Bruce Springsteen Page 6

Much has been made of the ‘vinyl revival’ in albums sales over the last five years or so, with old-fashioned records going ever upwards while CD sales and download sales plateau or tumble. The upsurge in the format’s popularity is in part because of Record Store Day.

Record Store Day 2017

Taking place on a Saturday every April, RSD is celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2017, after it was founded to help out struggling independent record stores that were struggling to compete with supermarkets and the likes of HMV (now, streaming and downloads).

Continue reading: Our Guide To Record Store Day 2017

A song that was written by Bruce Springsteen for 2001 movie Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone leaked online, Friday, after being included as part of a bootleg compilation.

Springsteen first mentioned he had written a song that didn't end up being used in the movie in an interview with BBC Radio 2's Simon Mayo in October, and since then fans have been eagerly waiting to hear it. However, the mysterious track was later removed from Soundcloud, where it had first surfaced.

Bruce Springsteen’s unused Harry Potter ballad, ‘I'll Stand By You Always’, has surfaced online

Continue reading: Bruce Springsteen's Unreleased 'Harry Potter' Song Leaks Online

Rock icon Bruce Springsteen secretly played a 15-song acoustic gig at the White House last week, bidding farewell to the outgoing president Barack Obama and his staff.

The 67 year old rock veteran has been a regular visitor to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue throughout Obama’s two terms in office, and he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016.

According to a report on the Springsteen fan site Backstreets – which reports on every gig The Boss performs, no matter how hard it is to get into – the attendance was around 250 staff members at the White House. He was joined by his wife, Patti Scialfa, for two tracks, and he even performed ‘Born In the U.S.A.’ – a track he very rarely plays live.

Continue reading: Bruce Springsteen Plays Acoustic Farewell Gig For Obama At White House

Bruce Springsteen says ''chaos and disastrous relationships'' fuelled his creativity.

The 'Born In The U.S.A.' hitmaker is thankful for his tumultuous past as it feels he has made him a better songwriter.

Speaking to Marc Maron on his WTF? podcast, he said: ''If you're lucky, it's fuel for the fire. People generally don't end up in my circumstance who had these placid, loving, very happy fulfilled lives.

Continue reading: Bruce Springsteen Finds Creativity In Chaos

Bruce Springsteen opted for a handful of golden oldies during his appearance on 'Desert Island Discs' yesterday (December 18th 2016), and reflected on how he viewed music as a young teenager with a whole musical career ahead of him. Some of his choices weren't all that surprising.

Bruce Springsteen opens up about his top 8 tracks

Earlier this year Springsteen launched his autobiography 'Born To Run', a book named after his 1975 single. You can find out more about his childhood in the book, but he gave BBC Radio 4 a little glimpse into his early years with eight strong record selections.

Continue reading: Bruce Springsteen Describes His Look As A Teenager On Desert Island Discs

A group of New Jersey bikers came to the rescue of Bruce Springsteen on Friday, after he was left stranded when his motorcycle broke down.

Members of the Freehold American Legion had been riding after a Veterans Day event, when they saw a stranded motorcyclist near Allaire state park in Wall Township.

But what the group didn't count on was that the unfortunate rider was The Boss himself.

Continue reading: Bruce Springsteen Rescued By Bikers After Motorcycle Breaks Down

Bruce Springsteen is a huge fan of Kanye West.

The 'Born In The USA' hitmaker has admitted he ''likes'' the 'Famous' rapper because he makes ''creative, amazing records'', and the 66-year-old rocker has also credited U2 as a band who are ''consistently great''.

Speaking at Apple's Soho store in New York City on Wednesday (28.09.16), he said: ''I like Kanye West.

Continue reading: Bruce Springsteen Is A Fan Of Kanye West

Ahead of the release of his much-anticipated autobiography ‘Born To Run’, Bruce Springsteen has announced that he’ll be undertaking a short tour of “special appearances” around the United States to support its release at the end of this month.

The 66 year old rock icon is publishing his memoir on September 27th, and will be celebrating its release with an appearance at a store in Freehold, New Jersery – rather fittingly. The nine date jaunt will wrap in Cambridge, Massachusetts on October 10th.

According to the press release via his official website, all books will be pre-signed by Springsteen, with the short tour taking in Philadelphia, Los Angeles and New York City.

Continue reading: Bruce Springsteen Announces Short Book Tour

Bruce Springsteen played the longest ever US show in his career history last night (September 7th 2016), as he took to Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia to play fan favourites for more than 4 hours. While it's his longest set in the US, it didn't quite beat his record which took place in Finland.

Bruce Springsteen performs his longest US show ever

The Boss and his E Street Band performed for 4 hours and 4 minutes on Wednesday; that's 34 songs in total. It beat his former record of just 4 hours last week, when he played at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey (August 30th). 

Continue reading: Bruce Springsteen Performs His Longest Ever US Show

International rock star Bruce Springsteen has revealed his battle with "crushing" clinical depression and that he first saw a psychotherapist more than 30 years ago. The 66-year-old singer talked about his difficulties in his autobiography, Born To Run, and about how he struggled with depression during his 2012 album, Wrecking Ball.

Bruce Springsteen reveals his battles in his upcoming memoir, Born To Run

Springsteen wrote: "I was crushed between 60 and 62, good for a year, and out again from 63 to 64. Not a good record."

Continue reading: Bruce Springsteen Reveals His Battle With Depression

He’s a rock legend famous for his epic live shows, but Bruce Springsteen has bested himself once again by performing the two longest sets of his career on American soil during consecutive hometown gigs in New Jersey.

Clocking in at precisely four hours, Springsteen and the E Street Band performed the record-breaking marathon set on Thursday night (August 25th) at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey – just two days after he beat his own record for the first time at the same venue by playing for three hours and 52 minutes.

