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MUSIC NEWS: FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2015

'AMERICAN IDOL' 

She's Jenny from the Block -- but not everyone on the block knows Jenny. The ``American Idol'' auditions moved to New York City last night. The show opened with Jennifer Lopez visiting her old neighbourhood and stopping at the building in the Bronx where she used to live. A man there asked who she is and when J-Lo told him, he seemingly had never heard of her. Former Idol contestant Adam Lambert sat in as a guest judge for absent Keith Urban. One of the highlights was Hollywood Anderson's audition. He's a subway singer and got his guitar at a shelter for homeless youth.

Both he and J-Lo were in tears as he got his ticket to Hollywood. 

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SCOTT WEILAND PLOTS NEW BAND 

Scott Weiland says the best way to describe his new band is ``furry.'' He also uses the terms ``heavy, slinky and sexy'' and ``a lot of fuzz.'' Scott Weiland and the Wildabouts have launched a Pledge Music page for their album ``Blaster'' and will give fans a free download of the song ``Modzilla'' for each pledge. Weiland is also offering an instant download of the track ``White Lightening'' for fans who pre-order the album on iTunes. 

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LEE BRICE AND CHRIS YOUNG ANNOUNCE TOUR 

Chris Young says he had so much fun last year with Lee Brice on the Brad Paisley tour, they thought it would be great to do a co-headlining tour together. They have announced the first slate of dates for their tour, beginning next Thursday in Syracuse, New York. 

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BRIT AWARD NOMINEES INCLUDE SAM SMITH, ED SHEERAN 

Sam Smith leads the nominations for the Brit Awards, Britain's answer to the Grammys. He has five nominations, including best album. Ed Sheeran and George Ezra have four each.

Other nominees include Taylor Swift, Beyonce', Beck, Alt-J, One Direction, Coldplay, Hozier, Pharrell Williams and The Black Keys. The winners will be announced in London on February 25.

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COMMON, GLEN CAMPBELL UP FOR BEST ORIGINAL SONG OSCAR 

Common says getting nominated for the best original song Oscar has inspired him so much, he's ready to do more work now. Common and John Legend were nominated for the song ``Glory'' from the film ``Selma.'' Glen Campbell's last song, ``I'm Not Gonna Miss You'' from the documentary ``Glen Campbell: I'll Be Me,'' is also nominated for best original song. Director James Keach says Campbell wanted to make a difference in the lives of others and hoped his story would shine a light on Alzheimer's disease. Gregg Alexander of New Radicals and former ``Archie Bunker's Place'' actress Danielle Brisbois are nominated for writing ``Lost Stars'' from the movie ``Begin Again.'' Diane Warren is nominated for writing ``Grateful'' from the film ``Beyond The Lights.'' Shawn Patterson is the final nominee, for writing ``Everything is Awesome'' from ``The Lego Movie.'' The Oscars are February 22 in Los Angeles and will be shown on ABC. 

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T.G. SHEPPARD RESTING AFTER SURGERY 

T-G Sheppard is out of the hospital after he had heart surgery in Nashville. His representative tells Billboard magazine Sheppard had an ablation, designed to keep his heart in rhythm. Sheppard says on his Facebook page he's thankful for the calls and prayers, and he will be back doing shows on January 24.

He's scheduled to appear in Crossville, Tennessee, that day, then he'll be on the Country's Family Reunion cruise out of Miami on January 31. 

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MARIAH CAREY ANNOUNCES VEGAS RESIDENCY 

Mariah Carey and Caesars Palace are hoping to revive their livelihoods together. Carey will do a residency at The Colosseum in Las Vegas beginning May 16. The show is called ``Mariah Carey Number Ones'' and will feature her 18 number-one hits. The Caesars subsidiary that owns and manages The Colosseum filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy yesterday. The company's C-E-O says its lineup of entertainers will continue to perform as scheduled.

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BLACK CROWES CALLS IT QUITS 

The Black Crowes are fading to black. Founding member Rich Robinson announced yesterday the group is breaking up after 24 years. In a statement, he alluded to internal issues between his brother and the band. Chris Robinson is the lead singer, while Rich Robinson is the band's guitarist and songwriter. An email seeking comment from Chris Robinson wasn't immediately returned. He also fronts the Chris Robinson Brotherhood.

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KELLY CLARKSON HAD ``HORRIBLE PREGNANCY'' 

Kelly Clarkson admits her pregnancy was so bad, she was hospitalized at one point. Clarkson tells the B-B-C's Radio 1 Breakfast Show she had a ``horrible pregnancy'' and took more time off than she thought she would. It all turned out well. Her seven-month-old daughter, River Rose, is healthy and happy. Clarkson says her daughter is ``pretty awesome'' and her husband is running from Clarkson because she wants another baby.

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MORE SUPER BOWL PERFORMERS

``Frozen'' star Idina Menzel will sing the national anthem before the Super Bowl kicks off next month. 

The NFL announced Friday that John Legend will perform ``America the Beautiful'' before the Super Bowl on Feb. 1 at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. It will air on NBC. 

Menzel has had a top-notch year, thanks to the success of ``Frozen'' and her worldwide hit, ``Let It Go.'' Her Broadway show ``If/Then'' closes on March 22. 

Legend, too, has had a career-highlighting year. His song ``All of Me'' was one of 2014's biggest hits, and he recently won a Golden Globe for his song with rapper Common, ``Glory,'' from the film ``Selma.'' 

Pop star Katy Perry will perform during the halftime show.

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THE GRATEFUL DEAD RISE

The Grateful Dead is coming back to life for final concerts in July. 

The band announced Friday that surviving members Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, Phil Lesh and Bob Weir will perform three shows from July 3-5 at Soldier Field in Chicago. 

The band is celebrating its 50th anniversary, and the shows will mark its final performances, the band said. They last performed in 1995 at the Chicago venue. 

Tickets for ``Fare Thee Well: Celebrating 50 Years of Grateful Dead'' will be available through mail order system on Jan. 20. They go on sale online on Feb. 14. 

The Grateful Dead will be joined by Phish's Trey Anastasio, keyboardist Jeff Chimenti and pianist Bruce Hornsby at the concerts.

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The following is HMV Canada's top 10 CDs based on national sales for the week ending Jan. 17. 

CDs 

1  1989 _ Taylor Swift

2  X _ Ed Sheeran

3  The Pinkprint _ Nicki Minaj

4  Motion _ Calvin Harris

5  Four _ One Direction

6  Title _ Meghan Trainor

7  Hozier _ Hozier

8  The Endless River _ Pink Floyd

9  Rock or Bust _ AC/DC

10  2014 Forest Hills Drive _ J. Cole

COUNTRY 

1  1989 _ Taylor Swift

2  Country Hits 2015 _ Various Artists

3  Man Against Machine _ Garth Brooks

4  Greatest Hits: Decade No. 1 _ Carrie Underwood

5  Crash My Party _ Luke Bryan

6  Anything Goes _ Florida Georgia Line

7  The Outsiders _ Eric Church

8  Lifted _ Dallas Smith

9  Greatest Hits So Far... _ Zac Brown Band

10  Red _ Taylor Swift

MUSIC NEWS: FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 2016

RENE ANGELIL FUNERAL

The funeral service for Celine Dion's late husband will be held in Montreal this afternoon. 

People will gather at the Notre-Dame Basilica to say goodbye to Rene Angelil, who died of throat cancer last week at the age of 73. 

That is the church where the couple married in 1994 and where Dion greeted several hundred mourners at a viewing on Thursday. 

Archbishop of Montreal Christian Lepine will preside over today's ceremony, which is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. eastern. 

Dion's family accepted an offer by Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard for the government to play a role in the organization of the funeral. 

Couillard has announced the flag at the legislature will fly at half-mast today.

(The Canadian Press)

ADELE'S - YOUTUBE - ONE BILLION VIEWS

Lots of folks are saying ``Hello'' to Adele online. The video for her hit is now the fastest to reach one-billion views on YouTube. It's reached the mark in 87 days. It took Psy's ``Gangnam Style'' 158 days to get to one-billion.

``Hello'' spent its first 10 weeks at number-one on Billboard's Hot 100 chart. 

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PETE SEEGER - FESTIVAL

Pete Seeger's annual music festival is off this year because of financial problems. The board of directors for the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater organization decided this week to cancel the festival, set for June 18th and 19th. Seeger started the concerts in the 1970s as a fundraiser for the vessel the Clearwater to serve as a floating classroom for environmental causes. The Clearwater is undergoing a restoration right now, and the group's president says all efforts are going toward that. The festival is expected to return in 2017. David Crosby, Los Lobos, Lucinda Williams, Norah Jones and the Mavericks have played the festival in the past. 

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GREGG ALLMAN MOVIE - DIRECTOR

A Georgia judge has turned down early release from jail for the director of the movie about Gregg Allman's life who was sentenced in the death of a camera assistant. Former ``Midnight Rider'' director Randall Miller had asked to be freed after serving less than half of his two-year sentence. He had pleaded guilty last March to involuntary manslaughter and trespassing in the death of Sarah Jones. She was killed in February

2014 when the movie had set up on a train bridge without permission and a freight train came through. 

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MARILYN MANSON - ``SALEM''

Marilyn Manson will have a guest role on the W-G-N America drama ``Salem.'' He will play a barber and surgeon. Manson co-wrote the show's theme song, ``Cupid Carries a Gun.'' The show reimagines the era of the Salem witch trials as if the witches are real. Production on the show's third season began yesterday in Shreveport, Louisiana. 

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``AMERICAN IDOL'' - FINAL AUDITIONS

And the last golden ticket goes to -- Manny Torres. This is ``American Idol's'' final season. Torres gets the judge's last ticket to Hollywood. The judges liked his controlled energy and his focus on the song. But Torres is far from alone. When the Hollywood Round begins next week, 190 hopefuls will be trying to make it to the live performances. Red head Colette Lush also impressed the judges, with her hair and her voice. Jennifer Lopez says she could be the next Carrie Underwood. Farm girl Lillian Glanton did an original song for the judges, ``Country Boyfriend.''

The Alabama high school sophomore also gets a golden ticket, despite some rough spots in her performance. 

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MUSIC NEWS: FRIDAY, JANUARY 23, 2015

MADONNA HACKER ARRESTED 

Madonna says she is ``profoundly grateful'' to authorities who helped with the arrest of an aspiring singer accused of leaking songs from her ``Rebel Heart'' album online. Israel's cybercrime unit has arrested 38-year-old Adi Lederman and placed him under house arrest. His lawyer says Lederman denies the allegations and believes there is not sufficient evidence for an indictment. The leak in December prompted Madonna to release six of the songs early as an E-P. ``Rebel Heart'' comes out in March. Police say Lederman stole songs from other musicians but did not name them. 

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RIHANNA WINS T-SHIRT CASE ON APPEAL 

Rihanna has won her court fight over an unauthorized T-shirt. Britain's Court of Appeal upheld an earlier ruling that fashion retailer Topshop cannot sell a shirt with Rihanna's photo on it without her permission. Topshop had argued retailers have used images of celebrities like Elvis Presley and Jimi Hendrix, and Rihanna was wrong to claim that only a celebrity may market his or her own character. A lower court had ruled Rihanna's fans might be deceived into thinking she had endorsed the shirt. 

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BOB DYLAN EXPLAINS HIS 1966 HIATUS 

Bob Dylan went into seclusion for a year in 1966 after getting into a motorcycle accident and he did it to protect his family. Dylan tells AARP The Magazine it was ``totally frustrating and painful'' to give up his art for that, but he felt he had no choice. Dylan also says if he had to do everything all over again, he'd be a teacher. He says he'd probably teach Roman history or theology. Dylan's standards album, ``Shadows in the Night,'' comes out February 3rd. He will give away 50-thousand copies of it to random readers of AARP The Magazine.

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PUDDLE OF MUDD SINGER ARRESTED 

Puddle of Mudd singer Wes Scantlin was arrested for allegedly trying to take a ride on an airport baggage carousel. The Los Angeles Times reports Scantlin was arrested at Denver's airport on suspicion of trespassing last Friday. Police say Scantlin ran behind a carousel and came out through an alarmed door in a restricted area. The promoter of Puddle of Mudd's Denver show says a fan bailed Scantlin out of jail. Scantlin still played the show but the band went on late. Scantlin wrote on his Facebook page, ``I'm here Denver! Thanks for your patience.'' 

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DEEP PURPLE PLAY WITH THE PLAYING 

After playing ``Smoke on the Water'' hundreds of times, you'd think Deep Purple would just check out mentally when they perform that in concert. Drummer Ian Paice says that's only true if one of them is not feeling well or there's a technical problem. Otherwise, they come up with subtle ways to change it to keep it fresh and keep themselves interested. Paice says it might be a different drum fill or he'll push bassist Roger Glover into a different musical direction. Paice says the audience may not pick up on the change but they might recognize that something is different for that night. 

