Rockers' ode to Obama to hit internet WEB VIDEO | Star-studded project to hit Internet 'in about 10 days'
July 23, 2008
Barack Obama's presidential campaign is about to get another boost from a group of his celebrity supporters. Four-time Grammy-winning singer and songwriter Dave Stewart on Monday shared a preview with the Sun-Times of a music video he is creating ''that should be out on the Internet in about 10 days.''
The video is built around ''American Prayer,'' a song Stewart co-wrote with fellow music superstar Bono on ''a whirlwind trip,'' penned in such diverse locales as Dublin, Los Angeles, Miami, London, New York and Cape Town. Stewart also credits ''creative input'' on the video and song from Timbaland, Dr. Dre, the Neptunes, Beyonce and Jennifer Lopez.
The black-and-white video includes a wide range of people singing the song -- both celebrities and regular Obama supporters. It's an inspirational kind of musical expression that conveys an upbeat, positive tone reminiscent of earlier projects like the 1985 ''We Are the World'' music video, which raised funds for famine relief in Africa.
The Obama video showcases a number of singers framed inside a series of television sets, from the 1950s to more contemporary models. Among the well-known Obama backers seen singing in the video are Oprah Winfrey (with her arm around a pensive-looking Beyonce), Cyndi Lauper, Macy Gray, Margaret Cho and Whoopi Goldberg as well as Stewart.
In addition, ''we asked permission from Dr. Martin Luther King's family to use film of Dr. King making his final speech the night before he was assassinated,'' Stewart said. The featured clip is the famous line King spoke about perhaps not making it to the promised land.
Stewart said the ''tone of the video and the song is very important. . . . This is not just some happy, pop tune; but we aimed to make it an anthem that will inspire people and lift them up, much as Obama's campaign is doing.''
Stewart, who co-founded the Eurythmics with Annie Lennox, next appears in the Chicago area Aug. 29 at Ravinia
Chris Martin- "Beyonce's Better Than All of Us"
Coldplay’s Chris Martin has admitted that ‘Sing’, a song that featured on Blur’s debut album ‘Leisure’, was the first song to provide inspiration during the making of new album ‘Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends’.
“Sing was the first song we plagiarised for the new album”, said Chris.
The revelation came as Coldplay took over DJ duties for Xfm’s weekly Residency slot. During the hour-long show, the band professed a love for German industrial nutters Rammstein, A-ha (“One of our formative influences”, Chris Martin) and admitted Beyonce was better than Muse, The Strokes, Arcade Fire and Coldplay put together:
“[The Strokes] are the classic band of our generation. And I would argue for Muse as well. And Arcade Fire. And that’s just the boys! Beyonce’s better than all of us”, said the frontman.
As for their DJ experience, Chris wasn’t quite as effusive: “I hope you’re enjoying the songs because these links aren’t very good”
BEYONCE'S SHOW FORTUNE
Beyonce Knowles is set to receive £500,000 for a one-off performance. The 'Crazy in Love' singer - who recently married rapper Jay-Z - is set to receive £250,000 for an appearance at the Bermuda music festival, with a further £250,000 to cover her expenses. Beyonce will join Alicia Keys and UB40 as headliners of the festival, which will also feature a performance by Beyonce's sister Solange and a host of other acts and comedians. Rock Newman, a producer of the music festival, said securing Beyonce will help put the tiny North Atlantic island - a British overseas territory - on the map: "This event will garner more worldwide attention for Bermuda than anything that has ever happened here. Folks around the world are going to say 'Bermuda has got it going on!' " Last month, troubled singer Amy Winehouse also reportedly received a huge pay day for a one off gig. The singer was paid an undisclosed sum - believed to be £1 million - by Chelsea soccer club owner, billionaire Roman Abramovich to perform at a private concert in a converted bus depot in Russia. Super producer Mark Ronson also raked in £1 million last month to perform at a 21st birthday party.
