An animated video for Mark Knopfler’s all-star charity single “Going Home (Theme From Local Hero)” – which brought together a stunning lineup of over 60 guitar gods to raise funds for Teen Cancer America and the Teenage Cancer Trust – has been released. It features the final recording of Jeff Beck along with contributions by Bruce Springsteen, David Gilmour, Slash, Ronnie Wood, Joan Jett, Eric Clapton, Pete Townshend, and Sting.
The song came out a week ago, but it was difficult to discern who was playing what part throughout the ten-minute song.
The song came out a week ago, but it was difficult to discern who was playing what part throughout the ten-minute song.
- 3/22/2024
- by Andy Greene
- Rollingstone.com
Mark Knopfler has teamed up with a host of fellow guitar legends to record a version of his song “Going Home (Theme from Local Hero)” to raise funds for Teenage Cancer Trust and Teen Cancer America.
The Dire Straits frontman tapped Eric Clapton, Slash (Guns N’ Roses), David Gilmour (Pink Floyd), Brian May (Queen), Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath), Pete Townshend (The Who), Alex Lifeson (Rush), Bruce Springsteen, Ronnie Wood (The Rolling Stones), Joan Jett, and many more, forming what he has dubbed “Mark Knopfler’s Guitar Heroes.” Notably, the star-studded version opens with the final recorded guitar track by the late Jeff Beck.
Knopfler’s longtime collaborator Guy Fletcher handled the production of the track, which might be the greatest assemblage of guitar talent to co-exist on a single song. The Sgt. Pepper‘s-style artwork was created by Sir Peter Blake.
The full song can be heard below now, featuring...
The Dire Straits frontman tapped Eric Clapton, Slash (Guns N’ Roses), David Gilmour (Pink Floyd), Brian May (Queen), Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath), Pete Townshend (The Who), Alex Lifeson (Rush), Bruce Springsteen, Ronnie Wood (The Rolling Stones), Joan Jett, and many more, forming what he has dubbed “Mark Knopfler’s Guitar Heroes.” Notably, the star-studded version opens with the final recorded guitar track by the late Jeff Beck.
Knopfler’s longtime collaborator Guy Fletcher handled the production of the track, which might be the greatest assemblage of guitar talent to co-exist on a single song. The Sgt. Pepper‘s-style artwork was created by Sir Peter Blake.
The full song can be heard below now, featuring...
- 3/15/2024
- by Jon Hadusek
- Consequence - Music
Dire Straits’ Mark Knopfler has united with over 60 artists — including Bruce Springsteen, David Gilmour, Slash, Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr, Ronnie Wood, Jeff Beck, Pete Townshend, Sting, Brian May, Joan Jett, Nile Rogers, and Brian May — to create a new version of his 1983 instrumental “Going Home: Theme of the Local Hero.”
The song arrives on March 15, though you can hear a brief sample right now. It’s the final recording Jeff Beck created before his death in January 2023. All proceeds from the release will benefit Teenage Cancer Trust and Teen Cancer America.
The song arrives on March 15, though you can hear a brief sample right now. It’s the final recording Jeff Beck created before his death in January 2023. All proceeds from the release will benefit Teenage Cancer Trust and Teen Cancer America.
- 2/8/2024
- by Andy Greene
- Rollingstone.com
Zz Top were never really a ballad band. Think “La Grange,” “Tush,” and “Legs.” But for 1986’s Afterburner they tried their hand at a power ballad with “Rough Boy” — this was the Eighties after all. Earlier this week in Nashville, Keith Urban put his own spin on “Rough Boy” at a special event honoring Zz Top’s Billy Gibbons.
Urban was in attendance for the annual BMI Troubadour dinner, an industry event held each September by the performing-rights org to salute a select artist as its “Troubadour.” Last year’s went to Lucinda Williams,...
Urban was in attendance for the annual BMI Troubadour dinner, an industry event held each September by the performing-rights org to salute a select artist as its “Troubadour.” Last year’s went to Lucinda Williams,...
- 9/20/2023
- by Joseph Hudak
- Rollingstone.com
Dave Cobb had just gotten off a plane when he learned that Robbie Robertson, the leader of the Band and one of rock & roll’s great lyricists and guitar players, had died Wednesday at 80. The Nashville producer behind such modern-day milestones as Jason Isbell’s Southeastern, Chris Stapleton’s Traveller, and Sturgill Simpson’s Metamodern Sounds in Country Music says you can hear Robertson’s influence not only in the albums Cobb himself has produced, but in much of what is considered “Americana music” today.
“Robbie was one of the godfathers of Americana.
“Robbie was one of the godfathers of Americana.
- 8/9/2023
- by Joseph Hudak
- Rollingstone.com
Myron Elkins is one of those guys who seems to have stepped out of another time. At just 22, the former welder from the small town of Otsego, Michigan — closest city: Kalamazoo — drops names like Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, and Al Green when recounting his musical mileposts. But he’s also fully aware that he’s a white man from the Midwest and that any claim he has to vintage soul music goes through one of his state’s most celebrated blue-collar singers.
“I have this thing, almost like a ‘worthy...
“I have this thing, almost like a ‘worthy...
- 5/5/2023
- by Joseph Hudak
- Rollingstone.com
Bob Dylan has been a successful musician for decades, picking up critical acclaim, awards, and even a Nobel Prize along the way. His songwriting has also inspired many other musicians, including those who rose to prominence at the same time he did. Here are five musicians who took inspiration from Dylan.
Bob Dylan | Aaron Rapoport/Corbis/Getty Images Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers grew as musicians after joining Bob Dylan on tour
In the 1980s, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers joined Dylan on tour as his backing band. Petty would go on to work with Dylan in The Traveling Wilburys, but he said the initial tour was an incredible learning experience for the band.
Tom Petty, Ge Smith, Roger McGuinn, Neil Young, George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Steve Cropper, Clapton & Duck Dunn; shot by very young me in 92 pic.twitter.com/mN0EBaY47L
— John Fugelsang (@JohnFugelsang) October 8, 2017
“I learned so much from Bob Dylan,...
