The Inquisitr » Music

Dolly Parton ‘Brought to Tears’ Watching Jennifer Hudson’s ‘I Will Always Love You’ Cover

Chris Greenhough — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 09:18:54 +0000

We’ve already heard from Dolly Parton about Whitney Houston’s death, but the country music legend felt compelled to release a second statement praising Jennifer Hudson’s Grammy Awards rendition of Houston’s most famous hit, ‘I Will Always Love You’ (penned and originally recorded by Parton, of course).

The 66-year-old Parton says she was “brought to tears” by Hudson’s cover:

“I was brought to tears again last night, as I’m sure many were, when Jennifer Hudson sang ‘I Will Always Love You’ on the Grammys in memory of Whitney. Like everybody else, I am still in shock. But I know that Whitney will live forever in all the great music that she left behind. I will always have a very special piece of her in the song we shared together and had the good fortune to share with the world. Rest in peace, Whitney. Again, we will always love you.”

The song was recorded by Houston as part of The Bodyguard soundtrack in 1992, and since then has widely been considered her defining track. Sadly, she made little money from the song itself, with royalties going to Parton instead.

Still, the power of the song clearly remains for many fans, Parton included. Below is Hudson’s Grammys cover version in full – does it have the same effect on you?

Dolly Parton ‘Brought to Tears’ Watching Jennifer Hudson’s ‘I Will Always Love You’ Cover is a post from: The Inquisitr

Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl’s Grammy Speech Honors the ‘Human Element’ of Music [Video]

Dan Evon — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 19:18:16 +0000

The music industry is full of computer artists. It’s full of musicians who are better performers than they are musicians. (Hint hint: Watch Nicki Minaj’s over-the-top Grammy performance.) When the Foo Fighters won for best Rock Album last night, front man Dave Grohl tried to put the focus back on the human element of rock.

Grohl said:

“For me this award means alot because it shows that the human element of making rock is the most important. Singing into a microphone and learning to play an instrument and learning your craft is the most important thing for people to do. It’s not about being perfect. It’s not about sounding correct. It’s not about what goes on in a computer. It’s about what goes on in here (points to heart) and what goes on in here (points to head.)”

Grohl, who started his music career with the most famous garage band of all-time, Nirvana, returned to his roots for his latest record “Wasting Light.” Not only did the Foo Fighters work with Butch Vig, who produced Nirvana’s iconic Nevermind, but the album was recorded in Grohl’s garage.

What did you think of Grohl’s speech? Do you think the Foo Fighters are a good role model for aspiring musicians?

Here’s Dave Grohl’s speech.

The Foo Fighters’ acceptance speech was one of the highlights of last night’s Grammy Awards, but it has tough competition for the “moment of the night.” After all, Jennifer Hudson did give a pretty stirring, and emotional, performance of the late Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love you.”

What was your favorite moment of the Grammy Awards?

Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl’s Grammy Speech Honors the ‘Human Element’ of Music [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Deadmau5 pulls a prank on Skrillex at the Grammys

Daniel McCall — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 17:41:56 +0000

Last night’s Grammys marked a big night for electronic dance music community, with the likes of Deadmau5, Skrillex, David Guetta and more up for several awards. Skrillex ultimately took home most of the haul for himself, but it was Deadmau5 that got the last laugh.

Deadmau5 (Joel Zimmerman) was shown on the red carpet during the broadcast, complete with his “Mau5″ head, with a black sleeveless t-shirt with a phone number above the line, “u mad bro?” And as it turned out, that phone number was Skrillex’s personal phone number.

Skrillex took it well enough, though. He laughed off the prank on Twitter, saying: “Haha @deadmau5 just wore my phone number on his fokin shirt on tv gotta retire this phone.”

In a quick attempt to take some revenge, Skrillex tried to turn on call-forwarding to turn the prank against Deadmau5, but apparently the prankster was way ahead of him. “Nice try with the call forwarding @skrillex one step ahead of you! Ps. Congrats dude! Seriously, so rad!,” he tweeted.

via Access Hollywood

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Adele Dominates Grammy Awards With Six Wins

Chris Greenhough — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 08:54:17 +0000

Adele has scooped six Grammy Awards at this year’s ceremony (the last time we checked in, her total was on four), winning every category in which she was nominated.