Bruce Springsteen with the E Street Band in June 2016

Continue reading: Bruce Springsteen Sets New Record For His Longest Live Set In US - Then Breaks It Again

Bruce Springsteen will release music from 1966 in new album.

The 66-year-old American musician is set to release a compilation album called 'Chapter and Verse', which will be compiled of rare tracks pre-dating his 1973 debut 'Greetings From Asbury Park' EP, and will serve as an accompaniment to his upcoming autobiography 'Born To Run'.

The 'Born In The USA' hitmaker will release the album on September 23 only three days prior to launching his book, which he has spent a gruelling six years on perfecting.

Continue reading: Bruce Springsteen Will Release Music From 1966 In New Album

Olivia Tallent, the daughter of E Street Band bassist Garry Tallent caused a little bit of a stir on social media when she shared a picture of herself and Prince Harry, referring to him as her ‘boyfriend’. The 19-year-old was, of course, just having a some fun with the caption, but sadly the joke seemed to be lost on a lot of people.

Continue reading: No, Prince Harry Is Not Dating The Daughter Of Bruce Springsteen's Bassist

While the much of the LGBT community has praised Bruce Springsteen for his recent boycott of North Carolina following its new bill that seemingly suggests transgender people must use the bathroom or locker room for the gender of which they were biologically assigned, one congressman has lashed out at his decision to cancel a show there.

Bruce Springsteen called a 'bully' by Republican congressman

Springsteen's been branded a 'bully' by North Carolina Republican congressman Mark Walker for axing his show in Greensboro, North Carolina which was to take place yesterday (April 10th 2016), for depriving fans of a show in order to protest against the new Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act aka the Bathroom Law. He felt it was a major insult and discriminatory act towards LGBT people and a deliberate attempt to sabotage social progress. 

Continue reading: Bruce Springsteen Branded A 'Bully' For Boycotting North Carolina Over LGBT Prejudice

Bruce Springsteen has cancelled his upcoming gig in Greensboro, North Carolina, which was scheduled to take place on Sunday (April 10th). Springsteen has pulled the show in protest over the state’s new Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act, which dictates that transgender people can only use bathrooms and changing facilities based on their biological sex.

Bruce Springsteen has canceled his upcoming Greensboro show over anti-LGBT law.

In a statement on his official website, Springsteen wrote: “As you, my fans, know I’m scheduled to play in Greensboro, North Carolina this Sunday. As we also know, North Carolina has just passed HB2, which the media are referring to as the “bathroom” law. HB2 — known officially as the Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act — dictates which bathrooms transgender people are permitted to use.”

Continue reading: Bruce Springsteen Cancels North Carolina Show Over Anti-LGBT Law

Bruce Springsteen has helped out a nine-year-old fan, who was going to be late for school the day after attending his Los Angeles concert. The 66-year-old singer is known for his epically long shows and last Tuesday he play a three-and-a-half hour set at the Los Angeles Sports Arena.

Bruce Springsteen signed Xabi's tardy note for school tomorrow. He is as genuine and gracious as you think he is! pic.twitter.com/mmTlxjFveG

— Scott Glovsky (@ScottGlovskyLaw) March 16, 2016

Continue reading: Bruce Springsteen Writes Late Note For 9-Year-Old Fan

Bruce Springsteen has revealed details about a forthcoming autobiography, which will be released later this year, and for which he’s reportedly received an advance of $10 million, according to the New York Post.

The 66 year old rock icon will release his memoirs, entitled ‘Born To Run’, on September 27th via Simon & Schuster, according to a press release and a statement via his official website. Neither he nor his representatives gave any official comment on the eye-watering advance, but publishing insiders reckon that it’ll be a massive best-seller when it comes out.

Bruce Springsteen reportedly landed a $10m advance for the book

Continue reading: Bruce Springsteen Reveals Autobiography 'Born To Run' To Be Released In September

Bruce Springsteen's The River Tour is well under way with his dates at the likes of Madison Square Garden, Washington DC's Verizon Center and, of course, his homecoming show in New Jersey selling out and causing a huge buzz across the net. Plus, he's added a whole bunch of new shows to his schedule - the fun never stops.

Bruce Springsteen brings The River across America

It's a nostalgic start to the year for fans of The Boss as he revisits his first ever number one album (and fifth album altogether), 1980's 'The River', with a highly anticipated box set entitled 'The Ties That Bind: The River Collection'.

Continue reading: Bruce Springsteen's 'The River Tour' Flows Freely Across North America

Bruce Springsteen and Coldplay frontman Chris Martin took the reigns of U2 last night (December 1st), for a special World Aids Day concert in New York’s Times Square. Billing themselves as 'U2 Minus 1', the Irish rockers were down a member after frontman Bono was injured in a cycling accident last month.

Bruce Springsteen stepped into Bono's shoes on Monday night in Times Square

Despite the special gig only being announced hours prior, thousands of people crammed into Times Square for the once in a lifetime opportunity to see U2 and Bruce Springsteen share the same stage. The Boss lent his vocals to the U2 classics ‘I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For’ and ‘Where the Streets Have No Name’ alongside band members Adam Clayton, The Edge and Larry Mullen Jr.

Continue reading: Bruce Springsteen And Chris Martin Fill In For Bono During World AIDS Day Concert, Plus Kanye West Puts In An Appearance

Sophie Ellis-Bextor is back in the charts, baring her teeth with her latest album Wanderlust as it fights for the throne in this week's UK number one. The 34 year-old diva is raring to steal the top perch from current charts hot-shot Ellie Goulding as well as race past current number two, Bruce Springsteen and his album High Hopes.

Sophie Ellis-Bextor Takes The Charts By Storm...Yet Again!

It won't be all plain sailing for Sophie, who famously denied Victoria Beckham a number one single in 2000 with her debut solo single 'Groovejet (If This Ain't Love), but with a further six more Top 10 singles and four Top 40 albums, she's pretty well-placed to do it all over again and blow the other acts out of the water.

