Music News Headlines - Yahoo! News

A Minute With: Pitbull on music, Jennifer Lopez and 'Epic'

Wed, 22 May 2013 09:05:40 -0400

By Zorianna Kit LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Rapper Pitbull has taken his blend of American pop music fused with Latin beats from the clubs of Miami to international pop charts, but he now is crossing into film with his first acting role as an animated character in the upcoming movie, "Epic." Pitbull, whose real name is Armando Perez, has become a staple in the pop music field with lively dance-floor tracks including recent chart hits "Feel This Moment" with Christina Aguilera and "Live it Up" with Jennifer Lopez. ...

China's Ai Weiwei launches musical career with heavy metal "Dumbass" single

Wed, 22 May 2013 01:56:06 -0400

By Maxim Duncan BEIJING (Reuters) - Dissident Chinese artist Ai Weiwei made his first foray into the musical world on Wednesday with the release of the top single from his debut album, a song called "Dumbass" that takes inspiration from his detention in 2011. The video for the heavy metal song, which was directed by Ai with cinematography by acclaimed filmmaker Christopher Doyle, depicts Ai's 81 days in secretive detention in 2011, which sparked an international outcry. "There was one thing I thought was interesting. ...

Singer George Michael under observation for head injuries

Tue, 21 May 2013 09:26:12 -0400

LONDON (Reuters) - British singer George Michael remains in hospital under observation for head injuries, five days after a car accident, his publicist said on Tuesday. "I can confirm that George remains in hospital but purely as a standard precaution for observation because he suffered some bumps and cuts to his head. But he's making good progress, he's fine and he's really looking forward to getting home," the spokeswoman said. ...

Justin Bieber's monkey 'Mally' becomes German state property

Tue, 21 May 2013 09:17:01 -0400

BERLIN (Reuters) - A monkey which belonged to popstar Justin Bieber has become German national property after the singer failed to provide authorities with the documents needed to reclaim the pet seized by customs officials. Bieber had until Friday to hand in the necessary paperwork which included health and species protection certificates after "Mally" his capuchin monkey was confiscated at Munich airport in March while the singer was on tour. ...

Keyboardist Ray Manzarek of The Doors dies at age 74

Mon, 20 May 2013 19:49:01 -0400

By Eric Kelsey LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Ray Manzarek, a founding member and keyboardist of 1960s rock group The Doors, died on Monday at a medical clinic in Germany at age 74 following a battle with cancer, the group's manager Tom Vitorino said. Manzarek, who lived in Northern California's Napa Valley wine country for the past decade, had been seeking treatment in Germany for bile duct cancer, Vitorino said. He died in Rosenheim, Germany, surrounded by his wife and brothers. ...

Kelly Rowland, Paulina Rubio join U.S. 'X Factor' judges panel

Mon, 20 May 2013 22:04:13 -0400

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Pop singer Kelly Rowland and Mexican singer-actress Paulina Rubio have signed onto "The X Factor" judging panel replacing Britney Spears and music mogul L.A. Reid, the Fox television talent competition produced by Simon Cowell said on Monday. Rowland, who rose to fame with R&B group Destiny's Child, and Rubio will be charged with re-igniting the Fox series that failed to stave off falling ratings after giving Spears a reported $15 million salary last year. Rowland, 32, and Rubio, 41, will join Cowell, 53, and pop singer Demi Lovato, 20, on the judging panel. ...

Hungary Wagner festival will not "Ring" in composer's birthday

Wed, 22 May 2013 10:49:54 -0400

By Michael Roddy BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Opera companies throughout the world are staging Richard Wagner's "Ring" cycle this year to fete his 200th birthday on May 22, but Hungarian conductor Adam Fischer is having no part of it during his "Wagner Days" festival in June. Fischer, who launched his festival in 2006 in the Bela Bartok concert hall at the Palace of Arts in Budapest, will have a new "Meistersinger von Nurnberg", rounding out productions of pretty much all the major operas in the Wagner canon. ...

Prince reigns over own music releases in new deal

Mon, 20 May 2013 19:53:11 -0400

LONDON (Reuters) - Singer Prince has signed a new deal with Kobalt Music Group to market and distribute his future work without giving up control over his rights, the company said on Monday. The singer-songwriter, who is famed for changing his name to an unpronounceable symbol in a wrangle over musical rights, will release his own work as well as a slate of new music by other artists that he produces, Kobalt said. ...

Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift big winners at Billboard Awards

Mon, 20 May 2013 00:13:51 -0400

(Reuters) - Pop stars Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift won the big prizes on Sunday at the Billboard Music Awards, which also honored legendary performers Madonna and Prince. Bieber, who was named top male artist, also performed at the show at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. He also took home Billboard's first Milestone Award, chosen by fans, for musical innovation and ingenuity. "I'm 19 years old. I think I'm doing a pretty good job, Bieber said. "It should really be about the music. This is not a gimmick. I'm an artist and I should be taken seriously. ...

