MUSIC NEWS: FRIDAY, JULY 10, 2015
ORDER OF MANITOBA
Twelve Manitobans, ranging from musicians to advocates to athletes, have been inducted into the Order of Manitoba.
Chad Allan of The Guess Who, rocker Tom Cochrane and Mitch Podolak, founding artistic director of the Winnipeg Folk Festival, were honoured for their work in the music industry.
Two NHLers also made it onto the list: Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews and Sheldon Kennedy, who is also an advocate for victims of sexual abuse.
Others include Karen Beaudin, community resource co-ordinator; broadcaster and author Dian Cohen; Wilma Derksen, who has advocated for victims of crime since her daughter Candace was murdered; Dan Johnson of the Manitoba Special Olympics; Metis veteran Donald R. J. Mackey; Monica Khhem Kamarie Singh of the Manitoba Ethnocultural Advocacy and Advisory Council; and Rachel Alao of Winnipeg's Helping Hands Resource Centre for Immigrants Inc.
Lt.-Gov. Janice Filmon says the list demonstrates the power of a single individual ``in encouraging positive change locally, nationally, and globally.''
(CTV Winnipeg)
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AC/DC'S PHIL RUDD SENTENCED TO HOME DETENTION
AC/DC will definitely not have Phil Rudd back on drums for a while. Rudd was sentenced to eight months of home detention yesterday after he pleaded guilty to drug possession and threatening to kill a man who used to work for him in New Zealand.
Tauranga District Court Judge Thomas Ingram says he accepts that the sentence will affect Rudd's future with the band, but he believes Rudd didn't have a future with the band anyway until he successfully kicks drugs. Welsh drummer Chris Slade has been on drums for the AC/DC tour.
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MICHIGAN PRISON SYSTEM SAYS NO TO KID ROCK VIDEO
Kid Rock has been denied permission to film a music video in a women's prison. Michigan Department of Corrections communications director Chris Gautz tells The Detroit News that Rock wanted to perform for prisoners at the Huron Valley Correctional Facility in southeastern Michigan. Gautz says the concert would create a host of security issues and building a stage could lead to unaccounted pieces being used as weapons. Gautz says the department is talking with the video company to film at a vacant maximum security prison northeast of Detroit.
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COUNTRY MUSICIANS DOWNPLAY USE OF CONFEDERATE FLAG
Country musicians have been quietly swapping out the Confederate flag for the American flag in the weeks since nine black churchgoers were fatally shot in Charleston, South Carolina.
The Confederate flag was once a symbol of the renegade spirit for many country acts but it has fallen under scrutiny after the alleged Charleston shooter, Dylann Roof, was photographed with it as a symbol of white supremacy. Charlie Daniels wrote on his website the Confederate flag was simply a sign of defiance and pride in where people came from. John Rich told Fox News he agreed with the calls to remove the flag from the South Carolina statehouse.
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STUDY: METALHEADS ARE JUST FINE
If you listened to metal in the 1980s, chances are good you turned out okay, according to a study by Humboldt State University. Psychologist Tasha Howe did a study called ``Three Decades Later: The Life Experiences and Mid-Life Functioning of 1980s Heavy Metal Groupies, Musicians and Fans.'' The study found metalheads may have engaged in some risky behaviour, but they usually benefited from the social support of the metal scene.
The study notes that ``participation in fringe style cultures may enhance identity development in troubled youth.''
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SPANDAU BALLET: THE NEW RICKROLLING
What Rickrolling was to people watching videos online, Spandau Ballet now is for electronic dance music. The new trend is for DJs to whip a crowd into a frenzy with a big buildup, then play Spandau Ballet's song ``True.'' The band loves it. They tell Billboard magazine ``True'' was a big club hit when it first came out and it's great that it's making a comeback.
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TAYLOR SWIFT MAKES DONATION TO SICK FAN
Taylor Swift has donated $50,000 to an Arizona girl recently diagnosed with leukemia. The girl's family posted a video online earlier this week that shows 11-year-old Naomi Oakes referring to Swift's song ``Bad Blood'' as her theme song. They said she was going to miss Swift's concert because of her illness. The donation was posted to the fundraising site GoFundMe in Swift's name. A Swift spokeswoman says Swift does not confirm charitable contributions. Swift has a history of sending gifts to fans.
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MADONNA HACKER SENTENCED
The man who leaked songs from Madonna's ``Rebel Heart'' album has been sentenced to 14 months in jail. Adi Lederman had entered a plea deal earlier this year on charges he hacked into computers of people associated with Madonna and sold unreleased songs. He was also fined $3,900.
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WILLIE NELSON WINS GERSHWIN PRIZE FROM LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
Willie Nelson says it's an honour to be given a prize from the Library of Congress and he appreciates it greatly.
Nelson has been named the recipient of the library's Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. Librarian of Congress James Billington calls Nelson a ``musical explorer'' and a ``master communicator'' who redrew the boundaries of country music. Nelson will receive the prize during a tribute concert in Washington in November.
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TRISHA YEARWOOD GOES THROUGH THE DISPLAY OF HER LIFE
When Trisha Yearwood was little, she'd tell people she wanted to be a country singer and they'd say that was cute. Her mother believed in her and saved all the things from her youth that got her started, like her first guitar. Those items are among those on display in an exhibit about Yearwood at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville. You can also see the two dresses Yearwood wore when she married Garth Brooks in 2005. Yearwood says she wore a red dress when people arrived to the house and a white one for the ceremony.
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KEITH RICHARDS ANNOUNCES SOLO RECORD
Keith Richards has finally finished up his solo album, 23 years after he did his last one. He will release ``Crosseyed Heart'' on September 18. Norah Jones is a guest performer. It's his third solo record and the follow-up to 1992's ``Main Offender.''
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RINGO STARR'S ``HELP!'' JACKET FOR SALE
The double-breasted jacket Ringo Starr wore in the movie ``Help!'' is going to be sold at auction. RR Auctions of Boston puts the minimum bid at $2,500. The auction will run through July 23. An inflatable cow udder signed by the members of Pink Floyd that was used to promote the ``Atom Heart Mother'' album is also for sale. So are high school yearbooks that separately feature Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper and Madonna. Other items for sale include Elvis Presley's shotgun, Dee Dee Ramone's credit cards and Joey Ramone's unused Sega Game Gear TV tuner pack in its original box.
Online bidding ends July 23.
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GLOBAL CITIZEN FESTIVAL
Beyonce, Pearl Jam, Ed Sheeran and Coldplay will thank fans personally for their efforts to end poverty. They are among the performers for the Global Citizen Festival in New York on September 26. Tickets are free but fans have to earn them by taking actions against poverty at www.GlobalCitizen.org. The concert will air on MSNBC and stream on iHeartRadio and Tidal.
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JOSH GROBAN
Josh Groban will perform for the opening ceremony at the U.S. Open tennis tournament. Groban will perform songs from his new album, ``Stages.'' The tournament begins August 31 in New York.
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JUSTIN BEIBER
Justin Bieber will make a special appearance at the inaugural Billboard Hot 100 Music Festival in August, along with headliners The Weeknd, Skrillex, Nicki Minaj and Lil Wayne.
The festival will be held at New York's Nikon at Jones Beach Theater on Aug. 22 and 23 and will feature more than 40 acts over three stages. The lineup, announced Friday, also includes Kygo, Jason Derulo, American Authors, Betty Who, The Chainsmokers, Cold War Kids, Fetty Wap, Halsey, Holy Ghost!, Kiesza, Little Mix, Santigold and ZZ Ward.
(The Associated Press)