God."

I Am Charlie Wilson is an emotional roller coaster ride, a ride of tremendous highs and lows, from the top of the music business to the bottom, and back again. A bumpy, painful trip that becomes a triumphant and joyous journey. It is overflowing with special memories, including opening for The Rolling Stones, jammin' with The Beatles, recording with Quincy Jones, and having Beyonce sing "Charlie, Last Name Wilson" to him in admiration. There are also many tales of the dark side, such as doing drugs with Rick James.

"The moral of this book is to never give up on yourself," Wilson reflects. "I was told I was too old, I was done, washed up. Everyone was telling me this, and I almost believed it. But I didn't give up. Never give up. Always believe in yourself."

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Lots of live music in San Diego during Comic Con week

John Hancock

San Diego Music Examiner

July 6, 2015 9:35 PM MST

Linkin Park performs during a special pop up concert during last year's Comic Con.

Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Comic Con makes its triumphant return to San Diego this week and with it come celebrities, geeks, cos-players, and just plain craziness. But that’s not all that is happening in San Diego this week. There is also some great music, much of it Comic Con inspired. So if you weren’t lucky enough to score tickets to the insanity at the convention center, fear not! Go check out some live music and chances are you may be enjoying the show with Batman, Spiderman or even Princess Leia, slave costume of course. If you are lucky there may even be a celebrity or two in the crowd.

Get the party started early with Jurassic 5 at Humphrey’s Concerts By The Bay on Wednesday night. Chali 2na is opening. If that isn’t quite your cup of tea head on over to the Soda Bar and check out Veruca Salt and Talk In Tongues.

Thursday night is chock full of musical choices. The Aquabats can be seen at House of Blues, right in the heart of the Comic Con territory known as the Gaslamp District. Certain to be lots of costumed character in and around this show, including the band themselves. Looking for something a little mellower and less cartoony, you might want to head over to Humphrey’s for Boz Scaggs or take in Harry Connick Jr at Copley Symphony Hall. The pop sensations One Direction will be playing at Qualcomm Stadium with Icona Pop opening. Need a little country fix, Lonestar will be doing an acoustic set at Casino Pauma. And if you want to hear some of the amazing music that San Diego locals provide us all year long, head over to the legendary Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach and catch the double CD release party for Lee Coulter and Dawn Mitschele with special guest Michael Tiernan.

Friday night has even more great options including Jessica Hernandez at the Soda Bar, Dead Feather Moon at the Merrow, and Chris Hardwick at the Balboa Theater. The big show for that night is at Sleep Train Amphitheater in Chula Vista, Lady Antebellum headlines with guests, Hunter Hayes and Sam Hunt.

Definitely for the Comic Con crowd on Saturday is The Legend of Zelda Symphony Series at Copley Symphony Hall and Star Trek live at the Embarcadero. The annual Switchfoot Bro Am is happening at Moonlight Beach in Encinitas. This event is an annual fundraiser for various youth charities hosted by Switchfoot. Other acts this year include NeedToBreathe, Drew Holcomb and Colony House.

So, if you have are suffering from pop culture overdose, or just want to get out and hear some great live music check out one or more of these shows. Either way, enjoy the week and enjoy everything San Diego has to offer.

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'Robin Williams Remembered' (Pioneers Of Television)

Megan Meabh

Jefferson City Movies Examiner

July 12, 2015 3:31 AM MST

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Pioneers of Television PBS - Robin Williams Remembered

Josh Burns

While gushing tears of grief ongoing for months hardly enough to describe the loss of such a dear one, some take longer to get over the loss of a person who born sweet and precious, stayed that way throughout his whole entire life. And then at times, his presence as if comes and goes. Certain, he has not told us everything he needed to, although he may had felt so at the time, others are allowed the luxury of such a doubt. He won awards for films he did not anticipate awards for, and none for some of those he did. But according to the film here, a fan unanimous opinion existed even while during his living on earth lifetime that all of his films represented an award winning scenario of a situation. Infamous actor Robin Williams took a part as the star of just about every type of film genre imaginable. The college age Robin won a scholarship to Julliard, and afterward sought out places for his endearing acting attribute at the California seaport town of San Francisco. He later advanced to Los Angelos, CA. in order to attract a greater spanse of fanship.

