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MUSIC NEWS: THURSDAY, JANUARY 28, 2016

 

BLACK SABBATH - THE END

Legendary British rock band Black Sabbath practically shook the foundations of the close to sold out show at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg last night.  Ozzy still has it vocally (except for a few rare moments) and guitarist Tony Iommi and bassist Geezer Butler sounded like anything but geezers impressing with their digital dexterity.   Drummer Tommy Clufetos abused his kit without mercy and gave all the drum solo fans a major rush.

Opening band Rival Sons from Los Angeles also impressed with their obviously Led Zeppelin influenced material.  Both the lead vocalist and drummer are obviously big fans. 

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GRAMMY EVENT

 

Rihanna, Dave Grohl and Chris Stapleton have been added to the list of performers honouring Lionel Richie at a pre-Grammy event next month. 

The Recording Academy announced Thursday that Florence Welch, Yolanda Adams, Ellie Goulding and Leon Bridges were also added to the concert naming Richie the 2016 MusiCares person of the year. 

The event, scheduled two days before the 2016 Grammy Awards, will be held Feb. 13 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. 

Previously announced performers include Stevie Wonder, Pharrell, John Legend, Luke Bryan, Usher, Lady Antebellum, Lenny Kravitz and Demi Lovato. Jimmy Kimmel will host the event. 

The Grammys will air live Feb. 15 from the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

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BLACK KEYS

 

Special guests at this year's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will include The Black Keys, Rob Thomas and Metallica's Lars Ulrich. 

N.W.A., Chicago, Deep Purple, Cheap Trick and Steve Miller are the Rock Hall's 2016 class and will be inducted on April 8 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. 

Tickets for general public go on sale Feb. 5, the Rock Hall also announced Thursday. 

More than 900 voters picked the soon-to-be inductees. Artists are eligible for inclusion 25 years after the release of their first recording. 

Performers and presenters at the ceremony will be announced at a later date. The event will air on HBO in April.

 

JOSEPH FIENNES-MICHAEL JACKSON

 

The actor who played Shakespeare in ``Shakespeare in Love'' will play Michael Jackson in a one-off TV comedy. Joseph Fiennes will portray Jackson in ``Elizabeth, Michael and Marlon,'' about a road trip Jackson is rumoured to have made with Elizabeth Taylor and Marlon Brando after the 9-11 attacks. Fiennes is white and Jackson was black, which is only adding to the uproar in Hollywood about opportunities for non-white actors. Sky Arts, which commissioned the program, says it gives producers creative freedom to cast roles as they wish. Fiennes' agent did not return a request for comment. The show will air sometime this year, but an American network was not given. 

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TYLER FARR

 

Tyler Farr has been silenced. Farr is cancelling his shows for the next few months while he recovers from surgery to remove a polyp on his vocal chords. That will include dropping out of the Lee Brice tour that starts next month. Farr first became aware of the problem when he came down with bronchitis while on tour with Jason Aldean last summer. Farr has had classical voice training, and he says he believed he was putting his training to work every night. He is on vocal rest and plans to do aggressive therapy to heal his voice. 

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DEF LEPPARD

 

Def Leppard will be the first artist to debut a video through the ``Guitar Hero'' video game. Def Leppard will premiere the video for ``Dangerous'' on ``Guitar Hero Live.''

Guitarist Phil Collen says, ``MTV doesn't really exist anymore, so it's cool there's another medium to represent the song now.'' Def Leppard had to postpone several shows recently because singer Joe Elliott lost his voice. Collen says they are hoping he will be ready for their Friday show in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. 

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B.O.B VS. NEIL DEGRASSE TYSON

 

B.o.B is engaged in one of the oddest rap feuds ever. He's going up against astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson about whether the Earth is flat. B.o.B tweeted what he believes is evidence proving the earth is flat. Tyson challenged his evidence, and B.o.B responded with a diss track saying NASA pays Tyson to perpetuate the myth. Tyson responded by enlisting his nephew, a rapper who goes by Tyson, to create his own diss track. Neil DeGrasse Tyson appears on the track in a spoken-word segment reading his tweets to B.o.B. 

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ROSTAM BATMANGLIJ

 

There may not be a more amicable parting in music than multi-instrumentalist Rostam Batmanglij leaving Vampire Weekend. Batmanglij tweeted this week he wants to stand on his own as a songwriter and producer. He says he will continue to collaborate with singer Ezra Koenig on Vampire Weekend projects. Koenig writes on Instagram they agreed years ago that their collaboration was not dependent on being in the same band.

Koenig says the next Vampire Weekend record will include ``a lot of familiar faces in the studio but also some fresh, new ones.'' 

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MUSIC NEWS: THURSDAY, JANUARY 7, 2016

 

NICHOLAS CALDWELL

 

Singer Nicholas Caldwell of The Whispers has died. A representative for the group says Caldwell died Tuesday of congestive heart failure at his home in San Francisco at the age of 71. The Whispers' biggest song was ``Rock Steady,'' a number-seven hit in 1987. Their other hits include ``And The Beat Goes On,''

''Innocent`` and ''It's A Love Thing.`` Their career had longevity:

they had songs that first charted in 1970 and last charted in 1995. 

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PETER CETERA 

Peter Cetera seems to be open to the idea of performing with Chicago at their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction after all. Cetera posted an open letter on his website to the other members of the band. He suggests they could all walk onstage together one last time as a group, and he'll strap on the bass for ``25 Or 6 To 4.'' Cetera says it would a fantastic moment and ``satisfy those who have always wanted some sort of a reunion.''

He also suggests Chicago's past and current members be invited to play on the song, since they've all contributed to Chicago's legacy.

The other band members have not yet responded. Chicago keyboardist Robert Lamm had said last week he spoke out of turn when he said Cetera would play at their induction. 

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SCOTT WEILAND

 

The ex-wife of Scott Weiland wants to be named executor of his will, even though Weiland remarried. People magazine reports Mary Forsberg filed court documents on December 30 that include a will Weiland wrote in April 2007 that names her the executor. Weiland's estate is worth about $2 million, and he had a trust with undisclosed funds. Forsberg is the mother of Weiland's two children. Weiland married Jamie Wachtel in 2013. A hearing has been set for February 5. 

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SCOTT WEILAND - MORE

 

The transcript from the 911 call made when Scott Weiland's body was found suggests he had been dead for a few hours when he was discovered. A transcript obtained by The Associated Press indicates an unidentified caller told a dispatcher in Bloomington, Minnesota, Weiland was ``stiff'' and ``not moving.''

Another dispatcher asked the caller to do chest compressions on Weiland, and the caller said Weiland was ``hard as a rock right now, not moving.'' Police say Weiland's tour manager, Aaron Mohler, found Weiland on his tour bus on December 3. The Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office has said Weiland had cocaine, alcohol and MDA in his system. 

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LEMMY FUNERAL

 

Lemmy's funeral will be streamed live on the Internet. Only family and close friends will be allowed to the service at Forest Lawn Memorial Cemetery in Los Angeles on Saturday.

Motorhead's official YouTube channel will show a live feed of the event. The memorial service will accept flowers through www.flowersbymichael.com , or fans can donate to the Ronnie James Dio Stand Up And Shout Cancer Fund in Lemmy's memory. 

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MOTORHEAD

 

Duff McKagan of Guns N' Roses and Mark Damon of The Pretty Reckless are among the more than 33,000 people who have signed a petition to name an element after Motorhead frontman Lemmy.

British fan John Wright started the petition on Change.org to ask the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry to consider the name Lemmium for one of four newly discovered heavy metals on the periodic table. The petition says Lemmium would be fitting because Lemmy was ``a force of nature and the very essence of heavy metal.'' Or was he? Other fans have pointed out that Lemmy himself said that Motorhead was a rock and roll band, not heavy metal. 

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PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARDS

 

Meghan Trainor got emotional as she accepted her People's Choice Award. Trainor won for favourite album for ``Title.'' She told the crowd last night that she ``wanted to be an artist so bad'' and that the fans made her dreams come true. The favourite male and female musicians are Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift.

The group honours go to Fifth Harmony, while ``What Do You Mean?'' by Justin Bieber gets favourite song. 

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MADDIE AND TAE

 

The art department at Maddie and Tae's record label were not thrilled with them before the release of their ``Start Here'' album. Maddie and Tae did an extravagant photo shoot for the cover and they scrapped the whole thing at the last minute.

Taylor Dye says the pictures were beautiful but did not reflect the stripped-down music on the record. Maddie and Tae staged their own photo shoot, did their own hair and makeup and wore clothes from T.J. Maxx. It's a photo from that session that's on the cover of ``Start Here.'' 

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JASON MACKENROTH

 

Rollins Band drummer Jason Mackenroth has died. His publicist says Mackenroth died after a four-year battle with prostate cancer at his home in Henderson, Nevada, on Sunday. He was 46. Mackenroth was in the Rollins Band from 1988 to 2004. He put out two solo albums and was in the Nevada edition of Blue Man Group for eight years. 

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ALBUM SALES DOWN, MUSIC STREAMING UP

 

Why buy the record when you can stream it online? That seems to be the mentality of music lovers in the past year, as Nielsen Music reports a 6.1 per cent decline in album sales. Digital track sales dropped 12.5 per cent in 2015 versus the previous year. Streaming, on the other hand, is hot. Activity at on-demand streaming sites increased 92.8 per cent in 2015. Lest you think it's all about high-tech, consider that vinyl record sales were up nearly 30 per cent in 2015. 

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BOYZ II MEN

 

The live version of the musical ``Grease'' will feature three people in the role of the Teen Angel: Boyz II Men. The group announced on their social media all three of them will play the role for ``Grease Live!'' on Fox on January 31. Frankie Avalon played the role in the 1978 movie. 

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WALE

 

 Wale has recorded a new theme song for the ESPN2 show ``First Take.'' Wale tells Billboard he was honoured to create the song ``Every Word Great'' for the show because he's a big sports fan and a former college athlete. ``Every Word Great'' replaces the old theme song, which was also created by Wale. 

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BRANDY

 

Brandy will continue to balance being a singer and an actress. She's released a new single called ``Beggin' and Pleadin,'' and it's a song she says she wrote two years ago. She says her fans have been starving for new music and they've been so patient. She has not released an album in three years. Brandy also stars in the new BET show ``Zoe Ever After.'' She plays a newly single mom whose ex-husband is a famous boxer. She will not sing on the show. 

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SNOOP, BIRDMAN, DUPRI AND DASH

 

Snoop Dogg, Birdman, Jermaine Dupri and Damon Dash will appear in a BET reality show about their busy, busy lives. ``Music Moguls'' will be an eight-episode series that follows the four men in their business dealings and in their home lives.

Shooting begins in Los Angeles next month. ``Music Moguls'' will premiere sometime this year. 

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MONKEES

 

The Monkees will mark their 50th anniversary this year by re-releasing their cereal box singles. Four limited edition ``cereal box'' cardboard records will feature ``Last Train to Clarksville'' and previously unreleased TV mixes of ``Words,'' ''I Never Thought It Peculiar`` and ''Valleri.`` Post Cereals originally offered the one-sided records on the back of its cereal boxes in the late 1960s. 

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(The Associated Press)

 

The following is HMV Canada's top 10 CDs based on national sales for the week ending Jan. 7.

 

CDs

 

1. 25 _ Adele

 

2. Purpose _ Justin Bieber

 

3. Made in the A.M. _ One Direction

 

4. A Head Full of Dreams _ Coldplay

 

5. Beauty Behind the Madness _ The Weeknd

 

6. If I Can Dream'' _ Elvis Presley with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

 

7. Much Dance 2016 _ Various Artists

 

8. ``Star Wars: The Force Awakens'' Soundtrack _ John Williams

 

9. Traveller _ Chris Stapleton

 

10. Royalty _ Chris Brown 

 

 

COUNTRY

 

1. Montevallo _ Sam Hunt

 

2. Traveller _ Chris Stapleton

 

3. 1989 (Deluxe Edition) _ Taylor Swift

 

4. Storyteller _ Carrie Underwood

 

5 What is Love All About (Deluxe Edition) _ Johnny Reid

 

6. Mr. Misunderstood _ Eric Church

 

7. Country Hits 2016 _ Various Artists

 

8. Kill the Lights _ Luke Bryan

 

9. Reloaded: 20 No. 1 Hits _ Blake Shelton

 

10. Jekyll + Hyde _ Zac Brown Band 

 

(The Canadian Press)

 

Here's a list of some new CD releases for the week ending Jan. 9:

 

The Andrews Sisters _ ``Swinging Hits''

 

Pete Astor _ ``Spilt Milk''

 

Mark Bishop and Forget the Sea _ ``Mark Bishop and Forget the Sea''

 

David Bowie _ ``Blackstar''

 

Cauldron _ ``In Ruin''

 

Decyfer Down _ ``The Other Side of Darkness''

 

Federico Durand _ ``A Traves Del Espejo''

 

Exmortus _ ``Ride Forth''

 

Fallujah _ ``Nomadic''

 

The Grascals _ ``And Then There's This...''

 

Grizfolk _ ``Waking Up the Giants''

 

Hinds _ ``Leave Me Alone''

 

Ignite _ ``A War Against You''

 

The Inspirations - ``Pray for Me''

 

It Lies Within _ ``Paramount''

 

Henry Jackman _ ``The 5th Wave'' OST

 

KSI _ ``Keep Up'' (EP)

 

The Lion's Daughter _ ``Existence is Horror''

 

Jan Lisiecki _ ``Schumann _ Works for Piano and Orchestra''

 

The Mamas & The Papas _ ``The Complete Singles: 50th Anniversary Collection''

 

Andrew Marcus _ ``Constant''

 

Master's Voice _ ``Undivided''

 

Stevie McCrorie _ ``Big World''

 

Mechanimal _ ``Delta Pi Delta''

 

The Order of Elijah _ ``War at Heart''

 

Dave Pearce _ ``90s Dance Anthems''

 

Sons of Kemet _ ``Lest We Forget What We Came Here to Do''

 

J.D. Souther _ ``John David Souther'' (reissue)

 

Villagers _ ``Where Have You Been All My Life?''

 

John Williams & London Symphony Orchestra _ ``Star Wars: The Ultimate Digital Collection''

 

John Williams _ ``Star Wars: The Ultimate Soundtrack Collection''

 

Zusha _ ``Kavana''

 

(The Canadian Press)

MUSIC NEWS: THURSDAY, JULY 2, 2015

 

BRANTLEY GILBERT MARRIED

 

Sorry ladies.  Friday night's headliner at Dauphin's Countryfest, Brantley Gilbert is a married man. People magazine reports Gilbert married teacher Amber Cochran at his home in Georgia. Details of the wedding were not given. 

