Archive

MUSIC NEWS: DECEMBER 11, 2015

PAUL STANLEY OF KISS EXPLAINS HIS ANTHEM PHILOSOPHY

Paul Stanley of Kiss believes the national anthem is no time for showboating. Stanley will sing the anthem before the Spurs-Lakers game tonight in San Antonio. He tells The San Antonio Express a lot of singers tend to ``obliterate'' ''The Star-Spangled Banner`` and ''turn it into a showcase for vocal gymnastics.`` He says the anthem should be sung with respect. After he sings, Stanley will stick around to oversee the opening of the Rock and Brews restaurant at the AT-and-T Center. Stanley and Gene Simmons are among the restaurant's owners. 

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COMMISSION APPROVES DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR THE EDGE

The Edge of U2 has cleared a hurdle for his plan for a five-home development in California's Santa Monica Mountains. The California Coastal Commission has approved plans that would put the homes closer together and leave more open space. The Edge and a developer bought the land in 2006 and have been trying to build on it since 2007. They had to resubmit their proposal several times after environmentalists raised concerns. The plan must still go through local government processes. 

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NICKI MINAJ ACCOMPANIES MEEK MILL AT PROBATION HEARING

Nicki Minaj was by Meek Mill's side at his probation hearing yesterday in Philadelphia. Minaj testified for about half an hour and promised to help him stay organized and fulfil his community service requirement. Prosecutors say Mill violated parole in a 2009 drug and gun case by repeatedly changing his court-approved travel schedule. Mill's lawyer, Frank DeSimone, says Mill is not trying to disrespect the judge and the music industry is chaotic. He also says Minaj and Mill are serious about getting married. Common Pleas Judge Genece Brinkley says Mill submitted a suspicious urine sample. Mill will appear in her court again next Thursday. 

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LEIGH NASH SAYS SHE WAS COUNTRY ALL ALONG

Former Sixpence None The Richer singer Leigh Nash always wanted to make country music. Then she met Matt Slocum and got distracted with Sixpence for 20 years. Nash says it was a good thing, because as a teenager she didn't have the life experiences that make good country music. She's finally put out a country record, called ``The State I'm In,'' which draws from the old-time sounds of singers like Loretta Lynn and Jim Reeves. Nash crowdfunded the record and found it daunting at first because she does not like to ask for help. She says once the process got going and fans showed up in a big way to support her, the whole process was rather beautiful. 

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``OSCAR, WITH LOVE'' FEATURES JAZZ ACTS PLAYING OSCAR PETERSON'S PIANO

The widow of jazz great Oscar Peterson was getting his grand piano tuned three years ago when the technician told her, ``The piano needs to be played.'' That gave her the idea to have the world's great jazz pianists come to her home outside Toronto to play it for a tribute record. Ramsey Lewis is one of the players and says he learned to play jazz piano by listening to Peterson's recordings.

Gerald Clayton says it was surreal to play on his hero's piano and it ``felt like travelling to somewhere sacred.'' Chick Corea, Bill Charlap and Oliver Jones are among the other acts on the 3-CD collection, ``Oscar, With Love,'' out today. Sixteen pianists will play the piano at a concert tonight at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. You can watch it online for free at https://www.rcmusic.ca/livestream. 

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CHARLES KELLEY REVAMPS TOUR

Lady Antebellum's Charles Kelley is rejiggering his tour, but he's not saying why. Several of his upcoming concert dates have been moved to next year. He has not announced a new slate of tour dates or the reason for the rescheduling. 

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ELVIS AUCTION WILL BE HELD AT GRACELAND

Elvis Presley's birthday will be marked next year with an auction of his memorabilia. Elvis Presley Enterprises in Memphis has announced that 126 items will be for sale on January 7. They include the guitar Presley played during the ``Aloha From Hawaii'' concert in 1973, a letter Presley wrote to his friend while he was stationed in Germany in 1958 and Presley's gold-tone microphone and cord. Graceland will also host guest speakers June Juanico, who dated Presley, and Glenn Derringer, who was 11 years old when he played piano on the Dorsey Brothers show with Presley in 1956. Presley was born January 8, 1935. 

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JANIS JOPLIN'S CAR SOLD

Janis Joplin's psychedelic Porsche has sold for $1.76 million. That's well over the pre-auction estimate of 600-K.

It's been at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland for the last two decades. Joplin's car was among the vintage autos offered last night by RM Sotheby in New York. 

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LADY GAGA EARNS GOLDEN GLOBE NOMINATION

Lady Gaga says her Golden Globe nomination is ``a real honour for a waitress-singer-actress from New York!'' She was nominated for best actress in a TV movie or limited series for ``American Horror Story: Hotel.'' Brian Wilson, Sam Smith and Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth have a shot at the Golden Globes for best original song. Wilson is nominated for co-writing ``One Kind of Love'' from ``Love and Mercy.'' Smith co-wrote ``Writing's On The Wall'' from ``Spectre.'' Khalifa and Puth co-wrote ``See You Again'' from ``Furious 7.'' ''Love Me Like You Do`` from ''50 Shades of Grey`` and ''Simple Song Number 3`` from ''Youth`` are also nominated for best original song. The Golden Globes are January 10 in Los Angeles. 

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(The Associated Press)

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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MUSIC NEWS: FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 2015

WINNIPEG ROOTS ROCKER ROMI MAYES PLAYS THE WAC TONIGHT!

A few weeks shy of the official release of her latest album, "Devil on Both Shoulders", Winnipeg roots rocker Romi Mayes plays the Watson Art Centre in Dauphin tonight.  Opening the show will be local singer/songwriter Melisa Stefaniw.  Tickets are available from Dauphin Music & Electronics, The FiddleLore Store and at the WAC.  Charge by phone at 204.638.6231.  Doors open at 7:30 pm.  Show at 8 pm.

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HIGH VALLEY HEADS TO NASHVILLE TO PERFORM AT THE GRAND OLE OPRY

Recently hitting #1 on CMT’s Chevy Top 20 Countdown with “Make You Mine,” country music’s favourite brothers, High Valley have just announced that they will be performing at the coveted Grand Ole Opry on April 24^th in Nashville. After featuring Ricky Skaggs on the #1 single, the duo will be sharing the stage with the bluegrass legend for their upcoming night together at the Opry. 

"We still can't believe we got to record Make You Mine with our musical hero and friend Ricky Skaggs! To see it go #1 on CMT Canada was mind blowing.  Now we get to crank it up on the Opry stage! Unbelievable," exclaims Brad Rempel. 

Celebrating a dream come true, the duo has decided to fulfill the dreams of a few lucky fans. To do so, they have made a limited number of VIP packages available to the band’s incredibly supportive Fan Club members. Currently on sale, these packages include a round trip flight to Nashville, a three night hotel stay, four meals shared with High Valley, a private limo tour of Nashville with Brad and Curtis, and of course, tickets to see the duo perform at the Opry. 

The Opry isn’t the last stop for High Valley this year. With multiple festival performances coming up this summer, Nashville is just one (very exciting) stop along the way. For future tour announcements and additional information on High Valley’s official Fan Club, be sure to keep an eye on the band’s social channels.  

www.highvalleymusic.com

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THE ROAD HAMMERS ANNOUNCE WINNER OF “WIN NEW WHEELS” CONTEST IN CONJUNCTION WITH TRIUMPH CANADA

Earlier this week, Oro-Medonte resident, William (Bill) Mills received the surprise of a lifetime as a brand new 2014 Triumph Thunderbird LT was rode up to his front door by none other than JUNO and CCMA Award winner Jason McCoy (The Road Hammers). 