The 23-year-old soul singer clinched three of the most prestigious gongs, winning best album, record and song of the year (don’t ask me what the difference is between album and record, I’ve long given up trying to understand these award things). She also won best pop solo performance, pop vocal and short video. I hope she booked an extra bag when she flies back to the UK.

Adele had a remarkable 2011 by anybody’s standards. Her album, 21, has sold over 6.3 million copies in the U.S. alone, and spent a highly fitting 21 weeks at No 1 on the Billboard album chart.

Indeed, it seemed to be the album prize that gave the songstress most pleasure. In an emotional speech, she talked about the influences behind 21:

“This record is inspired by something that is really normal and everyone’s been through it, just a rubbish relationship, and it’s gone on to do things I can’t tell you how I feel about it, it’s been the most life-changing year.”

Adele performed her song ‘Rolling In the Deep’ at the awards, a track which won song of the year.

Foo Fighters were a close second behind the British singer with five Grammy wins, including the gong for best rock performance for Walk. Dave Grohl, officially the most affable chap in rock music, gushed:

“This is a great honour because this record was a special record for our band. Rather than go to the best studio … we made this one in my garage with some microphones and a tape machine. It shows that the human element of making music is what’s most important.”

Aside from that, there was naturally an awful lot of tributes to Whitney Houston, who passed away on Sunday. Jennifer Hudson belted out ‘I Will Always Love You,’ while Grammy host LL Cool J offered a prayer for Houston’s family, saying, “Although she is gone too soon, we remain truly blessed by her musical spirit.”

What do you make of Adele’s epic sweep of six Grammys?

See The Full List Of 2012 Grammy Winners

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Did Katy Perry Take A Jab At Russell Brand During Her Grammy Performance? We Think She Took Several

James Johnson — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 06:56:21 +0000

Katy Perry performed at the Grammy’s on Sunday night fresh off her divorce from funnyman Russell Brand and it turns out that she may have taken a jab at her now ex-husband when debuting her new song Part of Me.

Perry, 27, signed her divorce papers last week and during her Grammy’s song performance she sang

“Now look at me, I’m sparking/A firework, a dancing flame/You won’t ever put me out again.” She then sang “You can keep everything.”

In another part of the song she sang:

“You’re not gonna break my soul,” and “Your love was cheap, was always tearing at the seam. I feel deep and you let me down. But that was then and this is now.”

For the kicker she added:

“You can keep the diamond ring. It don’t mean nothing anyway. In fact you can keep everything. Yeah, yeah, except for me.”

While she first launched into her hit E.T. it didn’t take long for Perry to done a silver and gold body suit to sing the new song.

The new track will appear on the extended version of Teenage Dream which will be released on March 13.

In case you missed the big music awards show here’s the Katy Perry performance:

Leave it to Perry to turn such bitter moment into a catchy pop song.

I would be curious to know if he had ever heard the song before Perry’s 2012 Grammy Awards performance.

Do you think Katy Perry was attempting to engage in a bit of Russell Brand bashing?

Did Katy Perry Take A Jab At Russell Brand During Her Grammy Performance? We Think She Took Several is a post from: The Inquisitr

2012 Grammy Awards: Full Winner List

James Johnson — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 06:14:26 +0000

Adele was unstoppable and folk rockers Bon Iver plowed ahead of the competition to win best new artist at the 2012 Grammy Awards. Bon Iver also topped off their night with the best alternative album win for Bon Iver.

Adele as expected by most music insiders managed to rule the night, grabbing 6 wins including Record of the Year for her hit song Rolling in the Deep.

Adele also scored best pop solo performance for Someone Like You and best pop vocal for 21.

Three years after his assault of Rihanna occurred on Grammy night Chris Brown was also back in top form, performing at the big event and then turning around to win the years best R&B Album for his hit record F.A.M.E.

The second best night went to the Foo Fighters who walked away with four awards including best rock song, best rock album, top rock performance and the top Hard Rock/Metal Performance for White Limo.

While it may have been a somber night following the 24-hour death of Whitney Houston and an in-memoriam that was marked by a touching cover of I Will Always Love You the night was still about the winners so here’s the full list of winners from the early show and live recording.

Let us know if anyone on the winners list surprised you, there’s always at least one or two winners that leave us scratching our heads wondering how they won.

