MUSIC NEWS: THURSDAY, MAY 21, 2015
NICKELBACK UNDER SCRUTINY DOWN UNDER
An Australian police force is knocking Nickelback in a cheeky social media post as the Alberta rockers tour the country.
A phoney wanted poster uploaded by Queensland Police Service features an image of the group along with the words: ``Be on the lookout, wanted for crimes against music.'' A caption for the image adds: ``Police are on the lookout for these men who are believed to be impersonating musicians around Boondall this evening.'' It concludes: ``Avoid the area. It may be hazardous to your hearing and street cred.''
Comments on the post ranged from support for the joke to criticism of the police force, with some fans calling the image a form of bullying.
Nickelback has sold more than 50 million albums but has faced much backlash worldwide, including mock petitions and protests calling for the band's retirement.
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B.B. KING WILL BE BURIED AT HIS MUSEUM
B.B. King will be laid to rest at the museum that bears his name in his hometown. King will be buried at the B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretative Center in Indianola, Mississippi, on May 30. A public viewing is scheduled for today in Las Vegas, with a private service for relatives on Saturday. King's body will be flown to Memphis on Wednesday and driven in a procession on Beale Street. The B.B. King museum will hold a public viewing on May 29 with a funeral on May 30. The museum's director, Dion Brown, says they feel comfortable knowing King's grave will receive perpetual care at the museum.
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KANYE WEST APOLOGIZES AND SAYS HE WAS ``OVER-CENSORED''
Kanye West is apologizing to viewers of Sunday's Billboard Music Awards because he says he was ``grossly over-censored.'' West says in a statement lyrics that were not profane were muted and his performance was ``seriously misrepresented.'' West performed the songs ``All Day'' and ``Black Skinhead.'' It lasted just over six minutes, with a total of one minute of his performance muted. One muted section lasted 13 seconds.
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BARBRA STREISAND WILL WRITE LIFE STORY
Barbra Streisand has talked about writing her autobiography for years. Now she's got a deadline. Streisand has a deal with Viking to publish her autobiography in 2017. It does not yet have a title. Streisand has said she wanted to write her memoir to clear up myths that have come up in unauthorized books about her.
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MAN SENTENCED TO PRISON IN MILEY CYRUS BURGLARY CASE
A man convicted of breaking into Miley Cyrus' home has been sentenced to two years in a California state prison.
Rusty Sellner was sentenced yesterday. He pleaded no contest three months ago to stealing a large amount of personal property from Cyrus' home in December. He had previous convictions for burglary and evading arrest.
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AVETT BROTHERS TRY TO DEFINE A ``BAD SHOW''
The Avett Brothers find it hard to agree on when they have had a bad show. Guitarist Seth Avett says he might come off stage thinking they did a terrible concert and his brother Scott will say it was the best one in a month. Bassist Bob Crawford says sometimes he'll think the band is not on their game but he'll see people in the audience having the times of their lives. Avett says when they do have a bad show, he makes sure to thank the crowd for stomaching it.
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GIRL WHO GOT TAYLOR SWIFT TO CALL HER DIES
The 12-year-old Chicago girl with cancer who made friends with Taylor Swift has died. The mother of Emily Beazley writes on Facebook that Emily died late Monday. She had been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma when she was 8. Her friends and family rallied to get Swift to phone her, and Swift called three weeks ago. Swift's manager had offered Emily tickets to Swift's Detroit concert and the chance to meet her, but the concert isn't until May 30.
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NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY FOCUSES ON CELEBRITY
Katy Perry and Britney Spears are now part of the Smithsonian. The National Portrait Gallery in Washington is featuring Perry and Spears as part of its new exhibit, ``Eye Pop: The Celebrity Gaze.'' Perry is shown in a painting dressed in a cupcake wrapper and wearing a tiara made of candy. Spears' portrait is a mashup of images from her music videos. The exhibit explores the idea of celebrity image. Other musicians featured in the exhibit include Eminem, Barbra Streisand, Esperanza Spalding and opera singer Renee Fleming.
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''WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD``
The Songwriters Hall of Fame will honour not just songwriters this year, but a song. ``What A Wonderful World'' wins the Towering Song Honors for influencing American culture. The song was written by George David Weiss and Bob Thiele and recorded by Louis Armstrong in 1967. It did not even crack the top 40 when it came out, but it hit number 32 in 1988 after it was used in the film ``Good Morning, Vietnam.'' The Songwriters Hall of Fame will induct Bobby Braddock, Willie Dixon, Robert Hunter and Jerry Garcia, Toby Keith, Cyndi Lauper and Linda Perry on June 18 in New York.
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DAVID LETTERMAN'S FINALE
David Letterman apparently likes long goodbyes.
His final show ``Late Show'' broadcast ran about 17 minutes over its one-hour time slot _ which means if you set your DVR to start and end on time, you missed the last part of the show. The last show featured appearances from stars like Steve Martin, Tina Fey, the rock band Foo Fighters _ and an all-star version of the final Top Ten list. Several audience members left the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York with tears in their eyes. One audience member said Letterman ``was guarded'' in his emotions _ but it was clear that ``it was really hard for him'' to end his 33 years as a network late night host. The audience member said while you could see the emotion on his face _ but he was feeling more than he was letting on.
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