NEW YORK, Sept. 30 -- Bravado, the world's leading global music merchandising company, and The Bridge Direct, Inc., a global children's consumer products sourcing and supply chain management company led by toy industry veteran Jay Foreman, announced today that they have entered into a partnership to launch an exclusive line of collectible dolls, singing dolls, toys and plush based on the music, concerts and personal style of the critically-acclaimed, chart-topping recording artist, songwriter and teenage superstar, Justin Bieber. The announcement was made by Tom Bennett, Chief Executive Officer of Bravado, and Jay Foreman, President and CEO of The Bridge Direct.  

The new Justin Bieber toy line will debut holiday 2010 with the JB Style Collection Figures (SRP $17.99), Justin Bieber Music Video Collection Singing Figures (SRP $27.99) that each "sing" a portion of one of Justin's most popular hit songs and come with fun accessories, In Concert Microphones (SRP $14.99) that play two of Justin's hit songs with cool sound effects, and the cuddly and collectible Signature Plush (SRP $7.99).  

"We are delighted to be working with Jay and his team at The Bridge Direct," stated Tom Bennett, Chief Executive Officer of Bravado.

"We're thrilled to be working with Bravado to create authentic products that Justin's millions of fans will surely love," said Jay Foreman, President and CEO of The Bridge. "My experience with celebrity-themed toys based on hugely popular musical artists like the Spice Girls, Britney Spears and Disney's Hannah Montana has given me the ability to bring these must-have products to market for fans just in time for the holiday gift giving season."  

Members of the media will be given a first look at the Justin Bieber toys today at the annual Time to Play Holiday Showcase in New York City.  The products are expected to be available in major mass retailers on or before December 4, 2010 and will begin to be available for pre-sale orders online starting this week, so fans can reserve their dolls early.  For more information on the Justin Bieber toy line, please visit www.justinbiebertoys.com.

About Bravado

Bravado, the only global, 360 degrees full service merchandise company, develops and markets high-quality licensed merchandise to a world-wide audience. The company works closely with new & established entertainment clients, creating innovative products carefully tailored to each artist or brand. Product is sold on live tours, via selected retail outlets and through web-based stores. Bravado also licenses rights to an extensive network of third party licensees around the world. The company maintains offices in London, Los Angeles, New York, Berlin, Paris, Tokyo and Sydney. Now under the Universal Music Group umbrella, Bravado is able to leverage a global sales and distribution network from the world's largest record company, as well as the group's significant marketing strength. In addition to Justin Bieber, Bravado artists include The Rolling Stones, Michael Jackson, Paul McCartney, Kanye West, Beyonce, No Doubt, Nickelback, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Elton John, Guns 'N Roses, Metallica, Led Zeppelin, Green Day and The Killers, among many others.

About The Bridge

The Bridge Direct, Inc. is a global children's consumer products sourcing and supply chain management company that provides strategic support and resources to licensors, manufacturers, retailers and distributors. The Bridge's services include product development, manufacturing, line planning and management, branding, sourcing, quality control and supply chain management, as well as financial, administrative and sales support. Upcoming product lines from The Bridge include:  Zhu Zhu Pets™ plush, figures and playsets, Bobby Jack toys and novelties, Busytown vehicles and playsets, and the Justin Bieber toys. To find out more about The Bridge, please visit www.thebridgedirect.com.  

SOURCE Bravado

RELATED LINKS

http://www.justinbiebertoys.com
http://www.thebridgedirect.com

Gala To Be Held at Cipriani Wall Street Honoring John Legend, John Mayer and The ASCAP Foundation and Featuring A Special Performance By Natasha Bedingfield

NEW YORK, Sept. 30  -- On Monday, November 8th, the VH1 Save The Music Foundation will honor, a living legend, Julie Andrews along with previously announced Grammy® Award Winners John Legend, John Mayer and The ASCAP Foundation. Paul Williams, the legendary songwriter, and now president of ASCAP, will accept on behalf of the Foundation. Natasha Bedingfield, a member of the VH1 Save the Music Alumni Ambassador Group is scheduled to perform. The program for the evening will celebrate music as universal language that shapes our life stories and include a special tribute to the 45th Anniversary of Rodgers & Hammerstein's The Sound of Music.

"The VH1 Save The Music Foundation is delighted to honor Julie Andrews at our 2010 Gala," said Paul Cothran, Executive Director of the VH1 Save The Music Foundation. "To have the opportunity to celebrate such an incredible talent and individual is a privilege and we are thrilled to have her take part in what will be an unforgettable evening. She joins fellow honorees John Mayer, John Legend and The ASCAP Foundation who have all generously given their time, talent and money to advance the Foundation's mission of ensuring that no child be denied the opportunity to receive a complete music education."

No one captures the joy of teaching music to children more perfectly than Julie Andrews in her unforgettable role as Maria von Trappin THE SOUND OF MUSIC.  Ms. Andrews has served as a passionate advocate of arts and literacy throughout her career. A 2001 Kennedy Center Honoree, Ms. Andrews has dedicated herself to positively affecting the lives of children everywhere through her work on stage, screen, television, and through her "voice" as a successful author and publisher of 30 children's books through her Julie Andrews Collection. Broadway royalty since her debut in 1953, Ms. Andrews is the recipient of multiple awards including an Academy Award, Golden Globe, and an Emmy. Best known for her memorable roles in The Sound of Music, Mary Poppins, My Fair Lady and Camelot, Ms. Andrews has achieved multi-generational appeal with the releases of The Princess Diaries, Shrek 2, 3 and 4, The Tooth Fairy and this summer's mega-hit, Despicable Me.

In response to receiving the honour from the VH1 Save The Music Foundation, Ms. Andrews said, "My passion for music, the arts and literacy has been a life-long endeavor…. and the ability to play in those sand boxes professionally has given me such joy. With the state of the economy as it is and the cutbacks impacting the arts, it is now more important than ever that we aggressively preserve the ability for our youth to benefit from all that music, the arts and literacy has to afford. I am truly honored."

To mark the 45th Anniversary of the most popular movie musical of all time, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment and Rodgers & Hammerstein: An Imagem Company – will present an exclusive online auction to benefit VH1 Save The Music, entitled "My Favorite Things" inspired by one of The Sound of Music's signature tunes. The auction will be held in conjunction with VH1 Save The Music's 2010 Gala and feature fantastic experiential packages, including meet & greets with new and alumni Ambassadors and artists who support the Foundation's mission, an exclusive Cirque du Soleil ticket package to Wintuk and Viva Elvis and a Broadway show package with tickets to Memphis and Jersey Boys along with a cast meet & greet.  The online auction will kick off at: charitybuzz.com/myfavoritethings on November 3rd, continuing through November 23rd.  Guests at the Gala will also be able to bid electronically during the cocktail reception. VH1 Save The Music's Ambassadors include: Beyonce, Natasha Bedingfield, Ne-Yo, Nick Lachey, Mandy Moore, Kelly Clarkson, Jason Mraz, Fall Out Boy, Colbie Caillat, OneRepublic, Chrisette Michele, Chris Webber,Venus Williams, The Fray, Jamie Foxx, 3 Doors Down, Gavin DeGraw, Tamia and John Rzeznik.

