Ray Charles: Last News

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Tahar Rahim, who earned BAFTA and Golden Globe nominations for his starring roles in “A Prophet” and “The Mauritanian,” is set to play Charles Aznavour, the iconic French-Armenian singer, songwriter and actor who sold more than 180 million records around the world. Titled “Monsieur Aznavour,” the biopic will be directed by singer-turned-filmmakers Mehdi Idir and Grand Corps Malade (“Patients”), and produced by Jean-Rachid Kallouche’s Kallouche Cinema and Mandarin & Compagnie, the banner behind Francois Ozon’s and Anne Fontaine’s films. Kallouche, who teamed with Eric and Nicolas Altmayer at Mandarin on Grand Corps Malade and Idir’s previous films, is married to Katia Aznavour, the daughter of the late artist. Filming will kick off in the summer for an estimated delivery in 2024, to mark Aznavour’s centenary.

Rolling Stone has updated its 100 Greatest Singers list from 2008 with its new 200 Greatest Singers Of All Time.And while the roster of artists is extensive and varied, due in part to the change in criteria, there are a few questionable decisions that have outraged fans, but likely none more galvanizing than having Celine Dion left off the list, according to TMZ.Known for her powerful and technically skilled vocals, the Canadian singer, 54, has also amassed more 200 million record sales worldwide, all while winning a slew of accolades and awards over her five decades in the limelight.

Ethan Shanfeld Willie Spence, who came in second place in “American Idol” Season 19, has died in a car crash. He was 23. Spence was driving from Tennessee to his home in Atlanta when he crashed into a semi-truck that was parked on the side of the road. A post on the “American Idol” Instagram reads, “We are devastated about the passing of our beloved ‘American Idol’ family member, Willie Spence. He was a true talent who lit up every room he entered and will be deeply missed. We send our condolences to his loved ones.” The post features a video of Spence singing Rihanna’s “Diamonds” from his “American Idol” audition. Judges Lionel Ritchie, Katy Perry and Luke Bryan praised Spence’s performance, with Bryan saying, “You are a special, special human being. I did not want it to end.”

Art Laboe, a revered Los Angeles radio mainstay for more than half a century who delighted local fans and a syndicated audience by playing those “oldies but goodies,” has died. He was 97.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic The list of narrators for the audiobook version of Bob Dylan’s upcoming book has come to light, and it reads like a who’s who of Oscar contenders from the past few decades, along with the author himself doing some of the reading. The lineup of voice talent reading chapters from “The Philosophy of Modern Song” aloud includes Jeff Bridges, Steve Buscemi, John Goodman, Oscar Isaac, Helen Mirren, Rita Moreno, Sissy Spacek, Alfre Woodard, Jeffrey Wright and Renée Zellweger. This lineup of all-star Dylan surrogates has yet to be officially announced. It was first published by the U.K. magazine Uncut; Variety has confirmed the list.

Don’t Worry Darling has been released – check it out below.Olivia Wilde’s 1950s sci-fi thriller is released in cinemas today (September 23) and features a period-appropriate soundtrack including artists such as Ray Charles, Little Willie John, The Chords and more.A synopsis for Don’t Worry Darling reads: “In the 1950s, Alice and Jack live in the idealized community of Victory, an experimental company town that houses the men who work on a top-secret project. While the husbands toil away, the wives get to enjoy the beauty, luxury and debauchery of their seemingly perfect paradise.“However, when cracks in her idyllic life begin to appear, exposing flashes of something sinister lurking below the surface, Alice can’t help but question exactly what she’s doing in Victory.”The soundtrack, curated by music editor Bill Bernstein, also features an original song by Harry Styles – who stars as Jack Chambers – performed in the film by Styles and Florence Pugh, who plays his wife Alice.Take a look at the full list of songs here:Don’t Worry Darling also features an original score composed by John Powell, which you can listen to below.In a four-star review of Don’t Worry Darling, NME wrote: “It is, admittedly, quite hard to watch Don’t Worry Darling and not think about the accompanying gossip.“What we’re trying to say is a really quite good film has been overshadowed needlessly.

