Search Results for: the driver era

Had Russell Watson followed some early career advice, the classical tenor might be singing ‘N Sync-like pop tunes instead of arias. “I was told, ‘Oh Russell, join a boy band, leave the opera to the Italians,”‘ the 27-year-old Brit recalls hearing from agents. “That just made me more determined.” His determination has paid off handsomely. Watson, who is not classically trained and who got his start singing Meat Loaf and Lionel Richie songs in the pubs of Manchester, has become an opera sensation with the release of his debut disc, “The Voice.” Already a best-seller in Britain, the album has… Read more »

Radio airplay is and has been the primary driver of retail record sales in the United States. Some estimate that nearly 90 percent of sales is the direct result of an artist being exposed on radio. But today, radio is joined by an array of other media choices: MTV, BET, and VH1, digital downloads, and streamed audio. Consumers borrow friend’s CDs and tapes, and see live performance. Any record label or promoter would be remiss by ignoring any one of these outlets since they all help to sell music. In the first-ever project of its kind, James Schureck at Jeff… Read more »

After Aerosmith belter Steven Tyler opens this year’s Indy 500 by singing the national anthem, veteran driver Jeff Ward will slip behind the wheel of the Heritage Motorsports’ Aerosmith “Screaming Demon” car and race against the rest of the field. While various hard rockers including Incubus, Mudvayne, System of a Down, Crazy Town and Dope have had their logos affixed to numerous NASCAR vehicles over the past two years, this marks the first time an Indy 500 race car includes the image of a rock band, a Heritage publicist said. The Aerosmith vehicle will be decorated with a pink and… Read more »

Grammy-winning rapper Jay-Z and three other men were arrested early Friday outside a Manhattan nightclub and held on weapons charges after a plainclothes officer saw one of the men take a loaded handgun from the rapper’s vehicle, police said. Jay-Z said Friday night that his mother can hold her head high because he’s innocent of a gun possession charge against him. “That’s my mom,” he said, motioning to this mother outside Manhattan Criminal Court. “She can go anywhere in the world and hold her head up – because her son is 100 percent innocent.” The rapper, whose real name is… Read more »

‘NSync was the top musical act at the seventh annual Blockbuster Entertainment Awards Tuesday (April 10) night at L.A.’s Shrine Auditorium, winning Favorite CD (No Strings Attached), Favorite Single (“Bye, Bye, Bye”), and Favorite Pop Group. The major music categories were mostly split, however, with a poodle-haired Christina Aguilera snagging Favorite Female Artist, Eminem taking Favorite Male Artist, and Destiny’s Child walking off with Favorite Group of the Year. Pink and Nelly were the Favorite New Artists. The most movie-related wins were reaped by Charlie’s Angels with three (plus one for cast member Lucy Liu in Shanghai Noon). Kate Hudson’s… Read more »

A jury acquitted Sean “Puffy” Combs on all charges against him Friday evening, bringing to an end a 15-month ordeal that began after a shooting in a New York nightclub. Rapper Jamal “Shyne” Barrow was convicted of two counts of assault as well as reckless endangerment and gun possession. But he was cleared of the most serious charge he was facing, attempted murder. Bodyguard Anthony “Wolf” Jones was cleared of all charges against him. The jury spent three days deliberating after a six-week trial in which witnesses said Combs waved a gun inside Club New York on December 27, 1999,… Read more »