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Thursday, August 16, 2018

Aretha Franklin, Queen of Soul, Dead at 76




Aretha Franklin, Queen of Soul, Dead at 76

Hall of Fame singer, cultural icon and civil rights activist who influenced countless vocalists succumbs to pancreatic cancer

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VIDEO: Aretha Franklin Performs at the Inauguration of President Obama

Aretha Franklin Brings President Obama To Tears Performing At Kennedy Center Honors

Aretha Franklin brings President Obama to tears



Aretha Franklin accepting the GRAMMY for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance from David Bowie


Aretha Franklin performing “Nessun Dorma” as she steps in for Pavarotti who couldn't perform
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwtNrtHblZ8



It was a small moment that could reverberate for decades. On January 24th, 1967, Aretha Franklin was struggling to record "I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You) ," her first project for Atlantic after several years recording more conventiional material for Columbia. As Franklin would recall, something with the studio musicians wasn't clicking until someone said, "Aretha, why don't you sit down and play?" Taking a seat at the piano, Franklin quickly cut the smoldering track that would become her first No.1 R&B. "It just happened, " she said. "We arrived, and we arrived very quickly." 

And it never stopped. For more than five decades, Franklin was a singular presence in pop music, a symbol of strength, women’s liberation and the civil rights movement. Franklin, one of the greatest singers of all time, died Thursday of pancreatic cancer, according to her publicist, Gwendolyn Quinn.
“It is with deep and profound sadness that we announce the passing of Aretha Louise Franklin, the Queen of Soul,” Quinn said in a statement. “Franklin … passed away on Thursday morning, August 16 at 9:50 a.m. at her home in Detroit, MI, surrounded by family and loved ones. In one of the darkest moments of our lives, we are not able to find the appropriate words to express the pain in our heart. We have lost the matriarch and rock of our family. The love she had for her children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and cousins knew no bounds.
“We have been deeply touched by the incredible outpouring of love and support we have received from close friends, supporters and fans all around the world,” Quinn added. “Thank you for your compassion and prayers. We have felt your love for Aretha and it brings us comfort to know that her legacy will live on. As we grieve, we ask that you respect our privacy during this difficult time.”
“Aretha Franklin was one of the most iconic voices in music history and a brilliant artist,” Franklin’s record label Sony Music said in a statement. “Over the course of her decades-long career, which included many years with the Sony Music family, she inspired countless musicians and fans, and created a legacy that paved the way for a long line of strong female artists.”
Dubbed the Queen of Soul in 1967, Franklin loomed over culture in several monumental ways. The daughter of a preacher man, she was born with one of pop’s most commanding and singular voices, one that could move from a sly, seductive purr to a commanding gospel roar. From early hits like “I Never Loved a Man” and “Think” up through later touchstones like “Sisters Are Doin’ it for Themselves” with Eurythmics, there was no mistaking Franklin’s colossal pipes. As one of her leading producers, Jerry Wexler, said of her simmering gospel-pop classic, “Spirit in the Dark,” “It was one of those perfect R&B blends of the sacred and the secular … It’s Aretha conducting church right in the middle of a smoky nightclub. It’s everything to everyone.”

But Franklin was more than just a titanic vocalist who could effortlessly move through pop, jazz, R&B, gospel and disco. Known to her fans simply as “Aretha,” Franklin was an inordinately complex pop star — “Our Lady of Mysterious Sorrows,” wrote Wexler in his memoir. Although she exuded a regal, imposing presence, Franklin’s life often seemed shakier than her voice. She coped with a broken family, at least one bad marriage, a drinking problem and health and musical direction issues that made her infinitely relatable and beloved. “In her voice, you can hear the redemption and the pain, the yearning and the surrender, all at the same time,” Bonnie Raitt told Rolling Stone in 2003.
Her journey — from singing in her father’s church and tackling tasteful pop at the dawn of her career before becoming the voice of the civil rights movement — also embodied the African American experience of the 1960s. Her brawny, funked-up makeover of Otis Redding’s “Respect,” based on what Wexler called her own “stop-and-stutter syncopation” idea, was more than just a Number One pop hit in 1967. “She had no idea it would become a rallying cry for African Americans and women and anyone else who felt marginalized because of what they looked like, who they loved,” Barack Obama said in 2014. “They wanted some respect.” At 16, she went on tour with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and later sang at his funeral.
Born in Memphis on March 25th, 1942, Franklin was groomed for gospel glory from her childhood: her father was the renowned and popular Reverend C.L. (Clarence LaVaughn) Franklin, “The Man with the Million-Dollar Voice,” and she recorded her first album of gospel when she was 14 years old. Her mother, Barbara Siggers Franklin, was also a gospel singer. When young Aretha was two, she and her family moved to Detroit. It was there where Aretha was quickly steeped in church services (her father was the star preacher at the New Bethel Baptist Church) and music. Thanks to her father’s success, household visitors included Ella Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington.

