Up and coming: Newcomer John Legend
A new R&B singer now wants to shine in the soul scene. You've already heard him, if you've ever listened to Kanye West's 'Jesus Walks' or Jay-Z's 'Encore' and wondered who sings the hooks on the records then you've just found out - it's young gun John Legend.
Now that he's got a taste of the action, the singer/songwriter is gearing to make a name for himself with his debut set called 'Get Lifted.Due December 28, the album was done in demo form long before Legend signed his deal with Columbia Records. It wasn't until Kanye took him under his wing, however, that people started to take note of his talent.
"I was getting turned down by labels with the album that I am now releasing," Legend said. "I guess timing is important. So the timing worked out, and it is all good. We re-recorded everything and finished the album in June."
During the shopping around his album process, he had the opportunity to work with several artists including Alicia Keys, Lauryn Hill, Janet Jackson and Britney Spears, among others, all coming with his affiliation with West which would eventually get him noticed.
"Clearly, it gave me a lot of experience working with great artists on classic albums," said Legend. "Anytime you get that kind of experience it will rub off on you. I learned to make the best of those opportunities, and it helped me to make my project better.
"The exposure for me was great, as well," he added. "It all started to build excitement around my project for both consumers and labels. Kanye's album really got things going, and now here I come."
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Lalah plans tribute to her late father Donnie Hathaway
Singer/songwriter turned actress Lalah Hathaway has really made 'dad' proud. She has always been compared to his momentous legacy and now she is poised to do just that. She's just released her long-awaited new set, Outrun The Sky, says
She has begun to create an all-star tribute event to take place in October 2005 to honor the legacy of her father, the late R&B icon Donny Hathaway, on what would have been his 60th birthday next year. Her plans include several concerts to be recorded for a TV broadcast, and ultimately a DVD celebrating the performer of "The Ghetto," "Someday We'll All Be Free," and chart-topping duets with Roberta Flack.
Lalah says that she has been considering several formats, locations, and participants in the last few months to honor her father, whose soulful vocals, piano stylings, and culturally profound lyrics inspired a whole generation of young singers. No details of the event have been set thus far, but Lalah says she's been discussing the matter with her family and colleagues. Hathaway said: "I don't know what it's going to be yet. I know it's going to involve his music and some of the people that love him. We're going to do something great, I just need to figure out what it is. I just want it to be spectacular. So I have to find a way to honor my dad in the way that I think is the way that he needs to be honored, because it hasn't happened yet. So we're working on it."
Lalah herself was only 10 when depression led Donny Hathaway to take his own life at 33 in a tragic jump from a New York hotel window in 1979. Because Lalah's own vocal stylings are reminiscent of her father's soulful phrasing and range, fans may think that she spent a lot of time by Donny's side. But when asked to share her memories of him, she admits that because her father worked so much and she was so young, she doesn't have many, which is sometimes disappointing to fans who love Donny's music: "I have no memories of him at all. I was 10 years old when he left here, so I don't have any memories. And I feel so bad for people that ask me 'cause they just want to know something and I don't have anything to tell them. It's a very strange phenomenon to not know someone but to know them so well. It's real deep."
- Source: spotlightonR&B.com
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Jamie Foxx signs a record deal with J Records
Since his portrayal of the late Ray Charles, comedian turned actor turned singer Jamie Foxx has signed a record deal with J Records with the first album for the label due in 2005.
Jamie was always into music before getting into the acting aspect of his career and had released a debut set back in 1994 called 'Peep This' and had a hit song called 'Infatuation' doing the business. The singer also recently appeared on Twista's track 'Slow Jamz' that featured in form producer turned rapper Kanye West.
Foxx has recently been the subject of Oscar-nomination buzz for his portrayal of Ray Charles in the Universal Pictures biopic "Ray," which opens Oct. 29 in U.S. theaters. He recently hosted the all-star concert special "Genius: A Night for Ray Charles," which will air Oct. 22 on CBS
- Source: reuters.com
Isley Brother is indicted for tax evasion__________________________________________________________________
Ronald Isley, lead singer of the legendary R&B act the Isley Brothers, has been indicted on tax evasion charges, according to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
The 63-year-old artist, who suffered a minor stroke in August, was named in a six-count indictment returned Wednesday (Oct. 13) by a federal grand jury in Los Angeles. He is charged with five counts of tax evasion for failing to report income from royalties and performances by the band and one count of failing to file an income tax return.
No figure was given for the amount of the alleged tax evasion but the charges carry a maximum penalty of 26 years in prison. Isley could not immediately be reached for comment.
The indictment against Ronald Isley covers 1997-2002 and alleges that he evaded payment by depositing and using for his own benefit royalty checks issued to other Isley Brothers-related entities and members of the band, including his brother O'Kelly, who died in 1986.
While on tour, Isley required that half his fee be paid in cash on each tour date and that he paid his musicians and performances in cash, the IRS said.
Isley is alleged to have controlled several bank accounts, and to have told his booking agent to send part of his tour performance fees directly to third parties for his own benefit.
The IRS said Isley used some of the money from his various accounts to buy a yacht, a $1.8-million house in St. Louis in 1997 and a 100-acre estate in Missouri for approximately $1 million.
An IRS spokesperson said Isley had not filed an income tax return between 1997 and 2001, which made it difficult for authorities to determine either his income or how much tax may have been avoided.
Isley is expected to make his first court appearance regarding the charges early next month..
- Source: billboard.com