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Elvis Costello will soon begin his 2025 Radio Soul! Tour, which is set to combine classic hits from his 11 albums, with a special focus on his 1977 album My Aim is True and his 1986 album Blood & Chocolate.

The tour kicked off on Feb. 19 in Easton, Pennsylvania. Costello will continue to make stops across the country, before concluding his series of performances on July 12 in Miami Beach, Florida.

Costello will be joined by The Imposters, featuring musicians Charlie Sexton, Pete Thomas, Davey Faragher and Steve Nieve.

In his announcement, Costello praised the band, “The Imposters are a living, breathing, swooning, swinging, kicking and screaming rock and roll band who can turn their hands to a pretty ballad when the opportunity arises.”

Reflecting on the experience of returning to his roots for the tour, Costello said, “For any songwriter, it has to be a compliment if people want to hear songs written up to fifty years ago.

Betty White and Bea Arthur were two of the biggest stars of The Golden Girls, a show loved by millions worldwide. On-screen, their chemistry was undeniable, creating some of the most iconic moments in TV history. But off-screen, their personalities couldn’t have been more different.

Estelle Getty, Rue McClanahan, Bea Arthur, and Betty White in The Golden Girls | Credits: NBC Network

White’s sunny, upbeat energy sometimes clashed with Arthur’s more serious and reserved demeanor, leading to some real-life tension between the co-stars. Despite their differences, their professional partnership delivered a timeless comedy that fans still cherish today.

Why did Bea Arthur find Betty White’s positivity overwhelming in The Golden Girls?

Betty White was known as one of the most cheerful and lovable stars in Hollywood. Her charm and sharp sense of humor have won over countless fans and colleagues. However, not everyone was as captivated by her upbeat personality,...

Hallmark alum Betty White celebrated on a new Usps stamp [Image @bettymwhite on Instagram]

After her passing at the age of 99 on December 31, 2021, Betty White is not likely to be forgotten soon. Episodes of Golden Girls starring the late beloved actress still air in reruns on Hallmark Channel.

Meanwhile, she was also renowned for her appearances in other sitcoms, including The Mary Tyler Moore. However, it is likely Golden Girls is the sitcom that is still on fans’ minds.

However, White will also be celebrated by the United States Postal Service as she will feature on a postal stamp in 2025.

United States Postal Service Celebrates ‘Pop Culture Icons,’ including Betty White

In an announcement on November 15, 2024, the United States Postal Service (Usps) announced that Betty White is one of three “pop culture icons’ to be memorialized with a stamp in 2025. The other stamps are a “Love” stamp by artist Keith Haring, who died in 1990 and “virtuoso pianist,...

The United States Postal Service is honoring a TV icon. On Friday, the Usps announced that it will release a stamp next year with the image of Betty White, remembering the Golden Girls star‘s legacy.

Dale Stephanos created a digital illustration for the stamp based on a 2010 Kwaku Alston photograph of the actress, who died in 2021 at age 99. Greg Breedong, a Usps art director, designed the stamp, which captures her “spritely sense of fun,” according to a description from the Postal Service.

“I’d love to send a letter...

Betty White is being honored by the United States Postal Service.

The mail service announced on that the iconic actress, who sadly died in 2021 at 99 years old, will be featured on one of the Usps’s 2025 stamps.

“An icon of American television, Betty White (1922–2021) shared her wit and warmth with viewers for seven decades — including roles on The Golden Girls and The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” the Usps shared in a statement.

“The comedic actor, who gained younger generations of fans as she entered her 90s, was also revered as a compassionate advocate for animals.”

Keep reading to find out more…

She will join several commemorative stamps, including a “Love” stamp celebrating artist Keith Haring, and a Black Heritage stamp memorializing musician Allen Toussaint.

“This early glimpse into our 2025 stamp program demonstrates our commitment to providing a diverse range of subjects and designs for both philatelists and stamp enthusiasts,” said Lisa Bobb-Semple,...