Franklin's 1971 shows at San Francisco's Filmore West, immortalized on the live album, Aretha Live at Filmore West, were a visceral example of her crossover ability, but they weren’t a given success: “I wasn’t sure how the hippies reacted to me,” she later said. But in a sign of how she could easily cross musical fences, she blew away the counterculture crowd. When she learned her hero Ray Charles was in the crowd, Franklin pulled him out for the encore and the two wound up trading piano and vocal parts on an epic version of “Spirit in the Dark.” “She turned the thing into church,” Charles said later. “Excuse my French, but I have to say that this bitch is burning down the barn — I mean, she’s on fire.”

Franklin’s personal life was turbulent — the cover story that Time magazine ran on her in 1968 famously noted that her husband and manager Ted White had “roughed her up in public,” and they divorced the next year. But Franklin’s voice never let her down. Her 1972 live gospel album Amazing Grace returned her to her roots and went double platinum, and her ability to sing glorious pop resulted in her 1973 smash “Until You Come Back to Me.” In 1974, Rolling Stone asked her what made her happy. “My children,” she said. “And having little get-togethers and making up a whole lot of food. And gold records. And love.”
Over the course of the late 1970s, Franklin gradually fell off the charts, as her attempts to keep up with the times came off as tepid schlock. As she told Rolling Stone in 2012, “When I first started, my dad said to me, ‘No matter how good you are, and no matter how successful you are, one day, the applause is going to die down. And one day the applause is going to stop. One day the hallelujahs and the amens are going to stop. And one day the fans might not be there.’ I saw some of that come to pass, and it was absolutely true. At one point, my records were not being played, and of course that immediately crossed my mind.”
In 1980, Franklin left Atlantic for Arista, whereshe began working with Clive Davis, and two years later, the collaboration paid off: 1982's  "Jump to It" produced by Luther Vandross, brought Franklin back to R&B radio. But it was the 1985 album, Who's Zoomin' Who? that made her a full-on crossover star again: she collaborated with pop artists like Eurythmics and Carolos Santana on the LP, and "Freeway of Love," her final number One R&B single, introduced her to the MTV generation. "Many thanks to myself for being disciplined and growing as a producer," she wrote in the liner notes to 1986's Aretha. 

Never one to shy away from being contemporary or having pop hits, Franklin continued with the successful formula of recording with younger artists she’d influenced, cutting singles with George Michael, Elton John and Whitney Houston. In 1998, her acolyte Lauryn Hill wrote and produced the hit “A Rose Is Still a Rose” for her.
But Franklin was also up for challenges. She stepped in to sing “Nessun Dorma” at the 1998 Grammys when Luciano Pavarotti was unable to perform, a trick few other non-opera singers would even have dared.  As Franklin told Rolling Stone in 2012, “You have to give people what they want and what they’re paying for. After that, you can pretty much do whatever you’d like to do. But once you’ve given them what they’re paying for, then you can put some things in that you would like to sing, and they’re very well accepted when they’re performed dutifully.”
In her later years, Franklin was frequently sidetracked by health problems, and her recordings were slow to appear and spotty; A Woman Falling Out of Love, which she’d started recording in 2006, was finally released on her own label in 2011. In 2010, Franklin faced rumors that she was battlingpancreatic cancer after canceling her scheduled performances; Franklin denied the cancer diagnosis, instead revealing she had surgery to remove a tumor. Franklin also canceled her scheduled 2018 performances after her doctor recommended that the singer rest for at least two months. Franklin last performed in November 2017 at Elton John’s annual AIDS Foundation gala.
Still, the power of her voice never left her. In 2014, her version of Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep,” a song that would have been unimaginable without her, became the Queen’s 100th R&B chart hit. (The song was part of her last new album, Aretha Franklin Sings the Great Diva Classics.) “She’s an original,” Franklin told Rolling Stone in 2012. “Love her lyrics — reminiscent of the Carole King lyrics of the Sixties. Just better! ‘We coulda had it all’! Sure you’re right, Adele!” In 2009, she sang at Barack Obama’s Presidential inauguration, a triumphant moment for the Civil Rights movement her music had influenced so deeply. “When it comes to expressing yourself through song, there is no one who can touch her,” Mary J. Blige told Rolling Stone in 2008. “She is the reason why women want to sing.”


