singer-songwriter

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Songwriters Hall of Fame Makes This Year's Noms

Eminem, Alanis Morissette, Sheryl Crow, NWA, and Janet Jackson make the cut

(Newser) - Eminem, Boy George, George Clinton, Sheryl Crow, Janet Jackson, the Doobie Brothers, NWA, and Alanis Morissette are among the nominees for the 2025 class at the Songwriters Hall of Fame , an eclectic group of rap, rock, hip-hop, and pop pioneers. Joining them on the ballot are Bryan Adams, with radio...

Willie Nelson, 91, on Dying: 'I'm Not Worried About It'

Country legend releases 76th solo studio album, dishes on songwriting, new cannabis cookbook

(Newser) - Young musicians looking for longevity would be wise to follow the sensible words of Willie Nelson: Do what feels right, and if you're lucky enough to have a statue built in your honor in your city, remember that it's just something you've "got to go down...

Bossa Nova Star Sergio Mendes Dies at 83
Bossa Nova Legend Dies
After Bout With Long COVID
OBITUARY
Sep 6, 2024 12:55 PM CDT

Bossa Nova Legend Dies After Bout With Long COVID

Brazil's Sergio Mendes, whose 'Mas Que Nada' made him a star, had suffered from long COVID

(Newser) - Sergio Mendes, the Grammy-winning Brazilian musician whose hit "Mas Que Nada" made him a global legend, has died after months battling the effects of long COVID. He was 83. The death Thursday of the Brazilian pianist, songwriter, and arranger was confirmed in a statement by his family, per the...

'Harvard Has Taylor, Vermont State Has Weird Al!'

University will offer a course on comedic singer Yankovic in the fall

(Newser) - If you've ever longed for a glimpse inside the imagination of Alfred Yankovic and you're a student at Vermont State University, your two worlds are about to collide. The higher-ed institution will be offering a course this fall dedicated to the quirky singer-songwriter known as "Weird Al,...

Guess Who's Coming Back to Spotify?
Guess Who's
Coming Back
to Spotify?
Mar 13, 2024 8:20 AM CDT

Guess Who's Coming Back to Spotify?

Neil Young announces return to streaming platform, still complaining about 'low-res' files

(Newser) - More than two years ago, Neil Young yanked his songs off of Spotify, a protest against what Young said was COVID vaccine misinformation being circulated by podcaster Joe Rogan. Now the singer-songwriter has announced he's coming back to the streaming music platform, though the Consequence of Sound describes his...

Country Music Star Toby Keith Dies at 62

'Beer For My Horses' singer was battling stomach cancer

(Newser) - "Beer For My Horses" singer-songwriter Toby Keith has died. He was 62, reports the AP . Keith, who was battling stomach cancer, passed peacefully on Monday surrounded by his family, according to a statement posted on the country singer's website. "He fought his fight with grace and courage,...

Barry Manilow Breaks a Big Elvis Record

'70s singer plays his 637th show at Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino; the King had 636

(Newser) - No one played more shows at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino than Elvis Presley, who notched an impressive 636 sold-out performances in residency before his 1977 death. No one until last weekend, that is, when '70s legend Barry Manilow logged his 637th show at the same venue....

'She Was the Female Bob Dylan'
'She Was the Female
Bob Dylan,' Then Vanished
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
May 13, 2023 6:30 AM CDT

'She Was the Female Bob Dylan,' Then Vanished

Connie Converse was a folk pioneer before she disappeared, as the 'New York Times' explains

(Newser) - If she had recorded her songs just a few years later, Connie Converse might very likely be a household name to this day, writes Howard Fishman in the New York Times . Instead, she's an enigmatic footnote in modern music history, though interest appears to be growing in her legacy....

Gordon Lightfoot Dead at 84
Beloved Canadian
Singer-Songwriter
Dead at 84
obituary
May 2, 2023 3:00 AM CDT

Beloved Canadian Singer-Songwriter Dead at 84

Gordon Lightfoot had just last month canceled planned shows

(Newser) - Gordon Lightfoot, Canada's legendary folk singer-songwriter known for “If You Could Read My Mind" and "Sundown” and for songs that told tales of Canadian identity, died on Monday. He was 84. Representative Victoria Lord said the musician died at a Toronto hospital, the AP reports. His cause...

His Songwriting Resume Is Astonishing
His Songwriting Resume
Is Astonishing
obituary
Aug 9, 2022 10:45 AM CDT

His Songwriting Resume Is Astonishing

Lamont Dozier, who helped write some of Motown's biggest hits, dies at 81

(Newser) - Lamont Dozier, the middle name of the celebrated Holland-Dozier-Holland team that wrote and produced dozens of hits and helped make Motown an essential record company of the 1960s and beyond, has died at age 81, per the AP . In Motown’s historic rise, Holland-Dozier-Holland stood out even compared to such...

