John Williams

Photo: Michael Kovac/Getty Images

News

Anne Akiko Meyers To Honor John Williams On "GRAMMY Salute To Music Legends"

The violinist pays tribute to the prolific composer at the Recording Academy's 2018 Special Merit Awards recipient tribute concert that will air on PBS on Oct. 5

Ana Monroy Yglesias

GRAMMYs

Sep 27, 2018 - 5:50 pm

GRAMMY-winning composer John Williams is responsible for striking a mood and setting the scene for so many classic films over the years. He composed many iconic GRAMMY-winning and -nominated scores, including for the Star Wars, Jurassic Park and Indiana Jones franchises. A few of the other classic films whose scores he also wrote – although there are many more – are Jaws, Schindler's List, and Saving Private Ryan, all three of which won him a GRAMMY for Best Instrumental Composition Written For A Motion Picture Or For Television. It is hard to imagine what these movies – and so many others – would feel like if not set to his masterpieces.

Anne Akiko Meyers Honors John Williams

On the upcoming broadcast of "GRAMMY Salute To Music Legends," Williams, a Recording Academy Trustees Award recipient, will be honored by classical concert violinist Anne Akiko Meyers, who will perform his haunting "Schindler's List."

"His absolute generosity with people, and his humanity, his person is so extraordinary," Meyers shares about Williams. "Not only is he just one of the greatest composers to ever write music, but he's so generous in his spirit and such a kind human being."

You can watch the performance during the special tribute concert that will air on PBS at 9 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 5 (check your local listings) and will be available to stream starting the next day via pbs.org/gperf.

"GRAMMY Salute To Music Legends" To Air On PBS Oct. 5

Sammy Hagar

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News

Sammy Hagar To Honor Queen On "GRAMMY Salute To Music Legends"

Hagar pays tribute to fellow rockstar Freddie Mercury and his iconic band at the Recording Academy's 2018 Special Merit Awards recipient tribute concert that will air on PBS on Oct. 5

Ana Monroy Yglesias

GRAMMYs

Sep 25, 2018 - 2:12 pm

The term rockstar itself evokes grandiose images of someone making their mark on the world by living big; not everyone who fronts a band is granted rockstar status, it must be earned. Freddie Mercury, the late lead singer of Queen, was one of his generation's quintessential rockstars, with a larger-than-life persona and stage presence and an out-of-this-world vocal range to match. As the frontman of his equally legendary band Queen, he and his bandmates rocked stadiums globally throughout the '70's and '80s with hits long outlasting their reign, including "We Will Rock You," and GRAMMY-nominated classics "Bohemian Rhapsody" and "Another One Bites the Dust."

Sammy Hagar To Honor Queen

On the upcoming broadcast of "GRAMMY Salute To Music Legends," Queen, a Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement recipient, will be honored by GRAMMY winner and former Van Halen frontman Sammy Hagar, who will perform "We Will Rock You."

"[Queen was] one of the greatest vocal bands of all time. I mean Freddie Mercury's vocal arrangements were on fire," Hagar said.

Watch the performance during the special tribute concert that will air on PBS at 9 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 5 (check your local listings) and will be available to stream starting the next day via pbs.org/gperf.

"GRAMMY Salute To Music Legends" To Air On PBS Oct. 5

Chicano Batman

Photo: Jeff Kravitz/Getty Images

News

Mike Tyson To Host Inaugural Kind Music Festival In The Coachella Valley Featuring Chicano Batman, Starcrawler & More

The new music event will feature a handful of bright Los Angeles-based talent

Ana Monroy Yglesias

GRAMMYs

Jan 3, 2019 - 2:11 pm

The Kind Music Festival has announced the lineup for their first-ever event set to take place in Desert Hot Springs, Calif. on Feb. 23.

Attendees will be able to soak up the diverse sounds and vibes of So Cal under the bright desert sun with a curated sampling of Los Angeles-based artists: GRAMMY winner Miguel, plus Chicano Batman, Starcrawler, Yonee and All My Friends Hate Me.

The organizers for what they are calling a "'pop-up' micro-festival" include former heavyweight champion boxer Mike Tyson, who is offering the site of future home to Tyson Ranch Resort.

Tyson recently broke ground on the property last month, which a press release for the festival says will be a "420-acre entertainment complex, luxury glamping resort and cannabis research and design facility." The Blast reports that Tyson has been a longtime believer in the healing benefits of cannabis and "says taking care of men and women who have served in the armed forces is a top priority" on the ranch.

Organizers also say that the event will be the first music festival to celebrate California's new 2019 marijuana legislation.

"Kind Music Festival is a revolution—leading the way for a new generation of health and wellness focused cannabis consumers, 'The Kind Generation,'" says a KIND festival producer. "The word 'kind' is defined as 'a group of people or things having similar characteristics' as well as 'of a good or benevolent nature or disposition…Kind Music Festival challenges conventional thinking while being mainstream."

Miguel On 'War & Leisure' & Essence Fest

A portion of ticket sales will benefit Standing United, a non-profit organization aimed at helping individuals recover from drug addiction and homelessness to "reintegrate into society and become upstanding citizens in their communities." Tyson himself, along with other Kind Festival employees, the press release reports, have struggled with addiction.

