NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — As the television industry deals with overall declines in total viewership, organizers behind the Academy of Country Music Awards are focused on keeping the core country music audience coming back each year to watch the genre’s biggest stars party in Las Vegas. The ACM Awards, airing live Sunday on CBS (8 … Continue reading
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Grammy-winning musician Wyclef Jean said he was handcuffed and “treated like a criminal” when Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies mistook him for a violent armed robber early Tuesday. The former Fugees star posted a video on Twitter showing himself in handcuffs leaned over a patrol car in West Hollywood, decrying the … Continue reading
PARIS (AP) — France’s rock ‘n’ roll icon Johnny Hallyday has revealed he is suffering from cancer, but insists his condition is not life-threatening. The 73-year-old singer, whose career spans more than half a century, issued a statement late Wednesday after alarming rumors about his health emerged on social media. “I was actually diagnosed a … Continue reading
NEW YORK (AP) — The three daughters of renowned violinist Roman Totenberg heard the sound of their late father’s Stradivarius for the first time since it was stolen nearly four decades ago. The prized 18th century instrument came back to life Monday night at a private Manhattan concert, tucked under the chin of longtime Totenberg … Continue reading
OS ANGELES (AP) — Tommy LiPuma, a jazz and pop producer who won Grammys for collaborations with Natalie Cole and George Benson, has died. He was 80. LiPuma died Monday in New York after a brief illness, according to the Decca/Verve Label Group, where he had served as chairman. In a career spanning six decades, … Continue reading
NEW YORK (AP) — With the help of hitmaking songwriter-producer PooBear, Colombian rock star Juanes wrote “Goodbye For Now,” his first song in English. The song is part of his anticipated visual album, “Mis planes son amarte,” to be released in the next few months. “Four or five years ago I started recording in English, … Continue reading
NEW YORK (AP) — While TV star Jussie Smollett was in the recording studio working on his own music apart from “Empire,” set for release later this year, he couldn’t help but write a song about what’s going in the world, from injustice to President Donald Trump. That’s when he penned “F.U.W,” short for “(expletive) … Continue reading
ST. CLOUD, Minn. (AP) — Two of Bobby Vee’s four children have filed a court petition claiming their siblings are misusing money from the late pop singer’s estate. Robby Velline and Jennifer Whittet Velline claim in the Stearns County District Court petition that their brothers, Tommy and Jeff Velline, have spent money from the estate … Continue reading
HOUSTON (AP) — Lady Gaga said she hopes her Super Bowl halftime show will celebrate “inclusion” and the “spirit of equality” during a time of national division. “This performance is for everyone. I want to, more than anything, create a moment that everyone that’s watching will never forget,” she said in a press conference … Continue reading
NEW YORK (AP) — Top Grammy contenders Sturgill Simpson and Chance the Rapper are set to perform at the awards show this month. The Recording Academy announced Thursday that fellow nominee William Bell and Grammy winners Little Big Town and Gary Clark Jr. will also perform on the live telecast on Feb. 12. Previously announced … Continue reading
BEIRUT (AP) — A Syrian musician who was allowed to legally immigrate to the United States on account of his “extraordinary” abilities, and who recently toured with famed cellist Yo-Yo Ma, is now wondering whether he can return to his Brooklyn home. Kinan Azmeh, a clarinet player who has called the U.S. home for 16 … Continue reading
HOUSTON (AP) — It’s rare when Tom Brady takes a back seat in a Super Bowl. Janet Jackson managed to make that happen. Jackson’s wardrobe malfunction is a lasting memory of the last Super Bowl in Houston, overshadowing a thrilling win by the Patriots in 2004 and forever changing how the NFL handles halftime performances. … Continue reading
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A judge on Thursday ordered Robin Thicke to have only monitored visits with his 6-year-old son and stay away from his ex-wife, actress Paula Patton, after she accused the singer of emotionally abusing them during an ongoing custody dispute. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Colin Leis issued the temporary restraining order … Continue reading
SANTA CLARITA, Calif. (AP) — The California Institute of the Arts was created partly by Walt Disney’s desire to bring more top-flight animators into the profession. And it has during its 47 years, though for a long time almost all were men. Now, nearly three-quarters of CalArts’ more than 250 animation students are women, and … Continue reading
BIDDEFORD, Maine (AP) — A bright neon piece of rock ‘n’ roll history is going up for auction — a marquee from the legendary Los Angeles club, Whisky a Go Go. The 13-foot sign, with letters alight in bright pink, adorned the West Hollywood club in the ’80s and ’90s, during the heyday of punk, … Continue reading
Spartan Echo 