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Ryan Coogler’s box-office hit “Sinners” is steeped in the blues, its folklore and legends. People can’t get enough of the movie or its songs, but if you want a deeper dive into the bluesmen who shaped the genre, queue up these documentaries and learn more about Buddy Guy (who plays older Sammie Moore), Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Charley Patton and more.

You can also buy the incredible score by Ludwig Göransson, who was also an executive producer on the movie and on location for the shoot in New Orleans. Special edition LPs will be out on August 29 from Made by Mutant.

Buddy Guy in “Buddy Guy: The Blues Chase The Blues Away” (Credit: Sony Pictures) Buddy Guy: The Blues Chase The Blues Away

This 2021 documentary follows the nearly 70-year career of the blues master, who plays the older version of Sammie Moore in “Sinners. It’s not streaming for free,...

Gary Clark Jr. is back with four new tracks — his first collection of music in nearly five years — that serve as a sampler to his upcoming album Jpeg Raw. The singer-songwriter’s fourth studio LP is out in full on March 22nd via Warner Records.

Jpeg Raw sees Clark further expand on his vast array of influences, merging traditional African music and jazz with elements of rock, R&b, hip-hop, and blues. The 12-track record incorporates samples of Thelonious Monk and Sonny Boy Williamson, and even includes collaborations with both Stevie Wonder and George Clinton. Pre-orders are ongoing.

The four-track sampler includes “Maktub,” “Jpeg Raw,” “This Is Who We Are,” and “Hyperwave,” all of which expectedly spotlight Clark’s big guitar riffs and soulful, evocative vocals. Stream them all below, and then keep scrolling to see the artwork and tracklist for Jpeg Raw.

Clark’s last album was 2019’s This Land.

In 1986, ten years after the Band had played “The Last Waltz,” its final show with the original lineup, Robbie Robertson decided the time had come to return to music. He’d dabbled in acting and film scoring — not to mention some wild Hollywood times that he would later begin chronicling in the memoir he was writing before his death on Aug. 9. But recording an album under his own name, something he’d never done before, became his new passion in the Eighties.

In search of a sound to call his own,...

This article contains spoilers for Poker Face episode 4.

With a charged reference to the 1976 death of The Yardbirds singer Keith Relf, Peacock’s Poker Face teaches a valuable music industry lesson: Song pluggers should check their cables before plugging in. Especially drummers, surrounded by metallic conductors, trying to break out original material. When they do, as Phil Collins of Genesis or Don Brewer of Grand Funk Railroad can attest, those songs can change the group dynamic and take center stage. Electricity like that should be channeled.

Which is why the human lie-detector goes metal detector in Charlie Cale’s (Natasha Lyonne) case-of-the-week, “Rest in Metal.” The signature hit song for Robin Ruin’s (Chloe Sevigny) metal band Doxxxology, “Staplehead,” was written by the drummer. Said drummer moved on, and not only is the band now stuck with it as the closing song for every show, but they have to pay...

In one of the key scenes from Cameron Crowe’s 2000 film “Almost Famous,” an aspiring rock star played by Billy Crudup stands on a rooftop in Topeka, Kansas, throws out his arms and shouts, “I am a golden god!” As an expression of stoned rock-star hubris, it’s perfect – but it’s also based on a real rock star, Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant, who apparently made that proclamation from the top of the Continental Hyatt House in Los Angeles sometime back in the late 1960s or early ’70s.

Plant’s exclamation pretty much sums up Led Zeppelin, the subjects of Bernard MacMahon’s “Becoming Led Zeppelin,” which premiered on Saturday at the Venice Film Festival. They were true rock gods from a time when the music of the ’60s was splintering, fragmenting and in need of a new breed of gods – and they knew it, gloried in it and made light of it,...

“I haven’t picked a guitar up since they canceled me in Arizona almost two months ago,” says Buddy Guy on a recent morning from his Chicago home, where he’s getting ready to put on a mask and head to the grocery store. “I try to follow the rules, man.”

The blues legend, 83, is still adjusting to the longest break of his career. He hasn’t played played live since March 12th in Orange County, California. He tries to remember a longer stretch without a show, thinking to his...

Tony Glover, the influential blues harmonica player who was a longtime peer of Bob Dylan and helped teach Mick Jagger how to play, died Wednesday, the Star Tribune reports. Glover reportedly died of natural causes after being hospitalized earlier this month. He was 79.