Jennifer Coolidge has a unique response to getting played off after her first ever Emmy win: breaking into a dance!The 61-year-old actress won her first ever Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie for playing Tanya in HBO's The White Lotus.The flustered actress started getting played off, with the DJ playing Ray Charles' Hit the Road Jack, and instead of leaving the stage, she just started dancing, which brought out a slew of reactions at the Microsoft Theater and on social media. Dance: Jennifer Coolidge has a unique response to getting played off after her first ever Emmy win: breaking into a dance Reaction: The flustered actress started getting played off, with the DJ playing Ray Charles' Hit the Road Jack, and instead of leaving the stage, she just started dancing, which brought out a slew of reactions at the Microsoft Theater and on social mediaCoolidge beat out her White Lotus co-stars Connie Britton, Alexandra Daddario, Natasha Rothwell and Sydney Sweeney, and Dopesick's Kaitlyn Dever and Mare Winningham, though she was clearly not prepared to win.'Thank you! Gosh, what a night! I just want to say to my fellow nominees, just to be in your company, it's incredible,' she began.

Jonathan Cohen For Pearl Jam, it was a long time coming. For 1,500 lucky fans, it was a dream come true. The Seattle Rock and Roll Hall of Famers made good Saturday night (Sept. 10) on a special show nearly two-and-a-half years in the making at the fabled Apollo Theater in Harlem, New York, navigating through a serious technical-related delay five songs into the set that took more than 15 minutes to correct. The concert was broadcast live on Pearl Jam’s long-running SiriusXM channel as part of the network’s Small Stage series, and was open only to subscribers, contest winners and the usual coterie of VIPs. The 21-song performance blended classics such as “Porch,” “Even Flow” and “Better Man” with seven songs from the band’s latest album, “Gigaton,” plus a situation-appropriate dedication to Howard Stern, Robin Quivers and producer Gary Dell’Abate on “Spin the Black Circle.”

Owen Gleiberman Chief Film Critic Olivia Wilde’s “Don’t Worry Darling” is a movie that, in recent weeks, has been besieged and consumed by offscreen dramas, none of which I’ll recount here, except to note that when a film’s lead actress seems actively reluctant to publicize the film in question, that’s a sign of some serious discord. Yet it would be hugely unfair to allow this tempest in a teapot of gossipy turmoil to influence one’s feelings about the movie. If you want to talk about problems related to “Don’t Worry Darling,” you need look no further than at what’s onscreen. The film, written by Katie Silberman, with the brilliant production design of Katie Byron, is a kind of candy-colored “Stepford Wives” in the Twilight Zone meets “The Handmaid’s Tale” for the age of torn-at-the-seams democracy. In theory, this should add up to a juicy watch. Wilde, whose first feature was the witty and vivacious 2019 girls-on-a-bender comedy “Booksmart” (this is her second film), is a gifted director who knows how to set a mood. In “Don’t Worry Darling,” she does that to the max, and for a while you get caught up in it (or, at least, I did). Between the pop ambition, the tasty dream visuals, and the presence of Harry Styles in his first lead role, “Don’t Worry Darling” should have no trouble finding an audience. But the movie takes you on a ride that gets progressively less scintillating as it goes along.

Ray Charles, Van Morrison and Bette Midler was 51 years old.“The love of my life is now in peace with the angels,” wrote Gloria on Instagram on Friday (August 26). “Right now I have very few words.

Mable John who was the first female solo artist signed by Motown Records founder Berry Gordy has died at age 91 in Los Angeles.The eldest of Detroit's musical John family died on Thursday, according to her nephew Kevin John.'We loved her and she was a kind person,' Kevin told The Detroit News. Pioneering singer: Mable John, shown in August 2019 in Los Angeles, who was the first female solo artist signed by Berry Gordy has died at age 91 in Los AngelesMable in 1959 was signed to Gordy's Tamla Records that he founded in June 1958 and incorporated as Motown Record Corportaion in April 1960.She was the first female under Gordy's brand to get her own record deal without an attached group.

