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    Grammy Boss Apologizes to Tiffany Haddish Over 'Disrespectful' Offer to Host Pre-Show Event

    WENN

    Shortly after going public with the ‘disrespectful’ offer to host the Premiere Ceremony, the comedienne/actress receives a public apology from the Recording Academy.

    Dec 11, 2020
    AceShowbiz – Comedienne Tiffany Haddish has received a public apology from the interim Recording Academy boss after going public with the “disrespectful” offer she received to host the 2021 Grammy Awards pre-show.
    The “Girls Trip” star reveals she was approached to present the three-hour event – during which the bulk of the Recording Academy’s 83 trophies are handed out before the televised main show – but she turned down the offer after learning she would not be paid, and would have to foot the cost of her own hair, makeup, and wardrobe.
    “All of that would have to come out of my pocket,” she told Variety. “I don’t know if this might mean I might not get nominated ever again, but I think it’s disrespectful. I was like, ‘The exposure is amazing but I think I have enough. I appreciate you guys asking.’ ”
    “And as much as I appreciate the honour of being nominated, that’s not OK.”
    A representative for the Recording Academy told Variety that talent booked for the Grammys Premiere Ceremony are not compensated because it is a production of their not-for-profit organisation, whereas the prime time awards ceremony is funded by U.S. network officials at CBS.
    After the news hit headlines on Thursday (10Dec20), Harvey Mason, Jr., the interim chief of the Recording Academy, took to social media to express his apologies, insisting he was unaware such an offer had been made.

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    “It’s just been brought to my attention that the Recording Academy invited Tiffany Haddish to host this year’s Premiere ceremony,” he said in the video posted to Instagram.
    “Unfortunately and without my knowing, the talent booker working for the Academy told Ms. Haddish that we wouldn’t even cover her costs while she hosted this event for us.”
    “To me that was wrong,” he continued. “I’m frustrated by that decision. It was a lapse in judgment, it was in poor taste, and it was disrespectful to the creative community – I’m part of the creative community and I know what that feels like, and it’s not right.”
    Explaining he had also personally reached out to Haddish, he added, “Thankfully, Ms. Haddish was gracious enough to allow me to have a conversation with her. I apologised to her personally, I apologised from the Academy, and I expressed to her my regret and my displeasure about how this went down and how it was handled. And I will say, Tiffany, we are sorry and thank you for allowing me to speak on it.”
    Singer Imogen Heap served as host for the 2020 pre-show.
    Haddish is among the nominees for the 2021 ceremony – she is up for Best Comedy Album for “Black Mitzvah”, two years after receiving a nod in 2019 for Best Spoken Word album for her audiobook “The Black Unicorn”.

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    Shawn Mendes Almost Quit Music During Meltdown This Year

    WENN

    The ‘Treat You Better’ hitmaker opens up about his struggle with mental health issues, revealing that he had a meltdown and came close to leaving music industry.

    Dec 11, 2020
    AceShowbiz – Shawn Mendes came “extremely close” to quitting music this year.
    The 22-year-old singer “burnt out” and suffered a “meltdown” but ultimately realised he was putting too much pressure on himself to always be successful.
    “I burnt out and had a meltdown within, but not externally,” he told The Guardian newspaper.
    Asked if he thought about quitting music, he replied, “Yes. I came extremely close. Extremely, extremely close… (What stopped me?) I realised it’s not the industry, it’s the way I do the industry. I let the industry control what I do, rather than me controlling my life.”
    The “Stitches” hitmaker was so stressed about wanting his album “Wonder” to be as successful as his previous records that he lost the ability to sing.
    “I had a moment at the end of January when my body would not allow me to sing,” he explained. “I physically couldn’t sing because of my anxiety to have a successful album. The fear strangled me and literally stopped me being able to sing.”

