2016 Music News
Music News
2016 News
The 2018 Grammy Awards nominees were announced.
Nominees for Album of the Year are:
• Childish Gambino - Awaken My Love!,
• JAY-Z - 4:44,
• Kendrick Lamar - DAMN,
• Lorde - Melodrama, and
• Bruno Mars - 24K Magic
For Record of the Year:
• Childish Gambino -
Redbone,
• Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee -
Despacito,
• Jay-Z -
The Story of O.J,
• Kendrick Lamar -
Humble, and
Bruno Mars -
24K Magic
And for Best New Artist:
• Alessia Cara,
• Khalid,
• Lil Uzi Vert,
• Julia Michaels, and
• SZA
David Cassidy,
former teen idol best known for his role as Keith Partridge on The Partridge Family,
passed away at the age of 67 from liver failure. He had previously battled bouts of dementia.
(In Memoriam: April 12, 1950 – November 21, 2017)
George Michael
(of solo fame and from
Wham!)
passed away on Christmas Day at the age of 53.
Heart failure was the reported cause of death.
(In Memoriam: June 25th, 1963 - December 25th, 2016)
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced that
Pearl Jam,
Tupac Shakur,
Joan Baez,
Journey,
Electric Light Orchestra and
Yes
will be inducted into the Hall in 2017.
Chic's
Nile Rodgers will receive the Award for Musical Excellence at the ceremony,
which will take place at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center on April 7th, 2017.
Camila Cabello has parted ways with
Fifth Harmony.
They will continue as a foursome.
Cabello informed the members of her decision via her representatives.
According to Spotify,
Coldplay
is the most streamed band in the world, with 5 billion
cumulative streams.
The 2017 Golden Globe nominees for Best Original Song were released. The nominees are:
• Can't Stop The Feeling
by Justin Timberlake
from
Trolls
• Gold
by
Iggy Pop
and
Danger Mouse
from the movie Gold.
• City of Stars
by Ryan Gosling
from
La La Land
• Faith
by Stevie Wonder
and Ariana Grande
from
Sing
and How Far I'll Go
by Auli'i Cravalho
from
Moana
Mick Jagger
has become a father for eighth time, at the age of 73.
The mother of his new sun is Melanie Hamrick, age 29, who has been in a relationship
with Jagger for about two years.
Greg Lake of
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
and
King Crimson
passed away at the age of 69
after "a long and stubborn battle with cancer."
(In Memoriam: November 10th, 1947 - December 7th, 2016)
Anthony Gonzalez of
M83
will be the composer and musical director of a
new Cirque du Soleil show called VOLTA.
The new production will be about "the adventurous spirit that fuels the culture of action sports."
Taylor Swift
was the highest paid musician of the year according to Forbes,
earning $170 million.
One Direction
was second with $110 million and
Adele was third with $80 and a half million.
It was announced James Corden will replace
LL Cool J
as host of
this years Grammy's, ending LL's 5 year run.
The Grammy Awards will take place February 12th, 2017.
Kanye West
was hospitalized shortly after canceling his Saint Pablo Tour.
This was following a pair of controversial rants he made during his last two shows.
His private doctor called 911 to report a patient
"who suffers from temporary psychosis due to sleep deprivation and dehydration".
At this year's American Music Awards,
Ariana Grande
won Artist of the Year, New Artist of the Year went to
Zayn,
Favorite Male Artist went to
Justin Bieber,
Favorite Female Artist went to
Selena Gomez,
And Sting
won the
American Music Award Of Merit.
Sharon Jones, the front-woman for her soul group
Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings,
passed away from complications from pancreatic cancer at the age of 60.
(In Memoriam: May 4th, 1956 - November 18th, 2016)
Leon Russell,
who was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2011,
passed away in
Nashville at the age of 74.
(In Memoriam: April 2, 1942 - November 13th, 2016)
David Bowie's
art and design collection sold for $41 million at Sotheby's auction.
The works sold represent about 65% of Bowie's total collection.
The rest will remain with his family and estate.
Legendary singer/songwriter
Leonard Cohen
passed away at the age of 82.
He died during his sleep following a fall in the middle of the night.
He was most famous for his song
Hallelujah,
which has been covered by countless artists over the years.
(In Memoriam: September 21st, 1934 - November 7th, 2016 )
Little Big Town's
recently released Better Man
was actually written by
Taylor Swift.
It's the first country song released that she's wrote since 2012.
Garth Brooks
won Entertainer of the Year at this year's Country Music Association Awards.
