Miguel to Perform at 38th Annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

Posted on November 1, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Miguel is ready to rock (& roll)…

The 38-year-old half-Mexican American Grammy-winning singer and songwriter, whose full name is Miguel Jontel Pimentel, will appear during the 38th annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

Miguel joins a roster of presenters and performers that includes Olivia Rodrigo, Stevie Nicks, Adam Levine, Carrie Underwood, Common, Ice-, LL Cool J, Queen Latifah and Sia.

Miguel will serve as a performer.

The induction ceremony is set for November 3 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

This year’s inductees are Kate Bush, Sheryl Crow, Missy Elliott, George Michael, Willie Nelson, Rage Against the Machine and The Spinners, along with DJ Kool Herc and Link Wray for musical influence; Chaka Khan, Al Kooper and Bernie Taupin for musical excellence; and Don Cornelius for the Ahmet Ertegun Award (formerly known as the non-performers award).

The induction ceremony will be broadcast live coast-to-coast via Disney+ on Friday, November 3 (8:00 pm ET/5:00 pm PT) and will be available to stream following the ceremony. ABC will air a three-hour prime-time special, 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, featuring performance highlights and standout moments on Monday, January 1 (8-11 p.m. ET), available the next day on Hulu and Disney+.

This year’s show will be produced and directed by Joel Gallen and Tenth Planet Productions.

Apple Music will livestream audio from the ceremony on Apple Music 1 on Friday, November 3. A four-part audio series, Class of ‘23: Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, will also be available on Apple Music and Apple Podcasts leading up to the ceremony.

Here’s the full list of presenters and performers for the 2023 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony:

Adam Levine
Brandi Carlile
Carrie Underwood
Chris Stapleton
Common
Dave Matthews
Elton John
H.E.R.
Ice-T
LL COOL J
Miguel
New Edition
Olivia Rodrigo
Queen Latifah
Sia
Stevie Nicks
St. Vincent

Apple TV+ Releases Trailer for “The Super Models,” Featuring Christy Turlington & Fellow Modeling Icons

Posted on September 12, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Christy Turlington is looking back at a super time…

Apple TV+ has released the first trailer for the new docuseries The Super Models, featuring the 54-year-old half-Salvadoran American model and humanitarian.

Turlington is among the four women who inspired the term “supermodel” and will be getting some majorly overdue recognition in the new docuseries set to premiere later this month.

The first trailer features a mix of old and new footage of models Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista and Turlington reflecting on their careers.

The women reveal some of their experiences in the fashion world, from Evangelista mentioning how she would be told to lose weight to Campbell decrying how she lost advertising deals and was “bullied” due to the color of her skin.

The trailer includes commentary from fashion designers such as Donna Karan, as well as footage of the women with the late Gianni Versace and the fashionable troupe’s unmatched group energy.

Time is also dedicated to George Michael’s pop classic “Freedom ’90” and its iconic music video, which made the quartet of beauties – Naomi, Cindy, Linda and Christy – even bigger household names.

“The Super Models,” a four-part series, will premiere on Apple TV+ on September 20.

Zack de la Rocha & His Rage Against the Machine Band Mates Among This Year’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Nominees

Posted on February 1, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Zack de la Rocha is hoping the fifth time’s the charm…

The 53-year-old Mexican American musician, singer, songwriter, rapper and political activist and his fellow Rage Against the Machine band mates are among the fourteen 2023 nominees for induction into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Formed in 1991, the two-time Grammy-winning rock band is known for its melding of heavy metal and rap music with punk rock and funk influences, and its revolutionary socialist political views.

Rage Against the Machine was previously nominated in 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022.

Here’s the complete list of nominees as announced by the The Rock Hall Foundation:

Kate Bush
Sheryl Crow
Missy Elliott
Iron Maiden
Joy Division/New Order
Cyndi Lauper
George Michael
Willie Nelson
Rage Against the Machine
Soundgarden
The Spinners
A Tribe Called Quest
The White Stripes
Warren Zevon

To be eligible for nomination, an individual artist or band must have released its first commercial recording at least 25 years prior to the year of nomination. Eight out of 14 of the nominees are on the ballot for the first time: Crow, Elliott, Joy Division/New Order, Lauper, Michael, Nelson, The White Stripes, and Zevon.

This is the first year of eligibility for Elliott and The White Stripes.

“This remarkable list of nominees reflects the diverse artists and music that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame honors and celebrates,” said John Sykes, chairman of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation. “These artists have created their own sounds that have impacted generations and influenced countless others that have followed in their footsteps.”

The nominees were announced today on Rock and Roll Hall of Fame social channels and on SiriusXM Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Radio and Volume on the SXM App.

Nominee ballots will be sent to an international voting body of more than 1,000 artists, historians and members of the music industry. An artist’s musical impact and influence on other artists, length and depth of career and body of work, as well as innovation and superiority in style and technique are taken into consideration.

Last year’s Hall of Fame inductees were Dolly Parton, Eminem, Duran Duran, Eurythmics, Lionel Richie, Carly Simon, Judas Priest and Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo.

Inductees will be announced in May. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2023 Induction Ceremony will take place this fall with date, venue, and on-sale information to be announced.

