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Alf Clausen, the veteran composer with two Emmy wins and 30 nominations whose whimsical scores brightened such television series as The Simpsons, Moonlighting and, purely coincidentally, Alf, has died. He was 84.

Clausen died Thursday at his Valley Village home in Los Angeles, his daughter, Kaarin Clausen, told The Hollywood Reporter. He was diagnosed with progressive supranuclear palsy about eight years ago, she said.

From The Simpsons‘ second season in 1990 until its 28th in 2017, Clausen crafted many of the spirited melodies that contributed to the cutting-edge lunacy of the Fox animated show. From 23 Emmy nominations, he — along with lyricist Ken Keeler — won in 1997 and ’98 for the songs “We Put the Spring in Springfield” and “You’re Checkin’ In (A Musical Tribute to the Betty Ford Center).”

His harmonious relationship with the show would not last, however, with Clausen filing a lawsuit against Disney and Fox in August 2019 after he was dismissed from The Simpsons.

It’s yacht rock season all year long at SiriusXM as we bring you your favorite smooth-sailing hits from the 1970s and ’80s. With channels like Yacht Rock 311, Yacht Rock Deep Cuts, and Yacht Soul, you’ll be instantly transported to turquoise seas and cool breezes.

Ahoy! Starting April 1, Yacht Rock Radio docks at channel 15 for the season. Yacht Rock Channels on SiriusXM Yacht Rock 311

Yacht Rock 311 plays artists like Michael McDonald, Christopher Cross, Steely Dan, and other titans of the genre. It’s the kind of rock that doesn’t rock the boat!

Yacht Rock 311’70s & ’80s smooth-sailing soft rockListen on the App

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Yacht Soul

An app-exclusive channel, Yacht Soul features nonstop soulful and funky R&b and soul from the late ’70s and early ’80s from artists like George Benson, Earth Wind & Fire, Lionel Richie, Bobby Caldwell, Quincy Jones, Kool & the Gang, Al Jarreau,...

The term “yacht rock” came into being not in the sun-dappled harbors of the 80s, but two decades later through a satirical web series—a perfect origin for a genre that somehow sounds like it should have existed all along. Some see it as a response to the raw angst of the grunge-dominated early 2000s, an ironic celebration of smoothness. Others see it as a subtle message that the most intense cultural shifts need spaces for relaxation.

Garret Price’s “Yacht Rock: A Dockumentary” takes a mellow look at this musical period. The film blends old footage with new interviews, acknowledging its history while sharing stories from musicians who shaped the era.

The name itself plays with both the ocean themes incorrectly linked to the music and Price’s examination beyond the comedic surface that shaped its resurrection. The term “dockumentary” moves easily between historical documentation and cultural observation—staying...

On Wednesday December 25 2024, NBC broadcasts The Spirit of Christmas!

Episode Summary

The upcoming episode of “The Spirit of Christmas” promises to be a festive celebration filled with music and joy. Scheduled to air on NBC, this episode features a star-studded lineup that is sure to delight fans of holiday tunes.

Natalie Cole, known for her smooth vocals and timeless hits, will take the stage alongside the talented James Ingram. Their performances are expected to bring a warm and nostalgic feeling to the show. Al Jarreau, another legendary artist, will also join the festivities, adding his unique flair to the musical lineup.

The episode will showcase a variety of performers, including the powerful voice of Lakisha Jones. The Massey brothers, Christopher and Kyle, will bring their youthful energy to the stage. Brian McKnight and Jeffrey Osborne are set to deliver their soulful sounds, making this a night filled with incredible talent.

Find out everything you need to know about the episode of The Spirit of Christmas, including a full preview, videos, release date, cast information and how to watch!

The Spirit of Christmas Preview

The upcoming episode of “The Spirit of Christmas” promises to be a heartwarming celebration of holiday music and joy. Scheduled to air on NBC at 5:00 Pm on December 25, 2024, this special features an impressive lineup of talented performers who are sure to bring the spirit of the season to life.

Natalie Cole, known for her soulful voice and timeless hits, will take the stage alongside the late James Ingram, whose smooth melodies have touched many hearts. Al Jarreau, another legendary figure in the music world, is set to deliver his unique vocal style, while Lakisha Jones, a powerhouse vocalist and former “American Idol” contestant, will add her dynamic presence to the show. The Massey brothers, Christopher and Kyle,...

“The Spirit of Christmas” is set to air on NBC at 5:00 Pm on Wednesday, December 25, 2024. This special holiday event promises to be a delightful celebration of music and joy, featuring an impressive lineup of talented artists. Viewers can look forward to performances by Natalie Cole, James Ingram, Al Jarreau, and Brian McKnight, among others. Each artist brings their unique style, making for a rich and diverse musical experience.

