Melanie, singer-songwriter of ‘Brand New Key’ and other ’70s hits, dies at 76Video
Melanie, the singer-songwriter who rose through the New York folk scene, performed at Woodstock and had a series of 1970s hits including the enduring cultural phenomenon “Brand New Key,” has died. Her publicist Billy James told The Associated Press that Melanie died Tuesday. She was 76 and lived in central...
Superstar ’80s musician Dave Stewart mounts 1st North American tour in 25 years
Eurythmics fans have long hoped that the iconic ’80s modern pop duo — consisting of supremely talented vocalist Annie Lennox and acclaimed musician Dave Stewart — might one day reunite and mount a major tour. But that’s probably not in the cards, says Stewart, for the band that produced such...
Billy Idol talks upcoming pre-Super Bowl show, recent Hoover Dam performance, working on a new album
LOS ANGELES — Billy Idol normally takes advantage of riding his motorcycle on the open road knowing there’s hardly any traffic because millions are usually glued to watching the Super Bowl. But this year, Idol’s bike won’t be leaving his garage on game day. Instead, the legendary British rocker will...
Man arrested outside Taylor Swift’s Manhattan townhouse reportedly spotted there about 30 times
NEW YORK — A man charged with stalking and harassment after his arrest near singer Taylor Swift’s Manhattan townhouse had been spotted there dozens of times in the past two months and was repeatedly asked to leave, according to court documents released Wednesday. David Crowe, 33, of Seattle was taken...
Changing stations: Val Porter moves from WDVE to 3WS radio
Those listening to 3WS Tuesday morning probably heard a familiar voice from another station. Val Porter, formerly of the WDVE Morning Show, announced Monday on X, formerly known as Twitter, that she was joining iHeart Radio’s 3WS Morning Show with Jonny Hartwell. A call to the iHeart Media office, which...
Billy Joel to release 1st pop single in over 30 years
NEW YORK — Billy Joel is in a new music state of mind. The piano-playing legend from Long Island is set to release his first new pop single in 30 years next week, he hinted Monday, previewing the song with a brief teaser he published on social media. In 2007,...
Doobie Brothers heading to Star Lake this summerVideo
The Doobie Brothers are takin’ it to the streets this summer, including a show in the Pittsburgh area. The band, which features Tom Johnston, Michael McDonald, Pat Simmons and John McFee, will play the Pavilion at Star Lake on Aug. 20. Known for songs like “Black Water,” “China Grove,” “Listen...
Mary Weiss, lead singer of the Shangri-Las, dies at 75Video
Mary Weiss, the lead singer of the 1960s pop group the Shangri-Las, whose hits included “Leader of the Pack,” has died. She was 75. Miriam Linna, founder of Weiss’ label, Norton Records, said Sunday that Weiss died Friday in Palm Springs, Calif. No cause of death was given. Rolling Stone...
Creed Bratton delivers stellar mix of music, ‘The Office’Video
Conventional wisdom holds that there are two Creed Brattons. One is the musician in the 1960s Top-40 band the Grass Roots, which he left because he felt that music-industry management practices of the time — with the amount of money involved, they probably still do — tended to stifle artistic...
Ariana Grande announces new album, ‘eternal sunshine,’ set to arrive in March
Ariana Grande announced Wednesday that her new album, “eternal sunshine,” is set for release on March 8. On Friday, Grande released her first single from “eternal sunshine,” a house-informed pop kiss-off to the haters, “yes, and?” News of the album first broke Dec. 27, when the two-time Grammy award winner...
‘Not rock ‘n’ roll’s little sister’: Inside country music’s new golden era — and what comes next
LOS ANGELES — It was an unexpected musical success story last year, one that has only continued to snowball: Country music, with its loyal listenership on the margins of pop’s mainstream, had a crossover moment. Some of the biggest albums and songs of the year are credited to country musicians...
Grammys 2024: From how to watch the music-filled show to who’s nominated, here’s what to know
LOS ANGELES — The 2024 Grammy Awards are fast approaching — and it is never too early to plan your viewing experience. The 66th annual Grammy Awards will take place Sunday, Feb. 4, at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Most of the awards are handed out before that during...
Steely Dan, R.E.M., Timbaland, Hillary Lindsey and Dean Pitchford get into Songwriters Hall of Fame
NEW YORK — Steely Dan, R.E.M., Timbaland, Hillary Lindsey and Dean Pitchford will be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, an incoming class of musicians who have scaled the heights of country, classic rock, pop, hip-hop and alt-rock. Steely Dan — co-founded by Donald Fagan and the late Walter...