Actress Betty White had a career spanning decades, with fans falling in love with her on series like The Golden Girls and even a few eponymous series. The The United States Postal Service recently unveiled plans to pay tribute to the late actress. Notably, they’ve reserved a special, “timeless” honor for White.

Betty White Has Decades Worth Of Fans

White passed away on December 31, 2021, at the age of 99. Notably, she was just a few weeks ahead of her 100th birthday at the time of her passing.

However, even in the years since her passing, she is still well remembered by fans. The Usps recently announced plans to release a stamp depicting White’s face.

Betty White – YouTubeAs noted by New York Post, this will be a first-class mail “Forever” stamp. This means, as the name suggests, it will never expire.

The Usps said in a statement that White “shared...

The United States Postal Service is honoring Betty White with her own stamp.

Usps announced White’s Forever stamp on Friday as part of its new slate of stamps for 2025.

“An icon of American television, Betty White (1922–2021) shared her wit and warmth with viewers for seven decades,” Usps said in announcing the stamp. “The comedic actor, who gained younger generations of fans as she entered her 90s, was also revered as a compassionate advocate for animals.”

White died at the age of 99 on Dec. 31, 2021, less than three weeks before her 100th birthday. The Emmy-winning actor was known for her roles as Rose Nylund in “The Golden Girls,” Sue-Ann Nivens in “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” and Elka Ostrosky in “Hot in Cleveland.”

White’s stamp features a digital illustration of the beloved actor based on a 2010 photograph by Kwaku Alston. Dale Stephanos created the digital illustration, while Usps art director...

Usps will feature new postage stamps dedicated to Betty White, set to be released for usage in 2025.

In a press release dated Friday, the government agency provided a sneak peek at some of the stamps going into circulation next year, which include everything from revered pop icons to tributes for history and natural beauty.

White’s stamp, a preliminary design of which can be viewed here, is a Dale Stephanos-created digital illustration based upon a 2010 photograph by Kwaku Alston. Greg Breeding, a Usps art director, designed the stamp.

“An icon of American television, Betty White (1922–2021) shared her wit and warmth with viewers for seven decades — including roles on The Golden Girls and The Mary Tyler Moore Show. The comedic actor, who gained younger generations of fans as she entered her 90s, was also revered as a compassionate advocate for animals,” read a description of the stamp.

Another notable figure to...

Three years after Betty White’s death, the iconic actress will be remembered in a special way.

The United States Postal Service revealed on Friday that one of its 2025 stamps will feature the American sweetheart.

“An icon of American television, Betty White (1922–2021) shared her wit and warmth with viewers for seven decades — including roles on The Golden Girls and The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” the mail service said in a statement. “The comedic actor, who gained younger generations of fans as she entered her 90s, was also revered as a compassionate advocate for animals.”

White died on Dec. 31, 2021, nearly three weeks short of her 100th birthday. On Jan. 11, 2022, it was revealed her cause of death was a stroke she had six days before at her home in the Brentwood area of Los Angeles.

Perhaps most well-known for her roles in The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Golden Girls and Hot in Cleveland,...

Hit Man's soundtrack is a mix of iconic New Orleans Blues songs that complement the film's story and setting. Each song on the soundtrack enhances pivotal scenes in the movie, showcasing the diverse musical tastes of director Richard Linklater. While not available as a complete album as of yet, the individual tracks from Hit Man's soundtrack can be found on popular streaming platforms.

Hit Man features a varied list of songs and artists, all compiled onto the film's soundtrack. Hit Man tells the true story of Gary Johnson, a man who finds a talent for acting as a fake hitman to gain confessions from unsuspecting criminals. Glen Powell brings Gary to life in Hit Man's ensemble cast, with director Richard Linklater imbuing the film with many of his trademark qualities.

As is the case with many of Linklater's highest-ranked movies, music plays a big role;e in Hit Man.