“Triumph Motorcycles and The Road Hammers share a passion for the open road and it's awesome to be able to share that gift of freedom with the best fans in the world,” exclaims McCoy. 

The “Win New Wheels” contest, in conjunction with Triumph Canada, was launched earlier this year and gave fans from across the country the chance to win brand new motorcycle from Canada’s most notorious road warriors. 

“It has been an exciting contest driven by great music and a legendary motorcycle,” said the GM of Triumph Canada, Chris Ellis. ”Congratulations William – we hope you enjoy your ‘Road Hammered’ Triumph Thunderbird!” 

The Road Hammers will be jumping back on their own bikes later this year, heading across Canada to hit up the summer festival circuit. Be sure to keep an eye on their website for all future tour announcements. 

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MICHAEL BUBLE INSTAGRAM TROUBLES

Canadian crooner Michael Buble says he didn't mean to disrespect women or insult anyone with his recent Instagram post featuring a woman in short shorts. 

Earlier this week, Buble posted a photo on his Instagram account in which the woman, an apparent stranger, stands with her backside to the camera in the background. 

Buble is seen grinning in the foreground in the photo, which has the hashtags: ``#myhumps #babygotback #hungryshorts #onlyinmiami #picoftheday #beautifulbum.'' 

The post has the caption: ``There was something about this photo lu took ,that seemed worthy of instagram,'' referring to his wife, Luisana Lopilato. 

Comments on the photo, which made international headlines, ranged from accusations of body shaming and privacy invasion to defence of Buble. 

In a post on his Facebook account Friday, Buble said the photo ``was meant to be complimentary and lighthearted'' and that it was not his intention to offend anyone.

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ROCK HALL INDUCTIONS

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductions are set for tomorrow night. And some of those making the induction speeches might end up getting more attention than the inductees themselves.

Paul McCartney will be the one who will talk-in his former Beatles cohort Ringo Starr. Stevie Wonder will help induct Bill Withers.

Patti Smith will do the honours for the late Lou Reed and Fall Out Boy will help induct Green Day. Stevie Ray Vaughan will be ushered in by John Mayer. Joan Jett and the Blackhearts will be inducted by Miley Cyrus. 

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ACM AWARDS ARE SUNDAY

The home of the Dallas Cowboys will be the home to the 50th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards. The 50th Annual edition of the awards event is set for Sunday night at AT&T Stadium. In the running for Entertainer of the Year are Jason Aldean, Garth Brooks, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert and Florida Georgia Line. Lady Antebellum is up for vocal group of the year _ competing against Little Big Town, Rascal Flatts, The Band Perry and Zac Brown Band. Blake Shelton and Luke Bryan will co-host the event, which will air on C-B-S. 

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LADY ANTEBELLUM BUS FIRE

A tour bus for Lady Antebellum has caught fire along a highway _ but no one was hurt. Hillary Scott of Lady-A reports on the group's Facebook page says a tire caught fire yesterday morning. Scott says she, her husband, their tour manager and the driver were aboard as the bus travelled toward Dallas.

Police confirm that no one was hurt. 

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SUGE KNIGHT TO STAND TRIAL

You've heard of people who get sick at the sight of doctors. It looks like Suge (SHUG) Knight gets the willies from being in court. For the fifth time since his arrest in February, the co-founder of Death Row Records was taken from court to the hospital. No word on what is ailing him this time. Knight's latest medical crisis came shortly after a judge in Los Angeles ruled prosecutors had enough on him for him to stand trial for murder and attempted murder. He's charged with running two men down with his pickup truck at a fast food joint in Compton, California.

Knight has claimed through his attorneys that he was attacked and was fleeting for his life. 

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PAUL WALKER TRIBUTE IS NUMBER ONE

ATLANTA (AP) _ Paul Walker has been fondly remembered in ``Furious 7.'' And he's also being remembered in music. A tribute song to him is the top song on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. ``See You Again'' by Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth bumps ``Uptown Funk'' down from number one _ where it had been for 14 weeks _ to number two. 

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AMAZING GRACE - THE MUSICAL

It's one of the world's most popular songs _ even for those who may have never set foot in a church. And now, ``Amazing Grace'' is getting the Broadway treatment. Producers say a musical about the legendary hymn is headed for Broadway. The musical had been in Chicago and producers say most of the cast from that show will be in the Broadway version. ``Amazing Grace'' begins performances June 25th. 

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MUSIC NEWS: FRIDAY, APRIL 24, 2015

PAUL McCARTNEY IS BRITAIN'S RICHEST MUSICIAN

To say Paul McCartney does all right for himself is an understatement. London's Sunday Times reports McCartney and his wife, Nancy Shevell, top its list of Britain's richest musicians with a fortune of 1.1-billion-dollars. Andrew Lloyd Webber is second with 976-million, followed by U-2, Elton John and Mick Jagger. The Sunday Times also compiled a list of the Britain's richest musicians under 30, and Adele tops that list with a fortune of 75-million. The members of One Direction, including the recently departed Zayn Malik (MAL'-ihk), are tied at second with 37.5-million dollars each. 

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SCOTT WEILAND ENLISTS NEW GUITAR PLAYER

Scott Weiland has hired a new guitar player for his band, The Wildabouts. Nick Maybury of the Australian band Mink will take over guitar duties. The original guitarist, Jeremy Brown, died suddenly March 30th, the day before the release of Scott Weiland and The Wildabouts' debut record, ``Blaster.'' Weiland says Brown ``had big shoes and no one can fill them...but we have to soldier on.'' He says Maybury is ``an incredible player and a great fit for The Wildabouts.'' The band will start the North American leg of their tour tomorrow in Jacksonville. 

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GLENN MEDEIROS GETS JOB HEADING UP SCHOOL

 A Catholic boys school in Honolulu is about to put a pop star in charge. KHON-TV reports Glenn Medeiros will start as president of St. Louis School on July 1st. Medeiros had a number-12 hit in 1987 with ``Nothing's Gonna Change My Love For You,'' and a number-one song with Bobby Brown with ``She Ain't Worth It.'' Medeiros has a bachelor's degree in history and humanities and both a masters and a doctorate in education. Madeiros' current job is vice principal at Maryknoll High School in Honolulu. 

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LADY GAGA WILL BE HONOURED BY SONGWRITERS HALL OF FAME

Lady Gaga's talents as a songwriter will be acknowledged by others who practice the same craft. Lady Gaga will get the first Contemporary Icon Award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame. The hall's organizers say the award honours a performing songwriter ``who has attained an iconic status in pop culture.''

Lady Gaga will receive her award during the hall of fame's annual gala June 19th in New York. 

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NEW ELVIS CHAPEL CELEBRATES FIRST WEDDING

Kaycee Satava always knew she'd have an Elvis-themed wedding. What she didn't know is that Priscilla Presley would be her matron of honour and her wedding would be the first at the Graceland-endorsed chapel in Las Vegas. Satava married Cameron Baker yesterday morning at the same casino where Elvis performed back in the day. They won their wedding from the ``Today''

show, which broadcast the ceremony. It was only two minutes long and the Reverend Kenneth Baker says he'd make sure there was ``none of that 'dearly beloved.''' Satava says having Presley next to her for her wedding ``was a dream.''

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MARKY RAMONE SAYS THE RAMONES ALWAYS SAT IN THE SAME VAN SEATS

There was no point in calling ``shotgun'' in The Ramones' van. They all had assigned seats. Drummer Marky Ramone says guitarist Johnny Ramone always sat next to the driver, Marky always sat behind Johnny and next to the tour manager, singer Joey Ramone sat behind them and bassist Dee Dee Ramone sat in the back. Marky Ramone says the only time they ever switched seats is if he or Johnny took over the driving. It's not the only weird thing they did. Marky Ramone says Dee Dee was crazy about taking baths and every time he walked into Dee Dee's hotel room, Dee Dee was in the tub. Marky Ramone's book, ``Punk Rock Blitzkrieg: My Life As A Ramone'' is in stores now. 

