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Bruno Mars Marks 10th Anniversary Of Doo-Wops & Hooligans With Special Vinyl Edition

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Bruno Mars Marks 10th Anniversary Of Doo-Wops & Hooligans With Special Vinyl Edition

11x GRAMMY Award-winning superstar Bruno Mars is commemorating the 10th anniversary of his milestone solo debut, DOO-WOPS & HOOLIGANS, with the announcement of a number of new RIAA certifications and much more.

Released October 4, 2010, DOO-WOPS & HOOLIGANS is now certified 6x platinum for U.S. sales exceeding 6 million. In addition, the album’s many hit singles and track releases have received new certifications, including “Just The Way You Are” (12x platinum), “The Lazy Song” (7x platinum), “Marry You (4x platinum), “Count On Me” (3x platinum), “Talking to the Moon” (2x platinum), “Runaway Baby” (1x platinum). In addition, the GRAMMY Award-winning “Grenade” has ascended to RIAA diamond status with 10x platinum sales, while both “Liquor Store Blues (Feat. Damian Marley)” and “The Other Side (Feat. CeeLo Green & B.o.B)” have earned gold certification.

The milestone 10th anniversary of DOO-WOPS & HOOLIGANS is being celebrated with today’s premiere of a deluxe YouTube playlist featuring all of the album’s official videos newly remastered in spectacular 4K UHD alongside six brand new lyric videos produced for this occasion. DOO-WOPS & HOOLIGANS has long been a YouTube favorite, with cumulative plays of all official content now exceeding 4.5 billion. The upcoming anniversary is being further celebrated with social media campaigns on TikTok and Instagram.

The anniversary is being celebrated at the DSPs through a variety of playlist takeovers and cover features. In addition, an array of classic DOO-WOPS & HOOLIGANS merchandise is on sale now for a limited time at the official Bruno Mars webstore.

As if that weren’t enough, DOO-WOPS & HOOLIGANS will be available in limited edition yellow vinyl on Friday, November 27th.

DOO-WOPS & HOOLIGANS marked the landmark debut of a remarkable new artist. The album – which peaked at #3 on the Billboard 200 – has gone on to achieve global album equivalent sales of 15.5 million. Now boasting more than 7.8 billion total streams, DOO-WOPS & HOOLIGANS is the longest charting debut album on Top 200 and #4 longest running of all time.

DOO-WOPS & HOOLIGANS received a wide range of honors and accolades to match its popular success, including GRAMMY Awards for “Album of the Year” and “Best Pop Vocal Album.” The album spawned a string of blockbuster hit singles and companion videos, including “Just The Way You Are,” “Grenade,” “The Lazy Song,” “Talking to the Moon,” “Marry You,” and “Count On Me.”

Indeed, “Just The Way You Are” and “Grenade” proved era-defining hits around the world, reaching #1 on the Billboard “Hot 100” and numerous singles charts around the globe. In addition, “Just The Way You Are” went on to receive the GRAMMY Award for “Best Male Pop Vocal Performance,” while “Grenade” was honored with three GRAMMY Award nominations, including “Record of the Year” “Song of the Year,” and “Best Pop Solo Performance.”

With worldwide sales of more than 130 million albums and more than 173 million singles, Bruno Mars is one of the best-selling artists of all time. His most recent album, the critically acclaimed, 3x platinum certified 24K MAGIC, made an impressive debut atop Billboard’s “Top Digital Albums” and “Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums” charts upon its 2016 arrival. The album includes the 7x platinum certified, #1 single, “That’s What I Like” – Mars’ seventh “Hot 100” chart-topper and first ever #1 on the “Hot R&B Songs” chart, affirming him as one of the few artists to have written and produced each of his #1 hits as well as to have a #1 song on the “Hot 100” from each of his first three studio albums.

Mars and 24K MAGIC proved the biggest winners at 2018’s GRAMMY Awards, winning all seven categories for which he received nominations, including “Record of the Year,” “Album of the Year,” “Best R&B Album,” and “Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical.” Furthermore, “That’s What I Like” received the GRAMMY for “Song of the Year,” “Best R&B Song,” and “Best R&B Performance.”

