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A couple of talented saxmen greeted shoppers at the Pavilions supermarket, 1110 West Alameda Avenue in Burbank, with their rendition of some classic holiday songs, last Tuesday. Prompting some to drop a little extra in a nearby Salvation Army red kettle. The music drifted out into the parking lot and lingered. Sounds of the season.
Today’s news that the Purple Prince of Pop and R& B has passed away, stunned and shocked many of his fans, friends, and fellow musicians. Prince reportedly died at his home in Chanhassen, Minnesota this morning at the age of 57. No cause of death was given. CNN is reporting some heart-broken fans are saying the icon’s death “is what it sounds like when doves cry,” a reference to a huge hit from his classic 1984 album, “Purple Rain.” In 1985, Prince won an Academy Award for best... Read More →
It’s been a bumpy season for veteran Dodger organist, Nancy Bea Hefley, so perhaps that’s the reason she decided it was time to retire. You might remember, Hefley was the apparent target of a campaign to phase her out and replace her with “pre-recorded pop and hip hop music” at Dodger Stadium. Well, the fans took to social media and shamed the Dodger organization into promising Hefley a job for life. All that drama may have been too much for a musician who just want to play the... Read More →
Paul Stanley, the frontman for the famous rock band KISS, is in the spotlight for two new ventures — arena football and writing his memoir. Stanley’s team, LA KISS, mixes, rock and roll, flashy productions, and football to create a new kind of entertainment. Last, Saturday, more than 12-thousand fans of the rock group KISS joined football lovers to watch the LA KISS win their home opener in Anaheim against the Portland Thunder 44-34. LA KISS is a new Arena... Read More →
Academy Award winning actress, Gwyneth Paltrow, and her rocker husband, Chris Martin, have a new getaway place on the ocean. The 4 bedroom and 3 bath home reportedly sits on an acre of secluded Malibu beach and sold last month for $14 million, according to the Zillow blog. The home, once appeared in the Wall Street Journal, “… incorporates the outdoors in the living space ….”and has special features like heated sandstone floors, a chef’s kitchen, and a yoga studio. Photos here. Paltrow won a best... Read More →
The Olvera Street marketplace in Downtown Los Angeles is always a festive spot to visit — even on hot summer days. A lot of things to see, nice restaurants to eat in, and if you are lucky, free entertainment by street musicians.
Ex-Beatle, Ringo Starr, will soon be a published children’s author. The rocker has snagged a deal with Simon & Schuster to turn his 1968 tune, “Octopus’s Garden” into an illustrated children’s book, according to a PR Newswire release. The song appeared on the Beatles album, “Abbey Road” (1969). The way the story goes, Starr composed the song while cruising on actor, Peter Seller’s yacht. Apparently the boat captain gave the Beatle drummer a lesson on how the octopus trawls the sea bed searching for shiny stones and... Read More →
PBS stations across the country ran the premiere of the TV special, “The Motown Sound: In Performance at the White House,” last night. The concert recorded in the East Room of the White House back on February 24, 2011, was a celebration of Black History Month and the legendary soul/pop/rhythm and blues sound of Motown Records. Some of the great artists who helped create that Motown Sound: The Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, The Supremes, Gladys Knight and the Pips, and Stevie Wonder. President Barack Obama... Read More →
Photo: Samantha Appleton/White House — Sir Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder performed their number one hit single from 1982, “Ebony and Ivory,” at a White House concert honoring the former-Beatle, last night. President Barack Obama presented Entertainer, Paul McCartney, with the nation’s highest award for extraordinary contributions to American music and culture in the East Room of the White House, June 2, 2010. In honoring McCartney , the president said: “And it’s fitting that the Library has chosen to present this year’s Gershwin Prize for Popular Song to a man whose father... Read More →