Bob Dylan | Aaron Rapoport/Corbis/Getty Images Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers grew as musicians after joining Bob Dylan on tour
In the 1980s, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers joined Dylan on tour as his backing band. Petty would go on to work with Dylan in The Traveling Wilburys, but he said the initial tour was an incredible learning experience for the band.
Tom Petty, Ge Smith, Roger McGuinn, Neil Young, George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Steve Cropper, Clapton & Duck Dunn; shot by very young me in 92 pic.twitter.com/mN0EBaY47L
— John Fugelsang (@JohnFugelsang) October 8, 2017
“I learned so much from Bob Dylan,...
- 3/24/2023
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Nearly 50 years after she portrayed Tommy’s mother in the big screen adaptation of the Who’s rock opera Tommy, Ann-Margret is reuniting with Pete Townshend for a cover of the Everly Brothers classic “Bye Bye Love.” It will appear on her upcoming LP Born To Be Wild, arriving in stores on April 14.
“Being offered an opportunity to work with Ann-Margret, especially on an Everly Brothers song, was just too romantic to pass,” Pete Townshend said in a statement. “Ann-Margret’s work on the Tommy movie back in 1974 (when she...
“Being offered an opportunity to work with Ann-Margret, especially on an Everly Brothers song, was just too romantic to pass,” Pete Townshend said in a statement. “Ann-Margret’s work on the Tommy movie back in 1974 (when she...
- 3/2/2023
- by Andy Greene
- Rollingstone.com
Give 2022 some credit—any year with Kate Bush crashing Top 40 radio can’t be all bad. So let’s celebrate a superbly crazy year for music, when brilliant tunes kept exploding all over the stylistic map. These are my 25 favorite songs of 2022. (Although many other gems are over on my albums list, to avoid duplicating all the same artists. Including, but not limited to: hits, flops, obscurities, pop kicks, rap hustlers, soul divas, guitar monsters, disco jams, reggaeton hipsters, punk rockers, alien superstars, and karaoke room-clearers. And Carly Rae Jepsen,...
- 12/23/2022
- by Rob Sheffield
- Rollingstone.com
Brothers Osborne, nine-time nominees, won their first career Grammy award during Sunday’s streaming Grammy Premiere Ceremony. The duo of Tj and John Osborne won Best Country/Duo Group Performance for their introspective song “Younger Me,” written shortly after the duo’s singer Tj Osborne came out as a gay man.
“I never thought I would be able to do music professionally because of my sexuality and I never thought I would be on this stage accepting a Grammy,” Tj said, his voice cracking.
“I want to thank my younger self for pursuing this,...
“I never thought I would be able to do music professionally because of my sexuality and I never thought I would be on this stage accepting a Grammy,” Tj said, his voice cracking.
“I want to thank my younger self for pursuing this,...
- 4/3/2022
- by Rolling Stone
- Rollingstone.com
The 11th annual Patrick Warburton Celebrity Golf Tournament, known as The Warburton, will not be a golf tournament for the first time since it began a decade ago in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Warburton will instead feature its signature music events and popular auction online to raise awareness and support for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
Historically, approximately 75 stars, songwriters and rock legends join hundreds of guests for an annual weekend of golf and sold-out, one-of-a-kind music events benefiting St. Jude. This year, Songwriters Night will stream online on at 6 p.m. Pt / 9 p.m. Et on Tuesday, April 20, and The Rheneypalooza Jam will stream online at 6 p.m. Pt / 9 p.m. Et on Wednesday, April 21 via thewarburton.krglive.com. Typically, both evenings sell out however this year they can be viewed by all free of charge.
Because these events typically sell out and can be enjoyed for no admission fee this year,...
The Warburton will instead feature its signature music events and popular auction online to raise awareness and support for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
Historically, approximately 75 stars, songwriters and rock legends join hundreds of guests for an annual weekend of golf and sold-out, one-of-a-kind music events benefiting St. Jude. This year, Songwriters Night will stream online on at 6 p.m. Pt / 9 p.m. Et on Tuesday, April 20, and The Rheneypalooza Jam will stream online at 6 p.m. Pt / 9 p.m. Et on Wednesday, April 21 via thewarburton.krglive.com. Typically, both evenings sell out however this year they can be viewed by all free of charge.
Because these events typically sell out and can be enjoyed for no admission fee this year,...
- 4/9/2021
- Look to the Stars
“How you been, Mavis?” Chris Stapleton asks from Tennessee, where he lives. “I’ve been Ok,” says Mavis Staples, who’s in Chicago. “My bass player sent me a puzzle of the whole band onstage. 500 pieces!” Staples, 81, is contending with her longest break since she started singing with the Staple Singers — her father, Pops, her sisters Cleotha and Yvonne, and brother Pervis — in the 1950s. “I like being in the house, but not this long.” It’s not unusual for Stapleton to call her up; they met after he recorded...
- 11/17/2020
- by Jonathan Bernstein
- Rollingstone.com
Roots-music trio Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band adds a fourth member in Dom Flemons for a high-octane cover of “Shake Your Money Maker.” The musicians convened at Sun Records Studio in Memphis in late 2019 to re-create the Elmore James blues standard, which they had first performed together as a jam at the Blues Music Awards earlier that year.
It’s a particularly fierce take, with a guitar assist from Stax Records icon Steve Cropper and Scot Sutherland on bass. Their full-throttle version deftly blends elements of roadhouse blues with...
It’s a particularly fierce take, with a guitar assist from Stax Records icon Steve Cropper and Scot Sutherland on bass. Their full-throttle version deftly blends elements of roadhouse blues with...