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DONALD TRUMP

 

Flo Rida, Natalie Rose and ``The Voice'' winner Craig Wayne Boyd have pulled out of performing at the Miss USA pageant following Donald Trump's remarks about Mexican immigrants. Trump had said during his presidential campaign announcement last week some Mexican immigrants bring drugs and crime to the U.S. and are rapists. Trump owns the Miss USA pageant. Two judges and the hosts of the pageant have dropped out as well. The Ricky Martin Foundation also has announced it's pulling a golf tournament from a Trump-owned property.

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AMY WINEHOUSE

 

Amy Winehouse's father is upset about the omissions in the film ``Amy'' that make him look bad. Mitch Winehouse tells Britain's Sky Television the film shows Amy dealing with a head injury and Mitch saying she doesn't need to go to rehab. He says the filmmakers cut the part where he said she didn't need to go yet. He says the filmmakers also failed to mention that Amy had been off drugs and had a five-week period of not drinking leading up to her death. Director Asif Kapadia says the film is meant to be about Amy and not about the people around her. The movie ``Amy'' opens tomorrow. 

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MORE AMY WINEHOUSE

 

The demos from the album Amy Winehouse was making when she died will never be released. Universal Music UK Chairman David Joseph tells Billboard magazine he destroyed them.

Joseph says he did it as ``a moral thing.'' He adds, ``Taking a stem or a vocal is not something that would ever happen on my watch. It now can't happen on anyone else's.'' 

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BILLY JOEL

 

Billy Joel is celebrating his 65th. Not his birthday, but his 65th performance at New York's Madison Square Garden. He's now set a record for the most performances by a single artist at the venue, topping Elton John. Joel played the piano for most of his more than two hour performance. John has performed at MSG 64 times. 

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JOURNEY DRUMMER

 

An Oregon judge has denied bail for Journey drummer Deen Castronovo. Marion County Circuit Court Judge Channing Bennett says Castronovo violated a court order to stay away from a woman after his arrest June 14 for domestic violence. Prosecutors say Castronovo texted the woman 122 times and called 35 times. His attorney, Jeffrey Jones, says Castronovo was high on meth when he was arrested and he will go to rehab if released. Castronovo was indicted this week on charges that include rape, assault and sexual abuse. 

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MUSIC NEWS: THURSDAY, JULY 9, 2015

 

JOHN MELLENCAMP IN WINNIPEG

 

Legendary musician and co-founder of Farm Aid, John Mellencamp played the Centennial Concert Hall in Winnipeg last night to a very satisfied and close to sold out crowd.  

Opening the show was a bit of Country Music Royalty in the form of Carlene Carter who impressed the crowd with her sincerity and her amazing voice and songs.  Both performers came on stage together to sing a couple of songs from the John Mellencamp -Stephen King Musical "The Ghost Brothers of Darkland County" which will soon return!

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MIRANDA LAMBERT

 

Dauphinites may have gotten lucky!  Miranda Lambert is dealing with a serious throat issue. Officials with the Calgary Stampede say Lambert has called off her performance today because she has a vocal cord inflammation.

Lambert's next performance is a week from tomorrow in Minot, North Dakota. 

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KEITH RICHARDS 

Keith Richards will release a new solo album after 20 years this fall. 

The Rolling Stones guitarist announced the Sept. 18 release of ``Crosseyed Heart'' on Thursday. It's his third solo album.  The first single, ``Trouble,'' will be released July 17.

His last solo album was 1992's ``Main Offender.''  Richards wrote most of the songs with producer Steve Jordan. The album includes a duet with Norah Jones. 

The Rolling Stones are currently on tour.

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ARIANA GRANDE

 

Ariana Grande is apologizing for hating on America. The gossip website TMZ posted a video of her and her friends at a doughnut shop outside Los Angeles. The video shows Grande being presented with a tray of doughnuts and she uses an expletive to say, ``What...is that? I hate Americans. I hate America.'' Grande says what she said in a private moment was taken out of context and she's sorry for not using more discretion. She says she was upset over how Americans eat without giving any thought to consequences. Grande, by the way, has pulled out of Major League Baseball's All-Star Concert in Cincinnati on Saturday, but not because of the doughnut incident. Her representative says it's because Grande had her wisdom teeth out. Demi Lovato will take her place.

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JONI MITCHELL

 

Joni Mitchell is on her way to better health and a judge is pleased with how her friend is taking care of her.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge David Cunningham the Third says Mitchell's longtime friend, Leslie Morris, should remain in charge of Mitchell's health care. Cunningham was impressed with Mitchell's progress as she recovers from an aneurysm in March. She is home in Los Angeles and has regained her speech. A court-appointed attorney says Mitchell is expected to make a full recovery. Morris does not have any control over Mitchell's finances. 

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GRATEFUL DEAD

 

With the smell of marijuana in the air at the Grateful Dead's final shows in Chicago this past weekend, you'd think the cops would have been busting people left and right.

Chicago police made all of three marijuana-related arrests. The Chicago Sun-Times reports police made one arrest for possession of cannabis on Friday and wrote two tickets for possession of cannabis on Sunday. A police spokesman says officers instead focused on fighting violent crime and addressing illegal guns in the community. 

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IMAGINE DRAGONS GO DIAMOND

 

`Radioactive'' by Imagine Dragons has become one of the rare songs to reach diamond status, or ten times platinum, according to The Recording Industry Association of America. A diamond award used to mean sales of ten million, but now that also includes streaming data. Nielsen Soundscan says ``Radioactive'' has sold 7.7 million tracks. The only other songs to have reached digital diamond status are Lady Gaga's ``Bad Romance,'' Justin Bieber's ``Baby'' and Eminem's ``Love the Way You Lie'' and ``Not Afraid.'' Elton John's ``Candle in the Wind 1997'' is the only physical single to reach diamond status.

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AVETT BROTHERS

 

As long as The Avett Brothers are touring, they will make records. Banjo player Scott Avett says they make albums to fuel their live shows. He says they demand a certain amount of new music from themselves so they can stay excited about performing. He says they could probably put out an album a year if they wanted to, but on the whole, they write and release as much music as they're supposed to.  

Former Winnipegger and member of The Duhks is now the fiddle player with the group. 

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2015 GLOBAL CITIZEN FESTIVAL

 

Beyonce, Pearl Jam and Coldplay will perform at the 2015 Global Citizen Festival in New York's Central Park in September. They will join Ed Sheeran at the Sept. 26 event on the Great Lawn, organizers announced Thursday.  

Beyonce made a surprise appearance onstage last year when Jay Z closed the free event. 

The fourth annual concert will air on MSNBC and stream on iHeartRadio and Tidal. Past performers include Stevie Wonder, Neil Young, Alicia Keys, Foo Fighters and Carrie Underwood. 

Fans can earn free tickets by taking actions to end poverty on globalcitizen.org. The concert is timed to coincide with the U.N. General Assembly meeting.

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CHUMBAWAMBA

 

Chumbawamba singer Dunstan Bruce has started a Kickstarter campaign to tell the band's story in film. Bruce is hoping to raise $63,000 to make the movie ``I Get Knocked Down: The Untold Story of Chumbawamba.'' He's gotten about half that so far, with 21 days to go in the fundraising campaign. Bruce promises it's a ``fascinating and hilarious story'' about ``what happens when a bunch of anarchists from the north of England had a worldwide hit totally by accident.'' If all goes well, the film would come out next spring. Bruce says he can't fund the film himself because Chumbawamba gave away all the money they earned from the song ``Tubthumping.'' 

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CIARA, JOSH TURNER

 

Ciara will sing the national anthem before Major League Baseball's All-Star Game on Tuesday. Josh Turner will sing ``God Bless America'' before the game. 

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(The Canadian Press/The American Press/CKDM)

MUSIC NEWS: THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 2015

 

DAUPHIN'S COUNTRYFEST STARTS TODAY!

Dauphin's Countryfest starts today! The 730 CKDM BATTLE OF THE BANDS takes place at 5:30 pm at the Credit Union Corral with five bands going head to head to claim a $2000 prize plus the opportunity to perform at Countryfest 2016! Try to arrive by 5pm so you don't miss a note!

Following the Battle of the Bands, there will be performances from Winnipeg's Revival and Kentucky's Black Stone Cherry!

 

CARRIE UNDERWOOD

 

Carrie Underwood will be back to sing the ``Sunday Night Football'' theme for N-B-C. She tweets she had so much fun shooting the intro on Monday. N-B-C tweets it's great to have Underwood back for another season. 

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JIMMY CHAMBERLIN

 

Jimmy Chamberlin will once again be behind the drum kit for Smashing Pumpkins. Chamberlin will rejoin the band for its tour with Marilyn Manson this summer beginning July 7th in Concord, California. Frontman Billy Corgan says he's thrilled to see Chamberlin ``back in the saddle this summer to drive a super high-octane set.'' 

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QUEEN

 

Queen will toast the 40th anniversary of ``Bohemian Rhapsody'' with a beer. Billboard reports the band will launch Queen Bohemian Lager, a ``golden hoppy'' beer brewed in the Czech Republic, A-K-A Bohemia. The bottle will have an image from the ``A Night At The Opera'' album cover. It will hit shelves in Europe this summer, then be released worldwide. A 12-pack of bottles will sell for 31-dollars. 

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ELVIS AUCTION

 

One of Elvis Presley's light blue jumpsuits is being auctioned during Elvis Week at Graceland in Memphis. Graceland officials say the auction will also feature a jacket Presley wore in the movie ``Viva Las Vegas'' and a diamond-and-gold necklace he gave to Sammy Davis Junior. More than 170 items will be sold on August 13th. The items come from third-party collectors and nothing for sale is from the Graceland collection. 

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AVICII

 

Avicii is the perfect passenger for someone who wants to dominate the radio and doesn't want to talk while driving. Avicii says he doesn't like choosing songs for driving because they mess with his head. If he does listen to anything, he likes old songs like ``On The Road Again'' or anything by Creedence Clearwater Revival. Really, he'd rather be in his own world working on his laptop, and he has lots of time for doing that.

Avicii estimates he spends about 20 per cent of his life being driven somewhere. 

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MADE IN AMERICA FESTIVAL

 

Beyonce' will headline Jay Z's Made In America festival over Labor Day weekend in Philadelphia. J. Cole, Bassnectar, The Weeknd, Modest Mouse, Big Sean, Meek Mill and Death Cab For Cutie will also play. The festival was also staged in Los Angeles last year but will not return there this year. 

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FLO RIDA, CRAIG WAYNE BOYD

 

The Miss U-S-A Pageant contestants will strut their stuff to the sounds of Flo Rida (RY'-dah). He will perform during the evening gown competition. Craig Wayne Boyd from ``The Voice'' will sing a three-song medley during the opening number. The Miss U-S-A Pageant is July 12th and will be shown live on N-B-C. 

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BOBBI KRISTINA BROWN

 

The daughter of Bobby Brown and Whitney Houston has been moved to hospice care. Bobbi Kristina Brown's condition has continued to deteriorate after months in the hospital, according to her aunt, Pat Houston. Bobbi Kristina was found face down and unresponsive in a bathtub in her home outside Atlanta in January.

Meanwhile, the court-appointed conservator for Bobbi Kristina has filed a lawsuit against her partner, Nick Gordon. Bedilia Hargrove is accusing Gordon of misrepresenting his relationship with Bobbi Kristina and being physically and emotionally abusive. Hargrove is seeking at least 10-million dollars in damages. Gordon's attorney did not return calls for comment. 

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MUSIC NEWS: THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2015

 

KIP MOORE WILL BUILD SKATE PARKS FOR KIDS

 

Kip Moore is planning to build skate parks in four cities. Moore's ``Comeback Kid Skate park Project'' will oversee the building of skate parks in Nashville; Boston; San Marcos, Texas; and Annapolis, Maryland. Moore says the project is a dream of his to provide kids in inner cities and smaller towns a safe outlet. Moore plans to have the parks opened by the fall. He says he's starting with these four cities but he plans to expand the project. 

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ROLLING STONES RE-RELEASE ``STICKY FINGERS''

 

Keith Richards would not have thrown support behind the deluxe re-release of ``Sticky Fingers'' if the 2010 re-release of ``Exile on Main Street'' had not done so well.

Richards says he's not crazy about the trend of re-releases, but he forgot that they've picked up a lot of new young fans who consider it a new record. The deluxe version of ``Sticky Fingers'' is out this week and Richards remembers it was easy to record because they did it at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in Alabama. He says it's no wonder so many great records came out of there because all anyone had to do was stick up a microphone in that ``magical room.'' 

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JUSTIN BIEBER PLEADS GUILTY IN COLLISION CASE IN ONTARIO

 

Justin Bieber has pleaded guilty to assault and careless driving charges in connection with a collision near his hometown of Stratford, Ont. 

A lawyer for Bieber confirmed a dangerous driving charge that was laid in the case has been dropped.  Lawyer Seith Weinstein confirmed that a sentence of an absolute discharge on the assault charge and a $750 fine for the careless driving charge has been agreed on in the case. 

Bieber had been arrested and charged in the case in August last year after a collision between a minivan and an ATV in a rural area northeast of Stratford. A lawyer for the singer had said Bieber was on a ``peaceful retreat'' at the time with Selena Gomez _ his on-again, off-again girlfriend _ when it was disrupted by paparazzi.  

Ontario Provincial Police had said the driver of the ATV and an occupant of the minivan ``engaged in a physical altercation.''

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JOHN OATES PLANS TV SHOW ABOUT ROOTS MUSIC

 

John Oates of Hall and Oates is driving around the country in search for the best in American roots music. Oates will chronicle his search on a T-V show called ``Good Road To Follow.'' Oates plans to drive on hidden and forgotten roads to uncover roots music and play with its originators. The songs will be available for download at the end of each show. Oates is promising special guests will come along for the ride. No word on when or where the show will air. 

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SAM SMITH IS ALLOWED TO USE HIS VOICE

 

Sam Smith can speak again. Smith writes on Instagram his restriction to not use his voice following vocal cord surgery has been lifted. Smith thanks his doctor and says, ``You truly truly don't know what you've got until you lose it.'' He says he's fallen in love with music all over again and he feels blessed to be able to sing again. 

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``LOVE AND MERCY'' FILM EXPLORES BRIAN WILSON'S LIFE

 

John Cusack and Paul Dano both believe the other one had the hard part in portraying Beach Boy Brian Wilson in the film ``Love and Mercy.'' Cusack plays Wilson in the 1980's, while Dano plays him in the 1960's. Cusack says so much film footage exists of Wilson from the 1960's, so Dano had to live up to that. Cusack says in the 1980's, Wilson shied away from the spotlight. Dano says he had the better role because he got to portray Wilson during the heyday of the Beach Boys. He says he found a great deal of joy in being in the same studio where Wilson made that music. ``Love and Mercy'' opens in theatres tomorrow. 

