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Here on Elvis Radio (Ch. 76), we’re Counting Down the King: your votes shape the playlist each month!

Vote for your favorites from a themed list of songs by Elvis Presley – every month, after the votes are tallied, we’ll air a new countdown hosted by Elvis Radio’s Robb Walker.

Check back weekly at siriusxm.com/elviscountdown for the next poll! You can also stream previous episodes of “Counting Down the King” on the SiriusXM app.

This month, we count down your favorite Elvis songs written by Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller.

Directions: Select 5 songs from the list below. You may vote once between 2/7/25 and 2/21/25 at 5pET.

The post Counting Down the King: Leiber & Stoller appeared first on SiriusXM.

Return of the King: The Fall and Rise of Elvis Presley is Netflix's newest musical documentary, examining Elvis's tumultuous career and highlighting some of the songs he performed in his famous 1968 comeback special. The 1968 Elvis comeback special was a pivotal moment in his career, seeing him return to the stage after years of working in the film industry at the request of his manager, Colonel Tom Parker. Feeling dissatisfied with the lack of artistry in his movies, the special was a return to form for the iconic singer.

Though some of Elvis Presley's best movies, such as Viva Las Vegas, are considered classics, Elvis is known best in pop culture history for his influence on music. The 2022 biopic, Elvis, examines the toxic relationship between the star and Tom Parker, who pushed him toward his more commercial appeal. With great music from bands like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones dominating the industry,...

Joe Egan, the Scottish singer-songwriter who co-founded Stealers Wheel with Gerry Rafferty and co-wrote their 1973 hit “Stuck in the Middle With You,” died Saturday, July 6. He was 77.

Egan’s death was confirmed Sunday, July 7, on the official Rafferty Facebook page, run by Rafferty’s daughter, Martha (Rafferty died in 2011). No cause of death was given.

“Very sad news that the other half of Stealers Wheel, Joe Egan, passed away peacefully yesterday afternoon with his nearest and dearest around him,” Martha wrote. “I will always remember him as a sweet and gentle soul.

Take yourself back to 2015 for a second, and imagine someone came up to you and said, “That kid who made ‘White Iverson’ — nine years from now he’s going to be one of the biggest country music stars on the planet.” Maybe it’d seem inconceivable. But even then there was plenty of reason and evidence to believe Post Malone could pull off exactly the kind of country pivot he has in 2024.

So far this summer, he’s had not only the biggest song in country, but the biggest song...

Exclusive: More than a hit song, “Stand by Me,” by Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller and Ben E. King, has transcended the notion of a “standard” — it’s been recorded more than 1,000 times and has made more appearances on the Billboard Hot 100 chart than any other song.

Music and media producer Spencer Proffer and his music-anchored production company Meteor 17 have been selected to produce the authorized feature-length documentary about the iconic song and its significant global impact for over six decades. Emmy and Grammy nominated director J. Kevin Swain — who has directed music videos and other projects for and with Mary J. Blige, Wynton Marsalis, Queen Latifah — has been selected by Proffer to bring the story of the song to the screen.

As part of the film, Emmy- and Grammy-winning producer, composer, musical director and musician Steve Jordan will produce a new version of “Stand by Me.” Jordan has worked with artists including Keith Richards,...

Cynthia Weil, the celebrated songwriter who helped craft timeless hits like the Righteous Brothers’ “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’,” the Animals’ “We Gotta Get Out of This Place,” and Chaka Khan’s “Through the Fire,” died Thursday, June 1. She was 82.

Weil’s daughter, Jenn Mann, confirmed her death, though no cause was given. “My mother, Cynthia Weil, was the greatest mother, grandmother and wife our family could ever ask for,” Mann said. “She was my best friend, confidant, and my partner in crime and an idol and trailblazer for women in music.

Seymour Stein, the founder of Sire Records who launched the recording careers of Madonna, the Ramones, Talking Heads and the Pretenders, died Sunday of cancer in Los Angeles. He was 80.

His death was announced by his daughter Mandy Stein.

In a tribute posted today on Instagram, Madonna called Stein “one of the most influential men in my life,” adding, “Anyone who knew Seymour knew about his passion for music and his impeccable taste. He had an ear like no other! He was Intense – wickedly funny – a little bit crazy And deeply intuitive.”

Read her entire post below.

Related Story Hollywood & Media Deaths In 2023: Photo Gallery & Obituaries Related Story Sharon Acker Dies: Veteran Film ('Point Blank') And TV ('Perry Mason') Actress Was 87 Related Story Mark Russell Dies: PBS Piano-Playing Political Satirist Was 90

A hugely influential force on the American pop and rock music scene since the 1970s,...

Seymour Stein, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member who was the co-founder of Sire Records, the former vice president at Warner Bros. Records and, many years ago, began his storied career in the music industry at The Hollywood Reporter sister publication Billboard, has died.

His daughter, filmmaker Mandy Stein, told THR that her father died Sunday morning in Los Angeles from cancer.

Stein signed such music legends as Madonna and The Ramones at Sire. But when he was just a teenager, he began working as an assistant to Tommy Noonan, then head of charts at Billboard, where Stein sat in on meetings to decide which new records to review and helped to compile the then just-launched Hot 100.

“I was just 16, working at Billboard after school. From the time I was 9 years old, I knew I wanted to be in the music business,” he said in an interview published...

The winners of the 13th annual Guild of Music Supervisors Awards were revealed Sunday night at the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles.

Anton Monsted won best music supervision for a film budgeted over $25 million for Elvis, while Lauren Marie Mikus and Bruce Gilbert won the award for a film budgeted $25 million or under for Everything Everywhere All at Once. The latter film also won best song written and/or record for a film for “This Is a Life.” Rob Lowry took home two awards for his work on Cha Cha Real Smooth and Do Revenge.

On the television side, Nora Felder won for best music supervision for a television drama for the fourth season of Stranger Things, while Kier Lehman won in the comedy/musical category for Insecure season five. “Perfect Day” from Better Call Saul season six won best song written and/or recorded for TV.

At the awards ceremony,...

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Elvis lead the nominees for the 2023 Music Supervisors Guild Awards.

Each film earned three nominations in the same categories: best music supervision for film budgeted over 25 million, best song written and/or recorded for a film and best music supervision in a trailer – film.

Artists who contributed to the Black Panther sequel and Elvis movie soundtrack, Rihanna and Doja Cat, were also nominated for awards this year, as were performers and songwriters Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, Diana Ross and David Byrne.

High-profile films and TV shows that earned two nominations apiece include A Jazzman’s Blues, Everything Everywhere All at Once, Minions: The Rise of Gru, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, Atlanta, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Better Call Saul, Stranger Things, P-Valley and The Afterparty.

The winners in categories spanning film, TV, video games, advertising and trailers will be revealed at an in-person and...

Shonka Dukureh, a singer and actress who recently portrayed blues legend Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton in Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis, has died at age 44.

The Charlotte, North Carolina native was found dead in her Nashville apartment on Thursday, July 21, according to the Metro Nashville Police Department. The police department confirmed on Twitter that “no foul play is evident,” adding that the actress shared her home with her two young children. A cause of death has not yet been identified.

