Dolly Parton Raps, References Miley During 'Queen Latifah Show' Spot

 
Dolly Parton: singer, amusement park magnate, actress... and rapper?
The country star is putting in an appearance on Queen Latifah's talk show next Monday (Oct. 21) to promote her appearance in a new Christmas film, and according to a preview video clip posted to Latifah's YouTube page today, she's getting in touch with her hip-hop side as well.
Donning an enormous afro and some enormous gold chains, since that's apparently a quintessential aspect of having a rap game, the 67-year-old Parton rhymes her way through a short rap that includes Parton telling Latifah to "stick that in her pipe and smoke it," as well as a quick reference to Miley Cyrus and twerking.
"I'm tweaking," she laughs, "I'm working, I'm twerking. Hey Miley, I've got your wrecking balls right here." One can probably guess what body part to which she's referring.
Parton's "Queen Latifah Show" spot comes ahead of "A Country Christmas Story," the new Lifetime film the country artist is set to star in. On the Monday broadcast, she'll also perform "Miss You Miss Me" from the movie, which premieres Nov. 9.

Elvis Presley, Aretha Franklin Among Artists on 'A Very Special Christmas: Icon'

 
The King of Rock 'n' Roll and the Queen of Soul are just two of 11 acts gracing the tracklist of "A Very Special Christmas: Icon," the latest in a long line of compilation discs benefiting the Special Olympics.
The "A Very Special Christmas" holiday series celebrates its 26th year in 2013 with the release of the album, dating back to its first compilation in 1987. The album will see an Oct. 15 release through Universal.
Presley and Franklin are joined by a flurry of artists on the album -- with certain inclusions representing classic hits in the Christmas genre, including Presley's "Blue Christmas," Wham!'s "Last Christmas" and John Lennon & Yoko Ono's "Happy Xmas (War is Over).



"Happy Xmas (War Is Over); was our holiday wish for a more peaceful world, so I am happy it's part of 'A Very Special Christmas,'" Ono said about her song's inclusion in the project. "Special Olympics shows us how a more peaceful world could work, a world in which every person is valued and given the opportunity to live as full a life as possible, with the help and encouragement of a loving community."
Other artists featured on the compilation include Sting, Carrie Underwood, Josh Groban, Rod Stewart, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Sheryl Crow and Jon Bon Jovi.
Also included in the international release and available digitally is a new recording of "O Holy Night" by former Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger.
"I love sharing my passion for music to support a cause as fantastic as Special Olympics and really enjoyed spending time with Special Olympics athlete Greg Silvester, whose generous spirit is contagious," Scherzinger said. "Special Olympics athletes, like Greg, are the stars… great messengers of love and peace. It is their bright light that shines so strong, for which I am grateful."
Since its inception, the series has raised royalties of $116 million supporting Special Olympics programs, with $38 million in grants for promotion of the games in countries around the world.
A full tracklist is below:
1. John Lennon & Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band feat. Harlem Community Choir, "Happy Xmas (War is Over)
2. Rod Stewart, "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!"
3. Sting, "I Saw Three Ships"
4. Aretha Franklin, "Winter Wonderland"
5. Josh Groban, "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear"
6. Jon Bon Jovi, "Please Be Home for Christmas"
7. Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, "Christmas All Over Again"
8. Sheryl Crow, "Run Rudolph Run"
9. Elvis Presley, "Blue Christmas"
10. Carrie Underwood, "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing"
11. Wham!, "Last Christmas"
12. Nicole Scherzinger, "O Holy Night" (International Version, Digitally in U.S.)

'Country Bumpkin' Singer Cal Smith Dies at 81

 

Cal Smith -- who enjoyed a rich country career with some of the biggest hits of the 1960s and 1970s, passed away yesterday at his home near Branson, Missouri. He was 81.

Smith was born Calvin Grant Shofner on April 7, 1932 in Gans, Oklahoma. However, as many did in the Great Depression, Smith's family headed west – settling in Oakland, California. He began his music career by performing at San Francisco's Remember Me Cafe in 1947. Unable to make a steady income as a musician, he also turned to other jobs, such as truck driving and the rodeo.

