LOS ANGELES (AP) – Stevie Wonder will perform a tribute to Dick Clark at the American Music Awards on Sunday. Clark created the awards in 1973. That year Wonder won his first AMA for favorite soul single for “Superstition.”
Category: Regional News
JOHN MELLENCAMP + STEPHEN KING = LITTLE DITTY ABOUT SATAN
NEW YORK (AP) – John Mellencamp is enlisting some of his high-profile friends for the album version of the musical he wrote with Stephen King. Elvis Costello plays the devil, Kris Kristofferson plays the patriarch of a family, and Rosanne Cash plays one of the wives on “Ghost Brothers of Darkland County.” Neko Case, Sheryl Crow, Ryan Bingham and Taj Mahal also perform. The “Ghost Brothers of Darkland County” album comes out March 19.
‘GANGNAM STYLE’ STAR JOINS MADONNA ONSTAGE
NEW YORK (AP) — Madonna has gone “Gangnam Style.”
Korean pop star PSY joined the pop icon Tuesday night during her second show this week at Madison Square Garden. They danced to his pop culture anthem “Gangnam Style” and to her jam “Music” in front of nearly 20,000.
Madonna said PSY flew “all the way from Frankfurt, Germany this morning.” She also said she was a big fan of the rapper and loved his suit, which was bright red.
He added that he’s had a lot of experiences in the last few months, and that performing at MSG with Madonna topped his list.
Madonna also collected money for those affected by Superstorm Sandy. Fans threw money onstage while she sang “Like a Virgin.” She said she collected $3,000 at Monday’s show.
DAVE MATTHEWS BAND PLEDGES $1M FOR SANDY RELIEF
NEW YORK (AP) — The Dave Matthews Band is giving $1 million to help Superstorm Sandy recovery efforts.
The band announced Wednesday that the November 30 opening show of its winter tour at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J., will be a benefit concert. All ticket and merchandise sales will go to the Bama Works Sandy Relief Fund, established at the Community Foundation of New Jersey.
Sandy’s assault more than two weeks ago created widespread damage and power outages in New Jersey and New York.
The Grammy-winning group will wrap up its tour December 22 in Philadelphia. Tickets are still on sale for the November 30 show, which features Jimmy Cliff.
BIG MACHINE TO RELEASE ‘NASHVILLE’ SOUNDTRACK
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Love that song from the show “Nashville”?
You might be in luck. Big Machine Records is releasing a soundtrack for the show on December 11th.
It will feature 11 tracks sung by different cast members, including the steamy “No One Will Ever Love You” that Connie Britton and Charles Esten’s characters sang together at the Bluebird and an acoustic version of “Telescope” that sisters Lennon and Maisy Stella sang at their school talent show.
The soundtrack includes a potential plot spoiler. There’s a duet between Britton and Hayden Panettiere called “Wrong Song.” ”Nashville” airs Wednesdays.
SPRINGSTEEN FANS ENCOURAGED TO PUT IT ON FILM
NEW YORK (AP) – A filmmaker is looking for Bruce Springsteen stories from the fan point of view. Producer Svana Gisla is working on a documentary called “Springsteen and I.” Gisla is looking for fans to make short films about what Springsteen means to them, whether they’re longtime fans or just hearing Springsteen for the first time. Fans can submit films under five minutes to www.SpringsteenandI.com through November 29.
CCR FRONTMAN WRITING AUTOBIOGRAPHY
NEW YORK (AP) – John Fogerty is ready to tell the stories of what really went on inside Creedence Clearwater Revival and his battle with his record label that went all the way to the Supreme Court. Fogerty has signed a deal with Little, Brown and Company for his autobiography. Fogerty says he wants to tell the story of how he fought hard to maintain his artistic integrity in the face of opposing forces. Fogerty’s book will come out in 2014. In the meantime, he will put out an album next year called “Wrote A Song For Everyone.”
STONES GRUDGINGLY OBSERVE 50TH ANNIVERSARY
NEW YORK (AP) – The Rolling Stones weren’t going to do anything for their 50th anniversary, but Keith Richards says they felt pressured to do it. Richards says the Stones are famous for not obeying the rules, but they became aware that a lot of people were counting on them. They will play five shows in London and outside New York in the coming weeks, and they released a compilation with two new songs this week. Mick Jagger says they had to do something or the BBC would have done a dull film about them. Richards says it’s “impossible” for it to have been 50 years, because in his words, “I’m only 38.”
TAYLOR SWIFT DOESN’T WANT TO BE THE ONE ‘WEARING THE PANTS’
(AP) — Taylor Swift wants the guy she dates to be an equal. She tells Harper’s Bazaar in its December-January issue that if she feels too much like she’s “wearing the pants” in the relationship, she starts to get uncomfortable and then they break up.
When it comes to work, Swift calls the shots, but in love, she says “it’s wonderful to hand over the reins to your boyfriend when you control so much of these big, high-pressure decisions.”
AARON LEWIS LAUNCHES SECOND COUNTRY PROJECT
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — If you liked the debut country EP from Aaron Lewis last year, there’s more where that came from. He’s out with a full-length solo album, called “The Road,” today.
Lewis says music has always been an avenue where he can get things off his chest that bother him. He says that’s true whether he’s writing country tunes or songs for his rock band Staind.