Dukureh was raised in Charlotte and relocated to Nashville to attend Fisk University,...

Shonka Dukureh, the singer and actor who portrayed Big Mama Thornton in Baz Luhrmann’s “Elvis,” was found dead in her Nashville, Tenn. apartment on Thursday, police confirmed. She was 44.

According to a tweet from the Metro Nashville Police Department, no foul play is evident in Dukureh’s death. “Dukureh, a Fisk Univ graduate, was found dead in the bedroom of her Kothe Way apt that she shared with her 2 young children,” the tweet reads.

Breaking: No foul play is evident in today's death of actress Shonka Dukureh, 44, who portrayed Big Mama Thornton in this year's Elvis movie. Dukureh, a Fisk Univ graduate, was found dead in the bedroom of her Kothe Way apt that she shared with her 2 young children.

— Metro Nashville Pd (@MNPDNashville) July 21, 2022

As reported by The Tennessean, Dukureh was found unresponsive on Thursday morning by one of her children, who went to a neighbor for help.

If there were an award to bestow for the most accomplished living American pop songwriter who never doubled as a recording artist, the frontrunner would almost definitely be Mike Stoller, 89, half of one of the most famous writing duos of all time, Leiber & Stoller. Even if the memory of Elvis Presley were completely wiped away, like the Beatles’ in that “Yesterday” movie, this pairing would still be in the history books and collective consciousness for “Stand by Me,” “On Broadway,” “There Goes My Baby,” “Young Blood,” “Kansas City,” “Love Potion #9,” “Yakety Yak,” “Charlie Brown,” “I’m a Woman,” “Ruby Baby,” “Is That All There Is?” and other numbers deeply embedded in pop culture from the mid-‘50s forward.

But we do remember Elvis — and are remembering him more universally than we have since his 1977 death, thanks to Baz Luhrmann’s new “Elvis” biopic. So it’s a perfect chance to catch up with Stoller,...

Baz Luhrmann’s box-office-topping new movie Elvis does manage to show the powerhouse singer Big Mama Thornton (played by Shonka Dukureh) performing “Hound Dog,” a song she recorded in 1952, four years before Elvis Presley. But it leaves out two very significant players: songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, who wrote “Hound Dog” as teenagers for Thornton, and went on to write “Jailhouse Rock,” “You’re So Square (I Don’t Care),” “Trouble,” and other hits for Presley himself.

Leiber died in 2011, but Stoller is thriving at age 89 — and he tells...

Baz Luhrmann’s “Elvis” is far from being just about Elvis, when it comes to the music in the film and on a forthcoming soundtrack album. Besides the vintage Presley cuts included, the movie is providing the opportunity for the most high-profile multi-artist soundtrack in years. The lineup of participating artists was announced in May — without any song titles attached — and a handful of singles has been released, by Eminem, Måneskin and Doja Cat. But not until the film began screening more widely, in advance of its June 17 wide release, did it become fully apparent who was singing what and just how some of the more unusual choices would fit into the biopic.

Here’s a guide to the most notable newly recorded tracks and how they’re used in the film — followed by a guide to which songs are Elvis originals and which are sung by Austin Butler or,...

There’s no mania like Beatlemania, and Peter Jackson’s The Beatles: Get Back is both proof of that, and a direct consequence of it. A lot of the reviews said it was an overlong and unnecessary affair. Well, Disney+ let Jackson include swearing in the documentary, so, fuck them. He prefers his own 18-hour cut to this just-under-eight-hour documentary series, and he’s “right and will be proved right,” to paraphrase John Lennon.

Is it an important document? Yes. Does it give Beatlemaniacs everything they want? Of course not, nothing will.

For one thing, he doesn’t give us a full version of Paul McCartney’s “Teddy Boy,” which came close to making the playlist. We also don’t get the satisfaction of hearing entire versions of “The Long and Winding Road,” “Let It Be,” or any of the other final album songs not performed on the roof. We...

Phil Spector, the monumentally influential music producer whose “Wall of Sound” style revolutionized the way rock music was recorded in the early 1960s, died Saturday at the age of 81. Spector’s life was tumultuous and ultimately tragic; as groundbreaking as his studio accomplishments were, those achievements were all but overshadowed by his 2009 conviction for the murder of actress Lana Clarkson.

Spector’s death was confirmed by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. “California Health Care Facility inmate Phillip Spector was pronounced deceased of natural causes at 6:35 p.m.

This Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom analysis contains spoilers. You can find our spoiler-free review here.

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom tells the story of a group of 1920s musicians, composites of session players at the time, waiting for “the Mother of the Blues” to bring her big voice to the big room at Hot Rhythm Recordings. “Ma” Rainey, positively channeled by Viola Davis in the film, owned the copyrights of her songs, some of which became blues standards. Her trumpet player, Levee, masterfully captured by Chadwick Boseman in his cinematic swan song, doesn’t catch that break. The young horn player spends a lot of his time finishing a song for the session producer Sturdyvant (Jonny Coyne). He’s promised a recording using his arrangement.

The delivery of that promise first comes as a devaluation. The producer pounces on Levee when he’s down. He’d just been fired...

Al Kasha, the Academy Award-winning composer who, along with songwriting partner Joel Hirschhorn, won Oscars for the soft rock disaster movie classics “The Morning After” and “We May Never Love Like This Again,” died Tuesday in Los Angeles. He was 83.

His death was announced by spokesperson Deborah Radel. A cause of death was not disclosed.

Dominating music charts – and Oscar’s Best Original Song category – in 1973 with “The Morning After,” from The Poseidon Adventure, and again in ’75 with “We May Never Love Like This Again” from The Towering Inferno, Kasha and Hirschhorn returned to film songwriting with 1977’s Disney classic Pete’s Dragon. The duo was Oscar-nominated for that song score and the song “Candle On The Water,” sung by Pete’s Dragon star Helen Reddy.

For his Broadway stage work, Kasha received Tony Award nominations for the scores of 1981’s Copperfield and 1982’s Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.

Both Broadway productions were short-lived,...

Long renowned for a faithful adherence to the Appalachian folk music tradition in many of their solo works as well as their collaborations as a duo, Gillian Welch and David Rawlings have announced the release of All The Good Times, a 10-track sampling of acoustic cover songs.

Recorded at home on a reel-to-reel tape machine, the album — released to streaming on Friday — features the works of legendary songwriters including Bob Dylan (“Señor,” “Abandoned Love”), John Prine (“Hello in There”), Elizabeth Cotton (“Oh Babe It Ain’t No Lie”) and Norman Blake...

BroadwayHD, the premiere streaming service for theater fans, is kicking off September with everyone dancin' to the Jailhouse Rock. Making its streaming premiere exclusively on BroadwayHD, Smokey Joe's Cafe The Songs of Leiber and Stoller, an infectiously fun and riotous rock and roll time capsule of top 40 hits captured live-in-performance on Broadway will debut September 12 . Grammy Award winners Jerry Leiber and Michael Stoller wrote hit songs for great artists such a King of Rock and Roll Elvis Presley, The Drifters, The Coasters and Peggy Lee. Subscribers can dance and sing-along to classics including 'Jailhouse Rock,' 'Love Potion 9,' 'Hound Dog', 'On Broadway', 'Stand By Me' and other favorites. If swiveling your hips to the music of Smokey Joe's Cafe has you wanting more, continue your musical journey through the 1950s with the Best Musical Tony Award-winning performance of Memphis, featuring Tony Award-nominees Chad Kimball and Montego Glover,...