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METALLICA AND SAN JOSE SHARKS JOIN FORCES 

Metallica singer James Hetfield says it's ``an honour to keep it local.'' The San Jose Sharks sponsored Metallica Night on Wednesday. The team has been using the Metallica song ``Seek and Destroy'' as their entrance music for years. The team presented Metallica with Sharks jerseys. Hetfield says he used to drive nearly two hours for Sharks games. Bassist Robert Trujillo says he's flattered that the song ``has that kind of energy to fuel an entire team, give them the strength to battle and kick butt.'' 

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MUSICIANS WILL BE INCLUDED IN TOPPS' BASEBALL CARDS 

50 Cent's infamous wild ceremonial pitch for a New York Mets game last May is now immortalized on a baseball card.

Topps has created a series of Celebrity First Pitch cards for inclusion in its 2015 Series 1 Baseball cards. Other musicians' first pitches honoured with cards include Jack White, Eddie Vedder, Macklemore, Biz Markie, Austin Mahone and Tom Morello.

MUSIC NEWS: FRIDAY, JANUARY 29, 2016

``THE PASSION'' - CHRIS DAUGHTRY

Chris Daughtry has been cast as Judas in a live T-V production about the last hours of Jesus. ``Telenovela'' actor and singer Jencarlos Canela will take the role of Jesus in ``The Passion.'' Trisha Yearwood has been cast as his mother, Mary, Prince Royce will play Peter and Tyler Perry will be the narrator.

``The Passion'' will be staged in New Orleans and will run live on Fox on Palm Sunday, March 20th. 

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OSCAR - PERFORMANCES

Lady Gaga, Toronto singer The Weeknd and Sam Smith will perform their Oscar-nominated songs at the Oscars. Lady Gaga is nominated for co-writing ``Til It Happens To You'' with Diane Warren from the movie ``The Hunting.'' The Weeknd is nominated for co-writing ``Earned It'' from ``Fifty Shades of Grey.'' Smith co-wrote ``Writing's on The Wall'' from ``Spectre.'' The other best original song nominees are ``Manta Ray'' from ``Racing Extinction'' and ``Simple Song Number 3'' from ``Youth.'' The Oscars will be February 28th in Los Angeles and shown on A-B-C. 

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COLDPLAY - CONCERTS

Coldplay has announced the first dates of a new tour and so far they're only playing Saturdays. They will play in seven stadiums this summer, in New York; Chicago; Boston; Philadelphia; Los Angeles; Arlington, Texas; and San Francisco.

Coldplay will headline the Super Bowl halftime show on February 7th.

Singer Chris Martin will be interviewed on ``C-B-S Sunday Morning'' this week about their preparations. Martin also will do ``Carpool Karaoke'' on ``The Late Late Show with James Corden'' next week. 

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SUPER BOWL - HALFTIME SHOW SPECIAL

C-B-S will run a special about the history of Super Bowl halftime shows two days before Super Bowl 50. It will include new interviews with past performers, including Paul McCartney, Bono, Beyonce', Katy Perry, Missy Elliott and Bruno Mars.

C-B-S makes no mention of the ``wardrobe malfunction'' halftime show of 2004 that featured Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake. Coldplay headlines this year's halftime show. ``Super Bowl's Greatest Halftime Shows'' airs February 5th on C-B-S. 

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OF MONSTERS AND MEN - DOMINO'S PIZZA - ICELAND

Should you be in Iceland and at a loss for where to eat, the members of Of Monsters And Men recommend Domino's Pizza.

Singer Nanna Bryndis Hilmarsdottir says Domino's pizza in Iceland is ``ridiculously good.'' She says it's not good anywhere else, but in Iceland it's ``crazy.'' 

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CARRIE UNDERWOOD - THANKS THE MILITARY

Carrie Underwood plans to honour the military on her upcoming ``Storyteller'' tour. She will meet with families at her tour stops, and she will do a free concert for military families onboard the Carnival Vista in New York on November 4th. Underwood says she gets on stage and everyone has to listen to her, but it's nice to talk to people and hear their stories. Underwood will sell commemorative dog tags at tour stops, with proceeds going to Operation Homefront, a charity that gives emergency assistance to military families and wounded warriors. Underwood's tour starts tomorrow in Jacksonville, Florida. 

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BASKETBALL - All-STAR - HALFTIME

News that Sting will headline the halftime show at the N-B-A all-star game next month in Toronto delighted some players -- but puzzled some others. Latvian forward Kristaps Porzingis of the New York Knicks had been embarrassed to admit he didn't know who Sting was, but was pleased that he recognized the songs ``Roxanne'' and ``Fields of Gold.'' Toronto Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan says he was fine with the selection but added that, ``I don't mind who performs.'' New York's Carmelo Anthony says he is excited -- but couldn't name a Sting song, let alone his favourite. Not everyone was happy with the decision. A tweet from former Toronto mayor Rob Ford's account read, ``How about some TORONTO talent!'' 

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OBIT - PAUL KANTNER

He was one of the original members of the Jefferson Airplane and helped to take rock on a psychedelic trip.

Paul Kantner has died of organ failure and septic shock at a San Francisco hospital. He was 74. His former girlfriend and publicist Cynthia Bowman says Kantner was admitted to the hospital after becoming ill earlier this week. He had recovered from a heart attack last year. The Jefferson Airplane sang about the sex, drugs and politics lifestyle of the 1960s and lived it as well. Kantner and Airplane lead singer Grace Slick had a daughter in 1971. They had wanted to call her God, but named her China. Kantner helped to write some of the Airplane's lasting hits, including ``Wooden Ships'' and ``Volunteers.'' 

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THE ROOTS - LAWSUIT

Former Roots bassist Leonard ``Hub'' Hubbard is suing the band and their manager over money. Hubbard was a member of The Roots from 1992 to 2007. He dropped out after being diagnosed with multiple myeloma. Two years later, The Roots became the house band on ``The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.'' Hubbard says in his lawsuit he had an agreement with The Roots under which he would continue to be paid as a co-owner. He says the paychecks dwindled and operations were transferred to a newly created company. The Roots could not be reached for comment. 

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ARETHA FRANKLIN - CHARITY STREAK

Aretha Franklin is going all out to support her home state of Michigan. Franklin is offering hotel rooms for 25 to 50 residents of Flint, Michigan, which has been hit with high levels of lead since switching its water supply system in a cost-cutting measure. Applicants will be screened through her father's church, New Bethel Baptist Church. Franklin has also recorded a public service announcement in support of the Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts in Detroit. The historic theatre is in danger of closing from lack of funds. Franklin has also pledged five-thousand dollars to a school supply drive to benefit students of Detroit Public Schools. 

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BRET MICHAELS - CHILDHOOD HOME - FIRE

Bret Michaels' childhood home in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, has been destroyed by fire. The Sentinel of Carlisle quotes fire authorities as saying they had trouble battling Wednesday's fire because the nearest fire hydrants were buried in snow. They believe the fire was caused by a cooking accident. Five children and two adults escaped safely. Fire authorities say one family member was taken to a hospital for evaluation. An official with Bret Michaels Entertainment confirms Michaels lived there between the ages of 6 and 17. 

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CREEDBOMBING - EXPLAINED

The key to the success of the Carolina Panthers this year might be Creedbombing. The Charlotte Observer reports it was created by backup linebacker Ben Jacobs, tight end Greg Olsen and athletic performance analyst Brett Nenaber.

Creedbombing is singing the lyrics to a Creed song in singer Scott Stapp's voice to a teammate. Jacobs says the key is to ``make really deep, direct eye contact.'' Stapp says he's honoured at the Creedbombing phenomenon and has realized just how funny it is. Stapp says his solo band has started Creedbombing him. Stapp would love to meet with the team, and if he gets the chance, he'll Creedbomb them with the song ``What If,'' with the line, ``The more you hold us down, the more we press on.'' 

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RIHANNA - ``ANTI''

If you didn't get Rihanna's new album for free yesterday, you can pay for it today. Rihanna released the album ``ANTI'' yesterday, and she gave away a limited number of downloads on her website. You can stream it on Tidal, which Rihanna co-owns.

It's available for purchase digitally beginning today. ``ANTI'' does not contain the singles she released last year. 

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PHONE THIEVES - LIBERTINES CONCERTS

Fans at Libertines concerts in England have noticed their phones missing. British police now have a clue why, after they arrested a man with 38 mobile phones in his pants. West Midlands Police say they believe the man and a second man who was arrested stole the phones during a Libertines concert in Birmingham, in central England. Police were alerted after phones were reported stolen at another Libertines show in the northwest English city of Manchester. Police say the tip-off was the men had their pants taped closed at the bottom. 

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ROCK HALL - INDUCTION CEREMONY

The Black Keys, Lars Ulrich of Metallica and Rob Thomas will be special guests for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductions. Specifics about performances and presenters will be announced later. This year's class includes N.W.A, Chicago, Deep Purple, Cheap Trick and Steve Miller. The Rock Hall inductions are April 8th in New York. It will air later in April on H-B-O. 

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(The Associated Press)

MUSIC NEWS: FRIDAY, JANUARY 8, 2016

IAN KELLY - ROBBED

Here's a robbery story with a happy ending.

Montreal indie pop-rocker Ian Kelly says someone has returned stolen hard drives containing the only copies of an album he was preparing to release. He took to Twitter and Facebook this week to plead for the return of the drives, which he says were swiped from an S-U-V on Tuesday. Wednesday night, Kelly announced on Twitter his property had been returned by the thief's father. He had offered a reward to anyone who found his hard drives, but he says the man refused it.

Kelly says the stolen master copy and backup contain about six months of work. 

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JANET JACKSON - NOT CANCER

Janet Jackson is still not saying why she postponed her concert tour, but she will say that it isn't cancer.

Jackson posted a two-minute clip from her song ``The Great Forever.'' It ends with a message from Jackson saying she's recovering and her doctors have approved her European tour in March.

Some online reports had suggested she had throat cancer, but Jackson denies it. 

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BEYONCE - SUPER BOWL

Beyonce is returning to the Super Bowl. Pepsi confirms to The Associated Press that Beyonce will perform during the Super Bowl 50 halftime show February 7th, at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California. Last month, it was announced that Coldplay would perform. Beyonce headlined the 2013 Pepsi Super Bowl halftime show in New Orleans at the Superdome, where she was joined by her Destiny Child's bandmates, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams.

Beyonce and Coldplay recently collaborated on the band's new album, ``A Head Full of Dreams.'' 

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MICHAEL JACKSON - ``OFF THE WALL'' - REISSUE

A Spike Lee documentary will be included in the re-release of Michael Jackson's ``Off The Wall'' album. The film ``Michael Jackson's Journey from Motown to 'Off The Wall''' will premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 24th and then it will be shown on Showtime on February 5th. The album and documentary will be available for purchase February 26th. Lee also made a documentary about Jackson's ``Bad'' album for the 2012 reissue. 

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NATALIE COLE - CAUSE OF DEATH

Natalie Cole died of idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension which led to heart failure. What that means is she had a rare lung disease that caused shortness of breath, dizziness and sometimes chest pain, but the exact cause was unknown.

Her family said Cole got that diagnosis after her 2009 kidney transplant. She had battled drug problems and hepatitis. 

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RAPPERS AND THE HAWKS

T.I., Ludacris and Big Boi are helping the Atlanta Hawks improve their image. They have been performing at halftime and after Hawks home games. The Hawks came under fire when former general manager Danny Ferry made insensitive comments about Luol Deng, and former co-owner Bruce Levenson complained in a 2012 email that blacks kept potential white fans away from games. T.I. had performed at games before the incidents but has performed more frequently since then. Others who have performed include 2 Chainz, Jeezy, CeeLo Green, Rich Homie Quan, Big Grams and Silento. The artists aren't paid but the team will make donations to charity in their name. 

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RACHEL PLATTEN - BIG AND SMALL

Rachel Platten's biggest concert was also the first one she ever did. Platten says she sang backup for a friend for 80-thousand people in Trinidad. She says it was at that moment she realized she wanted to be a singer. Her favourites are her smallest gigs. Platten says she will sing for hospital patients as part of the charity Musicians On Call and it reminds her of the healing power of music. 

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(The Associated Press)

MUSIC NEWS: FRIDAY, JANUARY 9, 2015

COUNTRY SINGERS PAY TRIBUTE TO LITTLE JIMMY DICKENS 

Vince Gill says when you're young and someone is kind to you, you never forget it, and that's what it was like the first time any Grand Ole Opry newcomer met Little Jimmy Dickens.

