Best Bets for April 8-10, 2011: Cody Canada & The Departed, Kings of Leon and the Easter bunny
Valery Kuleshov
1. Hear Oklahoma-Texas band Cody Canada & The Departed at 10 p.m. Saturday at the Wormy Dog Saloon, 311 E Sheridan. Doors open at 6 p.m. Information: 601-6276 or www.wormydog.com.
2. Get a jump on Easter during the monthly Live on the Plaza art walk from 7 to 11 tonight in the Plaza District, NW 16 between Indiana and Blackwelder. The annual all-ages Easter egg hunt will start at 7 p.m. in front of Lyric on the Plaza, 1725 NW 16, and the Easter Bunny will be hopping through the district. Information: 367-9403 or www.plazadistrict.org.
3. Laugh at significant events that never happened as OKC Improv presents the premiere of Alternate History at 8 p.m. Saturday at Ghostlight Theatre Club, 3110 N Walker. The new long-form improv show is inspired by the work of Oklahoma writer Jeff Provine, who explores alternative history in his work. Information: 343-1570 or www.okcimprov.com.
4. Listen to the Oklahoma City Philharmonic and pianist Valery Kuleshov perform “Progressive Madness” at 8 p.m. Saturday at Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N Walker. Information: 842-5387 or www.okcphilharmonic.org.
5. TULSA — Hear rockers Kings of Leon, who have Oklahoma City ties, and Band of Horses at 7:30 tonight at the BOK Center, 200 S Denver. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Information: (866) 726-5287 or www.bokcenter.com.
-BAM
What to do in Oklahoma on April 8, 2011: Hear Kings of Leon and Band of Horses in Tulsa
Kings of Leon (AP file photo)
Today’s featured event:
TULSA — Hear rockers Kings of Leon, who have Oklahoma City ties, and Band of Horses at 7:30 tonight at the BOK Center, 200 S Denver. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Information: (866) 726-5287 or www.bokcenter.com.
For more events, go to www.wimgo.com.
-BAM
Video: Trailer for new documentary “Talihina Sky: The Story of Kings of Leon” debuts
Grammy-winning multiplatinum rockers Kings of Leon, who have Oklahoma ties, have unveiled the trailer for their new rock documentary “Talihina Sky: The Story of the Kings of Leon,” which has been selected for this year’s Tribeca Film Festival in New York City.
Stephen C. Mitchell’s rock doc will be shown as a special work-in-progress screening during the 10th annual festival, set for April 20 to May 1 in lower Manhattan.
The title of the film is taken from a hidden track on the family band’s 2003 debut album, “Youth and Young Manhood,” which in turn in taken from an Oklahoma town whose welcome sign is glimpsed in the trailer.
The film centers on the Followill boys’ – brothers Nathan (drums, vocals), Caleb (vocals, guitar) and Jared (bass) and first cousin Matthew Followill (lead guitar) – struggles to reconcile their strict religious upbringing with their rock ‘n’ roll career and lifestyle.
The brothers spent most of their childhood in the ’80s and ’90s crisscrossing the Bible Belt between Memphis and Oklahoma City, riding in a purple ’88 Olds with their traveling Pentecostal minister dad, Leon, and their mother, Betty-Ann, in the ’80s and ’90s. Caleb and Jared were both born in Mt. Juliet, Tenn., while Nathan and Matthew were born in Oklahoma City. The band, which is playing Friday at Tulsa’s BOK Center, is now based in Tennessee.
Once the brothers and Matthew started the band, their colorful background was used to hype them, first in the British press and then in the United States. They named themselves Kings of Leon in honor of Nathan, Caleb, and Jared’s father (Matthew’s uncle) and grandfather, who were both named Leon.
The documentary looks very intriguing, and it will be interesting to see if “Talihina Sky” can rival The Flaming Lips chronicle “The Fearless Freaks” as the most fascinating rock doc about a band with Oklahoma ties.