The VH1 Save The Music Foundation's 2010 Gala Honorees join an esteemed group of past honorees that include Former President Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Grammy award- winning superstar, Mariah Carey, NAMM, the International Music Products Association, and Founder and Vice Chairman of the VH1 Save The Music Foundation John Sykes. The night will celebrate the Foundation's ongoing commitment to ensuring that a greater number of students receive a comprehensive music education and is sponsored by LG Mobile Phones, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, Anheuser-Busch, GREY GOOSE® Vodka, HP, JetBlue Airways, and is supported by The James New York Hotel, DJ Vice, Skam Artist Entertainment, Mr. Boddington's Studio and Yak Pak.

For opportunities on how to participate in the VH1 Save The Music Foundation's 2010 Gala or to purchase tickets, please visit http://www.vh1savethemusic.com/gala2010 or call 212.846.7416.

About The VH1 Save the Music Foundation:

The VH1 Save The Music Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to restoring instrumental music education programs in America's public schools, and raising awareness about the importance of music as part of each child's complete education.  To date, VH1 Save The Music has provided more than $45 million in new musical instruments to 1,700 public schools in more than 100 cities around the country, impacting the lives of over 1.4 million children.  With the support of people across the country and the 2010-2011 Ambassador Class including: OneRepublic, Chrisette Michele, Nick Lachey, Mandy Moore, Kelly Clarkson, Jason Mraz, Fall Out Boy,Colbie Caillat, it is The Foundation's renewed commitment to donate one hundred million dollars worth of new musical instruments to ensure that even a greater number of students receive a comprehensive music education in the coming decade. Get involved and learn more at www.vh1savethemusic.com.

About Julie Andrews:

Julie Andrews has been a beloved and much-honored star of stage, screen and television for more than half a century.  She was already a Broadway legend when she made her feature film debut in 1964's "Mary Poppins." Andrews' iconic performance in the title role of the magical nanny brought her an Academy Award®, a Golden Globe and a BAFTA Award. The following year she received another Academy Award nomination for her role as Maria von Trapp in THE SOUND OF MUSIC. Today's young film audiences may be more familiar with Andrews as a queen trying to train her teenaged granddaughter to be a princess in the hit films, "The Princess Diaries," and its sequel, "The Princess Diaries 2: The Royal Engagement."  Andrews also voiced the character of Queen Lillian in the blockbuster hits "Shrek 2," and "Shrek the Third." In addition to her stage and screen work, Julie has dedicated her life to her family and to serving important causes, including Operation USA, an international relief organization and served as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM). Ms. Andrews received her honors as a Dame of the British Empire by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on New Year's Eve 1999.  She was also a 2001 Kennedy Center Honoree.  For more about Ms. Andrews and her collection, please go to www.julieandrewscollection.com.

About The Sound of Music:

Considered by many to be the most successful movie musical in history, "The Sound of Music" took home five Academy Awards, including Best Picture, in 1965.  Its first release lasted over 4 1/2 years.  It is shown annually on network television; has been released for home entertainment on VHS, Laser Disc, DVD and has recently been digitally remastered and restored for its high definition Blu-ray Disc debut November 2; unites new fans and old through the amazing SINGALONG SOUND OF MUSIC events nationwide; and the soundtrack CD (also getting a special 45th Anniversary edition release from Sony/Legacy on November 2) is one of the best selling soundtracks of all time, having gone Platinum more than 12 times.   Its landmark score includes some of the most beloved songs in the American songbook including "My Favorite Things," "Edelweiss," "Climb Ev'ry Mountain," "Do Re Mi," "Sixteen Going on Seventeen," and the title song.

About Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, LLC:

Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, LLC (TCFHE) is a recognized global industry leader and a subsidiary of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, a News Corporation company. Representing 75 years of innovative and award-winning filmmaking from Twentieth Century Fox, TCFHE is the worldwide marketing, sales and distribution company for all Fox film and television programming, acquisitions and original productions on DVD, Blu-ray Disc Digital Copy, Video On Demand and Digital Download. The company also releases all products globally for MGM Home Entertainment. Each year TCFHE introduces hundreds of new and newly enhanced products, which it services to retail outlets from mass merchants and warehouse clubs to specialty stores and e-commerce throughout the world.

About Rodgers & Hammerstein: An Imagem Company:

Founded by the legendary team of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II and headquartered in New York City, Rodgers & Hammerstein: An Imagem Company owns the rights to the world's most popular stage and film musicals, including OKLAHOMA!, CAROUSEL, SOUTH PACIFIC, THE KING AND I and THE SOUND OF MUSIC.  As an agency, R&H encompasses a music publishing company; a concert rental library; and a theatrical licensing branch that collectively represent more than 12,000 songs, 900 concert pieces, 200 writers, and 100 musicals, including works by Irving Berlin, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Stephen Schwartz, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Adam Guettel, Rodgers & Hart, Kern & Hammerstein, and many more.  For more: www.rnh.com.

SOURCE VH1 Save the Music Foundation

Legacy Recordings Celebrates Elvis' 75th Birthday Year with an Epic New Studio Work Inspired by "Viva ELVIS" by Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas

Viva ELVIS - The Album Available Everywhere Tuesday, November 9

NEW YORK, Sept. 30 -- Legacy Recordings, in cooperation with Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. and Viva ELVIS by Cirque du Soleil at ARIA Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, proudly announces the release of Viva ELVIS - The Album, a 21st century celebration of Elvis and his music, featuring the voice of the king in a whole new context.  Viva ELVIS - The Album will be available everywhere on Tuesday, November 9

Produced and arranged by Erich van Tourneau, with assistant producer and assistant arranger Hugo "Wedge Montecristo" Bombardier, Viva ELVIS - The Album is a multi-faceted audio extravaganza creating a larger-than-life musical portrait of Elvis through newly re-imagined versions of "Blue Suede Shoes," "That's Alright," "Heartbreak Hotel," "Love Me Tender," "King Creole," "Bossa Nova Baby," "Burning Love," "Can't Help Falling In Love" and "Suspicious Minds" as well as instrumental interludes based on "Memories" and "You'll Never Walk Alone" (piano interlude).

