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American Music Awards Nominate Grammy Left Overs, B Listers

Roger Friedman
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American Music Awards Nominate Grammy Left Overs, B Listers

The nominees for the American Music Awards are really awful, as usual. They’re also a collection of songs and artists who either aren’t eligible for the Grammys, or know in advance they won’t be asked to perform on the Grammy broadcast in February 2015. The AMAs are taking advantage of Pharrell’s “Happy” and John Legend’s “All of Me” having been released during the 2013 Grammy year. In fact, except for Sam Smith, most of this stuff feels like it happened a long time ago. This is all done via publicists, record companies and managers agreeing to be involved, or not. The show is on ABC November 23rd, hashtage #zzzz.

ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Iggy Azalea
Beyoncé
Luke Bryan
Eminem
Imagine Dragons
John Legend
Lorde
One Direction
Katy Perry
Pharrell Williams

NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR PRESENTED BY KOHL’S
5 Seconds of Summer
Iggy Azalea
Bastille
Sam Smith
Meghan Trainor

SINGLE OF THE YEAR
Iggy Azalea Featuring Charli XCX “Fancy”
John Legend “All of Me”
MAGIC! “Rude”
Katy Perry Featuring Juicy J “Dark Horse”
Pharrell Williams “Happy”

FAVORITE MALE ARTIST – POP/ROCK
John Legend
Sam Smith
Pharrell Williams

FAVORITE FEMALE ARTIST – POP/ROCK
Iggy Azalea
Lorde
Katy Perry

FAVORITE BAND, DUO OR GROUP – POP/ROCK

Imagine Dragons
One Direction
OneRepublic

FAVORITE ALBUM – POP/ROCK
Lorde “Pure Heroine”
One Direction “Midnight Memories”
Katy Perry “Prism”

FAVORITE MALE ARTIST – COUNTRY

Jason Aldean
Luke Bryan
Blake Shelton

FAVORITE FEMALE ARTIST – COUNTRY
Miranda Lambert
Kacey Musgraves
Carrie Underwood

FAVORITE BAND, DUO OR GROUP – COUNTRY

Eli Young Band
Florida Georgia Line
Lady Antebellum

FAVORITE ALBUM – COUNTRY

Garth Brooks “Blame It On My Roots: Five Decades of Influences”
Eric Church “The Outsiders”
Brantley Gilbert “Just As I Am”

FAVORITE ARTIST – RAP/HIP-HOP

Iggy Azalea
Drake
Eminem

FAVORITE ALBUM – RAP/HIP-HOP

Iggy Azalea “The New Classic”
Drake “Nothing Was The Same”
Eminem “The Marshall Mathers LP 2”

FAVORITE MALE ARTIST – SOUL/R&B
Chris Brown
John Legend
Pharrell Williams

FAVORITE FEMALE ARTIST – SOUL/R&B
Jhene Aiko
Beyoncé
Mary J. Blige

FAVORITE ALBUM – SOUL/R&B
Beyoncé “Beyoncé”
John Legend “Love in the Future”
Pharrell Williams “G I R L”

FAVORITE ARTIST – ALTERNATIVE ROCK

Bastille
Imagine Dragons
Lorde

FAVORITE ARTIST – ADULT CONTEMPORARY

Sara Bareilles
OneRepublic
Katy Perry

FAVORITE ARTIST – LATIN

Marc Anthony
Enrique Iglesias
Romeo Santos

FAVORITE ARTIST – CONTEMPORARY INSPIRATIONAL

Casting Crowns
Hillsong United
Newsboys

FAVORITE ARTIST – ELECTRONIC DANCE MUSIC (EDM)

Avicii
Calvin Harris
Zedd

TOP SOUNDTRACK
Frozen
The Fault In Our Stars
Guardians of the Galaxy: Awesome Mix, Vol. 1

Exclusive: Neil deGrasse Tyson Will Host Live TV Show from NY Planetarium

Roger Friedman
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Exclusive: Neil deGrasse Tyson Will Host Live TV Show from NY Planetarium

I don’t know a lot about Neil deGrasse Tyson, but I was addicted to his show “Cosmos.” Now I can tell you that Tyson, a heavyweight in science, is going to host a talk show live from the Hayden Planetarium in New York. That is, live to tape. It’s a TV version of his already hit radio show called “Star Talk,” and it will be aired on National Geographic’s cable channel.

