MUSIC NEWS: WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2015
CONCERT SLUGGING
A 60-year-old Winnipeg woman has been convicted of slugging a security guard in the face during an alcohol-induced tantrum on the floor of a John Fogerty concert.
Gloria Kirouac was convicted of assault this week following a one-day trial and was given a conditional sentence, provided she gets counselling for anger management.
The grandmother of five had denied any wrongdoing, claiming three staff members at the MTS Centre accosted her for no reason during the November 2014 event.
But provincial court Judge John Combs saw it differently, calling Kirouac's version of events difficult to believe.
He favoured the testimony of the guard who was punched, several colleagues and a Winnipeg police officer who were all on scene and dealt with an intoxicated Kirouac.
He called her actions ``belligerent and unpleasant'' and said there's no evidence MTS Centre staff did anything wrong by asking her to return to her seat after she got up to dance.
(Winnipeg Free Press)
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NICKI MINAJ, 50 CENT GET TV DEALS
Nicki Minaj's life story will be the basis for a new sitcom on A-B-C Family. The show will be based on her family's move from Trinidad to the U-S and her life growing up in Queens, New York. The sitcom will begin shooting in Queens this winter. Minaj will appear in the sitcom and act as its executive producer.
Meanwhile, 50 Cent will develop new shows for the Starz channel as part of a new two-year deal. He will also continue to serve as executive producer for the show ``Power,'' currently shooting its third season.
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TOTO - BASSIST
Founding Toto bassist David Hungate jokes it's time for him to figure out what he wants to be when he grows up, so he's not going to tour with the band anymore. The 67-year-old Hungate says he doesn't have the stamina and resilience for extended touring, although playing with Toto has been one of the greatest honours of his life. Leland Sklar will take over bass duties beginning with Toto's European tour in January.
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LADY GAGA - BILLBOARD HONOUR
Billboard magazine has named Lady Gaga its woman of the year. Lady Gaga will be honoured at the Billboard Women in Music event in New York on Dec. 11th. The gala will be televised for the first time, running on Lifetime on Dec. 18th.
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KEITH URBAN - BUSKS
That street musician hoping that you'll toss a coin into his guitar case might just be the kind of guy who can command top dollar for tickets to his concerts. Keith Urban has posted a Facebook photo of himself playing guitar on the street in Denver.
The caption is, ``Makin' some scratch in Denver today!'' It's unclear whether Urban made any money or was recognized. Urban was in Denver with the ``American Idol'' auditions.
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OBIT - FRANKIE FORD
``Sea Cruise'' singer Frankie Ford has died.
The Jefferson Parish Coroner's Office in Louisiana says Ford died Monday of natural causes. He was 76. Ford hit number 14 in 1959 with ``Sea Cruise.'' He never had another top-40 hit. Ford started singing when he was a child and got his first break in the late 1950s. He was called into a New Orleans studio to cover songs by local black singers who got limited airtime on the radio because of racial discrimination.
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KEITH RICHARDS - ALBUM - DOCUMENTARY
Keith Richards finally released his second solo album in 23 years because it was a matter of timing. As Richards puts it, ``The thing is I work with this other band.'' Richards says his ``Crosseyed Heart'' album has been ready for 18 months but he had to wait for a break in the Rolling Stones schedule. A documentary about the album called ``Keith Richards: Under the Influence'' has been released to Netflix. Why Netflix? Richards says he knows little about things like that and leaves it up to his manager. He says, ``I'm not a businessman, particularly. I just happen to make lots of money.''
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THE WHO - TOUR DATES
Roger Daltrey says he's on the mend and feeling a lot better after a bout with viral meningitis. The Who have rescheduled the concerts they had to postpone because of Daltrey's illness. The Who will resume their North American tour Feb. 27th in Detroit.
The Winnipeg show will take place on May 4.
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CHRISTINA AGUILERA - ECUADOR
Christina Aguilera could not help looking at the faces of the people of Ecuador and wonder if she looks like them.
Aguilera's father is from Ecuador, and she made her first trip there recently as a volunteer global spokeswoman for Yum! Brands' World Hunger Relief. Aguilera says she went out to the farmlands where women and children were not living as much as surviving. She says the children had nearly nothing but were so grateful for what they have. She says they had no musical instruments but they still made up songs with their hands and feet. Aguilera has filmed a public service announcement to bring awareness to the issue. It will run next month. The World Hunger Relief initiative has raised 600-million dollars in cash and food for charity in eight years.
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PHARRELL WILLIAMS - READING FOR CHILDREN
Pharrell Williams is trying to get books in the hands of young readers in low-income families. Williams and the non-profit literacy organization FirstBook will donate up to 50-thousand books to children. Williams' publisher, Penguin Young Readers, says it will donate a book for every Twitter post with the hashtag ``readHappy'' with a thought about why reading makes you happy. Williams' picture book, ``Happy,'' comes out next week.
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PINK - MUSICAL
A musical about Pink has gone to the workshop phase with a new title. Broadway-dot-com reports the production will be called ``True Love'' instead of its original title of ``Mean (The Musical).'' The show is inspired by Pink's life and will feature her music. It's set for a developmental workshop on Oct. 10th at the Emerging Arts Theatre's New Works Series festival.
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STEVE EARLE - MIXED SUPPORT
Steve Earle says it's important to have a Southern voice urging Mississippi to remove the Confederate flag emblem from its state flag, and he's got one. Earle says people will probably disqualify him because he's lived in New York for the last ten years, but he put out the song ``Mississippi It's Time'' anyway.
Earle says a few people have walked out of his concerts when he plays that song, and one person told him on Twitter, ``Shut up and sing 'Copperhead Road.''' However, another commenter tweeted, ``The spirits of slaves are smiling down on you.''
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CDA-WALK-OF-FAME
There will be some new inductees into Canada's Walk of Fame in November. Hockey broadcasters Don Cherry and Ron MacLean will be among them. The ceremony is held in Toronto. Walk of Fame C-E-O Melanie Hurley says Canadians love the ``Coach's Corner''
commentators. Cherry, MacLean and pop crooner Michael Buble were among the seven Canadians named to the 2015 induction class yesterday. Another entrant is the late actor Lorne Green and Olympic medallist Silken Laumann.
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(The Associated Press)
