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News
dick-clark-dies

Dick Clark Dies

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THE GRAMMYs
GRAMMYs
Dec 2, 2014 - 3:22 pm

Dick Clark: Trustees Award Acceptance

Dick Clark Dies
Longtime TV producer/host and Recording Academy Trustees Award recipient Dick Clark died April 18 following a heart attack. He was 82. Born in Mount Vernon, N.Y., Clark began a career in radio before graduating from high school, working in the mailroom of New York's WRUN-AM. He attended Syracuse University where he earned a degree in business and worked as a disc jockey at the university's student-run radio station. In 1952 he landed a spot as a DJ at Philadelphia's WFIL-AM where he hosted "Dick Clark's Caravan Of Music," subsequently leading to a gig hosting the famed "American Bandstand." After relocating to Hollywood, Calif., in 1963, Clark founded Dick Clark Productions, producing TV shows such as "Super Bloopers And Practical Jokes" and the annual American Music Awards. Clark is widely known for his annual "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve," which he hosted for more than three decades. In 1990 Clark was honored with a Recording Academy Trustees Award. Also an Emmy Award winner, Clark was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993 and earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. (4/18)

SoundExchange Refutes Online Radio Royalty Figures
SoundExchange is refuting yesterday's report that Internet radio services Pandora and SiriusXM Radio accounted for 90.4 percent of the performance rights organization's total annual revenues in 2011. While SoundExchange said it cannot publicly disclose actual royalty figures, the organization says the amount paid from Pandora and SiriusXM is "substantially below" the reported 90 percent and attributes the misrepresented numbers on "using public sources that rely on different assumptions, estimates and other factors," according Billboard.biz. (4/18)

Diddy Is Named Forbes' Wealthiest Hip-Hop Artists
Sean "Diddy" Combs topped Forbes magazine's top five wealthiest hip-hop artists in 2012 list with an estimated net worth of $550 million. Placing second was Jay-Z at $460 million, followed by Dr. Dre ($270 million), Birdman (Cash Money Records CEO Bryan Williams, $125 million) and 50 Cent ($110 million). (4/18)

GRAMMYs

Sean "Diddy" Combs

Photo: Johnny Nunez/WireImage.com

News
fyitmi-sean-diddy-combs-tops-forbes-hip-hop-list-kurt-vile-parade-take-place-march-30

FYI/TMI: Sean "Diddy" Combs Tops Forbes' Hip-Hop List, Kurt Vile Parade To Take Place March 30

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GRAMMY winner ranks No. 1 on Forbes' wealthiest hip-hop artists list; indie artist to host Easter parade for himself
Crystal Larsen
GRAMMYs
Dec 2, 2014 - 4:06 pm

(In an effort to keep you fully informed, and fully entertained, below we present today's FYI and TMI — news you need and news that's, well, sometimes needless….)

FYI …

Diddy Is Hip-Hop's Wealthiest Artist
Forbes magazine has revealed its list of the wealthiest artists in hip-hop in 2013 with GRAMMY winner Sean "Diddy" Combs ranking No. 1 with an estimated $580 million in earnings. Jay-Z placed No. 2 with $475 million, followed by Dr. Dre ($350 million), Bryan "Birdman" Williams ($150 million) and 50 Cent ($125 million). Figures were calculated using financial information from analysts, attorneys and artist managers, among others.

TMI …

Celebrate Easter With Kurt Vile
Looking for a way to celebrate Easter weekend this year? If you're in Philadelphia, you can celebrate with Kurt Vile. The founding member of indie group the War On Drugs will reportedly hold a parade for himself and his forthcoming new album Walkin' On A Pretty Daze, due April 9, in his Pennsylvania hometown. Fans can join the parade by emailing kurtvileparade@gmail.com. The event will be filmed as part of an upcoming music video, but details on whether the Easter bunny will make an appearance have not been revealed.  

