Arch MUSIC NEWS for 9/26/12

Arch Music News is compiled by Jay Philpott -

Heart now has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.  The received their star on Tuesday, and it’s located in front of The Musician’s Institute on Hollywood Boulevard near the stars of Journey and Motley Crue.

Madonna says she was trying to be “ironic” when she referred to President Obama as a “Black Muslim” during a tour stop in Washington, D.C. Monday night. The comment was part of a fiery monologue about politics and prophets.
Madonna’s “Black Muslim” remark came as she spoke about the legacies of President Abraham Lincoln and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who she says fought for people to be free and to believe in what they want to believe in. Likening President Obama’s fight for gay rights to those of past freedom fighters, Madonna told the audience, “Y’all better vote for Obama, OK?” But her comments sparked a controversy that she responded to with a statement on Tuesday. She explained that she knows Obama isn’t a Muslim, but she was trying to make the point that he is “a good man, no matter who he prays to.”

 
Journey’s Neal Schon says he’d like to have more direct contact with Steve Perry, but they still don’t communicate directly with one another, more than 15 years after they recorded their last album together. The guitarist admits he doesn’t really understand why they “can’t just talk one on one, for whatever reason, just to say hello.” But he says that after all these years they’re only in touch through “management and attorneys.” Schon adds that he’s not interested in trying to “pressure anybody to do anything or anything like that.” He also points out that Perry “walked” — the band didn’t “kick Steve out.”

“Billboard” magazine is declaring Katy Perry its “Woman of the Year.” The pop singer has had quite a year, making chart-topping hits, touring all over the world and even releasing a 3D concert movie. Her 2010 album “Teenage Dream” saw a record-breaking five songs hit the number one spot on the Hot 100 and sold two-and-a-half-million copies in the U.S. alone. She continued her success with the “California Dreams” tour, which sold out arenas around the globe and was captured for her documentary “Katy Perry: Part of Me.”

There is a premiere date for Lifetime’s new docu-series revolving around the family of late singer Whitney Houston. The cable channel says “The Houstons: On Our Own” will debut on October 24th. Over 14 half-hour episodes, the show will follow Whitney’s family and close friends as they attempt to move on from her shocking death in February. Nineteen-year-old Bobbi Kristina was named heir to her mother’s fortune. The show will feature Bobbi Kristina, her father Bobby Brown, her grandmother Cissy Houston, Bobbi Kristina’s aunt and uncle Gary and Pat Houston and her cousin Rayah Houston.

NBC’s “The Voice” is here to stay – for at least two more seasons. The network announced Tuesday it had given the greenlight to two more seasons of the hit TV singing competition. Currently in its third season, “The Voice” debuted in the spring of 2011 with music stars Christina Aguilera, Blake Shelton, Adam Levine and Cee Lo Green sitting in as celebrity coaches. The show’s renewal means there will be two more seasons of “The Voice” in the spring and fall of 2013. NBC announced last week that music stars Usher and Shakira would be joining the cast next season to fill in for Aguilera and Cee Lo who will be taking time off to pursue other projects.

Kid Rock will release Rebel Soul on November 19.  Produced by the Kid himself, the new album is described in a release as “a return to form for Rock who with this album cements his place as the premier genre-hopping rock and roller of all time.” The lead single is called “Let’s Ride.”

Eddie Vedder performed solo at a fundraiser for President Obama last week in Tampa, FL, helping to raise $1.7 million for the Obama campaign. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Pearl Jam singer played a four song set on the mandolin for the President and 85 guests in attendance.

With its new album, Away From The World, bowing at #1 on the sales chart this week, Dave Matthews Band reaches a new milestone, becoming the first group in chart history to have six straight studio albums debut atop the chart.  Dave Matthews Band also leads in a charge in which the entire top six albums on the chart are all new debuts for only the second time in history. The first time it happened was the week of October 11, 2003, according to Billboard.com.

After teasing fans on Twitter recently with hints about her next record, Ke$ha has announced that her new album is titled Warrior and will be out December 4 and the lead single will be called “Die Young”.

Maroon 5 has been announced as the first act to perform at The Grammy Nominations Concert Live, which will air on Wednesday, December 5.  Maroon 5 will join longtime host LL Cool J for the event when it airs on CBS from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.

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