Glover made a lasting impression on a generation of musicians as a member of the blues and folk trio, Koerner, Ray and Glover, which also included John Koerner and Dave Ray. The group put out three albums in the early Sixties via Elektra — 1963’s Blues, Rags and Hollers,...

In advance of the Top 3 taking to the stage on Sunday’s live “American Idol finale,” we asked viewers who they were backing to win season 17. Alejandro Aranda has taken almost half of the votes in our poll as of this writing and has an impressive 48% of fans supporting him. Laine Hardy is close behind with 41% of the vote. These two men lead our power rankings from best to worst. The third finalist, Madison Vandenburg, is way back with just 11% of the total tally.

Voting for the winner of season 17 of “American Idol” will begin as soon as the show starts at 8 p.m. Et/ 5 p.m. Pt on May 19. It will be paused midway through the 3-hour extravaganza that is being broadcast live nationwide. At that point, Ryan Seacrest will reveal which of the two finalists will continue on and who will see their journey end.

Which of the...

Laine Hardy could well win “American Idol” on Sunday according to our poll of viewers. He has narrowed the gap with frontrunner Alejandro Aranda to just seven points (48-41). Right after the Top 3 were revealed on the May 12 episode of “American Idol,” Alejandro enjoyed a 10-point advantage. In the intervening week, the third finalist, Madison VanDenburg, has slipped even further behind, with just 11% support.

This trip of talent made it through to the final on May 19 based on their votes from the public last Sunday. Just missing out on a place in the Top 3 were Laci Kaye Booth and Wade Cota (Was one of them robbed of a place in the final?) On that Top 5 episode, each of them sang three songs: one from the Elton John catalog, another in honor of Mother’s Day, and a third chosen by mentor Bobby Bones.

If you haven’t made your “American Idol” winner predictions,...

On the May 12 episode of “American Idol,” the Top 5 sang three songs apiece: one in honor of Mother’s Day, another picked by mentor Bobby Bones, and a third from the Elton John back catalog. Only three of the five contestants made it through based on their votes from the public: Alejandro Aranda, Laine Hardy and Madison VanDenburg. This result meant the end of the road for Laci Kaye Booth and Wade Cota (Was one of them robbed of a place in the final?)

We asked for your predictions as to which of the three finalists will go all the way to win season 17 on May 19. “Idol” fans remain divided between two of the artists: Alejandro has 49% of the viewers vote as of this writing and Laine is at 39%. Each is up by eight points from last week, as they split the support for Wade. The third contender for the season 17 title,...

We are down to the final three on season 17 of “American Idol.” On May 12, the Top 5 took to the stage to sing a trio of tunes: one chosen by their mentor Bobby Bones, another in honor of Mother’s Day and a third made famous by Elton John. After the results of the public vote were revealed by Ryan Seacrest, the trio of contestants still standing are: Alejandro Aranda, Laine Hardy and Madison VanDenburg. (Of the eliminated artists — Laci Kaye Booth and Wade Cota — who was better?)

Which of the finalists do you think will be crowned winner of “American Idol” on May 19? After reviewing the rundown of all the songs they’ve sung to date in this reality competition, cast your vote in our poll. And be sure to sound off with your thoughts on this revival of “American Idol” in the comments section.

See ‘American Idol’ Winners: Where...

Laine Hardy has made it into the Top 5 of “American Idol” based on the nine songs he has sung to date on the ABC revival of this reality competition series. Of these, the clear choice for viewers’ favorite is “Come Together,” the 1969 song that was one of the last hits for The Beatles. Laine made this track his own on the Top 40 show and it took just over one in four votes in our poll.

Virtually tied for second are Hardy’s rendition of the Sonny Boy Williamson classic “Bring It On Home,” which was his Top 20 solo, and his second Top 6 song, Chuck Berry‘s “Johnny B. Goode.” Surprisingly, Laine’s second song last week, “I Don’t Need No Doctor” by Ray Charles, merited a mere 4% in our poll. Do you agree with these results?

Take a look at Hardy’s set list below and then weigh in...

In advance of the final five taking to stage on Sunday’s live “American Idol,” we wanted to know who viewers were backing to win season 17. Alejandro Aranda garnered a whopping 40% support in our poll. Laine Hardy, his closest rival more ways than one, is next with 31%. They lead out power rankings from best to worst and are all but certain to number among the Top 3 revealed by Ryan Seacrest at the end of the show on May 12.

