2016 Music News
Music News
2016 News
The 2018 Grammy Awards nominees were announced.
Nominees for Album of the Year are:
• Childish Gambino - Awaken My Love!, • JAY-Z - 4:44, • Kendrick Lamar - DAMN, • Lorde - Melodrama, and • Bruno Mars - 24K Magic
For Record of the Year:
• Childish Gambino - Redbone, • Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee - Despacito, • Jay-Z - The Story of O.J, • Kendrick Lamar - Humble, and Bruno Mars - 24K Magic
And for Best New Artist:
• Alessia Cara, • Khalid, • Lil Uzi Vert, • Julia Michaels, and • SZA
David Cassidy, former teen idol best known for his role as Keith Partridge on The Partridge Family, passed away at the age of 67 from liver failure. He had previously battled bouts of dementia.
(In Memoriam: April 12, 1950 – November 21, 2017) George Michael (of solo fame and from Wham!) passed away on Christmas Day at the age of 53. Heart failure was the reported cause of death.
(In Memoriam: June 25th, 1963 - December 25th, 2016)
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced that Pearl Jam, Tupac Shakur, Joan Baez, Journey, Electric Light Orchestra and Yes will be inducted into the Hall in 2017. Chic's Nile Rodgers will receive the Award for Musical Excellence at the ceremony, which will take place at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center on April 7th, 2017.
Camila Cabello has parted ways with Fifth Harmony. They will continue as a foursome. Cabello informed the members of her decision via her representatives.
According to Spotify, Coldplay is the most streamed band in the world, with 5 billion cumulative streams.
The 2017 Golden Globe nominees for Best Original Song were released. The nominees are:
• Can't Stop The Feeling by Justin Timberlake from Trolls
• Gold by Iggy Pop and Danger Mouse from the movie Gold.
• City of Stars by Ryan Gosling from La La Land
• Faith by Stevie Wonder and Ariana Grande from Sing
and How Far I'll Go by Auli'i Cravalho from Moana
Mick Jagger has become a father for eighth time, at the age of 73. The mother of his new sun is Melanie Hamrick, age 29, who has been in a relationship with Jagger for about two years.
Greg Lake of Emerson, Lake & Palmer and King Crimson passed away at the age of 69 after "a long and stubborn battle with cancer."
(In Memoriam: November 10th, 1947 - December 7th, 2016)
Anthony Gonzalez of M83 will be the composer and musical director of a new Cirque du Soleil show called VOLTA. The new production will be about "the adventurous spirit that fuels the culture of action sports."
Taylor Swift was the highest paid musician of the year according to Forbes, earning $170 million. One Direction was second with $110 million and Adele was third with $80 and a half million.
It was announced James Corden will replace LL Cool J as host of this years Grammy's, ending LL's 5 year run. The Grammy Awards will take place February 12th, 2017.
Kanye West was hospitalized shortly after canceling his Saint Pablo Tour. This was following a pair of controversial rants he made during his last two shows. His private doctor called 911 to report a patient "who suffers from temporary psychosis due to sleep deprivation and dehydration".
At this year's American Music Awards, Ariana Grande won Artist of the Year, New Artist of the Year went to Zayn, Favorite Male Artist went to Justin Bieber, Favorite Female Artist went to Selena Gomez, And Sting won the American Music Award Of Merit.
Sharon Jones, the front-woman for her soul group Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, passed away from complications from pancreatic cancer at the age of 60.
(In Memoriam: May 4th, 1956 - November 18th, 2016)
Leon Russell, who was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2011, passed away in Nashville at the age of 74.
(In Memoriam: April 2, 1942 - November 13th, 2016)
David Bowie's art and design collection sold for $41 million at Sotheby's auction. The works sold represent about 65% of Bowie's total collection. The rest will remain with his family and estate.
Legendary singer/songwriter Leonard Cohen passed away at the age of 82. He died during his sleep following a fall in the middle of the night. He was most famous for his song Hallelujah, which has been covered by countless artists over the years.
(In Memoriam: September 21st, 1934 - November 7th, 2016 )
Little Big Town's recently released Better Man was actually written by Taylor Swift. It's the first country song released that she's wrote since 2012.