No trip to Nashville is complete without a day (or late night) spent at Robert’s Western World when Sarah Gayle Meech is onstage: The queen of the honky-tonk plays the last true country bar in town every Thursday and Saturday. On Friday, Meech dropped her new video for “Love Me,” premiering on Rolling Stone Country.

It’s a smooth-as-bourbon performance, with Meech evoking the sheen of Seventies country music. Bonus: There’s a steel guitar! Meech says the track is a nod to Glen Campbell’s polished vibes, in...

George Winston, the celebrated solo pianist who sold more than 15 million albums over the course of his career, died Sunday, June 4. He was 73.

Winston’s death was confirmed on his website. He had been battling cancer for 10 years, undergoing a bone marrow transplant in 2013.

Winston rose to prominence in the early Eighties with a trio of records, Autumn, Winter Into Spring, and December, all of which were certified platinum in the United States (December even went three times platinum). His music seemed to incorporate elements of classical, jazz, folk, ambient,...

This article contains references/descriptions of drug misuse

Martin Scorsese filled the soundtrack of The Wolf of Wall Street with a wide variety of great songs. Adapted from the life story of unscrupulous stockbroker Jordan Belfort, The Wolf of Wall Street marked a return to Scorsese’s signature style of fast-paced biopic. Much like Goodfellas and Casino, The Wolf of Wall Street is jam-packed with music. Ever since Robert De Niro's iconic entrance to the tune of “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” in Mean Streets, Scorsese has been renowned for the needle-drops on his soundtracks. The Wolf of Wall Street proudly continues that stylistic tradition.

From Elmore James to Billy Joel to the Lemonheads, there’s a wide range of different artists featured on The Wolf of Wall Street’s soundtrack. This eclectic mix of musical styles was a large part of creating the movie’s rapid, frenzied pace. Thanks to...

Anita Pointer, of the sibling hit-making group the Pointer Sisters, died on Saturday at age 74, her family in a statement.

“While we are deeply saddened by the loss of Anita, we are comforted in knowing she is now with her daughter, Jada and her sisters June & Bonnie and at peace,” said the statement issued by publicist Roger Neal. “She was the one that kept all of us close and together for so long. Her love of our family will live on in each of us. Please respect our privacy during...

The Last Waltz Tour, a live celebration of The Band’s 1976 farewell concert, will return to the road this fall. The all-star tour first debuted in 2017 with Warren Haynes, Don Was, and Jamey Johnson atop the bill. All three of those artists return this time to re-create key moments from The Band’s San Francisco concert, which was filmed for Martin Scorsese’s 1978 movie — a.k.a. the greatest concert film of all time.

Presented by Robbie Robertson, his son Sebastian Roberston, and Keith Wortman of Blackbird Presents, the tour includes Kathleen Edwards,...

The last time there were as many trombones in a movie as there are in “Take Me to the River: New Orleans,” Harold Hill was probably leading a parade. The ongoing vitalization of the Crescent City’s music culture really is like something out of a horn salesman’s fever dream, with younger generations readily taking up New Orleans’ traditional second-line culture in a way that can only make the aging elders of other regional music scenes green with envy. It’s this intergenerational mix, as well as the city’s world-famous melting pot of styles, that director Martin Shore means to celebrate in his latest documentary, the bulk of which consists of recording sessions he’s set up that foster collaborations between the old guard and new. The spirited end result suggests that New Orleans might be the one major city in America with no musical generation gap to speak of.

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss’ “Searching for My Love” gets a weathered storybook journey in a newly shared music video directed by Matt Mahurin.

The video follows Julia Lucey and Rolan Meyer through a narrative that spans land and sea, blending the storylines of an ocean-bound mermaid and a treasure-hungry pirate.

The cover, originally recorded by Bobby Moore and the Rhythm Aces, appears on Raise the Roof, the duo’s first joint album in 14 years. Produced by T-Bone Burnett, the record features only one original song on its 12-song tracklist...