Song of the Year: “Rolling in the Deep,” Adele Adkins & Paul Epworth
New Artist: Bon Iver
Pop Solo Performance: “Someone Like You,” Adele
Pop Performance by a Duo or Group: “Body and Soul,” Tony Bennett & Amy Winehouse
Pop Vocal Album: “21,” Adele
Alternative Album: “Bon Iver,” Bon Iver
Rock Song: “Walk,” Foo Fighters
Rock Album: “Wasting Light,” Foo Fighters
Rock Performance: “Walk,” Foo Fighters
Hard Rock/Metal Performance: “White Limo,” Foo Fighters
R&B Album: “F.A.M.E.,” Chris Brown
R&B Song: “Fool For You,” Cee Lo Green, Melanie Hallim & Jack Splash
R&B Performance: “Is This Love,” Corrine Bailey Rae
Traditional R&B Vocal Performance: “Fool For You,” Cee Lo Green & Melanie Fiona
Rap Album: “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy,” Kanye West
Rap Performance: “Otis,” Jay-Z and Kanye West
Rap Song: “All of the Lights,” Jeff Bhasker, Stacy Ferguson, Malik Jones, Warren Trotter & Kanye West
Rap/Sung Collaboration: “All of the Lights,” Kanye West, Rihanna, Kid Cudi & Fergie
Dance Recording: “Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites,” Skrillex
Dance/Electronica Album: “Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites,” Skrillex
Musical Theater Album: “The Book of Mormon,” Robert Lopez, Trey Parker & Matt Stone
World Music Album: “Tassili,” Tinariwen
Latin Pop Rock, Rock or Urban Album: “Drama y Luz,” Mana
Tropical Latin Album: “Last Mambo,” Cachao
Regional Mexican or Tejano Album: “Bicentenario,” Pepe Aguilar
Country Solo Performance: “Mean,” Taylor Swift
Country Album: “Own the Night,” Lady Antebellum
Country Performance by a Duo or Group: “Barton Hollow,” The Civil Wars
Country Song: “Mean,” Taylor Swift
Jazz Vocal Album: “The Mosaic Project,” Terri Lyne Carrington & various artists
Jazz Instrumental Album: “Forever,” Corea, Clark & White
Improvised Jazz Solo: “500 Miles High,” Chick Corea
Large Ensemble Jazz Album: “The Good Feeling,” Christian McBride Big Band
Blues Album: “Revelator,” Tedeschi Trucks Band
Folk Album: “Barton Hollow,” The Civil Wars
Pop Instrumental Album: “The Road From Memphis,” Booker T. Jones
Bluegrass Album: “Paper Airplane,” Alison Krauss & Union Station
Americana Album: “Ramble at the Ryman,” Levon Helm
Reggae Album: “Revelation Pt. 1: The Root of Life,” Stephen Marley
New Age Album: “What’s It All About,” Pat Metheny
Children’s Album: “All About Bullies… Big and Small,” various artists
Producer of the Year, Non-Classical: Paul Epworth
Remixed Recording, Non-Classical: “Cinema (Skrillex remix),” Sonny Moore
Gospel Song: “Hello Fear,” Kirk Franklin
Gospel/Contemporary Christian Performance: “Jesus,” L’Andria Johnson
Gospel Album: “Hello Fear,” Kirk Franklin
Choral Performance: “Light & Gold,” Eric Whitacre
Classical Contemporary Composition: “Elmer Gantry,” Robert Aldridge & Herschel Garfein
Producer of the Year, Classical: Judith Sherman
Orchestral Performance: “Brahms: Symphony No. 4,” Gustavo Dudamel
Opera Recording: “Adams: Doctor Atomic,” Alan Gilbert, conductor
Spoken Word Album: “If You Ask Me (And Of Course You Won’t),” Betty White
Comedy Album: “Hilarious,” Louis C.K.
Compilation Soundtrack Album For Visual Media: “Boardwalk Empire,” various artists
Score Soundtrack Album For Visual Media: “The King’s Speech,” Alexandre Desplat
Song Written For Visual Media: “I See the Light,” Alan Menken & Glenn Slater
Historical Album: “Band on the Run (Paul McCartney Archive Collection – Deluxe Edition),” Paul McCartney
Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalists: “Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me),” Jorge Calandrelli

2012 Grammy Awards: Full Winner List is a post from: The Inquisitr

Jennifer Hudson Covers ‘I Will Always Love You’ During 2012 Grammy Awards Show

James Johnson — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 04:37:49 +0000

Jennifer Hudson had her work cut out for her on Sunday night when less then 24 hours after the death of singer Whitney Houston she was tasked with performing the singers biggest and most recognizable hit I Will Always Love You.

