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☆ A woman is trying to free her fiancé from prison after 49 years behind bars
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Thomas Lake | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

According to a trial transcript, two friends of Durrett also testified they’d heard Ezra make similar statements. Durrett didn’t implicate Ezra until months after the crime — and after he, Durrett, had been charged with the murder. And although she has been “madly in love” before, Christine said she’d never felt such pure love as she does with Ezra. But the older man said the younger man couldn’t love her because he didn’t even love himself. A few days later he told Christine about another man who needed her help.

Persons: Alexa, ”, “, Christine, Christine Roess, Smokey Robinson, Van Morrison, he’d, Ezra, Morris Weitz, Thomas Durrett, Durrett, they’d, didn’t, ” Durrett, Ezra Bozeman’s, ” Christine Roess, she’d, ” Christine, Ezra Bozeman, Christine Roess Ezra, Dana Kelly, Kelly, Teddy Pendergrass, Edwin Hawkins, Christine Roess “ Alexa, I’ve, Team Free Ezra —, —, Josh Shapiro, I’ll, Yusef Organizations: CNN, Fortune, Laurel Highlands, Team Free, Department of Corrections, Savage Locations: Philadelphia, Bozeman, Pittsburgh, Laurel Highlands, Laurel, couldn’t

☆ A Man Hailed as Cindy Birdsong’s Rescuer Is Accused of Exploiting Her
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-20 | by ( Julia Jacobs | Lauren Herstik | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Just last year, Brad Herman, a longtime behind-the-scenes aide to celebrities, drew praise from the family of Cindy Birdsong, an ailing former member of the Supremes. He was credited with helping to rescue her from what they described as a friend’s undue influence over her care and finances. But now, Mr. Herman has been named in a petition brought by Ms. Birdsong’s son, who is accusing him in court papers of financial elder abuse and misappropriation of her money. The son, Charles Hewlett, who has been appointed the conservator of his mother’s affairs, is seeking damages and the return of what his petition describes as missing funds. The allegations follow months of court proceedings over who should control a conservatorship overseeing the finances and medical decisions of Ms. Birdsong, 84, who was once part of a Motown group that became music royalty.

Persons: Brad Herman, Cindy Birdsong, Herman, Birdsong’s, Charles Hewlett, Ms, Birdsong Organizations: Motown

☆ Opinion: Beyoncé is the start of a Black country groundswell
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Opinion Alice Randall | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Her book “My Black Country: A Journey Through ” Country Music’s Past, Present and Future,” was published this month. I hear Black moonshiners and Black cowboys, Black nature lovers and Black ghosts, Black angels, Black freedom fighters, gunslingers and Black shotgun riders. It could start a groundswell of long overdue recognition of the overlooked Black country legends and hope for the Black country stars of the future. But for Black performers in particular, it offers a seat, at long last, at a gathering of the country music family. As I write in “My Black Country,” “I have imagined Black country and country to be born as an art form, as an aesthetic, in the year 1624 near Jamestown, Virginia.

Persons: Alice Randall, who’s, ”, I’ve, Alice Randall Keren Trevino, Matraca Berg, Beyoncé’s, Carter, she’s, White, “, Jolene, Cowboy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H.W, George H.W . Bush, Sen, Ted Kennedy, Roy Acuff, DeFord Bailey, Ole Opry’s, jumpstart Acuff’s, Anna Gordy, Berry Gordy, Marvin Gaye, Anna, Anna Gordy —, Detroit, Carter ”, Linda Martell, Rumi Carter, Jay Z, Blue Ivy, Sir, Rumi, Mike Blake, Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Miley Cyrus, Billy Ray Cyrus, Beyoncé, Cowboy Carter ”, ” Beyoncé, William Tucker, Stoney Edwards Organizations: CNN, Country Music Association, DAR, Blacks, Motown Records, Anna Records, Grand Ole Opry, Reuters, America, Eagle Locations: Nashville, Washington , DC, George H.W ., Detroit, Los Angeles, Black, European, Jamestown , Virginia, America, It’s

NEW YORK (AP) — It's a new location but the same host for the Tony Awards:Ariana DeBose will make it three in a row as MC of theater's most watched event, which this year moves uptown to Lincoln Center. “I couldn’t pass up the chance to host the Tonys one more time, at Lincoln Center. Photos You Should See View All 60 ImagesLike last year, the three-hour main telecast will air on CBS and stream on Paramount+ from 8 p.m.-11 p.m. EDT/5 p.m.-8 p.m. PDT with a pre-show on Pluto TV, with some Tony Awards handed out there. The Tony eligibility cut-off date for the 2023-2024 season is April 25, and nominations for the 2024 Tony Awards will be announced April 30. The awards are presented by The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing.