Over the course of her six-decade career, Franklin garnered 44 Grammy nominations, winning 18, and became the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.
Looking back in 2016 at her version of “Respect,” Franklin elucidated both her own recording and its cultural impact. “I loved it, and I wanted to cover it just because I loved it so much,” she said. “And the statement was something that was very important, and where it was important to me, it was important to others. It’s important for people. Not just me or the Civil Rights movement or women — it’s important to people. I was asked what recording of mine I’d put in a time capsule, and it was ‘Respect.’ Because people want respect — even small children, even babies. As people, we deserve respect from one another.”


Aretha Franklin, Queen of Soul, Dead at 76
Hall of Fame singer, cultural icon and civil rights activist who influenced countless vocalists succumbs to pancreatic cancer
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/aretha-franklin-queen-of-soul-dead-at-76-119453/


The 50 Greatest Aretha Franklin Songs
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Baby, I Know: Reassessing Aretha
Aretha was 10 years old when she stood up in her father’s church to solo. The way the regulars described it, she had God by the short hairs.



Aretha Franklin: Life in Photos


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Aretha Franklin Was America's Truest Voice



Aretha Franklin, 'Queen of Soul,' has died at 76





Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul, has died

Aretha Franklin On Screen: Photos Of the Soul Legend in TV Shows and Movies



Critic's Notebook: Aretha Franklin, an Unstoppable Force Both Onstage and Off



Watch the Aretha Franklin performance that brought Barack Obama to tears

When News Queen Murphy Brown Met Soul Queen Aretha Franklin
The soul singer’s music was the backbone to the popular sitcom, and led to Franklin’s 1991 cameo.


Watch Aretha Franklin's iconic performance at President Obama's 2009 inauguration

Aretha Franklin's most iconic songs: Performances that have stood the test of time








































MADONNA AT 60: HAPPY BIRTHDAY QUEEN OF POP




MADONNA AT 60: HAPPY BIRTHDAY QUEEN OF POP


Madonna's 60th birthday: The pop star through the years
Reinventing herself for 40 years, the Queen of Pop has stirred controversy and drawn criticism. Here are some of her iconic looks.
https://news.sky.com/story/madonnas-60th-birthday-the-pop-star-through-the-years-11473536

As Madonna turns 60, we take a look back at her most memorable moments, outfits and controversies.
Reinventing herself over nearly four decades, most people have experienced the release of new Madonna music at some point in their lives.



Madonna at 60: A colourful career in pictures


Celebrated pop star, actress, director and writer Madonna celebrates her 60th birthday on Thursday.

The artist - full name Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone - has performed on 10 concert tours and sold more than 300 million records, making her the best-selling female recording artist of all time, according to the Guinness World Records.

We take a look at the star's career and life in pictures, from her early beginnings studying dance in New York, to her chart success, film career and family life.
Madonna, seen below in a photo from her high school yearbook, grew up in Rochester, Michigan.

She moved to New York in 1977 where she studied dance and worked as a model. Madonna is seen below posing for a number of photo shoots in which she showed she was already beginning to develop her own personal style and attention to her image.
Pursuing a music career, Madonna recorded demos with her boyfriend Stephen Bray.

An early rejection letter from 1981 was auctioned in New York City in 2001, in which a music professional states: "I do not feel she is ready yet, but I do hear the basis of a strong artist."
When her demos found their way to Sire Records boss Seymour Stein - while he was being treated in hospital - he was impressed with "the drive, the zeal, the ruthlessness" of the young musician who came in to see him in his hospital bed to ensure she got the deal with his label.

Holiday was Madonna's first breakthrough hit in the US, entering the chart late in 1983 and climbing to number 16 in January 1984.
Other early career-defining singles Like A Virgin and Material Girl followed.

The year 1985 was a landmark one for the young singer. Her Virgin Tour was a sell-out, supported by the Beastie Boys, and Madonna (below) played at the historic Live Aid concert, helping to raise money for famine victims in Ethiopia.

Madonna also featured in her first mainstream film the comedy drama Desperately Seeking Susan in 1985, receiving generally positive reviews from both critics and cinema-goers.
The artist, who played a streetwise chancer, starred alongside Rosanna Arquette, a conservative housewife struck with amnesia.

