Music News: Prince Be of P.M. Dawn dies at 46
by Staff
June 19, 2016
Attrell Cordes, known as Prince Be in the hip-hop group P.M. Dawn, has died at age 46 due to complications from diabetes. "My Heart is at Peace B-Cuz U suffered so long," wrote Cordes's bandmate and cousin Doc.G on Facebook. Founded in 1988 by Cordes and his brother Jarett (DJ Minutemix), P.M. Dawn became one of the most commercially and critically successful acts of the early '90s — with hits including "I'd Die Without You," "Looking Through Patient Eyes," and 1991 chart-topper "Set Adrift On Memory Bliss." (Billboard)
Singer Alejandro "Jano" Fuentes has died at age 45 after being shot during an attempted carjacking in Chicago. Fuentes was best-known for appearing on the Mexican version of The Voice in 2011. (Rolling Stone)
The family of Christina Grimmie have shared a video tribute to the late singer. Appropriately given Grimmie's devoted following, the video is fan-made. (Billboard)
Kurt Cobain art exhibit planned
An art exhibit featuring the work of Kurt Cobain is being planned. Courtney Love and Frances Bean Cobain are working with Jeff Jampol — a manager who specializes in promoting the legacies of deceased artists — on a show that will feature "Kurt's works and his art and his possessions," including some paintings never before seen by the public. (Rolling Stone)
Aquarius Records to close
Aquarius Records, a San Francisco record store that's been known as a champion of adventurous music for over half a century, announced that it will close on July 4. The store will subsequently reopen under a new name and management, as the second store run by reissue label Superior Viaduct. (Pitchfork)
Led Zep songwriters earn (many) millions
How much do you make in royalties every year if you're one of the primary songwriters in Led Zeppelin? Several million dollars, it was revealed during testimony in the trial over the band's alleged plagiarism of the Spirit song "Taurus" for their classic "Stairway to Heaven." Since 2011, Jimmy Page and Robert Plant have earned a total of $58.5 million for their 87 Led Zeppelin songs. (Billboard)
Death Cab explain festival exit
Nick Harmer of Death Cab for Cutie has explained an incident at the Firefly Music Festival that's been mis-reported as Bed Gibbard "storming off stage" in the middle of a set. Harmer says that the incident occurred during "the last 20 seconds of the last song": Gibbard experienced an equipment failure just as a "giant fight" broke out in the audience, and Harmer says, Gibbard felt the best thing to due was to walk offstage due to safety concerns. (Billboard)
Hamilton stars to leave show
Three stars of Hamilton will leave the show after July 9. Leslie Odom Jr., Phillipa Soo, and show creator Lin-Manuel Miranda will take their well-earned bows and move on to other endeavors. (New York Times)
Morrissey knocks Buzzcocks
Morrissey has criticized the Buzzcocks for allowing their song "What Do I Get?" to appear in an ad for McDonald's. "Please, somebody, tell me it's just a bad dream," writes Morrissey. "Pete Shelley has allowed McDonald’s to use Buzzcocks’ 'What Do I Get?' to TV advertise McDonald’s new Big Flavour (the flavour being sawdust) Chicken Wraps?!" (Rolling Stone)
Biebs jokes about stage tumble
"I’m a cat. I got 9 lives. Lol," tweeted Justin Bieber regarding his tumble off a stage in Canada last week. Or, as one Buzzfeed commenter put it, "Sometimes you drop the mic and sometimes the mic drops you."