In addition to the legendary singers, the show will also feature the Greater Los Angeles Gospel Choir, adding a powerful and uplifting element to the performances. The choir’s harmonies are sure to resonate with the spirit of the season, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere. Lakisha Jones and the Massey brothers, Christopher and Kyle, will also join in, contributing to the festive vibe of the evening.

As families gather to celebrate Christmas, “The Spirit of Christmas” offers the perfect backdrop for creating memorable moments.

We’ve got your soundtrack for a smooth yule with 20 yacht rock Christmas classics. Sit back and relax to these seasonal soft-rock songs from the 1970s and ’80s from Kenny Loggins, Michael McDonald, Hall & Oates, Chicago, The Pointer Sisters, and more.

Yacht Rock Christmas MixHits by Kenny Loggins & moreListen on the App

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Yacht Rock Christmas Music

1. “That’s What Christmas Means to Me” – Michael McDonald

2. “Jingle Bell Rock” – Hall & Oates

3. “Winter Wonderland” – Air Supply

4. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” – Christopher Cross

5. “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” – Robert Palmer

6. “White Christmas” – Kenny Loggins

7. “Deck the Halls” – Bertie Higgins

8. “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen” – Chicago

9. “Winter Holidays” – America

10. “This Christmas” – The Tribe Band feat. Kenny Loggins and Michael McDonald

11. “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” – Al Jarreau

12. “The Christmas Song” – Christopher Cross

13. “Jingle Bells” – Peter Cetera

14. “The Joy of Christmas” – Bobby Caldwell

15. “O Holy Night” – Michael McDonald

16. “Christmas...

Quincy Jones, the legendary record producer, composer, and multi-instrumentalist whose contributions to contemporary music spanned over seven decades and multiple genres such as jazz, pop, and hip-hop, has died at the age of 91.

“Tonight, with full but broken hearts, we must share the news of our father and brother Quincy Jones’ passing,” Jones’ family said in a statement. “And although this is an incredible loss for our family, we celebrate the great life that he lived and know there will never be another like him.”

Jones was one of the most celebrated icons in the music industry, garnering a record 80 Grammy nominations and 28 wins, including three Producer of the Year honors and two Album of the Year and Song of the Year awards each. His most recent win came in 2019 when Quincy, the semi-autobiographical documentary written and co-directed by his daughter Rashida Jones, took home Best Music Film.

As a producer and arranger,...

Quincy Jones, the musical polymath who contributed to remarkable albums in jazz, soul, and funk as well as several of the biggest pop LPs of the 20th century — most notably producing Michael Jackson’s Off the Wall, Thriller, and Bad albums — died at his home in Bel Air, California, on Sunday. He was 91 years old.

“Tonight, with full but broken hearts, we must share the news of our father and brother Quincy Jones’ passing,” the family said in a statement, via The Associated Press. “And although this is an incredible loss for our family,...

The 2024 Netflix music documentary The Greatest Night in Pop features behind-the-scenes footage and details of the historic "We Are The World" song's creation. Released back in 1985, "We Are The World" brought together the biggest names in the music industry from all types of genres, including pop, country, folk, rock, and more. The song was assembled by producers Quincy Jones and Michael Omartian and was originated by musician and activist Harry Belafonte and manager Ken Kragen.

The Greatest Night in Pop features new present-day interviews from Lionel Richie, who was a songwriter on "We Are The World" along with pop star Michael Jackson. Richie and Jackson had become acquaintances while their immensely successful music careers were just taking off as the lead singers of The Commodores and The Jackson Five, respectively. "We Are The World" remains to be one of the best-selling songs of all time, selling over 20 million physical copies during the mid-1980s.

David Sanborn, the multi-genre saxophonist who performed with David Bowie, Stevie Wonder, James Brown, Carly Simon, James Taylor, and many more, has died. He was 78 years old.

Sanborn’s passing was confirmed on Monday via a post on his social media. “It is with sad and heavy hearts that we convey to you the loss of internationally renowned, six-time Grammy Award-winning, saxophonist, David Sanborn,” the post read. “Mr. Sanborn passed Sunday afternoon, May 12th, after an extended battle with prostate cancer with complications.”

Born in 1945, Sanbron was introduced to the saxophone during his childhood as a means of recovering from polio. By the time he was 14, he had the opportunity to perform with blues legends like Albert King and Little Milton, the first of his many, many collaborations.

