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USA Today
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Clive Davis remembers Whitney Houston as he receives Apollo Theater's Legacy Award
Clive Davis remembers Whitney Houston as he receives Apollo Theater's Legacy Award Show Caption Hide Caption Megan Thee Stallion, Serena Williams, more arrive at Pre-Grammy party Watch the stars arrive at the Clive Davis Pre-Grammy Gala in Beverly Hills. USA TODAY's Ralphie Aversa also speaks with Gayle King about the evening. NEW YORK – Clive Davis has been associated with the some of the biggest names in music, from Bruce Springsteen and Barry Manilow to Dionne Warwick and Aretha Franklin. But the music producer/executive may have no greater association than that with Whitney Houston, from Davis discovering the singer at 19 to her death in 2012 at age 48 on the night of his Pre-Grammy Gala at the Beverly Hilton. The relationship between the two was on display Wednesday night in Harlem's Apollo Theater, where Davis received both a lifetime achievement award and a spot on the theater's walk of fame. Davis was honored with the Legacy Award at the Apollo's annual spring benefit, which raised over $5 million that will go to both renovating the theater and expanding its footprint in Harlem. "After 91 years, anyone, especially this great theater, deserves a modernization," Davis, 92, tells USA TODAY before a star-studded event June 4 that included performances from Method Man, Deborah Cox, Shoshana Bean and Busta Rhymes. "I can't wait to see the new Apollo Theater." The theater's facelift will include new seats, an expanded lobby and a retooling of its iconic marquee. Since 1914, the Apollo has served as both an anchor of the Harlem community and a beacon of Black culture. Performances from Ella Fitzgerald, James Brown and Michael Jackson along with comedians such as Richard Pryor and Redd Foxx have all contributed to the venue's legacy. The Essentials: Clive Davis gets candid about new artists, music essentials and Whitney Houston Clive Davis' colleague reveals Whitney Houston story Like Houston, record executive Larry Jackson linked up with Davis when he was 19. Jackson, who co-founded the media company Gamma, introduced Davis ahead of his Walk of Fame ceremony and revealed that Davis has helped artists both publicly and behind the scenes. "When Whitney post-divorce fell on a bit of hard times, (Davis) was there with huge financial and consistent support for her," Jackson said, noting that Davis' goal was to help her "pick up the pieces and put them back together" following Houston's 2006 divorce from Bobby Brown. Jackson also revealed that after a performance in 2001 where Houston looked "skeletal," he stayed "up until 2 in the morning with Clive on the phone that night talking about what we should do to intervene." Pat Houston, Whitney's sister-in-law, also spoke at the ceremony. "I could never speak about Clive and not mention Whitney, and I can never speak about Whitney without speaking of Clive," she said. "The only thing I wish for tonight is Whitney were here to speak instead of me, because I know how proud she would be of you at this moment." Teyana Taylor receives innovator award Teyana Taylor was born in Harlem and performed on the Apollo stage when she was 8 years old: She's now the recipient of the theater's inaugural Innovator Award. The honor was presented to her by fellow Harlem native and fashion designer Dapper Dan along with TV host Sherri Shepherd, who stars with Taylor in the new Netflix film "Straw." Prior to the introduction, rapper Method Man performed a medley of hits and joked that it was worth the "three hours of traffic" he hit en route to the venue to honor Taylor. Taylor's acceptance speech was filled with gratitude. She thanked Shepherd for her sisterhood, Dan for his mentorship and Method Man for believing in her. She also thanked God with a prayer she wrote before acknowledging her family and colleagues. "This little innovative little Harlem girl you see being honored tonight has a tribe that helps me be the greatest that I can be," Taylor, 34, said. "Thank you for having my back, my front (and) both sides." Teyana Taylor, Aaron Pierre go Instagram official with swanky Oscars photoshoot Diddy's presence looms at Apollo Theater event The spring benefit was a celebration of the Apollo and Harlem, but without one of the neighborhood's embattled luminaries. Sean "Diddy" Combs co-founded Bad Boy Records with Davis, but the music mogul is jailed while standing trial on federal sex-crimes in lower Manhattan. Still, his