Persons: —, Ariana DeBose, Tony, ”, DeBose, ” “ Hamilton, ” “, Steven Spielberg’s, David H, Kimberly Akimbo ”, Tom Stoppard’s “, Sean Hayes, Victoria Clark, “ Kimberly Akimbo, ” ___ Mark Kennedy Organizations: Lincoln Center, The, Broadway, Hollywood, United, Theatre, “ Company, ”, Apple, Koch, New York City Ballet, Lincoln Square Theater, Beaumont, CBS, Paramount, The Broadway League, American Theatre Locations: “, New

☆ These are the concert residencies that helped define the Las Vegas strip
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-24 | by ( Alli Rosenbloom | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —Las Vegas is a city brightly lit by it’s rich history, extravagant hotels, luxurious dining experiences, perpetually rolling dice and, of course, one-of-a-kind musical residencies. Here’s a look at some of the most influential musical residencies that have helped define Las Vegas as the entertainment capital of the world. Usher previously performed his “Usher: The Las Vegas Residency” through 2021 at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace. Known as Mr. Las Vegas, the performer has become such a local icon that streets are named after him. Marco Piraccini/Mondadori/Getty ImagesThere was a time where Las Vegas residencies were considered something best suited for artists of yesteryear.

Persons: Mariah Carey, Adele, Garth Brooks, Lionel Richie, Usher Usher, Aaron J, Thornton, WireImage, Jennifer Lopez, Kim Kardashian, Jessica Alba, Zendaya, Usher, Wayne Newton Wayne Newton, Ethan Miller, Wayne Newton, Newton, Wayne, Elvis Presley Elvis Presley, Elvis Presley, –, Long, Celine Dion Celine Dion, Tomasz Rossa, Celine Dion, Love, Dion, Diana Ross Diana Ross, Matt Sayles, Invision, Diana Ross, Ross, Ross ’, “, Elton John Elton John, Mick Hutson, Redferns, Elton John, he’s, Rocketman, Britney Spears Britney Spears, Marco Piraccini, Britney Spears, Spears, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Bono, Adam Clayton, Bram van den Berg, Kevin Mazur Organizations: CNN, Sin, Vegas, Las, Colosseum, Billboard, Tropicana, Getty, Flamingo, Intercontinental, Westgate Las, “, Venetian, Caesars, Yamaha, Planet Hollywood, Forbes Locations: Sin City, Vegas, Nevada, Las Vegas

☆ Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs sued by male producer who alleges sexual assault
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Khorram allegedly ordered prostitutes and illicit drugs for Combs and his guests and according to the lawsuit, Jones believed Khorram “aided and abetted” Combs’ sexual assault. “Our attempts to share this proof with Mr. Jones’ attorney, Tyrone Blackburn, have been ignored, as Mr. Blackburn refuses to return our calls. “This was done to ease Mr. Jones’ anxiety concerning homosexuality,” the suit alleges. In a statement to CNN, he called Jones’ allegations “false.”“My lawyer will be handling this going forward,” Stevie J added. Combs was present while Mr. Jones was being assaulted by Cuba Gooding Jr.,” the suit alleges.

Persons: CNN —, Sean “ Diddy ” Combs, ” Rodney “, Rod ” Jones, videographer, Combs, Jones, Combs ’, Kristina Khorram, Sir Lucian Grainge, Justin, Justin Combs, Khorram, Khorram “, abetted ” Combs, “, DeLeon Tequila, Grainge, Habtemarian “, ” Jones, Shawn Holley, Sean Combs, ”, ” Holley, Tyrone Blackburn, Blackburn, “ Justin Combs, Sean, Diddy, Chris Pizzello, Steven ‘ Stevie J ’ Jordan, Stevie J, ’, Oscar, Cuba Gooding, Jr, Mr, “ Mr, ” Gooding, Casandra Ventura, ” Ben Brafman, Ventura, ” Weeks, ” Combs, Rodney Jones, Lucian Grainge, Grainge “ Organizations: CNN, Universal Music Group, Motown, Ethiopia, Khorram, Billboard, Islands, Motown Records, Cuba Locations: New York, Los Angeles

☆ Reviving ‘The Wiz’ Through ‘the Blackest of Black Lenses’
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-24 | by ( Naveen Kumar | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Schele Williams first saw “The Wiz” when a tour of the original Broadway production came through Dayton, Ohio. She even used the show’s soaring finale, “Home,” as one of her audition songs. Now, after working on Broadway as an actor (“Aida”) and an associate director (“Motown”), she is directing the first Broadway revival of “The Wiz” in almost 40 years. It’s a chance, Williams said, to celebrate what “The Wiz” has meant to her and to pass the story along to her daughters. Since becoming a Broadway hit in 1975, “The Wiz,” a gospel, soul and R&B take on Dorothy’s adventures in Oz, largely composed by Charlie Smalls, with a book by William F. Brown, has been a vibrant cornerstone of Black culture.

Persons: Schele Williams, Dorothy, ”, Williams, It’s, Charlie Smalls, William F, Brown Organizations: Broadway Locations: Dayton , Ohio

DETROIT (AP) — Henry Fambrough, the last surviving original member of the iconic R&B group The Spinners, whose hits included “It’s a Shame,” “Could It Be I’m Falling in Love" and “The Rubberband Man,” died Wednesday, a spokesperson for the group said. Fambrough died peacefully of natural causes in his northern Virginia home, spokesperson Tanisha Jackson said in a statement. Along with Fambrough, Billy Henderson, Pervis Jackson, Bobby Smith, Philippé Wynne and John Edwards were listed as inductees. It “was a long time ago,” Fambrough said at the time of the 1960s, when he first walked into the studio. The Spinners joined Motown Records 10 years later.

