Singers Sing

Weary Kind Wins Best Original Song

Mon, 8 Mar 2010 13:00:00 EST

T-Bone Burnett and Ryan Bingham accepted the Oscar for "The Weary Kind" from Crazy Heart at the 82nd Academy Awards. Jeff Bridges also won Best Actor for his role in the film. You can find ongoing coverage of the Oscars, including fashion coverage, here on ShoppingBlog.com's Oscars' section.

Photos: Erik Ovanespour/ (C) A.M.P.A.S.

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Pixie Lott Performs Mamma Do Live

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 15:00:00 EST

Pixie Lott performed her song "Mamma Do" live at the 2010 Brit Awards. Pixie Lott was nominated this year about she wasn't one of this year's winners. Take a look:

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Paul McCartney Presents Golden Globe Award

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 08:00:00 EST

Paul McCartney presents an award at the 67th Annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton. Paul McCartney made a funny comment in his speech that he is known to the younger generation now as the guy from Rock Band.

Photo: Hollywood Foreign Press Assocation

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The Weary Kind Wins Best Original Song at Golden Globes

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 18:00:00 EST

The Best Original Song winner at the Golden Globes was the "The Weary Kind (Theme From Crazy Heart)" for Crazy Heart. The music was by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett (pictured) and written by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett. T Bone Burnett accepted the award. Here is a video of singer Ryan Bingham performing the song.

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Singer Teddy Pendergrass Dead at Age 59

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 15:00:00 EST

Philadelphia soul singer Teddy Pendergrass has died at age 59 following a bout with colon cancer. The R&B singer continued to inspire people and record hit music even following a car accident that left him paralyzed in 1982. You can read obits here, here, here and here. The singer's website is teddypendergrass.com.

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Julian Lennon Sings Lucy

Sun, 20 Dec 2009 18:00:00 EST

Julian Lennon sings "Lucy" on the Early Show. The song is also the title track from Julian Lennon's new album, Lucy. The song is about Julian's childhood friend. CBS says the song also inspired the Beatles' hit song, Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds. Take a look:

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Yusuf Islam Talks Touring Again

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST

Yusuf Islam, the artist also known as Cat Stevens, talks to CNN about how it feels to be back on tour again. Yusuf says he is introducing a musical in the middle of his concerts. Yusuf says a lot of his songs are about finding that undefined, intangible that can only be found in the inner world. Take a look:

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Taylor Swift Sings Tim McGraw Live

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 21:00:00 EST

Taylor Swift performs "Tim McGraw" live for Billboard Magazine in this video. Taylor says the song is not really about Tim McGraw and she's "not a stalker." She says, "It's really about two people who fall in love and their song is a Tim McGraw song." Take a look:

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Justin Bieber Sings One Time Live

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 21:00:00 EST

Rising teen star Justin Bieber sings "One Time" for Billboard magazine. Justin Bieber's debut album My World which will be released on November 17, 2009 Take a look:

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Tori Amos Writes Songs in the Shower

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 15:00:00 EST

Tori Amos tells People she writes songs on anything she can get her hands on. She also admits to writing in the shower. She says if the glass is right you can notate the music on the glass. Take a look:

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Brian Littrell Posts Swine Flu Message on YouTube

Mon, 5 Oct 2009 15:00:00 EST

Brian Littrell posted a YouTube message apologizing for missing the NYC Pinktober Hard Rock Cafe singing with fans. He has been diagnosed with the swine flu. He says the rest of Backstreet Boys are taking Tamiful in the hopes it will help keep them from getting sick.

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Miley Cyrus Talks Wonder World Tour

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 18:00:00 EST

Miley Cyrus recently started her Wonder World Contert Tour. The tour debuted in Portland with Miley constantly changing outfits and styles. Miley Cyrus says her latest album is a transitioning album and it's leading to her being able to do the music she really loves. Miely says her Dad always says, "If you ain't having fun it ain't working." Take a look:

Photo Source: MileyCyrus.com

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Brooke Hogan Signs Falling

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 15:00:00 EST

Pop singer, reality TV star and Hulk Hogan's daughter Brooke Hogan sings "Fallen" with Stack$ in the Second Cup Cafe. "Falling" is the first song off Brooke Hogan's second album, Falling. Take a look:

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Katharine McPhee Returns With New Single and Album

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 18:00:00 EST

Katharine McPhee is back and she's blonde. Katharine McPhee's new album, Unbroken, will hit stores in October. Kat McPhee announced on August 21st on her website that she had finished the album.

