GRAMMYs

Ritchie Valens 

Photo: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

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Los Lobos' Louie Perez & David Hidalgo Working On A Ritchie Valens Musical

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To bring Valens' story to life, the two musicians are teaming up with producer Brad Garfield, playwright Richard Montoya and director Tony Taccone 
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Dec 17, 2019 - 5:40 pm

You may know Ritchie Valens' tragic story thanks to Lou Diamond Phillips' portrayal of the late 1950s Chicano rock and roll sensation in the 1987 biopic La Bamba. Now Los Lobos' Louie Perez & David Hidalgo are making sure his legacy stays alive with their currently in-the-works musical called "Come On, Let's Go."

The two musicians will write the music and lyrics and team up with producer Brad Garfield, playwright Richard Montoya and director Tony Taccone to bring Valens' story to life once again with hopes of reaching Broadway. Rolling Stone reports that production will first happen in Southern California in 2020. 

The musical will feature original songs from the late teenage singer as well. Valens is known for his hit "La Bamba," "Come On, Let's go" and "Donna."

Valens rose to fame in a span of eight months in the 1950s, but his short musical career ended when at 17 years old he died in a plane crash along with Buddy Holly and J. P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson in 1959. Valens inspired rock bands that came after him and became a trailblazer for Chicano rock. 

Los Lobos are just one rock band influenced by Valens. They have paid tribute to the singer by covering his songs, including "La Bamba" for the 1980s biopic. 

In an interview with Rolling Stone, Garfield said the musical would differ from the film.

"In 1987, when La Bamba came out, the audience thought Lou Diamond Phillips (who was fantastic) was Ritchie Valens, and they believed Ritchie’s brother Bob was the protagonist in Ritchie’s life," Garfield said. "Well that wasn’t true. Society’s acceptance was the protagonist in Ritchie’s life."

He described the musical as being about "a Chicano Boy who grew up on the other side of the tracks in California’s San Fernando Valley." Garfield said he has the blessing of Valens' siblings, Connie, Irma and Mario on the project and that he wants "to leave a true picture of Ritchie in the archives of Theatre and the Arts that will cement Ritchie's Legacy, so he’s never forgotten again."

In his career, Valens wrote 21 of the 29 songs he recorded. He received a posthumous GRAMMY nomination for  "La Bamba" in 1987. 

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GRAMMYs

The 1975's Matt Healy

Photo by Xavi Torrent/Redferns

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The 1975's Matt Healy Pledges Only To Play Gender-Balanced Festivals

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In a new interview, Healy discusses how artists can lead the charge for gender equality in the music industry
Onaje McDowelle
GRAMMYs
Feb 12, 2020 - 12:59 pm

According to a recent interview with The Guardian, Matt Healy, frontman of the GRAMMY-nominated English band the 1975, has pledged that the band will only perform at festivals with lineups that are evenly representative of gender identities.

The artist's call to action follows backlash from fans, artists and music industry personnel who criticized the U.K.-based Reading and Leeds festivals after the announcement of their 2020 lineups revealed a list of predominately male acts to perform at the show.

Of 91 artists and bands announced, 20 are women or at least one member of the band is a woman. Only three acts out of the 18 that will take the fests main stages are women. The top 13 artists announced and featured at the top of the festival’s bills are men, with artists Lady Leshurr, Mahalia and Mabel among the few women who will round out the lineups.

In 2018, Pitchfork reported that in 2017, there was no music festival lineup that reached an even 50/50 split of male to female or non-binary artists. By the next year, only three had accomplished the feat: Pitchfork Festival, Panorama Festival and FYF. Further, the report found that across 2018 festival lineups, an overwhelming 70% of those acts were men.

The issue is one that Healy feels can be alleviated with actionable commitment to change by artists themselves.

"It's all about action," he told The Guardian. "When it comes to big sociopolitical issues and governments are involved, sometimes action or protest can just be ignored. But when it comes to the music industry, we can change that. It’s not a geopolitical nightmare: it’s the music industry, and it’s something that if everyone gets on board, we can fix."

In the interview, The Guardian's Deputy Music Editor Laura Snapes proposed that the band create new conditions about where they will and will not conduct future performances considering the disparagement. "Add a condition to your rider that says you’ll only play festivals that commit to X% (ideally 50%!) acts that include women and non-binary performers," she said.

In response, Healy said: "Take this as me signing this contract – I have agreed to some festivals already that may not adhere to this and I would never let fans down who already have tickets. But from now I will, and believe this is how male artists can be true allies."

Similar initiatives have taken place throughout the industry, with festivals like Liverpool Sound City and the BBC Proms pledging for their lineups to be at least 50% female by 2022 under the Keychange Initiative.

Led by singles "The 1975", "People," "Frail State of Mind" and "Me & You Together Song," the 1975's highly anticipated upcoming album, Notes to A Conditional Form, is due out on April 24.