Tyson is already director of the Planetarium and a research associate in astrophysics at the Museum of Natural History in New York. Harvard educated, Tyson is the successor to Carl Sagan in the discovery and analysis of the universe, and galaxies beyond us.

I love him on TV, but Tyson told at Stuart Match Suna’s annual Founders Party for the Hamptons Film Festival that being a media star “devalues” among his science snob colleagues. Nonsense! He’s probably done more for science and space and the understanding of both than anyone since Sagan. Bravo!

 

Exclusive: Call Him “Ed”: Snowden Used PC, Not Mac, for His NSA Takedown

Roger Friedman
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Exclusive: Call Him “Ed”: Snowden Used PC, Not Mac, for His NSA Takedown

Here’s a little more about the documentary “CitizenFour,” about Edward Snowden and his takedown of the NSA. Laura Poitras and Glenn Greenwald’s documentary goes right to the top of the Oscar shortlist for docs. It’s absolutely revelatory, and so damning of the government that I do think people will be stunned. You think you know Snowden’s story but we don’t. There’s a real explanation here of how he did what he did, and what he he really found.

One thing that surprised me: he used a black PC that looks like either a Lenovo or IBM laptop. He didn’t use an Apple product from the looks of things. What a surprise considering how PC’s are constantly put down by Apple’s cult like enthusiasts. Greenwald never asks him about his choice of gadgets, so we don’t know why he thought Lenovo-IBM was better than MacBook.

During his interviews with Greenwald in Hong Kong, Snowden has one book out that he seems to be reading. That’s “Homeland” by Cory Doctorow (not related to E.L. Doctorow, btw). The novel was released in February 2013. It includes essays by computer experts Jacob Applebaum (famed hacker) and the late Aaron Swartz.

News orgs may call him “Edward,” but Snowden now prefers “Ed.”

Toward the end of the film, Greenwald visits Snowden in a Moscow hotel. He writes several communications on a pad, which Snowden eventually shows to the camera. One page such a bunch of arrows pointing to each other, culminating in the word POTUS. Greenwald rips up all the papers into small pieces until just the word POTUS is seen by itself in close up.

It’s clear that the filmmakers, who are certainly working with Snowden, are pointing the finger at President Obama. Obama supporters may find this part of the movie the most surprising, because it’s usually films and books made by conservatives that attack Obama.

One thing that becomes abundantly clear: Snowden was not just some low level guy who snitched and ran. His description of his clearance at the NSA– “higher clearance than most”– is actually described as “Top Secret.” Considering how he got there– through Booz Allen Hamilton as a consultant– it does seem like Snowden worked the system like a pro. He is no wide eyed naif.

The best part of “CitizenFour,” I think, is watching the real time experience of Snowden’s information being published by Greenwald. He calls home to find that the NSA is slowly realizing he’s their mole. His girlfriend says his rent check hasn’t been cashed. She also says that their street is now “filled with construction trucks” which he infers is the FBI or CIA setting up shop on his block to find him. He says about his bosses and co-workers, “They’re going to have a heart attack.”

 

Happy 79th Birthday to the Original Legendary Soul Man, Sam Moore

Roger Friedman
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Happy 79th Birthday to the Original Legendary Soul Man, Sam Moore

There is only one star left from the shout-outs of Arthur Conley’s “Sweet Soul Music.” That’s the original legendary Soul Man, Sam Moore, of Sam & Dave fame, who celebrates his 79th birthday today.

Also one of the historic acts of Ahmet Ertegun and Jerry Wexler’s Atlantic Records, Moore–whose voice has never sounded better and is very much in demand– was named one of Rolling Stone’s top singers of all time a couple of years ago. His classic hits include “Soul Man,” “Hold On I’m Coming,” and “When Something is Wrong with My Baby.” As a performer, Sam has testified on Capitol Hill and has been a strong supporter of the Performance Rights Act to get singers radio royalties.

Sam’s last album was “Original Sensational” in 2006 featuring Sting, Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi, and many others. It was produced by Randy Jackson. He’s starting to put together songs and musicians for a new album in 2015 to celebrate his 80th birthday. Sam is also in demand in his adopted hometown of Scottsdale, Arizona, where he will likely turn up doing a couple of private shows at the Super Bowl this coming February.

A couple of weeks ago when I was visiting the Letterman show, their star band player Felicia Collins told me: “I love it when Sam sings with us. He’s the only one who sings in the right key!”