Three of the tracks on Viva ELVIS including "Suspicious Minds," the album's first single, were mixed by Grammy Award winning producer Brendan O'Brien (Pearl Jam, Bruce Springsteen).  Four of the album's tracks were mixed by Serban Ghenea with the remaining five mixed by Robert Meunier & Erich van Tourneau.

Musicians on Viva ELVIS include Elvis Presley (vocals); Erich van Tourneau (bass, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, piano and keyboards); Dea Norberg, Jennlee Shallow, Sherry St-Germain, Stacie Tabb (guest singers); Patrick Lavergneand JS "The Flash" Chouinard (basses); Mike Plant, Steve Nadeau, Martin Bachand and Paul Deslauriers (electric guitars); Olivier Goulet (acoustic guitar); Guy Belanger (harmonica); DJ Pocket (scratch).  The album's horn section includes Jean-Francois Thibeault (trombone), Bruno Dumont (saxophone), David Perrico (trumpet), Jean-Francois Gagnon (flugel horn).

When working on the music for Viva ELVIS, van Tourneau -- aided by Hugo Bombardier, Assistant Producer and Assistant Arranger on Viva ELVIS - The Album -- spent more than 3,000 hours reviewing countless albums, films, concert recordings, interviews and home recordings of Elvis.  More than 17,000 samples of Elvis' songs – the raw material for the show – were made during the process.

Working with tens of thousands of samples of Elvis' voice, van Tourneau and Bombardier often wove several sequences and sounds into the same songs, sometimes changing details such as the key and tempo. In creating Viva ELVIS - The Album, van Tourneau was looking to accentuate and boost the emotional charge of the songs with the incorporation of ragga, punk or hip-hop elements into classic recordings. In all cases, however, the goal was to respect and understand the essence of the original recordings.

"I would like to acknowledge all of the incredible composers, musicians and technicians responsible for making this music with Elvis originally," said van Tourneau.  "The album Viva ELVIS would not be what it is today if not for their remarkable contributions."

The postmodern studio masterwork invokes the spirit and essence of Elvis from a contemporary perspective while furthering the revolutionary impulses of Elvis' sound. Viva ELVIS - The Album re-imagines the king's own vocal performances in a broad variety of new musical settings. This new sound echoes Elvis' own versatility and ability to master all music genres, from Delta blues to rockabilly, from raw soul to gospel, from Southern folk to Vegas pop, while incorporating elements of garage rock, punk, urban and hip-hop.

In celebration of all eras of Elvis' musical genius, Viva ELVIS - The Album includes songs from Elvis' rise to fame in the '50s, his movie soundtracks, his triumphant return to the stage in the "'68 Special," and his ground-breaking appearances in Las Vegas.

Viva ELVIS by Cirque du Soleil, a harmonious fusion of dance, acrobatics and live music, opened earlier this year in a specially designed 1,800 seat theater at ARIA Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.  A tribute to the life and music of Elvis Presley, Viva ELVIS focuses on the essential humanity of the one superstar whose name will forever be linked with the history of Las Vegas: Elvis Presley.  Significant moments in his life – intimate, playful and grandiose – blend with timeless songs that remain as relevant today as when they first hit the top of the charts.

Viva ELVIS - The Album is a 21st century venue for rock's first and biggest superstar.  The King's Music Lives!

Viva ELVIS - The Album - produced and arranged by Erich van Tourneau

1. (Opening)

(mixed by Robert Meunier & Erich van Tourneau)

2. Blue Suede Shoes

(mixed by Serban Ghenea)

3. That's Alright

(mixed by Brendan O'Brien)

4. Heartbreak Hotel

(mixed by Brendan O'Brien)

5. Love Me Tender

(mixed by Robert Meunier & Erich van Tourneau)

6. King Creole

(mixed by Robert Meunier & Erich van Tourneau)

7. Bossa Nova Baby

(mixed by Serban Ghenea)

8. Burning Love

(mixed by Serban Ghenea)

9. (Memories)

(mixed by Robert Meunier & Erich van Tourneau)

10. Can't Help Falling In Love

(mixed by Serban Ghenea)

11. (You'll Never Walk Alone) (piano interlude)

(mixed by Robert Meunier & Erich van Tourneau)

12. Suspicious Minds

(mixed by Brendan O'Brien)

About Elvis Presley Enterprises

Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. is based in Memphis, with additional offices in Los Angeles. In addition to Graceland and its related attractions in Memphis, including the Heartbreak Hotel, EPE is aggressively involved in a worldwide licensing program, merchandising, music publishing, and television, film, video and Internet projects. For more information on EPE and Graceland, visit www.elvis.com. EPE is a subsidiary of CKX, Inc. (www.ckx.com), a publicly traded company listed on the NASDAQ Global Market® under the ticker symbol CKXE.

About Cirque du Soleil

From a group of 20 street performers at its beginnings in 1984, Cirque du Soleil is now a major international organization providing high-quality artistic entertainment.  Since its founding, Cirque du Soleil has thrilled over 100 million spectators in close to 300 cities on five continents. In Las Vegas, Cirque du Soleil has a privileged partnership with MGM Resorts International to create and present unique and innovative productions.  In addition to Viva ELVIS, these productions include Mystere™ at Treasure Island, "O™" at Bellagio, Zumanity™ the Sensual Side of Cirque du Soleil at New York-New York Hotel & Casino™, KA™ at MGM Grand, The Beatles™ LOVE™ at The Mirage and CRISS ANGEL Believe™ at Luxor.  For more information, visit the Cirque du Soleil website at www.cirquedusoleil.com/lasvegas.

About Legacy Recordings

The multiple Grammy-winning Legacy Recordings, Sony Music Entertainment's catalog division, produces and maintains the world's foremost catalog of historic reissues, an unparalleled compendium of thousands of digitally re-mastered archival titles representing virtually every musical genre including popular, rock, jazz, blues, R&B, folk, country, gospel, Broadway musicals, movie soundtracks, ethnic, world music, classical, comedy and more.

www.vivaelvis.com

www.legacyrecordings.com

SOURCE Legacy Recordings

Inspired by his experience recording "MTV's Unplugged" in the 90's, Adams decided to revisit performing his material pared down once again in 2008.  With a consistently loyal following on the road, Adams continued playing live shows with these new spare arrangements in 2010, and as an experiment decided to start recording them for a possible record. Comments Adams, "as the tour rolled across theUSA and Canada, many people were asking for a recording of the songs as they had just heard in the show. So in response to that, I decided to record a few shows to see if a recording was even interesting… I like the way the songs carry themselves warts and all, bare-boned, without the original arrangements of a full band or an orchestra." He continues, "These recordings only have the voices and handclaps of the fans in the audience and the ambience of the room to lift them."