Persons: — Henry Fambrough, “, ”, Fambrough, Tanisha Jackson, Billy Henderson, Pervis Jackson, Bobby Smith, Philippé Wynne, John Edwards, ” Fambrough, Dionne Warwick, Norma, Heather Williams Organizations: DETROIT, Roll Hall of Fame, Motown Museum, Motown, Atlantic Records, The Spinners, Motown Records Locations: Virginia, Detroit, Ferndale

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Fans of the soulful sounds of Detroit’s Motown and Memphis’ Stax Records will be able to enjoy music from both brands in the same place if they watch and listen to a free, online show streaming during Black History Month in February. Registration has begun for “Stax Meets Motown,” which features musicians from Stax Music Academy playing hits from both of the influential soul and R&B music labels. “Think Glee meets Grease meets Fame meets Hairspray, all with classic 1960s soul music,” Stax said in the release. Stax Music Academy began these virtual presentations in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic. “This year’s show is a lively comparison of Stax and Motown,” said Stax Music Academy Executive Director Isaac Daniel.

Persons: Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross, Marvis Gaye, Tammi Turrell, Otis Redding, Sam, Dave, Rufus Thomas, Johnnie Taylor, Booker T, “, ” Stax, Stax, ”, Isaac Daniel Organizations: Motown, Memphis ’ Stax Records, Stax, Stax Music Academy, Jackson, Booker, Washington High School, Detroit Riots Locations: MEMPHIS, Tenn, Memphis

☆ Brock Purdy’s epic comeback etches his name in 49ers lore as Detroit’s hero Jared Goff is left wondering what could have been
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Kyle Feldscher | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

“All he’s done since he’s been here is play at an elite level and everything starts with him. Facing skepticism after that first season, it wasn’t clear to Lions fans heading into the 2022 season if Goff was going to be around long. It started a wave of momentum that built into the greatest Lions season that most fans have ever experienced. Goff throwing the ball during the third quarter against the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship. Goff, meanwhile, made a few spectacular throws, a few dangerous ones and many safe ones to his playmakers.

Persons: Santa Clara , California CNN — Brock Purdy, Joe Montana, Steve Young, Colin Kaepernick, Jimmy Garoppolo, Brock Purdy, Purdy, Jared Goff, Goff –, Santa Clara –, Goff, Iowa State University –, he’s, I’ve, ” Purdy, God’s, David J, Phillip, Kurt Warner, Warren Moon, Moon, Trey Lance, “ They’ve, they’ve, Garoppolo, Lance, “ He’s, I’m, Kyle Juszczyk, “, Brock, ”, Christian McCaffrey, Alex Anzalone, Mark J, Terrill, Goff wasn’t, Matthew Stafford, Motown –, Dan Campbell’s, Stafford, Campbell, Ezra Shaw, you’re, didn’t, you’ve, ’ ” Purdy, Brandon Aiyuk, –, Juszczyk, ” Juszczyk, couldn’t, Dan Campbell Organizations: Santa Clara , California CNN, San Francisco 49ers, Super, Detroit Lions, NFC, Area, Levi’s, Lions, Motor City, Bay, Iowa State University, 49ers, Kansas City Chiefs, ” San Francisco 49ers, Warner, Iowa State, Las Vegas Raiders, Dallas Cowboys, Chiefs, ” 49ers, Games, Los Angeles Rams, Rams, New England Patriots, Bowls, Motown, Detroit, ” Lions Locations: Santa Clara , California, Santa Clara, Motor, Ames , Iowa, alma mater, Vegas, ”, Detroit, Michigan, Purdy

NEW YORK (AP) — It's a little late for John Leventhal to be considered a hot young thing in music. The thought of doing a solo record sort of creeped into my consciousness and, when the pandemic hit, I really couldn't avoid it. AP: How do you think a first John Leventhal album would have sounded if you made it 50 years ago? I don't think I would have made a good record 40 years ago because it wouldn't have been tempered by what I've learned. It felt more like creating a product, like it was someone in the record industry's “good idea.” And it is a good idea.

Persons: —, John Leventhal, He's, Shawn Colvin, Jim Lauderdale, Leventhal, Marc Cohn, Sarah Jarosz, Joan Osborne, William Bell, Rosanne Cash, Jackson Browne, Willie Nelson, Ry Cooder, Elvis Costello, Donald Fagen, Cash, Cohn, Matt Berninger, LEVENTHAL, I've, We're, Doc Watson, Howlin, Wolf, Igor Stravinsky, Duke Ellington, Miles Davis, George Jones, I'm, It's Organizations: Boys of, Associated Press, Beatles Locations: New York, Boys of Alabama

Marlena Shaw, the jazz and R&B vocalist whose “California Soul” was one of the defining soul songs of the late 1960s, has died. “It’s with a very heavy heart for myself and my family I announce that our beloved mother, your beloved icon and artist Marlena Shaw has passed away today at 12:03,” Bradshaw said in the video. Shaw, a charismatic and wide-ranging vocalist, was best known for 1969's “California Soul,” which has endured as a widely popular and often sampled song. Shaw, who had five children, toured for more than 50 years and put out 17 albums across eight different labels. “We are saddened by the passing of Marlena Shaw, a wonderful singer whose ‘California Soul’ is as popular today as it ever was and whose album ‘It Is Love: Recorded Live At Vine St.’ helped relaunch the Verve label in 1987.”

