Aretha Franklin News

The House of Blues Music Forward Foundation today launched “Rocktion”, a special holiday auction on ebay of music memorabilia and collectibles from legends such as Aretha Franklin, Ringo Starr, and Aerosmith plus VIP musical experiences with Khalid, Zac Brown and Jason Aldean. Proceeds will benefit the nonprofit's music industry education programs for underserved youth.

FEINSTEIN'S/54 BELOW, Broadway's Supper Club, presents 54 Celebrates the Music of Empowering, Female Pop Icons. It's always a good time to celebrate the strong women in our lives and in music. From Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Ariana Grande, Demi Lovato, and more, these women have paved a way in music and continue to leave their marks on the world and on the charts. Join your Broadway favorites and sing along to some iconic hits all the while celebrating empowerment, strength, and togetherness.

Today, ABFF Ventures announced Cynthia Erivo will receive the a?oeRising Star Awarda?? at the 2020 ABFF Honors. The fourth annual ceremony, hosted by actor and comedian Deon Cole, will take place on Sunday, February 23, 2020 at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles. 

New York: Urban Stages (Frances Hill, Founding Artistic Director and Tom Toce , Musical Director) announces the line-up for this year's award-winning series, WINTER RHYTHMS 2019, which will begin Wednesday, December 11 featuring some of New York's best musical performances through Saturday, December 21, 2019 at Urban Stages Theatre (259 West 30th St., East of 8th Ave.)

Music icons and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame members, The Shirelles, will take over M Resort Spa Casino for a much-anticipated one-night Valentine's Day Weekend performance on Saturday, Feb. 15, 2020 inside the M Pavilion. Celebrating their a?oeDedicated To The One I Lovea?? tour, the legendary girl group will perform their timeless, classic hits a?oeSoldier Boy,a?? a?oeDedicated to the One I Love,a?? a?oeMama Said,a?? a?oeWill You Still Love Me Tomorrow?,a?? and more. Tickets, starting at $15, go on sale Friday, November 22 at noon and can be purchased by visiting MResort.com or ticketmaster.com.

Music icons and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame members, The Shirelles, will take over M Resort Spa Casino for a much-anticipated one-night Valentine's Day Weekend performance on Saturday, Feb. 15, 2020 inside the M Pavilion. Celebrating their a?oeDedicated To The One I Lovea?? tour, the legendary girl group will perform their timeless, classic hits a?oeSoldier Boy,a?? a?oeDedicated to the One I Love,a?? a?oeMama Said,a?? a?oeWill You Still Love Me Tomorrow?,a?? and more. Tickets, starting at $15, go on sale Friday, November 22 at noon and can be purchased by visiting MResort.com or ticketmaster.com.

With a globetrotting 20-year career renowned for being a voice for the people across four decades of political and societal upheaval from the late '90s to today, Antibalas celebrates its 20th Anniversary with a stark return to their Williamsburg roots on its latest Daptone Records studio album, Fu Chronicles (Release Date: February 7, 2020). Pre-gentrified Williamsburg serves as the backdrop for Fu Chronicles -- voyaging back to the early days of when Antibalas and revered soul label Daptone Records spawned out of lead singer Duke Amayo's kung fu dojo. A senior master of the Jow Ga Kung Fu School of martial arts, Duke Amayo along with Antibalas founder/baritone saxophonist Martín Perna guide listeners through an epic journey of where kung fu ingeniously intersects with Afrobeat on Fu Chronicles.

Grammy honored JC Hopkins and his Biggish Band will be playing musical host at the legendary Minton's Playhouse for ringing in the New Year and no better place to do it than at the birthplace of bebop. The Biggish Band has backed a number of musical legends in its time including Norah Jones, Elvis Costello, Tony Bennett, Jazzmeia Horn and Jon Hendricks to name a few.

“I Think About You” is a country sing-along upbeat Christmas song about not being with someone you love during the holidays. And soon to be a Christmas favorite.

“The Kelly Clarkson Show,” the #1 new daytime show, has been renewed through the 2020-21 season by NBCUniversal.

Oklahoma husband / wife Americana duo, The Imaginaries, Shane Henry (guitar, vocals) and Maggie McClure (keys, piano, vocals), release the music video for their first single, “Thinking 'Bout You” today exclusively with DittyTV, the Americana and Roots Music Network. 

Veteran actor / director a?oeRhonda a?oePassiona?? Hansome roudly displays the Longevity in Multi Disciplinary Artistic Achievement award presented to her by Andrea J. Fulton (right) of The Anderson & Bert Cade Fulton Foundation at their Second Annual Awards Benefit on Saturday, November 9, 2019 at the Sugar Hill Restaurant and Supper Club in Brooklyn. The Bedford-Stuyvesant-born entertainer - who also performed at the afternoon event - was later congratulated by fellow ABC Fulton Foundation Benefit performer actor/producer/vocalist Rome Neal.