- 9/9/2020
- by Joseph Hudak
- Rollingstone.com
Songwriter Dan Penn doesn’t put out albums under his name very often. The celebrated co-writer behind numerous Memphis/Muscle Shoals-era soul hits, including “Do Right Woman, Do Right Man,” “Dark End of the Street,” “I’m Your Puppet,” and “Cry Like a Baby” has released only a handful of studio recordings since 1973, beginning with his solo debut Nobody’s Fool.
Penn’s latest, Living on Mercy, comes 26 years after his previous effort, 1994’s Do Right Man. The 78-year-old songwriter doesn’t have a specific explanation for why that is.
“I don’t really know why,...
Penn’s latest, Living on Mercy, comes 26 years after his previous effort, 1994’s Do Right Man. The 78-year-old songwriter doesn’t have a specific explanation for why that is.
“I don’t really know why,...
- 8/26/2020
- by Jon Freeman
- Rollingstone.com
William Shatner has tackled everything from prog rock to country to Christmas music during his long career as a recording artist, and on his upcoming LP he’s broadening out yet again into the blues.
Titled simply The Blues, the album (due October 2nd) features guest spots from Brad Paisley (“Sweet Home Chicago”), Jeff “Skunk” Baxter (“Smokestack Lightnin'”), Steve Cropper (“Route 66”) and Pat Travers (“I Put a Spell on You”). Wednesday, Shatner is out with “The Thrill Is Gone,” featuring Deep Purple’s Ritchie Blackmore on guitar and his wife,...
Titled simply The Blues, the album (due October 2nd) features guest spots from Brad Paisley (“Sweet Home Chicago”), Jeff “Skunk” Baxter (“Smokestack Lightnin'”), Steve Cropper (“Route 66”) and Pat Travers (“I Put a Spell on You”). Wednesday, Shatner is out with “The Thrill Is Gone,” featuring Deep Purple’s Ritchie Blackmore on guitar and his wife,...
- 8/26/2020
- by Andy Greene
- Rollingstone.com
Ray Wylie Hubbard and Ashley McBryde maintain social distancing guidelines in the video for their new collaboration “Outlaw Blood.” The song will appear on the beloved singer-songwriter’s guest-heavy album Co-Starring, due out July 10th via Big Machine.
Hubbard lends his idiosyncratic singing style to a story about a tough woman who’s down with bikers and goes heavy on the black mascara. “Her favorite guitar player is Steve Cropper/Says her godfather was Dennis Hopper,” Hubbard sings, performing alone in a home studio space. McBryde beams in from her...
Hubbard lends his idiosyncratic singing style to a story about a tough woman who’s down with bikers and goes heavy on the black mascara. “Her favorite guitar player is Steve Cropper/Says her godfather was Dennis Hopper,” Hubbard sings, performing alone in a home studio space. McBryde beams in from her...
- 5/19/2020
- by Jon Freeman
- Rollingstone.com
“Gospel goes deeper than entertainment,” Pops Staples said in 1968, shortly after his group, the Staple Singers, signed with Stax Records. “It is the word of god. But you can’t push that down anybody’s throat. All we can do is get as many people to hear us as we can.”
A new box set, Come Go With Me: The Stax Collection, which gathers together the band’s Stax discography on vinyl for the first time in ages, traces the Staple Singers’ eternal relationship with this central tension–how to...
A new box set, Come Go With Me: The Stax Collection, which gathers together the band’s Stax discography on vinyl for the first time in ages, traces the Staple Singers’ eternal relationship with this central tension–how to...
- 2/21/2020
- by Jonathan Bernstein
- Rollingstone.com
This year marks five years since B.B. King’s death, but the thrill of King’s music will live on during two ambitious nights: February 16th and 17th, 2020, at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, New York.
The Thrill Is Gone: A Tribute to B.B. King will be an an all-star concert featuring Anthony Hamilton, Bob Margolin, Bobby Rush, Buddy Guy, David Hidalgo, Derek Trucks, Ivan Neville, Jamey Johnson, Jimmie Vaughan, John Scofield, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Little Steven, Robert Cray, Robert Randolph, Shemekia Copeland, Southside Johnny, Steve Cropper, Susan Tedeschi,...
The Thrill Is Gone: A Tribute to B.B. King will be an an all-star concert featuring Anthony Hamilton, Bob Margolin, Bobby Rush, Buddy Guy, David Hidalgo, Derek Trucks, Ivan Neville, Jamey Johnson, Jimmie Vaughan, John Scofield, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Little Steven, Robert Cray, Robert Randolph, Shemekia Copeland, Southside Johnny, Steve Cropper, Susan Tedeschi,...
- 1/15/2020
- by Patrick Doyle
- Rollingstone.com
The musical legacy of legendary soul label Stax Records will be explored in a limited edition eight-lp box set from record subscription service Vinyl Me, Please.
Vmp Anthology: The Story of Stax Records features eight albums from the Memphis label’s golden period of 1957 to 1975, with LPs from Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, Booker T and the M.G.’s, Isaac Hayes and more part of the curated collection. Each album in the box set has been pressed onto 180-gram vinyl.
The Story of Stax Records follows Vinyl Me, Please...
Vmp Anthology: The Story of Stax Records features eight albums from the Memphis label’s golden period of 1957 to 1975, with LPs from Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, Booker T and the M.G.’s, Isaac Hayes and more part of the curated collection. Each album in the box set has been pressed onto 180-gram vinyl.
The Story of Stax Records follows Vinyl Me, Please...
- 12/9/2019
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
“Queen & Slim,” the film, traffics in sudden tragedy and symbolic terror as it portrays the violence of self-defense and self-awareness in stark, painful terms. It deserves an equally audacious score and soundtrack, a job that has gone to another Devonté Hynes, the British singer, songwriter, guitarist, record producer and director in his guise of Blood Orange.
Hynes has been known for his other musical projects, the punky Test Icicles and the dreamy Lightspeed Champion. But as Blood Orange, Hynes has found himself at the axis of abstract soul and ambient electronic pop with a lyrical edge that is as deeply emotional as it is bracingly inventive. Plus, in the last several years, Orange has been in the pink of top-tier production and writing assignments for the likes of Mariah Carey, Solange, Mac Miller, Fka Twigs, Haim, Florence and the Machine, Carly Rae Jepsen, Kylie Minogue and Blondie. He’s...