Continue reading: Sophie Ellis-Bextor Fighting Warpaint, Ellie Goulding For UK Album Chart Number One

Bruce Springsteen released his latest album, High Hopes, in the UK last week and at the first time of asking the latest collection of songs from The Boss soared straight to the top of the album chart. Springsteen is now among an elite club of artists who have managed to score 10 No. 1 albums in the UK, with High Hopes unlikely to be his last either.

High Hopes is Springsteen's 10th No. 1 in the UK

Bruce has now surpassed David Bowie, Abba, Queen and Michael Jackson in the race for double figures, with these four each earning nine No. 1 albums to date. Springsteen is now on par with U2 and the Rolling Stones, but still places behind Elvis Presley, Robbie Williams (with 11 each), Madonna (who has 12 No. 1's) and The Beatles, who lead the way with 15 No. 1 albums in total.

Continue reading: Bruce Springsteen Back At No. 1 With 'High Hopes'

Beyoncé Vs. NASA: Beyoncé sent her fans into a buying frenzy when she unexpectedly dropped her secret new album just before Christmas. However, certain individuals have taken issue with the use of grafted audio clips from tragic 1986 Challenger disaster communications at the beginning of her new song 'XO.' Watch Beyoncé's 'XO' music video here. High profile former employees of space agency NASA have called for the incendiary song and video to be removed from the internet. Find out more and read Beyoncé's response here.

'Guardians Of The Galaxy' Excitement Heats Up: The biggest blockbuster of 2014 is just seven months away and excitement has been ramped up to the max ahead of the release of superhero comic book adaptation Guardians of the Galaxy, which stars Chris Pratt alongside Vin Diesel, Karen Gillan, Zoe Saldana and Bradley Cooper. Marvel and Disney have not only released stunning concept art showing the Guardians in action, but have also gifted fans with the movie's first live action shot as well as a synopsis. Check out the new teaser material here.

Continue reading: A Week In News: Beyonce Upsets NASA, Guardians Of The Galaxy Teases, Kanye West Inspires Coinye West Currency

Bruce Springsteen’s 18th studio album is finally out – officially, that is – and the buzz is building. High Hopes is a first for Springsteen, in that it is a compilation of cover songs performed only during live appearances, previously unreleased studio recordings and revived older songs. Over the course of High Hopes’ 20 year history, Springsteen collaborated on the record with the E Street Band, as well as saxophonist Clarence Clemmons, guitarist Danny Federici and Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello. Most reviewers are impressed specifically with Morello’s obvious influence on the record.

Billboard’s Caryn Rose gives the collaboration an approving nod, writing: “, Morello's very familiar with and sympathetic to the repertoire because he is an enthusiastic, self-identified fan. His contributions feel inventive, versatile and natural, like an extension of the direction Springsteen was already moving in; he can attack the song in true Morello fashion, contribute tasteful rhythm guitar -- or a combination of the two. Importantly, he challenges Springsteen, both musically and emotionally.”

Continue reading: Part Live Album, Part Greatest Hits, Critics Have "High Hopes" For Springsteen's Latest Album

Bruce Springsteen is set to have his entire new album, High Hopes, streamed on the CBS website as 'The Good Wife' adds three of his tracks to the soundtrack of an upcoming episode.

Springsteen brands new album an 'anomaly'

Many fans have already had a hefty helping of Springsteen's latest offering after Amazon made a huge blunder in selling the record on their mobile site before the January 14th 2014 release date, but those less quick-moving fans will get their share soon enough. CBS will be unveiling the album on the site ahead of the January 12th episode of 'The Good Wife' which will see a soundtrack including 'High Hopes', 'Hunter of Invisible Game' and 'The Ghost of Tom Joad' all from the record.

Continue reading: For Those Who Missed Amazon's Bruce Springsteen Album Sale Blunder, Catch The Full Stream On CBS

Bet you didn’t know that Bruce Springsteen had a new album out. Yes, The Boss managed to sneak one past everybody, but it’s ok, because apparently Amazon managed to sneak the album release past him. That might be taking the whole Beyonce surprise album release thing a bit too far.

Springsteen's album leaked two weeks ahead of schedule.

According to Billboard, the online retailer briefly made some mp3s from Springsteen’s High Hopes available for purchase earlier than scheduled on Saturday, December 28. The album was actually scheduled for January 14. Fortunately, it was only open for purchase on the Amazon mobile app and the glitch was fixed quickly. The damage might be done already however, since the songs from the album have since found their way to file sharing websites and the illegal downloads are practically impossible to control.

Continue reading: Thanks To The Leak, You Can Now Download Bruce Springsteen's New Album Early (But You Shouldn't)

The inductees for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's class of 2014 have been chosen, with Nirvana, Kiss, Peter Gabriel, Hall And Oates, Cat Stevens and Linda Ronstadt all being honoured in the latest induction. As well as these, the E Street Band will be presented with the Award for Musical Excellence at the ceremony, with Beatles manager Brian Epstein and original Rolling Stones manager Andrew Loog Oldham also being honoured as non-performers.

Nirvana have been honoured at the first time of asking

For Nirvana, their induction comes at the first time of asking, with the band only becoming eligible for induction this year. According to the rules of the Hall of Fame, an artist only becomes eligible for recognition 25 years after the release of their first album or single. For Nirvana, their first single came in 1988 with the release of 'Love Buzz,' with their induction coming as "no surprise" to Rock and Roll Hall of Fame President and CEO Joel Peresman or many other people for that matter.

Continue reading: Nirvana, KISS And Peter Gabriel Among This Year's Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Inductees

A scribbled-upon scrap of paper sold for almost $200,000 this week, but this no ordinary scrap of paper, this was a scrap of paper that Bruce Springsteen had scrawled the first draft of the lyrics to 'Born to Run' on. The lyrics were put up for auction at Sotherby's Auction House in New York last week and were expected to fetch anywhere between $70,000 to $100,000. The final offer smashed that estimate by more than double.

