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Johnny Otis, dead at 90 - Read how Bob Dylan paid tribute over the years PDF Print E-mail
Written by Staff   
Friday, 20 January 2012 18:43

R& B singer-songwriter Johnny Otis died Tuesday at the age of 90, according to an article in the Los Angeles Times.

Bob Dylan paid tribute to Otis, born John Alexander Veliotes, numerous times over the years.

Johhny Otis

Dylan was quoted in George Lipsitz's book, Midnight at the Barrelhouse: The Johnny Otis Story, saying, “Johnny’s career just dazzles the mind.  From discovering Esther Phillips and Jackie Wilson, to being a drummer, singer, piano player, bandleader, hit maker, right down to sculpting and painting. He even lost a seat for the California State Assembly.  You can’t top that.  Willie and the Hand Jive indeed.” The book also noted that "Dylan bought an artwork that Johnny Otis created".

Source: http://www.latimes.com

Last Updated on Sunday, 22 January 2012 15:32
 
Singing legend Etta James dies at 73 PDF Print E-mail
Written by Staff   
Friday, 20 January 2012 18:38

(CNN) -- Etta James, whose assertive, earthy voice lit up such hits as "The Wallflower," "Something's Got a Hold on Me" and the wedding favorite "At Last," has died, according to her longtime friend and manager, Lupe De Leon. She was 73.

She died from complications from leukemia with her husband, Artis Mills, and her sons by her side, De Leon said.

She was diagnosed with leukemia in 2010, and also suffered from dementia and hepatitis C. James died at a hospital in Riverside, California. She would have turned 74 Wednesday.

" This is a tremendous loss for the family, her friends and fans around the world," De Leon said. "She was a true original who could sing it all -- her music defied category.

"I worked with Etta for over 30 years. She was my friend and I will miss her always."

Was "At Last" your song for your wedding's first dance?

2003: Etta James reflects on her career

2008: Etta James at 'Cadillac Records'

The powerhouse singer, known as "Miss Peaches," lived an eventful life. She first hit the charts as a teenager, taking "The Wallflower (Roll With Me, Henry)" -- an "answer record" to Hank Ballard's "Work With Me, Annie" -- to No. 1 on the R&B charts in 1955. She joined Chess Records in 1960 and had a string of R&B and pop hits, many with lush string arrangements. After a mid-decade fade, she re-emerged in 1967 with a more hard-edged, soulful sound.

Throughout her career, James overcame a heroin addiction, opened for the Rolling Stones, won six Grammys and was voted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Despite her ups and downs -- including a number of health problems -- she maintained an optimistic attitude.

"Most of the songs I sing, they have that blue feeling to it. They have that sorry feeling. And I don't know what I'm sorry about," she told CNN's Denise Quan in 2002. "I don't!"

Through it all, she was a spitfire beloved by contemporaries and young up-and-comers.

"Etta James is unmanageable, and I'm the closest thing she's ever had to a manager," Lupe DeLeon, her manager of 30-plus years, told CNN in admiration.

British songstress Adele named James as one of her favorite singers, along with Aretha Franklin.

"If you were to look up the word singer in the dictionary, you'd see their names," Adele said in an interview.

Etta James was born Jamesetta Hawkins in Los Angeles to a teen mother and unknown father. (She suspected her father was the pool player Minnesota Fats.)

Her birth mother initially took little responsibility and James was raised by a series of people, notably a pair of boardinghouse owners. But she was recognized from a young age for her booming voice, showcased in a South Central Los Angeles church.

In 1950, her mother took her to San Francisco, where James formed a group called the Peaches. Singer Johnny Otis, best known for "Willie and the Hand Jive," discovered her and had her sing a song he wrote using Ballard's tune as a model. "The Wallflower," with responses from "Louie Louie" songwriter Richard Berry, made James an R&B star.

Her signing to Chess introduced her to a broader audience, as the record label's co-owner, Leonard Chess, believed she should do pop hits. Among her recordings were "Stormy Weather," the Lena Horne classic originally from 1933; "A Sunday Kind of Love," which dates from 1946; and most notably, "At Last," a 1941 number that was originally a hit for Glenn Miller.

James' version of "At Last" starts out with swooning strings and the singer enters with confident gusto, dazzlingly maintaining a mood of joy and romance. Though the song failed to make the Top 40 upon its 1961 release -- though it did hit the R&B Top 10 -- its emotional punch has long made it a favorite at weddings.

