MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Former longtime Minnesota Orchestra music director Stanislaw Skrowaczewski, who conducted major orchestras in England, Japan and other countries, died Tuesday after suffering a second stroke earlier this month, the orchestra said. He was 93. Skrowaczewski’s family told Minnesota Orchestra president Kevin Smith that he died at a suburban Minneapolis hospital, according to … Continue reading
BERLIN (AP) — Fritz Koenig, a German sculptor whose work “The Sphere” became a symbol of resilience after the 9/11 attacks in New York, has died. He was 92. Koenig, a well-known artist thanks to his distinctive large statues and sculptures, created the ball-shaped bronze over a four-year period starting in 1967. Originally called “Grosse … Continue reading
by Kalin Wiggins Virginia is home to many influential music artists today. Some of these artists range from Timbaland, Missy Elliot, Pharrell and his pop group N.E.R.D., Chris Brown and many others. However, many of these artists have broken through into the music industry over a decade ago and it is time for a new … Continue reading
NEW YORK (AP) — DJ Khaled wants it all written down. The hip-hop producer and artist, radio personality and Snapchat favorite has a deal with Crown Archetype for “The Keys,” to be published Nov. 22. According to Wednesday’s announcement by Crown, the book will feature personal stories, his philosophy for success and the background for … Continue reading
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Youvensky Despeignes used to spend hours a day at home drawing pencil-and-ink abstractions on cheap notebook paper, his aspirations as a painter frustrated by a lack of opportunities in Haiti where a rich artistic heritage has suffered decades of decline. But the 22-year-old is now a scholarship student at the Centre … Continue reading
by Malik Glaspie Norfolk State University is home to many notable alumni in many professions of the working world; of the many Spartans J.B. Smoove has been making waves in the Hollywood scene. Born Jerry Angelo Brooks, Smoove is an American actor, writer, comedian, and voice actor; he is mostly known for his work on … Continue reading
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Michael C. Gross, an artist, illustrator, film producer and personal designer who created two of the most iconic pop culture images of the 20th century — the enduring “Ghostbusters” logo and a dog with a gun to its head for the cover of National Lampoon — has died of cancer at … Continue reading
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Janet Jackson is canceling her Oct. 9 and Oct. 10 shows at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino to rest her vocal chords, and the Las Vegas stop on her “Unbreakable” tour will move to a new 20,000-seat arena in May. Live Nation Entertainment said Thursday that ticketholders will be refunded and … Continue reading
HOUSTON (AP) — A judge has granted R&B singer Chris Brown joint custody of his young daughter in Texas. A judge in Houston on Friday September 11th agreed with Brown’s request to share custody of the toddler, Royalty, with the child’s mother, Nia Guzman. Brown’s attorney, Mark Geragos (GEHR’-uh-gohs), says Guzman previously had primary … Continue reading
NEW YORK (AP) — Bobbi Kristina Brown has been moved to hospice care after months in the hospital. In a statement Wednesday, her aunt Pat Houston said Whitney Houston’s daughter’s condition has worsened. “Despite the great medical care at numerous facilities, Bobbi Kristina Brown’s condition has continued to deteriorate,” the statement read. “As of today, … Continue reading
ATLANTA (AP) — Kanye West danced across the stage and knelt on his knees during a performance that left many in the audience repeating the words of his songs at one of Atlanta’s most popular hip-hop concerts. West capped a show filled with other hip-hop stars from Drake, Nicki Minaj and Future at Hot 107.9’s … Continue reading
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Carrie Underwood remembers when she first performed to thousands of country fans at the coveted Country Music Association’s Music Festival in Nashville, Tennessee. It was June 2005, which is exactly 10 years ago this month. Fresh off an “American Idol” win, Underwood said her first big Nashville stage show was a … Continue reading
HAVANA (AP) — A young Afro-Cuban performance artist transformed a Havana cultural center into the stage of a black hairstyle competition this weekend in a rare public commentary on racial beauty standards in Cuba, where prejudice remains widespread and largely undiscussed. Politics, particularly detente with the U.S., is a common subject matter at this year’s … Continue reading
NEW YORK (AP) — Whatever rules in jazz hadn’t been shattered by Charlie Parker and other bebop artists, Ornette Coleman finished off for good. Coleman, who died Thursday at age 85, brought to jazz the kind of open-ended, non-narrative approach that Jackson Pollock used in painting and James Joyce in books. In the late 1950s, … Continue reading
NEW YORK (AP) — Don’t blame being at Bonnaroo for missing the NBA Finals or the season finale of HBO’s “Game of Thrones.” The music festival, which launched Thursday, will also include several screenings, from TV shows to replays of cult favorite films, from “Mean Girls” to “The Goonies.” Here is a look at what’s … Continue reading
NEW YORK (AP) — Cuban-born artist Carmen Herrera says she’s still bursting with ideas she wants to put on canvas, but the centenarian doesn’t feel any urgency to hurry. “I don’t let anything push me,” said Herrera, who turned 100 on Sunday. She’s been painting since the 1930s. Yet fame arrived late. She sold her … Continue reading
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Nick Jonas may have become a sex symbol to female fans in the last year, but the singer says his new tour won’t cater just to the ladies. He’s thinking about his male fans, too. “I don’t think I’ll cater physically to the women so that it’s not polarizing to my … Continue reading
Spartan Echo 