Gill was one of several hundred people who celebrated Dickens' life at the Opry yesterday. Carrie Underwood says her mother warned her about Dickens because he liked pretty girls, but she says he always kissed her hand and had a little piece of her heart. Brad Paisley led a group in singing ``Will The Circle Be Unbroken,'' a tradition he says Dickens started. Paisley choked back tears and said, ``At 94, your journey has ended, but we'll take it from here, little buddy.'' 

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$300K ELVIS RECORD

Three-hundred grand for an Elvis record.

That's what someone has paid for an acetate recording of the ballad ``My Happiness.'' It's the first song Elvis Presley ever recorded.

An undisclosed buyer placed the winning bid yesterday evening at Graceland, Presley's former home in Memphis. Bidding began at 50-thousand dollars. Presley recorded it in 1953 at Sun Records, the Memphis studio operated by Sam Phillips. Presley, then 18, paid four-dollars for the recording.

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KRAFTWERK IS SUBJECT OF ACADEMIC STUDY

Aston University in Birmingham, England, will hold an international academic conference to discuss the fine points of Kraftwerk. Former Kraftwerk drummer Wolfgang Flur will do a question-and-answer session. Other sessions include topics such as ``Kraftwerk and the Cultural Studies of Cycling,'' ''Fun Fun Fun on the Autobahn: Kraftwerk Challenging Germanness`` and ''Kraftwerk and the Issue of Post-Human Authenticity.`` The conference begins Wednesday.

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ROBERT PLANT IS A LAST-MINUTE PERFORMER

Robert Plant doesn't make much use of his dressing room before his concerts. Plant says he likes to get to a gig as late as possible. He doesn't want to see the stage and he says he likes to just walk out and ``not know what's round the back of the naughty curtain.'' Plant says he's always been that way. He says in the '70s Led Zeppelin were so spontaneous they sometimes didn't show up to a gig at all. 

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COUNTRY STARS TAKE ROLES IN CIVIL WAR MINI-SERIES 

 An upcoming Civil War mini-series will have a lot of familiar faces in it, if you follow country music. ``To Appomattox'' includes Dwight Yoakam as Union General George Meade, Kix Brooks as Union General Winfield Scott Hancock and Trace Adkins as Confederate General John Gregg. Gary LeVox, Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney of Rascal Flatts and Laura Bell Bundy also have roles. It will run sometime this year, but an air date and a channel have not been announced. 

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CARRIE UNDERWOOD LEADS FORMER ``IDOLS'' IN EARNINGS 

Carrie Underwood is still the top-earning former ``American Idol'' contestant. Forbes magazine estimates her earnings in the last year were 10-million dollars -- and that's a pay cut from the 31-million she made the year before. Kelly Clarkson is second. She pulled in eight-million last year. Phillip Phillips is third with five-million. Taylor Hicks and Scotty McCreery are tied for fourth, with 3.5-million dollars each. 

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TOTO PREPARE NEW MUSIC 

In the minds of Toto, their ``Toto 14'' album is actually the follow-up to ``Toto 4.'' Keyboardist Steve Porcaro says they are treating their upcoming ``Toto 14'' album as if it was ``Toto 5.'' He says that means, ``Be true to ourselves and make the best music we can.'' It will be Toto's first album in a decade.

``Toto 4'' was the 1982 album that had the singles ``Rosanna,''

''Africa`` and ''I Won't Hold You Back.`` ''Toto 14`` will come out March 24. 

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OBIT-ANDRAE CROUCH

Andrae Crouch, a legendary gospel artist, has died. Elvis Presley and Paul Simon performed his songs. He helped arrange the Michael Jackson song ``Man in the Mirror,'' and his arrangement for the film ``The Color Purple'' earned an Oscar nomination. His publicist says Crouch died yesterday at a hospital in Los Angeles, where he was admitted Saturday after suffering a heart attack. Crouch was 72.

MUSIC NEWS: FRIDAY, JULY 10, 2015

ORDER OF MANITOBA

Twelve Manitobans, ranging from musicians to advocates to athletes, have been inducted into the Order of Manitoba. 

Chad Allan of The Guess Who, rocker Tom Cochrane and Mitch Podolak, founding artistic director of the Winnipeg Folk Festival, were honoured for their work in the music industry. 

Two NHLers also made it onto the list: Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews and Sheldon Kennedy, who is also an advocate for victims of sexual abuse. 

Others include Karen Beaudin, community resource co-ordinator; broadcaster and author Dian Cohen; Wilma Derksen, who has advocated for victims of crime since her daughter Candace was murdered; Dan Johnson of the Manitoba Special Olympics; Metis veteran Donald R. J. Mackey; Monica Khhem Kamarie Singh of the Manitoba Ethnocultural Advocacy and Advisory Council; and Rachel Alao of Winnipeg's Helping Hands Resource Centre for Immigrants Inc. 

Lt.-Gov. Janice Filmon says the list demonstrates the power of a single individual ``in encouraging positive change locally, nationally, and globally.'' 

(CTV Winnipeg)

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AC/DC'S PHIL RUDD SENTENCED TO HOME DETENTION

AC/DC will definitely not have Phil Rudd back on drums for a while. Rudd was sentenced to eight months of home detention yesterday after he pleaded guilty to drug possession and threatening to kill a man who used to work for him in New Zealand.

Tauranga District Court Judge Thomas Ingram says he accepts that the sentence will affect Rudd's future with the band, but he believes Rudd didn't have a future with the band anyway until he successfully kicks drugs. Welsh drummer Chris Slade has been on drums for the AC/DC tour. 

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MICHIGAN PRISON SYSTEM SAYS NO TO KID ROCK VIDEO

Kid Rock has been denied permission to film a music video in a women's prison. Michigan Department of Corrections communications director Chris Gautz tells The Detroit News that Rock wanted to perform for prisoners at the Huron Valley Correctional Facility in southeastern Michigan. Gautz says the concert would create a host of security issues and building a stage could lead to unaccounted pieces being used as weapons. Gautz says the department is talking with the video company to film at a vacant maximum security prison northeast of Detroit. 

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COUNTRY MUSICIANS DOWNPLAY USE OF CONFEDERATE FLAG

Country musicians have been quietly swapping out the Confederate flag for the American flag in the weeks since nine black churchgoers were fatally shot in Charleston, South Carolina.

The Confederate flag was once a symbol of the renegade spirit for many country acts but it has fallen under scrutiny after the alleged Charleston shooter, Dylann Roof, was photographed with it as a symbol of white supremacy. Charlie Daniels wrote on his website the Confederate flag was simply a sign of defiance and pride in where people came from. John Rich told Fox News he agreed with the calls to remove the flag from the South Carolina statehouse. 

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STUDY: METALHEADS ARE JUST FINE

If you listened to metal in the 1980s, chances are good you turned out okay, according to a study by Humboldt State University. Psychologist Tasha Howe did a study called ``Three Decades Later: The Life Experiences and Mid-Life Functioning of 1980s Heavy Metal Groupies, Musicians and Fans.'' The study found metalheads may have engaged in some risky behaviour, but they usually benefited from the social support of the metal scene.

The study notes that ``participation in fringe style cultures may enhance identity development in troubled youth.'' 

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SPANDAU BALLET: THE NEW RICKROLLING

What Rickrolling was to people watching videos online, Spandau Ballet now is for electronic dance music. The new trend is for DJs to whip a crowd into a frenzy with a big buildup, then play Spandau Ballet's song ``True.'' The band loves it. They tell Billboard magazine ``True'' was a big club hit when it first came out and it's great that it's making a comeback. 

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TAYLOR SWIFT MAKES DONATION TO SICK FAN

Taylor Swift has donated $50,000 to an Arizona girl recently diagnosed with leukemia. The girl's family posted a video online earlier this week that shows 11-year-old Naomi Oakes referring to Swift's song ``Bad Blood'' as her theme song. They said she was going to miss Swift's concert because of her illness. The donation was posted to the fundraising site GoFundMe in Swift's name. A Swift spokeswoman says Swift does not confirm charitable contributions. Swift has a history of sending gifts to fans. 

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MADONNA HACKER SENTENCED

The man who leaked songs from Madonna's ``Rebel Heart'' album has been sentenced to 14 months in jail. Adi Lederman had entered a plea deal earlier this year on charges he hacked into computers of people associated with Madonna and sold unreleased songs. He was also fined $3,900. 

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WILLIE NELSON WINS GERSHWIN PRIZE FROM LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

Willie Nelson says it's an honour to be given a prize from the Library of Congress and he appreciates it greatly.

Nelson has been named the recipient of the library's Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. Librarian of Congress James Billington calls Nelson a ``musical explorer'' and a ``master communicator'' who redrew the boundaries of country music. Nelson will receive the prize during a tribute concert in Washington in November. 

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TRISHA YEARWOOD GOES THROUGH THE DISPLAY OF HER LIFE

When Trisha Yearwood was little, she'd tell people she wanted to be a country singer and they'd say that was cute. Her mother believed in her and saved all the things from her youth that got her started, like her first guitar. Those items are among those on display in an exhibit about Yearwood at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville. You can also see the two dresses Yearwood wore when she married Garth Brooks in 2005. Yearwood says she wore a red dress when people arrived to the house and a white one for the ceremony. 

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KEITH RICHARDS ANNOUNCES SOLO RECORD

Keith Richards has finally finished up his solo album, 23 years after he did his last one. He will release ``Crosseyed Heart'' on September 18. Norah Jones is a guest performer. It's his third solo record and the follow-up to 1992's ``Main Offender.'' 

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RINGO STARR'S ``HELP!'' JACKET FOR SALE

The double-breasted jacket Ringo Starr wore in the movie ``Help!'' is going to be sold at auction. RR Auctions of Boston puts the minimum bid at $2,500. The auction will run through July 23. An inflatable cow udder signed by the members of Pink Floyd that was used to promote the ``Atom Heart Mother'' album is also for sale. So are high school yearbooks that separately feature Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper and Madonna. Other items for sale include Elvis Presley's shotgun, Dee Dee Ramone's credit cards and Joey Ramone's unused Sega Game Gear TV tuner pack in its original box.

Online bidding ends July 23. 

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GLOBAL CITIZEN FESTIVAL

Beyonce, Pearl Jam, Ed Sheeran and Coldplay will thank fans personally for their efforts to end poverty. They are among the performers for the Global Citizen Festival in New York on September 26. Tickets are free but fans have to earn them by taking actions against poverty at www.GlobalCitizen.org. The concert will air on MSNBC and stream on iHeartRadio and Tidal. 

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JOSH GROBAN

Josh Groban will perform for the opening ceremony at the U.S. Open tennis tournament. Groban will perform songs from his new album, ``Stages.'' The tournament begins August 31 in New York. 

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JUSTIN BEIBER 

Justin Bieber will make a special appearance at the inaugural Billboard Hot 100 Music Festival in August, along with headliners The Weeknd, Skrillex, Nicki Minaj and Lil Wayne.   

The festival will be held at New York's Nikon at Jones Beach Theater on Aug. 22 and 23 and will feature more than 40 acts over three stages. The lineup, announced Friday, also includes Kygo, Jason Derulo, American Authors, Betty Who, The Chainsmokers, Cold War Kids, Fetty Wap, Halsey, Holy Ghost!, Kiesza, Little Mix, Santigold and ZZ Ward.

(The Associated Press)

MUSIC NEWS: FRIDAY, JULY 3, 2015

TYLER HUBBARD OF FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE MARRIES

Wednesday was wedding day for Tyler Hubbard of Florida Georgia Line. People magazine reports Hubbard married Hayley Stommel in an outdoor ceremony in Sun Valley, Idaho. Bandmate Brian Kelley was Hubbard's best man. The couple's golden retriever was the ring bearer. The couple are on their honeymoon in Turks and Caicos.

Florida Georgia Line will pick up their tour next Thursday in Fort Loramie, Ohio. 

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ELVIS PRESLEY CD WILL GO ON SALE AT POST OFFICE

The U.S. Postal Service will sell music to go along with the new Elvis Presley stamp. The CD ``Elvis Forever'' will be available online and in select post offices beginning August 12, the same day the new Elvis stamp goes on sale. The CD includes 18 Elvis hits and a new performance of ``If I Can Dream.'' 

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ALIEN ANT FARM, CLAY COOK, FITZ AND THE TANTRUMS SING AT CUBS GAMES

The Chicago Cubs will have some well-known singers for the seventh-inning stretch in upcoming games. Alien Ant Farm will lead the singing of ``Take Me Out To The Ballgame'' for Monday's game. Clay Cook of Zac Brown Band will do the honours on Tuesday. Fitz and the Tantrums will sing for next Friday's game. 

