Music

Janet Jackson is one of 395 individuals who’ve been invited this year to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences — the folks who hand out the Oscars. If she accepts, she’ll get to vote on who wins them in the future.

The invitees have “distinguished themselves by their contributions to theatrical motion pictures,” the Academy notes, and are divided into different groups, such as actors, cinematographers, directors, makeup artists and hairstylists, and, in Janet’s case, music.

On the list of invitees, Janet is noted for two of her movies: Poetic Justice and Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married Too?  Janet starred in the latter and recorded the song “Nothing” for its soundtrack. She also starred in Poetic Justice and her hit “Again” was used as the film’s closing song.  It received a Best Original Song nomination at the 1994 Oscar ceremony.

Among the other musicians invited to become Academy members this year is singer/songwriter H.E.R., who just won the Best Original Song Oscar this year for “Fight for You,” from Judas and the Black Messiah.  The list also includes singer/songwriter Meshell Ndegeocello, Leslie Odom Jr. and Jon Batiste, who wrote the score to the animated film Soul.

In an attempt to make its membership more diverse, the Academy notes that 46% of this year’s invitees are women, and 39% are from “underrepresented ethnic/racial communities.”

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

As previously reported, Jimmy Buffett is among the artists taking part in the 2021 edition of PBS’ A Capitol Fourth television special.  Now comes word about what the lauded singer/songwriter will be performing on the show.

Buffett will be singing folk legend Woody Guthrie‘s classic Americana tune “This Land Is Your Land” in a segment that was taped at a Southern California location overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

The performance also features two members of Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band — keyboardist Mike Utley and steel-drum player Robert Greenidge — and will be intercut with scenes of various American landmarks, including the Statue of Liberty, the Golden Gate Bridge and the Grand Canyon.

Written in 1940 and first recorded by Guthrie in 1944, “This Land is Your Land” was chosen in 2002 to be added to the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry.

The 41st annual edition of the A Capitol Fourth special will be broadcast this Sunday, July 4, at 8 p.m. ET on PBS. The program also will stream on Facebook and YouTube as well as PBS’ website.

The special’s performance lineup also includes Gladys Knight, Train, Cynthia Erivo, Kermit the Frog, Alan Jackson, Pentatonix, Renée Fleming and many more.

Vanessa Williams will host the festivities but due to the pandemic, A Capitol Fourth will feature pre-recorded performances from stages all across the country, in lieu of the traditional concert on the U.S. Capitol’s West Lawn.

The show also will feature a live fireworks display over the D.C. skyline, as well as tributes to the men and women of the military and their families, and a salute to the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Teams ahead of this year’s Olympic Games in Tokyo.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has confirmed the news reported Wednesday by Page Six, that Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon and Jennifer Hudson will be among the headliners of a huge concert held August 21 in the city’s Central Park to celebrate the post-COVID-19 reopening of the Big Apple.

Speaking about the event, apparently called the Central Park Homecoming Concert, at a press conference Thursday, de Blasio declared, “[I]t’s gonna be a great moment for the city marking our rebirth, marking our comeback, and it’s gonna be one of the greatest Central Park concerts in history.”

In revealing Springsteen’s participation in the show, the mayor noted, “He just did something amazing by bringing back his show on Broadway, and starting the Broadway rebirth. He is beloved in New York City in an extraordinary way, even though he happens to come from New Jersey — no one’s perfect — he is amazing, and I’ve loved his music from the first moment I heard it, and I know so many others have as well.”

Regarding Simon, de Blasio mentioned that the folk-rock legend played two previous historic concerts in Central Park, in 1981 — with Art Garfunkel —  and 1991.

De Blasio promised that a full lineup and a lot more details about the show will be announced soon, adding “get ready for a concert for the ages and a big part of the rebirth of New York City and the summer of New York City.”

As previously reported, the massive concert is being organized by famed music mogul Clive Davis.

4th of July in New York City is BACK! Join me at City Hall as we get ready for this weekend’s celebrations.

https://t.co/WTOv8IQzYL

— Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) July 1, 2021

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Former Yes frontman Jon Anderson will return to touring for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic started last year, with a brief U.S. summer trek featuring the students of the Paul Green Rock Academy.

The 11-date outing will visit venues in the Northeast and Midwest, starting July 30 in Patchogue, New York, and winding down August 28 with a show in Woonsocket, Rhode Island.

The tour marks the relaunch of a tradition Anderson began in 2005, when he first hit the road with the young “all stars” of Green’s School of Rock.

The new tour will feature the 76-year-old Rock & Roll Hall of Famer performing with a backing band made up of 25 young musicians from the Paul Green Rock Academy. The concerts will feature Yes classics and deep cuts, songs from Anderson’s solo catalog, mash-ups and more, with lush arrangements including choral vocals, horns and other musical elements.