Hynes has been known for his other musical projects, the punky Test Icicles and the dreamy Lightspeed Champion. But as Blood Orange, Hynes has found himself at the axis of abstract soul and ambient electronic pop with a lyrical edge that is as deeply emotional as it is bracingly inventive. Plus, in the last several years, Orange has been in the pink of top-tier production and writing assignments for the likes of Mariah Carey, Solange, Mac Miller, Fka Twigs, Haim, Florence and the Machine, Carly Rae Jepsen, Kylie Minogue and Blondie. He’s...
- 11/22/2019
- by A.D. Amorosi
- Variety Film + TV
No one in the music business was asking “Where’s the beef?” this week. It was right out in the open, as Taylor Swift/Big Machine, Lizzo vs. Postmates, and Sharon Osbourne vs. Bob Lefsetz squared off against each other over various issues.
Using the power of social media to shame, make a point, and generally launch missiles against their foes, the parties lobbed accusations against each other, with various fans and observers choosing sides in the disputes.
This week in music:
NPR Notes Songs About Hating The Biz: In a week where disputes dominated the music business, NPR put together a list of songs that were about hating the business side of the music business. Who knew that legal entanglements had a beat and could be danced to?
Taylor Swiftly J’Accuse: This week saw yet another confrontation between Taylor Swift and her former record label, Big Machine. She...
Using the power of social media to shame, make a point, and generally launch missiles against their foes, the parties lobbed accusations against each other, with various fans and observers choosing sides in the disputes.
This week in music:
NPR Notes Songs About Hating The Biz: In a week where disputes dominated the music business, NPR put together a list of songs that were about hating the business side of the music business. Who knew that legal entanglements had a beat and could be danced to?
Taylor Swiftly J’Accuse: This week saw yet another confrontation between Taylor Swift and her former record label, Big Machine. She...
- 11/16/2019
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Eric Clapton, Gary Clark. Jr., Jeff Beck and other guitar icons will appear on the Crossroads Festival’s first-ever vinyl set, a six-lp live release.
Performances from Sheryl Crow, John Mayer, Carlos Santana, James Taylor, Steve Winwood, Zz Top, Joe Walsh, Keith Urban, Susan Tedeschi with the Derek Trucks Band, Willie Nelson and Buddy Guy also appear on the package, Crossroads Revisited: Selections from the Crossroads Guitar Festival, out December 6th via Rhino.
Clapton’s selections include “Cocaine,” “Crossroads,” “Layla,” “Have You Ever Loved a Woman,” a cover of George Harrison...
Performances from Sheryl Crow, John Mayer, Carlos Santana, James Taylor, Steve Winwood, Zz Top, Joe Walsh, Keith Urban, Susan Tedeschi with the Derek Trucks Band, Willie Nelson and Buddy Guy also appear on the package, Crossroads Revisited: Selections from the Crossroads Guitar Festival, out December 6th via Rhino.
Clapton’s selections include “Cocaine,” “Crossroads,” “Layla,” “Have You Ever Loved a Woman,” a cover of George Harrison...
- 10/15/2019
- by Ryan Reed
- Rollingstone.com
Steve Cropper, the guitarist for Booker T. and the MGs and songwriter of such soul staples as “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” and “In the Midnight Hour,” was honored with the Bmi Icon Award at Tuesday night’s Bmi Awards in Nashville, a loose Golden Globes-type party that finds artists loudly mingling at tables and the bar. Cropper, a Music City resident, was in attendance as a diverse group of singers — including one surprise guest — paid musical tribute.
Nashville soul powerhouse Mike Farris and songwriter Lucie Silvas kicked...
Nashville soul powerhouse Mike Farris and songwriter Lucie Silvas kicked...
- 11/14/2018
- by Joseph Hudak
- Rollingstone.com
Update: The great Dan Aykroyd read Deadline’s recent tribute to Aretha Franklin’s performance in Blues Brothers, and had a different recollection of events surrounding him not starring in Animal House than did John Landis, who directed both films and recalled that Saturday Night Live’s Lorne Michaels kept Aykroyd from joining his pal Belushi in the frat house classic because several cast members from the then white-hot show were peeling off to do films. Landis also recalled that Paul Shaffer was held back as well. Here is Aykroyd’s note:
Mike,
Great Landis reminiscence about Aretha. But he is flat wrong regarding Lorne not releasing me for Animal House and John knows it. In fact Lorne put no pressure on me, said I was free to go but I decided not to leave him short-handed. Also Shaffer voluntarily stayed with Gilda and her Broadway show because he had pre-committed to it.
Mike,
Great Landis reminiscence about Aretha. But he is flat wrong regarding Lorne not releasing me for Animal House and John knows it. In fact Lorne put no pressure on me, said I was free to go but I decided not to leave him short-handed. Also Shaffer voluntarily stayed with Gilda and her Broadway show because he had pre-committed to it.
- 8/23/2018
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
Radio’s reluctance to take a chance on unknown, independent acts is almost cliche at this point: The airwaves are dominated by a few major-label records that are played into the ground. But along comes Esnavi, whose independently-released “The Way” is getting played by two brave R&B stations, Wbls in New York and Wakb in Augusta, Georgia.
Esnavi is in possession of a cool, generous voice and a keen grasp of southern soul tradition, and “The Way” demonstrates the enduring pleasure of old standbys. The drummer taps out a...
Esnavi is in possession of a cool, generous voice and a keen grasp of southern soul tradition, and “The Way” demonstrates the enduring pleasure of old standbys. The drummer taps out a...
- 8/17/2018
- by Elias Leight
- Rollingstone.com
2017 is William Bell’s 60th year in the music industry. He’s 77 years old. Cream, the Byrds and Linda Ronstadt have recorded his songs. And this year, he’s up for his first Grammys.