News
diddy-tops-forbes-wealthiest-hip-hop-artists-list

Diddy Tops Forbes' Wealthiest Hip-Hop Artists List

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THE GRAMMYs
GRAMMYs
Dec 2, 2014 - 3:22 pm

Diddy Tops Forbes' Wealthiest Hip-Hop Artists List
Sean "Diddy" Combs
topped Forbes magazine's top five wealthiest hip-hop artists list with an estimated net worth of $475 million. Placing second was Jay-Z at $450 million, followed by Dr. Dre at $125 million and Cash Money Records co-founder Bryan "Birdman" Williams and 50 Cent tied at $100 million. The list was based on figures from current holdings, past earnings and information from analysts, attorneys, managers, and other industry professionals. (3/11)

ASCAP Announces Board Of Directors
ASCAP
announced on March 10 the results of the biennial election for its Board of Directors with Laurent Hubert joining as a newly elected publisher member. Re-elected publishers to the at-large field were Martin Bandier; Caroline Bienstock; Barry Coburn; John L. Eastman; Roger Faxon; David Johnson; Dean Kay; Leeds Levy; David Renzer; and Irwin Z. Robinson. Re-elected writers to the at-large field were Marilyn Bergman; Richard Bellis; Bruce Broughton; Hal David; Dan Foliart; Wayland Holyfield; Johnny Mandel; Valerie Simpson; Jimmy Webb; ASCAP President and Chairman of the Board Paul Williams; and Doug Wood. James Kendrick and Stephen Paulus were re-elected in the symphonic and concert field. Board members will serve a two-year term effective April 1. (3/11)

GRAMMYs

Aretha Franklin

Photo: Bobby Bank/WireImage.com

News
week-music-aretha-franklin-still-commands-respect

The Week In Music: Aretha Franklin Still Commands Respect

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The Queen of Soul deploys a musical tactic to elude a parking ticket
Crystal Larsen
GRAMMYs
Dec 2, 2014 - 4:06 pm

Let's face it, trying to talk a parking officer out of giving you a parking ticket is akin to trying to solve a Rubik's Cube while blindfolded. The next time you're unceremoniously served with a parking ticket, instead of giving the officer a piece of your mind, you might try an alternate tactic: singing. While dining at Neely's Barbecue Parlor in New York, Aretha Franklin saw a meter maid writing a ticket and made a beeline outside and ultimately got out of the ticket by breaking into song and signing an autograph. While there's no word on which song the Queen of Soul serenaded the officer with, our money is on "Think." While this situation can be seen as the latest example of preferential treatment for celebrities, it nevertheless gives hope to those encountering similar parking predicaments in the future. Of course, singing Cee Lo Green's "F*** You" to an officer may get you a date in the slammer, so we advise you to choose your song carefully.

It's become somewhat commonplace for artists to equate themselves to figures of the past (and present). The trend dates back at least to the late '60s when John Lennon made the notorious comment that the Beatles were "bigger than Jesus." More recently, in 2010 teen pop sensation Justin Bieber compared himself to the late grunge rocker Kurt Cobain, and earlier this year Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl intimated he was the Jon Bon Jovi of this generation. Now, Kanye West has played the comparison game, with an angle toward Germany's most controversial figure. "I walk through the hotel and I walk down the street and people look at me like I'm f***ing insane, like I'm Hitler," the rapper exclaimed during a concert in England on Aug. 6. "One day the light will shine through and one day people will understand everything I ever did." Kanye may not be bigger than Jesus, but now he sounds like him.

From sports players and stocks to cars and gold, trading is a part of life. But for married folks, are trade-ins possible? Recording artists Flavor Flav and Dee Snider are about to find out as they are among the celebrities signed on to participate in ABC's new series "Celebrity Wife Swap." The program is a spin-off of the network's "Wife Swap" series, and as the title suggests the duo will essentially swap spouses. Snider, who made a name for himself as the frontman of '80s metal band Twisted Sister, has been married for 30 years to wife Suzette, with whom he has four kids. Meanwhile, Flav married his current wife Liz during an episode of his VH1 show "Flavor Of Love" in 2008. Will Flav and his golden teeth be able to bring enough charm and metal machismo to wow Mrs. Snider? And will the makeup-wearing rocker Snider be able to find some rhythm with a hip-hop artist's fine maiden?

It's no secret that Ke$ha and Alice Cooper have a little something going on. And by "something" we mean a relationship that's become quite affectionate. When Cooper joined Ke$ha onstage at an Oslo, Norway, concert in July, the edgy pop songstress thanked the rocker with a tweet in which she referred to him as "dad." But the pair is taking their relationship to a whole different (read: satanic) level as Cooper is casting the dollar-sign darling as the devil on his new concept album Welcome 2 My Nightmare. The duo has collaborated on the track "What Baby Wants" and, according to the rocker, the pop songstress wrote "the most disgusting lyrics" for the tune. Too disgusting for the devil? We doubt it. For Cooper, the expectations are high for Ke$ha. "You watch, she's gonna end up being a rock singer, not a disco singer," said Cooper. "She wants to be Robert Plant, and she's a big tall American girl and she [can] really do it." Cooper's album is due Sept. 13, but listeners beware — spinning the disc may invoke the spirit of the devilish Ke$ha to pay you a visit in the form of your worst nightmare.