Hey Everyone -
I have some great news to share with you. My album, Unbroken, is finished! I played it for my record label and they love it! Even better news is that they are going to release it a week earlier so it will now be available on October 6th.
I'm so proud of this album and can't wait for you to hear it!
Love,
Kat

You can currently hear "Had it All" - the first single from the new album - on Katharine McPhee's MySpace. Here's a behind-the-scenes video that shows Kat recording "Had it All" in the studio.

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Diane Birch Sings Nothing But a Miracle Live

Sun, 23 Aug 2009 14:00:00 EST

Diane Birch visit the Second Cup Cafe and performed "Nothing But a Miracle." Diane's debut, Bible Belt, has been well received by critics. Take a look:

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Perez Hilton Signs Sliimy to Music Label

Sun, 26 Jul 2009 18:00:00 EST

Perez Hilton has signed a French artist named Sliimy to his new music label, Perezcious Music. Hopefully, Sliimy has better songs than this song called "Trust Me." Another Sliimy music video can be found here.

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Usher Performs at Michael Jackson Memorial Service

Tue, 7 Jul 2009 15:00:00 EST

Here's Usher's performance at the Michael Jackson Memorial Service. You can also see clips of performances by Mariah Carey and Jermaine Jackson. Michael Jackson's daughter Paris also gave an emotional farewell.

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Earth, Wind and Fire: Sing a Song

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 15:00:00 EST

Earth, Wind & Fire performed their classic hit, "Sing A Song" as part of The Early Show summer concert series. Take a look:

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Ziggy Marley Releases Children's Album

Tue, 2 Jun 2009 16:00:00 EST

Ziggy Marley released a children's cd called Family Time because he wants to be able to reach the future leaders of the world. Ziggy says kids are sponges ready to absorb new ideas. Take a look:

There's an text version of the interview with Ziggy Marley here.

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Jewel Talks Lullaby

Sun, 31 May 2009 15:00:00 EST

Three time Grammy nominee Jewel talks about her new album, Lullaby. The 15-track album features 10 songs that Jewel wrote as well as a few standards including "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" and "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." Jewel said when she wrote the album she hoped her future kids would listen to it. She said the album is mostly acoustic and more like her debut album, Pieces of You.

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Anoop Desai Talks About His Future

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 18:00:00 EST

American Idol's Anoop Desai talks about the artists he wants to team up with artists like Ne-Yo. He doesn't plan on going back to grad school. He also talks about what he said to Allison before being voted off which was basically "whatever happens, happens."

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Styx, REO Speedwagon Perform New Song

Mon, 27 Apr 2009 15:00:00 EST

Styx's Tommy Shaw and REO Speedwagon's Kevin Cronin performed their new song, "Keep On Rockin'." on the CBS Early Show. The two bands will tour together this summer.

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Prince Plans Three Concerts in One Day

Sat, 21 Mar 2009 15:00:00 EST

Billboard reports that Prince is planning three back-to-back concerts at three separate venues in Los Angeles on March 28th to promote the three albums he plans to release. Billboard also says that Prince is releasing a $77 subscription service for the lotusflow3r.com website.

Prince is hoping the live appearances will help build anticipation for the March 29 release of his two new albums, "LOtUSFLOW3R" and "MPLSoUND." Both CDs, along with a third by new artist Bria Valente, will be available as a three disc set exclusively through Target for a price of $11.98.

Prince is also launching a fan subscription service called Lotusflow3r.com. For $77 a year, subscribers will get an as yet not fully outlined set of content that will include exclusive music, video, lyrics, artwork and photos.

On March 28, Prince is scheduled to perform three full-length concerts at Los Angeles' $2.5 billion L.A. Live sports and entertainment project, which is owned and being developed by AEG. Doors for the first show at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live will open at 5:30 p.m.; doors at the Conga Room open at 8 p.m.; and doors at Club Nokia will open at 11:30 p.m.

Prince has also teamed up with Target for the release of his three albums. One of the albums is by Prince's protege, singer Bria Valente.

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Taylor Swift: On the Road

Sat, 28 Feb 2009 21:00:00 EST

Taylor Swift posted this video about her life on the road. She has some great footage from Saturday Night Live and celebrating New Year's Eve in New York. There's also a footage of her on the set of CSI.

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Jonas Brothers Talks Upcoming Movie

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 18:00:00 EST

The Jonas Brothers talk about their upcoming movie, Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience. The film promises and inside look at some of the band's live performances. The Jonas Brother says the film shows what the live stage performances are like from their pespective.