When Oklahoma retro-rock revivalist Jd McPherson decided to record his first-ever Christmas album, Socks, he asked himself one key question. “What do we exclude?” says McPherson. “What are the first things that most bands want to do when making a Christmas record and how do we not do those things?”

The resulting 11-track album of all original songs, out now via New West Records, stays true to McPherson’s list of exclusions: there are no jingle bells, no cover songs and no schmaltz. Instead, Socks overflows with vintage rock & roll tidings of comfort and joy,...

Order by September 30th for Tickets from 49 Smokey Joe'S Cafe The Songs Of Leiber And Stoller features 40 of the greatest songs of the past century, including showstopping classics like 'On Broadway,' 'Stand by Me,' 'Jailhouse Rock,' 'Hound Dog,' 'Love Potion No. 9,' 'Spanish Harlem,' and 'Charlie Brown,' it celebrates the music of the legendary songwriting duo, Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, whose songs provided hit after hit for icons like Elvis Presley, Ben E. King, The Coasters, and The Drifters.

Order by September 30th for Tickets from 49 Smokey Joe'S Cafe The Songs Of Leiber And Stoller features 40 of the greatest songs of the past century, including showstopping classics like 'On Broadway,' 'Stand by Me,' 'Jailhouse Rock,' 'Hound Dog,' 'Love Potion No. 9,' 'Spanish Harlem,' and 'Charlie Brown,' it celebrates the music of the legendary songwriting duo, Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, whose songs provided hit after hit for icons like Elvis Presley, Ben E. King, The Coasters, and The Drifters.

Songwriter Mike Stoller was 3,000 miles away from the Royal Wedding, where the inspirational “Stand By Me,” which he co-wrote, was sung by the London-based, Karen Gibson-led Kingdom Choir at Windsor Castle’s St. George’s Chapel. The May 19 performance of the 1961 classic was the only “pop” song to be part of the Royal procession, reportedly a personal request from Meghan Markle after Prince Charles suggested the gospel troupe be invited.

The 85-year-old Stoller, who is still working, is the only living member of the trio which co-wrote the original.

Mirroring the mix of its creators – Stoller and Jerry Leiber were a pair of Jewish songwriters, while Ben E. King was an African-American vocalist and a former member of the Drifters – “Stand by Me” seemed to represent a historic acknowledgement of its origins with the introduction of the bi-racial Markle into the Royal Family.

Indeed, Kingdom Choir’s version, which...

Today in 1995, Smokey Joe's Cafe opened at the Virginia Theatre now the August Wilson Theatre where it ran for 2036 performances. Smokey Joe's Cafe is a musical revue showcasing 39 pop standards, including rock and roll, rhythm and blues songs written by songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. The Original Broadway cast recording, Smokey Joe's Cafe The Songs Of Leiber And Stoller won a Grammy award in 1996. In revue format with no unifying theme the 39 songs are presented by various members of the cast in various combinations, with no dialogue. There are novelty songs 'Charlie Brown', romantic ballads 'Spanish Harlem' and infectious melodies 'There Goes My Baby'.

Today in 1995, Smokey Joe's Cafe opened at the Virginia Theatre now the August Wilson Theatre where it ran for 2036 performances. Smokey Joe's Cafe is a musical revue showcasing 39 pop standards, including rock and roll, rhythm and blues songs written by songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. The Original Broadway cast recording, Smokey Joe's Cafe The Songs Of Leiber And Stoller won a Grammy award in 1996. In revue format with no unifying theme the 39 songs are presented by various members of the cast in various combinations, with no dialogue. There are novelty songs 'Charlie Brown', romantic ballads 'Spanish Harlem' and infectious melodies 'There Goes My Baby'.

Smokey Joe's Cafe-The Songs of Leiber and Stoller transports audiences to the golden age of rock, rhythm and blues this spring at Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater. Director Randy Johnson returns to Arena Stage following the success of A Night with Janis Joplin which enjoyed two runs at Arena Stage followed by a subsequent run on Broadway to helm this Grammy Award-winning tribute to legendary songwriting duo Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, which originally opened on Broadway in 1995 and became the longest running musical revue, topping 2,000 performances. Bursting with hit tunes including 'Hound Dog,' 'Jailhouse Rock,' 'Stand by Me,' 'Love Potion 9' and 'On Broadway,' Smokey Joe's Cafe showcases choreography by Parker Esse Arena Stage's The Music Man, Oklahoma and music direction by Victor Simonson Center Stage's A Civil War Christmas, Arena Stage's 3 Mo' Divas and runs April 25-June 8, 2014 in the Fichandler Stage.

Today in 1995, Smokey Joe's Cafe opened at the Virginia Theatre now the August Wilson Theatre where it ran for 2036 performances. Smokey Joe's Cafe is a musical revue showcasing 39 pop standards, including rock and roll, rhythm and blues songs written by songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. The Original Broadway cast recording, Smokey Joe's Cafe The Songs Of Leiber And Stoller won a Grammy award in 1996. In revue format with no unifying theme the 39 songs are presented by various members of the cast in various combinations, with no dialogue. There are novelty songs 'Charlie Brown', romantic ballads 'Spanish Harlem' and infectious melodies 'There Goes My Baby'.

Last night, 92Y celebrated songwriting legend Mike Stoller on the occasion of his 80th year with An 80th Birthday Celebration, a one-night-only Lyrics amp Lyricists Special Event hosted by Paul Shaffer and directed and written by Randy Johnson directorwriter of A Night withJanis Joplin. Performers included legendary vocal group The Coasters, along with artists Karen Akers,Mary Bridget Davies, Corky Hale, Maria Elena Infantino,Sally Kellerman, Bettye Lavette, Melissa Manchester, Billy Stritch, Tommy Tune and Steve Tyrell. Backed by Tyrell's band, the artists performed some of the greatest songs written by Stoller with his longtime lyricist partner Jerry Leiber and others. Check out photos from the special event below...

Washington — Harold Winley sang "Love Potion No. 9" and other hits with the R&B group The Clovers in the 1950s, but now the 80-year-old says another group is trying to keep him from performing using the band's name.

Winley says he was in his teens when he and four other singers started performing as The Clovers in the Washington area. The R&B group played at New York's Apollo Theater, eventually signed with Atlantic Records and celebrated when "Love Potion No. 9" became their biggest hit in 1959.

"It was great," said Winley, who now lives in Lauderdale Lakes, Fla. "We didn't make no money but we had a lot of fun."

The group's success fell off in the 1960s, however. And that's when things got more complicated, leading to a lawsuit filed earlier this year in federal court in Washington.

Winley and another band mate, Harold Lucas, went on...