Broadway director Harold Clurman/Spinoff Comic Resources

From Goodwill Hunting to The Dead Poets Club, and even Disney films such as Mrs. Doubtfire & and a whole bunch of other good & films of obvious delight whose excellence a flower vase of beauty so exonerated from his days of running from comedy club to comedy club. Although according to the new documentary film story of Robin Williams Remembered - Those little moments such as a sweet & innocent kiss planted on the lips of Mindy by Mork of an 80's something Mork & Mindy martian sitcom television series, actor Robin Williams got his initial start as a fast gliding humor fold given by comic star Williams, rose the network ratings by phenomenal leaps and bounds. And according to the narrator of the blessed documentary about the darling of a Mork from Ork, the fictional character played by Williams once visited Fonzie (Henry Winkler) on the Happy Days show, another sitcom of the day which featured a bunch of 1950's teenagers who almost ran the town in which they occupied, let alone the soda shop.

During the memory style story here, even Winkler said once Robin Williams opened up his mind and his mouth, you forgot where you were. His first try at filmed acting did so well that ABC created Mork & Mindy shortly after. "Is he Russian," Mindy asked at the first meeting. The other person said, "He's not Russian, he's nuts." Strangely though, according to the film here, Comedienne Jonathan Winters paved the road for Williams. His reputation grew by leaps and bounds through his advent of performance at the Comedy Club. It was not long before Richard Pryor and Williams became close friends, and remained that way for the duration.

Williams got his part as the space being Mork on Mork & Mindy (Pam Dawber), according to the documentary by the method of just being himself. "Whatever you said, he absorbed it, it washed around in his Williamness, and shot back at you," said actor Henry Winkler. "He wanted to communicate with me, but he didn't know how," she said. It seemed that the death of close friend John Belushi by drug overdose which coincided with the birth of Williams first child also encouraged him to give up the alcohol and drug lifestyle. Shortly after, despite his professed failure of the film, the miraculous production of Robin as the cartoon character of Popeye began to breathe a way for a lot of unlimited film roles for Robin. He landed the role of The World According To Garp, and the opportunity revealed his ability to play a wide emotional range. "Good morning Vietnam. This is not a test. This is rock and roll," astounded the actor as wartime disc jockey during that film of the same name. The first actor to be the feature of a cartoon character, Robin Williams made up almost all of his lines for the animation film, Aladdin. And then won a huge academy proliferation for his role as a professor of a brilliant genious who works as a janitor for the college. His favorite line in the film was, "Never disrespect my wife again, or I will end you." It is relayed by several statements during the film that although Williams was always able to keep the darkness of his clinical depression at bay, it seemed to resurface at times. "Robin ran to the rescue. That's just the kind of person he was," said the real life personae of Mindy during the film. Despite by his early fifties, the kind, patient & extremely bright, loving and interesting person known as Robin Williams had found success in addition to participation on the precipice of almost every film genre, but always continued to search out more avenues of artistic expression.

Original The Wiz Star Stephanie Mills to Lead Cast of NBC's Live Television Production

Mills played Dorothy when the show was first seen on Broadway in 1975.

David Gordon • New York City • May 11, 2015

Stephanie Mills, the original Dorothy of The Wiz, will star in the upcoming live television broadcast of the musical on December 3.

Stephanie Mills, who received a 1975 Drama Desk Award nomination for her performance as Dorothy in The Wiz, will return home to the show when she stars as Aunt Em in NBC's live broadcast of the musical on December 3.

Tony winner Kenny Leon (A Raisin in the Sun) will stage the live television production, which is based on Charlie Smalls and William F. Brown's Tony-winning stage version. Four-time Tony winner Harvey Fierstein (Kinky Boots) will contribute new material to Brown's book. Craig Zadan and Neil Meron serve as executive producers, with Universal Television producing. Full casting will be revealed in the coming months.

