Supplies!
Parliament/Funkadelic bassist Bootsy Collins’ MTV Cartoon, “The Name is Bootsy, Baby”
Here is the pilot for The Name is Bootsy, Baby, the 1996 MTV cartoon featuring the Parliament/Funkadelic bassist Bootsy Collins and named after his 1977 album. The cartoon was later played before his shows.
1-minute tip for artists stuck on social media: Romance.
Let’s talk about the people we love the most.
Sound Shout Turns Favorite Songs into Amazing Artwork
Sound Shout™, the pioneer in sound-to-art realization, today unveiled www.Sound-Shout.com, the destination site that allows consumers to convert their favorite songs into high-quality display art for their home or office. With Sound Shout’s “Wave It” technology, digital song files are converted into a variety of stunning wave patterns, giving music enthusiasts a unique visual medium to express their favorite songs.
“Music is an artform unlike any other – its power to move and inspire is undeniable, yet it is fleeting in form,” said Ron Brahy, Founder of Sound Shout. “Sound Shout changes the essence of music into a visual artform, giving fans an ever-lasting representation to show off the songs that matter the most.”
Sound Shout’s Wave It technology converts MP3 files into waveform artwork – a striking and vibrant visual representation of any song. Key song data, such as Artist/Band, Song Name, Release Date and Length of song (time) is captured to accompany the converted wave file. Finally, Sound Shout applies up to eight different visual effects so that consumers can see their songs in a variety of colors to best match their tastes and environments.
Printing is completed on a 32-inch by 12-inch 100-percent cotton rag canvas, giving the owner a durable, gallery-quality print. A hard-sealed backing makes installation effortless, while color protection ensures image brilliance for the lifetime of the print.
Customers can upload their favorite songs to Sound Shout for free. Sound Shout artwork is currently only available in the U.S. for $149 at www.Sound-Shout.com. Shipping is free to the continental U.S.; extra charges may apply to Alaska and Hawaii.
Sound Shout is the pioneer in sound-to-art realization. Founded in 2019, Sound Shout uses its proprietary Wave It technology to transform digital songs into amazing artwork. For more information, go to: www.Sound-Shout.com or follow it on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.
Gayle King, Emmy Award-Winning Journalist, to Host Live Call-In Show Exclusively on SiriusXM
SiriusXM announced that Gayle King, three-time Emmy award-winning broadcaster, co-host of CBS This Morning, and Editor-at-large of O, The Oprah Magazine, will host a live weekly program exclusively on SiriusXM Stars channel 109. Gayle King In the House will begin its limited, 6 episode run on Thursday, April 23 at 5:00pm ET.
On her new SiriusXM show, King will take calls and speak directly with Americans affected by lockdowns and social distancing measures following the coronavirus outbreak and hear how they’re coping with this new reality. King, who has spoken openly about her own experiences being isolated at home, will connect with listeners about topics including mental health, navigating homeschooling, managing kids’ emotional stress, the loneliness felt by so many, uplifting stories of people volunteering, and so much more. The call-in number for listeners to reach the show is (888) 94-STARS / (888) 947-8277.
“These are such surreal times. I look forward to hearing how everybody’s feeling and thinking…how do we navigate the uncertainty of this moment?” said King. “As unsettling as this is, I believe we’ll make it through. While it’s crucial to be socially distant it’s just as important for us to be emotionally connected and engaged with each other. There’s so much to discuss on this new SiriusXM show. I can’t wait until Thursday. Call me!”
“Gayle connects with her audience in a manner few can,” said Scott Greenstein, SiriusXM’s President and Chief Content Officer. “It speaks volumes about her intelligence and warmth that people trust her to speak about their personal struggles and triumphs, and I’m especially thrilled that our listeners will have the opportunity to hear from Gayle in these troubling times.”
Since joining CBS News in 2011, Gayle King has conducted notable interviews with world leaders, political figures, and celebrities, including former President Barack Obama, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Bruce Springsteen, Elon Musk, Billie Eilish, R. Kelly, and Michelle Obama and her mother, Marian Robinson, in their first TV interview together. In addition, King has handled a number of high-profile assignments, including recently moderating CBS News’ 2020 Democratic presidential debate in Charleston.
King was inducted into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame in 2018. In 2019, TIME honored King as one of 100 Most Influential People.
Gayle King In the House will air on Thursdays from 5:00-6:00pm ET on SiriusXM Stars channel 109 with replays throughout the week.