Among his truly countless accolades, Mars is a 4x Guinness World Record holder, with his milestone 2015 NFL Super Bowl Halftime Show drawing a record-breaking total viewership of over 115.3 million. Mars also holds the world record as the “First Male Artist to Achieve Three 10 Million Selling Singles” and “Most Followed Male Chart-topper on Musical.ly,” while 2016’s 2x GRAMMY Award-winning, worldwide #1 collaboration with Mark Ronson, “Uptown Funk,” made history for the “Most Weeks at #1 on the U.S. Digital Song Sales” chart.

Music Stars & Their Health Insurance Coverage

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It’s sometimes difficult to think of our favourite music stars as being in any way similar to the rest of us. Aside from the fame, the notoriety, the talent and the fact that they have made such an impact on so many lives, there’s one most apparent difference.

Money. Yep, that’s a predictable and disgruntling topic but it’s one that is at the center or most of our lives. Whether or not it should be is a different matter altogether but the fact is that if we want to live full, healthy lives, then money has to be our focus.

And so when we think about our favourite music stars, that’s the big thing that sets them apart. They are nowhere near as worried about it as we are because they’ve got enough money to last them a hundred lifetimes.

So when we think about our own financial struggles and the irritating necessities that chip away at our bank accounts, we tend not to consider the possibility of famous musicians ever having the same thoughts.

But that’s not the reality of the situation. No matter how famous or how rich they are, they are still humans, just like us and that means that they do have to make the same considerations and decisions, even if it means less.

So you think about health insurance. So important, yet such a hard thing for most people to acquire. You would think it’s a right that every human being is entitled to but unfortunately it’s not treated as such, especially not in America. And it’s only getting worse.

And you might not think too much about Bob Dylan’s health insurance coverage, but he has it too, probably. And while he and other global superstars don’t struggle to afford it, that doesn’t mean they don’t have to jump through the same hoops to get it.

The trouble with that is that it’s fine once you make it, but getting to that stage puts you in a significantly more treacherous position. The fact is that most musicians, and most people who work in the entertainment industry in general, are self-employed.

And it’s not quite so simple for the self-employed, with inconsistent work to get access to healthcare as it is for people who are working full-time and getting a guaranteed weekly or monthly salary.

When you’re applying and you can prove that you won’t be inhibited from paying it in the future due to your primary source of income being a reliable one, you’re much more likely to be approved.

And when you think about it from this perspective, musicians really don’t have it all that easy unless they actually are the ones at the top of the pile. In the grand scheme of things, the top of the pile is very few people.

While Obamacare did make it a little bit easier for some of the lower-earning artists and actors to get access to some health insurance cover, that’s slowly being scaled back under the Trump administration and so people are struggling once again.

For those who are musicians but aren’t best-selling artists, what can they do? Well first of all, they can’t just decide that health insurance is not worth the expense because it’s arguably more important for them than the average citizen.

The positive side of it is that most of them are young enough to naturally be in good health. Of course there are a number of working musicians who are older than 65 and who can seek out a Medicare plan, but in general the less well-known musicians are young.

The most common issues don’t come from age-related health problems, they come from things like spending hours and hours at a time stuck in a hot, stuffy vehicle with three or four other people in close proximity.

From the crowded bars filled with drunk, boisterous, loud fans. From dragging heavy equipment around and dealing with the stress of not knowing whether or not you’ll get another gig or if the ones you have will actually pay you.

It’s a line of work that can lead to an abundance of health issues and so those involved absolutely need health insurance. There are certain resources available which can aid in the process of trying to access the coverage.

There’s the Future of Music Coalition (FMC) who have made it a priority to ensure that musicians who have yet to make a name for themselves will be protected. They also keep people up to date on any changes that occur which may affect them.

A lot of musicians who are represented by agencies will often get assistance from their union in this area, but for those who aren’t there is also the Artists Health Insurance Resource Center (AHIRC) which offers consultations and advice for those without representation.

So in short, you would assume that musicians don’t have the same issues as you do when it comes to trying to get health insurance, but when you look at the bigger picture, most of them are likely struggling as much as you are.

The biggest names might be in good shape, but they don’t make up the largest portion of the industry by any stretch of the imagination.