BEYONCE AMONG 127 CELEBRITIES WHOSE PASSPORTS ATTRACTED PEEKS
Nine "high-profile" passport files were accessed more than a hundred times, according to a new report from the State Department's Inspector General. Officials will not reveal the list of individuals whose passports were repeatedly browsed, but CBS News reports one of the most often-accessed files was that of superstar singer Beyoncé Knowles. The authors of the report took a sample list of 150 celebrities and found 127 files were accessed a total of 4,148 times in a six-year period. One high-profile individual's passport file was accessed 356 times by 77 different users. The report says it did not determine if those who accessed the passport files were authorized to do so. This spring, passport files of presidential candidates Sens. Barack Obama, John McCain and Hillary Rodham Clinton were accessed by contractors for the State Department. In response, the State Department's Inspector General examined how often celebrity files were accessed.
BEYONCE RETURNS FOR 2009 ESSENCE FESTIVAL
R&B singing sensation Beyonce will headline the Essence Music Festival in 2009 in celebration of its 15th year. Michelle Ebanks, president of Essence Communications Inc., and Angela Burt-Murray, editor of Essence magazine, announced the news on the closing day of the 2008 festival at the Louisiana Superdome. The Grammy Award winning singer has appeared at the festival three times, individually and as part of her former group, Destiny's Child.
ALICIA KEYS TO TAKE ON JAMES BOND?
Alicia Keys as a Bond Girl? Not exactly. But I just got word that the songbird is the top contender to sing the title song for the next James Bond flick, Quantum of Solace. No official announcement has been made, but a source tells me, "I believe Alicia is the winner." There have been a lot of rumors surrounding the highly coveted spot to belt one out for 007. A gaggle of artists reportedly submitted songs for consideration to producers of the 22nd Bond film, including Beyoncé, Leona Lewis, Duran Duran, Jack White, Duffy and, most recently, Annie Lennox. Amy Winehouse was the first singer linked to the movie, but she apparently never finished recording her song with über-producer Mark Ronson. A rep for Keys declined to comment. A rep for the movie said there was "no info" available right now about a potential title song. The flick, starring Daniel Craig as the silver screen's most famous spy, is scheduled for a November release.
Jay-Z & Beyoncé Purchase Crib in Scarsdale
TMZ has photos of the house that Jay-Z and Beyoncé reportedly purchased in Scarsdale, NY. Scarsdale is a northern suburb of New York City with a population of about 18,000.
The modern colonial property is around 15,000 square feet and sits on approximately two acres. The house has been under construction for about six months. The home that was there before was torn down.
The newlyweds got their marriage license in Scarsdale.
Check out the photos here (i shall be adding to these to the gallery once i get back from my trip)
BEYONCE INSPIRES TINA TUNER TO MAKE LIVE COMEBACK
Tina Turner has revealed her Grammy Awards performance with Beyonce was what persuaded her to commit to playing live for the first time since 2000. It was announced today that Turner will be playing eight countries across Europe during the first three months of 2009, including dates at London’s The O2 on March 3 and 4 and Manchester’s MEN Arena on March 30 and 31. Tickets will go on sale tomorrow for the concerts, which will be part of her first tour since 2000’s Twenty Four Seven, which ranked as that year’s most successful tour, according to Pollstar. The new dates are promoted by Marshall Arts in association with AEG Live. The concerts are expected to cover repertoire from across her career, including songs with Ike Turner such as River Deep Mountain High and Nutbush City Limits, and solo hits including Let’s Stay Together, What’s Love Got To Do With It and The Best. Turner says, “After performing with Beyonce at The Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, the response was overwhelming. Everywhere I went people were asking me when I was going back on tour. So after a lot of thought and planning we announced an American tour. Now Europe beckons and I don’t want to let down all my loyal fans over there. See you in the New Year.’’
