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03/17/2021

03/17/2021

Anita Baker Asks Fans To Stop Streaming Her Music In Efforts to Retrieve Her Masters

THE LEGENDARY SINGER SAYS THE LABEL IS GOING TO MAKE HER FIGHT FOR IT AND SHE'S PREPARED TO DO IT

Despite a legendary catalog of music that includes five Platinum-selling albums, R&B icon Anita Baker is now asking fans to halt the purchase and streaming of her music.

In a host of tweets, Baker disclosed a battle she’s currently embroidered in with her label. Commenting on how she’s “miraculously” outlived her artist contracts, the Detroit native pointed out that her rightfully-owed masters are still not in her possession. Referencing copyright reversion, which is an artists’ ability to regain copyright of their work after an allotted period of time, Baker says she prepared to fight for her bodies of work.

“They no longer ‘Own’ My Name & Likeness,” she wrote. “And, by Law…30 yr old, Masters are 2B Returned, 2 Me.”

Masters recordings aren’t owned by artists initially because record labels finance the money to produce and promote the album and artists are paid via record sales. For singers like Baker, who have outlived their contracts, royalties from their work are still being paid elsewhere when they don’t have copyright possession of their master recordings.

Responding to a fan who showed support on Twitter, the ballad vocalist wrote, “Hello Sweetheart Thank You 4 Sending Me, Your Love. But, let’s not Advertise *Spotify Streaming, which is, a Publicly Traded Company, with a 50 Million$ Valuation… but doesn’t pay Artists/Creators what their Worth.”

Since its inception, many artists have become overwhelmingly hesitant of music streaming services. Prince notably removed his catalog from Spotify and YouTube as he believed that digital sales brought no real profit to artists. The legendary musician later signed an exclusive streaming deal for his discography with Tidal in 2015.

In following tweets, Baker broke down rates of streaming services and even referenced streaming service giants as “thieves in the temple” who use her name and likeness for free advertising.

03/08/2021

This Is The One Singer Chaka Khan Would Do A Verzuz Battle With

Not since Patti LaBelle and Gladys Knight took us down memory lane in September have two vocal legends participated in a Veruz battle. But with the right pairing, R&B funk icon Chaka Khan says she’d be open to going song for song with another singer on the show.

ESSENCE spoke to Khan ahead of the release of Rhino Records’ limited-edition album of her work as part of a series of vinyl reissues and first-ever digital releases celebrating Black artists during Black History Month. Khan’s album, “Epiphany: The Best of Chaka Khan, Vol 1,” a beautiful Burgundy Vinyl, will be available on February 26.

“I’m happy to be a part of this whole thing,” Khan told us, applauding the modern thinkers at the label who put the launch together. As for her favorite song among the 10 hits on the album, she says, “‘Aint Nobody’ is on there. That’s an all-time favorite of mine. That’s one song I still love to sing on stage. That song is still live.”

With music venues still largely being shut down due to COVID-19, Verzuz has been the main stage for music fans to see their favorite artists. On Twitter, users have suggested Khan face-off against legendary contemporaries such as Anita Baker, Tina Turner, or Diana Ross on the series, but the 67-year-old has someone else in mind.

“I was thinking about maybe doing one with Jazmine Sullivan. I would prefer to do something like that with a younger artist, you know? People who are multi-dimensional. Not the flat surface of the same people from the same time and era. It needs just a little more dimension. I would consider that.”

As for Twitter’s Verzuz Battle wish list, she says, “Too bad.”

Check out our full interview with Chaka Khan in the video above.

03/08/2021

Bruno Mars And Anderson .Paak’s Song Gets Legendary Endorsement From Anita Baker
The R&B icon weighed in on Twitter after the artists’ new group, Silk Sonic,

Legendary singer Anita Baker has nothing but sweet love for Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak’s new song, “Leave the Door Open.”

The eight-time Grammy-winner and R&B icon tweeted her admiration of the new track on Twitter early Friday morning, writing: “That’s An Old School Love Song.”

That’s quite an endorsement considering the “Sweet Love” singer has made a number of gold and platinum albums in the 1980s and ’90s, topping R&B charts.

Baker has expressed her admiration for Bruno Mars before.

In 2013, she tweeted that the “That’s What I Like” singer was a “triple threat.”

“Singer/Songwriter/Live Performer... triple threat. KILLer!” she wrote.

03/08/2021

02/02/2021

Larry King
Nov. 19, 1933-Jan. 23, 2021

Legendary broadcaster Larry King died on Jan. 23 at the age of 87. It was reported early in 2021 that King, a multiple cancer survivor, had contracted coronavirus, and his sixth wife, Julia Alexander, told The Post that King’s cause of death was coronavirus. However, his wife Shawn later said what killed King was “an infection, it was sepsis.”

The former CNN star, who most recently worked for Ora Media, was for decades famed for his long-form sitdowns with the biggest celebrities and newsmakers. He interviewed every US president from Richard Nixon to Donald Trump.

