Month: April 2020

Bob Dylan’s handwritten lyrics to his 1960s classic “The Times They Are A-Changin'” are going up for sale with a $2.2 million asking price in what could mark a world record for rock lyrics.Gary Zimet, owner of Los Angeles-based autograph dealers Moments in Time, said on Sunday the one-page sheet of lyrics, written in a notebook and with changes and scribbles, was originally owned by Dylan’s current manager, Jeff Rosen, and was now being sold by an anonymous private collector.”It’s not an auction. It’s a private sale. First come, first served,” Zimet told Reuters.Dylan’s handwritten lyrics to “Like a Rolling Stone” fetched a world-record $2 million when they were sold at auction by Sotheby’s in New York in 2014.”The Times They Are A-Changin’,” written by Dylan in 1963 and released on his 1964 album of the same name, is regarded as one of the most iconic protest songs of the 1960s.Zimet said he was also selling the lyrics of two other Dylan songs – his 1965 track “Subterranean Homesick Blues” for $1.2 million, and 1969 ballad “Lay Lady Lay” for $650,000.”They are not quite as important, as iconic,” said Zimet, explaining the lower prices. “‘Subterranean Homesick Blues’ is certainly a major, major song but not in the same league as ‘The Times They Are A-Changin’.”The lyrics to popular songs, especially when handwritten and with scratched-out ideas or doodles, have become some of the most sought-after items for collectors of celebrity memorabilia.Don McLean’s 16-page draft for “American Pie” fetched $1.2 million in 2015, while Paul McCartney’s scribbled partial lyrics for a recording of “Hey Jude” sold for $910,000 at an online auction earlier this month.Dylan, 78, last month released his first original music in eight years with a 17-minute song called “Murder Most Foul” that was inspired by the 1963 assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy. In 2016, Dylan became the only singer-songwriter to win the Nobel Prize for Literature. 
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Lady Gaga urged people weathering the coronavirus pandemic to find a way to smile through the pain, while Stevie Wonder encouraged viewers to lean on one another as the superstars kicked off Saturday’s all-star event aimed at fighting the coronavirus and celebrating health care workers on the front lines.The two-hour TV special “One World: Together At Home,” curated by Gaga, was the second part of an eight-hour event supporting the World Health Organization alongside advocacy organization Global Citizen.“I care so much about the medical workers that are putting their lives at risk for us,” said Gaga, who performed Nat King Cole’s version of the song “Smile.”Wonder performed “Lean On Me” by Bill Withers — who died on March 30 — while playing piano. He told viewers: “During hardships like this we have to lean on each other for help.”Paul McCartney sang the Beatles’ “Lady Madonna” and talked about the work his mother did as a nurse, while photos of health care workers were shown on the screen.“One World: Together At Home,” airing simultaneously on ABC, NBC, CBS, iHeartMedia and Bell Media networks, is being hosted by Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel. It featured stars appearing in intimate settings, beamed virtually to the world.Colbert told viewers to “take out their wallets and put them away.” Kimmel added that over $50 million had already been raised to help those during the worldly crisis.Earlier in the day, a six-hour streaming event featuring Andra Day, Niall Horan, Kesha, Matthew McConaughey, Jack Black, Heidi Klum and Jason Segel aired on digital platforms as part of the “One World: Together At Home” event.“It’s Kesha from quarantine day 500. I miss my fans so much,” Kesha said, sitting in front of her fireplace as her cat made noises in the background. “I know that there’s so many people working and not sleeping and sacrificing so much to help figure this out for everyone and I just think the vulnerability of us all as human beings right now is really showing a really beautiful side to humanity.”After thanking those working on the front lines, she said: “I’m going to do the main thing I know how to do, which is play some music and hopefully this will just brighten your day, maybe just a little bit. That’s my goal.”The event will also include performances and appearances by The Rolling Stones, Taylor Swift, Oprah Winfrey, Billie Eilish, Jennifer Lopez, David and Victoria Beckham, Alicia Keys, Ellen DeGeneres, Pharrell Williams, Eddie Vedder, Kerry Washington, Celine Dion, Lizzo, J Balvin and Andrea Bocelli.World renowned pianist Lang Lang, country singer Maren Morris, rock performer Hozier, British star Rita Ora and Emirati singer Hussain Al Jassmi also performed during the early part of the special, which included videos focused on health care workers on the front lines fighting the spreading coronavirus. It also aired a package of people getting married — some in front of their homes, others inside — during the pandemic. 