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    “It was a month before I felt like I was taking the first step. I really fell down.”
    Shawn added that his success turned into a “big monster” that destroyed his confidence because he felt like he was “worth nothing” if even just one person didn’t like what he does.
    “I started playing music in front of an audience of the world at 15 years old,” he said. “I was on the road for seven years straight and I had a lot of success, a lot of big songs, a lot of reasons for people to praise me and to think I was great, and a lot of reasons for me to think I was great.”
    “That’s where it gets stressful. All of that praise and all that success was turning into a big monster that was eating my self-confidence because, if anybody said they didn’t like my music, all of a sudden I felt I was worth nothing.”
    “And that’s what happens when you connect who you are with what you do. That’s the problem. That’s where you go into a complete meltdown, when you try to make something that’s impossible to make: something that the whole world likes.”
    Fortunately, the “Senorita” hitmaker is now able to look at his situation differently, thanks to “three therapists and 55 self-help books.”

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    BTS Hailed Time Magazine's 2020 Entertainer of the Year

    Time Magazine/Mok Jung Wook

    The Bangtan Boys have been named this year’s brightest entertainer by Time magazine following a year of chart domination amid the global coronavirus pandemic.

    Dec 11, 2020
    AceShowbiz – K-pop superstars BTS have been crowned Time magazine’s 2020 Entertainer of the Year.
    The “Dynamite” hitmakers have been hailed for their chart domination across the world during a tough year due to the coronavirus pandemic, which has crippled the live entertainment industry.
    “BTS isn’t just the biggest K-pop act on the charts. They’ve become the biggest band in the world – full stop,” writes the publication’s Raisa Bruner.
    BTS follow in the footsteps of Lizzo, who took the title last year (19), and in an interview for the special issue, the bandmembers admit even they still can’t believe how successful they’ve become.
    “There are times when I’m still taken aback by all the unimaginable things that are happening. But I ask myself, ‘Who’s going to do this, if not us?’ ” Suga said while RM added, “We’re not sure if we’ve actually earned respect. But one thing for sure is that (people) feel like, ‘OK, this is not just some kind of a syndrome, a phenomenon. These little boys from Korea are doing this.’ ”
    And they are proud to have given fans something to be excited about during the global health crisis, after delivering two albums in 2020.

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    “I always wanted to become an artist that can provide comfort, relief and positive energy to people,” J-Hope shared. “That intent harmonised with the sincerity of our group and led us to who we are today.”

    Meanwhile, Time magazine editors have also honoured basketball icon LeBron James as Athlete of the Year, ahead of Thursday night (10Dec20)’s big reveal for the coveted Person of the Year title.

    U.S. President Donald Trump, President-elect Joe Biden, the movement for racial justice, and COVID champion Dr. Anthony Fauci, and frontline health care workers are the four finalists for the prize.
    Climate activist Greta Thunberg was awarded the 2019 Person of the Year accolade.

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    Taylor Swift Releasing 'Folklore' Sister Album Called 'Evermore'

    The ‘Shake It Off’ hitmaker marks the end of 2020 with another new album called ‘Evermore’ which she describes as a sister album to her set released during lockdown.

    Dec 11, 2020
    AceShowbiz – Taylor Swift has delighted fans with the news she is dropping a surprise new album, titled “Evermore”.
    The singer announced she will be releasing her second album of 2020, a companion piece to her hit album”Folklore”, which debuted in July, on Thursday (10Dec20) on Twitter, accompanied by a photo of her, standing in a wood with her back turned to the camera.
    The “Shake It Off” hitmaker worked with the same team she created “Folklore” with, Aaron Dessner of The National, Jack Antonoff, Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon, and boyfriend Joe Alwyn – who is credited as a co-writer under the name William Bowery.
    Taylor tweeted, “I’m elated to tell you that my 9th studio album, and folklore’s sister record, will be out tonight at midnight eastern. It’s called evermore.”
    “To put it plainly, we just couldn’t stop writing songs. To try and put it more poetically, it feels like we were standing on the edge of the folklorian woods and had a choice: to turn and go back or to travel further into the forest of this music. We chose to wander deeper in.”