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ROBIN THICKE

Robin Thicke admits his heart wasn't into defending himself during the trial over the song ``Blurred Lines'' that resulted in a $7.4 million judgment against him and Pharrell Williams. Thicke tells The New York Times he was careless in his deposition because it came two weeks after he separated from his wife, actress Paula Patton. Thicke says the trial just wasn't as important to him as what was going on in his personal life. His attempt to win Patton back, the 2014 album ``Paula,'' was a commercial and critical flop. Thicke says the only thing he would have done differently with that album is give it away. 

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STYX VISIT NASA SCIENTISTS

Styx have met with the scientist who discovered Styx. Styx the band visited NASA's New Horizons team in Laurel, Maryland, on Wednesday and met with Dr. Mark Showalter, who discovered Pluto's faintest moon, also called Styx, in 2012.

Showalter is a fan of the band and turned the tables on them by giving them an autographed poster of Pluto and its moons. New Horizons principal investigator Alan Stern told the band, ``When Pluto's moon was named, it was for the river Styx, but no kidding, we really had you guys in mind too.''

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NO FELONY CHARGES FOR P.DIDDY

 Sean ``Diddy'' Combs won't face felony charges for an alleged kettlebell attack at UCLA, but the case isn't over.

The Los Angeles County District attorney's office has decided instead to turn the case over to the L.A. city attorney's office, which could consider lesser misdemeanour charges. The 45-year-old Combs was arrested last month for the alleged assault at UCLA's athletic facilities. Combs' son goes to school and plays football there. The hip-hop mogul says he was defending the two of them. 

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LIONEL RICHIE GOES NUMBER ONE IN UK

The Brits are going crazy for Lionel Richie. His ``Definitive Collection'' greatest hits album has gone number one on the UK's midweek chart following his appearance at the Glastonbury music festival on Sunday that ran on national TV. Richie tells the BBC when he heard the news he was ``screaming like a kid with his first hit record.''

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STEPHEN COLBERT INTERVIEWS EMINEM ON PUBLIC ACCESS SHOW

It was a surprise in itself that Stephen Colbert (kohl-BEHR') hosted a public access show in Monroe (mun-ROH'), Michigan, this week. It was more of a surprise when he introduced his guest, ``local Michigander'' Marshall Mathers, AKA Eminem. Colbert quizzed Eminem on his knowledge of Bob Seger songs, told him he has a ``cute face'' under his hoodie and suggested that rap is no way to pay the rent. Eminem said, ``It sort of does.'' 

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JANIE FRICKE STARTS TEXTILE LINE

Janie Fricke is starting her second career based on her childhood love of sewing. Fricke has created a line of throw pillows, table runners and blankets she's selling as The Janie Fricke Collection. Fricke says she's been sewing since she was very young and she has made things for family and friends over the years. The items are for sale in specialty boutiques and through www.JanieFricke.com. 

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WALK THE MOON PREPARE FOR BIG GIG WITH ROLLING STONES

Walk The Moon will open for The Rolling Stones in Detroit on Wednesday, and it took every ounce of strength they had not to tell anyone before it was announced officially. Bassist Kevin Ray says it was ``pretty exciting stuff.'' Guitarist Eli Maiman says the guitar parts of their song ``Shut Up And Dance'' are influenced by Keith Richards. He says it's cool that they will play with the Stones just as ``Shut Up And Dance'' is doing so well. 

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ANTHRAX CREATE ANOTHER BOURBON

Anthrax are back in the bourbon business. They have teamed up again with Atlantic City Bottle Company to create a small batch of bourbon they are calling The Devil You Know. Their Indians blend of bourbon sold out. The Devil You Know Bourbon sells for $59 plus shipping through the Atlantic City Bottle Company's website. 

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MUSIC NEWS: FRIDAY, JUNE 19, 2015

MUSIC-CDN-COUNTRY-MUSIC-AWARDS

The Canadian Country Music Awards returns to Saskatoon in 2017, five years after they were last year there. Don Green, president of the Canadian Country Music Association, says Saskatoon was the best option. He says it has everything they need in terms of the venues, the community support and the volunteers.

Green says they ``had such a great time here in 2012, it was an easy choice to come back here in 2017.'' Saskatchewan's own Codie Prevost has been nominated for four C-C-M-A awards in his career, and says it would be amazing to win an award in his home province. 

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JUSTIN BIEBER-USHER LAWSUIT

Looks like Justin Bieber and Usher are back on the hook legally in a copyright lawsuit. An appeals court in Virginia has reinstated a suit against the singers filed by two songwriters. The writers claim The Beeb and his former mentor ripped off parts of the song ``Somebody to Love.'' Last year, a judge in Norfolk, Virginia dismissed the claim by Devin Copeland and Maerio Overton, saying the songs didn't sound the same to him. But the appeals court says that should be up to a jury to decide. 

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NEIL YOUNG-DONALD TRUMP

Neil Young says he makes music for people - not political candidates. It's the Canadian rock artist's latest salvo in the battle over the use of his song ``Rockin' in the Free World'' by Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump. Trump pulled the song after Young objected. In a statement released by his label, Young provided a rather long-winded explanation for his decision -- though not as rambling as the speech Trump gave at his kickoff event the other day. Young notes his Canadian citizenship prevents him from voting for a candidate. But he also says he doesn't care for the way politics is conducted here in the U.S. -- or other parts of the world. 

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TOBY KEITH SPEAKS ABOUT SOUTH CAROLINA CHURCH SHOOTING

Toby Keith has something to say about the church shooting in Charleston, South Carolina on Wednesday night. The country star says he isn't sure how to prevent such tragedies. He notes: ``it if can happen in church, it can happen anywhere.'' Keith also says he doesn't approve of stricter gun laws. He says there are many other countries that have strict gun laws -- and there are still shootings there. 

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OZZY OSBOURNE TO PLAY VOODOO FEST

Ozzy Osbourne, Slash, Florence and the Machine and the Zac Brown Band will be in New Orleans for the this year's Voodoo Music Festival. Organizers have announced the headliners for the alternative music festival this fall. Other performers include Modest Mouse, Jane's Addiction and Third Eye Blind. The event is set for Oct. 30 to Nov. 1 at City Park in the Big Easy. 

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SONGWRITERS HALL OF FAME

Lady Gaga turned up in a black bra and dark panties before switching to a zebra-striped suit. Tony Bennett stuck to old-fashioned blue, while Stephen Colbert looked at home in denim and a cowboy hat. 

Bennett, Colbert, Lady Gaga and Van Morrison were among the featured singers and speakers Thursday night at the 46th annual Songwriters Hall of Fame ceremony, a 3-hour journey through the vast and unpredictable range of American music. 

New inductees included country stars Toby Keith and Bobby Braddock, the late Chicago bluesman Willie Dixon, the Grateful Dead songwriting team of Robert Hunter and the late Jerry Garcia, pop and stage star Cyndi Lauper and rock composer and performer Linda Perry.

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The Canadian Press/The Associated Press

MUSIC NEWS: FRIDAY, JUNE 5, 2015

TIM McGRAW GIVES AWAY HOUSES

Tim McGraw will launch a tour today and once again, he's giving away houses to military veterans. McGraw has teamed with Operation Homefront and Chase to give mortgage-free homes to veterans. In the past three years, he's awarded 108 homes in 30 states. Thirty-six homes will be given during the upcoming ``Shotgun Rider'' tour. 

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U-S POST OFFICE WILL ISSUE ANOTHER ELVIS STAMP

Elvis Presley will be commemorated on an American postage stamp once again. It will be a Forever stamp that is part of the Music Icon series that also includes stamps of Johnny Cash, Ray Charles, Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin. The U-S Postal Service will hold a first-day-of-issue celebration on August 12 in Memphis during Elvis Week. Presley was featured on a stamp in 1993. 

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BRIAN WILSON SEES HIMSELF IN ``LOVE AND MERCY''

Watching the story of his life on the big screen was sometimes upsetting to Brian Wilson. He says the first time he saw the film ``Love and Mercy'' it was ``a real test for my emotions.'' Wilson says the movie portrays him so well he felt like he was being pushed into the movie. Paul Dano plays Wilson in the 1960's, and John Cusack portrays Wilson in the 1980's. Wilson says he saw the parts with Dano in the studio but he does not remember the events that inspired them. He says he makes him think, ``How could I have done that?'' ``Love and Mercy'' is in theatres now. 

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JUSTIN MOORE GETS HANK BACK

Justin Moore's dog has been found. Moore had been at his vacation house in Destin, Florida, with his wife and three daughters when their dog Hank disappeared. Moore wrote on his social media sites he knew it was a shot in the dark, but if any of his fans found the dog, his little girls would be so grateful to have him back. The dog was located and Moore posted a photo online of the finders with the caption,``His saviors.'' 

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TOM MORELLO LAUNCHES NEW RECORD LABEL

Tom Morello is creating an outlet for politically radical musicians. Morello has teamed with Ryan Harvey of the Riot-Folk Collective to form Firebrand Records. The first signings include Harvey himself, Ike Reilly and six other acts. A nine-song digital sampler of Firebrand artists is available now through digital outlets. Morello says Firebrand musicians are ``not just artists who make revolutionary music, these are real revolutionaries who make great art.'' 

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WALK THE MOON CELEBRATE DORK DANCING WITH ``SHUT UP AND DANCE''

Walk The Moon singer Nicholas Petricca calls their song ``Shut Up And Dance'' ``a dork rock and roll anthem.'' Petricca says it was based on a real night out, when a girl in a backless dress and beat-up sneakers actually said, ``Shut up and dance with me.'' Petricca went home that night and thought, ``This is it. This is the song!'' Petricca says the video for ``Shut Up And Dance'' shows a scene that also was inspired by a real life event. He says the part at the beginning where the dancing girl bends the guy over and knees him in the rear end really happened to him, but on a different night at a different club. 

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JACK ANTONOFF CREATES DOCU-SERIES

Jack Antonoff of Bleachers says being a musician feels like a strange blend of real life and a production of his life, so he's making it into a documentary series.

``Thank You And Sorry'' will run as six episodes on Google Play. It follows Bleachers on tour and includes real footage with scripted moments, shot entirely in black and white. Olivia Wilde, Colin Quinn and Rosie Perez make appearances in the series. The debut episode will run for free on Google Play on June 16th. 

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MUSIC NEWS: FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2015

JEFFERSON STARSHIP'S PAUL KANTNER HOSPITALIZED 

Paul Kantner of Jefferson Starship is hospitalized with a suspected heart attack. The band writes on its Facebook page that Kantner's health took a bad turn last week. They say he's stable now and undergoing tests. Jefferson Starship will continue with the tour and will dedicate every show to Kantner until he's well enough to rejoin them.

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 ICE CUBE REMEMBERS EAZY-E 

Ice Cube says N-W-A. could not have existed without Eazy-E. Ice Cube tells Billboard magazine Eazy-E was ``bold and not scared of anything.'' Even though N.W.A. was upset when Ice Cube left, he says later they got back together as friends and he thought N.W.A. was about to reunite, but Eazy-E died. He says money and fame creates a fog, but once they got through the fog, they realized they were talented men. He says they would have made another N.W.A. album. Yesterday was the 20th anniversary of Eazy-E's death at the age of 31.

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STUDY: HALF OF RAPPER DEATHS ARE MURDERS 

Among rappers who die, one in two die of murder. That's according to a study by Dianna Theadora Kenny, professor of psychology and music at the University of Sydney. She examined the deaths of more than 13,000 musicians and found that 51 percent of deaths in rap and 51.5 percent in hip-hop were murders.

Her study found murder was the cause in just 6 percent of musician deaths overall. Kenny tells The Washington Post it does not mean rappers will die from murder, but the study provides a retrospective on past deaths. Her other findings: metal and punk musicians are at the biggest risk for accidental deaths; country, folk and jazz musicians tend to die of cancer; blues musicians tend to die of heart problems and gospel musicians have the lowest suicide rates. 

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ZAYN MALIK DRIVES BUSINESS TO EBAY 

When Zayn Malik announced his decision to quit One Direction, eBay lit up. Dozens of listings of memorabilia for sale related to Malik have been posted to eBay since his announcement. One is a t-shirt featuring the names of the five group members with Malik's name crossed out. Another is a shirt that says, ``Keep calm and love Zayn Malik.'' Another is a former fan of the group who is selling a Twitter account that has Malik as a follower.

