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Global Concert Business Healthy In 2009

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GRAMMYs
Dec 2, 2014 - 3:22 pm

Global Concert Business Healthy In 2009
The global concert industry totaled a record $4.4 billion in revenue, an 11.7 increase over 2008, and 73 million in attendance, a year-over-year 12.6 percent increase, according to figures from Billboard Boxscore from Dec. 6, 2008, to Nov. 21, 2009. In North America concert revenue reached $2.8 billion in 2009, down 2 percent, and 50 million in attendance, down 1.7 percent, based on 9 percent fewer shows. Live Nation reported a 25 percent increase in gross revenue to $2.5 billion and a 19 percent increase in attendance to 41 million, while AEG Live reported $888 million in gross revenue, a 12 percent decline, and 14.5 million in attendance, a 12 percent drop. (12/11)

Billboard Names Swift, West Artists Of Year
Billboard magazine named Taylor Swift and Kanye West as its top female and top male artists of the year, respectively. Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, and Britney Spears placed second through fifth in the female category, while T.I., Flo Rida, Jason Mraz, and Ne-Yo rounded out the top five in the male category. Swift was also named Billboard's 2009 overall artist of the year. (12/11)

Music Dominates Top 10 Most-Watched Videos In 2009
The top 10 list of most-watched Internet videos in 2009 consisted of all music videos except for the No. 1 video, the trailer to Twilight Saga: New Moon, according to a report by independent measuring firm Visible Measures. Beyoncé's "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)" was the No. 2 most-watched video with 333.2 million views. Rounding out the top five were Lady Gaga's "Poker Face" (317.7 million views), Soulja Boy's "Crank Dat" (313.8 million views) and a Susan Boyle performance from "Britain's Got Talent" (313.2 million views). (12/11)

Elvis Presley 75th Anniversary Events Planned For 2010
A variety of nationwide events will take place in 2010 celebrating the 75th anniversary birthday celebration of Elvis Presley, including a cake-cutting ceremony at his Graceland home in Memphis, Tenn., on Jan. 8, 2010, the date of what would have been his 75th birthday. Other events will include a special exhibit at Graceland featuring Presley's costumes and "Viva Elvis," a Cirque du Soleil tribute to his life and music opening Dec. 18 in Las Vegas. The GRAMMY Museum at L.A. Live will premiere Elvis At 21: Photographs By Alfred Wertheimer, a new Smithsonian traveling exhibition, on Jan. 8. (12/11)
 

Jake Black 

Photo: Joseph Okpako/Redferns via Getty Images

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Jake Black Of British Country-Electronic Band Alabama 3 Dies

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Black was perhaps best known for co-writing "The Sopranos" theme song, "Woke Up This Morning"
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
May 22, 2019 - 3:34 pm

Jake Black, a.k.a. The Reverend D Wayne Love, has died. He was the founding member of British acid house rock band Alabama 3 and was perhaps best known for co-writing "The Sopranos" theme song, "Woke Up This Morning."

Black died some time after a recent performance at the Highpoint Festival in Lancashire, England, a post by the band on Facebook said. Black's age and cause of death were not available. 

"The transition was painless and peaceful. He was surrounded by brothers Larry Love, L.B. Dope, The Spirit, Jonny Jamm and Sister Therese Mullan," the band said. "We are heartbroken."

Alabama 3, which blends country, rock, blues with electronic music, released their debut album, Exile On Coldharbour Lane, in 1997 (which features the "Sopranos" anthem). They released their most recent album, Blues, in 2016. 

Trouble So Hard: Moby On His New Memoir & The 20th Anniversary Of ‘Play’

Lady Gaga at the 2019 GRAMMYs

Lady Gaga at the 2019 GRAMMYs

Photo: ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images

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Lady Gaga To Perform An Intimate Show At The Apollo Theater In June

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The nine-time GRAMMY winner will play the historic 1,500-capacity venue in Harlem, N.Y. during Pride Month
Ana Yglesias
GRAMMYs
May 22, 2019 - 12:48 pm

Today, SiriusXM announced a special event to celebrate their February merger with Pandora: one night with Lady Gaga at Harlem's historic Apollo Theater on June 24.

"Performing at The Apollo has always been a dream of mine. Thank you to SiriusXM and Pandora for inviting me. I'm excited for my fans to see a special show at this iconic venue," Gaga said in a press release.

Tickets for her performance at the iconic 1,500-capacity venue are by invitation-only for SiriusXM subscribers. The company is also giving away two tickets plus transportation and accommodation for new subscribers since May 5, including those in the trial period; more info here.

"After getting her start in New York City, Lady Gaga went on to conquer the world with her talent. We are thrilled to have Lady Gaga perform this exclusive show at the world famous Apollo Theater in her hometown as we celebrate SiriusXM and Pandora as one company," said Scott Greenstein, President and Chief Content Officer of SiriusXM. 

More: Lady Gaga's 2019 Oscars Acceptance Speech: "If You Have A Dream, Fight For It"

The intimate performance will be Gaga's first in almost two years in her hometown of N.Y.C. (not counting her Met Gala fashion show, of course), and her first-ever at the Apollo.