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss joined forces for NPR’s Tiny Desk (Home) Concert series, performing three songs. The pair filmed the concert at Sound Emporium, the studio where they recorded their new album, Raise the Roof.

The set includes a rendition of “Can’t Let Go,” originally recorded by Lucinda Williams, a cover of Bobby Moore & the Rhythm Aces’ “Searching for My Love,” and “Trouble With My Lover,” written by Allen Toussaint and recorded in the Sixties by Betty Harris. In the clip, the duo is joined by several musicians,...

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss will return to the road together for the first time in 12 years next June.

The duo will kick off a 10-date U.S. tour June 1, 2022 at Cmac in Canandaigua, New York, and the trek will wrap June 16 at the Cadence Bank Amphitheatre at Chastain Park in Atlanta. Plant and Krauss will then head to the U.K. and Europe for a string of dates at the end of June and into July.

Tickets for the U.S. shows will go on sale Dec. 3 at 10 a.

Thirteen years after the release of their surprise hit album Raising Sand, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss have finally reunited for a follow-lp, Raise the Roof. It comes out on November 19th, and you can check out leadoff single, a cover of the 1998 Lucinda Williams song “Can’t Let Go,” right here.

Raise the Roof was produced by T-Bone Burnett, who also worked with Plant and Krauss on Raising Sand. It features songs by Merle Haggard, Allen Toussaint, the Everly Brothers, and Bert Jancsh in addition to their original tune “High and Lonesome.

When the British Invasion arrived in America in the mid-1960s, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and other bands introduced songs like “Little Red Rooster” and “Road Runner” to American teenagers who assumed they were originals. In fact, those bands’ catalogs were full of American R&b and blues classics from years in the past, originally written and recorded by black musicians such as Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Bo Diddley, and others. Singers like John Lennon and Mick Jagger took more interest in this music than many listeners had at the time,...

Spoon’s four concerts for their native Austin City Limits will be the focus of this weekend’s episode, which features an hour’s worth of highlights from the Austin band’s appearances on the long-running music series.

In the absence of live music due to the coronavirus, Austin City Limits has aired episodes dedicated to standout performances from artists’ multiple visits to the Moody Theater. Following a Foo Fighters-centric episode, the “Best of Spoon” will broadcast on Saturday, January 30th, with footage from the band’s Acl debut...

Foo Fighters deliver a thrilling rendition of their hit “My Hero” in this exclusive clip from the upcoming episode of Austin City Limits, which features highlights from a pair of archival Acl performances by Dave Grohl and company.

“I’m sure I can speak for every musician when I say that being asked to come play Austin City Limits is practically like getting a medal,” Grohl said in a statement of the venerable music series. “As a musician, it’s something to aspire to and if you actually achieve that...

Austin City Limits has announced the lineup for the second half of Season 46, featuring hour-long specials for Foo Fighters, Spoon, and more.

The season returns on January 9th at 8:00 p.m. Ct/9:00 p.m. Et with Foo Fighters Rock Austin City Limits, an hour-long compilation of the band’s appearances on the show in 2008 and 2014, including a raucous rendition of “Best of You.” The special marks the 25th anniversary of Foo Fighters’ formation.

Later, on January 30th, Acl will air The Best of Spoon, gathered from Spoon’s...

Trent Reznor, Phish’s Mike Gordon and Tedeschi Trucks Band are among the artists who are joining Tipitina’s livestream benefit this weekend. The ‘Save Tip’s’ free livestreaming event seeks to raise funds to help the iconic New Orleans venue stay afloat in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The event will stream via Tipitina’s website on Saturday at 9 p.m. Et.

Featuring new and vintage performances from the vault, the three-hour event will also feature exclusive backstage stories about the venue. Reznor and Gordon are among those contributing their own stories.

