Sunday, August 19, 2012

Tony Scott, DEAD (1944-06-21, 2012-08-19)

Tony Scott dies with 68.
I love some of his movies like: "Top Gun", "Beverly Hills Cop II", "Days of Thunder", "The Last Boy Scout", "True Romance", "Enemy of the State", "The Taking of Pelham 123" and "Unstoppable".

Here it goes the story of Tony Scott from Wikipedia

Thanks to Tony Scott on Wikipedia

Anthony David "Tony" Scott (21 June 1944 – 19 August 2012) was a British film director and producer. He was the younger brother of film director Ridley Scott.

His films were generally more popular with audiences than critics, and include The Hunger (1983), Top Gun (1986), Beverly Hills Cop II (1987), Days of Thunder (1990), The Last Boy Scout (1991), True Romance (1993), Crimson Tide (1995), Enemy of the State (1998), Spy Game (2001), Man on Fire (2004), Déjà Vu (2006), The Taking of Pelham 123 (2009) and Unstoppable (2010). He died on 19 August 2012, committing suicide by jumping off the Vincent Thomas Bridge.

Early life

Scott was born in North Shields, England, the youngest of three sons of Colonel Francis Percy Scott, who served in the Royal Engineers, and Elizabeth. He followed in his elder brother's footsteps, studying at Grangefield School, West Hartlepool College of Art and Sunderland Art School, for a fine arts degree. At the age of 16, he appeared in Boy and Bicycle, a short film marking the directorial debut of his then 23-year-old brother Ridley.

Scott studied art in Leeds after failing to gain admission to the Royal College of Art in London at his first attempt. He made a short film in 1969 based on the Ambrose Bierce story One of the Missing. As Ridley had previously cast him in a film, he reciprocated by giving his brother a role too. "The movie cost £1,000", he recalled in April 2012. Whilst at the Royal College of Art, he starred in "Don't Walk", a film by fellow students, Hank Onrust and Richard Stanley: the film credits state it was "made for BUNAC by MARCA films at the Royal College of Art". He graduated from the Royal College of Art, following in the footsteps of his elder brother Ridley, with the intention of becoming a painter. His eldest brother Frank had earlier joined the Merchant Navy.

Hollywood success

Following the success of Top Gun, Scott found himself on Hollywood's A-list of action directors. He re-teamed with Simpson and Bruckheimer in 1987 to direct Eddie Murphy and Brigitte Nielsen in the highly anticipated sequel Beverly Hills Cop II. While not being critically embraced, the picture nevertheless became one of the year's highest grossers. His next film, Revenge (1990), a thriller of adultery and revenge set in Mexico, starred Kevin Costner, Madeleine Stowe and Anthony Quinn. Once again directing Tom Cruise, Scott returned to the Simpson-Bruckheimer fold to helm the big-budget racing film Days of Thunder (1990). Scott later stated that it was difficult to find the drama in racing cars in circles, so he "stole from all race movies to date ... then tried to build on them." Scott's next film was the cult action thriller The Last Boy Scout (1991) starring Bruce Willis and Damon Wayans and written by Shane Black.

In 1993, Scott directed True Romance costing just $13m, from a script by Quentin Tarantino. The cast included Christian Slater, Patricia Arquette, Dennis Hopper, Christopher Walken, Gary Oldman, Brad Pitt, Tom Sizemore, Chris Penn, Val Kilmer and in bit roles, James Gandolfini and Samuel L. Jackson. Although it received positive reviews from Janet Maslin and other critics, it took less than $13m and was considered a box office failure. Scott's next film, Crimson Tide (1995), was a submarine thriller starring Gene Hackman and Denzel Washington. His follow-up film, 1996's The Fan, starred Robert De Niro, Wesley Snipes, Ellen Barkin and Benicio del Toro. Scott's 1998 film Enemy of the State, a conspiracy thriller, starred Will Smith and Gene Hackman, and was his highest-grossing film of the decade. Spy Game was released in November 2001. It garnered 63% positive reviews at Metacritic and made a little over $60m at the US box office. Man on Fire was released in April 2004 and made over $75m at the U.S. box office.

Scott and his brother Ridley Scott were co-producers of the TV series Numb3rs, which aired from 2005 to 2010. Tony Scott directed the first episode of the fourth season. In 2006, he contributed voice-over to a song called Dreamstalker on Hybrid's album I Choose Noise; Scott has worked together with Hybrid on several films through mutual friend Harry Gregson-Williams.

Next for Scott came Domino (2005) starring Keira Knightley. In autumn 2006, Scott reteamed with Denzel Washington for the futuristic action film Déjà Vu. Scott once again teamed up with Denzel Washington on The Taking of Pelham 123, which also starred John Travolta and was released in theatres on 12 June 2009. The film was a remake of the 1974 film of the same title starring Walter Matthau and Robert Shaw. 2009 also saw the debut of The Good Wife, a legal drama television series which had Scott and his brother as two of several executive producers.

In 2010, the Scott brothers produced the feature film adaptation of the television series The A-Team. Scott's film, Unstoppable, again starring Washington (with Chris Pine), was released in November 2010. Shortly before his death he produced Coma, an A&E miniseries, the Coca-Cola short film The Polar Bears and the thiller Stoker, both with his brother.

Directing style

Katey Rich of Cinema Blend wrote that Scott had a "trademark frenetic camera style", which Scott spoke about in June 2009, in reference to The Taking of Pelham 123:

It's about energy and it's about momentum, and I think the movie's very exciting, and it's not one individual thing. The true excitement comes from the actors—that gives you the true drama—and whatever I can do with the camera, that's icing on the cake. I wanted the movie to grab you. I use four cameras and I maybe do three takes—so the actors love it. Maybe I move it more than I should, but that's the nature of the way I am.

Scott also spoke about his career in general:

What always leads me in terms of my movies are characters. [I tell my production team] 'Go into the real world, cast these people in the real world, and find me role models for my writers.' Then I reverse-engineer. I don't change the structure of the script, but I use my research. That's always been my mantra, and that's what gets me excited, because I get to educate and entertain myself in terms of worlds I could never normally touch, other than the fact that I'm a director. [...] If you look at my body of work, there's always a dark side to my characters. They've always got a skeleton in the closet, they've always got a subtext. I like that. Whether it's Bruce Willis in Last Boy Scout or Denzel Washington in The Taking of Pelham 123. I think fear, and there's two ways of looking at fear. The most frightening thing I do in my life is getting up and shooting movies. Commercials, movies, every morning I'm bolt upright on one hour two hours sleep, before the alarm clock goes off. That's a good thing. That fear motivates me, and I enjoy that fear. I'm perverse in that way. I do other things. I've rock climbed all my life. Whenever I finish a movie, I do multi-day ascents, I go hang on a wall in Yosemite. That fear is tangible. That's black and white. I can make this hold or that hold. The other fear is intangible, it's very abstract, and that's more frightening.

Manohla Dargis of The New York Times wrote that Scott was "one of the most influential film directors of the past 25 years, if also one of the most consistently and egregiously underloved by critics" and called him "[o]ne of the pop futurists of the contemporary blockbuster". She felt that "[t]here was plenty about his work that was problematic and at times offensive, yet it could have terrific pop, vigor, beauty and a near pure cinema quality. These were, more than anything, films by someone who wanted to pull you in hard and never let you go." Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly wrote that "the propulsive, at times borderline preposterous popcorn-thriller storylines; the slice-and-dice editing and the images that somehow managed to glow with grit; the fireball violence, often glimpsed in smeary-techno telephoto shots; the way he had of making actors seem volatile and dynamic and, at the same time, lacking almost any subtext" were qualities of Scott's films that both "excited audiences about his work" and "kept him locked outside the gates of critical respectability."