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TAYLOR SWIFT GETS APOLOGY FROM PRINCETON REVIEW 

The Princeton Review is acknowledging its mistake to Taylor Swift. A fan had sent Swift a sample question from a Princeton Review SAT prep book using Swift's song ``Fifteen'' as an example of poor grammar. The question had the lyric as ``Somebody tells you they love you, you got to believe 'em.'' It's actually ``Somebody tells you they love you, you're gonna believe 'em.''

Swift's response to the fan, ``Not the right lyrics at all pssshhhh.

You had one job, test people. One job.'' Princeton Review has tweeted an apology to Swift and asked her to choose a grammar fan for two tickets to one of her shows, on the company's dime.

Technically, the grammar in the correct lyric is still wrong. Proper English would be, ``If somebody tells you he or she loves you, you're going to believe him or her.''

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JUSTIN GUARINI STARS IN DR. PEPPER COMMERCIAL 

You may not recognize the singer in the new Diet Dr. Pepper commercial who goes by the name Little Sweet. It's original ``American Idol'' runner-up Justin Guarini. In the commercial, he slides down a banister dressed as a glam-metal singer with long burgundy hair, offering Diet Dr. Pepper to two dads at a birthday party. 

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CARLY RAE JEPSEN CASTS TOM HANKS IN HER VIDEO 

The hot guy in Carly Rae Jepsen's new video is -- Tom Hanks? Jepsen says she knew she wanted a man to lip-synch in the video for ``I Really Like You.'' Her manager, Scooter Braun, mentioned it to his friend Hanks over dinner, and Hanks said, ``Well, why don't you ask me?'' Jepsen says she thought it would be funny to have a curveball to the video, instead of what she calls ``sweet on sweet.'' ``I Really Like You'' is the first single off an album she hasn't finished yet. Jepsen says she's thrown herself into writing hundreds of songs, and now she's just trying to narrow them down.

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DIXIE CHICK NATALIE MAINES SELLS HOUSE IN AUSTIN 

Natalie Maines of The Dixie Chicks has sold her house in Austin, Texas, for $1.82 million. Variety reports Maines and her husband, ``Agents of SHIELD'' actor Adrian Pasdar, sold the house in January. It's a 4,600-square foot yellow house built in 1938. It has a pool with a waterfall. Maines and Pasdar still own a house in Los Angeles. 

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FALL OUT BOY WILL PLAY MLB OPENING DAY CONCERT 

Fall Out Boy will headline Major League Baseball's first opening night concert. They will perform before the Cardinals-Cubs game April 5 at Wrigley Field. They will perform the songs ``Centuries,'' ``Uma Thurman'' and ``My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark (Light 'Em Up).'' Bassist Pete Wentz, who grew up in the Chicago area, says it's been a dream for him to play Wrigley Field -- and that the band used to pass out fliers for their concerts after Cubs games.

MUSIC NEWS: FRIDAY, MARCH 4, 2016

JUNO HOSTS

A singer-songwriter and an Olympic gold medallist are teaming up host this year's Juno Awards. Calgary-born Jann Arden and Jon Montgomery of Russell, Manitoba, will M-C the event in Calgary next month. Arden says she's aiming high, given the impact Canadians have made internationally in the past year. She says Canadians have been displacing each other on the top of the charts.

It's Arden's second time hosting, while the former skeleton racer Montgomery is making his Juno debut. 

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NINA SIMONE

Nina Simone's family is so upset with the star of a movie about her, they don't even want her to say her name. The trailer for the film ``Nina'' starring Zoe Saldana was released this week. Saldana has been criticized for being a Hispanic actress cast as an African-American and for having her skin apparently darkened for the role. Saldana tweeted one of Simone's most famous quotes:

``I'll tell you what freedom is to me - no fear.'' Simone's family tweeted back, ``Cool story but please take Nina's name out your mouth. For the rest of your life.'' ''Nina`` comes out April 22.

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GLADYS KNIGHT

Here's a unique way to get out of a traffic ticket: get Gladys Knight to sing. Police Captain Mike Roberts of the Pleasant Grove Police Department in Utah says Officer Paul Rogerson pulled over a car for speeding Wednesday night. Rogerson was checking the license when the driver identified Knight as her passenger and said they were going to a church choir performance.

Rogerson said it was his birthday, and Knight got out of the car and sung to him. Police say Rogerson let the driver go with a warning. 

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MADONNA - GUY RITCHIE

The custody dispute between Madonna and Guy Ritchie is now spanning courts on two continents. A judge on Britain's High Court said yesterday he wants Madonna and Ritchie to reach an amicable settlement over where their 15-year-old son, Rocco, should live. Earlier this week, a New York judge said it's in Rocco's best interest for his parents to work out an agreement. Madonna had filed court documents in both the U.S. and in England, but her lawyers say she wants to end the British proceedings. Rocco had lived with Madonna but moved to London to live with Ritchie last year. 

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SAM SMITH

Sam Smith admits there are some songs on his debut album he hates. He's not crazy about ``Money on My Mind,'' but he still loves and still listens to ``Stay With Me'' and ``I'm Not The Only One.'' Smith is working on his second record and he says he's really digging into some deep stuff for the new songs. He says he's putting his heart even more on the line. He doesn't have a release date yet, but he does say the new music is ``very much a beautiful little transition'' from the first album. 

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NATHANIEL RATELIFF AND THE NIGHT SWEATS

Nathaniel Rateliff and The Night Sweats just had to respond when Britney Spears inexplicably posted an Instagram video of herself in a bikini writhing to their song ``S.O.B.'' in January.

What they didn't count on is that their fans didn't know what they were doing. They posted a video of Rateliff, who's a big hairy guy, in a bikini doing the same moves to ``S.O.B.'' Rateliff says they thought it was hilarious, but a lot of their fans had never seen Spears' video. He says the comments ranged from, ``No one cares!'' to ``I don't know what...this is -- like maybe just keep playing songs.'' 

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BRIAN LITTRELL

The 13-year-old son of Brian Littrell of The Backstreet Boys is making his Broadway debut. Baylee Littrell plays twins in the production of ``Disaster!,'' which is a spoof of 1970s disaster movies. One of the twins is a girl, so Baylee wears a wig and sings higher for that role. Brian Littrell says The Backstreet Boys brought Baylee on stage with them when he was 4, and he loved the crowd reaction so much he got upset when it was time to leave.

He says he never pushed Baylee into show business and would love him if he wanted to be a trashman or a schoolteacher. 

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JESSE RUTHERFORD

Singer Jesse Rutherford of The Neighbourhood is putting out a book of photos of himself that includes every single shot taken for the project. Rutherford teamed up with photographer Jessie English for the book whose title is simply the symbol for ``ampersand.'' They agreed to publish all 2,965 photos in the order they were taken with no omissions, no retouching and no words.

Another rule was that Rutherford would wear clothes from his own wardrobe and they would keep shooting until he ran out of clothes.

The book is available now for $39.90. 

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CEELO GREEN

Come take a drive with CeeLo Green. He's launched a new mobile game called ``CeeLo's Joyride'' that allows players to drive him through ten progressively difficult levels to get him to a concert in his hometown of Atlanta. Players who make it all the way through will unlock a previously unseen video by Green. The game features music from his ``Heart Blanche'' album. Green is donating his profits from the game to the Greenhouse Foundation, which serves underprivileged teens. ``CeeLo's Joyride'' is available for iOS and Android and is free to play, with in-app purchases available. 

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NITTY GRITTY DIRT BAND PERFORM WITH JACKSON BROWNE FOR PBS SPECIAL

The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band are getting back one of their original members, at least for one night. Jackson Browne will join them for a PBS special celebrating the band's 50th anniversary. Former member Jimmy Ibbotson will also be a guest musician, along with John Prine, Sam Bush, Vince Gill, Jerry Jeff Walker, Alison Krauss, Rodney Crowell, Byron House and Jerry Douglas. The special runs on PBS station beginning this weekend - check local listings. 

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STAR OF SIA VIDEOS LANDS GIG AS DANCE JUDGE

The girl who stars in Sia's videos will be a judge on ``So You Think You Can Dance: The Next Generation.''

Thirteen-year-old Maddie Ziegler will join the judges' panel, sitting alongside Nigel Lythgoe, Paula Abdul and Jason Derulo. The show will feature dancers ages 8 to 13. Ziegler has experience in reality television: she starred in ``Dance Moms.'' ''So You Think You Can Dance: The Next Generation`` premieres May 30 on Fox.

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BOBBI KRISTINA BROWN

The district attorney for Fulton County, Georgia says he believes the autopsy report for Bobbi Kristina Brown should remain sealed. But Paul Howard says he will follow the instructions of the court. For now, the court has ruled the autopsy record be unsealed. Media lawyers argued that the order to seal the report violates state and federal rules. The state has appealed. Bobbi Kristina Brown was the only child of Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown. She was found face-down and unresponsive in a bathtub in her home last January _ and died six months later in hospice care. 

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``AMERICAN IDOL''

Avalon Young gets to sing again on ``American Idol.'' On last night's episode, the viewer votes determined seven of the top eight slots. The judges picked the last, from the bottom three vote-getters. The judge's loved Avalon's take on The Weeknd's ``Earned It.'' So, she gets to move on. But La'Porsha Renae could have the inside track for the final season title. J-Lo said she's the one to beat after a performance of ``Halo.'' 

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(The Associated Press)

STOMPIN' TOM CONNORS

A local group will decide later this month whether to move ahead with plans to seek funding for a new centre in P-E-I that will pay tribute to country-folk legend Stompin' Tom Connors. 

The project in Skinners Pond appeared to be on track late last year, but it fell apart when Heritage Canada pulled out _ based on a technicality. 

The economic development group Tignish Initiatives says the project has been scaled back. 

The group wants to build a cultural centre and preserve Connors' boyhood home and the nearby schoolhouse he attended. 

General manager Anne Arsenault says the group's road to success has been a bumpy one, not unlike Connors' early, troubled life. 

Former Tory M-P Gail Shea knew Connors and is from Skinners Pond. 

She says the funding snafu would have never happened if Connors was from a large city. 

--- 

(The Canadian Press)

MUSIC NEWS: FRIDAY, MAY 1, 2015

OBIT - Ben E. King

R&B and soul singer Ben E King, best known for the classic song Stand By Me, has died at the age of 76.

King started his career in the late 1950s with The Drifters, singing on hits including There Goes My Baby and Save The Last Dance For Me.  After going solo, he hit the US top five with Stand By Me in 1961.  It returned to the charts in the 1980s, including a three-week spell at number one in the UK, following its use in the film of the same name and a TV advert.  The song has charted nine times on the US Billboard 100 over the years - King's version twice and seven times with covers by artists like John Lennon and Spyder Turner.

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BRITNEY SPEARS INJURES ANKLE, CANCELS SHOWS

Britney Spears is rescheduling her Las Vegas shows set for tonight and tomorrow. She hurt her ankle during a performance Wednesday night. Video footage shot by someone in the audience shows Spears kicking and high-stepping on high-heels during ``(You Drive Me) Crazy,'' before her left ankle gives way. A statement from the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino says Spears'doctor recommends she take the two days to heal. Spears took to Twitter to thank fans for their support and well wishes. Spears tweets she ``had a little scare on stage'' but is OK. 

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BRITNEY SPEARS CELL PHONE GAME

Britney Spears will get her own cellphone game.

Glu Mobile says it signed a five-year deal with Spears to feature her likeness, voice and what it calls ``creative influence'' in a game to be launched early next year. Glu also has games that feature Katy Perry and Kim Kardashian.

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RUSSIAN LAWMAKER SAYS U2 ALBUM COVER PROMOTES GAY RELATIONSHIPS

What most Americans see as U2 drummer Larry Mullen Junior hugging his son, a Russian lawmaker sees as gay propaganda.

Russian newspaper Izvestia reports Russian parliament member Alexander Starovoitov is appealing to prosecutors to determine whether the cover of the U2 album, ``Songs of Innocence'' promotes gay lifestyle. The cover shows both men shirtless and Mullen hugging his son around the waist. Starovoitov says the cover is ``a display of nontraditional sexual relations.'' Russian law prohibits depictions of same-sex relationships to minors. U2 have not commented on the story. 

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BONO HAS SLOW RECOVERY

Bono will start the U2 tour without the full use of his hands. Bono was in a bike accident in November that fractured his eye socket, shoulder, elbow and left hand. The New York Times quotes Bono as saying while his shoulder and face are better, he feels like he has someone else's hand. He can't bend two of his fingers, and he has numbness in his forearm.

He says he can't play guitar but he adds with a grin his bandmates ``don't seem to mind.'' The tour starts in Vancouver on May 14th. 