American music producer who worked with many pop greats including Bob Dylan, Barbra Streisand and Frank Sinatra

Once nicknamed "The Pope of Pop", Phil Ramone, who has died aged 79, worked as a sound engineer and producer with an unparalleled list of popular musicians including Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Billy Joel, Ray Charles and Barbra Streisand. In 1993, he produced Frank Sinatra's comeback album Duets, which paired the crooner with a host of stars such as Aretha Franklin, Bono and Tony Bennett. Its success prompted a follow-up, Duets II, which was Sinatra's final studio album. Ramone used the celebrity guests concept again for Charles's album Genius Loves Company (2004) and duets albums for Bennett.

Ramone won 14 Grammys during his career and was in demand for television, film and stage projects. He collaborated with Streisand on soundtracks for A Star Is Born and Yentl, worked on stage productions of Chicago, The Wiz and...

The Pasadena Playhouse Sheldon Epps, Artistic Director and Elizabeth Doran Executive Director announced their 2013-2014 season today. The season will include a revival of the longest-running Broadway musical revue, Smokey Joe's Cafe featuring the musical masterpieces of the legendary team of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller Stoneface The Rise and Fall and Rise of Buster Keaton, by Vanessa Claire Stewart and starring French Stewart '3rd Rock From the Sun' which enjoyed a successful run at Sacred Fools Theatre Company this past summer Above the Fold a new drama by Bernard Weinraub, about the world of journalism in the digital age, which received a Hothouse at The Playhouse staged reading in 2012 Noel Coward's rarely produced A Song at Twilight, directed by Art Manke, who recently directed The Playhouse's hit revival of Coward's Fallen Angels and a theatrical surprise production that will be selected and directed by Playhouse Artistic Director Sheldon Epps,...

Today in 1995, Smokey Joe's Cafe opened at the Virginia Theatre now the August Wilson Theatre where it ran for 2036 performances. Smokey Joe's Cafe is a musical revue showcasing 39 pop standards, including rock and roll, rhythm and blues songs written by songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. The Original Broadway cast recording, Smokey Joe's Cafe The Songs Of Leiber And Stoller won a Grammy award in 1996. In revue format with no unifying theme the 39 songs are presented by various members of the cast in various combinations, with no dialogue. There are novelty songs 'Charlie Brown', romantic ballads 'Spanish Harlem' and infectious melodies 'There Goes My Baby'.

Two years ago, the future of the Pasadena Playhouse was very much in doubt. Weighed down by $2.3 million in debt, the 686-seat Los Angeles-area theater was forced to close briefly in February 2010 due to financial hardships and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection a few months later.Soon after, though, the Playhouse, which was created in 1917, received an anonymous $1 million donation that saved the organization from ruin. The identity of this generous donor was kept secret, though, until now.Mike Stoller, half of the songwriting team Leiber & Stoller, and his wife, Corky Hale Stoller, made the donation that allowed the Playhouse to escape bankruptcy, the theater announced Jan. 23. The couple joined the Playhouse’s board in 2010 after their donation was made.“Although I had met with [Pasadena Playhouse Artistic Director] Sheldon Epps on professional matters several years ago, it was only through reading that this wonderful theater was to close after 93 years that we decided...

The Pasadena Playhouse announced Wednesday that Mike Stoller, half of the songwriting team Leiber & Stoller, and his wife, Corky Hale Stoller, were the anonymous donors whose $1 million gift in 2010 helped the theater emerge from bankruptcy that summer. Stoller and his writing partner Jerry Leiber penned such hit songs as "Hound Dog," "Jailhouse Rock," "Stand By Me" and "Yakety Yak." Leiber & Stoller's 1995 musical revue "Smokey Joe's Cafe" picked up seven Tony nominations and ran on Broadway for more than 2,000 performances before closing in 2000. The Grammy...

The Recording Academy has released the inductees for the 2013 Grammy Hall of Fame and it's quite the interesting mix.

Just how far does the list run the gamut? Two of the inductees are Frank Sinatra's recording of "Theme from 'New York, New York'" and Richard Pryor's comedy album, "That N-----'s Crazy."

"With the Grammy Hall Of Fame celebrating 40 years, it's especially important to note that these entries continue the tradition of inducting a wide variety of recordings that have inspired and influenced both fans and music makers for generations," President/CEO of The Recording Academy Neil Portnow said in a release. "Memorable for being both culturally and historically significant, we are proud to add them to our growing catalog of outstanding recordings that have become part of our musical, social, and cultural history."

Other standouts include AC/DC's "Back In Black," Elton John's self-titled album, and Billy Joel's "Piano Man.

This machine needs no electricity. Florence + the Machine performed for MTV Unplugged along with a full string orchestra at the Angel Orensanz Center in New York in December, and on Sunday evening, the concert, led by lead singer Florence Welch's soaring, sky-aspirant vocals, made its television debut.  Story: MTV Announces 8 New Unplugged Performances Performing hits from their two albums, Lungs and Ceremonials, such as "Dog Days are Over" and "Only If For The Night," along with several cover songs, such as Jerry Leiber and Billy Edd Wheeler's "Jackson" and Otis Redding's "Try a Little Tenderness,

read more...

Currently in the midst of circling the globe on their extensive "Ceremonials" concert tour, U.K. band Florence + the Machine have announced that they'll be releasing an "MTV Unplugged" live album next month. The intimate performance (which was reportedly attended by rappers Kanye West and Q-Tip) was recorded last December in New York City. Welch was joined onstage by three members of "the Machine", a 10-piece choir and Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme, who stopped by to duet with the frontwoman on a cover of the Jerry Leiber and Billy Edd Wheeler song "Jackson", made famous thanks to...

Today in 1995, Smokey Joe's Cafe opened at the Virginia Theatre now the August Wilson Theatre where it ran for 2036 performances. Smokey Joe's Cafe is a musical revue showcasing 39 pop standards, including rock and roll, rhythm and blues songs written by songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. The Original Broadway cast recording, Smokey Joe's Cafe The Songs Of Leiber And Stoller won a Grammy award in 1996. In revue format with no unifying theme the 39 songs are presented by various members of the cast in various combinations, with no dialogue. There are novelty songs Charlie Brown, romantic ballads Spanish Harlem and infectious melodies There Goes My Baby.

It's been an incredible year in the world of showbiz, with the usual headline-grabbing antics, scandal, sleaze, celebrity births, star weddings, and bitter break-ups. Here, WENN takes a look back at the final six months of 2011...

July

The month of July was overshadowed by the sudden and shocking death of British singer Amy Winehouse. The Back to Black hitmaker was found dead at her home in London at the age of 27 and the news sent the world of showbusiness into mourning. Tributes poured in from both fans and famous friends following the tragedy, and Winehouse's music shot back into the charts.

The headlines were also dominated by celebrity divorces as Jennifer Lopez announced her split from husband of seven years, Marc Anthony, the father of her young twins, Max and Emme. Arnold Schwarzenegger's marriage also came to an abrupt end as his wife Maria Shriver filed for divorce following revelations the actor/politician fathered a lovechild with the family's housekeeper.

Scarlett Johansson's divorce from Ryan Reynolds was finalised and Patricia Arquette's split from husband Thomas Jane was also made official.

