Tag Archives: Cat Stevens

Adrian Quesada & His Black Pumas to Perform at ‘Peace Through Music: A Global Event for the Environment’

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Adrian Quesada is playin’ for peace…

The 44-year-old Grammy-winning producer and guitarist and his Black Pumas bandmate Eric Burton will perform as part of this year’s Peace Through Music: A Global Event for the Environment online event.

Adrian Quesada, Black Pumas

Quesada and his Black Pumas join Jack Johnson, Rodrigo y Gabriela and more are lending their talents to a greater cause.

Playing for Change and the United Nations Population Fund will welcome the talent along with another 200 artists.

The online event and fundraiser seeks to unite the world in taking action for a sustainable future and advance progress towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Additional performers for the global event will include Sara Bareilles, Slash, The Lumineers, Ben Harper, Rosanne Cash, Yusuf/Cat Stevens, Tephen Perkins of Jane’s Addiction and Tony Kanal of No Doubt.

Producers for the event say more artists are expected to be announced in the near future for the December 15 event.

“During this important time in human history, we are honored to continue our partnership with the United Nations for our 2021 Peace Through Music global event for the environment,” said Playing for Change co-founder Mark Johnson in a release. “Through music, we eliminate boundaries, hierarchy, and status. Through stories and ideas, we learn from our Indigenous ancestors how to listen to the rhythm of our planet.”

The event will be broadcast at 9:00 pm ET (2:00 am GMT on December 16) on the Playing for Change YouTube channel. All net proceeds will go to organizations that prioritize real time solutions that facilitate environmental justice and sustainability.

Organizations include Conservation International, American Rivers, World Wildlife Fund, Reverb, and the Playing For Change Foundation.

“Climate change multiplies existing inequalities and vulnerabilities, disrupts access to life-saving health services and limits people’s ability to exercise their fundamental rights and choices,” said UNFPA executive director Dr. Natalia Kanem in a release. “We know we must work together to achieve real change, and music has the power to unite, energize and inspire us as we confront these challenges together and work towards a better future.”

The hourlong event, which will feature artists from 35 different countries, will also include special documentaries that help capture the “beauty and fragility of the environment.”

This year’s event follows 2020’s Peace Through Music: A Global Event for Social Justice, which featured more than 200 musicians — including Aloe Blacc, Annie Lennox, Becky G, Brandi Carlile, Carlos and Cindy Blackman Santana, Gary Clark Jr. and Ringo Star — from more than 40 countries and received 4 million-plus views, raising more than $1 million for charity partners.

Mariah Carey Nominated for the Songwriters Hall of Fame

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Mariah Carey has the write stuff, and could soon have the prize to prove it…

The 48-year-old half-Venezuelan American songstress is one of the 2019 Songwriters Hall of Fame nominees.

Mariah Carey

Carey, a five-time Grammy winner, has penned or co-written some of her biggest hits, including her insta-classic holiday song “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” “Fantasy,” “We Belong Together,” “Emotions,” and “Make It Happen.”

In all, Carey wrote or co-penned 17 of her 18 Billboard Hot 100 chart-toppers:

Songs, Weeks at No. 1
“Vision of Love,” Four Weeks
“Love Takes Time,” Three Weeks
“Someday,” Two Weeks
“I Don’t Wanna Cry,” Two Weeks
“Emotions,” Three Weeks
“Dreamlover,” Eight Weeks
“Hero,” Four Weeks
“Fantasy,” Eight Weeks
“One Sweet Day,” Sixteen Weeks
“Always Be My Baby,” Two Weeks
“Honey,” Three Weeks
“My All,” One Week
“Heartbreaker,” Two Weeks
“Thank God I Found You,” One Week
“We Belong Together,” Fourteen Weeks
“Don’t Forget About Us,” Two Weeks
“Touch My Body,” Two Weeks

Joining Mariah Carey as performing nominees are Missy Elliott, Chrissie Hynde, Vince Gill, Mike Love, Jimmy Cliff, Jeff Lynne, Cat Stevens, John Prine, Lloyd Price, Tommy James and The Eurythmics (Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart).

Non-performing nominees are Jack Tempchin, Dean Dillon, Jerry Fuller, Tom T. Hall, Roger Nichols and Dallas Austin, who wrote hits for TLC, Madonna, Monica, Pink and Boyz II Men.

Nominated non-performing songwriting duos include P.F. Sloan and Steve Barri, Russell Brown and the late Irwin Levine, musical theater writers Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, Dean Pitchford and Michael Gore, Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham, Bobby Hart and the late Tommy Boyce.

Songwriters are eligible for induction after writing hit songs for at least 20 years.

Six songwriters, or songwriting groups, will be officially inducted at the Hall’s 50th annual Induction & Awards Gala in New York on June 13, 2019. Eligible members can vote for three non-performing songwriters and three performing songwriters until December 17.

Estefan Nominated for 2017 Songwriters Hall of Fame

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Gloria Estefan has the write stuff…

The 59-year-old Cuban singer and former Miami Sound Machine vocalist has been nominated for the 2017 Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Gloria Estefan

The Songwriters Hall announced the list of nominees Thursday, a day ahead of its official announcement. Other nominees that could be inducted next year are Jay Z, George Michael, Madonna, Bryan Adams, Vince Gill, Babyface, Max Martin, Kool & the Gang and more.

Estefan, a seven-time Grammy winner, found breakthrough success with her group’s 1985 single “Conga,” which made her a worldwide name.

She’s written several of the Spanish and English songs she’s performed, including “Rhythm Is Gonna Get You,” “Anything for You,” “1-2-3” and “Oye Mi Canto.”