Other winners at the 50th CMAs include:
Eric Church
for Album of the Year
(Mr. Misunderstood),
Carrie Underwood
for Female Vocalist of the Year,
Chris Stapleton
for
Male Vocalist of the Year,
Little Big Town
for
Vocal Group of the Year,
Tim McGraw
for
Song of the Year
(Humble and Kind),
and
New Artist of the Year
went to
Maren Morris.
A Tribe Called Quest
announced a new, and final album, which went into production last fall.
The still untitled album will be released November 11th.
Kevin Gates
was sentenced to 180 days in prison for battery charges. This was over an incident
last year where he kicked a female fan after she touched his shorts
at a show in Florida.
The nominations for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for 2017 were released.
The list includes
2Pac,
Bad Brains,
The Cars,
Chaka Khan,
Chic,
Depeche Mode,
Electric Light Orchestra,
Jane's Addiction,
Janet Jackson,
J. Geils Band,
Joan Baez,
Joe Tex,
Journey,
Kraftwerk,
MC5,
Pearl Jam,
Steppenwolf,
Yes and
The Zombies.
The artists with the most votes will be announced in December and inducted next April at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
Pete Burns, lead singer of
Dead or Alive
passed away at the age of at 57 from a heart attack.
They were best know for their 80's hit
You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)
(In Memoriam: August 5th, 1959 – October 23rd, 2016)
Common
will produce a new Fox comedy called "93 till Infinity" .
The series will focus on a ’90s rapper who’s “struggling in present day to figure out the next chapter of his life.”
Bob Dylan
was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature
"for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition".
He is the first musician to receive it.
Depeche Mode
announced a new album titled "Spirit",
to be released in spring 2017.
The Rolling Stones
have announced their first new album in over a decade.
It will be called "Blue & Lonesome" and come out December 2nd.
The Ramones
will have a street named after them in Queens, N.Y.
The new street is in front of Forest Hills High School and called
"Ramones Away". It'll be unveiled on October 23rd.
Kid Cudi
announced on Facebook that he's entered rehab after battling depression and "suicidal urges."
Rod Temperton, the writer of
Michael Jackson's
Thriller
and
Rock With You,
passed away at the age of 66.
Gwen Stefani
is producing a kids show called
Kuu Kuu Harajuku.
"G" and four Harajuku girl characters, "Love", "Angel", "Music", and "Baby",
are members of a crime-fighting pop band called HJ5.
It debuted on Nickelodeon on October 3rd.
Toni Braxton
is reportedly in “serious condition” after being hospitalized for lupus related complications
She first announced her lupus diagnosis in 2010.
A group of celebrities were convinced to invest to become part owner's of the UFC (the mixed martial arts promotion company).
The list includes: Ben Affleck, Tom Brady, Mark Wahlberg,
Adam Levine
(of
Maroon 5),
Cam Newton, Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Maria Sharapova,
The Weeknd,
Anthony Kiedis & Flea (of
Red Hot Chili Peppers),
Li Na, Guy Fieri,
Calvin Harris,
LL Cool J,
Michael Bay, Trey Parker, Tyler Perry, Jimmy Kimmel, and Sylvester Stallone.
Bruce Springsteen
named his top 5 favorite songs on Late Night with Stephen Colbert.
His picks were:
Born to Run,
The Rising,
Thunder Road,
Nebraska,
Racing in the Street
(or Jungleland)
It was announced
Lady Gaga
will headline the 2017 Super Bowl halftime show.
Kaytranada
won the 2016 Polaris Prize for his debut studio album 99.9%.
The award honors the best full-length album by a Canadian artist and comes with
$38,000 prize.
Coolio
was arrested at the Los Angeles Airport on suspicion of possessing a loaded stolen firearm,
found during a bag screening.
He is currently on tour with "I Love the ’90s" featuring
Salt-n-Pepa
and
Vanilla Ice.
Skepta
won U.K's Mercury Prize this year, beating out
David Bowie,
Radiohead,
ANOHNI,
The 1975 and more.
Bobby Shmurda
(famous for Hot Boy)
accepted the plea deal for a seven-year prison sentence.
He was arrested in late 2014 as part of a drug-trafficking sting, along with several other
members of GS9, a gang to which he allegedly belonged.
His pretrial incarceration will be taken into account and he'll probably be out in about 3 1/2 years.
Chris Brown
was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon. He was later released on $250,000 bail.
He maintains is innocence and that it was a "set-up".
His first court date will be September 20th.
Jerry Heller, former manager of
N.W.A.,
passed away at the age of 75. He suffered from a heart attack while driving, resulting in an auto accident.