The theater has been a cornerstone of entertainment and culture in New York since the turn of the 20th century. It has hosted scores of major musicians over the decades, like Aretha Franklin and George Clinton and the Parliament-Funkadelic in the '70s. SiriusXM, meanwhile, hosted Paul McCartney and Bruce Springsteen at the Apollo in 2010 and 2012, respectively.

Gaga's performance will fall during World Pride Month, while the 2019 N.Y.C. Pride Parade will take place on June 30 in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising.

Feb 14, 2019 – 3:52 pm

Lady Gaga: "Shallow" | 2019 GRAMMYs Performance

Before heading to New York, the Queen of Camp will wrap up a second round of shows (May 30–June 15) for her Las Vegas residency. The shows, which gives fans a choice between a stripped-down "Jazz & Piano" or the cutting-edge technology-supported "Enigma," will pick back up in the fall.

Lady Gaga Coyly Reveals Her Sixth Album Is On The Way

Skylar Grey

Photo: Cooper Neill/Getty Images 

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Soul Asylum's "Runaway Train" Remake Celebrates 25th Anniversary With A Worthy Cause

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Jamie N Commons, Skylar Grey and Gallant remake the classic song and video in support of National Center For Missing And Exploited Children
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
May 22, 2019 - 12:25 pm

Back in 1993, Soul Asylum's career changed forever with the surprise breakout hit "Runaway Train," released as the fourth single from their sixth studio album, 1992's Grave Dancers Union. But it was to be the song's moving music video, directed by GRAMMY winner Tony Kaye, that would change the lives of 21 missing children it helped recover with the images shown in the video, further proof of how music and art can make a difference in our world. In celebration of the song and video's 25th anniversary, "Runaway Train" has gotten a refresh from Jamie N Commons, Skylar Grey and Gallant. 

The new take on "Runaway Train" can also be viewed at runawaytrain25.com, where the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) have utilized geo-targeting technology to show different footage depending on where it's being watched. 

“This video is a game changer,” NCMEC President and CEO John Clark said in a statement. “It highlights critical issues runaways face and will show real pictures of missing children. By creating and sharing this video, everyone has the ability to make a difference in their communities.”

Written by Soul Asylum frontman Dave Pirner, "Runaway Train" earned the band the GRAMMY for Best Rock Song as well as two additional nominations for Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal and Best Music Video Short Form at the 36th GRAMMY Awards.  

"It just was a direction that was very pleasing to me," Pirner told Billboard of the original version. "Because the rock videos were just getting more and more shallow, if you will. So I wanted to do something that had impact in the real world, and it did."

He also spoke about the new version and the potential it has to use today's technology to find missing children. "I’m pretty thankful that they thought of involving this song for their rebooting of the concept. It’s all with very real intentions and very sincere wanting to help.. those who used to be glued to MTV are now glued to their phones, and it’s a different generation. It probably is a more fluid way to get it out there [over social media]."

Pirner also revealed Soul Asylum are currently working on a new album.

For more information, visit runawaytrain25.com.

Notorious B.I.G. Hometown Street Naming Ceremony Announced In Brooklyn

 

DJ Khaled

Photo: Shareif Ziyadat/Getty Images

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Pandora's Sound On Summer Music Campaign Launches With DJ Khaled

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According to VP of brand marketing & communications Brad Minor, Pandora wants "to empower our listeners to discover the unique summer soundtrack that helps them live their lives at full volume"
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
May 22, 2019 - 11:33 am

Pandora wants to inspire listeners to "to get out and discover their unique songs of the season" through their latest summer campaign, which features tailored playlists, song predicitions and live experiences to take place across the country. The Sound On campaign, now going on its third year, kicked off Wednesday, May 22, with a party featuring DJ Khaled. 

“As the temperature heats up, so does the speculation over what will become this year’s song of summer,” said VP of brand marketing & communications Brad Minor, in a press release. "The reality is, everyone’s song of summer is different and is revealed over time. At Pandora, we want to create inspiring experiences on our platform—and out in the world—to empower our listeners to discover the unique summer soundtrack that helps them live their lives at full volume."

Music fans who can't attend the kick-off event can already find a curated playlist of tracks Pandora curators predict will be the hottest of the summer.

For instance, Pandora curators predict that DJ Khaled's latest album, Father Of Asahd, will be one of the most-listened-to albums of the season with songs featuring the late Nispey Hussle, Beyoncé, Cardi B and more. 

Live Sound Of Summer events will get fans up close and personal with artist performances, including Natti Natasha on June 19th in Miami, Maren Morris and more. The series will end with a surprise artist predicted to "be a fixture on summer playlists," the company said. 

"Every season has a different mood. Our approach to this campaign has shifted away from the comfort of winter and newness of spring to a more carefree and celebratory vision for the summer," said Lauren Nagel, VP & executive creative director at Pandora. "At Pandora, we know summer can sound like more than just a song. It’s about all the different sounds that enhance every summer moment—from the vacation-perfect playlist, to the podcast that opens your world, to the it’s-still-light-out lyrics. Summer is better with sound on."

Your 2019 Guide To The Best Summer/Spring Music Festivals