But “Talihina Sky” won’t be the only rockumentary with an Oklahoma connection at Tribeca this year.
The world premiere of director Cameron Crowe’s (“Almost Famous,” “Jerry Maguire”) Elton John/Leon Russell documentary “The Union” will open the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival, presented by American Express.
A performance by John will follow the free, outdoor screening to kick off the festival’s 10th edition and thank the New York City community for its ongoing support. “The Union” will premiere on Wednesday, April 20 at the North Cove at the World Financial Plaza.
“The Union” is an unprecedented and personal look at the creative life of John and the remarkable collaborative album he made with Oklahoma music icon Russell, produced by T-Bone Burnett. Begun in November 2009, the filming captures the entire writing and recording process of the heralded album John recorded with his early-career idol.
Never before filmed in his composing process, John’s creation of “The Union” is billed as an extremely candid portrait of one of the world’s most treasured artists and performers, and his extraordinary journey of the heart — one that sent him to powerfully reclaim and reinvigorate the life and musical career of Russell, to whom John hadn’t spoken in more than 38 years.
-BAM
Kings of Leon documentary, Tim Blake Nelson film added to New York’s Tribeca Film Festival
Kings of Leon
The 2011 Tribeca Film Festival has added two more films to its feature lineup, both with Oklahoma ties: a world premiere of Tony Kaye’s drama “Detachment” and a work-in-progress screening of Stephen C. Mitchell’s “Talihina Sky: The Story of Kings of Leon.” The 10th edition of the festival will take place from April 20 to May 1 in lower Manhattan.
“Detachment” is the latest absorbing, multi-layered character study by Tony Kaye (“American History X”), chronicling the intertwining lives of several high school teachers, administrators and students. Adrien Brody leads a star-studded cast that includes Tulsa-born and bred actor Tim Blake Nelson, Christina Hendricks, Lucy Liu, James Caan, Marcia Gay Harden, Blythe Danner, William Petersen and Bryan Cranston.
“Talihina Sky” is a billed as an energetic, behind-the-scenes look at multiplatinum rockers Kings of Leon, who had a remarkable rise from Pentecostal Southern roots to the top of the charts. The Grammy-winning family band, which is playing Friday at Tulsa’s BOK Center, includes Oklahoma City-born members Matthew and Nathan Followill
Tim Blake Nelson
“Detachment” will debut as part of the Spotlight section at the Tribeca Film Festival, while “Talihina Sky: The Story of Kings of Leon” will be a special screening.
“We’re thrilled that we were able to include both of these films in the lineup,” said David Kwok, Director of Programming, in a news release. “Both complement the program well. ‘Talihina Sky’ caps off a strong year of music films, and ‘Detachment’ adds to the distinct dramas that we’re presenting, and it’s great that it’s set in New York and made here.”
Here is the more information on the films:
- “Detachment,” directed by Tony Kaye, written by Carl Lund. (USA) – World Premiere, Narrative. Director Tony Kaye creates a unique and stylized portrait of the American education system seen through the eyes of substitute teacher Henry Barthes. Henry wanders in and out of students’ lives, imparting knowledge where he can in the short time he has with them. Then a new assignment places him at a failing public school run by Principal Dearden and alters his insular world. Henry’s stoic front is slowly chipped away by three women who impact his view on life: a student, a fellow teacher, and a teenage runaway.
- “Talihina Sky: The Story of Kings of Leon,” directed by Stephen C. Mitchell. (USA) – Work in Progress, Documentary. Who are Kings of Leon? This energetic, behind-the-scenes documentary provides some fascinating insight for fans and non-fans alike. Known now as an all-American rock-and-roll band with millions of fans around the world, Kings of Leon remind us that they will never forget their strict Pentecostal upbringing or rough-and-tumble backcountry roots. In fact, that may just be what makes them unstoppable.
“Talihina Sky” won’t be the only music film with Oklahoma ties at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival: The world premiere of director Cameron Crowe’s (“Almost Famous,” “Jerry Maguire”) Elton John/Leon Russell documentary “The Union” will open the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival, presented by American Express.