During the 54th Annual Grammy Awards show it was an emotional time for musicians who happened to be friends with Houston including LL Cool J who offered up a prayer for the deceased singer.

Hudson took to the stage for her pitch perfect performance following a touching in-memoriam tribute montage that ended with a photograph of Houston which led Hudson to begin singing.

Originally recorded by Dolly Parton the song was featured by Houston on the soundtrack for The Bodyguard and won the Album of the Year in 1994.

After her performance the crowd broke into applause as Hudson fought back tears.

It was a short homage to Whitney Houston but it struck the right chords in a very straight forward but underrated way.

Rumors are currently pointing to death by drowning with an insider revealing that Houston had water in her lungs which was discovered when her autopsy was performed on Sunday afternoon. Full labs won’t be available for 4-6 weeks at which point we will know if she died from a drug or alcohol overdose.

What did you think of Jennifer Hudson’s I Will Always Love You performance?

Jennifer Hudson Covers ‘I Will Always Love You’ During 2012 Grammy Awards Show is a post from: The Inquisitr

Adele Wins 2012 Grammy For Song Of The Year

James Johnson — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 03:31:41 +0000

Adele was Rolling in the Deep frenzy of Grammy Award glory on Sunday night when she won the song of the year award, her fourth Grammy on the night.

Rolling in the Deep was a number one hit for Adele and helped her turn in the album’s top-selling album of 2011.

The Grammy award winning song was written by Adele and Paul Epworth and he also managed to pick up the award for best producer of the year in the non-classical category.

Adele has had an amazing year with her album 21 selling more than 6.3 million copies in he U.S. while spending 19 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard album chart. The album includes the immediately recognizable songs ”Rolling in the Deep,” “Somebody Like You” and “Set Fire to the Rain.”

Taking to the stage during the pre-recorded portion of the show Adele took some time to thanks her doctors who performed surgery on her failing vocal chords which were damaged from singing and cigarettes.

Do you think Adele deserves the 4 Grammy’s she won on the night or is she overrated?

Adele Wins 2012 Grammy For Song Of The Year is a post from: The Inquisitr

Taylor Swift Wins Two Grammy Awards, Gets Revenge On “Mean” Guy

James Johnson — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 03:07:29 +0000

Taylor Swift is still on a role, taking home two Grammy’s on Sunday for best country song and best country solo performance on the heals of her hit song Mean.Accepting her top prizes the singer said:

“There’s really no feeling quite like writing a song about someone who’s completely mean to you and completely hates you, and then winning a Grammy for it.”

Swift was also nominated for best country album for her hit album Speak Now.

Joking with those in attendance Swift went so far as to thank all her fans who clapped for her victory, a move the Washington Post seems to think was a subtle a reference to her MTV VMA’s debacle when Kanye West during the 2009 MTV Awards show. During that acceptance speech Kanye West took the mic from her and said ”Yo Taylor, I’m really happy for you, I’ll let you finish, but Beyoncé has one of the best videos of all time. One of the best videos of all time!”

Taylor’s awards were picked up as part of the show’s pre-television section of the awards event.

Taylor Swift wasn’t the only female taking home two big awards early on in the night Adele won Best Short Form Music Video for ‘Rolling in the Deep’ and Best Pop Vocal Album for her breakthrough album 21.

Do you think Taylor Swift deserved her Grammy victories on the strength of Mean and the entire Speak Now album?

Taylor Swift Wins Two Grammy Awards, Gets Revenge On “Mean” Guy is a post from: The Inquisitr

Patriotic Rock Band Stands With Starbucks Amidst Attack From Anti-Gun Lobby Group

David James — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 22:52:13 +0000

The NRA and other Second Amendment groups may have just found the best friend they could have ever hoped for – a new rock & roll band based out of New York named Madison Rising.

According to the band’s website, “Madison Rising (www.madisonrising.com) promotes the principles of liberty, independence, smaller government and personal responsibility.”