Strangely, they’re in what could be considered opposing categories — American and traditional R&B — but it makes sense for Bell, who never quite fit into easy categories. Performer, songwriter, producer — Bell has done it all.
Born William Henry Yarborough in Memphis on July 16, 1939, Bell, like a lot of soul singers from his era, first started singing in church when he was just 8 years old. He...
Strangely, they’re in what could be considered opposing categories — American and traditional R&B — but it makes sense for Bell, who never quite fit into easy categories. Performer, songwriter, producer — Bell has done it all.
Born William Henry Yarborough in Memphis on July 16, 1939, Bell, like a lot of soul singers from his era, first started singing in church when he was just 8 years old. He...
- 2/10/2017
- by Alex Heigl
- PEOPLE.com
Dan Aykroyd and Judy Belushi, widow of John Belushi, are rebooting The Blues Brothers as a primetime animated series, which they'll begin to pitch to networks and TV platforms this month, Deadline reports.
Aykroyd and Belushi co-created the series with original Saturday Night Live writer Anne Beatts, while the animation is being handled by Bento Box Entertainment (Bob's Burgers). Episodes will focus on the adventures of Jake and Elwood Blues and their band, and feature a bevy of soul, blues and R&B hits performed by the Blues Brothers, along...
Aykroyd and Belushi co-created the series with original Saturday Night Live writer Anne Beatts, while the animation is being handled by Bento Box Entertainment (Bob's Burgers). Episodes will focus on the adventures of Jake and Elwood Blues and their band, and feature a bevy of soul, blues and R&B hits performed by the Blues Brothers, along...
- 5/4/2016
- Rollingstone.com
This is a good day for fans of soul and R&B music — and the business people behind it. Two unrelated deals suggest that we’ll hear a lot more of the classics from the 1960s and ’70s. Viacom’s Bet Networks says it bought Soul Train, a library of 1,100 television episodes and 40 television specials. And Primary Wave Music Publishing forged a publishing partnership with Steve Cropper, the legendary Stax Records guitarist, producer, songwriter known for hits including Wilson…...
- 4/4/2016
- Deadline TV
Miranda Lambert got herself a star! The country singer was among four iconic crooners who were honored with a star in Nashville's Music City Walk of Fame earlier today. Lambert's former tour buddy and fellow country star Dierks Bentley presented her with the tribute during the induction ceremony in downtown Nashville this afternoon. Also among those honored were the legendary Johnny Cash, former Grand Ole Opry General Manager Bud Wendell and songwriter, producer and guitarist Steve Cropper. Recipients of these stars are recognized for their significant contributions to preserving the musical heritage of Nashville and for contributing to the world through song of other industry...
- 10/6/2015
- E! Online
For years, Lee Ving, the vocalist and leader of impish punk bruisers Fear, has been teasing the release of a song the group recorded with John Belushi in 1981. He's finally putting out the tune — the appropriately snotty-sounding "Neighbors," which was supposed to accompany the Belushi movie of the same name — digitally on Halloween and as a special seven-inch in November. But even before the decades-long wait for its release, the origins of the recording were steeped in strife.
The SNL actor became a fan of Fear after catching them on the L.
The SNL actor became a fan of Fear after catching them on the L.
- 9/10/2015
- Rollingstone.com
Elvis Costello and the Roots, “Walk Us Uptown” Elvis Costello has always thrived in the company of a fierce backing group, and if anyone can match the slashing attack of the late, lamented Attractions, it's the Roots. The first taste of Wise Up Ghost, the E.C.-Roots album that arrives in September, folds a whole lot of history into its three-plus minutes — what else would you expect from a Costello-Questlove collaboration, a summit meeting of pop’s biggest nerd-connoisseurs? There's dub; there’s New Orleans funk (listen to the horns); there’s some wonderful Steve Cropper–style guitar playing; there are menacing organ lines that nod to garage rock, and to Costello’s old keyboard ninja, Steve Nieve; there’s some vaguely psychedelic clatter that you may as well just call hip-hop. The groove is a monster, but “Walk Us Uptown” isn’t just funky, it’s smart — a song calibrated for optimal punch,...
- 7/26/2013
- by Jody Rosen
- Vulture
No one's ever considered Justin Timberlake timid, but when he took the stage at the White House to participate in the "In Performance at the White House: Memphis Soul" show on Tuesday night (April 9), he proved he had no fear by ordering the crowd, President Barack Obama included, to sing along.
The "Suit & Tie" singer joined forces with 71-year-old guitarist Steve Cropper to perform "(Sittin' On) the Dock of the Bay," and during the silky smooth number, Timberlake asked that the President take it away. "Mr. President, everyday, come on," he said, as the crowd, President Obama and the first family included, sang the chorus.
The evening, which will air on PBS, celebrated the music of Memphis in the '60s, involving soul-inspired performers like Mavis Staples, Booker T. Jones and the Alabama Shakes.
Before he was grooving on stage, Timberlake joined Staples, Ben Harper, Charlie Musselwhite and Sam Moore...
The "Suit & Tie" singer joined forces with 71-year-old guitarist Steve Cropper to perform "(Sittin' On) the Dock of the Bay," and during the silky smooth number, Timberlake asked that the President take it away. "Mr. President, everyday, come on," he said, as the crowd, President Obama and the first family included, sang the chorus.
The evening, which will air on PBS, celebrated the music of Memphis in the '60s, involving soul-inspired performers like Mavis Staples, Booker T. Jones and the Alabama Shakes.
Before he was grooving on stage, Timberlake joined Staples, Ben Harper, Charlie Musselwhite and Sam Moore...