A performance by John will follow the free, outdoor screening to kick off the festival’s 10th edition and thank the New York City community for its ongoing support. “The Union” will premiere on Wednesday, April 20 at the North Cove at the World Financial Plaza.
“The Union” is an unprecedented and personal look at the creative life of John and the remarkable collaborative album he made with Oklahoma music icon Russell, produced by T-Bone Burnett. Begun in November 2009, the filming captures the entire writing and recording process of the heralded album John recorded with his early-career idol.
Never before filmed in his composing process, John’s creation of “The Union” is billed as an extremely candid portrait of one of the world’s most treasured artists and performers, and his extraordinary journey of the heart — one that sent him to powerfully reclaim and reinvigorate the life and musical career of Russell, to whom John hadn’t spoken in more than 38 years.
“It’s a special opportunity to open our 10th festival in this distinct and unique way—not only are we inviting the community to join us for the world premiere of Cameron Crowe’s film ‘The Union,’ but to have Elton, whose music transcends generations, perform after is an extraordinary gift to our festival and more specifically the downtown community,” said co-founder of the Tribeca Film Festival Jane Rosenthal in a news release.
“Cameron Crowe gives audiences unprecedented access into Elton John and Leon Russell’s artistic process in an emotional and realistic way.”
About the Tribeca Film Festival:
The Tribeca Film Festival helps filmmakers reach the broadest possible audience, enable the international film community and general public to experience the power of cinema and promote New York City as a major filmmaking center. It is well known for being a diverse international film festival that supports emerging and established directors.
Founded by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal and Craig Hatkoff in 2001 following the attacks on the World Trade Center, to spur the economic and cultural revitalization of the lower Manhattan district through an annual celebration of film, music and culture, the Festival brings the industry and community together around storytelling.
The Tribeca Film Festival has screened more than 1,100 films from more than 80 countries since its first edition in 2002. Since inception, it has attracted an international audience of more than 3 million attendees and has generated an estimated $600 million in economic activity for New York City.
-BAM
Kings of Leon to play Final Four music festival
Grammy Award-winning rockers Kings of Leon, who have Oklahoma City ties, will headline a free three-day music festival during the men’s NCAA Final Four in Houston, according to the Associated Press.
The concert will take place at Discovery Green in downtown Houston on April 2, and “The Big Dance Concert Series” will include other artists to be named.
The group also will perform its song “The Immortals” in a music video that is part of CBS and Turner Sports’ marketing campaign for their new deal to have every NCAA tournament basketball game on TV nationwide.
-BAM
Early Grammy winners: Oklahomans have to settle for honor of being nominated
Kings of Leon (Associated Press file photo)
The 53rd Annual Grammy Awards will air live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles at 7 tonight. But only about 10 golden gramophones actually will be given out in the performance-heavy 3 1/2-hour telecast.
The vast majority of the awards in the 109 Grammy categories were handed out at the pre-telecast ceremony. And most of the contenders with Oklahoma ties will have to settle for the honor of just being nominated for a Grammy:
- Best country collaboration with vocals: The Grammy went to the Zac Brown Band and Alan Jackson for “As She’s Walking Away.” Two stars with Oklahoma ties were nominated in this category: Tishomingo resident Miranda Lambert, Dierks Bentley and Jamey Johnson for “Bad Angel” and Lambert’s fiance and fellow Tishomingo resident Blake Shelton and Trace Adkins for “Hillbilly Bone.” Shelton still will be a presenter on tonight’s Grammy telecast.
Lambert also is nominated for country album of the year for “Revolution” and best female country vocal performance for her chart-topping ballad “The House That Built Me.” Those Grammys are scheduled to be handed out during tonight’s telecast, and Lambert is set to perform “The House That Built Me” during the televised awards show.
Also, Checotah native Carrie Underwood is nominated in the female country vocal performance category for her spiritual anthem “Temporary Home.”
