Aretha Franklin News

Having already garnered praise from media outlets across the country, performing the world over on Germany's “Superkids” TV show this past July, and continuing to gain massive exposure with her larger than life talent- young star Merideth Grace Puckett is winning over fans across the globe!

After two years away from the studio playing festivals and shows around the world, The Dustbowl Revival returns with new music that is more emotional, experimental and bolder than ever.

Viva La Diva!: The Music of Carole King, Barbra Streisand, Patsy Cline, Peggy Lee, Aretha Franklin (and many more), starring Broadway and recording artist Carter Calvert, will play the Algonquin Arts Theatre on October 15, 2016.

Broken People, the debut full-length album from acclaimed duo Muddy Magnolias, will be released October 14 on Third Generation Records (pre-order).

Dance lovers and performers alike gathered on the shores of the Hudson River on October 8, 2016, to celebrate the fourth annual Hudson Valley Dance Festival in Catskill, NY. The two performances at Historic Catskill Point raised a record-breaking $136,767 for Dancers Responding to AIDS, a program of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. The shows featured performances ranging from tap to ballet to contemporary by acclaimed dance.

Dance lovers and performers alike gathered on the shores of the Hudson River on October 8, 2016, to celebrate the fourth annual Hudson Valley Dance Festival in Catskill, NY. The two performances at Historic Catskill Point raised a record-breaking $136,767 for Dancers Responding to AIDS, a program of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. The shows featured performances ranging from tap to ballet to contemporary by acclaimed dance.

Leading up to his sophomore album release, 'Spent' next month, Josh Franklin just released the album's first single, 'Masterpiece', complete with a fun, inspiring new video. The playful video uses beautiful choreography between two couples - one straight, one gay - to illustrate the initial mating dance that we've all experienced upon meeting a potential new love and the uncertainty that ensues.

The acclaimed Dance Theatre of Harlem (DTH) gives three performances at the Auditorium Theatre on November 18, 19, and 20 with a program that includes System, a major new work by choreographer Francesca Harper. The work is supported by the New England Foundation for the Arts, and is inspired by the current social, political, and economic climate in the United States.System was choreographed in collaboration with Dance Theatre of Harlem dancers who used their own experiences as people of color for inspiration.  DTH Artistic Director Virginia Johnson told the Washington Post that System "addresses social justice issues in the Black Lives Matter era" and is "a very contemporary piece, but also very beautiful and uplifting.' A live string quartet performs composer John Adams' original music for the piece.

Leading up to his sophomore album release, 'Spent' next month, Josh Franklin just released the album's first single, 'Masterpiece', complete with a fun, inspiring new video.

The American Music Awards, the world's biggest fan-voted award show, announced today the “2016 American Music Awards” nominees with recording artists Joe Jonas and Rachel Platten revealing six categories of nominees live on ABC's “Good Morning America.” Immediately following the broadcast, five additional categories were announced in real time exclusively via Snapchat (TheAMAs).  ABC News then livestreamed the remaining 17 categories and included a recap of all nominees in the 11 previously announced categories.  (See the full list of nominees below).  The “2016 American Music Awards” will broadcast live from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday, November 20 at 8:00pm ET on ABC.   

Re-live the magic of the swingin' sixties with DUSTY the Musical! Starring Amy Lehpamer (The Sound of Music) as Dusty, Todd McKenney (The Boy From Oz) as Rodney, her loyal hairdresser and long time confidant and Virginia Gay (Winners & Losers) as Peg.

Muddy Magnolias' new song 'Why Don't You Stay' premiered yesterday at Nylonand can now be heard via Soundcloud.

The lights at the Lyric Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue will be dimmed for five minutes tonight at 7.25pm before THRILLER LIVE starts to pay tribute to Rod Temperton the British writer of Michael Jackson's iconic Thriller, one of the UK's most successful songwriters, who sadly passed away last week.

Viva La Diva!: The Music of Carole King, Barbra Streisand, Patsy Cline, Peggy Lee, Aretha Franklin(and many more) starring Broadway & Recording Artist Carter Calvert.

Viva La Diva!: The Music of Carole King, Barbra Streisand, Patsy Cline, Peggy Lee, Aretha Franklin (and many more), starring Broadway and recording artist Carter Calvert, will play the Algonquin Arts Theatre on October 15, 2016.

The Pheasantry has announced its October lineup at Kings Road, London. Scroll down for details!

The acclaimed singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist REGINA SPEKTOR –known for her chart-topping albums and soulful and evocative songs and music videos – will be featured in a new hour-long special in the popular music series SOUNDSTAGE, premiering on PBS stations nationwide beginning Today, October 1, 2016 (check local listings).

Bay Street Theater & Sag Harbor Center for the Arts have announced THE SIXTIES SHOW on Saturday, October 29 at 8 pm.

The Chattanooga Symphony & Opera opens the Luken Holdings Pops Series with the Mambo Kings on Saturday, October 8th at 7:30pm at the Tivoli Theatre.

Jazz Stories combines the swinging exciting music with legend Bernard Purdie and company plus some great stories retold by David Haney.  Haney talked to each of these artists and had them to recount the following stories for Cadence Magazine: Sonny Rollins, The Bridge Story; John McLaughlin's story about recording with Miles Davis; Annie Ross Meets Sarah Vaughan, Gunter Hampel remembers Thelonious Monk; Steve Swallow recalls his trip to Jamaica with Herbie Nichols; Dominic Duval on Charles Mingus; and of course Bernard Purdie breaks down the Purdie Shuffle.