Aretha Franklin News

The 21st Annual Roger Ebert's Film Festival, co-founded and hosted by Chaz Ebert and also known as 'Ebertfest", announced today that Alan Elliott's AMAZING GRACE will open this year's festival. AMAZING GRACE is the highly-anticipated concert film presenting Aretha Franklin's live performance at the New Bethel Baptist Church in Los Angeles in January 1972. 

Parsons Dance is pleased to announce its annual gala, taking place on Monday, April 8, 2019 at the Mandarin Oriental New York. This year's gala honors Frederic M. Seegal, owner of DanceMedia, the company that publishes Dance Magazine, Pointe, Dance Teacher, Dance Spirit, and Dance Retailer News.

The NAACP today announced that mass media icon Tom Joyner will be honored with the Vanguard Award at the 50th NAACP Image Awards. The Vanguard Award is presented to a person whose groundbreaking work increases our understanding and awareness of racial and social issues. To date, the special award has been presented to Aretha Franklin, Clive Davis, surviving Memphis Sanitation Workers, Prince, Russell Simmons, Stanley Kramer, Steven Spielberg and Wyclef Jean. The 50th NAACP Image Awards will air during a LIVE TV special on TV One on Saturday, March 30, 2019 from the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, hosted by Anthony Anderson.

 Lotus Music & Dance will celebrate its 30th Anniversary in 2019 with a benefit dinner and performance on Monday, March 25th. This year also marks the 100th Birth Anniversary of bharata natyam dance guru, T. Balasaraswati ("Bala"). They will honor legendary choreographer, George Faison with the inaugural Bala Award for Excellence . Other Honorees include Manhattan Borough President, Gale Brewer for her support of cultural diversity in the performing arts.

Riverside Theatre, led by Producing Artistic Director/CEO Allen D. Cornell and Managing Director/COO Jon R. Moses, is delighted to announce its 46th Anniversary Season for 2019-2020. Building on the success and acclaim the theatre has attained nationwide over the last few years, Riverside is proud to present a magnificent season of music, comedy, and drama.

The Media Theatre is taking a trip back in time with 'Beehive: The '60's Musical' March 13 to March 31. The show, created by Larry Gallagher, is a musical tribute to the women who made the music of the era so special - everyone from Lesley Gore to Janis Joplin, from the Shirelles to the Supremes, Aretha Franklin to Tina Turner, and every woman in between! With two dozen beloved hits, the show takes you on a journey through song, documenting the dramatic changes that America underwent during the '60s.

Berklee President Roger H. Brown will present three-time Tony and Grammy-Award winning Alex Lacamoire (B.M. '95,), award-winning actor and 10-time Grammy-Award winning musician Justin Timberlake, and five-time Grammy-Award winning Missy Elliott with honorary Doctor of Music degrees at Berklee College of Music's commencement ceremony, Saturday, May 11, at the 7,000-seat Agganis Arena at Boston University.

The Marsh San Francisco announces the return of Not a Genuine Black Man, the longest running solo show in San Francisco theater history by award-winning actor, playwright, and talk show host Brian Copeland. This funny, honest, and harrowing piece recounts the struggles Copeland faced growing up in what was declared one of the most racist suburbs in America.

One of the world's most distinctive singing voices, Michael McDonald is often imitated but never duplicated. He's had enough humility over the years to blend his voice with others, whether as a member of Steely Dan, a Doobie Brother, and as a highly successful solo artist and songwriter. More recently, his collaborations have included being a member of the supergroup the Dukes of September, as well as reaching the Coachella generation as a celebrated co-star on Thundercat's indie hit "Show You the Way."

R&B/soul singer-songwriter Allen Stone has released a new single and accompanying lyric video today for his song 'Naturally' via ATO Records. Written with the impending birth of his first child in mind and galvanized by his overwhelming love for his new wife, Stone explains, 'The inspiration behind releasing this song comes from having my first child. In this journey that is about to commence we are choosing not to find out the sex of the child until the day of. Whichever bits this kiddo comes out with, we want he or she to arrive into a world where women are celebrated. Judged not by their physical attributes but rather the fiber of their traits. I hope the world of the future nourishes and cherishes all women.”

Country singer Darryl Worley is celebrating his biggest hits with the release of Second Wind: Latest & Greatest (Bob Frank's BFD viaThe Orchard). Pre-sales for the 15-track album are available now with the project set to hit stores on April 26. 

Singer, comedian and celebrity impressionist Terry Fator comes to the Peace Center on Friday, Aug. 2, at 8 p.m.

RESPECT - The Aretha Franklin Songbook is an amazing live concert that celebrates the late great Queen of Soul!

Schimmel Center at Pace University concludes its 2018-19 Cabaret Series with an evening of standards and musical theater selections composed by women titled Baby, Dream Your Dream: The Great Women Songwriters today, March 9, 2019 at 7:30pm. Tickets start at $29 and can be purchased at SchimmelCenter.org, by phone at 212-346-1715, or by visiting the Schimmel Center Box Office at 3 Spruce Street, Manhattan. Box office hours are Tuesday-Today, Noon-5pm, and then beginning three hours prior to each performance, through intermission.

This Sunday, March 9, gospel music legend BeBe Winans makes his return to prime-time television to celebrate the life of Aretha Franklin as part of'Aretha! A GRAMMY Celebration For The Queen Of Soul.” The special airs at 9p.m.–11 p.m., ET/PT on CBS. 

Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures has dated the Aretha Franklin biopic Respect for Aug. 14, 2020, according to Deadline.

Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul have announced the release of their eagerly awaited new album. SUMMER OF SORCERY, the legendary rock 'n' rollers first album of new material, arrives May 3 via Wicked Cool/UMe. SUMMER OF SORCERY is available for pre-order now. The album will be released on CD, digitally and on vinyl as double LP on 180-gram black vinyl. A limited edition version will be available as a double LP on 180-gram psychedelic swirl vinyl exclusively via uDiscover. All digital pre-orders will be joined by an instant grat download of the LP's jet-fueled first track release, 'Superfly Terraplane,' which premiered today via Rolling Stone.

Nicole Vanessa Ortiz, fresh on the heels of starring in Spamilton and Smokey Joe's Cafe: The Songs of Leiber and Stoller, makes her Feinstein's/54 Below solo concert debut in Becoming Her: A Diva's Tribute-a musical salute to chart-topping divas, today, March 7 at 9:30pm (doors open at 8:45pm).

New York City Gay Men's Chorus announces that Peppermint, from RuPaul's Drag Race, will join them as their guest star for the eleventh annual Big Gay Sing, its annual sing-along extravaganza. This year the chorus of 250+ singers presents, BIG GAY SING BODY & SOUL. Performances will run from March 22 - 24 at NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts.

The Media Theatre is taking a trip back in time with 'Beehive: The '60's Musical' March 13 to March 31. The show, created by Larry Gallagher, is a musical tribute to the women who made the music of the era so special - everyone from Lesley Gore to Janis Joplin, from the Shirelles to the Supremes, Aretha Franklin to Tina Turner, and every woman in between! With two dozen beloved hits, the show takes you on a journey through song, documenting the dramatic changes that America underwent during the '60s.