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Gene Shay, a folk DJ who spent a half-century on the Philadelphia airwaves and helped promote the careers of Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell and countless others, has died of complications of the coronavirus.Shay, 85, who had been hospitalized in recent weeks, died Friday, according to WXPN-FM station manager Roger LaMay. His weekly “Folk Show” ran on various stations in the city from 1968-2015, the last 20 of them at WXPN.”He was a giant in terms of his impact on artists and the music. And to do it for close to 60 years is extraordinary,” LaMay said.Shay, being introduced into the Philadelphia Music Alliance Walk of Fame by David Bromberg in 2013, said he put unknown talent on the air in the hope they could find an audience and perhaps a record deal.”I play people who have a glint of something, some spark . . . (and) just let them play good music where other people can hear them,” Shay said. “That is one of the great joys of my life.”Shay also helped start the popular Philadelphia Folk Festival, where he long served as emcee, and the organization that runs it, the Philadelphia Folksong Society.Shay’s daughter, Rachel Vaughn, told The Philadelphia Inquirer on Saturday that Shay died at Lankenau Medical Center in Wynnewood.Shay, born Ivan Shaner, joined WRTI at Temple University in 1962 and later worked at many of the city’s top stations. He also worked a day job much of his life as an ad man, and according to the Music Alliance wrote the original radio commercials for Woodstock.He famously brought Dylan to town for a show at the Philadelphia Ethical Society in May 1963, before the release of Dylan’s second album. About 45 people turned out and Dylan made $150, Shay often recalled.Shay’s wife, Gloria Shaner, died in 2018. He lived in Lower Merion and is also survived by another daughter. His WXPN colleagues did not know if he had ever legally changed his name.”He was so generous in spirit,” LaMay said. “I loved the guy.”
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Esports, organized video gaming, is finding a new role in the COVID-19 pandemic, as people locked down at home try to keep up their competitive skills.  Mike O’Sullivan reports that students at two California colleges meet online weekly in virtual competitions, staying in training while staying at home.
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The organizers of the annual Santa Fe Indian Market have selected a new executive director, marking the first time in the history of the Southwestern Association of Indian Arts that a Native American woman will lead the organization.  The association announced the appointment of Kim Peone on Thursday. She was among four finalists chosen from more than 70 applicants.  “Peone’s 30 years of experience in Indian Country, astute business and financial background, as well as great managerial and leadership skills were a perfect fit for SWAIA’s needs going forward,” board chair Tom Teegarden said in a statement.A member of the Colville Confederated Tribes of Washington, Peone lives in Santa Fe. She has served tribes and tribal entities in numerous professional capacities. Most recently, she was the chief executive and financial officer of a tribal corporation in Washington state.Described as the world’s biggest and most prestigious Indian art event, the Santa Fe Indian Market began in 1922. This year’s event was canceled because of the coronavirus outbreak.Board member and artist Traci Rabbit said it was a tough decision to call off this year’s market given the effects on artists and the $165 million impact that the event has on northern New Mexico’s economy.”We must move forward, and I am confident Kim’s background and abilities will successfully lead SWAIA into the future,” Rabbit said. “There are many challenges ahead for organizations like SWAIA, and the board is committed to ensure that its legacy and influence will not only withstand those challenges, but emerge stronger with lessons learned.”
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