Of the other three contestants, Wade Cota looks the likeliest to round out the roster of finalists. He has 15% of the total tally. The two women still standing — Laci Kaye Booth and Madison Vandenburg — did not break into double digits with 6% and 8% of the vote by “American Idol” fans respectively.

Which of the Top 5 do you think will be crowned winner of “American Idol” on May 21? If you haven’t voted in our poll yet,...

Laci Kaye Booth is almost certain to face elimination on “American Idol” this Sunday according to the results of our poll of viewers. She only made the final five on last Sunday’s episode when Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie decided to use their one judges save of the season to keep her in the competition. But she has earned only a measly 6% in our survey of “American Idol” fans heading into the Top 5 show on May 12.

The other contestant joining her in the bottom two is likely to be Madison VanDenburg who merited a mere 8% in our poll results. All five singers still in the competition will take to the stage on Sunday to perform a trio of tunes. Each will sing a song from the Elton John catalog, another picked out by mentor Bobby Bones and a third in honor of Mother’s Day.

Of the...

Laine Hardy is one of the favorites to win season 17 of “American Idol.” This 18-year-old student hails from Livingston, Louisiana. He has gotten to the top 5 on the ABC revival of this reality competition series based on his nine performances to date beginning with the Top 40 back on March 31. Which of these has been your favorite so far? Vote in our poll below and then sound off in our comments section with your thoughts on this reboot of “American Idol.”

Do you think that Hardy’s finest performance was one of the two tunes he crooned on the May 5 episode in which the Top 6 were whittled down by one to the final five? Those classics were by Ray Charles (“I Don’t Need No Doctor”) and Chuck Berry ( “Johnny B. Goode). Or was it his first time in the spotlight when he won over judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and...

We are down to the final five on season 17 of “American Idol.” On May 5, the Top 7 took to the stage to sing two songs: one celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Woodstock music festival and the other that was styled as an inspirational showstopper. After the results of the public vote were revealed by Ryan Seacrest, the five contestants still standing are: Alejandro Aranda, Laci Kaye Booth, Wade Cota, Laine Hardy and Madison VanDenburg.

Laci only made it into the Top 5 when judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie opted to use their one save of the season. They chose her over Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon. Do you think this was the right decision? Be sure to cast your vote in our poll. Does Laci’s near-elimination mean that she is out of the running to be crowned the winner of “American Idol” on May 19?

After reviewing the rundown of...

On the May 5 episode of “American Idol,” the Top 6 sang two songs each: one that was inspirational and the other from the summer of 1969 in honor of the 50th anniversary of the Woodstock music festival. Four of the half dozen contestants made it through based on their votes from the public: Alejandro Aranda, Wade Cota, Laine Hardy and Madison VanDenburg. A fifth, Laci Kaye Booth, got the judges save while the other artist in the bottom two, Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon, was eliminated.

We asked for your predictions as to which of these remaining five finalists will go all the way to win season 17. “Idol” fans are divided between two of the artists: Alejandro Aranda has 41% of the viewers vote as of this writing and Laine Hardy is at 30%. While Alejandro is about where he was last week (40%), Laine has added five points to his total. Much of that support comes from fans of Jeremiah.

“American Idol” ended Sunday’s live episode with a shocker after Ryan Seacrest revealed the last of the four artists from the Top 6 to make the cut. Judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie opted to use their single save of the season to throw a lifeline to Laci Kaye Booth, one of the two eliminated contestants. That meant Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon was the only Top 6 finalist eliminated on May 5. (Did the judges save the right contestant?)

The four leading vote-getters were:Alejandro Aranda, Wade Cota, Laine Hardy and Madison VanDenburg. Do you think one of them will win season 17 or can Laci pull off an upset? Review the playlist of the songs that each of the Top 5 has sung to date. Then vote in our winner poll at the bottom of this post and be sure to sound off on your favorites in the comments section.

See ‘American...

On May 5, the “American Idol” Top 6 will sing two songs apiece: one will be inspirational (as chosen by Grammy-winning Christian singer Lauren Daigle) while the other will date back to the summer of 1969 in honor of the 5oth anniversary of the Woodstock music festival. At the end of the live two-hour show, Ryan Seacrest will reveal the four artists to make it through based on the public vote.

“Idol” fans still give the edge to Alejandro Aranda to win season 17. His audition video went viral and he continues to lead our viewers poll as he has all season long. As of this writing, he has a solid 38% of the total tally. But Laine Hardy is coming on strong. Last week, he registered 22% support; this week he is up to 26%.

