MUSIC NEWS: FRIDAY, APRIL 21, 2017
THE REVOLUTION - PRINCE'S DEATH
When Prince died one year ago today, the members of The Revolution found each other and played music to work through their grief. They decided if it helped them, it might help his fans too. Guitarist Wendy Melvoin says when they're together, ``the energy is in the bottle.'' She says they decided to do some shows so that fans could have a little relief from their pain as well. The Revolution will kick off a tour tonight at Prince's home, Paisley Park. The band members remember Prince as being a perfectionist, but also as a fun-loving guy. Keyboardist Matt Fink says sometimes they'd just skip rehearsal and play softball, and drummer Bobby Z says that's when Prince's legendary basketball games started.
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TWIN CITIES - ANNIVERSARY OF PRINCE'S DEATH
U-S Bank Stadium, Target Field, the I-D-S Center and bridges going over the Mississippi River in Minneapolis will be bathed in purple in Prince's honour. Today marks the first anniversary of his death. The Revolution, Morris Day and the Time and New Power Generation will play shows at Prince's Paisley Park.
Prince's purple jacket and white ruffled shirt from the ``Purple Rain'' movie is on display at the Minnesota History Center in St.
Paul. The First Avenue concert hall, where Prince filmed parts of ``Purple Rain,'' will hold Prince dance parties tonight and tomorrow.
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PRINCE EP - BLOCKED
A federal judge has blocked the release of an E-P containing songs Prince recorded in 2006. However, one of the songs is still out there. The judge stopped sound engineer George Ian Boxill from releasing the ``Deliverance'' EP. Prince's estate and Paisley Park Enterprises sued, claiming Boxill signed an agreement that stated the recordings would belong to Prince. The title track was released Wednesday and was not part of the judge's order. The only place you can get it is at deliverance-dot-is.
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DIERKS BENTLEY - AVIATION BOARD
The guy who sang ``Drunk on a Plane'' is now on the board that oversees the Nashville International Airport. The Nashville Tennessean reports Dierks Bentley will fill a vacancy on the board, which sets policy and votes on capital spending at the airport. It's a volunteer position, so Bentley will not be paid. Bentley is not just a singer, but a pilot. Nashville Mayor Meghan Barry says Bentley brings a unique perspective to the board, especially because Bentley has flown into hundreds of airports worldwide.
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TED NUGENT - KID ROCK - WHITE HOUSE
U-S President Donald Trump invited former Alaska governor Sarah Palin to dinner and told her she could bring friends, so she brought Ted Nugent and Kid Rock. Palin posted photos online showing her, Nugent and Rock surrounding Trump at his desk.
Palin, Nugent and Rock also took a photo in front of Hillary Clinton's portrait. The White House confirms the dinner but gives no details. Rock has not commented on the evening. Nugent has, but you have to understand Ted-speak. As he writes on Instagram, ``1 and only MotorCity Madman WhackMaster StrapAssasin1 dined with President Donald J Trump at the WhiteHouse to Make America Great Again! Got that? Glowing all American over the top.''
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MTV VIDEO MUSIC AWARDS
After spending a year at Madison Square Garden in New York, the M-T-V Video Music Awards are coming back to the West Coast. The network announced the 2017 V-M-As will be held Aug.
27th at the Forum in Inglewood, California. The Forum previously hosted the V-M-As in 2014, when Beyonce, Taylor Swift, Nicki Minaj, Ariana Grande and Sam Smith performed. Nominations for the 2017 V-M-As will be announced in July.
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100'S MOST INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE LIST
Chance The Rapper, Alicia Keys, Demi Lovato, John Legend and Ed Sheeran are the kind of people who get others to listen, according to Time magazine. Time has named them to its list of the 100 most influential people. The list also includes actors like Viola Davis, Emma Stone and Ryan Reynolds, and world leaders like President Donald Trump and Pope Francis.
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CMA FEST 2017 - HOSTS
Two kids who grew up going to C-M-A Fest in Nashville are now hosting it. Thomas Rhett and Kelsea Ballerini will host the ``C-M-A Fest 2017'' concert special that will air this summer on A-B-C. The festival takes place June 8th-11th in Nashville. Rhett says he remembers sitting in the nosebleed seats as a fan, and Ballerini says she used to go as a fan too.
(The Associated Press)