Nina Simone’s Letter to Langston Hughes, 1966

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Photo Gallery: Sam Roberts Band with Ice Cream at Toronto’s OLG Play Stage

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Photo Gallery: Sam Roberts Band with Ice Cream at Toronto’s OLG Play Stage

All photos by Mini’s Memories. You can contact her at minismemories@hotmail.com

Sam Roberts Band
Sam Roberts Band
Sam Roberts Band
Sam Roberts Band
Sam Roberts Band
Sam Roberts Band
Sam Roberts Band
Sam Roberts Band
Sam Roberts Band
Sam Roberts Band
Ice Cream
Ice Cream
Ice Cream
Ice Cream
Ice Cream

Calgary’s Folk-Roots-Jazz-Punk Collective BENT ROADS TAVERN Revisit Fan Faves with “The Legend of Bent Roads Tavern Volume 3 & 4”

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Calgary’s Folk-Roots-Jazz-Punk Collective BENT ROADS TAVERN Revisit Fan Faves with “The Legend of Bent Roads Tavern Volume 3 & 4”

Canadian collective that is Bent Roads Tavern are revisiting their iconic campus days with the issuance of completely remastered and restored works in the form of The Legend of Bent Roads Tavern Volume 3 & 4 — and stand-out single “Steeples And Turntables III” — available now.

“Our sound is unapologetic,” frontman Collen Middleton offers of the seven-piece. “There’s flashes of protest punk mixed in with modern jazz, folk and roots.

“We got together in 2001 and now we’re catching new listeners up on the history of what we think is one of the most elusive corners of the Canadian music and cultural landscape.”

Top 20 Musicians of All Time

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Top 20 Musicians of All Time

Guest Post

Music has the power to unite people from all walks of life and through listening to our favourite musicians, we are elevated to beautiful worlds. So, who are the best musicians of all time that brought the world sensational music and memorable performances? Of course, it is debatable and will be based on people’s preference in music genres. Surely, it’s not as easy as deciding who the best football club is or what the top slots online are. Nonetheless, here’s a list of the top 20 musicians of all time crossing all genres. You’re bound to be in agreement with this profound list.

1. Queen

Undoubtedly, Queen remains one of the world’s most important and influential bands. Their unique expression, anthemic and inspiring songs captured the world over. From “Don’t Stop Me Now” to “We Will Rock You”, Queen’s songs continue to find their way into the younger generation’s music library. Their songs have a way of sending goosebumps down your spine as you belt out the catchy words. The band consisted of Freddie Mercury (lead vocalist), Brian May (lead guitar), Roger Taylor (drums), and John Deacon (bass).

2. Madonna

Madonna is amongst one of the best-selling artists of all time and a cultural icon. Considered the Queen of Pop, Madonna was known for always reinventing her look, fashion, and music style. One thing is for sure, she always knows how to stay relevant and set new trends. Through her music, she pushed social boundaries and addressed many taboo issues. Madonna was definitely a pioneer in affording women the ability to explore their power and independence through music. If you think back to the 80s, you’d be forgiven for hearing songs such as “Like a Prayer” and “Papa Don’t Preach” playing in your mind as Madonna pretty much dominated the radio stations.

3. Whitney Houston

A true legend, Whitney Houston was always destined for greatness. The daughter of a famed gospel singer Cissy Houston, the cousin of Dionne Warwick, and the goddaughter of Aretha Franklin, she was surrounded by powerful women. Whitney started singing in church where she consistently captivated the audience with her powerful vocals. At the age of 15, she was discovered by a photographer who admired her natural beauty and she then began modelling. It was Clive Davis who discovered Whitney, at the age of 19 and immediately signed her after he heard her perform at a nightclub. The rest as they say is history. Throughout her 20+ year career, Whitney sold out concerts, acted in hit movies such as “Waiting To Exhale” and “The Bodyguard”, and released hit after hit songs that still capture people today! Whitney has serenaded the world with songs such as “I Will Always Love You”, “I Have Nothing”, and “Where Do Broken Hearts Go”. She has won over 415 awards in total, including Grammys, American Music Awards, Oscars, and more.