The band’s latest cause is to help bring awareness to the relentless attacks on one of the most cherished rights granted in the Constitution: The right to keep and bear arms. On January 30^th, the band released a video for their single “Right To Bear.”

The song and video had already generated considerable controversy regarding the Second Amendment and the ongoing issues of open and concealed carry gun laws around the country. But the issue really came to the forefront last week when the band learned that a group called The National Gun Victim’s Action Council (NGAC) plans to lead a national boycott of Starbucks Coffee on Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14th, to try to force a change in the company’s “open carry” gun policy at hundreds of its retail locations.

Apparently, Starbucks having the audacity to follow the law by allowing guns to be carried by patrons in the states where it is legal to do so doesn’t sit well with everyone. According to Elliot Fineman, CEO of the NGAC, “Starbucks allowing guns to be carried in thousands of their stores significantly increases everyone’s risk of being a victim of gun violence.” Fineman further claims, “Open and conceal-and-carry are among the reasons there are 12,000 gun homicides each year in theU.S.”

However, Christopher Schreiner, Madison Rising’s guitarist vehemently disagrees. “Mr. Fineman needs to realize that his position on this issue is flawed, and affected by his obvious naiveté,” said Schreiner who, along with his band mates openly showed their support for Starbucks by posing in front of a mural from their recent video with Starbucks coffees held proudly in hand.

Notably however, Schreiner’s passion and interest in the gun-rights issue extend far beyond his membership in the NRA and the band’s recent music video. Last year, Schreiner’s 31-year-old cousin was shot and killed on his way home from work by a 16 year old with an illegal handgun. Yet Schreiner clearly understands the difference between rights and responsibilities: “Certain people blame guns, but the perpetrator wasn’t a responsible gun owner or an NRA member. He was a delinquent. Madison Rising is fighting for the rights of law abiding citizens, and those rights should not be infringed upon, compromised or lost as a result of the egregious actions of criminals.”

“There’s a reason it’s the second amendment,” continued Dave Bray, the band’s lead singer. “It’s not the ninth, it’s not the fourth; it’s the second. And at the end of the day, it’s the only thing protecting the first. We’re talking last line of defense. The authors of the constitution knew exactly what they were doing and these rights are just as important now as they were two centuries ago. It doesn’t matter how technologically advanced a society may become. Human nature never changes.”

The band’s Right To Bear video prominently features several high profile anti-gun politicians such as Hillary Clinton, Eric Holder, John Kerry, and Nancy Pelosi, as well as key pro-gun advocates like NRA president David Keene. The band openly endorses national right to carry laws.

Patriotic Rock Band Stands With Starbucks Amidst Attack From Anti-Gun Lobby Group is a post from: The Inquisitr

Watch the 2012 Grammy Awards Live [Video]

Dan Evon — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 16:17:20 +0000

Tonight, music royalty from around the world will gather for the 2012 Grammy Awards. Adele, Tony Bennett, Coldplay, and several other musicians are scheduled to perform tonight. Jennifer Hudson will also be paying a special tribute to the late Whitney Houston.

The party kicks off at 8/7 P.M. CST but you can watch the red carpet live on the Inquisitr at 5. CBS and Grammy.com will also be broadcasting the 2012 Grammy Awards live on the internet.

The Grammy Awards website reads:

“For the third consecutive year, music fans worldwide have had unprecedented access to VIP and backstage events leading up to the 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards…”

The live stream of the Grammy Awards will feature a pre-Telecast from 1–3:30 p.m, behind-the-scenes footage and a “multiscreen” experience to compliment the CBS telecast, red-carpet coverage, backstage interviews, press room question-and-answer sessions, and a first-class ticket to the music’s biggest after-party.

You can watch the Grammy Awards live on the internet at Grammy.com.

Are you going to watch the Grammy Awards tonight? If you do, you’ll see plenty of great music. Here’s a list of performers.

Adele (This is her first post-surgery performance.)
Jason Aldean and Kelly Clarkson
The Beach Boys (This will be their first performance together in two decades.) They’ll play with Foster The People and Maroon 5
Tony Bennett and Carrie Underwood
Chris Brown
Glen Campbell with the Band Perry and Blake Shelton
The Civil Wars
Coldplay and Rihanna
Dance/electronica segment featuring Chris Brown, Deadmau5, Foo Fighters, David Guetta, and Lil Wayne
Foo Fighters
Jennifer Hudson (A special tribute to Whitney Houston.)
Alicia Keys and Bonnie Raitt
Diana Krall
Bruno Mars
Paul McCartney
Nicki Minaj
Maceo Parker
Katy Perry
Bruce Springsteen And The E Street Band
Taylor Swift
Joe Walsh

Are you excited for the Grammy Awards? You can watch the Grammy Red Carpet Live below starting at 5 pm EST.

