RIP Donna Summer
In this May 21, 2008 file photo, Donna Summer performs during the finale of "American Idol" at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles. Summer, the Queen of Disco who ruled the dance floors with anthems like “Last Dance,” “Love to Love You Baby” and “Bad Girl,” has died. (AP file)
Donna Summer, who was known as the Queen of Disco but during her singing career won Grammy Awards in the dance, rock, R&B and inspirational categories, died this morning. She was 63.
Summer died of cancer Thursday morning in Naples, Fla., according to the Associated Press. Her family released a statement saying they “are at peace celebrating her extraordinary life and her continued legacy.”
In the 1970s, Summer broke out in the music business and became the face and voice of the disco era with her hits “I Feel Love,” ”Love to Love You Baby” and “Last Dance.”
She was the only artist to have three consecutive double-LPs hit No. 1, “Live and More,” ”Bad Girls” and “On the Radio.” She was also the first female artist with four No. 1 singles in a 13-month period, according to the Rock Hall of Fame, where she was a nominee this year but was passed over.
Before the end of the decade, with disco taking its last gasping breath, Summer changed to a harder rock sound, starting with her smash “Hot Stuff.” Her rocker “She Works Hard for the Money” became an anthem for women’s rights.
Later in life, the five-time Grammy winner became a born-again Christian.
The Boston released her last album, “Crayons,” in 2008. It was her first full studio album in 17 years. She also performed on “American Idol” that year with its top female contestants, according to the AP.
Luminaries from President Barack Obama and Aretha Franklin to Dolly Parton and Barbra Streisand mourned Summer’s death. Here is what Parton had to say in a statement from her publicist:
“I can’t believe we’ve lost another wonderful singer. Donna, like Whitney (Houston, who died in February), had one of the greatest voices ever. I loved her records. She was the disco queen, and will remain so. I knew her and found her to be one of the most likable and fun people ever. She will be missed and remembered.”
Summer is survived by her husband, Bruce Sudano, and three daughters, Brooklyn, Mimi and Amanda, according to the AP. Our thoughts are with her family, friends and fans.
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Van Halen tour dates, including Oklahoma City concert, postponed
Van Halen singer David Lee Roth, left, and guitarist Eddie Van Halen perform at a 2011 show. (AP file)
Van Halen’s Sept. 15 show at Chesapeake Energy Arena has been “temporarily postponed. Future dates to be announced,” according to an email from a venue representative.
Tickets were due to go on sale Friday, but that sale date also has been postponed. Refunds, for those who might have participated in pre-sales, are available at the point of purchase.
The Van Halen show was supposed to be part of the arena’s 10th anniversary celebration. Venue officials announced the date with much fanfare Monday, when ACM@UCO President Scott Booker also unveiled the signature EVH guitar Eddie Van Halen donated to the University of Central Oklahoma’s Academy of Contemporary Music for auction.
Oklahoma City isn’t the only market dealing with a delayed Van Halen show. The band today abruptly postponed all tour dates after their June 26 show in New Orleans with no explanation, according to RollingStone.com.
Citing an unnamed source with knowledge of the tour, RollingStone.com reports that Van Halen’s members “hate each other.” Adds the source, “The band is arguing like mad. They are fighting.”
Of course, Van Halen is legendary for its tumultuous history and multiple personnel changes. After touring for many years with Sammy Hagar and briefly with Gary Cherone, guitarist Eddie Van Halen reunited with original singer David Lee Roth in 2007.
Like the band’s 2007-08 trek, the 2012 tour has featured three-fourths of the original lineup: Roth, Eddie Van Halen, his drummer brother Alex Van Halen and Eddie Van Halen’s son Wolfgang Van Halen, now 21, on bass. Original bassist Michael Anthony was dropped from the band in 2006.
That same lineup performed May 2 at the BOK Center in Tulsa as well as in Oklahoma City in January 2008, back when the Chesapeake Energy Arena was known as the Ford Center.
The band has been touring in support of “A Different Kind of Truth,” Van Halen’s first new studio album to feature Roth on vocals in nearly three decades.