Garth Brooks won Entertainer of the Year at this year's Country Music Association Awards. Other winners at the 50th CMAs include: Eric Church for Album of the Year (Mr. Misunderstood), Carrie Underwood for Female Vocalist of the Year, Chris Stapleton for Male Vocalist of the Year, Little Big Town for Vocal Group of the Year, Tim McGraw for Song of the Year (Humble and Kind), and New Artist of the Year went to Maren Morris.
A Tribe Called Quest announced a new, and final album, which went into production last fall. The still untitled album will be released November 11th.
Kevin Gates was sentenced to 180 days in prison for battery charges. This was over an incident last year where he kicked a female fan after she touched his shorts at a show in Florida.
The nominations for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for 2017 were released. The list includes 2Pac, Bad Brains, The Cars, Chaka Khan, Chic, Depeche Mode, Electric Light Orchestra, Jane's Addiction, Janet Jackson, J. Geils Band, Joan Baez, Joe Tex, Journey, Kraftwerk, MC5, Pearl Jam, Steppenwolf, Yes and The Zombies. The artists with the most votes will be announced in December and inducted next April at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
Pete Burns, lead singer of Dead or Alive passed away at the age of at 57 from a heart attack. They were best know for their 80's hit You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)
(In Memoriam: August 5th, 1959 – October 23rd, 2016)
Common will produce a new Fox comedy called "93 till Infinity" . The series will focus on a ’90s rapper who’s “struggling in present day to figure out the next chapter of his life.”
Bob Dylan was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature "for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition". He is the first musician to receive it.
Depeche Mode announced a new album titled "Spirit", to be released in spring 2017.
The Rolling Stones have announced their first new album in over a decade. It will be called "Blue & Lonesome" and come out December 2nd.
The Ramones will have a street named after them in Queens, N.Y. The new street is in front of Forest Hills High School and called "Ramones Away". It'll be unveiled on October 23rd.
Kid Cudi announced on Facebook that he's entered rehab after battling depression and "suicidal urges."
Rod Temperton, the writer of Michael Jackson's Thriller and Rock With You, passed away at the age of 66.
Gwen Stefani is producing a kids show called Kuu Kuu Harajuku. "G" and four Harajuku girl characters, "Love", "Angel", "Music", and "Baby", are members of a crime-fighting pop band called HJ5. It debuted on Nickelodeon on October 3rd.
Toni Braxton is reportedly in “serious condition” after being hospitalized for lupus related complications She first announced her lupus diagnosis in 2010.
A group of celebrities were convinced to invest to become part owner's of the UFC (the mixed martial arts promotion company). The list includes: Ben Affleck, Tom Brady, Mark Wahlberg, Adam Levine (of Maroon 5), Cam Newton, Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Maria Sharapova, The Weeknd, Anthony Kiedis & Flea (of Red Hot Chili Peppers), Li Na, Guy Fieri, Calvin Harris, LL Cool J, Michael Bay, Trey Parker, Tyler Perry, Jimmy Kimmel, and Sylvester Stallone.
Bruce Springsteen named his top 5 favorite songs on Late Night with Stephen Colbert. His picks were: Born to Run, The Rising, Thunder Road, Nebraska, Racing in the Street (or Jungleland)
It was announced Lady Gaga will headline the 2017 Super Bowl halftime show.
Kaytranada won the 2016 Polaris Prize for his debut studio album 99.9%. The award honors the best full-length album by a Canadian artist and comes with $38,000 prize.
Coolio was arrested at the Los Angeles Airport on suspicion of possessing a loaded stolen firearm, found during a bag screening. He is currently on tour with "I Love the ’90s" featuring Salt-n-Pepa and Vanilla Ice.
Skepta won U.K's Mercury Prize this year, beating out David Bowie, Radiohead, ANOHNI, The 1975 and more. Bobby Shmurda (famous for Hot Boy) accepted the plea deal for a seven-year prison sentence. He was arrested in late 2014 as part of a drug-trafficking sting, along with several other members of GS9, a gang to which he allegedly belonged. His pretrial incarceration will be taken into account and he'll probably be out in about 3 1/2 years.
Chris Brown was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon. He was later released on $250,000 bail. He maintains is innocence and that it was a "set-up". His first court date will be September 20th.
Jerry Heller, former manager of N.W.A., passed away at the age of 75. He suffered from a heart attack while driving, resulting in an auto accident. He was famously played by Paul Giamatti in the movie Straight Outta Compton.
