NFL says no indication halftime show caused Super Bowl outage NEW ORLEANS (Reuters) - The National Football League, the Superdome and a utility investigating the cause of a power outage at one of the world's most watched and meticulously planned events, on Monday exonerated the halftime show from blame in the Super Bowl mishap. With more than 108 million Americans watching along with television viewers in 180 countries, about half the stadium lights went dark early in the second half of the game, in which the Baltimore Ravens defeated the San Francisco 49ers, 34-31. ...
Mon, 04 Feb 2013 18:25:18 -0500
"Wild Thing" singer Reg Presley dies in UK: report(Reuters) - Reg Presley, the lead singer of 1960s British rock band The Troggs, who scored a hit with the love anthem "Wild Thing," was reported to have died at his home in England on Monday after a battle with cancer. He was 71. "He passed away peacefully at home and myself, my brother and our mother were with him. We're absolutely heartbroken," Presley's daughter Karen was quoted as telling the London-based World Entertainment News Network (WENN). Presley announced in January 2012 that he had been diagnosed with lung cancer after falling ill during a performance in Germany. ... Mon, 04 Feb 2013 21:17:08 -0500
Beyonce struts back onto world stage with tour, film LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Hot on the heels of her praised Super Bowl performance, U.S. singer Beyonce on Monday announced a world tour starting in April, the latest move in her carefully choreographed return to music. The singer, who was watched by more than 100 million people as she performed at half-time in New Orleans on Sunday, is making a comeback after taking a year off following the birth of her first child with rapper husband Jay-Z in January 2012. ...
Mon, 04 Feb 2013 14:51:52 -0500
Fall Out Boy ends three-year break with new album, tour LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Fall Out Boy unveiled plans for a new album and world tour on Monday, three years after the pop punk band's four members announced a hiatus to pursue solo projects. "This isn't a reunion," the band said on its website, "because we never broke up." The new album, "Save Rock and Roll," will be available worldwide on May 6-7. A tour kicks off Monday night in Chicago. A new song, "My Songs Know What You Did In the Dark (Light Em Up)," is available on iTunes. "When we were kids the only thing that got us through most days was music," the band's website statement said. ...
Mon, 04 Feb 2013 13:28:44 -0500
Cult musician Wilko Johnson "so alive" as death approaches WESTCLIFF-ON-SEA (Reuters) - Wilko Johnson, cult guitarist from 1970s beat band Dr Feelgood and herald of English punk rock, is on a high - even though he is dying of pancreatic cancer. The musician, songwriter and sometime actor has watched with amazement as a planned tour of farewell concerts sold out and interest has surged in almost anything he has touched, including the 2009 award-winning documentary "Oil City Confidential." One British newspaper has even affectionately dubbed him the country's latest "national treasure". ...
Mon, 04 Feb 2013 10:53:48 -0500
Beyonce sings, reunites Destiny's Child at Super Bowl half-time show (Reuters) - Singer Beyonce strutted and shimmied her way through football's Super Bowl half-time show and thrilled fans by reuniting with her former Destiny's Child bandmates on Sunday in New Orleans. Beyonce, wearing a revealing black leather jacket and miniskirt combination, was surrounded by bursts of fire, smoke and silhouettes as she performed at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. More than 100 million television viewers were tuned in to the NFL championship game between the San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Ravens. ...
Sun, 03 Feb 2013 22:39:28 -0500
Year of the Snake may smile on Psy, but health woes could bite TAIPEI (Reuters) - The coming lunar Year of the Snake is likely to smile on South Korean rapper Psy with increased prosperity, but he will need to leave Korea to make money and could risk exhaustion. As Chinese communities around the globe prepare for the lunar New Year on Feb 1, which ushers in the Year of the Snake, a Taiwanese fortune teller predicted a mixed bag of luck for famous "snake" people around the world. ...
Sun, 03 Feb 2013 21:49:19 -0500
Singer Frank Ocean wants peace, says no charges against Chris Brown LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Rising R&B star Frank Ocean said on Saturday he will not press charges against singer Chris Brown, who he said had "jumped" him last week in a parking lot fracas. The encounter between Ocean and Brown still could derail Brown's efforts to remain in compliance with his probation stemming from his 2009 assault against singer Rihanna, his on-again, off-again girlfriend, a legal expert said. ...
Sat, 02 Feb 2013 21:49:51 -0500
Singer Randy Travis pleads guilty to DWI, gets probation DALLAS (Reuters) - Grammy Award-winning country singer Randy Travis on Thursday pleaded guilty to driving while intoxicated and was sentenced to two years probation for an incident in which Texas State Troopers found him lying naked near his crashed car. Travis, 53, was ordered to serve at least 30 days at an in-patient alcohol treatment facility and was not charged for threatening the troopers who arrested him August 7 in Tioga, Texas, about 60 miles north of Dallas. Travis' blood alcohol level was more than double the legal limit in Texas when he was arrested, authorities said. ...