Of the other four artists still in the competition, only two break into double digits in our power rankings: Wade Cota...

Sunday’s “American Idol” episode showcases the Top 6 who will sing two songs each: one that is inspirational and the other from 50 years ago. If the viewers vote along the lines of their responses to our recent survey, it will be the end of the road for the two remaining women in the competition: Laci Kaye Booth and be Madison VanDenburg. They earned a mere 6% and 8% respectively in our poll.

Two of the four fellows still standing also look like they could be in trouble: Wade Cota has just 12% of the vote count while Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon sits at just 10%. Adding together the support for these four contestants comes to 36% of the total.

That sum is easily eclipsed by Alejandro Aranda, who has registered an impressive 38%. His closest competition, Laine Hardy, has risen to 26% of the vote to date.

The only way to escape elimination on Sunday is to be saved by Luke Bryan,...

Laci Kaye Booth is all but certain to face elimination on “American Idol” this Sunday according to the results of our poll of viewers. She made the Top 8 on last Sunday’s Queen Night episode. But she has earned only a measly 6% in our survey of “American Idol” fans heading into the Top 6 show on May 5.

The other contestant joining her in the bottom two is likely to be Madison VanDenburg who merited a mere 8% in our poll results. Each can only avoid elimination if they are saved by judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie who can invoke this power just one time in season 17.

All six singers still in the competition will take to the stage on Sunday to perform inspirational tunes. Of the other four artitsts, Wade Cota and Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon look the most vulnerable. Wade has only 12% support while Jeremiah is at 10%. Combined, these...

On the April 28 episode of “American Idol,” the Top 8 sang songs from the Queen back catalogue and two of them were eliminated. We asked for your predictions as to which of the remaining six will go all the way to win season 17. You overwhelmingly backed two of the contestants: Alejandro Aranda got 40% of your vote in our survey of viewers while Laine Hardy earned 25%.

If you haven’t voted in our poll yet, scroll down to review the songs that the Top 6 have sung throughout the competition and then cast a ballot for your favorite. And be sure to sound off on this ABC revival of “American Idol” in the comments section.

Of the other four artists still in the competition, only two — Wade Cota and Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon — merited double digit support with the former at 11% and the latter with 10% of the total tally. Madison Vandenburg is at 8% while...

“American Idol” ended Sunday’s live episode with a shocker after Ryan Seacrest revealed the last of the Top 8 artists to make the cut. Judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie opted not to use their single save of the season to throw a lifeline to one of the two eliminated contestants: Walker Burroughs and Alyssa Raghu (Which of these was robbed of a place in the Top 6?)

The six leading vote-getters were: Alejandro Aranda, Laci Kaye Booth,, Wade Cota, Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon, Laine Hardy and Madison VanDenburg. Which of these remaining half dozen contestants do you think will win season 17?

Take a closer look at each of these artists in the photos above and review the roster below of the songs they’ve sung to date as well as their celebrity duet partners in the Top 24 round. Then vote in our winner poll at the bottom of this...

Alyssa Raghu is all but certain to face elimination on “American Idol” this Sunday according to the results of our poll of viewers. She was the last artist revealed to make the Top 8 on last Sunday’s Disney Night episode. And she has earned only a measly 2% in our survey of “American Idol” fans heading into Queen Night on April 28.

The other contestant joining her in the bottom two is likely to be Walker Burroughs who merited a mere 3% in our poll results. Each can only avoid elimination if they are saved by judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie who can invoke this power just one time in season 17.

All eight singers still in the competition will take to the stage on Sunday to sing a song from the back catalogue of the band Queen and then do duets with each other on classic movie tunes. Of the other six,...

The “American Idol” Top 8 will sing Queen songs and also duet with another contestant on a movie tune as they vie for your votes on Sunday April 28. Only six of them will make it to the next stage of the competition and continue on in their quest to be crowned season 17 winner. Early favorite Alejandro Aranda, whose audition video went viral, is far out front in our viewers poll. But while he still takes a commanding 39% of the total tally, Laine Hardy has jumped up to 22% support.

The only other contestants to crack double digits in our power rankings are Wade Cota with 11% and Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon at 10%. Laci Kaye Booth and Madison VanDenburg each have a lucky 7%. The two contestants all but certain to be sent eliminated on Sunday’s show are Walker Burroughs (3%) and Alyssa Raghunandan (2%).

If you haven’t made your season 17 winner predictions, be sure to...

