Quincy Jones

Quincy Jones 

Photo: Frederick M. Brown/FilmMagic

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Quincy Jones To Receive Special Achievement Honor From The African-American Film Critics Association

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Music’s beloved Renaissance man and film producer Jason Blum are the latest additions to the AAFCA's 2019 honorees
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Jan 14, 2019 - 12:24 pm

GRAMMY-winning music legend Quincy Jones will receive a Special Achievement honor from the African-American Film Critics Association, the largest group of black film critics.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Jones and film producer Jason Blum are the latest additions to the AAFCA's 2019 honorees and will be honored on Feb. 6 at the Taglyan Complex in Hollywood.

"Quincy Jones is a cultural icon," AAFCA co-founder Shawn Edwards said in a statement. "For nearly 70 years, he has helped shape pop culture as a music composer and producer as well as a film/TV composer and producer. His creative influence is unparalleled. He has molded the arts, film and music with a force that we may never witness again in our lifetime and given back all along the way."

The two will be celebrated along with the AAFCA's best picture winner Black Panther.

Netflix executive Tengo Nagenda, early jazz cornetist Buddy Bolden, searching director Aneesh Chaganty and HBO's Kelly Edwards are among other recipients who will have their own ceremony on Feb. 2.

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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

Photo: Steve Eichner/WireImage

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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.

Quincy Jones To Receive Special Achievement Honor From The African-American Film Critics Association

Wicked

Wicked 

Photo: George Rose/Getty Images

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Brittney Johnson Is First Black Woman Cast As Wicked's ‘Glinda’

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The actress' Jan. 10 debut in the GRAMMY-winning musical was monumental; no black actress had ever portrayed the good witch in an English-language production
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Jan 11, 2019 - 4:08 pm

Brittney Johnson has made history as the first black woman to portray Glinda, the Good Witch of the North, in the Broadway show Wicked.

"My heart is bursting with gratitude. Thank you, thank you! God is so good!" Johnson said in a tweet. "I am so humbled to be the first Black Glinda and honored to fulfill the dreams and hopes of so many! I feel like my feet have yet to touch down."

The actress made her official debut on Jan. 10. Prior to that, no black actress has ever played “Glinda” in an English-language production of the GRAMMY-winning musical, according to several reports. Johnson joined the cast in June as an understudy.

"Representation is so important and I'm honored to be a representative here on Broadway and in the theatre community. My hope and prayer is that people all over the world can see my story and have faith that they can achieve their dreams too. Nothing is impossible!" she continued in another tweet.

Wicked is a musical spinoff of Gregory Maguire's book Wicked: The Life And Times Of The Wicked Witch Of The West, which is inspired by L. Frank Baum's classic The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz. Wicked debuted in San Francisco in 2003. It is the sixth longest-running musical ever.

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In the past, Kristin Chenoweth and GRAMMY winner Jennifer Laura Thompson have played “Glinda” onstage.

Jessica Vosk, who plays “Elphaba,” aka The Wicked Witch of the West, had her own thoughts to share about the history-making accomplishment on Instagram:

"Miss Brittney Johnson is gracing the Gershwin stage as the first Glinda of color on Broadway. This is both deserved and integral to this show and the entire theatre community. The fact that she inspires all of us here is one thing. The fact that she is inspiring women all over the world to follow their dreams is simply life changing all around. This is what a Glinda looks like."

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