Narrowing down the selections for Bare Bones was a challenging exercise given Adams' expansive catalogue, so he enlisted the assistance of his fans.  Chosen by a combination of suggestions received through Twitter and his official website, the final tracklisting reflects a well-balanced mixture of old, rare, familiar and new material.  

'Bare Bones' Tracklisting:

1. You've Been A Friend To Me
2. Here I Am
3. I'm Ready
4. Night To Remember
5. It Ain't A Party (If You Can't Come 'Round
6. (Everything I Do) I Do It For You
7. Cuts Like A Knife
8. Please Forgive Me
9. Summer Of '69
10. Walk On By
11. Cloud Number 9
12. It's Only Love
13. Heaven
14. Right Place
15. The Way You Make Me
16. The Only Thing That Looks Good On Me Is You
17. You're Still Beautiful To Me
18. Straight From The Heart
19. I Still Miss You...A Little Bit
20. All For Love

DJs from Los Angeles Public Radio Station KCRW Remix Album's Lead Single, 'Golden Years'

HOLLYWOOD, Calif., Sept. 30 -- David Bowie's hugely influential 1976 album, Station To Station, was released this week by Virgin/EMI in expanded Special Edition (3CD and digital download) and limited Deluxe Edition (5CD+DVD Audio+3LP) packages.

To celebrate the release, four DJs from Los Angeles public radio station KCRW (89.9 FM and KCRW.com), Jeremy Sole,Anthony Valadez, Eric J Lawrence, and Chris Douridas, have each remixed the album's lead single, "Golden Years."  Station To Station was recorded in Los Angeles, so it was fitting for some of KCRW's leading tastemakers to take on the task.  Each DJ took a unique path in recreating, deconstructing or re-imagining the classic song.

All four remixes can be streamed online now, exclusively at http://www.kcrw.com/bowie. 

"Reinterpreting a timeless classic like 'Golden Years' certainly wasn't taken lightly by our DJs," said KCRW Music Director and DJ Jason Bentley. "It's an incredible honor and a massively intimidating challenge at the same time. It's important to note that two of our four featured DJs – Eric J Lawrence andChris Douridas -- had no previous experience with remixing, yet they all brought a fresh perspective to the song and had fun doing it." 

Click HERE to watch a brief video about KCRW's "Golden Years" remixes with comments from Jason Bentley and the four remixers.

Rolling Stone magazine bestows its highest five-star ("Classic") review on Station To Station (Special Edition) in the September 30 issue, on-stands now, raving "This zonked-out space-funk epic could be Bowie's greatest album..."

www.davidbowie.com

SOURCE Virgin/EMI

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RELATED LINKS
http://www.davidbowie.com
http://www.kcrw.com/bowie

First New Artist Signed to Compound Entertainment is Singer, Songwriter, Pianist Loren Allred

NEW YORK, Sept. 29 -- Multi-platinum, 3-time Grammy Award-winning Def Jam recording artist Ne-Yo has entered into a joint venture agreement that will bring Compound Entertainment to the Island Def Jam Music Group, it was announced today by Antonio 'L.A.' Reid, Chairman, Island Def Jam Music Group.

The first artist signed to the Compound Entertainment joint venture is Loren Allred, an accomplished pianist, singer and songwriter based in Salt Lake City, whose debut album will be released early next year.

Under terms of the agreement, Ne-Yo – whose first three studio albums debuted at #1 on the Soundscan chart, Year Of The Gentleman (2008), Because Of You (2007), and In My Own Words (2006) – will continue as a core artist on the roster of Def Jam Recordings.  His brand new fourth studio album, LIBRA SCALE is scheduled for November 23rd release.  On October 5th, Ne-Yo will debut the album's new single, "One In a Million"on ABC's top-rated TV series, Dancing with the Stars.

"Ne-Yo is truly one of the greats, and it has been a privilege to work closely with him, from the early stages of his songwriting career through his extremely successful recording career," said Mr. Reid.  "He is a unique artist, not only crafting his own series of brilliantly produced albums, but also providing big songs and hit duets for many of today's biggest stars.  We fully anticipate this to be a very successful partnership."

LIBRA SCALE is the much-anticipated follow-up to Ne-Yo's RIAA platinum Year Of The Gentleman, which debuted at #1 on the Soundscan and UK national charts in September 2008.  That album spun off a trio of consecutive RIAA platinum hits: "Closer"(#1 U.S. Dance, #1 UK), "Miss Independent" (#1 U.S. R&B, #1 UK R&B), and "Mad" (#5 U.S. R&B, #3 UK R&B).

Year Of The Gentleman generated a league-leading total of five Grammy nominations in 2009 – with "Miss Independent"winning for Best R&B Song (songwriters award) and Best Male R&B Vocal Performance.  Year Of The Gentleman followed upBecause Of You (May 2007), which won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Album, and In My Own Words(February 2006) – both #1 debuts on the Billboard 200 and R&B Albums charts.

Ne-Yo founded The Compound Foundation which is committed to service at-risk and disadvantaged youth.  The Compound Foundation sponsors performances, motivational speakers and mentorship opportunities with leaders and business people within the community.

SOURCE The Island Def Jam Music Group

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Sept. 29 -- Country music's most famous show has come home.

The Grand Ole Opry raised the curtain on its historic first show back at the Grand Ole Opry House tonight to reveal the silhouettes of nine-year Opry member Brad Paisley and 61-year Opry veteran Jimmy Dickens center stage on the renowned circle of wood from the Ryman Auditorium. Paisley began singing the standard "Will the Circle be Unbroken," with Dickens joining in on the chorus as cast members began to join them on stage singing along. Fans acknowledged the moment with an extended standing ovation as the artists celebrated the resilience of the Opry and the love and loyalty of Opry fans. The Opry had been displaced from the Opry House by last May's flood, broadcasting throughout the summer from other Nashville venues without missing a single broadcast. The historic circle on which Paisley and Dickens opened the show has welcomed generations of performers, but was covered by 46 inches of water during the flood. It has been painstakingly refurbished and had been returned to its rightful spot center stage last month.

The night will go down in history for more than one reason, as during the show country star Blake Shelton received the invitation of a lifetime--to become an official Opry member. After he and Opry member Trace Adkins performed their award-winning No. 1 hit "Hillbilly Bone," Adkins acknowledged Shelton's heavy activity on Twitter and shared with Shelton a Twitter message inviting him to join the Opry family.