Walker Burroughs and Alyssa Raghu are likely to leave “American Idol” this Sunday according to our survey of viewers. They rank the lowest among the Top 8 with Walker earning only 3% of the vote in our poll while Alyssa is last at 2%. They will only avoid elimination if they are saved by the judges.

Of the other six singers still in the running, only two others — Laci Kaye Booth and Madison VanDenburg — look like they are vulnerable. Laci has just 6% support while Madison is at 9%. Combined, these four contestants have earned just 20% of the total tally to date.

Compare that to the 22% of the vote racked up by Laine Hardy. The clear frontrunner remains Alejandro Aranda, who has a whopping 39% of the total. The other two contestants — Wade Cota and Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon — are each at 10%.

Who do you think will be sent packing on April 28 after they perform songs by Queen?...

Alejandro Aranda will win season 17 of “American Idol.” A whopping 39% of the fans taking part in our poll back his bid to take the title. This 24-year-old dishwasher from Pomona, California has been the frontrunner since his audition video went viral. His closest competition remains Laine Hardy, who racked up 22% support in our survey. Scroll down to review the songs that they and the rest of Top 8 have performed to date and then vote for your favorite.

The Top 8 will sing for America’s votes on Sunday, April 28 and two more artists will be eliminated. Alejandro and Laine look safe as do Wade Cota and Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon, who are at 10%. Also expected to make it through are Madison Vandenburg (9%) and Laci Kaye Booth (6%). The two contestants likeliest to be sent packing are Walker Burroughs (3%) and Alyssa Raghunandan (2%).

Do you think Alejandro will win season 17? Vote for the winner of...

On the April 21 episode of “American Idol,” the Top 10 sang songs from Disney animated classics and two of them were eliminated. We asked for your predictions as to which of the remaining eight will go all the way to win season 17. You overwhelmingly backed two of the contestants: Alejandro Aranda got 39% of your vote in our survey while Laine Hardy earned 21%.

If you haven’t voted in our poll yet, scroll down to review the songs that the Top 8 have sung throughout the competition and then cast a ballot for your favorite. And be sure to sound off on this ABC revival of “American Idol” in the comments section.

Of the other six artists still in the competition, only two — Wade Cota and Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon — merited double digit support with the former at 11% and the latter with 10% of the total tally. Madison Vandenburg is at 9%, Laci Kaye Booth has...

“American Idol” finalized the line-up for the Top 8 at the end of Sunday’s live episode when Ryan Seacrest revealed the last of the Top 10 artists to make the cut. The lucky eight vote-getters were: Alejandro Aranda, Laci Kaye Booth, Walker Burroughs, Wade Cota, Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon, Laine Hardy, Alyssa Raghu and Madison VanDenburg. (The two eliminated artists were Dimitrius Graham and Uche: Which of these was robbed of a place in the Top 8?)

Regardless of where they placed in the Top 8, which of the contestants do you think will win season 17? Take a closer look at each of these artists in the photos above and review the roster below of the songs they’ve sung to date as well as their celebrity duet partners in the Top 24 round. Then vote for the winner of this ABC revival of “American Idol” at the bottom of this post and be sure...

The “American Idol” Top 10 will sing Disney songs for your votes on Sunday April 15. Only eight of them will make it to the next stage of the competition to be crowned season 17 winner. Alejandro Aranda remains the clear favorite to win in our viewers poll. He has doubled his lead over Laine Hardy and now has 42% of the total tally to the latter’s 21%. In third place with 10% of the vote is Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon.

They are the only three contestants to crack double digits in our poll results. Laci Kaye Booth and Madison VanDenburg each have a lucky 7% while Wade Cota sits at 6%. None of the other four contenders has managed to even make it to 5% as they sing for survival on Disney Night.

Walker Burroughs is stuck at 4%. The three contestants who were the choices of judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie rather than the public...

The Top 10 finalists on “American Idol” sing for your votes on April 21 with only eight of them making the cut at the end of Sunday’s live show. According to the results of our viewers survey, only three of the contestants — Alejandro Aranda, Laine Hardy and Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon — are assured of a place in the Top 8. Of these favorites to win season 17 of “American Idol,” Alejandro racked up a whopping 41% of the total tally while Laine has 21% and Jeremiah 11%.

None of the other contenders has broken into the double digits on our power rankings poll as of this writing. Laci Kaye Booth comes closest with 8% of the total while Madison VanDenburg has a lucky 7%. Each of the other five contenders registers less than five percent of the total.

