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Joni Mitchell Honored With Gershwin Prize At Tribute Concert

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WASHINTON — Joni Mitchell took the stage near the end of a tribute concert for her as the winner of this year’s Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. Instead of one of her own songs, she sang a cover instead.

On Wednesday, the 79-year-old music legend leaned against the piano and sang a seductive rendition of “Summertime,” the hit song from George Gershwin’s “Porgy and Bess.” This was a fitting choice, as the award was named after Gershwin.

In any case, she still needed to finish. As Mitchell began to sing “The Circle Game,” one of her more well-known songs, the other performers crowded the stage and surrounded her. The evening was filled with love and admiration as performers such as Graham Nash, James Taylor, Ledisi, Cyndi Lauper, Herbie Hancock, Marcus Mumford, and Brandi Carlile brought the crowd to their feet.

Nash, who dated Mitchell in the ’70s, recalled how she had an indestructible spirit that allowed her to succeed despite her gender and physical limitations.

When she was young, she contracted polio, which has caused her great difficulty throughout her life. And now, some years later, a brain aneurysm. It’s unbelievable to witness her return and find renewed musical success. Bouncing back from that,” Nash exclaimed.

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A case of you,” a song Mitchell wrote after they broke up, was performed later.

James Taylor, another of Mitchell’s former business partners, has called their time together “one of the chapters in my life that I’m fondest of.”

The impact she had on me and my work was substantial. During our time together—roughly a year—we worked together on numerous projects, as mentioned by Taylor.

“Joni is a national treasure,” he continued.

Carlile was one of the night’s busiest performers, contributing background vocals and covering “Shine” by Mitchell. The nine-time Grammy winner said before the show that she learned about Mitchell’s music much later.

“It felt feminine to me, really vulnerable, and it made me uncomfortable, which I think reflects on my ego and my maturing into a bit of a gender non-conforming person or just not understanding the way that she was showing me, and all of us, the world. “I didn’t realize how multifaceted of an artist Joni was until I fell in love and met my wife,” Carlile said.

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All-star concert honors Joni Mitchell, winner of the Gershwin Prize.

House Speaker Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), and Susan Collins (R-Maine), and others surrounded Mitchel as she accepted the award from Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden.

Paul McCartney, Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder, and Carole King have all been honored with the Gershwin Prize since its inception in 2007.

Premiering on PBS stations, PBS.org, the PBS App, and the American Forces Network on March 31, “Joni Mitchell: The Library of Congress, Gershwin Prize for Popular Song”, will also be available on the American Forces Network.

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SOURCE – (AP)

 

Kiara Grace is a staff writer at VORNews, a reputable online publication. Her writing focuses on technology trends, particularly in the realm of consumer electronics and software. With a keen eye for detail and a knack for breaking down complex topics, Kiara delivers insightful analyses that resonate with tech enthusiasts and casual readers alike. Her articles strike a balance between in-depth coverage and accessibility, making them a go-to resource for anyone seeking to stay informed about the latest innovations shaping our digital world.

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Dickey Betts, Co-Founder Of The Allman Brothers Band, Dead At 80

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Dickey Betts, a guitarist and co-founder of the Allman Brothers Band, has died, according to a family statement released to CNN on Thursday by his longtime manager.

Betts was eighty.

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Dickey Betts, Co-Founder Of The Allman Brothers Band, Dead At 80

“It is with profound sadness and heavy hearts that the Betts family announces the peaceful passing of Forrest Richard ‘Dickey’ Betts,” according to the statement. “The well-known performer, songwriter, bandleader, and family patriarch passed away this morning at his home in Osprey, Florida, with his family by his side. Dickey was larger than life, and his absence will be felt around the world. During this terrible time, the family requests prayers and respect for their privacy in the coming days. More information will be provided at the proper time.”

Betts’ manager, David Spero, told Rolling Stone that the guitarist had cancer and chronic obstructive lung disease.

Betts, who was born in West Palm Beach, Florida, grew up listening to bluegrass, country music, and, subsequently, rock & roll. Betts, bass guitarist Berry Oakley, drummers Butch Trucks and Jaimoe, and brothers Gregg and Duane Allman formed the Allman Brothers Band in 1969, and are credited with helping create the sound and genre of Southern rock in the 1960s and 1970s.

Betts composed and sung the band’s biggest song, “Ramblin’ Man.” Initially, he created the song with the intention of having another artist sing it.

“I was going to send ‘Ramblin’ Man’ to Johnny Cash,” Betts stated in 2020, later adding that he “thought it was a great song for him.”

“But everyone liked the song. Even my father enjoyed the song before we recorded it or anything. And I’m thinking I’ll email this to Johnny Cash and see if he wants to perform it,” he added. “The producer (Johnny Sandlin) mentioned that we needed another song for the record and asked if I had any. I explained, ‘Well, I got one, but I was going to send it to Nashville for Cash to record.’ He said, ‘Let’s hear it. And then, ‘No! We gotta do it.'”

Betts also wrote the popular Allman Brothers songs “Blue Sky” and “Jessica.”

Duane Allman died in a motorcycle accident in 1971, and Oakley died in a motorcycle crash the following year. Betts and Gregg Allman became the band’s leaders, but creative disputes and substance misuse prompted the group to split up and reform several times.

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Dickey Betts, Co-Founder Of The Allman Brothers Band, Dead At 80

Cameron Crowe, then 16, followed the Allman Brothers Band on tour in 1973 for a Rolling Stone cover story that would later serve as the basis for Crowe’s Oscar-winning 2000 film “Almost Famous.” In 2017, Crowe described Billy Crudup’s key rock star character as “a tribute” to Betts.