“I sang and toured with the Paul Green School of Rock many years ago,” says Anderson. “It was a miracle for me to join in with their young energy…and learn from them…Now here we are with the Paul Green Rock Academy…And again, their excitement and joy for making music really makes it all worthwhile…Plus they are a really talented bunch.”

He adds, “There is a future in music, and these young souls prove it every time I hear them sing and play…I know you will have a wonderful evening spending time with the future of rock ‘n’ roll.”

Here are all of Anderson’s upcoming dates with the Paul Green Rock Academy:

7/30 — Patchogue, NY, Patchogue Theater
8/1 — Salisbury, MA, Blue Ocean Music Hall
8/3 — Annapolis, MD, Rams Head on Stage
8/5 — Ridgefield, CT, Ridgefield Playhouse
8/7 — Phoenixville, PA, Colonial Theatre
8/9 — Ocean City, NJ, Ocean City Music Pier
8/19 — Des Plaines, IL, Des Plaines Theatre
8/21 — St. Charles, IL, Arcada Theatre
8/24 — Canton, OH, Palace Theatre
8/27 — Huntington, NY, Paramount Theatre
8/28 — Woonsocket, RI, Stadium Theater

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Carlos Santana has curated a streaming compilation titled Splendiferous Santana that puts a spotlight on the music his famous band released during the last 20 years following the group’s massively successful 1999 album Supernatural.

ABC Audio exclusively reports that the playlist will premiere on Friday, July 2, and will be available via all major streaming platforms.

The Splendiferous playlist features songs from six different post-2000 Santana albums — nine tracks each from 2002’s Shaman and 2005’s All That I Am, three from 2007’s Ultimate Santana compilation, one from 2012’s Shapeshifter, six from the 2014 Spanish-language collection Corazón and two from 2019’s Africa Speaks.

“I always felt that [1970’s] Abraxas [album] and Supernatural got a lot of deep, hands-on hug[s], but…songs [from] these other albums not as much,” Carlos explains to ABC Audio. “So I wanted to gather them together and put ’em in a certain sequence, because when I listen to them…they give me courage, they give me joy, they give me hope, and they give me…[the] ingredients to have a delicious life.”

Carlos says he hopes that when people hear the playlist, they go, “This music makes me feel very grateful and happy to be alive.”

Among the songs Carlos chose are collaborations with an eclectic variety of singers and musicians, including Plácido Domingo, will.i.am, Macy Gray, Seal, Nickelback‘s Chad Kroeger, Metallica‘s Kirk Hammett, Tina Turner, Gloria Estefan and Aerosmith‘s Steven Tyler.

Reflecting on getting to work with such a diverse array of artists, Santana says, “I’m very, very grateful…At this point, I [look] at myself like one of those Swiss [Army knives]…In other words, with clarity, I am not a one trick pony.”

Here is the full Splendiferous Santana playlist:

“Novus” (featuring Plácido Domingo) — Shaman (2002)
“Eres La Luz” — Shape Shifter (2012)
“Aye Aye Aye” — Shaman (2002)
“Con Santana” (featuring Ismaila, Touré Kunda) — All That I Am (2005)
“Adouma” — Shaman (2002)
“El Fuego” — All That I Am (2005)
“Hermes” — All That I Am (2005)
“I Am Somebody” (featuring will.i.am) — All That I Am (2005)
“Saideira” (featuring Samuel Rosa) — Corazón (Deluxe Version) (2014)
“Mal Bicho” (featuring Los Fabulosos Cadillacs) — Corazón (2014)
“Da Tu Amor” — All That I Am (2005)
“Amoré (Sexo)” (featuring Macy Gray) — Shaman (2002)
“You Are My Kind” (featuring Seal) — Shaman (2002)
“Into the Night” (featuring Chad Kroeger) — Ultimate Santana (2007)
“Cry Baby Cry” (featuring Sean Paul, Joss Stone) — All That I Am (2005)
“Twisted” (featuring Anthony Hamilton) — All That I Am (2005)
“Nothing at All (featuring Musiq) — Shaman (2002)
“Sideways” (featuring Citizen Cope) — Shaman (2002)
“Hoy Es Adios” (featuring Alejandro Lerner) — Shaman (2002)
“Amor Correspondido” (featuring Diego Torres) — Corazón (Deluxe Version) (2014)
“Yo Me Lo Merezco” (featuring Buika) — Africa Speaks (2019)
“Trinity” (featuring Kirk Hammett) — All That I Am (2005)
“The Game of Love” (featuring Tina Turner) — Ultimate Santana (2007)
“Beijo de Longe” (featuring Gloria Estefan) — Corazón (2014)
“Margarita” (featuring Romeo Santos) — Corazón (2014)
“Brown Skin Girl” (featuring Bo Bice) — All That I Am (2005)
“Just Feel Better” (featuring Steven Tyler) — Ultimate Santana (2007)
“La Flaca” (featuring Juanes) — Corazón (2014)
“Candombe Cumbele” (featuring Buika) — Africa Speaks (2019)
“Victory Is Won” — Shaman (2002)

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Wolfgang Van Halen, the son of late Van Halen icon Eddie Van Halen, is earning many fans of his own with his Mammoth WVH solo project. One of those fans is former Van Halen vocalist Sammy Hagar, who tells ABC Audio he’s been “shocked” by one particular aspect of Wolf’s sound.