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MELISSA ETHERIDGE FINDS OUT ABOUT HER FAMILY'S PAST

Melissa Etheridge's family has a scandal in its past. Etheridge agreed to be researched for the T-L-C genealogy series ``Who Do You Think You Are?'' Billboard reports the research turned up ancestors who sued a man for impregnating a teenage member of the family and refusing to marry her. Etheridge's family tree also includes a colonial American bootlegger. Her episode runs Sunday. 

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COMMON LANDS ROLE IN SUPERVILLAIN MOVIE

Common has been added to the cast of the film ``Suicide Squad.'' The Hollywood Reporter reports the movie features villains from DC Comics. The role Common will play has not been revealed. The movie is currently shooting in Toronto.

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MUSIC NEWS: FRIDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2015

ROCK HALL - INDUCTEES

Ice Cube says N-W-A plan to ask Snoop Dogg if he'll fill in for Eazy-E for their performance at their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction. Ice Cube tells Rolling Stone he's hoping Snoop will ``do an honorary Eazy'' for them. Steve Miller thanks the hall for his induction on behalf of ``the Space Cowboy, the Joker, Maurice and the Gangster of Luv.'' Cheap Trick will also be inducted, and bassist Tom Petersson says they can't thank the Rock Hall enough. Trumpeter Lee Loughnane of Chicago tells Billboard magazine many people assumed they were already in the Rock Hall, and now that they're being inducted, he had no idea it would be as exciting as it is. Drummer Ian Paice of Deep Purple tells Rolling Stone he's thrilled Deep Purple will be inducted at the same time as Chicago. Paice says they have not had contact with singer Rod Evans in decades and Paice has no idea if Evans is even alive, let alone if he'll show up to the induction in April. 

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MEEK MILL - VIOLATED PROBATION

Meek Mill could go back to jail. A judge in Philadelphia has found Mill guilty of probation violations. Common Pleas Judge Genece Brinkley says Mill cannot work or perform before his hearing on February 5th, except for community service. Brinkley sent Mill back to jail for five months last year for similar violations. He was convicted in 2009 on drug and gun charges.

Prosecutors say he ignored rules about letting the court know his travel plans and submitted cold water instead of a urine sample for a drug test. His girlfriend, Nicki Minaj, and music producer Kenny Gamble of Gamble and Huff had testified on Mill's behalf. 

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JIMMY BUFFETT SONGS - ORIGINAL MUSICAL

Jimmy Buffett is bringing Margaritaville to the stage. Buffett's songs will be the basis for a stage production that is expected to premiere in 2017. It will feature an original story.

Buffett says the idea of turning Margaritaville into a musical has been ``percolating'' for a while, but it took a while to find the right people to tell the right kind of story. He says he's found his crew and ``it's going to be a fun voyage.'' 

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THOMAS RHETT - THE EMOTIONAL JOURNEY

A Twitter user once called Thomas Rhett ``an unathletic version of Justin Timberlake.'' Rhett says he'll take anything that puts him even somewhat in the same category as Timberlake. Rhett says the one thing he tries to emulate is Timberlake's versatility. Rhett says he wants his audiences to laugh, dance, jump and possibly cry when they're at his concerts. He says he wants to give people the full spectrum of emotions and not give any chance for them to think, ``Well, this is that ballad where I'm going to go get a beer now.'' 

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VIOLENT FEMMES - NEW SONGS

Violent Femmes are putting out their first album of new music in 15 years. It's called ``We Can Do Anything'' and it comes out March 4th. Kevin Hearn of Barenaked Ladies plays on several tracks and drew the cover art. The album contains one cover, the song ``What You Really Mean,'' written by folk singer Cynthia Gayneau, the sister of frontman Gordon Gano. Violent Femmes are planning to tour behind the record. 

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TEYANA TAYLOR - BABY

Singer Teyana Taylor and her fiance, Cavaliers guard Iman Shumpert, are new parents. Taylor went into labour unexpectedly Wednesday morning in their bathroom. Taylor posts on her Instagram account that she didn't initially realize she was in labour. But says Shumpert was ``playing Dr,'' and helped deliver the baby with ``his bare hands.'' Taylor says Shumpert tied a pair of headphones around the umbilical cord while they waited for the ambulance to arrive. 

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PUFF DADDY - MIXTAPE

Puff Daddy is surprised to find that even though he gave away a mixtape for free, people are still willing to buy it.

He'll release his ``MMM'' mixtape on iTunes today, even though it was free as of November 4th. The iTunes version has a new interlude and two extra tracks. His final album, ``No Way Out 2,'' will come out next year. He says he'll spend more time with his six children and figure out what he'll do next, but he plans always to be around music. 

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DOLLY PARTON - ``COAT OF MANY COLORS'' - SECOND RUN

The T-V movie based on Dolly Parton's song ``Coat of Many Colors'' was such a success, N-B-C is re-running it.

It will air again on Christmas. Parton says she wanted to create something to bring families together, and she hopes her story reaches many more people when it's shown on Christmas night. 

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(The Associated Press)

MUSIC NEWS: FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2015

OBIT-SCOTT WEILAND

Scott Weiland has died. He was the former frontman for the Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver.

The singer's manager, Tom Vitorino, confirms the death last night to The Associated Press. Vitorino said he learned of Weiland's death from his tour manager but did not provide any details. Weiland's current band, Scott Weiland & the Wildabouts, was scheduled to play at a Medina, Minnesota, concert venue. The venue's website shows the event was cancelled. Local authorities couldn't immediately be reached for comment by the AP. Weiland was dogged by substance abuse problems throughout his career. He was 48. 

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SPRINGSTEEN 

Bruce Springsteen will kick off a 9-week U.S. tour next year. 

On Friday the 66-year-old icon announced The River Tour with the E Street Band, which starts Jan. 16, 2016, in Pittsburgh.

Springsteen will play 24 dates and wrap the tour on March 17, 2016, at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena. 

Tickets go on sale Dec. 11. The tour will also visit Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, Atlanta and New York's Madison Square Garden. 

Friday's announcement of the tour was made the day he released the four-disc ``The Ties That Bind: The River Collection,'' which includes unreleased songs, the original 1980 ``The River'' album and more. 

Before the tour, Springsteen will perform on ``Saturday Night Live'' on Dec. 19.

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MORE SCOTT WEILAND 

A Toronto man who photographed Scott Weiland & the Wildabouts' show in the city earlier this week says ``something seemed off'' with the singer-songwriter. 

Jerry Abramowicz says while Weiland put on a great performance at Adelaide Hall on Tuesday and seemed healthy and sober, ``he did not look happy'' offstage. 

A statement on Weiland's Facebook page this morning said the rocker died in his sleep while he and the band were on a tour stop in Bloomington, Minn. 

The former lead singer for Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver battled substance abuse problems throughout his career. 

But Abramowicz, whose photography can be seen in the liner notes of the band's latest CD, says Weiland didn't seem under the influence of anything during the show in Toronto. 

He says Weiland seemed energetic but ``had a real sadness to his eyes'' that shocked him.

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MARIAH CAREY - SICK

Mariah Carey plans to keep up her scheduled holiday shows even as she recovers from a severe case of the flu.