In 1967, he joined The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, whom he played with at Woodstock two years later. In the early ‘70s, he began performing with more artists,...

David Sanborn, the six time Grammy-winning alto saxophonist who played at Woodstock, composed music for the Lethal Weapon movies, played in the SNL and Late Night with David Letterman bands and worked with everyone from Stevie Wonder to David Bowie, died Sunday afternoon, May 12th, after an extended battle with prostate cancer with complications. He Was 78.

Sanborn’s music is often described “smooth jazz,” but he reportedly rejected that characterization, and one can see why. His lively, iconic sax solo on Bowie’s “Young Americans” is anything but. Sanborn preferred the idea that he “put the saxophone back into rock ’n’ roll.”

Indeed, he worked with a virtual who’s who of rock and R&b legends, including James Brown, Eric Clapton, Roger Daltrey, Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon, Bruce Springsteen, James Taylor, Al Jarreau, George Benson, Elton John, Carly Simon, Linda Ronstadt, Billy Joel, Roger Waters, Steely Dan, the Eagles,...

"The Billy Crystal Comedy Hour" is likely not remembered by many people, except for Billy Crystal himself. The variety/talk show ran from January 30 through February 27 in 1982, lasting a grand total of five episodes. Crystal was already a successful comedian and beloved figure in the industry thanks to the popularity of his 1970s stand-up work and his role in the 1977 sitcom "Soap," so he had connections. He was able to secure guest appearances from many of his famous comedian friends, including Rick Moranis, Dave Thomas, Robin Williams, and John Candy for the debut episode. Subsequent guests included Morgan Fairchild, the Manhattan Transfer, Nell Carter, Shelley Duvall, Cindy Williams, Al Jarreau, and Smokey Robinson. 

"The Billy Crystal Comedy Hour" fell right in between "Soap" and "Saturday Night Live" on Crystal's professional timeline, and it might be considered something of a dip in his career. The show was canceled after only two episodes aired,...

Jim Beard, a Grammy-winning keyboardist, composer and member of Steely Dan since 2008, died Saturday in a New York hospital of complications from a sudden illness, a publicist announced. He was 63.

Beard had been touring with Donald Fagen’s Steely Dan on the Eagles’ current “Long Goodbye” tour; his final performance was Jan. 20 in Phoenix.

Beard worked alongside such jazz legends as Wayne Shorter, Pat Metheny and John McLaughlin and recorded with the likes of Dizzy Gillespie, The Brecker Brothers, Mike Stern, Dianne Reeves, Meshell Ndegeocello and Steve Vai during his career.

He produced for Chick Corea, Al Jarreau and Esperanza Spalding and taught at institutions including the Mason Gross School of Arts, Berklee College of Music, Aaron Copland School of Music and the Sibelius Academy in Finland.

Beard recorded six solo CDs spanning the years 1990-2013 and won his Grammy in 2007 as a featured performer on the album Some Skunk Funk,...

Plot: In late 1984, inspired by the success of Band-Aid in the UK, legendary producer Quincy Jones decides to make a charity single including all of the biggest pop stars in the country. Due to the complicated schedules of all involved, they only have one evening to complete what will become one of the best-selling singles of all time, “We Are the World.”

Review: If you’ve seen the music video for “We Are the World,” you’ll know that pretty much every pop-rock icon of the first half of the eighties was there for its recording. In addition to co-writers Michael Jackson and Lionel Ritchie, there was Huey Lewis, Hall & Oates, Diana Ross, Kenny Loggins, Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, Willie Nelson, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Kenny Rogers, Paul Simon, Steve Perry and so many more. Even Dan Aykroyd showed up singing in the chorus.

The song was a charity single...

For the very first time, all five seasons of “Moonlighting” will be available at digital retailers, complete with the original Grammy-nominated title track recording by Al Jarreau. Each classic episode has been remastered in HD from the original film source. Fans can add the complete series to their digital collection on January 16 when “Moonlighting” becomes available to buy from all major digital retailers including Prime Video, Apple TV, and Vudu. SynopsisWhen former fashion model Maddie Hayes goes broke and finds that one of her few remaining assets is ownership of the Blue Moon Detective Agency, she’s tempted to liquidate ... Read more...

Update: In addition to being available on Hulu, the classic Bruce WIllis/ Cybill Shepherd series, Moonlighting, is now coming to digital retailers like iTunes and more. So if you want to own a digital copy of the show, now’s your chance. One caveat: no news on whether the show will be available in Canada, with it still absent from Disney Star here north of the border, making it seem like the music rights are keeping the show from being more widely available.

