MUSIC NEWS: MONDAY, MARCH 30, 2015
TAYLOR SWIFT - iHEARTRADIO
Taylor Swift cleaned up at the iHeartRadio Music Awards last night. She won artist of the year and song of the year for ``Shake It Off.'' She also won for best lyrics with ``Blank Space.'' Swift thanked fans as she accepted the awards at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. She says she and her fans have ``gotten closer and closer with each year, not further apart.'' To top off Swift's night, she played guitar for Madonna as she performed ``Rebel Heart.'' When Madonna read off Swift as song of the year winner, she declared Swift her favourite guitar player.
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DESTINY'S CHILD REUNITES FOR GOSPEL AWARDS PERFORMANCE
Anyone who had tickets to the Stellar Gospel Music Awards and didn't go probably is pretty upset right now.
Beyonce' and Kelly Rowland joined Michelle Williams for a surprise Destiny's Child reunion Saturday in Las Vegas. They performed Williams' single, ``Say Yes.'' That song won the award for music video of the year. Erica Campbell won six awards, including artist of the year. The awards will be broadcast April 5 on the T-V One network.
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ZAYN MALIK SPEAKS PUBLICLY FOR FIRST TIME SINCE QUITTING ONE DIRECTION
Zayn Malik says he's worried he's let down One Direction fans by quitting. Malik tells Britain's Sun newspaper he tried to continue for the fans, even though he wasn't happy. He says he can't do it any more because it's not real to him.
The rest of One Direction do not appear to have any hard feelings.
Malik says they've been ``really supportive'' of his decision and he's supportive of their decision to continue without him.
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NICK JONAS, SELENA GOMEZ WIN KIDS' CHOICE AWARDS
Nick Jonas had the honour of hosting the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards, being named favourite male singer and getting completely covered in green slime. He should have quit while he was ahead, because he was covered slightly in slime but made the mistake of saying, ``That's all you got for the host of the show? Come on!'' Selena Gomez was named favourite female singer. One Direction was named favourite group. Favourite song was ``Bang Bang'' by Jessie J, Ariana Grande (GRAHN'-day) and Nicki Minaj.
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BILLIE JOE ARMSTRONG PREPARES MUSICAL
Green Day singer Billie Joe Armstrong will premiere his new musical in New York later this year. ``These Paper Bullets!'' is described as ``a modish rip-off of Shakespeare's 'Much Ado About Nothing' with a serious backbeat.'' It's about a British band trying to find love and cut an album in a week. It will run at New York's Atlantic Theater beginning in November.
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SCOTT WEILAND IS IN ANOTHER BAND
Given Scott Weiland's sometimes rocky history with Stone Temple Pilots and with Velvet Revolver, has he ever considered maybe he shouldn't be in a band? Weiland says he's actually a very good bandmate. He says he was with S-T-P for 20 years and with Velvet Revolver for 7 _ and that's a pretty good history. He says when the creativity is just not happening anymore, it's important to move on. Weiland's new project is Scott Weiland and the Wildabouts. Their debut album, ``Blaster,'' comes out tomorrow. He says his previous solo records have been kind of experimental and his fans did not care for that, but ``Blaster'' is more of a traditional rock album.
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ROGER DALTREY PREDICTS THIS IS THE LAST WHO TOUR
Roger Daltrey says he used to try to sing like it's the first time, but now he sings for what might be the last time. Daltrey tells Rolling Stone he thinks the current Who tour will be the last big tour they'll do. Daltrey is 71 and Pete Townshend is 69. Daltrey says he wants to stop while they're still at the top of their game. Daltrey says he can picture doing an acoustic set at a theatre in New York with Townshend in the future, because then the audiences would come to them.
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JO DEE MESSINA WRITES ``CHICKEN SOUP'' BOOK
Jo Dee Messina has co-written a book in honour of mothers. Messina and author Amy Newmark have written ``Chicken Soup For The Soul: Thanks to My Mom: 101 Stories of Gratitude, Love, and Lessons.'' It's in stores now.
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NORMAN GREENBAUM BADLY HURT IN WRECK
The man who wrote and sang ``Spirit in the Sky'' has been badly hurt in a car accident. Authorities in Northern California say Norman Greenbaum was the passenger in a car involved in an accident with a motorcyclist, who was killed. The California Highway Patrol tells the Press Democrat newspaper of Santa Rosa that the car turned left, crossing into the path of the motorcycle on Saturday. The car's driver wasn't injured. The newspaper says Greenbaum is in critical condition at a hospital _ but didn't detail his injuries.
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NEW JERSEY'S IZOD CENTER CLOSES
The arena that practically became Bruce Springsteen's home has closed. The Izod Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey, closed yesterday after the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus finished its run there. The arena opened in 1981 as the Brendan Byrne Arena with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band as the first concert. Springsteen had a 15-night sold-out run there in 1999. He also had multiple sellouts there in 1984 and in 1992. The Rolling Stones recorded part of their 1980 show there for the ``Let's Spend The Night Together'' concert film.
The Dave Matthews Band recorded its ``Listener Supported'' live album there, and Red Hot Chili Peppers shot the ``Snow (Hey Oh)'' video there.
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OBIT-SONGWRITER DON ROBERTSON PASSES AWAY
The man who wrote ``Does My Ring Hurt Your Finger'' for Charley Pride and ``Ringo'' for Lorne Greene has died.
Rolling Stone reports songwriter Don Robertson died in southern California on March 16 at the age of 92. He wrote ``I Really Don't Want To Know,'' which has been recorded more than 200 times and was a number-one country hit for Eddy Arnold. Robertson also wrote ``I Don't Hurt Anymore,'' which was a hit for both Hank Snow and Dinah Washington. Robertson had a number-six hit himself in 1956 with ``The Happy Whistler.'' He was also the voice of Gomer the Bear and played piano for the Country Bear Jamboree exhibit at Disneyland and Disney World.
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OBIT-JOHN RENBOURN OF PENTANGLE PASSES AWAY
Guitarist John Renbourn of the group Pentangle has died. His manager, Dave Smith, says he became concerned when Renbourn did not show up for a concert. Police found Renbourn dead at his home in Scotland on Thursday. He was 70. Renbourn founded Pentangle with Bert Jansch in the mid-1960s. They played complicated ballads and folk tales from the Renaissance and sometimes reworkings of rock songs. Smith says Renbourn was an inspirational performer who was widely known all over the world, even though he did not do mainstream music.
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Beiber-Lawsuit
The lawyer for a limousine driver who's filed a civil lawsuit against Justin Bieber says he's ``looking forward to cross-examining'' the Canadian pop star in court. Clayton Ruby is representing Abdul Mohar. He's filed documents in an Ontario court alleging Bieber assaulted his client in December, 2013. Ruby says he ``does not make allegations lightly'' and intends to prove them in court. Bieber's lawyer, Brian Greenspan says the civil claim against the pop star is ``totally without merit.'' Bieber was charged with assault in connection with the alleged incident, but last September prosecutors withdrew the charge saying they didn't see ``a reasonable prospect of conviction.'' Ruby says he can only speculate the Crown felt it couldn't prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt, but he notes the bar for civil action is much lower.
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Beiber-Roast
You've heard all about it, but now you can finally see it: Comedy Central's Roast of Justin Bieber. The show features celebs like Snoop Dogg, Martha Stewart and Shaquille O'Neal ripping into the Canadian pop star about everything from his sexuality, to his arrests, to his relationship with Selena Gomez.
The roast airs tonight at 10 p-m ET/PT.
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