Streaming live video by Ustream

Watch the 2012 Grammy Awards Live [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Whitney Houston Tribute Planned for Grammy Awards

Dan Evon — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 15:17:30 +0000

Whitney Houston’s death last night will cast a big shadow over Los Angeles as the music elite gather for the 2012 Grammy Awards. Adele, Coldplay, Paul McCartney, and Bruce Springsteen are already schedule to play at the ceremony, and according to the show’s website, Jennifer Hudson has been added to the bill and will sing a few Whitney Houston songs.

Neil Portnow, President/CEO of The Recording Academy, said:

“A light has been dimmed in our music community today, and we extend our deepest condolences to her family, friends, fans and all who have been touched by her beautiful voice.”

Houston won six Grammy Awards during her career. Her first came in 1985 when she won Best Pop Vocal Performance for “Saving All My Love for You.” She won the same award the following year for “I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me).” Houston won three Grammy Awards in 1993, for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Record of the Year, and Album of the Year. Her latest win came in 1999 when she won for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for “It’s Not Right But It’s Okay.”

It isn’t clear what songs Hudson will perform but she has plenty to choose from. Whitney Houston had 11 No. one hits and is one of the best selling artists of all time. (You can read about more of her accomplishments here.)

Mariah Carey wrote:

“Heartbroken and in tears over the shocking death of my friend. She will never be forgotten as one of the greatest voices to ever grace the earth.”

Are you going to watch the Grammy Awards? Are you happy that there will be a Whitney Houston tribute?

Whitney Houston Tribute Planned for Grammy Awards is a post from: The Inquisitr

Adele Gives First Post-Surgery Performance on ’60 Minutes’ [Video]

Dan Evon — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 18:45:30 +0000

Adele has been in the news this week thanks to some insulting comments by Karl Lagerfeld about her weight, but the Grammy-nominated singer gave people another reason to talk about her on “60 Minutes.” The “Rolling in the Deep” singer gave her first post-surgery performance last night to Anderson Cooper.

The Daily Mail reports that Adele’s first public performance will be this weekend at the Grammy Awards where she will be hoping to win at least one of six awards. The singer had surgery on her throat in November but has made a full recovery.

Adele said:

“It’s an absolute honour to be included in such a night and for it to be my first performance in months is very exciting and of course nerve-racking, but what a way to get back into it all.”

Adele announced in October that she was cancelling all of her tour dates to reduce damage to her voice. Here’s the clip from “60 Minutes” last night. It looks like her voice is as strong as ever.

Adele Gives First Post-Surgery Performance on ’60 Minutes’ [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Nate Dogg’s Former Associate Says Friends Abandoned Him During Time Of Need

James Johnson — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 09:00:14 +0000

Rapper Nate Dogg suffered a massive stroke in 2008 and was forced to live in a medical facility until 2010 and now a former business associate of the rapper says his friends all but abandoned him during his time of need.

Record label owner David Michery says he vouched for Nate Dogg’s hospital bill in 2008 after nobody else would step up and help pay for the rapper’s $300,000 in treatment. According to Michery he was told that the bill had to be paid if Nate wanted to receive continued help from the facility.

Now a judge has ruled that David must pay that bill because he vouched for the rapper for which Michery says ”none of Nate’s so-called rapper friends” stepped up to the plate to save his life.

According to David Nate’s doctors said it was “imperative” that he receive specialized treatment as his life neared it’s end.

“I was the only person who would come forward because I didn’t want him to die. Me and Nate have 20 years history together and I did what everyone should have done and tried to save his life … not let him get kicked out in the streets and die.”

For his part David says he has no regrets because Nate and him were friends for more than 20 years, he says of the situation “I would do it again in a minute.”

David Michery claims to be the owner of several never before released Nate Dogg tracks which he plans to release in order to cover the large hospital bill.

Do you think Nate Dogg’s wealthy rapper friends should have stepped up to offer their financial assistance?