Todd McCarthy of The Hollywood Reporter wrote that after Top Gun, Scott "found his commercial niche as a brash, flashy, sometimes vulgar action painter on celluloid", citing Beverly Hills Cop II, Days of Thunder, The Last Boy Scout, True Romance, and The Fan as examples. McCarthy concluded that Unstoppable, Scott's final film, was one of his best: Apart from having "its director's fingerprints all over it: the commitment to extreme action, frenetic cutting, stripped-down dialogue", McCarthy found "a social critique embedded in its guts; it was about disconnected working-class stiffs living marginal lives on society's sidings, about the barely submerged anger of a neglected underclass", something which "always had been lacking from Tony Scott's work, some connection to the real world rather than just silly flyboy stuff and meaningful glances accompanied by this year's pop music hit." Betsy Sharkey of The Los Angeles Times wrote that Denzel Washington—who starred in Crimson Tide, Man on Fire, Déjà Vu, The Taking of Pelham 123, and Unstoppable—was Scott's muse, and Scott "was at his best when Washington was in the picture. The characters the actor played are the archetype of the kind of men Scott made. At their core, and what guided all the actions that followed, was a fundamental decency. They were flawed men to be sure, some more than others, but men who accorded dignity to anyone who deserved it."

Personal life

Scott married three times. His first marriage was to Academy Award winning TV production designer Gerry Boldy (1944–2007) in 1967. They were divorced in 1974. His second marriage was in 1986 to advertising executive Glynis Sanders. They divorced a year later when his affair with Brigitte Nielsen, whom he met on the set of Beverly Hills Cop II, became public. She was married to Sylvester Stallone at the time. He subsequently met film and TV actress Donna Wilson, who was 24 years younger, on the set of Days of Thunder in 1990; they married in 1994. She gave birth to their twin sons, Frank and Max, in 2000.

Death

On 19 August 2012, at approximately 12:30 pm PDT, Scott committed suicide by jumping off the Vincent Thomas Bridge in the San Pedro port district of Los Angeles, California. Investigators from the Los Angeles Police Department’s Harbor Division found contact information in a note left in his car, parked on the bridge, and a note at his office for his family. Witnesses said he did not hesitate before jumping. His body was recovered from the water by the Los Angeles Port Police. On 22 August, LA County coroner's spokesman Ed Winters said the two notes Scott left behind made no mention of any health issues and did not explain why he committed suicide.

On 22 October 2012, the Los Angeles County coroner's office announced that cause of death was "multiple blunt force injuries". Therapeutic levels of mirtazapine and eszopiclone were in his system at the time of death. A coroner's official also affirmed Scott "did not have any serious underlying medical conditions" and was not suffering from cancer.

Funeral and legacy

A family press release on 22 August stated that "The family will announce plans after Labor Day for a gathering to celebrate the life and work of Tony Scott. Details will be forthcoming once they are formalized." The family also announced that they had established a scholarship fund at the American Film Institute in Scott's name, stating: "The family ask that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the fund to help encourage and engage future generations of filmmakers." He was cremated, and his ashes were interred at a private family funeral on 24 August in Los Angeles. Subsequently it was reported that he had left his estate to his family trust.

He is survived by his wife, Donna Wilson Scott, their twin sons, and his brother, film director Ridley Scott. Many actors paid tribute to him, including Tom Cruise, Christian Slater, Val Kilmer, Eddie Murphy, Denzel Washington, Gene Hackman, Elijah Wood, Dane Cook, Dwayne Johnson, Stephen Fry, Peter Fonda, and Keira Knightley, as well as musical collaborators Hybrid. Cruise stated; "He was a creative visionary whose mark on film is immeasurable." Denzel Washington, Scott's most frequent acting collaborator, said, "Tony Scott was a great director, a genuine friend and it is unfathomable to think that he is now gone." Directors UK chairman Charles Sturridge commented: "Tony Scott was a brilliant British director with an extraordinary ability to create energy on screen, both in action and in the creation of character."

Django Unchained was declared in memory of him and his brother Ridley's new film The Counselor will also be declared in memory of him as well.

Filmography

Films

Features
Shorts

Television

Others

Music videos
Commercials

Tony Scott
Tony Scott.jpg
Tony Scott in 2012
Born Anthony David Scott
21 June 1944
North Shields, England, United Kingdom
Died 19 August 2012 (aged 68)
San Pedro, Los Angeles, California, United States
Cause of death Jumping from a bridge (suicide)
Nationality English
Citizenship British
Occupation Film director and producer
Years active 1969–2012
Influenced by Ridley Scott, Nicholas Roeg, Roman Polanski
Influenced Richard Kelly, Joe Carnahan
Spouse(s) Gerry Boldy
(m. 1967–1974, divorced)
Glynis Staunton
(m. 1986–1987, divorced)
Donna W. Wilson
(m. 1994–2012; his death)
Children 2

Saturday, June 30, 2012

Nora Ephron, DEAD (1941-05-19, 2012-06-26)

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Friday, June 29, 2012

Spice Girls, 2012-06-26 - NME, 'Girl power reigns' - 'Viva Forever' musical

http://www.nme.com/news/the-spice-girls/64546?recache?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=fanpage-nmenews-spicegirls

June 26, 2012 15:43

Spice Girls: 'Girl power reigns'

The 90s girl band make first public appearance together since 2008 at the launch of the 'Viva Forever' musical
The Spice Girls: 'Girl power reigns'
Photo: PA
The Spice Girls reunited for the first time in four years today (June 26) at a press conference held to launch new musical, 'Viva Forever'.

The conference, which was held at the St. Pancras Renaissance London Hotel where the group shot the music video for debut single 'Wannabe', saw the quintet speak about their involvement with the production, as well offer their thoughts on the band's lasting 'girl power' legacy.

When asked if she thought girl power was still alive today, Mel C replied "Absolutely, of course it is. It will never die. The biggest artists in the world today are women – Beyonce, Rihanna, Jessie J, Adele. Girl Power reigns." Geri Halliwell added:
"The musical is testimony that girl power has longevity. Who would have thought 16 years later that our songs and the message of them is still standing and still carries on, just in a different way. It's brilliant"

Mel C also also stated that "when we watched the workshops, each time the song ['Viva Forever'] started we got goosebumps. It brings back so many memories, so it's a lovely thing for us to see our songs performed each night in a theatre."

'Viva Forever' has been written by Absolutely Fabulous star Jennifer Saunders and tells the story of Viva – a wannabe performer who enters a talent contest – and her family. The show will feature a number of songs by the legendary girl group, including a mash-up of 'Mama' and 'Viva Forever', and is due to open at London’s Piccadilly Theatre on November 27.

Monday, June 25, 2012

Madonna, 2012-06-24 - Estádio Cidade Coimbra, Coimbra

Sun, Jun 24, 2012 in Coimbra, Portugal @ Estádio Cidade Coimbra

I went to Coimbra to see the amazing Madonna (for the 6th time) live (The MDNA Tour).

I had a VIP package and stayed on the pit, actually almost middle of front row of the pit. It was an amazing day. Very sunny and hot. When I got in the stadium I saw the rehearsals of Madonna with all their dancers and musicians. It was an awesome experience.

Saw her 5 times before. And the shows were all amazing:
In 2004-09-13 - Pavilhão Atlântico, Lisbon, Portugal,
2004-09-14 - Pavilhão Atlântico, Lisbon, Portugal (as standing VIP),
2008-09-14 - Parque da Bela Vista, Lisbon, Portugal (as Hot Ticket) (Sticky & Sweet Tour),
2009-07-04 - O2 Arena, London, UK (as VIP) (Sweet & Sticky Tour 2009) and
2009-07-05 - O2 Arena, London, UK (as VIP) (Sweet & Sticky Tour 2009).