Persons: Marlena Shaw, ”, Shaw’s, Marla Bradshaw, ” Bradshaw, " Shaw, Gang Starr, Diplo, Nickolas Ashford, Valerie Simpson, ” Ashford, Shaw, Marvin Gaye, Marlina Burgess, “, ’ Organizations: Facebook, Motown, Chess Records, ’, Verve, St Locations: New Rochelle , New York

☆ Opinion: Bill Belichick and Nick Saban were the kind of coaches I tell my therapist about
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-12 | by ( Opinion Jeff Pearlman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Under his leadership, Belichick took an organization that never sniffed a Super Bowl title and made it a regular occurrence. Jeff Haynes/AFP/Getty Images Belichick, right, coaches alongside New York Giants head coach Bill Parcells during a playoff game in 1984. Jim Rogash/Getty Images Belichick watches from the sideline as his team plays the Seattle Seahawks in the 2015 Super Bowl. Tom Pennington/Getty Images Belichick presents President Donald Trump with an official Super Bowl helmet at the White House in 2017. Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images Belichick leaves the field after losing to the Kansas City Chiefs in December 2023.

Persons: Jeff Pearlman, Jim Fregosi, Paul Olkowski, Fregosi, “ Skip, “ John, ”, “, ” Fregosi, Bill Belichick, Nick Saban, Alabama’s, Belichick, Saban, Tom, Randy Moss, Bear Bryant, Vince Lombardi, Jeff Haynes, Bill Parcells, Parcells, Arthur Anderson, Ralph Waclawicz, George Gojkovich, Anthony Pleasant, Wayne Scarberry, Al Pereira, Robert Kraft, Kraft, Al Messerschmidt, Kevin Terrell, Tom Brady, Damian Strohmeyer, Karen Warren, Steve, David J, Phillip, Jay Leno, Paul Drinkwater, videotaping, Roger Goodell, Matthew West, Peyton Manning, Reed, Jim Rogash, Christian Petersen, Brady, Tom Pennington, Donald Trump, Samuel Corum, Kevin C, Cox, Maddie Meyer, Steven Senne, —, Deion Sanders, Dan Campbell, he’s, Mike Ditka, George Allen, Steve Rushin, Doug Rader, Lou Piniella, it’s Organizations: CNN, Sports, Toronto Blue Jays, Sports Illustrated, Super, New England Patriots, Tide, Bama, Super Bowl, Getty, New York Giants, Parcells, ESPN, Cleveland Browns, Denver Broncos, Buffalo Bills, New York Jets, Jets, NFL Hall of Fame, Patriots, St, Louis Rams, Jacksonville Jaguars, Houston Chronicle, Philadelphia Eagles, NBCU, Bank, NFL, MediaNews, Boston Herald, Indianapolis Colts, Reed Saxon, Giants, Belichick, AFC, Seattle Seahawks, White House, Atlanta Falcons, Anadolu Agency, Los Angeles Rams, Kansas City Chiefs, The Patriots, Twitter, University of Colorado, Detroit Lions, Schlitz, Chicago Bears, Washington Redskins, California Angels, Seattle Mariners Locations: Tuscaloosa , Alabama, AFP, Baltimore, Hawaii, Boulder, California, Swiss, ”

The world also said goodbye to former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, who died Nov. 29. Political Cartoons View All 1277 ImagesAnother political figure who died this year was former U.S. first lady Rosalynn Carter, who died Nov. 19. Among the entertainers who left the world this year was singer Tina Turner, who died May 24. Here is a roll call of some influential figures who died in 2023 (cause of death cited for younger people, if available):___JANUARY___Fred White, 67. A Hall of Fame forward who helped the Chicago Blackhawks win the 1961 Stanley Cup Final.