---

 

PRINCE DONATES ``RALLY 4 PEACE'' MONEY

 

The proceeds from Prince's ``Rally 4 Peace'' concert in Baltimore last month will go to the N-DOULBE-A-C-P and two city programs.  The amount of money was not disclosed. Prince performed the concert during the unrest in Baltimore after the death of Freddie Gray while in police custody. 

---

 

JANET JACKSON ANNOUNCES FALL ALBUM

 

Janet Jackson is promising a new album for the fall. Jackson says on her website she will release the album on her own label, Rhythm Nation Records. She has not released an album in seven years. The new one does not yet have a title. 

---

 

HELLYEAH'S TOM MAXWELL BREAKS FOOT

 

Hellyeah guitarist Tom Maxwell is sitting out the band's European tour. Hellyeah say on their website Maxwell broke his foot in three places, but they don't give details. Hellyeah guitarist Chris Brady will do double duty and handle Maxwell's parts on the tour. Maxwell is expected to be back in time for the Rockstar Mayhem Festival beginning June 26th in Chula Vista, California. 

---

 

TOOL'S MAYNARD JAMES KEENAN GETS HIP REPLACED

 

Maynard James Keenan of Tool, of A Perfect Circle and of Puscifer is recovering from hip replacement surgery. Keenan writes on Facebook that years of foot-stomping has left him with no cushion in his right hip. He had a full hip replacement on Monday.

Keenan says he'll need 12 weeks to recover and then he plans to continue working on his brown belt in jiu jitsu. 

---

MUSIC NEWS: THURSDAY, MARCH 19, 2015

 

ALANIS MORISSETTE WRITING MUSICAL, BOOK

Canadian pop-star Alanis Morissette is working
on a musical based on her ``Jagged Little Pill'' album. Morissette
tells Billboard she's in the beginning stages and she's working with
composer Tom Kitt, who worked on the Green Day Broadway show
``American Idiot.'' Morissette says her show will be a fictionalized
story and she's changing the lyrics to some songs. She's also
writing new ones. Morissette is also writing a self-help book
reflecting on her life and the wisdom she's gathered. She plans to
turn it in to her publisher in June, but a release date was not
announced.

---

U.D.O.'S UDO DIRKSCHNEIDER EXPLAINS HIS LOOK

The reason former Accept singer Udo Dirkschneider
wears camouflage and has short hair is because no one in metal did
that before him. Dirkschneider says it was unusual for a metal band
to wear camouflage onstage in 1982, so he did it to stand out. His
management thought he should cut his long hair because camouflage
and long hair did not really go together. Initially he fought the
idea, but Dirkschneider says he loves having short hair because it
dries fast. Dirkschneider's new band, U.D.O., recently released a
new album called ``Decadent.''

---

R.I.A.A.: STREAMING MUSIC UP, SALES DOWN

Americans are listening to more music than ever.
They're just not buying it. The Recording Industry Association of
America reports the U-S retail music business was essentially flat
last year. Sales based on physical copies of music consisted of 32
percent of all music sales, down from 35 percent in 2013. Permanent
downloads made up 37 percent, down from 40 percent the year before.
Streaming music made up 27 percent, up from 21 percent.

---

RHODE ISLAND GOVERNOR DEFENDS ``TAYLOR SWIFT TAX''

Rhode Island's governor is standing by a
proposed luxury tax nicknamed the ``Taylor Swift tax.'' Governor
Gina Raimondo says she wants to raise nearly 12- million dollars
with a state property tax on second homes worth more than
one-million. Swift owns a beachfront mansion in Westerly, Rhode
Island. The Rhode Island Association of Realtors says such a tax
could discourage the purchase of vacation homes in Rhode Island.
Raimondo says Rhode Island is still a bargain compared to
Massachusetts.

---

PARAMORE'S HAYLEY WILLIAMS IS STARTING HAIR DYE COMPANY

Paramore singer Hayley Williams will be
advertising her new company every time she turns her head. Williams
writes on the Paramore website she is starting her own hair dye
line. She says she's been working on it for four years but she
underestimated the work load. She will give more details when she's
ready to launch it. Williams is also planning a beauty tips webcast
through the website PopularTV-dot-com. She's doing all this while
planning her wedding to New Found Glory guitarist Chad Gilbert.

---

GRATEFUL DEAD MEMORABILIA WILL BE AUCTIONED

The last book Jerry Garcia read is for sale.
Donley Auctions will sell Garcia's copy of ``The Celestine
Prophecy'' by James Redfield, complete with Garcia's handwritten
notes and menu selections from a nearby cafe. Garcia read it while
in rehab the week before he died. The book is expected to sell for
at least 25-thousand dollars. Garcia's Colt .25 automatic pistol is
also for sale, with a pre-auction estimate of 30-thousand. Other
items for sale include the furniture and rug from the Grateful
Dead's office, drummer Mickey Hart's laminate from the Dead's Egypt
concert in 1978 and a Grateful Dead shaving kit presented to Garcia
with the notation, ``unused obviously.'' The auction will be the
weekend of April 11th in Union, Illinois, but conducted online at 

GratefulDeadChicago-dot-auction .

 

ROCK HALL ANNOUNCES PRESENTERS AND PERFORMERS

Paul McCartney will welcome Ringo Starr into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. McCartney will do the induction speech
for Starr at the induction ceremony in Cleveland on April 18th. Joe
Walsh will perform Starr's music. Stevie Wonder will induct Bill
Withers, with John Legend performing in tribute. It's still
uncertain whether Withers himself will perform. Patti Smith will
induct Lou Reed, with Beck performing Reed's music. John Mayer will
induct Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Jimmie Vaughan will perform in
tribute with Double Trouble. Peter Wolf of the J. Geils Band will
induct the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, with Tom Morello performing.
Fall Out Boy will induct Green Day. Dave Grohl will perform for Joan
Jett's induction, but the presenter has not yet been announced.
Steve Cropper will induct the ``5'' Royales.

---

CHER OFFERS SUPPORT IN ELDERLY ROMANCE

A judge says a 96-year-old black woman who
married a 95-year-old white man should be returned to her home in
Alexandria, Virginia, and Cher gets some of the credit. Cher offered
to pay for the upgrades to Edith Hill's home after seeing a news
story about Hill and her husband, Eddie Harrison. They had been
companions for a decade before marrying last year. Hill suffers from
mild dementia, and she was separated from Harrison in a court battle
within her family over whether she was mentally fit to marry.
Harrison died in December. Cher says once the repairs are complete
and Hill is returned home, it will be bittersweet because she only
wanted to be with Harrison.

---

SAM COOKE FILM IN THE WORKS

Sam Cooke's family has agreed to allow a film
about his life to be made. The Hollywood Reporter reports Cooke's
family will give music and film producer Romeo Antonio access to
family documents and to Cooke's assistant, Zelda Samuels, who is now
84. Cooke's nephew, Eugene Jamison, says the family has been
approached about a movie on Cooke before, but Antonio was the first
person who wanted to seek the truth about Cooke's death. Police said
in 1964 Cooke kidnapped a woman and was shot by a motel manager, but
his family says Cooke was fighting for black musicians' rights and
ticked off the wrong people.

---

NATE RUESS WINS SONGWRITER AWARD

Nate Ruess of fun. will be given a special
award for young songwriters. Ruess will be presented with the Hal
David Starlight Award at the Songwriters Hall of Fame gala June 18th
in New York. Hall of fame president Linda Moran says Ruess' lyrics
are ``clever, warm and accessible and his music is sophisticated and
memorable.''

---

``EMPIRE'' BEATS MADONNA FOR NUMBER ONE ALBUM

 Madonna has been crushed by ``Empire.'' The
soundtrack to the T-V show ``Empire'' has entered the Billboard 200
album chart at number one, moving 130-thousand units. Madonna's
``Rebel Heart'' is second with 121-thousand units.

---

PAULA PATTON, ROBIN THICKE GRANTED DIVORCE

Paula Patton and Robin Thicke are another step
closer to divorce. Patton was granted a divorce earlier this week,
which will go into effect April 14th. They announced they were
separating last year after nine years of marriage. They have a
4-year-old son.

---

MARVIN GAYE'S FAMILY ATTEMPTS TO STOP 'BLURRED LINES'

Marvin Gaye's family wants to put the brakes
on ``Blurred Lines.'' Gaye's children filed a motion in court this
week to prevent distribution and performance of the hit featuring
Pharrell, Robin Thicke and T.I. Last week, a jury determined the
song was copied from Gaye's 1977 hit ``Got to Give It Up.'' Gaye's
adult children were awarded nearly 7.4-million dollars in damages.

---

The following is HMV Canada's top 10 CDs based on national sales for the week ending March 21.

 

CDs

 

1  To Pimp A Butterfly _ Kendrick Lamar

 

2  Rebel Heart _ Madonna

 

3  Hozier _ Hozier

 

4  Smoke + Mirrors _ Imagine Dragons

 

5  Strangers to Ourselves _ Modest Mouse

 

6  X _ Ed Sheeran

 

7  In the Lonely Hour _ Sam Smith

 

8  Shania: Still the One_ Live from Vegas _ Shania Twain

 

9  ``Fifty Shades of Grey'' Soundtrack _ Various Artists

 

10  Spring Break...Checkin' Out _ Luke Bryan

 

 

 

COUNTRY

 

1  Shania: Still the One_ Live from Vegas _ Shania Twain

 

2  Spring Break...Checkin' Out _ Luke Bryan

 

3  1989 _ Taylor Swift

 

4  Crash My Party _ Luke Bryan

 

5  Greatest Hits _ Shania Twain

 

6  Spring Break... The Setlist _ Luke Bryan

 

7  Country Hits 2015 _ Various Artists

 

8  Outsiders _ Eric Church

 

9  Montevallo _ Sam Hunt

 

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

 

 

MUSIC NEWS: THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 2015

 

LOLLAPALOOZA ANNOUNCES LINEUP

 

Metallica was the surprise headliner for Lollapalooza in 1996. They will return to headline Lollapalooza again this year. Paul McCartney and Sam Smith will also be among the 130 acts for this year's festival, set for July 31 to Aug. 2nd in Chicago. Other performers include Florence And The Machine, The Weeknd, Of Monsters And Men, Tame Impala, A-S-A-P Rocky, Walk The Moon and Charli X-C-X.

 

--- 

CULTURE CLUB RESCHEDULES TOUR

 

Culture Club has announced the rescheduled dates for their cancelled tour. The tour will begin July 20th in Denver. The original dates were scrapped because Boy George needed treatment for a polyp in his throat. Boy George was the mentor last night on ``American Idol.'' 

---

 

VAN HALEN ANNOUNCE TOUR, LIVE ALBUM

 

Van Halen is back and ready to hit the road.

The lineup featuring David Lee Roth on vocals will launch a tour July 5th in Seattle. Canadian dates in August include London, Ontario and Toronto. Kenny Wayne Shepherd will be the opening act.

Van Halen will perform a concert that will be broadcast over two nights Monday and Tuesday on ``Jimmy Kimmel Live.'' Van Halen will release a live album, ``Tokyo Dome Live In Concert,'' on Tuesday.

Re-mastered versions of the Van Halen self-titled album and of ``1984'' will also come out Tuesday.

---

ONE DIRECTION FANS UPSET OVER ZAYN MALIK'S DEPARTURE

 

One Direction fans are wearing out the emoticons for ``crying,'' what with the news that Zayn Malik is quitting the group. Fan messages to Malik include ``No!'' ''Come back!`` ''I'm dying`` and just ''good luck.`` Malik says in a statement his life with One Direction has been more than he ever could have imagined, but he's leaving to be a normal 22-year-old.

One Direction say they respect Malik's decision and they will always be friends. One Direction will continue with four members. They plan to record a new album later this year. 

---

 

UPDATE ON BRUCE DICKINSON: SITUATION OPTIMISTIC

 

Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden appears to be progressing well with treatments for a cancer on his tongue. The band writes on Iron Maiden's Web site that Dickinson has seen his specialists recently and the situation is optimistic. He won't know for sure if the cancer has been eradicated until he gets an M-R-I in May. Dickinson has been as active as he can be while he recovers. He visited the Iron Maiden office, checked out his airplane hangar and paid a visit to his local pub.

 

---

 

COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME ANNOUNCES NEW INDUCTEES

 

Joe Bonsall of The Oak Ridge Boys says getting into the Country Music Hall of Fame is the biggest thing ever to happen to them. His bandmate, Jim Allen, says he's only seen tears in the eyes of fellow Oak Ridge Boy Richard Sterban twice: when they joined the Grand Ole Opry and when they found out they're going into the hall of fame. Jim Ed Brown and The Browns will also be inducted.

Brown says it's an honour he's been dreaming of for years but never knew if it would happen. Guitarist Grady Martin, who died in 2001, is the final inductee. He played on songs like ``El Paso'' by Marty Robbins, Brenda Lee's ``I'm Sorry'' and Willie Nelson's ``On The Road Again.'' The induction ceremony will be later this year in Nashville.

The Oak Ridge Boys play the Club Regent Event Centre in Winnipeg May 30th.  Tickets on sale now. 

---

 

SCOTT WEILAND IS SORRY FOR TREATING FANS POORLY

 

Scott Weiland has issued an apology to fans he met at a meet-and-greet in Boston. Weiland writes on his Facebook page he's embarrassed by his behaviour and some of the things he said.

Fans had complained that Weiland said crude things to them and grumbled it was taking too long to take photos with fans. Weiland says he had put everything into his show that night and was ``beyond exhausted'' _ but he still acted like a jerk. 

---

 

DAVID CROSBY 911 CALLS RELEASED

 

The 9-1-1 calls from David Crosby indicate he was genuinely concerned for the jogger he hit. The California Highway Patrol has released the calls Crosby made after hitting Jose Jimenez with his car on Sunday. In the first call, Crosby says he's the one who hit Jimenez and he asks for an ambulance right away. He tells a dispatcher the sun was in his eyes and he couldn't see Jimenez. After the dispatcher tells Crosby help is on the way, Crosby hangs up, but he called a second time asking how fast the ambulance will be there. Jimenez is hospitalized with broken bones, cuts and bruises, and he is expected to survive. 