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Girls Aloud Win at Brit Awards

Fri, 20 Feb 2009 19:05:00 EST

Girls Aloud won the Best British Single award at the 2009 Brit Awards for their song "The Promise." You can see a music video for "The Promise" here. It is a great song and a fun music video too. You can see a list of the winners here. Katy Perry also won an award and showed up in a Hello Kitty outfit - see here.

Here's an interview with Girls Aloud by t5m.

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Joanna Pacitti Sent Declared Ineligible For American Idol

Thu, 12 Feb 2009 18:00:00 EST

People reports that contestant Joanna Pacitti has been replaced by Felicia Barton. Joanna was deemed ineligible to continue in the competition by Fox.

On Wednesday's episode of American Idol, Paula Abdul - and the rest of the judges - told tearful contestant Joanna Pacitti (pictured left) that she deserved another chance at stardom, sending her to the next round of the competition. But by Thursday morning, Joanna had been disqualified and replaced by Felicia Barton.

"It has been determined that Joanna Pacitti is ineligible to continue in the competition," FOX said in a statement released Wednesday night. "American Idol contestant Felicia Barton has replaced Ms. Pacitti as part of the Top 36."

Joanna had previous record deals which disqualified her. The intent of American Idol is to find previously undiscovered talent. (via Newser)

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Garth Brooks Sings at We Are One Concert

Sun, 18 Jan 2009 15:00:00 EST

Garth Brooks was one of the many performers at the We are One Inaugural celebration in Washington D.C. Mary J. Blige was also performing (see photo here as well as Bono, Bruce Springsteen and Sheryl Crow. The event has been streaming live on HBO here.

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Neil Young on YouTube

Fri, 16 Jan 2009 15:00:00 EST

Here's a sneak preview from Neil Young's upcoming album. It's called a Fork In The Road.

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American Idol Bikini Girl Creates Stir

Thu, 15 Jan 2009 08:00:00 EST

American Idol contestant Katrina Darrell, 20, created a stir when she tried out for the show in her teeny bikini. She's become known as Bikini Girl. US says new judge Kara DioGuardi didn't like bikini girl's performance.

After her rendition of Mariah Carey's "Vision of Love," judges Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson sent her through - but DioGuardi didn't think she had "swing."

So DioGuardi re-sang the song for Darrell, telling her how she should have done it. Darrell then snapped, "your demonstration wasn't any better."

"We just know you as top and bottom," DioGuardi cracked after Darrell was eventually sent through. "Next time, come naked!"

The show could use a boost - it's ratings have fallen 15% this year. Although it still has 30 million viewers so maybe Fox isn't worried.

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Sing Along With Katy Perry at Grammys

Thu, 8 Jan 2009 19:25:00 EST

Katy Perry wants you to sing along with her at the Grammys. You can upload your own video or just laugh at a lot of other people's videos here. Selected videos will be seen at the Grammys and the winning video will get $5,000.

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Book Deal For Leona Lewis

Mon, 5 Jan 2009 15:00:00 EST

Reuters reports that Leona Lewis has signed a deal with publishing house Hodder & Stoughton to write her autobiography. She seems very young to have an autiobiography but these kinds of books do sell well. The book will be out an October - just ahead of her second album - and contain lots of pictures.

The book, which will include more than 100 new photographs, will hit the shelves in October, shortly before the scheduled release of Lewis' second album, the publisher said on Monday.

"The last two years have been an unbelievable experience for me," said the 23-year-old Londoner, who debuted at No.1 in the key U.S. album chart last year, the first British woman to achieve the feat.

"Spirit" has sold an estimated five million copies around the world since its release in 2007.

Hodder & Stoughton, which did not disclose the financial details of the deal, said photographs for the autobiography would be taken by Dean Freeman, who also worked on the publisher's collaboration with soccer star David Beckham.

Leona Lewis is also one of the names that popped when a musical based on Mariah Carey's life was reported earlier this week.

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DJ Earworm - United State of Pop 2008

Wed, 31 Dec 2008 21:00:00 EST

This mashup from DJ Earworm contains the 25 top hits of 2008 (according to Billboard) all in one five minute video. It's surprisingly not incredibly awful to listen to. (via Lifehacker)

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Beyonce Gets a Fan Book Gift

Sat, 27 Dec 2008 18:00:00 EST

Beyonce received a fan book as a gift from the Beyonce Fan Club. She posted the following video of her exploring the new fan book on YouTube. Beyonce's been everywhere lately. Her Sasha Fierce character is unusual but her recent videos - including Single Ladies and Halo - are very likeable and should allow her to not only keep her current fans but also add new ones.

