Music News: How about those Oscars?
by Jay Gabler
March 05, 2018
Sunday night at the 90th Academy Awards, Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez took the Best Original Song prize for their song "Remember Me" from Coco, and The Shape of Water’s Alexandre Desplat prevailed over The Phantom Thread’s Jonny Greenwood (Radiohead) for Best Original Score. The "Remember Me" win made Robert Lopez the first person in history to "double EGOT": to win at least twice at the Oscars and the Emmys and the Grammys and the Tonys. (Rolling Stone)
The ceremony was full of memorable musical moments, including Mary J. Blige — a nominee for both acting and music — performing her song "Mighty River" from Mudbound. Common and Andra Day performed "Stand Up for Something" (Marshall), and Eddie Vedder covered Tom Petty’s "Room at the Top" for the In Memoriam segment. (Rolling Stone)
Indie-rock fans were also treated to Sufjan Stevens performing his song "Mystery of Love," a nominee from the film Call Me By Your Name. Rising up out of the stage, Stevens sang his quiet song with an all-star band that included Chris Thile, St. Vincent, and Moses Sumney. (Pitchfork)
Teen sentenced for planning concert terror attack
17-year-old Lloyd Gunton of Wales in the United Kingdom will serve at least 11 years in prison for plotting a foiled terror attack on a Justin Bieber concert in 2017. The teen had researched ways of attacking Cardiff's Principality Stadium with a truck and posted threatening messages on social media.
"It is important that, having been tempted to commit a serious offence such as this, you are under some form of supervision for the rest of your life," said Judge Mark Wall, who refused arguments that Gunton's diagnosis of autism was a mitigating factor in the plot. (Rolling Stone)
Rick Ross reportedly on life support
Rick Ross has been hospitalized in Miami after being found unresponsive in his home on Thursday morning. Ross's representatives are not providing any details on the nature of his health issue, but the 42-year-old rap star is reportedly on life support. (Pitchfork)
Remembering Ronnie Prophet and Patrick Doyle
Canadian country star Ronnie Prophet has died of cardiac and kidney failure at age 80. "There are no words to express the heartache of losing my best friend and the love of my life," wrote Prophet's widow and musical partner Glory-Anne Carriere on Facebook. "Ronnie's sense of humor has sustained me through the years no matter the circumstances even to the very last. Chet Atkins music was playing softly in the background till he peacefully left us for his heavenly home this morning at 8:40."
Prophet had dozens of Canadian hits and several U.S. hits in a multi-decade recording career, reaching his peak popularity in the mid-1970s. In addition to his music, Prophet was known for his comedic stylings and for hosting a series of Canadian music shows. (Billboard)
Singer-songwriter and drummer Patrick Doyle has died of an undisclosed cause at age 32. Doyle led Boys Forever and was drummer in Veronica Falls. "I am heartbroken by the news of the death of my friend, Patrick Doyle," tweeted Alex Kapranos (Franz Ferdinand). "Smart, funny, a great musician...I can't sum up his life on here. I will miss him." (Pitchfork)
"Weird Al" does Hamilton
"Weird Al" Yankovic first gained national fame with the Joan Jett parody "I Love Rocky Road," and 35 years later, the iconic musical humorist is still at it. Friday on The Tonight Show, Jimmy Fallon and Lin-Manuel Miranda joined Yankovic to lip-sync his new single, "The Hamilton Polka."
Miranda said that when the track was released, he got a call from Questlove, who said, "Forget your Pulitzer, your Genius Grant is nothing, you've been immortalized by 'Weird Al,' you're done, you've peaked!" (Rolling Stone)