02/02/2021

Longtime MLB home run king Hank Aaron dies at 86
Henry Louis "Hank" Aaron, the Hall of Fame slugger whose 755 career home runs long stood as baseball's golden mark, has died. He was 86.

"Our family is heartbroken to hear the news of Hank Aaron's passing," Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said in a statement on behalf of the Aaron family. "Hank Aaron was an American icon and one of Georgia's greatest legends. His life and career made history, and his influence was felt not only in the world of sports, but far beyond -- through his important work to advance civil rights and create a more equal, just society. We ask all Georgians to join us in praying for his fans, family, and loved ones as we remember Hammerin' Hank's incredible legacy."

02/02/2021

Cloris Leachman, Emmy and Oscar Winner, Dies at 94
Oscar winner and multiple Emmy winner Cloris Leachman, best remembered as the delightfully neurotic Phyllis Lindstrom on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” and her own subsequent sitcom, died of natural causes on Tuesday in Encinitas, Calif. She was 94.

“It’s been my privilege to work with Cloris Leachman, one of the most fearless actresses of our time,” her longtime manager Juliet Green said. “There was no one like Cloris. With a single look she had the ability to break your heart or make you laugh ’till the tears ran down your face. You never knew what Cloris was going to say or do and that unpredictable quality was part of her unparalleled magic.”

The daffy, self-absorbed Phyllis, a character she claimed was close to her own persona, brought the actress two Emmys as a featured actress in a series during the mid-’70s and made Leachman a household name

02/02/2021

Cicely Tyson, purposeful and pioneering actor, dead at 96

Cicely Tyson, the pioneering Black actor who gained an Oscar nomination for her role as the sharecropper’s wife in “Sounder,” won a Tony Award in 2013 at age 88 and touched TV viewers’ hearts in “The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman,” died Thursday at age 96.

Tyson’s death was announced by her family, via her manager Larry Thompson, who did not immediately provide additional details.

“With heavy heart, the family of Miss Cicely Tyson announces her peaceful transition this afternoon. At this time, please allow the family their privacy,” according to a statement issued through Thompson.

02/02/2021

Dustin Diamond, 'Saved by the Bell' star, dead at 44

Dustin Diamond, who played the role of Screech on the popular 1990s high school comedy "Saved by the Bell," died Monday after a recent cancer diagnosis, according to Diamond's manager, Roger Paul.

He was 44.
"He was diagnosed with this brutal, relentless form of malignant cancer only three weeks ago," Paul said in a statement he provided to CNN. "In that time, it managed to spread rapidly throughout his system; the only mercy it exhibited was its sharp and swift execution. Dustin did not suffer. He did not have to lie submerged in pain. For that, we are grateful."
Diamond first shared news of his cancer diagnosis last month.

At the time, his manager said his client's health was "serious" and that Diamond was undergoing further testing at a Florida hospital. He underwent his first round of chemotherapy days later.

The teen series was recently reimagined by the Peacock streaming service with some of the original stars, though not Diamond.
He stirred controversy with his 2009 book "Behind the Bell," in which Diamond shared backstage stories about shooting the series with some of his accounts being less than flattering to his costars.
He also faced some legal troubles, serving three months in jail for stabbing a man during a 2014 altercation at a bar in Wisconsin.
The actor has appeared in a number of reality shows over the years, including "Celebrity Fit Club," "Celebrity Boxing 2" and "Celebrity Championship Wrestling."
Diamond's "Save by the Bell" costars, Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Mario Lopez and Tiffany Thiessen, paid tribute to the late actor on social media.
"Deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Dustin Diamond, a true comedic genius," Gosselaar tweeted. "My sincere condolences to his family and friends. Looking back at our time working together, I will miss those raw, brilliant sparks that only he was able to produce. A pie in your face, my comrade."

An actor and stand-up comedian, Diamond found fame playing Samuel "Screech" Powers for more than a decade on the "Saved by the Bell" franchise.

Dustin, you will be missed my man," Lopez wrote on Instagram. "The fragility of this life is something never to be taken for granted. Prayers for your family will continue on."
"I am deeply saddened by I the news of my old co-star @realdustindiamond passing," Thiessen wrote in an Instagram post. "Life is extremely fragile and it's something we should never take for granted. God speed Dustin.

12/08/2020

Actor Natalie Desselle Reid has died at age 53

Natalie Desselle Reid, star of B.A.P.S., How to Be a Player, Madea’s Big Happy Family and more, passed away from colon cancer at the age of 53.

11/09/2020

A stream of world leaders congratulated President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris on their victory in the 2020 US presidential election on Saturday, with many striking a jubilant tone on social media.

Canadian leader Justin Trudeau emphasized the close alliance between Canada and the US in his remarks.
"Congratulations Joe Biden and Kamala Harris," Trudeau wrote on Twitter. "Our two countries are close friends, partners and allies. We share a relationship that's unique on the world stage. I'm really looking forward to working together and building on that with you both."
In Europe, the reactions were led by Irish politicians. "I want to congratulate the new President Elect of the USA [Joe Biden]," Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin tweeted after the result emerged. Martin also referenced Biden's Irish-American heritage, adding: "Joe Biden has been a true friend of this nation throughout his life and I look forward to working with him in the years ahead. I also look forward to welcoming him back home when the circumstances allow!"