In an email to CNN later that day, Crowe referred to Betts as “a guitarist for the ages, the musical glue that held together The Allman Brothers Band for many years.”

“Dickey’s quiet warmth, and his timeless contribution to American music was a big inspiration for our film,” said the writer-director.

Betts quit the Allman Brothers Band in a widely publicized separation in 2000. While the band continued to tour for nearly 15 years and issued one more studio album, Betts performed with his Great Southern ensemble, which included his son Duane, and released another studio album of new songs. Betts retired in 2014.

Also on Friday, the Allman Brothers Band issued an official statement, stating that Betts’ “extraordinary guitar playing alongside guitarist Duane Allman created a unique dual guitar signature sound that became the signature sound of the genre known as Southern Rock.”

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Dickey Betts, Co-Founder Of The Allman Brothers Band, Dead At 80

“He was passionate in life, be it music, songwriting, fishing, hunting, boating, golf, karate or boxing,” the statement went on to say. “Dickey was all in on and excelled at anything that caught his attention.”

When asked what he enjoyed most about music, Betts told the Sarasota Herald Tribune in 2020 that it was the impact it had on his listeners.

“I like the crowds mainly, and what the music did for them,” he went on to say. “They enjoyed the music more than I did. I just love how the crowd can drift off into another universe during a concert.”

SOURCE – (CNN)

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Taylor Swift Drops 15 New Songs On Double Album, ‘The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology’

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NEW YORK — Could there be a Taylor Swift new album release without any added surprises?

No.

On Friday, the pop star released her 11th album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” which is an amalgamation of her previous work and reflects the artist who, at the height of her powers, has spent the last few years re-recording her life’s work and touring it, filtered through synth-pop anthems, breakup ballads, provocative and matured considerations.

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Taylor Swift Drops 15 New Songs On Double Album, ‘The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology’

But it was midnight. At 2 a.m. Eastern, she released “The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology,” which included 15 new songs.

“I’d written so much tortured poetry in the past 2 years and wanted to share it all with you, so here’s the second installment,” Swift wrote in an Instagram caption. “And now the story isn’t mine anymore… it’s all yours.”

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Taylor Swift Drops 15 New Songs On Double Album, ‘The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology’

The songs are a natural continuation of the first half of the album, with many returning to her “evermore” and “folklore” style, aided by her partner Aaron Dessner.

Swift has surprised her fans before, and she has surely done so with a surprise album release. A few months after “folklore” was released in 2020, she revealed that “evermore” will be available at midnight on the same day. Speaking of midnight, she released a “3am” edition of “Midnights” with seven new tracks in 2022, just a few hours after the original release.

Taylor Swift’s album “The Tortured Poets Department” is now available.

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Taylor Swift Drops 15 New Songs On Double Album, ‘The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology’

Music Writer Maria Sherman describes it as “an amalgamation of an artist who has spent the last few years re-recording her life’s work and touring its material, filtered through synth-pop anthems, breakup ballads, provocative and matured subject matter.”

Swift revealed a surprise two hours after the album’s release: 15 more tracks.

Swift’s first original album since her record-breaking Eras Tour debuted last year.

SOURCE – (AP)

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AI Model Aitana Lopez “Racks Up” Over 300K Instagram Followers

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AI :odel Aitana: The Clueless Agency

Artificial intelligence (AI) is nearly ubiquitous, occupying video and audio environments. In recent years, the K-pop music industry has used deep-fake technology to create groups that resemble actual individuals. Now meet Aitana, Spain’s first AI model.

Eternity and Mave, virtual female groups developed using artificial intelligence, have blurred the barriers between entertainment and technology. Whether we like it or not, these accelerating and frightening shifts are here to stay.

AI has recently made influencers one of its goals. Aitana Lopez, a 25-year-old AI-powered influencer from Spain, is a pioneer in the field. Switching lanes to her Instagram, @fit_aitana will strike you with eerie realism, as her “virtual soul” has deliberately developed a personality that is exceptionally lifelike and resembles the presence of a real-life model.

Her Instagram account already has over 300,000 followers.

Aitana, created by Ruben Cruz, the creator of AI modeling business The Clueless, is a an AI model.

According to Euronews, Cruz’s breakthrough idea was fueled by the agency’s struggle to form genuine business relationships with real-life influencers. “Many projects were put on hold due to problems beyond our control,” the Clueless creator stated.

The Clueless describes Aitana, who is 25 years old, as a “strong and determined woman, independent in her actions and generous in her willingness to help others”. The AI model is also described as a Scorpio with a passion for video games and a commitment to fitness. Her vibrantly crafted design highlights Aitana as a standout with a multifaceted personality.

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Designers working on Aitana’s images at the agency.The Clueless Agency

The Clueless Agency describes the AI influencer with eye-catching pink hair as an outgoing persona with “complicated humour and self-centeredness.”

The AI-powered “gamer at heart and fitness lover” was born on December 11, 1998. Her Instagram photos depict a digitally produced universe that reinforces the notion that she is engaging in real-world activities.

Following her trendsetting debut, the AI agency unveiled her other virtual companion, The Clueless’ second AI model, Maia Lima.

Similar to the controversy and criticism surrounding K-pop’s experimental experimentation, the rise of AI influencers has pushed unrealistic beauty standards.

While it is possible to focus on current technological advancements, this side of the virtual story is not without concerns for the future.

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