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    She continued, “I’ve never done this before. In the past I’ve always treated albums as one-off eras and moved onto planning the next one after an album was released. There was something different with folklore. In making it, I felt less like I was departing and more like I was returning.”
    “I loved the escapism I found in these imaginary/not imaginary tales. I loved the ways you welcomed the dreamscapes and tragedies and epic tales of love lost and found into your lives. So I just kept writing them,” she added.
    The album contains 15 tracks, including “No Body”, “No Crime” featuring Haim, “Coney Island” featuring The National, and the closing track, “Evermore”, featuring Bon Iver. The deluxe physical edition includes two bonus tracks “Right Where You Left Me” and “It’s Time to Go”.
    All digital downloads of the album include an exclusive digital booklet with 16 new photos of Swift frequenting a forest.
    “Evermore” and its first music video for opening track, “Willow”, will be out at midnight ET on Friday, 11 December.

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    Tiffany Haddish Rejected 'Disrespectful' Offer to Host 2021 Grammys Premiere Ceremony

    WENN

    The ‘Girl’s Trip’ actress slams the Recording Academy for offering her to serve as a host for the upcoming Grammys pre-show event but without getting paid.

    Dec 11, 2020
    AceShowbiz – Tiffany Haddish turned down an approach to host the 2021 Grammys Premiere Ceremony because she wouldn’t be paid.
    The “Girl’s Trip” actress was asked to present the three-hour event – which is where the bulk of the Recording Academy’s 83 trophies are handed out before the televised main show – but was also warned her costs for hair, make-up and wardrobe wouldn’t be covered, so she said no to the “disrespectful” offer.
    “All of that would have to come out of my pocket,” she told Variety. “I don’t know if this might mean I might not get nominated ever again, but I think it’s disrespectful. I was like, ‘The exposure is amazing but I think I have enough. I appreciate you guys asking.’ ”
    “And as much as I appreciate the honour of being nominated, that’s not OK.”

      See also…

    Tiffany – who is up for Best Comedy Album for “Black Mitzvah” at the ceremony and received a nomination in 2019 for Best Spoken Word album for her audiobook “The Black Unicorn” – thinks the Recording Academy need to change their approach.
    “This is something that needs to be addressed,” she added. “How many other people have they done that to? It’s like a guy asking you on a date but telling you that you have to pay for it.”
    A representative for the Recording Academy told Variety that host, presenters, and performers are not traditionally compensated for participating in the Grammys Premiere Ceremony because it is a production of their not-for-profit organisation, whereas the prime time awards ceremony is a CBS programme.
    Ahead of the most recent Grammy Awards in January (20), Imogen Heap hosted the premiere ceremony.

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    Jamie Cullum Becomes World Record Holder After Hosting Largest Music Lesson Ever

    Instagram

    Weeks after releasing ‘The Pianoman at Christmas’, the ‘Everlasting Love’ singer stages a virtual piano lesson for 2,282 people as part of a fundraiser for the charity Age UK.

    Dec 10, 2020
    AceShowbiz – Jamie Cullum has broken the Guinness World Record for hosting the largest music lesson ever.
    The musician staged a virtual piano lesson for 2,282 people as part of a fundraiser for the charity Age UK.
    Cullum, who was joined by special guests Robbie Williams and Sigrid, set out to teach his virtual students the Christmas carol “In the Bleak Midwinter”.
    “I am passionate about music education for all and also an evolving student of music myself only having come to the more technical side of music theory in the last couple of years,” he explained his motivation in supporting the event. “Even the very simplest things are very new to me.”
    Wrapping up the event, he said, “I hope this lesson gave everyone who took part, from the very beginner to the more advanced, something they can take away with them and was fun in the process. I loved putting it together and would love to do more in the future like this.”

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    “Thank you to Jamie Cullum for an incredible, record-breaking music lesson this afternoon,” an Age U.K. spokesman said. “What a fantastic event!”