Ireland's health minister Simon Coveney said the country's government looked "forward to working with a (Biden/Harris) presidency to sustain & strengthen Irish American relations, and so much more."
The leaders of US allies South Korea and Australia also congratulated Biden and Harris.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said in a statement that "the President-elect has been a great friend of Australia over many years," and noted that Biden will step into the role at a crucial time as the world battles the Covid-19 pandemic.
"American leadership is indispensable to meeting these challenges and upholding the rules, norms and standards of our international community," Morrison said.
Morrison thanked current US President Donald Trump, Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for their work with Australia over the past four years.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in tweeted he looked forward to working with Biden and Harris.
"Our alliance is strong and the bond between our two countries is rock-solid," Moon said.

11/09/2020

Alex Trebek, Longtime Host of ‘Jeopardy!,’ Dies at 80
A good host, he once said, could set his ego aside and let contestants be all they could be. But he let them know when he thought they missed easy answers.

09/20/2020

Ruth Bader Ginsburg, supreme court justice, dies aged 87

The supreme court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has died of pancreatic cancer, the court said Friday. She was 87.

Ginsburg was the second woman appointed to the court in history and became a liberal icon for her sharp questioning of witnesses and intellectually rigorous defenses of civil liberties, reproductive rights, first amendment rights and equal protections under the law.

In a statement, the court said Ginsburg, who served more than 27 years on the bench, “died this evening surrounded by her family at her home in Washington DC, due to complications of metastatic pancreas cancer”.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg changed America long before she joined the supreme court Moira Donegan


Read more

The chief justice, John Roberts, said that the nation “has lost a jurist of historic stature. We at the supreme court have lost a cherished colleague. Today we mourn, but with confidence that future generations will remember Ruth Bader Ginsburg as we knew her – a tireless and resolute champion of justice.”

Her death thrust an immediate spotlight on who might fill the vacancy on the court, with just over six weeks before the election. The news was received with alarm by liberals and moderates who feared that Republicans would exploit the narrow window to install a third Donald Trump appointee on the supreme court.

09/04/2020

Chadwick Boseman to be honored in his South Carolina hometown with movie screening.

Thursday's tribute to the actor in Anderson, South Carolina will include a viewing of 'Black Panther' at an outdoor amphitheater.

Actor Chadwick Boseman will be mourned, honored and celebrated Thursday in his hometown of Anderson, South Carolina, where he gave residents a deep sense of pride, event organizers said.

“He was beloved here, the same way he was around the world," city spokeswoman Beth Batson said Thursday.

Boseman, known for his role in Black Panther and many other films, died last Friday of colon cancer. He was 43.

Thursday’s tribute will begin at 7 p.m. and will include a viewing of Black Panther at an outdoor amphitheater where social distancing will be practiced, Batson said.

Boseman was a playwright who acted and directed in theater before playing the Marvel Comics character T’Challa in Black Panther, which became one of the top-grossing films in history. He also had starring roles in the Jackie Robinson film 42 and in Get On Up, which portrayed the life of singer James Brown.

Privately, he was also undergoing many surgeries and chemotherapy in his battle with colon cancer.

In Anderson, a city of about 28,000 people, "there's deep sadness and grief, but it has a bounce out of it that is such inspiration," Batson said. That's because Boseman inspired so many people in the community, she said.

"It has been amazing to watch the grief, so to speak, blossom," she said. "Now young people say 'what can I do, what can I be.'"

Former President Barack Obama saw that phenomenon first-hand in the White House.

"Chadwick came to the White House to work with kids when he was playing Jackie Robinson. You could tell right away that he was blessed," Obama tweeted shortly after his death.

"To be young, gifted, and Black; to use that power to give them heroes to look up to; to do it all while in pain – what a use of his years," Obama wrote.

Thursday’s tribute is not a funeral, and members of Boseman’s immediate family did not plan to be in attendance, Boseman’s publicist, Nicki Fioravante, said in a statement.

"On behalf of the Boseman Family, we appreciate the community’s outpouring of love and admiration for Chadwick," Fioravante said.

08/28/2020

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08/28/2020

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07/18/2020

Tina Turner Is Back (at 80!) on Kygo's 'What's Love Got to Do with It' Remix.

Tina Turner is proving that one is never too old to release new music.

On Friday, the 80-year-old icon released a remix of her hit song "What's Love Got to Do with It" with Norwegian DJ and producer Kygo.

The amped-up single comes alongside a brand new music video starring Younger's Charles Michael Davis and Hollywood's Laura Harrier.

The 4-minute long video features a couple experiencing a falling out when Davis doesn't "know how to celebrate" a woman like Harrier.

The head-bopping collab marks a major move for Turner as she had already retired from the music industry over a decade ago.