People-dot-com reports Carey was hospitalized on Wednesday. Carey's representative says she's been sick for the past few days but she's doing better now. Carey's next show is Tuesday at New York's Beacon Theatre. 

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MEMORIAL MARKER - LIVES LOST - WHO CONCERT

A marker to remember the 11 people killed at a 1979 Who concert in Cincinnati was unveiled last night. Mayor John Cranley dedicated the memorial, accompanied by the families of those killed at what was then Riverfront Coliseum 36 years ago yesterday.

The marker lists the names of those who died. The show was general admission, and the crowd waiting to get in surged when doors opened. 

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CROSBY, STILLS AND NASH - NATIONAL CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING

Crosby, Stills and Nash need to brush up on their Christmas songs. The trio was way off key while trying to harmonize on ``Silent Night.'' They were among the performers last night at the lighting of the National Christmas Tree outside the White House. Reese Witherspoon served as the host. Fall Out Boy also performed. President Barack Obama and the first family flipped the switch to light the tree. 

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LENNY KRAVITZ - PHOTO EXHIBIT

Lenny Kravitz got sick of the paparazzi and fans following him around when he wanted to go out and shoot photographs, so as a joke he turned the camera on them. He realized he had a different perspective worth photographing. Kravitz unveiled his photos in an exhibit called ``Flash'' that runs this week as part of the Art Basel Miami Beach art fair. Kravitz says art is about taking what's given to you and that's what life brought him. He says the people in his photos show ``curiosity, happiness, pain, intrigue...frustration, love, everything.'' 

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BOBBY SHMURDA - JAIL

Bobby Shmurda has been denied bail for a sixth time. Billboard reports a judge in Manhattan Supreme Court rejected a bail package put together by Shmurda's family. Shmurda was one of15 people arrested last December on weapons, drugs and conspiracy charges. Shmurda's lawyer, Alex Spiro, declined comment. Spiro is Shmurda's third lawyer in the case. The rapper is due in court again January 11th. 

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LOLLAPALOOZA - EXPANDS

Lollapalooza is marking its 25th anniversary by adding an extra day to next year's festival. Founder Perry Farrell says Lollapalooza will be held Thursday, July 28th through Sunday, July 31th, in Chicago's Grant Park. Farrell says he added Thursday to the lineup because of the ``abundance of talent'' that wants to help mark the anniversary. 

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PATTI LABELLE - SWEET POTATO PIE GUY

The guy who raved about Patti LaBelle's sweet potato pie on YouTube is now her cooking partner. People magazine reports James Wright Chanel will appear on LaBelle's Cooking Channel show on December 16th, and they will make sweet potato pie. The first time they met was when they filmed the show, and they hit it off right away. LaBelle says they spent Thanksgiving together at her house and Chanel is like her new son. Chanel's review of LaBelle's sweet potato pie on YouTube not only has gotten four-million views, but it prompted a run on the pies at Walmart. 

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FRANK TURNER  - ``WIZARD OF OZ'' - FACTS

Frank Turner wrote the song ``Next Storm'' about a scene at the end of ``The Wizard of Oz'' in which the townspeople come out after the tornado and see the destruction around them. The only problem is that's not in the movie. Turner says he wrote the song, then watched the movie again, only to find out his memory had failed him. He says he must have shoehorned that scene from another film into his mind. He says he wrote ``Next Storm'' about a movie scene that doesn't actually exist. 

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REDFOO - ``ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS''

Redfoo of L-M-F-A-O will appear as himself in the next ``Alvin and the Chipmunks'' movie. His song ``Juicy Wiggle'' also is featured in ``Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip,'' in theatres December 18th.

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COLDPLAY - SUPER BOWL

At the first Super Bowl, in 1967, the halftime entertainment was a pair of college marching bands. Things have come a long way since then, as big-name stars like Michael Jackson, U2, the Rolling Stones, Bruno Mars, Prince and Katy Perry have done the halftime show _ which has become the must-see-T-V, even for non-football fans. This season's headline act will be Coldplay. But the N-F-L is hinting that some of those who have done the show before might join the band onstage. The game _ and show _ are set for Feb. 7th at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California. 

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(The Associated Press)

MUSIC NEWS: FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2015

DAVE GROHL PUSHES RECORD STORE DAY 

Dave Grohl has been named the ambassador for this year's Record Store Day. Grohl says as a kid in Springfield, Virginia, local independent record stores were ``my churches, my libraries, my schools.'' He says he doesn't know where he'd be today without them. Record Store Day is April 18. It's a day when musicians offer special releases only through independent record stores to drive traffic there. 

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NICK JONAS WILL HOST KIDS' CHOICE AWARDS

Nick Jonas better hope he looks good in green, as in green slime. He's the host of the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards. They're set for March 28 in Los Angeles. 

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AZEALIA BANKS WILL BE IN PLAYBOY

Azealia Banks will be the cover model for Playboy's music issue. The magazine comes out March 20. Banks will release her ``Broke With Expensive Taste'' album on C-D on March 3.

It had come out digitally in November. 

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LADY GAGA WILL PERFORM AT THE OSCARS

Lady Gaga will perform a tribute at the Oscars, but who it's a tribute to remains to be seen. The producers of the show will only say Lady Gaga is a ``once-in-a-lifetime artist whose musical evolution keeps growing.'' The Oscars will be February 22 in Los Angeles. 

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JENNIFER LOPEZ GOES BACK TO THE 'HOOD

Jennifer Lopez's kids are not too impressed with where she used to hang out. She took them to the boys and girls club in the Bronx and told them it was the best place in the world to her when she was a kid. They told her, ``Really? This place?'' Lopez returns to her old neighbourhood the T-V special, ``Neighborhood Sessions with Jennifer Lopez.'' She also performs a concert at Orchard Beach. She says her mother has photos of her on that beach when she was a year old and she has great memories of being there.

The special will air Saturday on T-N-T.

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MAN PLEADS NO CONTEST IN MILEY CYRUS BURGLARY

A convicted burglar has pleaded no contest into breaking into Miley Cyrus' home in Los Angeles. The Los Angeles district attorney's office says 22-year-old Rusty Edward Sellner entered the plea Wednesday. Prosecutors say Sellner broke into Cyrus' house on December 16 and stole a large amount of property belonging to Cyrus and her brother. Sellner has previous convictions for burglary and evading arrest. Cyrus has listed the house for sale. 

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WILL SMITH WANTS TO GET BACK INTO MUSIC

Will Smith thinks maybe he's got one more album in him. Smith says he is always recording, but he hasn't released anything because he doesn't like any of the songs. Smith says recording will be part of his life forever, whether or not he feels it's ``of the quality for public consumption.'' Still, he says rapping with Jimmy Fallon last week made him realize he's still got the bug. Smith hasn't released a solo album in nine years. He was photographed with Kanye West in a Brazil recording studio last February. In the meantime, Smith appears in the film ``Focus,'' out February 27. 

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A GREAT BIG WORLD'S IAN AXEL RUNS INTO OPRAH A SECOND TIME

Ian Axel of A Great Big World once had the pleasure of reminding Oprah Winfrey and her pal, Gayle King, that they had met before. Axel used to work at the Apple Store in New York, and he reminded King that he had been the one to help them when they had come in asking for iPod Nanos loaded with Beyonce's music. Axel says he was ``so stupid'' about it, though. He says Winfrey had chosen every colour except purple, so he asked if she wanted ``the colour purple.'' He says she thought it was a joke but he just wasn't thinking.