SiriusXM Stars is available to subscribers nationwide on SiriusXM radios (channel 109), and to everyone – including anyone who is not already a SiriusXM subscriber – on the SiriusXM app and connected devices as part of SiriusXM’s recently announced free streaming access period through May 15. For more information and to start listening, visit: SiriusXM.com/streamfree.
Grammy-Winning Jazz And Pop Legend Peggy Lee Honored With Creation Of New ASCAP Foundation Songwriting Award
The ASCAP Foundation today announced The ASCAP Foundation Peggy Lee Songwriter Award, established in honor of legendary ASCAP member Peggy Lee. To mark the centennial of this extraordinary artist and her considerable contributions to the world of jazz and popular music, the family of Peggy Lee created the award with The ASCAP Foundation to honor her name and legacy while nurturing the careers of promising new songwriters.
Over the course of her seven-decade career, Lee helped redefine what it meant to be a female singer and wrote over 200 songs including several modern-day standards. Dubbed “the female Frank Sinatra” by Tony Bennett, her quietly captivating voice and enchanting lyrics continue to resonate with audiences of all ages. Highlights of Lee’s songwriting catalog are “It’s a Good Day,” “I Don’t Know Enough About You,” “I Love Being Here with You” and “Mañana.” Along with Sonny Burke, she wrote all of the original songs for Disney’s 1955 animated classic Lady and the Tramp, including beloved favorites “He’s a Tramp” and “Bella Notte.”
A notable lyricist, Lee frequently collaborated with fellow songwriters including Harold Arlen, Cy Coleman, Duke Ellington, Quincy Jones, Sonny Burke, Johnny Mandel, Marian McPartland, Dave Grusin and Victor Young. Her songs have been covered by industry greats such as Tony Bennett, Nat King Cole, Natalie Cole, Bing Crosby, Doris Day, Ella Fitzgerald, Judy Garland, Diana Krall, Queen Latifah, Barry Manilow, Bette Midler, Janelle Monáe, Nina Simone, Regina Spektor and Sarah Vaughan.
Lee was a 13-time GRAMMY® nominee, received Lifetime Achievement awards from NARAS, ASCAP and The Society of Singers, was inducted to the Songwriters Hall of Fame and earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress in Pete Kelly’s Blues. With over 1,100 masters, 50 original albums and 100 chart hits, she is best known for her songs “Fever,” “Why Don’t You Do Right,” “I’m a Woman” and “Is That All There Is?” Many of her lesser-known gems are now being rediscovered through television and film, with features in major hits like The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and The Good Place.
Lee’s granddaughter, Holly Foster Wells, worked with The ASCAP Foundation to create this unique opportunity for up-and-coming songwriters. The Peggy Lee Songwriter Award will annually recognize an ASCAP or unaffiliated songwriter who demonstrates intelligent use of language, talent and career potential. Qualified award recipients must not be signed to a major publishing deal and provide an original song that has never been commercially recorded. The program will provide winners with a cash award and the opportunity to engage with a music executive mentor.
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs launches ‘Our Fair Share’ – New Platform Dedicated to Helping Minority-Owned Small Businesses Access Second Round of PPP Funding
Entrepreneur and Media Mogul Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs today launched OURFAIRSHARE.com, a platform built to help minority entrepreneurs and small businesses access much-needed capital amid the economic devastation brought by COVID-19.
The initial round of Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP) dollars disproportionately went to those with the right connections, rather than the greatest needs, Our Fair Share will help minority-owned companies learn about the PPP and get connected to approved Small Business Association (SBA) lenders that can process applications for these potentially business-saving loans.
“COVID-19 is devastating our communities and without access to stimulus funding we risk losing critical businesses that create jobs and help build opportunities and wealth in our communities.” said Combs. “I created Our Fair Share to help entrepreneurs play on an even playing field and give them a chance to survive with the hope to thrive.”
Combs further announced a partnership with the National Bankers Association, the trade group representing minority-owned financial institutions, to connect minority-owned banks and financial technology companies to the Our Fair Share platform and enable these banks to originate PPP loans from applicants that utilize the site.
Our Fair Share is designed to help ensure diverse small businesses, independent contractors and nonprofits, to understand that they are eligible and how to apply for PPP. This provides clear information about the requirements for a successful application. The applications are connected to approved PPP lenders. The lead institutions are: The Harbor Bank of Maryland, based in Baltimore, MD, Liberty Bank and Trust, based in New Orleans, LA, Carver State Bank, based in Savannah, GA, and Lendistry, an online small business lender based in Los Angeles, CA.