Smith enlisted in the military in the mid 1950s. Upon his discharge, he returned to the Bay area where he began playing in a local band. Country superstar Ernest Tubb heard the band play one night, and offered Smith a job playing guitar for his Texas Troubadours band. Not only a road band for Tubb, the group also backed him on his Decca recordings, so Smith was working plenty of Tubb's sessions as well.

Smith's vocals were brought to the attention of Kapp Records, who signed him in 1966. His debut single for the label, "I'll Just Go Home," failed to chart, but his second release, "The Only Thing I Want," hit the Billboard Country Singles chart in January 1967 – peaking at No. 58.

Subsequent releases would fare better for Smith, who left the Tubb show in 1969 – the same year he hit the top-40 for the first time with "Drinking Champagne" (later covered by George Strait). He moved to Decca in 1971, and hit the top ten for the first time with a cover of the Free Movement's "I've Found Someone Of My Own," a No. 4 release from the spring of 1972. By years' end, he would release "The Lord Knows I'm Drinking," a song written by Bill Anderson. It would become his first number one record in March 1973.

As big as that record was, it was nothing compared to his next major hit. "Country Bumpkin," a story song in the classic country tradition, was released in early 1974 – hitting the top in May. It netted him a CMA Award for Single Record of the Year, and also won the Song of the Year trophy for writer Don Wayne, as well.

The song was a favorite of many -- including a young Garth Brooks. During a mid 1990s appearance on TNN's "Music City Tonight," the singer said that "Country Bumpkin" was his favorite country song – prompting Smith to give Brooks the CMA trophy he won for the song.

Another fan of Smith's was Loretta Lynn. In her 2002 autobiography "Still Woman Enough," the singer admitted to having a crush on Smith during her stint as duet partner with Ernest Tubb – claiming that husband Mooney would sometimes get jealous of the singer.

Cal Smith topped the charts for a third and final time with 1975's "It's Time To Pay The Fiddler," yet remained on the charts throughout the 1970s. One of his last major hits was his original version of "I Just Came Home To Count The Memories," a No. 15 hit from 1977 that helped put John Anderson on the map five years later. His last appearance on the charts was 1986's "King Lear," which peaked at No. 75 on the Step One label.

Smith is survived by wife Darlene, five children, and fifteen grandchildren

Will.i.am: 'Work Bitch' Reflects Britney Spears More Than Her New Album

 

"We felt that song needed to come out to keep the foundation on what Britney represents," the Black Eyed Peas frontman tells Paduamusicals.

Britney Spears' latest single "Work Bitch" flies back into the Top 20 of the Hot 100 this week -- thanks, in part, to the debut of its steamy music video. The kinetic dance single precedes Spears' eighth studio album, due out Dec. 3, but executive producer Will.i.am tells paduamusicals that the new full-length doesn't necessarily take all of its cues from the vibe of "Work Bitch."
"That song is a reflection of Britney moreso than the album," Will.i.am told paduamusicals on Thursday morning (Oct. 10) after helping to announce the American Music Award nominations in New York. "The album is what the album is, but we felt that song needed to come out to keep the foundation on what Britney represents. But it shouldn't reflect the album -- an album is a body of work as a collective. If we had to pick a song like, 'Oh, what song fits every color of the record,' you shouldn't do that… We felt that song represents 'Piece of Me,' that Britney oomph."
"Work Bitch" jumps to No. 13 on this week's Hot 100 chart and re-enters the Streaming Songs chart at No. 10… but compared to her last lead single, the "Femme Fatale" burner "Hold It Against Me," the new track is lagging a bit behind on the charts. When asked about the fan response to his work with Spears (including their Top 5 collaboration "Scream & Shout"), Will.i.am said that, while he respects the pop icon's army of fans, he also hopes to challenge her creatively and explore new avenues for her music.

Pop Shop Podcast: Britney Spears' Latest Hot 100 Moves Explained

"You can't always be dictated by what the fan base demands, because it means that the artist probably won't grow," says Will.i.am. "You have to have one foot in 'I want to honor the fan base,' and then the other foot in 'Let's see this potential where we can go.' And hopefully, the fans -- if we mind the chatter -- will accept and appreciate where we ended up."
Since debuting online last week, the official "Work Bitch" clip has garnered 25 million VEVO views. Spears' 'Piece of Me' Las Vegas residency kicks off on Dec. 27 at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino.

