Sunday September 17th, 2006 HOME
New CD's this past week:
- Governor - Son of pain
Music news headlines this week:
Mary J. Blige Shares Personal Experience On
"Enough Cryin"
Mary J. Blige is earning more airplay for singles from her multi-platinum
album The Breakthrough. She says that she especially likes the tune
"Enough Cryin'," which she calls "dark" but adds that it's also
"optimistic.
Blige said that there is a lot in the song that fans can relate to: "It's
just a story, it's something that happened to me. My fans love it when I
share, so I figured I'd share with them that. Because there's so many
women that I notice that are out there with the ring, the guy's telling
them one thing and telling the other chick something else and the marriage
never happens."
Another track from the set, "Take Me As I Am," is also gaining airplay at
urban radio.
Blige earned strong reviews for her Breakthrough Experience tour, which
wrapped Friday, September 8th, in Concord, California.
Janet Jackson Says "The Body Is A Beautiful Thing" In "FHM"
Janet Jackson graces the cover of yet another magazine to promote the
September 26th release of her new album 20 Y.O. The singer poses for the
October issue of FHM, on newsstands now. In addition to the cover, Jackson
displays her new physique in an eight-page spread that includes a
three-page pullout poster, and says there's no shame in her game.
"Sometimes, I really don't understand America. We're so far behind the
rest of the world when it comes to sex. In other places, the body is seen
as a beautiful thing God created," Jackson says in the companion article.
Jackson, who is 40, also makes mention of her boyfriend and album
co-producer, Jermaine Dupri, who is six years her junior. "Age is just a
number to me and I still see myself as so much of a kid," she explains.
"But the one thing I love is that sexually we 40-year-olds are in our
prime. And, hey, it's nice when you're with someone who's younger because
they can keep up."
The veteran performer also tells the magazine that she's ready to bear
Dupri's baby. "He makes me feel like a woman. I would have his child. He
lets me be me," she reveals.
20 Y.O. features the current single "Call On Me" featuring rapper Nelly.
Prince To Be Celebrated At Minneapolis Body Art Fair
One lucky model in Minneapolis will get an image of homegrown superstar
Prince painted on her bare back on September 13th as part of a celebration
of local icons and artists. The Tattoos And Body Art event -- to kick off
at 11 a.m. in a parking lot at 1st Avenue North and 6th Street North --
will showcase local body painters, who will transform the backs of 10
Minnesota models into a "Human Art Gallery" depicting full-color images
inspired by Minnesota history.
In addition to a portrait of Prince, other celebrity images to be "inked"
include Bob Dylan, NBA Timberwolves star Kevin Garnett, Twins player Kirby
Puckett, and actress Mary Tyler Moore.
Prince is currently promoting his album 3121, featuring the single "Black
Sweat."
Gladys Knight Won't Be Singing Old Hits To Promote New Album
Gladys Knight says that unlike past projects, she doesn't want to promote
her upcoming standards collection, titled Before Me, by singing her
classic '70s hits on TV.
Knight said that over the years TV producers have asked her to shy away
from new material, in order to make room for her biggest hits: "I'll tell
you one thing that I would not do; I would not go on and have them force
me into only doing 'Midnight Train (To Georgia),' which I've had shows
come to me about that. And they say, 'We like that stuff and everything,
but we want you to do "Midnight Train,"', or 'we want you to do "You're
The Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me."' So, if that's the case, then I
won't go on."
Before Me, which features songs made famous by Billie Holiday, Dinah
Washington, Sarah Vaughan and others, will be released on October 3rd.
On September 18th Knight will be honored by honored at the 12th Annual
Atlanta Gospel Choice Awards with the prestigious Ray Charles Visionary
Award for Lifetime Achievement.
Knight will kick off her next series of shows on October 5th in Bermuda at
the Bermuda Festival. A star star-studded concert is planed for October
26th at Harlem's legendary Apollo Theatre, to celebrate the release of the
new album. The show will be filmed for a future PBS special.