Nate Dogg’s Former Associate Says Friends Abandoned Him During Time Of Need is a post from: The Inquisitr

Lana Del Rey Lives On Ex-Boyfriends Couch

James Johnson — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 01:14:53 +0000

Lana Del Rey debuted her album at No. 2 in the country but her hard work doesn’t mean she’s living it up in a New York highrise apartment with a posse of freeloaders. In fact it’s Lana acting as the freeloader, crashing on her ex-boyfriends couch.

Speaking with The New York Times‘ T Magazine Del Rey recently revealed that she’s “Staying with my ex-boyfriend. I live on his couch.”

Perhaps she wasn’t sure how her debut album would be received after she was critically panned for her Saturday Night Live performance but after critically acclaimed performances on David Letterman and at an in-store performance at Amoeba Records in Los Angeles she should be apartment shopping sometime soon.

During her interview with the Magazine her manager said she had to leave at a certain tme for a “big industry meeting” which turned out to be a job “babysitting” for her friend.

You can read the full interview at T Magazine.

In the meantime here’s the singers SNL performance:

Here’s the singers far better received performance on David Letterman:

Do you think Lana Del Rey has what it takes to stick around for the long haul or is she a one and done album type of artist?

Lana Del Rey Lives On Ex-Boyfriends Couch is a post from: The Inquisitr

Adam Levine Starts Label Signs Glee’s Matthew Morrison

Niki Cruz — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 20:38:13 +0000

In a not-so surprise move, musician Adam Levine and judge favorite from “The Voice” has decided to open shop with his new recording label.

The lead singer of Maroon 5 announced the 222 Records label’s debut and its first signed act, Glee’s very own Matthew Morrison. An album for the actor/singer is due out in the spring.

Levine had this to say about the label, “starting my own label has been a long time goal of mine and I am thrilled to be at the point in my career where it is finally happening. I am excited for everyone to hear Matthew’s forthcoming album. Great things are in store for him with this release.”

As far as how this duo formed Morrison is happy to talk about their chemistry. “Adam and I share the same vision as we begin working on my record together.” Matthew released an album prior to his debit on 222 Records last May under Mercury. The self titled album only peaked on billboard charts at No. 24.

Prior to his debut album of Marcury Morrison was recruited to join Making The Band reject boy band LMNT formed by Mike Miller, Bryan Chang, and Ikaika Kahoano. Looking back Morrison stated that, “It was the worst year of my life. You know when you’re a performer and you’re out there on stage and you’re embarrassed that you’re doing something wrong. It was pretty bad.”

Currently Levine is building his record label and currently negotiating with distributors while staffing departments such as radio, marketing, and promotions.

Do you think Adam Levine has the knowledge to run his own record label? Do you think record labels are becoming a thing of the past? Weigh in!

Adam Levine Starts Label Signs Glee’s Matthew Morrison is a post from: The Inquisitr

Paul McCartney pulls his music from streaming services

Daniel McCall — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:48:18 +0000

Paul McCartney apparently isn’t a fan of having his work aired on music streaming services such as Rhapsody and Spotify. The former Beatles member has pulled both his solo tracks, as well as tracks from Wings, from music streaming service Rhapsody.

This isn’t the first instance of McCartney moving to have his work removed from music streaming services, and it doesn’t appear that it will be the last. Back in 2010, McCartney’s music was taken off of Spotify, and he appears to be on an anti-streaming campaign as of late, with his work being dropped from a variety of other streaming services.

“Rhapsody members have enjoyed streaming Mr. McCartney’s music for more than four years and are sure to be very disappointed to find that it has been restricted,” Rhapsody said in a statement sent to GeekWire. The company noted that the content is still available on its radio offering.

“As the number-one premium subscription music service in the U.S. with more one million paying subscribers, Rhapsody has generated significant revenue for Mr. McCartney, his label and his publisher over the years, and has provided a compelling alternative to piracy. We have a great relationship with the label and Eastman Management, so this development was a shock.”

A variety of artists have recently voiced complaints that they weren’t adequately compensated by the streaming services for their works; Coldplay, Tom Waits, and Adele have all opposed having their work streamed.

Not all record labels agree, however.

“Overall, the labels have been very supportive of streaming and view it as the future of the music industry,” according to the Rhapsody statement. “We will continue to work with labels, artists and management to keep as much content available on premium streaming services like Rhapsody as possible.”