Denmark wins Eurovision on ABBA's turf with folksy ballad

Sat, 18 May 2013 21:01:36 -0400

By Mia Shanley MALMO, Sweden (Reuters) - Denmark's Emmelie de Forest won Eurovision on Saturday before an international TV audience of around 125 million, clinching the coveted crown of euro-pop with a folksy ballad backed by a wall of fire, flutes and drums. The barefoot 20-year-old blonde stole the show as predicted by bookmakers with "Only Teardrops" in a final that saw 26 countries battle it out in the southern Swedish city of Malmo for the top prize in glitzy European pop music. ...

Beatles' guitar auctioned to the tune of $408,000

Sat, 18 May 2013 23:33:18 -0400

By Alex Dobuzinskis LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A custom-made electric guitar played by the late John Lennon and George Harrison of the Beatles sold at a New York auction on Saturday for $408,000, said officials with the company behind the event. The semi-hollow-body guitar, manufactured by the VOX company, was sold to an unidentified U.S. buyer at the "Music Icons" event organized by Beverly Hills, California-based Julien's Auctions and held at the Hard Rock Cafe in Manhattan. ...

Vocal acrobatics of "La Donna del Lago" an "Olympic" challenge

Sat, 18 May 2013 11:11:28 -0400

By Josie Cox LONDON (Reuters) - Even with one of the world's most athletic opera singers at her side and plenty of practice, American mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato reckons the latest London production of Gioachino Rossini's "La Donna Del Lago" is the challenge of a lifetime. DiDonato and Peruvian tenor Juan Diego Florez told Reuters at the Royal Opera House production's opening on Friday night that performing their technically demanding roles in the John Fulljames interpretation is almost like an elite sport. ...

U.S. 'Idol' winner shines light on South's Gullah culture

Fri, 17 May 2013 14:23:00 -0400

By Harriet McLeod CHARLESTON, South Carolina (Reuters) - "American Idol" winner Candice Glover, whose powerful voice clinched the title of the popular TV singing show, comes from a sea island culture made up of descendants of West African slaves. "I speak another language," she said during the Fox TV show. "It's called Geechee." Some 14.2 million TV viewers tuned in to watch Glover beat Kree Harrison to win the season 12 "American Idol" crown on Thursday. Glover, 23, is a native of rural St. Helena Island in the coastal South Carolina Lowcountry. ...

Singer George Michael gets medical treatment after car crash

Fri, 17 May 2013 10:52:06 -0400

LONDON (Reuters) - British singer George Michael has received medical treatment after a car crash on Thursday, his publicist said. The 49-year-old former Wham! frontman was being treated for "minor cuts and bruises" after the accident, Michael's spokeswoman said. "George Michael was a passenger in a vehicle involved in a traffic accident yesterday evening, no third party was involved," a spokeswoman said on Friday. "He is being treated for superficial cuts and bruises but is fine." British media reported that the accident occurred just outside London on a motorway during rush hour. ...

Eurovision returns to ABBA's homeland with pop and kitsch

Fri, 17 May 2013 08:47:45 -0400

By Mia Shanley STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Bare-chested Irish drummers, a Ukrainian giant and a much-discussed lesbian kiss will be on display at this Saturday's Eurovision final in Sweden which - love it or hate it - promises plenty of pop, kitsch and barefoot ballads. Some 26 countries will compete for the jewel in the crown of European pop in the homeland of former Swedish supergroup ABBA, one of Eurovision's most successful winners. ...

Singer Kat Edmonson gets creative with financing her music

Fri, 17 May 2013 06:40:12 -0400

By Jeremy Gaunt LONDON (Reuters) - If Kat Edmonson ever becomes a household name, she can put it down not just to her talent as a jazz singer, but to some decidedly modern financing as well. The 29-year-old Texan, an old-school chanteuse with a contemporary lilt, has funded production of her second album via a community workshop and through crowd-sourcing, essentially getting the people who like her to pay for it. The album, "Way Down Low", has now been picked up by Sony which is "launching" the singer outside the United States as an up-and-comer in a more traditional manner. ...

U.S. soul singer Candice Glover wins "American Idol"

Thu, 16 May 2013 23:34:47 -0400

By Patricia Reaney (Reuters) - Candice Glover, a soul singer from rural South Carolina, was named "American Idol" on Thursday, becoming the first female singer to win the television singing competition since 2007. Glover, 23, defeated country singer Kree Harrison in the popular vote with her powerful voice in what judges deemed a close contest to take the title on season 12 of the Fox network show. "You are officially our American idol," host Ryan Seacrest said as the crowd of more than 7,000 at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles cheered. ...

