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0 India.Arie Drops Love Testimonial Kiss
- News
- by Kingsley H. Smith
- 01/06/2009
India.Arie has a new album on the way, Testimony: Vol. 2, Love & Politics, scheduled for release on Tuesday, February 10, 2009. She's nominated for a new Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a duo or group with vocals for "Words" by Anthony David (featuring India.Arie). The 51st Annual Grammy Awards will be presented on "Grammy Sunday," February 8, 2009, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California (broadcast live on CBS from 8 - 11:30 p.m Eastern). Previous Post | Next Post
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0 Grammy Award Sunday Salutes 7 Soulful Honorees
- News
- by Kingsley H. Smith
- 12/09/2008
The 2008 Grammy Award nominees have been announced. 110 awards will be presented including 7 for R&B - soul. Here are 5 of the 7 R&B categories: Best Female R&B Vocal Performance: "Me, Myself And I," Beyonce' "Heaven Sent," Keyshia Cole "Spotlight," Jennifer Hudson "Superwoman," Alicia Keys "Need U Bad," Jazmine Sullivan Best Male R&B Vocal Performance: "You're The Only One," Eric Bene't "Take You Down," Chris Brown "Miss Independent," Ne-Yo "Can't Help But Wait," Trey Songz "Here I Stand," Usher Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance: "A Change Is Gonna Come," Wayne Brady "You've Got The Love I Need," Al Green Featuring Anthony Hamilton "Baby I Know," Linda Jones with Helen Bruner & Terry Jones "Love That Girl," Raphael Saadiq "In Love With Another Man," Jazmine Sullivan Best Contemporary R&B Album: Growing Pains, Mary J. Blige Back Of My Lac', J. Holiday First Love, Karina Year Of The Gentleman, Ne-Yo Fearless, Jazmine Sullivan Best R&B Album: Love & Life, Eric Bene't Motown: A Journey Through Hitsville USA, Boyz II Men Lay It Down, Al Green Jennifer Hudson, Jennifer Hudson The Way I See It, Raphael Saadiq For the Best R&B Album category, all of them are quite good. Look for a 3-way toss-up between Al Green, Jennifer Hudson, and ex Tony! Toni! Tone'! guy Raphael Saadiq. The 51st Annual Grammy Awards will be presented on "Grammy Sunday," February 8, 2009, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California (broadcast live on CBS from 8 - 11:30 p.m Eastern). Previous Post | Next Post
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- News
- by Kingsley H. Smith
- 11/13/2008
With an opening weekend gross of just over 5 million dollars, 5th place finisher Soul Men got socked by High School Musical 3: Senior Year, and Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa during the November 7 - 9, 2008 weekend. Don't despair, because even though the reviews have been mixed, the performance of Bernie Mac has been universally applauded. In Mac's final film role, he plays a classic soul man who is called to the stage one more time for a reunion at the Apollo Theater in New York City. The CD movie soundtrack has some great performances. Take a look through the track list, and you'll recognize a few songs that are very familiar. Rufus Thomas, Isaac Hayes, Booker T & the MG's, and Sam & Dave recorded some of the original versions back in the day. Here are all of the songs included in the CD soundtrack of Soul Men: "Soul Men" - Anthony Hamilton "I'm Your Puppet" - Bernie Mac, John Legend, & Samuel L. Jackson "Private Number" - Chris Pierce, Leela James "Water" - Me'Shell NdegeOcello "Never Can Say Goodbye" (Soul Men Redux) - Isaac Hayes "Boogie Ain't Nuthin' (But Gettin' Down)" - Bernie Mac, Samuel L. Jackson "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)" - Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings "Memphis Train" - Ryan Shaw "Comfort Me" - Sharon Leal "You Don't Know What You Mean (To A Lover Like Me)" - The Sugarman 3 - (featuring Lee Fields) "I've Never Found a Girl (To Love Me Like You Do)" - Eddie Floyd "Do Your Thing" - Bernie Mac, Samuel L. Jackson, & Sharon Leal Previous Post | Next Post
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0 Tower of Power Celebrates a Funky 40 Oakland Stroke
- News
- by Kingsley H. Smith
- 10/14/2008
Tower of Power, Oakland, California's brassy funk ensemble, is celebrating a milestone: 40 years of bump city nitty gritty. They are having a big celebration Saturday, October 18, 2008 at the Fillmore in San Francisco. Tower of Power is back in the studio recording a new album. Here's a nice discography of all 31 Tower of Power albums (with tracks) at their official website. Previous Post | Next Post
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0 The Jacksons are Joyful about New Icon Honor
- News
- by Kingsley H. Smith
- 10/09/2008
Performing Rights organization BMI represents more than 375,000 songwriters, composers, and publishers with more than 6.5 million works. At their September, 2008 Urban Music Awards in Los Angeles, the Jacksons were honored with the BMI Icon Award. Marlon, Tito, Janet, Jackie, & Randy Jackson (left to right). Where's Michael and Jermaine? (missing in action!) Here's a portion of what BMI's had to say about the Jacksons in capturing their tribute: "One of pop music's most influential quintets, The Jacksons blazed a trail for R&B and pop music, creating a sound and musical image that is emulated to this day." "Hailing from Gary, Indiana, and formed in 1966, the Jackson brothers' Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon, Michael and, joining in 1976, younger brother Randy were a true American success story, transcending race and redefining the sound of pop and R&B music." "They were the first group to have their first four singles hit number 1, and they remain one of the most globally influential pop and R&B groups in history." "The Jackson 5 were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997." Previous Post | Next Post
