Sunday September 3rd, 2006 HOME
New CD's this past week:
- Tamar Davis - Milk & honey
- Billy Griffin - Like water
- Sam Moore - Overnight sensational
- Conya Doss - Love rain down (UK release)
Music news headlines this week:
Ronald Isley Sentenced For Tax Evasion
Isley Brothers lead singer Ronald Isley
has been sentenced to three years
and one month in prison for tax evasion.
Isley was also ordered to pay $3.1 million in back taxes to the Internal
Revenue Service, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Conte.
He was convicted last year of five counts of tax evasion and one count of
willful failure to file a tax return.
During a hearing Friday, defense attorney Anthony Alexander argued that
the 65-year-old singer should receive probation instead of prison time
because of complications from a stroke and a recent bout with kidney
cancer. Isley is expected to be sent to a prison hospital facility.
Alexander also pleaded for leniency because Isley had been attempting to
pay down his IRS debt.
But U.S. District Judge Dean Pregerson declined to sentence the R&B singer
to less time than called for under federal guidelines.
"The term serial tax avoider has been used. I think that's appropriate,"
Pregerson said.
Alexander argued during trial that "unfortunate circumstances," such as
the deaths of two of Isley's accountants, made him unable to get records
together and pay taxes during the years that led to the criminal charges.
Isley's recent albums include a collaboration with Burt Bacharach titled
"Here I Am" and the Grammy-nominated Isley Brothers CD "Body Kiss."
Anita Baker Says Next Album Will Come
“Organically”
Grammy winning singer Anita Baker is
keeping a low profile as the school
year gets underway. The vocalist likes to stay close to home with her two
sons, and has only toured during the summer season on weekends. As to
recording the follow-up to her 2004 comeback My Everything, Baker says
she's waiting on the right inspiration.
Baker followed the gold-certified My Everything with the 2005 holiday set
Christmas Fantasy, and says, "For me to have done two projects in
less than two years, that's a lot for me." Now she's taking her time, she
said: "You know, I want to do some more music but I don't want to force
it. I want to be excited about it and I want it to be something that comes
organically that I can get fired up about it. That usually happens during
the downtime. It seldom happens when I'm in the thick of it, you know?"
In the meantime, Baker is working on her autobiography. She will also
appear on the upcoming film music album by saxophonist Dave Koz.
Janet Jackson Logs Her 30th Top 10 Single
Superstar Janet Jackson is celebrating the
fact that "Call On Me"
featuring Nelly, her lead-off single from the upcoming 20 Y.O., has
reached Number Nine on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart this week.
The rank gives Jackson her 30th Top 10 R&B single, a position that ties
her with R. Kelly for the most Top 10s since Nielsen SoundScan began
scanning sales in 1992.
Jackson has had 15 R&B hits since 1992, and seven consecutive Number Ones
including "That's The Way Love Goes," "Again," "Any Time, Any Place/And On
And On," "Together Again," "I Get Lonely," "Doesn't Really Matter," and
"All For You."
The next single from 20 Y.O. is "So Excited," featuring rapper Khia. The
track was previewed by album co-producer Jermaine Dupri on Atlanta station
WVEE last week.
Meanwhile, Jackson has been showing off her new physique in a number of
magazines. While she's never been shy about displaying her navel or her
cleavage, few fans had even seen her bare ankles until recently. The
singer is featured in bikinis in the current issue of Vibe Magazine, and
her legs will be on display again in the October issue of FHM.
20 Y.O., which celebrates the 20th anniversary of Jackson's breakthrough
album Control, will be released on September 26th. It features production
by Dupri with Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis.
Mary J. Blige Says Greatest Hits Album Has A Future
Mary J. Blige's original plan for 2005 was
to release a greatest hits
album titled Reminisce. Then she began accumulating new material -- enough
to make a full album, which became her seventh release, The Breakthrough.
But Blige said the hits collection is still something she hopes to
do in the future: "There's a future for it. I don't know exactly when.
It'll probably be soon -- it'll probably definitely be soon."
Among Blige's hits likely to appear on the set are "Real Love," "You
Remind Me," "Not Gon' Cry," and "Family Affair."
The first single from The Breakthrough, "Be Without You," set a record as
the longest run (15 weeks) atop Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs chart.
Fantasia’s TV Bio Earns Great Ratings
The Lifetime Television Network is
cheering about the August 19th premiere
of Life Is Not A Fairytale: The Fantasia Barrino Story. The true-life tale
of the American Idol champion, starring the singer herself, became
Lifetime's second most-watched movie in its 22-year history, with 6.6
million viewers. The show's encore on Sunday, August 20th drew almost as
many viewers, with more than 5 million tuning in.
Among all original 2006 basic cable movie premieres, Fantasia's dramatic
rags-to-riches story ranked Number One among women aged 18 to 34 and women
aged 18 to 49.
Lifetime has not seen this many viewers for one of their original movies
since 1995's Almost Golden, which starred Sela Ward as the late journalist
Jessica Savitch, and averaged more than 7 million viewers.
Meanwhile the network has launched a month-long national essay contest
tied in to the themes of The Fantasia Barrino Story. The winner will
receive two tickets to the 2007 American Idol season six series finale in
Los Angeles. Entries must be received by September 16th. Contest rules and
regulations are available online at Lifetimetv.com.