He was famously played by Paul Giamatti in the movie
Straight Outta Compton.
Actor Gene Wilder passed away at the age of 83,
at home in Stamford, Connecticut, from complications of Alzheimer's disease.
Remembering the magic:
Pure Imagination
(In Memoriam: June 11, 1933 - August 28, 2016)
Beyonce
was the big winner at the 2016 MTV VMA's with 8 wins, including
Video of the Year and Best Pop Video for Formation,
and Best Female Video for Hold Up.
Best Male Video went to
Calvin Harris for
This Is What You Came For,
Best Hip-Hop Video went to
Drake for
Hotline Bling,
Best Rock Video went to
twenty one pilots for
Heathens,
Best New Artist went to
DNCE,
and Rihanna
received the Video Vanguard Award.
A plaque was dedicated to
David Bowie
in Berlin, Germany,
located where he resided with
Iggy Pop
from 1976 to 1978.
During that time, he recorded his Berlin Trilogy albums: Low, Heroes and Lodger.
Heroes
was said to be inspired by Bowie watching his producer Tony Visconti kiss his girlfriend at the Berlin Wall.
Keyboardist James Woolley, who played with
Nine Inch Nails
from 1991 to 1994, died at the age of 50.
(September 26, 1966 – August 14, 2016)
The Weeknd
donated $250,000 to the Black Lives Matter Network.
A few days earlier he
donated $50,000 to the University Of Toronto in order to fund a new Ethiopic Studies program.
He himself is of Ethiopian descent.
The nominees for the
U.K.'s Mercury Prize was released. The nominees include:
ANOHNI,
Bat For Lashes,
David Bowie,
Radiohead,
Savages,
and
The 1975.
The prestigious award also comes with a £25,000 prize. The winner will be announced
September 15th.
At this year's Teen Choice Awards,
Justin Bieber
won for Choice Male Artist,
Selena Gomez
won for Choice Female Artist,
One Direction
won for Choice Music Group,
Beyonce
won for Choice R&B/Hip-Hop Artist,
Carrie Underwood
won for Choice Country Artist and
Zayn
won the Choice Music Breakout Artist.
Justin Timberlake
was also there to receive the "Decade Award" from Kobe Bryant.
MTV announced the nominees for the 2016 Video Music Awards,
which will air Sunday, August 28th.
Beyonce
leads the back with 11 nominations, while
Adele received 8.
The nominees for video of the year are:
Adele for
Hello,
Beyonce for
Formation,
Drake for
Hotline Bling,
Justin Bieber for
Sorry and
Kanye West for
Famous
Beyonce's
HBO special
Lemonade
has been nominated for four Emmy awards. It's up for Outstanding Variety Special, Outstanding Production
Design for a Variety, Nonfiction, Event or Award Special, and Outstanding Picture Editing for Variety Programming.
Longtime bassist Cliff Williams is retiring from
AC/DC,
after the band wraps its current tour.
Their current tour put them on Forbes' 2016 Top Earning Celebrity List
at 17
(Taylor Swift
topped the list).
25 people had to go to the hospital after a
Kenny Chesney
concert at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh for intoxication related injuries,
after fights broke out.
Steven Tyler
told Howard Stern that
Aerosmith
will retire after
a final farewell tour in 2017.
Led Zeppelin
won their Stairway To Heaven copyright case.
A jury of eight ruled in favor of Zeppelin, taking less than a day to decide.
The bassist of the group
Spirit
had claimed the
opening sounded like their song
Taurus.
50 Cent
was arrested for swearing.
He headlined a festival in the Caribbean island nation of St. Kitts and Nevis.
After the show, local police picked him up for using the word "motherf**ker" in his set.
It’s illegal to curse in public in St. Kitts, and he was warned before hand.
Attrell Cordes aka Prince Be of
P.M. Dawn
passed away at the age of 46.
The cause of death was kidney disease resulting from diabetes.
(In Memoriam: May 19, 1970 - June 17, 2016)
Hamilton
took home 11 Tonys at the 2016 Tony Awards, just one short of matching
The Producers'
record for most wins. The awards included Best Musical, Best Lead Actor (for Leslie Odom Jr.),
Best Book of a Musical, and Best Original Score.
Christina Grimmie,
who finished third in Season 6 of
The Voice,
was fatally shot while signing autographs following her show at the Plaza Live Theater in Orlando, Florida.
(In Memoriam: March 12, 1994 - June 11, 2016)
Supergroup
Prophets of Rage
play their first show and announce a massive U.S. tour to follow.
