Soul
Shonka Dukureh, Who Portrayed Big Mama Thornton in Elvis, Found Dead at 44
Shonka Dukureh, who portrayed Big Mama Thornton in Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis, was found dead in her Nashville apartment on Thursday, July 21st. She was 44 years old. According to the Metro Nashville Police Department (via Tennessean), Dukureh was found unresponsive by one of her children early Thursday morning who went to a neighbor’s apartment for help. Police do not suspect foul play and an autopsy is underway to determine the exact cause of death. Dukureh hailed from Charlotte, but resided in Nashville after graduating from Fisk University with a bachelor’s degree in theater. She also held a master’s degree in education from Trevecca Nazarene University. Advertisement Related Video Prior to landing the role in Elvis, Dukureh performed gospel and blues music locally and worked as an elementar...
Amy Winehouse Biopic in the Works from Fifty Shades of Grey Director Sam Taylor-Johnson
Many have tried and many have failed to tell Amy Winehouse’s life story, but it looks like Fifty Shades of Grey director Sam Taylor-Johnson may be the first filmmaker to get a proper Winehouse biopic off the ground. According to Deadline, Taylor-Johnson is spearheading Back to Black, a new film about the late singer, for Studiocanal. The script to Back to Black was written by Matt Greenhalgh, while Alison Owen, Debra Hayward, and Tracey Seaward serve as producers. No star has been cast yet, but Deadline reports that Winehouse’s estate has given the project its blessing. Winehouse has inspired numerous projects since her tragic death in 2011. At one point, Swedish actress Noomi Rapace was set to portray the artist in a biopic, but it never came to fruition. Then, la...
The Story Behind “The Glamorous Life,” Sheila E.’s Classic Pop Collab with Prince
Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Pocket Casts | RSS “The Glamorous Life” proved to be a major solo breakout for Sheila E. in 1984. The classic pop track was one of her man collaborations with the legendary Prince, but Sheila E. already had a long history of playing with legends. In fact, her professional career began at only 15, when her father (a percussionist himself) asked her to fill in for him as part of Santana’s band before a crowd of thousands in a night she describes as a true “out of body experience.” Advertisement From that point forward, this Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient fearlessly forged forged new pathways in the male-dominated world of per...
The Story Behind “The Glamorous Life,” Sheila E.’s Classic Pop Collab with Prince
Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Pocket Casts | RSS “The Glamorous Life” proved to be a major solo breakout for Sheila E. in 1984. The classic pop track was one of her man collaborations with the legendary Prince, but Sheila E. already had a long history of playing with legends. In fact, her professional career began at only 15, when her father (a percussionist himself) asked her to fill in for him as part of Santana’s band before a crowd of thousands in a night she describes as a true “out of body experience.” Advertisement From that point forward, this Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient fearlessly forged forged new pathways in the male-dominated world of per...
Flying Lotus Releases New Songs “The Room” and “You Don’t Know”: Stream
Flying Lotus is back with “The Room” and “You Don’t Know,” two new songs that feature vocals from soul singer Devin Tracy. Listen to the tracks below. Flying Lotus met Devin Tracy during a studio session, but their collaborative singles suggest they forged an easy rapport. Tracy offers soulful vocal runs in “The Room,” mourning a fractured relationship over swirling guitar and acrobatic bass. “Why do I fall in love so easily?/ You made me soft, I’m down to my knees,” he sighs. These relationship troubles flow into “The Room”‘s B-side. “You Don’t Know” really means “You don’t know how it feels,” as Tracy insists that his lover is oblivious to his pain. A compressed beat skitters in the track while soaring horns and light keys make his sadness sound beautiful. Advertisement Related Video “Th...
2022 Billboard Music Awards: Silk Sonic Perform “Love Train”: Watch
Silk Sonic took the stage at the 2022 Billboard Music Awards on Sunday night to perform their cover of “Love Train” by R&B and funk band Con Funk Shun. Watch the replay below. Dressed in matching maroon leisure suits, Anderson .Paak and Bruno Mars turned up the charm as they ran through the song with a fully choreographed routine in tandem with their backup dancers and band. At this year’s BBMAs, Silk Sonic are up for awards in four categories: Top Duo/Group, Top R&B Artist, Top R&B Album, and Top R&B Song, the latter of which they have already won for “Leave the Door Open.” Advertisement Related Video In April, Silk Sonic performed “777” at the 2022 Grammy Awards, where they picked up four wins for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best R&B Performance, a...