Original Post: Do bears bear? Do bees be? Does a Hulu subscription sound enticing now that Moonlighting is finally coming to the streaming platform? That’s right, you detectives of romance! All 67 episodes of the classic comedy series starring Bruce Willis and Cybill Shepherd will be available to stream on the service beginning on October 10, 2023.

How does Hulu plan to sweeten the pot for this fantastic news?...

For the very first time, all five seasons of “Moonlighting” will be available at digital retailers, complete with the original Grammy-nominated title track recording by Al Jarreau. Each classic episode has been remastered in HD from the original film source. Fans can add the complete series to their digital collection on January 16 when “Moonlighting” becomes available to buy from all major digital retailers including Prime Video, Apple TV, and Vudu. When former fashion model Maddie Hayes goes broke and finds that one of her few remaining assets is ownership of the Blue Moon Detective Agency, she’s tempted to liquidate it until she meets the quirky employees and gets involved in their even quirkier cases.

The post ‘Moonlighting’ Shines Brighter Than Ever: All 5 Seasons to be Released Digitally with HD Remastering and Original Theme Song appeared first on Hollywood Outbreak.

No more blurry YouTube videos. No more tracking down out of print DVDs. Moonlighting, the detective drama that aired on ABC from 1985 to 1989, is finally going to be available to stream. Beginning October 10, all 67 episodes of the series will be on Hulu. Like many series from the B.S. (before streaming) times, music rights were what held up the show’s availability. But all the songs will now be there, including Al Jarreau’s theme song. Each episode has also been digitally remastered in HD.

“Moonlighting,” the Emmy-nominated 1980s television series that gave Bruce Willis his breakout role, will stream for the first time ever on Oct. 10 on Hulu. All five seasons, consisting of 67 episodes, will be available to watch on the platform. The show, created by Glen Gordon Caron, also features Al Jarreau’s Grammy-nominated title track.

Cybill Shepherd stars in the show alongside Willis, Allyce Beasley and Curtis Armstrong.

The show’s description reads: “When former fashion model Maddie Hayes goes broke and finds that one of her few remaining assets is ownership of the Blue Moon Detective Agency, she’s tempted to liquidate it until she meets the quirky employees and gets involved in their even quirkier cases.”

The episodes have been remastered in HD from their original film source. “Moonlighting” originally aired from 1985 to 1989 on ABC.

In other TV roundup news:

Casting

Joe Manganiello, known for “True Blood” and “Magic Mike,...

Moonlighting creator Glenn Gordon Caron says that the series’ long-awaited release to streaming is “even more poignant” given leading man Bruce Willis’ mental health struggles.

Willis’ family announced in March 2022 that he had been diagnosed with aphasia, and as such would step away from his acting career. Less than a year later, the family added that Willis had been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia.

More from TVLineThe Traitors-Esque Social Experiment Got to Get Out Ordered at HuluMoonlighting Streaming on Hulu: What Songs Will Remain the Same?Moonlighting Finally Finds Streaming Home on Hulu - Find Out When It'll Debut

The...

At long last, this week it was revealed that “Moonlighting,” the formative romantic comedy/drama that made Bruce Willis a household name and cemented Cybill Shepherd place in popular culture, will finally be coming to Hulu next month. Glenn Gordon Caron, who created the show, wasn’t sure it was going to happen either.

“I really thought it was going to be one of those things that was lost to the ages,” he told TheWrap in an interview conducted after the announcement was made. “There’s a moment where you go from being in the zeitgeist to becoming a kind of niche and then frankly, getting lost, just have no currency whatsoever because there’ve been so many other things that have been made that have been more interesting, that are newer. And I very much worried about that. That was a concern of mine.”

“Moonlighting” premiered in 1985 on ABC and ran for five seasons.

For the first time in the show’s history, all five seasons and 67 episodes of the classic 1980s ABC hour “Moonlighting” will hit the rerun market – streaming exclusively over Hulu beginning October 10. Each installment has been remastered in HD from the original film source and will feature the Grammy-nominated title track recording from Al Jarreau.

The series – which originally ran from 1985 to ’89 – starred Cybill Shepherd and proved a star-making turn for Bruce Willis. It cast Shepherd as fashion model-turned detective agency head Maddie Hayes and Willis as wisecracking private eye David Addison, with Allyce Beasley and Curtis Armstrong featured in plum supporting roles as Agnes Dipesto and Herbert Viola, respectively. Whenever creator and showrunner Glenn Gordon Caron was asked why “Moonlighting” wasn’t available to stream, he would cite the prohibitive expense of acquiring the music rights of the eclectic soundtrack. But that little issue has evidently been rectified.