Before Madonna played the DJ Martin Solveig.

Saw the Madonna rehearsals as soon as I was inside the stadium.
So awesome to have this opportunity to see Madonna before the show. Always awesome to see the crazy Madonna dancers all around the stage.

The invited DJ was Martin Solveig. He played for 59 minutes.
He was very good. Played all the hits.

Finally was time for Madonna. She played for 108 minutes.
She was amazing with all the amazing choreographies between her, the musicians and the dancers.

Here it is the setlist:

Transgression
- The Prayer Overture: Act of Contrition (with Kalakan) (with excerpts from "Lekhah dodi")
01. Girl Gone Wild (with samples from "Material Girl" and "Give It 2 Me")
02. Revolver
03. Gang Bang
04. Papa Don't Preach
05. Hung Up (with samples from "Girl Gone Wild")
06. I Don't Give A

Prophecy
- Best Friend (video interlude; with samples from "Heartbeat")
07. Express Yourself (with excerpts from "Born This Way" by Lady Gaga and "She's Not Me")
08. Give Me All Your Luvin'
- Turning Up the Hits (video interlude; with samples from several Madonna songs)
09. Turn Up the Radio
10. Open Your Heart (with Kalakan) (with excerpts from "Sagarra jo!" by Kalakan)
11. Masterpiece (with Kalakan)

Masculine/Feminine
- Justify My Love (video interlude)
12. Vogue
13. Candy Shop (with samples from "Ashamed of Myself" by Kelley Polar and excerpts from "Erotica")
14. Human Nature
15. Like a Virgin (with samples from "Evgeni's Waltz" by Abel Korzeniowski)

Celebration
- Nobody Knows Me (video interlude)
16. I'm Addicted
17. I'm a Sinner (with Kalakan) (with excerpts from "Cyber-Raga")
18. Like a Prayer
19. Celebration (with samples from "Girl Gone Wild")


In bold are the videos I made.

Videos of Madonna (5 videos). I also did the videos to "Like a Prayer" and "Celebration" but had to deleted them from youtube because of an audio claim:

Madonna-Papa Don't Preach + Hung Up, Coimbra, PT, 2012-06-24 HD
http://youtu.be/nNbA0PcHnJQ
And the video:


Madonna-Express Yourself + Give Me All Your Luvin', Coimbra, PT, 2012-06-24 HD
http://youtu.be/DhzvcvznV3c
And the video:


Madonna-(Turning Up The Hits) + Turn Up The Radio, Coimbra, PT, 2012-06-24 HD
http://youtu.be/ku_NUls2Fhc
And the video:


Madonna-Open Your Heart, Coimbra, PT, 2012-06-24 HD
http://youtu.be/Sd8tEpGN0fk
And the video:


Madonna-Masterpiece, Coimbra, PT, 2012-06-24 HD
http://youtu.be/TvDMpTGc4Hs
And the video:

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Bruce Springsteen, 2012-06-04 - Campainha Electrica (in portuguese)

http://campainhaelectrica.blogspot.pt/2012/06/bruce-springsteen-rock-in-rio-lisboa-3.html

Segunda-feira, 4 de Junho de 2012

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, Rock In Rio, Lisboa, 3 de Junho de 2012



Do dia de ontem haverá certamente muito para contar.
Fica para já a consensual impressão de que o Boss foi arrasador, surpreendente e memorável!





Dir-se-ia que a espera valeu todos os dias dos longos vinte anos que Bruce Springsteeen esteve ausente de palcos portugueses. Acrescentamos que as nove horas maioritariamente passadas em pé valeram também o interminável esforço, apesar do consequente e massacrante cansaço. Resultado: gravações video deficientes de tanto estar com os braços ao alto a tentar desviar a máquina das cabeças, mas, acima de tudo, a perseguir um surpreendente Springsteen endiabrado, irrequieto e quase inesgotável! É claro que a ajuda de um relógio topo de gama chamada E-Street Band permite todo e qualquer desvio ao roteiro sem que sejam preceptíveis máculas mínimas. Ver Max Weinberg, Steve Van Zant, Nils Lofgren, Roy Bittan, Garry Tallent ou o rookie Jake Clemmons no mesmo palco respirando talento e virtuosismo foi outra dos sub-títulos de primeira página obrigatórios no relatório final de tão grandiosa jornada. E o alinhamento? Não fugindo demasiado ao que vem sendo apresentado nesta digressão, claro que faltou esta ou aquela canção, mas certamente que as quase oitenta mil almas presentes não podem reclamar da brilhante sequência apresentada, tocando vários álbuns e épocas, do mais recente ao mais antigo. Mas, caramba, aquele final com o arrepiante, no nosso caso, "Thunder Road" em transição para um encore sem saída de palco em que se perfilaram o "Born in USA", o "Born To Run", o "Glory Days", o "Hungry Heart", o "Dancing In The Dark", o "Tenth Av. Freeze-Out" e o, pasme-se, clássico "Twist And Shout" com direito a fogo-de-artifício, deixou-nos sem fôlego e perfeitamente rendidos. Uma barrigada de música difícil de atingir e que levou o próprio Springsteen à exaustão, que por muito simulada que possa ter sido (e não foi), revela a energia posta em palco e a vontade expressa em fazer desta noite uma ocasião especial. Claro que há sempre aqueles momentos tradicionais que fazem parte do show-off, como a subida ao palco da menina (neste caso meninas...) em "Dancing In The Dark", o miúdo captado em aparente escolha aleatória da audiência para cantar em "Wainting In a Sunny Day" ou as corridas ao público para recolher "sign requests" positivamente respondidos, mas que, atendendo ao clima de celebração, se tornaram ternurentos. Uma noite incontornável na história da música ao vivo em Portugal desta década por muitas tentativas de repetição que possam vir a surgir. E nós, como prometido e cumprido, estivemos lá de alma e coração.

Perante tamanho rolo compressor do Boss, Kaiser Chiefs, James e Xutos acabaram por passar quase despercebidos. Os primeiros, irritantes na figura do vocalista que cometeu a proeza de ter dado um concerto para as câmaras de televisão a roçar o desrespeito e que cantou parte de um tema, para dar nas vistas, em pleno exercício de slide disponível no recinto; os segundos, apesar da competência e até da qualidade técnica fizeram avivar algumas memórias positivas, poucas, negativas, muitas, dos anos oitenta; os terceiros, em regime best-off a abrir de forma a conquistar rapidamente a imensa plateia o que não foi difícil de concretizar e até demos connosco a cantarolar os "Barcos Gregos" e o "Remar, Remar"...

Thursday, June 07, 2012

Bruce Springsteen, 2012-06-03 - Rock In Rio, Lisbon

Sun, Jun 3, 2012 in Lisbon, Portugal @ Rock In Rio (Parque da Bela Vista)

I went to Rock In Rio to see Bruce Springsteen (for the 2th time) live. It was another big day of waiting. But it worth every minute of it.

It was only the second time the BOSS was here in Portugal. I was also on the first show he did here in Lisbon on May 1st, 1993 at Estádio José de Alvalade (19 years before). This 1993 show was really awesome. I remember to see Bruce Springsteen playing for 3 hours.

Before Bruce Springsteen in Rock In Rio, Lisbon played Kaiser Chiefs, James and Xutos e Pontapés.

The first band was Kaiser Chiefs. They played for 47 minutes.
They are always awesome live. The vocalist is a crazy dude who in the middle of a song went to the slide and flew all over us from one side to the other side. Very funny.