    The piano lesson came weeks after Jamie released his new festive album, “The Pianoman at Christmas”, which was recorded at London’s Abbey Road studios with a 57-piece orchestra.
    He said of recording the album, “It’s freedom within the limitations of the subject matter, but once you’re in the subject you can write about all the same things you do in other songs, as long as you throw in some snow and mistletoe. It allows you to think wide-screen.”
    He continued sharing, “If it were a regular album, maybe I would be shy about doing four choruses at the end of this song or having a huge orchestra come in only at the end of a song. But because it’s a Christmas album, why not? It’s like writing a musical; as long as you stay within the storyline, you can do anything you want.”

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    Don McLean to Begin American Pie 50th Anniversary World Tour With Special Concert

    WENN

    The ‘American Pie’ hitmaker will honor the memories of Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and The Big Bopper at Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa on the 62nd anniversary of ‘The Day the Music Died’.

    Dec 10, 2020
    AceShowbiz – Singer Don McLean is preparing to salute the memories of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and Then Big Bopper at a special anniversary concert held at the same venue as their last-ever performance.
    The “American Pie” hitmaker penned the classic 1971 song about “The Day The Music Died”, the phrase used to describe the 1959 plane crash that cost the three rock ‘n’ roll greats their lives, and on February 3, 2021 – exactly 62 years after the Clear Lake, Iowa tragedy – McLean will take the stage at the city’s Surf Ballroom to perform in their honour.
    The show will also serve as the kick off for McLean’s “American Pie” 50th Anniversary World Tour, which will include stops in Australia, New Zealand, and the U.K. and Ireland, among many other countries.
    “February 3, 1959 was a tragic day for all of us who lost our heroes in that plane crash. While writing American Pie, I felt it was important to remember this incident that to me, was still fresh,” McLean shares in a statement.

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    “Now, we will return to the last venue they performed at on the anniversary of the crash to kick off the 50th Anniversary American Pie World Tour.”

    The concert news emerges as a new movie chronicling the events surrounding the tragic loss is in development.
    Actor Ruairi O’Connor has been cast as Holly in “Clear Lake”, alongside rapper Nelly as Chuck Berry, Colin Hanks as Holly’s manager Norman Petty, and Diane Guerrero as the “Peggy Sue” singer’s wife, Maria Elena. Bruce Beresford will direct the project.

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    Tom Parker Debuts First Song After Brain Tumor Diagnosis

    Instagram

    The Wanted star has just released his first music, roughly a couple of months after he broke the news that he was struggling with an incurable brain tumor.

    Dec 10, 2020
    AceShowbiz – Tom Parker has released his first song since being diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour.
    The Wanted star has released a cover of Tamia’s 1998 track “So Into You” under the name Lost + Found, alongside “The X Factor” ‘s Ollie Marland.
    [embedded content]
    “This song came about when we first moved into our then-new studio,” the “Glad You Came” hitmaker said in a statement. “I came in early and played an instrumental we’d been working on the week before and started to sing the song over it. Ollie thought, ‘That’s incredible, what is that?’ Not realising that it was the absolute R&B classic, originally by Tamia. The song fitted perfectly over the chords and beats we’d already done and it just felt right.”

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    The single’s release comes after Tom announced his devastating diagnosis in October (20) and vowed to “fight this all the way” by raising awareness and researching the treatments available.
    In joint statement with his wife Kelsey, they wrote, “Hey guys, you know that we’ve both been quiet on social media for a few weeks and it’s time to tell you why. There’s no easy way to say this but I’ve sadly been diagnosed with a Brain Tumour and I’m already undergoing treatment…”
    “We are all absolutely devastated but we are gonna fight this all the way. We don’t want your sadness, we just want love and positivity and together we will raise awareness of this terrible disease and look for all available treatment options. It’s gonna be a tough battle but with everyone’s love and support we are going to beat this. Tom and Kelsey xxx.”
    Soon after sharing the news, the 32-year-old star’s wife gave birth to their second child, son Bodhi, a sibling for daughter Aurelia – 17 months.

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