Music Legend
Onyeka Onwenu: Fela wanted to marry me but …
Veteran singer and actor, Onyeka Onwenu, has revealed that the late Afro beat music legend, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti approached her for marriage in the eighties. She however turned down his proposal during her visit to his club, ‘Kalakuta Republic’, because she was a possessive lover and did not want to be part of his harem Narrating how Fela proposed to her, Onyeka said, it was shortly after she had just returned from the United States. She had written an article in solidarity with him while he was in jail. He was arrested for attempting to travel with his band for a gig in London with the sum of 1,600 pounds for their hotel accommodation. At the time, carrying any amount of foreign currency was against one of the many decrees promulgated by the Buhari/Idiagbon military junta. After his releas...
Dolly Parton Backs Black Lives Matter: “Do We Think Our Little White Asses Are the Only Ones That Matter?”
Dolly Parton has once again reminded us why we should all aspire to be more like Dolly Parton. In a new Billboard cover story, the country legend shared her support for Black Lives Matter and the recent uprisings against police brutality and white supremacy. She also spoke candidly about her own mortality and the importance of drawing up a will. On the topic of BLM, the 74-year-old proved that she’s definitely aligned with the times and fully onboard with the protests that have carried on since George Floyd’s murder at the hands of Minneapolis police. “I understand people having to make themselves known and felt and seen,” said Parton. “And of course, Black lives matter. Do we think our little white asses are the only ones that matter? No!” The Queen of Nashville has officially spoken...
Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! ABBA Promise To Release Five New Songs Next Year
Later this month, loyal ABBA fans and memorabilia collectors will be blessed with the holiest of grails: a special vinyl box set containing reissues of the iconic group’s entire catalog. Those same diehard listeners have even more to look forward to in 2021. According to The Independent, ABBA plan to release five new songs next year. If that promise sounds vaguely familiar, you’re not daydreaming. This past February, longtime member Benny Andersson said that this new ABBA material would arrive by the summer — meaning right about now. However, as with much of the world, those ambitions have since been unexpectedly derailed by the coronavirus pandemic. That being said, a new target date for new music has already been set for sometime in 2021, according to Geoff Lloyd, podcast co-host of Reas...
Nigerian celebrities mourn deceased Majek Fashek
Nigerian celebrities have taken to their social media platforms to mourn the death of Music Legend, Majekodunmi Fasheke, a.k.a Majek Fashek. Fashek’s a.k.a rain maker’s death was announced by his manager, Omenka Uzoma, through a short video on his instagram page. Some of the celebrities include Chibuzor Azubuike a.k.a Phyno, Olanrewaju Fasasi, a.k.a Sound Sultan displayed the reggae artist pictures on their Instagram pages. Other include Yomi Black, Bimbo Esho, actress Toyin Adegbola and Jude Okoye were not equally left out. Phyno wrote: “Rest in peace, Legend.” Sound Sultan had this on his page: “Rest in peace, power Majek.” Yomi Black wrote:” Rest in peace, Majek Fashek.” Also, Bimbo Esho, Chief Executive Officer, Evergreen Musical Company, mourned the late reggae maestro as she wrote ” ...
Prince’s Long-Lost Blue Angel Cloud Guitar up for Auction
Earlier this month, Julien’s Auction announced the lots for its annual Music Icons collection. Amongst the items on the block is one of Prince’s famous Cloud custom guitars — which was recently discovered to be worth far more than initially appraised. That’s because it turns out the instrument is the long-lost Blue Angel guitar that was Prince’s favorite from 1984 to 1993. When the auction was first announced, Paisley Park conservationist and Cloud expert John Woodland contacted Julien’s Auction. After examining the guitar via FaceTime, Woodland was fairly certain this was indeed the second Cloud Prince had commissioned, affectionately known as Blue Angel. Julien’s got the instrument CT scanned to confirm that it was indeed the fabled guitar. Apparently, it had been in the collection of a ...
David Bowie’s Rare LiveAndWell.com Album Released Wide for First Time: Stream
Today, artists using the Internet to surprise release music, make listeners jump through digital hoops to get new songs, or otherwise connect with fans is commonplace. But back in the early aughts, David Bowie was at the forefront of the interconnected age with his very own dial-up Internet service provider, BowieNet. In 1999, subscribing to the ISP was the only way to get your hands on Bowie’s live album LiveAndWell.com. Fast forward to now, and the rare collection is being released commercially for the very first time. Stream it below via Apple Music and Spotify. In addition to the original 10 songs, the commercial edition of LiveAndWell.com includes a pair of bonus tracks: “Pallas Athena” and “V-2 Schneider”, the latter of which is named after Kraftwerk’s Florian Schneider, who passed a...
Paul McCartney: Little Richard Taught Me Everything I Know
There’s no hyperbole in stating that Little Richard changed rock & roll as we knew it when he broke into the music scene. Look no further than the countless artists who’ve paid tribute to Richard after learning of his passing on Saturday, including Bob Dylan himself. Now, arguably the biggest pioneer of pop-rock music, Paul McCartney, has gone on the record to claim Little Richard taught him “everything he knows” and more. McCartney memorialized Richard with a lengthy tribute on Twitter, essentially crediting Richard for paving the way for The Beatles. When the Fab Four were busy playing residencies at small, McCartney looked to him for inspiration and guidance. “I owe a lot of what I do to Little Richard and his style,” he wrote. “From ‘Tutti Frutti’ to ‘Long Tall Sally’ to ‘Good...
Bob Dylan Memorializes Little Richard: “I’m So Grieved”
The influence of Little Richard can be felt across the entire spectrum of modern music: just look at the countless number of artists, many of whom are legends in their own right, who took time to memorialize Richard following news of his passing on Saturday. Even the notoriously private Bob Dylan issued a rare statement to honor the rock music pioneer. “I just heard the news about Little Richard and I’m so grieved,” Dylan wrote in a message posted to his social media channels. “He was my shining star and guiding light back when I was only a little boy. His was the original spirit that moved me to do everything I would do.” “I played some shows with him in Europe in the early nineties and got to hang out in his dressing room a lot. He was always generous, kind and humble,” Dylan went on to ...
Bob Dylan Announces New Album Rough and Rowdy Ways, Shares “False Prophet”: Stream
Bob Dylan has announced the release of his album of entirely new material in eight years. Entitled Rough and Rowdy Ways, the 10-track LP will be available starting June 19th through Columbia Records. The legendary troubadour previously previewed the album by unveiling “Murder Most Foul”, a 17-minute track about President John F. Kennedy’s assassination, and “I Contain Multitudes”, which takes its name from a Walt Whitman poem. To coincide with today’s announcement, he’s unveiled a third track in “False Prophet”. Rough and Rowdy Ways will be available in a variety of configurations, including as 2xCD and 2xLP sets. Pre-orders are now ongoing. Dylan’s last album of original songs, Tempest, came out in 2012. Since then, he’s recorded several collections of standards, most ...
