MUSIC NEWS: FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER, 2017
JANET JACKSON - HOUSTON TONIGHT
Janet Jackson says she is bringing music _ and more _ to the people of Houston tonight. She says she will keep her commitment to play the concert _ but doesn't want to just hit the stage, do the show and hop back on the tour bus. She says she plans to visit some of the victims of the massive storm _ and let people know she cares about their plight. Jackson laid out her plans in a video she posted online to address talk that she was going to skip the Houston gig.
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GEORGE MICHAEL - NEW SINGLE
George Michael died last Christmas Day. And now, fans are getting a chance to hear some new music from the pop star.
The tune is called ``Fantasy'' _ and it was first recorded in the late 1980s. It has been reworked by producer Nile Rodgers _ and is now getting its first radio airplay. Michael's publicist says the song was to be on Michael's 1990 album ``Listen Without Prejudice''
but got ``lost in the ether.'' Before he died, Michael asked Rodgers to rework the song as a single for the reissue of the album next month.
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DEMI LOVATO - ``DREAMERS''
Demi Lovato says she's been moved to political action after U-S President Donald Trump moved to rescind DACA. The singer says she opposes the move to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals _ because it hurts people whose only goal in life is to become Americans. She says she's frustrated _ but will try to channel her emotions toward urging lawmakers to help young immigrants, who were brought to America as kids, to stay here.
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KID ROCK - RACE
It's hard to tell how serious he is.
But Kid Rock continues to act like someone who wants a career in politics. He has doubled down on his criticism of N-F-L quarterback Colin Kaepernick _ for kneeling during the national anthem before games. Even though his initial criticism of the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback has drawn calls for a boycott, Kid Rock repeated his rant during a show on Wednesday night. During his speech, he stood before a podium bearing a fake federal seal that read ``United States of 'Merica'' _ and denounced those who have branded him a racist.
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GAVIN ROSSDALE - SUCCESS
Gavin Rossdale says the formula for success in the music business today isn't much different than it was when he and his band Bush were first starting out in the mid-1990s.
He says it basically boils down to three things: good music, a great team _ and ``a lot of luck.'' Rossdale will be looking for that combination as part of his new gig. He is working on a new talent competition called ``Next 2 Rock.'' It's aimed at finding and promoting undiscovered rock artists throughout the country. Artists will be picked based on their performances of original songs _ and will be rated by fans who tune in.
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(The Associated Press)