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Keyshia Cole Releases New Album

Sat, 20 Dec 2008 18:00:00 EST

R&B singer Keyshia Cole has a new album out called A Different Me. Cole says she's tired of singing those "same sad love songs." Keyshia says it is easier for her to write songs about things she has experienced.

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Billboard Names Chris Brown Artist of the Year for 2008

Sun, 14 Dec 2008 18:00:00 EST

Chris Brown has been named Artist of the Year by Billboard magazine. Rihanna - who is dating Chris Brown - was named Best Female Artist. Leona Lewis was named Best New Artist. Alicia Keys had the Top Hip-Hop Album. Flo Rida's "Low" was the Song of the Year, Bon Jovi had the highest grossing tour and Taylor Swift was named Topped Country Artist. Billboard's Year in Music feature for 2008 can be found here.

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Brandy, Common Have New Releases

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 18:00:00 EST

We all know about Britney's big Circus release that has already hit #1 but she's not the only artist making a comeback. Brandy is another artist back with a new album after four years. Her new album is called Human. Rapper Common also has a new album. Common has also been busy designing shirts for Microsoft.

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Coldplay and Leona Lewis Lead iTunes Sales

Sat, 6 Dec 2008 16:00:00 EST

Coldplay's Viva la Vida was the #1 bestselling album on iTunes this year. Jack Johnson's Sleep Through the Static was No. 2 followed by the Juno soundtrack, Lil Wayne's Tha Carter III and Sara Bareilles' Little Voice.

In singles it was Leona Lewis in the lead with "Bleeding Love." Following Lewis were Coldplay's "Viva la Vida" song, "Low" by Flo Rida, "I Kissed a Girl" by Kate Perry and "Disturbia" from Rihanna.

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Tori Amos Cuts Deal With Universal For 10th Album

Wed, 3 Dec 2008 21:00:00 EST

Reuters reports that Tori Amos has cut a deal with Universal Republic for a late spring/early summer 2009 release for her 10th album. Amos has been with Atlantic and Epic in the past.

Reuters says Amos is also writing a musical called The Light Princess for the British National Theater. She also released a graphic novel called Comic Book Tattoo earlier this year. Tori Amos currently has art from the comic book on her website.

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Julia Nunes: Maybe I Will

Sun, 23 Nov 2008 18:00:00 EST

Julia Nunes performed her song "Maybe I Will" at YouTube Live. Julia was backed by the YouTube Ukulele Orchestra which consisted of other Ukulele players on YouTube. It was good to see some instruments you don't hear everyday at a big event like YouTube Live. Julia Nunes YouTube channel can be found here.

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The Killers Just Wanna Have Fun

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 21:00:00 EST

Here;s Brandon Flowers and the rest of the Killers covering Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun." The clip is from a recnet UK performance. They do a pretty good cover of Lauper's hit. (via Perez Hilton)

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Depeche Mode: In The Studio

Mon, 3 Nov 2008 21:00:00 EST

Depeche Mode recently uploaded a very brief video of them working in the studio with producer Ben Hillier. They will be released their 12th album in 2009. They have a YouTube channel now here. The channel includes a five-part set of clips from their Tour Of The Universe press conference.

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Jessica Simpson Says She's A Country Girl at Heart

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 21:00:00 EST

Jessica Simpson seems to have found her musical niche and it's country. Jessica Simpson says she has always looked up to country stars like Dolly Parton and that country has always been in her heart. Jessica also created boyfriend Tony Romo with helping her through the tough times.

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A Gift of 18,400 Vinyl Records

Tue, 7 Oct 2008 16:00:00 EST

One of the unique items Neiman Marcus is offering as a holiday gift this year is a huge collection of 45 RPM vinyl records. It is a collection of 18,400 vinyls of hit records dating from Jan. 1. 1955 to Dec. 31, 1990. The price tag is $275,000.

In this age of soulless digital downloads and MP3 mumbo-jumbo, we gleefully turn to that treasured icon of our American pop culture childhood: the 45 RPM vinyl single. We present our exclusive, definitive collection which contains each and every 45 RPM vinyl record that was listed on the Billboard Top 100 Rock and Pop charts from Jan. 1, 1955, through Dec. 31, 1990. Absolutely every disc for 35 years, every No. 100 up to every No. 1. There are some 18,400 records total. There are literally hundreds of extremely collectible 45s - Elvis, Joplin, Hendrix, you name it.

