music industry

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Quincy Jones Dies: 'There Will Never Be Another Like Him'

Music producer and film composer is dead at 91

(Newser) - Quincy Jones, the multitalented music titan whose vast legacy ranged from producing Michael Jackson's historic Thriller album to writing prize-winning film and television scores and collaborating with Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles, and hundreds of other recording artists, has died at 91, reports the AP . Jones' publicist says he died...

Sum 41 Frontman: I Was Groomed by Ex-Manager

Deryck Whibley accuses Treble Charger's Greig Nori of sexual abuse from 1998 to 2002

(Newser) - Deryck Whibley can still recall his elation when, at 16, he snuck backstage at a Treble Charger concert to meet lead singer Greig Nori and left with his phone number. Nori, then 34, was a hero to Whibley, a fellow Canadian who was trying to get his punk band, Sum...

Scooter Braun Says He's Out of the Management Biz

Man who discovered Justin Bieber plans to focus on role as CEO of Hybe America

(Newser) - Scooter Braun, one of the most recognizable names in the music business, says he will no longer work as a music manager. Braun, known for representing artists like Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande, announced the news Monday on his Instagram page . The executive and entrepreneur instead will focus his attention...

Big-Time Hitmaker Accused of Raping His Protege

Lawsuit accuses 'Single Ladies' songwriter The-Dream of physical, psychological abuse

(Newser) - A music producer responsible for some of the biggest pop hits of the last two decades, including Rihanna's "Umbrella" and Beyonce's "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)," has been hit with rape allegations. The-Dream, an eight-time Grammy winner who also worked on Justin Bieber'...

Rap Battle Song Hits No. 1, and 'It's a Bit Disconcerting'

Andre Gee of 'Rolling Stone' muses on lyrics in Lamar's diss track on Drake

(Newser) - Earlier this month, Andre Gee declared in Rolling Stone that Kendrick Lamar "won the great rap war " between himself and Drake, a long-running feud that has resulted in a recent slew of diss tracks—including Lamar's "Not Like Us," which ascended to the No. 1...

'Harvard Has Taylor, Vermont State Has Weird Al!'

University will offer a course on comedic singer Yankovic in the fall

(Newser) - If you've ever longed for a glimpse inside the imagination of Alfred Yankovic and you're a student at Vermont State University, your two worlds are about to collide. The higher-ed institution will be offering a course this fall dedicated to the quirky singer-songwriter known as "Weird Al,...

Joining the Retro Revival: Cassette Tapes

Sales are on the rise in Japan as well as in the US

(Newser) - Cassette tapes are starting to catch some of the retro, nostalgic shine of vinyl records, spurring one manufacturer in Japan to bring back personal Walkman-type players. Younger Japanese music lovers are driving this trend, Nikkei Asia writes, despite many being born well after tapes were eclipsed by CDs, and later...

F1 Racing's Powerful Draw: Big-Name Musicians

Entertainers have embraced the Formula One series

(Newser) - Beyond the engineering, the athleticism, the speed, the luxury—fans love the sound of Formula One. The fierce rhythms of a V6 turbocharged hybrid engine; the sticky staccato of a rushed downshift; sexy, loud zooms. There's a real musical appreciation for the elite motorsport, per the AP . Engines are...

Grammy Nominations Leader Isn't Taylor Swift

SZA leads the pack with 9 nominations

(Newser) - The new Grammy nominees are out, with artist SZA leading the way at nine nominations, per the AP . "Kill Bill," her revenge anthem cloaked in an R&B ballad, earned her nods for record of the year, song of the year, and best R&B performance. SOS is...

Band Goes on Tour, Walks the Whole Way

Chris Roberts and Seth Bye of Filkin's Drift trekked nearly 900 miles in Wales over 2 months

(Newser) - Get Chris Roberts and Seth Bye a foot massage, stat. The two musicians, members of the folk band Filkin's Drift , on Tuesday wrapped up their latest tour through Wales, performing dozens of shows over two months. But it wasn't private jets, regular commercial aircraft, or even a van...