Vixen Guitarist Jan Kuehnemund Dead at 51

 

Jan Kuehnemund, the founding member and lead guitarist for the all-female glam metal band Vixen, passed away on Thursday, Oct. 10 after a long battle with cancer. She was 51. An official statement has not been released.

Kuehnemund was born on November 18, 1961 in St. Paul, Minnesota and formed Vixen in high school. She and singer Janet Gardner moved the band to Los Angeles in 1985 and, within two years, the classic lineup was formed with Roxy Petrucci on drums and Share Pedersen on bass. The band was later signed to EMI.

Vixen's self-titled debut was released in 1988 and spawned two hit singles, "Cryin'" and "Edge of a Broken Heart." The group appeared in the Penelope Spheerisfilm, The Decline of Western Civilization II: The Metal Years, and its videos were featured heavily on MTV.

Vixen followed up their breakout success with Rev It Up in 1990, which yielded two singles, "Love Is A Killer" and "How Much Love." The album did not have the same impact as the band's debut, however, and they were dropped shortly after. 

Vixen disbanded for several years but reformed with various new members until Kuehnemund returned in 2001. The band had a brief reunion of the classic lineup for VH1's Bands Reunited in 2004, but soon went their separate ways. Kuehnemund continued as Vixen with new members and Gardner, Petrucci and Pedersen formed JanetShareRoxyGina (aka JSRG) with new guitarist Gina Stile.

Miley Cyrus, Robin Thicke, Macklemore to Headline Inaugural Jingle Ball National Tour

 

The celebration of all things pop and Christmas will hit 12 U.S. cities -- and the CW Network -- in December.

Jingle Ball, the annual Christmas celebration hosted by such pop stations as New York's Z100 and Los Angeles' KIIS-FM, is taking its superstar lineup on the road.
As first announced by Clear Channel in September, the radio giant, via its high-priority iHeartRadio app, will host a series of Jingle Ball concerts in Dallas, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Seattle, Chicago, Minneapolis, Atlanta, New York, Boston, Washington D.C., Tampa and Miami.
Topping the bill at for these major market shows are the likes of Miley Cyrus, Robin Thicke, Ariana Grande, Austin Mahone, Flo Rida, Selena Gomez, Enrique Iglesias, Jason Derulo, Fifth Harmony, and One Republic. In addition, the Z100 concert will be featured on the CW Network as a two-hour special airing Dec. 18.
See the full Jingle Ball Tour schedule below:
Dallas, Texas ­
Monday, Dec. 2 at American Airlines Center
On the bill: Robin Thicke, Ariana Grande, Austin Mahone, Flo Rida, Selena Gomez, Enrique Iglesias, Jason Derulo, Fifth Harmony, One Republic (www.1061kissfm.com)
Philadelphia, Penn.
Wednesday, Dec. 4 at Wells Fargo Center
On the bill: Robin Thicke, Flo Rida, Fall Out Boy, Austin Mahone, Paramore, Avril Lavigne, Fifth Harmony, Jason Derulo, Icona Pop (www.q102.com)
Los Angeles, Calif.
­ Friday, Dec. 6, at Staples Center
On the bill: Miley Cyrus, Mackelmore & Ryan Lewis, Selena Gomez, Enrique Iglesias, Robin Thicke, Ariana Grande, Austin Mahone, Jason Derulo, Fifth Harmony, Travie McCoy, Chris Brown (www.kiisfm.com)
Seattle, Wash.
­ Sunday, Dec. 8, at Comcast Arena
On the bill: Selena Gomez, Flo Rida, Fall Out Boy, Icona Pop, Fifth Harmony, Travie McCoy, New Politics, Austin Mahone (www.kissfmseattle.com)
Chicago, Ill. ­
Monday, Dec. 9 at United Center
On the bill: Robin Thicke, Chris Brown, Enrique Iglesias, Flo Rida, Icona Pop, Avril Lavigne, Travie McCoy, Fifth Harmony (www.1035KISSFM.com)
Minneapolis, Minn. ­
Tuesday, Dec. 10 at Xcel Energy Center
On the bill: Robin Thicke, Miley Cyrus, Enrique Iglesias, Flo Rida, Fall Out Boy, Ariana Grande, Austin Mahone, Fifth Harmony (www.kdwb.com)
Atlanta, Georgia
­ Wednesday, Dec. 11 at Philips Arena
On the bill: Robin Thicke, Miley Cyrus, Pitbull, Flo Rida, Travie McCoy, Fifth Harmony, Armin Van Buuren, Bonnie McKee (www.power961.com)
New York City
­ Friday, Dec. 13 at Madison Square Garden
On the bill: Miley Cyrus, Robin Thicke, Pitbull, Enrique Iglesias, Fall Out Boy, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Selena Gomez, Fifth Harmony, Ariana Grande, Jason Derulo, Austin Mahone (www.z100.com)
Boston
­ Saturday, Dec. 14 at TD Bank Garden
On the bill: Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, Fall Out Boy, Enrique Iglesias, Robin Thicke, Fifth Harmony, Flo Rida (www.kiss108.com)
Washington, D.C. ­
Monday, Dec. 16, at Verizon Center
On the bill: Miley Cyrus, Austin Mahone, Robin Thicke, Enrique Iglesias, Fall Out Boy, Paramore, Jason Derulo, Fifth Harmony, Flo Rida (www.hot995.com)
Tampa Bay, Fla. ­
Wednesday, Dec. 18 at Tampa Bay Times Forum
On the bill: Miley Cyrus, Robin Thicke, Enrique Iglesias, Flo Rida, Paramore, Austin Mahone, Ariana Grande, Jason Derulo, Fifth Harmony, Travie McCoy (www.933flz.com)
Miami
Friday, Dec. 20, at BB&T Center
On the bill: Miley Cyrus, Avril Lavigne, Ariana Grande, Robin Thicke, Demi Lovato, Armin Van Buuren, Enrique Iglesias, Fall Out Boy, Flo Rida, Austin Mahone, Jason Derulo, Fifth Harmony