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0 Rhythm & Blues Foundation Hosts Pioneer Awards Party
- News
- by Kingsley H. Smith
- 09/04/2008
Dionne Warwick, Jerry Butler, and Bonnie Raitt will co-host the Rhythm & Blues Foundation's 20th Anniversary Pioneer Awards gala in Philadelphia, Tuesday, September 9, 2008 at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. Chaka Khan will be honored with the Foundation's Lifetime Achievement Award. Bill Withers, Teena Marie, and singer-songwriter Sugar Pie DeSanto will receive the Foundation's Individual Artist Award. The Whispers and Kool & the Gang will receive the Foundation's Group Artists Award. Motown's fabulous musicians, the Funk Brothers, will receive the Foundation's Sidemen Award. Donny Hathaway will posthumously receive a Legacy Award in recognition of his classic soul excellence from the 1970s. Al Bell, former president of Stax Records and Motown Records, will receive the Ahmet Ertegun Leadership Award. Previous Post | Next Post
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0 Female Stars Sing a Song for Cancer Research
- News
- by Kingsley H. Smith
- 08/21/2008
Producers Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds and Antonio "L.A." Reid have come up with a 2008 concept to rival 1985's "We Are The World," the song that benefited African famine relief. 15 female stars have agreed to record "Just Stand Up," scheduled to hit airwaves and computers on September 2, 2008. Sales at retail locations and iTunes downloads will benefit cancer research. So which hot female "femme fantastics" representing the new school have jumped on board to harmonize together on "Just Stand Up?" Here's the scorecard: Mariah Carey Beyonce' Mary J. Blige Rihanna Ashanti Fergie Melissa Etheridge Sheryl Crow Ciara Keyshia Cole Leona Lewis LeAnn Rimes Carrie Underwood Miley Cyrus Natasha Bedingfield Should be a collector's item for individual fans of each lady. Hopefully, big bucks will be raised from the sale of "Just Stand Up" to benefit a very worthy cause. Previous Post | Next Post
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2 Evelyn Champagne King Toasts New Open Book CD
- News
- by Kingsley H. Smith
- 08/19/2008
Evelyn "Champagne" King has released her first new album in 15 years, Open Book. In a press release describing her new collection of songs, Evelyn dedicates her effort noting "this one is for my fans." The song Open Book is a ballad Evelyn describes as "slightly autobiographical." Making waves and getting club action right now is "The Dance," the first release from the CD. Evelyn is scheduled to debut the album at The House of Blues in Los Angeles, Tuesday, August 19, 2008. Evelyn "Champagne" King's top 5 classic soul gems: "Shame" "Love Come Down" "I'm In Love" "I Don't Know If It's Right" "Back To Love" Previous Post | Next Post
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0 Isaac Hayes, Bernie Mac, & Samuel L. Jackson Get Soul Men Movie Focus
- News
- by Kingsley H. Smith
- 08/12/2008
Here's the late Bernie Mac, along with Samuel L. Jackson, in a scene from Soul Men, a new music flick in the movie pipeline also featuring Isaac Hayes. With both Mac and Hayes now deceased, I wonder if Dimension Films will stick to the scheduled USA release date this Fall of November 14, 2008? Soul Men has a familiar story. Take the sometimes strained relationship between 2 fictional legendary R&B male icons (think Sam & Dave), borrow a reunion theme from both Blues Brothers movies, and you have the core plot. Our soul men, Mac and Jackson, decide to reunite at the Apollo Theater after going their separate ways for almost 20 years. John Legend also has a prominent role in Soul Men. With the deaths of both Isaac Hayes and Bernie Mac within days of each other, I'm sure there will be additional interest when Soul Men finally gets released. Previous Post | Next Post
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- News
- by Kingsley H. Smith
- 08/11/2008
Living up to his bigger than life image, here's "Black Moses," Isaac Hayes, with Millie Jackson on the cover of their 1979 album, Royal Rappin's. Check out an even steamier Hayes - Jackson photo from the flip side of the album. Isaac Hayes passed away Sunday, August 10, 2008, at age 65. He was really the biggest post Otis Redding Stax Records star who changed the face of soul music with extended free-flowing mixes of some of pop's biggest hits. "By The Time I Get To Phoenix," and "Walk on By" are just 2 examples of Hayes' progressive "deal changing" approach to the status quo of R&B songs that generally stuck to the formula of three minutes or less in the early 1970's (to make a hit). "The Theme From Shaft" made him a mega star, but Isaac Hayes was instrumental in writing and arranging songs for other artists long before the world of movies and John Shaft. 6 Isaac Hayes Hits that you don't want to miss: "Theme From Shaft" "Do Your Thing" "Walk On By" "Never Can Say Goodbye" "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" "Joy" Previous Post | Next Post