Springsteen wrote the lyrics in 1974 

The lyrics, etched in blue ink onto the page of a notepad once owned by Springsteen, were purchased by an anonymous bidder on Thursday, 5 December, as part of a 'Fine Books and Manuscripts including Americana' auction at the New York auction house. The starting bid was placed at $40,000, with bidding going on for a few minutes before finally reaching its grand total.

Continue reading: Bruce Springsteen's Handwritten 'Born To Run' Lyrics Sell For $197,000 At Auction

Forbes Magazine have released their list of the 25 Highest Paid Musicians of the 2013, taking into account living artists' earnings between June 2012 to June 2013. 

Beyonce Performing at the 'Made in America' Festival

The latest rich list was compiled from sources including Pollstar, the RIAA, Nielsen SoundScan, artists' managers, lawyers and many of the artists themselves. The figures are comprises of concert ticket sales, royalties, publishing, merchandise sales, endorsement deals and other such business ventures.

Continue reading: The Highest Paid Musician 2013: 'Who's That Girl' At The Top?

Albums of the week... Following 2011's massively successful collaborative album with Jay-Z 'Watch The Throne', Kanye West makes a return with a new solo effort entitled 'Yeezus'. He proves yet again that he is one serious hip-hop artist as he introduces a brand new edge to his sound that has not failed to engage his devoted fans with a number one spot on six charts including the US, the UK and Canada. As Joe Wilde summarises, 'This may be his best album to date and is probably his most discussed one too, but one thing it definitely is, is a Kanye West album and no-one can do anything quite like what he can do.' Read the Yeezus album review here. 

Another album that's gaining some serious attention is everyone's favourite Icelandic rock band Sigur Ros, whose seventh album 'Kveikur' has not left any disappointment in the wake of its highly anticipated release. Their sound remains familiarly ambient as on 2012 offering 'Valtari', though has definitely become noisier and a little darker. Our reviewer Jim Pusey had only good things to say, revealing, 'Despite all the darkness to be found here, Sigur Ros have managed to create one of their most compelling albums to date by embracing that darkness and quite literally shining a light on it.' Read the review of Kveikur here. 

Continue reading: A Week In Music, Kanye Has A New Edge, Robyn And Snoop Switch Genders And Glastonbury 2013 Sees Landmark Performance From The Stones

Kaiser Chief frontman Ricky Wilson has had his indie-heart broken by the evil executives at the new Leeds Arena, who have booked Bruce Springsteen and Elton John for shows at the new 13,500 seater venue despite initially confirming the Yorkshire band as an important part of is opening season. The Boss will open the doors of the arena on Wednesday 24, July, before Elton plays on September 4, 2013. The Kaiser Chiefs appear to have been relegated to the third act to play the venue on September 14, 2013, despite believing they would be opening the whole thing.

Ricky Wilson Was Less Than Happy With The Booking of Bruce Springsteen and Elton John

Wilson's band were among the first acts to be announced for the arena, with bassist Simon Rix saying at the time, "Having played everywhere in Leeds from the Duchess (RIP) to Elland Road, we are massively happy that Leeds has built somewhere new for us to play. Looking forward to opening Leeds Arena next year, it's going to be bigger than Ken Bates' legal bill." Now, with marquee acts signed on, Wilson is understandably hacked off. "Really f*cked off with Leeds Arena, they asked us to open the thing then put Elton on the week before and now Bruce," tweeted the singer on Tuesday afternoon (February 19, 2013) before quickly deleting the message. He followed it up by saying, "Thought I better delete that. Just really f**cked off."

Continue reading: Kaiser Chief's Ricky Wilson "F*cked Off" As Leeds Arena Books Bruce Springsteen

Sting, Alabama Shakes, Neil Young, Elton John Mumford & Sons and John Legend all paid tribute to Bruce Springsteen as he was named Musicares Person of the Year for 2013 at last night's pre-Grammy award show. 

The event recognises a star's philanthropic work as well as their efforts as an artist, something that "The Boss" - as Springsteen has become known - can't separate. "Whatever philanthropy I've ever done usually involved playing the guitar," he said. "I was going to play the guitar anyway." In attendance were some previous honourees: Natalie Cole, Tony Bennett and Bonnie Raitt. Springsteen is a deserving honoree "because he lives his life in such an exemplary way," Raitt said before the gala. "He's committed to his art. He's a good family man. He's a real inspiration for how to give back. I couldn't fault him in any aspect of his life."

Springsteen said of receiving the award, "It's kind of a freaky experience. This is the huge Italian wedding Patti and I never had. I had one of the loveliest nights of my life ...John Legend made me sound like Gershwin. Neil Young made me sound like the Sex Pistols. What a night." He also talked about the power and magic of music, adding, "The Taliban will never win, not now or ever, by banning music and dancing. The minute you do that, you label yourself a tyrant and your cruel days are numbered."

We've all had that moment; looking at photos of our favourite celebs and then jumping out of our seats screaming, 'He's HOW old?!' Well, we've been doing a lot of that here at ContactMusic. Some stars seem to have crept up the age ladder pretty sneakily, the odd wrinkle and grey hair barely registering on our radar, while others don't seem to have aged at all! English football player David Beckham was in his twenties when he rose to global popularity and, looking at his recent H&M underwear advert, it seems that his iconic hairstyles and tattoos are our only way of working out the old from the newer pictures of him. However, he is only 37 and has plenty of time to catch up yet. It's the over-50s that have really had our mouths agape in recent times as we've been scouring the net for the most youthful looking middle to old aged stars. 

(Anthony Kiedis, Tom Cruise, Jim Carrey)

Continue reading: Good Genes Or Good Ops: Which Male Celebrities Don't Show Their Age?