Singer Bonnie Pointer, who co-founded the Grammy-winning Pointer Sisters in 1969 with her sister June, died Monday at 69 years old. Expanding to a quartet with the addition of Anita and Ruth Pointer, the group’s early days were notable for their campy chic attire, their vocal style a throwback to the Thirties and Forties. But in 1974, after scoring a hit with the bouncy Allen Toussaint-penned “Yes We Can Can,” the Pointers released the twangy “Fairytale,” which earned them their sole entry on the country chart at Number 37.

The defiant breakup tune,...

Bonnie Pointer, one of the two founding members of the Pointer Sisters, died Monday morning at age 69. The cause of death was not announced. In a statement, her older sister Anita said, “Bonnie was my best friend and we talked every day. We never had a fight in our life. I already miss her and I will see her again one day.”

The Pointer Sisters hailed from Oakland, California, and grew up singing in church; their father was a minister. Calling themselves “The Pointers, A Pair,” June and Bonnie started...

The annals of rock & roll folklore are full of tough mothers, evil mothers, motorcycle mamas, mothers of invention. Although stars love to get sentimental over their mamas, there’s something special about the fearsome, badass maternal figures of rock & roll — whether it’s LL Cool J’s mama telling him to knock you out, or Rosalita’s mama chasing Bruce Springsteen off the porch with a broom. So here’s a few of our favorite mom songs.

Queen, “Tie Your Mother Down” (1976)

Don’t do that!

Mr. T, “Treat Your Mother Right” (1984)

Do this!

“Up From the Streets,” a history and celebration of the music of New Orleans hosted by Grammy-winning artist Terence Blanchard, will have a “virtual cinema release” starting May 15 with proceeds from ticket sales benefiting struggling Louisiana musicians.

The film, subtitled “New Orleans: The City of Music,” debuted in October at the New Orleans Film Festival, where it was nominated as best feature Louisiana documentary. It was also nominated as best feature documentary at the Los Angeles Pan African Film Festival and at the DC Independent Film Festival, received an Award of Excellence at the IndieFest Film Festival, and was Gold Award winner for best feature documentary at the Houston WorldFest Film Festival.

Viewers can purchase tickets from participating local cinemas and watch the film at home, “supporting their favorite independent movie theaters as they practice social distancing and self-quarantine,” said a spokesman for London-based distributor Eagle Rock Entertainment.

A portion...

You could never accuse Man Man of being an upbeat band: cannibals, wolfmen, and plenty of heartbreak litter the Philly-l.A. band’s catalog, going all the way back to their 2004 debut, The Man in a Blue Turban With a Face.

Man Man’s upcoming LP, Dream Hunting in the Valley of the In-Between, out May 1st, is perhaps their most devastating yet. There may be fewer obvious monsters this time, but there are demons aplenty.

“It’s been a while since our last album, and to say it was...

Here’s a partial list of musicians we lost in the 2010s: Aretha Franklin, David Bowie, Chuck Berry, Ornette Coleman, B.B. King, Etta James, Whitney Houston, Lou Reed, Leonard Cohen, Prince, Merle Haggard, Kitty Wells, João Gilberto, Ravi Shankar, Tabu Ley Rochereau, David Mancuso, Amy Winehouse, Abbie Lincoln, Gil Scott Heron, George Jones, George Martin, George Michael, Allen Toussaint, Donna Summer, Phife Dawg, Prodigy, Adam Yauch, Heavy D, Captain Beefheart, Robert Hunter, Gregory Isaacs, Johnny Otis, Big Jay McNeely, Levon Helm, Kate McGarrigle, Guy Clark, Pete Seeger, Ralph Stanley, Gregg Allman,...

Art Neville, a giant of New Orleans music who helped co-found the Neville Brothers and the funk outfit the Meters, has died, Nola.com reports. He was 81.

Neville’s longtime manager, Kent Sorrell, confirmed the musician’s death, saying, “It was peaceful. He passed away at home with his adoring wife Lorraine by his side. He toured the world how many times, but he always came home to Valence Street.”

A pianist and singer, Neville’s career spanned more than 60 years and left an indelible impression on funk, soul and jazz music.