- Best country song: Lambert’s hit “The House That Built Me” earned songwriters Tom Douglas and Allen Shamblin a best country song nomination, but the award went to Dave Haywood, Josh Kear, Charles Kelley and Hillary Scott for the Lady Antebellum smash “Need You Now.”
Douglas and Shamblin also are nominated in the multi-genre song of the year category, which will be handed out during the telecast.
- Best pop collaboration with vocals: Lawton-born and Tulsa-bred music icon Leon Russell shared a nomination with British pop superstar Elton John for “If It Wasn’t for Bad,” the opening track from their duet album “The Union.” The Grammy went to Herbie Hancock, Pink, India.Arie, Seal, Konono No 1, Jeff Beck and Oumou Sangare for “Imagine” from “The Imagine Project.”
- Best rock song: Kings of Leon, which includes Oklahoma City-born members Matthew and Nathan Followill, were nominated for best rock song for their pulsing single “Radioactive.” Neil Young won for “Angry World” from his album “Le Noise.”
- Best rock performance by a duo or group with vocals: Kings of Leon also was nominated in this category for “Radioactive.” The Grammy went to “Tighten Up” by the Black Keys.
- Best hard rock performance: Alice in Chains, which includes Jerry Cantrell, who has an Atoka ranch, is nominated for the band’s thunderous “A Looking in View.” But supergroup Them Crooked Vultures clinched the category with “New Fang.”
- Best rock or rap gospel album: Christian worship group Gungor, which is fronted by former Tulsan Michael Gungor, was nominated for best rock or rap gospel album for the album “Beautiful Things.” But the Grammy went to Switchfoot’s “Hello Hurricane.”
- Best gospel song: Gungor also was nominated in the best gospel song category for the title track to “Beautiful Things.” “It’s What I Do” by Jerry Peters and Kirk Whalum was the winning song.
- Best musical show album: Broken Arrow native Kristin Chenoweth stars in the Broadway musical “Promises, Promises,” which was nominated for best musical show album. But the Grammy went to “American Idiot (Featuring Green Day).”
- Best compilation soundtrack album for movies, TV or other visual media: Chenoweth also is featured on “Glee: The Music, Volume 1.” But the Grammy went to the soundtrack for the Oscar-winning film “Crazy Heart.”
- Best pop vocal album: Oklahoma City native Audra Mae co-wrote “Who I Was Born to Be,” the lone original song on Susan Boyle’s blockbuster “I Dreamed a Dream,” which is nominated for best pop vocal album, an award that will be handed out during the telecast.
-BAM
BAM column: Stars with Oklahoma ties contending for Grammy glory
Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton won big at the Country Music Association Awards in November. The country music power couple and Tishomingo residents have four nominations between them for Sunday night's Grammy Awards. (Associated Press file photos)
From Friday’s Weekend Look section of The Oklahoman.
Stars with Oklahoma ties up for Grammy Awards
Country music’s latest power couple, a “Radioactive” rock quartet and Oklahoma’s newest Rock and Roll Hall of Famer will compete for Grammy glory when the golden gramophones are handed out Sunday night in Los Angeles.
The 53rd Annual Grammy Awards will air live from the Staples Center at 7 p.m. Sunday on CBS, and as usual, several stars with Sooner State ties will be vying for much-deserved awards.
Country star Miranda Lambert, who lives in Tishomingo, continues her meteoric rise with three Grammy nominations: country album of the year for “Revolution”; country collaboration with vocals for the bluegrassy “Bad Angel,” her joint effort with Dierks Bentley and Jamey Johnson; and best female country vocal performance for her chart-topping ballad “The House That Built Me.” The emotional hit also earned songwriters Tom Douglas and Allen Shamblin berths in the best country song and the multi-genre song of the year categories.