I will write here the setlist:

Money For Nothing (Dire Straits song - Intro song)
01. Never Miss a Beat
02. Everyday I Love You Less and Less
03. Everything Is Average Nowadays
04. On the Run
05. I Predict a Riot
06. Kinda Girl You Are
07. Listen to Your Head
08. Ruby
09. The Angry Mob
10. Take My Temperature (with Ricky Wilson singing from the slide)
11. Oh My God


The second singer was James. He played for 69 minutes.
This was the first time I saw "James" live. I have the first 2 CDs of him. I know that he already came to Portugal many times. But this was really the first time for me. He was very good, always speaking to us and even came down near me (you can check my photos).

I will write here the setlist:

01. Whiteboy
02. Ring The Bells
03. Laid
04. She's A Star
05. Getting Away With It (All Messed Up)
06. Out To Get You
07. Johnny Yen
08. Stutter
09. Sound
10. Tomorrow
11. Sometimes
12. Sit Down


The third band was Xutos e Pontapés. They played for 65 minutes.
This time they played at night. I already have seen them other times in Rock In Rio but always on the afternoon time. This time they even got explosions on stage.

I will write here the setlist:

01. Contentores
02. Não Sou o Unico
03. A Minha Maneira
04. Barcos Gregos
05. Homem do Leme
06. Remar Remar
07. Circo de Feras
08. Perfeito Vazio
09. Tonto
10. Quem é Quem?
11. Dia de S. Receber
12. Chuva Dissolvente
13. Maria
14. Minha Casinha
15. Para Sempre


Finally was time for Bruce Springsteen. He started the show at 00h10 (June 4th) and played for 149 minutes.

What an amazing show it was. Bruce was on fire. You can check my videos to remember.

Bruce and band perform a 24-song set at Rock in Rio Festival, only the second time Springsteen has played in Portugal. Bruce didn't take to the stage until after midnight on the morning of June 4th and it was nearly 2.45am before he was finally done. Set closes with the tour debut of "Twist and Shout," the first time this year a show hasn't ended with "Tenth Avenue Freeze-out". Fireworks started when he finished "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out" as a form of closing the Festival. But Bruce didn't care and neither did the 81.000 people attending this show who have been waiting 19 years for his comeback. Patti Scialfa is not present.

I will write here the setlist:

01. We Take Care of Our Own
02. Wrecking Ball
03. Badlands
04. Death To My Hometown
05. My City of Ruins
06. Spirit In The Night
07. Because The Night
08. No Surrender
09. She’s The One
10. I’m On Fire
11. Shackled & Drawn
12. Waiting On A Sunny Day
13. The River
14. The Rising
15. Lonesome Day
16. We Are Alive
17. Thunder Road
18. Born In The U.S.A.
19. Born To Run
20. Glory Days
21. Hungry Heart
22. Dancing In The Dark
23. 10th Avenue Freeze-Out
24. Twist & Shout* (*Tour premiere)


In bold are the videos I made.

Videos of Bruce Springsteen (5 videos):

Bruce Springsteen-Waiting On A Sunny Day, RIR, Lisbon, PT, 2012-06-03 HD
http://youtu.be/2OO0JvdWS8Y
And the video:


Bruce Springsteen-Born In The USA, RIR, Lisbon, PT, 2012-06-03 HD
http://youtu.be/8XQMXqx6hcU
And the video:


Bruce Springsteen-Born To Run, RIR, Lisbon, PT, 2012-06-03 HD
http://youtu.be/ilRW5zZK-j8
And the video:


Bruce Springsteen-Hungry Heart, RIR, Lisbon, PT, 2012-06-03
http://youtu.be/tOxhSGwKoF4
And the video:


Bruce Springsteen-Dancing In The Dark (Incomplete), RIR, Lisbon, PT, 2012-06-03
http://youtu.be/lI4yA0eY9eY
And the video:

Monday, June 04, 2012

Bryan Adams, 2012-06-02 - Rock In Rio, Lisbon

Sat, Jun 2, 2012 in Lisbon, Portugal @ Rock In Rio (Parque da Bela Vista)

I went to Rock In Rio to see Bryan Adams (for the 12th time) live.

It was a big day for me arriving at Rock In Rio very early. Many of my friends arrived also early.

Before Bryan Adams in Rock In Rio, Lisbon played The Gift and Joss Stone.

The first band was The Gift. They played for 54 minutes.
They are a portuguese band and this was the first time I saw them live. They were nice.

I will write here the setlist:

01. Driving You Slow
02. 11:33
03. RGB
04. Made For You
05. Fácil De Entender
06. OK! Do you Want Something Simple?
07. Question of Love
08. Race is Long
09. The Singles
10. Primavera
11. Music


The second singer was Joss Stone. She played for 59 minutes.
First time I saw her live. She is so pretty and with an amazing voice. She even came down in front of me once.

I will write here the setlist:

01. (For God's Sake) Give More Power to the People (The Chi-Lites cover)
02. Super Duper Love (Are You Diggin' on Me?)
03. Big 'Ol Game
04. Stoned Out of My Mind (The Chi-Lites cover)
05. Teardrops (Womack & Womack cover)
06. Don't Cha Wanna Ride / Bad Habit
07. You've Got the Love (The Source cover)
08. Put Your Hands on Me / I Got the Feeling / Baby, Baby, Baby
09. While You're Out Looking for Sugar (Honey Cone cover)
10. Fell In Love With A Girl (The White Stripes cover) (Sung as 'Fell In Love With A Boy')
11. You Had Me
12. Right To Be Wrong


Finally was time for Bryan Adams. He started the show at 22h05 and played for 100 minutes.

What an amazing show it was. I was front row on the right side with many of my friends. I liked when Bryan Adams chose from the audience one girl that was behind me. That girl was Vanessa a portuguese singer that I like. She sang with Bryan the usual duet song "When You're Gone". She was really good like I was expecting. Bryan Adams at the end of the song ask her if she was a pro a little amazed about how good she was.

I will write here the setlist:

01. House Arrest
02. Somebody
03. Kids Wanna Rock
04. Can't Stop This Thing We Started
05. I'm Ready
06. Hearts on Fire
07. 18 til I Die
08. Back to You
09. Summer of '69
10. (Everything I Do) I Do It for You
11. Cuts Like a Knife
12. When You're Gone (Bryan Adams & Melanie C cover) (singed alongside Vanessa Silva, a famous singer who was amongst the crowd)
13. Heaven
14. Cloud #9
15. The Only Thing That Looks Good on Me Is You
16. Run to You
Acoustic
17. Straight from the Heart
18. All for Love (Bryan Adams, Rod Stewart & Sting cover)


Next the story of Bruce Springsteen at Rock In Rio, Lisbon on June 3rd 2012.

Friday, May 18, 2012

Bono, 2012-05-18 - U2 Online, Will Facebook make Bono a billionaire, not quite

http://intl.feedfury.com/content/53689167-will-facebook-make-bono-a-billionaire-not-quite.html

Will Facebook make Bono a billionaire, not quite

One thing’s for sure after the IPO float of Facebook, which is underway as I write, Bono will no longer be in music for the money.

Already it’s been widely reported that the U2 front-man shall be technically a billionaire after today’s proceedings are done on Wall Street. But hold on a minute. That’s not quite the case at all. Although all that Bono may earn from any future tours or record releases with U2 is seen as pittance in comparison to the total amount he will potentially make from his investment in Facebook. It still doesn’t mean he’s a billionaire. Let’s take a look at the Facebook IPO floatation for a moment. Say for instance, the share prices in Facebook rise from the fixed price, as many involved in the stock business have predicted they will, and already the indicators are that this process has already kick-started, as share prices in Facebook were reported earlier to be trading in Frankfurt at $70 ahead of market opening. Then the initial value given to the company’s will greatly surpass that of its initial offering and thus so will the initial market value of Bono’s stake in the company.