James' career suffered in the mid-'60s when the British Invasion took over the pop charts and as she fought some personal demons. But she got a boost when she started recording at Rick Hall's FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Her hits included the brassy "Tell Mama" and the raw "I'd Rather Go Blind," the latter later notably covered by Rod Stewart.

She entered rehab in the 1970s for her drug problem but re-established herself with live performances and an album produced by noted R&B mastermind Jerry Wexler. After another stint in rehab -- this time at the Betty Ford Clinic -- she made a comeback album, "Seven Year Itch," in 1988.

James mastered a range of styles -- from R&B and soul to jazz and blues -- but she was always one step behind the popular genre of the day, said Michael Coyle, a Colgate University professor who has written about jazz and R&B and reviews records for Cadence Magazine.

"She never really got her moment in the sun," Coyle said.

But James soldiered on, and by the end of her life she had made so much meaningful music that she was considered a living legend. "By the mid-'90s, she's survived so long that people start to look up to her," Coyle said.

James was portrayed by pop star Beyonce in the 2008 film "Cadillac Records," about Chess. After Beyonce sang "At Last" at one of President Barack Obama's 2009 inaugural balls, James lashed out: "I can't stand Beyonce. She had no business up there singing my song that I've been singing forever." She later told the New York Daily News she was joking.

Earlier this year, news reports revealed that the singer's estate was being contested in a legal struggle between her husband, Artis Mills, and son Donto James. (Donto and her other son, Sametto, both played in her band.)

Over the years, James had her share of health problems. In the late 1990s she reportedly weighed more than 400 pounds and required a scooter to get around. In 2003 she had gastric bypass surgery and dropped more than half the weight, according to People magazine.

However, until her latest issues, James maintained a steady touring schedule and appeared full of energy even when sitting down -- as she sometimes did on stage, due to bad knees and her weight battles.

Even while sitting down, James gave it her all on stage, singing as though possessed, caressing every note like a long-lost love. If that seemed a little much to critics, well, the legendary singer had a show to put on, she told Quan.Etta James

 

"They said that Etta James is still vulgar," she said in the 2002 interview. "I said, 'Oh, how dare 'em say I'm still real vulgar! I'm vulgar because I dance in the chair?' What would they want me to do? Want me to just be still or something like that?

"I gotta do something."

Last Updated on Saturday, 21 January 2012 14:57
 
Hip Hop Artist Common to Host AT&T’s 28 Days PDF Print E-mail
Written by Robert aka 'RB'   
Thursday, 19 January 2012 07:53

 

AT&T 28 Days – a Black History Month campaign that aims to motivate consumers to use their voice, share their vision and move into action this February and throughout the year. This year's AT&T 28 Days campaign will feature a seven-city speaker series tour with award-winning hip-hop artist, actor, author and activist Common serving as host. Learn more about AT&T 28 Days at att.com/28days.

"We are now in the fourth year of AT&T 28 Days and we continue to recognize past achievements while engaging and challenging consumers to make their own history today," said Jennifer Jones, vice president of Diverse Markets, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. "We want to connect with consumers, especially youth, in relevant ways and extend the AT&T 28 Days live experience into new markets."

Four new cities were added to this year's AT&T 28 Days speaker series: Dallas, Texas; Raleigh, N.C.; Cleveland, Ohio; and Detroit, Mich. Common also returns as host of the speaker series which features some of today's influential and respected leaders offering their own unique perspectives to inspire consumers to use their voices, creative visions and actions to shape their own future.

This year, AT&T 28 Days debuts in AT&T's corporate headquarter location in Dallas, Texas at the House of Blues on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Monday, Jan. 16. The keynote speaker for the Dallas event is technology commentator and digital lifestyle expert Mario Armstrong.

Other speakers and stops on the seven-city AT&T 28 Days speaker series tour include:

•Holly Robinson Peete, actress, author and activist; Wednesday, Feb. 1 in Oakland, Calif.; Scottish Rite Center

•Kevin Powell, political activist and author of "Barack Obama, Ronald Reagan, and The Ghost of Dr. King"; Wednesday, Feb. 8 in Raleigh, N.C.; Fletcher Opera Theater

•Mario Armstrong, tech commentator and digital lifestyle expert; Wednesday, Feb. 15 in Washington, D.C.; Howard University-Cramton Auditorium

•Jeff Johnson, social activist and political commentator; Monday, Feb. 20 in Cleveland, Ohio; Ohio Theatre

•Desiree Rogers, innovative leader and bold visionary; Thursday, Feb. 23 in Chicago, Ill.; Park West Theatre

•Michael Eric Dyson, author, scholar and cultural critic; Wednesday, Feb. 29 in Detroit, Mich.; Shriners Silver Garden Events Center

The speaker series events are free and open to the general public. Tickets are available at att.com/28days on a first come first serve basis. In addition, three of the speaker series events will be streamed live at facebook.com/att28days. The featured speakers for each city on the tour and the live streaming schedule will be announced at a future date via att.com/28days. Those in attendance at each speaker series event will have the opportunity to hear Common perform live.