Ray LaMontagne on Work-Life Balance: “I’m Such a Creature of Habit”
Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Amazon Podcasts | Stitcher | Pocket Casts | Radio Public | RSS Ray LaMontagne catches up with Kyle Meredith to talk about Monovision, his 2020 LP that is finally getting its supporting tour. (Get tickets to that “The Monovision Tour” here!) Related Video The singer-songwriter talks about re-recording “I Was Made to Love You” with Sierra Ferrell, being a creature of habit, and his work-life balance. LaMontagne also gives us a story about being complimented on his harmonica playing by Willie Nelson’s harmonica player, Mickey Raphael. Advertisement Listen to Ray LaMontagne discuss Monovision, getting back on the road, and more above, or via the YouTube player below. Then, make sure t...
Bartees Strange Shares Mournful New Song “Hold the Line”: Stream
Bartees Strange has shared a new single from his upcoming album, Farm to Table. Today, he’s offered the track “Hold the Line,” a soulful ballad penned in honor of George Floyd’s daughter, Gianna. “‘Hold the Line’ was written over the course of three days during that first pandemic summer,” Bartees Strange said in a statement. “Through this song I was trying to make sense of what was happening in the US, my neighborhood and my community at that moment. During the marches people were trying to stop the bleeding, locked arm in arm, doing everything they could to hold the line.” The artist continued: “I remember watching George Floyd’s daughter talk about the death of her father and thinking wow – what a sad introduction to Black American life for this young person. It was painful to watc...
Amy Winehouse’s 2007 Glastonbury Performance Is Coming to Vinyl for the First Time
To mark the 15th anniversary of Amy Winehouse’s 2007 set at Glastonbury, the performance is being released on vinyl for the first time. Live at Glastonbury 2007 hits stores on June 3rd via UMe, Island Records, and BBC. While her 2007 Pyramid Stage set wasn’t Winehouse’s first performance at the iconic UK festival, it was the one that cemented the late singer as a captivating live act. Featuring renditions of “Tears Dry on Their Own,” “Rehab,” and “You Know I’m No Good,” Live at Glastonbury 2007 will be pressed on 2xLP black vinyl, as well as an exclusive crystal clear edition. You can pre-order the album here. In its liner notes, Live at Glastonbury 2007 offers a recollection of Winehouse’s set from Glastonbury co-organizer Emily Eavis. In a statement, Eavis spoke fondly of the a...
2022 Grammys: Silk Sonic Perform “777” : Watch
Silk Sonic opened the 2022 Grammy Awards on Sunday, appropriately taking the stage to play the Las Vegas-themed “777.” Watch the replay below. Anderson .Paak donned a short wig for the performance, which saw him and Bruno Mars clothed in rhinestoned jumpsuits. Tonight actually wasn’t Silk Sonic’s first performance at the Grammys. Last year, they played “Leave the Door Open” and participated in a tribute to the late Little Richard with a performance of “Good Golly Miss Molly.” Thanks to the aforementioned “Leave the Door Open,” Mars and .Paak earned nominations for four Grammys: Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best R&B Performance, and Best R&B Song. It was a clean sweep for the dynamic duo, who tied with Jazmine Sullivan’s “Pick Up Your Feelings” for Best R&B Pe...
Mavis Staples and Levon Helm Collaborative Album Carry Me Home to Be Released
ANTI- Records has announced a collaborative album between Mavis Staples and the late Levon Helm titled Carry Me Home, out May 20th. The first single is their take on the gospel and blues standard “You Got to Move.” Carry Me Home marks one of Helm’s final recordings before his death in 2012. It comes from a session with Staples recorded at the former member of The Band’s Woodstock studio in the summer of 2011, which wound up being their last performance together. The 12-track album contains covers of songs made famous by Nina Simone, The Impressions, Bob Dylan, and The Rolling Stones, as well as The Band’s own “The Weight.” Pre-orders are ongoing. Check out the artwork and tracklist below the jump. Related Video “It never crossed my mind that it might be the last time we’d see each oth...
Morris Day Says Prince’s Estate Blocked Him From Using The Time Band Name
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Emma McIntyre / Getty Few names in music are as ubiquitous to funk and soul music as Morris Day & The Time, but it appears that the band’s name will no longer be in use according to its frontman. Morris Day took to Instagram with claims that the estate of the late Prince, who helped develop the band in the early stages of his career, blocked him from using The Time for performance purposes. Day, 64, shared the statement via Instagram on Thursday and can be read in full below: I’ve given 40 years of my life building up a name and legacy that Prince and I came up with. A name that while he was alive, he had no problem with me using. I literally put my blood, sweat, and tears into bringing value to that name. In fact, he booked me on several tours, and m...