As it stands, shares are priced at $38, valuing the company at $104bn but they are already trading for much more than that and as the day progresses we shall learn more of the Facebook floatation on NASDAQ and who among its investors enjoyed the biggest windfalls. Apparantly, even in the opening stages of trading Mark Zuckerberg’s father, who was gifted a stake in Facebook has just seen that stake come in at $76 million.

Back to Bono. Elevation Partners, an American private equity firm, that Bono joined in 2004, are putting around 4.62 million shares worth $175.6 million at the $38 opening price on the block for the IPO, according to filings with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Elevation Partners acquired 2.3% of the company Facebook for $90 Million in 2010 and according to NASDAQ that stake may be worth $1.5 billion when traded.

But wait, don’t think that Bono’s going to ride off into the sunset just yet, as Bono is not the sole beneficiary of whatever monies will be made from the sale of Elevation Partners stake in the Facebook IPO float, it will be split among various investors and partners associated with the group.

Further, it should also be noted that Bono would not be allowed to sell all of his shares at once, and the singer has said that money raised from his investments will largely be directed to his philanthropic work in Africa.

So Bono the billionaire may not be exactly true just yet, the Irish rocker may have quite a few more albums and tickets to sell before that eventually comes to pass. Make no doubt about it Bono will be exceptionally richer after today but then again, he was already that from the start.

Saturday, February 18, 2012

Simple Minds, 2012-02-18 - BLITZ, Simple Minds ao vivo no Coliseu dos Recreios, Lisboa (in portuguese)

http://blitz.sapo.pt/simple-minds-ao-vivo-no-coliseu-dos-recreios-lisboa-texto--fotogaleria=f79554

Simple Minds ao vivo no Coliseu dos Recreios, Lisboa [texto + fotogaleria] -

Simple Minds ao vivo no Coliseu dos Recreios, Lisboa [texto + fotogaleria]


Banda de Jim Kerr trouxe a Lisboa 25 canções dos seus 5 primeiros discos, todos eles anteriores ao sucesso mais pronunciado. Êxitos radiofónicos, nem vê-los - mas também não fizeram falta.

Quando, em 1985, os vimos (pela televisão) no palco do Estádio de Wembley, em Londres, os Simple Minds estavam em plena era de super-estrelato pop. Em direto para boa parte do mundo, Jim Kerr e companhia pareciam imbatíveis, fazendo ecoar "Don't You Forget About Me" por toda a extensão do estádio nacional britânico (e Portugal, à época, não estava imune ao "contágio"). Por esta altura, o grupo formado em 1978 na Escócia tinha já sete álbuns gravados e uma ascensão sustentada, típica dos tempos em que a indústria musical era paciente (entenda-se próspera).

A imbatibilidade de Kerr e comparsas durou o resto da década de 80, mas a míngua de sucessos (e a simples mudança de moda) tornou os Simple Minds obsoletos durante a década seguinte, não seguindo a banda de Glasgow os passos de reinvenção de outros figurões feitos nos anos 80 como os Depeche Mode ou os U2. Desde então, falar de Simple Minds é entrar na conversa da saudade e, sobretudo, das saudades da supracitada "Don't You Forget About Me" e da irmã-gémea "Alive and Kicking".

Seria de esperar que em 2012 os Simple Minds preferissem desfilar o repertório dos "stadium years", mas o conceito da digressão que os traz a este Coliseu perto de cheio não responde à solução fácil: o grupo propõe-se interpretar 5 canções de cada um dos seus primeiros 5 álbuns, precisamente os 5 discos anteriores ao sucesso mais pronunciado: Life in a Day (1979), Real to Real Cacophony (1979), Empires and Dance (1980), Sons and Fascination/Sister Feelings Call (duplo álbum, 1981) e New Gold Dream (1982).

É este o legado dos Simple Minds nos quatro primeiros anos de discografia, o tal caminho sustentado de que falávamos antes. É também um percurso marcado pela eclosão do pós-punk e da new wave, temperado a teclados e vocalizações um pouco mais sinistras (e menos pop) do que os êxitos posteriores dariam a conhecer.

Pouco passava das 21h00 quando uma voz anuncia, em português, que o concerto terá um intervalo de 15 minutos. Pouco depois, as luzes apagam-se e sobem ao palco Jim Kerr (voz), Charlie Burchill (guitarra), Mel Gaynor (bateria), Ged Grimes (baixo) e Andy Gillespie (teclados) - os dois primeiros estão no grupo desde o início; o baterista desde 1982.

O início tem aquela cadência hi-nrg de "I Feel Love", de Donna Summer, que hoje associaríamos também ao punk-funk; é "I Travel", primeiro single do escuro Empires and Dances (1980), de que se ouve logo a seguir "Today I Died Again", mais próximo do gótico do que da new wave. Do mesmo álbum escutaremos, mais à frente, a igualmente tortuosa "Celebrate", de uma era em que os Simple Minds tinham tanto de Bauhaus como de O.M.D., bandas contemporâneas que seguiriam, contudo, em direcções distintas.

Em palco vemos Jim Kerr, 52 anos, os mesmos tiques do estrelato pop dos 80s, braços erguidos em forma de aeroplano, sem medo da incitação popular (à segunda ou terceira canção já está junto à primeira fila), não raras vezes em posição de súplica (ou mesmo deitado), passes de dança entrelaçados, acenos em várias direções e palmas, muitas palmas, mas também muitos beijos direcionados à plateia (ou não fosse hoje Dia dos Namorados). A voz, projetada com afinco e processada com eco, não compromete um milímetro, a movimentação em palco não é poupada. Como se usa dizer, o homem não está aqui para enganar ninguém.

Do primeiro álbum, Life in a Day (1979), ouve-se a excitante "Someone", canção que lhe dá início, ainda com as guitarras a ganharem tanta proeminência com os teclados e uma toada pop que seria escurecida por aventuras posteriores. Também do disco de estreia, o tema-título que não deslustraria na discografia dos Magazine, teclados cold wave a juntarem-se a riffs de guitarra pós-punk; e a enxuta "Chelsea Girl", novamente com uma pujança rock que não quer ficar atrás da maquinaria desenhada a régua e esquadro (há um solo de guitarra, heresia em 1979).

A meio da contenda não duvidamos de que boa parte do público que acorreu ao Coliseu tem a secreta esperança de ver os Simple Minds furar a dieta auto-imposta e atirar-se a "Don't You Forget About Me" ou "Alive and Kicking", o que não vem a acontecer para bem da coerência (e gabe-se-lhes o facto de não terem cedido à tentação).

Para compensar, New Gold Dream (1982), o álbum de charneira entre os apetites exploratórios do início e a pop plástica de meio dos anos 80, traz dois casos de reconhecimento instantâneo: "Promised You a Miracle" e "Someone Somewhere in the Summertime", canções mais propensas à comunhão geracional (e aqui apontaríamos, de caras, para a faixa etária dos 40 aos 50 e muitos), mas também - na nossa opinião - menos interessantes do que "Love Song" (de Sons and Fascination - 1981), "Changeling" (de Real To Real Cacophony - 1979) ou mesmo a fantasmagórica "Calling Your Name" (do mesmo álbum). Felizmente, todas elas tiveram direito a tempo de antena, no tempo "regulamentar" e no "prolongamento" que se seguiu (um único encore).

Não fizemos as contas, mas terão sido interpretadas as 25 canções prometidas. Êxitos de rádio, praticamente nenhuns - e, valha a verdade, não fizeram falta.

Texto: Luís Guerra
Fotos: Rita Carmo/Espanta Espíritos

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Simple Minds, 2012-02-14 - Coliseu, Lisbon

Tue, Feb 14, 2012 in Lisbon, Portugal @ Coliseu

I went to Coliseu in Lisbon to see Simple Minds (for the 3rd time) live (5X5 Tour).