---

 

ACM AWARDS WILL GIVE MILESTONE AWARDS TO BROOKS, CHESNEY, LAMBERT

 

The Academy of Country Music will give special awards to top musicians for all the awards they've gotten from the Academy of Country Music. Garth Brooks, Kenny Chesney, Miranda Lambert, Reba McEntire, George Strait, Taylor Swift and Brooks and Dunn will each get a 50th Anniversary Milestone Award during the A-C-M Awards on April 19. Brooks will be honoured for being the most awarded A-C-M Entertainer of the Year. Chesney's award is for winning the first fan-voted Entertainer of the Year award. Lambert's award is for being the most awarded solo female artist. McEntire wins for being the most awarded Female Vocalist of the Year. Strait will be honoured for winning A-C-M Awards over four decades. Swift's award is for being the youngest A-C-M Entertainer of the Year, in 2011. Brooks and Dunn will be recognized for being the artist with the most A-C-M Awards at 27.

---

The following list represents the most viral tracks on Spotify, based on the number of people who shared it divided by the number who listened to it, from Monday, March 16, to Sunday, March 22, via Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter and Spotify.

 

CANADA

 

1. Phoebe Ryan, ``Ignition / Do You... (Mashup)'' (Phoebe Ryan)

 

2. Kygo featuring Parson James, ``Stole the Show'' (Ultra Records)

 

3. Tame Impala, ``Let It Happen'' (Modular Recordings)

 

4. Kendrick Lamar, ``King Kunta'' (Aftermath/Interscope)

 

5. Ksi featuring P Money, ``Lamborghini'' (Dcypha Productions)

 

6. Grace featuring G-Eazy, ``You Don't Own Me'' (RCA Records)

 

7. Milk & Bone, ``Pressure'' (Bonsound Records)

 

8. Oh Wonder, ``Technicolour Beat'' (Oh Wonder)

 

9. Of Monsters and Men, ``Crystals'' (Republic Records)

 

10. Shura, ``2Shy'' (Polydor Records)

 

 

 

UNITED STATES

 

1. Grace featuring G-Eazy, ``You Don't Own Me'' (RCA Records)

 

2. Phoebe Ryan, ``Ignition / Do You... (Mashup)'' (Phoebe Ryan)

 

3. Highly Suspect. ``Lydia'' (300 Entertainment)

 

4. Kygo featuring Parson James, ``Stole the Show'' (Ultra Records)

 

5. Tame Impala, ``Let It Happen'' (Modular Recordings)

 

6. Kendrick Lamar, ``King Kunta'' (Aftermath/Interscope)

 

7. Matoma featuring Ja Rule and Ralph Tresvant, ``Old Thing Back'' (Big Beat Records)

 

8. Grimes featuring Bleachers, ``Entropy'' (4AD & RCA Records)

 

9. Ksi featuring P Money, ``Lamborghini'' (Dcypha Productions)

 

10. Twenty One Pilots, ``Fairly Local'' (Fueled By Ramen)

 

 

 

UNITED KINGDOM

 

1. Chic featuring Nile Rodgers, ``I'll Be There'' (Nile Rodgers

Productions)

 

2. Chic feat. Nile Rodgers, ``I'll Be There - Single Version''

(Nile Rodgers Productions)

 

3. Lil' Chris, ``Checkin' It Out'' (Sony BMG Music UK)

 

4. Tame Impala, ``Let It Happen'' (Modular Recordings)

 

5. Kendrick Lamar, ``King Kunta'' (Aftermath/Interscope)

 

6. Ksi featuring P Money, ``Lamborghini'' (Dcypha Productions)

 

7. Carpenter Brut, ``Roller Mobster'' (No Quarter)

 

8. Chris Joss, ``Tune Down'' (Teraphonic Records)

 

9. M83 & Haim, ``Holes in the Sky'' (From The ``Insurgent''

Soundtrack) (Interscope Records)

 

10. Kygo featuring Parson James, ``Stole the Show'' (Ultra

Records)

 

 

 

GLOBAL

 

1. Grace featuring G-Eazy, ``You Don't Own Me'' (RCA Records)

 

2. Phoebe Ryan, ``Ignition / Do You... (Mashup)'' (Phoebe Ryan)

 

3. Martin Jensen, ``Si'' (disco:wax)

 

4. Tame Impala, ``Let It Happen'' (Modular Recordings)

 

5. Kygo featuring Parson James, ``Stole the Show'' (Ultra Records)

 

6. Brandon Flowers, ``Can't Deny My Love'' (Island Records)

 

7. MAX featuring Hoodie Allen, ``Gibberish'' (DCD2 Records)

 

8. Ksi featuring P Money, ``Lamborghini'' (Dcypha Productions)

 

9. Kendrick Lamar, ``King Kunta'' (Aftermath/Interscope)

 

10. Matoma featuring Ja Rule and Ralph Tresvant, ``Old Thing Back'' (Big Beat Records)

 ---

The following list represents the most streamed tracks on Spotify, based on the number of people who shared it divided by the number who listened to it, from Monday, March 16 to Sunday, March 22 via Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter and Spotify.

 

CANADA

 

1. Kendrick Lamar, ``King Kunta'' (Aftermath/Interscope)

 

2. Mark Ronson, ``Uptown Funk'' (RCA Records)

 

3. Rihanna, ``FourFiveSeconds'' (Roc Nation Records)

 

4. Ellie Goulding, ``Love Me Like You Do'' (Polydor Ltd.)

 

5. Maroon 5, ``Sugar'' (Interscope Records)

 

6. Kendrick Lamar, ``Wesley's Theory'' (Aftermath/Interscope)

 

7. Ed Sheeran, ``Thinking Out Loud'' (Atlantic Records UK)

 

8. Hozier, ``Take Me to Church'' (Columbia Records)

 

9. The Weeknd, ``Earned It'' (Republic Records)

 

10. Kendrick Lamar, ``Institutionalized'' (Aftermath/Interscope) 

 

UNITED STATES

 

1. Mark Ronson, ``Uptown Funk'' (RCA Records)

 

2. Kendrick Lamar, ``King Kunta'' (Aftermath/Interscope)

 

3. Maroon 5, ``Sugar'' (Interscope Records)

 

4. Ellie Goulding, ``Love Me Like You Do'' (Republic Records)

 

5. The Weeknd, ``Earned It'' (Republic Records)

 

6.  Rihanna, ``FourFiveSeconds'' (Roc Nation Records)

 

7. Ed Sheeran, ``Thinking Out Loud'' (Atlantic Records UK)

 

8. Kendrick Lamar, ``Wesley's Theory'' (Aftermath/Interscope)

 

9. Kendrick Lamar, ``Alright'' (Aftermath/Interscope)

 

10. Fetty Wap, ``Trap Queen'' (RGF Productions) 

 

UNITED KINGDOM

 

1. Rihanna, ``FourFiveSeconds'' (Roc Nation Records)

 

2. Years & Years, ``Kings'' (Polydor Ltd.)

 

3. Ellie Goulding, ``Love Me Like You Do'' (Polydor Ltd.)

 

4. Mark Ronson, ``Uptown Funk'' (RCA Records)

 

5. Hozier, ``Take Me to Church'' (Columbia Records)

 

6. Maroon 5, ``Sugar'' (Interscope Records)

 

7. The Weeknd, ``Earned It'' (Republic Records)

 

8. James Bay, ``Hold Back the River'' (Republic Records)

 

9. Flo Rida featuring Sage The Gemini & Lookas, ``GDFR''

(Atlantic Records)

 

10. Chris Brown, ``Ayo'' (RCA Records) 

 

GLOBAL

 

1. Ellie Goulding, ``Love Me Like You Do'' (Polydor Ltd.)

 

2. Rihanna, ``FourFiveSeconds'' (Roc Nation Records)

 

3. Mark Ronson, ``Uptown Funk'' (RCA Records)

 

4. Maroon 5, ``Sugar'' (Interscope Records)

 

5. The Weeknd, ``Earned It'' (Republic Records)

 

6. Ed Sheeran, ``Thinking Out Loud'' (Atlantic Records UK)

 

7. Hozier, ``Take Me to Church'' (Columbia Records)

 

8. Pitbull, ``Time of Our Lives'' (RCA Records)

 

9. Flo Rida featuring Sage The Gemini & Lookas, ``GDFR''

(Atlantic Records)

 

10. OMI, ``Cheerleader (Felix Jaehn Remix Radio Edit)'' (Ultra

Records) 

--- 

The following is HMV Canada's top 10 CDs based on national sales for the week ending March 28.

 

CDs

 

1. To Pimp a Butterfly _ Kendrick Lamar

 

2. Legend (remastered) _ Bob Marley

 

3. Run _ AWOLNATION

 

4. X _ Ed Sheeran

 

5. Smoke + Mirrors _ Imagine Dragons

 

6. Rebel Heart _ Madonna

 

7. Tracker _ Mark Knopfler

 

8. Chaos and the Calm _ James Bay

 

9. In the Lonely Hour _ Sam Smith

 

10. ``Fifty Shades of Grey'' Soundtrack _ Various Artists 

 

COUNTRY

 

1. Shania: Still the One_ Live from Vegas _ Shania Twain

 

2. 1989 _ Taylor Swift

 

3. Spring Break...Checkin' Out _ Luke Bryan

 

4. Montevallo _ Sam Hunt

 

5. Crash My Party _ Luke Bryan

 

6. Greatest Hits _ Shania Twain

 

7. Country Hits 2015 _ Various Artists

 

8. Bringing Back the Sunshine _ Blake Shelton

 

9. Outsiders _ Eric Church

 

10. Anything Goes _ Florida Georgia Line

---

 

 

 

 

MUSIC NEWS: THURSDAY, MARCH 3, 2016

 

ACMS ADD MORE PERFORMERS

 

Kelsea Ballerini, Dierks Bentley, Eric Church and Sam Hunt have been added to the lineup for the Academy of Country Music Awards. Previously announced performers are Cam, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Kenny Chesney and Florida Georgia Line. The ACMs will be April 3 and shown live on CBS. 

---

NINA SIMONE MOVIE WILL COME OUT NEXT MONTH

The movie about Nina Simone starring Zoe Saldana is finally getting released. ``Nina'' will come out in theatres, on digital HD and video-on-demand on April 22. The film debuted at the Cannes Film Festival two years ago but its release has been delayed several times. Simone's life is a hot topic lately. The documentary ``What Happened, Miss Simone?'' was nominated for an Oscar but lost to the documentary about Amy Winehouse. 

---

 

MADONNA AND GUY RITCHIE GO TO COURT OVER SON

A New York State Supreme Court judge has told Madonna and Guy Ritchie to get it together for the benefit of their 15-year-old son, Rocco. Justice Deborah Kaplan says the parents are at fault for failing to reach a resolution over where Rocco should live. A court-appointed attorney for Rocco says he's stressed about his future since he left Madonna's tour last year to stay with Ritchie in London. Madonna wants Kaplan to enforce an order returning Rocco to his mother's custody. Kaplan says if the parents don't resolve the matter, the court will. Madonna and Ritchie divorced in 2008. 

---

 

UNIVERSITY OF TULSA PLANS TO HOUSE BOB DYLAN ARCHIVES

 

Bob Dylan says he's glad his archives have found a home near those of his hero, Woody Guthrie, and alongside artifacts of Native Americans. More than 6,000 Dylan-related items will have been acquired by the University of Tulsa and the George Kaiser Family Foundation. The items include his 1974 notebook with his handwritten lyrics for the ``Blood on the Tracks'' album, his handwritten lyrics to ``Chimes of Freedom'' written on hotel stationery in 1964, and lyrics and chord progressions to songs he never recorded in 1970. The archive also includes Dylan's 1966 wallet, complete with Otis Redding's business card and a piece of paper with Johnny Cash's name and address written on it. 

---

 

SONGWRITERS HALL OF FAME ANNOUNCES NEW CLASS

 

Elvis Costello, Tom Petty and Marvin Gaye are among the acts who will be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame this year. Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards of Chic (SHEEK) will also be inducted. So will Chip Taylor, who wrote ``Wild Thing,'' ''Angel of the Morning`` and ''I Can't Let Go.`` The induction ceremony is set for June 9 in New York. 

---

MAVIS STAPLES

 

Mavis Staples was warned about M. Ward of She And Him. They worked together on her new album, ``Livin' on a High Note,'' and her friend tipped her off that Ward was a quiet type. Staples says she thought, ``If I could get Prince to talk, I'll get him to talk.'' And she did. She says they got along fine. The album features Staples singing songs written for her by acts like Ward, Aloe Blacc, Ben Harper and Neko Case. Staples is 76 and she's got too much to do before retirement. She says she doesn't feel like it's time to sit in a rocking chair and she feels ``so frisky.'' She says she still has the gift the Lord gave her and she intends to use it. 

---

 

THOMAS RHETT EXPLAINS ``DIE A HAPPY MAN''

 

Thomas Rhett's latest hit is a result of his wife giving him a kick in the pants about his songwriting. Rhett says his wife, Lauren, told him he needs to write songs about something besides beer and parties. He realized he had never written a song about her, and so he cranked out ``Die A Happy Man.'' Rhett says Lauren is not the type of woman who would want a cheesy song written about her, but they both felt ``Die A Happy Man'' nailed their relationship perfectly. 

---

 

MAJOR ELVIS ATTRACTION IN LAS VEGAS SHUTS DOWN

 

Elvis Presley Enterprises plans to go to court to make sure hundreds of Elvis Presley artifacts are protected after a Las Vegas exhibit abruptly closed. EPE loaned the artifacts to the Westgate Las Vegas Resort and Casino for the attraction ``Graceland Presents Elvis: The Exhibition - The Show - The Experience.'' The Westgate is in a leasing dispute with the attraction's operators, Exhibit A Circle LLC. The exhibit opened last April with Priscilla Presley acting as maid of honour at the facility's first wedding.

Westgate says it's guarding the memorabilia until there's a resolution. 

---

 

JOHN LENNON'S STAMP COLLECTION GOES ON DISPLAY

 

John Lennon's boyhood stamp collection will be one of the highlights of the World Stamp Show in New York later this year. Rolling Stone reports Lennon started collecting stamps when his older cousin gave him an album that was partially filled in.

Lennon was fond of stamps from the U.S. and from New Zealand. The collection is not valuable in itself, but it does show Lennon's early creativity: Lennon drew a moustache on Queen Victoria and a beard on King George the Fourth on the title page. The World Stamp Show will run May 28 through June 4, with free admission. 

---

 

THE WHO MAKE A LATE-NIGHT TALK SHOW APPEARANCE

 

The last time The Who performed on a nighttime talk show in America, Pete Townshend's hair was singed and Keith Moon ended up with shrapnel in his arm. The Who will perform on ``The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon'' tomorrow, their first such appearance since their notorious performance on ``The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour'' in 1967. During that show, Moon packed explosives in his drum kit, but he put several times the amount he usually did. It went off as Townshend was destroying his guitar during the finale of ``My Generation.'' 

