Missy Elliott

Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for American Express

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Missy Elliott Makes History As First Female Rapper Nominated For Songwriters Hall Of Fame

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The iconic rapper would be the third ever rapper to be inducted into the hall of fame if elected
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Nov 7, 2018 - 5:28 pm

GRAMMY-winning rapper Missy Elliott will go down in the history of pop music as one of the most creative and dynamic rappers ever with hits like "Work It" and "Get Ur Freak On." Now she has made history as the first female rapper to be nominated for the Songwriters Hall Of Fame.

The news was released one day ahead of the official announcement by the Associated Press. If the rapper were to be integrated into the 2019 class, she would only be the third rapper to do so. The only other rappers to be in the Songwriters Hall Of Fame are GRAMMY winners Jay-Z and Jermaine Dupri.

To be nominated, songwriters have to have written songs for at least 20 years. Elliott came onto the music scene in the late '80s/early '90s and since then has written hits artists including GRAMMY winners Beyoncé and Ciara. She has writing credentials for songs that include Keyshia Cole's "Let It Go," Monica's "So Gone," And Fantasia's "Free Yourself." Elliott also worked and wrote music for the late Aaliyah.

The AP reports that other nominees include: Mariah Carey, Cat Stevens, Mike Love, Jimmy Cliff, Vince Gill, Jeff Lynne, Tommy James, John Prine, Lloyd Price, Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics, and Chrissie Hynde.

But just because she's up for Hall Of Fame status, don't count Missy out yet. The rapper has teased a new LP release for 2019. Read more on what to expect from the album below:

Missy Elliott Is Ready To Get The World Dancing Again

 

Chuck Berry 

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Chuck Berry, The Beatles & More To Have Instruments On Display At The Met Museum

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Over 130 instruments spanning 1939 to 2017 from GRAMMY-winning musicians will be on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2019
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Nov 20, 2018 - 2:00 pm

New York City's Metropolitan Museum of Art will be the home of the first major art museum exhibition to feature rock and roll instruments, including those from the Beatles and Jimi Hendrix, starting April 8, 2019.

On Nov. 20, Rolling Stone announced the upcoming exhibition called "Play It Loud: Instruments Of Rock & Roll" on behalf of the museum. It will bring more than 130 instruments used between 1939 and 2017 by many musicians including GRAMMY winners and nominees like Elvis Presley, Metallica, St. Vincent and the Rolling Stones, plus other greats, like Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award honoree Chuck Berry, all under one roof.

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Chuck Berry: 'Long live rock and roll!'

Several guitars will be featured, including the "main guitar" Berry used from 1957 to 1963, Eric Clapton's "Blackie," Eddie Van Halen's "Frankenstein" and St. Vincent's 2015 guitar. Drum fans will be able to catch The Who's Keith Moon's "Pictures Of Lily" drum set. Other instruments include Emerson, Lake & Palmer keyboardist Keith Emerson's Moog synthesizer and Hammond organ. The collection will also include vintage posters, stage costumes and historic videos, the magazine stated.

The instruments hail from 70 private and public collection from the United States and United Kingdom to explore the genre and the instruments that brought it to life. You can catch it at the Met museum from April 8to October 1, 2019 before it moves to the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in Cleveland Ohio in November 2019.

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Dolores O'Riordan

Photo: Srdjan Stevanovic/WireImage

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The Cranberries Announce Eighth And Final Album, 'In The End'

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The Irish alt-rock band, who lost lead singer Dolores O'Riordan last year, also unveiled a new single titled "All Over Now"
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Jan 15, 2019 - 4:02 pm

Band members of Irish alternative rock band the Cranberries have announced that they will release their eighth and final album In The End on April 26 via BGM.

"In honour of our dear friend and bandmate, Dolores, we present to you the final album from The Cranberries, ‘In The End,’" the band tweeted.

The announcement comes one year after the death of powerful lead vocalist Dolores O'Riordan, who died suddenly while in London for a recording session on Jan. 15, 2018. She was 46.