“Moonlighting...

Here is a wrap-up of all the news you need to know from Tuesday, September 26. 2023.

Emma Stone is headed to the small screen with Showtime's The Curse.

The Curse will premiere on streaming and on-demand for all Showtime and Paramount+ with Showtime subscribers on Friday, November 10, before making its on-air debut on Showtime on Sunday, November 12, at 10 p.m. Et/Pt.

The Curse is "a genre-bending series that explores how an alleged curse disturbs the relationship of a newly married couple as they try to conceive a child while co-starring in their new home-improvement show," according to the logline.

The series also stars Nathan Fielder (The Rehearsal) and Benny Safdie (Oppenheimer).

Guest stars include Oscar nominee Barkhad Abdi, Emmy nominee Corbin Bernsen, and Constance Shulman.

A co-production of Showtime and A24, The Curse is co-created, executive-produced, and written by Benny Safdie and Nathan Fielder.

Fielder also serves as a director,...

“Moonlighting,” the ’80s detective series that revived Cybill Shepherd’s career and gave Bruce Willis his, has long been notoriously unavailable. But all that changes when its 67 episodes begin streaming on Hulu on October 10.

Yes, that’s correct: Five seasons encompassed all of just 67 episodes of a network show. The series — created by Glen Gordon Caron — was infamous for missing its deadlines to make it to air (there’s even a joke in “The Golden Girls” about staying in to watch an episode that’s “only been rerun three times”) and by on-set strife that garnered reams of tabloid coverage.

Prevented by music rights issues from streaming, the series is poised to win over a new generation of fans for whom the behind-the-scenes drama will just be background noise. Per TVLine, the songs sung by the cast and the Al Jarreau theme song remain intact; ambient music has been swapped out where necessary.

There aren’t many shows unavailable online in the current streaming era. However, Bruce Willis and Cybill Shepherd‘s hit drama Moonlighting was one of the few that had never been available to binge. But after years of waiting, that’s all about to change. Moonlighting will be available on streaming for the first time, and Hulu snagged the coveted title. All five seasons of Moonlighting will be available to stream on Hulu as of Tuesday, October 10, the platform announced on Tuesday, September 26. Viewers can binge all 67 episodes, complete with the original Grammy-nominated title track recording by Al Jarreau. Each classic episode has also been remastered in HD from the original film source. Moonlighting creator Glenn Caron tweeted about his intentions to get the show onto streaming services on October 5, 2022, saying, “Can’t keep it under my hat any longer- the business of getting all five seasons of Moonlighting starring...

The answer to one long-burning question — “Will Moonlighting ever be available for streaming?” — quickly spawned another avid query: “But will the music remain the same?”

As TVLine reported on Tuesday, all five seasons of ABC’s Moonlighting — the groundbreaking dramedy starred Bruce Willis and Cybill Shepherd as bickering private detectives David Addison and Maddie Hayes — will be available to stream on Hulu starting Tuesday, Oct. 10.

More from TVLineMoonlighting Finally Finds Streaming Home on Hulu - Find Out When It'll DebutOnly Murders Recap: That's the Way the Cookie Crumbles - Has Our Trio Sniffed Out Ben's Killer a Week Ahead of Finale?...

For a TV show that is so frequently remembered for the will-they/won't-they love story of its main characters, Moonlighting has been mired in a will-it/won't-it (followed by a well-why-won't-it??) battle when it comes to streaming online. For years, music rights issues were the culprit that had kept the romantic comedy about a quirky detective agency out of sight.

That all changes starting October 10th, when Moonlighting's entire five-season run will be available to stream on Hulu. There's been no announcement as to whether all the music used in the series has been cleared or if it will stream with replacement tracks — as has been the custom with other music-heavy shows like Northern Exposure, Dawson's Creek, and The Real World — but at the very least the Al Jarreau-sung theme song will remain intact.

Moonlighting, the popular 1980s TV series, will finally be available to stream for the first time ever, after years of being off-limits on any platform. Starting on October 10, Hulu will offer all five seasons and 67 episodes of Moonlighting, providing fans with a chance to relive the adventures of private detectives played by Cybill Shepherd and Bruce Willis. Despite its previous massive ratings success, Moonlighting has been missing from streaming services until now, making its addition to Hulu a long-awaited treat for fans of the show.

Moonlighting, a popular 1980s television series starring Bruce Willis, finally finds a streaming home for the first time in its existence. Airing on ABC from 1985 to 1989, the series starred Cybill Shepherd as a former model and a mostly unknown Willis as a smart-aleck detective who partner up to manage a private agency and solve cases. Though Moonlighting was a massive ratings success for much of...

