MUSIC NEWS: FRIDAY, APRIL 10, 2015
EAST COAST MUSIC AWARDS
Halifax rock groups In-Flight Safety and the Town Heroes were among the bands who scored big Thursday evening at the East Coast Music Awards in Torbay, just outside St. John's, Newfoundland. In-Flight Safety walked away with album of the year for ``Conversationalist'' while group recording of the year went to the Town Heroes for ``Sunday Movies.'' Newfoundland rock outfit Hey Rosetta took song of the year with ``Kintsukuroi.'' Kim Harris, originally from Newfoundland and now based in Halifax, won rising star recording of the year for her song, ``Only The Mighty.''
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ROLLING STONES PREPARE FOR TOUR
Keith Richards says he loves playing stadiums and loves it when the weather is on their side, or in his words, ``When God joins the band.'' The Rolling Stones will kick off a 15-city stadium tour in San Diego on May 24th. Richards says the only goal the Stones have anymore is ``how far we can run the string.'' Mick Jagger says the trick to longevity is to treat every show differently. He says it may appear to be the same concert, but to himself, each one has to have something different and special. The last stop on the Stones' Zip Code tour is July 15th at the Festival d'ete de Quebec in Quebec City. But Richards said more dates may follow.
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TAYLOR SWIFT'S MOM GETS CANCER DIAGNOSIS
Taylor Swift's mom has cancer. Swift writes on Tumblr she had asked her mother to see her doctors as a Christmas gift. She says there were no red flags then, but results came back that indicated cancer. Swift says her mother wants to keep the details private but her mother also wanted fans to know. Swift's mom has been a favourite among fans and will often take photos with them. Swift encouraged her fans to remind their parents to get checkups.
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BLACK SABBATH'S TONY IOMMI SAYS HE'S FINE
Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi says thanks for all the inquiries, but his health is fine. Iommi writes on his website rumours had surfaced that he had had a relapse of his lymphoma. He says with a disease like that, the fear of it returning never leaves, but he has regular blood tests.
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SARAH MCLACHLIN
After nearly a year of touring, Canadian singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan plans to settle down for the next few years in Vancouver. McLachlan, who has two daughters aged 13 and nearly 8, says she needs to be home and be focused and be a mom.
McLachlan has been touring since last May for her album ``Shine On,'' which recently got her a ninth career Juno Award. The three-time Grammy Award winner has a couple of one-off gigs coming up in her schedule but that's it. In the meantime, she plans to continue writing songs.
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ELVIS PRESLEY'S PLANES MAY HAVE NEW HOME
The two airplanes once owned by Elvis Presley that sit outside Graceland may be moved just down the street. The Lisa Marie and the Hound Dog II are owned by O-K-C Partnership. Elvis Presley Enterprises, which runs Graceland, told O-K-C last year that it wants the planes moved by April 26th. A county board has approved a proposal to move the planes on a lot down the street. The Memphis City Council must still approve the plan.
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'FREAKS AND GEEKS' CAST TO REUNITE
The series ``Freaks and Geeks'' only lasted a season on N-B-C. But it's got a devoted cult following. The show's executive producer was Judd Apatow and the cast included future stars Seth Rogen, Jason Segel and Linda Cardellini. T-V Land says the Freaks and Geeks cast will reunite for the 15th Anniversary Award. It will be part of the T-V Land Awards to air next Saturday.
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'MAMMA MIA!'-CLOSING
Broadway's dancing queen is heading toward the exit. ``Mamma Mia!'' will close in September after a run of more than 57-hundred performances. Producers say the show is the eighth-longest running on the Great White Way. The musical, based on ABBA songs, has grossed more than 600-million dollars.
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PBS TO AIR RESTORED VERSION OF 'THE CIVIL WAR'
``The Civil War'' is coming back to P-B-S. A newly restored version of the Ken Burns documentary will air in the fall, 25 years after its debut. P-B-S says the high-def series is to be broadcast on five consecutive nights in September.
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MEGHAN TRAINOR'S FIRSTS
The first song Meghan Trainor wrote, she never got to perform as intended. Trainor says she wrote a song for her aunt and the man she married, who was from Trinidad. They ran off to Trinidad to get married, so Trainor never got to sing it at their wedding. Trainor hopes no one ever hears the first song she ever recorded. It was called ``Give Me A Chance'' and it was about her crush on her brother's best friend.
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OBIT-RAY CHARLES DIES
Ray Charles of The Ray Charles Singers has died. This is not the soul singer Ray Charles, but the Ray Charles who performed for decades with Perry Como. Variety reports Charles died Monday at his home in Beverly Hills, California, at the age of 96. Charles' other claim to fame: he and singer Julia Rinker Miller sang the theme song for ``Three's Company.'' Charles also served as the musical director to ``The Muppet Show'' and for the Kennedy Center Honors. Billy Vera's mother was one of The Ray Charles Singers.
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