In happier news, all eyes were on Monaco as the world geared up for the second royal wedding of the year, following the union of Britain’s Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge in April. In the same month as the British royals flew to Canada to begin their first international tour as a married couple, Prince Albert of Monaco married his fiancee, South African beauty Charlene Wittstock. The couple exchanged vows in two ceremonies in Monte Carlo and the former swimmer became her Serene Highness Princess Charlene of Monaco. British supermodel Kate Moss also became a married woman as she wed rocker Jamie Hince in a lavish ceremony in the English countryside, while it was also an exciting month for the Beckham family as former Spice Girls star Victoria, already mother to three boys, gave birth to her first daughter, Harper Seven.

There was also baby joy for Hollywood actress Kate Hudson - she welcomed a son called Bingham with her rocker fiance Matt Bellamy. Singer Jewel, actress Selma Blair and former Fugees star Lauryn Hill also became parents. British artist/director Sam Taylor-Wood also hit headlines after she confirmed she was expecting a second baby with her 21-year-old fiance, actor Aaron Johnson, a year after the birth of their daughter. The couple met on the set of their 2009 film Nowhere Boy and became parents together in 2010.

July also saw troubled British rocker Pete Doherty granted his freedom after serving less than half of his six-month prison sentence for cocaine possession. Another beleaguered star to walk free from jail was rapper Dmx, who served seven months behind bars for a probation violation. However, David Gilmour’s son Charlie found himself on the other side of the prison walls as he was ordered to serve 16 months in jail for his part in the 2010 student riots in London. The Pink Floyd star’s son was charged with violent disorder for causing chaos in the British capital and swinging from a flag on the city’s Cenotaph war memorial. (Lr/Zn)

August

The usual serenity of the summer months was shattered this year when Kate Winslet cheated death in a devastating inferno at Richard Branson's luxury island home, and a string of British stars appealed for calm as widespread rioting broke out in the U.K.

Winslet was holidaying at Virgin boss Branson's Necker Island retreat when lightning struck the property, sparking a huge blaze which gutted the home. Her party of 20 miraculously escaped unscathed - and Winslet was later hailed a heroine after it emerged she carried Branson's 90-year-old mother from the property during the drama.

As unrest, looting, and arson broke out for several nights in the U.K., showbiz stars including Idris Elba, Natasha Bedingfield and Boy George called for calm, and there was also bad news for Sir Paul McCartney - who learned his phone had been hacked by the tabloid press - and veteran actress Margot Kidder, who was arrested during an environment protest at the White House.

Tragedy struck at the Indiana State Fair, when a horrific stage collapse left seven revellers dead and more than 40 injured, actor Rowan Atkinson was treated in hospital after wrecking his rare sports car by crashing it into a tree, and French actor Gerard Depardieu was left red-faced when he was thrown off a plane in Paris, France for urinating in the cabin after he was refused access to the toilet during take-off.

It was ladies night at the MTV Video Music Awards as Katy Perry, Britney Spears and Lady Gaga took home two honours each - and Beyonce announced her pregnancy news. And at the Teen Choice Awards, Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez were crowned queens of the event when they scooped whopping 11 awards between them.

Kings of Leon finally succumbed to their relentless touring schedule and axed their remaining U.S. dates to allow frontman Caleb Followill to recover from "vocal issues and exhaustion", Aerosmith rocker Tom Hamilton and Deep Purple star Jon Lord both announced they were battling cancer, Bono was hospitalised with chest pains, and Norwegian pop band A-ha thrilled fans by announcing they were to reform.

In family news, Kiss star Paul Stanley became a father again, and there were also welcome additions for Ethan Hawke, funnywoman Tina Fey, illusionist David Copperfield, Jessica Alba, and Benicio del Toro, who fathered a child with Rod Stewart's daughter Kimberly.

There were wedding bells for country singer Chely Wright and filmmaker Sofia Coppola, but romance took a plunge for George Michael and Geri Halliwell, who both split from their partners. Also joining the singles club was Arctic Monkeys rocker Alex Turner, who broke up with MTV presenter Alexa Chung after four years together.

The showbiz world bid farewell to songwriting legend Jerry Leiber, who died of cardiopulmonary failure at the age of 78, Police Academy star Charles 'Bubba' Smith, Bollywood veteran Shammi Kapoor, blues legend David 'Honeyboy' Edwards, Warrant rocker Jani Lane, and Motown hitmaker Nickolas Ashford. (Zn/Lr)

September

September was a month rapper T.I. would like to both remember and forget - he completed an 11-month prison sentence for a probation violation only to run into legal trouble again soon after his initial release for conducting illegal business deals on his way to a halfway house. It wasn't a great month for Madonna either - her movie take on the romance between Wallis Simpson and Edward VIII was savaged by critics at the Venice Film Festival, while her ex-husband Guy Ritchie became a dad again.

Celine Dion was left shaken up after an intruder was found running a bath at her Montreal, Canada home; Neil Diamond revealed his engagement, and Dr. Conrad Murray's involuntary manslaughter trial got underway in Los Angeles as prosecutors attempted to prove the medic was responsible for Michael Jackson's death.

R.E.M. announced they were splitting after 31 years; My Chemical Romance fired drummer Michael Pedicone after accusing him of stealing from them; Boyzone singer Ronan Keating swam the Irish Sea for Cancer Research in the U.K., and Sir Paul McCartney became a grandfather again and was named the MusiCares Person of the Year - while he also celebrated as his first ballet score debuted in New York.

The Amy Winehouse Foundation was launched on what would have been the tragic singer's 28th birthday, and the star's Body & Soul duet with Tony Bennett became a hit, making the 85-year-old crooner the oldest living artist to have a single in America's Hot 100.

Eddie Murphy was confirmed as the host for the 2012 Oscars; model Lauren Bush became Lauren Lauren when she exchanged vows with Ralph Lauren's son David; British funnyman David Walliams braved the chills of the River Thames and a stomach bug to complete a charity 140-mile swim in eight days.

Actress Evan Rachel Wood lost a tooth during a boozy night out in Paris; Reese Witherspoon was hospitalised after she was hit by a car while out jogging in Santa Monica, California; soul legend Chaka Khan won temporary custody of her granddaughter after claiming the girl's mother was struggling with drug abuse issues, and British The Saturdays singer Una Healy announced she was pregnant.

Inxs dropped frontman J.D. fortune for a second time and replaced him with Ciaran Gribbin; Austin Powers henchman Joseph Son was sentenced to life behind bars for a Christmas Eve rape in 1990, and George Clooney went public with his new girl, Stacey Kiebler, at the Toronto Film Festival in Canada.

Ashton Kutcher had a month of ups and downs - his debut on TV sitcom Two and a Half Men was a big hit as 28 million Americans tuned in, but then came the news that his marriage to Demi Moore was in trouble amid infidelity rumours. Comedienne Wanda Sykes opened up about her breast cancer battle and double mastectomy; Sharon Stone won a restraining order against an obsessed fan and promptly put the home he visited uninvited on the market, and reality TV star and filmmaker Jack Osbourne announced his engagement to actress Lisa Stelly and followed that up with the news he was to become a dad.

