0 Prince Salutes James Brown at Super Bowl 41

• News
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 01/30/2007

Look for Prince to step lightly but brightly during the halftime show at Super Bowl 41 this Sunday, February 4. During his set, Mr. "Purple Rain" is scheduled to include a tribute to James Brown. One of the funkiest Prince hits is "Sexy M.F.," a vamp that borrows heavily from the style of soul brother number one. Don't expect Prince to perform it, as the censors would have a field day hitting the bleep button. (The halftime show will be on a slight broadcast time-delay). We play a unique version of "Sexy M.F." on Powerhouse Radio that even your grandmother could enjoy. Like the Rolling Stones who performed last year, Prince is a non-conformist, who can offer up some spontaneous, unpredictable moves. Given the Janet Jackson "wardrobe malfunction" incident in 2004, you can bet Prince will take the high road during the middle of the big game and keep things rated G. Check out the Super Bowl halftime show. Previous Post | Next Post

0 Aretha and Beyonce go for the Golden Globes

• News
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 01/11/2007

The Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, has never won a movie Golden Globe Award. On Martin Luther King Day, Monday, January 15th, we'll find out if she wins the honor on the televised NBC event. Aretha is nominated for the best original song "Never Gonna Break My Faith," sung with Mary J. Blige, from the movie Bobby, a film documenting the assassination of U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy, on June 6th, 1968. Beyonce' is one of four song writers credited with creating the lyrics to "Listen" from Dreamgirls, also nominated for the best original song Golden Globe Award. In Beyonce's case, the February 25, 2007 song writer Academy Award will be limited to tracks with a maximum of three writers. As such, it looks like she'll be locked out of the 'best song writer' Oscar. Because the Golden Globe Awards are presented every year before the Academy Awards, Golden Globe winners can sometimes effectively indicate who will win the Oscars. The Golden Globe Awards have enabled the non-profit Hollywood Foreign Press Association, (the sponsoring organization), to donate more than $6.5 million during the past twelve years to entertainment-related charities. HFPA has also funded scholarships and other programs for future film and television professionals. Here are all of the Golden Globe Award nominations and winners. Previous Post | Next Post

0 Stax is back with Memphis Soul

• News
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 01/04/2007

The Stax record label, shown above on the extreme right in yellow, is returning after more than 30 years. Based in Memphis, Tennessee, Stax featured the classic soul sounds of the Bar-Kays, Otis Redding, Johnnie Taylor, the Mad-Lads, the Soul Children, Frederick Knight, and many others. Just re-signed to the label is arguably their biggest former star, Isaac Hayes. He joins Angie Stone to form a nice foundation for a new roster of talent. Stax folded in 1975. Their studios were sold in 1981, and demolished in 1989. The new Stax Museum of American Soul Music was constructed on the old site, opening in 2003, along with the Stax Music Academy. Concord Records, who will be resurrecting the label, bought the Stax name in 2004. Concord plans to release deluxe versions of classic Stax albums. Previous Post | Next Post

0 Jill Scott Wins with Golden Collaborations

• News
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 01/02/2007

Happy New Year! Grammy Award winning Jill Scott's next studio album, The Real Thing, should be released by mid-2007. With hits "The Way" and "He Loves Me" under her vocal belt, Jill has been living her life like it's "Golden," connecting to her fans from Scott central in Philly P-A. Until The Real Thing is completed, as a teaser, Hidden Beach Records, (Scott's label), is releasing a compilation of Jill's best duets, featuring these highlights... "The Rain" featuring Will Smith "God Bless the Child" featuring Al Jarreau and George Benson "Let Me" featuring Sergio Mendes and Will.i.am "Said Enough" featuring the Isley Brothers "Kingdom Come" featuring Kirk Franklin "Slide" featuring Jeff Bradshaw "Love Rain" featuring Mos Def "Sometime I Wonder" featuring Darius Rucker "8 Minutes to Sunrise" featuring Common "Funky for You" featuring Common and Bilal "Day Dreamin'" featuring Lupe Fiasco "Good Morning Heartache" featuring Chris Botti "One Time" featuring Eric Roberson Collaborations is expected to be available on Tuesday, January 30, 2007. Previous Post | Next Post

