MUSIC NEWS: TUESDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2017
JASON ALDEAN VISITS LAS VEGAS
A hospital in Las Vegas is thanking Jason Aldean for visiting with survivors from the mass shooting at the Route 91 Harvest Festival a week earlier. University Medical Center of Southern Nevada posted a photo of Aldean in front of the hospital.
The caption thanks Aldean for helping to ``heal hearts and cheer those who were wounded.'' Aldean's wife, Brittany, posted an Instagram photo of the two of them looking at the Mandalay Bay resort, where gunman Stephen Paddock opened fire. She writes that it felt ``surreal'' to be back, but meeting with the survivors helped begin the healing process. Fifty-eight people were killed, including four Canadians, and more than 500 injured.
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LEONARD COHEN BOOK WILL BE RELEASED NEXT WEEK
Leonard Cohen's last book of poetry is coming out next week. Cohen had finished the book ``The Flame'' just months before he died in November, 2016. The book will be out next Monday.
On November 6th in Montreal, a Leonard Cohen tribute concert will be held, featuring Elvis Costello, Lana Del Rey, Feist, k-d lang, Philip Glass, The Lumineers, Damien Rice and Sting.
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THE SKYLINERS' JIMMY BEAUMONT DIES
The funeral for singer Jimmy Beaumont of The Skyliners will be Friday in McKeesport, Pennsylvania, where he had a home. Beaumont's family says he died in his sleep at home at the age of 76. The Skyliners' biggest hit was ``Since I Don't Have You,'' which hit number 12 in 1959. Beaumont was 18 when he wrote the music for lyrics written by manager Joe Rock about his girlfriend leaving for flight attendant school in another state. The Skyliners also had top-40 hits with ``Pennies From Heaven'' and ``This I Swear.'' Beaumont toured with a version of The Skyliners as late as last month.
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``DESPACITO'' VIDEO - HURRICANE MARIA
A slum in Puerto Rico was seeing a revival thanks to the video for ``Despacito'' by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee. Then hurricane Maria hit. La Perla was a violent neighborhood known for drug dealer turf wars and a sign that said, ``Not open to visitors. Do not enter.'' Fonsi and Daddy Yankee, who are Puerto Rican, chose to set the ``Despacito'' video there.
Restaurants and other shops started popping up to cater to the tourists who came because of the video. Hurricane Maria devastated La Perla, along with many other parts of Puerto Rico. Fonsi has visited La Perla to distribute aid and promises to help with reconstruction.
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PLACIDO DOMINGO FUNDS RELIEF EFFORTS
Placido Domingo is financially supporting relief efforts following an earthquake in Mexico and recent hurricanes in Houston, Florida and Puerto Rico. Domingo says he has donated 200-thousand dollars to Mexican businessman Carlos Slim's foundation, which matched that amount on a five-to-one basis.
Domingo says he's giving 50-thousand dollars to the Placido and Marta Domingo Foundation to fund efforts in Mexico and Puerto Rico.He'll donate proceeds from his concert next Wednesday in San Antonio to the American Red Cross for hurricane victims.
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MELISSA MANCHESTER: THE STORY OF ``DON'T CRY OUT LOUD''
Melissa Manchester had a very different vision for the song ``Don't Cry Out Loud'' than the one that came out on record. Manchester says songwriter Peter Allen's version was quiet, almost a lullaby, and she loved that. When Manchester got to the studio, she walked into a gigantic orchestral version, so she sang with rage and frustration. Manchester could not figure out why the song took off. She says all her songs up to that point were about empowerment, but this one was about ``don't.'' She says she finally figured out it was about everyone's personal method of coping. The song is on the new Manchester compilation, ``Through the Eyes of Love: The Complete Arista 7'' Singles.''
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(The Associated Press)
