Archive for January, 2012
Etta James, Soul Icon, Dies at 73
Taken from the Billboard.com News section, Etta James has passed away at 73 today;
James, who was 73, died on Friday (Jan. 20) in Riverside, Calif., after a long period of declining health, including kidney failure, leukemia and dementia. The singer has been hospitalized since mid-December, and on Dec. 23 her longtime manager Lupe De-Leon announced she was placed on a respirator.
James has been inactive since early 2010, when it was announced she was suffering with Alzheimer’s disease. She announced that she was formally retiring from music just before the Oct. 25 release of her final studio album, “The Dreamer;” in a statement James said that, “I wish to thank all my fans who have shown me love and support over all these years. I love you all.”
Sad news to hear a wonderful singer went out this way. May she Rest In Peace.
Etta James, Soul Singer, Dead at 73
Dave Grohl Q&A: Why Rock and Roll Will Never Die
Dave Grohl, lead singer of The Foo Fighters just had a great q and a with the billboard.com crew. In the article he talks about why Rock and Roll is here to stay, and why 2011 was the most successful of his career to date.
You and the Foos were in the thick of it all year, so what’s your take on the health of rock?
There’s always gonna be rock’n'roll bands, there’s always gonna be kids that love rock’n'roll records, and there will always be rock’n'roll. I travel all over the world and play music, and it’s easy to think rock’n'roll has gone away when you’re in a country like America. We just got back from a trip Down Under, we did a tour of Australia and New Zealand where we were pulling 40,000-50,000 people a night, selling out stadiums. To me, that means rock’n'roll is alive and well. The thing that will never go away is that connection you make with a band or a song where you’re moved by the fact that it’s real people making music. You make that human connection with a song like “Let It Be” or “Long and Winding Road” or a song like “Bohemian Rhapsody” or “Roxanne,” any of those songs. They sound like people making music.
In America, rock’n'roll isn’t in the forefront of the mainstream as it is the rest of the world. England is another country where rock bands are hugely successful: You hear them on the radio, they have hits and play stadiums, and it’s almost like it’s bigger than it’s ever been. But for whatever reason, here in America there’s not as much focus on rock’n'roll bands. I don’t know what it is, but it’s one of the few countries in the world where rock’n'roll is not huge.
His insight is pretty much on point considering that The Foo Fighters were one of the largest Rock and Roll acts to continue and improve upon their already ravenous and die hard fan base. To read the rest of the article, go to http://www.billboard.com/#/features/dave-grohl-q-a-why-rock-will-never-die-why-1005831362.story.
Dave Grohl Lead Singer of the Foo Fighters
Beyonce Gives Birth to Blue Ivy Carter
Well, Beyonce and Jay Z are finally parents. They welcomed Blue Ivy Carter into the world last night and all is well with the world.
The 30-year-old pop singer gave birth to a baby girl late last night (Jan. 7) in NYC, according to The Houston Chronicle. According to reports, the baby girl’s name is Ivy Blue Carter; E! Online News writes that the name is Blue Ivy Carter, although #ivyblue became a worldwide trending topic on Twitter immediately after the news broke. E! also reports that, although “the couple’s reps have not immediately responded to calls seeking comment,” the proud dad is telling his friends the name of their baby girl.
Rumors that Beyonce and Jay-Z were ready to welcome their first child swarmed the Internet on Wednesday, Dec. 28, after reports ran that a celebrity patient was about to check in at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital in New York.
According to MediaTakeOut, a “celebrity VIP” had reserved half of the labor and delivery floor at the hospital on Wednesday. Beyonce’s pal Alicia Keys reportedly gave birth to her first son, Egypt, at the same hospital last year.
This child has the opportunity to grow up like Will and Jada Smith’s kids. The potential for pure commercial power when she hits her teenage years is going to be something the entire world watches. Congrats to Jay-Z and Beyonce! Link to the entire article: http://www.billboard.com/#/news/beyonce-gives-birth-to-a-baby-girl-1005758352.story
EDIT: Turns out, the name is actually Blue Ivy Carter, incorrect reporting from various reports.
Beyonce and Jay-Z are now proud parents of Ivy Blue Carter!
