Sunday February 13th, 2005
New CD's this past week:
- Brian McKnight - Gemini
Music news headlines this week:
Tyrone Davis Dead At Age 66
Veteran R&B singer Tyrone Davis, best
known for the classic "Turn Back The
Hands Of Time," died Wednesday, February 9th, in Chicago . The 66-year-old
soul singer had been hospitalized since September after suffering a stroke
that had left him in a coma. Davis had begin undergoing rehabilitation at
the time of his death.
Davis was born in Greenville , Mississippi and raised in Saginaw ,
Michigan . By the early '60s he began performing in Chicago clubs and made
his first recording in 1965 as "Tyrone The Wonder Boy."
Building a following on his smooth, Chicago-style romantic baritone, Davis
charted such R&B Number One hits as 1968's "Can I Change My Mind," and
1970's "Turn Back The Hands Of Time" for the Dakar label. He continued to
record for the label through the '70s, often charting R&B singles. He had
another R&B Number One in 1975 with "Turning Point," and followed in 1976
with the Number Two hit "Give It Up (Turn It Loose)." Davis switched to
the Columbia label in the late '70s and released several more albums and
singles, including the soul ballad "In The Mood." He charted his last
top-five single in 1982 with "Are You Serious" on the Highrise label.
Davis continued to record for the Ichiban, and later the soul blues label
Malaco Records through the '90s and also toured regularly.
Davis is survived by his wife, Ann, and several children and grandchildren.
Alicia Keys Says Recognition Is Nice But Music
Comes First
Alicia Keys enters Sunday's (February
13th) Grammy Awards with eight
nominations, second only to Kanye West's ten. Keys is happy with the
recognition, which mostly stems from her sophomore album, The Diary Of
Alicia Keys. But she said it's still her music that comes first: “For me,
I love my music. I love to make music. I love to create music. And don't
get me wrong, I love when people love my music, you know. There's nothing
an artist wants more than to have people identify with their art. That's
definitely a beautiful feeling."
Keys' nominations include Album Of The Year and Song Of The Year for "If I
Ain't Got You."
Keys will perform at the Grammys and also take part in the all-star
performance of the Beatles' "Across the Universe" with U2's Bono, Norah
Jones, Brian Wilson, Tim McGraw, and Al Green. The latter will be
available for download instantly at the Apple iTunes Music Store to raise
money for ongoing tsunami relief efforts.
Keys won five Grammys in 2002, including Best New Artist and Song Of The
Year for "Fallin'."
Keys kicks off a North American tour on February 25th in Miami , Florida .
John Legend Already Working On Sophomore Set
R&B singer John Legend released his debut
album, Get Lifted, in late
December, but he's already begun working on a new album. The singer told
MTV.com, "I've started writing for the new album. I don't really plan my
albums out in advance. I just kind of keep writing until everything comes
together. And I wrote one of my best songs ever. It's a song called
'Again.' I love it so much I might even call the album Again, as it's my
second album. I'm speaking way into the future now, (but) I really love
this song, and I think I'm really growing as a lyricist and as a writer.
It's becoming a little more complex and interesting."
John Legend is slated to perform with Kanye West at the 47th Annual Grammy
Awards on Sunday (February 13th). The event will be televised live on CBS
at 8 p.m. ET.
The singer has also been tapped to open for Alicia Keys on her upcoming
tour. The tour kicks off in Miami on February 25th and ends in New Jersey
on April 23rd.
The Commoderes To Begin Recording First Album In 12
years
The Commodores are about to begin
recording their first new album in over
12 years. Trumpeter William King joked to the Palm Springs Desert Sun
that, "We're happy about (the material), we're in the midst of arguing
with each other." King still performs with the Commodores as a trio with
Walter "Clyde" Orange and J.D. Nicholas.
He says that he would love for the group's original lead singer Lionel
Richie, who left in 1982, to rejoin the band while all the original
members are still alive and healthy, explaining that, "We've talked about
(it), but the tough part would be to put everything back together... It
would be a simple process for us, because we just have to walk on stage.
We're all ready to do it. Richie has held out and we can't do it without
him, and he can't do it without us."
Lionel Richie spoke with LAUNCH and say he thinks the timing may be right
to reunite with the band: "That is very much a reality. It's just a matter
of getting the original guys back together, but I think that these guys
may be ready for that type of reunion. We'll see."