Read More: Matthew Healy on the 1975's creative vision

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Morrissey

Photo: Gabriel Olsen/FilmMagic via Getty Images

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Morrissey, Bauhaus, Blondie, Devo & More To Play Cruel World Fest

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The new Los Angeles music festival will also feature Echo & The Bunnymen, the Violent Femmes, The Psychedelic Furs and Gary Newman
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Feb 12, 2020 - 12:02 pm

A new Los Angeles festival has been announced and the lineup is an '80s music lover's dream. The Cruel World Festival will feature Morrissey, Blondie, Bauhaus, Devo and others.

The one-day fest will take place at the Grounds at Dignity Health Sports Park on May 2.

Other acts include Echo & The Bunnymen, the Violent Femmes, the newly reunited Psychedelic Furs and Gary Newman.  

Presale starts Thursday, Feb. 13. For more information, visit the Cruel World Fest website. 

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GRAMMYs

BJ The Chicago Kid

Photo: Timothy Norris/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

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BJ The Chicago Kid, Northern Cree, I Prevail & More Share Their Excitement At The 2020 GRAMMYs Nominee Reception

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Go inside the exclusive GRAMMY nominee reception held at the Ebell Theater in Los Angeles where first-time nominees and veterans gathered to celebrate and pick up their GRAMMY medallions
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Jan 26, 2020 - 10:54 am

The night before Music's Biggest Night, before anyone had a golden gramophone in their hand, artists from all genres enthusiastically gathered to celebrate and collect, among other gifts, their medallions—one way to recognize their GRAMMY nominations.

Los Angeles' elegant Wilshire Ebell Theatre was full of gleeful nominees on Saturday, Jan. 25. Nominees in categories from American Roots to Metal chatted with each other as a house band played jazz tunes and they enjoyed gourmet dishes. The GRAMMY Nominee Reception is one of the last parties of week-long events before the Sunday telecast. At the nominee reception, artists can document their nom with a photo. 

Among them were La Energia Norteña, whose album Poco A Poco is nominated for Best Regional Mexican Music Album. The norteño group from Dallas has two Latin GRAMMY nominations but earned their first GRAMMY nom last year. 

Tank And The Bangas | Meet The First Time Nominees

"It's very exciting, it's a dream come true," band member Adrian Zamarripa told the Recording Academy. "It's our first time here so it's unbelievable, really." Their album, he said, was "a great team effort" and so the whole band came along to "get the whole experience." He added: "It's so great to be here."

Metal band I Prevail was just as excited to be experiencing their first GRAMMY nominee reception. The first-time GRAMMY-nominated band collected their medallions and gathered outside of the medallion room to open their boxes at the same time. On Sunday, Jan. 26 the band will be up for Best Metal Performance and Best Rock Album. 

The result of their nominations was still too far in the future. For now, the band was just excited to be holding their medallions. "We just got our GRAMMY metals," guitarist Dylan Bowman said. "[It's] pretty surreal, I mean a year ago we put out our brand new album, Trauma, and we didn't think it would take us this far, but we're just so happy and grateful to be here."

Best New Artist Nominees Tank And The Bangas were in the house too and lead singer Tarriona "Tank" Ball was still feeling the high from the nomination. "I feel so honored to be a part of this amazing week," she said. Ball came to the reception with a mission. "I'm here because I want to pick up the free gifts," she added laughing.

Though not as fresh as first-time nominees, GRAMMY vets were just as excited to be there. Nine-time nominee Northern Cree's Penny McGilvery still feels enthusiastic about the whole process."The people, the atmosphere. It's exciting," she said.  

GRAMMY-nominated R&B singer/songwriter BJ The Chicago Kid agrees with McGilvery. "I love meeting a lot of artists that I never got to meet as well. Taking the photo, the whole process of being honored and being acknowledged by the highest musical accolade possible," he said. "It's really cool." He mentioned the medallions, of which he owns six, always go to his mom. The GRAMMY-nominated singer said he was looking forward to one thing Sunday: "I'm excited to find out what's in the envelope."

Tune in to the 62nd Annual GRAMMY Awards Jan. 26 on CBS to find out who takes home the golden gramophone.

2020 GRAMMY Awards: Complete Nominees List

GRAMMYs

Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters)

Photo: Alexandre Schneider/Getty Images

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New Orleans Jazz Fest 2020: Foo Fighters, Lizzo, The Who & More

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Other acts include Erykah Badu, Nicky Jam and the Beach Boys
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Jan 17, 2020 - 5:19 pm

New Orleans Jazz Fest has announced it is bringing the Foo Fighters, Lizzo and The Who to the same stage as their 2020 headliners.

But it gets even better. The Big Easy's music fest will also feature Erykah Badu, Stevie Nicks, H.E.R., the Beach Boys, Dead & Company, Nicky Jam, PJ Morton, Maggie Rogers, Tank and the Bangas, Big Freedia, and the list goes on.

The fest celebrating New Orlean's eclectic music culture will take place at the Fair Grounds Race Course on April 23–May 3. Tickets on sale now.  

2020 GRAMMY Awards: Complete Nominees List