Frank Sinatra Blogs
(74 views)Hello, my deAR friends!
Former Virgin Radio and Expedia have put together the top ten most inspirational Rock Pilgrimages from around the globe. Nine of Virgin Radio’s, one lucky competition winner and thousands of entrants have selected their top locations for getting back to their musical roots.
http://letyourselfgo.expedia.co.uk/rockpilgrimages/
Counting down:
10. Nippon Budokan, Tokyo - inspired Bob Dylan
9. L.A., California - inspired The Red Hot Chili Peppers
8. Berlin, Germany - inspired Pink Floyd
7. Hamburg, Germany - inspired The Beatles
6. Bethel, New York - inspired Jimi Hendrix
5. Dublin, Ireland - inspired U2
4. Copacabana, Rio - inspired The Rolling Stones
3. Graceland, Memphis - inspired Elvis Presley
2. Las Vegas, Nevada - inspired Frank Sinatra
1. Montreux, Switzerland - inspired Deep Purple
Tags: U2 Pink Floyd The Rolling Stones The Beatles Jimi Hendrix Deep Purple Elvis Presley Frank Sinatra Red Hot Chili Peppers Bob Dylan
(189 views)It has become a modern cliché that politicians should talk about pop music, fumbling around with the unfamiliar names of trendy bands in an attempt to appeal to today's youth.
Gordon Brown has informed us that the Arctic Monkeys get him out of bed in the morning, David Cameron insisted that his favourite album is by The Killers, and Tony Blair once told a class of schoolchildren that he enjoyed listening to catsuit-sporting rockers The Darkness.
But while our elected leaders rock out to the latest chart anthems, the world's most notorious dictators – with little need to display a human side to their populations – seem uninterested in new acts, and prefer to kick back with the crooners.
We look at some of the more surprising music matchups to have emerged in recent years.
Robert Mugabe: Cliff Richard
The Zimbabwean premier allegedly complained when he heard Bob Marley would perform at Zimbabwe's independence festivities in 1980, saying he would prefer "the perennially wholesome Cliff Richard".
Marley's performance went ahead nonetheless, performing to a crowd of 100,000 that included Prince Charles.
Osama bin Laden: Whitney Houston
Sudanese poet Kola Boof, who says she was kept as a sex slave by the head of al-Qaeda in 1996, revealed his passion for Van Halen, B-52s and – above all – Whitney Houston.
She said the "devout party boy" wanted to meet the American diva, buy her a mansion in Sudan and kill Bobby Brown, her then-husband.
Colonel Gaddafi: Lionel Richie
The Libyan dictator reputedly asked the former lead singer of the Commodores for an autograph after he performed at the 2006 "Concert for Peace" in Libya, to commemorate the 20th anniversary of a US attack on Tripoli in which Gaddafi's adopted daughter, Hanna, was killed.
Richie has also said Iraqis were playing "All Night Long", one of his most famous hits, on the night US tanks attacked Baghdad.
Slobodan Milosevic: Frank Sinatra
Former Yugoslav President Milosevic, who died while on trial for 66 counts of genocide and crimes against humanity, often listened to Sinatra's classic "My Way" in his prison cell.
He allegedly begun listening to Sinatra while working as a New York banker in the 1970s.
Kim Jong-il: Eric Clapton
Clapton turned down the chance to became the first Western artist to perform in North Korea when he was invited by Kim Jong-il, the country's leader, last year.
Kim Jong-chul, his son, who studied in Switzerland, is thought to be a big fan, and has attended four Clapton gigs in Germany.
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad: Chris de Burgh
The Irish crooner was given permission to play in Iran last summer, but the shows were cancelled due to the fighting that erupted following the elections.
De Burgh, famous for hits including "Lady in Red", would have become the first Western artist to perform in the country since 1979.
Tags: Eric Clapton Chris De Burgh Lionel Richie Frank Sinatra Whitney Houston
(255 views)Six Connecticut women have been arrested for allegedly attacking a karaoke singer. We take a look at some of the most terrifying assaults on amateur bar-room crooners.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVx2u65Ybho&feature=player_embedded
There have been many attacks on karaoke singers over the last few years, suggesting that the office-party pastime is more dangerous than many assume. Here are some of the worst.
• A 24-year-old Wisconsin man with the possibly apposite name of Kyle Drinkwine was sentenced to 60 days in jail after attacking two men over their performance of one of his favourite heavy metal songs in November last year.
He throttled James Mischler, 28, and his friend Cyrus Kozub, after heckling them as they sang “Holy Diver”, the title track on the 1983 album by former Black Sabbath lead singer Ronnie James Dio’s band Dio.
Caught by police after a short chase, Drinkwine was arrested and charged with battery and disorderly conduct.
Mr Mischler, who admitted in an interview to insulting Drinkwine’s jewellery after being heckled, said he was worried about reports saying his performance had been less than heartfelt. He said: "I genuinely love Ronnie James Dio."
• Stadium rockers Coldplay inspire many different emotions in fans and detractors, but this August 2007 incident may be the only recorded occasion of Coldplay-related violence.
A Seattle, Washington, man’s performance of Chris Martin and co’s breakthrough single Yellow allegedly triggered an attack by a 21-year-old woman.
Lindsay Lawrence, described by a witness as a “little hippie girl”, is said to have assaulted the unnamed victim after reportedly saying: "Oh, no, not that song. I can't stand that song."
She allegedly went on to inform the singer that his "singing sucked" and that the song "f---ing sucked," before punching him twice in the face.