The group features Tom Morello, Tim Commerford, Brad Wilk, Chuck D, and B-Real.
A sequel to the 1979 film Quadrophenia, inspired by the
The Who's
1973 album of the same name,
will reportedly start filming in London this summer.
It will be 37 years since the original first debuted.
The season 10 winner of
The Voice
was announced.
Chance The Rapper's
new album mixtape Coloring Book
is the first to debut in the top ten of the Billboard 200 from streaming alone.
Rage Against the Machine,
Public Enemy and
Cypress Hill
members are forming a new supergroup "Prophets of Rage"
(which is also a song by Public Enemy
).
It will feature Tom Morello, Tim Commerford, Brad Wilk, Chuck D, and B-Real.
Nick Menza, a former drummer for
Megadeth
passed away on stage from a heart attack, during a show with his latest band OHM. He was 51.
(In Memoriam: July 23, 1964 - May 21, 2016)
Original members of
The Misfits,
Glenn Danzig and Jerry Only, will reunite for Riot Fest for the first time since 1983.
Riot Fest will
take place September 2-4 in Denver and September 16-18 in Chicago.
Laura Jane Grace, transgender frontman of
Against Me!,
burned her birth certificate in protest during their
North Carolina show, saying "Goodbye, gender".
Janet Jackson
releases the video for
Dammn Baby,
hinting at rumors that she is pregnant with her first child at the age of 49.
Desert Trip, dubbed 'Oldchella' will take place October 6-9th. Headliners
The Rolling Stones,
Bob Dylan,
Paul McCartney,
Neil Young,
Roger Waters,
and
The Who
will all be on the same bill for the first time.
Music icon
Prince
passes away at the age of 57.
He died at his Paisley Park recording studio and home in Chanhassen, Minnesota,
reportedly after overdosing on the addictive painkiller Percocet
(first used after hip surgery in 2010).
(In Memoriam: June 7th, 1958 – April 21st, 2016 )
Ludacris
will host the 2016 Billboard Music Awards on May 22nd,
for the 3rd time in a row.
Ciara
will co-host.
Celine Dion
is set to perform and receive the ICON Award at the ceremony.
Trent Reznor (of
Nine Inch Nails),
Eddie Vedder (of
Pearl Jam),
and Sky Ferreira
will appear in the new 'Twin Peaks', set to air in early 2017 on Showtime.
AC/DC
announced that due to lead vocalist Brian Johnson being unable to tour,
Guns N’ Roses'
Axl Rose will replace him on the remainder of their tour.
Bruce Springsteen
canceled his show in in Greensboro, North Carolina to protest the state's controversial
"Bathroom Bill". Pearl Jam
followed his lead and canceled their upcoming show as well.
Axl Rose
broke his foot, but will continue to perform the
Guns N’ Roses
reunion shows in a cast.
Dave Grohl (of
Foo Fighters)
loaned him the same rock 'n roll throne he used when he broke his leg on tour last year
The winner of the final season of
American Idol
was announced.
Country legend
Merle Haggard
passes away on his 79th birthday. He had been suffering health issues related to double pneumonia.
(In Memoriam: April 6, 1937 - April 6, 2016 )
70's souls singer Leon Haywood
died in his sleep at his home in Los Angeles.
(In Memoriam: February 11, 1942 - April 5, 2016 )
David Barrett's
One Shining Moment
played at the conclusion of the NCAA championship on April 4th, marking the 30th straight year it's been played.
CBS and Turner faced backlash when they announced it would not be
Luther Vandross' version.
Miley Cyrus
and
Alicia Keys
will be coaches on the next season of
The Voice,
replacing
Gwen Stefani
and
Pharrell Williams
for season 11.
Malik "Phife Dog" Taylor, of
A Tribe Called Quest,
died at the age of 45
due to complications relating to diabetes.
(In Memoriam: November 20, 1970 – March 22, 2016 )
Frank Sinatra, Jr., son of
Frank Sinatra,
passed away at the age of 72. He died unexpectedly of cardiac arrest while on tour in Daytona Beach, Florida.
(In Memoriam: January 10, 1944 – March 16, 2016 )
Elvis Costello,
Tom Petty and
Marvin Gaye
will be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame at this year's 47th annual ceremony.
It will be held on June 9th in New York City.
Majical Cloudz
announced the band is breaking up.
Keith Emerson, of
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
passed away at the age of 71. He died from an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head,
after suffering from depression and a degenerative nerve issue.