Third time was not the charm for Clueless star Stacy Dash, who announced her plans to divorce husband number three, Emmanuel Xuereb, and X-Men star James Marsden's wife also joined the divorce club as she filed papers against her husband. Elizabeth Hurley's love life was on the up - she accepted cricket star Shane Warne's wedding proposal just three months after divorcing Arun Nayar.

Meanwhile, Elton John launched his new Million Dollar Piano residency in Las Vegas; Smokey Robinson accepted the coveted Ella Award at the Society of Singers Gala, and the month wrapped up with Shania Twain's alleged stalker pleading guilty to harassing the singer in court in Ontario, Canada.

Among September's Hollywood weddings, Amy Smart married reality TV star Carter Oosterhouse; Cougar Town co-stars David Rogers and Sally Pressman became man and wife, and model-turned-actress Molly Sims wed in a Napa Valley vineyard in California. There were also nuptials for British filmmaker Michael Winner and DJ/producer Mark Ronson, while R&B singer Keyshia Cole and former Friends star David Schwimmer both renewed vows with their spouses in Hawaii and London, respectively.

There was baby news for model Jodie Kidd, who gave birth to a son; actress Mary McCormack, who became a mum for the third time, and January Jones, who welcomed Xander Dane to the world while staying mum about the tot's father. Actors Emily Deschanel, Ana Ortiz, Mike Myers, Danny McBride and Jenna Fischer also became new parents. In the music world, former Spice Girl Melanie Brown gave birth to her third daughter, and country star John Rich and former Pussycat Dolls member Carmit Bachar welcomed babies too.

On September's sick list were rocker Scott Weiland and pop stars Katy Perry and Adele, who both scrapped shows due to illness, while Megadeth headbanger Dave Mustaine underwent surgery for a serious neck injury.

The month's big winners included movie mogul Tyler Perry, who was named Forbes magazine's Highest Paid Man in Entertainment; actor Michael Fassbender and director Alexander Sokurov, who claimed Best Actor and Best Film honours, respectively, for Shame and Faust at the Venice Film Festival. Gritty TV drama Boardwalk Empire picked up eight Emmy Awards; Calle 13 landed a record 10 Latin Grammy Award nominations, and Happy Days star Henry Winkler picked up an honorary Order of the British Empire medal at the British Embassy in Washington, D.C.

Also winning: P.J. Harvey, who scooped the Mercury Prize in Britain, Arcade Fire, who claimed Canada's Polaris Prize, and U2 and Rolling Stone Keith Richards, who were named GQ magazine's Men of the Year.

September's losers included Scarlett Johansson, who was left exposed in a series of leaked naked phone photos; Cameron Diaz, who split from baseball beau Alex Rodriguez, and John Travolta, whose beloved Mercedes-Benz was stolen outside a Jaguar dealership in Santa Monica, while his Swordfish co-star Halle Berry broke her foot while on location in Spain.

Meanwhile, we said a sad goodbye to a slew of famous faces, including actors Andy Whitfield and Cliff Robertson; beloved TV stars Mary Fickett and Vesta Williams; actor Jack Garner; French DJ Mehdi Faveris-Essadi; blues great Willie 'Big Eyes' Smith; R&B hitmaker Vesta Williams; gospel icon Jessy Dixon; celebrated British writer/producer David Croft; Happy Gilmore star Frances Bay, and moviemakers David Pressman, Charles Dubin, George Kachar and Paul Hunt. (Kl/Mt)

October

October was a big month for celebrity weddings - funnyman Seth Rogen tied the knot with longtime girlfriend Lauren Miller, Twilight star Nikki Reed married singer/songwriter Paul McDonald, and former Beverly Hills, 90210 actress Shannen Doherty walked down the aisle for the third time when she exchanged vows with celebrity photographer Kurt Iswarienko. Also hoping to make it third-time lucky was Robin Williams, who wed graphic designer Susan Schneider.

Also taking the plunge was Kiss rocker Gene Simmons, who married his girlfriend of 28 years, Shannon Tweed, and Sir Paul McCartney, who exchanged vows with American heiress Nancy Shevell on what would have been his former Beatles bandmate John Lennon’s 71st birthday.

And Sex & the City star Mario Cantone made good use of New York's new gay rights bill by solidifying his love for longtime partner Jerry Dixon.

A number of other stars announced their intention to wed in October - NCIS: Los Angeles star Eric Christian Olsen proposed to girlfriend Sarah Wright and Trace Cyrus popped the question to Disney actress Brenda Song. And actress Kaley Cuoco was sporting a new sparkler after boyfriend Josh 'Lazie' Resnik got down on bended knee. Also officially off the market were former child star Frankie Muniz, The Devil Wears Prada actor Stanley Tucci, rapper The Game and Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love's grown-up little girl Francis Bean Cobain.

A number of other celebrities were prepping their homes for babies - movie star Bruce Willis, American footballer Tony Romo, former Dawson's Creek hunk James Van Der Beek, and actress Kaitlin Olson all announced they are expecting little ones, and Jessica Simpson ended months of speculation by announcing she was pregnant.

And October's new parents included Ne-Yo, who welcomed a baby boy, model Ali Landry, who gave birth to her second child, actress Spencer Grammer, who became a first time mum, and France's First Lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, who became a mum for the second time when baby Giulia was born. Reality TV star Tori Spelling took home baby number three, as did Jackass funnyman Johnny Knoxville. And Sex & the City beauty Kristin Davis, The Help actress Viola Davis and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation veteran Mariska Hargitay all adopted babies.

But it wasn't such a happy month for rapper Rick Ross, who suffered two seizures on his way to a concert, or socialite Kim Kardashian who filed for divorce from husband Kris Humphries after just 72 days of marriage.

In other news, Star Trek actor Zachary Quinto announced he was gay and troubled actress Lindsay Lohan had her probation revoked after failing to complete her required community service hours. She also faced a limousine lawsuit for allegedly neglecting to pay a bill, her dad was arrested - twice, and she was served a lawsuit for reportedly attacking a Betty Ford Clinic employee during her stay there last year.

Meanwhile, the stars came out to show their support for the Occupy Wall Street protests, which were originally launched in New York City in a bid to end corporate greed, and the world mourned the loss of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, British TV and radio personality Sir Jimmy Savile, The Charlie Daniels Band keyboard player Joel 'Taz' Digregorio, former Weezer star Mikey Welsh, veteran British actress Betty Driver, The Miracles guitarist Marv Tarplin, pianist Roger Williams and IndyCar driver Dan Wheldon, who died in a horrific car smash at the Indy300.

November

British bachelor Hugh Grant stunned the world when he announced he had a new love in his life - a baby girl he had fathered during a brief relationship with Chinese model/actress Tinglan Hong. He wasn't the only star to join the celebrity parents' club in November - singer Lily Allen had a reason to Smile again after giving birth to a daughter, her first child with new husband Sam Cooper, while newsman Piers Morgan and his wife Celia Walden also became parents to a little girl. Maggie Gyllenhaal and her husband Peter Sarsgaard announced they were expecting their second child, as did reality TV star Kourtney Kardashian and her partner Scott Disick.

Selena Gomez revealed she is set to become a big sister, while Justin Bieber had some unwanted baby news of his own - he found himself at the centre of a paternity scandal following allegations he had impregnated 20-year-old Mariah Yeater following a backstage tryst in Los Angeles last year. The Baby hitmaker denied the claim and Yeater subsequently dropped the lawsuit.