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NTSB DECLINES TO REINVESTIGATE BUDDY HOLLY CRASH

The U-S National Transportation Safety Board will not reopen the investigation into the plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens in 1959. Pilot L-J Coon had petitioned the N-T-S-B to look into the crash again, saying issues involving weight and balance and fuel-gauge readings contributed to the crash. The Civil Aeronautics Board ruled in 1959 the crash was likely caused by pilot error, with snow as a secondary cause. The N-T-S-B says Coon did not present enough evidence to back up his assertions. Coon could not be reached for comment. 

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TAYLOR SWIFT CALLS YOUNG CANCER PATIENT

A 12-year-old Chicago girl with cancer is a little more upbeat now after getting a call from Taylor Swift. Ed Beazley says Swift chatted with his daughter, Emily, for about 10 minutes Wednesday night. Emily has non-Hodgkins lymphoma. Her friends and family had appealed to Swift through social media to call Emily.

They even sent a video with about two-hundred children singing and dancing to Swift's music. Emily's mother, Nadia Beazley, says her daughter had ``the biggest smile'' and ``jumped up and down'' after Swift's call. She says Swift's manager offered the family tickets and the opportunity to meet Swift at her Detroit concert May 30th. 

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NEW ORLEANS JAZZ FEST

This weekend's New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival will feature Widespread Panic, Alison Krauss and Union Station, Chicago ... and a funeral procession. Two funerals were held at last weekend's Jazz Fest. One will be held Saturday for the longtime supervisor of the Jazz Fest plumbing crew. Jazz funerals are a tradition in New Orleans. The ones at Jazz Fest are a little different because the procession is driven by drumbeats and horns. 

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ECHOSMITH

Echosmith singer Sydney Sierota still is smarting from being rejected from a grade-school talent show. She says she tried out with her brother Noah by performing an Evanescence song for their third-grade teacher. He rejected them because he said Sydney didn't move around enough, even though Sydney had been in the show in previous years. That third-grade teacher recently showed up to an Echosmith concert. Sydney says she brought him on stage and asked the sold-out crowd if they thought she'd make the talent show now. They screamed, ``Yeah!'' Even the teacher acknowledged they'd make it. Sydney says they took a photo together and it was all fun.

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MUSIC NEWS: FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2015

THE EDGE GOES OVER ... THE EDGE

U2 guitarist The Edge says he's fine after falling off the stage at a concert in Vancouver. 

The Irish rocker is joking about his tumble on the band's Instagram account, where he posted a photo of his scraped arm with the message: ``Didn't see the edge, I'm ok!!'' 

The accident happened towards the end of the first show of the band's new world tour, which kicked off Thursday night. 

An online video apparently shot by an audience member shows the guitarist sauntering towards the lip of an illuminated walkway, and falling straight down. 

The Edge can be seen springing back up immediately with the help of concert staff, and raising his arm to a cheering crowd. 

U2's tour has another show in Vancouver tonight.

VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=11&v=rta9CHp7bEE 

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OBIT-B.B. KING

Blues legend B-B King is dead. His lawyer says King died in his sleep last night at his home in Las Vegas. King was 89. The former farmhand brought new fans to blues music during his career. He served as an influence to a generation of musicians with his vocals and guitar work on hits like ``The Thrill Is Gone'' _ playing a Gibson model he called Lucille. King sold millions of records worldwide _ won 15 Grammys _ and was a member of both the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. 

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50 CENT CLEARED IN JEWELRY ROBBERY

Las Vegas police say 50 Cent is not a suspect in the robbery of a jeweler May 2nd. Police have not identified a suspect in the alleged robbery at or near boxer Floyd Mayweather's gym, but 50 Cent has been ruled out. Celebrity website T-M-Z has reported LAX Jewelry owner Robert Marin had said he showed 50 Cent a diamond watch and chain valued at 250-thousand dollars when two of

50 Cent's associates pistol-whipped him and took the goods. A lawyer for 50 Cent denies the rapper or his security guards were involved.

Marin could not be reached for comment. 

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MARIAH CAREY IS SICK

Mariah Carey just started her residency in Las Vegas and she already needs time off. Carey says she has been fighting bronchitis and her doctors put her on mandatory vocal rest.

She called off Wednesday's show. Carey started her ``Number One To Infinity'' show last week. 

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N.W.A. FILMMAKER WILL MAKE MOVIE ABOUT GEORGE JONES

The filmmaker who made the upcoming movie about rap group N-W-A is taking on a very different project. Alan Wenkus is now working on a film about George Jones. Wenkus is working with Jones' widow, Nancy, for the film ``No Show Jones.'' It will follow Jones' rise to fame, his marriage to Tammy Wynette, his struggles with substance abuse and his marriage to Nancy, who he credited with saving him from his demons. The N-W-A movie, ``Straight Outta Compton,'' comes out Aug. 14th. 

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BASTILLE COMPARE THE U.S. TO BRITAIN

Bastille heard so much about America that now that they've come here, it's like being on a T-V show. Singer Dan Smith says growing up in Britain, they knew a lot about the U-S from movies and T-V. Things are a lot different here than in Britain.

Bassist William Farquarson says British television doesn't have commercial breaks ``every three seconds'' like the U-S.

Drummer Chris Wood says the Brits don't have light beer. Smith says, ``We don't have bacon as a condiment.'' 

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MILEY CYRUS COLLABORATES WITH MELANIE

You wouldn't think Miley Cyrus would have any idea who Melanie is. On the contrary, Cyrus is such a fan, she got Melanie to sing with her. Cyrus and Melanie recorded a number of tracks for Cyrus' ``Backyard Sessions'' as part of Cyrus' Happy Hippie Foundation, to help homeless and L-G-B-T youth. Cyrus says on her Facebook page it was a dream to sing with Melanie. Melanie says Cyrus is ``the voice of unity in a divisive world.'' You can watch the videos on Cyrus' Facebook page. 

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LORETTA LYNN, JACK WHITE WILL BE HONOURED IN NASHVILLE

Loretta Lynn and Jack White will be the latest inductees into Nashville's Music City Walk of Fame. The June 4th event marks the reopening of the renovated walk of fame. The addition of Lynn and White will bring the number of artists to 63. 

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THE ROLLING STONES HOLD TWITTER CHAT

The Rolling Stones plan to do their first-ever chat on Twitter. Fans can submit questions to (at)RollingStones. The band will also make a special announcement. The chat will be on Monday beginning at 1 p-m, E-D-T. 

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''ACM PRESENTS: SUPERSTAR DUETS`` RUNS TONIGHT ON CBS

It's all about the country collaborations tonight on C-B-S. ``A-C-M Presents: Superstar Duets'' feature country artists teaming up for a TV special. The collaborations include John Anderson and Keith Urban, Dierks Bentley with Ashley Monroe and Kip Moore, Clint Black and Joe Nichols, Luke Bryan and Ronnie Milsap, and Miranda Lambert and Patty Loveless. Other performers include Deana Carter with The Band Perry, Brandy Clark and Lady Antebellum, Brett Eldredge and Hunter Hayes, Sara Evans and Darius Rucker, Sam Hunt and Dwight Yoakam, Alan Jackson with Cole Swindell , Reba with Brooks and Dunn, and Alabama with Eli Young Band. 

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DARIUS RUCKER PRESENTS HOUSE TO VETERAN

Darius Rucker has given away a house to a U-S military veteran. Rucker gave the keys to Daniel Branham of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, on Wednesday's ``Today'' show.

Rucker is giving away 11 homes during his summer tour. Branham served 15 months in Iraq with the U-S Army. He was wounded by improvised explosives and drove to rescue nine fellow soldiers from a gas attack. 

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LEE GREENWOOD WRITES CHILDREN'S BOOK

Lee Greenwood is creating a children's book based on his song, ``God Bless The U-S-A.'' Greenwood's book, ``Proud To Be An American,'' teaches geography and encourages patriotism. Portraits of American soldiers are shown on several pages. The book includes a download for a new version of ``God Bless The U-S-A.'' It comes out May 25. Greenwood will do a concert tour beginning Sunday in Vermilion, Ohio. 

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DAVID DUCHOVNY - MUSIC

David Duchovny says becoming a musician started out as an object lesson to his kids. He says he's always preaching to them about trying new things _ but noticed he wasn't much for doing that himself. So he decided to take up music so his kids could see him start out with something new _ do poorly at it _ and eventually get better. It resulted in an album that's out now, called ``Hell or Highwater.''

MUSIC NEWS: FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2015

TAYLOR SWIFT VIDEO SETS NEW HIGH FOR VEVO VIEWS

Taylor Swift's video for ``Bad Blood'' has set a new record on Vevo. It was viewed 20.1 million times its first day of release, setting a Vevo record for most views in a 24-hour period. The previous record-holder was ``Anaconda'' by Nicki Minaj.

That had 19.6 million views when it came out last August. 

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ELTON JOHN ATTENDS GRAMMAR SCHOOL REUNION

The Pinner County Grammar School in London held a reunion for the class of 1958 and Elton John showed up. John posts on Instagram he has not seen many of his schoolmates in more than 50 years and it was as if they had never left school. While his classmates may have been impressed he attended, John was more impressed that his oldest pal, Keith Francis, made it. John says Francis flew all the way from Australia for the reunion. 

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MADONNA TOUR WILL HAVE LATE START

Madonna is delaying the start of her tour because she says all the elements have to be perfect. The tour was supposed to begin August 29th in Miami. It will now begin September 9th in Montreal. Madonna says assembling the elements of her show is taking longer than expected, but she promises it will be worth the wait.

The concerts set for Miami, Atlanta and San Juan, Puerto Rico, will be moved to January. 

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B.B. KING'S DAUGHTER WILL HOLD TRIBUTE 

B.B. King's eldest daughter is inviting the public to see her father's body, then celebrate his life. Shirley King will hold a free musical tribute tonight in Las Vegas. A public viewing for her father will be held this afternoon in Las Vegas.

Shirley King says when people are done being sad about her father's death, she wants them to come out and let the good times roll. 

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JON BON JOVI PREMIERES NEW SONG AT RUTGERS' COMMENCEMENT

Jon Bon Jovi's advice to graduates at Rutgers University came in the form of a song. Bon Jovi played a new song called ``Reunion'' that began, ``This isn't how the story ends, my friends. It's just a fork along the road.'' Bon Jovi was one of the speakers at yesterday's commencement ceremony. He was also given an honorary doctorate of letters for his achievements in entertainment and philanthropy.

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PASSION PIT SINGER IS NOT A SOCIAL MEDIA GUY

Sending a message to Passion Pit singer Michael Angelakos (an-jeh-LAH'-kuhs) is like sending it into outer space. He probably is not going to answer. Angelakos says he sees the value in promoting his music on social media, but he values the distance he's created. He says if he does respond on social media, he wants it to mean something. He prefers to communicate with fans by getting personal with his music and his videos. Sometimes the videos get too personal. Angelakos says he really did get punched in the video for ``Lifted Up (1985)'' and the moshing was so intense he ripped his pants. 

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GRANDMASTER FLASH JOINS ``THE GET DOWN''

Grandmaster Flash will be one of the creative forces behind a new Netflix drama directed by Baz Luhrmann. The Hollywood Reporter reports Flash will be an associate producer and adviser on the show ``The Get Down.'' He'll even be a character. The series is about teenagers in the South Bronx in the 1970s who create hip-hop, punk and disco. The teenagers are fictitious characters, but they'll encounter historical figures, including Flash. ``The Get Down'' will premiere next year. 

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MUSICIANS, FORMER MLB PLAYERS SIGN UP FOR ALL-STAR SOFTBALL GAME

Macklemore, Snoop Dogg, Justin Moore and Nick Lachey (lah-SHAY') will show off their sports skills when they play in the MLB All-Star Legends and Celebrity Softball Game. Former pros Andre Dawson, Fred Lynn, Sean Casey, Paul O'Neill, Eric Davis and Aaron Boone will also play, as will Olympic softball gold medalist Jennie Finch. The game will be July 12th in Cincinnati. 

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COUNTRY MUSIC TRAIL WILL HONOUR MISSISSIPPIANS IN TENNESSEE

The Mississippi Country Music Trail will place a marker in Tennessee. The marker will be placed in Nashville to commemorate the musicians from Mississippi who came to Nashville to make it big in country music. That includes Elvis Presley, Conway Twitty, Bobbie Gentry, Marty Stuart, Jimmie Rodgers, Tammy Wynette, Charley Pride, Moe Bandy and Faith Hill. The marker will be revealed June 4th. 