Wade Cota is at 4% and Walker Burroughs is on 3%. Not surprisingly, the three contestants who were the choices of judges Luke Bryan,...

“American Idol” finalized the line-up for the Top 10 at the end of Monday’s episode when Ryan Seacrest revealed the last of the Top 14 artists to make the cut. Seven of the finalists were the top vote-getters based on Sunday’s performances: Alejandro Aranda, Laci Kaye Booth, Walker Burroughs, Wade Cota, Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon, Laine Hardy and Madison VanDenburg.

The remaining three — Dimitrius Graham, Alyssa Raghu and Uche — won over judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie with their songs on Monday’s show.

Regardless of how each made the Top 10, which of the contestants do you think will win season 17? Take a closer look at each of these artists in the photos above and review the roster below of the songs they’ve sung to date as well as their celebrity duet partners in the Top 24 round. Then vote for the winner of this ABC revival of “American Idol...

The Top 14 finalists on “American Idol” sing for your votes on April 14 with only 10 of them making the cut on Monday’s show. According to the results of our viewers survey, only three of these contestants — Alejandro Aranda, Laine Hardy and Jeremiah Harmon — are assured of a place in the Top 10. Of these favorites to win season 17 of “American Idol,” Aranda racked up a whopping 47% of the total tally while Hardy has 16% and Harmon 11%.

None of the other contenders has broken into the double digits as of this writing. Indeed, all 11 of them register less than five percent of the total. Laci Booth is at 4%. Four artists — Walker Burroughs, Wade Cota, Ashley Hess and Madison VanDenburg — come in at 3% apiece. Evelyn Cormier has 2% support. A trio of talent — Dimitrius Graham, Uché Ndubizu and Riley Thompson — each have a mere 1%. And the other two — Eddie Island and Alyssa Raghunandan — have the...

It took six weeks but “American Idol” has finally revealed the Top 14 contestants who will sing for your votes beginning on April 14. We asked you which of these are the early favorites to win season 17, which is hosted by Ryan Seacrest. Only three of these 14 finalists – Alejandro Aranda, Laine Hardy and Jeremiah Harmon — registered double digit support in our poll. Each of these frontrunners was a clear favorite for at least one of the three judges: Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie.

None of the other 11 other artists in the Top 14 — Laci Booth, Walker Burroughs, Evelyn Cormier, Wade Cota, Dimitrius Graham, Ashley Hess, Eddie Island, Uché Ndubizu, Alyssa Raghunandan, Riley Thompson and Madison VanDenburg. — merited more than five percent of the vote. Are we underestimating one of these talents?

If you haven’t voted for your choice of the “American Idol” season 17 winner yet, be sure to cast your...

“American Idol” finalized the line-up for the first live show on April 14 at the end of Monday’s episode when Ryan Seacrest revealed the seven artists from the remaining Top 20 to make the cut. These lucky seven join the same number who were announced on Sunday. But which of these Top 14 will win season 17? Take a closer look at each of these artists in the photos above and then vote for the winner of this edition of “American Idol” at the bottom of this post. And be sure to sound off on your favorites in the comments section.

All 14 of these contestants survived a grueling process that began with winning over the three judges — Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie — at a regional audition and getting a ticket to Hollywood. A whopping 150 plus would-be winners made the trip to La La Land, before being cut to 40. That group competed...

“American Idol” is halfway through the Top 20 stage of the competition and seven of the singers in Group 1 have made the cut to sing on the live shows starting April 14. Which of these these lucky seven do you think could go all the way and win season 17? Vote in our poll below and then sound off in the comments section.

The first wave of contestants in the Top 14 were revealed at the end of the April 7 episode of this revival on ABC hosted Ryan Seacrest. In episodes taped weeks ago, the remaining score of artists from the Top 40 were divided into two groups. Each one of these two dozen hopefuls had to perform both solo and in duets with celebrities in front of judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie. That trio of talent then determined if each contestant deserved a place in the Top 14.

The Group 1 duets aired...

“American Idol” has reached the Top 20 stage of the competition and these would-be winners have been divided into two groups. Every one of this score of hopefuls had to perform twice more in front of judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie who then determined if they deserved a place in the Top 14. They had to sing both solo and in duets with celebrities.

The three episodes hosted by Ryan Seacrest in which these 20 artists were divided into two groups were taped weeks ago. The first of these, featuring the solos, aired on April 1. The Group 1 duets air on April 7 while Group 2 will be showcased on April 8.