Source: GeekWire

Paul McCartney pulls his music from streaming services is a post from: The Inquisitr

John Legend Developing Music Series

Niki Cruz — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:39:49 +0000

According to Deadline John Legend is said to produce a music special which is in consideration to be a series at Showtime. The R&B singer hosts and executive produces the music special which recently taped at the EastWest Studios in Los Angeles. The yet to be titled show features popular artists from every genre to discuss their careers at length and perform an original music collaboration in front of a live studio audience. It sounds like it’s Behind The Music meets American Idol.

The first taping directed by Jesse Dylan (“Kicking & Screaming), son of music legend Bob Dylan, featured a live performance from country singer Faith Hill who sang her new song “You’re The One Who’s Waiting,” which of course was co-written by John Legend. More performers included rapper B.O.B. and John Legend who sang “Son of A Preacher Man” with Hill and B.O.B.

The next installment of the series is said to shoot before next week’s Grammy Awards. Executive producing this juggernaut are partners from his Get Lifted Film Co. Mike Jackson, Mike Tolin of Tolin Productions, RD Robb and Tom Carter, and Priscilla Cohen Wondros.

More details to be come!
What do you think about this show? Will it bring a more humbled approach to reality television?

John Legend Developing Music Series is a post from: The Inquisitr

Flo Rida Being Sued By Former Assistant Over Extremely Low Wages

James Johnson — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 13:42:35 +0000

Mahogany Miller, the former personal assistant to rapper Flo Rida has filed a lawsuit claiming that the rapper had her answering phones, organizing emails and performing other tasks for 65 hours a week at wages that amounted to just $3.08 per hour.

The former assistant claims that she worked as Flo Rida’s assistant and handled anything he wanted accomplished but was being paid well below Federal minimum wage.

Making the alleged matter worse Mahogany says when she brought up the extremely low pay she was making and the long hours it took Flo Rida less then 24 hours to fire her.

She only started working for the rapper in August which means it didn’t take her long to breach the issue with the rapper and then to lose her job.

Flo Rida’s people aren’t returning calls regarding the allegation.

Rappers always rap about making something of themselves by climbing out of the hood, apparently they just don’t want to make a better life for those people who work for them. Then again this could all be a fabrication by a disgruntled employee who was fired for completely valid reasons.

Would you sue if your employer was all of a sudden paying you $3.08 per hour?

Flo Rida Being Sued By Former Assistant Over Extremely Low Wages is a post from: The Inquisitr

Jay-Z Wows During Carnegie Hall Concert For Charity

James Johnson — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 13:05:10 +0000

On Monday night rapper Jay-Z took to the stage at Carnegie Hall where he sang from a list of his greatest hits and a new single to a sold out crowd.

At one point the world’s best selling rapper managed to debut his newest song “Glory” written for his 1-month-old daughter Blue Ivy Carter. Sounding emotional after finishing the ode to his daughter he told the crowd:

“I didn’t think I was going to make it through that one,” adding, “That was tough.”

Jay-Z is only the second hip-hop act to grace the Carnegie Hall stage following in the footsteps of Wyclef Jean who appeared alongside Stevie Wonder, Eric Clapton and Whitney Houston in 2001.

For his turn at the Carnegie Hall stage Jay-Z also had some guests including Alicia Keys and Nas. The rapper was also backed by a 30-plus strong orchestra that included musical guest ?uestlove of The Roots.

The Grammy winner rapper put on the concert for charity and will host a second charity concert later in the week.

While some tickets for the Jay-Z Carnegie Hall performance were made available to the public most were sold in private sale form for prices ranging from $500 to $2,500. Proceeds from the Carnegie Hall show will go to benefit the United Way of New York City and the Shawn Carter Scholarship Foundation.

Among hits performed on the night were:

“Hard Knock Life,” “99 Problems” and “Dirt Off Your Shoulder.” The orchestra also played a medley of Billy Joel’s “New York State of Mind,” Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York” and Gil Scott-Heron’s “New York Is Killing Me.”

That’s one Jay-Z concert I would love to see arrive on Blu-ray.

Would you have liked to attend the Jay-Z Carnegie Hall concert?

Jay-Z Wows During Carnegie Hall Concert For Charity is a post from: The Inquisitr