The band also released a single titled "All Over Now" from the upcoming album. The song "blends rock, alternative and catchy almost pop-sounding melodies to deliver a classic Cranberries sound," the band said on their website.

The BBC reported in Sept. that O'Riordan's cause of death was a "tragic accident" due to excessive drinking. She was found submerged in the bath of her hotel room.

For 30 years, the Cranberries blended alternative rock with pop to create a melodic sound that could be both hard and sweet. Hits like "Zombie" and "Dreams" captured the band's ability to shift their sound. The final album, which has 11 tracks and was produced by Stephen Street, is a "fitting and powerful closure," the band said.

"I can't think of a more fitting way to commemorate the first anniversary of Dolores' passing and to celebrate her life than to announce to the world the release of her final album with the band," O'Riordan's mother, Eileen O'Riordan, said on the band's album announcement. 

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Bikini Kill

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Legendary Riot Grrrl Band Bikini Kill Reunite, Announce Tour

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The "Rebel Girl" band will play all-ages shows in Los Angeles in New York City and a 16+ show in Brooklyn, N.Y. in the spring
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Jan 15, 2019 - 12:24 pm

Bikini Kill, the legendary politically outspoken feminist '90s punk band that launched the Riot Grrrl movement, have reunited and announced a tour.

The "Rebel Girl" band, who inspired women to express themselves via music and DIY culture, will play all-ages shows in Los Angeles and New York City, as well as a 16+ show in Brooklyn, N.Y. that will begin in the spring.

"Bikini Kill are thrilled to announce they will be regrouping to play shows in NY and LA this spring," the band said on their website. "They will perform with their iconic line-up of Kathleen Hanna on vocals, Tobi Vail on drums, and Kathi Wilcox on bass -- along with guitarist Erica Dawn Lyle."

The group formed in 1990 and were based in Olympia, Wash. and Washington, D.C. Before their break-up in 1997, they recorded and released a demo, two EPs, two LPs and three singles. They toured the U.S., Japan, Europe and Australia.  

Frontwoman Hanna went on to form band Le Tigre and a solo career as Julie Ruin. The Punk Singer documentary is based on her activism and musical career and shows the singer's life and battle with Lyme disease.

Tickets for all three shows will go on sale on Friday, Jan. 18. Both NYC shows will be on sale at 9 A.M. PT / 12 P.M. ET, while the L.A. show will go on sale at 10 A.M. PT / 1 P.M. ET. For more info, visit the band's website.

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Mike Garson

Mike Garson 

Photo: Chris McKay/Getty Images

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A Bowie Celebration Announces Tour Dates

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A Bowie Celebration will tour cities in Europe in Jan. and early Feb., before hitting U.S. cities including Los Angeles, Houston and New York City
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Jan 14, 2019 - 4:50 pm

David Bowie's backing bands are heading out on tour to continue the GRAMMY winner's legacy for the third year in a row.

A Bowie Celebration will tour cities in Europe in Jan. and early Feb., before hitting U.S. cities including Los Angeles, Houston and New York City until March. 

The tour is formed by Bowie's "longest-leading and most frequent band member" Mike Garson, guitarist Earl Sick, bassist Carmine Rojas, multi-instrumentalist Mark Plati, guitarist Charlie Sexton and vocalists Bernard Fowler and Corey Glover, according to Rolling Stone.

The magazine reports that the band has been joined by several guest vocalists in the past, including Perry Farrell and Evan Rachel Wood, and plays hits like "Rebel Rebel" and "Ziggy Stardust."

"One way or another, David is continuously there with us,” Garson said in a statement. “He’s on stage each night, in the audience and always in the very essence of each song. We do these shows for the fans who’ve loved David and his music, and for those who are new to his music-they’re about to get hooked. Through this process of the celebration of his music, we do these shows for David who is a constant presence in our minds, hearts and soul."

For more information on the tour see here.

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