Singer Bob Dylan made honorary member of U.S. arts academy

Thu, 16 May 2013 14:43:17 -0400

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Singer Bob Dylan was made an honorary member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, joining the ranks of leading writers, composers and artists in the prestigious 115-year-old group. Henry Cobb, the president of the academy, said honorary members are people of great distinction in the creative arts. ...

One Direction reveals 'edgy' new album and 2014 world tour

Thu, 16 May 2013 16:25:02 -0400

LONDON (Reuters) - British boy band One Direction, one of the pop industry's biggest acts of the last 18 months, are working on an "edgy" third album and will start a world tour next year. The five singers told a press conference in London that their new album, which the music press speculated would share the same name as their upcoming "Where We Are" 2014 tour, will depart from the teen pop that has had young girls screaming around the world since they first emerged from a talent show. ...

Denmark's folksy ballad wins Eurovision

Sat, 18 May 2013 19:51:03 -0400

By Mia Shanley MALMO, Sweden (Reuters) - Denmark's Emmelie de Forest won Eurovision on Saturday before an international TV audience of around 125 million, securing the coveted crown of euro-pop with a folksy ballad backed by flutes and drums. The barefoot 20-year-old stole the show as predicted by bookmakers with "Only Teardrops" in a final that saw 26 countries battle it out in the southern Swedish city of Malmo for the top prize in glitzy European pop music. "I could feel the fans and all the energy in the arena. ... It's a once in a lifetime experience. ...

Denmark's Emmelie de Forest wins Eurovision Song Contest

Sat, 18 May 2013 18:40:13 -0400

MALMO, Sweden (Reuters) - Denmark won the Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday before an international TV audience of around 125 million, winning with the annual competition with a barefoot performance backed by flutes and drums. The 20-year-old won with the song "Only Teardrops", competing against 25 other countries in a final held in Malmo in southern Sweden. (Reporting by Mia Shanley)

Emeli Sande wins two top UK singer-songwriter awards

Thu, 16 May 2013 16:08:55 -0400

By Paul Casciato LONDON (Reuters) - An invitation from the White House robbed Emeli Sande on Thursday of the chance to celebrate the latest mark of her success in an unstoppable rise to the front ranks of British female singers. The Scottish singer-songwriter's "Next To Me" single won both the best song and most performed work categories at Britain's 58th Ivor Novello awards for songwriting, putting her on a par with some of Britain's biggest music names. ...

Boston Symphony names Latvian conductor to succeed James Levine

Thu, 16 May 2013 15:57:52 -0400

BOSTON (Reuters) - The Boston Symphony Orchestra has hired Latvian conductor Andris Nelsons to succeed James Levine, an iconic American conductor known for his wild hair and dramatic manner, who left in 2011 due to health problems, it said on Thursday. Nelsons will be the leading U.S. symphony's youngest conductor in more than a century when he begins the 2013-14 season as "music director designate." He will assume the full title of music director for the 2014-15 season. ...

The CW inks three-year deal to broadcast Clear Channel's iHeartRadio Music Festival

Thu, 16 May 2013 19:47:49 -0400

By Jehtro Nededog LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - The CW has extended its partnership with Clear Channel Media to broadcast its iHeartRadio Music Festival, as well as associated events, release parties and concert specials for three years. "The CW is synonymous with what's now and what's next, and that includes music," said The CW president Mark Pedowitz in a statement. "We have always been known for using the hottest, most of-the-moment music, both on our shows and in our marketing campaigns. ...

Cee Lo Green, Miley Cyrus, Hayden Panettiere to present at Billboard Music Awards

Wed, 15 May 2013 21:43:41 -0400

By Tim Kenneally LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Past (and future) "Voice" coach Cee Lo Green will be on hand to dole out a trophy at the 2013 Billboard Music Awards, along with a slew of other presenters that includes Celine Dion, Kelly Rowland, Hayden Panettiere, Kid Rock, Chloe Grace Moretz and Miley Cyrus. The presenters will also include Shania Twain, Ke$ha, Carly Rae Jepsen, Alyssa Milano, Jenny McCarthy, Emmy Rossum, Stana Katic, Gabriel Mann, Jennifer Nettles, Psy, Sky Blu, Jennifer Morrison, Florida Georgia Line, Wiz Khalifa and Alanis Morissette. ...

Lady Antebellum trumps 'Gatsby' soundtrack for Billboard No.1

Wed, 15 May 2013 17:42:47 -0400

By Piya Sinha-Roy LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Country group Lady Antebellum scored its third No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 album chart on Wednesday, staving off competition from Jay-Z's soundtrack for "The Great Gatsby" film. "Golden," the fourth studio album from the Nashville trio, sold more than 167,000 copies in its first week, according to figures from Nielsen SoundScan, securing the top position on the weekly Billboard chart, which measures album sales across both digital and physical formats. ...