4. Mariah Carey

Since her debut in 1990, Mariah Carey has inspired and entertained the world with her powerful vocals. She incredibly possesses a five-octave vocal range that has stunned many people over the years. In 1988, the executive for Columbia Records listened to Mariah’s demo tape and signed her to the label. In 2006, Mariah went on to win three Grammy Awards, including the Best Contemporary R&B Album, Best R&B Song, and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. Along with her impressive singing career, Mariah has also acted in movies such as “Glitter” and “Precious”. There is no other like Mariah Carey and she has confidently paved the way for many young girls to belt their hearts out too.

5. Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson was a singer, songwriter, and dancer dubbed the King of Pop. Jackson sold over 75 million albums in the United States, and he ranks no. 7 on the RIAA’s list of top-selling artists of all time. Along with his four brothers, they formed the group Jackson 5 who made pop history as the first group to have their first four singles hit no. 1. In 1982, Jackson released the famous “Thriller” album which was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame along with the hit album “Off The Wall”. Of course, we have to talk about Jackson’s dancing and the famous moonwalk he did during his “Billie Jean” performance. The moonwalk quickly became a world phenomenon and still to this day, people are attempting to do their best rendition of this famous dance move.

Alt: Elton John performs during the first night of Sanremo Italian Song’s Festival at Ariston theater in Sanremo

6. Elton John

With hits such as “I’m Still Standing” and “Can You Feel the Love”, the classically trained pianist Elton John is hands down one of the top musicians of all time. John has accumulated 38 gold and 31 platinum or multi-platinum albums and he sold more than 250 million records worldwide!

7. Stevie Wonder

The uber-talented Stevie Wonder gave the world so much magic through his music. One of the world’s most loved pop icons, Stevie Wonder has made numerous albums, including “Talking Book”, “Innervisions”, and “Hotter than July”. He has had ten US no.1 hits on the pop charts and sold over 100 million records.

8. Eric Clapton

One of the most influential guitarists in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, Eric Clapton became a significant singer-songwriter. He produced a great range of albums, including “Slowhand”, “Backless”, and the hit “Tears in Heaven” which was written after the death of his son.

9. Bob Marley

The Jamaican singer, musician and songwriter Bob Marley brought healing to this world through his music and activism. The reggae maestro gifted us with classics such as “One Love” and “No Woman No Cry”. Marley is a true legend of the 21st century and his image continues to adorn many t-shirts and walls with various other artists covering his songs too.

10. George Michael

George Michael released five studio albums, two compilation albums, one extended play, and 47 singles. The English singer sold over 100 million records worldwide. With hits such as “Faith” and “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me”, Michael deserves a spot on this top 20 list.

Other top musicians who made the top 20 cut

11. Fela Kuti
12. The Beatles
13. Simon & Garfunkel
14. Aerosmith
15. Billy Joel
16. Led Zeppelin
17. Bruce Springsteen
18. Nina Simone
19. Eric Clapton
20. Kenny G

There you have it, a list of the top 20 musicians of all time who have graced us with their incredible talent.

Wholesome Jay Z

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Wholesome Jay Z

Productions in a Pandemic Webinar Is FREE and Is A Must-Watch

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Productions in a Pandemic Webinar Is FREE and Is A Must-Watch

Join CIMA as theyhave invited recording engineers and producers discuss best practices in the world of recording during today’s unconventional times. What has changed in this climate, or has it remained the same? Are there creative workarounds, workflow solutions to minimize sacrifices and/or compromises? Join CIMA and top recording engineers and producers as they discuss their viewpoints on today’s recording world.

This free webinar is targeted toward Labels, Artist Managers, Producers and people who represent an artist. Artists can represent themselves as well. These are for people interested in learning how engineers and producers are working through this pandemic and what they’re doing to get the job done. What are the sacrifices, if any?

Check out what Eric Ratz, George Seara, Annelise Noronha, and Jeff Dalziel has to say, and it’s going to brilliant. It happens on October 1, and sign up here.