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A$AP ROCKY WILL HOST NEW FORMAT OF MTV WOODIE AWARDS

 

A$AP Rocky will host the new version of the MTV Woodie Awards. Rocky will host the March 16 show from the South By Southwest Festival in Austin, Texas. The Woodies used to hand out music awards based on votes by college students. Now the show will spotlight ten music artists on the rise in 2016. Rocky says it's all about shedding light on the musicians who influence a lot of people and maybe don't get credit. Those ten acts will be announced later. 

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(The Associated Press)

 

MUSIC NEWS: THURSDAY, MARCH 5, 2015

 

JUNO NOMINEES THE BROS. LANDRETH PLAY THE WATSON ART CENTRE IN DAUPHIN TONIGHT!

Winnipeg based brothers David and Joey Landreth (with guitarist Ariel Posen and drummer Ryan Voth) bring their Juno nominated roots/rock music to Dauphin's Watson Art Centre tonight at 8 pm.  Doors open at 7:30 pm.  The band has recently reissued their debut album, "Let It Lie" with a couple of additional songs.  After the Dauphin show the band is off to play 4 showcases to music industry types at the annual South By South West (SXSW) Festival in Austin, Texas.

Tickets are $36 and are available from the Fiddlelore Store, Dauphin Music & Electronics and the Watson Art Centre.  Charge by Phone at 204.638.6231 between noon and 5pm today.  Tickets may be available up to show time. Opening the show is Stenibach country/roots artist Quinton Blair.

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GLEN CAMPBELL'S CHILDREN FIGHT OVER WIFE'S CONTROL OVER HIS CARE

 

Glen Campbell's two oldest children want someone besides his wife to make medical and financial decisions for him. Debby Campbell-Cloyd and Travis Campbell are asking a judge to appoint conservators and a guardian to protect Campbell's interests.

They say in a petition filed in Nashville in January that Campbell's wife, Kim, is keeping their father secluded from the rest of the family and won't let them help with his care. The petition was filed under seal but a copy was sent to The Associated Press. Kim Campbell's attorney refused to comment because of the seal. Glen Campbell is in the late stages of Alzheimer's disease and lives at a long-term care facility. 

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PHARRELL TELLS JURY HE DIDN'T COPY MARVIN GAYE IN 'BLURRED LINES'

 

Pharrell Williams says he wasn't trying to copy the late Marvin Gaye's music for ``Blurred Lines.'' But Williams says he was going for the feeling of late 1970s tunes.

Williams is being sued by Gaye's children, who claim ``Blurred Lines'' copies their father's hit ``Got to Give it Up.'' Robin Thicke and rapper T.I. are also defendants in the case. Yesterday, Williams told a jury in federal court in Los Angeles that he grew up listening to Gaye's music. Williams says he didn't discuss ``Got to Give it Up'' with Thicke before crafting the song in mid-2012.

``Blurred Lines'' was 2013's biggest hit and earned more than 16-million dollars in profits. 

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SHANIA TWAIN ANNOUNCES FINAL TOUR

 

Canada's Shania Twain is going to launch her first tour in 11 years, and it will be her last. Twain will begin her ``Rock This Country'' tour June 5th in Seattle and also perform in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. She will also perform in Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal.  Twain tells ``Good Morning America'' it will be a farewell tour because while she enjoyed her two years performing in Las Vegas, she's ready to hang it up. Twain says it will be a different show than the Vegas one. Canadian musician and actor Wes Mack will open for the Seattle date and all the Canadian dates, while Gavin DeGraw will open on the American dates. 

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MARKY RAMONE PREPARES HIS OWN BEER

 

Drummer Marky Ramone of The Ramones is planning his own beer line. He's a recovering alcoholic. Ramone says that may sound ``surreal,'' but just because he's an alcoholic doesn't mean he can't create a great-tasting beer. He does what wine-tasters do: he swirls it in his mouth and spits it out. He says if he swallows, he breaks his sobriety. Ramone plans to donate the proceeds from the sale of the beer to charity. In the meantime, he's just published his autobiography, ``Punk Rock Blitzkrieg.'' 

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BUDDY HOLLY PLANE CRASH CASE COULD BE REOPENED

 

The National Transportation Safety Board could take another look at the February 1959 plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper. An N-T-S-B spokesman confirms to Billboard magazine it is reviewing a petition to reopen the investigation. That review could take several months. New England pilot L-J Coon submitted the petition, saying flight data involving the plane's rate of ascent, weight and balance could point out factors in the crash. That could clear the name of pilot Roger Peterson,who was also killed in the crash. The now-defunct Civil Aeronautics Board blamed the crash on pilot error, with snow as a secondary cause.

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'AMERICAN IDOL'-ARETHA

 

``American Idol'' enlisted some Detroit star power to open last night's show. The Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, did ``I Will Survive'' before the Top 8 guys performed. Franklin was also a mentor to the contestants. The Top 12 guys started the show.

As each of the Top 8 was named, he got to perform for this week's vote. The last to make it was Quentin Alexander, who says he was getting plenty nervous as the clock ticked down. Tonight, the Top 8 ladies take the Idol stage.

 

TV Bieber Roast

Rapper Snoop Dogg, former NBA star Shaquille O'Neal and lifestyles guru Martha Stewart are among the celebrities set to skewer Canadian pop star Justin Bieber at his upcoming roast. 

The eclectic list of roasters also includes rapper Ludacris, and comedians Hannibal Buress, Chris D'Elia, Natasha Leggero and Jeffrey Ross. 

Comedy star Kevin Hart will host ``The Roast of Justin Bieber.'' 

It will tape March 14 in Los Angeles and premiere March 30 on The Comedy Network in Canada. 

Earlier this week, Bieber turned to his Twitter account to ask fellow Canadian Seth Rogen to participate in the roast. 

But Rogen's name was not on the list of roasters unveiled Thursday.

MUSIC NEWS: THURSDAY, MAY 14, 2015

 

CMT AWARDS ANNOUNCE NOMINEES

 

Twelve videos are up for video of the year at the C-M-T Music Awards. Carrie Underwood is nominated twice in that category, for ``Something in the Water'' and for her duet with Miranda Lambert, ``Somethin' Bad.'' The competition includes videos by Darius Rucker, Lee Brice, Kenny Chesney, Lady Antebellum, Dierks Bentley, Florida Georgia Line, Maddie and Tae, Luke Bryan, Sam Hunt and Jason Aldean. Underwood leads the nominations with five. Lady A and Chesney have four each. The C-M-T Awards will air live on June 10th from Nashville. 

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THOMPSON SQUARE PLAY AT COLLEGE WORLD SERIES

 

 

 

Thompson Square will headline a concert to celebrate the College World Series. The concert will be held next to T-D Ameritrade Park in Omaha on June 12th. The College World Series begins the next day.  

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BLAKE SHELTON DOES COMMERCIAL FOR MONTREAL CLOTHING COMPANY

Apparel maker Gildan Activewear says it's getting an early buzz from the first commercials featuring country music star Blake Shelton, one of the coaches on ``The Voice.'' 

Gildan CEO Glenn Chamandy says the singer resonates strongly with its target consumer market _ women. 

He also says there's been very positive social media response to spots with Shelton that first aired last month. 

The Montreal-based company's Gildan branded underwear is currently ranked No. 3 in terms of U.S. market share. 

Chamandy says he hopes the Gildan branded product will have 10 per cent of the U.S underwear market by the end of 2015, up from 7.3 per cent, helped by increased consumer awareness thanks to Shelton's involvement. 

In addition to TV spots, Gildan is using Shelton's image on in-store displays, sponsorships and signage.

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SCOTT STAPP SAYS HE'S BIPOLAR

 

Creed singer Scott Stapp says his recent bizarre behaviour is a result of bipolar disorder. He tells People magazine he had a psychotic break brought on by alcohol and drug abuse. Last fall, he posted a video that his bank accounts had been frozen for no reason and he was under vicious attack. His wife, Jaclyn, called 9-1-1 after Stapp believed he was part of the C-I-A and made threats against U-S President Barack Obama. Stapp is in therapy, takes medication for his bipolar disorder and is in a 12-step program for his sobriety. He and Jaclyn are still together. 

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SARAH BRIGHTMAN POSTPONES TRIP TO ISS

 

Sarah Brightman is putting off her space trip.

Space Adventures, the company helping Brightman prepare her flight to the International Space Station, says Brightman is delaying the trip ``for personal family reasons.'' Brightman had planned to blast off in a Russian Soyuz rocket on September 1st. She had intended to be the first professional musician to sing in space and was working with her ex-husband, composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, to create a song for the event. 

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AMY WINEHOUSE MOVIE WILL BE RELEASED IN JULY

 

The Amy Winehouse documentary will hit theatres on July 10th. The film ``Amy'' will open in New York and in Los Angeles on July 3rd. The film uses archive footage and features previously unheard Winehouse tracks. 

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AMERICAN IDOL FINALE

 

And the winner is: Nick. Nick Fradiani (frah-dee-AHN'-ee), the 29-year-old rock performer from Connecticut was picked as the new ``American Idol.'' He says this is ``the best day'' of his life. Fradiani outscored the soulful 22-year-old Clark Beckham of Tennessee, to win the 14th edition of the Fox talent competition. The two-hour finale was packed with star power, kicking off with Fradiani and Beckham joining Fall Out Boy on their song ``Centuries.'' That was followed by performances by Ricky Martin, former judge Steven Tyler, and current judge, Jennifer Lopez, singing with Prince Royce and Pitbull. Fox just announced this week that the next season of ``Idol'' will be the last.

 

LICHEN NAMED FOR DOLLY PARTON

 

Dolly Parton has a species of lichen named after her. Scientists Jessica L. Allen and James C. Lendemer at The New York Botanical Garden have named the lichen Japewiella dollypartoniana. It was a previously known species but it could not be formally identified until it was discovered in fruit. Allen and Lendemer discovered it that way in western North Carolina. They chose to name it after Parton because she is a champion for Appalachia and that's where the lichen is found. 

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MUMFORD AND SONS HIT NUMBER ONE

 

Mumford and Sons have scored another number-one album. ``Wilder Mind'' moved 249-thousand units in its first week of release, according to Billboard. That puts it at the top of the Billboard 200 album chart. Their ``Babel'' album also was number one in 2012. 

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ELTON JOHN WANTS TO MAKE ``BILLY ELLIOT'' MUSICAL INTO FILM

 

Elton John would love to make a movie of a musical based on a movie. John tells the B-B-C he'd like to make a movie version of the stage musical ``Billy Elliot.'' John wrote the songs for the musical. He says a film version would be ``lovely'' and he'd love to include songs that don't fit in the stage version. When asked if he'd like a role in the movie, John jokes he'd love to play the eccentric grandmother. 

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PINK CALLS OUT ONLINE BULLIES

 

If you happened to see Pink out and about, would you walk right up to her and tell her she's fat? Pink says no one would say that kind of thing to her face, but they have no problem doing it on social media. Pink recently wrote a long response to fat-shamers online. Pink says bullies give too much credit to their opinions and they think it's okay to say things like that. She says she doesn't like when other people are bullied, and bullies do not alter her life in any way. This week, Pink received the President's Award from music publisher B-M-I, honouring her songwriting and music success.

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OAK RIDGE BOY JOE BONSALL WRITES BOOK ABOUT THE GROUP

 

Joe Bonsall of The Oak Ridge Boys is telling their stories to the world. Bonsall has written a book called ``On the Road with The Oak Ridge Boys: Forty Years of Untold Stories and Adventures.'' He tells the stories of backstage at their shows, what they do on their tour bus, big name celebrities who are fans and the story of how ``Elvira'' came to be. The book is on sale now.

The Oak Ridge Boys play the Club Regent Event Centre in Winnipeg on May 30th.

 

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'Wilder Mind' by Mumford & Sons tops HMV Canada CD sales chart

The following is HMV Canada's top 10 CDs based on national sales for the week ending May 16.

 

CDs

 

1. Wilder Mind _ Mumford & Sons

 

2. Under One Sky _ The Tenors

 

3. Just the Hits 2015 _ Various Artists

 

4. Stages _ Josh Groban

 

5. Hozier _ Hozier

 

6. Jekyll + Hyde _ Zac Brown Band

 

7. If You're Reading This It's Too Late _ Drake

 

8. X _ Ed Sheeran

 

9. Love Songs for Robots _ Patrick Watson

 

10. Straight Outta Compton (20th Anniversary Edition) _ N.W.A.

 

 

 

COUNTRY

 

1. Jekyll + Hyde _ Zac Brown Band

 

2. 1989 _ Taylor Swift

 

3. Gypsy Road _ Dean Brody

 

4. Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell _ ``The Traveling Kind''

 

5. Love Somebody _ Reba McEntire

 

6. Spring Break...Checkin' Out _ Luke Bryan

 

7. Montevallo _ Sam Hunt

 

8. Painkiller _ Little Big Town

 

9. Country Hits 2015 _ Various Artists

 

10. Bringing Back the Sunshine _ Blake Shelton

 

 

MUSIC NEWS: THURSDAY, MAY 21, 2015

 

NICKELBACK UNDER SCRUTINY DOWN UNDER

 

An Australian police force is knocking Nickelback in a cheeky social media post as the Alberta rockers tour the country. 

A phoney wanted poster uploaded by Queensland Police Service features an image of the group along with the words: ``Be on the lookout, wanted for crimes against music.'' A caption for the image adds: ``Police are on the lookout for these men who are believed to be impersonating musicians around Boondall this evening.''  It concludes: ``Avoid the area. It may be hazardous to your hearing and street cred.'' 

Comments on the post ranged from support for the joke to criticism of the police force, with some fans calling the image a form of bullying. 

Nickelback has sold more than 50 million albums but has faced much backlash worldwide, including mock petitions and protests calling for the band's retirement.

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B.B. KING WILL BE BURIED AT HIS MUSEUM

 

B.B. King will be laid to rest at the museum that bears his name in his hometown. King will be buried at the B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretative Center in Indianola, Mississippi, on May 30. A public viewing is scheduled for today in Las Vegas, with a private service for relatives on Saturday. King's body will be flown to Memphis on Wednesday and driven in a procession on Beale Street. The B.B. King museum will hold a public viewing on May 29 with a funeral on May 30. The museum's director, Dion Brown, says they feel comfortable knowing King's grave will receive perpetual care at the museum. 

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KANYE WEST APOLOGIZES AND SAYS HE WAS ``OVER-CENSORED''

 

Kanye West is apologizing to viewers of Sunday's Billboard Music Awards because he says he was ``grossly over-censored.'' West says in a statement lyrics that were not profane were muted and his performance was ``seriously misrepresented.'' West performed the songs ``All Day'' and ``Black Skinhead.'' It lasted just over six minutes, with a total of one minute of his performance muted. One muted section lasted 13 seconds. 