presence at the event was felt. Method Man's set included the single, "I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By," which was mixed for radio airplay by Combs. Later in the evening, Rhymes performed "Pass the Courvoisier, Part II" which features Pharrell Williams and Combs. He also credited Davis with helping that song and others become radio hits. Dapper Dan, Busta Rhymes sound the alarm on the Apollo's future Last year, the Kennedy Center bestowed special honors on the Apollo to recognize its status as an iconic American institution. But on day one of President Donald Trump's second term, he issued an executive order to crack down on what he referred to as "illegal and radical' diversity, equity and inclusion practices. Trump later appointed himself chair of the Kennedy Center and took aim at the Smithsonian Institute, complaining that it has "come under the influence of a divisive, race-centered ideology." The Smithsonian opened a Black history museum in 2016. Busta Rhymes, who performed a medley of hits to honor Davis, said before the event that he liked the renovation of the theater "so long as establishment's narrative doesn't change and the history doesn't get erased or removed." "I hope they keep people from the community like myself involved in it," Dapper Dan, born Daniel R. Day, says of the theater's expansion. "I'm deeply concerned about the way culture is being held back by those people in power. So our hope that the liberty that we have to express our culture is not curtailed by people in power."
Gulf Today
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Gulf Today
Motown legend Smokey Robinson sued for sexual assault
Motown legend Smokey Robinson was facing a multimillion dollar lawsuit on Tuesday from four former housekeepers who allege the soul singer repeatedly raped and sexually assaulted them. A lawsuit filed in a Los Angeles court claims the 85-year-old forced himself on the women multiple times over a number of years, often when his wife was not at home. One of the plaintiffs alleges the "Tracks of My Tears" singer would summon her to his bedroom in his Los Angeles area home, and greet her wearing only his underwear. He would then sexually assault her, despite her protestations, with the suit claiming there were seven such attacks between March 2023 and when she felt compelled to resign in February 2024. Singer Smokey Robinson and his spouse Frances Glandney attend the Pre-Grammy Gala in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California, US, February 4, 2023. File/Reuters Another former housekeeper alleges Robinson assaulted her more than 20 times over a four-year period, while a third says in the suit that she was "sexually harassed, sexually assaulted and raped" throughout her 12-year employment to 2024. The fourth woman says the singer began assaulting her in 2007 when she traveled with him to his Las Vegas home. None of the women is named in the suit, which is common in cases involving claims of sexual assault. The suit, which is seeking at least $50 million in damages, says none of the women reported the assaults at the time because they were intimidated by Robinson's celebrity, and feared attacks on their character. Robinson's wife, Frances, who is also named in the lawsuit for allegedly creating a hostile work environment and ignoring her husband's behavior, told AFP the suit had come as a surprise. "I'm as shocked as you are," she said when reached by telephone, but declined to go into details. Robinson was one of the founding members of The Miracles, a Detroit-based outfit that came together in the 1950s. The group had dozens of chart hits, including the smash "The Tears of a Clown" in 1967. Agence France-Presse
New York Post
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Ozzy Osbourne on retiring after final Black Sabbath show: ‘I don't want to die in a hotel room somewhere'
'It is time.' So says Ozzy Osbourne about taking his final bow when he reunites with Black Sabbarth for the band's final-ever concert in the singer's hometown of Birmingham, England on July 5. 'I'd love to say 'never say never', but after the last six years or so … it is time,' Osbourne, 76, told The Guardian. 'I lived on the road for 50-odd years, and I've kind of got used to not picking up my bags and getting on the bus again. Advertisement 4 'I want to spend the rest of my life with my family,' said Ozzy Osbourne of his plans to retire after his July 5 farewell show reuniting him with Black Sabbath. Getty Images for The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 4 Ozzy Osbourne (second from left) will perform with Black Sabbath's original lineup for the first time in 20 years on July 5. Redferns 'I don't smoke dope or do any of the rock star lifestyle any more. I'm kind of like a homebody. I never go out. I never hang out in bars – I don't drink. So what the f–k is out there for me?' he continued. 