Two hours of the three-hour show aired on GAC: Great American Country and streamed live on opry.com.

The Grand Ole Opry® is presented by Humana®. To plan an Opry visit, call (800)-SEE-OPRY or visit opry.com.

SOURCE Grand Ole Opry

RELATED LINKS

http://www.opry.com

Band Will Make Special In-Store Appearance @ Best Buy September 29

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Sept. 28 -- Platinum-selling hit-makers the Gin Blossoms have returned with a highly anticipated new album on 429 Records, "NO CHOCOLATE CAKE" which will be available today—9/28 at retail outlets everywhere and online.  Target, Best Buy and Zia will be offering the album at a special price of $9.99.   The band will celebrate the release with a special in-store performance at the Best Buy in Tempe, AZ on Wednesday September 29 @ 7pm.  Fans can watch the acoustic set live online (see link below).   The first single, "Miss Disarray" is currently climbing the chart at Hot AC radio.

With total worldwide album sales topping 30 million units powered by their indelibly melodic, Grammy-nominated Top Ten singles, Gin Blossoms—Robin Wilson, Jesse Valenzuela, Scott Johnson and Bill Leen, are back and in peak form.  Says the San Antonio Express-News of "NO CHOCOLATE CAKE:"  "Gin Blossoms tug at the heart strings like few pop bands…power pop nirvana." The eleven new tracks were written, produced and performed by the band with the help of John Richardson (drums) and Danny Wilde on keyboards and additional production (of The Rembrandts).   The band will be touring extensively throughout 2010 and 2011.

Gin Blossoms are managed by Doug Merrick at Merrick Music Group.  

Link to live Best Buy in-store performance: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/gin-blossoms-live

For more information visit: www.429records.com

429 Records is a unit of the Savoy Label Group (SLG).  SLG is the North American unit of Columbia Music Entertainment (formerly Nippon Columbia) the oldest music company in Japan.  The Savoy Label Group has evolved into a leading independent company consistently outperforming competitors in key music categories as monitored by Billboard Magazine. SLG is led by Steve Vining.

SOURCE 429 Records

RELATED LINK http://www.429records.com

MILWAUKEE, Sept. 28  -- As Farm Aid gears up for its 25th anniversary concert, Farm Aid 25: Growing Hope for America, on Saturday, October 2 at Miller Park, Milwaukee-area farmers, businesses and non-profit organizations are putting their mark on the historic event. Farm Aid is teaming up with the Eat Well Guide to encourage concertgoers to seek out farm-fresh food at restaurants, grocery stores, farmers markets and other venues throughoutWisconsin. At the concert, Farm Aid is partnering with organizations to help achieve zero waste goals; to inform concertgoers about the work family farmers do to protect our economy, our environment and our health in the HOMEGROWN Village; and to bring family farm-sourced ingredients to HOMEGROWN Concessions.

Information about local flavor at Farm Aid 25: Growing Hope for America:

• Farm Aid's HOMEGROWN Village will feature hands-on activities that give concertgoers a chance to meet farmers, get their hands dirty, and learn about the ways family farmers are enriching our soil, protecting our water, and growing green energy in addition to bringing us good food. From beekeeping and composting to preserving and seed saving, concertgoers can learn more about the roots of their food.
• Farm Aid 25: Growing Hope for America will feature food with local or organic, family farm-sourced ingredients at concessions. The Farm Aid concert is the biggest family farm restaurant in Milwaukee and it's open for one day only! HOMEGROWN Concessions include burgers, veggie burgers, pizza, hot dogs, veggie dogs, jalapeno corndogs, bratwursts and sausages, cheese curds and French fries. HOMEGROWN Concessions will also feature BBQ ham steaks, pork chops, and pulled pork sandwiches from Patchwork Family Farms, and a farmers market where concertgoers can buy fresh, local fruit and baked goods. For a preview of Farm Aid's HOMEGROWN concessions, media are invited to attend the "Taste of Farm Aid" event on October 1 from 4:30 – 9:00 a.m.
• Farm Aid has partnered with the sustainability advocacy organization Eat Well Guide to create a special edition Farm Aid 25 Eat Well Guide to direct concertgoers to farm-fresh food throughout Wisconsin. The special guide is a free resource and includes listings of restaurants, grocery stores, farmers markets and other venues where you can find locally grown and sustainable food options while in Milwaukee. In addition, those road-tripping to the concert can use the innovative Eat Well En Route mapping tool for good food options along the route to Miller Park. Concertgoers can print the guide or download it to a mobile device at www.eatwellguide.org/farmaid25.
• Farm Aid is partnering with Milwaukee businesses to help achieve zero waste goals at Miller Park. With the help ofOconomowoc-based White Oak Farm, all compostable waste at the concert will be turned into Purple Cow Organics Activated Compost with Micro Life. This scientifically formulated, tested, and certified premium compost can be purchased in Wisconsin at over 35 different retail locations and will soon be available nationwide. Volunteers from Milwaukee Community Compost Network, a project of Victory Garden Initiative, will be working hand in hand with White Oak Farm atFarm Aid 25: Growing Hope for America to help concertgoers differentiate between landfill-bound trash and recyclables like plastics and compostables like food residuals and certified compostable foodservice-ware.  
• Farm Aid 25: Growing Hope for America volunteers and production staff will be transported to Miller Park in the nation's largest plug-in electric hybrid school bus fleet. A plug-in electric hybrid school bus combines an electric motor powered by rechargeable batteries that are charged by renewable electrical energy harvested from the sun through photovoltaic panels with an internal combustion engine that runs on biodiesel.
• Farm Aid is calling on concertgoers to bring non-perishable food items with them to the concert for a food drive that will benefit Milwaukee's Hunger Task Force. The Hunger Task Force will be at Miller Park on October 2 collecting food that will be delivered free of charge to area food banks in the local Milwaukee community. Suggested donation items include canned fruits and vegetables, cereal, hearty cold weather meals like stew and soup, and peanut butter. Learn more about the Hunger Task Force at www.hungertaskforce.org.

