This Week's Music News From VOA | Voice of America - English
POP NUMBER ONE HITS      1961  The Shirelles  "Will You Love Me Tomorrow"         1971  Dawn  "Knock Three Times"         1981  Blondie  "The Tide Is High"         1991  Surface  "The First Time"         2001  Shaggy  "It Wasn't Me"            MUSIC NEWS       Chynna Phillips and Carnie and Wendy Wilson are writing songs for a new Wilson Phillips album.  The set is expected out in late summer.  The three singers say they will definitely tour in support of the album, which they describe as more R&B than their earlier material.      Canadian pop star Celine Dion gave birth to her first child on January 25th.
1961  The Shirelles 1971  Dawn 1981  Blondie 1991  Surface 2001  Shaggy Chynna Phillips and Carnie and Wendy Wilson are writing songs for a new Wilson Phillips album. The set is expected out in late summer. The three singers say they will definitely tour in support of the album, which they describe as more R&B than their earlier material. Canadian pop star Celine Dion gave birth to her first child on January 25th. Celine and her husband Rene Angelil named the six pound, eight ounce baby boy Rene Charles. On January 30th, Warner/Reprise Video will release Paul Simon's "You're The One In Concert From Paris" on DVD and VHS. The two-hour concert was recorded last fall at the Olympia Ballroom. In addition to songs from his latest album "You're The One," the 27-song video features many of his early hits. Singer-songwriter Burt Bacharach, composer Karlheinz Stockhausen and Robert Moog, inventor of the Moog synthesizer, have been chosen to receive this year's Polar Music Prize, considered the music industry's equivalent of the Nobel. Sweden's King Carl Gustaf will present the honor on May 14th in Stockholm. Previous recipients include Stevie Wonder, Dizzy Gillespie, Elton John, Paul McCartney and Ravi Shankar. New albums scheduled for release on January 30th include:  "More" by Vitamin C on Elektra Records; "I Need You" by LeAnn Rimes on Curb Records; "Beautiful Midnight" by the Matthew Good Band on Atlantic Records; "Blues Dream" by Bill Frisell on Nonesuch Records; "Nobody's Got It All" by John Anderson on Epic Records; the original Broadway cast recording to "Seussical, the Musical" on Decca Broadway Records; and "The New Moon in the Old Moon's Arms" by Michael Kamen on Universal Classics. The Backstreet Boys will be in Tampa, Florida on Sunday (January 28th) to perform the National Anthem as part of the pre-game ceremonies at Super Bowl XXXV. Ray Charles will sing "America, The Beautiful." Sting, Bon Jovi and 1980's rock band Styx will perform at a pre-game show earlier in the day. The Super Bowl Halftime Show will feature Aerosmith, Britney Spears, Mary J. Blige, Nelly and 'N Sync. The extravaganza is reportedly the most expensive halftime show ever. The cost could top three million dollars. Garth Brooks' Touch 'Em All Foundation raised three million dollars for needy children during the past year. The foundation distributed grants to 88 charities in 15 states and 7 countries. At his recent press conference Garth said, "This thing has gotten so much bigger than any of us imagined. I am so proud of how America's favorite pastime is changing the world." Singer Jody Watley will celebrate her 42nd birthday on January 30th. Watley performed for eight years with the rhythm-and-blues group Shalamar before pursuing a solo career in 1987. Her self-titled debut album brought her that year's Best New Artist Grammy and produced the crossover smash hit, "Looking For A New Love," which went to Number One on the rhythm-and-blues chart and Number 2 on the pop charts. Her other Top 10 singles include "Don't You Want Me," "Real Love" and "Everything." In 1995, Watley recorded her fifth album, "Affection," which was released on her own label, Avitone Records. In 1996, her former label, MCA Records, released Watley's greatest hits collection. In 1998, Watley signed a two-album contract with Atlantic Records, which released "Flower," her first CD for the label, later that same year. On January 30th, singer Marty Balin will turn 58. Balin co-founded Jefferson Airplane in 1965 and remained with the group until 1971. Re-named Jefferson Starship in 1974, Balin rejoined the following year, and performed with the band until 1979. His highest-charting songs with Jefferson Starship include "Miracles," "With Your Love" and "Count On Me." In 1989, he reunited with four other original members of Jefferson Airplane to tour and record. Balin also participated in Jefferson Starship's 1995 reunion project, "Deep Space/Virgin Sky." In 1996, Jefferson Airplane was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. CMC International Records released Jefferson Starship's latest studio recording, "Windows