MUSIC NEWS: WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 18, 2016
GRAMMY PERFORMANCES NEXT MONTH
John Legend, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban and Metallica are set to perform at the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles next month.
Underwood and Urban are both up for Grammys this year.
Underwood's ``Church Bells'' and Urban's ``Blue Ain't Your Color''
are nominated for best country solo performance. Urban's ``Ripcord''
is also up for best country album. Metallica singer James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich are nominated for best rock song for ``Hardwired.''
Additional acts will be named ahead of the Feb. 12 show. It will be broadcast on CBS and hosted by ``Late Late Show'' host James Corden.
---
SAM MOORE - INAUGURATION
Sam Moore of Sam and Dave will be Jennifer Holliday's replacement at the Make America Great Again! Welcome Celebration tomorrow at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. Moore says he had planned to go anyway to hear Holliday sing, and when she backed out, he offered his services. Moore says he doesn't know U-S President-elect Donald Trump personally but adds, ``He's got a big mouth, like me.'' He says, ``I am not going to let them, the left side, intimidate me from doing what I feel is the right thing to do for the country and that (presidential) seal.'' Moore has performed for five presidents.
---
GARTH BROOKS - INAUGURATION
The reason Garth Brooks is not playing the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump is...Cincinnati. Brooks took questions in a Facebook Live session this week and says the inauguration talk began in December when gossip site T-M-Z stuck a camera in his face and asked if he would perform. Brooks had not been asked to play but called it ``an honour to serve.'' Brooks says when Trump's transition team did extend an invitation, he said he'd do it depending on how his ticket sales were in Cincinnati. Demand in Cincinnati was strong enough for Brooks to book three more shows there this weekend. Brooks says his advice to fans about Barack Obama leaving office and Trump coming in is the same: ``Pray for him and his family.''
---
ED SHEERAN - CHART HISTORY
For the first time in the 58-year history of the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, an artist has debuted two singles in the top 10 at the same time. Ed Sheeran's song ``Shape of You'' premieres in the top spot, while ``Castle on the Hill'' debuts at number 6. Sheeran says it's ``amazing'' to debut at number one in the U-S after being away so long, and having two songs debut at the top 10 has left him ``speechless.'' Overseas, it's even more impressive. The two songs debuted at number one and number two on the charts in the U-K, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Switzerland, France and Ireland.
---
JUSTIN BIEBER - IMPOSTER BUSTED
A 24-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly convincing a nine-year-old girl to send him nude pictures by pretending to be Justin Bieber. Los Angeles authorities say Bryan Asrary was detained December 18th near Boston. Officials say the victim, who is now 11, was visiting Bieber's Instagram page when she received a message from another user promising a text meeting with Bieber. Officials say Asrary posed as Bieber on the social platform KIK and threatened to harm the girl if she didn't send nude photos.
They say he threatened to put them online if the girl did not send more. The victim told her mother, who called police.
---
MASSACHUSETTS - LIVINGSTON TAYLOR DAY
Today is Livingston Taylor Day in Massachusetts.
Governor Charlie Baker and Boston Mayor Marty Walsh have made the proclamation to celebrate Taylor's 50 years in the music business.
Taylor's new album, ``Safe Home,'' comes out March 3rd.
---
JUDY COLLINS - BOOK
You may have never thought of Judy Collins as fat, but she did. Collins was a compulsive overeater who tried multiple diets, and when they didn't work, she would turn to alcohol. She now enjoys good health by eating unprocessed foods in carefully measured portions. Collins has written a book about her struggle, called ``Cravings: How I Conquered Food.'' The book alternates chapters between stories from Collins' life and the diet gurus whose advice she tried. ``Cravings'' comes out February 28th.
---
(The Associated Press)
MUSIC JUNOS
Buffy Sainte-Marie has collected numerous accolades over her career, but this year organizers at the Juno Awards will honour what she's done for others.
The singer and social activist will be recipient of the 2017 Allan Waters Humanitarian Award during a Juno Awards gala dinner in April.
The tribute is reserved for Canadian musicians who have left a positive impact on their community.
Organizers at the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences say Sainte-Marie ``exemplifies the essence of humanitarianism'' through her dedication to protecting indigenous communities and indigenous intellectual property.
In 1969, Sainte-Marie founded a non-profit foundation dedicated to the improvement of Native American education, and also wrote peace anthems ``Universal Soldier,'' which spoke out against war.
Since its first presentation in 2006 the humanitarian award has been given to artists that include Bruce Cockburn, Sarah McLachlan, Rush and members of Arcade Fire. Saint-Marie will receive the award in Ottawa on April 1, the day before the televised Juno Awards ceremony.
(The Canadian Press)
