Philip Merrill is a Recording Academy/GRAMMY.com contributor.
"Register Temple has the track record to ensure implementation of the Music Modernization Act lives up to its potential." — Conversations In Advocacy #50 On March 27 the Librarian of Congress Dr. Carla Hayden named Karyn A. Temple to serve as the 13th Register of Copyrights. Among the many important decisions that lie ahead, her implementation of the Music Modernization…
Cher's Here We Go Again Tour has added 14 new North American stops in November and December of 2019. This year is keeping the GRAMMY-winning diva busy as she finishes one of her residency series at MGM Resorts' Park Theater in Las Vegas tonight and tomorrow night. <iframe width="620" height="349" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7T4rz4NsYjk" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> Touring with special…
Aoxomoxoa is the title of the Grateful Dead's 1969 album — a palindrome, it is pronounced the same way backwards as reading the usual way, left to right. That was "far-out" 50 years ago, and on the album's 50th anniversary the Grateful Dead and Rhino Records will reissue Aoxomoxoa including remastered versions of both the album's 1969 mix and 1971 remix…
Las Vegas, get ready to "Get On The Good Foot," as per the James Brown song providing both the promotional video soundtrack and the core philosophy behind the Palms Casino Resort's "Unstatus Quo" mega renovation. Set to open next week, the new Palms thinks of itself as "different by design" and seeks to share how they have "completely reimagined" the Las Vegas excursion experience, including…
On June 12, 1999, experimental rockers from Iceland Sigur Ros released their critically acclaimed second album Ágætis Byrjun, meaning "a good beginning." On March 28, 2019 the band announced the album's massive 7-LP 20th anniversary reissue, due on June 21, including demos, rarities, a 1999 live concert recording from Reykjavik's opera house Islenska Operan, and an 84-page hardbound book accompanying the collection.…
Afropunk Brooklyn 2019, coming to Commodore Barry Park on August 24–25, announced its lineup on March 27, including GRAMMY-winning headliners Jill Scott, Leon Bridges, and Gary Clark Jr. <iframe width="620" height="349" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TSYMKUtNuw8" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> GRAMMY nominees on the lineup this summer include Lianne La Havas and two 61st GRAMMY Awards nominees, Goldlink and Tierra Whack. Other artists on…
Wanda Jackson shared "her retirement from performing" over social media on March 26. "This retirement is solely based on health and safety," her message read. "It has been a wild ride. Thank you all for all the years of continued fandom and support. This is not the end, just the beginning of a new chapter." <iframe width="620" height="349" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BnULGVbhPcY" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer;…
On March 26, 2019, the family of Ranking Roger shared news of his passing at age 56. Born Roger Charlery in England's Birmingham in 1963, he met and joined the Beat in the late 70s while he was performing punk and ska. With the Beat's Dave Wakeling, Roger went on to form General Public. Rogers recently disclosed he had been diagnosed…
This year's GRAMMYs on the Hill Awards, to be held on April 9, will honor Yolanda Adams for her advocacy and Kristin Chenoweth for her philanthropy, as well as Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) for their decisive roles in last year's Congress, getting the Music Modernization Act across the finish line and signed into law. "GRAMMYs…
The Outside Lands festival is coming to San Francisco's Golden Gate Park on the weekend of Aug. 9–11. They announced their lineup this morning including 61st GRAMMY Awards Record Of The Year winner Childish Gambino and Album Of The Year winner Kacey Musgraves. Gambino aka Donald Glover also won for Best Music Video, Best Rap/Sung Performance and Song Of The Year.…
Brooklyn, New York's Bushwick area is getting an expanded new record store as proprietors set to soft-launch Brooklyn Record Exchange on March 28, with a full opening this Saturday, on March 30. The space is expanded from the much-loved Co-Op 87 with the help of nearby Greenpoint indie label, Mexican Summer Records, home to artists including Best Coast, Kurt Vile,…
'60s pop-rock idol Scott Walker has died. Born Noel Scott Engel in Ohio, Walker was 76 years old. The news was confirmed by his label, 4AD Records. Radiohead's Thom Yorke and producer Nigel Godrich were among the first, along with Nadine Shah, to publicly express sadness at Walker's passing. <iframe width="620" height="349" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2Ih7KzKLLWA" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> After relocating to…
Performing at Omaha, Nebraska's CHI Health Center on March 23, Justin Timberlake stopped the show to announce his concert broke the venue's record for ticket sales, and some of those funds as well as his own money would be assisting the "Nebraska Strong" effort to recover from the state's record-breaking floods. The winter storm that began on March 9 resulted in…
On March 25, four-time GRAMMY winner Lionel Richie announced his summer Hello Tour itinerary and the Aug. 23 drop date for his anticipated Capitol Records release Live From Las Vegas. His tour starts on May 28 in Sugar Land, Texas, heads to the east coast with Radio City Music Hall stops in New York City in mid-July, and then wraps up in…
"SXSW was the place to be again this year, and Advocacy issues generated excitement as well as packed audiences at the festival's conference and the Recording Academy’s Texas Chapter Block Party"—Conversations In Advocacy #49 The SXSW Conference & Music Festival were held March 11–17, 2019 in Austin, Texas, and the Recording Academy and its Advocacy team were there to amplify…
On Sept. 13–15 the Kaaboo festival will return to San Diego's Del Mar Fairgrounds for the fifth consecutive year with Kings Of Leon headlining Friday, followed by Saturday's Dave Matthews Band and Mumford & Sons headlining Sunday. As announced on March 21, fellow GRAMMY winners include Edie Brickell, Colbie Caillat, Sheryl Crow, and 61st GRAMMY Awards nominee Maren Morris, as well as the bands Black Eyed…
After history was made by Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, the Who, and the rest of the original 1969 Woodstock Festival performers in August 1969, 15-year-old festivalgoer Steve Gold helped his girlfriend's dad move much of the wood on stage to a nearby bungalow colony. Now an experienced music entrepreneur, Gold rediscovered the abandoned boards that had supported the feet of the music…
On March 19, right before rapper Meek Mill performed at Hartford's Xfinity Theater, the State of Connecticut presented the social-justice advocate and battle rapper with the key to the state, declaring the day of his Motivation Tour stop there as "Meek Mill Day." The declaration follows just after his hometown Philadelphia declared March 15–17 "Meek Mill Weekend" and reflects growing…
On March 20, O magazine published a playlist meant to wake you up and start the day off right. It credits research in psychology for revealing that "songs with a slow build, a positive message, and a strong beat" can confer mood-enhancing benefits. Just for fun, we also took a look at how GRAMMY recognition shines a spotlight on some…
The ACM Awards announced a second batch of performers today, including 61st GRAMMY Awards winners Brandi Carlile and Dan + Shay. Artists with nominations at the 61st include previous three-time GRAMMY winner Kelly Clarkson as well as Luke Combs, Florida Georgia Line and Ashley McBryde. They'll be joined by previous GRAMMY winners Brooks & Dunn and nominated artists Dierks Bentley and…