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What to do in Oklahoma on May 17, 2012: Hear Joe Walsh at Hard Rock Tulsa
Today’s featured event:
TULSA – Hear Joe Walsh play his decades-spanning rock hits at 8 tonight at The Joint inside Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa. Doors will open at 7 p.m.
Walsh’s career took off in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s as a member of the James Gang, where he showed off his creative guitar riffs in hits like “Funk #49,” “Walk Away” and “Midnight Man.”
Following his 1974 solo debut, Walsh joined the Eagles a year later and became a critical component of the band’s massive hit album, “Hotel California.” On the release, Walsh contributed as a co-writer on “Life in the Fast Lane” and co-wrote and sang lead vocals on “Pretty Maids All in a Row.” His other major credited contribution before the band’s 1980 breakup was “In The City,” which was originally a solo effort featured on “The Warriors” soundtrack before the band rerecorded it on “The Long Run.”
The Wichita, Kan., native has left his mark on rock music with his signature “attack” sound on the guitar and his humorous outlook on life, including a 1980 mock presidential campaign. As a solo artist, he has recorded the hit singles “Rocky Mountain Way,” “Life’s Been Good,” “A Life of Illusion” and “The Confessor.”
Fourteen years after separating, the Eagles reunited in 1994 and released the live performance “Hell Freezes Over,” and launched one of the most successful tours in music history. In 1998, the Eagles were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
On Feb. 9, Walsh was featured as a guitarist on Paul McCartney’s “iTunes Live from Capitol Studios” and three days later joined McCartney, Bruce Springsteen and Dave Grohl on stage to close out the Grammys, performing “The End” from the Abbey Road medley.
Walsh is slated in June to release his 10th solo studio album, “Analog Man.”
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa is located off of Interstate 44 at exit 240. Ticket prices and information on upcoming shows are available online in The Joint section of www.hardrockcasinotulsa.com. The Joint box office is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. All guests must be 21 years of age or older.
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Wednesday Video Spotlight: “Beard Like Harden”
A group of clever folks from Woodward wanted to pay tribute to the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Sixth Man of the Year and facial-hair blessed James “Fear The Beard” Harden. So, they performed and created the video for “Beard Like Harden,” a spoof of Maroon 5 and Christina Aguilera’s hit “Moves Like Jagger.”
The Thunder take on the L.A. Lakers in Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals at 8:30 tonight at Chesapeake Energy Arena. The game will be broadcast on TNT.
Fear The Beard and Thunder up!
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Wednesday Video Spotlight: Carrie Underwood makes the TV rounds, performs spoof duet “Before You Freak” with Jimmy Kimmel
As you can see in this Video Spotlight, Oklahoma-born and bred country music superstar Carrie Underwood has been on quite a media blitz in the past couple weeks in support of her new chart-topping album, “Blown Away.”
Last week, the Checotah native and late-night host Jimmy Kimmel performed an uproarious duet called “Before You Freak,” a spoof of Underwood’s woman-scorned smash “Before He Cheats.” She and daytime host Ellen DeGeneres dished about Underwood’s marriage to professional hockey player Mike Fisher. The 2005 “American Idol” winner returned to “Idol” to perform the title track of her new album, and belted her latest top 10 single “Good Girl” last night on “Dancing with the Stars.”
The blitz isn’t over yet: Underwood and Fisher will give their first television interview together on “Oprah’s Next Chapter,” airing from 8 to 9 p.m. Sunday on Oprah Winfrey Network. Then, the five-time Grammy winner will perform on the May 20 Billboard Music Awards, airing live from Las Vegas, and the June 6 CMT Music Awards, broadcasting live from Nashville.
Plus, he home state fans will have two chances to see her live this fall: Underwood will bring her “Blown Away” tour to Oklahoma City for an Oct. 25 show at Chesapeake Energy Arena and to Tulsa for a Nov. 21 concert at the BOK Center. For more information, go to www.chesapeakearena.com or www.bokcenter.com.