They played 25 songs, from the first 5 albuns (5 songs for each album). The 5 albuns are: Life In a Day (1979), Real To Real Cacophony (1979), Empires and Dance (1980), Sons and Fascination/Sister Feelings Call (1981) and New Gold Dream (81/82/83/84).

Saw them 2 times before and the shows were with all the great songs:
In 1991-07-31 - Estádio José de Alvalade, Lisbon, Portugal - They played 115 mn.
And in 2002-05-27 - Pavilhão Atlântico, Lisbon, Portugal - They played 118 mn.

Finally was time for Simple Minds. They played for 125 minutes. Played 25 songs.
They were awesome live. Amazing sound.

Here it is the setlist:

01. I Travel
02. Today I Died Again
03. 70 Cities
04. Scar
05. Wasteland
06. This Fear of Gods
07. Love Song
08. Life in a Day
09. Pleasantly Disturbed
10. In Your Room
Encore:
11. The American
12. Celebrate
13. Sweat In Bullet
14. Calling Your Name
15. Changeling
16. Factory
17. Premonition
18. King Is White
19. Promised You A Miracle
20. Someone Somewhere in Summertime
Encore 2:
21. Theme For Great Cities
22. Glittering Prize
23. Someone
24. Chelsea Girl
25. New Gold Dream


In bold are the videos I made.

Videos of Simple Minds (4 videos):

Simple Minds-Premonition, Coliseu dos Recreios, Lisbon, PT, 2012-02-14
http://youtu.be/45rdM5oj7dI
And the video:


Simple Minds-Promised You A Miracle, Coliseu dos Recreios, Lisbon, PT, 2012-02-14
http://youtu.be/Gk2TRhgXpOw
And the video:


Simple Minds-Someone, Somewhere In Summertime, Coliseu dos Recreios, Lisbon, PT, 2012-02-14
http://youtu.be/7aSFwwhKdeE
And the video:


Simple Minds-Glittering Prize, Coliseu dos Recreios, Lisbon, PT, 2012-02-14
http://youtu.be/lFsEUufINQE
And the video:

Monday, February 13, 2012

Simple Minds, 2012-02-13 - BLITZ, Simple Minds trazem a Lisboa a digressão 5x5 (in portuguese)

http://blitz.sapo.pt/simple-minds-trazem-a-lisboa-a-digressao-5x5=f77814

Simple Minds trazem a Lisboa a digressão 5x5


Em fevereiro de 2012, banda de Jim Kerr interpreta no Coliseu de Lisboa cinco músicas de cada um dos seus primeiros cinco discos.

Os Simple Minds regressam a Portugal no próximo dia 14 de fevereiro, para um concerto no Coliseu de Lisboa.

O espetáculo integra-se na digressão 5x5, prevendo-se que a banda toque cinco canções de cada um dos seus primeiros cinco álbuns.

Em destaque estarão, ainda, os discos Life In a Day (1979), Real To Real Cacophony (1979), Empires and Dance (1980), Sons and Fascination/Sister Feelings Call (1981) e New Gold Dream (81/82/83/84).

A digressão arranca em Lisboa, com um concerto que deverá durar mais de duas horas e meia.

Segundo o vocalista Jim Kerr, citado no comunicado de imprensa, "Este é o alinhamento que muitos dos fãs de Simple Minds nos têm implorado para tocar e, finalmente, vão ter uma oportunidade única de o ver".

Os bilhetes estão à venda a partir de 25 de novembro e custam entre 20 euros e 34 euros.

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Whitney Houston, 2012-02-12 - MTV, Whitney Houston's Musical Legacy, By The Numbers

http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1679039/whitney-houston-musical-legacy.jhtml

Feb 12 2012 7:53 AM EST

Whitney Houston's Musical Legacy, By The Numbers

We break down the stunning sales numbers behind the late diva's record-setting career.


Whitney Houston performs at the 1999 Brit Awards
Whitney Houston performs at the 1999 Brit Awards
Photo: JMEnternational/ RedFerns

There had been other explosive young divas before — Aretha Franklin, Tina Turner — but in the 1980s and early 1990s, Whitney Houston seized the spotlight so fast, so early, so young and so forcefully that she set a bar so high singers are still trying to vault it today.

The daughter of gospel great Cissy Houston and cousin of "I Say a Little Prayer" singer Dionne Warwick, Houston was discovered as a teenager and burst into the national consciousness in 1985 with her self-titled debut. The seamless mix of wide-screen ballads and dance-floor-worthy anthems spawned such iconic hits as "You Give Good Love," "Saving All My Love for You," "The Greatest Love of All" and "How Will I Know." A radiant breath of fresh air, Houston rode the music-video wave to stardom, scooping up dozens of awards for her smash first album, including two Grammys and an MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video for "How Will I Know."

Along with Michael Jackson, Houston helped pave the way for a generation of black artists to exploit the video medium to reach a global audience. She did it by spinning off a string of indelible hits in such an joyful manner that her vocal feats of strength appeared effortless.

On the eve of the 54th annual Grammy Awards, Houston was found dead Saturday in Los Angeles at age 48. At press time, the cause of death was still unknown. She had last taken the stage Thursday night at a pre-Grammy event on Thursday night. Just hours before the news broke, friend Kelly Price said stories of Houston's ongoing struggles were exaggerated. CNN reported Saturday night that Jennifer Hudson would participate in a tribute to Houston at Sunday night's Grammys. Houston died just hours before the start of the annual pre-Grammy party thrown by legendary music impresario Clive Davis, the mogul who signed Houston to Arista Records after seeing her perform in New York clubs in the early 1980s.

Though her hitmaking days were long past, Houston's influence continues today, from the sound of such avowed acolytes as Mariah Carey, Christina Aguilera and Mary J. Blige to an untold number of singers hoping to stake their claim on such reality singing competitions as "American Idol," "X Factor" and "The Voice." Houston's muscular, gospel-tinged vocal gymnastics and her telegenic spark raised the bar to a level today's singers — from Rihanna to Adele — are still striving to achieve.

By the time her career faltered in the 2000s as she struggled with substance abuse, personal drama and vocal issues, Houston had already blazed an unstoppable trail and was ranked by the Guinness Book of World Records as the most celebrated female vocalist of all time, including 26 Grammy nominations and 6 wins, along with sales of more than 170 million albums, singles and videos.

Some of Houston's career achievements:

» Released when she was 22, Whitney Houston was the best-selling album by a female artist in the 1980s, with more than 9 million copies sold on its way to becoming the best-selling debut ever by a female artist.

» Her "Bodyguard" smash cover of Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You" was the best-selling single of all time by a female artist. The "Bodyguard" album was #1 for 20 nonconsecutive weeks, a record that could by tied by multiple-Grammy nominee Adele next week.

» The "Bodyguard" soundtrack was the first album in history to sell more than 1 million copies in a single week. Houston remains one of only four women — including Britney Spears, Norah Jones and Taylor Swift — to sell more than 1 million albums in a week. The "Bodyguard" album is one of the best-sellers of all times at 17-times platinum in the U.S. alone and more than 42 million worldwide. It was also awarded with the Grammy for Album of the Year in 1994.

» Houston was the first female artist to receive two diamond awards from the Recording Industry Association of America, signaling 10 million copies sold of an album or a single for the "Bodyguard" soundtrack and Whitney Houston.

» While many artists have sung the "Star-Spangled Banner" at the Super Bowl — including, most recently, Kelly Clarkson — Houston's memorable, emotional rendition at the 1991 game is the only one to be certified platinum. The song regained notice following the 2001 terror attacks, when it was re-released as a single.

» The incomparable "I Will Always Love You" topped the Hot 100 charts on Billboard for 14 consecutive weeks, the longest-running #1 single ever by a female artist. It is one of the best-selling U.S. singles of all time.

» Houston is the only artist in pop history to land seven consecutive #1 hits.