Howie Dorough & His Fellow Backstreet Boys’ “Last Christmas” Cover Hits No. 1 on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary Radio Airplay Chart

Posted on November 30, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

It’s a Christmas season to remember for Howie Dorough…

The 49-year-old half-Puerto Rican singer and his Backstreet Boys band mates have dashed to No. 1 on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary Radio Airplay chart dated December 3, reflecting plays in the Nov. 21-27 tracking week, according to Luminate.

The Backstreet Boys notche their third Adult Contemporary No. 1 and first since its pop classic “I Want It That Way” reigned for 10 weeks beginning in July 1999.

The act first led with “I’ll Never Break Your Heart” for seven weeks starting in October 1998.

Backstreet Boys’ triumphant return to the AC summit grants them the record for the longest break between No. 1s among groups: a week shy of exactly 23 years since the last frame on top for “I Want It That Way.”

Among all acts, only Elton John has waited longer between time at No. 1 (23 years, 11 months and a week between “Something About the Way You Look Tonight” in 1998 and “Merry Christmas,” with Ed Sheeran, last holiday season).

Among groups, Backstreet Boys pass the Eagles (a week short of 20 years between “Best of My Love” in 1975 and “Love Will Keep Us Alive” in 1995).

Backstreet Boys’ update of “Last Christmas” is from their first holiday LP, A Very Backstreet Christmas, which launched at No. 1 on the Top Holiday Albums chart in October. Another song from the set, “Christmas in New York,” rises to a new No. 19 AC high.

Released in 1984, Wham!’s “Last Christmas” — written and produced by George Michael — re-enters the all-genre, multi-metric Billboard Hot 100 at No. 23. The song hit the top 10 for the first time in the 2020 holiday season and reached a No. 7 best last season. On the Holiday 100, the carol ranks at No. 6 as the survey returns.

With the original receiving strong airplay, and streams, each holiday season – Wham’s version ranks at No. 5 on the December 3-dated Holiday Airplay list with 19.8 million audience impressions – charted covers of “Last Christmas” have been rare, although all by high-profile acts.

Estefan Nominated for 2017 Songwriters Hall of Fame

Posted on October 21, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

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.

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.

Mars Earns Sixth Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 with “Uptown Funk!”

Posted on January 8, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

It’s a chart-topping start of the New Year for Bruno Mars…

The 29-year-old’s collaboration with Mark Ronson‘s, “Uptown Funk!,” has reached the summit on the Billboard 100 chart, rising 2-1 on the first chart released in 2015.

The song replaces Taylor Swift‘s “Blank Space” after seven weeks at the helm.

“Uptown Funk!,” released via RCA Records, earns Mars his sixth Hot 100 No. 1 and second as a featured artist: he previously reigned as a guest in his first appearance, on B.o.B‘s “Nothin’ on You” in 2010. In between, he led with his own tracks “Just the Way You Are” (four weeks, 2010), “Grenade” (four, 2011), “Locked Out of Heaven” and “When I Was Your Man” (one, 2013).

Among male soloists in the Hot 100’s 56-year history, only nine boast more No. 1s than Mars. Michael Jackson leads with 13, followed by Stevie Wonder (10), Elton John, Paul McCartney, Usher (nine each), George Michael (eight), Phil Collins, Frankie Valli and Elvis Presley (seven each; note that Presley’s career predated the Hot 100’s 1958 launch by two years).

“Uptown Funk!,” the 1,041st Hot 100 No. 1 of all-time, reaches the summit with the majority (65 percent) of its chart activity from sales, as it rebounds 2-1 for a second week atop the Digital Songs chart with 382,000 downloads sold (down 12 percent) in the week ending Jan. 4, according to Nielsen Music.

“Uptown Funk!” pushes 4-2 on the Streaming Songs charts with a 14 percent surge to 10 million U.S. streams. On Radio Songs, it rises 10-9 with an 11 percent increase to 76 million in all-format audience.

“Funk!” previews Ronson’s album Uptown Special, due Tuesday (January 13).

“It’s definitely one of the best things I’ve ever done,” Ronson says of his new Hot 100 leader. “And, I know that it’s one of Bruno’s favorite things that he’s ever done, as well.”

Sanchez Delivers Yet Another Standout Whitney Cover…

Posted on April 5, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

It’s quite rare for an American Idol finalist to perform one Whitney Houston song masterfully, let alone two. But that’s exactly what Jessica Sanchez has done this season…

During last night ’80s Night-themed performance show, the 16-year-old part-Mexican singer mastered her second Whitney song.

The pint-sized singer, who hails from San Diego, proved she isn’t only a balladeer by covering Houston’s uptempo “How Will I Know.” And, once again Sanchez—rocking an ‘80s-inspired cropped jacket, side ponytail and skinny jeans—nailed her performance and garnered an A-plus from the judges for her effortlessly pitch-perfect effort.

During rehearsals, guest mentor Gwen Stefani called Jessica’s voice “shockingly good” and added “it’s crazy how young she is.” Following her performance, judge Jennifer Lopez concurred.

“You’re such a little girl, but there’s, like, this woman up there at the same time,” mused Lopez.

In addition to singing solo, Sanchez joined voices with fellow finalist Joshua Ledet to perform Aretha Franklin and George Michael‘s “I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me).” And, the perfectly paired duo didn’t disappoint; they out-grooved the rest of their competitors.

“This is one of the greatest performances I’ve ever seen on the show,” Randy Jackson declared, uttering his latest catchphrase: “They’ve gotta have it!”

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