Arch MUSIC NEWS for 11/27/12

Arch MUSIC NEWS is compiled by Jay Philpott -

Motley Crue‘s Nikki Sixx is on his way to being a married man once again. He says in a Facebook post that he and his 27-year-old girlfriend Courtney Bingham are engaged. He says he “popped the question and she said YES” during their recent vacation in St. Bart’s. Sixx, 54 adds that the two of them as well as their families are “beyond happy,” and they appreciate all the congratulations they’ve been receiving through social media. This will be Nikki’s third trip down the aisle. The bassist was married for seven years to “Playboy” Playmate Brandi Brandt, and spent eleven years with “Playboy” Playmate and actress Donna D’Errico.

Carole King is getting a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She’ll receive star number two-thousand-486 with a special unveiling ceremony on December 3rd. Carole is expected to be at the event, which will take place on Hollywood Boulevard across the street from The Dolby Theater. It’s a public event, and the ceremony, which will begin at 1:30 p.m. St. Louis time, will also be streamed online at www.WalkOfFame.com.

James Taylor will perform at the 90th annual National Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony, which is set for the Ellipse in Washington, DC’s President’s Park. Taylor is one of several stars slated to participate in the upcoming event. Colbie Caillat, Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, and “American Idol” winner Phillip Phillips are some of the other artists who’ve been tapped for the festivities, while more performers could be added. President Obama will officially light the tree, carrying on a tradition that started with President Coolidge in 1923.  The ceremony will be streamed live online at www.thenationaltree.org on December 6th starting at 3:30 p.m. CST. It will also air as a PBS special throughout the month of December.

Today would have been the late Jimi Hendrix‘s 70th birthday. While the rock legend passed away more than 40 years ago, he’s far from forgotten. He continues to be remembered and honored today in a number of ways. Jimi’s sister, Janie Hendrix, works to protect and preserve her famous brother’s legacy through Experience Hendrix. In honor of Jimi’s 70th birthday, she recently released “The Ultimate Lyric Book, a compilation of song lyrics in their original, handwritten form. Experience Hendrix has also teamed up with Lyric Culture to create a Hendrix clothing line. An exhibit just opened this month at the Experience Music Project Museum in Jimi’s hometown of Seattle, which sheds new light on the late guitar icon’s rise to fame. Meanwhile, a Hendrix biopic starring OutKast‘s Andre Benjamin is in the works. Producers hope to screen “All Is By My Side” at the Sundance Film Festival in January. In addition, a new album of previously unreleased material, titled “People, Hell and Angels,” is slated for release on March 5th.