0 Prince Heads to Super Bowl 41

• News
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 12/11/2006

Can Prince out "jumpin' jack" flash both Janet Jackson and the Rolling Stones at Super Bowl XLI? He gets his chance Sunday, February 4, 2007, as the Halftime Show headliner during the football classic. The Super Bowl is always the USA's highest rated television show each year, with a worldwide audience of over 1 billion. Prince should score a touchdown with this gig. In recent years, both Jackson and the Rolling Stones have had their brushes with Super Bowl controversy. Ms. Jackson, for her infamous wardrobe malfunction, and the Stones for some racy lyrics that had to be bleeped out of their performance earlier this year. Given the independent spirit of Prince and the authenticity of his music, he too may bring some mischievous controversy to the party. Previous Post | Next Post

0 Mary J. Blige Leads the 49th Annual Grammy Award Nominee Pack

• News
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 12/08/2006

The 49th Annual Grammy Awards will be held on Sunday, February 11, 2007, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Mary J. Blige leads the pack with 8 Grammy Award nominations. Here are all of the R&B nominees, courtesy of Grammy.com.   Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for a solo vocal performance. Singles or Tracks only. "Ring The Alarm" Beyonce' Track from: B'Day Sony Urban Music/Columbia "Be Without You" Mary J. Blige Track from: The Breakthrough Geffen Records "Don't Forget About Us" Mariah Carey Track from: The Emancipation Of Mimi (Ultra Platinum Edition) Island Records "Day Dreaming" Natalie Cole Track from: Leavin' Verve Records "I Am Not My Hair" India.Arie Track from: Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationship Motown Records Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for a solo vocal performance. Singles or Tracks only. "Heaven" John Legend Track from: Once Again Columbia/Good/Sony Urban Music "So Sick" Ne-Yo Track from: In My Own Words Def Jam Recordings "Black Sweat" Prince Track from: 3121 Universal Records "I Call It Love" Lionel Richie Track from: Coming Home Island Def Jam Recordings "Got You Home" Luther Vandross Track from: The Ultimate Luther Vandross J Records/Epic/Legacy Recordings Best R&B Performance By A Duo or Group With Vocals for duo, group or collaborative performances, with vocals. Singles or Tracks only. "Breezin'" George Benson & Al Jarreau Track from: Givin' It Up Concord Records/Monster Music "Love Changes" Jamie Foxx Featuring Mary J. Blige Track from: Unpredictable J Records "Everyday (Family Reunion)" Chaka Khan, Gerald Levert, Yolanda Adams & Carl Thomas Track from: Madea's Family Reunion - Music From The Motion Picture Motown Records "Family Affair" Sly & The Family Stone, John Legend, Joss Stone With Van Hunt Track from: Different Strokes By Different Folks Epic/Legacy Recordings "Beautiful, Loved And Blessed" Prince & T'mar Track from: 3121 Universal Records Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance for solo, duo, group or collaborative performances, with vocals. Singles or Tracks only. "Christmas Time Is Here" Anita Baker Track from: Christmas Fantasy Blue Note Records "God Bless The Child" George Benson & Al Jarreau Featuring Jill Scott Track from: Givin' It Up Concord Records/Monster Music "I Found My Everything" Mary J. Blige Featuring Raphael Saadiq Track from: The Breakthrough Geffen Records "You Are So Beautiful" Sam Moore Featuring Billy Preston, Zucchero, Eric Clapton & Robert Randolph Track from: Overnight Sensational Rhino Entertainment "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)" The Temptations Track from: Reflections New Door Records Best R&B Song (A Songwriter(s) Award. (Artist names appear in parenthesis.) Singles or Tracks only.) "Be Without You" Johnta Austin, Mary J. Blige, Bryan-Michael Cox & Jason Perry, songwriters (Mary J. Blige) Track from: The Breakthrough Geffen Records "Black Sweat" Prince, songwriter (Prince) Track from: 3121 Universal Records "Deja Vu" Shawn Carter, Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, Beyonce' Knowles, Makeba, Keli Nicole Price & Delisha Thomas, songwriters (Beyonce' Featuring Jay-Z) Track from: B'Day Sony Urban Music/Columbia "Don't Forget About Us" Johnta Austin, Mariah Carey, Bryan-Michael Cox & Jermaine Dupri, songwriters (Mariah Carey) Track from: The Emancipation Of Mimi (Ultra Platinum Edition) Island Records "I Am Not My Hair" Drew Ramsey, Shannon Sanders & India Arie Simpson, songwriters (India.Arie) Track from: Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationship Motown Records Best R&B Album for albums containing 51% or more playing time of vocal tracks. The Breakthrough Mary J. Blige Geffen Records Unpredictable Jamie Foxx J Records Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationship India.Arie Motown Records 3121 Prince Universal Republic Coming Home Lionel Richie Island Def Jam Recordings Best Contemporary R&B Album for albums containing 51% or more playing time of vocal tracks. B'Day Beyonce' Sony Urban Music/Columbia Chris Brown Chris Brown Jive Records/Zomba Label Group 20 Y.O. Janet Jackson Virgin Records Kelis Was Here Kelis Jive Records/Zomba Label Group/Dope Entertainment In My Own Words Ne-Yo Def Jam Recordings Previous Post | Next Post