Why YouTube cover sensation Sam Tsui turned down record labels for his debut album

Wed, 15 May 2013 15:03:30 -0400

By Lucas Shaw NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - Michael Jackson landed Sam Tsui on Oprah, but now Tsui must rely on someone else's music - his own. A 24-year-old Pennsylvania native, Tsui blossomed into one of the most popular cover artists on YouTube while at Yale, covering everyone from Jackson to Britney Spears to Adele. His channel amassed more than 500,000 subscribers with the help of childhood friend and producer Kurt Schneider, who helped deliver Tsui's covers and mash-ups to millions of fans. ...

Music's Dr. Dre, Iovine give $70 million to USC academic program

Wed, 15 May 2013 15:16:10 -0400

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Rapper Dr. Dre and music mogul Jimmy Iovine have donated $70 million to establish an entrepreneurial undergraduate program at the University of Southern California, the Los Angeles school said on Wednesday. The gift will create a new degree pulling faculty members from the university's business, fine arts, music and engineering departments. The Jimmy Iovine and Andre Young Academy for Arts, Technology and the Business of Innovation will begin in the fall of 2014 and enroll a first class of 25 students, USC said. Dr. ...

Country, soul singers battle in all-female 'American Idol' finale

Wed, 15 May 2013 23:08:55 -0400

By Patricia Reaney (Reuters) - Soul singer Candice Glover vied with country crooner Kree Harrison on Wednesday in an all-female finale of "American Idol" to become the first woman to win the TV singing competition since 2007. In a finale that judge Randy Jackson described as "so close," Glover, the 23-year-old former travel agent from St. Helena, South Carolina, brought the judges and the audience to their feet after belting out Tom Jones' "I Who Have Nothing." "You are such a powerhouse singer," judge Keith Urban said. "The song is like a planet exploding. ...

Conductor Gilbert fights 'Bolero effect' - in a car factory

Wed, 15 May 2013 07:38:08 -0400

By Michael Roddy DRESDEN, Germany (Reuters) - A concert in a car factory using parts of a luxury sedan as percussion instruments is one thing, but a Volkswagen suspended above the New York Philharmonic creates another level of musical drama entirely. The NYPO under its first native New York music director, Alan Gilbert, showed during two concerts this week at the Dresden Music Festival in central Germany why the 46-year-old conductor has a reputation for brushing off the cobwebs at one of America's most distinguished orchestras. ...

US-MUSIC Summary

Wed, 22 May 2013 10:50:03 -0400

A Minute With: Pitbull on music, Jennifer Lopez and 'Epic' LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Rapper Pitbull has taken his blend of American pop music fused with Latin beats from the clubs of Miami to international pop charts, but he now is crossing into film with his first acting role as an animated character in the upcoming movie, "Epic." Pitbull, whose real name is Armando Perez, has become a staple in the pop music field with lively dance-floor tracks including recent chart hits "Feel This Moment" with Christina Aguilera and "Live it Up" with Jennifer Lopez. ...

Ai Weiwei uses music to mock state power in China

Wed, 22 May 2013 03:49:45 -0400

BEIJING (AP) — Two emotionless prison guards watch Ai Weiwei as he eats, sleeps, paces, showers — and even sits on the toilet — in the Chinese artist's new obscenity-filled, metaphor-rich music video mocking state power.

Library honors Carole King with US pop music prize

Tue, 21 May 2013 21:36:19 -0400

WASHINGTON (AP) — Carole King isn't done with music — not yet anyway.

The top 10 songs and albums on the iTunes Store

Tue, 21 May 2013 16:47:37 -0400

iTunes' Official Music Charts for the week ending May 20, 2013

Music Review: Singer Laura Mvula enchants on debut

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:06:05 -0400

Laura Mvula, "Sing to the Moon" (Columbia Records)

'Apple of my Eye' star turns to first love: music

Mon, 20 May 2013 22:37:12 -0400

HONG KONG (AP) — Fans know her as the sweet schoolgirl in the 2011 blockbuster "You Are the Apple of My Eye." Now, they can take a closer look at Michelle Chen through her first love: music.

Music Review: Hart, Bonamassa simmer on 'Seesaw'

Mon, 20 May 2013 12:27:07 -0400

Beth Hart and Joe Bonamassa, "Seesaw" (J&R Adventures)

Justin Bieber Fires Back After Being Booed At Billboard Music Awards: 'I Should Be Taken Seriously'

Mon, 20 May 2013 09:56:52 -0400

Some of the crowd at the 2013 Billboard Music Awards on Sunday night were not Beliebers!

Taylor Swift leads at Billboard Music Awards

Sun, 19 May 2013 21:17:16 -0400

Taylor Swift is red hot.