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KANYE WEST SHOWS SHOE LINE

Kanye West has rolled out his Yeezy Boost shoe line for Adidas. Baby North fussed in mama Kim Kardashian's arms during the New York fashion show. Beyonce, Rihanna and Diddy were among the front-row celebrities. Beyonce says she thinks the show was very innovative. Only nine-thousand pairs of the 750 Boosts will be sold in New York tomorrow, at 350-dollars a pop, with more available later this month worldwide. 

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JON ANDERSON NEEDS SURGERY FOR SINUS PROBLEMS

Former Yes singer Jon Anderson is putting off concert appearances until late spring while he deals with sinus problems. Anderson writes on his Facebook page he's had issues with his sinuses for a couple of months and he has difficulty singing as a result. He says he will have surgery for his problems, but he did not specify when. 

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LOVE AND THEFT START ALL OVER

Love and Theft have an album that's sitting on a shelf at R-C-A Nashville that you're not allowed to hear. Love and Theft's Stephen Barker Liles tells Rolling Stone Country R-C-A dropped them in September. He says because of legal issues, Love and Theft would have to pay 13-thousand dollars a song to get the album back or even to re-record the tracks, even if they wrote the songs.

He says they have to wait five years. Liles and bandmate Eric Gunderson started from scratch and recorded a new batch of songs for an album called ``Whiskey on My Breath'' that they're releasing through Red Distribution. It comes out on Tuesday. 

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KENNY G WANTS TO MAKE MOVIE MUSIC

Kenny G is looking to score. Kenny G says he'd love to compose for movies but he can't break into the business. He says there's a door that says, ``You can do movie scores,'' and he knocks on the door and nobody answers. He's hoping someone like Quentin Tarantino will think of him. He says he can picture Tarantino thinking, ``Oh yeah, one of his songs would sound really out of place there. That's perfect.'' In the meantime, Kenny G has just released a traditional jazz album called ``Brazilian Nights.'' 

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BOBBI KRISTINA BROWN INVOLVED IN TRAFFIC ACCIDENT DAYS BEFORE TUB INCIDENT

The daughter of Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown was involved in a traffic accident with injuries just days before she was hospitalized. Police in Roswell, Georgia, say Bobbi Kristina Brown was driving a Jeep Liberty on January 27 when she lost control and collided with another vehicle. A passenger in the Jeep and the driver of the other car were taken to a hospital. Officers found a nail in the rear tire of the Jeep. Bobbi Kristina Brown was found unresponsive in her bathtub four days later and has been hospitalized ever since. 

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LITTLE BIG TOWN'S KIMBERLY SCHLAPMAN PLANS COOKBOOK

Kimberly Schlapman of Little Big Town wants to get into your kitchen. She's releasing her first cookbook, titled ``Oh Gussie! Cooking and Visiting in Kimberly's Southern Kitchen.''

Schlapman will share recipes and stories about her roots in north Georgia, travelling with the band and her life in Nashville.

Schlapman is promising the recipes will be ``fresh, accessible, nutritious, quick and fun.'' ''Oh Gussie!`` comes out April 14.

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AMERICAN IDOL 

The kid stays in -- at least for now on ``American Idol.'' Fifteen-year-old Daniel Seavey makes it through solo night on Idol. He's the youngest contestant to make it this far in the current season. Daniel and J-Lo have something in common.

They each think the other is ``so cute.'' When Daniel told Jennifer Lopez that she was cute too, it got a big laugh from the other judges. Next week, Idol moves to the House of Blues, where the remaining contestants will perform before a live audience. But the shows will be taped and the judges will cut the field to the Top 24.

MUSIC NEWS: FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2016

CHRIS STAPLETON - ACM AWARDS

Chris Stapleton now has the most nominations going into the Academy of Country Music Awards. He found out yesterday that he had two tacked on to the five he received earlier. The new nods are biggies: song of the year and songwriter of the year _ and are both for his tune, ``Nobody to Blame.''

Stapleton has seven nominations in all _ most of any artist going into the April 3rd ceremony in Nashville. 

ACM SONGWRITING NOMINATIONS

Grammy-winner singer-songwriter Chris Stapleton earned two extra nominations from the Academy of Country Music Awards, making him the leading nominee with seven nods. 

The ACM announced on Thursday the nominees for the song of the year and songwriter categories. Stapleton, who had five nominations in previously announced categories, added two more for his song ``Nobody to Blame,'' as co-writer and artist. 

Other nominees include ``Burning House,'' co-written and performed by Cam; ``Girl Crush,'' performed by Little Big Town; ``Raise 'Em Up,'' performed by Keith Urban and Eric Church; and ``She Don't Love You,'' co-written and performed by Eric Paslay. 

Songwriter of the year nominees include Rodney Clawson, Ross Copperman, Ashley Gorley, Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne. 

The ACM Awards will air live on April 3 on CBS. 

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KANYE WEST - DRAKE

Kanye West has taken a break from ranting on Twitter to thank Toronto rapper Drake for helping with his new album. West tweeted his thanks to Drizzy for helping with the songs

``30 Hours'' and ``Father Stretch My Hands.'' Drake is credited as a co-writer on two new West songs, including ``30 Hours,'' under his real name, Aubrey Graham. Another Torontonian, the Weeknd, co-wrote the song ``F-M-L.'' West's new album, ``The Life of Pablo,'' was released over the weekend on Jay-Z's streaming service. 

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SHAKIRA - MOTHERHOOD

What is Shakira's toughest role of all _ being a recording star, a budding actress or running a successful foundation to help underprivileged kids? For her, it's being a mom.

She says being a parent is ``the biggest challenge'' she has ever been presented with. Shakira says she has to work on developing her personality as a mother _ even as she tries to balance her personal and professional life. Shakira stars in ``Zootopia'' as a character named Gazelle, someone she describes as being just like her. 

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DARYL HALL - PROJECT

Daryl Hall is looking to expand his musical empire. The man who was half of Hall & Oates owns a restaurant in New York State that doubles as a music venue. Now, he wants to add an outdoor stage to the facility in the town of Pawling _ located 100-kilometres north of New York City. The Poughkeepsie Journal reports Hall plans to build a stage behind the eatery to hold concerts on a lawn that can hold more than 1,000 people. The first show is set for May _ but the project isn't officially a go. Town officials say the project is under review and hasn't received final approval. 

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NICK CARTER - FRIEND BUSTED

A friend of Backstreet Boys singer Nick Carter is in trouble. His pal has been charged with knocking a man unconscious at Dodger Stadium after a game last October. Prosecutors have charged Michael Rae Papayans with felony assault. They say he punched a New York Mets fan after Game 1 of the National League playoffs at Dodger Stadium _ and the man was knocked unconscious after hitting his head on the parking lot pavement. Carter wasn't involved in the incident, but the two were arrested in Florida after a January bar fight in Florida. Papayans is free on bail. If convicted, he could get seven years in prison. 

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POLICE OFFICER - MUSIC VIDEO

A white Missouri police officer has been placed on unpaid leave after he appeared in a racially charged music video. St. Joseph patrolman Zackary Craft is seen in the clip wearing his uniform and carrying a sign reading ``cops lives matter.'' The video also shows him reaching for his gun in the video for ``Before This Bomb Blows Up (Racism Goes Both Ways).'' It's done by a white rapper who performs as J. Smitty _ and who spits on or breaks images of prominent African-Americans. An attorney for the officer says Craft let himself be filmed without knowing what the project is about _ and was ``appalled'' when he saw the video. 

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(The Associated Press)

MUSIC NEWS: FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2016

ACM AWARDS - PERFORMERS

You know the drill by now: an organization announces the nominees for their awards show. Then they release the names of the first wave of performers, then another list or two as the event nears _ then send another update with a list of presenters. The people who do the Academy of Country Music Awards are at the second phase of the rollout to build interest, set for April 3rd. Carrie Underwood, Kenny Chesney, Keith Urban, Florida Georgia Line and Cam are on that first list of performers at the event. Chris Stapleton has seven nominations, leading all artists.