- 4/10/2013
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Pop2it
President Obama Sings Along to Justin Timberlake's Performance of "(Sittin' On) the Dock of the Bay"
A celebration of Memphis soul music occurred at the White House yesterday and ended with a star-studded concert that included Mavis Staples and Alabama Shakes as well as Booker T. Jones and Justin Timberlake. “Let’s face it, who does not love this music?” President Obama said when opening the event. “These songs get us on the dance floor. They get stuck in our heads. We go back over them again and again. And they’ve played an important part in our history.” Queen Latifah, Steve Cropper, William Bell, Ben Harper, Cyndi Lauper, Joshua Ledet, Sam Moore and Charlie Musselwhite also performed...
- 4/10/2013
- Pastemagazine.com
Justin Timberlake performed at White House's celebration of Memphis soul music on Tuesday, serenading Barack and Michelle Obama with a strong take on "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" and imploring the president to sing along.
The event was a part of the Obama's "In Performance" series. The first couple has made a habit of inviting musicians from different genres to explore the themes and history of their respective crafts. Tuesday's event also featured Otis Redding, Booker T Jones, Queen Latifah and Cyndi Lauper.
A clip of Timberlake's performance is available above. Tuesday's gig is yet another step in Timberlake's hot streak that began when he released "Suit & Tie," the Jay-z-featuring lead single off his comeback album "The 20/20 Experience." The singer moved nearly 1 million copies of the album in its debut week, lined up an arena tour with Jay-z and inked a massive deal with Budweiser.
(Timberlake also...
The event was a part of the Obama's "In Performance" series. The first couple has made a habit of inviting musicians from different genres to explore the themes and history of their respective crafts. Tuesday's event also featured Otis Redding, Booker T Jones, Queen Latifah and Cyndi Lauper.
A clip of Timberlake's performance is available above. Tuesday's gig is yet another step in Timberlake's hot streak that began when he released "Suit & Tie," the Jay-z-featuring lead single off his comeback album "The 20/20 Experience." The singer moved nearly 1 million copies of the album in its debut week, lined up an arena tour with Jay-z and inked a massive deal with Budweiser.
(Timberlake also...
- 4/10/2013
- by The Huffington Post
- Huffington Post
Justin Timberlake performed for Barack and Michelle Obama at the White House last night (09.04.13). The 'Mirrors' hitmaker topped the bill for the Us President's celebration of soul music from Memphis, Tennessee - the singer's hometown - at the latest 'In Performance at the White House' concert, performing alongside the likes of soul legend Booker T. Jones, Queen Latifah and Cyndi Lauper. The 32-year-old star serenaded the couple and a private audience in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C. with a cover of Otis Redding's '(Sittin' on) The Dock of the Bay', while Steve Cropper, who wrote the...
- 4/10/2013
- Virgin Media - Celebrity
Justin Timberlake performed for Barack and Michelle Obama at the White House last night (09.04.13). The 'Mirrors' hitmaker topped the bill for the Us President's celebration of soul music from Memphis, Tennessee - the singer's hometown - at the latest 'In Performance at the White House' concert, performing alongside the likes of soul legend Booker T. Jones, Queen Latifah and Cyndi Lauper. The 32-year-old star serenaded the couple and a private audience in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C. with a cover of Otis Redding's '(Sittin' on) The Dock of the Bay', while Steve Cropper, who wrote the song along with Otis, looked on and appeared to be impressed by the crooner's take on the soulful...
- 4/10/2013
- Monsters and Critics
Donald "Duck" Dunn, legendary bassist and a member of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band Booker T. and the MGs and the Blues Brothers band, is dead at 70. According to a message posted to his website by fellow musician Steve Cropper, Dunn died in his sleep in Tokyo.
"Today I lost my best friend, the world has lost the best guy and bass player to ever live," writes Cropper.
Dunn was in Japan for a series of shows and a spokeswoman for Tokyo Blue Note -- the last venue he played -- confirmed to USA Today that Dunn died early on Sunday (May 13).
In addition to his work with the Stax house band Booker T. and the MGs, Dunn played with scads of top shelf musicians, including Neil Young, Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan and Rod Stewart. He was given the nickname "Duck" as a child when he and his...
"Today I lost my best friend, the world has lost the best guy and bass player to ever live," writes Cropper.
Dunn was in Japan for a series of shows and a spokeswoman for Tokyo Blue Note -- the last venue he played -- confirmed to USA Today that Dunn died early on Sunday (May 13).
In addition to his work with the Stax house band Booker T. and the MGs, Dunn played with scads of top shelf musicians, including Neil Young, Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan and Rod Stewart. He was given the nickname "Duck" as a child when he and his...
- 5/13/2012
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Pop2it
Tokyo — Bass player and songwriter Donald "Duck" Dunn, a member of the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame band Booker T. and the MGs and the Blues Brothers band, has died in Tokyo. He was 70.
Dunn was in Tokyo for a series of shows. News of his death was posted on the Facebook site of his friend and fellow musician Steve Cropper, who was on the same tour. Cropper said Dunn died in his sleep.
Miho Harasawa, a spokeswoman for Tokyo Blue Note, the last venue Dunn played, confirmed he died alone early Sunday. She had no further details.
Dunn, who was born in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1941, performed on recordings with Eric Clapton, Neil Young and many others, and specialized in blues, gospel and soul. He played himself in the 1980 hit movie "The Blues Brothers."
He received a lifetime achievement Grammy award in 2007 for his work with Booker T. and the MGs.
Dunn was in Tokyo for a series of shows. News of his death was posted on the Facebook site of his friend and fellow musician Steve Cropper, who was on the same tour. Cropper said Dunn died in his sleep.
Miho Harasawa, a spokeswoman for Tokyo Blue Note, the last venue Dunn played, confirmed he died alone early Sunday. She had no further details.
Dunn, who was born in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1941, performed on recordings with Eric Clapton, Neil Young and many others, and specialized in blues, gospel and soul. He played himself in the 1980 hit movie "The Blues Brothers."
He received a lifetime achievement Grammy award in 2007 for his work with Booker T. and the MGs.
