Oklahoma singer Shelton to headline May 29 tornado relief benefit
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Oklahoma country singer Blake Shelton said on Friday that he will headline a concert to benefit the victims of the Oklahoma tornado that swept through the city of Moore earlier this week, leaving 24 dead and thousands homeless. Shelton, a native of Ada, Oklahoma, which is 75 miles northwest of Moore, said the "Healing in the Heartland: Relief Benefit Concert" will be held on May 29 at the Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, and will be televised live at 9 p.m. EDT on NBC. ...
One Direction sweeps awards for most popular social media stars
By Patrick Johnston SINGAPORE (Reuters) - British boy band One Direction has swept the inaugural awards recognizing the most popular people in social media globally, coming top in four out of 10 categories at a star-studded ceremony in Singapore. One Direction was named most popular music group, most popular UK musicians, most popular in the UK, and most popular in west Europe, at the Social Star Awards, but did not show up to collect their prizes, sending their thanks by videolink. ...
Singer and Piaf songwriter Georges Moustaki dies at 79
PARIS (Reuters) - French singer and songwriter Georges Moustaki, beloved in France for his songs celebrating liberty and collaborations with Edith Piaf, died on Thursday after a long illness. He was 79. The Greek-born singer grew up in Alexandria, Egypt, and arrived in Paris in 1951, where he began to play guitar at nightclubs and met some of the period's best-known singers. He was introduced to Edith Piaf in the late 1950s and started to write songs for the Parisian star, the most famous of which was "Milord" about a lower-class girl who falls in love with an upper-class British traveler. ...
Oklahoma country singer plans benefit for tornado victims
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Oklahoma country singer Blake Shelton is planning a televised benefit to raise money for victims of the massive tornado that swept through Moore, Oklahoma, this week, music magazine Billboard reported Wednesday. "The Voice" judge Shelton, a native of Ada, Oklahoma, which is 75 miles northwest of Moore, said he would have more information on the NBC concert in the next 24 hours. "I'm hoping it will raise a lot of money. Obviously it will be televised and will happen really quickly," Shelton told Billboard after the conclusion of Tuesday's "The Voice. ...
Indie rockers Vampire Weekend top Billboard album chart
By Eric Kelsey LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Indie rock band Vampire Weekend on Wednesday grabbed the top spot on the weekly Billboard 200 album chart, besting new albums from country legend George Strait and pop singer Demi Lovato. "Modern Vampires of the City" sold 134,000 copies in its first week, according to figures compiled by Nielsen SoundScan, and became the second album to debut at the top of the weekly Billboard 200 for the New York-based rockers. It was also the first independently distributed album to debut at No. ...
Carole King hits D.C. for Gershwin salute
By Ira Teinowitz LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Washington is truly feeling the earth move this week as singer-songwriter Carole King is honored with the Library of Congress's Gershwin Prize for popular song and then saluted in two concerts, one in the White House. King is becoming the first female songwriter to win the prize, which was won by Stevie Wonder in 2009, Paul McCartney in 2010, and the songwriting team of Burt Bacharach and Hal David in 2012. ...