BEYONCE FINALLY TALKS ABOUT HER WEDDING
Beyonce Knowles has finally come clean about her secret marriage to Jay-Z, admitting that she won’t deny their union. The former Destiny’s Child singer got hitch to hip-hop mogul Jay-Z in a private ceremony in New York last month, but neither newlywed has talked about the happy news. Knowles has finally acknowledged the wedding, stating: She says, "I don't deny it (the wedding). I just don't talk about it. “We've never talked about us and it's kind of protected our relationship. I think it's kept us out of tabloid drama. "A lot of actresses that have had successful relationships don't talk about them, so neither do I."
BEYONCE FORCED TO GIVE UP CHURCH VISITS
Soul singer Beyonce Knowles has been forced to give up church visits following the guilt of causing a frenzy during religious ceremonies. The 26-year-old singer has been compelled to stop attending church services at her local church in Houston, Texas because she hates drawing attention to herself and disrupting religious ceremonies. "I can't really go to church any more, which is a shame," Contactmusic quoted Knowles as saying. "People have come up to me in church during the sermon and, of course, people watch everything I do. They come up and take my picture on their mobile phones. They're very nice, but I think God understands if I miss Sunday service," she added.
BEYONCE FOR BOND?
According to HollyScoop, just weeks after junkie Amy Winehouse pulled out of recording the theme song for the latest flick Quantum of Solace, movie bosses have offered the song to Beyonce. Beyonce is reportedly really excited about the offer and is already in talks with the producers about performing the new track.
50 CENT'S GETTING NEW NEIGHBORS... BEYONCE AND JAY Z!
All you New Yorkers, be prepared to say goodbye to Jay Z and Beyonce. MediaTakeOut.com just caught wind that the newlyweds are planning on ditching their old apartments and moving out to Connecticut. Word is that Jay and Bey are in love with Connecticut - for it's privacy and its proximity to the New York. MediaTakeOut.com has also learned that that Bey and Jay are looking carefully at two houses - one in lavish Greenwich Connecticut and one in Farmington, Connecticut - just down the street from 50 Cent.
BEYONCE & ALICIA KEYS TO STAR AT BDA MUSIC FESTIVAL
Beyonce, Alicia Keys and UB40 will headline the Bermuda Music Festival in October. Other acts lined-up to appear include The Whispers, Collie Buddz, comedians Bill Bellamy and Dick Gregory, Solange Knowles (Beyonce's sister), soul and R & B singer Aaron Neville and comedian, actor and radio personality, Steve Harvey. "This event will garner for Bermuda more worldwide attention than anything that has ever happened here," BMF producer Rock Newman of Gibraltar Promotions told the Bermuda Sun. "Folks around the world are going to say 'Bermuda has got it going on!'" There are 22,000 tickets available and *residents can buy them online tomorrow at www.bermudamusicfestival.com/presell They go on sale on Thursday for non-Bermudians. Or you can buy them at the Fairmont Hamilton Princess, the Fairmont Southampton Princess or Café Latte in St. George's. The festival will he held at the National Stadium and there is a range of ticket prices. Bronze tickets will be $75, silver $100 and gold tickets will cost $125. There is also a Bermuda VIP package called 'Viva Las Vegas' that includes first or second row seating during the performances, a luxury gift bag, T-shirt, CDs, a ticket to the after-party and the chance to win a four-day all inclusive trip for two to Las Vegas and a $10,000 shopping spree. The cost? A cool $1,000. "I've watched the leadership of this country really commit itself to not just talking about making Bermuda a better place, and taking it to the next level, but actually doing it," Mr. Newman said. As for whether Beyonce's husband R&B singer Jay-Z will be joining her in October, he says: "Well, all I can say is that where the major stars go, others tend to follow."
Rumor Alert: Letoya Luckett Working With Beyonce on New Album Track?
Could there be an old Destiny's Child reunion in the works. MediaTakeOut.com just caught wind that in the next few weeks, Beyonce is set to go to the studio and record a track with former bandmate LeToya Luckett. A Beyonce camp insider told MediaTakeOut.com, "[Beyonce and Letoya] have always had a good relationship and their styles complement each other. It was only a matter of time before they came together [again] for a song." We're not too sure about them "always" having a good relationship, but it's good to see that they could bury that old hatchet and move forward. Now we just wonder what the song is gonna be about ...