Sam’s current single is a tribute to the late country star George Jones, sung with Nashville bluegrass group Nu Blu:

Edward Snowden Doc Premieres: Shocking inside look at how he did it

Roger Friedman
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Edward Snowden Doc Premieres: Shocking inside look at how he did it

Citizen Four is the shocking doc about Edward Snowden made by Glenn Greenwald and Laura Poitras. Just screened tonight was the two hour film which will be released by the Weinstein Company this month. It doesn’t paint the Obama administration in a very good light as Snowden explains how the government has violated privacy rights on a massive scale.
Also the filmmakers clearly indicate that all roads lead to POTUS, a fairly serious accusation. There may be serious repercussions.

Then there’s the Hollywoodization of Snowden. The detail of how and why Snowden went about this is pretty surprising considering how the 29 year old former NSA employee says he wants his own privacy and not to be a celebrity. It’s instructive to see his evolution from eyeglass wearing nerd to contact lenses and moussed up hair sporting hero of his own thriller. It’s all very Tom Cruise. Even the beautiful girlfriend sets up housekeeping with him in Moscow. Nevertheless as the details of the NSA’s programs are revealed Snowden says, “This isn’t science fiction. It’s really happening.”

Roger Friedman
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http://www.showbiz411.com/?p=44106&preview=true

Roger Friedman
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0

http://www.showbiz411.com/?p=44106&preview=true

U2: Apple Says 26 Million Downloaded Free Album, But Only 70K Estimated Will Pay For It

Roger Friedman
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U2: Apple Says 26 Million Downloaded Free Album, But Only 70K Estimated Will Pay For It

Reality bites, doesn’t it?

Billboard reports Apple saying 26 million people downloaded U2’s free album “Songs of Innocence.” That’s nice. By Billboard’s estimate, however, only 70,000 will buy the physical CD when it drops on October 13th.

That’s about right. Which is why U2 opted for the iTunes giveaway rather than deal with the charts and public numbers. It doesn’t matter how many people took the “purchased” button and allowed “Songs of Innocence” into their machines. The real question is, who will pay for music at all? How many people are there to buy an album by a group of men over 50? And the answer is: 70,000. If you’re lucky.

Typical sales right now for almost every artist is far less than 70,000 in the first week. Dozens of acts have experienced shock this year with opening weeks of 25,000. That goes for current and young acts like Jennifer Hudson and Maroon 5. The latter group got a bump last week thanks to “Saturday Night Live.” But their “V” album has not been a wild success.

Meantime, the U2 album has a creepy, creepy cover. They should have stuck with no cover. Criminy.

U2 cover songs of innocence

UPDATE: Amanda Bynes Takes Back Accusations, Says a Micro Chip in Her Brain Made Her Do It

Roger Friedman
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UPDATE: Amanda Bynes Takes Back Accusations, Says a Micro Chip in Her Brain Made Her Do It

SECOND UPDATE: Amanda Bynes takes it all back. She says a micro chip in her brain made her say these things. Someone had better get power of attorney quick and lock this poor girl up. She is sick. Really, terrible.

 

UPDATE: Bynes now claims she’s getting a restraining order against her dad.

She wrote on Twitter just now: “I cannot hear the sound of His incestually [sic] charged voice ever again and I’m just being honest. He called me ugly as a child and then asked me if I wanted to have sex with him and i did not know how to respond and I said no and then My dad fondled himself in front of me so many times that i started recording him on my phone in hopes of catching him. saying or doing something inappropriate around me so I could get him arrested & put in jail for the rest of his perverted life My mom knows that my father’s literally and physically incestual {sic] towards his own daughter and the fact that she never called the police on him embarrasses me to no end”

EARLIER: I’ve never written about child star Amanda Bynes because she’s clearly mentally ill and needs help. But this morning she hit Twitter with a sledge hammer, sending out messages that beg for parental interaction and a conservatorship. She was doing well last spring, but obviously something has snapped. Very sad, almost more about the way she feels about her looks than the “N” word, which she has now used in a coarse and vulgar message. But she’s not in her right mind. Read the Tweets with caution:

 

 

Matthew Broderick, Nathan Lane Score a Major and Hilarious Hit with “It’s Only a Play”

Roger Friedman
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Matthew Broderick, Nathan Lane Score a Major and Hilarious Hit with “It’s Only a Play”

First of all, with such huge box office — $1.2 million a week— before the show even opened, “It’s Only a Play” was the subject of much gossip for weeks. It must be bad. I heard it wasn’t very good. This was the buzz.