Lindsay Lohan's troubles hit the headlines again after she was sentenced to serve 30 days behind bars for a probation violation, although she was released after less than five hours due to jail overcrowding. Dr. Conrad Murray was not so lucky - he was convicted of involuntary manslaughter relating to the death of Michael Jackson and sentenced to the maximum of four years behind bars.

In other legal matters, country singer Mindy McCready sparked a manhunt after she took her five-year-old son Zander from his father's Florida home without permission; Tim McGraw won a court battle with his record company bosses releasing him from his contract; and TLC star T-Boz declared bankruptcy.

Hugh Grant, Sienna Miller and Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling became driving forces in the push to improve British press standards following the News of the World phone-hacking scandal earlier this year - the three stars were called to give evidence to the Leveson Inquiry and told how they had had their voicemails, emails and other private messages intercepted by private investigators working on behalf of tabloid reporters.

The sporting world mourned the death of boxing great Joe Frazier at the age of 67, just days after it was revealed he was battling liver cancer, while the hip-hop industry was rocked by the passing of rap icon Heavy D, who collapsed outside his Los Angeles home and was later declared dead at 44. British moviemaker Ken Russell also passed away, aged 84, and longtime Oscars producer Gil Cates died at 77. Meanwhile, Beatles fans remembered George Harrison on 29 November as fans marked the 10th anniversary of his death.

Veteran pop star George Michael was forced to scrap the remainder of his European tour after he was struck down by a serious bout of pneumonia; Bee Gees singer Robin Gibb also spent time in hospital after suffering abdominal pains, and Adele and Keith Urban had a quiet month as they both recovered from vocal cord surgery, while heavy rock fans rejoiced as the original members of Black Sabbath announced they would be reuniting for a new album and tour in 2012.

It was ladies' night at the American Music Awards as Taylor Swift and Adele walked away with three honours each, while Lady Gaga reigned over the MTV Europe Music Awards and newlyweds Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton ruled the Country Music Association Awards by taking home the two top vocalist prizes. November also saw Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher end weeks of speculation about their marriage by calling it quits, while Sugarland singer Jennifer Nettles tied the knot and Anne Hathaway began making plans to wed boyfriend Adam Schulman, and former The Hills star Kristin Cavallari and American footballer Jay Cutler became engaged again, months after they broke off their initial plans to marry.

And it was a busy month for the film industry - the latest Twilight movie, Breaking Dawn - Part 1, landed the biggest global debut in the film franchise's history, thanks to a massive $284 million (£177.5 million) opening weekend haul; Golden Globes bosses decided to bring back controversial comedian Ricky Gervais to host his third prizegiving in 2012; Billy Crystal stepped in for Eddie Murphy as the host of the 2012 Academy Awards a day after the comic and producer pal Brett Ratner resigned, and the race for the Oscars kicked off with the Gotham Independent Film Awards, where Terrence Malick's Tree of Life and Mike Mills' acclaimed Beginners made history when they became the first films to tie for the Best Feature prize in the ceremony's 21-year history.

December

The holiday bells were peeling for newlyweds A.J. McLean, actress Judy Greer, reality TV star Jeff Probst and Yeah Yeah Yeahs rocker Karen O, while Sinead O'Connor married an addiction counsellor in Las Vegas only to call off the union 16 days later. There were also splits for actress Debra Messing and Chaz Bono.

Britney Spears led the month's bride and grooms-to-be when she accepted former agent Jason Trawick's proposal on his 40th birthday, while Steven Tyler, John Legend, Matthew McConaughey, basketball legend Michael Jordan and Lady Antebellum's Dave Haywood all popped the question to their girlfriends - and there was baby news for new dads Robert De Niro, Halle Berry's ex Eric Benet, actor Charlie Day, Westlife star Kian Egan, actress/singer Fantasia Barrino, Essence Atkins and pop star Dev, while actress Alyson Hannigan, Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty, Kings of Leon star Caleb Followill's supermodel wife Lily Aldridge, Alessandra Ambrosio and Irish singer Andrea Corr announced they were pregnant.

There was drama for rapper Tyler, The Creator, who was arrested for alleged acts of vandalism during a show in Hollywood; singer Christina Perri, who was attacked in a car-jacking incident; Barry Manilow, who underwent hip surgery, and Morrissey, whose concert in Puebla, Mexico was evacuated following an earthquake, while Britain's Prince Philip and R&B star Etta James spent Christmas in hospital.

Lindsay Lohan bared all for Playboy magazine; Adam Lambert was arrested in Finland following a pre-Christmas bust-up with his boyfriend; rapper The Game halted a gig in Norway to confront a bottle-throwing fan; boxer Floyd Mayweather, Jr. was sentenced to 90 days in jail for a 2010 fight with his ex; a man who leaked an unfinished new Madonna song online was arrested in Spain, and Michael Douglas' incarcerated son Cameron was handed an extra four-and-a-half years behind bars for another drug conviction.

And there was yet more drama for Terrence Howard, who requested a restraining order against his wife; model Lauren Scruggs, who lost her hand and an eye in a freak plane propeller accident; Hollywood couple Eric Dane and Rebecca Gayheart, who had to vacate their home after high winds brought a tree crashing into their living room, and pop star Selena Gomez suffered a family tragedy when her mother miscarried.

Meanwhile, Jodie Foster's estranged father was jailed for five years after he was found guilty of a property scam; Angelina Jolie was sued by a Croatian journalist who alleged his chronicle of the Bosnian War inspired her directorial debut; Kirsten Dunst won a restraining order against an obsessed French fan; an extra died of a heart attack while shooting The Dark Knight Rises in New York; Goodfellas actor Tony Darrow was sentenced to six months behind bars for arranging a real-life mob beating, and Charlie Sheen had to change his phone number when he accidentally tweeted it to his followers.

The month's big winners included singer Melanie Amaro, who became the first U.S. X Factor winner; Julio Iglesias, who was named Spain's best-selling recording artist of all time; Russell Simmons, who was crowned PETA's Person of the Year; Chaka Khan, who won permanent custody of her granddaughter; Lady Gaga, who was hailed the year's highest earning female musician, and Taylor Swift who picked up Billboard magazine's coveted Woman of The Year honour.

Also winning in December: Guns N' Roses, the Beastie Boys and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, who were all announced as the members of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's Class of 2012, and Twilight star Kristen Stewart, who was named Forbes magazine's Most Lucrative Star. Adele dominated the year's end album and singles polls; Jason Newsted reunited with Metallica for their 30th anniversary bash in San Francisco, and Martin Scorsese's first 3D movie Hugo was the surprise Best Film winner at the National Board of Review Awards in America.

In other movie news, Transformers: Dark of The Moon was named the year's most mistake-ridden film; Orson Welles' Citizen Kane Oscar sold at auction for $861,000; Drive dominated the Satellite Awards while The Help, The Artist and The Descendants picked up the lion's share of nominations for the Golden Globes and Screen Actors Guild Awards, and Angelina Jolie's directorial debut, In The Land of Blood and Honey, also picked up Golden Globes nods and she was named the 2012 recipient of the Stanley Kramer Award at the Producer's Guild of America Awards.