The Wiz, a retelling of L. Frank Baum's classic Wizard of Oz stories, opened on Broadway in 1975 and won seven Tonys including Best Musical and Best Score. A 1978 film version starred Diana Ross and Michael Jackson. It was last seen in New York in a New York City Center Encores! Summer Stars revival in 2009, with a cast led by Ashanti, Orlando Jones, and Tony winner LaChanze.

The live television broadcast of The Wiz serves as the precursor to a Broadway revival, coproduced by Cirque du Soleil's new stage theatrical division, in the 2016-2017 Broadway season.

Stefani: Eminem collab barely happened

added: 12 Jul 2015 // by: Music-News.com Newsdesk

Gwen Stefani claims her track with Eminem 'barely' happened.

The 45-year-old songstress collaborated with the 42-year-old rapper on their new song Kings Never Die, a tune they recorded for the soundtrack of forthcoming boxing drama Southpaw.

But when she first learned of the project, Gwen didn't think she could do it.

'The process was really simple. One of his guys came and played me the song and then I was like, 'Yeah, I like it! Amazing!' she recalled to Entertainment Weekly of how the collaboration came about.

'I've always wanted to work with him - he's a genius - and then all of a sudden they called me and said, 'It has to be done today' and I was like, 'Ah, my voice' - I had a cough or something. I went in and I made it happen, but it was like, barely.'

At first, Gwen couldn't believe her luck, as she didn't want to record anything with a scraggly voice.

But the Hollaback Girl star is now happy with how the song turned out.

'It was like, 'God, why does today have to be the day my voice is not happening?' But it ended up turning out good,' she noted. 'I wanted to do something with him for so long and I feel honoured - he's very selective. I feel really honoured.'

Gwen and Eminem's tune Kings Never Die was released on Friday July 10. The movie Southpaw, which stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Forest Whitaker and Rachel McAdams, hits US theatres July 24.

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Janet Jackson Unbreakable World Tour Gets 2016 Dates After 'No Sleep' Drops

Janet Jackson performs (Photo : Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

It sure seems like Janet Jackson will be getting "No Sleeep" in 2016 - her major return to the live circuit has been extended. Today (July 13), the pop superstar announced that her Unbreakable World Tour, which kicks off next month, has been extended with new dates in the new year.

After playing a lengthy series of shows this fall, Jackson will head back out on the road for the first three months of 2016, Radio.com reports with 27 new shows. Starting on Jan. 12 in Portland, Oregon, Jackson will cross the country, making her way east, before wrapping up the second leg of her tour in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on March 9.

The extensive Unbreakable World Tour will be in support of Jackson's planned new album, which is expected for release this fall. The new record, which will be Jackson's first LP since the release of 2008's Discipline, is shrouded in mystery with a title, tracklist and exact due date uncertain. However, last month Jackson made a sexy, sweet comeback with the album's lead single "No Sleeep."

Tickets for Jackson's 2016 tour will go on sale Monday, July 20.

Janet Jackson 2015 Tour Dates:

08/31: Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena
09/02: Calgary, AB @ Scotiabank Saddledome
09/04: Edmonton, AB @ Rexall Place
09/08: Winnipeg, MB @ MTS Centre
09/11: Grand Rapids, MI @ Van Andel Arena
09/15: Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre
09/17: Raleigh, NC @ Walnut Creek Amphitheater
09/18: Charlotte, NC @ PNC Music Pavilion
09/20: Miami, FL @ American Airlines Arena
09/23 Orlando, FL @ Amway Center
09/24: Tampa, FL @ Amalie Arena
09/26: Atlanta, GA @ Chastain Park Amphitheater
09/27 Nashville, TN @ Ascend Amphitheater
09/29: Memphis, TN @ Fedex Forum
09/30: New Orleans, LA @ Smoothie King Center
10/09-10: Las Vegas, NV @ AXS at Planet Hollywood
10/16: Los Angeles, CA @ The Forum
10/17: San Diego, CA @ Viejas Arena
10/19: Phoenix, AZ @ Comerica Theatre
10/24: Salt Lake City, UT @ Energy Solutions Arena
10/25: Denver, CO @ Pepsi Center
10/27: Kansas City, MO @ Sprint Center
10/29: St. Louis, MO @ Chaifetz Arena
10/30: Omaha, NE Centurylink Center
11/01: Minneapolis, MN @ Target Center
11/12-13: Honolulu, HI @ Neal S. Blaisdell Center