Thu, 31 Jan 2013 21:25:25 -0500
Whitney Houston anniversary to be marked with TV Grammy special LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Grammy organizers plan to mark the first anniversary of the sudden death of Whitney Houston with a behind-the-scenes TV show on how they scrambled to honor the singer just 24 hours after she died. The Recording Academy said on Thursday that the hour-long special entitled "The Grammys Will Go On: A Death in the Family" will air on February 9, the day before the 2013 Grammy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles. ...
Thu, 31 Jan 2013 15:27:37 -0500
Justin Timberlake launches music comeback with Grammy performance LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Justin Timberlake, making his pop music comeback with a new single and album, will perform at next month's Grammy Awards for the first time in four years, Grammy organizers said on Wednesday. Timberlake, 31, will take the stage at the music industry's biggest night in Los Angeles on February 10, ahead of the scheduled March release of his first album since 2006. ...
Wed, 30 Jan 2013 14:56:55 -0500
Despite previous beating, Rihanna back with Chris Brown NEW YORK (Reuters) - It's official: R&B diva Rihanna says she is back together with Chris Brown, who is still on probation for assaulting her in 2009, saying "It's different now." "I decided it was more important for me to be happy," Rihanna told Rolling Stone magazine in an interview published on Wednesday on its website. "I wasn't going to let anybody's opinion get in the way of that. Even if it's a mistake, it's my mistake," she said of her renewed romance with singer Brown, 23, that has prompted consternation from fans and celebrity media because of their history. ...
Wed, 30 Jan 2013 14:15:20 -0500
Wispelwey: Loneliness of the long-distance cellistLEIDEN, Netherlands (Reuters) - Dutch cellist Peter Wispelwey has recorded the haunting, delightful and soul-uplifting Bach Six Suites for Solo Cello three times and still he's not finished. His next, he says, is his "Lost in Translation" version, referring to the Bill Murray movie about an actor coming to terms with an alien culture in Tokyo. Wispelwey is doing the same, flying into the Japanese capital for recording sessions in the early morning hours. ... Thu, 31 Jan 2013 06:21:27 -0500
Mary Wells, singer of 'My Guy,' gets posthumous Rock Hall push(Reuters) - Mary Wells, Motown Records' first female star who paved the way for the success of Diana Ross and The Supremes, shot to fame in the early 1960s only to fade away as a footnote of the longtime Detroit record label. Now, some two decades after Wells' death in 1992 at age 49, the singer who scored a No. 1 hit with "My Guy," is receiving a push for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. ... Wed, 30 Jan 2013 17:30:37 -0500
Afghan singer's star is rising, as are the threats KABUL (Reuters) - With a scarf loosely covering a fancy television hairstyle, Latifa Azizi raised her arms in victory after surviving another elimination round on the hit talent show, "Afghan Star". But the victory pales into insignificance when compared with the larger battle 17-year-old Azizi is fighting - to pursue her dream of becoming a famous singer despite the censure of ultra-conservative Afghan society. ...
Wed, 30 Jan 2013 10:24:17 -0500
Beyonce says sang along to pre-recorded track at inauguration NEW ORLEANS (Reuters) - Singer Beyonce said she sang along to a pre-recorded track at the inauguration of President Barack Obama, but delivered a stirring a cappella version of the U.S. national anthem at a Super Bowl news conference on Thursday. She also said would be singing live at the half-time show of the National Football League championship game between the San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Ravens at the Superdome on Sunday. ...
Thu, 31 Jan 2013 23:54:23 -0500
Country singer Gary Allan bests Grammy nominees for Billboard No. 1LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Country singer Gary Allan scored his first No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart on Wednesday, keeping Grammy-nominated favorites from the top spot. Allan's ninth studio album "Set You Free" sold 106,000 copies in its first week, according to figures from Nielsen SoundScan, garnering the singer his best sales week in his 17-year career. The Billboard 200 is the album chart for all music genres. Allan, 45, who is a staple within the country music scene, has notched three No. 1 albums in the Billboard country music chart. ... Wed, 30 Jan 2013 15:04:26 -0500
A Minute With: Rapper T.I. dips into comedy in "Identity Thief" LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Rapper Tip "T.I." Harris has seen and done it all - three Grammy Awards, a novel, time in jail, a fashion line, TV reality show, businessman and several movies. Now the Atlanta-based singer is dipping into comedy, appearing in the film "Identity Thief" as an armed enforcer on the trail of a character played by Melissa McCarthy who is on the run from many of those she's swindled. T.I., 32, sat down with Reuters ahead of the movie's February 8 release to talk about the film, what's left on his to-do list, and his personal views on gun control. ...