The Blue Moon Detective Agency is once again open for business — finally.

After years stuck in streaming limbo, Moonlighting — one of the 10 most requested series by TVLine readers — will now be available to stream on Hulu, with all five seasons hitting the service on Tuesday, Oct. 10, TVLine has learned.

More from TVLineThe 10 Most Requested TV Shows Not Available on a Major Streaming Service — and Where to Potentially Find ThemWhat’s New on Netflix in September — Plus: Disney+, Hulu, Amazon and OthersMoonlighting Streaming on Hulu: What Songs Will Remain the Same?

According to Hulu, each episode has been remastered in high...

For the love of Maddie Hayes, look what’s coming to Hulu: For the very first time, all 67 episodes of Moonlighting will be available to stream on the platform beginning Oct. 10.

Hulu promises that each episode of the comedy starring Bruce Willis and Cybill Shepherd has been remastered in HD from the original film source. It will even feature the original Grammy-nominated title track recording from Al Jarreau.

The fact that Moonlighting landed at Hulu isn’t exactly a surprise. In October of 2022, Creator Glenn Gordon Caron teased some kind of Moonlighting return on Twitter. “Disney and I have put our heads together and come up with a plan,” he wrote.

Speculation immediately centered on either Disney+ or Hulu picking up the episodes from the popular ’80s show. But there was a catch: music rights. The series leaned heavily on hits from multiple decades.

Apparently, that’s water under the bridge now.

Bobby Caldwell, the soulful singer-songwriter who scored a top 10 hit with “What You Won’t Do for Love” and wrote “The Next Time I Fall,” a No. 1 hit for Amy Grant and Peter Cetera, died today at his home in New York City after a long illness. He was 71.

His wife, Mary Caldwell, announced the news on social media, saying: “I held him tight in my arms as he left us. I am forever heartbroken. Thanks to all of you for your many prayers over the years.” She added that his health had deteriorated for more than six years since suffering an allergic reaction to an antibiotic.

Bornon August 15, 1951, in Manhattan and raised in Miami, Caldwell’s parents were singers who hosted a musical/variety TV Show called Suppertime. He was a multi-instrumentalist whose teenage band gigged in Las Vegas before he relocated to Los Angeles, where he became a...

On March 30, Bruce Willis’ family announced on social media that he would retire from acting because of an ongoing struggle with aphasia, a brain disorder that affects a person’s cognitive function and ability to communicate.

Instantly fans began sharing their favorite Willis performances across social media, but they were faced with a glaring hole in the Willis oeuvre – “Moonlighting,” the ABC comedy-drama series that turned Willis into a household name and led to him being cast in “Die Hard.” The series isn’t available on any streaming platform, despite being one of the biggest shows of the 1980s, and the DVD box sets, a reliable standby in situations where streaming is not an option, have long been out of print (vintage copies going for more than 100 per season on eBay and other secondary markets).

It was a case worthy of Willis’ snarky character David Addison and Cybill Shepherd’s ex-model Maddie Hayes,...

When looking at Grammy nominations for 2022, you might notice that there are a few cover songs nominated. As per Grammy rules, a cover can only be submitted in a performance category or in an arrangement category; they’re not eligible for songwriting since they were written in a previous eligibility period, or sometimes before the Grammys were even created. This year I think three covers seem to be in a good position to win: Jason Isbell’s “All I Do is Drive,” Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga’s “I Get a Kick Out of You,” and Chris Cornell’s “Nothing Compares 2 U.” But just how common is it for covers to prevail?

Country is one of the fields with the most covers winning. A few of the most recent wins have included “Gentle On My Mind” by The Band Perry (originally performed by John Hartford), “Wagon Wheel” by Darius Rucker...

Jay G Jacobs, a longtime William Morris agent who represented such artists as The Beach Boys, Simon & Garfunkel and

Diana Ross, died peacefully in his sleep Nov. 18 at the Motion Picture Home in Woodland Hills after a brief battle with lung and bone cancer. He was 79.

Born in Philadelphia in 1942, Jacobs grew up an avid fan of film, TV, and music. Still a teenager, he started his career in 1961 when he landed a job at the mail room of the William Morris Agency in New York. He worked at the agency for three decades and was a founding member of the agency’s music department. He worked with artists across all genres, from rock and country to jazz and R&b, including The Beach Boys, The Monkeys, The Supremes, Simon & Garfunkel, Diana Ross, Ashford & Simpson, George Benson, Teddy Pendergrass, Al Jarreau as well as Crosby, Stills, and Nash.

In a recent MPTF profile,...