"I am glad to return as host of the AT&T 28 Days speaker series. AT&T 28 Days is a movement, and it feels good to be a part of something that has the potential to shape our future and move us forward as a people," said Common.

With a new campaign rhythm, AT&T has included an interactive sweepstakes on att.com/28days, that will interface with Facebook and Twitter, for consumers to share comments and photos about AT&T 28 Days. Consumers posting comments and photos will be entered for a chance to win technology prizes and autographed copies of Common's new book, 'One Day It Will All Make Sense' and latest CD, 'The Dreamer, The Believer'. Prizes will be drawn weekly and consumers will be allowed one entry per person.

For more information about AT&T 28 Days and AT&T's Black History Month programs, visit att.com/28days.

Last Updated on Thursday, 19 January 2012 07:53
 
'Best Communities for Music Education' PDF Print E-mail
Written by Staff   
Friday, 20 January 2012 07:45

The NAMM Foundation launches its annual effort to recognize and support schools across the United States that support music education as part of a complete and quality education for all children. The Best Communities for Music Education recognition program celebrates the positive impact of music education on schools, students and communities. As school districts face mounting financial pressure, arts and music programs are often the first to face cutbacks.

This year marks the Foundation's 13th annual Best Communities for Music Education (BCME) Survey, a nationwide search for communities whose programs exemplify a strong commitment to music education. Established in 1998, BCME recognizes and celebrates schools, their administrators, teachers, board members, parents and students for their support and commitment to music education. The program also recognizes communities and schools that have diverse offerings for music learning that include music technology and innovative music education curricula.

The 2012 survey begins on Friday, January 20, 2012 and will remain open through Friday, March 9, 2012. The survey can be completed by visiting the NAMM Foundation Web site at www.nammfoundation.org. Each school district or community is allowed to fill out one survey, which must be completed by a school administrator and/or teacher who has access to school and district demographic and budgetary information. Participants in the survey answer detailed questions about enrollment, student/teacher ratios, music class participation, instruction time, facilities, support for the music program, private music lesson participation and other relevant factors in their communities' music education programs. The responses are verified with district officials and program advisors review submission. As in the previous years, the 2012 survey will be conducted in collaboration with The Institute for Educational Research and Public Service (www.ku.edu/~ierps/cgi-bin) of Lawrence, Kansas, an affiliate of the University of Kansas. The BCME final roster will be announced on April 16, 2011.

Last Updated on Friday, 20 January 2012 07:46
 
17th Annual USA Songwriting Competition PDF Print E-mail
Written by Robert aka 'RB'   
Thursday, 19 January 2012 06:40

Entries are currently being accepted for the 17th Annual USA Songwriting Competition. Winning songs of the 17th Annual USA Songwriting Competition will receive airplay on a nationally syndicated radio program “Acoustic Café” as well as Sirius XM Satellite Radio. This is the first Songwriting Competition that gives airplay to the winning songs, giving deserving bands, songwriters the recognition and exposure they deserve. Entrants stand to win a grand prize of over US $50,000 in cash and music gear from sponsors such as Sony, D’Addario Strings, Audio-Technica, Presonus, IK Multimedia, and more, making this the largest prize package for any annual songwriting competition.

Songs may be entered in 15 different categories including Pop, Rock/Alternative, R&B and Country. Entries are accepted from now through May 31, 2012. First 1,000 entries will each receive a USA Songwriting Competition Compilation CD.

Judges include A&R managers from record labels such as Warner, Capitol Records, Universal, BMG/SONY Music.

Songs may be entered in 15 different categories including Pop, Rock/Alternative, R&B and Country. Entries are accepted from now through May 31, 2012. First 1,000 entries will each receive a USA Songwriting Competition Compilation CD.

Entries may be entered with MP3 files, Youtube videos or Soundcloud files. For more information, visit: HERE

 
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