Wed, 30 Jan 2013 09:46:37 -0500
Beyonce says sang along to pre-recorded track at inauguration NEW ORLEANS (Reuters) - Singer Beyonce said she sang along to a pre-recorded track at the inauguration of President Barack Obama, but delivered a stirring a cappella version of the U.S. national anthem at a Super Bowl news conference on Thursday. She also said would be singing live at the half-time show of the National Football League championship game between the San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Ravens at the Superdome on Sunday. ...
Thu, 31 Jan 2013 18:03:06 -0500
From Doc Watson to lifetime folk award, Dougie MacLean sings on LONDON (Reuters) - In the 1970s, before he could make a living playing music, Scottish folk singer Dougie MacLean found himself with a temporary job driving an American family around Europe in a mini-bus. It was a serendipitous moment for a performer who is poised to receive a lifetime achievement accolade at the BBC Folk Awards: The family was that of Doc and Merle Watson, two of America's most celebrated bluegrass, country and gospel singers. ...
Wed, 30 Jan 2013 05:50:04 -0500
Ke$ha bringing her "crazy beautiful life" to MTV series NEW YORK (Reuters) - Singer Ke$ha is coming to cable television with a new reality series that promises to document the "drama, madness and euphoria" of her professional and personal life, MTV said on Tuesday. "Ke$ha: My Crazy Beautiful Life," will premiere on MTV in April, the network said. "You might have heard my voice on the radio, seen me onstage or in a music video, but that's only a part of the story," the 25-year-old singer, known for hits including "Tik Tok" and "We R Who We R," said in a statement. ...
Tue, 29 Jan 2013 22:07:11 -0500
Justin Timberlake's new album '20/20' is due out in March (Reuters) - Singer-turned-actor Justin Timberlake has set a March date for his comeback album - his first in more than six years. RCA Records said on Tuesday "The 20/20 Experience," the former N'Sync boy band member's follow-up to 2006's "FutureSex/LoveSounds" and only his third album ever, would be released on March 19. In recent years, Timberlake, 31, has focused more on films and business ventures ranging from restaurants to a clothing line, and reviving social networking site Myspace, of which he is part owner. ...
Tue, 29 Jan 2013 15:04:30 -0500
Justin Bieber strips down voice, heartache on 'Believe Acoustic' LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Justin Bieber is stripping down. Musically, that is. The Canadian pop phenomenon showcases his vocal and song-writing talents with a new acoustic album, out on Tuesday, that also features three new tracks including a heartbreak ballad thought to be about his former girlfriend Selena Gomez. "Believe Acoustic" sees Bieber, 18, change up the arrangements of songs from his fourth chart-topping album "Believe," released last June, singing with only a guitar or piano-driven melody. The album went straight to the top of the iTunes U.S. ...
Tue, 29 Jan 2013 14:17:35 -0500
Muse to play anniversary gig for War Child charityLONDON (Reuters) - British rock band Muse will headline a gig in London next month to mark the 20th anniversary of War Child, a charity that aims to protect young victims of conflicts around the world. The gig on February 18 at the Shepherd's Bush Empire will be the fifth time War Child has staged a concert in association with the BRIT Awards, Britain's top pop honors which take place this year at the O2 Arena on February 20. War Child is to receive the inaugural Special Recognition Award at the ceremony, while Muse has been nominated for best British group and best British live act. ... Tue, 29 Jan 2013 19:05:43 -0500
Singer Frank Ocean wants Chris Brown charged over brawl LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Rising R&B artist Frank Ocean wants fellow singer Chris Brown prosecuted following a brawl over a parking space at a Los Angeles-area recording studio, authorities said on Monday. Brown is serving five years probation for assaulting his on-and-off girlfriend Rihanna in 2009 and risks having his probation revoked should charges be filed. In the incident on Sunday, sheriff's deputies responded to a call about a fight involving six men in West Hollywood. The deputies cited witnesses as saying that the Grammy-winning Brown, 23, punched Ocean during the brief altercation. ...
Mon, 28 Jan 2013 19:21:57 -0500
Rock singer Morrissey postpones six more shows due to bleeding ulcer LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - British rock singer Morrissey is postponing six performances on his U.S. tour due to a bleeding ulcer, his spokeswoman said on Sunday. "Morrissey is expected to make a full recovery and thanks everyone concerned for their support during this time," his representative Lauren Papapietro said in a statement. Morrissey, the former lead singer for 1980s alternative rock band The Smiths, checked into Beaumont Hospital on Friday in the Detroit suburb of Royal Oak, Papapietro said. She declined to say if he remains hospitalized. ...