It's time for the name game. Of course, everyone knows you can't become a star using your given name. You need a name that sounds like, well, a star. We'll provide the artist's real name, and you guess the star who gave it up for fame and fortune, according to Toofab.com. If you're able to guess them all (without looking…), you just may be fit to rock and roll all night with Chaim Witz.

A. Courtney Michelle Harrison
B. Onika Tanya Maraj
C. James Todd Smith
D. Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta
E. Henry Olusegun Olumide Adeola Samuel
F. Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson
G. Shad Gregory Moss
H. Eilleen Regina Edwards
I. Marco Antonio Muñiz
J. Chaim Witz
K. Aliaune Damala Bouga Time Puru Nacka Lu Lu Lu Badara Akon Thiam
(answers below)

There were very few surprises in Forbes' Cash Kings 2011 list of top-earning hip-hop artists. Namely, who's on top, the list's testosterone level and the boasting, even from those who didn't finish No. 1. The former honor went to Jay-Z for the fourth time in the last five years. Familiar names rounded out the top 10, including Sean Diddy Combs at No. 2, Jay-Z's Watch The Throne partner Kanye West at No. 3, followed by Lil Wayne, Cash Money Records head Bryan "Birdman" Williams, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Akon, and Ludacris. The first, and only, woman, Nicki Minaj, checked in at No. 15. But in true hip-hop fashion, everyone was claiming victory. "If we ain't number one now, we'll be there soon," Birdman told Forbes. Fifteenth-place finisher Swizz Beatz (tied with Minaj) wrote in an email, "I will be #1 next year." As a breath of fresh air, checking in at No. 11, Wiz Khalifa seemed almost humbled by the whole thing. "I'm one of them?" he responded. "That's what's up!"

Name game answers:
A. Courtney Love
B. Nicki Minaj
C. LL Cool J
D. Lady Gaga
E. Seal
F. Katy Perry
G. Bow Wow
H. Shania Twain
I. Marc Anthony
J. Gene Simmons
K. Akon

The answer to last week's MTV trivia question: Do you know the second video that aired on MTV? Answer: Pat Benatar's "You Better Run"

LMFAO's "Party Rock Anthem" featuring Lauren Bennett and GoonRock is tops on the Billboard Hot 100 and Maroon 5's "Moves Like Jagger" featuring Christina Aguilera is No. 1 on the iTunes singles chart.

Any news we've missed? Comment below.

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Last Week In Music
 

News
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Church, Lambert, Shelton Among Top CMA Nominees

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THE GRAMMYs
GRAMMYs
Dec 2, 2014 - 3:22 pm

Church, Lambert, Shelton Among Top CMA Nominees
Nominations for the 46th Annual CMA Awards were announced today with Eric Church in the lead with five nominations, including Male Vocalist of the Year and Single, Song and Music Video of the Year for "Springsteen." GRAMMY winner Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton followed with four nominations each, including Song of the Year for their duet "Over You" and Female and Male Vocalist of the Year, respectively. Additional artists garnering multiple nominations include Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley, Kenny Chesney, Little Big Town, and Taylor Swift. The CMA Awards will take place Nov. 1 in Nashville. (9/5)

Dr. Dre Tops Forbes' Cash Kings List
GRAMMY winner Dr. Dre topped Forbes magazine's Cash Kings 2012 list of top-earning hip-hop artists with an estimated earnings of $110 million. Placing second was Sean "Diddy" Combs at $45 million, followed by Jay-Z ($38 million), Kanye West ($35 million), and Lil Wayne ($27 million). Figures were determined by income earned between May 2011 and May 2012 from touring, album sales, publishing, films, merchandise sales, and endorsements, among others. (9/5)

NARIP To Honor Al Schlesinger
Entertainment attorney Al Schlesinger will be honored by the National Association of Record Industry Professionals with a tribute dinner on Sept. 12 in Studio City, Calif. Schlesinger previously served as Chairman of The Recording Academy from 1987–1989. He is also a past recipient of the GRAMMY Foundation's Entertainment Law Initiative Service Award, which recognizes outstanding contributions by prominent entertainment attorneys. (9/5)  

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Some of the content on this site expresses viewpoints and opinions that are not those of the Recording Academy. Responsibility for the accuracy of information provided in stories not written by or specifically prepared for the Academy lies with the story's original source or writer. Content on this site does not reflect an endorsement or recommendation of any artist or music by the Recording Academy.