Some might prefer to turn a collection of old vinyls into a artistic wave but I don't think anyone would do that with these 18,000 hit records. ShoppingBlog.com has more about the luxury gifts this year's Christmas Book from Neiman Marcus.

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Alanis Sings Not As We

Sat, 4 Oct 2008 19:00:00 EST

Singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette dropped by "The Early Show" and performed her latest single, "Not As We." The song is the first release from Morissette's first studio album in over four years called Flavors Of Entanglement. Alanis says she writes her thoughts down in journals and she had filled six journals before working on this latest album.

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HSM3: A Night to Remember

Thu, 2 Oct 2008 22:00:00 EST

This is the official clip of "A Night To Remember" from High School Musical 3. The Disney musical has the same stars from HSM and HSM2 and will hit theaters on October 24th. Disney's website for the films can be found here.

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Taylor Swift and Chris DeWolfe on MySpace

Sun, 28 Sep 2008 18:00:00 EST

Ann Curry from the Today show talks to country music star Taylor Swift and MySpace founder Chris DeWolfe about upcoming MySpace music website. Taylor Swift has nearly 1 million friends (fans) on her MySpace page. Taylor Swift's second album Fearless drops on November 11th.

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Lars Ulrich of Metallica Thanks YouTube Fans

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 17:00:00 EST

Lars Ulrich welcomes peeps to Meticalla's YouTube Channel in the video below. He also said some YouTube users look great playing Metallica songs. Metallica's new album "Death Magnetic" was released on September 12th, 2008. Lars says he is "mighty, mighty proud" of what YouTube users have been doing. Lars even goes on to name drop a few Youtuers.

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Hello Provides Intimate Look at R.E.M.

Tue, 9 Sep 2008 15:40:00 EST

There is a new in-depth book out about R.E.M. called Hello that offers an intimate and revealling look at what life is like for the band and what it is like on tour and at concerts. Here's a description of the book:

R.E.M. has risen from cult college radio status to sell more than 100 million records worldwide and be inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Released in July to coincide with their world tour and new album, the photo book captures the band both on- and offstage with rare and intimate access for the first time. David Belisle has photographed and traveled with R.E.M. for the past seven years; his dynamic images and insider's perspective capture the band's performances, recording and video sessions, but also reveal its members in personal spaces that only the band and their closest friends inhabit. Handwritten captions by the band and an introduction by Michael Stipe add context and insight to a must-have document for fans.

The AP video below shows Michael Stipe and photographer David Belisle signing copies of their new book, Hello, at a London bookstore. The book contains photographs and interviews of R.E.M on tour and in concert.

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2008 VMA Winners

Mon, 8 Sep 2008 15:00:00 EST

Here are the winners of the 2008 VMAs with links to the videos on YouTube. You can see some videos from the VMAs here on MTV's website.

Video of the year: Britney Spears, "Piece of Me"

Female video: Britney Spears, "Piece of Me"

Male video: Chris Brown, "With You"

Dancing in a video: The Pussycat Dolls, "When I Grow Up"

Hip-hop video: Lil Wayne, "Lollipop"

Rock video: Linkin Park, "Shadow of the Day"

Pop video: Britney Spears, "Piece of Me"

New artist: Tokio Hotel

Best Art Direction: Gnarls Barkley "Run" - Art Direction by Happy & Kells Jesse

Best Choreography: Gnarls Barkley "Run" - Choreography by Mikey Rooney

Best Cinematography: The White Stripes "Conquest" - Cinematography by Wyatt Troll

Best Direction: Erykah Badu "Honey" - Directed by Erykah Badu & Mr. Roboto

Best Editing: Death Cab For Cutie "I Will Possess Your Heart" - Edited by Jeff Buchanan

Best Special Effects: Kanye West f/ T-Pain "Good Life" - Special Effects by SoMe, Jonas & Francois

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Making of I Kissed a Girl

Fri, 5 Sep 2008 18:00:00 EST

Here's the making of Kate Perry's very popular "I Kissed a Girl" video. Kate has her own YouTube channel now - it's here.

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Joss Stone to Write Obama Song

Tue, 2 Sep 2008 16:00:00 EST

The Sun reports that Barack Obama has asked Joss Stone to write a theme song for his campaign.

Democrat candidate Mr Obama approached her personally because he was impressed by her appeal to both black and white voters in America.