Only seven artists from each group made the cut. Scroll down to find out the names of the lucky seven from Group 1 who will get to sing on the first live show on April 14. We’ve also listed the titles of the...

“American Idol” has reached the Top 20 stage of the competition. We’ve already seen this score of contestants sing their solos for judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie. Next up, each of these would-be winners of season 17 will be paired with a celebrity act to perform a duet. These episodes will air on April 7 and 8. Monday’s night show will conclude with the big reveal from Ryan Seacrest as to which of these artists made the Top 14 and get to go on to the live shows.

The Top 20 were divided into two groups for this duets portion of the program. Group 1 will be showcased on Sunday while Group 2 will take to the stage on Monday. Because these shows were taped months ago, we were able to unearth the names of the contestants in each group as well as the famous faces they were paired with and the songs they performed.

“American Idol” won’t reveal the names of the 14 contestants who get perform on the live shows till the end of the episode on April 8. If you can’t wait till then to find out who will be competing for the season 17 title beginning on April 14, we have all the details. We’ve already seen the the Top 20 — who were announced on March 31 — sing solos on the taped episode that aired on April 1. Coming up on April 7 and 8 are their duets with celebrities, often on their most famous songs.

Because these shows were filmed months ago, we know which 14 contestants made the grade with the judges — Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie — and which 6 were sent home. Scroll down to see the names of the eight men and six women that made it through to the Top 14 as well as the songs they sung that won over the judges...

On the March 31 episode of “American Idol,” host Ryan Seacrest revealed the Top 20 contestants chosen by Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie. This score of would-be winners of season 17 now have to fight it out for the 14 places on the live shows that start on April 14. In shows that were already taped, they sang solos and duet with celebrities, often on their most famous songs, in front of the three judges.

These performances will be showcased in three episodes set to air on April 1, 7 and 8. If you can’t wait till then to find out the results scroll down to see the names of the eight men and six women that made it through to the Top 14 on season 17 of “American Idol.” We’ve also included the names of the songs and celebrity partners as revealed by The Idol Pad. Spoilers ahead.

When the live playoffs start, you’ll...

Buddy Guy just wrapped his legendary January residency run at his Chicago club Legends, but fans who missed that can see the 82-year-old guitarist on Saturday’s episode of Austin City Limits on PBS. The song is fitting for the frigid weather the country is seeing this week.

In this exclusive clip, Guy plays his version of Sonny Boy Williamson’s 1962 track “Nine Below Zero,” which Guy covers on his new album The Blues is Alive and Well. Guy sings, “Ain’t this a pity? / People you know it’s...

During the blues revival and rediscovery of the Sixties, few dominated like Paul Butterfield, the hard-puffing, hard-living harmonica player and band leader. Assertive and experimental Butterfield Blues Band albums like 1966’s East-West, featuring equally manic and inspired guitarist Mike Bloomfield, were essential college-dorm listening. And during the following decade, Butterfield’s mighty harmonica powered a version of “Mystery Train” at the Band’s Last Waltz concert and movie.

These days, over three decades after his death, Butterfield is largely known only to blues cognoscenti — a situation that could hopefully be...

When it comes to British blues, all roads lead to John Mayall. As a multi-instrumentalist, he delivered a shot of pure Chicago-style directly to the heart of the nation’s capital, jumpstarting a movement that re-defined the genre. As a bandleader, he mentored some of the biggest names in rock history.

Having honed his craft backing Delta greats Johnny Lee Hooker and Sonny Boy Williams on their first English tours in the early 1960s, Mayall added his daring artistic spirit and amped-up wattage to his own band, the Bluesbreakers. The seminal group became a cornerstone of the burgeoning blues scene in London,...

Pickpockets to highwaymen, bank heists to drug smuggling, the readers' collective Robin Hood act has made a treasure chest

Under the cover of darkness they came. Precious time was snatched to deliver. One reader endured terrible pain and went to hospital, another is set to move house, but this did not stop them. And another, more delightfully, saw the delivery of a beautiful baby (I dedicate this blog to you, prolific Rr regular BeltwayBandit - congratulations!), and despite all of this, during this crazy pre-Christmas period, you still brought riches. Thank you, me hearties, for your bountiful song booty! From rampant robbery to surreptitious smuggling your treasures cascaded through the cellar door of the Readers Recommend and I spent many hours admiring, examining, analysing and enjoying. I am a man poor in time, but rich in song.