In addition, Lambert will perform Sunday for the first time on the Grammys stage, joining an impressive roster including Barbra Streisand, Gwyneth Paltrow, Mick Jagger, Raphael Saadiq, Arcade Fire, Eminem, Lady Antebellum, Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, Cee Lo Green, Katy Perry, Bruno Mars and more.
“Grammys are so prestigious, and it’s not just country music, it’s all genres of music. And there’s so many great artists out there,” Lambert said backstage at December’s Grammy nominations TV special, during which she performed her latest hit “Only Prettier.”
Blake Shelton, Lambert’s fiancé and fellow Tishomingo resident, also will take the Grammys stage Sunday night as a presenter as well as a nominee. Other presenters include Kris Kristofferson, Miley Cyrus, Neil Patrick Harris, John Legend, Paramore, Seth Rogen, Dierks Bentley, Norah Jones, Nicki Minaj and more.
An Ada native, Shelton shares a nomination with Trace Adkins for best country collaboration with vocals for their raucous smash duet “Hillbilly Bone.”
Kings of Leon
Kings of Leon, which includes Oklahoma City-born members Matthew and Nathan Followill, have two nominations for their pulsing single “Radioactive”: best rock song and best rock performance by a duo or group with vocals. The band won three golden gramophones at last year’s Grammys.
Lawton-born and Tulsa-bred music icon Leon Russell shares a nomination with British pop superstar Elton John for best pop collaboration with vocals for “If It Wasn’t for Bad,” the opening track from their duet album “The Union.”
“It is the happiest thing in my senior year!” the 68-year-old Russell said of the nomination through his publicist, cheekily quoting country-pop starlet Taylor Swift’s 2010 Grammy acceptance speech.
A Grammy win would be an excellent opening act for next month, when John will induct the long-overdue Uncle Leon, his musical idol, into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Norman resident Toby Keith boasts his first solo Grammy nomination for best male country vocal performance for “Cryin’ for Me (Wayman’s Song).” The emotional tribute is dedicated to his friend, Oklahoma basketball star-turned-jazz bassist Wayman Tisdale, who died in 2009 after a long battle with bone cancer.
“I wanted to expose a great human being to the world and show ‘em what a great guy he was and get maybe a lot more people to know him,” Keith said of the song in a 2010 phone interview.
A five-time Grammy winner, Carrie Underwood, who hails from Checotah, joins Lambert in the best female country vocal performance category. The “American Idol” winner gained the nod for her spiritual anthem “Temporary Home,” which she co-wrote with Nashville songsmith Luke Laird and Zac Maloy, former frontman of Oklahoma City rock band The Nixons.
Alice in Chains, which includes Jerry Cantrell, who has an Atoka ranch, is nominated for best hard rock performance for the band’s thunderous “A Looking in View.”
Christian worship group Gungor, which is fronted by former Tulsan Michael Gungor, has earned two nods,
Leon Russell and Elton John
for best rock or rap gospel album for the album “Beautiful Things” and best gospel song for the title track.
“As a musician it is like that kind of highest honor that music can be paid,” said Gungor, a Victory Christian School graduate, in a phone interview from Denver, where he now makes his home with his wife and musical partner Lisa.
“It feels like kind of a benchmark. I mean, I’ve been playing music since I was a kid, so hopefully careerwise we can connect with some people that we haven’t been able to connect with before. I certainly feel very honored and humbled even to be nominated.”
Other Oklahoma musical talents to gain Grammy recognition this year: Broken Arrow native Kristin Chenoweth stars in the Broadway musical “Promises, Promises,” which is nominated for best musical show album, and the Oklahoma City University graduate is featured on “Glee: The Music, Volume 1,” which is nominated for best compilation soundtrack album for movies, TV or other visual media. Chenoweth has been a recurring guest on the song-and-dance TV hit.
And Oklahoma City native Audra Mae co-wrote “Who I Was Born to Be,” the lone original song on Susan Boyle’s blockbuster “I Dreamed a Dream,” which is nominated for best pop vocal album.
