Search Results for: a day to remember

It was only fitting that James Brown’s funeral turned into a concert Saturday afternoon (December 30) as he was laid to rest in his hometown of Augusta, Georgia. More than 8,000 people – Brown’s family, friends and fans – watched from the floor of James Brown Arena as the singer’s celebrity friends including Michael Jackson, MC Hammer and Bootsy Collins gave tribute onstage at the public “homegoing” service for the singer, who died of congestive heart failure early Monday morning . Although Reverend Al Sharpton – who said the iconic musician was like a father to him – gave a… Read more »

When Ronald Simmons first heard James Brown’s hit “Cold Sweat,” he was blown away, especially by Brown’s command, “Give the drummer some!” “When I was a kid I would go crazy when I heard that!” said Simmons, 53. “It did something to me: I’ve been drumming for the last 35 years.” Simmons was among thousands of fans waiting Thursday outside the Apollo Theater to pay their respects to Brown, who died on Christmas Day at age 73. As they stood in the cold, many spoke passionately about Brown’s impact on their lives. “He is our royalty, our music royalty,” said… Read more »

One sunny afternoon not long ago, Dick Copaken sat in a booth at Daniel, one of those hushed, exclusive restaurants on Manhattan’s Upper East Side where the waiters glide spectrally fro table to table. He was wearing a starched button-down shirt and a blue blazer. Every strand of his thinning hair was in place, and he spoke calmly and slowly, his large pink Charlie Brow head bobbing along evenly as he did. Copaken spent many years as a partner at the white-shoe Washington, D.C., firm Covington & Burling, and he has a lawyer’s gravitas. One of his bes friends calls… Read more »

If there’s a self-fulfilling prophecy in the musical landscape of the year, it’s the way the Virgin debut band THE SUMMER OBSESSION is coming into its own, with its crunchy pop-rock combination of guitar, electronics, and faultless songwriting, during the dog days of 2006. The Florida-based quartet — Luke, on keyboards and vocals; Chris, formerly of Good Charlotte, on drums and “shenanigans”; Fin, on guitar and vocals; and Christ, on bass, with Josh Abraham (Velvet Revolver, P!nk) producing and Ryan Williams engineering (OutKast, Rage Against the Machine) — will release the album “THIS IS WHERE YOU BELONG” on Virgin Records… Read more »

New York power-pop combo Fountains of Wayne will give fans a musical travelogue of their near-decade together with the release of Out-of-State Plates. Due on June 28, the double-disc set contains a whopping 26 non-album tracks recorded at various stages during the band’s career. Intended to appeal to both die-hard fans and newbies snared by the hit “Stacy’s Mom,” the set is a motherlode of rarities and unreleased tracks; there are also five covers and two brand-new songs. The title might seem to continue the automotive theme that the band used on its last two albums, 1999’s Utopia Parkway and… Read more »

New York – Few musicians can boast the level of success that Billy Idol attained in the ’80s and early ’90s. Unfortunately, the “live hard and die young” punk rock ethos doesn’t come with a middle-age survival guide. “When you’re young you never think you’ll be a 50-year-old rocking out with the young bands,” Idol told The Associated Press. That’s exactly what Idol, 49, hopes to be doing next year. The pop-punk patriarch has just released “Devil’s Playground,” his first full-length album since 1993’s unremarkable “Cyberpunk.” With five million-sellers already under his belt, Idol hopes “Playground” will return him to… Read more »

Miami – The glitz and glam of the MTV Video Music Awards are returning to sunny Miami for the second straight year, the network said Tuesday. MTV said it was seeking to repeat the success of last year’s show, which featured arrivals by yacht by stars such as Shaquille O’Neal and Usher, an appearance by the Kerry and Bush sisters and a tribute to Ray Charles. The show is scheduled for Aug. 28, the steamiest time of the year for South Florida. It’s also in the middle of hurricane season. “Miami radiates an energy that was clearly visible in last… Read more »

Despite being a major label band since the get-go (not unlike The Ramones or The Sex Pistols ), Southern California ska freaks Goldfinger really do understand punk rock. Singer/guitarist John Feldmann, drummer Darrin Pfeiffer, bassist Kelly Lemieux and guitarist Brian Arthur have been around the block. And even though their latest album Disconnection Notice takes a decidedly poppier turn this time, they’re sick of being alienated from their colleagues. In fact, that’s part of the reason for the album title. They don’t want to be “disconnected” anymore, hoping that fans will find solace in the band’s understanding of feeling disenfranchised… Read more »

Admit it. You loved the hell out of “The Osbournes” when it first came on. Sure, it’s worn out it’s welcome mat over the years, but Monday marks the final, final, final episode. We called Sharon Osbourne to chat about the end of an era and why the heck Dr. Phil makes a cameo appearance on the finale. Here’s what the tart had to say: Ohmygosh. I can’t believe it’s really going to be over. (Laughs.) Can you believe it? No, can you? Yes, it’s time, you know? Why? You have to end on top. You can’t milk it. The… Read more »

Lil’ Kim, in trouble for a lotta lying, could be heading to the Big House real soon. The pint-size rap diva was convicted Thursday of federal perjury charges for fibbing to a grand jury about a 2001 shootout in front of a Manhattan radio station involving members of her entourage and a rival hip-hop crew. The 29-year-old Kim, referred to by her legal name of Kimberly Jones in court, was rung on counts of conspiracy and perjury for trying to protect her posse, but was acquitted of the most serious charge of obstruction of justice. Her assistant, Monique Dopwell, was… Read more »