You've Sung It Plenty in Bars. Now, This Song Gets Its Own Film

Paramount+ documentary on Don McLean's 'American Pie' is 'mandatory viewing' for fans

(Newser) - Don McLean has listened for decades as people belted out his classic song "American Pie" at last call or at karaoke—and applauds you for the effort. "I've heard whole bars burst into this song when I've been across the room," McLean told the AP...

She's Had 19 No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 Hits. Now, a Big Honor

Mariah Carey, behind only the Beatles using Billboard gauge, is inducted into Songwriters Hall of Fame

(Newser) - After a glittering career stuffed with No. 1 hits—not to mention a two-year pandemic delay—Mariah Carey was finally inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame on Thursday, but not before challenging her new fellow members to do better by women. "I read that out of the 439...

Universal Picks Up Another Huge Music Catalog

Music group just bought the rights to Neil Diamond's song collection, including 'Sweet Caroline'

(Newser) - Universal Music Group has been on a shopping spree. First it scooped up the rights to Bob Dylan's lyrics and compositions , then Sting's song catalog , and now it's got a new acquisition to brag about. The music corporation has purchased the rights to Neil Diamond's entire...

Taylor Swift Takes on Blur Singer's 'Really 'F---ed Up' Claim

Damon Albarn said in a recent interview that Swift doesn't write her own songs

(Newser) - Say what you will about Taylor Swift's music, but don't ever accuse her of not writing her own tunes. Damon Albarn could've used that advice before he did a recent interview with the Los Angeles Times , in which he claimed just that. The 32-year-old "Trouble" singer...

Paul McCartney Nixes Practice He Calls 'a Bit Strange'

Ex-Beatle will no longer be signing autographs for fans

(Newser) - Nearly 15 years ago, Ringo Starr "put his foot" down, and his pen, and informed fans he wouldn't be signing autographs anymore. Now, the only other surviving Beatle has jumped aboard the same no-autographs train. The AV Club reports on a new Paul McCartney interview with Reader's ...

Musician Blended Styles Into Bright Pop
Musician
Blended
Styles Into
Bright Pop
obituary
Apr 1, 2020 8:19 PM CDT

Musician Blended Styles Into Bright Pop

Adam Schlesinger formed Fountains of Wayne with a college friend

(Newser) - Adam Schlesinger, the Emmy- and Grammy-winning musician and songwriter known for his work with his band Fountains of Wayne, died Wednesday after contracting the coronavirus. Schlesinger died at a hospital in upstate New York, his longtime lawyer said. It is not clear where or how Schelsinger, a 51-year-old father of...

Singer Revered by Kurt Cobain Dead at 58
Singer Revered by
Kurt Cobain Dead at 58
OBITUARY
Sep 12, 2019 6:37 AM CDT

Singer Revered by Kurt Cobain Dead at 58

Daniel Johnston cranked out dozens of albums

(Newser) - His iconic "Jeremiah the Innocent" frog graces the corner of Guadalupe and 21st streets in Austin, his struggles with mental illness were well-documented, and his songs have been covered and revered by everyone from the Flaming Lips and Kurt Cobain to Tom Waits. Now, Texas and the entire musical...

Long-Lost Elliott Smith Song Resurfaces

Obscure recording made during 1997 student radio session

(Newser) - Elliott Smith fans are in for a treat: The singer-songwriter, who died in 2003 and now has a strong cult following, has a new song available. It’s a rarely-heard tune from a 1997 session at the University of Maryland’s student radio station. Called “Misery Let Me Down,...

'Lonely Boy' Singer Andrew Gold Dead at 59

Gold helped shape '70s pop-rock sound, created Golden Girls theme

(Newser) - Singer, songwriter, instrumentalist, and producer Andrew Gold may not have been a household name, but the Los Angeles pop-rock style he helped shape in the '70s was heard around the world. Gold, who has died at the age of 59, joined Linda Ronstadt's backing band straight after high...

Hey, Young Folks, Show Some Love for Paul Simon

He deserves it as much as Dylan and Cohen: Jim Fusilli

(Newser) - Wall Street Journal music critic Jim Fusilli caught a Paul Simon concert recently and came away struck by how few young people were in the audience. It doesn't seem right. While Simon contemporaries such as Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, and Joni Mitchell rightfully get lots of love and respect...

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