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Carrie Underwood’s “Blown Away” tops Billboard 200 and country albums charts for second straight week
Oklahoma country music superstar Carrie Underwood’s fourth album, “Blown Away,” has topped the Billboard country albums chart as well as the all-genre Billboard 200 album sales list for the second consecutive week. This marks the first time since 2010 that a country artist has debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for two back-to-back weeks, according to a news release.
“Blown Away” also holds the No. 1 spot on Canada’s Top 100 Country albums sales charts for the second straight week and is the also the top-selling digital album in Canada again this week, according to the release.
Upon its release May 1, “Blown Away” made history by debuting at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country albums sales chart, making the Checotah native only the second country artist in the 47-year history of the chart to have each of their first four albums debut at No. 1.
“Blown Away” also debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, giving Underwood the distinction of becoming only the second country artist in history to have three consecutive albums debut at No. 1.
In addition, “Blown Away” became country’s best-selling digital album debut since 2010.
Underwood and her husband, professional hockey player Mike Fisher, will give their first television interview together on “Oprah’s Next Chapter,” airing from 8 to 9 p.m. Sunday on Oprah Winfrey Network.
The 2005 “American Idol” winner will bring her “Blown Away” tour to Oklahoma City for an Oct. 25 show at Chesapeake Energy Arena and to Tulsa for a Nov. 21 concert at the BOK Center. For more information, go to www.chesapeakearena.com or www.bokcenter.com.
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Ester Dean wins BMI pop songwriter and pop song of the year awards
Muskogee-born singer/songwriter/producer Ester Dean nabbed two big honors when the Broadcast Music, Inc. (better known as BMI) lauded the songwriters and music publishers behind the year’s most-performed songs Tuesday night at the organization’s 60th annual Pop Awards at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills.
Ester Dean, Benny Blanco and Pitbull all earned the coveted BMI Pop Songwriter of the Year title, according to BMI.com. Each contributed five songs to the year’s most performed list. Dean composed Rihanna’s “What’s My Name?,” “Rude Boy,” “S&M,” Nicki Minaj’s “Super Bass” and Katy Perry’s “Firework.
“Firework” also earned BMI Pop Song of the Year honors for Dean and co-writer Sandy Vee as well as publishers Dat Damn Dean Music and peermusic III, Ltd.
Carole King received the BMI Icon Award recognizing the “unique and indelible influence on generations of music makers” she has made through her incomparable catalog as a songwriter and recording artist. As a BMI Icon, King joins an elite list that includes David Foster, John Fogerty, Kris Kristofferson, the Jacksons, the Bee Gees, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Paul Simon, Merle Haggard, Brian Wilson, Willie Nelson, James Brown, Carlos Santana and Dolly Parton.
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What to do in Oklahoma on May 16, 2012: Hear Julie Christensen at the Blue Door
Today’s featured event:
Hear chanteuse Julie Christensen at 8 tonight at the Blue Door, 2805 N McKinley.
For more information, go to www.bluedoorokc.com.
For more events, go to www.wimgo.com.
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Video: ABC releases first trailer for Reba McEntire’s new sitcom “Malibu Country”
ABC has released the first trailer for multitalented Oklahoma country music megastar Reba McEntire’s new sitcom “Malibu Country,” which is set to debut in November.
Here is the summary for “Malibu Country,” provided by ABC and NewsOK’s Television Blog:
When Reba Gallagher (Reba) discovers that her husband, Bobby, (Jeffrey Nordling) a country music legend, has a cheatin’ heart, her world is turned upside down. Reba dreamt of becoming a country star herself, but put her career on hold to raise a family. Now she’s questioning all of that, big-time. With the ink on her divorce barely dry, Reba packs up her sharp-tongued mother, Lillie May (Lily Tomlin), her two kids and the U-Haul and heads for sunny California to begin a new chapter. Leaving Nashville in the rear view, they start over at their Malibu residence — the last remaining asset they have. Reba gets to know her new open and loving neighbor Kim (Sara Rue) and her son, Sage, but also discovers that relocation to Southern California is going to be quite an adjustment for a traditional southern belle: the West Coast seems like the polar opposite of Music City, and Reba feels like an outsider. Still, with the support of her family she sets about finding her voice, jump-starting her music career with the help of her new music agent, Geoffrey (Jai Rodriguez), and embracing this chance to begin again.
