Rock History

2012 – Hundreds of mourners gathered at a Los Angeles-area church on Saturday to remember rhythm-and-blues singer Etta James, saying she overcame great personal and professional hurdles to sing “the times that she lived.”

During a two-hour service that featured performances by pop stars Stevie Wonder and Christina Aguilera, the Rev. Al Sharpton eulogized James as a woman who rose from a tough childhood and poured her pain into her music.

Aguilera performed a version of “At Last,” James’ show-stopping hit and best-known song.

James died at 73 at a Riverside, California, hospital on January 20 from complications of leukemia, prompting numerous tributes from artists and musicians who were influenced by her work, including Mariah Carey and Aretha Franklin.

“People need to understand that when they hear the music Etta James sang, she sang the times that she lived,” Sharpton told friends and family at Greater Bethany Church City of Refuge church in the Los Angeles suburb of Gardena.

“She put our pain and our dreams and our love and our need for one another in her vocal chords, but the difference between her and other artists is somehow you felt she meant what she was saying.”

James, who was born to a teenage single mother, won wide acclaim and three Grammys, but saw numerous ups-and-downs in her career and personal life…

Full article here:http://news.yahoo.com/blues-singer-etta-james-remembered-los-angeles-010206976.html

2012  – Pres Obama helps Al Green’s Sales Almost 500 Percent singing of ‘Let’s Stay Together’ at Apollo Theater.

 The YouTube Vid went Viral almost immediately.

WHO:
Performances by 14-time GRAMMY^®-winning artist Paul McCartney and other artists to be announced shortly.Attendees include Neil Portnow, President/CEO of MusiCares^® and The Recording Academy^®; Scott Pascucci, MusiCares Foundation Board Chair; and Paul Caine, MusiCares Board Chair Emeritus. Tribute co-chairs are John Eastman, Bob Iger, Sir George Martin, and Lorne Michaels.Tommy LiPuma is the evening’s musical director in association with David Paich. Past MusiCares Person of the Year honorees include Tony Bennett, Bono, Natalie Cole, Phil Collins, David Crosby, Neil Diamond, Gloria Estefan, Aretha Franklin, Don Henley, Billy Joel, Elton John, Quincy Jones, Luciano Pavarotti, Bonnie Raitt, Paul Simon, Sting, Barbra Streisand, James Taylor, Brian Wilson, Stevie Wonder, and Neil Young. In addition, a host of celebrities, along with prominent music industry and entertainment executives, are scheduled to attend.

WHAT:
Iconic artist and philanthropist Paul McCartney will be honored as the 2012 MusiCares Person of the Year at a special event celebrating his exceptional artistic achievements as well as his philanthropic work. Proceeds from the annual Person of the Year tribute — now in its 22nd year — provide essential support for MusiCares, which ensures that music people have a place to turn in times of financial, medical and personal need.

GALA:
The 2012 MusiCares Person of the Year gala will begin with a cocktail reception and silent auction sponsored bythe Starkey Hearing Foundation that will offer an exclusiveandunparalleled selection of luxury items, VIP experiences, and one-of-a-kind celebrity memorabilia for bidding guests. The auction will be followed by a gala dinner sponsored by AEG Live, and a star-studded tribute concert sponsored by Acura/ELS. This year’s red-carpet press arrivals area will be sponsored by Kinect for Xbox 360 and Dance Central 2. MusiCares would also like to thank Centerstaging –A SoundCheck LA Company, Classic Wines of California, Delta Airlines, Double Platinum, Gibson, Global Art, Heineken, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Jackson Limo, Korbel, Patron Spirits Company, Pepsi, and Sweetwater. The MusiCares Person of the Year tribute is one of the most prestigious events held during GRAMMY Week. The celebration culminates with the 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards on Sunday, Feb. 12 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles. The telecast will be broadcast live on the CBS Television Network at 8 p.m. ET/PT. This event is completely sold out.

WHY:
MusiCares offers programs and services to members of the music community including emergency financial assistance for basic living expenses including rent, utilities and car payments; medical expenses including doctor, dentist and hospital bills; psychotherapy; and treatment for HIV/AIDS, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, hepatitis C, and other critical illnesses. MusiCares offers nationwide educational workshops covering a variety of subjects, including financial, legal, medical and substance abuse issues, and programs in collaboration with healthcare professionals that provide services such as flu shots, hearing tests and medical/dental screenings. The MusiCares MAP Fund^® allows access to addiction recovery treatment and sober living resources for members of the music community. Staffed by qualified chemical dependency and intervention specialists, MusiCares Safe Harbor Rooms offer a support network to those in recovery while they are participating in the production of televised music shows and other major music events. MusiCares holds weekly addiction support groups for people to discuss how to best cope with the issues surrounding the recovery process. The MusiCares Sober Touring Network is a database of individuals across the United States who can take music people to recovery support meetings while on the road. For more information, please visit www.musicares.org.