Combs also shared a longer-term vision for Our Fair Share as a connector for entrepreneurs searching for capital and capital providers. The platform will be dedicated to getting funding into the hands of the entrepreneurs that need it and will evolve to meet the needs of the minority small business community.
“It is inspiring to see a cultural icon like Sean Combs partnering with minority banks and others to ensure economic opportunity for minorities in this program”, says Kenneth Kelly, Chairman of the National Bankers Association. Our leaders in economics, politics, and culture must unite because the COVID-19 healthcare and economic impacts on our communities are interrelated. We can help our communities weather this storm if we work together.”
On Tuesday, the Senate passed $484 billion in new pandemic relief funds to provide additional funding to the PPP small business aid program, pay for coronavirus testing and help hospitals deluged by sick patients. The PPP is a part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, the $2 trillion stimulus package the US Congress approved on March 27, 2020 to combat the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The new package would provide $320 billion to allow the PPP to take new applicants for the program, which provides forgivable loans to small business that keep employees on the payroll for eight weeks. In addition, $30 billion of the PPP loan funds are set aside for banks and credit unions with $10 billion to $50 billion in assets, and another $30 billion is set aside for even- smaller institutions.
Combs also extended an invitation for major financial institutions to partner with Our Fair Share.
“Minority businesses have always struggled to access the capital they need to thrive. Now is the time to show commitment to the communities being hit the hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic. I look forward to working with the institutions that want to help,” said Combs.
For more information about the program visit www.ourfairshare.com
Spotify COVID-19 Music Relief Project Adds Music Health Alliance As Partner
U.S. non-profit Music Health Alliance (MHA) has been added as a partner in the Spotify COVID-19 Music Relief Project. This partnership will enable MHA’s COVID-19 Relief Resources to continue to provide immediate critical assistance to members of the U.S. music community who have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Spotify is matching donations made to select charities, up to a collective total of $10 million, to amplify the efforts of organizations that focus on helping those most in need. Matching contributions can be made to Music Health Alliance at musichealthalliance.com/spotify. In guiding music professionals directly and indirectly impacted by COVID-19, MHA’s relief resources include financial assistance for groceries, medications, health insurance premiums and doctor visits, navigating the loss of health insurance, filing unemployment, and a one-of-its-kind database of sliding-scale and no-cost healthcare, mental health, preventative and dental care resources. Learn more here.
In addition to Spotify, Music Health Alliance has also received generous support from Grammy Award winners Rosanne Cash and John Paul White with proceeds from their new song “We’re All In This Together Now” benefitting MHA. Available today, the poignant song was written by the pair last year, but the thoughtful lyrics are more timely than ever. Serving as a fitting tribute to doctors, nurses, all those on the frontlines, and even those staying home doing their part to help their fellow man, Cash and White trade off on verses that now seem to have foreseen a future that would find “we’re all in this together…”
I love you like a brother
And I don’t know you at all
Heard your voice across the wire
And I never thought you’d call
So hold tight the sword, hold fast the sail
Cause we might be taken down
It’s a lonely world, but it’s our only world
And we’re all in this together now
In response to the pandemic, Music Health Alliance’s COVID-19 Relief Plan was created to provide direct support for the immediate needs of music industry professionals and their families during this public health crisis through relief grants, simplified solutions and a comprehensive database of resources. Entirely funded through grants and individual and corporate donations, financial support from the music community is critical to continue Music Health Alliance’s (MHA) advocacy and free services. Based in Nashville, MHA has provided free healthcare advocacy and support to more than 11,000 music industry members and saved the music community more than $50,000,000 nationwide by providing advocacy and access to lifesaving transplants, medicine, mental health resources, end of life care and many other necessary services. For every $1 donation, MHA is able to provide $30 in life-saving healthcare resources to Heal The Music. MHA fights so those in our industry never have to feel alone in a health crisis and removes obstacles so patients can receive lifesaving care. Its services are free to any person who has worked in the music industry for three or more years or who has credited contributions to 4 commercially released recordings or videos. Spouses, partners, and children of qualifying individuals may also receive access to the non-profit’s services from birth to end of life.
John Paul White and Rosanne Cash Team Up for ‘We’re All In This Together Now’
Grammy Award winners John Paul White and Rosanne Cash are teaming up for the new single “We’re All In This Together Now” which is out today. Watch the video directed by Michael Kessler below.