King says he and Richie have stayed close friend throughout the years: "My
relationship with him is good because we don't live too far from each
other... We run into each other at stop signs. I'll be at the stop sign,
and then he'll pull up to the side and lower his window. We'll laugh and
then he'll take off."
The Commodores scored 17 Top 40 hits including the Top Ten singles "Easy,"
"Brick House," and "Sail On," and the Number One singles "Still" and
"Three Times A Lady." After Richie's departure they scored a Top Five hit
in 1985 with "Nightshift," which paid tribute to Marvin Gaye and Jackie
Wilson.
Brian McKnight Developing Late-Night Talk Show
Singer Brian McKnight, who released his
new album, Gemini last Tuesday,
February 8th, has been keeping busy by working as a correspondent for
Extra, and now the singer is developing his own late-night talk show.
McKnight says: "In the last seven or eight years since Arsenio has been
off the air, there's been a real void. I know they tried the Vibe thing.
They tried the Keenan thing. They tried some other things but for us
there's really not a late night talk venue or avenue for different types
of music."
The singer added: "You can't get on Dave (The Late Show With David
Letterman), can't get on Jay (The Tonight Show With Jay Leno), can't get
on Conan (Late Night With Conan O'Brien), or can't get on Jimmy Kimmel
(Live), you know, night time is done for you. Very few of us get to do
that, and to come up with a show that would make sense to have sort of the
Brian McKnight Show late night is what we're shooting for."
Gemini features guest appearances by Musiq, Talib Kweli, Juvenile, Skip,
and Akon, and the latest single from the album is "Everytime You Go Away”.
Bebe Winans Inspires People To Dream
BeBe Winans' new album "Dream" will be
available in stores February 22,
2005 on Sony Music.
On the heels of the breakout success of his best-selling holiday album, My
Christmas Prayer (which topped four separate Billboard catalog charts in
December), Gospel legend BeBe Winans will release his first studio album
in four years on February 22, 2005, just in time to celebrate Black
History Month.
In these uncertain times, people look to things of substance to provide
solace, and BeBe's inspirational new album, "Dream," is just that. Fromthe
reassuring "Help Is On The Way," to the embracing "Safe From Harm," to the
album's inspiring centerpiece, "I Have a Dream," BeBe Winans has created
an album that truly means something.
The album's first single is the modern Gospel hymn "Safe From Harm," a
magnetic song made even more relevant in light of these trying times. Its
message reaches beyond the borders of the music world, touching the hearts
and minds of those who need words of hope and reassurance.
"Safe From Harm" is the #1 most added song at Gospel Radio this week, with
12 adds. The first single for urban adult radio is "Love Me Anyway," which
showcases the singer's skill at marrying the universality of secular and
spiritual love.
"Dream" is BeBe Winans' first release on his own The Movement Group (TMG)
label, which he founded two years ago. It is also his first release in
partnership with Still Waters, the brand-new inspirational division of
Hidden Beach Recordings, home to such standout artists as Jill Scott, Mike
Phillips and Kindred The Family Soul.
The album also features as its centerpiece "I Have a Dream," a moving
number comprised entirely of text from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I
Have a Dream" speech. It is presented with the authorization of the King
Estate and is the first time the King Estate has allowed a song to be
released that contains words entirely taken from Dr. King's speech.
For his groundbreaking work as a Gospel/R&B vocalist, writer, and
producer, BeBe Winans has won four Grammy Awards, ten Dove Awards, six
Stellar Awards, two NAACP Awards, and a Soul Train Award.
A member of the famed Winans family, BeBe Winans teamed up with sister
CeCe Winans for their 1986 debut album. The duo recorded a total of five
albums, earning two Grammys together, before parting to work on solo
projects.
In 1997, BeBe Winans debuted with a self-titled album, and followed it
with 2000's "Love And Freedom," and 2003's concert recording "Live And Up
Close".
Most recently he has released a Christmas album entitled "My Christmas
Prayer," which features a duet with Matchbox 20's Rob Thomas.
In addition to his own work, BeBe Winans has contributed songs and vocals
to projects by a diverse array of other artists, including Brandy, Dave
Koz, Hezekiah Walker, Kelly Price, Yolanda Adams, and Stephanie Mills.