WHERE:
Los Angeles Convention Center, West Hall
1201 S. Figueroa St.
Los Angeles, CA  90015

Parking:
West Hall Lot, off Cherry Street; cost: $12 (no valet available)

WHEN:                        Friday, Feb. 10, 2012
5 p.m.                           Media Check-In (at Gilbert Lindsay Plaza)
5:30 p.m.                      Red Carpet Arrivals, Cocktail Reception, and Silent Auction
7:30 p.m.                      Gala Dinner
9 p.m.                           Concert & Award Presentation

MEDIA R.S.V.P. MANDATORY: grammy@rogersandcowan.com

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: If you are interested in covering this event, you MUST request credentials no later than Weds., Feb. 1. Credentials will be picked up at media check-in on the day of the event. All crews must be self-contained, ENG crews. All satellite truck/van parking must be coordinated with Joe Schneiderno later than Weds., Feb. 1. ALL MEDIA MUST BE CREDENTIALED for this event.

Established in 1989 by The Recording Academy, MusiCares provides a safety net of critical assistance for music people in times of need. MusiCares’ services and resources cover a wide range of financial, medical and personal emergencies, and each case is treated with integrity and confidentiality. MusiCares also focuses the resources and attention of the music industry on human service issues that directly impact the health and welfare of the music community. For more information, please visit www.musicares.org. For breaking news and exclusive content, please like “MusiCares” on Facebook at www.facebook.com/musicaresand follow @MusiCares on Twitter at www.twitter.com/musicares.

Established in 1957, The Recording Academy is an organization of musicians, producers, engineers and recording professionals that is dedicated to improving the cultural condition and quality of life for music and its makers. Internationally known for the GRAMMY Awards — the preeminent peer-recognized award for musical excellence and the most credible brand in music — The Recording Academy is responsible for groundbreaking professional development, cultural enrichment, advocacy, education and human services programs. The Academy continues to focus on its mission of recognizing musical excellence, advocating for the well-being of music makers and ensuring music remains an indelible part of our culture. For more information about The Academy, please visit www.grammy.com. For breaking news and exclusive content, join the organization’s social networks as a Twitter follower at www.twitter.com/thegrammys, a Facebook fan at www.facebook.com/thegrammys, and aYouTube channel subscriber atwww.youtube.com/thegrammys.

2011 – Iron Maiden’s Number Of The Beast narrator Barry Clayton passes away on This Day in Rock History!

From: NME.COM First For Music News

December 30, 2011 16:33

Iron Maiden’s Number Of The Beast narrator Barry Clayton passes away

Barry Clayton, the man behind the spoken word introduction to Iron Maiden’s classic 1982 album ‘The Number Of The Beast’ has passed away. The passage from ‘The Number Of The Beast’ contains a seven-line excerpt from the passages of 12:12 and 13:18 from the Book of Revelations, which Clayton read. The album is largely viewed as Iron Maiden’s breakthrough album.

Clayton, who was also the voiceover artist for a large number of movie trailers, passed away this week. He was 80 years old, reports The Islington Tribune.

Clayon also acted as the producer for the Black Londoners radio programme for the BBC – the first black daily radio programme. He worked on the prgramme from its first airing in 1974 until 1988 when he left to join Capital Radio.

He also arranged for a Christmas link-up with Jamaica, Barbados and Trinidad for a Channel 4 special in 1981.

Iron Maiden, who are currently on a break after their extended world tour, have said that they plan to “make at least one more album” and have begun planning for the recording of the follow-up to 2010′s ‘The Final Frontier’, which was the 15th studio LP of the veteran band’s career.

2011 – Madonna: A 31-year-old man was arrested and  charged on Wednesday for illegally leaking an early recording of a new Madonna song on the internet on This Day in Rock. The Demo of “Give Me All Your Love” was posted on the web in November, two months before the planned release of Madonna’s first new album since 2008′s “Hard Candy.” This was in Spain… FYI

Intellectual property watchdgos have targeted Spain as one of the world’s largest copyright violators. The Socialist government, which left office this week, prepared a bill aimed at shutting down file-sharing web sites providing copyrighted material. But the law was never sent to Parliament.

2011 – Michael Jackson’s house contents fetch upwards of $1 million on This Day in Rock Music History. Just a month after Dr. Conrad Murray was convicted of involuntary manslaughter for Michael’s death by drug overdose, collectors rampaged the nearly 500 items from Jackson’s home that he rented in Los Angeles while preparing for his comeback Tour in London.

The  Beverly Hills gallery of Julien’s Auctions were filled to capacity, which included lots of paintings, furniture, Victorian Bedroom, 18th century french clock and ornaments. A pottery rooster holding a chalkboard with a note from Jackson’s children — Prince, Paris and Blanket — sold for $5,000.

2011 – Paul McCartney to debut 2012 with awesome cover tunes album on This Day in Rock Music History. Inspired by songs that influenced John and Paul in the early days of the Beatles, the album will also have two new originals.

“When I kind of got into songwriting, I realized how well structured these songs were, and I think I took a lot of my lessons from them,” McCartney said in a statement.