And the ceremony will be co-hosted by Luke Bryan and Dierks Bentley.

Of course, more performers will be announced in the coming weeks. 

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``AMERICAN IDOL''

Season-one ``American Idol'' winner Kelly Clarkson says she knows who the Season-15 winner will be. A very pregnant Clarkson was a guest judge on Idol last night, as this season's Top 10 finalists were revealed. Clarkson says La'Porsha Renae is going to win it all. Clarkson says La'Porsha is so ``blessed'' to be so talented. Four guys and six women make it to the Top 10. Among them are 15-year-olds Tristan McIntosh and Lee Jean. Next week, two of the 10 will be sent packing. 

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MICK JAGGER - TV SERIES

Mick Jagger is used to being in a town and seeing ads for his latest project. But these days, the ads he's seen aren't about his music _ but his T-V series. Jagger is a co-creator and executive producer of ``Vinyl'' _ which airs on H-B-O. He says he got a kick out of seeing the ads on a freeway in Argentina. The show about the music world in the 1970s has already been re-upped for a second season. It's about a troubled music exec in an industry fueled by drugs and sex. Says Jagger, with a laugh, ``obviously, it's fictional.'' 

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OSCARS - MUSIC

The Oscars: they're a big deal for musicians _ not just actors and directors. Some top names in music have a stake in what happens at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on Sunday. Lady Gaga and Sam Smith are among those competing for the night's big music prize: best original song for a motion picture. Gaga is up for ``''Til It Happens to You,`` co-written with Diane Warren. It's in ''The Hunting Ground,`` a documentary about sex assaults on college campuses. For Gaga, the song is personal; she was sexually assaulted at age 19. And she says her first Oscar nod for a song about such a serious topic ''makes it extra-special.`` Smith is up for ''Writing's On the Wall,`` from the James Bond Movie ''Spectre.`` Canadian The Weeknd's ''Earned It`` is also in the running for the category.  It's from ''Fifty Shades of Grey.`` 

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OSCARS - LADY GAGA

Lady Gaga says she hopes performing her song about sexual abuse on college campuses will free her from the trauma of what happened to her a decade ago. She was sexually assaulted when she was 19 _ and she says she hopes doing the song at the Oscars on Sunday will have a liberating effect. She says she feels if she can do the song in such a public setting, the assault ``won't define'' her anymore _ and that she ``can let it go maybe.'' ''Til It Happens To You,`` written with Diane Warren, is up for best original song. It's featured in ''The Hunting Ground`` _ a documentary about sexual assault on college campuses. 

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QUINCY JONES - MICHAEL JACKSON LAWSUIT

Quincy Jones and Michael Jackson worked together to create some of the pop star's biggest hits, such as ``Billie Jean,'' ''Bad,`` ''Off the Wall`` and ''Thriller.`` But now, the producer is taking Jackson's estate to court in a dispute over royalties. A judge in Los Angeles has ruled the case can go forward, saying it's up to a jury to decide whether Jones' claim has merit. Jones sued Jackson's estate and Sony Music in 2013, seeking at least 10-million dollars. He says the defendants re-edited songs for the movie ''This Is It`` and two Cirque du Soleil shows to deprive him of royalties and production fees. The defendants deny any wrongdoing and asked a judge to kick out the case, a request that has been denied. 

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DON McLEAN CONCERT - PROTEST

Some Massachusetts high school students are calling for the cancellation of a concert by Don McLean because of a domestic-violence charge against him in Maine. The Cape Cod Times reports student presidents of violence prevention programs at four Cape Cod high schools have asked school officials to cancel the show, set for April. The students say they feel McLean is a ``bad role model.'' District officials say they are talking with McLean's reps about whether the show should go on. 

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NEIL YOUNG - CONCERT FILMS

Two Neil Young films will be making rare appearances on Monday. Both ``Rust Never Sleeps'' and ``Human Highway'' will get special one-night screenings on Monday. It will be the first time either has gotten that much screen time in decades. The films have been restored and edited and will be shown back-to-back at theatres nationwide. The evening will also feature Young in a live interview during the screening. 

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(The Associated Press)

MUSIC NEWS: FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2015

TAYLOR SWIFT EXPLAINS WHY SHE SHOWED HER NAVEL

Either it's a big deal to you or it isn't, depending how into Taylor Swift you are: she has a belly button.

Swift had said previously she would not be photographed showing her navel, but then she released photos of herself and her friends in bikinis while on vacation in Hawaii recently. The Taylor Swift belly-button watchers went crazy. Turns out it was her way of thwarting the paparazzi. Swift tells B-B-C's Radio 1 they were in the middle of the ocean scuba-diving when her security spotted another boat and a photographer with a long lens. Swift says she took her own pictures and posted them on Instagram so the paparazzi photos would be worth less.

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ARREST WARRANT ISSUED FOR PEARL JAM'S FORMER DRUMMER

 Former Pearl Jam drummer Dave Abbruzzese is wanted in Texas. The Denton County Crime Stoppers program is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to Abbruzzese's arrest. He's wanted on controlled substances charges. Abbruzzese was in Pearl Jam from 1991 to 1994. 

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HOW TO PRONOUNCE ``HOZIER''

Hozier has heard every bad pronunciation of his name. He says he's heard it as ``HOH'-sher,'' ``HOO'-see-er,'' ``hoo-see-AY''' and ``HOH'-zee-ay.'' He says, ``'Bob' was a very very bad one.'' While technically it's a French name that should be pronounced ``oh-zee-AY','' he says it's been Anglicized to ``HOH'-zee-er,'' and that's how he says it. 

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KANYE WEST TWEETS APOLOGY TO BECK

Kanye West is saying he's sorry to Beck on Twitter. It appeared West was attempting to steal the moment from Beck, when West briefly jumped on stage after Beck won album of the year at the Grammy Awards. West quickly sat back down but later slammed the recording academy for not honoring Beyonce with the award. West also says he's sorry for the things he said about Bruno Mars. 

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BRIAN WILSON FILM TRAILER GIVES GLIMPSE INTO ``LOVE AND MERCY''

A trailer for a movie about Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys has been released. The trailer for ``Love and Mercy'' shows Paul Dano as young Wilson and John Cusack as the older Wilson.

Paul Giamatti plays Wilson's physician, Dr. Eugene Landy. ``Love and Mercy'' will be in theaters June 5. 

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LAS VEGAS PLANS BIG ELVIS EXHIBIT

A 24-foot-tall Elvis will be one of the rare pieces on display at the largest Elvis Presley exhibit outside of Graceland. The wooden sign shows Presley playing a guitar to advertise his first performances in Las Vegas in 1956. It's been in storage at Graceland and rarely displayed because of its size. The exhibit will have a rotating display of memorabilia rarely seen outside Graceland. It opens at the Westgate Las Vegas casino-hotel on April 23, 59 years to the day since Presley first performed in Las Vegas. The showroom where Presley performed, in what's now the Las Vegas Hilton, is being revamped to look like it did when Elvis performed there. 

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'AMERICAN IDOL'

It was the ladies turn on ``American Idol'' last night. The Top 12 women performed in Detroit, after the guys did their thing Wednesday. The judges agree that Sarina Joi-Crowe brought down the house with her version of ``Mamma Knows Best.''

It's a Jessie J song and J-Lo says Sarina's take rivals the original. Jax also got high marks from the judges, as did Tyanna Jones. Next week, the first eliminations on this season of Idol based on viewer votes.