It’s a real mixed bag for the biggest album releases today and the most popular is bound to be the accompanying CD release to the 12-12-12Benefit Concert for victims of Hurricane Sandy. The tracklisting reads like a who’s who of the biggest names in rock and pop, with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street band contributing ‘Land of Hope And Dreams’ and ‘Wrecking Ball,’ whilst The Rolling Stones liven things up with ‘You Got Me Rocking’ and ‘Jumpin’ Jack Flash.’

And of course, a who’s who isn’t a who’s who without The Who, who also make an appearance, with ‘Who Are You,’ ‘Baba O’Riley’ and ‘Love Reign O’er Me.’ It’s very much a line-up full of (ahem) ‘experienced’ male musicians. The presence of Alicia Keys doesn’t exactly balance things out, as she sits there alone, with one track breaking up the compilation and ‘Empire State of Mind’ closing things out. The latter track, though, an affection paean to one of the cities destroyed by the hurricane, is an obvious highlight of this emotionally-weighted compilation.

Watch Bruce Springsteen discussing Hurricane Sandy and the 12.12.12. concert

Continue reading: Out Now - US Albums Releases: 12-12-12 Concert Compilation Features Who's Who Of Rock, Aaron Neville Makes Blue Note Debut,

All eyes will be on Bruce Springsteen during Grammy’s week, as the New Jersey rocker will be the recipient of the MusiCares Person of the Year award. To celebrate the honour, a Bruce Springsteen tribute concert will take place in Los Angeles on February 8, 2013, featuring some of the biggest names in rock and pop and hosted by Jon Stewart.

The event, which is already sold out, will feature musical highlights such as Elton John, Kenny Chesney and Mumford And Sons. A whole host of musicians of varying genres and eras have been included in the line-up. Patti Smith, with whom Bruce co-wrote the hit ‘Because The Night’ will be there, as will Faith Hill, Emmylou Harris, as well as Alabama Shakes, Eddie Vedder and Neil Young. Proceeds for the concert will go to MusiCares, an organisation set up to provide support for struggling musicians in financial, medical and personal need.

The annual MusiCares Person of the Year award is attributed to a star whose artistic accomplishments are as worthy of merit as their philanthropic work. Previous winners of the award include Tony Bennett, Aretha Franklin, Paul McCartney and Bono.

When it comes to the live tour, it’s the veteran artists of the music scene that are still leading the way on ticket sales. Billboard revealed the highest grossing tours of 2012 recently and it was perhaps no surprise that the ageing Queen of Pop Madonna came out top of the list – the 53 year-old seems to have been on tour constantly this year.

Reuters reports that the music chart and stat compiler had her earning an estimated $228.4 million from her 80 plus shows performed during the year. She’s not quite done yet either, with a couple more shows in South America due this week. She’ll be delighted to have beaten her rival Lady Gaga, who is in sixth spot with takings of $124.9 million from her Born This Way Tour; it’s worth pointing out though that Gaga is only midway through the jaunt at the moment, and won’t wrap up touring until finishing in the US in March 2013.

The rest of the top five is full of well-established names; Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band were second with $199 million from 72 shows, whilst Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters was third with $186 million. Cirque De Soleil made an appearance in fourth with their homage to Michael Jackson taking $147.3 million from 183 shows, whilst Coldplay were fifth with $147.2 million from 67 shows. The list was compiled from estimated gross ticket sales.

Last night’s 50th anniversary gig at the Prudential Center in Newark saw The Rolling Stones still very much at the top of their game, as the band performed some of their greatest hits and collaborated with a star-studded list of guest performers.

Among those were acts like John Mayer (bet you didn’t see that one coming), who rocked out alongside Keith Richards, giving the rock legend a run for his money, as well as The Black Keys and none other than the Boss himself, Bruce Springsteen, who joined The Stones for Tumbling Down. All in all, it was a good night for rock, with the band putting all of their energy into classic hits like 'Brown Sugar', 'Start Me Up,' 'Sympathy for the Devil' and the ever popular '(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.'  The most unusual collaboration of the night had to have been with Lady GaGa though, who joined the band for a rendition of 'Gimme Shelter' and it was actually, well, good. The Stones have a history of performing with more poppy artists on occasion, such as Mary J Blige and Florence Welch (of Florence and the Machine fame) and it always seemes to work out. It did again this time, with Gaga flaunting not only her impressive singing chops but also her no less spectacular shimmying skills alongside Mick Jagger.

Last night’s gig also had a more serious aspect to it, however, as the Stones and their guest stars took the time to honour the victims of the recent school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. “I just wanted to take a minute and send our love and condolences to those who lost their loved ones yesterday,” Jagger commented solemnly, before going into a performance of 'Wild Horses,' dedicated to the victims.

Continue reading: 50th Anniversary Rolling Stones Gig Highlights

The 12-12-12 Concert, which took place on, yes, the 12th this month, was a rousing success, with over 20 million viewers tuning in nation-wide and $30 million raised, according to Nielsen estimates.

The lineup was an eclectic mix of big names in the business like Bruce Springsteen, Nirvana along with Sir Paul McCartney (that was definitely a curious collaboration), Alicia Keys and Eric Clapton, among others. It featured a number of New York natives, who urged the nation to open their pockets and donate to the relief effort. The show also featured a number of guest appearances by celebrities, representing their native areas, like Kristen Stewart, Adam Sandler, Jimmy Fallon and Blake Lively among others.

The event wasn’t without its controversy either, as a comment made by Mick Jagger sparked a mini storm (no pun intended) among Twitter users. The line, which went “When it rains in London, you’ve got to come in and help us.” quickly made the rounds and managed to enrage some of the more sensitive viewers, but it seemed to be more of a foot-in-mouth moment, rather than carry any malicious intent on Jagger’s part. Regardless of that little moment though, the event seems to have been a success all round, with Americans all over the country pitching in to rebuild one of the nation’s most prominent cities.