Sun, 27 Jan 2013 19:51:09 -0500
Irish band Boomtown Rats reunites for UK festivalLONDON (Reuters) - Irish band The Boomtown Rats, best known for No. 1 hits "Rat Trap" and "I Don't Like Mondays", will reunite for the first time since 1986 at the Isle of Wight Festival in June, organisers said in a statement on Monday. Active in the 1970s and 80s, the group led by charity campaigner Bob Geldof will take the main stage at the festival held off the south coast of England. Headline acts for the four-day event from June 13-16 are British bands The Stone Roses and Happy Mondays and U.S. groups The Killers and Bon Jovi. Dozens of artists will join them, including Paul Weller, Fun. ... Mon, 28 Jan 2013 08:35:39 -0500
Singer Tina Turner on path to Swiss citizenship (Reuters) - Soul music legend Tina Turner has taken the first steps toward giving up her U.S. passport and becoming a citizen of Switzerland, the country she has called home for nearly 20 years. The Zurich suburb of Kusnacht has approved Swiss citizenship for the "Proud Mary" singer, pending confirmation from other authorities in the country, a spokeswoman for Turner said on Friday. Turner, who was born in Tennessee, moved to Switzerland in 1995 to join her German-born record producer partner Erwin Bach and has lived there since. ...
Fri, 25 Jan 2013 16:14:34 -0500
It's a "Mini-Buble" for singer Michael Bublé and wife LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Canadian jazz singer Michael Bublé and his Argentinian actress wife, Luisana Lopilato, are expecting their first baby together, Lopilato said in a video posted to YouTube on Thursday. The video shows what appears to be an ultrasound of a fetus with the words "Mini Buble !!!" attached to the image. https://www.youtube. ...
Thu, 24 Jan 2013 20:15:24 -0500
Arhoolie Records set highlights 50 years of roots-music BOSTON (Reuters) - Chris Strachwitz discovered the first performer for his Arhoolie Records label by quizzing roadside field hands, a prosperous cotton farmer named Mr. Tom Moore, and a man called Peg Leg at a railroad station in Navasota, Texas. As Strachwitz tells it, Peg Leg identified a highway worker and former tenant farmer who entertained local folks: Mance Lipscomb. "Mance Lipscomb, Texas Sharecropper and Songster," was recorded in 1960 in the musician's shotgun house, and it launched Lipscomb into the surging U.S. folk-music revival. ...
Thu, 24 Jan 2013 19:21:02 -0500
Argentine music troupes launch carnival parades BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) ? Argentina's carnival celebrations may not be as well-known as the ones in neighboring Uruguay and Brazil, but residents of the nation's capital are equally passionate about their "murgas," or traditional musical troupes.
Sun, 03 Feb 2013 16:38:07 -0500
'Pretty Little Liars' star's heart lies in music NEW YORK (AP) ? On the ABC Family series "Pretty Little Liars," Lucy Hale's character, Aria, has a passion for fashion. She wears lots of layers, textures and patterns.
Tue, 29 Jan 2013 12:55:59 -0500
Malian musicians back power of harmony over guns LONDON (Reuters) - As musicians from Mali took to a London stage on Saturday night, news was announced that back home French troops had captured the airport of the Islamist-controlled city of Gao. A cheer went up - and not surprisingly. Since Islamist militants seized control of Mali's north following a military coup in March 2012, the country has been convulsed by conflict. Its musical community, whose singers and players have won worldwide acclaim, has been targeted by the hardline Islamists bent on imposing sharia, or Islamic law. ...
Mon, 28 Jan 2013 12:18:46 -0500
RIM names multiple BlackBerry 10 music, video partners (Reuters) - Research In Motion Ltd has gathered a number of big-name music and video partners for its BlackBerry 10 storefront, ranging from Walt Disney Studios and Sony Pictures to Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group. RIM announced the partners on Monday, ahead of Wednesday's launch of its first phones based on its much-delayed BlackBerry 10 smartphone platform, which may be the company's last chance to regain ground it has lost to Apple Inc's iPhone. ...
Mon, 28 Jan 2013 10:59:26 -0500
Stone Roses, Blur, Phoenix headline Coachella 2013 music fest(Reuters) - British rockers Blur and The Stone Roses will be joining French indie-rock band Phoenix and Red Hot Chili Peppers to headline this year's three-day Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, organizers said on Thursday. The annual music festival, set for two consecutive weekends in April, has become one of the largest U.S. music festivals, attracting more than 80,000 people to the desert town of Indio, California. ... Fri, 25 Jan 2013 01:58:07 -0500
Rolling Stones nominated for four NME music awards LONDON (Reuters) - Veteran British rockers The Rolling Stones, who celebrated their 50th anniversary last year, were nominated for four NME music awards on Monday. The Stones, back in the limelight after a photo book, greatest hits album, documentary film and mini tour to mark their 2012 golden jubilee, were shortlisted for best live band, best book, music moment of the year and best music film. They were one of four acts with four nominations each. ...
Mon, 21 Jan 2013 18:21:23 -0500
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