A source said: "Joss is a big supporter of Barack Obama and was very excited to be asked to do this for him.

"He sent a personal message asking her to get on board.

"He has always admired her music and thinks she is the perfect choice because of her unique appeal to black and white voters.

"She believes he is going to be the first black American president and she is honoured to be a part of that."

Joss is a household name in the US, where she spends up to nine months a year.

Vibe confirms the story in The Sun. Alicia Keys and Jay-Z have also written songs for Obama reports The Sun. Ludacris wrote a rap for Senator Obama but Barack Obama denounced it. Will.i.am also made a couple songs including "We Are the Ones" supporting Obama during the primaries.

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Jonas Brothers Talk Burning Up

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 18:00:00 EST

The Jonas Brothers - a band made up of three New Jersey brothers Kevin Jonas, Joe Jonas and Nick Jonas - are now huge. They have the #1 iTunes song and they recently took over TRL. In this AP video they talk about their new song "Burning Up" and how they long to get back in the recording studio after being on tour. They also talk about their recent diabetes charity efforts - Nick Jonas has diabetes. The Jonas Brothers also say they love golf, movies and hanging out with friends and family.

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Isaac Hayes Dies at Age 65

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 19:50:00 EST

Isaac Hayes played Chef on South Park and wrote the amazing Shaft theme (see below) but these were just a couple of his many accomplishments. Hayes was also an accomplished singer/songwriter and acted in over 30 films. Here are some of his accomplishments as described in a statement from Stax Records and Concord Music Group.

To the world he was Black Moses, Ike The Ripper and, later, Chef from TV's South Park. To the rest of us who had the extraordinary opportunity to work with him in recent years, he was just Isaac. He was humble, unpretentious and refreshingly down-to-earth. Not bad for a man who delivered a record-setting seven #1 albums to the Billboard R&B chart, scored numerous awards (including multiple Grammys and 2 Academy Awards), appeared in over three dozen films and was named a Royal King of Ghana along the way.

In the '60s, the Covington, Tenn. native helped define the Stax Records sound, co-writing with David Porter such hits as "Soul Man," "Hold On (I'm Coming)," "B-A-B-Y," and "When Something's Wrong With My Baby" for Sam & Dave, Carla Thomas and Johnnie Taylor, among others.

He took soul music in a new direction with his 1969 album Hot Buttered Soul, which featured expansive re-interpretations of Jimmy Webb's "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" and Bacharach and David's "Walk On By." The music's impact was matched only by the visual impact of the record's cover, which featured Hayes' signature bald head, gold chains and bare chest.

Two years later, his "Theme From Shaft" exploded on the pop and R&B charts, putting him on the map as an artist and icon. The rat-a-tat of that lone high-hat, that cultural-shifting kick of the wah-wah pedal -- no other piece of music signaled the true end of the '60s, ushering in the gritty 1970s than Isaac Hayes' theme from Shaft. The song won him not only a Grammy but two Oscars, for "Best Song" and "Best Score" in 1972. That same year he won a Grammy for his double album Black Moses. The hits continued for Hayes throughout the '70s.

In later years, Hayes' career took some other directions. He became the voice of Nickelodeon's Nick at Nite and later the voice of Chef in the animated series South Park. He had a role in the upcoming movie Soul Men with stars Samuel L. Jackson and Bernie Mac (who also died this past weekend).

In 2007, Hayes participated in the Stax Records 50th Anniversary celebration shows in Memphis, Austin and Los Angeles. Despite health problems that slowed him down in recent years, he continued to tour the world. He had proudly returned to Stax Records, both as an artist and as an advisor in planning the reactivation of the imprint in 2007 by Concord Music Group. Isaac was also in the process of recording a new album for Stax.

To borrow a phrase from the man himself, he was "one bad mutha." And through the music he so generously left behind, the world will be talking about him and more importantly listening for lifetimes to come.

His official website can be found here. Here are some other obits and remembrances: FT.com, chicagotribune.com, Washington Post, BBC, Chron.com, Entertainment Weekly, WSJ, L.A. Times, MTV, Time, Detroit News and E! Online.

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Duffy Performs Mercy Live For CBS

Sun, 10 Aug 2008 15:00:00 EST

24-year-old singer/songwriter Duffy performed her hit song "Mercy" for CBS News. Here it is. She sounds great.

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The Making of House of Cards

Fri, 8 Aug 2008 16:00:00 EST

Here's a video that shows how Radiohead's unique music video for the "House of Cards" song was made. No cameras were lights were used in the music video that was basically made from data collected with various 3D plotting technologies.