Music Is Made Differently Now That We're All Streaming It

The way streamers track success and pay artists has shaped songwriting

(Newser) - Streaming has revolutionized the music industry in countless ways, including how songs are penned, the Wall Street Journal says. Hit songs are being written to keep pace with how sites like Spotify track success and pay artists, resulting in shorter tracks. The Journal cites analysis from blogger Michael Tauberg, who...

Co-Founder of A&M Records Dies
Co-Founder of
A&M Records Dies
OBITUARY

Co-Founder of A&M Records Dies

Jerry Moss was the M in A&M

(Newser) - Jerry Moss, a music industry giant who co-founded A&M Records with Herb Alpert and rose from a Los Angeles garage to the heights of success with hits by Alpert, the Police, the Carpenters, and hundreds of other performers, has died at age 88. Moss, inducted with Alpert into the...

'Godfather of Black Music' Dead at 92
'Godfather
of Black Music'
Has Died
OBITUARY

'Godfather of Black Music' Has Died

Clarence Avant was 92

(Newser) - Clarence Avant, the judicious manager, entrepreneur, facilitator, and adviser known as the "Godfather of Black Music" who helped launch or guide the careers of Quincy Jones, Bill Withers, and many others, has died. He was 92. Avant, inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2021, died...

A 'Magical Art Form' Turns 50
A 'Magical Art Form' Turns 50

A 'Magical Art Form' Turns 50

On Aug. 11, 1973, 18-year-old DJ Kool Herc put hip-hop music on the map

(Newser) - It was born in the break, all those decades ago—that moment when a song's vocals dropped, instruments quieted down, and the beat took the stage. It was then that hip-hop came into the world, taking the moment and reinventing it. The music was something new, coming out of...

Taylor Swift Just Moved Past Barbra Streisand

She now has 12 No. 1 albums, the most by any woman in history

(Newser) - Taylor Swift's newly released Speak Now (Taylor's Version) album has, to nobody's surprise, debuted at No. 1 on the charts. And with that distinction comes a slew of notable milestones:
  • She now has 12 No. 1 albums, the most of any woman in history, reports the New
...

US Listeners Gravitating to Non-English Music

Streaming is up, with Spanish and K-pop leading the way

(Newser) - Is non-English language music the future of the music business? New stats suggest as much, per the AP . The global music industry has surpassed 1 trillion streams at the fastest pace ever in a calendar year, according to Luminate's 2023 Midyear Report . The number was reached in three months,...

Here Are Your Inductees for Rock Hall of Fame

Missy Elliott, first female hip-hop artist to be inducted, joined by Willie Nelson, Sheryl Crow

(Newser) - Missy Elliott will be the first female hip-hop artist inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and in her first year of eligibility to boot. The Cleveland-based institution announced its 2023 inductees on Wednesday, singling out Elliott—who became eligible for induction 25 years after her first commercial...

Ed Sheeran: 'I'm Done' With Music If I Lose Lawsuit

Singer-songwriter also lets guard down to talk about wife's cancer diagnosis: 'It was horrible'

(Newser) - A verdict is imminent in the six-year copyright infringement case against Ed Sheeran, which is being played out in a Manhattan federal court. If a guilty verdict comes in against Sheeran, however, the 32-year-old singer-songwriter says he'll be washing his hands of more than just this longtime legal battle...

Country Music's Entertainer of the Year Repeats

Singer Luke Combs wins CMA honor 2nd year in a row; Chris Stapleton, Lainey Wilson also win big

(Newser) - Luke Combs was crowned entertainer of the year at Wednesday's Country Music Association Awards, the second year in a row that he's taken home the night's top honor. "I want to thank country music for making my dreams come true," Combs said, dedicating the award...

Agency Drops West, and Demand for His Music Falls
West Faces More Losses
the rundown

West Faces More Losses

Agency drops rapper, and studio shelves documentary

(Newser) - Kanye West's series of anti-Semitic comments is costing him profitable corporate deals while inspiring public displays of hate speech by others. The backlash among his business partners is not universal, though: Adidas said weeks ago it's reconsidering its relationship with the rapper but hasn't said anything since,...

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