Actor Gene Wilder passed away at the age of 83, at home in Stamford, Connecticut, from complications of Alzheimer's disease. Remembering the magic: Pure Imagination
(In Memoriam: June 11, 1933 - August 28, 2016)
Beyonce was the big winner at the 2016 MTV VMA's with 8 wins, including Video of the Year and Best Pop Video for Formation, and Best Female Video for Hold Up.
Best Male Video went to Calvin Harris for This Is What You Came For,
Best Hip-Hop Video went to Drake for Hotline Bling,
Best Rock Video went to twenty one pilots for Heathens,
Best New Artist went to DNCE,
and Rihanna received the Video Vanguard Award.
A plaque was dedicated to David Bowie in Berlin, Germany, located where he resided with Iggy Pop from 1976 to 1978. During that time, he recorded his Berlin Trilogy albums: Low, Heroes and Lodger. Heroes was said to be inspired by Bowie watching his producer Tony Visconti kiss his girlfriend at the Berlin Wall.
Keyboardist James Woolley, who played with Nine Inch Nails from 1991 to 1994, died at the age of 50.
(September 26, 1966 – August 14, 2016)
The Weeknd donated $250,000 to the Black Lives Matter Network. A few days earlier he donated $50,000 to the University Of Toronto in order to fund a new Ethiopic Studies program. He himself is of Ethiopian descent.
The nominees for the U.K.'s Mercury Prize was released. The nominees include: ANOHNI, Bat For Lashes, David Bowie, Radiohead, Savages, and The 1975. The prestigious award also comes with a £25,000 prize. The winner will be announced September 15th.
At this year's Teen Choice Awards, Justin Bieber won for Choice Male Artist, Selena Gomez won for Choice Female Artist, One Direction won for Choice Music Group, Beyonce won for Choice R&B/Hip-Hop Artist, Carrie Underwood won for Choice Country Artist and Zayn won the Choice Music Breakout Artist. Justin Timberlake was also there to receive the "Decade Award" from Kobe Bryant.
MTV announced the nominees for the 2016 Video Music Awards, which will air Sunday, August 28th. Beyonce leads the back with 11 nominations, while Adele received 8. The nominees for video of the year are: Adele for Hello, Beyonce for Formation, Drake for Hotline Bling, Justin Bieber for Sorry and Kanye West for Famous
Beyonce's HBO special Lemonade has been nominated for four Emmy awards. It's up for Outstanding Variety Special, Outstanding Production Design for a Variety, Nonfiction, Event or Award Special, and Outstanding Picture Editing for Variety Programming.
Longtime bassist Cliff Williams is retiring from AC/DC, after the band wraps its current tour. Their current tour put them on Forbes' 2016 Top Earning Celebrity List at 17 (Taylor Swift topped the list).
25 people had to go to the hospital after a Kenny Chesney concert at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh for intoxication related injuries, after fights broke out.
Steven Tyler told Howard Stern that Aerosmith will retire after a final farewell tour in 2017.
Led Zeppelin won their Stairway To Heaven copyright case. A jury of eight ruled in favor of Zeppelin, taking less than a day to decide. The bassist of the group Spirit had claimed the opening sounded like their song Taurus.
50 Cent was arrested for swearing. He headlined a festival in the Caribbean island nation of St. Kitts and Nevis. After the show, local police picked him up for using the word "motherf**ker" in his set. It’s illegal to curse in public in St. Kitts, and he was warned before hand.
Attrell Cordes aka Prince Be of P.M. Dawn passed away at the age of 46. The cause of death was kidney disease resulting from diabetes. (In Memoriam: May 19, 1970 - June 17, 2016)
Hamilton took home 11 Tonys at the 2016 Tony Awards, just one short of matching The Producers' record for most wins. The awards included Best Musical, Best Lead Actor (for Leslie Odom Jr.), Best Book of a Musical, and Best Original Score.
Christina Grimmie, who finished third in Season 6 of The Voice, was fatally shot while signing autographs following her show at the Plaza Live Theater in Orlando, Florida.
(In Memoriam: March 12, 1994 - June 11, 2016) Supergroup Prophets of Rage play their first show and announce a massive U.S. tour to follow. The group features Tom Morello, Tim Commerford, Brad Wilk, Chuck D, and B-Real.
