Alicia Keys to start new tour in the spring
Songstress and just oh-so-fine lass Alicia Keys will be taking herself on the road in the spring with a new North American tour which will kick off Feb. 25 right here in Miami and to wrap up April 23 in Holmdel, N.J. At the time of this release, only seven dates had been confirmed for the tour, which comes in support of Keys' 2003 sophomore J album, "The Diary of Alicia Keys." Tickets begin going on sale Jan. 22.
Keys says the tour, which will feature support from Columbia artist John Legend, will be "conceptual" and "thematic" in nature, with rehearsals to begin later this month. "I'm rearranging songs to go with it," she tells Billboard.com. "This one's going to be pretty exciting."
Confirmed stops include Los Angeles (March 16-17), Atlanta (April 6-7) and New York's Radio City Music Hall (April 22-23). Keys is also confirmed to perform at the Super Bowl pre-game show on Feb. 6 in Jacksonville, Fla., and at the Grammys on Feb. 13 in Los Angeles, where she will play "If I Ain't Got You."
source: billboard.com
__________________________________________________________________Queen Latifah to host this years Grammys
Dana Owens otherwise known to the world as Queen Latifah will be the host of the 47th annual Grammy Awards. It will be a first for the singer who will also perform a track from her nominated release, "The Dana Owens Album," a collection of standards ranging from the 30s to the 50s.
The event takes place Feb. 13 at Los Angeles' Staples Center in California and will be broadcasted live on CBS. The buxom singer who started out as a rapper has become a movie star in her own right appearing in such films as Chicago and Set It Off. Later this year, she will be seen in 'Beauty Shop', a spinoff to her character she established in 'Barbershop 2 - Back in Business'. The film also stars Alicia Silverstone, Keisha Knight Pulliam, Kevin Bacon, Mena Suvari, Andie McDowell, Alfre Woodard, Laura Hayes and Della Reese.A release date is yet to be scheduled for the film but it's expected to hit theatres in the summer.
- Source: billboard.com
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Ex-Temptations singer signs with Aretha Records
The former lead singer of the Temptations, Dennis Edwards has signed with Aretha Franklin's new label Aretha Records. Edwards told the Ohio newspaper The Advocate, "I'm planning to be in the studio in February," and that he hopes to have the album out sometime this year.
The singer first joined the Temptations in 1968, his distinguished baritone can be heard on some of the groups most popular hits including "Ball Of Confusion, "I Can't Get Next To You," and "Papa Was A Rollin' Stone." He left the group in 1988 to persue a solo career and scores big with the track 'Don't look Any Further'. He now tours with his own group, the Temptations Review Featuring Dennis Edwards, performing most of the group's greatest hits.
Edwards, who is a father of five and the grandfather of three, is proud that two of his children have followed in his footsteps. His daughter Issa Pointer now sings with her mother Ruth as part of the Pointer Sisters, while another daughter, Ericka Turner, tried out for American Idol but didn't make the cut. Edwards admitted that he was relieved she didn't get picked: "She's a great talent, but I'm sort of glad she didn't make it so she can finish college." He went on to joke that sometimes he feels like a part-time musician and a full-time chauffeur: "I love for the fans to know I'm still alive, kickin', and (doing) well -- being a dad, being a cab driver, taking the kids to dance class, and the like. It's funny how kids are always planning something and it always seems to involve me driving them somewhere."
- Source: spotlightonR&B.com
Brian McKnight and Mya join forces in Tsunami Relief__________________________________________________________________
In light of the recent events that took place in Indonesia and other parts of that world, members of the rock, R&B and acting worlds have joined forces to record a single that will benefit victims of the Tsunami tragedy in Southeast Asia.
R&B baritone Brian McKnight, trash metal rock group P.O.D.'s Sonny Sandoval, singer turned actress Mya, rapper Nate Dogg and Papa Roach's Jacoby Shaddix have contributed solos to the original track "Forever in Our Hearts," which will aid the musician-helmed charity Music for Relief.
For the past two weeks, songwriter Jason Miller of Godhead and producer Jay Baumgardner (Papa Roach, Seether) have been recruiting celebrities and recording music for the track in North Hollywood, California.
"Rather than have the music track recorded by studio musicians," Miller said, "I wanted to get people from different bands to play on it as well as sing on it." When recording is completed, "Forever in Our Hearts" will be released exclusively to iTunes, while a video documenting the recording process will be circulated to TV outlets.
- Source: VH1.com