During Lisa Viggiano's critically-praised 2018 Bruce Springsteen Tribute Shows (which helped earn her a 2019 Bistro Award for “Outstanding Vocalist”), she included a section of songs by iconic musicians and singers discovered over five decades by talent scout/record producer John Henry Hammond, who also championed Springsteen and recorded “The Boss's” first demo. Now, like a spinoff from a hit TV sitcom, Viggiano has created an entire cabaret show featuring songs and performers produced by Hammond during his long career at Columbia Records. In FROM LADY DAY TO THE BOSS: 50 YEARS OF TALENT DISCOVERED BY LEGENDARY COLUMBIA RECORD PRODUCER JOHN HENRY HAMMOND, Viggiano will deliver her unique renditions of classic tunes recorded by Bessie Smith, Benny Goodman, Billie Holiday, Harry James, Count Basie, Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin, Leonard Cohen, George Benson, and Springsteen.

On Sunday, November 10, 2019, Education Through Music-Los Angeles (www.etmla.org) hosted its 14th Annual Benefit Gala at the Beverly Wilshire to raise awareness for music in disadvantaged LA County schools. Supporters gathered to celebrate the 2019 Shining Star Honorees: Emmy Award-Winning Music Director & Producer Rickey Minor (Stevie Wonder, American Idol), Music Educator Angela Woo, and Cusumano Real Estate Group.

Craft Recordings is thrilled to announce The Memphis Masters—a limited video series celebrating various albums from the iconic Stax Records label, showcasing its enduring musical legacy, as well as its influence on Memphis, TN. Created in partnership with Memphis Record Pressing and Memphis Tourism, and directed by Andrew Trent Fleming of TheFilmJerk Media, the multi-part series was shot in several locations around the city—also known as the home of blues, soul and rock 'n' roll—including such historic landmarks as Sam Phillips Recording Service, Royal Studios and the Stax Museum of American Soul Music. With interviews spanning multiple generations of artists, The Memphis Masters offers insight from the likes of Robert Trujillo (Metallica), Grace Potter, Matt Berninger (The National), Walshy Fire (Major Lazer), Steve Selvidge (The Hold Steady) and producer Boo Mitchell—all of whom were inspired by the label's music and the albums being reissued. The Memphis Masters also includes interviews with Stax legends like Steve Cropper, Big Star's Jody Stephens, James Alexander (the Bar-Kays) and Booker T. Jones, plus longtime label publicist Deanie Parker and songwriter Bettye Crutcher, who share their memories from the label's heyday.

Berkshire Theatre Group is thrilled to present Rev Tor & Friend's  Rock & Soul Holiday Show, featuring Wanda Houston, Gina Coleman & Tony Lee Thomas at The Colonial Theatre on Friday, November 29 at 8pm. Rev Tor & Friend's Rock & Soul Holiday Show tickets are $25.

On Sunday, November 10, 2019, Education Through Music-Los Angeles (ETM-LA) will host its 14th Annual Benefit Gala at the Beverly Wilshire in Beverly Hills. Supporters from the music, film, business, and education communities will gather to honor Emmy Award-Winning Music Director, Composer & Producer Rickey Minor (Stevie Wonder, American Idol), Celebrated Music Educator Angela Woo (John Adams Middle School), and Cusumano Real Estate Group, a leader in real estate and philanthropy.

National Geographic, with Imagine Television Studios and Fox 21 Television Studios, announced today that the Emmy- and Tony Award-winning actor Courtney B. Vance ('The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story') will star opposite previously announced Cynthia Erivo ('Harriet,' Broadway's 'The Color Purple') as Aretha Franklin in the next installment of the Emmy-winning global anthology series GENIUS: ARETHA. Additionally, Suzan-Lori Parks ('Topdog/Underdog') will serve as showrunner and executive producer and Anthony Hemingway ('Power,' 'The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story') will executive produce and serve as the producing director for the upcoming season. Filming will start this December for a spring 2020 premiere on National Geographic channels in 172 countries and in 43 languages.

Oklahoma husband / wife duo, The Imaginaries, Shane Henry (guitar, vocals) and Maggie McClure (keys, piano, vocals), announce holiday album Hometown Christmas just in time for their 25-date tour with The Brian Setzer Orchestra's “Christmas Rocks! Tour,” which begins November 15 at the State Theatre in Minneapolis, MN. The album features 13 tracks (track listing below) of originals, including the title track “Hometown Christmas” which they debuted on FOX'sLiving Oklahoma yesterday, and holiday favorites, and will be out November 15th. “In honor of the amazing opportunity to open for the Brian Setzer Orchestra Christmas Rocks! Tour,” says Maggie and Shane, “we decided to release a holiday album this year, which is a combination of our past Holiday releases plus new songs as well.”

Janis Joplin was a one of a kind. A legend whose life and meteoric career only lasted a few brief years. Long enough for her to perform at Franklin Pierce College's Winter Carnival in 1969. In January of 1968, Wesleyan University paid Janis (along with her band, Big Brother and the Holding Company) $2,500 for a performance. By the time Franklin Pierce's Social Committee booked her for a February 8, 1969 performance, her rate had soared to $20,000. Less than 2 years later, Janis died of a heroin overdose on October 4, 1970, at the age of 27.