» Her second album, 1987's Whitney, was the first by a female artist to enter the Billboard 200 chart at #1.

Join us for a tribute to Whitney Houston with non-stop music videos on MTV Hits and MTV Jams, all day Sunday.

Share your thoughts, memories and comments on our Facebook page.

Saturday, February 11, 2012

Whitney Houston, DEAD (1963-08-09, 2012-02-11)

Whitney Houston dies with 48.
Another amazing singer gone so soon.
I had the lucky to see Whitney Houston live once in the 90s in the old Estádio José de Alvalade. The date was 1998-July-04. She played 105 minutes.

Here it goes the story of Whitney Houston from Wikipedia

Thanks to Whitney Houston on Wikipedia

Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American recording artist, actress, producer, and model. In 2009, the Guinness World Records cited her as the most awarded female act of all time. Houston was one of the world's best-selling music artists, having sold over 200 million records worldwide. She released six studio albums, one holiday album and three movie soundtrack albums, all of which have diamond, multi-platinum, platinum or gold certification. Houston's crossover appeal on the popular music charts, as well as her prominence on MTV, starting with her video for "How Will I Know", influenced several African American female artists to follow in her footsteps.

Houston is the only artist to chart seven consecutive No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hits. She is the second artist behind Elton John and the only female artist to have two number-one Billboard 200 Album awards (formerly "Top Pop Album") on the Billboard magazine year-end charts. Houston's 1985 debut album Whitney Houston became the best-selling debut album by a female act at the time of its release. The album was named Rolling Stone's best album of 1986, and was ranked at number 254 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. Her second studio album Whitney (1987) became the first album by a female artist to debut at number one on the Billboard 200 albums chart.

Houston's first acting role was as the star of the feature film The Bodyguard (1992). The film's original soundtrack won the 1994 Grammy Award for Album of the Year. Its lead single "I Will Always Love You", became the best-selling single by a female artist in music history. With the album, Houston became the first act (solo or group, male or female) to sell more than a million copies of an album within a single week period under Nielsen SoundScan system. The album makes her the top female act in the top 10 list of the best-selling albums of all time, at number four. Houston continued to star in movies and contribute to their soundtracks, including the films Waiting to Exhale (1995) and The Preacher's Wife (1996). The Preacher's Wife soundtrack became the best-selling gospel album in history.

On February 11, 2012, Houston was found dead in her guest room at The Beverly Hilton, in Beverly Hills, California. The official coroner's report showed that she had accidentally drowned in the bathtub, with heart disease and cocaine use listed as contributing factors. News of her death coincided with the 2012 Grammy Awards and featured prominently in American and international media.

Death


On February 9, 2012, Houston visited singers Brandy and Monica, together with Clive Davis, at their rehearsals for Davis' pre-Grammy Awards party at The Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills. That same day, she made her last public performance, when she joined Kelly Price on stage in Hollywood, California, and sang "Jesus Loves Me".

Two days later, on February 11, Houston was found unconscious in Suite 434 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, submerged in the bathtub; she was later pronounced dead. The cause of death was not immediately known. It was later ruled by the coroner to have been an "accidental drowning". Beverly Hills paramedics arrived at approximately 3:30 p.m. and found the singer unresponsive and performed CPR. Houston was pronounced dead at 3:55 p.m. PST. Local police said there were "no obvious signs of criminal intent." On March 22, 2012, the Los Angeles County coroner's office reported the cause of Houston's death was drowning and the "effects of atherosclerotic heart disease and cocaine use". The office stated the amount of cocaine found in Houston's body indicated that she used the substance shortly before her death. Toxicology results revealed additional drugs in her system: Benadryl, Xanax, marijuana and Flexeril. The manner of death was listed as an "accident".

Houston had an invitation-only memorial on Saturday, February 18, 2012, at the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, New Jersey. The service was scheduled for two hours, but lasted four. Among those who performed at the funeral were Stevie Wonder (rewritten version of "Ribbon in the Sky", and "Love's in Need of Love Today"), CeCe Winans ("Don't Cry", and "Jesus Loves Me"), Alicia Keys ("Send Me an Angel"), Kim Burrell (rewritten version of "A Change Is Gonna Come"), and R. Kelly ("I Look to You"). The performances were interspersed with hymns by the church choir and remarks by Clive Davis, Houston’s record producer; Kevin Costner; Ricky Minor, her music director; her cousin, Dionne Warwick; and Ray Watson, her security guard for the past 11 years. Aretha Franklin was listed on the program and was expected to sing, but was unable to attend the service. Bobby Brown, Houston's ex-husband, was also invited to the funeral but he left before the service began. Houston was buried on Sunday, February 19, 2012, in Fairview Cemetery, in Westfield, New Jersey next to her father, John Russell Houston, who died in 2003. In June 2012, the McDonald's Gospelfest in Newark became a tribute to Houston.

Reaction


The Clive Davis' pre-Grammy party that Houston was expected to attend, which featured many of the biggest names in music and movies, went on as scheduled although it was quickly turned into a tribute to Houston. Davis spoke about Houston's death at the evening's start: "By now you have all learned of the unspeakably tragic news of our beloved Whitney's passing. I don't have to mask my emotion in front of a room full of so many dear friends. I am personally devastated by the loss of someone who has meant so much to me for so many years. Whitney was so full of life. She was so looking forward to tonight even though she wasn't scheduled to perform. Whitney was a beautiful person and a talent beyond compare. She graced this stage with her regal presence and gave so many memorable performances here over the years. Simply put, Whitney would have wanted the music to go on and her family asked that we carry on."

Tony Bennett spoke of Houston's death before performing at Davis' party. He said, "First, it was Michael Jackson, then Amy Winehouse, now, the magnificent Whitney Houston". Bennett sang "How Do You Keep the Music Playing?" and said of Houston, "When I first heard her, I called Clive Davis and said, 'You finally found the greatest singer I've ever heard in my life.'"

Some celebrities opposed Davis' decision to continue on the party while a police investigation was being conducted in Houston's hotel room and her body was still in the building. Chaka Khan, in an interview with CNN's Piers Morgan on February 13, 2012, shared that she felt the party should have been canceled, saying "I thought that was complete insanity. And knowing Whitney I don't believe that she would have said 'the show must go on.' She's the kind of woman that would've said 'Stop everything! Un-unh. I'm not going to be there.' [...] I don't know what could motivate a person to have a party in a building where the person whose life he had influenced so enormously and whose life had been affected by hers. They were like... I don't understand how that party went on." Sharon Osbourne condemned the Davis party, declaring "I think it was disgraceful that the party went on. I don't want to be in a hotel room when there's someone you admire who's tragically lost their life four floors up. I'm not interested in being in that environment and I think when you grieve someone, you do it privately, you do it with people who understand you. I thought it was so wrong."

Several other celebrities released statements responding to Houston's death. Darlene Love, Houston's Godmother, hearing the news of her death, said, "It felt like I had been struck by a lightning bolt in my gut." Dolly Parton, whose song "I Will Always Love You" was covered by Houston, said, "I will always be grateful and in awe of the wonderful performance she did on my song and I can truly say from the bottom of my heart, 'Whitney, I will always love you. You will be missed'." Aretha Franklin said, "It's so stunning and unbelievable. I couldn't believe what I was reading coming across the TV screen." Mariah Carey said, "Heartbroken and in tears over the shocking death of my friend, the incomparable Ms. Whitney Houston. My heartfelt condolences to Whitney's family and to all her millions of fans throughout the world. She will never be forgotten as one of the greatest voices to ever grace the earth." Oprah Winfrey, who did an in-depth interview with Houston in 2009, wrote on Twitter "To me Whitney was THE VOICE. We got to hear a part of God every time she sang. Heart is heavy, spirit grateful for the GIFT of her." Quincy Jones said, "I am absolutely heartbroken at the news of Whitney’s passing. Ashford & Simpson first made me aware of Whitney when she was just sixteen, and I always regretted not having had the opportunity to work with her. She was a true original and a talent beyond compare. I will miss her terribly."