Nas, a rap great by any measure, has released four studio albums in the last 12 years — all ambitious, all restless, all with their own cohesive artistic thread. And despite none of them being as groundbreaking as his storied 1994 debut Illmatic or as narrative-grabbing as his 2001 return to form, every one of them is good-to-great. Even though last year’s Kanye West-produced 11th album, Nasir, got a somewhat lukewarm response, it still featured the phenomenal “Cops Shot the Kid,” which ultimately cracked the Billboard Hot 100. The Lost Tapes II, is...

Nas spits circles around a jazzy beat on his previously unreleased track, “Jarreau of Rap (Skatt Attack),” produced by Eddie Cole and featuring Al Jarreau and trumpeter Keyon Harrold. The track is set to appear on Nas’ upcoming compilation, The Lost Tapes 2, out July 19th via Mass Appeal and Def Jam.

“Jarreau of Rap” is a fitting tribute to its namesake, Al Jarreau, whose rendition of Dave Brubeck’s “(Round, Round, Round) Blue Rondo à la Turk” serves as the core sample on the song. Nas embraces the playful energy of Jarreau’s “Blue Rondo,...

Nas will collect unreleased tracks from his last four albums on his long-awaited new compilation, The Lost Tapes 2, out July 19th via Mass Appeal and Def Jam.

The 16-track set will feature songs made during the sessions for 2006’s Hip-Hop is Dead, 2008’s Untitled, 2012’s Life Is Good and 2018’s Nasir. The production credits feature a slew of hip-hop giants including Swizz Beatz, Pharrell, RZA, Hit-Boy, Pete Rock, the Alchemist, No I.D. and Kanye West.

Nas teased the imminent arrival of The Lost Tapes 2 on Instagram last month, while on Tuesday,...

Quincy Jones is traditionally viewed as the mastermind behind the apex of all charity singles, but it was actually Harry Belafonte who instigated the idea in the wake of Band Aid’s “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” Seeking to make a star-studded Yankee equivalent to alleviate the Ethiopian famine, Belafonte contacted entertainment manager and fellow activist Ken Kragen, who drafted clients Lionel Richie and Kenny Rogers, as well as Stevie Wonder. But the production escalated once Jones and his extensive Rolodex were brought into the mix. He called in...

Al Jarreau, a seven-time Grammy Award-winning singer, died Sunday at a Los Angeles hospital. He was 76.

According to a statement from his manager Joe Gordon published by Ebony magazine, the singer was surrounded by family and friends at the time of his passing.

His loved ones asked that in lieu of flowers or gifts, donations be made the Wisconsin Foundation for School Music, an organization that supports music opportunities, teachers, and scholarships for students in Milwaukee and throughout Wisconsin.

Last week, updates on Jarreau’s Twitter account announced he had entered a hospital for exhaustion and was forced to retire from touring “with complete sorrow.

Legendary jazz and R&B singer Al Jarreau has died, Ebony.com reports. He was 76.

The seven-time Grammy winner is perhaps best known to TV audiences for writing the lyrics and performing the theme to Moonlighting. He was hospitalized for exhaustion just days ago, but passed away on Sunday morning. A cause of death has not been reported.

Jarreau’s most notable hits included “Mornin’,” “After All,” “Roof Garden” and “We’re In This Love Together.”

In addition to his singing career, Jarreau dabbled in acting, appearing as Rev. Gentry Hall in two episodes of Touched by an Angel, as...

Al Jarreau, famed R&B and jazz singer died Sunday morning according to his reps. The 7-time Grammy winner had been hospitalized recently in Los Angeles. Amid his medical battle ... he announced he would be retiring. He'd been touring almost non-stop for 50 years. A message on his website says he passed away while in the hospital.  Just last week, Al's son said his father was singing "Moonlighting" to one of his nurses.  Jarreau won 7 Grammy's...

YouTube Kids launched a little more than seven months ago, and it’s growing up so fast! The app, which gives children and their parents a selection of age-appropriate videos to their fingertips, has announced several new features, including new videos, a collection of playlists, and new controls that help filter out inappropriate content.

Several of YouTube’s most kid-friendly creators have joined the channels already available on the app. Among other newcomers, HooplaKidz and DreamWorksTV will now share videos on YouTube Kids. Other content creators, such as Kid President and National Geographic Kids, have rolled out playlists based around specific themes. In addition, YouTube has expanded to the living room, as all these videos are now available on digital TV services like Chromecast and Apple TV.

The most important change, however, concerns the responsibility YouTube Kids bears for the inappropriate content users may find on the app. Since its launch,...