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BARBRA STREISAND WILL WRITE LIFE STORY

 

Barbra Streisand has talked about writing her autobiography for years. Now she's got a deadline. Streisand has a deal with Viking to publish her autobiography in 2017. It does not yet have a title. Streisand has said she wanted to write her memoir to clear up myths that have come up in unauthorized books about her.

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MAN SENTENCED TO PRISON IN MILEY CYRUS BURGLARY CASE

 

A man convicted of breaking into Miley Cyrus' home has been sentenced to two years in a California state prison.

Rusty Sellner was sentenced yesterday. He pleaded no contest three months ago to stealing a large amount of personal property from Cyrus' home in December. He had previous convictions for burglary and evading arrest. 

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AVETT BROTHERS TRY TO DEFINE A ``BAD SHOW''

 

The Avett Brothers find it hard to agree on when they have had a bad show. Guitarist Seth Avett says he might come off stage thinking they did a terrible concert and his brother Scott will say it was the best one in a month. Bassist Bob Crawford says sometimes he'll think the band is not on their game but he'll see people in the audience having the times of their lives. Avett says when they do have a bad show, he makes sure to thank the crowd for stomaching it. 

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GIRL WHO GOT TAYLOR SWIFT TO CALL HER DIES

 

The 12-year-old Chicago girl with cancer who made friends with Taylor Swift has died. The mother of Emily Beazley writes on Facebook that Emily died late Monday. She had been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma when she was 8. Her friends and family rallied to get Swift to phone her, and Swift called three weeks ago. Swift's manager had offered Emily tickets to Swift's Detroit concert and the chance to meet her, but the concert isn't until May 30. 

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NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY FOCUSES ON CELEBRITY

 

Katy Perry and Britney Spears are now part of the Smithsonian. The National Portrait Gallery in Washington is featuring Perry and Spears as part of its new exhibit, ``Eye Pop: The Celebrity Gaze.'' Perry is shown in a painting dressed in a cupcake wrapper and wearing a tiara made of candy. Spears' portrait is a mashup of images from her music videos. The exhibit explores the idea of celebrity image. Other musicians featured in the exhibit include Eminem, Barbra Streisand, Esperanza Spalding and opera singer Renee Fleming. 

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''WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD``

 

The Songwriters Hall of Fame will honour not just songwriters this year, but a song. ``What A Wonderful World'' wins the Towering Song Honors for influencing American culture. The song was written by George David Weiss and Bob Thiele and recorded by Louis Armstrong in 1967. It did not even crack the top 40 when it came out, but it hit number 32 in 1988 after it was used in the film ``Good Morning, Vietnam.'' The Songwriters Hall of Fame will induct Bobby Braddock, Willie Dixon, Robert Hunter and Jerry Garcia, Toby Keith, Cyndi Lauper and Linda Perry on June 18 in New York. 

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DAVID LETTERMAN'S FINALE

 

David Letterman apparently likes long goodbyes.

His final show ``Late Show'' broadcast ran about 17 minutes over its one-hour time slot _ which means if you set your DVR to start and end on time, you missed the last part of the show. The last show featured appearances from stars like Steve Martin, Tina Fey, the rock band Foo Fighters _ and an all-star version of the final Top Ten list. Several audience members left the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York with tears in their eyes. One audience member said Letterman ``was guarded'' in his emotions _ but it was clear that ``it was really hard for him'' to end his 33 years as a network late night host. The audience member said while you could see the emotion on his face _ but he was feeling more than he was letting on.

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MUSIC NEWS: THURSDAY, MAY 28, 2015

 

 

U2'S TOUR MANAGER DIES

 

Bono says Dennis Sheehan was more than a tour manager -- he was a member of the U2 family. The band is mourning the loss of their longtime aide. Sheehan died yesterday morning at a hotel in West Hollywood, California. Authorities responded to a call for a man whose heart had stopped beating -- and Sheehan was pronounced dead at the scene. Sheehan has managed U2's tours for more than three decades. His death came hours after the band performed at The Forum in Inglewood, California. It was the first of what were five scheduled shows in the L-A area. 

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U2 TOUR WOES

 

Even before yesterday's sudden death of U2's longtime tour manager, there have been problems affecting the band. Last year, frontman Bono (BAHN'-oh) was seriously injured in a bike crash in New York's Central Park. He had a number of injuries, including fractures to his left eye socket, shoulder blade and left elbow -- and required surgery to repair some of the damage. At an earlier stop on the tour, The Edge fell off a stage during a show in Canada. That tumble was much less serious -- and later the guitarist joked about it. And last year, the band was criticized for releasing its album "Songs of Innocence" for free through iTunes. 

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B.B. KING PROCESSIONAL

 

One Memphis native called it "a great tribute to a wonderful contributor to the world of music." Thousands turned out for a farewell to B-B King yesterday. A Dixieland jazz band walked ahead of a slow-moving black hearse carrying the body of the blues legend -- and thousands of people marched behind. A musician carried one of King's signature guitars, which he affectionately called "Lucille." The procession made its way down Beale Street -- and eventually on to a road named for King. Next his body will be taken to Indianola, Mississippi, which King considered his hometown, for his funeral on Saturday. King died two weeks ago today. 

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SNOOP DOGG: THE DOGG-GRANDFATHER?

 

Admit it. If you were around for the first part of Snoop Dogg's career, it would be hard to imagine that him growing old and becoming a grandfather. But that's what happened -- and Snoop says he's loving it. He says now that he's older, he looks forward to playing with his grands and doing other "boring" stuff with the youngsters -- stuff he says they won't appreciate until they're older. Snoop just became a granddad in January. 

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AC/DC-ROGER FEDERER

 

Tennis star Roger Federer has twice seen AC/DC in concert. And now a member of the rock group has returned the "serve." Guitarist Angus Young sat in the presidential box at the French Open in Paris. The crowd cheered Young -- and he responded with a wave to the audience and to the tennis star. Federer had a star appearance of his own, winning his second-round match yesterday. Federer says it was "a real pleasure" to have Young on hand. 

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MUSIC NEWS: THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2015

 

EAGLES OF DEATH METAL - SPEAK

 

Eagles of Death Metal are home safe and trying to make sense of what happened. They were several songs into their set at their concert in Paris on Friday when three gunmen burst into the club and opened fire. Eighty-nine people died at the club. All Eagles of Death Metal shows are on hold until further notice. The band members say their thoughts and hearts are with all the people who died, including their merchandise seller and three record label staffers. They say they are bonded in grief with the victims, the fans, the families, the citizens of Paris and all those affected by terrorism. However, they say they are proud to stand with their new family, ``now united by a common goal of love and compassion.'' 

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CARLY SIMON - ``YOU'RE SO VAIN''  - REVEALED

 

After 44 years of being coy about who Carly Simon wrote ``You're So Vain'' about, she's just coming out and saying it:

it's Warren Beatty. Well, the second verse is. That's the one that starts, ``You had me several years ago when I was still quite naive.'' Simon tells People magazine even though Beatty thinks the whole song is about him, the other two verses are about two other men. O-K, who? Simon won't say. She says she won't reveal that unless she tells the two men that she wrote it with them in mind.

Simon says she didn't think she'd ever even reveal the song was about more than one person, and she can't believe that people still care. Simon's autobiography, ``Boys in the Trees: A Memoir,'' comes out Tuesday. 

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WILLIE NELSON - HONOURED

 

Willie Nelson is in some pretty elite company.

Last night he became the first country artist to be awarded the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. The honour comes from the Library of Congress. Previous recipients include Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder, Paul McCartney and Carole King. At a tribute concert in Washington, Nelson said a lot of things have happened in his 82 years, but this is one of the best. Nelson performed, as did Jamey Johnson and Alison Krauss, among others. The concert will air on P-B-S in January.

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ENYA MIGHT - TOUR

 

Enya is toying with the idea of touring. Enya rarely performs in public, even though she enjoys it. She says she just never had the time, and she fell into a pattern of studio work.

When she first started to get popular, her record label wanted her to tour but got scared when she talked about how expensive it would be, because she'd need choirs and maybe an orchestra. She went back to the studio instead. Enya says once she starts on new music, that's her main focus. It takes her about three years to make an album. Her latest is ``Dark Sky Island,'' out tomorrow. 

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ONE DIRECTION - ``NEW YEAR'S ROCKIN' EVE''

 

 One Direction will once again be one of the headliners for ``Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2016.'' One Direction will perform three songs from the party in Los Angeles. Carrie Underwood headlines the party in New York's Time Square. ``Rockin' Eve'' will be shown on A-B-C. 

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JUSTIN BIEBER - AMAS

 

Justin Bieber will perform the finale at the American Music Awards on Sunday. He will do a medley of his hits to close out the show. The American Music Awards will be shown live on A-B-C. 

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VANESSA CARLTON - ``LIBERMAN''

 

Vanessa Carlton can trace the origin of her latest album, ``Liberman'', to three years ago when she ate peyote with a friend in Mexico. Carlton says it was amazing but not crazy, and she had a shift in perspective after that. She wanted to make a meditative album that ``slips into you like water.'' Carlton says she hopes ``Liberman'' can be the kind of record that you can put on and slip into another world in ``the muted cave of your headphones.'' 

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TIMBERLAKE, JONAS - PEOPLE'S SEXY LIST

 

 Justin Timberlake and Joe Jonas are hot stuff.

They have made the top ten of People magazine's Sexiest Men Alive list. Soccer star David Beckham was named the Sexiest Man Alive.

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ZOOLANDER - BIEBER

 

Justin Bieber appears to meet a grim fate in the upcoming ``Zoolander 2'' film. The male model comedy features an assassin out to kill ``the world's most beautiful people,'' and the Canadian pop superstar appears to be one of them. A newly released trailer for the film shows Bieber being chased down by an assassin on a motorbike. In the next shot, Bieber is apparently injured on the ground, and uses his phone to take a selfie before saying, ``Peace out, world.'' The movie, directed by and starring Ben Stiller, is due out in February. 

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MUSIC NEWS: THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2015

 

EMMYLOU HARRIS - ``ALL-STAR DOG RESCUE CELEBRATION''

 

Emmylou Harris will be honoured for her devotion to animals. ``The All-Star Dog Rescue Celebration'' will pay tribute to Harris and three dog rescue organizations. Harris will perform with Andra Day. Stevie Wonder, Randy Jackson, Dwight Yoakam, Miley Cyrus, Paula Abdul, Sia and Florida Georgia Line will also make appearances. The special airs tonight on Fox. 

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LAWSUIT - BOSTON'S TOM SCHOLZ

 

Massachusetts' highest court has thrown out a lawsuit filed by Tom Scholz of Boston against the ex-wife of singer Brad Delp and the Boston Herald. Scholz had sued after the Herald quoted Delp's ex-wife, Micki, in comments that could be construed as blaming Scholz for Delp's suicide in 2007. A lower court had thrown out the lawsuit in 2011, but an appeals court reinstated it. The Supreme Judicial Court found Micki Delp's statements were opinions, so they could not form the basis of a defamation claim. Scholz's publicist released a statement saying Scholz is disappointed and the decision means people will be free to accuse each other of causing another person's suicide, even when it's not true. 

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EAGLES OF DEATH METAL - PARIS CONCERT

 

Eagles of Death Metal touring drummer Julian Dorio says he is counting the days until he can finish their concert in Paris. Dorio writes on his social media the band was playing for one of the most energetic crowds of their tour on November 13th when ``the unimaginable occurred.'' Three attackers stormed their concert and opened fire, leaving 89 dead. Dorio says he is beyond grateful that he was able to find a way out of the venue and mourning those who did not. He thanks many people who were brave that night, including a man named Arthur that Dorio says ran for his life right next to him and selflessly put the band into a taxi before himself. 

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HINDER - TOUR DATES

 

Hinder have called off their tour dates for the rest of the year after a bus accident last week. The band say on their Facebook page heavy rains appear to be a factor in a multi-vehicle accident outside of Cookeville, Tennessee, last week.

They say their band and crew are recovering from injuries, but the extent of those injuries is not known. They have rescheduled some of the dates and plan to resume their tour January 8th in Baltimore. 

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LEON BRIDGES - THANKSGIVING

 

Leon Bridges likes to approach Thanksgiving as a holiday about family rather than food. Bridges says growing up, they weren't poor, but they never had money to do a big Thanksgiving. He says they cherished having each other. Bridges says he plans to spend the holiday in New Orleans this year. 

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NAUGHTY BY NATURE - CONCERT TRAIL

 

Naughty By Nature are planning a 25th anniversary tour. They announce on their website a 26-city tour beginning with Greensboro, North Carolina, on January 27th. 

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MACY'S THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE

 

You could be forgiven if you tune into the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York _ and think you're watching a rerun of ``American Idol.'' Two of the bigger alums from the show will be among the performers. Jordin Sparks and Daughtry will join Mariah Carey, Jake Owen, Trey Songz, Plain White T's and Jennifer Nettles. Others who will perform include Andy Grammer, Questlove, Train and Pat Benatar. The parade has been around since 1924. 

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``ON YOUR FEET'' MUSICAL - MACY'S PARADE

 

Gloria and Emilio Estefan won't be in New York City for today's Macy's Thanksgiving Parade. But their music will be. The parade will feature a medley of songs from the Broadway show ``On Your Feet.'' The couple will be in Florida, feeding the homeless at one of their restaurants. Gloria Estefan says before the feast, they will ``definitely be watching on T-V.'' 

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(The Associated Press)

MUSIC NEWS: THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2015

 

CARLY RAE JEPSEN - ``GREASE''

 

Canadian pop-star Carly Rae Jepsen has been cast as Frenchy in Fox's live T-V staging of the musical ``Grease.''

Jessie J will open the show with a performance of the song ``Grease (Is The Word).'' Julianne Hough will play Sandy and Aaron Tveit will play Danny. The live version of ``Grease'' airs Jan. 31st. 

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ROBBIE ROBERTSON - BOOK

 

Toronto born Robbie Robertson of The Band has created a children's book based on a story he heard as a boy about the Iroquois. Robertson's book, ``Hiawatha and the Peacemaker,'' is the story of a Mohawk named Hiawatha who was chosen to translate the Peacemaker's message of unity for five warring Iroquois nations in the 14th century. Robertson is of Mohawk and Cayuga descent and heard the story as part of the Iroquois oral tradition. The book comes with a C-D containing a Robertson original song. It's out now. 

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JUSTIN BIEBER - PAPARAZZI LAW

 

A photographer convicted of speeding to get a picture of Canadian pop-star Justin Bieber has encountered a setback in his case. A California appellate court has upheld the constitutionality of a 2010 law that raises the penalty for those who drive dangerously to get photos for commercial gain. The law was used for the first time to prosecute Paul Raef, who was accused of engaging in a high-speed chase with Bieber in 2012. A lower court ruled the law was unconstitutional, but the appellate ruling means the case against Raef will be reinstated. 