Lionel Richie, Earth, Wind & Fire coming to Pittsburgh this summerVideo
It’s been almost 40 years since Pittsburgh music fans could go all night long with Lionel Richie. That’ll be resolved June 16, when the multiple Grammy winner brings his Sing a Song All Night Long tour to PPG Paints Arena, accompanied by Earth, Wind & Fire. Richie last played Pittsburgh...
From Green Day’s ‘Dookie’ to Notorious B.I.G.’s ‘Ready to Die,’ these albums turn 30 in 2024
ANAHEIM, Calif. — There was something special going on in 1994. It was a year of numerous noteworthy debut album releases and mainstream breakthrough records for several acts. This period in time was particularly huge for Southern California acts. Garden Grove punk outfit the Offspring and Los Angeles punks NOFX...
Pittsburghers, punk fans celebrate Erik Bauer’s book documenting 25 years of shows
The crowd that packed a Point Breeze bookshop Friday to celebrate a book release by Pittsburgh-bred photographer Erik Bauer could’ve been pulled right out of a 1981 punk show at Oakland’s now-shuttered Electric Banana. Or cheering on The Bats, a local post-punk outfit led in May ‘84 by Pulitzer Prize-winning...
Music streams hit 4 trillion in 2023. Country and global acts — and Taylor Swift — fueled the growth
LOS ANGELES — Listened to more music last year? You’re not alone. The global music industry surpassed 4 trillion streams in 2023, a new single-year record, Luminate’s 2023 Year-End Report found. Global streams were also up 34% from last year, reflective of an increasingly international music marketplace. Stateside, three genres...
Review: Zakk Sabbath shows Black Sabbath’s 50-year-old songs have plenty of life in Roxian concertVideo
All but one of the Black Sabbath songs that roared through the air Tuesday night were written more than 50 years ago. But they certainly didn’t sound dated in Zakk Sabbath’s jam-packed concert in their stop at the Roxian Theatre in McKees Rocks on the Doomed Forever Forever Doomed tour....
Actor/musician Creed Bratton on his new album, his time in the Grass Roots … and a reboot of ‘The Office’?Video
Creed Bratton doesn’t want to be pigeonholed as an actor or a musician. “I believe you just do what you are,” Bratton said in a recent Zoom call with TribLive. “You find the thing that makes you, that fills you up with light, that thing that fills you up with...
Former gang leader charged in killing of Tupac Shakur is allowed $750K bail and house arrest
LAS VEGAS — A judge set bail Tuesday at $750,000 for a former Los Angeles-area gang leader charged with orchestrating the killing of hip-hop legend Tupac Shakur in 1996 and said he can serve house arrest with electronic monitoring ahead of his trial in June. Court-appointed attorneys for Duane “Keffe...
Irish singer Sinead O’Connor died from natural causes, coroner says
LONDON — Irish singer-songwriter Sinéad O’Connor died from “natural causes” in July, a coroner said Tuesday. London’s Metropolitan Police had said the singer’s death was not considered suspicious after she was found unresponsive at a home in southeast London on July 26. O’Connor was 56. The Southwark Coroner’s Court confirmed...
Paris names a street after David Bowie celebrating music icon’s legacy
PARIS — Paris immortalized late British music icon David Bowie by naming a street after him in the city’s southeast on what would have been his 77th birthday on Monday. The inauguration of rue David-Bowie was first announced in 2020 by Jérôme Coumet, mayor of the 13th arrondissement. Bowie died...
Third Eye Blind bringing Summer Gods tour to Star LakeVideo
Third Eye Blind will be back in the Pittsburgh area later this summer for the fourth installment of their Summer Gods tour. The veteran 1990s alternative rockers will play the Pavilion at Star Lake on July 9, joined by Yellowcard and Arizona. Third Eye Blind dominated radio in the late...
Pittsburgh Symphony musicians perform at Westmoreland Museum of American Art
Musicians from the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra performed as part of a presentation on musical inspiration Thursday evening at The Westmoreland Museum of American Art in Greensburg. The program explored the ways composers draw inspiration from folk tunes to the American experience, and how it shaped the landscape of 20th and...
After star turn in ‘Mean Girls’ movie, will Reneé Rapp finally put her acting aside?Video
Reneé Rapp had a pretty extraordinary 2023, starting last January with a sold-out concert for 2,300 fans of her pop music at the O2 Forum Kentish Town in London and ending in December with her being named one of the Associated Press’ five “breakthrough entertainers of the year.” And 2024...
