Little Richard News

Everyone at Radio City Music Hall for this year's Tony Awards was given a special treat as Billy Porter was coaxed into singing 'Rose's Turn' in karaoke during one of the ceremony's commercial breaks! Check out the video below!

The Berkshire Theatre Group cast of Rock and Roll Man: The Alan Freed Story had their first read through earlier this week in New York City! Rock and Roll Man is being presented by Berkshire Theatre Group, in association with five-time Tony Award-Winning Caiola Productions (Once on this Island, Dear Evan Hansen, The Color Purple, All The Way, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf). Rock and Roll Man has a book by Gary Kupper, Larry Marshak and Rose Caiola, with original music and lyrics by Gary Kupper.

A wop baba lu mop, ahh wop bam boom! Broadway by the Bay continues their 2019 season with Grease - the beloved rock n' roll celebration of teen angst, fast cars and first loves all set in the fabulous fifties. This all-new production is on stage June 7 to 23 and features the irresistible songs from the Tony Award nominated Broadway show and hit movie, including 'Summer Nights,", "Greased Lightnin'", "Born to Hand Jive", "There are Worse Things I Could Do", and many more. So get out your leather jackets and pull on your bobby socks with Rydell High's senior class of 1959!

The Folger Shakespeare Library will host the DC premiere of Ghost Light, a new dark comedy by filmmakers John Stimpson and Geoffrey Taylor. The film, a Feature Film Award-winner at the Austin Film Festival, will be shown in the historic Folger Theatre located on Capitol Hill. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at www.folger.edu/talks or by calling the Folger Box Office at 202.544.7077.

Granbury Theatre Company will continue its 2019 Broadway on the Brazos season with the musical Grease on June 7-July 7, 2019, at the historic Granbury Opera House in Downtown Granbury.

The Apollo Theater today announced details for its 2019 Apollo Spring Gala, the historic Theater's largest annual fundraising event, taking place on Monday, June 10 at 7 p.m. In honor of the Theater's 85th Anniversary, this year's gala theme is "Icons Revisited," which will explore iconic Apollo performers through the lens of contemporary artists.

The legendary Apollo Theater – the soul of American culture and a globally recognized national treasure – will honor the legendary and iconic Temptations with their induction into the Apollo's Walk of Fame. Otis Williams, founding and only surviving, original member of the Motown super-group, will accept the honor.

Craft Recordings is excited to announce a new deluxe reissue of Isaac Hayes' GRAMMY® Award–winning album Shaft. Set for a June 14th street date and limited to 5,000 copies worldwide, the two-CD collection will offer the newly remastered, classic soundtrack—as originally released in 1971—plus all of the original music from the film, which did not appear on the best-selling LP. In-depth liner notes from Ahmir “Questlove” Thompsonround out the set. A single-disc version consisting of only the remastered soundtrack will also be available.

1969 marked a year that was full of both trepidation and excitement for Stax Records. Just one year before, the Memphis soul outlet ended its relationship with musical giant Atlantic Records, effectively leaving the label as an independent entity, without a music catalog (which had previously included a formidable collection of hits by Otis Redding, Carla Thomas and Sam & Dave, among others). Under the guidance of co-owner Al Bell, the label proceeded to rebuild and release an impressive collection of 27 albums and 30 singles in just a handful of months—a period known as “Soul Explosion.” The gamble paid off, and at the 1969 Stax sales summit—themed “Getting It All Together”—the label reaffirmed its place as a soul powerhouse. Craft Recordings celebrates the 50th anniversary of this prolific, make-or-break moment for Stax—and its enduring legacy—with a wide selection of physical and digital reissues. Additionally, Craft will pay tribute to the label throughout the year with a series of playlists, original content, contests and more.

1999 marked a momentous year for Scottish rock band Travis. Singer/songwriter Fran Healy, guitarist Andy Dunlop, drummer Neil Primrose, and bassist Dougie Payne had been together since the beginning of the decade, and were gearing up for the release of their sophomore album, The Man Who, following the release of their 1997 debut, Good Feeling. Though the album found moderate success in the UK and set the band up for extensive touring—opening for the likes of Oasis—Travis were still reasonably unknown internationally. All of that was about to change.

