MUSIC NEWS: TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2015
STEVEN VAN ZANDT-PAUL SHAFFER-MUSICAL
Steven Van Zandt and Paul Shaffer are producing a musical about a little-known songwriter named Bert Berns who died in 1967 at the age of 38. Berns wrote songs like ``Twist and Shout,'' ``Tell Him,'' ``I Want Candy, ''Hang On Sloopy`` and ''Everybody Needs Somebody To Love.`` Shaffer says Berns wrote so many songs that meant a lot to him as a kid and he is ''an unsung hero.`` Van Zandt says Berns died so tragically young that even in the music industry, only insiders know about him. ''Piece of My Heart: The Bert Berns Story`` had opened off-Broadway last year. Van Zandt and Shaffer hope to bring the new production to Broadway next year.
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JOHN FOGERTY-MEMOIR
John Fogerty believes he was such a prolific songwriter because he was born at the right time. Fogerty says he was a child of the 1960s and his music was part of the soundtrack of that era. He says everything was in turmoil and it was a fascinating time unlike any other -- although he points out he was not alive when the Black Plague was hitting Europe. He says that was ``probably pretty exciting'' as well. Fogerty writes about his life in his new book, ``Fortunate Son: My Life, My Music,'' in stores today.
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LITTLE MIX-THIRLWALL
Jade Thirlwall of Little Mix would probably go crazy if she had to be a singer all by herself. Thirlwall says she's lucky to have three other people in Little Mix who are there when she needs to confide in someone. She says she doesn't know how solo artists do it. They also get to share some of the funny moments of being in the music industry, too. Groupmate Perrie Edwards says because they're British, they have to speak very proper English for Americans to understand their accents.
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SONGWRITERS HALL OF FAME-NOMINEES
Madonna has the potential to be recognized for her songwriting rather than just her singing or performing. She's been nominated for induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Other nominees include George Harrison, Marvin Gaye, Tom Petty, Jimi Hendrix, John Mellencamp, Blondie, Gloria Estefan, The Isley Brothers, Sly Stone and Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards of Chic, The nominee list also includes Michael McDonald, Tom T.
Hall, Jeff Lynne of E-L-O, Steve Miller and Roger Miller. The inductees will be announced sometime after the voting deadline of December 11. The induction ceremony is next June in New York.
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MISSISSIPPI-HONOURS-B.B. KING
Even though B-B King died in May, he's still so respected in Mississippi that the state is bestowing a special honour upon him. The five living governors of Mississippi will meet today at Delta State University to declare King ``Mississippi's secretary of state of the blues.'' The proclamation comes as Delta State holds an international conference on the blues.
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BJORK PLANS STRING VERSION OF ``VULNICURA''
Bjork is releasing a strings-only version of the ``Vulnicura'' album that she put out in January. Bjork writes on her Facebook page it will include new violin solos and ``a unique instrument called a viola organista.'' A release date was not given but Bjork's website is accepting preorders.
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(The Associated Press)