Pharrell Williams Marries Longtime Girlfriend In Miami

Pharrell Williams has capped off an incredible professional year with a momentous personal moment. The 40-year-old producer, songwriter and performer married his longtime girlfriend, model/designer Helen Lasichanh, at a Miami ceremony on Saturday (Oct. 12).
The "Get Lucky" singer hosted several famous pals at the wedding, including Busta Rhymes and Usher; according to Us Weekly, the rapper and R&B star performed a "mini-concert" during the reception. A handful of Williams-helmed hits were also played throughout the ceremony.

Pharrell Williams' Resume: The History of a N.E.R.D.

Williams and Lasichanh already share a son, 4-year-old Rocket, who was born in November 2008. The producer wrote the song "Rocket's Theme" for the 2010 "Despicable Me" soundtrack in honor of his son.
The veteran producer scored a pair of massive hits this summer with Daft Punk's "Get Lucky," which peaked at No. 2 on the Hot 100 chart, and Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines," which topped Billboard's Song of the Summer chart. Pharrell recently scored credits on Miley Cyrus' "Bangerz" album and Pusha T's solo debut "My Name Is My Name."

Rihanna's Tweets Lead to Arrest at Thai Sex Show

Thai authorities have arrested a bar owner in connection with a lewd sex show mentioned in racy tweets by pop star Rihanna during her recent trip to Thailand, officials said Monday, two weeks after an Instagram photo of Rihanna with a protected primate led to the arrest of two other men.

Officials on the island of Phuket, 420 miles south of Bangkok, said Monday the bar owner faced charges of obscenity and operating an entertainment venue without a permit.

Rihanna's tweets, published on Sept. 21, described a bizarre scene at the bar:

Local district chief Weera Kerdsirimongkon said the man was arrested Saturday as part of a crackdown on shows featuring naked dancers.

"Authorities found out about this bar the morning after Rihanna tweeted about it, but we were not able to catch them violating the law until Saturday night,” Weera said. “We had been waiting for them and finally caught them red-handed."

Weera said the bar owner could face up to one month's imprisonment and a fine of up to 60,000 baht ($1,900).

Rihanna Takes Selfie With Protected Primate in Thailand

This isn’t the first arrest triggered by Rihanna’s postings on social media. A photo of her with a slow loris, a squirrel-like animal with big eyes, on Instagram led local police to arrest a 20-year-old man and a 16-year-old boy, who could face charges of possession of protected animals. The charge carries a penalty of up to four years in prison and a 40,000 baht ($1,300) fine.