'It's time for me to spend some time with my grandkids, I don't want to die in a hotel room somewhere. I want to spend the rest of my life with my family.' Advertisement Osbourne's manager wife, Sharon Osbourne, supports her husband's decision to hang up his mic. 'It's time to say 'enough,'' she told The Guardian. 'When you've given it your all, you can sit back and say: I did it.' Black Sabbath's 'Back to the Beginning' event will mark the first time the original lineup has performed together in 20 years. And the heavy metal legends will be joined by other artists they influenced, including Guns N' Roses, Aerosmith's Steven Tyler and members of Judas Priest, Smashing Pumpkins, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Megadeth and Soundgarden. Meanwhile, Rage Against the Machine's Tom Morello will serve as musical director. The show will raise money for three charities: Cure Parkinson's, Birmingham Children's Hospital and Birmingham-based Acorn Children's Hospice. Advertisement 4 Ozzy Osbourne attended Clive Davis' Pre-Grammy Gala with his wife Sharon (right) and daughter Kelly in 2020. FilmMagic 4 Ozzy Osbourne was inducted by Jack Black into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist last October. FilmMagic Osbourne — who was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist last October following his first enshrinement with Black Sabbath in 2006 — has struggled with health issues in recent years, including Parkinson's disease and a debilitating spinal injury. But the Prince of Darkness is working to go out with a bang with Black Sabbath, although he cautions that he won't be performing a full set. Advertisement 'I do weights, bike riding, I've got a guy living at my house who's working with me,' Osbourne told The Garden. 'It's tough – I've been laid up for such a long time. I've been lying on my back doing nothing and the first thing to go is your strength. It's like starting all over again. I've got a vocal coach coming round four days a week to keep my voice going. I have problems walking. I also get blood pressure issues, from blood clots on my legs. 'I'm used to doing two hours on stage, jumping and running around,' he continued. 'I don't think I'll be doing much jumping or running around this time. I may be sitting down, but the point is I'll be there, and I'll do the best I can. So all I can do is turn up.'
South China Morning Post
18-02-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Who is Universal Music's Lucian Grainge, and how is he linked to Drake and Diddy?
Meet Universal Music Group's Lucian Grainge, who's now connected to the Kendrick Lamar and Drake feud through his daughter-in-law Sofia Richie. Photo: @sofiarichiegrainge, @champagnepapi/Instagram, UMG Fame and celebrity Last November, Drake sued Universal Music Group for allegedly using 'bots and a payola scheme' to inflate the streaming numbers of Kendrick Lamar 's Grammy winning dis track 'Not Like Us'. Sofia Richie is married to Lucian Grainge's son, Elliot Grainge. Photo: @plottttwistttttt/Instagram More recently, he has dragged Universal Music Group CEO Lucian Grainge's famous daughter-in-law, Sofia Richie, into his ongoing feud with the rapper. Sofia is the daughter of Lionel Richie , and she married Lucian Grainge's son Elliot Grainge in 2023. On February 12, Drake took to Instagram via his second account @plottttwistttttt to share screenshots of Richie sporting clothes from his brand, October's Very Own, in 2020. Richie was hired by Drake at the time to appear in the brand's autumn/winter 2020 women's campaign. Here's everything you need to know about UMG's CEO, Lucian Grainge. He is an industry titan Universal chairman and CEO Lucian Grainge in 2021. Photo: Big Hit Entertainment/Universal Music Group At 64 years old, Lucian Grainge has had a legendary career. He's worked with the likes of Jay-Z, Rihanna, Elton John and many more. He joined UMG, the world's largest record label conglomerate, in 1986, and became chairman and CEO in 2011. Grainge has been recognised for his contributions to the music industry, and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2020. He credits his father and brother for his career Lucian Grainge at Clive Davis' and the Recording Academy's Pre-Grammy Gala earlier this year.