The Carrie Diaries' Brendan Dooling has had a whirlwind first season, going from girlfriend to coming out, and it's just going to get more intense. Still, Brendan doesn't know where his story might go in season two, if it happens. "I mean, in the books, he lives in a tent in his backyard because his dad doesn't want him in the house. I'm not sure where Amy Harris and the writers are going to take his story. You know, I don't know how much of — godwilling, Season 2 — I don't know how much of that would be Carrie and Walt in the city, as opposed to Walt in Castlebury. But there's certainly a lot more adversity coming his way. He's had support in the closet, and now I don't know what his support system is like outside of it." And Entertainment Weekly has a very spoilery photo you probably want to see.

Chapter 1: At 11:15 a.m. on March 23, Orlando Sentinel reporter Scott Powers arrives at a fundraiser for Senator Bill Nelson (D-fl) which vice president Joe Biden would also be attending. Chapter 2: Minutes later, Powers is ushered into a storage closet. “You’re going to have to wait in here until the V.P. gets here,” a Biden staffer told him. Chapter 3: “You're kidding me,” Powers replied. Chapter 4: She was not kidding him. Chapter 5: According to ABC News, Powers “said he was held for more than an hour in the closet, was allowed out for 35 minutes of remarks by Biden and Nelson, after which it was back into the closet until the VP left.” Chapter 6: Powers, now armed with a Beretta, waits for his opportunity to leave the closet when his cell phone rings. Biden hears the phone and sings, “There’s a mystery going...

"It turns out, by the way, that oil rigs today generally don’t cause spills. They are technologically very advanced." That's not a joke--President Obama actually said that on April 2, soon after he announced a plan to expand offshore oil and gas exploration. What a difference a few weeks makes. In a nutshell: Bp's Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded; approximately 210,000 gallons of oil are now seeping into the Gulf of Mexico daily; animals, wetlands, fisheries, and local tourism industries are all threatened; and now Gov. Charlie Crist has declared a state of emergency. The spill has also officially reached the Louisiana coast--and it smells. And now, exactly one week after politicians confidently assured us that the spill won't affect drilling plans, Obama has declared a moratorium on new drilling until the government figures out why Deepwater Horizon exploded.

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Does this disaster mean long-term problems for offshore drilling?

Environmental groups certainly hope so.

Mr Angela Bassett, aka Courtney B. Vance, is 50 years old today. The Harvard grad will likely be most known as Assistant District Attorney Ron Carver on Law & Order spinoff, Criminal Intent (the best of the trio, Imho). He was on the show for 5 seasons – 2001 to 2006. Since then, he’s had recurring roles on E.R. (2008-2009) and FlashForward (2009). Currently, he and Ms Bassett are working on the adaptation of Erasure, the novel written by Percival Everett, which, at the time of its publication, was perceived to be a critique of Sapphire’s Push. We’ve covered the adaptation on this blog, which stirred up a bit of discussion; read that post Here.

Alwyn Lopez Jarreau (Al Jarreau) is 70 years old today. Mr Jarreau has a Masters in Psychology and was a counselor before becoming a professional musician. He has since then won 5 Grammy Awards and is the only singer on the...

Alabama soul man Taylor Hicks was crowned the fifth American Idol in Hollywood Wednesday night after a winning the majority of a staggering 63.4 million votes. The grey-haired singer beat California girl Katharine McPhee in the star-studded two-hour finale at the Kodak Theatre, which was capped by a surprise appearance from Prince. He wasn't the only celebrity performer to grace the stage at the final - Toni Braxton, Al Jarreau, Mary J Blige and Meat Loaf also dueted with their favorite Idols, while Dionne Warwick teamed up with Burt Bacharach for a medley of "Walk On By" and "That's What Friends Are For," backed by the show's finalists. Hicks, 29, joins past winners Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard, Fantasia and Carrie Underwood and was handed the keys to a Ford Mustang as a finalist and a new record contract as the 2006 American Idol.

TORONTO -- Montreal's International Jazz Festival on Tuesday said Grammy Award-winner Cesaria Evora, Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits, Medeski Martin & Wood and Quebec producer and songwriter Daniel Lanois had been added to its upcoming concert lineup. The news comes on top of earlier announcements that Bobby McFerrin, Michael Buble, Roberta Flack and Al Jarreau, the Dave Holland Big Band, Blind Boys of Alabama and Mavis Staples will perform at the 26th edition of the Montreal jazz festival. The festival will outline its entire indoor concert schedule on May 10, and unveil its outdoor concert lineup on June 7. The Montreal International Jazz Festival is set to run from June 30 to July 10.