Aretha Franklin News

Broadway - today and over the last decade or more - has played host to programs spotlighting the legends of the music industry: From Billie Holliday, Fat's Waller, and Kurt Weill to Carole King, Frankie Valli, ABBA, Janis Joplin, and Johnny Cash; to Peter Allen, Jimmy Buffet, Donna Summer, The Shirelles, The Gogos, Green Day, Tupac Shakur ... and lots of Beatles tributes ... with CHER planned for next season.

On Stage At Kingsborough, a leading performing arts presenter located on the campus of Brooklyn's Kingsborough Community College presents its 2018 HOT SUMMER NIGHTS! FREE Outdoor Concert series, featuring concerts under the stars every Saturday at 8:00 p.m.beginning July 7th and ending July 28th. HOT SUMMER NIGHTS! will feature a wide range of outstanding jazz musicians with unforgettable al fresco concerts under the stars. The series is proudly sponsored by Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams.

The Empress Theatre presents Super Soul Bros Saturday, July 7th, 8pm. Doors open at 7pm. The Empress Theatre - 330 Virginia St, Vallejo, CA 94590

This year's Wawa Welcome America festival, a weeklong July 4 celebration, will honor the 40th anniversary of The Philly POPS and its contributions to the community through its music education program and concert series honoring the military, veterans, and first responders.

Five Boroughs Music Festival (5BMF) announces programming for its 2018-2019 season, continuing its mission of bringing affordable, world-class performances of traditional and contemporary chamber music to all five boroughs of New York City. The upcoming slate of concerts marks the organization's most collaborative season to date, including partnerships with GEMAS (Gotham Early Music / Americas Society), ClassicalCafe, Brooklyn Art Song Society, New York Festival of Song, and the LGBT Center ("The Center").

Fresh from receiving a well-deserved standing ovation at New York's most respected Apollo Theatre - after a mesmerizing performance of 'I Will Always Love You' on the US hit TV show, Showtime at The Apollo - South African singing sensation Belinda Davids will be jetting home to perform for local audiences in Johannesburg later next month.

Last week, the fourth annual Brooklyn Comes Alive announced their September 29th return to Brooklyn's beloved Williamsburg neighborhood for a music marathon takeover at Brooklyn Bowl, Music Hall of Williamsburg and the latest addition, Rough Trade. Today, the one-of-a-kind festival lineup was revealed exclusively on SiriusXM by radio personality and industry insider Stef Scamardo, who also announced SiriusXM Jam On curator Ari Fink as the event's official host.

Emmy-winning composer Kris Bowers scores compositions that step beyond the traditional boundaries of genre to form new and thrilling music. Bowers currently scores Netflix's “Dear White People,” and Shonda Rhimes' “For The People,” starring Hope Davis.

On dee Brown's new full length Innervision Records album Remembering You, the Detroit based guitarist celebrates via 11 vibrant, emotionally resonant tracks.

Christina Aguilera and Jimmy Fallon put on disguises and give a surprise performance of her hit 'Fighter' and Aretha Franklin's 'Think' in a New York City subway station. Watch the video below!

Lula Washington, an L. A. native from Watts, along with her husband Erwin Washington and daughter Tamica Washington Miller, have been the incumbent founders, creators, directors and choreographers of the LULA WASHINGTON DANCE THEATRE since 1980. They began with the goal to motivate, educate, inspire, challenge and enrich the lives of young people so they could become successful, productive and competitive citizens. Thirty years later, and now a major dance company all over the world, their appearance here in Los Angeles at The Ford Theatre was an incredible ensemble of dance works choreographed by a variety of talented artists, including Lula and Tamica, and performed by one of the most powerful, strong and exciting company of dancers on the planet.

Students hailing from several areas in and around Massachusetts will participate in The Hanover Theatre and Conservatory for the Performing Art's 2018 Youth Summer Program (YSP). The first teen session of YSP will present Disney's Beauty and the Beast on Friday, July 27 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, July 28 at 2 and 7 p.m., and the second session will present the show Friday, August 17 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, August 18 at 2 and 7 p.m. YSP Pre-Teen will present Disney's Beauty and the Beast JR. on Saturday August 11 at 2 and 6 p.m. Tickets for all performances are now on sale.

Critically acclaimed singer/songwriter and five-time Grammy Award winner Michael McDonald is on tour throughout North America this summer. Confirmed dates include two nights at Los Angeles' Hollywood Bowl with Kenny Loggins and Christopher Cross as well as performances at New York's South Street Seaport, Washington, DC's Filene Center at Wolf Trap with Peter Cetera, St. Louis' Loufest, the Cityfolk Festival inOttawa and more. See below for a list of dates.

Award-winning Atlantic recording artist Serena Ryder has announced a U.S. summer tour run, kicking off June 10th in Portland, ME. Ryder recently released her new single, “Famous (feat. Simon Ward of The Strumbellas),” produced by GRAMMY-winning producer Dave Cobb and complimented today by a newly released Lash Remix. The single impacted Triple A radio outlets this past week, while it's video companion was praised by Refinery29 as “a genuine look at what fame means in the modern world and how social media has changed our approach to success.”

The Grateful Dead returns to cinemas this summer for its highly anticipated annual event, '8 th Annual Grateful Dead Meet-Up at the Movies.' For the eighth year in a row, a special concert presentation will bring fans together across the country for a unique celebration of the band. This year's concert is a presentation of the July 7, 1989 show from Philadelphia's John F. Kennedy Stadium, and highlights the band's exuberant resurgence, a peak that rivals any that came before it. When this show was recorded, the band included guitarist Jerry Garcia, drummers Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann, bassist Phil Lesh, keyboardist Brent Mydland and guitarist Bob Weir. It marks the final concert at that historic venue as the band storms through an epic set on one of the hottest days of the summer. In addition to the concert, which captures every note of the epic show, attendees will also get an inside look at the 2018 Limited Edition Boxed Set.

Mei-Ann Chen, Music Director of Chicago Sinfonietta and Jim Hirsch, CEO of Chicago Sinfonietta, have announced the orchestra's programming for 2018-19---Chicago Sinfonietta's 31st season and Chen's eighth year on the podium.

Jazz-funk drummer and worldwide recording artist Isaiah Stewart announces the release of his fifth album “Summer Beat,” featuring world-renowned jazz trumpeter Randy Brecker.

Shaunia Edwards, a respected gospel singer, was not only Browns fiancé, she was the co-writer and featured vocalist on 'I'm Here For You (I'll Never Leave You' (Brown's hit from his 2014 album Brown Sugar, Honey-Coated Love which made Groove Jazz Music's Top 100 of 2015) and his holiday song 'It's Christmas.' Even from heaven and always in his heart, Shaunia is working her magic. Brown turned a personal tragedy into a life affirming instrumental chronicle of endurance and hope.

Songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, composers of some of the greatest blues, jazz, R&B, and rock and roll hits of all time, will be inducted into the American Jazz Walk of Fame in Kansas City, MO today, June 2.  Their names will be embedded in a bronze medallion on the sidewalk near the Jazz Museum. 

Billy Porter talks about singing since he was a kid and how it helped him deal with bullies, and what inspired him to pursue performing as a career on LIVE with Kelly and Ryan!