Tickets are available now at Kind Festival's website.

2019 Music Festival Preview: Noise Pop, Ultra & More

Woodstock 1969

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News

Two Woodstock 50th Anniversary Events Planned For Aug. 2019

As the golden birthday of the historic music festival approaches, available rooms in Sullivan County for Aug. 15–18 are already in limited supply, even before the lineups or major details for either event have been announced

Ana Monroy Yglesias

GRAMMYs

Jan 2, 2019 - 1:54 pm

Judging by the rapid rate hotels and Airbnbs are been being booked in Sullivan County, the site of the iconic ’69 Woodstock Music And Arts Fair, music fans from around the world are ready and excited to celebrate the historic fest's 50th birthday.

Official Lineup Dropped 3/19: Woodstock 50 Performers: Jay-Z, The Killers, Miley Cyrus & More Announced

Two music festivals will take place on the anniversary weekend, one unofficial at the Bethel Woods Center For The Arts, and an official 50th celebration at a to-be-announced venue, hosted by organizers of the original event.

Bethel Woods Update: Carlos Santana, Ringo Starr Confirmed For Bethel Woods' Woodstock Anniversary

If you want to take part in the magic of the Woodstock 50th anniversary events and stay in Sullivan County during the long weekend of Aug. 15–18, you should think about booking a room soon. The Times-Herald Record Of Middletown reports that hotels, Airbnbs and everything in between have been booking up quickly, even before official news of an anniversary event had been revealed last month.

The newspaper also shared that many places to stay near the Bethel Woods Center—the venue which now lives at the site of the original event—are already completely booked with already-lengthy waiting lists. One hotel, which is still under construction and set to open this summer, is already fully booked with a waitlist, and shared that their first guest inquiry came in two years ago.

"There's a lot of interest on the domestic front and the international front, whether you were there in 1969, or just want to be here today," said Sullivan County Visitors Association CEO Roberta Byron Lockwood.

In terms of how exactly you can relive Woodstock in Upstate New York this August, the two major events are the aforementioned Bethel Woods Music and Culture Festival, hosted by Live Nation, INVNT (a "global brands communication agency") and Bethel Woods Center. Meanwhile, Michael Lang, the co-creator of the original event, has just confirmed an Official Woodstock 50 Celebration. Further details and a location are yet to be revealed.

The organizers of the Bethel Woods Festival describe their three-day event as a "pan-generational music, culture, and community event" with "live performances from prominent and emerging artists spanning multiple genres and decades, and TED-style talks from leading futurists and retro-tech experts." Attendees will get to visit the venue's year-round Woodstock-centric museum which will feature special new 2019 exhibit called We Are Golden: Reflections On The 50th Anniversary Of The Woodstock Festival And Aspirations For An Aquarian Future.

"50 years ago, people gathered peacefully on our site inspired to change the world through music," said Darlene Fedun, Bethel Woods Center CEO. "As the stewards of this historic site, we remain committed to preserving this rich history and spirit, and to educating and inspiring new generations to contribute positively to the world through music, culture, and community."

Lang, who was one of the main promoters for Woodstock '69 and has been hinting at an official 50th anniversary event for some time, confirmed minimal details with the Poughkeepsie Journal, who on Dec. 19 wrote that Lang had "definite plans" for an anniversary concert not held at the original location.

On Dec. 30, Woodstock Ventures, which runs the official Woodstock website and works with Lang, shared a statement from the co-founder:

"While the original site in Bethel remains close to our hearts, it no longer has the capacity to hold a real Woodstock Festival. I'm delighted that Bethel Woods is doing events in the coming year to celebrate what we brought to life in 1969," wrote Lang.

However you choose to celebrate Woodstock's 50th anniversary, Sullivan County is ready to welcome you this summer with peace and love vibes, complete with 36 fiberglass dove statues painted by local artists in '60s-inspired colors.

Just make sure to book a place to stay sooner rather than later, unless you want to relive the memories of many would-have-been-Woodstock-goers stuck on Route 17B, aka Woodstock Way.

2019 Music Festival Preview: Noise Pop, Ultra & More

Mozzy

Photo: Robin Marchant/Getty Images

Interview

One Take: Mozzy On His Dream Collab, First Music Video He Ever Watched & More

The West Coast rapper shares who he'd love to work with, what city he'd like to perform in next, some of his favorites, and more

Ana Monroy Yglesias

GRAMMYs

Jan 1, 2019 - 9:54 am

West Coast rapper Mozzy has been perfecting his craft over the years and released his latest LP, Gangland Landlord, on Oct. 5. The album has been receiving buzz, especially for "Thugz Mansion," a tribute to his biggest influence, Tupac Shakur. He stopped by our headquarters to play a round of One Take, GRAMMY.com's rapid-fire game that challenges your favorite artists to see how many questions about life, music and everything in between they can answer in 60 seconds.

One Take With Mozzy

In the episode Mozzy tells us what his favorite Tupac song is, the first album he ever bought and his favorite part about his hometown of Sacramento. He also reveals his favorite movie, the city he'd like to perform in next and who his dream collaborator is.