Six-time Grammy winner and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Dr. John has died. His death was announced on his official Facebook page by his family.

“Towards the break of day on June 6, 2019, iconic music legend Malcolm John Rebennack, Jr., professionally known as Dr. John, passed away of a heart attack,” said the post. “As a Rock N Roll Hall of Fame inductee, six time Grammy winner, songwriter, composer, producer, and performer, he created a unique blend of music which carried his home town, New Orleans, at its’ heart, as it was always in his heart. The family thanks all whom have shared his unique musical journey, and requests privacy at this time. Memorial arrangements will be announced in due course.”

Dr. John, once a constant tour presence, had cut back drastically on public appearances in the last two years. He was honored in 2017 by the New Orleans City...

This year marks the 50th annual edition of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. To celebrate, Smithsonian Folkways will release Jazz Fest, a five-disc box set of live recordings from the iconic fest, spanning 1974 through 2016. You can preview the set now with Trombone Shorty’s hard-grooving 2010 version of “One Night Only (The March),” a track from his album Backatown, which came out that same year.

The set’s 53 tracks span the various genres represented at Jazz Fest, while putting the focus on local artists rather than big-name headliners. Disc...

The annual Tibet House benefit is a New York City musical tradition, always well-curated by composer and downtown arts ambassador emeritus Philip Glass. The organization’s mission is to preserve, protect, promote and advance Tibetan culture — and with its focus on peace (inner and outer), meditation, healing and happiness, that mission couldn’t be more timely. So the event, billed as the 32nd annual (give or take a few; no one seems to recall exactly), was especially welcome this year. And as usual, the music captured the spirit of the moment.

When Eric Clapton first heard the Band, he knew he was done with Cream. “I’m in the wrong place with the wrong people doing the wrong thing,” the guitarist later recalled thinking, and he wasn’t the only one left stunned by the group’s laid-back revolution. Synthesizing R&B, country, blues and early rock with chops seasoned by years on the road with Ronnie Hawkins and Bob Dylan, Canadians Robbie Robertson, Richard Manuel, Rick Danko and Garth Hudson, along with their Arkansas-born drummer-singer Levon Helm — once collectively known as the Hawks,...

When Joan Baez, who recently announced that she’d be retiring from the road at the end of the year, began choosing music for her new album, she slowly found herself connecting to songs with a very specific set of emotions. “The direction this album went is that [2018] is going to be my last year of formal touring, and so there was a feeling, maybe not even spoken, but there was a strong feeling that it’s time to move on,” she tells Rolling Stone.

The resulting album, Whistle Down the Wind,...

To call Elvis Costello an artistic chameleon is almost too easy. He’s more akin to a Cheshire Cat, appearing and disappearing across the pop music spectrum at will, identifiable only by the sly grin that permeates his work. The breadth of his collaborations are limited only by his own imagination and good taste; over the last two decades he’s played with everyone from the Roots to the Brodsky Quartet, Allen Toussaint to Chet Baker, Marcus Mumford, Roy Orbison, Paul McCartney, Burt Bacharach and — most famously — his crack backing band, the Imposters. So, it makes total sense that he...

Directed by two-time Academy Award® winner Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy (Best Documentary, Short Subject: Saving Face, 2012; A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness, 2015) and Andy Schocken, the acclaimed documentary Song Of Lahore opens in select theaters and is available on DVD, VOD and Digital HD May 20. Featuring the music of The Sachal Ensemble of Pakistan and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, Song Of Lahore examines the lives and the cultural heritage of Pakistan’s classical musicians as they prepare for a concert in New York City.

The theatrical release of Song Of Lahore begins on Friday, May 20, exclusively at Village East Cinema in New York City and Laemmle’s Music Hall in Beverly Hills.

Song Of Lahore was an official selection at numerous film festivals in 2015, including the Tribeca Film Festival, Melbourne Film Festival, Hamptons Film Festival, Idfa Film Festival, Sydney Film Festival and the Heartland Film Festival.

