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Memphis musician Jay Reatard found dead
Memphis musician Jimmy Jay Lindsey Jr., better known as Jay Reatard, was found dead in his home in Midtown’s Cooper-Young neighborhood this morning, according to family and friends. He was 29.
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Memphis musician Jimmy Jay Lindsey Jr., better known as Jay Reatard, was found dead in his home in Midtown’s Cooper-Young neighborhood this morning, according to family and friends. He was 29.
LOS ANGELES – Michael Jackson’s arms were covered with punctures, his face and neck were scarred and he had tattooed eyebrows and lips, but he wasn’t the sickly skeleton of a man portrayed by tabloids, according to his autopsy report obtained by The Associated Press. In fact, the Los Angeles County coroner’s report shows Jackson was a fairly healthy 50-year-old before he died of an overdose. His 136 pounds were in the acceptable range for a 5-foot-9 man. His heart was strong with no sign of plaque buildup. And his kidneys and most other major organs were normal. Still, Jackson… Read more »
Eminem’s music publisher wants a bigger slice from Apple. Eight Mile Style and a co-plaintiff, Martin Affiliated, are suing Apple, claiming they never authorised the use of 93 songs in a downloadable format on Apple’s popular iTunes service. The non-jury trial is expected to start Thursday in the rapper’s hometown of Detroit, unless a settlement is reached Wednesday with the help of US Magistrate Judge Virginia Morgan. Eight Mile also is suing Aftermath Records, which controls the recordings in question, saying it didn’t have the right to make deals on digital downloads. It’s unclear from court documents just how much… Read more »
There was a time when most aspiring musicians had the same dream: to sign a deal with a major record label. Now, with the structure of the music business shifting radically, some industry iconoclasts are sidestepping the music giants and inventing new ways for artists to make and market their music – without ever signing a traditional recording contract. The latest effort comes from Brian Message, manager of the alternative band Radiohead, which gave away its last album, “In Rainbows,” on the Internet. His venture, called Polyphonic, which was announced this month, will look to invest a few hundred thousand… Read more »
In early 1984, when Epic Records executives presented their slate of upcoming releases at the convention in Hawaii of parent company CBS Records they couldn’t resist playing up the success they were experiencing. So between the pitches for new albums, Epic inserted stock footage of semi trucks and a voice-over that thunderously announced, “There goes another load of Michael Jackson’s Thriller albums!” Trucks weren’t really leaving the warehouse every few minutes, but Thriller was still shattering expectations more than a year after its November 30, 1982, release. Epic was selling more than 1 million copies per month in the United… Read more »
Just when they thought she was in, they pulled her back out. In what is likely a surprise to no one, Amy Winehouse has canceled plans to perform in London next week in what would have been her first U.K. appearance of the year. The concert, scheduled to take place May 31st, was one of many gigs planned to celebrate the 50th anniversary of her label, Island Records. It was due to be the final show of the weeklong celebration. According to a statement issued by her representative, “Amy Winehouse’s management has regretfully announced that Amy and her band will… Read more »
LOS ANGELES (Billboard) — Nearly two weeks after the premiere of Disney’s “Jonas Brothers: The 3-D Concert” film, the sibling music act has unveiled dates for a world tour. The 44-date North American leg begins June 20 at the Dallas Cowboys New Stadium in Texas and wraps Aug. 31 at the Scotiabank Place in Ottawa. Before the North American arena dates, the Jonas Brothers World Tour 2009 will play a handful of dates in South America in mid-May and head to the United Kingdom and Europe in early June. The Jonas Brothers trek will feature support from “American Idol” winner… Read more »
List of winners at the 51st Annual Grammy Awards Album of the Year: ” Raising Sand” Robert Plant and Alison Krauss ; T Bone Burnett producer; Mike Piersante, engineer/mixer; Gavin Lurssen, mastering engineer (Rounder) Rap Album: ” Tha Carter III” Lil Wayne (Cash Money/Universal Motown) Male Pop Vocal Performance : “Say,” John Mayer ; track from “Continuum” (Columbia) Record of the Year: “Please Read The Letter,” Robert Plant and Alison Krauss; T Bone Burnett, producer; Mike Piersante, engineer/mixer; track from “Raising Sand” (Rounder) New Artist: Adele Rock Album: “Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends,” Coldplay (Capitol) Pop… Read more »
Radio companies took a giant step forward in 2008 by embracing online and mobile applications like never before. Clear Channel, with centralized Web site design services and such innovative Web programing as its “Stripped” concert series and “New” artist spotlight program, has long led the way, but other broadcast groups also made momentous strides. No company increased its commitment to the digital space in 2008 more than CBS Radio which announced a content and advertising partnership with AOL Music in March. Since then, 150 CBS Radio stations and 200 AOL Music Internet stations have become powered by a CBS Radio… Read more »
This year’s transformation of the annual Grammy Awards nominations announcement into a full-blown prime-time TV special could help provide a badly needed boost in sales at a difficult time for the music industry. But the December 3 “Grammy Nominations Concert Live!” telecast on CBS fell short of being a ratings winner. The one-hour show finished fourth in its 9 p.m. time slot, averaging 7 million viewers, behind NBC’s “Life” with 8.1 million, Fox’s “Secret Millionaire” with 8.1 million and ABC’s “Private Practice” with 7.8 million, according to Nielsen Media Research The audience for the nominations special was also less than… Read more »