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JONATHAN EDWARDS REVEALS HE WAS ADOPTED AND HE GAVE UP A CHILD

The man who turned ``Sunshine'' into a hit in 1971 is giving a clue to the secrets of his past with his new album cover. Jonathan Edwards says the photograph used as the cover art for his new album ``Tomorrow's Child'' is Edwards himself as a child, taken on the day he was adopted. Moreover, Edwards reveals he gave up a child for adoption before his music career took off.

Decades later, he has reunited with both his birth mother and the daughter he gave up. He writes about those emotions in the song ``Jonny's Come Home.'' ``Tomorrow's Child'' comes out June 23rd. 

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MUSIC NEWS: FRIDAY, MAY 29, 2015

STEVEN TYLER NOT REALLY DOING A STRAWBERRY FARM SHOW

No, Steven Tyler won't be performing tomorrow morning at a New Jersey strawberry farm. Police in West Windsor have sent out an email alert saying the Aerosmith frontman isn't coming to town. NJ.com reports the concert websites ReverbNation and Eventful listed the Saturday morning performance at Windsor Farm and Market. Police say there doesn't appear to be any criminal intent in the mistaken Steven Tyler concert postings. 

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IHEARTRADIO MUSIC FEST

Hozier, Nick Jonas and Trey Songz are set for the daytime portion of the iHeartRadio Music Festival. Tove Lo and Walk the Moon will also perform on September 19th. They'll all be onstage for the Daytime Village at the M-G-M Resorts Village in Las Vegas. Tickets went on sale yesterday. Headliners for the main stage of the two-day iHeartRadio Music Festival -- slated for the nights of September 18th and 19th -- haven't been announced yet. The fifth annual festival will take place at the M-G-M Grand Garden Arena. 

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NEW KENTUCKY COUNTRY-ROCK FEST

Miranda Lambert, Kings of Leon and Green Day are headlining a new country-rock fest in Kentucky. The NiFi Festival will be at the Kentucky Speedway August 28-30. Nitro Fidelity is partnering with Speedway Motorsports. The promoters say there will be festivals next year at the Texas Motor Speedway and the Charlotte, North Carolina, Motor Speedway. Other acts on the Kentucky bill this year include Brantley Gilbert, Jake Owen and Weezer. 

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NEW KIDS CONCERT DEATH

The death of a woman following a New Kids on the Block concert is prompting questions about emergency response.

Officials at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis are reviewing their policies after 35-year-old Jen Steger Giamarino collapsed last Friday. Some witnesses complained about the slow response. She was taken to a hospital, where she died. The private firm Accu Care provides medical services at the venue. The company says it reacted as quickly as possible. Relatives say Giamarino had heart surgery at age 19, but had no known heart problems since then. She had recently lost more than 50 pounds. 

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DEMI LOVATO IS THE FACE OF MENTAL HEALTH IN NEW CAMPAIGN

When Demi Lovato was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, she was actually relieved. She says she ``felt very, very depressed.'' She adds she didn't know why she was depressed, even though she was playing concerts and living out her dream. After a family intervention, she sought treatment and learned she has a mental illness. Lovato is sharing her story and encouraging others through Be Vocal: Speak Up For Mental Health. It's an effort to improve treatment options and erase the stigma around mental illnesses. The initiative was launched yesterday by a pharmaceutical company, the National Alliance on Mental Illness and other mental-health advocacy groups. 

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MICHAEL JACKSON'S NEVERLAND IS FOR SALE

Neverland Ranch is for sale. The Wall Street Journal reports Michael Jackson's former home and personal fantasyland is being listed at 100 million dollars. The California property has a train station, six-bedroom house, 50-seat movie theatre and a pair of lakes. It's been in limbo since Jackson's death in 2009. Jackson distanced himself from the ranch after a 2005 verdict that he was innocent on charges he molested children there. 

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MOLESTATION CLAIM AGAINST MICHAEL JACKSON'S ESTATE DISMISSED

A claim that Michael Jackson molested a boy has been tossed out of court. Choreographer Wade Robson says he was molested as a child and sued Jackson's estate. A Los Angeles judge as dismissed the suit, saying Robson waited too long to go to court.

Robson had previously denied that Jackson molested him and testified in Jackson's defence in a criminal trial in 2005. Robson then sued Jackson's estate in May 2013, claiming he didn't realize the long-term damage until he had a pair of nervous breakdowns. 

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MOTOWN FOUNDER'S FORMER DETROIT MANSION UP FOR SALE

It's your chance to live like a music legend. The Detroit mansion once owned by Motown Records founder Berry Gordy is for sale. Agent Deborah Smith tells The Associated Press the roughly 10,000-square-foot Italian Renaissance Revival home was listed this week for about 1.3 million dollars. Gordy bought what became known as the ``Motown Mansion'' in 1967 and lived there a few years before moving to Los Angeles. 

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J-LO KICKING OFF MOROCCAN MUSIC FEST

Jennifer Lopez kicks off Morocco's Mawazine music festival today. Despite her worldwide success, J-Lo insists she's just ``Jenny from the Block.'' J-Lo told reporters in Morocco's capital she's still the girl from the Bronx because ``that never really leaves you.'' Even at age 45, J-Lo says there's no real secret to staying young looking. She says she doesn't drink or smoke, and has always been into working more than partying. J-Lo adds she's excited about opening the festival and experiencing a Moroccan audience. 

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MUSIC NEWS: FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2015

GREAT WHITE'S JACK RUSSELL WANTS TO MAKE MOVIE TO TELL HIS SIDE OF 2003 FIRE

Great White singer Jack Russell is hoping he can apologize for the 2003 nightclub fire in West Warwick, Rhode Island, with a documentary. Russell tells KFBW-FM in Portland, Oregon, he is still horrified by that night. One hundred people died, including Great White guitarist Ty Longley. The fire was sparked by Great White's pyrotechnics that ignited foam used for soundproofing. Russell says he feels guilty that people came to see him play and lost their lives. He says his lawyer at the time told him not to say he was sorry because that implied guilt. Gina Russo, who was severely burned in the fire, says she refused to participate in the documentary. She says she wishes Russell would understand he's hurt enough people and just leave it. Russell has not said when the movie would be released. 

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BOARD APPROVES SETTLEMENT OVER NEAL SCHON'S WEDDING

A committee of San Francisco supervisors is recommending that the city pay a 290-thousand dollar settlement to Journey guitarist Neal Schon over his wedding. Schon married ``Real Housewives of D.C.'' star Michaele Salahi in December 2013. Schon says he agreed to pay the city 58-thousand dollars for the use of the Palace of Fine Arts and an adjacent building, but the price went up to 240-thousand a few days before the wedding when the city found out the couple was broadcasting it on pay-per-view. The couple sued. The measure must go before the full board of supervisors in December, and then Mayor Ed Lee must approve it. 

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RELATIONSHIP ADVICE FROM ELLE KING

When Elle King's friends go through breakups, she's the one saying, ``Move on, already!'' King says her friends tend to drag breakups on way too long, and she'll say, ``Honey, there's a cuter boy literally like sitting two tables away while you're crying over someone from last year.'' King herself had her heart broken, which is why she's more interested in just having fun while she's young. King says maybe she'll get married -- when she's 70 -- to a few people. What? King says, ``Who knows? Maybe the laws will change.'' 

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PAUL McCARTNEY GIVES INSIGHT INTO ``HEY JUDE''

 It's common knowledge around Beatles fans that Paul McCartney wrote ``Hey Jude'' about John Lennon's son, Julian.

What they may not know is that it's not entirely about Julian.

McCartney tells Billboard magazine, ``The only thing about Julian in the song is the first lines.'' John Lennon thought the song was about him and Yoko Ono. Is it? McCartney won't say what the rest of the song is about. 

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MOTORHEAD'S FORMER DRUMMER DIES

Former Motorhead drummer Philthy Animal has died at the age of 61. Former Motorhead guitarist Fast Eddie Clarke says Philthy died Wednesday night and had been sick for some time, but he did not give details. Motorhead confirm the death on their Facebook page and say Philthy ``played the drums with fury and intent'' and ``fueled many a young boy's punk/metal hairstyles.'' 

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RAINN WILSON SAYS ``MR. BLUE SKY'' WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ``THE OFFICE'' THEME SONG

If things had gone differently, the Electric Light Orchestra song ``Mr. Blue Sky'' would have been the theme song for the TV show ``The Office.'' Actor Rainn Wilson tells Billboard magazine that producer Greg Daniels sent a list of potential songs to the cast and let them vote. Among the songs under consideration were ``Better Things'' by The Kinks and ``Float On'' by Modest Mouse. Wilson says the cast all wanted ``Mr. Blue Sky,'' but the show ``LAX'' was already using it. ``LAX'' was canceled after one season. ``The Office'' ended up using a song by Jay Ferguson, famous for the 1978 hit ``Thunder Island.'' 

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UNRELEASED JEFF BUCKLEY MUSIC COMING IN THE SPRING

The first recordings Jeff Buckley made for Columbia Records will see the light of day, more than two decades after the fact. The album ``You And I'' is full of covers, including ``Everyday People,'' ``Just Like A Woman'' and ``Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying.'' It also includes two originals: the first recording of the title track from Buckley's ``Grace'' album and the song ``Dream of You and I.'' Columbia Records says the recordings were discovered when staffers were combing the vault in preparation for a 20th anniversary edition of ``Grace.'' ``You and I'' will come out March 11. 

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(The Associated Press)

AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS

Celine Dion will honour the victims of the attacks in Paris at Sunday's American Music Awards. 

ABC and dick clark productions say that Dion will perform a rendition of Edith Piaf's ``Hymne a L'Amour'' in French at the ceremony to pay tribute to those affected by last week's attacks. 

American Music Awards producer Larry Klein says the ceremony's producers wanted to show solidarity. 

``Hymne a L'Amour'' was written by Piaf as a tribute to lover Marcel Cerdan. He died in a plane crash in 1949. 

Jennifer Lopez is set to host and perform at Sunday's fan-favourite ceremony at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.

Other performers include Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, Gwen Stefani, Coldplay, One Direction and Carrie Underwood. 

The awards air Sunday night at 8 p.m. on ABC.

(The American Press)

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OBIT MUSIC Ron Hynes

Atlantic Canadian musicians are remembering acclaimed singer-songwriter Ron Hynes as a prolific storyteller who poured his heart into his music. 

Hynes, Newfoundland and Labrador's ``man of a thousand songs,''died Thursday in St. John's at the age of 64 after a brief battle with cancer. 

Nova Scotia singer-songwriter Bruce Guthro, who knew Hynes for more than two decades, called him one of the world's greatest songwriters. 

Guthro described Hynes as a confident and humorous person who could evoke the emotions of the carefully crafted characters in his songs. 

Hynes long referred to himself as the ``man of a thousand songs,'' a moniker he coined in an endearing folk song that speaks of the lonely, shabby side of being a singer. 

He was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2012, but he kept the disease at bay until this fall when he confirmed it had returned, this time to his hip and lung. 

(The Canadian Press)

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DAVID BOWIE - ALBUM TITLE

David Bowie's next album has a title you can say but you might find it hard to locate in an alphabetical list. The title is pronounced ``Blackstar,'' but officially the title is just a black star. The first single has the same name and it comes out today. It's the same music that will be used in the opening credits for the new T-V series, ``The Last Panthers.'' It's currently airing in Europe and will air in the U-S on Sundance T-V in the spring.

Bowie's ``Blackstar'' album comes out January 8th. 

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ADELE

There are celebrities who have other celebrities who are fans of them. But when it comes to Adele, it's almost an obsession. Among those who have been singing her praises include diverse talents ranging from John Legend to Sylvester Stallone and Edie Falco to Selena Gomez. Legend calls Adele ``one of the best artists out right now.'' Falco says Adele is ``a very unique talent'' and she is looking forward to hearing her new album. The wait is over. Adele's new project ``25,'' drops today. 

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ADELE - SPOTIFY

What's likely to be the biggest album of the year will not be on Spotify. The music streaming service says Adele's ``25'' album will not be available for streaming when it comes out today. Spotify says they love and respect Adele and they hope she will let fans listen to ``25'' on Spotify alongside her other albums, ``19'' and ``21.'' An Adele representative declined comment.

The ``25'' album is predicted to move at least a million units in its first week. 

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AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS - PREVIEW

Leon Bridges will be going to his first awards show with Sunday's American Music Awards. He has no idea how to act.

Bridges will perform a song with Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, but he's nervous to be in a roomful of celebrities. Bridges says he's a low-key guy and he'd rather be at a dirty bar with his friends. As for the awards themselves, Taylor Swift could become the most-awarded female artist in A-M-A history if she wins all six awards for which she's nominated. She leads the nominations, while Ed Sheeran and Scarborough, Ontario native The Weeknd have five each. The A-M-As will be shown live on A-B-C.