Madonna married actor Sean Penn on a Californian cliff top in 1985, with press helicopters circling and a strong-worded message (we can't repeat it here) to photographers written in the sand on the beach below.

The couple starred together in the 1986 film Shanghai Surprise, set in China during the Japanese occupation in 1938.

Despite the controversy, the album went straight to number one.

The album was followed by the single Vogue and the Blond Ambition tour and again saw Madonna undertaking a big image reinvention. This time sexuality and female power were the messages.

In 1992 Madonna turned her hand to books, again sparking controversy. She published the "coffee table" photo book, Sex, featuring Madonna in a number of sexually explicit poses, some with celebrities including Naomi Campbell and Vanilla Ice.

Again, reaction was mixed, ranging from outrage to applause for her courage and message of empowerment.

In 1996, Madonna's film career was given a boost with her casting in the starring role of Evita, playing Evita Duarte, the wife of Argentine president Juan Peron.
She is seen below being directed by Alan Parker in the film.

Madonna's first daughter, Lourdes, with fitness trainer Carlos Leon, was born in 1996.
The artist returned to music in 1998 with her album Ray Of Light, featuring dance and electronica styles, covering topics like fame and parenthood - and again sporting a new relaxed "new age" look.
The singer is seen below in stills from the video of the album's title track.

A day after the baptism the couple married, holding an exclusive wedding reception at Skibo Castle in Inverness, seen below.
The celebrity guest list included actor Rupert Everett, designers Stella McCartney and Donatella Versace, with actress Gwyneth Paltrow as maid of honour.

Ritchie directed his wife in the film Swept Away in 2002, also starring Italian actor Adriano Giannini, seen below.
The film told the story of a socialite stranded on a Mediterranean island with a communist sailor. It was a box office flop and picked up five Golden Raspberries.

It was in 2003 that Madonna locked lips with Britney Spears (pictured) and Christina Aguilera while performing with the two younger singers at the MTV Video Music Awards, an event that gained much press attention.

In 2004, Madonna hit the road again with her Re-invention World Tour, taking more than £62.5m in ticket sales, with yoga-inspired dance routines, and a bagpipe version of Papa Don't Preach.

Madonna extended her family with the adoption of 13-month-old David from Malawi, receiving final approval on the adoption in 2008. In the same year, Madonna and Ritchie divorced, ending their eight-year marriage.

Madonna and Ritchie are seen below with their son Rocco and her daughter Lourdes in 2007 at the Arthur And The Invisibles premiere in London.

Madonna released her album MDNA in 2012, followed by a world tour, below.
The artist released her album Hard Candy in 2008. She also directed her first film, comedy drama Filth and Wisdom, celebrated her 50th birthday and embarked on her Sticky And Sweet world tour, seen below.

In 2012, Madonna became the Super Bowl's first female headline act since Janet Jackson had her "wardrobe malfunction" in 2004. Her performance set a record for the highest viewing audience.

The Super Bowl performance also featured artists Nicki Minaj, Redfoo and SkyBlu, at the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana.

In 2014, Madonna made a red carpet appearance with her son David Banda Mwale Ciccone Ritchie at the 56th Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California.

When performing on stage for the Brit Awards 2015 in London, Madonna hit the headlines with an unfortunate tumble when her cape was whipped off by a backing dancer.

In 2016, Madonna and her ex-husband Ritchie settled a court dispute over the custody of 16-year-old son Rocco.
The singer headed out on the road again with her 2016 Rebel Heart Tour, seen here in China.

In 2017, Forbes estimated Madonna's net worth at $580m (£454m), making her the richest female artist based in America. Celine Dion is a runner-up with $380m (£299m).

After seven huge world tours, the artist is looking to develop her performance style to suit smaller audiences. She told Mark Savage from BBC News in 2017: "I like doing intimate shows and being able to talk directly to the audience.

"This is something I'm exploring right now: the idea of doing a show that doesn't travel the world, but stays in one place."


Madonna Turns 60 [Slide show]

Wednesday, August 1, 2018

VENOM - Official Trailer 2 - HD


VENOM - Official Trailer 2 (HD)





Published on 31 Jul 2018

The world has enough superheroes. Watch the new #Venom trailer now. 10.5.18. One of Marvel's most enigmatic, complex and badass characters comes to the big screen, starring Academy Award® nominated actor Tom Hardy as the lethal protector Venom.

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Cast: Tom Hardy Michelle Williams Riz Ahmed Scott Haze Reid Scott