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin’s, Henry Kissinger, Rosalynn Carter, Jimmy Carter, Silvio Berlusconi, Dianne Feinstein, James Buckley, James Abourezk, Nigel Lawson, Pervez Musharraf, Sandra Day O’Connor, Li Keqiang, Martti Ahtisaari, United Nations Bill Richardson, Gov, Sheila Oliver, Theodoros Pangalos, Tina Turner, Ike Turner, Suzanne Somers, Matthew Perry, Raquel Welch, Richard Belzer, Chaim Topol, Jacklyn Zeman, Lance Reddick, Alan Arkin, Paul Reubens, David McCallum, Richard Roundtree, Tom Sizemore, Jimmy Buffett, Sinéad O’Connor, Rita Lee Jones, Burt Bacharach, David Crosby, Fito Olivares, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Astrud Gilberto, Coco Lee, Tony Bennett, Harry Belafonte, Cormac McCarthy, William Friedkin, Bob Barker, Jerry Springer, Louise Glück, Jeff Beck, Mary Quant, Kaija Saariaho, Lloyd Morrisett, Fred White, Maurice, Verdine White, Ken Block, Walter Cunningham, Fay Weldon, ” Jan, Russell Pearce, Charles Simic, Lynette “ Diamond ” Hardaway, Donald Trump, Diamond, Constantine, Jan, Tatjana Patitz, George Michael’s, Lisa Marie Presley, Elvis Presley, Robbie Knievel, Evel Knievel, Ray Cordeiro, Elmo, Cookie, Gina Lollobrigida, Chris Ford, Crosby, Stills, Nash, Young, Cindy Williams, Shirley, “ Laverne, Billy Packer, Sylvia Syms, Alex ”, Barrett Strong, Norman Whitfield, “ Papa, Rollin ’ Stone, Tom Verlaine, Patti Smith, Bobby Hull, Paco Rabanne, Harry Whittington, Dick Cheney, Hsing Yun, ”, San Jose ”, Carlos Saura, Spain’s, Hugh Hudson, Oscar, “ Greystroke, Hans Modrow, David Jude Jolicoeur, Huey “, ” Smith, Little Richard, Lloyd Price, “, Leiji Matsumoto, Yamato ”, Tim McCarver, Stella Stevens, Jerry Lewis’s, John Munch, Ahmed Qureia, Betty Boothroyd, Ricou Browning, Gill, Gérard Latortue, Fontaine, Barbara Everitt Bryant, Ryan ”, Kenzaburo Oe, Judy Heumann, Gary Rossington, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Georgina Beyer, Traute Lafrenz, Rose, Peterson Zah, Tevye, Robert Blake, Jiang Yanyong, Bud Grant, Dick Fosbury, Pat Schroeder, Gloria Bosman, Jacqueline Gold, Britain’s Ann Summers, John Wick ”, John Jenrette, Juana La, Willis Reed, Darcelle, Paul O’Grady, Lily Savage, Emperor ”, Hedda Kleinfeld Schachter, Margaret Thatcher, Ben Ferencz, Nuremberg, Elisabeth Kopp, Michael Lerner, Jack Lipnick, “ Barton Fink, Bugsy Calhoun, Anne Perry, Thomas Pitt, William Monk, Al Jaffee, magazine’s, Charles Stanley, Richard Riordan, Todd Haimes, Tony Awards, Barry Humphries, Tony, Dame Edna Everage, Len Goodman, Carolyn Bryant Donham, Emmett Till, LeRoy “ Lee ” Carhart, Larry “, ___ Gordon Lightfoot, Tori Bowie, Vida, Grace Bumbry, Rock ”, Ovelha, Denny Crum, Heather Armstrong, Bobbie Spencer, Rolf Harris, Kenneth Anger, Doyle Brunson, Jim Brown, Timothy Keller, Andy Rourke, Ray Stevenson, Thor ”, Ed Ames, George Maharis, Carroll Cooley, Miranda, John Beasley, Kaija, George Winston, Ipanema ”, Robert Hanssen, Richard Snyder, Simon & Schuster, Françoise Gilot, Pablo Picasso —, Pat Robertson, Theodore “ Ted ” Kaczynski, Roger Payne, Treat Williams, Glenda Jackson, Daniel Ellsberg, Richard Nixon, Big, George Frazier, Lee Sarokin, Rubin “, ” Carter, Winnie Ewing, Sheldon Harnick, Jerry Bock, “ Fiorello, John Goodenough, Peg Yorkin, Sue Johanson, Yan Mingfu, John Berylson, James Lewis, poisonings, Mikala Jones, André Watts, Jane Birkin, Kevin Mitnick, San Francisco ”, Frank Sinatra, Lady Gaga, Hugh “ Sonny ” Carter Jr, Jimmy, Randy Meisner, Herman, Angus Cloud, Fezco, ” O’Neill, ___, Mark Margolis, Hector Salamanca, Saul, Sixto Rodriguez, flamed, Robbie Robertson, Tom Jones, Magoo, Timbaland, Aaliyah, Missy Elliott, Clarence Avant, Quincy Jones, Bill Withers, Ada Deer, Jerry Moss, Herb Alpert, Alpert, Michael Parkinson, Muhammad Ali, Miss Piggy, Jiri Cerny, Betty Tyson, Richard Nixon’s, John Warnock, Ron Cephas Jones, Howard Hubbard, Samuel “ Joe ” Wurzelbacher, Joe, Barack Obama, Gil Brandt, Tom Landry, Tex Schramm, Bill Richardson, Steve Harwell, Shabtai Shavit, Jordan, Ian Wilmut, Dolly, Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, Roy Kidd, Eno Ichikawa, Michael McGrath, Fernando Botero, Giorgio Napolitano, Matteo Messina Denaro, Michael Gambon, Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter ”, Mankombu Sambasivan, Saad Eddin Ibrahim, Hosni Mubarak, Tim Wakefield, Dick Butkus, Michael Chiarello, Michael Chiarello ”, Masters, Burt Young, Paulie, Sylvester Stallone, Hughes Van Ellis, Kevin Phillips, Louise Meriwether, Mark Goddard, Major Don West, Rudolph Isley, Isley, unblinking, Piper Laurie, Chrissy Snow, Bobby Charlton, Bishan Bedi, Richard Moll, Xi Jinping, Wu Zunyou, Chandler Bing, Ken Mattingly, Bob Knight, Frank Borman, Steve Norton, Don Walsh, Mariana Trench, Terry R, Taylor, Daisaku Ikeda, Herbie Hancock, Bobby Ussery, George “ Funky ” Brown, Joanna ”, Marty Krofft, Pufnstuf, Donny, Marie ”, Terry Venables, Tim Dorsey, Serge A, Frances Sternhagen, ” “, Charlie Munger, Warren Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway, Gerald Ford, Shane MacGowan, Bernard McGhee Organizations: Wagner Group, Russian, White House, U.S, Supreme, United Nations, Greek Foreign, Republican, Hong, Boston Celtics, NBA, NBC, CBS, Television, Fame, Chicago Blackhawks, ”, New, of Fame, Louis Cardinals, “, Palestinian, Israel, South Dakota Democrat, Arab, Arab American U.S, Britain’s, Commons, . Census Bureau, Alabama ”, Zealand, Navajo, Minnesota Vikings, People, Playboy, Capitol, Juana La Cubana, New York Knicks, Guinness, World Records, Hollywood, Treasury, Southern Baptist Convention, Los Angeles, Roundabout Theatre Company, Air Force, Harlem Globetrotters, Janeiro Games, baseball’s, Germany’s Bayreuth, NCAA, Hall of Famer, Redeemer Presbyterian Church, Legion, Ames, Phoenix, FBI, Simon &, Christian Broadcasting Network, Republican Party, Christian Coalition, Harvard, Feminist Majority Foundation, “ Little, Communist Party, Millwall, New York Philharmonic, San, Brigade, Wing, Eagles, HBO, of Indian Affairs, M, Police, Carpenters, Adobe Systems, Pro Football Hall of Fame, Dallas Cowboys, escapist, Democratic, Zulu, Eastern, AA, Broadway, Communist, U.S . Senate, Red Sox, Yankees, Boston, Chicago Bears, Major, Isley Brothers, New York Times, Manchester United, India, Indiana, Nevada — Resorts, Atlantic City —, Navy, Associated Press, Soka Gakkai, Kentucky Derby, Kool, The, European, Barcelona, Tottenham, City Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Bakhmut, Russian, U.S, Finnish, New Mexico, New Jersey, British, Greece, American, Hong Kong, Italian, America, New York, Spanish, catwalks, Texas, Taiwan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, San, New Orleans, Rosebud, Arab American, Haiti, “, African, Brooklyn, London, Los, Mississippi, United States, Rivers, Georgia, Savannah, Louisville, New York City, Irish, HBO’s “ Rome, Brazilian, Ipanema, Moscow, Virginia, Montana, Vietnam, Canada, Asia, Chicago, Hawaii, France, South Africa, Wisconsin, Los Angeles, Czech, Eastern Kentucky, Colombian, ”, California, Tulsa, Finland, China, Nevada, Atlantic City, Florida, Berkshire