Katie Holmes and Blake Lively were in danger of stealing the limelight from the host of rockers performing at last night’s Concert For Sandy Relief at New York’s Madison Square Garden (December 12, 2012). Even Kanye West turning up in a skirt couldn’t upstage these two glamour-pusses, who were all a-shimmer for the big event.

Holmes may be a recent divorcee at 33 and Lively a newlywed at 25, but the pair of them looked equally happy last night. Katie chose to wear a figure-hugging purple dress with velvet panels, designed by Tom Ford, suiting her own classic style down to the ground (well, down to the knees anyway). US Magazine have pictured Tom Cruise’s ex looking relaxed at the charity concert, which featured The Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney & Nirvana and Bruce Springsteen, among others and she wore her hair loose, neatly accessorised with black pointy heels. Blake went for a studded red leather mini-dress, designed by Isabel Marant and nude caged ankle boots, designed by Christian Louboutin.

Blake, who recently married Ryan Reynolds, has been keeping a low profile of late, though she and her new husband had been spotted enjoying a break in Paris at the start of this month. Both Katie and Blake were looking stunning last night; they almost put some of the musicians to shame when it came to grabbing the limelight.

Yesterday’s Concert For Sandy Relief (December 12, 2012) turned into a year’s worth of rock and pop headlines, all rolled into one. Not only were some of the coolest kids on the block performing (Alicia Keys, we’re looking at you), but they were doing it in tabloid-seeking style (Kanye West in a skirt, anyone?). However, it was the older statesmen of rock and roll that really grabbed the nations’ attention last night.

First up, Sir Paul McCartney, formerly of The Beatles and now, apparently… of Nirvana? Well, maybe not quite. But Sir Paul did perform with the surviving members of Nirvana – Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic and Pat Smear, playing a new song that they had composed together, entitled ‘Cut Me Some Slack.’ It was part of a wider set performed by McCartney and allayed the fears of devout Nirvana fans, concerned that they would be performing a set of Nirvana covers, with McCartney taking the place of the late Kurt Cobain.

The Rolling Stones made an impressive, if brief, performance, playing ‘You Got Me Rocking’ and ‘Jumping Jack Flash’ before leaving the Madison Square Garden gathered crowd wanting more. Mick Jagger’s seemingly unending reserves of energy put many of the other performers to shame, even if he didn’t have to exert quite the same degree of stamina that he has had to at the band’s recent 2 hour 50th anniversary shows. “Homestate hero” Bruce Springsteen was described by New York Times as “the master of the socially conscious message that’s also a full-tilt rock concert” and last night, he didn’t disappoint. The evening ended on a rousing note, with Alicia Keys joined by a stage full of firefighters to sing ‘Empire State Of Mind Part II,’ with its appropriate chorus of “This is New York… concrete jungle where dreams are made of.” 

Continue reading: Sandy Benefit Concert Highlights: Bruce Springsteen, Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney And Nirvana Hit The Mark

A slew of New York natives, as well as plenty of Brits performed at last night’s 12-12-12 benefit concert for victims of Hurricane Sandy, which ripped through the city in October.

Bruce Springsteen, a Jersey man himself, took the stage first with Land of Hope and Dreams followed by the evocative Wrecking Ball and the very aptly themed My City in Ruins, all of which was meant to address the rebuilding process and the NY spirit. The musician spoke fondly of his native New Jersey, mentioning its inclusiveness. “I pray that this chraracteristic remains the same” Springsteen went on to say, before going into Born to Run, for which he was joined on stage by Jon Bon Jovi, another Jersey resident.

The concert was definitely geared towards classic rock fans – a smart marketing decision, since this is also the demographic with the highest disposable income. Besides a number of to-the-bone New Yorkers, like Jon Stewart, Adam Sandler and Alicia Keys, it also featured an unexpectedly high number of appearances by British musicians – The Who and Sir Paul McCartney among others. The ex-Beatle joined the surviving members of Nirvana onstage for a cover of Smells Like Teen Spirit.

Continue reading: Bruce Springsteen And The Rolling Stones Among The Lineup Of Sandy Benefit Concert

The Dave Matthews Band have pledged to donate $1 million to help those affected by Superstorm Sandy. Fox News have reported that the band, originally from Charlottesville, Virginia made the announcement today (Wednesday November 14, 2012) on their website, revealing that the opening date of their winter tour will be a benefit show and all ticket and merchandise sales will go to the Bama Works Sandy Relief Fund, which was established at the Community Foundation of New York.

When the storm hit the East Coast of the USA just over two weeks, it caused devastation and widespread damage. There were power outages in New Jersey and New York and the clean-up operation continues to try to get communities back to their former state. The band’s show at the Izod Center in New Jersey on November 30, will benefit the Bama Works fund.

The Dave Matthews Band aren’t the only high profile artist to help with the relief effort following the storm. NBC hosted hosted a telethon concert, featuring some of the world’s best-love musicians, including Bruce Springsteen, Christina Aguilera, Billy Joel, Bon Jovi and Sting. Christina Aguilera performed a moving rendition of her hit song ‘Beautiful,’ which became one of the highlights of the concert.

U.S Election night news is rolling in, and Beyonce - a long time supporter of Barack Obama - had posted an open letter on her website, alongside a photo of herself voting in style. 

"President Obama," the letter started. "Everyday we see your heart and character, inspiring all of us to give more of ourselves. You are the leader to take us from where we are to where we need to be," she enthused, continuing to say, "You are the reason my daughter and nephew will grow up knowing that they can truly be ANYTHING they want to be. All my respect and adoration, Beyonce" The letter was accompanied by a photo of the hitmaker posing with her ballot paper. Freshly manicured and heavily pouting, B wanted to make sure the world knew which way she was voting, as if there were any doubt; she and husband Jay-Z have been two of Obama's staunchest supporters, giving public endorsements, and even boosting his election coffers with a few successful fundraisers. 

