NORFOLK, VA — Norfolk State University Spartan Legion marching band will participate in the 134th Rose Parade on January 2, 2023, in Los Angeles. “I don’t think anyone in the band realized to what extent this deal was; when Miss Amy and her husband, Tim, came, the energy started to shift,” Head Drum Major Jonathan … Continue reading
The odds were stacked against Eleanora Fagan, who was born to unwed teenage parents in Philadelphia on April 7, 1915. But she would become perhaps the most influential jazz singer ever, Billie Holiday, whose centennial is being celebrated with new albums honoring her legacy. Unlike Ella Fitzgerald, Holiday lacked the vocal technique that would have … Continue reading
UNION, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey’s Kean University has cancelled hip-hop artist Common as commencement speaker after police voiced concerns over a song about a woman convicted of killing a police officer who fled to Cuba. The school announced the Academy Award winner’s selection on Monday, but said on its social media sites on Tuesday … Continue reading
The iHeartRadio Music Awards should be called the iHeartTaylorSwift Awards. The pop singer cleaned house at the show Sunday, winning artist of the year and song of the year for “Shake It Off,” and even assisted Madonna by strumming her guitar onstage while the pop icon sang a new song. “More than anything in the … Continue reading
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Chris Brown has finally put his 2009 attack on Rihanna behind him, at least legally. Superior Court Judge James R. Brandlin ended Brown’s felony probation on Friday March 20, 2015, more than six years after the R&B singer brutally attacked his then-girlfriend hours before the Grammy Awards. The attack erased Brown’s … Continue reading
NEW YORK (AP) — As the music industry debates the fallout from the “Blurred Lines” copyright verdict, Grammy-winning producer Jermaine Dupri finds himself sympathetic to both Pharrell and Marvin Gaye’s family. Dupri, who helped Usher reach superstar status, aided in Mariah Carey’s ultra-successful comeback a decade ago and produced for the diva in 1990s, remembers … Continue reading
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Singers Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams lied about how they crafted the 2013 hit “Blurred Lines” and should be financially punished for using music by Marvin Gaye, a lawyer for the late singer’s family told a jury Thursday. An attorney for Williams and Thicke, however, said his clients did nothing … Continue reading
Drake, “If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late” (Cash Money) For as long as Drake’s been around, almost everything about him — his Mr. Sensitive image, his sweater collection, his cheesy photos with various professional athletes — has been the subject of a never-ending stream of Internet memes. Still, Drake and his talent are … Continue reading
TORONTO (AP) — Chris Brown tweeted Tuesday that he’s been denied entry into Canada and that his concerts in Montreal and Toronto have been canceled. The Grammy-winning R&B singer was scheduled to perform at the Bell Centre in Montreal on Tuesday and the Air Canada Centre in Toronto on Wednesday night. Brown said in a tweet … Continue reading
ROSWELL, Ga. (AP) — The daughter of late singer and entertainer Whitney Houston was found unresponsive, face down in a bathtub Saturday and taken to a hospital in the north Atlanta suburbs, police said. Bobbi Kristina Brown was found by her husband, Nick Gordon, and a friend. The friend called 911 while her … Continue reading
ATLANTA (AP) — Grammy-winning R&B group TLC is depending on fans to fund the release of their final album through a Kickstarter campaign. The group, which currently consists of T-Boz and Chilli, launched the campaign on Monday. It’s been nearly 13 years since their last album, “3D,” which was released seven months after the death of … Continue reading
Spartan Echo 