Exclusive! Beyonce and Solange Knowles look pretty in pink in Tokyo.
Beyonce and Solange Knowles look pretty in pink in Tokyo. The sisters have been promoting the summer 2008 line of hot-pink handbags for Japanese fashion firm Samantha Thavasa. This picture of the pair was snapped at the company's flagship store in Tokyo's fashionable Aoyama district. Samantha Thavasa has a long history of using Western celebs in their campaigns.
Previous stars used to promote the trendy bags include Victoria Beckham, Penelope Cruz and Nicky Hilton.
Tina on Beyonce - From Book Mother Nurture
From book: "Mother Nurture: Life Lessons from the Mothers of America's Best and Brightest,"
"We thought it would be a good idea to put her in singing and dancing lessons because she was shy. Beyoncé wasn't really into [watching] television because she was always running outside and making up dance routines . . . I remember telling her to go to a party or hang out with the kids from school more because Beyoncé was so passionate about singing and dancing that all she wanted to do was rehearse. I wanted to make sure she didn't miss out on being a teenager."
ROWLAND: "BEYONCE IS NOT PREGNANT"
R&B singer Kelly Rowland has laughed off reports her close pal Beyonce Knowles is pregnant, insisting her former Destiny's Child bandmate would be "mad" if she heard the latest rumours. Reports Knowles is expecting surfaced online last month, just days after her secret New York wedding to hip-hop superstar Jay-Z. The newlyweds have so far refused to confirm they have become husband and wife, let alone address the pregnancy rumours, but Rowland - who was a guest at their nuptials - insists Knowles is not about to enter motherhood. However, Rowland has also continued to dodge questions about the widely reported wedding, saying: "Everybody keeps talking about this wedding that supposedly happened. That's a question that you'd have to ask her!" Of the baby rumours, the 'Work' singer laughs: "You know what's funny about this, all three of us (Destiny's Child members) have been pregnant at one time. We were on stage and supposedly we looked pregnant! "I think that it happens, people say that all the time and there are so many rumours about a wedding, so many rumours about so much stuff that it (Beyonce being pregnant) is probably next in line. "I mean, even before (there were) the wedding rumours (there) were baby rumours; before the wedding rumours there were wedding rumours, you know what I mean? So, no, there's no truth to that. She would be mad, she'd be like, 'I'm what?'"
BEYONCE AUDITIONS TO JOIN THE CAST OF DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES?
She's a singer, she's a movie star and now she may be a TV actress as well. MediaTakeOut.com just caught wind that Beyonce's management team (AKA Matty Knowles) is negotiating to get Beyonce a recurring role on ABC's popular TV show Desperate Housewives. A source in Beyonce's camp told MediaTakeOut.com, "They've already agreed to give Beyonce a cameo appearance. But [we're] hoping that [she] could be written in for a recurring role, or possibly even a permanent one."
JAY-Z TO THROW £3MILLION PARTY FOR BEYONCE
Jay-Z is planning to throw a lavish party for his new wife Beyoncé Knowles. It's thought he plans to celebrate their recent marriage by hosting a glitzy bash in Cannes, where he proposed to her on board his yacht last year. ‘Jay-Z wants to shout out how much he loves Beyoncé and this party will be the moment he does that,’ an insider tells the Daily Star Sunday. ‘They have been pretty low-key as a married couple so far but Cannes is the place they will really have a blow-out.’ The couple got married in a secret ceremony in New York on 4 April. Victoria Beckham, 34, and Gwyneth Paltrow, 35, are said to have made the guest list for the party, to be held on 23 May.
Big Updates on the Horizon!
Hey everyone, i just wanted to post to announce that big updates are on the horizon, from the 21st May I will be going on vacation for a few weeks (however i will of course continue to update you with the latest news) however before that I want to share alot of photo and media updates, so feel free to keep checking back, i'll be adding this up until i leave!
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