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CHRIS YOUNG - LOVE

Chris Young can write songs that are not about love. It's just that the ones that are seem to be the ones people like. Young says he writes party songs or sad songs, but he finds that eventually he comes back to writing about love. He was a big Boyz II Men fan growing up, and he says it's hard to find a group who sings more about love than them. Young says both guys and girls can relate to love songs, and if he needs to bridge the gap, he can ``sing love songs about tequila.'' Young's new album is called ``I'm Comin' Over.'' 

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MISSY ELLIOTT - PANIC ATTACK - SUPER BOWL

Missy Elliott nearly did not make it to the Super Bowl. Elliott performed with Katie Perry at the Super Bowl halftime show in February but her anxiety issues nearly got the best of her. Elliott tells Billboard magazine she had a panic attack the night before. She says nobody knew about it and she had IV's in her arm. Elliott says she trusted God to get her through it. Elliott says she knew if she could get over the first step, then all her dance steps would be on point. 

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BILLY GIBBONS - DEPECHE MODE

ZZ Top have been compared to many bands, but the one that guitarist Billy Gibbons likes the most is Depeche Mode. Gibbons tells U-K's The Guardian he is ``really fanatical about those cats.'' He says they met in 1985 and they've been friends ever since. Gibbons calls guitarist Martin Gore an underrated player and says he's ``quite the six-string slinger.''

Gibbons says singer Dave Gahan called him last year and said they needed ``a little Texas mud'' sprinkled over a remix of their song ``Soothe My Soul.'' Gibbons told him, ``I'm your guy!'' 

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(The Associated Press)

MUSIC NEWS: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2015

CELEBRATED BLUEGRASS MUSICIAN CLAIRE LYNCH KICKED OFF HER CANADIAN TOUR IN DAUPHIN

Two time Grammy nominee and 3 time International Bluegrass Music Association Female Vocalist of the Year, Claire Lynch kicked off her Canadian tour in Dauphin at the acoustically captivating Watson Art Centre.  Lynch treated music fans to songs from her "Dear Sister" disc, older releases and even a track from her brand new Holiday recording. 

The engaging Lynch was backed up by a stellar band featuring newcomers Bryan McDowell (fiddle-mandolin), twenty-something virtuoso Jarrod Walker (mandolin-guitar) and A-Lister Mark Schatz (bass-banjo).

Tonight the band plays The Bassment in Saskatoon before heading further west.

The next show at the Watson Art Centre will feature Pacific Coast based Celtic trio Tiller's Folly Friday, November 6th at 8pm.

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WILLIE NELSON - RESCHEDULES SHOWS

Willie Nelson isn't saying what is ailing him. But whatever it is, it will keep the 82-year-old country legend off the stage for a bit. He was to perform with Merle Haggard last night and tonight. But both of those shows were cancelled because of an unspecified health issue. Those shows will be rescheduled _ but one set for tomorrow night in Reading, Pennsylvania won't be. All Nelson's Facebook page will say about Nelson is that he's feeling under the weather. He is scheduled to return to the stage on Sunday. 

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SOUL TRAIN AWARDS - NOMINATIONS

Canadian R-n-B superstar The Weeknd and the duo behind ``Uptown Funk'' are among the top nominees for the Soul Train Awards next month. The Weeknd is tied with the pairing of Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars with five nods each. Beyonce, Chris Brown, Jidenna and Tyrese have four nominations each heading into the awards show, which is set for Nov. 6th in Las Vegas. The ceremony will be taped and air on Centric and BET on Nov. 29th. 

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ESSENCE FESTIVAL - GOES GLOBAL

After more than 20 years in New Orleans, the Essence Music Festival is going global. It has set up a three-year partnership to hold the festival in Durban, South Africa, in 2016 and 2017. The exact dates of the festival will be announced in a few weeks. But the head of Essence Communications says it will likely be held around this time next year. The Essence Festival Durban will follow the multi-day format of the New Orleans event, which draws more than 450-thousand people each year over the July 4th holiday weekend. 

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TREY SONGZ - VIDEO

The assistant principal of a school on New York's Long Island is in trouble at work because of a music video. Newsday reports that the Southampton High School's Esther Adler-O'Keefe has been reassigned to a new position. The move comes after Adler-O'Keefe appeared in the video for ``Best Friend'' by rapper J-R and R&B star Trey Songz. In the video the assistant principal plays a woman who goes on vacation with her husband _ and J-R throws a party at her place, featuring drugs, booze and scantily-clad women. 

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RIHANNA - MICK JAGGER - CUBA

Here, they are considered among the top musicians.

But in Cuba, they are considered party people. The big-name acts are among those who are helping Cuba put itself on the map as a destination for fun, now that the U-S embargo is easing. The influx of stars making the Cuban scene has included visits by Jagger, Rihanna, Katy Perry, Usher, Ludacris and Jimmy Buffet. 

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(The Associated Press)

MUSIC NEWS: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2015

DAUPHIN'S COUNTRYFEST ANNOUNCES FIRST ROUND OF PERFORMERS

"Dauphin’s Countryfest is extremely proud of Canada’s homegrown artists, so we’ve put together a special line-up for Canada Day featuring some of Canadian country’s hottest acts. Plan to celebrate on July 1st with your friends at Countryfest this summer,” says Eric Irwin, president of Dauphin’s Countryfest. “The rest of our line-up for the weekend features favourite acts from across North America. We’ve released a few artist names today, and are close to releasing more exciting news, so stay tuned.” 

It was announced yesterday that Autumn Hill, High Valley, Dallas Smith and Dean Brody would be performing on Canada Day.  Other artists announced include newcomer Chris Janson and recent chart topper Thomas Rhett.

Tickets go on sale to the general public on Monday, November 2nd at 9am.

The 27^th Dauphin’s Countryfest takes place June 30^th to July 3^rd. Stay connected with Countryfest all year on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, or by signing up for e-news at countryfest.ca.   

www.facebook.com/dauphinscountryfest

www.twitter.com/country_fest

www.countryfest.ca

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LIGHTFOOT SCULPTURE

Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot is expected to attend a sculpture unveiling in his honour today. 

The legendary troubadour is scheduled to be his native Orillia, Ont., to see the piece called ``Golden Leaves _ A Tribute to Gordon Lightfoot.'' 

Figurative artist Timothy Schmalz of St. Jacobs, Ont., created the four-metre-high bronze work for the Gordon Lightfoot Trail. 

The sculpture is being gifted to the City of Orillia, by the Rudolph P. Bratty Family Foundation. 

It's one of many honours the 76-year-old Lightfoot has received in his lifetime. 

He's won five Grammy nominations and 17 Juno Awards for his hits, which include ``If You Could Read My Mind'' and ``The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.'' 

(The Canadian Press) 

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MUSIC-DRAKE-DANCING

Toronto rapper Drake is sparking scores of comparisons, parodies and memes with his shimmy-shuffle slow grooves in his new video for the earworm ``Hotline Bling.'' But what do dance experts think? Renowned choreographer Tre Armstrong, a judge on ``So You Think You Can Dance Canada,'' opined, ``Young man can dance and he's got some groove in his system.'' And Melissa Nascimento-So, youth program director at City Dance Corps in Toronto, applauds Drake for putting himself out there. She says, ``He looks like he's having a great time,'' adding, ``really, that's what dance is all about.''

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CEELO GREEN - RETURNS

CeeLo Green is offering his regrets for the mess he's made. He is offering his ``deepest, sincerest apologies for any inconvenience, any ignorance, any ill will, anything.''

Green's career took a nose-dive after he pleaded no contest to giving a woman ecstasy at a 2012 dinner and later tweeting, ``Women who have really been raped REMEMBER!!!'' Green says it was a ``very redefining moment'' for him, and it's been a blessing to learn from his mistakes. Green will put out a new album, ``Heart Blanche,'' on November 6th. He's also approached ``The Voice'' about returning as a coach. 

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LAMB OF GOD - CZECH REPUBLIC

When Randy Blythe of Lamb of God was accused of a crime he didn't think he committed in the Czech Republic, why did he ever return there? Blythe says it was because a young man who was a fan of his band had died. Blythe says his going to prison and dealing with the Czech legal system was nothing compared to what the man's family went through. Blythe was charged with pushing a 19-year-old fan who had jumped onto the stage at a show in the Czech Republic in 2010. The man later died of a head injury suffered in the fall. Blythe only remembers lots of fans climbing on the stage and poor security. He spent 37 days in jail and the charges were dropped at trial. He writes about his experiences in the new book, ``Dark Days.'' 

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ELTON JOHN - NEW ALBUM

Elton John went with tried-and-true allies for his upcoming album, ``Wonderful Crazy Night.'' Drummer Nigel Olsson has been playing with John since he hit it big in the late 1960s, and guitarist Davey Johnstone first played with John in 1971. The songs on the album were co-written by lyricist Bernie Taupin, John's friend and collaborator for 48 years. ``Wonderful Crazy Night'' is John's 33rd studio album. It will come out February 5th. The first single, ``Looking Up,'' is out today.

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ADELE - NEW SINGLE - ALBUM

You can get the first listen of Adele's new album starting today. The video for her first single, ``Hello,'' is out today, and the single is available for digital sale and streaming.

Adele's third album, ``25,'' will be released on November 20th. 

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EUROPE -GEICO

Geico has breathed new life into an old Europe song. Billboard reports since Geico started running a commercial featuring Europe's ``The Final Countdown,'' the song is seeing a resurgence in sales. Before the commercial began running, Europe sold about a thousand downloads of the song per week for the past two years. In the five weeks since the ad has run, Europe sold 31-thousand downloads of ``The Final Countdown.'' It tops Billboard's Hard Rock Digital Songs chart. 

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AMERICAN JAZZ MASTERS

Saxophonists Pharoah Sanders and Archie Shepp and vibraphonist Gary Burton have been selected for the America's highest honour in jazz. They have been named 2016 Jazz Masters by the National Endowment for the Arts. They will be given awards during an April 4th concert in Washington. 

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WILL SMITH - LATIN GRAMMYS

Will Smith will be part of the entertainment at the Latin Grammys. Smith and Colombian band Bomba Estereo will perform their remix of ``Fiesta.'' The original version without Smith is nominated for record of the year. The Latin Grammys will be shown live on Univision on November 19th. 

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PSY - LANDLORD

Psy is trying to evict artists who are tenants in a building he owns in Seoul, South Korea. Psy bought the six-floor building in 2012. He wants to evict the artists who occupy two floors because of a 2011 court ruling that ordered them out by the end of 2013. The artists won't leave because they say the ruling was based on the previous owner's plans to reconstruct the building.

The artists say Psy's agents agreed to let them stay through November. The artists have staged rallies since March and one was seriously hurt. Psy's lawyers say the artists are exploiting his celebrity and trying to defame him. 

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PENTATONIX - JASON DERULO

The story of how Pentatonix met Jason Derulo is surprisingly simple. Pentatonix singer Scott Hoying says they were doing ``Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve'' and Derulo had the dressing room next to them. Hoying says he cringed when bandmate Kevin Olusola just walked into Derulo's room. It turns out Derulo was a fan and said he'd love to work with them.

Hoying says they followed up with a phone call and suggested a song he's been obsessed with for a long time, ``If I Fall In Love'' by Shai.  Derulo stopped him right there and said that's the song.

Their collaboration appears on the new self-titled Pentatonix album, out now. 

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SIMON COWELL - ``AMERICA'S GOT TALENT''

Looks like American T-V viewers will have Simon Cowell to kick around again. The former judge on ``American Idol''

is returning to the judge's chair _ but in another show that he created. He will be on the panel for ``America's Got Talent,''

replacing Howard Stern, who left after this past season. The N-B-C show returns this coming summer. It's unclear whether the other judges from last year _ Howie Mandel, Mel B and Heidi Klum _ will return. 

SONNY ROLLINS TRIBUTE

Keith Richards has saluted vocalist Merry Clayton of ``Gimme Shelter'' fame and an all-star gathering of jazz musicians has paid tribute to saxophonist Sonny Rollins on the Apollo Theater's stage. It was part of the Jazz Foundation of America's 14th annual benefit gala, ``A Great Night in Harlem.'' 

The 85-year-old Rollins spoke, but didn't play, Thursday night as he received the foundation's lifetime achievement prize. 

Clayton, one of the top backup singers of the 1960s and '70s, appeared only by video. She's recovering from a 2014 auto accident in which she lost both her legs. Clayton was the first recipient of the Clark & Gwen Terry Courage Award. 

The foundation provides a wide range of support for jazz musicians, from rent money to medical care.

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(The Associated Press)