Ani DiFranco Releases Powerful, Timely Anthem And Video “Do Or Die”

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Ani DiFranco Releases Powerful, Timely Anthem And Video “Do Or Die”

oday, singer/songwriter/feminist/activist/author DIY icon Ani DiFranco releases “Do or Die,” a poignant statement about our society as we head into a landmark election. The lead single from DiFranco stays true to what she started nearly thirty years ago, speaking truth to power. With “Do or Die” DiFranco implores her fellow citizens to vote to maintain democracy during these historically unprecedented times. Vote like our lives depend on it, because they do. DiFranco came out of isolation during Covid to record “Do or Die” with talented musicians Brad Cook, Phil Cook, Brevan Hampden, Matt Douglas and Van Westerland in Durham NC. Later her touring partners Terence Higgins and Todd Sickafoose added finishing touches to the track. DiFranco created the “Do or Die” video in collaboration with Dancing Grounds and New Orleans Dance Collective, local organizations in her residence of New Orleans.

About “Do or Die,” DiFranco says, “Nothing will stem the tide of suffering from COVID-19, economic crisis, police brutality, mass incarceration, endemic poverty, entrenched white supremacy and misogyny, deportation and detainment, gun violence, fire, flood, disease, pollution, irradiation, exploitation, forced reproduction, gender and sexuality-based violence and oppression, dis-information, propaganda, corruption, and greed… short of a functioning democracy! Let’s harness our outrage and vote. We can do this, if we try, if we do this like it’s do or die.”

Widely considered a feminist icon, Grammy winner Ani DiFranco is the mother of the DIY movement, being one of the first artists to create her own record label in 1990. While she has been known as the “Little Folksinger,” her music has embraced punk, funk, hip hop, jazz, soul, electronica and even more distant sounds. Her collaborators have included everyone from Utah Phillips to legendary R&B saxophonist Maceo Parker to Prince. She has shared stages with Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Pete Seeger, Kris Kristofferson, Greg Brown, Billy Bragg, Michael Franti, Chuck D., and many more. Her last studio album Binary was released in June 2017 on Righteous Babe Records. Her memoir No Walls and the Recurring Dream was released in May 2019, and DiFranco released a No Walls Mixtape alongside the book, offering a new take on songs related to the memoir.

Mick Fleetwood Releases New Music and Video For “These Strange Times”

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Mick Fleetwood Releases New Music and Video For “These Strange Times”

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame drummer Mick Fleetwood released today a new recording and video for Mick Fleetwood’s Da*da*ism “These Strange Times,” available on Rhino Records. Originally released on Fleetwood Mac’s 16th studio album Time in 1995, the song was re-recorded adding thirty seconds of Peter Green’s “Albatross” to the end of the song and set to a brand-new video.

Inspired by an eighteenth-century painting, the newly released video and accompanying single artwork are centered around the idea of something greater than us, which lies at the core of our very human struggle to be our best selves.

“The project is about the energy of choice, of deciding if you want to be a part of the dark or the light when push comes to shove, which seems very apropos at this moment in history,” Fleetwood says. “It’s about how you read things, which is very important today. Everyone needs to be carefully paying attention to the information coming our way. There is subtext to everything and we need to be aware of that. When I first encountered the painting that inspired the photoshoot, it was a soul-searching exercise that I was driven to do but I didn’t know when would be the time to release it. Now I know why: the when is now.”
The spoken-word poem at the center of the song finds the narrator, Fleetwood, questioning his feelings and his thoughts, as he has found himself stuck between the dark and the light. The video is meant to be as thought provoking as the song is hypnotic, as the lyrics detail the struggle of the narrator.

“I hope the song conveys that life is about choice,” Fleetwood says. “God is everything, no matter what your belief system is. Being in love is God, no matter your creed. There’s a rejoicing at the end of the song when the narrator chooses the side of the light. The song is about all of us making that choice ourselves and the relief we feel when we are no longer caught in the middle.”

“This is something I wrote many years ago,” Fleetwood says, “and I want it to be nothing more than thought provoking. I want people to see and hear what they will in it. My hope is that by sharing these thought-provoking moments in my world that I can somehow open the eyes of others to things in their world and to the existence we all share, which is more and more endangered with each passing day.”

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That Eric Alper

Eric Alper is a 6-time nominee for Publicist of the Year during Canadian Music Week and has overseen the publicity campaigns for over 183 JUNO Award-nominated albums (and 16 in 2025), 45 Grammy-nominated albums, including 47 JUNO Award, 58 Canadian Folk Music Award, 126 Maple Blues Award-winning albums and is also truly honoured to work with some of the biggest and most important artists of our time.

Contact me: eric@thatericalper.com

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