MUSIC NEWS: WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2015
LUKE BRYAN TAKES BATTING PRACTICE WITH WHITE SOX
Luke Bryan sometimes gets star-struck, but he nearly fell apart when he took batting practice with the Chicago White Sox and Bo Jackson was in the locker room. Bryan took some swings with the White Sox at their spring training camp in Glendale, Arizona, on Monday. He tells MLB-dot-com he can't wait to give baseballs autographed by Jackson to his sons and tell them they were signed by ``probably the best athlete that has ever walked the face of the earth.'' Good thing they get along. Bryan says Jackson told him that everything about Bryan's swing is awful, but Bryan plans to give Jackson a guitar to see what he can do.
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`THE VOICE'
Blake Shelton says Hannah Kirby is back where she belongs. Hannah was picked up by Team Blake last night on ``The Voice'' after she was dropped by Team Pharrell. It's a return for Hannah. She had started with Shelton, before he let her go on an earlier episode. Next week, the knockout rounds on The Voice wrap up.
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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS ADDS TO NATIONAL RECORDING REGISTRY
The music of Lauryn Hill, Radiohead and Sly and the Family Stone will be preserved for all time. The Library of Congress has added the albums ``The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill,''
''OK Computer`` and ''Stand!`` to its National Recording Registry.
It preserves recordings of cultural or historical significance.
''You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'`` by The Righteous Brothers has been added. So has ''Stand By Me`` by Ben E. King. The self-titled albums of Joan Baez and of The Doors were added as well. The earliest recordings come from the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Perhaps the silliest recording on the list: Steve Martin's ''A Wild And Crazy Guy`` album.
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JOAN BAEZ WINS AWARD FROM AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
Joan Baez is one of the winners of Amnesty International's Ambassador of Conscience Award. Baez will be recognized for her civil rights activism since the 1960s. Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei (EYE' WAY'-way) will also be honoured. An award ceremony will be held May 21st in Berlin.
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ELVIS COSTELLO PLANS AUTOBIOGRAPHY
Elvis Costello is writing his life story. Penguin Books says Costello will write a memoir entitled ``Unfaithful Music and Disappearing Ink.'' Costello is expected to write about growing up in Liverpool, playing with famous musicians and what Penguin is calling ``more than a few instances of bad behaviour.'' The book will come out October 13th.
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''DECLINE OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION`` COMING OUT ON DVD
A trilogy of cult documentaries about the music business is about to come out on D-V-D and Blu-Ray for the first time. The three ``Decline of Western Civilization'' movies will be released on June 30. The first one came out in 1980 and contains footage of X, The Germs, and Black Flag. The second one features Alice Cooper, Kiss, Aerosmith, Poison and Ozzy Osbourne. It also features the famous interview of Chris Holmes of W.A.S.P. swilling vodka in a swimming pool while his mother watched. The third one focuses on the 1990s L-A punk scene. Dave Grohl provides commentary for the home video release.
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DAVID BYRNE CRASHES HIS TRIBUTE
New York's Carnegie Hall holds a music education benefit concert every year, but usually the artist whose music is featured does not show up. David Byrne not only crashed his tribute, he brought a marching band with him. Byrne showed up to the end of the concert Monday with the Brooklyn United Marching Band to perform ``God's Army'' and ``Uptown Funk.'' Sharon Jones performed ``Psycho Killer,'' while Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top did ``Houses in Motion.'' CeeLo Green performed ``Take Me To The River.'' Other performers included Glen Hansard, Steve Earle and The Roots.
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CELINE-DION
Celine Dion, who will return to Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas this summer, says she has to feed ailing husband Rene Angelil because he cannot use his mouth. Angelil, who has also been Dion's manager, had surgery in December of 2013 to remove a cancerous tumour. In an interview that will air today on A-B-C's ``Good Morning America,'' Dion says Angelil has a feeding tube and she helps him eat three times a day. Earlier this week, the Canadian diva announced she would resume her residency at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas this August. She had suspended her career activities while caring for the 73-year-old Angelil.
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iTunes in Canada top 10 for the week ending March 22.
ALBUMS
1. To Pimp a Butterfly _ Kendrick Lamar
2. ``Fifty Shades of Grey'' Soundtrack _ Various Artists
3. If You're Reading This It's Too Late _ Drake
4. Strangers to Ourselves _ Modest Mouse
5. Hozier _ Hozier
6. X _ Ed Sheeran
7. 1989 _ Taylor Swift
8. Smoke + Mirrors _ Imagine Dragons
9. Little Mourning _ Milk & Bone
10. Chaos and the Calm _ James Bay
SINGLES
1. Uptown Funk _ Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars
2. FourFiveSeconds _ Rihanna, Kanye West and Paul McCartney
3. I'm an Albatraoz _ AronChupa
4. Sugar _ Maroon 5
5. Love Me Like You Do _ Ellie Goulding
6. Thinking Out Loud _ Ed Sheeran
7. Earned It _ The Weeknd
8. Style _ Taylor Swift
9. Take Me to Church _ Hozier
10. Time of Our Lives _ Pitbull featuring Ne-Yo