“My most impressive thing isn’t the fact he played every instrument,” Hagar says. “That’s cool, that’s awesome, but he’s Eddie Van Halen’s son, hello? Eddie could play every instrument too, you know, so he was raised that way.”

“But, I love his voice,” the Red Rocker adds. “I think he’s a great singer, and being a singer myself, that was shocking to me.”

Hagar shares that he’s heard “about five songs” from the self-titled debut WVH album, which dropped earlier this month. With each one, he became more and more impressed with Wolf’s vocals.

“I loved his voice,” Hagar says. “Every song I’ve heard him sing, he’s got a sweet, soulful voice.”

In fact, Hagar implies that Van Halen would’ve been better off in the band’s later days if Wolf, who starting playing bass in the group in 2006, took over vocal duties as well from one David Lee Roth.

“He could’ve sang with the reunion tour with that Roth character,” Hagar says of Wolf. “He could’ve sang ‘Right Now,’ ‘Why Can’t This Be Love.’ He could’ve sang ‘Top of the World.'”

The Red Rocker adds, “Wolfie could’ve sang the songs. But I’m sure Diamond would’ve had no part of some guy on stage singing better than him.”

Wolf will be bringing his sweet, soulful voice on the road this summer and fall while opening for Guns N’ Roses. He’ll also be playing several headlining dates.

Hagar, meanwhile, just announced a Las Vegas residency, kicking off in October.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Music mogul Clive Davis is staging a huge concert August 21 in New York City’s Central Park to celebrate the post-COVID reopening of the Big Apple, and according to one report, he’s already lined up two major stars for the event.

A source tells Page Six that Bruce Springsteen and Paul Simon will be among the headliners for the show, which will air on CNN.  According to the source, Springsteen will sing a duet with fellow rocker Patti Smith; Springsteen co-wrote Smith’s hit “Because the Night” with her.

Simon was previously part of a now-iconic 1981 concert in Central Park with Art Garfunkel., and he also played a huge solo show in the park in 1991.

Jennifer Hudson, who is portraying Aretha Franklin in an upcoming biopic, also is expected to take part in the event, claims the source.

Originally envisioned as a three-hour concert, an insider tells Page Six that the event will now be a four-hour show and will include “a sizable percentage [of] artists of color.”

One artist who Davis attempted to land for the event was Diana Ross, who memorably performed in Central Park in 1983. However, sources say Ross said no, because she’s not planning to perform again until 2022.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

We can’t say if it’s a bargain, but The Who‘s Pete Townshend is selling his expansive London estate for a cool 15 million pounds, or about $21 million.

According to Pereds realtors, the residence, known as The Wick, was first built in 1775, and is located on a picturesque bend in the Thames River. The 8,500-square-foot home features five bedrooms, five bathrooms, an office suite, a reception room, a drawing room with a balcony, a conservatory, two studies, a dogs’ room, a heated swimming pool and more.

People reports that Townshend purchased The Wick in 1996 from music executive Derek “Dick” Leahy, who helped guide George Michael‘s career. Prior to Leahy, Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood owned the mansion and installed a music studio, which was used by The Stones to record the demo for their classic hit “It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll (But I Like It).”

Wood purchased The Wick from Oscar-winning actor John Mills.

“The main thing about the home is that it just looks like a little doll’s house sitting on the hill,” Preds founder Perry Press tells People. “But…[o]nce you get inside it sort of expands around you. It also has that outlook over the River Thames, which is quite astonishing considering it’s on the fringe of London.”

Press also notes that Townshend actually helped design the music studio commissioned by Wood, while reporting that the studio has “been pretty much dismantled for the sale.”

You can check out photos of The Wick and the estate’s grounds at Pereds.com.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Bon Jovi has finally joined YouTube’s Billion Views Club: One of the band’s videos has officially racked up a billion views on the streaming platform.  But it’s not for the song you might think.

While you’d figure that either “You Give Love a Bad Name” or “Wanted Dead or Alive” — arguably the group’s two signature tunes — would have hit the billion mark long ago, they actually haven’t.  Instead, it’s the video for their 2000 hit “It’s My Life” that has hit the milestone.

By comparison, “You Give Love a Bad Name” has just under 300 million views, while “Wanted Dead or Alive” has a paltry 151 million views.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.