“I always thought artists like Fred Astaire were very cool. Writers like Harold Arlen, Cole Porter, all of those guys — I just thought the songs were magical. And then, as I got to be a songwriter I thought it’s beautiful, the way they made those songs.”

Working with Grammy-winning Diana Krall and producer Tommy LiPuma is a highlight for Paul. Approaching in a new way, he recorded all the vocals alone in a booth without music.

“It was very spontaneous, kind of organic, which then reminded me of the way we’d work with the Beatles. We’d bring a song in, kick it around, when we found a way to do it we’d say ‘Okay, let’s do a take now’ and by the time everyone kind of had an idea of what they were doing, we’d learnt the song. So that’s what we did, we did the take live in the studio,” said McCartney.

Also playing on the album are Stevie Wonder on “Only Our Hearts” and Eric Clapton on “My Valentine.”

2011 – ‘Frampton Comes Alive’ is celebrated on This Day in Rock Music History!

Peter Frampton, the legendary British guitarist, and founding member of Humble Pie and The Herd, kicks off the 35^th Anniversary UK Tour of his iconic multi-platinum album Frampton Comes Alive, performed in its entirety, along with highlights from his Grammy Award winning career, at the Manchester Bridgewater Hall on Friday 11^th November.

Frampton’s milestone double live album, which has sold over 17 million copies worldwide, will be performed in the UK for the very first time in its entirety in the UK at the following venues:

Manchester Bridgewater Hall                    Friday 11^th November

Cambridge Corn Exchange                           Saturday 12^th November (SOLD OUT)

London HMV Hammersmith Apollo       Sunday 13^th November

Birmingham Symphony Hall                       Tuesday 15^th November

Glasgow Royal Concert Hall                        Wednesday 16^th November

Featured in the Guinness Book of Records as the biggest selling double live album of all time, ‘Frampton Comes Alive’ includes the hit singles ‘Show Me The Way’, ‘Do You Feel Like We Do’, and ‘Baby, I Love Your Way’, along with highlights from Frampton’s extensive album catalogue.

Read the full press release and download hi res photos: www.noblepr.co.uk/Press_Releases/meanfiddler/PeterFrampton.htm.

For review tickets and photo passes, please contact:

Peter Noble and Will Taylor at Noble PR Consultancy

2011 – Adele Undergoes Vocal Cord Surgery on This Day in Rock Music History! Adele underwent microsurgery for a benign polyp on her vocal cords in Boston with a positive prognosis.

Doctors said, “Adele underwent vocal cord microsurgery by Dr. Steven Zeitels to stop recurrent vocal cord hemorrhage (bleeding) from a benign polyp,” read a statement from Massachusetts General Hospital, where the surgery took place. “This condition is typically the result of unstable blood vessels in the vocal cord that can rupture. Based on the advice of her doctor and voice therapist in the United Kingdom, Adele came to Boston to consult and undergo corrective voice surgery with Dr. Zeitels, the Director of the Massachusetts General Hospital Voice Center. … Dr. Zeitels expects Adele to make a full recovery from her laser microsurgery.”

2011 – Michael Jackson: Conrad Murray was convicted of involuntary manslaughter on This Day in Rock Music History! Conrad Faces up to 4 years in a California State Prison, but because of the changes in California law to alleviate over crowdedness, he is unlikely to spend any time in prison… which.. probably translates as this was probably just a show trial put on by sombody to further their already obese profits on another dead rock star.  Conspiracy?

His Lawyers will appeal… quoted as saying,

“What matters most right now is trying to keep Dr. Murray from taking up a prison cell in this community,” lead defense lawyer Ed Chernoff said. “That’s what we’re focusing on right now and we’ll deal with an appeal after that.”

2011 – Two years since Michael jackson Passed and he tops earnings for Dead Rock Stars on This Day in Rock Music History. Elvis is up on the list as well. John Lennon was No. 5 with $12 mill. Ah… that Magical Mystery Tour.

It’s been two years since Michael Jackson passed away at the age of 50 but the King of Pop’s earning power shows no sign of waning. For the second year in a row, Jackson tops our annual list of the Top-Earning Dead Celebrities. Over the past 12 months Jackson’s estate brought in $170 million from sales of his music and his stake in the Sony/ATV catalog. That’s a big drop from the $275 million Jackson earned in the previous 12 months but it’s still enough to make him the second highest-earning pop act over the past year, dead or alive, after U2.
The Cirque show “Viva Elvis” helped Elvis Presley rank second on our list with $55 million. Of course Presley’s iconic songs, like “Hound Dog” and ”Heartbreak Hotel,” still sell well and fans flock to Graceland. But a long-running Vegas show where tickets sell for as much as $175 a pop definitely gooses earnings. John Lennon, who ties for fifth on our list with $12 million, and George Harrison, tied for 13th with $6 million, both also benefited from Cirque. The show “Love,” based on Beatles music, has been running at The Mirage in Las Vegas since 2006.