In music news, Amy Winehouse's posthumous album debuted at number one in Britain; 30 Seconds To Mars broke a concert record at a show in New York - their 309th in a single album cycle, and Gucci Mane was released from prison.

Wrapping up the month, Oscar winner Colin Firth was immortalised in wax at Madame Tussauds in London; Men's Health magazine bosses crowned Jennifer Aniston the Hottest Woman of All Time; Liz Taylor's diamonds and gems set a new auction record by becoming the most valuable private jewellery collection; Lmfao were forced to abandon a gig in Honduras after a fire broke out at the venue; Welsh opera star Katherine Jenkins announced her split from fiance Gethin Jones, and Coldplay rang in 2012 with a $1.6 million gig in Abu Dhabi.

And the last month of the year saw the notable deaths of actor Bill McKinney, soul stars Dobie Gray and Howard Tate, M*A*S*H regular Harry Morgan, Clark Gable and Loretta Young's love child Judy Lewis, actress Doe Avedon Siegel, former child star Susan Gordon, country singer Billie Jo Spears, Aussie actor Graham Bown, world leaders Vaclav Havel and Kim Jong-Il, songwriter Ralph MacDonald, Kojak star Dan Frazer, directors Don Sharp and Yoshimitsu Morita, writer Christopher Hitchens and Tarzan's chimp sidekick Cheetah, who died of liver failure, aged 80.

Getty Lady Gaga

The nominations for the 54th annual Grammy Awards are being announced tonight on CBS at 10 p.m. in a special concert featuring Lady Gaga, Sugarland, Rihanna, The Band Perry and other musical acts. Speakeasy is live-blogging the show now.

Follow along and leave your thoughts in the comments.

10:59 pm

Good night everyone!

10:56 pm

Readers, what did you think of the Album of the Year nominees?

10:55 pm

Lady Gaga and Sugarland are closing things out.

Warner Bros. won't screen "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" in time for voting critics: "[New York Film Critics Circle head John] Anderson wrote that he's been told that the film won't be shown any time before December 2nd. 'This despite my having received assurances before that they would [work within our deadline],' Anderson wrote. 'Draw your own conclusions.' National Board of Review members have also been told of this decision, which obviously means that 'Extremely Loud' is out of the running as far as their voting is concerned, which will happen on Thursday, December 1st." Hollywood Elsewhere Grammys will honor late Nick Ashford and Jerry Leiber: "... Usher is set to sing from the Ashford & Simpson catalog for what promises to be a poignant moment in the usually upbeat Grammy nominations prime-time special. It will be part of a joint tribute to Ashford and Jerry Leiber, and will also feature Mike Stoller, ...

New York -- Three months after losing musical and life partner Nick Ashford, Valerie Simpson acknowledges that she still has a hard time performing any of the classic songs they created together.

"I get a big lump in my throat when I try to sing one of our songs right now," she said.

She'll get a little help next week as Usher is set to sing from the Ashford & Simpson catalog for what promises to be a poignant moment in the usually upbeat Grammy nominations prime-time special. It will be part of a joint tribute to Ashford and Jerry Leiber, and will also feature Mike Stoller, who was Leiber's longtime writing partner.

Leiber and Stoller wrote classics such as "Hound Dog," "Jailhouse Rock," "Yakety Yak" and other hit songs that came to define early rock `n' roll. Ashford and Simpson helped define the Motown sound with hits like "Ain't No Mountain High Enough,...

Story of Wakefield welder isn't just about racism or political correctness, it's also about small firms' willingness to employ

Did you notice in the course of a lively week that an employment tribunal in Leeds has decided that the use of the name "Borat" by a Wakefield-based welder to tease a Polish colleague is racist, and may require the award of compensation for hurt feelings. More to the point, do you care?

You won't find the report in today's Guardian, I'm afraid, we're often a bit jittery about this kind of story. Nor will you be surprised to learn that the Daily Mail has no such inhibitions, though it has refrained from editorial or columnar comment so far. So here is a chance to beat them to it.

I must confess right away that I am conflicted on this one. I disliked the Sasha Baron Cohen's hit film of that...

On Monday, we lost two titans of songwriting: Jerry Leiber, best known for writing with his longtime collaborator, Mike Stoller; and Nick Ashford, who co-wrote with his wife Valerie Simpson. Paul Shaffer once said, “Leiber and Stoller? There would be no rock and rock without them.” That’s a bit hyperbolic, but only a little. The music of Leiber and Ashford broke down color barriers during the ‘50s and the ‘60s. Their music united people at a time when so many other things divided us. Below are my essential eight songs that either Leiber or Ashford co-wrote. These aren’t all necessarily their...

London, August 23: Jerry Leiber, the songwriter who penned the lyrics for Elvis Presley's classic rock and roll hits including 'Hound Dog' and 'Jailhouse Rock' died Monday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles of cardiopulmonary failure. He was 78.

Leiber earned his reputation alongside co-writer Mike Stoller, penning tunes for The Drifters, The Coasters and Ben E King as well as Presley.

Leiber's career began in 1953 when Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton became the first artist to record Hound Dog, sending the song - then a rhythm and blues number - to the top of the charts.

The song later.

Los Angeles — Jerry Leiber, who with longtime partner Mike Stoller wrote "Hound Dog," "Jailhouse Rock," "Yakety Yak" and other hit songs that came to define early rock `n' roll, died Monday. He was 78.

He was surrounded by family when he died unexpectedly of cardiopulmonary failure at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, said his longtime publicist, Bobbi Marcus.

With Leiber as lyricist and Stoller as composer, the team channeled their blues and jazz backgrounds into pop songs performed by such artists as Elvis Presley, Dion and the Belmonts, the Coasters, the Drifters and Ben E. King in a way that would help create a joyous new musical style.

From their breakout hit, blues great Big Mama Thornton's 1953 rendition of "Hound Dog," until their songwriting took a more serious turn in 1969 with Peggy Lee's recording of "Is That All There Is?" the pair remained one of the most successful teams in pop music history.

When my home burned in L.A., Jerry Leiber gave me kitchen items which I have to this day. He was a thoughtful and caring friend. We went to dinner many times at Elaine’s. We met through the composer Cy Coleman, who was my ex-husband’s best man for our wedding. When I decided I wanted to write, Jerry granted me an interview with Mike Stoller for Los Angeles Magazine. They were both kind as I had never done an interview and was nervous. I would sometimes fix Jerry up with dates, but he never...

No. 47 said to No. 3, Jerry Leiber was one of the biggest rock stars you never did see.  Leiber, who wrote the lyrics to Elvis Presley's "Jailhouse Rock," and many, many more standards, died today.  He was 78. Here are five of his and composer Mike Stoller's classic contributions (six, if you include the above cut, which you really should):  1. "Hound Dog:" Elvis' signature hit, released when Leiber was 23, and originally recorded by blues legend Big Mama Thornton when the prodigy was just 20. "I'd be banging on the piano, and Jerry would be yelling and pacing," the surviving Stoller told the New York Times in 1995. "It all happened ...