Of Heaven," in early 1999. Phil Collins will celebrate his 50th birthday on January 30th. Collins joined the British pop band Genesis in 1970 as the group's drummer, and five years later, replaced Peter Gabriel as its lead singer. While continuing projects with Genesis throughout the '80's, Collins also pursued a successful solo career. Since 1984, he has recorded a string of Number One hits, including "Against All Odds (Take A Look At Me Now)," "One More Night," "Two Hearts" and "Another Day In Paradise." His 1993 album, "Both Sides," made history as Germany's fastest-selling release with sales of more than one million copies in three weeks. In 1996, Collins announced his departure from Genesis after 25 years with the band. Later that year, his solo CD, "Dance Into The Light," was released. Collins' 1998 anthology, "Hits," was followed by his 1999 big band album, "A Hot Night In Paris." In 1999, he composed the soundtrack to the Disney film "Tarzan." Collins won a Golden Globe Award for his hit single from the soundtrack, "You'll Be In My Heart." The honor was for Best Original Song in a Motion Picture. Justin Timberlake, of the pop vocal group 'N Sync, will celebrate his 20th birthday on January 31st. The singer got his start in music by appearing on the Disney Channel's Mickey Mouse Club television show. 'N Sync signed a recording deal with RCA Records in 1997, and its self-titled debut album was released the following year. Last year, the multi-million-selling group signed a new recording contract with Jive Records, which issued its latest CD, "No Strings Attached," in March 2000. Hits from the collection include "Bye Bye Bye," "It's Gonna Be Me" and "This I Promise You." Sales of the album have surpassed 10 million copies in the U.S. February 2nd marks the birth date of the late jazz saxophonist Stan Getz (born 1927). He is best remembered for the bossa nova hits "Desafinado" and "The Girl From Ipanema," a 1964 Top 5 single. Getz died of liver cancer on June 6, 1991 at age 64. The 58th annual Golden Globe Awards were handed out on January 21st in Los Angeles. Winners in the two music categories were Bob Dylan, who received the Best Original Song honor for "Things Have Changed" from "The Wonder Boys;" and Lisa Gerrard and Hans Zimmer, who shared the Best Original Score award for "Gladiator." On January 20th, the NRJ Awards were presented at this year's MIDEM trade show in Cannes. Madonna was named International Female Artist of the Year and also won the International Album of the Year for "Music;" Anastacia won the International Revelation of the Year honor and the International Song of the Year award for "I'm Outta Love;" Moby was named International Male Artist of the Year; and the Corrs won in the category of International Group of the Year. Rock legend Eric Clapton will kick off a world tour on February 3rd in London. The outing marks his first extensive international tour in more than a decade. Following eight concerts in the U.K., he'll head to Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland. Clapton will wrap up the first leg of the tour with concerts in St. Petersburg and Moscow, Russia on April 8th and 10th respectively. U.S. dates are scheduled to begin in June. 1/28/85 - Some of music's biggest names joined together to record "We Are The World." Bruce Springsteen, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross, Kenny Rogers, Bob Dylan, and Lionel Richie were just some of the participants who helped raise millions of dollars for famine relief in Ethiopia. 1/29/75 - Pop singer-songwriter Elton John earned a gold record for selling 1,000,000 copies of his single, "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds." The original version of the song appeared on the Beatles' 1967 album "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band." The song features background vocals by late Beatle John Lennon. 1/30/69 - The Beatles gave their last public performance. During the free lunchtime concert, the group recorded its Number One single "Get Back." The performance was also filmed for the motion picture "Let It Be." 2/1/64 - The Beatles scored their first Number One single in the U.S. with "I Want To Hold Your Hand." The song was first aired in the United States on a Washington, D.C. radio station and went on to sell twelve million copies. 2/3/59 - 22-year-old Buddy Holly was killed when his plane crashed while traveling from a concert date in Mason City, Iowa. Also killed were Richie Valens and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson. Holly's music inspired Don McLean to write his Number One hit, "American Pie," which refers to this date as "the day the music died..." In 1986, Holly was posthumously inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame.