Search Results for: GRAMMYs

Viacom Inc. today issued the following update on its operations and business outlook for the full year 2001 in light of the extraordinary events surrounding the attacks on the United States last week. Sumner M. Redstone, Chairman and CEO of Viacom, said, “We want to thank and commend all Viacom employees, particularly our dedicated news staffs, for their extraordinary efforts during this very difficult period. Joining the rest of our nation, Viacom is back at work and focused on continuing to grow our businesses for the benefit of the American economy and our shareholders. We want to take the opportunity… Read more »

The nation’s entertainment capital shut down Tuesday as two major awards shows and a Madonna concert were canceled and most of Hollywood’s big studios closed their doors in response to horrific terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, D.C. It was the day the music died for the 2nd annual Latin Grammy Awards show, a glitzy music industry event which ironically had been moved to Los Angeles from Miami for security reasons last month. Organizers of the star-studded gala said the $4 million production, which was to have been broadcast Tuesday night in the United States and 120 other countries,… Read more »

Grammy chief Michael Greene said in published remarks on Friday he feels “betrayed” by Miami’s civic leaders over the hostile political climate that prompted him to pull the Latin Grammy Awards show out of that city. In a Los Angeles Times interview, Greene said he also doubts the show will be moved any time soon back to Miami, home to such Latin stars as Ricky Martin, Julio Iglesias and Gloria Estefan and the Latin American headquarters for MTV, Sony Music and scores of other record labels. “There would have to be a seismic shift in the political leadership of the… Read more »

Country pop trio the Dixie Chicks are suing Sony Music Entertainment, seeking to terminate their contract and accusing the Japanese recording giant of cheating the singers out of more than $4 million. The lawsuit, filed Monday in U.S. District Court in New York and made public Tuesday, charges that Sony engaged in “systematic thievery” to underpay royalties owed the Grammy-winning act since 1998 for two multiplatinum albums released by Sony’s Monument imprint. The Dixie Chicks – Natalie Maines and sisters Martie Seidel and Emily Robison – are the latest in a growing list of recording stars to rebel against the… Read more »

Soul Train mastermind, Don Cornelius, has sent a letter to the Justice Department alleging that MTV is violating antitrust laws, according to the Los Angeles Times. Cornelius is accusing the music network of pressuring performers who appear on MTV shows not to perform on rival shows for a 30-day period. For example, Cornelius says, MTV won’t let artists booked on next month’s Video Music Awards to appear on his upcoming Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards. The veteran music-TV exec’s Lady of Soul show tapes next Tuesday and begins airing in syndication on Saturday. MTV’s Video Music Awards are September… Read more »

Hoteliers, restaurateurs and tourism promoters mourned the loss of the $40 million bonanza that the now-decamped Latin Grammy awards show was expected to bring to the Miami area. But what really has them crying in their Cristal Roederer is the blow to the city’s image. The Latin Grammy organizers said Monday that they were moving the glitzy Sept. 11 award show to Los Angeles because of worries that protests against artists from communist Cuba could threaten the safety of performers and spectators. “The perception of Miami in the international community is greatly damaged by this,” said Leslie Zigel, vice president… Read more »

R&B quartet Boyz II Men has leapt to BMG imprint Arista Records for a new multialbum contract, following the completion of its deal with Universal Music. The Philadelphia-based group, which has sold more than 60 million albums, plans to head into the studio in mid-September and expects to release its first disc under the new pact in the first half of next year. The move reunites the foursome with Arista president Antonio “L.A.” Reid, who produced several records for the group and co-wrote one of its biggest hits, “The End of the Road,” which topped the singles charts for a… Read more »

Influential guitarist Chet Atkins, who helped modernize country music in the 1960s, paving the way for the massive commercial force that it is today, died in Nashville Saturday. He was 77. In 1973 and in 1997, Atkins had fought both colon cancer and brain cancer, surviving a number of surgeries. Atkins, enjoyed a multi-faceted career: as a sought-after session musician for the likes of Elvis Presley and the Everly Brothers; as a prolific recording artist in his own right; and as a veteran Nashville talent scout. His discoveries included Charley Pride and Waylon Jennings. Atkins was one of the most… Read more »

After spending more than three decades dealing with the business that is rock ‘n’ roll, Aerosmith co-founder Joe Perry dreams of a time when he can focus on nothing but playing his guitar. Dream on. With a new album and summer-long U.S. tour that kicked off earlier this month in Hartford, Conn., Perry and the Boston-based quintet has been busy – making videos, contributing to movie soundtracks, going to awards ceremonies, performing at sporting events and working with other artists. While it’s the kind of success most bands dream of, for Perry, it’s become another day at the office. “It… Read more »

Rock superstars U2 launched their first U.S. tour in nearly four years in classic form in Florida Saturday night, treating 20,000 devoted, delirious fans to a crowd-pleasing mix of old and new songs delivered with their legendary energy free of the extravagances of their most recent tours. The Irish rockers hit the stage of the National Car Rental Center arena at Sunrise, near Miami, with the house lights still on and launched into a swinging “Elevation” for their new album “All That You Can’t Leave Behind”. For the next two hours they put on a performance in which the songs,… Read more »