According to a witness in her rage it took three people to hold her down, and she is said to have headbutted a police officer several times before being handcuffed.
• An unnamed British tourist in Bulgaria is said to have become enraged at a local duo’s “tuneless” version of We Are The Champions by Queen.
The man, 40, attacked the pair, and started smashing up the bar around him.
His karaoke-induced rage was so powerful that local police required backup to restrain him.
• A 58-year-old Thai man apparently became so enraged by karaoke parties at a local house that he broke in and shot eight people dead.
He said: “I warned these people about their noisy karaoke parties. I said if they carried on I would shoot them.”
It is noted that a favourite song at the parties was John Denver’s Country Roads. A neighbour said that the song was chosen “over and over again”.
• Staying in south-east Asia, more than one shooting incident has taken place in Cambodian karaoke bars over renditions of Frank Sinatra’s My Way. The country’s premier is said to have tried to shut down the country’s karaoke bars after an outbreak of violence.
• My Way seems to be a dangerous choice of song in some parts of the world. A singer in a bar in San Mateo in the Philippines was reportedly shot dead for performing it off-key.
The Philippine Star said that Romy Baligula, 29, was mid-way through the song when another man, Robilito Ortega, told him he was out of tune.
Mr Baligula ignored the heckle, so Mr Ortega allegedly pulled out a .38 calibre pistol and shot the singer in the chest, killing him instantly.
Also in the Philippines, a singer apparently shot two members of the audience, killing one, after they jeered his performance of the song. And a Sinatra-loving crowd is said to have beaten a singer to death over a substandard performance.
So many fights have broken out in Manila over My Way that the tune has been taken off the machines at many karaoke bars to prevent further outbreaks.
Tags: Queen Coldplay Frank Sinatra Black Sabbath
(186 views)2007, US hip-hop artist Akon apologised after footage of him dancing provocatively on stage with a teenage girl was posted on the internet. It led to telecommunications company Verizon pulling out as a sponsor of his US tour with Gwen Stefani. The incident took place on 12 April in Trinidad, where Akon was performing at a nightclub. It was later reported that the girl was just 14. In a statement Akon said he didn't know the girl was underage. He said: "I want to sincerely apologise for the embarrassment and any pain I've caused to the young woman who joined me on stage, her family and the Trinidad community for the events at my concert.”
2000, Bobby Brown was arrested at Newark airport, New Jersey for breaking his probation order. He had been wanted in Florida since 1999 when his probation officer reported that a urine test proved positive for cocaine use.
1999, American singer, songwriter poet, cartoonist, screenwriter, and author of children's books Shel Silverstein died of a heart attack aged 57. Wrote, 'A Boy Named Sue' for Johnny Cash (which Silverstein won a Grammy for in 1970) and many songs for Dr Hook including 'Sylvia's Mother' and 'The Cover of the Rolling Stone.'
1994, Rapper Tupac Shakur began serving a 15-day county jail term for attacking director Allen Hughes on a video set.
1969, Frank Sinatra's version of 'My Way' made the British Top ten for the first time. Over the next three years it re-entered the Top 50 singles chart eight times.
1967, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards appeared at Chichester Crown Court, Sussex to face drug charges relating to a raid on Keith’s home, Redlands in February this year. Both were released on £100 bail.
Tags: Bobby Brown Frank Sinatra
(100 views)2003, Beyonce was sued by the Wilhemina Artist Agency who claimed she hadn't paid them the commission for her L'Oral ads. The agency claimed the singer refused to pass on the 10 percent of the $1m (£640,000), deal that was brokered by the agency.
2001, Punk pioneer Joey Ramone (Jeffrey Ross Hyman) singer of The Ramones died after losing a long battle with lymphatic cancer aged 49. On November 30, 2003, a block of East 2nd Street in New York City was officially renamed Joey Ramone Place.
1996, Milli Vanilli singer Rob Pilatus was jailed for 90 days by a Los Angeles judge for three violent attacks and parole violation.
1996, the rest of Jerry Garcia's ashes were scattered near the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. A small portion had been scattered in the Ganges River in India 11 days earlier. The Grateful Dead leader had died on 9th Aug 1995.
1987, Queen were presented with an award for Outstanding Contribution to British Music at the 32nd annual Ivor Novello Awards held in London, England.
1982, Billy Joel, spent a month in hospital after breaking his left wrist when his motorbike hit a car in Long Island, New York.
1967, Nancy Sinatra and Frank Sinatra started a four week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Somethin' Stupid'. They became the only father and daughter act ever to score a No.1 single. UB40 singer Ali Cambell covered the song in 1995 with his daughter Kibbi. Robbie Williams had a 2001 UK No.1 with his version of the song featuring Nicole Kidman.
More music trivia than you can shake a stick at http://www.thisdayinmusic.com
Tags: Billy Joel Frank Sinatra
(137 views)Popped into HMV today, to try and pick up a film for tonight and was horrified by what i saw in the doorway.
They have created a huge display stand with loads of films starring Heath Ledger (didn't know he'd made that many) and are so blatantly using his passing as a way of maximising their sales. It makes me sick.
I remember them doing this with the passing of the late, great Frank Sinatra and telling the local manager I thought it was disgusting. She actually agreed, but was following orders from above, as she put it.
To put something like this in the doorway is surely just trying to exploit these people's deaths and attract potential customers into the store. SICK!!!!!!!
Tags: Frank Sinatra