Stevie Wonder News

Scroll down for the highlights from the President's remarks on entertainment icons Meryl Streep, Stevie Wonder, Alvin Ailey and Marlo Thomas!

President Barack Obama awarded eighteen recipients with the 2014 Presidential Medal of Freedom today, November 24, at the White House in Washington, D.C. Legendary composer/lyricist Stephen Sondheim, who was set to be the nineteenth honoree, could not attend the event and will receive the award next year instead.

To say that I am a little disappointed with last week's elimination of Team Pharrell's Sugar Joans is an understatement. Though, I admit, she didn't have the best week in terms of performance, she was still one of the best vocalists on the show.

Centric, today's 24-hour music and entertainment channel for African American and multicultural viewers, airs the 2014 SOUL TRAIN AWARDS Show November 30 at 8 pm/7 central.

The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is pleased to announce that the legendary singer, songwriter and entrepreneur Smokey Robinson will serve as the judge for Highmark First Night Pittsburgh's annual Sing-Off competition. The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is searching for musically talented students to audition for the fourth annual vocal competition celebrating the New Year. The deadline for submissions has been extended through 11:59 p.m. on Friday, December 12.

The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is pleased to announce that the legendary singer, songwriter and entrepreneur Smokey Robinson will serve as the judge for Highmark First Night Pittsburgh's annual Sing-Off competition. The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is searching for musically talented students to audition for the fourth annual vocal competition celebrating the New Year. The deadline for submissions has been extended through 11:59 p.m. on Friday, December 12.

Barbara Morrison will reprise her starring role as Dinah Washington in "I Wanna Be Loved" with singer-actor Jay Jackson co-starring as Brook Benton and the John Stephens-led 18-piece Barbara Morrison All-Star Jazz Band on Saturday and Sunday (Nov. 29-30) at her performing arts center in Leimert Park. The performances begin at 3 p.m. PST.

Global superstar KATY PERRY will headline the PEPSI SUPER BOWL XLIX HALFTIME SHOW on NBC in University of Phoenix Stadium in Arizona on Sunday, February 1, 2015, it was confirmed last night in an unprecedented multi-media, global announcement.

?President Barack Obama previously named nineteen recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the Nation's highest civilian honor, presented to individuals who have made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors. The awards will be presented at the White House today, November 24th.

Seasons of Love, a joyful, spectacular music and dance production poignantly portraying three love stories over the four seasons of the year and different stages of life, will get its world premiere in the West End at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane on Sunday 1 March, 2015.

I have no doubt that MOTOWN THE MUSICAL will be popular with audiences. It does, after all, contain the music that generations have grown up on, and it's still being played today. And, it's interesting that I was flipping channels on TV and saw an infomercial dedicated to the Motown 25th Anniversary special made in 1983 recently. That's the scene that opens the show, and where we first encounter the man who made it all happen, Berry Gordy. He's angry and doesn't want to attend because all his stars have left him for the greener pastures of other labels. This despite it being his own competitive spirit, and the fact that he instilled that in his roster of talent (songwriters, singers, and musicians), that created their desire to further pursue their careers in the first place. That makes for an interesting dichotomy that would seem ripe for the stage. So, why am I so disappointed? Because I wanted a real narrative (Gordy wrote the book himself) that doesn't gloss over important historical events while, at the same time, giving 60 fabulous tunes short shrift.

The Library of Congress is celebrating Billy Joel's 50-year career and his selection as the 2014 recipient of the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song in the nation's capital with a series of events, culminating in a star-studded concert tonight.

Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts at Brooklyn College continues its 60th Anniversary Season with an evening of joyous and uplifting music by South Africa's Grammy Award-winning Ladysmith Black Mambazo on Saturday, January 31, 2015 at 8pm. Tickets are $30-$40 and can be purchased at BrooklynCenter.org or by calling the box office at 718-951-4500 (Tue-Sat, 1pm-6pm).

Multi-GRAMMY nominee and saxophonist extraordinaire, Dave Koz, returns to Mesa Arts Center this season with the 2014 Dave Koz and Friends Christmas Tour. The high energy holiday show will bring special guests Jonathan Butler, Christopher Cross and Maysa for a live performance on Wednesday, Dec. 17 at 7:30 p.m. in the Ikeda Theater. Tickets are available at mesaartscenter.com or by calling 480-644-6500.

Atlantic Records recording group Straight No Chaser has unwrapped details of their festive new holiday single. 'Text Me Merry Christmas (Feat. Kristen Bell)' is available now at all DSPs via a newly released version of their hit EP, 'UNDER THE INFLUENCE: HOLIDAY EDITION

On Wednesday, December 3rd at 7 PM, Socrates in the City will present a very special onstage interview with legendary television personality and New York Times columnist Dick Cavett at W83, 150 West 83rd Street (between Columbus & Amsterdam Ave.) The interview, conducted by bestselling author and founder of Socrates in the City, Eric Metaxas, will focus on Cavett's new book Brief Encounters: Conversations, Magic Moments and Assorted Hijinks.

Last night, ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) conferred its singular, once-in-a-century ASCAP Centennial Awards, to a select group of American music icons in recognition of their incomparable accomplishments

The Fabulous Fox Theatre is excited to announce that the national tour of MOTOWN THE MUSICAL will play at the Fabulous Fox Theatre in St. Louis tonight, November 18 - 30, 2014.

Broadway Across America and the Kansas City Broadway Series present Motown The Musical December 9 through 14 at the Kansas City Music Hall. Directed by Charles Randolph-Wright, the story of Motown is a true American dream.

Tap Soul Productions presents 'What's Going On with Jarran Muse' at SOMETHIN' Jazz Club 212 east 52nd Street NY,NY 10022 Monday November 24th at 7pm.