MUSIC NEWS: THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2016
GRAMMYS - BB KING TRIBUTE
Country singer Chris Stapleton will join Gary Clark Jr. and Bonnie Raitt at the Grammy Awards later this month for a tribute to the late blues master B.B. King.
The Grammys announced a handful of other performers on Thursday for the Feb. 15 ceremony. Justin Bieber will join Diplo and Skrillex to perform their hit ``Where Are U Now.'' Alice Cooper, Johnny Depp and Joe Perry will debut their rock group the Hollywood Vampires.
Pitbull also plans a performance together with Travis Barker and Robin Thicke.
LL Cool J is hosting the music awards ceremony from Los Angeles for the fifth straight year.
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AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION - DAVID BOWIE
The library community is paying its respects to David Bowie by reissuing his poster that promoted reading. The American Library Association is reprinting the Bowie ``READ'' poster from 1987. It shows Bowie barefoot in jeans and a letter jacket while holding a copy of Dostoevsky's book ``The Idiot.'' The poster sells for 18-dollars. To say Bowie liked reading is an understatement. Bowie often read a book a day and took cabinets of books with him on tour.
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SEVENDUST - GRAMMY
Sevendust have been a band for two decades and have only now gotten their first Grammy nomination. They're up for best metal performance, competing against August Burns Red, Ghost, Lamb Of God and Slipknot. Sevendust frontman Lajon Witherspoon says being nominated is a big deal and he feels it will push them to work even harder. Witherspoon knows Sevendust has their critics who don't think they're heavy enough. He says he never puts labels on music and he just feels they ``still get out there and rock it.''
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``HAMILTON'' - GRAMMY PERFORMANCES
NEW YORK (AP) _ The cast of the Broadway show ``Hamilton'' will perform at the Grammys this year. The performance will be only the eighth time in 58 years that the Grammys have featured a musical theatre performance. The last time was a segment from ``American Idiot'' in 2010. It's also only the fourth time the Grammys have featured a performance via satellite. The ``Hamilton'' cast will perform from the Richard Rodgers Theatre in New York. The Grammys are February 15th in Los Angeles. Other performers included Adele, Lady Gaga, Little Big Town, Carrie Underwood and The Weeknd.
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JIMMY BUFFETT - MUSICAL
The musical based on Jimmy Buffett's music will make its world premiere in 16 months. The musical, which does not yet have a title, will premiere at the La Jolla (HOY'-ah) Playhouse in California on May 16th, 2017. It will tell the story of a singer-bartender named Tully who falls in love with a career-minded tourist. The story is being written by ``My Name Is Earl'' star Mike O'Malley and the show's creator, Greg Garcia.
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TRACY CHAPMAN - SOCIAL MEDIA
Tracy Chapman is not big on social media. She doesn't even have a smart phone. Chapman's management maintains a Facebook page for her, but Chapman says she's not into it because it's one more thing to do and she can barely keep up with the people in her life in the real world. Chapman's phone doesn't have a touch screen and she loves to show people photos and watch them try to scroll. She says the term ``smart phone'' isn't very accurate anyway. She says the one thing it should do is make phone calls and that seems to be the least dependable feature.
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BRET MICHAELS - LUGGAGE LINE
Bret Michaels is hoping when you're thinking of getting out of town, you'll think of him. Michaels has teamed up with online retailer Overstock to create a line of luggage. One set is black with silver flames, while the other is black with grey paisley accents. Michaels says he travels 200 days a year and had that in mind when he designed the luggage.
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``AMERICAN IDOL'' - HOLLYWOOD WEEK
John Wayne Schulz could have used his lucky cowboy hat. Schulz performed for the first time ever without his black hat on ``American Idol'' last night. He was an early favourite of the judges, but doesn't make the cut this time. He was also eliminated during Hollywood Week of Season 10th. Former Miss Alaska Malie Delgado can barely speak. But she makes it. Malie powered through a severe case of laryngitis and impressed the judges.
Tonight, the Top 24 of Idol's final season will be revealed.
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(The Associated Press)