0 James Brown Grabs more Godfather of Soul Gigs

• News
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 12/07/2006

2021 Update: 18 days after this was originally posted, James Brown passed away on Christmas Day, 2006. ----- At 73, the ageless James Brown is still the hardest working man in show business. Soul Brother number one's incredible story has been recently profiled on the excellent PBS James Brown American Masters Documentary. He is one of the few performers who has had a broad cultural influence beyond the musical stage. As a soulful voice of black pride and an entrepreneurial example of community commerce, James Brown became an iconic symbol in the 1960's and 70's. The drive to succeed and to be the best is what's kept him going through the years, despite some highly publicized ups and downs. Performing keeps "Mr. Dynamite" on his toes. Here are 9 James Brown tour dates coming your way soon... December 27, 2006 - The Palace Theater, Waterbury, CT, 8:45pm December 28, - Bergen Performing Arts Center, Englewood, NJ, 8:45pm December 30, - Count Basie Theatre, Red Bank, NJ, 8:45pm December 31, - B.B. King Blues Club, New York, NY, 8:00pm & 10:30pm January 3, 2007 - Metropolis, Montreal, Canada, 9:15pm January 4, - National Arts Centre Southam Hall, Ottawa, Canada, 8:15pm January 9, - Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, 8:15pm January 14, - CN Centre, Prince George, BC, Canada February 2, - Bimbo's 365 Club, San Francisco, CA J-B continues to perform over 100 live dates each year. For more 2007 USA shows, Canadian dates, and European tour dates in France, Switzerland, and Monaco, see the official James Brown tour schedule. (2021 Update: link removed) Previous Post | Next Post

0 Ruth Brown Revisted

• News
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 11/18/2006

We featured a guest article about Ruth Brown back in August, 2006. The R&B legend passed away Friday, November 17th. She led the fight for R&B artists to recover royalties owed from record companies. Rediscover The Fall and Rise of R&B Legend Ruth Brown one more time. Previous Post | Next Post

0 Stevie Wonder, Johnny Gill, and Angie Stone to Sing for Gerald Levert

• News
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 11/17/2006

A memorial service for Gerald Levert, who died of a heart attack a week ago, is scheduled for today at the Cleveland Music Hall in Ohio. Sean Levert, Gerald's younger brother, will perform. They sang together as members of the group Levert. An array of other artists are scheduled to sing in the tribute, including Stevie Wonder, Johnny Gill, and Angie Stone. Previous Post | Next Post

0 Lyrical Gerald Levert Leaves Legacy at Age 40

• News
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 11/10/2006

Gerald Levert created his own impressive musical image, successfully eclipsing the shadow of his famous father. Atlantic Records has confirmed that Gerald passed away this week at his home in Cleveland, Ohio, at the age of 40. Early on, Gerald, brother Sean, and Marc Gordon as the group Levert served up many hits in the late 1980's, including one of my favorites, "Casanova." In the 1990's Gerald kicked his solo career into high gear, often recording and performing a duo show with his famous father, Eddie (of the O'Jays). On the 2002 CD "Standing in the Shadows of Motown," a tribute to the musicians who made the label famous, Gerald cranks out two energetic motor city classics, Jr. Walkers' "Shotgun," (with sax man Tom Scott), and "Reach Out I'll be There," the Four Tops classic. These two tracks bounce from the raw power of Gerald's voice. It was this strong voice that's often been compared to his dad's. Whether fair or not, Gerald learned to accept this gift while gravitating toward the softer side of classic R&B as a solo performer. Gerald Levert was well respected among the music fraternity. Peers and his fans - we all mourn his passing. Previous Post | Next Post