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THOMAS RHETT - ``CRASH AND BURN''

 

The hardest song for Thomas Rhett to sing live is his new single, ``Crash and Burn.'' Rhett says he sings the lowest he can on the verses and the highest he can on the chorus. He says if he had made the verses higher or the chorus lower, he wouldn't have been able to sing the other one. ``Crash and Burn'' was a risky song for him in another way. When he was making his ``Tangled Up'' album, he sent that song and a few others to be tested by a focus group and the group hated all of them. 

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OBIT- PHIL WOODS

 

The sax player who played the solo on Billy Joel's ``Just The Way You Are'' has died. Phil Woods died Tuesday in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, at the age of 83, according to the Bensing-Thomas Funeral Home. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports Woods had performed his last concert Sept. 4th while using oxygen, then announced he had emphysema and was retiring. Woods played on many Quincy Jones albums, and Jones says Woods was the best jazz alto sax player there was. Woods also played with Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, Bill Evans and Clark Terry, as well as with Steely Dan and Paul Simon. 

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LAMB OF GOD - CZECH REPUBLIC

 

A court in Prague has rejected a lawsuit filed by Lamb of God frontman Randy Blythe seeking compensation for his trial in the Czech Republic. Blythe was acquitted of causing a 19-year-old man's death in 2010 after the man jumped on stage and Blythe pushed him off. The man's head hit the floor, and he later died of his injuries. Blythe had requested about 640-thousand dollars in compensation from the Justice Ministry.

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JOE JACKSON - RECOVERING

 

Jackson family patriarch Joe Jackson is doing a lot better since his stroke in July, according to his family. Grandson Taj Jackson says the prognosis is good for his grandfather. He says his worry is that Joe, who is 87, has that ``Jackson hard-headedness'' in that he's supposed to take it easy but he isn't. Grandson T-J Jackson says Joe is being strong and has a lot of family to support him. 

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QUINCY JONES - HONOURED

 

Quincy Jones will be given an award and an all-star jazz salute for his music and his humanitarian work. The Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz says Jones has won the Herbie Hancock Humanitarian Award. Among the performers who will pay tribute to Jones are Hancock, Dave Grusin, Wayne Shorter, Jimmy Heath, George Benson, Hubert Laws, Arturo Sandoval, Patti Austin, Dee Dee Bridgewater and Al Jarreau. The event is set for Nov. 15th in Los Angeles. 

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TIDAL - ALL-STAR CONCERT

 

The Tidal streaming service will sponsor a concert featuring Beyonce', Jay Z and Prince. The show will also feature Nicki Minaj, Usher, Lil Wayne, Damian Marley, Thomas Rhett, Indochine and T.I. The concert is set for Oct. 20nd in New York.

Tidal is owned by Beyonce, Jay Z, Madonna, Rihanna, Jack White, Arcade Fire and other musicians. It has struggled to compete with other streaming services like Spotify since it launched in the spring. 

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MUSIC NEWS: THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2015

 

SHANIA TWAIN - ILL

 

Canadian songstress Shania Twain hopes to be well enough to perform tomorrow in Quebec City as she battles a respiratory infection. Twain says in a statement her doctors advised her to rest for several days. She called off Tuesday's show in Manchester, New Hampshire, and last night's show in Albany, New York. The shows will not be rescheduled but refunds will be given. 

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JOHN MAYER - GRATEFUL DEAD

 

John Mayer says he doubts there's anybody who bought a ticket to the Grateful Dead's Fare Thee Well shows in California and in Illinois who said, ``I hope this is really it.'' Mayer says he can't imagine a Deadhead saying, ``When I paid my money, I paid to see these guys finish this.'' Dead guitarist Bob Weir says, ``I guarantee there are a couple.'' Mayer will join Weir, Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann (KROYTZ'-man) to tour as Dead and Friends beginning October 29th in New York. 

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CCR - REUNION - IMPROBABLE

 

John Fogerty used to go into a rage whenever he was approached about Creedence Clearwater Revival reuniting. Fogerty says he's let those feelings go and now his answer is, ``I don't know. Maybe.'' However, he doubts it. Drummer Doug Clifford agrees. He says, ``Things are too broken.'' Bassist Stu Cook says, ``It would be a milestone if we could just sit down and have a beer.'' 

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CMAS - BRAD PAISLEY - PREVIEW

 

The Ashley Madison website hack was an unfortunate event for the people involved, but Brad Paisley sees it as a gift from the comedy gods. Paisley and Carrie Underwood are hosting the Country Music Association Awards. Paisley says, ``It's the wrong thing to say... but God bless the Ashley Madison website hack, for many reasons.'' He says if there's any group that can speak about cheating, it's country singers. Paisley says the elections also are giving the comedy writers so many things to write about, they can't keep up. The C-M-A's are November 4th. 

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CMAS - THOMAS RHETT - FALL OUT BOY

 

You wouldn't think country singer Thomas Rhett and alternative rock group Fall Out Boy would even know each other.

They will team up for a performance at the Country Music Association Awards. They have not revealed what song they will do. The CMAs will open with Eric Church and Hank Williams Junior performing Williams' new song, ``Are You Ready For The Country.'' The CMAs are November 4th. 

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TAYLOR HICKS - ANTHEM

 

Taylor Hicks will have two chances to sing the national anthem. He will sing before the Nashville Predators' home opener against the Hurricanes today. Hicks will also sing the anthem before the Major League Baseball Division Series Playoff Game Five as the Kansas City Royals host the Houston Astros. Hicks plans to release an album next year. 

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AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS - HOST

 

Jennifer Lopez will host an awards show for the first time with the American Music Awards. Lopez will also perform. The A-M-A's are set for November 22nd and will be shown on A-B-C. Joe Jonas and Charlie Puth will announce the nominations on ``Good Morning America'' on Tuesday

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OBIT-  FRANK ZAPPA'S WIDOW

 

Frank Zappa's widow, Gail, has died. A family spokeswoman says Gail Zappa was surrounded by her children when she died yesterday at her Los Angeles home. There's no word on the cause death. She was 70. 

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OBIT - BILLY JOE ROYAL

 

``Down in the Boondocks'' singer Billy Joe Royal has died. Royal passed away Tuesday at his home in Morehead, North Carolina. He was 73. ``Down in the Boondocks'' hit number 9 in 1965. Royal's other pop hits include ``I Knew You When'' and ``Cherry Hill Park.'' Royal enjoyed a successful country music career in the 1980s, with hits like ``Tell It Like It Is,'' ''Love Has No Right`` and ''I'll Pin A Note To Your Pillow.`` His song ''Burned Like A Rocket`` had been a rapidly rising hit in 1986 until the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster happened and country radio stopped playing it. 

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MUSIC NEWS: THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2015

 

2 TIME GRAMMY NOMINATED BLUEGRASS ARTIST CLAIRE LYNCH BAND PLAYS THE WAC TONIGHT!

Nashville based Bluegrass musician Claire Lynch and her band will hit the stage in Dauphin at the WAC (Watson Art Centre) tonight to kick off her Canadian tour.  Along with being nominated twice for a Grammy Award, Lynch has won the International Bluegrass Music Asscoiation's Female Vocalist of the Year 3 times!

Tickets are still available from the Fiddlelore Store, Dauphin Music & Electronics, The Dauphin Coffee Company and at the WAC.  Individual tickets are $36 or save $25 by purchasing a WACPAC PASSPORT.

Fore more info go to www.watsonartcentre.ca or call 204.638.6231

For more info about Claire Lynch go here: http://730ckdm.com/index.php/music/concert-listings/event/240-claire-lynch-band

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JOHN MELLENCAMP AND KEITH URBAN TO TEAM UP ON THE CMA AWARDS

On Wednesday, November 4th, John Mellencamp will team up with country superstar Keith Urban for a can't-miss performance at the 49th Annual CMA Awards. The CMA Awards will air live on ABC at 8 PM ET. John and Keith teamed up in May 2015 for a performce of "Pink Houses" at Red Nose Day. Keith Urban's current single, "John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16" pays tribute to John's influence on his music. Read the complete press release on Mellencamp.com 

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DOLLY PARTON - HEALTH

 

Dolly Parton says yes, she's been sick _ but it's nothing like what's been making the rounds. The country star says ``there is absolutely no truth at all that I have stomach cancer.'' She does say, however, that she has had a problem with kidney stones. She says those were removed three weeks ago and she is now ``doing just fine.'' Rather than chastise those spreading stories that weren't true, Parton says she loves and appreciates everyone's concern. 

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JAY-Z - COPYRIGHT SUIT

 

Jay Z didn't have much flow during a high-profile appearance in Los Angeles yesterday. But that was O-K since the appearance was in court, not on stage. The rapper and producer Timbaland are being sued by heirs of an Egyptian composer of a 1957 tune that has elements featured in Jay-Z's 1999 hit ``Big Pimpin.' Jay-Z told the jury he believes he had a valid license to use the song. During his hour and a half on the stand, Jay-Z often gave one-word answers, but also used humour to lighten the mood at times. When the plaintiff's lawyer tried to show him something Jay-Z had written in a book about his lyrics, the rapper said: ''You can read it from over there.`` 

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KEITH RICHARDS - HOF EVENT

 

Keith Richards will be giving props to another prominent axe man this weekend. The Rolling Stones guitarist will induct Elvis Presley's guitarist Scotty Moore into the Memphis Music Hall of Fame. Richards won't be the only notable ushering-in an inductee. Jimmy Fallon will be on hand to induct Justin Timberlake during Saturday ceremony. The 2015 class of Memphis Music Hall of Fame members includes Alberta Hunter, Al Jackson Jr., Charlie Rich and Sam & Dave. Previous inductees include Elvis, B.B. King, Al Green, Jerry Lee Lewis and Johnny Cash. 

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FIRST LADY - WHITE HOUSE

 

Michelle Obama says if young people want to learn to succeed _ they have to learn what it's like to fail, too.

The first lady spoke with a group of students attending a musical workshop at the White House yesterday. She told them ``failure is a part'' of the process of becoming successful _ and that when setbacks occur, ``you just learn to pick yourself up.'' Among the artists involved in the workshop were Smokey Robinson, Esperanza Spalding and M-C Lyte. 

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MUSICIANS - WHITE HOUSE

 

U-S President Barack Obama says one of the things that makes America great is that ``we turn life into lyrics.'' The president says creativity is one of the nation's most precious gifts _ and he acknowledged some artists who've helped bestow that. The show included performances by Guy, Usher, James Taylor, Queen Latifah, Smokey Robinson, Esperanza Spalding, MC Lyte, Audra McDonald, Trombone Shorty, Keb' Mo' and Brian Stokes Mitchell.

The performances will be featured in a new installment of the P-B-S television show ``In Performance at the White House.'' It will be broadcast Jan. 8th. 

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FRANK SINATRA - GRAMMY TRIBUTE

 

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (AP) _ Hard to believe Ol' Blue Eyes has been gone this long. The Grammy people are putting together a big event to mark what would have been Frank Sinatra's 100th birthday.

On Dec. 2nd, artists like Alicia Keys, Adam Levine, Carrie Underwood, John Legend and Garth Brooks will gather in Las Vegas to tape the special: ``Sinatra 100 _ An All-Star Grammy Concert.'' It will air Dec. 6th on C-B-S. 

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(The Associated Press)

TOP 10 CDS 

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

 

CDs

 

1. If I Should Go Before You _ City and Colour

 

2. Documentary 2 _ The Game

 

3. Revival _ Selena Gomez

 

4. Beauty Behind the Madness _ The Weeknd

 

5. Honeymoon _ Lana Del Rey

 

6. The Book of Souls _ Iron Maiden

 

7. Compton _ Dr. Dre

 

8. x _ Ed Sheeran

 

9. Roses _ Coeur de pirate

 

10. 1989 _ Taylor Swift 

 

COUNTRY

 

1. 1989 _ Taylor Swift

 

2. Red _ Taylor Swift

 

3. Montevallo _ Sam Hunt

 

4. Kill the Lights _ Luke Bryan

 

5. Things That Can't Be Undone _ Corb Lund

 

6. Tangled Up _ Thomas Rhett

 

7. Jekyll + Hyde _ Zac Brown Band

 

8. Cold Beer Conversation _ George Strait

 

9. Gypsy Road _ Dean Brody

 

10. 35 mph Town _ Toby Keith

 

MUSIC NEWS: THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2015

 

CORY WELLS OF THREE DOG NIGHT DIES

 

Cory Wells of Three Dog Night once said when he first heard ``Joy To The World,'' he hated it. Wells said in a July 2013 AP interview he thought it was a children's song, and it was only when they started working on it that he saw the potential.

Wells died unexpectedly at the age of 73 Tuesday in Dunkirk, New York, according to the band's Facebook page. A cause of death was not given. Wells sang lead on ``Never Been To Spain'' and ``Shambala,'' as well as on the number-one hit ``Mama Told Me (Not To Come).'' He had said he used to try to sing that one like Randy Newman, since it's Newman's song, but he later decided it was better if he just sang it like himself. Three Dog Night singer Danny Hutton says Wells was ``an incredible singer'' and ``a great performer'' who could sing anything. Former Three Dog Night singer Chuck Negron tweeted an old photo of Wells and the caption, ``I will miss you,'' with a heart. 

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JAY Z'S ``BIG PIMPIN''' CASE THROWN OUT

 

The lawyer for an Egyptian composer's nephew who sued Jay Z and Timbaland over the song ``Big Pimpin''' is promising to appeal a judge's abrupt dismissal of the case yesterday. The nephew of composer Baligh Hamdi (bah-LEEG' HAHM'-dee) claimed Jay Z and Timbaland did not have proper permission to use flute notes from his uncle's 1957 song ``Khosara (koh-SAH'-rah) Khosara'' for ``Big Pimpin'.'' Timbaland had paid 100-thousand dollars in 2001 to settle a claim about using that song. Both Timbaland and Jay Z testified they had a valid license for the samples. U-S District Judge Christina A. Snyder did not explain her decision to throw out the case but told jurors she did so after hearing testimony about Egyptian law. Jay Z's lawyer says he's pleased with the decision. 

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ADELE CONFIRMS NEW ALBUM

 

Enough teasing -- Adele really is going to release another album. Adele tweets if her last album was a break-up record, the next one will be a make-up record. She says she's making up for lost time, for everything she did and for everything she never did. She expresses regret that when she was younger, she kept wanting to be older instead of living in the moment. The album will be called ``25,'' but she doesn't give a release date. She apologizes for it taking so long but she adds, ``You know, life happened.'' 