Janet Jackson 2016 Tour Dates (New):

01/12: Portland, OR @ Moda Center
01/13: Seattle, WA @ KeyArena
01/15: Sacramento, CA @ Sleep Train Arena
01/16: Anaheim, CA @ Honda Center
01/19: Tucson, AZ @ Tucson Arena
01/21: San Antonio, TX @ AT&T Center
01/23: Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
01/24: Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center
01/27: Tulsa, OK @ BOK Center
01/29: Indianapolis, IN @ Bankers Life Fieldhouse
01/30: Lexington, KY @ Rupp Arena
02/01: Columbus, OH @ Schottenstein Center
02/02: Cleveland, OH @ Quicken Loans Arena
02/05: Detroit, MI @ The Palace of Auburn Hills
02/06: Pittsburgh, PA @ CONSOL Energy Center
02/17: Newark, NJ @ Prudential Center
02/19: Bethlehem, PA @ Sands Bethlehem Events Center
02/22: Brooklyn, NY @ Barclays Center
02/24: Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center
02/26: Boston, MA @ TD Garden
02/29: Baltimore, MD @ Royal Farms Arena
03/01: Washington, DC @ Verizon Center
03/03: Atlanta, GA @ Philips Arena
03/04: Winston-Salem, NC @ Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum
03/06: Columbia, SC @ Colonial Life Arena
03/08: Jacksonville, FL @ Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena
03/09: Fort Lauderdale, FL @ BB&T Center

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Azealia Banks Announces First Proper North American Tour, with K. Michelle

Azealia Banks performs at Coachella 2015 (Photo : Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

Much was made about how long Azealia Banks was relevant before she finally managed to drop the (admittedly stellar) Broke With Expensive Taste during 2014, but no one has pointed out that the emcee has never done a proper North American tour either. That is, until now. The rapper announced that she and R&B vocalist K. Michelle would set out together during September for two months of American dates.

Banks just went from playing a handful of festivals in Europe and will soon be traveling around Australia, but has of course played shows in the United States before, but never as many as the 20 gigs planned for this run.

Michelle hasn't quite gotten the headlines that her co-headliner has—perhaps as the result of being less active and incendiary on social media—but her 2014 sophomore album, Anybody Wanna Buy A Heart, also gathered near-universal acclaim.

This tour should be a "must" for fans with hip-hop and R&B tastes that linger on the fringe of mainstream. Check out the full list of dates below:

09/15: Indianapolis @ Murat Theatre

09/16: Chicago @ Aragon Ballroom

09/17: St. Louis @ Fabulous Fox Theatre

09/18: Detroit @ Fox Theater

09/19: Baltimore @ Pier Six Pavilion

09/20: Washington, DC @ DAR Constitution Hall

09/24: Philadelphia @ The Mann Center for Performing Arts

09/25: Cleveland @ Hard Rock Live

09/26: New York City @ Best Buy Theatre

09/27: Boston @ House of Blues

09/30: Richmond, VA @ Carpenter Center

10/01: Portsmouth, VA @ nTelos Wireless Pavilion

10/02: Atlanta @ Chastain Park Amphitheatre

10/03: Louisville, KY @ Palace Theatre

10/05: Nashville @ Schermerhorn Symphony Center

10/09: Houston @ Bayou Music Center

10/10: Dallas @ Verizon Theatre @ Grand Prairie

10/12: Denver @ Ogden Theatre

10/14: Oakland @ Fox Theater (NOTE: Only K. Michelle will play at this date. Apologies, Banks fans.)

10/15: Los Angeles @ Microsoft Theatre

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UNIVERSAL MUSIC LATIN ENTERTAINMENT (UMLE), the world's leading Latin music label, has announced that it will launch L Festival – Feria Cultural Latinoamericana on October 24 and 25 of 2015 at the OC Fair & Event Center. The first of its kind, L Festival will celebrate the best of Latin America's art, cuisine and music. International star Enrique Iglesias, Juan Gabriel, La Arrolladora Banda El Limon and Julion Alvarez are the first superstars announced to headline the four main stages at the event.