A sequel to the 1979 film Quadrophenia, inspired by the The Who's 1973 album of the same name, will reportedly start filming in London this summer. It will be 37 years since the original first debuted.
The season 10 winner of The Voice was announced.
Chance The Rapper's new album mixtape Coloring Book is the first to debut in the top ten of the Billboard 200 from streaming alone.
Rage Against the Machine, Public Enemy and Cypress Hill members are forming a new supergroup "Prophets of Rage" (which is also a song by Public Enemy ). It will feature Tom Morello, Tim Commerford, Brad Wilk, Chuck D, and B-Real.
Nick Menza, a former drummer for Megadeth passed away on stage from a heart attack, during a show with his latest band OHM. He was 51.
(In Memoriam: July 23, 1964 - May 21, 2016) Original members of The Misfits, Glenn Danzig and Jerry Only, will reunite for Riot Fest for the first time since 1983. Riot Fest will take place September 2-4 in Denver and September 16-18 in Chicago.
Laura Jane Grace, transgender frontman of Against Me!, burned her birth certificate in protest during their North Carolina show, saying "Goodbye, gender".
Janet Jackson releases the video for Dammn Baby, hinting at rumors that she is pregnant with her first child at the age of 49.
Desert Trip, dubbed 'Oldchella' will take place October 6-9th. Headliners The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, Neil Young, Roger Waters, and The Who will all be on the same bill for the first time.
Music icon Prince passes away at the age of 57. He died at his Paisley Park recording studio and home in Chanhassen, Minnesota, reportedly after overdosing on the addictive painkiller Percocet (first used after hip surgery in 2010).
(In Memoriam: June 7th, 1958 – April 21st, 2016 )
Ludacris will host the 2016 Billboard Music Awards on May 22nd, for the 3rd time in a row. Ciara will co-host. Celine Dion is set to perform and receive the ICON Award at the ceremony.
Trent Reznor (of Nine Inch Nails), Eddie Vedder (of Pearl Jam), and Sky Ferreira will appear in the new 'Twin Peaks', set to air in early 2017 on Showtime.
AC/DC announced that due to lead vocalist Brian Johnson being unable to tour, Guns N’ Roses' Axl Rose will replace him on the remainder of their tour.
Bruce Springsteen canceled his show in in Greensboro, North Carolina to protest the state's controversial "Bathroom Bill". Pearl Jam followed his lead and canceled their upcoming show as well.
Axl Rose broke his foot, but will continue to perform the Guns N’ Roses reunion shows in a cast. Dave Grohl (of Foo Fighters) loaned him the same rock 'n roll throne he used when he broke his leg on tour last year
The winner of the final season of American Idol was announced.
Country legend Merle Haggard passes away on his 79th birthday. He had been suffering health issues related to double pneumonia.
(In Memoriam: April 6, 1937 - April 6, 2016 )
70's souls singer Leon Haywood died in his sleep at his home in Los Angeles.
(In Memoriam: February 11, 1942 - April 5, 2016 )
David Barrett's One Shining Moment played at the conclusion of the NCAA championship on April 4th, marking the 30th straight year it's been played. CBS and Turner faced backlash when they announced it would not be Luther Vandross' version.
Miley Cyrus and Alicia Keys will be coaches on the next season of The Voice, replacing Gwen Stefani and Pharrell Williams for season 11.
Malik "Phife Dog" Taylor, of A Tribe Called Quest, died at the age of 45 due to complications relating to diabetes.
(In Memoriam: November 20, 1970 – March 22, 2016 )
Frank Sinatra, Jr., son of Frank Sinatra, passed away at the age of 72. He died unexpectedly of cardiac arrest while on tour in Daytona Beach, Florida.
(In Memoriam: January 10, 1944 – March 16, 2016 )
Elvis Costello, Tom Petty and Marvin Gaye will be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame at this year's 47th annual ceremony. It will be held on June 9th in New York City.
Majical Cloudz announced the band is breaking up.
Keith Emerson, of Emerson, Lake & Palmer passed away at the age of 71. He died from an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, after suffering from depression and a degenerative nerve issue.
