Sunday May 8th, 2005
New CD's this past week:
- Nivea - Complicated
Music news headlines this week:
Bobby Brown Has To Prove He Can Come Up With $160.000 For
Two Of His Children
R&B singer Bobby Brown was back in a
Massachusetts courtroom on Wednesday,
May 4th, to deal with child support issues relating to two children (Bobby
Jr. and La Princia) he has with former girlfriend Kim Ward. The Associated
Press reports that Norfolk County Family Court Judge Paula Carey gave
Brown until today (May 6th), to present the court with documentation that
he has $160,000 to establish a court-ordered educational fund for the two
children.
Carey sentenced Brown to three months in prison last year when he fell
behind in his child support payments, but the sentence was suspended when
Brown immediately made payments totaling $15,000. The singer may still be
sent to jail if he is unable to prove to the judge that he has the funds
to create the educational fund.
Brown, who was initially called into court because he again fell behind in
his child support payments (he had rectified the situation by Wednesday's
hearing), told the judge that he should be able to make four payments
totaling $160,000 within the next sixth months based on his upcoming
reality show and music projects.
Outside the courtroom, Brown explained that he was unaware that the
educational fund hadn't been establish because he's been busy. He said,
"I've been shooting a television show and recording an album, so it's
hard. For me, it's easy to not know that a payment is not paid because
other people are supposed to pay them."
In related news, Bobby Brown's reality show, Being Bobby Brown, is
scheduled to premiere on Bravo on June 30th. The show will follow Brown as
he attempts to make a comeback.
Mary Wilson of The Supremes Earns Honorary Doctorate
Mary Wilson of the Supremes received an honorary
doctorate Sunday
May 1st from Georgia's Paine College during graduation ceremonies at the
Bell Auditorium in Augusta.
The Augusta Chronicle reports that an emotional Wilson dedicated her
degree to her mother, Johnnie Mae Wilson, who had always urged Wilson to
go back to school and complete her education. During her brief speech,
Wilson recalled earning her associates degree from New York University in
2001 at the age of 55. She explained that she did her homework in
limousines and nightclubs while on tour. Wilson told the graduates that,
"Dreams do come true. I am living proof of that."
Paine College is a private, church-related, four-year, coeducational
college which prepares its students for positions of leadership and
encourages them to serve the African American community, the nation, and
the world.
Stevie Wonder Uses New Technology For Blind Fans
Stevie Wonder is making headlines for using a
special new music video
technology for the clip to his song "So What The Fuss." The video will
include a second, descriptive audio track, recorded by hip hop star Busta
Rhymes, and will be accessible to people who are blind or have low vision.
Two versions of the video will be released -- the first will be a
traditional music video, while the second version will be accompanied with
the new technology which can air on all SAP-accessible TV channels.
On Monday, (May 9th) in Los Angeles , Stevie Wonder will present both
versions of the video, and allow fans to experience the first music video
description process for themselves. "Until now music videos have been very
one dimensional for those who are blind or with low vision," says Wonder.
"Now all music video fans will be able to apply their vision to my video
thanks to the descriptive technique, and of course, a great narration by
Busta Rhymes. For me, the entire concept is indicative of what happens
when you go beyond the status quo and open yourself up to what's
possible."
Wonder, a longtime fan of Busta Rhymes, asked the hip hop star to perform
the video narration in Wonder's L.A. recording studio. According to
sources who attended the session, Rhymes added the audio description of
the music clip with his characteristic flair. "Stevie Wonder is an
American icon," says Rhymes. "Without him, most of us never would have
picked up a microphone. Only Stevie could come up with a way to let fans
that have never seen a video take part in the whole vibe. It was a great
project to work on from start to finish."
"So What The Fuss" is the first single from Stevie Wonder's soon-to-be
released album, A Time To Love.
New Smokey Robinson Retrospective Arrives
A new Smokey Robinson retrospective, My World:
The Definitive Collection,
came out last week (Tuesday, May 3rd) with 21 songs from throughout the
Motown legend's career, plus a bonus DVD of videos and TV performances.
The album also includes two brand new songs, "My World" and "Fallin'."
Robinson said that, looking back, he had no idea his music would have such
an enduring impact: "It always flabbergasts me, man, because, see, when
you're living it, you're not conscious of the fact that this is what
you're doing. You're not thinking about, 'OK, this is what I'm doing.'
You're doing it for the moment. You're doing it, 'Well, hey, I'm trying to
write this song right now.' But when I sat there and I look back on the
history of that and the songs and the so on and so forth, it's always
overwhelming to a certain degree, man."
The bonus DVD in My World features TV performances from The Ed Sullivan
Show, Hollywood A-Go-Go, and Teen Town, along with videos for songs like
"Just To See Her," "One Heartbeat," "Everything You Touch," and "Ebony
Eyes," Robinson's duet with his late Motown labelmate Rick James.
Robinson is currently working on two albums, a set of original songs and
another of pop standards. His last release was 2004's Food For The Spirit,
his first-ever gospel album.
Robinson's next scheduled concerts are a two-night casino stand on June
17th and 18th in Niagara Falls , Ontario .
Robinson will receive the prestigious Johnny Mercer Award at the 2005
Songwriters Hall Of Fame induction ceremony on June 9th in New York City .