Performances will include more than 25 acts representing 10 countries, Pop, Regional Mexican, Urban, Tropical and EDM genres and include Juan Magan, Zion y Lennox, La Santa Cecilia and Far East Movement. Additional headliners and artists from the top of the Latin charts will be announced in the coming weeks.

Tickets go on sale Wednesday, July 15, at www.lfestival.com. Two day access passes will be available, starting as low as $99, plus unique VIP upgrade opportunities to bring fans even closer to their passion for music, food and art. Children under 6 are free and children 7-10 are half price.

Created by UMLE in partnership with concert leader CMN Events, and sponsored by Bud Light, Pepsi and Verizon, the all day festival marks the first time that two 100% Latin music entertainment companies have created an event on this scale. It also marks the first time in OC Fair and Event Center history that an all-Latino community event is showcased.

In making the announcement, Jesús López, Chairman of Universal Music Latin America & Iberian Peninsula, said: "The Hispanic community represents an important share of music consumption and more of the live concert business. UNIVERSAL MUSIC LATIN ENTERTAINMENT as the leading company in Latin music will once again make history by expanding its entertainment business to offer the Hispanic family a one-of-a-kind entertainment experience. Music, Art, and Gastronomy are part of a lifestyle and the Hispanic family will take center stage of the L FESTIVAL - FERIA CULTURAL LATINOAMERICANA."

Victor Gonzalez, President of Universal Music Latin Entertainment, said, "As Universal Music Latin Entertainment and market leaders, it fills us with pride to present the first version of L FESTIVAL - FERIA CULTURAL LATINOAMERICANA, an event crafted for the Hispanic family where music, art and gastronomy will converge to provide festivalgoers with a unique 2-day entertainment experience. Being the first in its kind we want to ensure that this event sets a new precedent for the Hispanic community by offering a best in class show and cultural experience."

L Festival – Feria Cultural Latinoamericana will celebrate the wide diversity of Latin culture in the US, with interactive music, art, history and cultural experiences for the entire family. With a projected buying power of $1.5 trillion by the end of this year, the US Hispanic population has a powerful voice in the culture. Hispanics are diverse, speak multiple languages, and straddle multiple cultures, and L Festival – Feria Cultural Latinoamericana is an opportunity for families to experience their shared values while celebrating what makes them unique.

Since 2002, CMN Events has leveraged its multicultural expertise to produce and execute some of the most engaging lifestyle events around the globe, including music tours, experiential marketing events and international soccer matches. CMN now takes on the task to produce and stage the event.

"I am excited to partner with Universal Music Latin Entertainment to create an experience that the Hispanic community can enjoy and cherish," said Founder and CEO of CMN, Henry Cárdenas. "We at CMN pride ourselves in producing experiences that really engage and speak to music fans. We like to be a part of memorable events that are celebrations of our culture. That's what it's all about!"

THE ART EXPERIENCE - A curated art experience will include multiple galleries spotlighting artists from numerous Latin American countries in an explosion of color, emotions and expressions of social justice.

According to Nielsen, Hispanic consumers spend on average $135 annually on music of which $72 is on live music, far more than the average US consumer. Much of this difference is explained by Hispanics' love of live music and a culture that values communal celebration.

The L Festival is being spearheaded by Gustavo Lopez, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Universal Music Latin Entertainment. An executive with four children, Lopez was inspired to create a music and cultural festival because he wanted to take his children to an event that he was going to be proud of, where they'd be safe, and where they would have a rich cultural experience. That didn't exist until now.

Gustavo Lopez concluded, "We've crafted two wonderful days filled with great music, art, food and the rich offerings from our culture that we will be proud to share with our families and friends."

SOURCE Universal Music Latin Entertainment

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Supergirl” Comic-Con Release: Peter Facinelli Joins the Cast as Maxwell Lord