- 5/13/2012
- by AP
- Huffington Post
Getty Images Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band perform during SiriusXM’s concert celebrating 10 years of satellite radio at The Apollo Theater on March 9, 2012 in New York City.
Last night at the Apollo Theater, Bruce Springsteen, along with his expanded E Street Band, prepped for a U.S. and European tour with a performance that reminded the audience that his four-decade career is built in part on a passion for African-American music – raucous Memphis R&B in his formative...
Last night at the Apollo Theater, Bruce Springsteen, along with his expanded E Street Band, prepped for a U.S. and European tour with a performance that reminded the audience that his four-decade career is built in part on a passion for African-American music – raucous Memphis R&B in his formative...
- 3/10/2012
- by Jim Fusilli
- Speakeasy/Wall Street Journal
Tune in alert and preview for the broadcast song list for "In Performance at the White House: Red, White and Blues," which premieres Monday, February 27 at 9 p.m. Et on PBS. Below watch Mick Jagger, Buddy Guy, Jeff Beck and Gary Clark Jr. Perform "Five Long Years" President Obama Sings "Sweet Home Chicago"Gary Clark Jr. Playing "Catfish Blues" In Performance at the White House: Red, White and Blues Broadcast Program Song List Premieres Monday, February 27 at 9 p.m. Et on PBS Hosted by Taraji P. Henson While President Obama Enters the East RoomHouse Band: .Green Onions. (written by Booker T. Jones, Steve Cropper, Lewis Steinberg and Al Jackson, Jr.) 1. All-Cast Open: .Let the Good Times Roll.
- 2/24/2012
- by April MacIntyre
- Monsters and Critics
HollywoodNews.com: The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has issued its list of nominees for 2012, and it’s a doozy. No Sting or Bon Jovi, but plenty of stale weirdness. Among the oddest choices: new wave pop group The Cure, rappers The Beastie Boys, and Eric B. and Rakim, and disco queen Donna Summer. On the holdover list from ballots past: Donovan (who’d have gotten in 25 years ago if anyone would vote for him), the deceased Laura Nyro (who makes almost every ballot just for kicks), Freddie King. The Spinners–well, they’ve waited so long there almost are no Spinners; Rufus with Chaka Khan–a strange choice; War– a good choice, and then a clutch of middling rockers: Heart, Guns ‘N Roses, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and one stand out–Joan Jett.
There’s also the oddest one: The Small Faces/The Faces, which was probably chosen...
There’s also the oddest one: The Small Faces/The Faces, which was probably chosen...
- 9/27/2011
- by Roger Friedman
- Hollywoodnews.com
Nigel Lythgoe, Kurt Russell, Entourage's Jerry Ferrara, Tom Dreesen and Bo Jackson are among celebrities from the worlds of entertainment and sports set to participate in the 52nd annual Bob Hope Classic this month.
The PGA event takes place Jan. 19-23 on four courses in the La Quinta, Calif., area. Celebs play with the pros during the first four rounds of the 90-hole event in a tradition that dates to 1960.
Also scheduled to play are actors William Devane, Craig T. Nelson, Rob Morrow, Peter Gallagher, Scott Wolf, Joel Gretsch, Kevin Nealon, Gary Valentine and John O'Hurley, comedian Ron White and Tony Dovolani of Dancing With the Stars.
Musicians ready to tee it up include Alice Cooper, Tommy Thayer, Steve Cropper, Steve Azar, Don Felder and Pat Green.
Participants from the world of sports include Evan Longoria and Greg Maddux from baseball; Emmitt Smith, Marshall Faulk, Bruce Smith, Sterling Sharpe...
The PGA event takes place Jan. 19-23 on four courses in the La Quinta, Calif., area. Celebs play with the pros during the first four rounds of the 90-hole event in a tradition that dates to 1960.
Also scheduled to play are actors William Devane, Craig T. Nelson, Rob Morrow, Peter Gallagher, Scott Wolf, Joel Gretsch, Kevin Nealon, Gary Valentine and John O'Hurley, comedian Ron White and Tony Dovolani of Dancing With the Stars.
Musicians ready to tee it up include Alice Cooper, Tommy Thayer, Steve Cropper, Steve Azar, Don Felder and Pat Green.
Participants from the world of sports include Evan Longoria and Greg Maddux from baseball; Emmitt Smith, Marshall Faulk, Bruce Smith, Sterling Sharpe...
'We all watched that movie over and over again as kids,' Taylor Hanson says of the group's inspiration for the clip.
By James Montgomery
Taylor Hanson in "Thinking 'Bout Somethin' "
Photo: Cooking Vinyl
Like most guys of a certain era, Taylor Hanson and his brothers grew up watching — and compulsively re-watching — "The Blues Brothers," the 1980 cult classic featuring John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd as the titular brothers on a mission (from God) to save an orphanage. But unlike most guys of a certain era, they didn't just watch it for the copious car-chase sequences.
"We all watched that movie over and over again as kids. I think I've probably seen it 1,000 times by now," Hanson told MTV News on Friday (April 16). "And, what's great about it is, sure, you can sit around with a bunch of guys and watch it again and again because you want to see the car chases.
By James Montgomery
Taylor Hanson in "Thinking 'Bout Somethin' "
Photo: Cooking Vinyl
Like most guys of a certain era, Taylor Hanson and his brothers grew up watching — and compulsively re-watching — "The Blues Brothers," the 1980 cult classic featuring John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd as the titular brothers on a mission (from God) to save an orphanage. But unlike most guys of a certain era, they didn't just watch it for the copious car-chase sequences.
"We all watched that movie over and over again as kids. I think I've probably seen it 1,000 times by now," Hanson told MTV News on Friday (April 16). "And, what's great about it is, sure, you can sit around with a bunch of guys and watch it again and again because you want to see the car chases.