Additional Farm Aid 25: Growing Hope for America details for concertgoers and fans at home:

• Farm Aid 25: Growing Hope for America will feature performances by Farm Aid president and founder Willie Nelson and board members John Mellencamp, Neil Young and Dave Matthews, as well as Kenny Chesney, Norah Jones, Jason Mraz,Jeff Tweedy, Band of Horses, Amos Lee, Robert Francis, BoDeans, Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, Randy Rogers Band and The Blackwood Quartet. Doors for the event will open at 12:00 p.m. CDT.
• For fans at home, DIRECTV will exclusively broadcast Farm Aid 25: Growing Hope for America live and in HD on The 101 Network beginning at 5:00 pm CDT. DIRECTV has pledged to match all of its customer donations made between September 1 and October 31, 2010, up to $50,000.
• Willie Nelson's SIRIUS XM music channel, Willie's Place (SIRIUS channel 64 and XM channel 13), will broadcast Farm Aid 25: Growing Hope for America live from Miller Park on October 2 beginning at 1 p.m. CDT. In addition to the entire live concert, Willie's Place listeners will hear backstage interviews and behind-the-scenes coverage hosted by SIRIUS XM's Dallas Wayne.
• Farm Aid has partnered with Auction Cause to bring fans the unique opportunity to own a piece of Farm Aid history. Fans can bid on incredible items from the Farm Aid vault, including one-of-a-kind autographed guitars. The auction will begin onFriday, October 1 at 9:00 CDT and run through Monday, October 11, at http://3.ly/farmaid.

Join the Farm Aid conversation on Twitter at www.twitter.com/FarmAid. For more information about Farm Aid, visitwww.farmaid.org.  

Farm Aid's mission is to build a vibrant, family farm-centered system of agriculture in America. Farm Aid artists and board members Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp and Dave Matthews host an annual concert to raise funds to support Farm Aid's work with family farmers and to inspire people to choose family-farmed food. Since 1985, Farm Aid, with the support of the artists who contribute their performances each year, has raised more than $37 million to support programs that help farmers thrive, expand the reach of the Good Food Movement, take action to change the dominant system of industrial agriculture and promote food from family farms.

SOURCE Farm Aid

RELATED LINKS
http://www.hungertaskforce.org/
http://www.farmaid.org

NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y., Sept. 28 -- Jagermeister has added top talent to the already hard-hitting 2010 Jagermeister Fall Music Tour. Jim Florentine of VH1's "That Metal Show" is set to emcee North America's biggest thrash tour in 20 years; the 1991 original "Clash of the Titans" lineup – Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax. The brand's 17th Music Tour will feature complete performances of Slayer's much lauded Seasons in the Abyss Album from 1990, Megadeth's landmark 1990 album Rust in Peace, and the return of Anthrax's singer Joey Belladonna. The tour kicked off September 24th and will play 20 venues across the nation, 14 of which will be hosted by Florentine. The other 6 shows throughout the course of the tour will be emceed by Sirius XM Satellite Radio Host Jose Mangin.

"When we announced the 2010 Jagermeister Music Tour with Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax, it quickly became the biggest metal tour of the year," says Bill Henderson, Senior Vice President Marketing and Advertising at Sidney Frank Importing Company, Inc. "Adding Jim Florentine to emcee the show and keep the fans going just takes it to the next level."

"It's an honor to join Jagermeister and three of my all time favorite bands on one stage. Being able to travel the country, meet fans, hang with metal gods, and help hype and infect metal heads is something I was born to do," says Mangin.

Jim Florentine is currently the co-host of "That Metal Show" on VH1 Classic. He is best known as the voice of Special Ed from Comedy Central's Crank Yankers as well as the guy who spends his days turning tables on Telemarketers with his "Terrorizing Telemarketers" series. Most recently, Florentine filmed the independent dramedy "A little Help" with Jenna Fischer and Chris O'Donnell.  Florentine has also been seen on Lopez Tonight, Chelsea Lately, Down and Dirty with Jim Norton on HBO, Meet The Creeps, Comedy Central's "Mother Load," HBO's "Inside the NFL," Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn, Spike TV's Video Game Awards, MTV Music Video Awards, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn on Comedy Central, VH1's "The List," and Louie Anderson's "Comedy Showcase" to name a few.

Jose Mangin started his assault on music in Arizona as Metal Director of KAMP, the University of Arizona college radio station inTucson and has quickly climbed to one of the top metal radio personalities in the world. For a decade, Jose has been in charge of programming several music channels with focus on Sirius XM's two loudest rock stations, Octane (Active Rock) and Liquid Metal. As one of the first voices ever heard on satellite radio, he can now be heard rocking digital air daily and makes special appearances on the Opie and Anthony show, Maxim Radio, Raw Dog Comedy and the Howard Stern channels. In addition to Sirius XM, for the past 7 years, Mangin has been hosting LatiNation, a weekly TV show nationally syndicated in over 100 major markets and on SiTV.

The Jagermeister Fall Music Tour will feature Jagermeister custom prizes from tour sponsors Schecter Guitars and Peavey Electronics. In addition, Jagermeister  will be hosting nightly text-to-win giveaways including Tap machines  and other branded POS. Giveaways are subject to state and local laws and participants must be of legal drinking age or older.

Register to win VIP tickets and backstage access at www.jagermeistermusictour.com.

JAGERMEISTER IS DEDICATED TO MUSIC, NOT UNDERAGE DRINKING

About Jagermeister

Jagermeister, which translates to "master hunter", is the #1 selling imported liqueur in the United States and one of the top shot brands in the world. The liqueur is based on a secret recipe, combining 56 different natural ingredients, including select herbs, blossoms, roots and fruits from every corner of the globe. Jagermeister, with the distinctive square bottle, was developed in 1934 in Germany and the brand quickly gained global fame through its innovative marketing, unique taste profile and its association with good times. Jagermeister Liqueur is 35% Alc./Vol. and imported exclusively by Sidney Frank Importing Company, Inc., New Rochelle, NY www.jager.com. Jagermeister is available in the following sizes in the United States: 50ml, 100ml, 200ml, 375ml, 750ml, 1L, 1.75L.

JAGERMEISTER FALL MUSIC TOUR SCHEDULE

SEPTEMBER

24

Superpages.com Center, Dallas, TX

25

AT&T Center, San Antonio, TX

26

Verizon Wireless Theatre, Houston, TX

28

Lakefront Arena, New Orleans, LA

30

Civic Coliseum, Knoxville, TN

OCTOBER

1

The Arena at Gwinnett Center, Atlanta, GA

2

Hard Rock Live, Orlando, FL

3

Bayfront Park Amphitheatre, Miami, FL

5

Hampton Coliseum, Hampton, VA

6

1st Mariner Arena, Baltimore, MD

8

Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, Long Island, NY

9

Toyota Pavilion @ Montage Mountain, Scranton, PA

10

LC Pavilion, Columbus, OH

12

Freedom Hall, Louisville, KY

14

War Memorial Coliseum, Ft. Wayne, IN

15

DeltaPlex, Grand Rapids, MI

16

Eagles Ballroom, Milwaukee, WI

19

Maverik Center, Salt Lake City, UT

20

The Pearl, Las Vegas, NV

21

Gibson Amphitheatre, Hollywood, CA

Kate Laufer

Director, Public Relations

Sidney Frank Importing Company, Inc.