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CARRIE UNDERWOOD EXPLAINS WHY SHE CAVED ON WRITING A BABY SONG

 

The thought of doing an album of baby songs made Carrie Underwood gag. Underwood says after she announced her pregnancy, she'd meet with songwriters who kept pushing her in that direction. Then she came up with the idea for the song ``What I Never Knew I Always Wanted.'' Underwood says it had to be her own doing or she would have resisted forever. Underwood still struggles to balance her career with caring for her son, Isaiah. She says ``mom guilt'' is rampant in her life. Her new album, ``Storyteller,'' is out tomorrow. 

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ED SHEERAN DRINKS FOR YOUR ENTERTAINMENT BENEFIT

 

It might look like Ed Sheeran had a rough night in his new concert film, ``Jumpers for Goalposts.'' It's because he did --on purpose -- three nights in a row. Sheeran says he does his best gigs if he's hungover, and since the movie was filmed over three nights in London in July, he went out drinking a lot. Sheeran says he does it so he doesn't feel complacent about his performance.  He says if he's hungover, he feels 90 per cent of the human he should be so he gives 115 per cent. ``Jumpers for Goalposts'' will run in select theatres this weekend. 

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TINASHE POSES FOR PLAYBOY

 

Tinashe is in Playboy -- and that's not the scandal it once was, now that Playboy won't be publishing nude photos. Tinashe is fully clothed in Playboy's November issue. She has an upcoming album called ``Joyride.'' 

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49ERS/SEAHAWKS GAME FEATURES SAMMY HAGAR AT HALFTIME

 

Sammy Hagar will perform the halftime show during tonight's N-F-L game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Seattle Seahawks. The game will be shown on C-B-S. 

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WYCLEF JEAN TRIES TO INFLUENCE HAITI ELECTION WITH SONG

 

The Haitian presidential election has become a battle of the pop songs, with Wyclef Jean  of The Fugees weighing in. Jean was a big supporter of outgoing president Michel Martelly but has chosen to support Jude Celestin rather than Martelly's chosen successor, Jovenel Moise. Martelly's son, Olivier, is also a Haitian singer, and he's rushed out his own song in favour of Moise. Several candidates are running in Sunday's election, and the two highest vote-getters will have a runoff on December 27th. Jean himself ran for president in Haiti five years ago but was disqualified for failing to meet residency requirements. 

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PAUL McCARTNEY SINGS FOR TRUCKING INDUSTRY

 

Paul McCartney can read an audience well enough to know when changing one word in a song can win them forever. McCartney gave a private performance in Philadelphia last weekend at the American Trucking Association's Management Conference and Exhibition. The industry newspaper Transport Topics reports he did ``Drive My Car'' by singing, ``Baby you can drive my truck.''

McCartney's wife, Nancy Shevell, is an executive at New England Motor Freight, a trucking company owned by her family. 

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AMAS SIGNS UP GOMEZ, UNDERWOOD, 5SOS

 

Selena Gomez, Carrie Underwood and 5 Seconds Of Summer have been added to the list of entertainers for the American Music Awards. Jennifer Lopez has already been announced as a performer and as host. Taylor Swift is the top nominee with six.

The A-M-As are November 22nd. 

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GARY CLARK JR. DOESN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO DURING NAME CHANTS

 

When people chant Gary Clark Junior's name, he doesn't know how to react. Clark says he can't just say thank you, so he just smiles and takes it in. Maybe they should be chanting ``Sonny Boy Slim.'' That's the nickname Clark's mother gave him and the title of his latest album. Clark says he was listening to some older music in the studio one day and it took him back to places in his life. He says his nickname felt right for an album title. 

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The following is HMV Canada's top 10 CDs based on national sales for the week ending Oct. 24.

 

CDs

 

1. Confident _ Demi Lovato

 

2. Documentary 2.5 _ The Game

 

3. If I Should Go Before You _ City and Colour

 

4. General Admission _ Machine Gun Kelly

 

5. Documentary 2 _ The Game

 

6. Revival _ Selena Gomez

 

7. Beauty Behind the Madness _ The Weeknd

 

8. Get Up _ Bryan Adams

 

9. Roses _ Coeur de pirate

 

10. Stories _ Avicii 

 

 

COUNTRY

 

1. 1989 _ Taylor Swift

 

2. Montevallo _ Sam Hunt

 

3. Tangled Up _ Thomas Rhett

 

4. Kill the Lights _ Luke Bryan

 

5. Things That Can't Be Undone _ Corb Lund

 

6. Red _ Taylor Swift

 

7. Gypsy Road _ Dean Brody

 

8. Till the Wheels Come Off _ Cold Creek County

 

9. Jekyll + Hyde _ Zac Brown Band

 

10. Cold Beer Conversation _ George Strait

 

(The Canadian Press) 

 

'Storyteller' by Carrie Underwood among new CD releases.

Here's a list of some new CD releases for the week ending Oct. 24:

 

5 Seconds of Summer _ ``Sounds Good Feels Good''

 

10 String Symphony _ ``Weight of the World''

 

Amberian Dawn _ ``Innuendo''

 

Laurie Anderson _ ``Heart of a Dog'' Soundtrack

 

Julien Baker _ ``Sprained Ankle''

 

Emilie-Claire Barlow _ ``Clear Day''

 

Beat Connection _ ``Product 3''

 

Bizzle _ ``Surrender''

 

Jason Blaine _ ``Country Side''

 

Blue Sky Miners _ ``Blue Sky Miners''

 

Andrea Bocelli _ ``Cinema''

 

Born of Osiris _ ``Soul Sphere''

 

Brad & Rebekah _ ``Gift of Grace''

 

Jonathan Bree _ ``A Little Night Music''

 

The Brothers Nazaroff _ ``The Happy Prince''

 

Vanessa Carlton _ ``Liberman''

 

Harry Connick Jr. _ ``That Would Be Me''

 

Corrections House _ ``Know How to Carry a Whip''

 

The Cox Family _ ``Gone Like the Cotton''

 

Kirt Debique _ ``Things Left Unsaid''

 

DJ Khaled _ ``I Changed a Lot''

 

The Dying Arts _ ``You Had It Coming''

 

Ektomorf _ ``Aggressor''

 

Ex-Breathers _ ``Past Tense''

 

Dave Gahan & The Soulsavers _ ``Angels & Ghosts''

 

Morgan Geist _ ``Megaprojects One''

 

Generation Unleashed _ ``Come Alive''

 

Giorgio Gigli _ ``The Right Place Where Not to Be''

 

Grave Digger _ ``Exhumation: The Early Years''

 

Andrew Greer & Friends _ ``An Angel Band Christmas''

 

Jimmy Fortune _ ``Hits & Hymns''

 

Fuzz _ ``II''

 

Half Moon Run _ ``Sun Leads Me On''

 

Haybaby _ ``Sleepy Kids''

 

Judith Hill _ ``Back in Time''

 

Housewives _ ``Work''

 

Tom Jones _ ``Long Lost Suitcase''

 

Killing Joke _ ``Pylon''

 

Merry Ellen Kirk _ ``We Are the Dreamers''

 

Kirk the Flirt & Peter Pressure _ ``Physical Therapy Presents...

Kirk the Flirt & Peter Pressure''

 

Lynyrd Skynyrd _ ``Pronouced Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd & Second Helping Live''

 

Seth MacFarlane _ ``Celebrating Frank Sinatra''

 

Marianas Trench _ ``Astoria''

 

Mastodon _ ``Asleep in the Deep''

 

John Mark McMillan _ ``Live at The Knight''

 

Mogwai _ ``Central Belters''

 

Shawn Mullins _ ``My Stupid Heart''

 

Nathaniel _ ``Yours''

 

Joanna Newsom _ ``Divers''

 

Normil Hawaiians _ ``Return of the Ranters''

 

Daniel O'Donnell _ ``The Hank Williams Songbook''

 

Onirik _ ``Casket Dream Veneration''

 

Outasight _ ``Big Trouble''

 

Pentimento _ ``I, No Longer''

 

Petal _ ``Shame''

 

Postcards From Jeff _ ``Modern Language''

 

Pure Bathing Culture _ ``Pray for Rain''

 

Raintown _ ``Writing on the Wall''

 

Ransom _ ``Soul Killa''

 

Charlie Rich _ ``25 All-Time Greatest Hits''

 

Kari Rueslatten _ ``To the North''

 

The Saddest Landscape _ ``Darkness Forgives''

 

SayWeCanFly _ ``Darling''

 

Sea Ghost _ ``SG''

 

Seaway _ ``Color Blind''

 

See Through Dresses _ ``End of Days''

 

Seinabo Sey _ ``Pretend''

 

Blake Shelton _ ``Reloaded: 20 No. 1 Hits''

 

Shepherds _ ``Exit Youth''

 

Andy Snitzer _ ``American Beauty''

 

Spray Paint _ ``Dopers''

 

Rod Stewart _ ``Another Country''

 

Tempers _ ``Services''

 

Tracey Thorn _ ``SOLO: Songs and Collaborations 1982-2015''

 

Chris Tomlin _ ``Adore: Christmas Songs of Worship''

 

Walter Trout _ ``Battle Scars''

 

Carrie Underwood _ ``Storyteller''

 

Various Artists _ ``Rock the Kasbah'' Soundtrack

 

Various Artists _ ``Cold and Bitter Tears: The Songs of Ted Hawkins''

 

VHOL _ ``Deeper Than Sky''

 

Kim Walker-Smith _ ``When Christmas Comes''

 

Karyn Williams _ ``Letting Go of Perfect''

 

Peter Willie Youngtree _ ``Country Hymns'' 

 

(The Canadian Press)

 

The following is HMV Canada's top 10 CDs based on national sales for the week ending Oct. 24.

 

CDs

 

1. Confident _ Demi Lovato

 

2. Documentary 2.5 _ The Game

 

3. If I Should Go Before You _ City and Colour

 

4. General Admission _ Machine Gun Kelly

 

5. Documentary 2 _ The Game

 

6. Revival _ Selena Gomez

 

7. Beauty Behind the Madness _ The Weeknd

 

8. Get Up _ Bryan Adams

 

9. Roses _ Coeur de pirate

 

10. Stories _ Avicii

 

 

 

COUNTRY

 

1. 1989 _ Taylor Swift

 

2. Montevallo _ Sam Hunt

 

3. Tangled Up _ Thomas Rhett

 

4. Kill the Lights _ Luke Bryan

 

5. Things That Can't Be Undone _ Corb Lund

 

6. Red _ Taylor Swift

 

7. Gypsy Road _ Dean Brody

 

8. Till the Wheels Come Off _ Cold Creek County

 

9. Jekyll + Hyde _ Zac Brown Band

 

10. Cold Beer Conversation _ George Strait

 

(The Canadian Press)

 

MUSIC NEWS: THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2015

 

ROLLING STONES

Keith Richards says The Rolling Stones have ``definite plans'' to record next year after a tour of South America.  

The Stones guitarist talked about the Stones' plans to record their first studio album since 2005's ``A Bigger Bang'' during an iHeartRadio ICONS broadcast from New York on Tuesday.  Richards, who is releasing a new solo album, ``Crosseyed Heart,''on Friday, said in a live question-and-answer session that he was in London last week and got together with Mick Jagger, Charlie Watts and Ronnie Wood.   

The band, which finished a North America tour this summer, will tour South America in early 2016.

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EARLY AMERICANA AWARDS

Country singer Sturgill Simpson and Austin, Texas-artist Shakey Graves took home early awards at the Americana Honors and Awards show on Wednesday night. 

The Kentucky-born Simpson won song of the year for his psychedelic-honky-tonk jam, ``Turtles All The Way Down,'' during the roots music awards show held at the Ryman Auditorium. 

Graves, whose given name is Alejandro Rose-Garcia, took home the emerging artist award. 

The Eagles drummer and songwriter Don Henley and Saskatchewan born '60s folk singer Buffy Sainte-Marie were special honorees for lifetime achievement awards. Performers included Keb' Mo', Lee Ann Womack and Ricky Skaggs.

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ELTON JOHN-PRANK

 

A spokesman for Russia's president says a couple of pranksters owe Elton John an apology. The singer thought he was speaking to Vladimir Putin about gay rights on Tuesday -- but now it appears it was a hoax. The comedians say John was easily fooled into thinking he was on the line with Putin -- and even threw up an Instagram post about what turned out to be a bogus call. After the post, the Russian government denied Putin spoke with Elton John and the pranksters' admission seems to solve the mystery why the two sides disagreed on what happened. Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov says Elton John is a person who deserves respect and that the prank was ``not very nice.'' 

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ROLLING STONES-NEW MUSIC

 

The Rolling Stones haven't done a studio album since 2005. But Keith Richards says that's about to change. He says the band has ``definite plans'' to record next year after a tour of South America -- and that the new project was discussed with lead singer Mick Jagger as well as drummer Charlie Watts and fellow guitarist Ronnie Wood. Richards made the comments during a broadcast from New York on iHeartRadio ICONS. The South America tour is set for early next year. 

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LIONEL RICHIE-VEGAS

 

Mariah Carey, Jennifer Lopez, Britney Spears, Prince, Celine Dion -- and now Lionel Richie is ready to take a star turn in Las Vegas. The singer says he will begin a residency at the AXIS at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. The first show is April 27 and he will play 20 shows in April, May, September and October.

Tickets go on sale starting tomorrow. In a statement, says he plans to put on ``a high energy show'' that will be ``a perfect match for such a vibrant city.'' 

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ARETHA FRANKLIN-DOCUMENTARY BEEF

 

The legal mess over an Aretha Franklin documentary seems to be on the way to straightening itself out. The producer of ``Amazing Grace'' has agreed not to show the film for the next month. In the meantime, the movie makers and the singer will try to hammer out a deal that will let the movie be seen. The filmmakers say they have the right to use the footage in the movie, but Franklin says she still owns the copyright to the performance featured in the movie. 

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USHER-GLOBAL CITIZEN

 

Usher has been added to the list of stars for the Global Citizen Festival. He, Laverne Cox and Katie Holmes are among the new names added to the bill for the event, which will be headlined by Beyonce and Pearl Jam. Previously announced hosts include Stephen Colbert, Kerry Washington, Salma Hayek and Hugh Jackman. The event will be held on the Great Lawn in New York's Central Park later this month and will air on M-S-N-B-C. 

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MARIA CAREY-CHRISTMAS-MOVIE

 

At least this time when the mistletoes and decorated trees start popping up next month in Cincinnati, it might not be because of merchants trying to get an earlier-than-usual jump on taking advantage of the upcoming holiday season. A Cincinnati film commission says Mariah Carey is filming a movie in the city.

It's called ``Melody & Mistletoe'' and it will air on the Hallmark Channel Dec. 19. 

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(The Associated Press)