Mable John, who recorded for Motown and Stax and later worked with Ray Charles, died Aug. 25 at her home in Los Angeles. Her nephew, Kevin John, confirmed the death, but did not give a cause. She was 91.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic Bob Dylan was announced earlier this year as having written separate appreciations of more than 60 different songs for his forthcoming book, “The Philosophy of Modern Song.” Now, the names of all 66 songs he wrote about have been revealed, thanks to the dissemination of a table-of-contents page for the highly anticipated book, which comes out in early November via Simon & Schuster. (Read the full list below.) Not surprisingly, classic songs written and/or recorded by Americans greats like Jimmy Reed, Ray Charles, Willie Nelson, Little Richard, Townes Van Zandt will come up for consideration. Less expectedly, Dylan will detour to analyze songs like Cher’s “Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves,” the Eagles’ “Witchy Woman,” the Fugs’ “CIA Man” and Rosemary Clooney’s “Come On-a My House.”

Thania Garcia Creed Taylor — the producer and executive who launched the legendary jazz labels Impulse! and CTI, and is credited with introducing bossa nova to the U.S. — died on Aug. 23, as confirmed in a statement from Verve Records. He was 93. “For over 60 years, Creed Taylor expanded the horizons of jazz, from signing John Coltrane to Impulse! Records to introducing Bossa Nova music to the world via his work with Charlie Byrd, Stan Getz, and Astrud Gilberto,” the post reads. “He was a genius when it came to finding new and special music that would stay with listeners forever, and his signature was his personal stamp of approval. He will be missed greatly, and our sympathy goes out to his family.”

who died in 2014 at age 94, wrote or co-wrote “If I Had a Hammer,” “Turn, Turn, Turn,” and “Where Have All the Flowers Gone.” He is also credited with popularizing “We Shall Overcome,” an anthem of the civil rights movement.“He was not only a champion of traditional American music, he was also celebrated as a unifying power by promoting a variety of causes, such as civil rights, workers’ rights, social justice, the peace movement and protecting the environment,” said Tom Foti, the postal service’s product solutions vice president.While Seeger, a lifelong activist, was exiled from commercial airplay in the 1950s and 1960s after an appearance before the House Un-American Activities Committee for his Communist affiliations, his career never slowed and he continued to record and tour.He won Grammy Awards, was inducted into both the Songwriters and Rock and Roll halls of fame, and earned both the National Medal of the Arts and the Kennedy Center Honors.He remained an activist late into his life — walking through the streets of Manhattan leading an Occupy Movement protest in 2011.Seeger joins a long list of musical performers to appear on a US postage stamp, including Elvis Presley, Thelonious Monk, Ray Charles and Frank Sinatra.The Seeger stamps are sold in panes of 16 resembling a vintage 45 rpm record sleeve, according to the postal service.

Bob Geldof has revealed that he was left starstruck after receiving a surprise phone call from Michael Jackson and Harry Belefonte, inviting him to record a charity single with huge stars including Diana Ross and Stevie Wonder. Boomtown Rats singer Bob shared the story behind Band Aid at an In Conversation Event, celebrating Live Aid and 100 years of the BBC, as part of the BFI and Radio Times TV Festival on May 20, 2022.Speaking at the event, Bob revealed that he could not believe it when he received a phone call from some of the biggest stars of the decade inviting him to the recording of the USA for Africa Charity single We Are The World in 1985, following the success of Band Aid's Do they Know It's Christmas a few months earlier.

Wilson Chapman editorTerry Gross has received Peabody’s Institutional Award, for her work on the long-running NPR radio program “Fresh Air.” The annual Institutional Award is presented to institutions and programs for their body of work and their impact on the media landscape. The honoree is selected by the Peabody’s Board of Jurors, and presented ahead of the regular announcement of this year’s 30 Peabody Awards winners.

READ MORE: Cancer symptoms: The 'feeling' that strikes first thing in the morning - it's a red flagHe also became hooked on heroin from the age of 18 and was arrested in 1965 for possession but left music for a year to free himself from the bad habit. But he came back ready to continue his work and kept performing until the 2000s. But in the end, Ray Charles passed away after an illness made him cancel several appearances in 2004, NPR reported.

Naomi Judd died unexpectedly.The loss of Naomi Judd altered the normally celebratory ceremony, but the music played on, as the genre’s singers and musicians mourned the country legend while also celebrating the four inductees: The Judds, Ray Charles, Eddie Bayers and Pete Drake. Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood, Vince Gill and many more performed their hit songs.Naomi and Wynonna Judd were among the most popular duos of the 1980s, scoring 14 No.

Country Music Hall of Fame induction. The honor was delivered just 24 hours after the music matriarch’s passing.