MUSIC NEWS: WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 2015
BRAD PAISLEY'S NEW VIDEO
Brad Paisley promises you will not be able to watch his new video just once. Paisley himself drew and animated a video for ``Crushin' It.'' He imagines the top musicians in country music, including himself, as superheroes. The video features Paisley's renditions of Blake Shelton, Luke Bryan, Little Big Town, Dierks Bentley, Miranda Lambert, Kenny Chesney, Carrie Underwood, Eric Church, Darius Rucker, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Florida Georgia Line, Rascal Flatts, Zac Brown Band, Keith Urban, Jason Aldean and George Strait. You can view it on Paisley's Facebook page.
VIEW THE NEW VIDEO HERE: http://tasteofcountry.com/brad-paisley-crushin-it-video/
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STEVEN TYLER'S COUNTRY SONG OUT NOW
Steven Tyler's foray into country music starts today. He releases his first country single, ``Love Is Your Name.''
Tyler will perform the song on the finale of ``American Idol'' tonight.
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FINALISTS NAMED ON ``AMERICAN IDOL''
We can tell you who will win ``American Idol'' it's definitely the guy whose first name ends in the letter ``K.''
Of course, if you know that the finalists are Clark Beckham and Nick Fradiani _ you'll know that isn't much of a hint. Anyway, the two remaining singers went head-to-head last night _ and finished up with original tunes. Nick's was ``Beautiful Life'' and Clark's was ``Champion.'' The winner will be announced tonight.
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2015 CMT MUSIC AWARDS
Carrie Underwood is the top contender for the 2015 CMT Music Awards with five nominations.
CMT announced Wednesday that Underwood scored two nominations for video of the year with the Grammy-winning ``Something in the Water'' and ``Somethin' Bad,'' her duet with Miranda Lambert. Underwood also earned two nominations for female video of the year with ``Something in the Water'' and ``Little Toy Guns.''
Twelve videos are nominated for video of the year. Contenders include Florida Georgia Line, Luke Bryan, Sam Hunt and Jason Aldean.
Lady Antebellum and Kenny Chesney, also video of the year nominees, have four nominations ea
The CMT Music Awards will air live June 10 from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. Tickets go on sale Saturday and voting starts Wednesday.
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LAWYER: 50 CENT DID NOT ROB JEWELER
A lawyer for 50 Cent denies the rapper was involved in a robbery of a jeweler. Las Vegas police are investigating a report from celebrity website TMZ that members of 50 Cent's crew pistol-whipped and robbed LAX Jewelry Company owner Robert Marin of a diamond watch and chain worth about $250,000.
Marin told TMZ he met 50 Cent at a nightclub and was later invited to boxer Floyd Mayweather's gym the morning before the Mayweather fight with Manny Pacquaio (PAK'-ee-ow) two weeks ago. Marin says he was robbed near or in the gym. Attorney Scott Leemon says neither 50 Cent nor his security had anything to do with what he calls ``baseless and false allegations.''
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MEMPHIS HONORS B.B. KING
Yesterday was B.B. King Day in Memphis.
Mayor A C Wharton Junior says residents sent get-well cards, messages and videos to King, who is in hospice care at his home in Las Vegas. A giant card was posted on the wall of B.B. King's Blues Club on Beale Street for fans to sign. King got his start in Memphis in the 1950s and earned the nickname ``Beale Street Blues Boy,'' which was shortened to ``B.B.''
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THOM YORKE SELLS SEX-ED ADVICE IN IRAN?
Thom Yorke of Radiohead probably did not sign up for this endorsement. Billboard reports a photo of Yorke is on the cover of a book sold in Iran with a title that loosely translates to, ``Marital and Sex Problems in Men.'' A Twitter user broke the news by posting a photo. An Iranian bookshop website has the book on sale. Yorke has not commented on the story.
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KENDRICK LAMAR NAMED GENERATIONAL ICON BY CALIFORNIA LAWMAKERS
The California Senate has given a special honour to Kendrick Lamar. State senator Isadore Hall recognized Lamar on the senate floor Monday with his district's Generational Icon Award. Hall says Lamar has gone from a boy on the streets of Compton to a multi-platinum, Grammy award-winning musician at the age of 27. Hall says Lamar is a familiar face in Compton because he's donated thousands of dollars for sports, music and after-school programs and worked with Habitat for Humanity. Hall says Lamar is ``the best of what it means to work hard, do well and give back to his community.''
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KANYE WEST GETS HONORARY DOCTORATE
Kanye West says he felt something this week he doesn't feel very much: nervous. West received an honorary doctorate Monday at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. West says he felt ``the nerves of humility and modesty'' when being honoured. His advice to graduates was the power of the words ``I'm sorry.'' West says, ``It gives you the opportunity to give your opinion, apologize for it, and give your opinion again.''
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HOZIER LEARNS TO BE A PERFORMER
Hozier knew he'd have to be a good musician to make it in the music business. He didn't realize he'd have to be a good performer, too. Hozier says he thought he could sit in an attic making music and people would just enjoy it. He says as of a year ago he had never been on TV or performed for a large crowd, and now he does that regularly. He acknowledges his stage presence needs some work, but he says he's improved to the point where he doesn't look like a corpse onstage.BRAD PAISLEY ANIMATES HIS OWN VIDEO FOR ``CRUSHIN' IT''
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DAVID CASSIDY SENTENCED
Former singer and TV star David Cassidy has been sentenced in a DUI case stemming from last year. He has been fined $900 and ordered to perform 50 hours of community service _ the sentence for his guilty plea in an upstate New York drunken-driving case last September. He also faces a six-month suspension of his license. And once he gets it back, he'll have to have one of those devices to keep him from starting his car if he's drunk. Cassidy is 65 and was on the TV show ``The Partridge Family.'' He also had a hit with ``I Think I Love You.''
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HENRY ROLLINS, DAN REYNOLDS, JAMES IHA INVOLVED IN ``HISTORY OF RADNESS''
Henry Rollins will guest-star as a coach on a new kids show that will run exclusively on Amazon. ``The History of Radness'' also will feature singer Dan Reynolds of Imagine Dragons as a narrator. Former Smashing Pumpkins guitars James Iha is writing the score. The show is about a brother and sister in middle school who start a band. It's recommended for kids ages 6 to 11 and it debuts this summer.
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JENNY FROM THE BLOCK IS GOING TO SIN CITY
The pop star announced Tuesday night on ``American Idol'' that she's heading to Las Vegas next year for a residency at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino.
Lopez's stint at the AXIS Theater will begin Jan. 20, 2016. The first 20 performances go on sale Saturday. She has live shows set for January, February, May and June.
Tickets prices range from $59 to $219.
Lopez, 45, follows in the footsteps of contemporary pop stars like Mariah Carey, 45, and Britney Spears, 33, who also launched Vegas residencies.
Lopez once dominated the pop and R&B charts with back-to-back singles, but has struggled musically in the last decade. Her star power, though, has gotten a boost thanks to ``Idol.''
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