☆ Michael Jackson documentary: ‘Thriller 40’ focuses on the art, not the artist
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

By sidestepping the philosophical questions about separating the art from the artist, “Thriller 40” can focus steadfastly on the music, and all the other ways Jackson influenced the industry, and less on the man himself. The documentary incorporates a bit of context about The Jackson 5, primarily to make the point that Jackson’s success as a solo artist was by no means a preordained conclusion. His success with 1979’s album “Off the Wall” offered a mere teaser of what was to come – the explosion of hits on his subsequent record “Thriller”in 1982, including the title track, “Bille Jean” and “Beat It.”Michael Jackson's music is explored in the documentary "Thriller 40." “Thriller 40” consciously and effectively brings the focus back to the music and the thrills he delivered as a performer. “Thriller 40” premieres December 2 on Paramount+ and at 8 p.m.

Persons: CNN — Michael Jackson, Nelson George, Jackson, Usher, Mary J, Blige, George, Michael Jackson ”, –, Misty Copeland, “ Bille Jean ”, Michael Jackson's, Robert Hilburn, Fred Astaire, “, John Landis, Jafaar Jackson Organizations: CNN, ”, MTV, Paramount, SHOWTIME, Motown, Los Angeles Times, Jackson, Showtime Locations: London

The letter came after a series of lawsuits Combs filed against Diageo, whose other brands include Johnnie Walker, Don Julio and Smirnoff. Diageo ended the Cîroc partnership over the summer, saying at the time that Combs had breached his contract. That period, the company said, "happens to correspond with the pendency of Combs Wines' original lawsuit against Diageo." Diageo didn't respond to requests for comment. Revolt didn't respond to a request for comment.