And talking of Jay-Z: he and Bruce Springsteen have been doing everything they can to ensure the voters vote the right way, or their way, by performing in Ohio last night (Nov 5). Mr Carter even regaled a parody of his classic 99 Problems, by singing "I got 99 problems but a Mitt aint one". Delightful. 

Continue reading: U.S Election Night: Beyonce Pens Open Letter To Obama And Posts Photo Of Her Vote

Katy Perry’s skintight ballot dress is causing quite a stir, as we anticipate the results of the US Presidential elections. Perry performed at a recent pro-Obama rally in Nevada and opted to wear an eye-popping white body-con dress with the image of a ballot paper printed on the front. On the dress, Barack Obama is quite clearly the chosen one, with Joe Biden as his Vice President.

Will Katy Perry’s dress be a powerful enough image to sway undecided voters though? Will they be hypnotised by Katy Perry’s curves? Will they be wooed by her enviable figure and rush down to the local voting center to put a cross next to Obama’s name on their voting slip? Or is politics a little more complicated than that? Well, Barack Obama clearly believes in the pull of celebrity supporters and is always keen to talk about his close links with hip-hops First Couple, Jay Z and Beyonce and often talks about what’s on his iPod, in a bid to secure the trust and respect of the young, hip voting contingent. Bruce Springsteen and Lady GaGa are also known to be fans of Obama. As is Lindsay Lohan. Sometimes. But Barack’s probably going to gloss over that one.

Continue reading: Katy Perry's Skintight Ballot Dress... Is It Enough To Sway Voters?

Katy Perry's skintight ballot dress is back in the news today. Unsurprising, given Americans are heading out to the polls today to back either Barack Obama or Mitt Romney for the Presidency. We're sure those still undecided will be checking back to see which box Perry had ticked on her skintight ballot dress. Probably.

Perry, 28, wore the famous dress whilst performing at an Obama rally in Milwaukee last week. The ballot style image on the front had the President's box clearly ticked, with Mitt Romney getting nothing more than a big blank space. Later, the singer took off the dress to reveal yet another skintight number, this time, a white-and-blue 'Forward' frock referencing the slogan for Obama's re-election campaign. The Fireworks singer has been one of the President's most prominent supporters in recent months, though Bruce Springsteen has perhaps worked the hardest for Obama. He's appeared at three rallies in total, though thankfully didn't wear any skintight clothing. Instead, he kept it very 'Boss' like, with jeans, a dark shirt and waistcoat. He played for 18,000 supporters at a recent rally in Madison, Wisconsin.

Meanwhile, Kid Rock has been rocking out for Romney, performing in Manchester, New Hampshire on Monday evening. 

Continue reading: Katy Perry Skintight Ballot Dress: Will You Tick The Same Box? (Video)

The stars came out to raise money for the reconstruction of areas devastated by Hurricane Sandy last week, and fewer seemed more committed to the cause than Bruce Springsteen, a New Jersey native who saw his home neighbourhood devastated in the storms.

Springsteen was among a host of New Jersey locals including Jon Bon Jovi and the E Street Band, whilst Long Islander Billy Joel, Bronx native Mary J. Blige, Bostonian Steven Tyler and Staten Island’s Christina Aguilera also lent a hand for the hour long televised show titled ‘Hurricane Sandy: Coming Together’. It was Springsteen who took the day though, closing the showing and singing with closed eyes and gritted teeth. "God bless New York and God bless the Jersey Shore” he called out at the end of his short performance, with it looking like he’d could’ve gone on for many many more songs if the network had allowed him to.

Other highlights of the event saw Jon Bon Jovi perform a solemn, tributary ‘Prayer’ to his home town. Many of the performances were punctuated with video segments, and footage of the wreckage that came from the storm. It has to be said, though, that despite the undoubted cost of damages, the east coast of the US got off lightly compared to the Caribbean, where 69 people lost their lives.

America is still rocked by the devastating aftermath of hurricane Sandy, and the thought that 'never would a disaster like this happen to me' seemed to resonate on the faces at the Sandy Benefit Concert on Friday (Nov. 2). 

The star power drawn in was impressive, with such entertainers as Bruce Springsteen, Danny Devito and Mary J Blige each pledging their time to the good cause.

Opening the night's proceedings was Staten Island-born Christina Aguilera, who kicked things off with a powerful and stripped down rendition of her song 'Beautiful'. Relying solely on her vocals, Xtina packed a heft punch that delivered all the way home. Next up to perform was New Jersey's Jon Bon Jovi who first gave a shout-out to his hometown of Sayerville, N.J., before re-appropriating his hair-rock hit 'Livin’ On A Prayer' to suit the sombre mood in the studio.

Continue reading: Danny DeVito, Christina Aguilera And Jon Bon Jovi Among Superstars Who Show Support For Hurricane Sandy Benefit

A Hurricane Sandy: Coming Together Telethon was held last night in the hopes of bringing relief to the millions affected when Hurricane Sandy ripped through the East Coast of America.

NBC aired a commercial-free telethon last night (Nov 2) live from storm-ravaged Staten Island, with Matt Lauer helming the celeb fest that urged viewers across America to pledge what they could and help the millions suffering from the storm.

Christina Aguilera got things started, entering a dark stage and delivering a powerful, stripped down version of ‘Beautiful.’ After the Staten Island native’s performance, a rolling montage of just some of the destruction was played, ending with a still of the once bustling Jersey Shore, after which Jersey native Jon Bon Jovi gave acoustic performances of ‘Who Says You Can’t Go Home’ and ‘Living on a Prayer’ with guitarist Bob Bandiera and Lorenza Ponce on the violin.