To find out which stars with Oklahoma ties will strike Grammy gold, follow my live blog of the show Sunday night at here BAM’s Blog.
Grammys live blogs
The 53rd Annual Grammy Awards will air live from the Staples Center at 7 p.m. Sunday on CBS. Follow Brandy McDonnell’s and George Lang’s live blogs of the show Sunday night here at blog.newsok.com/bamsblog and at blog.newsok.com/staticblog.
-BAM
Kings of Leon plan April Tulsa concert
Kings of Leon (Associated Press file photo)
Grammy-winning rockers Kings of Leon announced today that they’ll be adding three dates in America leading into their headline slot of April’s Coachella Festival, including a concert at Tulsa’s BOK Center.
Kings of Leon, which have Oklahoma City ties, and special guest Band of Horses will play April 8 at the Tulsa venue.
Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 12. Prices are set at $37.50, $43.50 and $50.50.
Tickets will be available online at www.bokcenter.com, Arby’s Box Office, all Tickets.com outlets, or by calling 1-866-7-BOKCTR.
The news comes off the announcement that the band’s tour in Australia and South Africa, which was postponed due to surgery on drummer Nathan Followill’s torn right labrum and bicep, has been officially moved to October/November 2011.
All other Kings of Leon dates, including a headline slot at the 2011 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif., on April 15, and European dates this upcoming May, June and July will not be affected.
The band will compete for two awards – Best Rock Performance By A Dup Or Group With Vocals and Best Rock Song, both for “Radioactive” off their latest album, “Come Around Sundown” – at the Feb. 13 Grammy Awards.
-BAM
BAM column: Oklahoma music stars rocked through 2010
Elton John and Leon Russell
From Friday’s Weekend Look section of The Oklahoman.
Oklahoma music stars rocked through 2010
Pardon me if my ears are still ringing from 2010.
It’s a common side effect from standing near an epicenter of musical greatness, so I’m not complaining.
Oklahoma’s vast and diverse musical scene practically quaked with success and possibilities in 2010.
Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton (Associated Press file photo)
Tishomingo country star Blake Shelton hit his “Hillbilly Bone” with Trace Adkins, and the raucous duet became the first of back-to-back chart-toppers for the Ada native. Shelton, who swapped traditional albums for a pair of Six Paks, also joined the Grand Ole Opry and proposed to his country music sweetheart and Tishomingo neighbor Miranda Lambert in 2010.
Lambert continued spinning off hits from her 2009 album “Revolution,” notching the first two No. 1s of her career with “White Liar” and “The House That Built Me.” She set a record by earning nine nominations for the Country Music Association Awards, and she and Shelton affirmed their status as the genre’s new power couple when they took home five trophies between them at the CMAs.
Checotah native Carrie Underwood, who wed pro hockey player Mike Fisher in July, expanded her repertoire into acting last year, guest-starring on the sitcom “How I Met Your Mother” and filming her movie debut in “Soul Surfer,” which will open in theaters in April. The “American Idol” also earned her first Golden Globe nomination for co-writing “There’s a Place for Us,” the end credits theme for the big-screen adaptation of “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.” We’ll find out if she won when the Globes are handed out Sunday night.
Rascal Flatts, which includes former Pitcher resident Joe Don Rooney, released its first album on new label Big Machine Records. Chockie-bred diva Reba McEntire notched her 59th Top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and launched a superstar tour with George Strait, which is coming Saturday to Oklahoma City. Toby Keith continued to pay tribute to his late friend and fellow Oklahoman Wayman Tisdale, playing his hit ode “Cryin’ for Me (Wayman’s Song)” on April’s Academy of Country Music Awards, before reloading his career with the release of his 15th studio album, “Bullets in the Gun.”
Several Oklahoma country music standouts did our fair state proud when Nashville, Tenn., was devastated by May floods. Country Music Hall of Famer Vince Gill, who was raised in Oklahoma City, organized the first of the many star-studded telethons, while Owasso couple Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood played last month a series of nine sold-out concerts that raised a projected $3 million for the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee.