Persons: Cassie, Sean, Diddy, Combs, Johnnie Walker, Don Julio, Smirnoff, Roberta Kaplan, Casandra Ventura, Ventura, Harve Pierre, Pierre, Pierre didn't, @Diddy, Dawn Montgomery, Montgomery, Kelly, Kesha, they'd, Faith Evans, Sean John streetwear, Sean John, Sean John's, Evan Nierman, wasn't Organizations: Diageo, New York Times, Combs, Bad Boy Records, Boy Entertainment, NBC News, Bad, Variety, Combs Enterprises, Love Records, Motown Records, Nordstrom, Saks Locations: New York, London, Los Angeles

☆ ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ Review: How Alicia Keys Got Her Groove
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-19 | by ( Jesse Green | More About Jesse Green | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Even in the Golden Age of musical theater, shows so commonly died after intermission that critics came up with a name for the disease. “Second act trouble” presented in many ways: unmoored songs, desperate cutting, illogical crises, hasty workarounds. Yet all those second act symptoms arose from the same underlying condition: first act ambitions. So it’s not really surprising that an enormously ambitious new musical like “Hell’s Kitchen,” the semi-autobiographical jukebox built on the life and catalog of Alicia Keys, disappoints after the mid-show break, tumbling directly into the potholes it spent its first half so smartly avoiding. And since those songs are the show’s selling point, they wind up wagging the story.

Persons: ”, it’s, Alicia Keys, disappoints, Kristoffer Diaz, Michael Greif, Ali Organizations: Public, verve Locations: Jersey, Midtown Manhattan

☆ Harlan Crow, the GOP megadonor and pal to Clarence Thomas, maxed out his campaign donation to a self-described 'non-Marxist socialist' trying to defeat Joe Biden
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Crow, a major player in GOP politics, described West as "a good friend" during a WSJ interview. Justice Thomas faced scrutiny after ProPublica reported that he took luxury trips funded by Crow. AdvertisementAdvertisementBillionaire GOP megadonor Harlan Crow maxed out a donation to Cornel West, the progressive academic and 2024 independent presidential candidate, according to the latest FEC filings. Nikki Haley of South Carolina, per NBC News, as several major GOP donors are looking to get behind the strongest challenger to Donald Trump's presidential bid. AdvertisementAdvertisementTrump currently remains the favorite to capture the GOP presidential nomination, as he maintains sizable leads in national surveys and most statewide primary polling.

Persons: Harlan Crow, Cornel West's, Justice Thomas, ProPublica, —, Cornel West, Crow, Joe Biden's, We've, Clarence Thomas, Thomas, didn't, Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Donald Trump's Organizations: Crow, Service, West, Green Party, Marxist, Wall, Princeton University, Harvard University, Democratic Party, Republican, Press, Motown, Gov, NBC, GOP Locations: Silicon Valley, Florida, South Carolina

Temptations, Four Tops on Hand as CEO Shares What's Going on With Motown Museum's Expansion PlansThe CEO of the Motown Museum says full construction on the final phase of the Detroit facility's expansion will get underway in the spring of 2024

Organizations: Motown, Motown Museum Locations: Detroit

☆ Opinion: This generation needs The Talking Heads as much as their parents did
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Opinion Noah Berlatsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

But A24’s newly restored 40th anniversary print of the band’s legendary concert film “Stop Making Sense” feels like a moment for a reappraisal. Talking Heads’ lyrics are undeniably more elliptical than N.W.A.’s or the Dead Kennedys’. “Stop Making Sense” starts off within the bounds of that New Wave approach. Byrne’s idiosyncratic dancing and physical appearance are central to “Stop Making Sense,” and he never stops being malfunctioning, android or ectomorph. “Stop Making Sense” included singers Lynn Mabry and Ednah Hold, legendary Parliament-Funkadelic keyboardist Bernie Worrell, percussionist Steve Scales and The Brothers Johnson guitarist Alex Weir.

Persons: Noah Berlatsky, CNN —, Reagan, “, ” Noah Berlatsky Noah Berlatsky, Trump, Donald Trump, he’s, Devo, Blondie, Joy, Jonathan Demme, Chris Frantz, Jerry Harrison, Tina Weymouth, Alex Weir, Bernie Worrell, David Byrne, Steve Scales, Lynn Mabry, Ednah Holt, Jordan Cronenweth, ” Byrne, Byrne, — George Clinton, James Brown, Fela Kuti —, Johnson, Harrison, Weir, Mabry, they’re, Sly, ”, Cab Calloway, Weir’s, Al, Reagan’s, — Organizations: CNN, Police, ”, tha, Reagan GOP, Reagan Library, Republican, GOP, New, Joy Division, Weymouth Locations: Chicago

On Friday, Diddy will release his new album called “The Love Album - Off the Grid." Political Cartoons View All 1160 ImagesAfter his epiphany, Diddy built a recording studio at his home and started to work on music. Making music is my love,” said Diddy, who received the Global Icon Award at the MTV Video Music Awards on Tuesday. “Everybody was calling to be a part of the ‘Love Album.’ Nobody made me wait more than 30 seconds for an answer if they wanted to do it. I thank God, nobody told me ‘No.’”Diddy said he wanted to tell a story on the album that mirrored his fun-filled love life.