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Olivia Newton-John's New Album Helps Fight Cancer

Thu, 7 Aug 2008 20:08:00 EST

Olivia Newton-John has new collaborative benefit album, Olivia Newton-John & Friends: A Celebration In Song that will debut on September 2nd. The newly-recorded CD and digital collection features 12 songs, pairing Newton-John with several of her musical friends, including Sir Cliff Richard, Keith Urban, Barry Gibb, John Farrar, Melinda Schneider, Delta Goodrem, Sun, Jann Arden, Amy Sky, RyanDan and Richard Marx.

"I'm so delighted to bring you these songs with the help of a group of talented friends -- some old and some new -- who have donated their gifts and their time for this new collaboration," says Olivia Newton-John.

Olivia Newton-John & Friends: A Celebration in Song is a meaningful project for the worldwide star of stage and screen, whose personal experience with cancer 16 years ago led her to partner with Melbourne's Austin Hospital in 2003. Royalties from the album will be donated to Newton-John's organization, The Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Centre. Olivia Newton-John recently completed 'The Great Walk to Beijing 2008: a million steps in the fight against cancer,' a six-part trek along the Great Wall of China.

"I walk for the friends I have lost and for the many others who are engaged in their wellness journeys," said Newton-John. "As we walk this historical metaphor of strength and endurance, each step that my team and I take will bring us closer to a realization for our cancer and wellness centre and a healthier world."

The album can purchase on Amazon.com and other retailers. Olivia's website can be found here.

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Miley Cyrus Does Live Interview at Wal-Mart

Wed, 6 Aug 2008 15:00:00 EST

Miley Cyrus and Wal-Mart have set up a special Soundchcek feature that has Miley Cyrus answering questions from fans. You can see the interview here. Soundcheck is filmed inside Wal-Mart stores. It's definitely a cross-promotional deal - you've probably seen the back-to-school ads with Miley and Wal-Mart. Miley talks to a dedicated audience of young girls about her fame, embarrassing moments, musician's she's fans of and the best advice she's every gotten. Her advice to other kids that want to follow in Miley's footsteps: "Just Go For It." She also suggests having a supportive small group of friends. Here's a short video promo.

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Cyndi Lauper Returns With New Material

Tue, 5 Aug 2008 21:00:00 EST

Cyndi Lauper is back with a new album. She talks in this video clip with with AP Entertainment in London to talk about her latest album Bring you to the Brink which was recently released. Bring You to the Brink is Cyndi's first album of new material in 12 years. She will be going on tour in England in October.

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Jewel Yodels

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 15:00:00 EST

Pop star turned Country star Jewel takes you around the world with yodels. She's very good at yodeling.

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Miley Cyrus Album to Debut at #1 on Billboard

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 18:00:00 EST

Billboard reports that Miley's new album Breakout will debut at #1 on the Billboart charts.

Miley Cyrus lands her second No. 1 album on The Billboard 200 as "Breakout" (Hollywood) bows with 371,000 U.S. copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan. That's the second-biggest sales week of the year for a female artist, following the 463,000 debut of Mariah Carey's "E=MC2" (Island).

Cyrus' last album, the half soundtrack, half studio set "Hannah Montana 2/Meet Miley Cyrus" (Hollywood/Walt Disney), started at No. 1 last summer with 326,000.

The first "Hannah Montana" soundtrack, which launched her recording career, also bowed at No. 1 in 2006, with first-week sales of 281,000. It went on to be the best seller of that year's fourth quarter with less than three months of shelf life.

Debuting in the runner-up slot on The Billboard 200 is country duo Sugarland with the deluxe version of "Love on the Inside" (314,000). It's easily the Mercury Nashville act's best sales week and highest charting album ever. The band's previous high came with 2006's "Enjoy the Ride," which debuted and peaked at No. 4 with 211,000.

As her solo career takes off Miley is overshadowing the rockstar alter-ego she plays on the popular Disney tv show. ShoppingBlog.com reports that Miley Cyrus could be about ready to move on from the show although Disney says Miley will film a fourth season of Hannah Montana. They are starting filming on the third season now.

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Sara Evans Sings Libby's Jingle

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 15:00:00 EST

Sara Evans and Libby's have teamed up in a remake of the Libby's ad jingle. You can listen to it at GetBacktotheTable.com.