“John Paul and I have been friends for years, and early on we awkwardly tossed the idea of writing a song together, but we never got around to it,” explains Cash. “The last few years have been tough. I wanted to find some little corner of community, some instinct toward unity. It was hard to find, so I figured I’d have to write it. Last year, I wrote these lyrics and sent them to John Paul. He wrote this gorgeous melody very quickly. I was so moved. But the song didn’t fit on my last record, and it didn’t fit on his last record, so it sat there waiting for just the right moment. Which is now.”
White adds, “I don’t believe I’ve ever been a part of something that foretold things to come as vividly as this song, or something that would feel so relevant months after its completion. I loved the song, but for whatever reason it hadn’t yet seen the light of day. I had recorded a guitar/vocal of the song in my studio in Florence, Alabama. Once it dawned on me recently how prescient the song was, I asked Rosanne if she’d be willing to put her voice on it. She said, ‘I thought you’d never ask.'”
Raffi’s Troubadour Label Releases Lindsay Munroe’s First Kids’ Album, I Am Kind
Raffi’s label, Troubadour Music, announces the release of I Am Kind by an exciting new artist: Lindsay Munroe. Imbued with joy and a deep respect for children, these 16 songs offer encouragement with sparkling simplicity. Raffi’s voice adds to the charm of this all-ages inclusive album, which will be released on digital platforms on April 24th via Craft Recordings in the US. Today, fans may also pre-order the CD version of I Am Kind, to be released on June 12th, 2020.
This is the first Troubadour album featuring an artist other than Raffi in decades. Munroe is a lifelong fan of Raffi’s music. In June 2019, she and her youngest daughter attended Raffi’s concert in Worcester, MA. Meeting Raffi backstage, Lindsay was delighted when he said he was a fan of her “Sing Along with Lindsay” videos on YouTube. Over time, Raffi enjoyed hearing Lindsay’s original children’s songs, inspired by her own kids, and he suggested that she record an album. She agreed and was thrilled when Raffi offered to produce it.
Raffi suggested that Munroe’s album include children’s classics like “This Little Light of Mine” and “Frère Jacques,” as well as Raffi’s own signature tunes “The More We Get Together” and “De Colores.” Munroe’s love of traditional folk music is reflected in the tracks “Peace Like a River” and “Bluebird Bluebird.” Raffi’s familiar voice and his playing (guitar, ukulele, electric piano, bongos, and train whistle) enrich this album, and the energetic voices of Munroe’s three children add to the feeling of joining a sing-along with family and friends. Raffi says that Munroe “brings traditional songs to life with charm and a calm energy, just right for kids.”
Munroe is a passionate advocate of diversity and inclusion, whose singalong sessions delight youngsters at libraries and preschools near her home in Massachusetts. A self-taught multi-instrumentalist and mother of three children with autism, she found inspiration in the Raffi Foundation’s online course in Child Honouring. Her songs reflect the Child Honouring principles of Respectful Love, Diversity, Caring Community, Emotional Intelligence, and Nonviolence.
Indeed, positivity and hope exude the title track “I Am Kind” and “Every One of Us Belongs.” With her golden voice and singalong melodies, Munroe offers both inspiration and practical tools for all children, including those who are neurodiverse.
Research shows that music can help people with autism to improve skills in areas such as communication, sensory issues, behavior, cognition, perceptual/motor skills, and self-reliance. Deeply sensitive to special needs children, Munroe speaks directly to those who may need a little encouragement. As Raffi notes, songs such as “Ok to Make Mistakes” and “Waiting Nicely” are “positive affirmations that kids can internalize for those times they might need a melodic reminder that they are indeed capable people. With the current emphasis in education on social and emotional learning and on inclusion, Lindsay’s songs are a gift to the emotional intelligence in the social and playful learning of children in their early years.”
“Kindness Counts” is this year’s theme for Autism Awareness Month, and at a time when warm-heartedness is needed more than ever, I Am Kind strikes just the right notes. “I am happy to contribute something to the world during these trying times,” says Munroe. “I hope that all families, especially those with neurodiverse kids, can feel inspired and uplifted by these songs.”
Starting on Saturday, April 25th, Lindsay will publish activity guides to go along with each song. Visit LindsayMunroeMusic.com for the album news, and RaffiNews.com for the latest Raffi updates.
I AM KIND Track list:
- I Am Kind
- Little Red Caboose
- I Can Try New Things
- The More We Get Together
- This Little Light
- De Colores
- Something Good
- Waiting Nicely
- Peace Like A River
- Ask For Help
- Ok To Make Mistakes
- Frère Jacques
- Bluebird Bluebird
- Every One Of Us Belongs
- Problem Solvers
- I Can Dream