MUSIC NEWS: FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2016

2016 JUNO AWARD NOMINEE PLAYS DAUPHIN TONIGHT

Legendary Canadian Blues artists Big Dave McLean and Ken Hamm are in town tonight to play the Watson Art Centre in Dauphin.  Tickets are still available as the show has been moved from the Old Fire Hall into the main aucitorium.  Tickets are $26.  Stop in at the WAC or charge by phone by calling the WAC Ticket Line at 204.638.6231.

Big Dave was nominated for a JUNO in the Blues Recording of the Year for his latest album "Faded, But Not Gone" earlier this week.  

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CHRIS STAPLETON, GARY CLARK JR., BONNIE RAITT - GRAMMYS

Chris Stapleton, Gary Clark Junior and Bonnie Raitt will do a tribute to B.B. King at the Grammys. Justin Bieber, Diplo and Skrillex will team up for their hit ``Where Are You Now.''

Pitbull, Travis Barker and Robin Thicke will do a song together, with some surprise guests. Hollywood Vampires, consisting of Alice Cooper, Joe Perry and Johnny Depp, will also perform. The Grammys are set for February 15th in Los Angeles. 

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TAYLOR SWIFT - MOBILE GAME

Taylor Swift is getting into the gaming business.

Swift has partnered with Glu Mobile to create a game for smartphones and tablets. Details on the game were not given. It's set for release late this year. 

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MILEY CYRUS - ``THE VOICE''

Miley Cyrus will be a key adviser for the upcoming season of ``The Voice.'' Cyrus has a bit of experience in these matters. She was a guest mentor on ``American Idol'' in 2010.

The new season of ``The Voice'' kicks off February 29th on N-B-C. 

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WIZ KHALIFA - CANNABIS MARKET

It used to be that celebrity after celebrity would announce a fashion line. Now they're announcing marijuana lines. Wiz Khalifa is the latest to come up with his own line of cannabis products. The line will be rolled out on April 20th. Willie Nelson and Snoop Dogg each have their own line of marijuana products, and Melissa Etheridge has a marijuana-infused wine. 

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CMT - MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET

C-M-T plans to do an eight-episode series based on the musical ``Million Dollar Quartet.'' C-M-T will hold a casting call on February 13th at the Humes Preparatory Academy Middle School in Memphis, where Elvis Presley once attended. The ``Million Dollar Quartet'' musical is about recording sessions held by Presley, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis. The series will focus on the musicians' rise to fame during a time of social unrest. It will air later this year. 

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OBIT - MAURICE WHITE

The founder of Earth, Wind and Fire has died.

Maurice White died in his sleep Wednesday at his home in Los Angeles at the age of 74. White had revealed he was dealing with Parkinson's disease when the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. The band has kept performing but White dropped out of the public eye. White named the band Earth, Wind and Fire after his astrological signs. Their hits include ``Boogie Wonderland,''

''September`` and ''Shining Star.`` He co-wrote The Emotions' hit ''Best of My Love`` and produced acts like Barbra Streisand and Cher. Verdine White says his ''brother, hero and best friend`` has died. Chris Rock tweeted his condolences with a photo of White and the lyrics, ''You can't hide love.`` 

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MERLE HAGGARD

Merle Haggard has called off all his shows this month because of illness. A statement from his publicist says Haggard is still feeling weak from his recent bout with double pneumonia. Haggard will get further treatment and hopes to return to touring later this spring.

Haggard is booked to perform Sunday at Dauphin's Countryfest with Dwight Yoakam. 

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COLDPLAY - SUPERBOWL

Coldplay are not taking sides for the Super Bowl. Guitarist Jonny Buckland says they are firmly split down the middle between ``those of us who know absolutely nothing about football and those of us who know almost absolutely nothing about football.'' Coldplay's halftime show for Sunday's game will honour the past, present and future. Guest musician Beyonce' will represent the past and the Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles will represent the future. When asked how Coldplay will fit 16 years of music into 12 minutes, singer Chris Martin said, ``We decided we'd play all our number ones and then work out how to fill the other 10 minutes.'' 

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COLDPLAY - ``HAWAII FIVE-0''

Four songs off Coldplay's ``A Head Full of Dreams'' album will be featured on an upcoming episode of ``Hawaii Five-0.'' The songs ``Adventure of a Lifetime,'' ''Amazing Day,`` ''Birds`` and ''Everglow`` will be used in the February 12 episode on C-B-S. 

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ALICIA KEYS

Alicia Keys is hoping a little love to U-S House Speaker Paul Ryan might go further than getting angry. Keys has released a flirty video saying Ryan can be her valentine if he can get the House of Representatives to act on criminal justice reforms. She refers to old photos of Ryan lifting weights and asks, ``Show me how cool you are.'' She ends by blowing him a kiss and calling him ``so special.'' Keys did the video on behalf of the We Are Here advocacy group that is pushing for overhaul of the nation's criminal justice system. Ryan tells Fox News he didn't know that Keys knew who he was and says the bill is ``well on its way here in the House.'' 

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PANIC AT THE DISCO

The 10-year-old version of Brendon Urie of Panic At The Disco is flipping out that they're going to tour with Weezer this summer. Urie says the tour is his ``childhood fantasies come true.'' He had a writing session once with Rivers Cuomo of Weezer and they see each other every now and then. Urie says Cuomo is not a talkative person and getting a couple of sentences out of him is a huge accomplishment. Urie says it's going to be crazy when they finally do shows together and he adds, ``No promises, but maybe, I might cry.'' The Weezer and Panic At The Disco tour starts June 10th outside Houston. 

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SEAL

Seal has been cast as Pontius Pilate in the upcoming T-V special about the life of Jesus. Jencarlos Canela will play Jesus, Chris Daughtry plays Judas, Prince Royce portrays the disciple Peter and Trisha Yearwood stars as Mary, the mother of Jesus. ``The Passion'' will be staged live in New Orleans on March 20th and shown on Fox. 

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ANDRA DAY

Andra Day is a singer whose story about being discovered is straight out of Hollywood. A video clip of her singing at a strip mall caught the attention of Stevie Wonder's then-wife, who alerted Wonder, who called Day. Day says it felt like a meteor hit her house. She says she was so nervous and kept reminding herself that Wonder is just a regular person, but she also kept thinking, ``He's a legend.'' Day says her manager sabotaged her business relationship with Wonder and it took more than a year to reconnect. She switched managers, and Wonder helped Day get a record deal. Her debut album, ``Cheers to the Fall,'' and the song ``Rise Up,'' are both nominated for Grammys this year. Day says her prayers for her career are being answered.

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(The Associated Press)

MUSIC NEWS: FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2015

TIM FARRIS OF INXS PERMANENTLY DAMAGES HAND IN ACCIDENT 

INXS guitarist Tim Farriss is home recovering after getting his finger severed in a boating accident.

Petrol Records confirms Farris got his left hand caught in an electric anchor winch and was hospitalized in Sydney for a week.

Farris had two extensive operations to reattach his finger and he has permanent damage. Farriss is undergoing physiotherapy. Farris writes on INXS' Facebook page he's overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and well wishes as he gets through a ``nightmare.'' INXS retired in 2012. 

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GARY GLITTER FOUND GUILTY OF CHILD SEX OFFENSES 

Gary Glitter faces a maximum sentence of life in prison when he is sentenced on Feb 27. Yesterday in London, Glitter was convicted of a string of sex abuse offences against three young girls in the 1970s. He blew kisses at reporters in the gallery as he was taken away in custody. Glitter was convicted in 1999 on possession of child pornography and in Vietnam in 2006 for committing obscene acts with two girls. 