The original version, off Broadway in 1986, was not a hit. It was slight, and it closed despite a great cast that included Christine Baranski, James Coco, and Mark Blum.

Terrence McNally has totally overhauled his play, made it current and about 1,000 times funnier. It’s so funny that when it was winding toward a conclusion, I didn’t want it to stop. McNally took a just for it attitude, and has said every single thing every one in the theater is thinking right now in 2014. Out loud.

Jack O’Brien expertly puts this ensemble through its paces. Matthew Broderick is now the playwright at an opening night party waiting for his reviews. Nathan Lane is his best friend, a TV star who once toiled on the stage is now in a perpetual sweat about his career. (He’s the linchpin in this nutty spectacle, and of course, devastating.) Stockard Channing is the star of Broderick’s play. Megan Mullally is the sole producer, the wealthy wife of a rich guy who dabbles in theater. Rupert Grint of “Harry Potter” fame makes a terrific Broadway debut as the bad boy British director. (I told him he reminded me of Malcolm McLaren.) F. Murray Abraham is outstanding as the cleverly nasty theater critic who longs to be a playwright himself. Micah Stock makes his own debut as the deadpan coat check guy at the after party (a new character invented for this iteration).

This group, in a word, is hilarious. The jokes they tell are all inside ones, but if you’ve been to the theater or know anything about celebrities, it’s easy to follow along. Everyone and everything is skewered by this group with laser-like comic timing. I did keep thinking that this was the funniest thing I’d seen since “Vanya and Sonya and Masha and Spike.” And that’s saying a lot.

This is satire at its highest dudgeon of course. Liza Minnelli and Faye Dunaway each get hit hard. Daniel Radcliffe is represented by a little boy’s peacoat. Shia LaBeouf gets arrested off stage at the big after party. Alec Baldwin kicks someone when they’re on the ground.

Many current shows are lampooned. “Hasn’t Rock of Ages closed by now?” someone asks. There are jokes about the umpteenth revival of “Les Miz.”  Much fun is had at the expense of British imports, Disney musicals, and the changing landscape of Broadway. There are some great speeches about theater and art– mostly thrown to Broderick, who delivers them with a beautifully deadpan composure.

But the jokes never stop and neither do the laughs. The sarcastic stuff goes to Stockard Channing, who delivers put downs and rueful observations with stunning deftness. Abraham is a hoot as the caustic theater reviewer, a combination of Rex Reed and John Simon with a penchant for ad hominen attacks. Mullally has her most substantial role yet on Broadway and pulls it off with aplomb.

The fun of opening night was of course, all the “meta” stuff going on–jokes about real life people who were also in the audience, like Tommy Tune, or Bob Wankel, head of the Shubert Organization. Lane, as James Wicker, name checks “Nathan Lane” and really carries on about Harvey Fierstein. Rita Moreno and Chita Rivera are confused for each other. Lady Gaga checks a coat made of glass globes.

Last night’s audience really got a kick out of it, starting with Angela Lansbury, Norman Lear, Marilu Henner, Diane Sawyer and Mike Nichols, John Slattery of “Mad Men” and wife Talia Balsam, Maura Tierney, Louis C. K., Liz Smith, Cindy Adams, Rosanna Scotto, Andy Cohen of “Bravo,” lots of agents and producers like Paula Wagner and Toni Howard, moguls (David Geffen, who really enjoyed it, and Sandy Gallin), famed songwriter Desmond Child and even Vogue editor Anna Wintour wearing sunglassses.

There were so many celebrities and A listers in the crowd that the show started a half hour late. And the #1 celeb was Sarah Jessica Parker, aka Mrs. Matthew Broderick. who wore a diaphanous white designer dress, looked like a million bucks and was just as nice as pie to everyone she encountered. She also sat front and center and rooted Matthew on.

This is a limited run through mid January. But if the Shuberts can move Helen Mirren in “The Audience” to another theater, “It’s Only a Play” may stay a bit longer. Considering it is totally sold out, that’s a good idea.

PS New York Times theater critic Ben Brantley is an unseen but main character in “It’s Only a Play.” In real life, he reviews the play today in the Times. A little weird, but uncanny in its evaluation of him. Heck, all the world’s a play…

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