And now my turn again to stand and deliver. And indeed, among all the thieves,...

Linda Keith lent a young blues player a guitar belonging to her boyfriend, Keith Richards – and the rest is history. In a rare interview, she tells her story

Rock'n'roll has had many pivotal moments, but few are as clear cut as when Linda Keith, a 20-year-old British Vogue model and blues fanatic, lent a virtually unknown Jimi Hendrix a white Fender Stratocaster, the instrument that would become forever entwined with the guitarist's legendary and unsurpassed technique.

One person rightfully aggrieved by this gesture was the guitar's owner and Linda's boyfriend of three years, Keith Richards. Richards, then on the Rolling Stones' 1966 tour of the Us, wasn't going to get his guitar or his striking, dark-haired girlfriend back – she had made it her mission to launch Hendrix's career. But he and Brian Jones did write the song Ruby Tuesday about her – "Goodbye Ruby Tuesday/ Who could hang a name on you?...

Elmore James (January 17, 1918 - May 24, 1963), inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992, is one of the most important figures in the development of the blues. By playing electric guitar not as a louder version of an acoustic guitar, but rather as a new instrument that took advantage of the amplifier to create a new sound, he revolutionized the blues and influenced several generations of rockers as well.

Fortunately, there is a single-cd compilation that offers an excellent cross-section of his legacy: The Sky Is Crying: The History of Elmore James (Rhino, 1993). Unfortunately, it's no longer in print and isn't on iTunes, but it was so popular and highly acclaimed that there are plenty of copies still floating around, as a look at Amazon.com quickly reveals -- and they're still cheap, too. The 21-song collection includes items from the Trumpet, Chess, Flair, Atlantic, Chief, Fire, Sphere Sound,...

David Letterman will have you know that Led Zeppelin is his favorite band named after a kind of dirigible.

The three surviving members of the legendary rock group — Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, and John Paul Jones – granted a rare interview on The Late Show with David Letterman last night. Dressed modestly in tones of navy, black, and brown, the media-shy trio came across as genial if somewhat diffident.

Letterman tactfully kept the conversation to familiar territory, namely, music. Page lit up when he recalled listening to Buddy Guy’s Folk Festival of the Blues with his friend and fellow Yardbird Jeff Beck.

Former Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant is heading to Mississippi to headline a festival in the historic Delta blues town he recorded a song about in 1999.

Plant recorded "Walking Into Clarksdale" with former Zeppelin bandmate Jimmy Page and has visited the town numerous times. The rock star is returning to Clarksdale this weekend to headline the Sunflower River Blues and Gospel Festival's 25th anniversary celebration with his new roots-music band, the Sensational Space Shifters.

On Saturday, Plant will take the stage with Grammy-winning vocalist Patty Griffin, West African virtuoso musician Juldeh Camara, guitarists Justin Adams and Bill Fuller, keyboardist John Baggott and drummer Dave Smith.

The performance is being hailed "one of the single biggest things to happen to Clarksdale," said resident and Cat Head music store owner Roger Stolle.

"Robert Plant can do anything in the world he wants to do but chooses to come here and pay homage...

In 1969 in Buffalo, N.Y., a wiry, middle-aged chain smoker sat in on piano during a jam session and earned a spot in the band of legendary bluesman Muddy Waters. By then, Pinetop Perkins had already performed with the likes of Sonny Boy Williamson and slide guitarist Robert Nighthawk. The old school bluesman with the aggressive keyboard style and gravelly voice had played the rickety bars among the cotton fields of the Mississippi Delta, and toured with rock pioneer Ike Turner in the 1950s. "Muddy came by, and heard him jamming, and he liked what he heard. The rest is history,"...

In 1969 in Buffalo, N.Y., a wiry, middle-aged chain smoker sat in on piano during a jam session and earned a spot in the band of legendary bluesman Muddy Waters.

By then, Pinetop Perkins had already performed with the likes of Sonny Boy Williamson and slide guitarist Robert Nighthawk. The old school bluesman with the aggressive keyboard style and gravelly voice had played the rickety bars among the cotton fields of the Mississippi Delta, and toured with rock pioneer Ike Turner in the 1950s.

"Muddy came by, and heard him jamming, and he liked what he heard. The rest is history," said Willie "Big Eyes" Smith, who was a drummer in the band.

By the time he and Waters hooked up, Pinetop was in his 50s and "had more energy than us younger folks did," Smith said.

That verve kept him playing the blues and collecting Grammy Awards until shortly...