Centenary Stage Company's critically acclaimed Young Performers Workshop returns to the Little Theatre at 400 Jefferson Street on the campus of Centenary University for the annual Spring Festival of Shows.

Craft Recordings is pleased to announce the first-ever vinyl edition ofJames Taylor's 2007 live album, One Man Band. Available June 7th, the double-LP set is pressed on 180-gram vinyl, and housed in a deluxe gatefold jacket. Mastered by Ryan Smith at Sterling Sound and pressed at RTI, this uniquely intimate performance captures Taylor at his best—paired only with his guitar, drum machine and esteemed keyboardist Larry Goldings (John Mayer, Sia, John Scofield) plus pre-recorded accompaniment of the Tanglewood Festival Chorus on “My Traveling Star” and “Shower The People.” Full of his signature wit and warmth, Taylor's anecdotes—interspersed throughout the evening—offer background on some of his most popular songs.

2019 marks the 70th anniversary of Prestige Records, one of the most revered jazz labels in the world. Throughout the '50s and '60s, Prestige was at the forefront of modern jazz, releasing sessions from some of the most influential names in music, including Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, Stan Getz, and Sonny Rollins. To honor the history of this pioneering label and its exceptional output, Craft Recordings will release a variety of content throughout the year, including deluxe box sets and vinyl reissues, as well as video content and curated playlists.

Today BET Networks announced second season pick-ups for both its half-hour subversive, smart, serialized comedy series 'BOOMERANG,' and the critically-acclaimed period drama based on the untold rise of the iconic music and dance program 'Soul Train,' 'AMERICAN SOUL.' BET is investing in partnerships with leading Black content creators with unique creative voices to bring viewers elevated storytelling and premium programming.

Greater Boston Stage Company celebrates its 20th Anniversary Season with two World Premieres, an adaptation of a beloved holiday classic, a hit Broadway musical, and a musical collaboration with Front Porch Arts Collective.

John Coltrane's breakout year, when his mature saxophone sound first grabbed ears and his own recordings began to sell consistently, was 1958. The upcoming box set Coltrane '58: The Prestige Recordings (out March 29 (5-CD & digital formats) and April 26 (8-LP format) on Craft Recordings), chronicles that exciting year session by session, featuring all 37 tracks Coltrane recorded as a leader or co-leader for the independent Prestige label in those 12 months. The collection captures Coltrane in creative high gear—developing the signature improvisational style that journalist Ira Gitler famously dubbed “sheets of sound.” In addition, Coltrane '58: The Prestige Recordings comes on the heel of the 60th anniversary of that breakthrough year, and serves as the cornerstone release marking the 70th anniversary of Prestige Records.

Grammy Award-winner ("Lowdown") Boz Scaggs returns to Sarasota with his Out Of The Blues Tour, celebrating his new album. "Music has been a constant companion and I'm feeling more free with it than ever," Scaggs comments. "I feel like I've found my voice through all these years, and I've gotten closer to where I want to be with my approach." Enjoy old favorites and new songs on Thursday, April 18, 2019 at 8 p.m. - live at the Van Wezel!

Craft Recordings has revealed the full details on their upcoming title, Poppies: Assorted Finery from the First Psychedelic Age, a compilation of 1960s-era psychedelic rock featuring cult-classic artists such as Buffy Sainte-Marie, Circus Maximus and Southwest F.O.B.

The pedigree of Cream-Ginger Baker's son Kofi Baker, Jack Bruce's son Malcolm Bruce, and Eric Clapton's nephew (by marriage) Will Johns-has come together for a multi-media concert experience that pays homage to the extraordinary legacy of the hallowed '60s trio. Audiences will enjoy personal stories, never-before-seen footage and photos, and live performances of Cream hits including "Sunshine of Your Love," "Crossroads," "Spoonful," and "White Room."

The McCallum Theatre presents Neil Berg's Fifty Years of Rock and Roll for three performances - Tuesday, March 5, at 8:00pm, and Wednesday, March 6, at 2:00pm and 8:00pm.  With a cast consisting of both stars from Broadway's greatest rock musicals, as well as incredible Rock and Roll singers, Neil Berg shares the often-unknown stories from the fifty-year history of the music that changed the world forever. From the progenitors of Rock and Roll in the 1940s, through the glory years of the '50s, '60s, and '70s, up until MTV in the early '80s,