(In Memoriam: November 2, 1944 – March 10, 2016 )
Lana Rae, wife of Randy Meisner, bassist and co-founder of the
Eagles,
died after accidentally shooting herself. Authorities placed him on psychiatric hold following the shooting.
The Oscar for
"Best Original Song" at this year's Academy Awards went to
Writing’s on the Wall by
Sam Smith
from Spectre
The 2016 BRIT Award took place in London. The winners included:
Adele for Best British Female,
James Bay for Best British Male,
Coldplay for Best British Group
Adele also won for
Best British Single - Hello
and
Best British Album of the Year - 25
David Bowie was
posthumously awarded the Icon Award.
Damon Albarn
(of Blur &
Gorillaz)
is now a 'Local King' in the country of Mali. He was honored with the tile and had a school of music named after
him for his work in supporting music in Mali.
The 2016 Grammy Award winners included:
Song Of The Year: Ed Sheeran - Thinking Out Loud
Record Of The Year: Mark Ronson with Bruno Mars - Uptown Funk
Album Of The Year: Taylor Swift - 1989
While Best New Artist went to Meghan Trainor
Kanye West
debuted his new album
The Life of Pablo
alongside his Yeezy Season 3 fashion show at Madison Square Garden.
On twitter he defended the lyrics aimed at
Taylor Swift
on the track
Famous
that some found derogatory.
Taylor Swift
responded in her acceptance speech at the Grammys.
DMX
was revived by the police after passing out from an alleged overdose. He is now reportedly doing fine.
Beyonce
announced a 2016 world tour following her perfomance of
Formation
at Super Bowl 50.
The Monkees
are planning an upcoming summer tour and new album in celebration of their 50th anniversary.
Maurice White, one of the founders of
Earth, Wind & Fire
passed away at the age of 74. He died in his sleep after a lengthy battle with Parkinson's.
(In Memoriam: December 19, 1941 – February 3, 2016 )
The JUNO awards (Canada's version of the Grammys) announced their nominees.
Artist of the Year nominations include
City and Colour,
Shawn Mendes,
Drake,
Justin Bieber and
The Weeknd.
Trevor Powers announced he's dissolving the band
Youth Lagoon
after their upcoming tour.
Signe Anderson, original vocalist from
Jefferson Airplane
passed away at the age of 74. The same day former bandmate Paul Kanter also passed away.
(In Memoriam: September 15, 1941 – January 28, 2016 )
The Electronic Music Awards, a new awards show to honor the best in Electronic music,
has been announced. They will air on April 23rd on Fox.
Paul Oakenfold
is producing it.
Rostam Batmanglij, one of the founding members of
Vampire Weekend
announced he's leaving the band.
Glenn Frey, founding member and guitarist of
The Eagles
passed away at the age of 67. He succumbed to complications from rheumatoid arthritis and pneumonia.
(In Memoriam: November 6, 1948 – January 18, 2016 )
Celine Dion's
husband, Rene Angelil, passed away from cancer at the age of 73. (January 16, 1942 - January 14, 2016).
Two days later her older brother passed as well at the age of 59, also from throat cancer.
The Academy Award Nominees for "Best Original Song" at this year's Oscar's were announced:
• from Spectre,
Writing’s on the Wall by
Sam Smith
• from The Hunting Ground,
Til it Happens to You by
Lady Gaga
• from Fifty Shades of Grey ,
Earned It by
Weeknd
• from Racing Extinction,
Manta Ray by
J. Ralph and
Antony
and
from Youth,
Simple Song #3 by
David Lang
David Bowie
passed away at the age of 69, after an 18 month battle with liver cancer.
(In Memoriam: January 8th, 1947 - January 10th, 2016 )
Mos Def
was arrested in South Africa for traveling with a fake passport. He said he was using a 'world passport',
which is not a thing.
The Academy Award Nominees for "Best Original Song" at this year's Oscar's were announced:
• from Spectre,
Writing’s on the Wall by
Sam Smith
• from The Hunting Ground,
Til it Happens to You by
Lady Gaga
• from Fifty Shades of Grey ,
Earned It by
Weeknd
• from Racing Extinction,
Manta Ray by
J. Ralph and
Antony
and
from Youth,
Simple Song #3 by
David Lang
Lady Gaga
won the 2016 Golden Globe for "Best Actress in Miniseries or Television Film"
for her role in American Horror Story: Hotel.
Sam Smith
won the 2016 Golden Globe for "Best Original Song"
for
Writing’s on the Wall
from Spectre.
The line-up to this year's
Coachella
was announced. A re-united
Guns N Roses
will headline.
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