“Malibu Country” stars country music superstar Reba (“Reba,” “Tremors”) as Reba, Sara Rue (“Rules of Engagement,” “Less Than Perfect”) as Kim, Justin Prentice as Cash, Juliette Angelo as June, Jai Rodriguez (“Bones,” “How I Met Your Mother,” one of the original hosts of “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy”) as Geoffrey and Lily Tomlin (“Eastbound and Down,” “Damages,” “Desperate Housewives,” “West Wing,” “Nine to Five,” “All of Me,” “Nashville”) as Lillie May.
“Malibu Country” is from Kevin Abbott (“Last Man Standing,” “My Name Is Earl,” “Reba”) who executive produces along with Michael Hanel & Mindy Schultheis, Reba McEntire and Narvel Blackstock, Dave Stewart & Pam Williams, John Pasquin. The pilot for “Malibu Country” was directed by John Pasquin. The series is from ABC Studios.
An an interview last fall, McEntire, who hails from Chockie, told me she is ecstatic about the chance to return to series television, mostly because she was never ready to leave in the first place. McEntire starred from 2001-07 in her eponymous sitcom.
“I was not ready to leave, absolutely not. We had lots more stories to tell on the ‘Reba’ show; we were devastated. We were the No. 1 sitcom on that network (The WB, which became The CW during the show’s run). And then we went into syndication with Lifetime, and I think more people have seen us on Lifetime than they did before when we were shooting. So it has had second and third life,” she said.
“I mean, when I sing ‘I’m a Survivor’ on our (live) show, the crowd goes nuts because they do love the ‘Reba’ TV show. And I thank them for that. … It was just a great experience for all of us.”
She also told me she is excited about the prospect of leading a new TV ensemble.
“That’s the most fun thing in the world. It’s just like playtime. You learn your lines and you get together and you do funny things. It’s great entertainment for us: We get to be funny, we get to bring joy into people’s lives, we get to put smiles on their faces. Again, take ‘em away from maybe the problems of their everyday life. (They) get to sit down for 30 minutes and laugh a little bit. That’s what I love about it.”
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Carrie Underwood and husband Mike Fisher to do their first TV interview together on “Oprah’s Next Chapter,” airing Sunday
Carrie Underwood and Mike Fisher (AP file)
Oklahoma country music superstar Carrie Underwood and her husband, professional hockey player Mike Fisher, will give their first television interview together on “Oprah’s Next Chapter,” airing from 8 to 9 p.m. Sunday on Oprah Winfrey Network.
Here is the episode description:
Oprah Winfrey travels to Nashville, Tenn., where she speaks with country music superstar Carrie Underwood, who is joined by her NHL husband Mike Fisher, marking the first time cameras have ever been invited inside their cabin retreat for an intimate, in-depth interview. Underwood reflects on her rise to stardom as she looks back on her journey. For their first television interview together, Underwood and Fisher talk about how they balance their successful and fast-paced careers with their two-year marriage. The couple also takes Winfrey to their new plot of land where they plan to build their dream home.
The Checotah native’s new CD “Blown Away” recently debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country and all-genre Billboard 200 sales charts. The Top Country Albums chart debut made her only the second country artist in the 47-year history of the chart to have their first four albums debut at No. 1. With more than 267,000 albums sold, according to Nielsen SoundScan, Blown Away debuts at No. 1 on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart, making Underwood only the second country artist in history to have three consecutive albums debut at No. 1.
Since releasing “Some Hearts” in 2005, Underwood has sold more than 14 million albums, according to a news release. She’s amassed 14 No. 1 singles, six of which she co-wrote, and became the first country artist in history and the only American Idol winner ever to achieve 10 No. 1 singles from their first two albums. Underwood currently leads the nominations for the upcoming CMT Music Awards with five. She is a five-time Grammy winner, a two-time Academy of Country Music Entertainer of the Year, a three-time Country Music Association and ACM Female Vocalist winner and a member of the Grand Ole Opry.
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