MUSIC NEWS: TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 2015
RYMAN AUDITORIUM
The home of the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville will have its grand reopening today after a 14-million dollar expansion that lasted a year. The upgrades to the Ryman Auditorium will include a wider lobby, more concessions, more bathrooms and a new restaurant called Cafe Lula. The renovations were done to the part of the building added in the 1990s.
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RASCAL FLATTS, USHER
Rascal Flatts and Usher will sing the American national anthem before two of the N-B-A Finals games this week. Rascal Flatts will do the honours for tonight's game in Cleveland. Usher will sing before Game 4 on Thursday.
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CMT AWARDS
Reba McEntire and Darius Rucker have been added to the lineup of tomorrow's C-M-T Music Awards. Lady Antebellum will team up with dance producer Zedd for a mashup of country and electronic dance music. Keith Urban will debut a new single called ``John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16.'' Other performers include Carrie Underwood, Jason Aldean, Florida Georgia Line, Luke Bryan and Sam Hunt.
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ICE CUBE
Ice Cube says June 27th is going to be ``one of those 'I wish I were there in L.A.' nights.'' That's the day he will perform N-W-A. songs with M-C Ren and D-J Yella at the B-E-T Experience concert in Los Angeles. Ice Cube tells Rolling Stone magazine the last time he performed with M-C Ren was 2000 and the last time with D-J Yella was 1989. He won't say which songs they'll perform, only that they'll bring out ``some old favourites.'' Will Dr. Dre join them? Ice Cube says, ``If you wish upon a star. You never know.''
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'THE GAME' SURRENDERS TO LAPD
``The Game'' has been busted. It's in connection with a violent incident involving an off-duty police officer at a pickup basketball game in March. Los Angeles police Officer Mike Lopez says 35-year-old Jayceon Terrell Taylor surrendered at the department's Hollywood Division at noon yesterday. The Game allegedly threw a punch at the officer, and the incident was caught on video and posted online. Lopez says Taylor was booked on suspicion of making criminal threats. He posted 50-thousand dollar bail about an hour later.
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STEVE MILLER HOUSE
Steve Miller's former house in Williams, Oregon, has been added to the National Register of Historic Places.
It's not because Miller used to live there. It's because it's an outstanding example of post-World War II modern-style architecture.
Winifred Scott Wellington designed the Lippincott House, which was built in 1951. Miller owned the house from 1976 to 1986. A non-profit foundation owns it now and operates it as a botanical garden and community centre.
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JIM ED BROWN'S CANCER
Jim Ed Brown had said his cancer had gone into remission in January but it appears to be back. Brown's daughter Kim writes on his Facebook page Brown is undergoing chemotherapy. She says his cancer is not in his lungs but she doesn't go into specifics. Brown revealed he had lung cancer in October 2014 and announced in January it was in remission.
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B.B. KING
Lawyers for B.B. King's longtime business manager have filed court documents to make sure she is in charge of King's estate. Attorney Brent Bryson says he will ask a probate commissioner on Friday to make LaVerne Toney the estate's executor, as stated in King's will. He says an accounting is being done to determine the estate's value. King's children have tried to get Toney dismissed.
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NATHAN SYKES
Nathan Sykes of The Wanted knows you'll listen to his solo record and think, ``Who is this song about?'' He says that's part of the fun. Sykes previously dated Ariana Grande (GRAHN'-day), but he says a song could be just as much about ``Lisa from L-A'' or ``Natalie from Nashville.'' He says he's as much a fan of other musicians as fans are of him, and he looks for clues in their songs just like a fan would. Sykes is putting out a solo album in the fall. He just released the first single, ``Kiss Me Quick.''
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CONCERT-ARRESTS
Sixty-one people were arrested when a concert sponsored by a New York radio station turned ugly because of violent gatecrashers. New Jersey State Police in riot gear used piercing noises, pepper spray and tear gas after unruly fans threw bottles and tried to climb fences at the Hot 97 Summer Jam in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Sunday. The concert featured Kendrick Lamar, Trey Songz, Big Sean and Chris Brown. Ten troopers suffered minor injuries. Hot 97 morning show host Laura Stylez said on the air yesterday, ``You cannot throw bottles at police. What is wrong with you?''
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ARETHA FRANKLIN
Aretha Franklin's latest performance was one song in honour of her father and her brother. The Detroit News reports Franklin sang the gospel song ``The Old Ship of Zion'' at New Bethel Baptist Church in Detroit on Sunday. Her father, the Rev. C-L Franklin, died in 1984, and her brother, the Rev. Cecil Franklin, died in 1989. The service was a memorial to the two preachers who made the church famous.
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CHARLIE WILSON
Former Gap Band frontman Charlie Wilson battled homelessness, addiction and cancer. Now he's going to tell the story of how he made it through all that. Wilson will publish his autobiography, ``I Am Charlie Wilson,'' on June 30. Wilson will discuss not only his struggles, but his triumphs, like collaborating with The Rolling Stones, Stevie Wonder, Snoop Dogg, Pharrell Williams and Justin Timberlake. Wilson also has a new album out called ``Forever Charlie.''
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LADY GAGA
Lady Gaga's latest collaboration is with New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, and it's to keep college students safe.
They have published a joint op-ed piece in Billboard magazine urging lawmakers to extend a campus sexual assault policy in place at the state's public universities to the private schools as well. The policy includes a definition of sexual consent requiring clear, affirmative agreement between partners as well as a victim's bill of rights.
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