Growing up on a farm in Missouri, family dinners were an important part of Sara's childhood. Today, as a busy mom, she makes it a personal goal to sit down with her family at least three times a week. That's why it was a natural fit for Sara to remake Libby's iconic jingle - it emphasizes the importance and simple joy of family time. The jingle launches on radio stations nationwide on September 1, but you can hear it here first, as well as a bonus version, by clicking on the icon to the right.

Also launching on September 1 is your chance to win dinner backstage with Sara Evans and tickets to her concert. Check back here for details in the coming weeks

You have to admit it's a pretty catchy tune with Sara Evans singing it.

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Bon Jovi Cover Makes Duffy Feel She's Arrived

Sat, 26 Jul 2008 21:00:00 EST

Fametastic reports that Duffy feels she's "really here now" now that Bon Jovi has covered her #1 hit song Mercy.

Duffy's hit "Mercy" might have reached number 1 in 15 countries around the world and hit the top 10 in another 17, but she's revealed that it was only when Bon Jovi covered it during their recent tour that she realised she was famous.

She told Spin magazine recently: "It's a strange feeling when a person at that level is playing a song I wrote.

"It's like, 'Oh my gosh, I'm really here now. [Jon] Bon Jovi knows that I exist."

"A girl from Wales - that's all I am, really."

It's good to hear that Duffy is still so modest. The music industry is a tough business and even though it seems clear Duffy has the stuff you don't want to get too far ahead of yourself. Maybe years from now Duffy will write a song about how she's still just a girl from Wales.

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Kate Perry Wants to Kiss Miley Cyrus

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 18:00:00 EST

US Magazine says Kate Perry is behind "this summer's sexiest song." That US said that is good news for Perry. It's seems to be true with the sexy, alternative music video accumulating large views on the top video sharing sites. You can see the music video for "I Kissed a Girl" here. US also found out who it is that Kate Perry wants to kiss - it's Miley Cyrus.

So who's her dream same sex smooch?

"Miley Cyrus!" she says in the latest issue of Steppin' Out magazine. "She's the lucky girl. It's cool to hear through the grapevine that Miley Cyrus has my song as her ring tone."

Perry, 23, will attend August's Teen Choice Awards, which Cyrus, 15, is hosting.

"Maybe we'll have another Britney-Madonna moment on stage," Perry joked. "How hilarious would that be? Although I don't think it would help her career. However, it would definitely help mine!"

Perry's too old for Miley we think - maybe she should name someone else. She has mentioned Scarlett Johansson in the past. Yes, she is much more Kate's age. Kate Perry should have stuck with Scarlett.

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Duffy Says Singing Mercy is Like Having Sex

Sat, 12 Jul 2008 18:00:00 EST

In this AP video Welsh recording artist Duffy describes how she feels when she sings her song "Mercy." Duffy says she feels like she is having sex every time she sings "Mercy." Duffy's song has received some great reviews from bloggers. We expect to see much more from her.
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Trisha Yearwood on the Early Show

Sat, 5 Jul 2008 21:00:00 EST

Country superstar Trisha Yearwood stopped by the Early Show to sing her hit, "She's In Love With The Boy." Here's the video.

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Miley Cyrus: 7 Things Video

Sun, 29 Jun 2008 21:00:00 EST

Here's the new music video from Miley Cyrus for her song "7 Things." 7 Things is featured on Miley's new album Breakout available in stores and on iTunes July 22, 2008.

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The Trons: Self-playing Robot Band

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 18:00:00 EST

Here's a self-playing robot band called The Trons practicing "Sister Robot."

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Elton John Keeps Playing The Red Piano

Sun, 22 Jun 2008 18:00:00 EST

Elton John performed his 200th performance of "The Red Piano" on June 21st at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas. Critics have praised the "The Red Piano" since it debuted at the Colosseum in February of 2004. The L.A. Times called it "A triumphant step forward" and USA Today calls Elton's show, "Eye-popping, jaw-dropping...Elton John is Still Standing as one of pop's indestructible talents."

"People from virtually every major country have traveled to Caesars to see Elton John's 'The Red Piano,' and long after the standing ovations have ended, they leave us with treasured memories of one of the great performer/songwriters of this or any era," said Gary Selesner, president of the famed resort. "We are deeply grateful to Elton and his talented band for giving so much joy to hundreds of thousands of Caesars Palace guests."

Elton John's "The Red Piano" will return to Caesars Palace for additional engagements, starting on July 23rd and then again beginning Oct. 22nd of this year. Elton John is also taking his red piano to Europe starting this November.

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