Continue reading: Stars Show Support For Hurricane Sandy: Coming Together Telethon

Christina Aguilera opened the highly publicised charity telethon, "Hurricane Sandy: Come Together", in aid of the devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy. It was a fitting role for the singer and 'The Voice' coach, as she was born and raised on Staten Island, which is one of the areas most affected by the enormous storm.

"I was born in Staten Island" she began, addressing the crowd. "We are here for you. We will do whatever we can to help. We will not leave any one of you behind, because every single one of you matters." She then broke into a heart wrenching rendition of 'Beautiful'. Other acts that followed included Bon Jovi, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel and Aerosmith. "Today" hody Matt Lauer said that it was easy to get everyone on board, mostly requiring "one phone call". 

CBS news reports some very generous commercial donations already pledged, including $1m from the CBS themselves, $2m from Disney, and a further $1m from News Corp. Celebrities all over the US are tweeting support for the telethon, particularly the Jersey Shore stars who found their own fame in New Jersey. Before taking to the stage, Christina left a tweet, saying "Sending my love and support to everyone on the east coast who's been affected. Thinking of u all. XoXtina" 

Fox and Friends, Fox's casual news and opinion segment, has raised questions about NBC and their motives in airing a benefit so soon after Hurricane Sandy, suggesting that it's a ploy ensure Obama's second term is secure.

Steve Doocy and guest host Eric Bolling were discussing the matter, and were moved to ponder the question, "Where are the conservative performers?" after noticing that the benefit's three main headliners are Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi, and Billy Joel - three vocal Obama supports. Springsteen has even been travelling with the democrat on his re-election trail. Bolling also pointed out that other benefits, like the one for 9/11, were at least 10 days after the initial tragedy, giving New York City time to "get its feet under itself", whatever that means. He went on to describe NBC's timing as "more than suspect" and added "This just seems like a rush job because the election is gonna be [in] three days." So the Fox guys are in no uncertain terms, claiming that NBC have an ulterior motive in showcasing the benefit, but surely by talking about it like that, they're doing quite the same? Far be it from us to label a station bias, though: for shame. 

Doocy's question, "Is it a hurricane benefit or a concert for Obama?" only really proves one thing: that Fox are 100% thinking in terms of political ploys and angles, and NBC only might be. 

Today show host Matt Lauer personally urged NBC Universal CEO Steve Burke to orchestrate a musical event for the victims of Hurricane Sandy, according to USA Today. Hurricane Sandy: Coming Together will air live from the Rockefeller Center on Friday (November 2, 2012), featuring performances from Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Jon Bon Jovi, Sting, Mary J Blige and Christina Aguilera.

New York and New Jersey were devastated by the storm and stars associated with both areas, including Kevin Bacon, Tiny Fey, James Gandolfini, Jon Stewart and Jimmy Fallon will also appear at the event, which aims to raise money for victims of the hurricane. Lauer said it was a tour of a neighbourhood in Rockaway Beach, Queens, that made him put his plans into action.  "I came back and said, 'We've got to do something quickly here," said Lauer says. "I feared facing a period next week where the focus would be blurred. We've got an election coming up, and I feared people affected by this would be pushed to the side." He then said that unlike many television rivals, NBC was "a very New York-centered media company" adding, "you can't live in New York without being struck by what a big thing this is." A post 9/11 telethon arranged by George Cloone, which aired on all of the major networks, raised at estimated $200 million. Friday's special will air on NBC as well as cable networks it owns including Bravo, E!, HBO, Syfy and Discovery Fit & Health.

As for the set-lists, Lauer said "the songs are going to be instantly recognizable." 

Continue reading: Matt Lauer: We Need Springsteen And Bon Jovi, Pronto!

Bruce Springsteen has been confirmed as one of the major US acts to play a benefit concert for the victims of Hurricane Sandy, which has blighted the East coast of the United States this week. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band will be joined by Christina Aguilera, Billy Joel, Sting and Bon Jovi for the televised special, which will air on Friday (November 2, 2012). It will be hosted by Matt Lauer (of the Today show) and the late night chat show host Jimmy Fallon will be making an appearance, as will NBC News’ Brian Williams.

The money collected from the event will be donated to the American Red Cross, who are organising relief efforts for those affected by the devastating storm, as well as other disasters. The Red Cross will provide food, shelter, emotional support and other services to those affected by Hurricane Sandy. After Hurricane Katrina, in 2005, a similar benefit concert raised around $50 million for the Red Cross.

The concert, named ‘Hurricane Sandy: Coming Together’ will air at 8pm EST on Friday, on ET on NBC, NBC.com, USA Network, SyFy, MSNBC, CNBC, Bravo, E!, Style Network, G4 and more.” However, a spokesperson for NBC Universal has told the New York Times that any channels not owned by NBC will not be able to air the concert.

It looks like Glastonbury 2013 may already have its first big name already sorted, with festival organiser Michael Eavis admitting that he is on the verge of signing The Rolling Stones as the closing act for the five day festival in the Somerset countryside.

The festival currently has no confirmed headline acts, with the line-up not being announced until much closer to the event, which runs from Wednesday 26 – Sunday 30 June, 2012. Still, this hasn’t deterred people from snapping up the tickets, with the whole festival selling out within minutes of the tickets becoming available on October 7. Whilst cancelled tickets will be made available for resale in April next year, it is more than likely that they will go just as fast.

A source close to Eavis has spoken to tabloid paper The Sun to reveal that the first headline act will potentially be the Stones, admitting that the festival head is “desperate” to sign up the veteran rockers. Should the band agree to perform at the festival, it will be the first time they have appeared at the historic meeting ground for music enthusiast and festival goers that has seen the likes of Radiohead, Beyonce, Jay Z, Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder and the Arctic Monkeys headline in the past.

Continue reading: Michael Eavis Has His Sights On Rolling Stones To Headline Glastonbury 2013