Moments after news of her death emerged, CNN, MSNBC and Fox News all broke from their regularly scheduled programming to dedicate time to non-stop coverage of Houston's death. All three featured live interviews with people who knew Houston including those that have worked with her, interviewed her along with some of her peers in the music industry. Saturday Night Live displayed a photo of a smiling Houston, alongside Molly Shannon, from her 1996 appearance. MTV and VH-1 interrupted their regularly scheduled programming on Sunday February 12 to air many of Houston's classic videos with MTV often airing news segments in between and featuring various reactions from fans and celebrities.

Houston's former husband, Bobby Brown, was reported to be "in and out of crying fits" since receiving the news. He did not cancel a scheduled performance and within hours of his ex-wife's sudden death, an audience in Mississippi observed as Brown blew kisses skyward, tearfully saying: "I love you, Whitney".

Ken Ehrlich, executive producer of the 54th Grammy Awards, announced that Jennifer Hudson would perform a tribute to Houston at the February 12, 2012, awards. He said "event organizers believed Hudson – an Academy Award-winning actress and Grammy Award-winning artist – could perform a respectful musical tribute to Houston". Ehrlich went on to say: "It's too fresh in everyone's memory to do more at this time, but we would be remiss if we didn't recognize Whitney's remarkable contribution to music fans in general, and in particular her close ties with the Grammy telecast and her Grammy wins and nominations over the years". At the start of the awards ceremony, a footage of Houston performing "I Will Always Love You" from the 1994 Grammys was shown following a prayer read by host, LL Cool J. Later in the program following a montage of photos of musicians who died in 2011 with Houston singing "Saving All My Love for You" at the 1986 Grammys, Hudson paid tribute to Houston and the other artists by performing "I Will Always Love You". The tribute was partially credited for the Grammys telecast getting its second highest ratings in history.

Houston was honored in the form of various tributes at the 43rd NAACP Image Awards, held on February 17. A image montage of Houston and important black figures who died in 2011 was followed by video footage from the 1994 ceremony, which depicted her accepting two Image Awards for outstanding female artist and entertainer of the year. Following the video tribute, Yolanda Adams delivered a rendition of "I Love the Lord" from The Preacher's Wife Soundtrack. In the finale of the ceremony, Kirk Franklin and The Family started their performance with "The Greatest Love of All." The 2012 BRIT Awards, which took place at London's O2 Arena on February 21, also paid tribute to Houston by playing a 30-second-video montage of her music videos with a snippet of "One Moment in Time" as the background music in the ceremony's first segment. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie said that all New Jersey state flags would be flown at half-staff on Tuesday, February 21 to honor Houston. Accompanied by Esperanza Spalding belting out "What a Wonderful World" along with the Southern California Children's Choir, Houston was featured in the In Memoriam montage alongside other cinema greats at the 84th Academy Awards, held at the Hollywood and Highland Center on February 26, 2012.

Awards and achievements


Further information: List of awards and nominations received by Whitney Houston and Whitney Houston chart records and achievements

Houston was the most awarded female artist of all time, according to Guinness World Records, with two Emmy Awards, six Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among a total of 415 career awards as of 2010. She held the all-time record for the most American Music Awards of any female solo artist and shared the record with Michael Jackson for the most AMAs ever won in a single year with eight wins in 1994. Houston won a record 11 Billboard Music Awards at its fourth ceremony in 1993. She also had the record for the most WMAs won in a single year, winning five awards at the 6th World Music Awards in 1994.

In May 2003, Houston placed at number three on VH1's list of "50 Greatest Women of the Video Era", behind Madonna and Janet Jackson. She was also ranked at number 116 on their list of the "200 Greatest Pop Culture Icons of All Time". In 2008, Billboard magazine released a list of the Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists to celebrate the US singles chart's 50th anniversary, ranking Houston at number nine. Similarly, she was ranked as one of the "Top 100 Greatest Artists of All Time" by VH1 in September 2010. In November 2010, Billboard released its "Top 50 R&B/Hip-Hop Artists of the Past 25 Years" list and ranked Houston at number three whom not only went on to earn eight number one singles on the R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, but also landed five number ones on R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.

Houston's debut album is listed as one of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time by Rolling Stone magazine and is on Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's Definitive 200 list. In 2004, Billboard picked the success of her first release on the charts as one of 110 Musical Milestones in its history. Houston's entrance into the music industry is considered one of the 25 musical milestones of the last 25 years, according to USA Today in 2007. It stated that she paved the way for Mariah Carey's chart-topping vocal gymnastics. In 1997, the Franklin School in East Orange, New Jersey was renamed to The Whitney E. Houston Academy School of Creative and Performing Arts. In 2001, Houston was the first artist to be given a BET Lifetime Achievement Award. Additionally, she was one of the world's best-selling music artists, having sold over 200 million albums and singles worldwide. She was ranked as the fourth best-selling female artist in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America, with 55 million certified albums sold in the US, and held an Honorary Doctorate in Humanities from Grambling State University, Louisiana.

Discography


Main articles: Whitney Houston discography and Whitney Houston videography

Studio albums
Holiday albums

Filmography


1992: The Bodyguard
1995: Waiting to Exhale
1996: The Preacher's Wife
1997: Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella
2004: Nora's Hair Salon
2012: Sparkle

Tours

World tours
Regional tours
Televised concerts


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Monday, February 06, 2012

Madonna, 2012-02-06 - OUT, What We Thought About Madonna's Super Bowl Halftime Show

http://www.out.com/entertainment/popnography/2012/02/06/what-we-thought-about-madonnas-super-bowl-halftime-show?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+OutComFeatures+%28Out.com+Features+|+Fashion%2C+Style%2C+Celebrity%2C+Opinion+for+the+Modern+Gay+Man%29


What We Thought About Madonna's Super Bowl Halftime Show

2.6.2012

By Alex Taylor Williams

She came, she saw, she conquered

As Madonna entered the field of last night night’s Super Bowl halftime show on an Egyptian throne, carried by tons of hot gladiators, dripping in a gold lame Givenchy cape and headpiece, I didn’t know quite what to expect. Would this be another live performance let down? All I imagined following was something way over styled and way overdone. After all, this year so far has been a bit inconsistent with pop performances and Superbowl concerts aren't always winners. I soon realized that Madonna would be taking no prisoners and actually delivered a solid performance.

As soon as she hit the stage, Madonna gave us exactly what we wanted. She still has spunk and obviously still goes to the gym—or, more likely, has the gym come to her. Despite the dubious choice in cohorts, we oohed and aahed as the dudes from LMFAO helped her through a series of cartwheels. Though we did notice her almost take a few spills—still, she moved around like it was 1986 again.

However, her new single, which she performed alongside Nicki Minaj and a middle-finger-wielding M.I.A., seemed to get lost amongst her older songs. Yes, it was great to see such a trio of women rocking out together, but we eagerly awaited what she had in store for us next.

It wouldn't have been a true Madonna performance without some kind of lesson to be learned. Which made for a great rendition of "Like a Prayer" featuring Cee Lo Green. She brought out hundreds of choir members and projected the words “World Peace” across the field. But, following the gospel remix, Madonna abruptly exited the stage through a major trap door of course with lots of smoke and pyrotechnics, as if she fell into a giant trap that cryogenically freezes pop stars.

And that was it. The Giants went on to win the big game and the rest of America went to sleep. All in all a very well done performance for the Material Girl. The stage and effects were beautiful and really put us all on edge for her new album MDNA to drop.