Persons: Sean “ Diddy ” Combs, Diddy, “, ’ ”, Mary J, Blige, Justin Bieber, H.E.R, Babyface, John Legend, Busta, Summer Walker, Teyana Taylor, Coco Jones, Jazmine Sullivan, It’s, Keyshia Cole, Nicole Scherzinger, Sean John, ”, I’m, ” Diddy, Berry Gordy must’ve, Marvin Gaye, ’ Organizations: ANGELES, Bad Boy Records, Black, Bad Boy, Associated Press, BET Media Group, Paramount Global, Diageo, MTV, Jackson State University football, Motown Records, “ Locations: French Montana

☆ Pharrell Williams Shares His Inspirations, From Henry Taylor to ‘Jabberjaw’
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( M.H. Miller | More About M.H. Miller | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

At one point, it seemed like he might give up on the conversation altogether. “I mean, do you like listening to yourself on voice mail?”Williams, 50, was raised in Virginia Beach by his father, Pharaoh, a handyman, and his mother, Carolyn, a teacher. A dedicated polymath who shifts between styles, genres and media, Williams is his best, most creative self in the presence of water. He grew up in a housing project called Atlantis, right by the beach; today, he holds an annual music and art festival in Virginia Beach called Something in the Water. And when he’s not in Miami on Biscayne Bay, he spends his time in Paris, where he has a music studio at the LVMH headquarters overlooking the Seine.

Persons: Pharrell Williams, Virgil Abloh, Louis Vuitton’s, Justin Timberlake’s, ”, Karl Lagerfeld, “ Karl ” —, ’ ”, Pont, ” Williams, Pharaoh, Carolyn, Chad Hugo, Funk, Williams, he’s Organizations: Neptunes, Motown Locations: Virginia Beach, Miami, Biscayne Bay, Paris, Seine

☆ Remembering the Rappers We Lost
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( Danyel | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

That same year, the Recording Academy finally included a rap category in the Grammy Awards, and Will Smith, a.k.a. And then, in September 1996, Tupac Shakur died at 25 in Las Vegas, having been shot four times. Hill’s was the first hip-hop album to win album of the year (along with four other Grammys). In 1999, Big L of Harlem (Lamont Coleman) was shot nine times in the face and chest on West 139th Street near his Harlem home. On Oct. 30, 2002, Run-DMC’s D.J., Jason Mizell, known as Jam Master Jay, was killed in his Queens recording studio at age 37.

Persons: Will Smith, a.k.a, DJ Jazzy Jeff, “, ”, Tupac Shakur, Roland Bishop, Ernest Dickerson’s, Christopher Wallace, poolside partyer, DJ Quik, Gen, Biggie Smalls, Shakur, Will, Biggie, ’ Raymond Rodgers, Evans’s, Kirk Franklin, Cheryl James, Lauryn Hill ”, Jay, Z’s, Hill’s, Big, Harlem, Lamont Coleman, Jason Mizell, Mizell, Rap Organizations: Recording Academy, Billboard, Motown, Queens Locations: Florida, Las Vegas, God’s, Harlem

☆ ‘Wham!’ Review: They Made It Big, Then Broke Up
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Wesley Morris | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The new documentary about George Michael, Andrew Ridgeley and the music they made as Wham! — it’s just called “Wham!” — found me in a moment of need for a nostalgic, fantastical elixir, something short, sweet and tangential to my feeling of national blues. For one thing, Wham!, the duo, made soul music that popped. And the movie dances past all of the thorny moral and ethical questions of white people making Black stuff. The disembodied voices of Michael and Ridgeley guide the whole thing — rumination and memory as narration.

Persons: George Michael, Andrew Ridgeley, —, George, Barry Manilow, Freddie Mercury, Billy Joel, Oates, Chris Smith, Michael’s, ”, Ridgeley’s misapprehended, “ Son, Albert, Michael, Ridgeley, Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou, Richard Simmons Organizations: BBC Locations: England, scrapbooks

☆ The Family of a Former Supreme Battles for Control of Her Life
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Julia Jacobs | Christopher Petkanas | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

“It has been an open secret among the Motown family, the tragedy of Cindy,” Herman said in an interview. Lander considered but did not agree to an interview, and stopped responding to inquiries. With her gentle manner and polished skills, she was well suited for a daunting role: keeping one of Motown’s premier acts on track. “Cindy had a strong voice and charisma,” Gerald Posner, a Motown historian, said in an interview. “She’s the one who had to make the change look seamless — and she did.”

Persons: Motown, Cindy, ” Herman, Lander, Birdsong, ” Lander, ” Birdsong’s, Patti LaBelle, Ballard, Diana Ross, Ballard —, “ Cindy, ” Gerald Posner, “, ” Organizations: Soup, Motown Locations: Camden , N.J

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