Estefan has also written/co-written hits for other artists, including Shakira’s “Whenever, Wherever,” Jennifer Lopez’s “Let’s Get Loud” and Jon Secada’s “Angel.”

Eligible members can vote for three non-performing songwriters and two performing songwriters until December 16. Five songwriters, or songwriting groups, will be officially inducted at a gala in New York on June 15, 2017.

Other performing nominees include Cat Stevens, Sly Stone, Chicago, Jeff Lynne and David Gates.

Non-performing nominees are Kenny Nolan, Randy Goodrum, Tony Macaulay, William “Mickey” Stevenson, Allee Willis, Maury Yeston, Paul Overstreet and the songwriting duos Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham, and Steve Barri and the late P.F. Sloan, who died last year.

Songwriters are eligible for induction after writing hit songs for at least 20 years.

Gomez to Headline This Year’s Global Citizen Festival

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Selena Gomez is a global citizen…

The 24-year-old half-Mexican American singer/actress has been named one of the headline acts at this year’s Global Citizen Festival.

Selena Gomez

The annual free-ticketed event, which is held on the Great Lawn in New York City’s Central Park, will take place on Saturday, September 24, 2016.

In addition to Gomez, other headliners include Rihanna, Kendrick Lamar, Major Lazer and Metallica.

The Festival will harness actions from millions of Global Citizens around the world to hold world leaders accountable to the progress made toward achieving the Global Goals set out by the United Nations last year.

Special guest performers include Usher, Chris Martin, Eddie Vedder, Ellie Goulding, Yandel, and Yusuf/Cat Stevens.

Hosts for this year’s festival include Chelsea Handler, Deborra-lee & Hugh Jackman, Neil Patrick Harris, Priyanka Chopra, Salma Hayek Pinault and Seth Meyers.

Since 2012, more than six million actions from Global Citizens have led world leaders to enact policy changes and commit significant resources to issues of girls and women’s equality, education, health, water and sanitation, environment, finance and innovation, and food and hunger. These financial and policy commitments and announcements are set to affect the lives of up to 656 million people.

“I couldn’t be more honored to participate in the Global Citizen Festival as it continues to help solve important issues around the world. I am particularly proud to be involved this year as the focus is on education. As an artist with many young fans, I believe everyone has the right to an education,” said Gomez.

A live simulcast of the full concert will air on MSNBC and MSNBC.com.

Global Citizens can earn their admission to the free-ticketed Festival by joining the social action platform at globalcitizenfestival.com. Ticket draws will occur throughout the summer and fans will be notified via Global Citizen when they have been selected. A limited number of VIP tickets will also be available for purchase through Ticketmaster starting on Thursday, July 28th.

Estefan Nominated for the Songwriters Hall of Fame

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Gloria Estefan’s name may soon appear in the annals of history…

The 57-year-old Cuban singer has been nominated for the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Gloria Estefan

Estefan, one of the world’s best-selling artists of all time, has penned several of her own memorable songs in English and Spanish, including “Anything for You,” “Coming Out of the Dark,” “Rhythm is Gonna Get You” and “No Llores.”

But the former lead singer of Miami Sound Machine has also written or co-written massive hit tracks recorded by other artists, including Shakira’s English-language crossover hit “Whenever, Wherever” and Jennifer Lopez’s “Let’s Get Loud.”

Other 2015 nominees include Tom Petty, Vince Gill, Cyndi Lauper, Elvis Costello, Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, Cat Stevens, Toby Keith, Steve Miller, Steve Winwood, Ann Wilson and Nancy Wilson of Heart, and Harry Wayne “K.C.” Casey of KC & the Sunshine Band.

The selected songwriters will be inducted next June at a New York gala.

Ronstadt to be Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

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Linda Ronstadt’s name will forever be etched in the annals of music history…

The 67-year-old Mexican American singer, who released her autobiography, Simple Dreams: A Musical Memoir, in September 2013, will be inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame next year, the organization has announced.

Linda Ronstadt

Ronstadt, who was once declared the “First Lady of Rock,” joins Nirvana, KISS, Cat Stevens, Hall and Oates and Peter Gabriel as 2014 inductees.

Earlier in the fall, Ronstadt was modest in assessing her level of achievement during her career: “I always thought I couldn’t sing very well. I was always very frustrated by it, and I was always sorta disappointed by it, y’know? Everything I did always fell short of my expectations. I wasn’t very good when I started, but the good news is I got better. I didn’t become the greatest singer in all of pop music, but I became, at least for my time, the most diverse. I wish it had all been better, but it wasn’t. It’s what it was, and I got to make it better later. I wish the records had been better, but they were as good as I could do at the time.”

Ronstadt’s records were much better than she’d imagined… In her career, the highest paid woman of rock in the 70s has earned 11 Grammy Awards, two Academy of Country Music awards, an Emmy Award and an ALMA Award.

In addition, Ronstadt was instrumental in the Latin cultural renaissance in North America.

In 1987, she released Canciones de Mi Padre, an album of traditional Mexican folk songs. The album’s dramatic, bold, and colorful cover art featured Ronstadt in full Mexican regalia.

The album won Ronstadt a Grammy Award for Best Mexican-American Performance; and the disc was certified double-platinum in the U.S., making it one of the biggest-selling non-English-language albums in U.S. music history.

The 2014 ceremony will be the Rock Hall’s first in Brooklyn after previous inductions were held at the Waldorf Astoria hotel and also the first in the New York area to be open to the public. Tickets will go on sale to the public in January, with a pre-sale for members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame + Museum starting at 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 31. Details are available at www.rockhall.com.

The ceremony will be filmed by HBO for broadcast in May. Additionally, the museum in Cleveland will be opening a special exhibit dedicated to the 2014 inductees early in the new year.