- 4/16/2010
- MTV Music News
James Carr Soul singer James Carr was born June 13, 1942, in the Mississippi Delta, the son of a minister. After relocating to Memphis as a young boy, James began singing in church. By his teens, he performed with gospel unit Harmony Echoes. In his early 20s, he sought solo success, but Stax missed the boat, turning him down in 1963. By 1966, Carr hit the top 10 with "You've Got My Mind Messed Up" on the Memphis-based label Goldwax. After recording two well-received albums, Carr suffered an onslaught of depression that plagued him for the rest of his life. Extended reprieves in the early '90s helped him make it back into the studio. Tragically, Carr succumbed to cancer in 2001. Collaborations include O.V. Wright, Steve Cropper, and the writing team of Dan Penn and Chip Moman. Carr's...
- 7/31/2009
- by Phil Ramone and Danielle Evin
- Huffington Post
Booker T. returns with his first album in 20 years
Everybody has heard Booker T. & the MGs’ loping, twisting instrumental hit “Green Onions,” even if they don’t know it by name. According to Rob Bowman’s exhaustive Stax history Soulsville U.S.A., the group’s original bass player Lewie Steinberg came up with the song’s title: “To him,” guitarist Steve Cropper says, “[onions] were funky because they were stinky.” That’s a useful criterion of funkiness, defining it as a know-it-when-you-smell-it quality. Potatoes aren’t especially stinky in that regard; they won’t make you cry and don’t caramelize especially well, but Booker T. Jones’ new solo album, Potato Hole, is nevertheless pungently funky, though iin a different odiferous way than his early work with the MGs.
Everybody has heard Booker T. & the MGs’ loping, twisting instrumental hit “Green Onions,” even if they don’t know it by name. According to Rob Bowman’s exhaustive Stax history Soulsville U.S.A., the group’s original bass player Lewie Steinberg came up with the song’s title: “To him,” guitarist Steve Cropper says, “[onions] were funky because they were stinky.” That’s a useful criterion of funkiness, defining it as a know-it-when-you-smell-it quality. Potatoes aren’t especially stinky in that regard; they won’t make you cry and don’t caramelize especially well, but Booker T. Jones’ new solo album, Potato Hole, is nevertheless pungently funky, though iin a different odiferous way than his early work with the MGs.
- 4/20/2009
- Pastemagazine.com
The greatest musicians of our time were honored for their excellence last night at the 51st Annual Grammy Awards. Music stars along with the hottest movie stars showed up to honor the best music of the year. With performances by Jennifer Hudson, T.I., Justin Timberlake, Radiohead and appearances by Gwyneth Paltrow, Paris Hilton, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, and the ever-hip Cyndi Lauper. Robert Plant stole the show, the Jonas Brothers rocked with music legend Stevie Wonder and M.I.A hit the stage with Jay-z, Kanye West, T.I. and Lil Wayne to perform even though it was her baby's due date! All the stars hit the covered red carpet last night in Los Angeles, California despite the monsoon rain they faced all week. Ryan Seacrest was the gate keeper at the red carpet and made sure that he snatched up all the good interviews including the Bff duo Miley Cyrus and Taylor Swift,...
- 2/9/2009
- by cjoyce@mail.popstar.com (Colleen Joyce)
- PopStar
WASHINGTON -- A unique new organization made up of ingredients from the commerce, arts and university communities is hoping to convince Congress and the public that copyrights aren't the legal equivalent of a Rodney Dangerfield punch line: lacking respect.
The members of the Copyright Alliance hope their organization, which is set to be unveiled today at a ceremony in the Reserve Officers Building on Capitol Hill, hope they can convince increasingly skeptical members of the general public and policymakers that copyrights are something special that deserve protection.
"Intellectual property is under attack," folk singer-songwriter Tom Paxton said. "A lot of people think about it. They think, 'Well, it's just music and not worth protecting.' To us, it's a living. We make this the same way a cabinetmaker makes a chest."
Paxton; Grammy-winning Motown songwriter Lamont Dozier; guitarist extraordinaire Steve Cropper, a member of Booker T and the MGs as well as an A&R executive, engineer, producer and songwriter; Steve Siwek, of Economics Inc.; and Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Tim O'Brien hope their presence at the organization's formal announcement will help impress upon policymakers, in particular, and the public what copyrights mean to America.
The members of the Copyright Alliance hope their organization, which is set to be unveiled today at a ceremony in the Reserve Officers Building on Capitol Hill, hope they can convince increasingly skeptical members of the general public and policymakers that copyrights are something special that deserve protection.
"Intellectual property is under attack," folk singer-songwriter Tom Paxton said. "A lot of people think about it. They think, 'Well, it's just music and not worth protecting.' To us, it's a living. We make this the same way a cabinetmaker makes a chest."
Paxton; Grammy-winning Motown songwriter Lamont Dozier; guitarist extraordinaire Steve Cropper, a member of Booker T and the MGs as well as an A&R executive, engineer, producer and songwriter; Steve Siwek, of Economics Inc.; and Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Tim O'Brien hope their presence at the organization's formal announcement will help impress upon policymakers, in particular, and the public what copyrights mean to America.
- 5/17/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Legendary soul singer Wilson Pickett died yesterday after suffering a heart attack. He was 64. Pickett, who had been in ill health over the last year, passed away in a Virginia hospital close to his home. He is best known for his hits "Mustang Sally" and "In The Midnight Hour." Born in Pratville, Alabama, Pickett found fame as a teenager in the 1960s after joining The Falcons. He sang on their number one single "I Found A Love." After signing a solo deal with Atlantic Records, Pickett wrote the classic track "In The Midnight Hour" with guitar great Steve Cropper, which was released in 1965. Hits including "Mustang Sally," "Funky Broadway," "Land Of 1,000 Dances" and "She's Looking Good" followed. In total, Pickett scored five number one US R&B singles. In 1991, Pickett was frequently name-checked and had his music covered in the movie The Commitments. The same year he was inducted in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. His last studio album, It's Harder Now, was released in 1999. Pickett will be buried next to his mother in Louisville, Kentucky. He is survived by his fiance and four children.
- 1/20/2006
- WENN
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