Mary J. Blige News

City Parks Foundation's SummerStage Can't Miss Hip-Hop and R&B Shows in July

In celebration of the 2018 BET Awards in Los Angeles, Domani Harris, was invited to perform on the BETX Coca-Cola stage on Saturday June 23rd. Domani, a rising rap star and son to hip hop legend T.I., performed alongside a live band new tracks off his recently released project AMYGDALA. Fans rushed to the stage in the Los Angeles Convention Center to enjoy the soulful rap experience that Domani provided. This was Domani's first major performance and proves he's got a bright music career ahead of him.

The 2018 BET Awards took place Sunday at Los Angeles' Microsoft Theater, Kendrick Lamar taking home to most prizes, for best male hip hop artist and album of the year for “DAMN.” Beyonce was crowned the best female R&B/pop artist, and Cardi B won for best female hip hop artist. Anita Baker received the lifetime achievement award.

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.

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.

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.

Pop recording artist, Emin Eminzada released his single/video 'Behind The Curtain'. The powerhouse ballad showcases the 21-year-old pianist and accomplished Opera singer who is from Baku, Azerbaijan. The powerful ballad showcases the classically trained artist and musician's baritone voice. 'Behind the Curtain' is produced and written by 2x Grammy nominated producer/singer-songwriter Drew 'Druski' Scott (Teyana Taylor, Zendaya, Nick Jonas, Jake Miller, Fantasia, Michelle Williams) and Grammy award winning singer-songwriter Carla Carter (Janet Jackson, Usher, Keyshia Cole, Carly Rae Jepsen, Mary J. Blige). The single was released on all digital platforms May 18, 2018.

Summer is upon us and we're getting in the mood with the band of reggae legend Bob Marley, The Wailers, kicking off the month of June at Blue Note Hawaii. Another reggae icon, Maxi Priest, returns to the stage by popular demand and six-time GRAMMY(R)-winning jazz bassist Christian McBride makes his Blue Note Hawaii debut. Comedy takes center stage with the return of comedian Rita Rudner and the hilarious wellRED Comedy Tour: From Dixie With Love Featuring: Trae Crowder, Drew Morgan & Corey Ryan Forrester.

Summer is upon us and we're getting in the mood with the band of reggae legend Bob Marley, The Wailers, kicking off the month of June at Blue Note Hawaii. Another reggae icon, Maxi Priest, returns to the stage by popular demand and six-time GRAMMY(R)-winning jazz bassist Christian McBride makes his Blue Note Hawaii debut. Comedy takes center stage with the return of comedian Rita Rudner and the hilarious wellRED Comedy Tour: From Dixie With Love Featuring: Trae Crowder, Drew Morgan & Corey Ryan Forrester.

Raphael Saadiq recently announced his first headline tour in several years. Today, he announced that his longtime friend and Lucy Pearl bandmate Ali Shaheed Muhammad (A Tribe Called Quest)--who recently announced new album TheMidnight Hour with Adrian Younge and featuring Saadiq, among other noteworthy musicians--will support him on several dates of the summer run. Flint, MI musician & activist Tunde Olaniran will also join the pair at Detroit's MOCAD. In addition to his headline dates, musician and producer Saadiq is set to perform at Chicago'sPitchfork Festival (read 'The Meaning of Soul Music According to Raphael Saadiq' via the 2017 Pitchfork here). The tour dates come as the Oscar-nominated Grammy-winner finishes work on his much-anticipated fifth solo album and first since 2011's Stone Rollin'.

A hilarious and heartfelt adventure the whole family can enjoy, SHERLOCK GNOMES brings the fun home on Digital June 5, 2018 and on Blu-ray Combo Pack and DVD June 12 from Paramount Home Media Distribution and Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures (MGM).

June brings four Prime Original series and one Prime Original movie exclusively available for Prime members to stream or download at no additional cost to their membership.

 LETTERS LIVE is thrilled to announce Cynthia Erivo, Edie Falco, Ian McShane, James Earl Jones, Katie Holmes, Kyle MacLachlan, Laurence Fishburne, Molly Ringwald and Uzo Aduba as the second wave of confirmed performers for its first ever NYC shows on May 18th and May 19th 2018, at The Town Hall. They will join previously-announced guest Benedict Cumberbatch. Performances begin at 8pm ET and will run for 2 hours and 20 minutes with a 20 intermission. The Town Hall is located at 123 West 43rd Street, between Sixth Avenue and Broadway, in midtown Manhattan. Additional celebrity cast members will be announced prior to the shows, while the rest will be a surprise each night. 

On Wednesday, May 16, The ASCAP Foundation and The Library of Congress will jointly present the 10th annual “We Write the Songs” event at the historic Coolidge Auditorium in The Library of Congress in Washington, DC. The evening celebrates the gift by The ASCAP Foundation to the Library of Congress of the original manuscripts, lead sheets, lyrics sheets, photos and letters of some of America's greatest creators of words and music.

Jazz is one of the major forms of musical expression. In the 1970s, jazz was moving away from strict acoustic instruments and was adding electric instruments— turning its style toward rock music. Warren Benbow, who has been playing drums since he was young, details the changes jazz music underwent in his artistic memoir, 'A Drummers Story' @ https://store.bookbaby.com/book/A-Drummers-Story1

Kate Walsh (13 Reasons Why, Private Practice) is set to join the cast of the Netflix original series The Umbrella Academy.

As San Antonio celebrates its Tricentennial, the City of Balcones Heights celebrates its 25thanniversary of providing renowned jazz performers from across the country. Since 1993, the Balcones Heights Jazz Festival has captivated jazz aficionados every summer with a free stellar line-up. This year's performances feature a diverse line-up of headlining and special opening acts that have lit up the stage at Wonderland of the Americas.

Bon Jovi, The Cars, Nina Simone, The Moody Blues, Dire Straits and Sister Rosetta Tharpe are the inductees in the exclusive HBO special 2018 ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME INDUCTION CEREMONY, debuting SATURDAY, MAY 5 (8:00-11:00 p.m. ET/PT). This year's ceremony boasted a star-studded array of guests and presenters, including May J. Blige, Jerry Cantrell, Felicia Collins, Andra Day, Brandon Flowers, Brittany Howard, Questlove, Paul Shaffer, Howard Stern, Steven Van Zandt and Ann Wilson.

Raphael Saadiq just announced his first headline tour dates in several years. The Oscar-nominated and Grammy-winning musician and producer will head out on a seven-city run including headline shows in NYC, Boston, Philadelphia and more, and a performance at Chicago's Pitchfork Festival (read 'The Meaning of Soul Music According to Raphael Saadiq' via the 2017 Pitchfork here). The dates come as he's set to finish work on his anticipated fifth solo album and first since 2011's Stone Rollin'. The upcoming shows follow 2017 performances as a headliner at Afropunk Brooklyn, a surprise appearance with A Tribe Called Quest at FYF Fest 2017, and several dates with Maxwell, among other shows. See all upcoming tour dates below and get tix this Friday, May 4 at 10am local time.

Bon Jovi, The Cars, Nina Simone, The Moody Blues, Dire Straits and Sister Rosetta Tharpe are the inductees in the exclusive HBO special 2018 ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME INDUCTION CEREMONY, debuting SATURDAY, MAY 5 (8:00-11:00 p.m. ET/PT). This year's ceremony boasted a star-studded array of guests and presenters, including May J. Blige, Jerry Cantrell, Felicia Collins, Andra Day, Brandon Flowers, Brittany Howard, Questlove, Paul Shaffer, Howard Stern, Steven Van Zandt and Ann Wilson.