MUSIC NEWS: THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2015
CARLY RAE JEPSEN - ``GREASE''
Canadian pop-star Carly Rae Jepsen has been cast as Frenchy in Fox's live T-V staging of the musical ``Grease.''
Jessie J will open the show with a performance of the song ``Grease (Is The Word).'' Julianne Hough will play Sandy and Aaron Tveit will play Danny. The live version of ``Grease'' airs Jan. 31st.
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ROBBIE ROBERTSON - BOOK
Toronto born Robbie Robertson of The Band has created a children's book based on a story he heard as a boy about the Iroquois. Robertson's book, ``Hiawatha and the Peacemaker,'' is the story of a Mohawk named Hiawatha who was chosen to translate the Peacemaker's message of unity for five warring Iroquois nations in the 14th century. Robertson is of Mohawk and Cayuga descent and heard the story as part of the Iroquois oral tradition. The book comes with a C-D containing a Robertson original song. It's out now.
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JUSTIN BIEBER - PAPARAZZI LAW
A photographer convicted of speeding to get a picture of Canadian pop-star Justin Bieber has encountered a setback in his case. A California appellate court has upheld the constitutionality of a 2010 law that raises the penalty for those who drive dangerously to get photos for commercial gain. The law was used for the first time to prosecute Paul Raef, who was accused of engaging in a high-speed chase with Bieber in 2012. A lower court ruled the law was unconstitutional, but the appellate ruling means the case against Raef will be reinstated.
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THOMAS RHETT - ``CRASH AND BURN''
The hardest song for Thomas Rhett to sing live is his new single, ``Crash and Burn.'' Rhett says he sings the lowest he can on the verses and the highest he can on the chorus. He says if he had made the verses higher or the chorus lower, he wouldn't have been able to sing the other one. ``Crash and Burn'' was a risky song for him in another way. When he was making his ``Tangled Up'' album, he sent that song and a few others to be tested by a focus group and the group hated all of them.
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OBIT- PHIL WOODS
The sax player who played the solo on Billy Joel's ``Just The Way You Are'' has died. Phil Woods died Tuesday in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, at the age of 83, according to the Bensing-Thomas Funeral Home. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports Woods had performed his last concert Sept. 4th while using oxygen, then announced he had emphysema and was retiring. Woods played on many Quincy Jones albums, and Jones says Woods was the best jazz alto sax player there was. Woods also played with Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, Bill Evans and Clark Terry, as well as with Steely Dan and Paul Simon.
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LAMB OF GOD - CZECH REPUBLIC
A court in Prague has rejected a lawsuit filed by Lamb of God frontman Randy Blythe seeking compensation for his trial in the Czech Republic. Blythe was acquitted of causing a 19-year-old man's death in 2010 after the man jumped on stage and Blythe pushed him off. The man's head hit the floor, and he later died of his injuries. Blythe had requested about 640-thousand dollars in compensation from the Justice Ministry.
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JOE JACKSON - RECOVERING
Jackson family patriarch Joe Jackson is doing a lot better since his stroke in July, according to his family. Grandson Taj Jackson says the prognosis is good for his grandfather. He says his worry is that Joe, who is 87, has that ``Jackson hard-headedness'' in that he's supposed to take it easy but he isn't. Grandson T-J Jackson says Joe is being strong and has a lot of family to support him.
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QUINCY JONES - HONOURED
Quincy Jones will be given an award and an all-star jazz salute for his music and his humanitarian work. The Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz says Jones has won the Herbie Hancock Humanitarian Award. Among the performers who will pay tribute to Jones are Hancock, Dave Grusin, Wayne Shorter, Jimmy Heath, George Benson, Hubert Laws, Arturo Sandoval, Patti Austin, Dee Dee Bridgewater and Al Jarreau. The event is set for Nov. 15th in Los Angeles.
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TIDAL - ALL-STAR CONCERT
The Tidal streaming service will sponsor a concert featuring Beyonce', Jay Z and Prince. The show will also feature Nicki Minaj, Usher, Lil Wayne, Damian Marley, Thomas Rhett, Indochine and T.I. The concert is set for Oct. 20nd in New York.
Tidal is owned by Beyonce, Jay Z, Madonna, Rihanna, Jack White, Arcade Fire and other musicians. It has struggled to compete with other streaming services like Spotify since it launched in the spring.
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