Cross Canadian Ragweed and Brooks & Dunn broke my heart with breakups, but my hopes were rekindled when Ragweed frontman Cody Canada re-emerged with new band The Departed and former Tulsan Ronnie Dunn set a 2011 solo show in Thackerville.
Oklahoma’s country music stars weren’t the only ones celebrating big achievements in the past year. Edmond teen Greyson Chance channeled Lady Gaga and achieved YouTube stardom before his 13th birthday. Former Tulsa teen trio Hanson finally pushed their 1997 global hit “MMMBop” to the back of people’s memories with their equally catchy “Thinking ‘Bout Somethin’,” which was accompanied by a clever music video tribute to “The Blues Brothers” featuring a cameo by “Weird Al” Yankovic.
While Oklahoma City-born and bred singer-songwriter Audra Mae was delivering “gypsy cowgirl soul” on her auspicious debut album, rockers Kings of Leon, which includes Oklahoma City-born members Matthew and Nathan Followill, offered a brand a rock that was more “Back Down South” for “Come Around Sundown,” the follow-up to their Grammy-winning 2008 breakout album “Only
Carrie Underwood on "How I Met Your Mother" (CBS photo)
By the Night.”
Songwriting great Jimmy Webb, who hails from Elk City, revisited some of his defining hits, including “By the Time I Get to Phoenix,” “Galveston” and “Wichita Lineman” on “Just Across the River,” a duets album that paired him with singing stars such as Gill, Glen Campbell and Billy Joel. And songstress Judy Collins cut the defining rendition of Webb’s gorgeously complex ballad “Gauguin” as the closer to her 2010 album “Paradise.”
But few musical storylines could match the comeback of Tulsa Sound man Leon Russell, a triumphant return conceived by Elton John and produced by T Bone Burnett. For years, Russell, a shining rock star in the 1960s and ’70s, languished in relative obscurity, but John set out to restore the Lawton native to his proper place in the modern music pantheon. Their album “The Union” debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart, giving Russell extra exposure that undoubtedly helped him gain the attention of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Russell’s upcoming inauguration into the rock hall, set for March 14 in New York City, is sure to be just one highlight of 2011. I hope the new year rocks even harder. My ears can take it.
ONLINE
Golden Globes live blog
Find out whether Carrie Underwood wins the Golden Globe for best original song from a motion picture when Brandy McDonnell live blogs the 68th Annual Golden Globe Awards starting at 7 p.m. Sunday at BAM’s Blog, http://blog.newsok.com/bamsblog. The Globes will air live from Beverly Hills, Calif., at 7 p.m. Sunday on NBC, with Ricky Gervais as host.
Wednesday Video Spotlight: Oklahomans’ music videos
Several musical talents with Oklahoma ties have debuted new music videos this week.
Rockers Kings of Leon, which includes Oklahoma City-born members Matthew and Nathan Followill, have released the video to “Pyro,” the second single from their fall album “Come Around Sundown.”
Grammy-nominated Tulsa crooner Charlie Wilson of GAP Band fame offers the video for “You Are,” from his fifth solo album “Just Charlie,” released Dec. 7.
Oklahoma City experimental rockers Junebug Spade have released the video for “Under the Gun,” off their May EP “Fashion and Fame.”
As reported earlier this week, Edmond Internet sensation Greyson Chance, 13, has premiered his first music video, for “Waiting Outside the Lines,” from his forthcoming debut album.
And voting continues through 11:01 a.m. Thursday in the “Country Strong” Singing Challenge, and Oklahoma City University junior Brittany Davis is representing OKC in the contest. Check out this video of her singing “Country Strong” and then vote for her at ww.countrystrong.cmt.com.
The grand prize winner in the contest will receive a trip for two to Nashville, an opportunity to meet a Sony Nashville music executive, a visit to the set of CMT’s Top 20 Countdown show and the possibility to perform on CMT.
-BAM