Allen Toussaint, the game-changing New Orleans producer, arranger, songwriter, and pianist, died of a heart attack after a concert in Madrid on Monday night, at the age of 77. As the news of his death spread Tuesday morning, social-media tributes and remembrances from prominent musicians rolled out in great number; not just from fellow New Orleans greats like Aaron Neville and Dr. John, but Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones, Paul Simon, and Bonnie Raitt, among many others. Toussaint the man was a modest character, known for his mannerly grace. But Toussaint the musician was one of the great forces to shape the sound of American music in the second half of the 20th century. He started out as a teenage piano player in a band called the Flamingos, along with future No. 1 hit-maker Ernie K-Doe (“Mother-in-Law”) and guitarist Snooks Eaglin. Soon, he was hanging out at the Dew Drop...

Allen Toussaint, the R&B musician whose body of work included “Working in the Coal Mine” and “Southern Nights,” has died at age 77. The BBC reports that Toussaint suffered a heart attack after appearing at Teatro Lara in Madrid on Monday night and, after he was resuscitated in his hotel room, the musician had a second heart attack while being transported to the hospital. Toussaint had been scheduled to play at the upcoming London Jazz Festival. Also Read: Cory Wells, Three Dog Night Singer, Dead at 74 Born in 1938 in New Orleans, Toussaint took up the piano at an early age,...

Allen Toussaint, the New Orleans songwriter and producer who shaped the city's sound for nearly 60 years, has died while on tour in Spain, local news station Wwl reports. He was 77. Toussaint got his start as a teenager, playing piano for the likes of Fats Domino and Earl King, and writing songs under the stage name "Tousan." By the early '60s, he had become an in-house composer, arranger, and producer for labels like Minit and Instant, writing hits like "Mother in Law," "Fortune Teller," and "Ruler of My Heart," which under Otis Redding became "Pain in My Heart." An earlier Toussaint composition, "Java," won trumpeter Al Hirt a Grammy in 1964. After a stint in the Army from 1963 to 1965, Toussaint returned to New Orleans and formed the production company Sansu, and established the city's famed Sea-Saint studio. He produced Patty Labelle's "Lady Marmalade," played with Paul McCartney and...

New Orleans, La. — On the eve of the 10 year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, the historic Saenger Theatre in New Orleans was filled with an emotional crowd. Harry Connick Jr. and Branford Marsalis hosted "New Orleans Honors," an invite-only event recognizing those who aided in New Orleans recovery events after the devastating storm. The hosts performed multiple times, once along with the city's mayor Mitch Landrieu. The tribute event was peppered with performances by renowned musicians like Trombone Shorty, Kermit Ruffins, Allen Toussaint, Michael Cerveris, Irma Thomas and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. Presenters included James Carville

read more...

On May 12, the Numero Group label released the massive The Best of the Best Show, a collection of Wfmu comedy Tom Scharpling and Jon Wurster's prank calls. At 16 CDs and with more than 20 hours of material, one could probably add "All" to the collection's title and get away with it. Even at this size, the collection is something close to essential for fans of the duo's deadpan, often surreal comedy. "Darren and the Greasy Funk," which you can listen to below, is a prime example of what these guys do, and along with the track, we've got Scharpling and Wurster's own recollection of how the call came about. Enjoy!Tom Scharpling: Hi, Jon. The impetus for this call started with an Allen Toussaint show you went to in North Carolina, right? Jon Wurster: Yes. In August of 2007, I went to see New Orleans jazz legend Allen Toussaint...

If you're gonna throw the book at Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams for stealing music ... you gotta take down none other than Ludwig van Beethoven too -- that's Robin and Pharrell's argument anyway. The "Blurred Lines" duo just filed new court docs in their fight to prove the song is not a rip-off of Marvin Gaye's, "Got to Give It Up" -- pointing out several differences between notes in the songs ... and also backing up the bus over LvB.