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Meghan Trainor had a moment of terror about the Grammys while watching the Golden Globes. She says that's when she realized people actually care about what she wears and she better step it up for the Grammys. She'll have a hand to hold during the tense moments, though. She says her dad will sit next to her.

Trainor is up for song of the year and record of the year for ``All About That Bass.'' Sam Smith, Beyonce' and Pharrell (fah-REL') Williams lead the nominations with six each. The Grammys are Sunday in Los Angeles and will be shown on CBS. 

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KATY PERRY HOPES FOR HER FIRST GRAMMY 

After 13 Grammy nominations, Katy Perry thinks it's about time she gets a trophy. She's never won a Grammy. She's up for two this year: pop duo/group performance for ``Dark Horse''

with Juicy J, and for pop vocal album for ``Prism.'' Perry says it would be ``so amazing and so funny'' to win for ``Dark Horse''

because it's darker than what she usually does. Perry has been added as a performer at Sunday's Grammys in Los Angeles, which will be shown on CBS. 

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GAGA'S EX HAS TO SPLIT PROFITS 

A judge says Lady Gaga's first producer _ and ex-boyfriend _ owes a songwriter more than $7 million. Rob Fusari

(fyoo-SAHR'-ee) was told to pay the full amount of a jury verdict to Wendy Starland despite a request to lower it. Starland is the one who discovered Gaga in 2006 in New York, and testified Fusari sent her off to find an ``edgy, bold, confident, charismatic'' performer _ and that he'd split the profits. Fusari had previously sued Lady Gaga for $35 million in New York, but that lawsuit was dropped. 

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BRANDY CLARK IS BRINGING ``HEE HAW'' TO THE STAGE 

Brandy Clark is hoping a musical version of ``Hee Haw'' will draw in people who don't like country music. Clark and songwriter Shane McAnally are working on ``Moonshine: That Hee Haw Musical.'' Clark says she wants people to leave it saying, ``Wow, if that was country music, I love it.'' Clark says the musical is in on the joke and makes fun of the ``Hee Haw'' stereotype. She says she wants it to have as much heart as it does humour. It premieres in Dallas in September.

MUSIC NEWS: FRIDAY, JANUARY 15, 2016

OBIT-RENE-ANGELIL

Celine Dion is cancelling her shows tomorrow and Sunday night in Las Vegas. Dion's husband and former manager, Rene Angelil, has died of throat cancer in Vegas. He was 73. Clark County Coroner John Fudenberg says his office was notified yesterday of Angelil's death. Angelil discovered Dion when she was 12 and mortgaged his house to fund her first record. They married in 1994 and had three children. Dion had taken time off of her Las Vegas residency at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace to take care of Angelil for a year. She returned in August. 

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DAVID-BOWIE-FUNERAL

David Bowie was private in his personal life and his family wants his death to be private as well. Bowie's family writes on his website they are planning a private memorial service for him and won't give any more details. They say they welcome the tributes and concerts that are being held in Bowie's honour, but the family did not organize or endorse any of them. They say they ``welcome everyone's celebration of his life as they see fit.''

Bowie died Sunday of cancer. 

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DAVID-BOWIE-VEVO-RECORD

David Bowie has knocked Adele out of the top spot for video views on Vevo. Bowie videos were viewed 51 million times on Monday, the day after his death. That sets a new record for most single-day video views on Vevo. Adele had held the record on October 23 when her ``Hello'' video debuted. Bowie's video for ``Lazarus'' was the most-viewed Vevo video on Monday, with 11.1 million. 

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DAVID-BOWIE-AUSTIN-UNSANCTIONED-TRIBUTE

A prankster has changed the name of Bowie Street in Austin, Texas, to David Bowie Street, and Austin is fine with it for now. The Austin Statesman reports the sign is near the offices for the South By Southwest music festival. City officials say the sign was not sanctioned, but they'll leave it up until next week.

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NICK-CARTER-ARRESTED

Backstreet Boy Nick Carter is out on $1,500 bail after he got into a fight outside a bar in Key West, Florida, Wednesday. The police report says Carter and another man, Michael Ray Papayans, were intoxicated and refused to leave after the bartender would not serve them. Police say Papayans head-butted one employee and Carter grabbed a bouncer by the throat. Both men have been charged with misdemeanour battery. Calls to Carter's representative were not returned. 

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ORIGINAL-SONG-OSCARS

Sam Smith was in a coffee shop with his mother when he found out he was nominated for an Oscar. He's up for best original song for co-writing ``Writing's On The Wall'' from ``Spectre.'' Smith says he's feeling overwhelmed and jokes, ``Better pick out a gown.'' His competition includes Lady Gaga and Diane Warren, who wrote the song ``Til It Happens To You'' from the sexual assault documentary, ``The Hunting Ground.'' Lady Gaga says her nomination ``lends a voice to the victims and survivors all over the world.'' It's Warren's eighth nomination for best original song, but she's never won. Toronto-native The Weeknd is nominated for co-writing ``Earned It'' from ``Fifty Shades of Grey.'' He tweets, ``It can't get more surreal than this'' and it's ``truly a proud moment.'' The other nominees are ``Manta Ray'' from ``Racing Extinction'' and ``Simple Song Number 3'' from ``Youth.'' The Oscars will be given out February 28th. 

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NEWMAN-FAMILY-OSCAR-NOMINATIONS-RECORD

Randy Newman's family has achieved an Oscars milestone. Newman's cousin Thomas was nominated for an Oscar for writing the score to the film ``Bridge of Spies.'' Thomas' father, Alfred Newman, his brother, David Newman, and uncles Emil and Lionel Newman are also film composers. Add all that up and the Newmans have been nominated for Oscars 89 times, more than any other family.

``Bridge of Spies'' is Thomas Newman 13th Oscar nomination. He has never won. The awards will be handed out February 28th. 

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DOCUMENTARY-OSCAR-NOMINATIONS

The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences likes Amy Winehouse and Nina Simone, but Nirvana, N.W.A. or the Beach Boys -- not so much. The Amy Winehouse film ``Amy'' and the movie about Simone, ``What Happened, Miss Simone?'' both have been nominated for the best documentary Oscar. ``Kurt Cobain:Montage of Heck'' was snubbed. The movie based on N.W.A, ``Straight Outta Compton,'' was a critical and commercial success but only got a nomination for best original screenplay. The Brian Wilson film ``Love and Mercy'' was expected to at least get a nomination for its music but it failed to get anything.

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METALLICA-CANADIAN-TRIBUTE-BAND

Metallica joke they are sending their lawyer on a flight to go permanently ice fishing in Alaska after he sent a cease-and-desist letter to a Metallica tribute band. Metallica write on their website their lawyer, Joe Di Taranto, was ``very overzealous'' in sending the letter to the Canadian tribute band Sandman. Metallica say they and their management were unaware of the letter until Sandman posted it online. Metallica point out they not only love tribute bands, but they started as one. Metallica advise Sandman to ``file the letter in the trash.'' 

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NBA-ALL-STAR-CELEBRITIES

Drake and Kevin Hart will be the coaches for the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game. Drake will coach Team Canada and his players include Win Butler of Arcade Fire, Drew and Jonathan Scott of ``Property Brothers,'' tennis player Milos Raonic, actor-singer Kris Wu and NBA TV analyst Rick Fox. Hart's Team USA will include Anthony Anderson of ``blackish,'' ''Creed`` star Michael B. Jordan, Bryshere ''Yazz`` Gray of ''Empire`` and ''America's Got Talent`` host Nick Cannon. The game is February 12th in Toronto. 

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(The Associated Press)