(In Memoriam: November 2, 1944 – March 10, 2016 )
Lana Rae, wife of Randy Meisner, bassist and co-founder of the Eagles, died after accidentally shooting herself. Authorities placed him on psychiatric hold following the shooting.
The Oscar for "Best Original Song" at this year's Academy Awards went to Writing’s on the Wall by Sam Smith from Spectre
The 2016 BRIT Award took place in London. The winners included:
Adele for Best British Female, James Bay for Best British Male, Coldplay for Best British Group
Adele also won for Best British Single - Hello and Best British Album of the Year - 25
David Bowie was posthumously awarded the Icon Award.
Damon Albarn (of Blur & Gorillaz) is now a 'Local King' in the country of Mali. He was honored with the tile and had a school of music named after him for his work in supporting music in Mali.
The 2016 Grammy Award winners included:
Song Of The Year: Ed Sheeran - Thinking Out Loud
Record Of The Year: Mark Ronson with Bruno Mars - Uptown Funk
Album Of The Year: Taylor Swift - 1989
While Best New Artist went to Meghan Trainor
Kanye West debuted his new album The Life of Pablo alongside his Yeezy Season 3 fashion show at Madison Square Garden. On twitter he defended the lyrics aimed at Taylor Swift on the track Famous that some found derogatory. Taylor Swift responded in her acceptance speech at the Grammys. DMX was revived by the police after passing out from an alleged overdose. He is now reportedly doing fine.
Beyonce announced a 2016 world tour following her perfomance of Formation at Super Bowl 50.
The Monkees are planning an upcoming summer tour and new album in celebration of their 50th anniversary.
Maurice White, one of the founders of Earth, Wind & Fire passed away at the age of 74. He died in his sleep after a lengthy battle with Parkinson's.
(In Memoriam: December 19, 1941 – February 3, 2016 )
The JUNO awards (Canada's version of the Grammys) announced their nominees. Artist of the Year nominations include City and Colour, Shawn Mendes, Drake, Justin Bieber and The Weeknd.
Trevor Powers announced he's dissolving the band Youth Lagoon after their upcoming tour.
Signe Anderson, original vocalist from Jefferson Airplane passed away at the age of 74. The same day former bandmate Paul Kanter also passed away.
(In Memoriam: September 15, 1941 – January 28, 2016 )
The Electronic Music Awards, a new awards show to honor the best in Electronic music, has been announced. They will air on April 23rd on Fox. Paul Oakenfold is producing it.
Rostam Batmanglij, one of the founding members of Vampire Weekend announced he's leaving the band.
Glenn Frey, founding member and guitarist of The Eagles passed away at the age of 67. He succumbed to complications from rheumatoid arthritis and pneumonia.
(In Memoriam: November 6, 1948 – January 18, 2016 )
Celine Dion's husband, Rene Angelil, passed away from cancer at the age of 73. (January 16, 1942 - January 14, 2016). Two days later her older brother passed as well at the age of 59, also from throat cancer.
The Academy Award Nominees for "Best Original Song" at this year's Oscar's were announced:
• from Spectre, Writing’s on the Wall by Sam Smith
• from The Hunting Ground, Til it Happens to You by Lady Gaga
• from Fifty Shades of Grey , Earned It by Weeknd
• from Racing Extinction, Manta Ray by J. Ralph and Antony
and from Youth, Simple Song #3 by David Lang
David Bowie passed away at the age of 69, after an 18 month battle with liver cancer.
(In Memoriam: January 8th, 1947 - January 10th, 2016 )
Mos Def was arrested in South Africa for traveling with a fake passport. He said he was using a 'world passport', which is not a thing.
The Academy Award Nominees for "Best Original Song" at this year's Oscar's were announced:
• from Spectre, Writing’s on the Wall by Sam Smith
• from The Hunting Ground, Til it Happens to You by Lady Gaga
• from Fifty Shades of Grey , Earned It by Weeknd
• from Racing Extinction, Manta Ray by J. Ralph and Antony
and from Youth, Simple Song #3 by David Lang
Lady Gaga won the 2016 Golden Globe for "Best Actress in Miniseries or Television Film" for her role in American Horror Story: Hotel.
Sam Smith won the 2016 Golden Globe for "Best Original Song" for Writing’s on the Wall from Spectre.
The line-up to this year's Coachella was announced. A re-united Guns N Roses will headline.
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