Dave Grohl and his legendary rock band Foo Fighters are hitting the road in the first trailer for their HBO documentary series Foo Fighters: Sonic Highways. Dave Grohl directs each episode as his band travels to American cities such as Austin, Chicago, Los Angeles, Nashville, New Orleans, New York, Seattle and Washington D.C. to collaborate with new artists and studios, to find each city's musical identity. Take a look at the first footage before the eight-episode Season 1 kicks off on Friday, October 17 with the pilot.

Directed by Dave Grohl, each one-hour episode is devoted to a different American musical landmark, chronicling the history, cultural environment and people that define each city's unique musical identity. With episodes set in (in alphabetical order) Austin, Chicago, Los Angeles, Nashville, New Orleans, New York, Seattle and Washington, D.C., Foo Fighters: Sonic Highways features appearances from local legends who have become...

New Orleans (AP) — Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band returned to the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival on Saturday, giving thousands of fans the show they hoped for, but some left wanting more. He kicked off his three-hour set with "High Hopes," the title track of his latest album, before launching into some of his more popular songs including "Hungry Heart," ''Mary Don't You Weep," ''Wrecking Ball," ''Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out," ''Pay Me My Money Down," and a cover of the folk song "Jesse James." He also got a little help from his wife, Patti Scialfa, for "When The Saints Go Marching In." The music was upbeat, energetic and passionate but Jazz Fest veteran Alison Michel, of New Orleans, noted that he didn't play "Born in the U.S.A" and "Glory Days." "I wanted to hear more of his older stuff. I love his older songs," she said. Springsteen...

Which music stars went home with awards at the 2014 Grammy Awards? Find out with this full winners list.

Winners in each category are bolded.

Record of the Year

"Get Lucky" -- Daft Punk feat. Pharrell Williams and Nile Rodgers

"Radioactive" -- Imagine Dragons

"Royals" -- Lorde

"Locked Out of Heaven" -- Bruno Mars

"Blurred Lines" -- Robin Thick feat. T.I. and Pharrell

Album of the year

"The Blessed Unrest" -- Sara Bareilles

"Random Access Memories" -- Daft Punk

"Good Kid, M.A.A.D City" -- Kendrick Lamar

"The Heist" -- Macklemore and Ryan Lewis

"Red" -- Taylor Swift

Song of the year

"Just Give Me a Reason" -- Jeff Bhasker, Pink and Nate Ruess (Pink feat. Nate Ruess)

"Locked Out of Heaven" -- Philip Lawrence, Ari Levine and Bruno Mars (Bruno Mars)

"Roar" -- Lukasz Gottwald, Max Martin, Bonnie McKee, Katy Perry and Henry Walter (Katy Perry)

"Royals...

George Lucas will be honored by President Obama next week as he receives one of the 2012 National Medal of Arts awards in the East Room of the White House. The Star Wars creator is one of 12 recipients of the award this year, which also includes playwright Tony Kushner and composer Allen Toussaint. Lucas is being honored for his contributions to American cinema, according to a news release from The White House. "By combining the art of storytelling with boundless imagination and cutting-edge techniques, Mr. Lucas has transported us to new worlds and created some of the most beloved and iconic films of all time," the release said. The awards are part of the National Endowment for the Arts, which was established by the U.S. Congress in 1965 as an independent federal agency. To date, ...

The White House announced Wednesday that President Barack Obama will present this year’s National Medals of Arts and Humanities to a glittering constellation of cultural and entertainment industry figures, including Joan Didion, George Lucas, Elaine May and Herb Alpert. The list of those to be honored at the July 10 East Room ceremonies includes an unusually diverse roster of honorees with Arts Medals going to Lucas, May, Alpert, beloved African American writer Ernest Gaines, playwright Tony Kushner, philanthropist Lin Arison, dancer/choreographer Joan Myers Brown, opera diva Renée Fleming, painter Ellsworth Kelly, landscape architect Laurie Olin, composer Allen Toussaint and the

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