914-637-5752

klaufer@sidneyfrank.com 

SOURCE Jagermeister Music Tour

RELATED LINKS

http://www.jagermeistermusictour.com

An original laser show production will take place in Los Angeles presenting Metallic Spheres, the upcoming album by The Orb featuring Pink Floyd's David Gilmour, set to be released by Columbia Records onOctober 11 in Europe and October 12 in the United States. The Orb also launched Metallic Spheres with a live album remix in Ibiza on September 24. The laser show, created exclusively by DS Lasers International for the release of Metallic Spheres, will make its debut on October 12 in Los Angeles.

In celebration of the US album release, the laser show will take place on October 12 at the Masonic Lodge (2244 Westwood Avenue, Los Angeles, CA). Alex Paterson of The Orb will be in attendance at the event, which is free to fans ages 21 and up; alcoholic beverages will be served. A limited number of tickets are available through metallicspheres.com.

The inaugural event in Ibiza, titled "The Ambient Spheres Gala", kicked things off with a resounding bang. Held September 24at Cafe Mambo during an idyllic sunset on the shores of Ibiza, The Orb performed a live remix of Metallic Spheres in its entirety as hundreds of fans looked on, followed by a solo DJ set from The Orb's Alex Paterson. Surrounding clubs in the area also carried an audio sync of the evening's festivities.

The Orb, the visionary UK 'ambient/house' collective, came to collaborate with David Gilmour after working together on a version of Graham Nash's "Chicago" for a charity project. Youth (aka Martin Glover), a frequent Orb accomplice, was invited to create a remix, and he and Alex Paterson, as The Orb, were so energized by the task that they continued working until it was an album-length entity. Having asked Gilmour to bring his guitars to Youth's studio in South London to prolong and enrich their new creation, the trio worked up a sonic mixture in a range of styles. Thus, the Metallic Spheres project was born.

Metallic Spheres is designed to be heard in two parts - 'Metallic Side' (24'48"), and 'Spheres Side' (25'09"). Each track, or side, consists of five movements. The album uniquely utilizes David Gilmour's discernable electric guitar and lap steel guitar, Alex Paterson's sound manipulation, keyboards and turntables, and Youth's bass guitar and keyboards. The album will be available in 3 formats: standard and 2-disc deluxe versions on CD, digital download and 180-gram vinyl. The deluxe 2-CD version includes an extra disc, featuring the new '3D60™' process, which allows a 360-degree sound experience on stereo tracks without any special equipment.

The Orb's Alex Paterson says, "It's a collision that's been waiting to happen with Pink Floyd / David Gilmour and The Orb orbiting many of the same planets."

The Orb, built around mainstay Alex Paterson, formed in London in 1989 during the birth of the rave movement. Initially founded on a mutual love of Brian Eno and German electronics, The Orb at present operates with a flexible line-up of collaborators that includes producer / multi-instrumentalist Youth, well-known for his work with Paul McCartney as The Fireman, as well as his production (Crowded House, Dido) and remixes (U2, Marilyn Manson).

David Gilmour is the legendary singer, guitarist and songwriter with Pink Floyd, whose most recent solo album 'On An Island' charted at No. 1 in the UK & Europe and No. 6 in the USA. www.davidgilmour.com www.theorb.com www.metallicspheres.com

SOURCE Columbia Records

Gamers to Experience the Largest Guitar Hero® Set List to Date

Santa Monica, CA, September 28, 2010 — Join the quest to save rock, as Activision Publishing, Inc.’s (Nasdaq: ATVI) highly-anticipated Guitar Hero®: Warriors of Rock hits store shelves nationwide today. Featuring the largest on-disc set-list ever in a Guitar Hero® game, Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock’s furious finger-fretting rock music collection is headlined by some of the largest bands in rock and includes original tracks, re-records and bands making their Guitar Hero debut. With the all-new, rock inspired guitar controller, gamers will embark on an epic journey from the halls of punk music to the lava fields of rock treachery in the first ever Guitar Hero story-driven Quest Mode narrated by KISS front man Gene Simmons. Additionally, challenge hungry achievement junkies will find the game’s all-new Quickplay+ up to par as they strive to master the 13 star challenges packed into every one of the 90+ on-disc songs as well as every song in their Guitar Hero music library. Heightening the rock experience, the first album from Soundgarden in over 10 years, Telephantasm, will be bundled with one million Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock launch units.

“Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock delivers the ultimate rock fantasy – from the all-new guitar controller, the epic Quest Mode and the incredible soundtrack, this game gives fans what they love and expect from Guitar Hero,” said David Haddad, Chief Operating Officer, Guitar Hero. “The innovative features and rewards combined with the biggest Guitar Hero on-disc set list ever, make Warriors of Rock the best Guitar Hero experience to date.”

With over 550 downloadable and importable songs available at launch, the Guitar Hero music library provides gamers with hundreds of hours of additional, upgraded content that utilize all of the new features from Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock. Additionally, Soundgarden and Guitar Hero fans alike can purchase the full Telephantasm album as downloadable content playable in Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock starting today.

In Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock, join with friends on an epic journey to save rock. Featuring an impressive 90+ track set list and a host of all-new gameplay features, living room legends and their friends can strum, drum and wail in the most immersive music videogame experience to date. Delivering a rock music collection that focuses on guitar shredding hits from bands such as Black Sabbath, Slipknot and Megadeth and larger-than-life band anthems from Queen, Muse and KISS, players can unleash more rewards and unlockable content than ever before in Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock’s Quest Mode and Quickplay+. Virtual rock stars can also deliver the ultimate smack talk to opponents with the built-in Hero Feed, which brings bragging rights to the game by allowing players to challenge and track their friends’ accomplishments, whether the friend is online or offline. Returning this year, the critically acclaimed Party Play allows gamers to jump in and out of gameplay seamlessly while challenge mode invites up to four players local and eight players online to compete in a series of gameplay competitions to prove who rules the stage.

Available now, Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock was developed by Neversoft Entertainment for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and by Vicarious Visions for the Wii™ system from Nintendo. The game is rated “T” (Teen – Lyrics, Mild Fantasy Violence and Mild Suggestive Themes) by the ESRB. For more information about Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock,downloadable content and disc imports, please visit GuitarHero.com,facebook.com/guitarhero and twitter.com/guitarhero.

Activision Broadcast Media Center

Members of the media can visit Activision Publishing’s Broadcast Media Center to download broadcast quality video, web-ready video and high-resolution images. Broadcast Media Center: 

http://www.activisionvideo.com/

About Activision Publishing, Inc.

Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision Publishing, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products.

Activision maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Spain, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Australia, South Korea, China and the region of Taiwan. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company’s website, www.activision.com.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Lindsay Morio Publicist Activision/Guitar Hero 424-744-5733 lmorio@guitarhero.com

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements: Information in this press release that involves Activision Publishing’s expectations, plans, intentions or strategies regarding the future are forward-looking statements that are not facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Activision Publishing generally uses words such as “outlook,” “will,” “could,” “would,” “might,” “remains,” “to be,” “plans,” “believes,” “may,” “expects,” “intends,” “anticipates,” “estimate,” future,” “plan,” “positioned,” “potential,” “project,” “remain,” “scheduled,” “set to,” “subject to,” “upcoming” and similar expressions to identify forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause Activision Publishing’s actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements set forth in this release include, but are not limited to, sales levels of Activision Publishing’s titles, shifts in consumer spending trends, the impact of the current macroeconomic environment, the seasonal and cyclical nature of the interactive game market, Activision Publishing’s ability to predict consumer preferences among competing hardware platforms, declines in software pricing, product returns and price protection, product delays, retail acceptance of Activision Publishing’s products, adoption rate and availability of new hardware (including peripherals) and related software, industry competition including from used games and other forms of entertainment, litigation risks and associated costs, rapid changes in technology, industry standards, business models including online and used games, and consumer preferences, including interest in specific genres such as music, first-person action and massively multiplayer online games, protection of proprietary rights, maintenance of relationships with key personnel, customers, licensees, licensors, vendors, and third-party developers, including the ability to attract, retain and develop key personnel and developers that can create high quality “hit” titles, counterparty risks relating to customers, licensees, licensors and manufacturers, domestic and international economic, financial and political conditions and policies, foreign exchange rates and tax rates, and the identification of suitable future acquisition opportunities and potential challenges associated with geographic expansion, and the other factors identified in the risk factors sections of Activision Blizzard’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon information available to Activision Publishing and Activision Blizzard as of the date of this release, and neither Activision Publishing nor Activision Blizzard assumes any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements believed to be true when made may ultimately prove to be incorrect. These statements are not guarantees of the future performance of Activision Publishing or Activision Blizzard and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond its control and may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations.

###

Guitar Hero and Activision are registered trademarks of Activision Publishing, Inc. All other trademarks and trade names are the properties of their respective owners. All rights reserved.

"PlayStation" is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies. Wii is a trademark of Nintendo. All rights reserved

Over 13 Million Songs Downloaded In The U.S.

NEW YORK, Sept. 28 -- Just in time for Halloween, Glee: The Music, The Rocky Horror Glee Show, hits stores on Tuesday October 19.  Paying homage to Richard O'Brien's cult musical masterpiece, the Glee cast injects their distinctive style to such Rocky Horror Show classics as "Time Warp," "Damn it, Janet" and "Touch A Touch A Touch A Touch Me" (see below for full track listing).   This special Rocky Horror Show themed episode airs Tuesday, October 26 at 8:00 pm et/pt on FOX.

Last week Glee made its triumphant return to prime time with an astounding 12.3 million viewers tuning in to the Season 2 premiere.  The anticipation and excitement for Glee music reached new heights with over 250,000 new tracks downloaded in the first 48 hours available.  This incredible response yielded more record breaking moments for Glee; it's the first time all singles from any episode simultaneously appeared in the top 10 of iTunes Top Songs chart.  Additionally, the Glee cast version of Jay-Z's anthem "Empire State of Mind" has the single highest first day sales for any Glee track released to date.  

Tonight in an episode that is sure to become an instant classic, the New Directions perform Britney Spears' most iconic and memorable songs, including "Toxic," "…Baby One More Time," "Stronger," "I'm a Slave 4 U" and "Me Against The Music," and the pop princess herself makes a special cameo appearance.

To date over 13 million Glee songs have been digitally downloaded, with over 5 million albums sold worldwide.  Glee scored three consecutive #1 releases with Glee: The Music, Volume 3 Showstoppers, Glee: The Music, The Power of Madonna and Glee: The Music, Journey To Regionals.  This week four Glee releases occupy slots within Billboard's top 100 best selling albums (Glee: The Music, Volume 3 Showstoppers at #31, Glee: The Music, Volume 1 at #58, Glee: The Music, Journey To Regionals at #66 and Glee: The Music, Volume 2 at #81).  With all the excitement around Glee's return, it's evident why the New York Times proclaimed "'Glee' is now a bonafide phenomenon."

The full track listing for  "Glee: The Music, The Rocky Horror Glee Show" is as follows:

1. Science Fiction Double Feature
2. Damn It, Janet
3. Whatever Happened To Saturday Night?
4. Sweet Transvestite
5. Touch A Touch A Touch A Touch Me
6. There's A Light (Over at Frankenstein Place)
7. Time Warp

About Columbia Records: One of the most respected and successful record labels in the world, Columbia Records is home to established superstars and exciting new talent. Columbia Records is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment.

Sony Music Entertainment is a global recorded music company with a roster of current artists that includes a broad array of both local artists and international superstars. The company boasts a vast catalog that comprises some of the most important recordings in history. Sony Music Entertainment is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America.

Twentieth Century Fox Television, a division of News Corp., is a leading supplier of entertainment content domestically and around the world.

Fox Broadcasting Company (FOX) is a unit of News Corporation and the leading broadcast television network among Adults 18-49. FOX finished the 2008-2009 season at No. 1 for the fifth consecutive year – a feat that hasn't been achieved since the mid-1990s – while continuing to dominate all network competition in the more targeted Adults 18-34 and Teen demographics.

SOURCE Columbia Records

Sept. 28 -- Rock icon Rod Stewart announced today that he will play eight performances at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace November 6-21.  These performances follow a record-breaking summer tour with 33 sold out shows including dates in the UK, Ireland, Europe and as far reaching as Moscow, Dubai and Tel Aviv. For the first time ever, Stewart will play all of his greatest hits spanning his career of five decades in an intimate and up-close setting in Las Vegas. Fans who have seen his amazing, high energy shows in arenas & stadiums will now be able to see him in a much smaller and more intimate venue. This special engagement run of eight shows is presented jointly by Caesars Palace and AEG Live.

"For some years now, AEG Live has been wanting me to do a residency show in Vegas. I decided it was time to give it a try but I thought 'first, let's try 2 weeks instead of 2 years though'," said Rod Stewart. "Who knows what this could lead to? I know that my band, background singers, and I are going to enjoy performing in such an intimate setting and having the chance for the fans to be in close proximity while hearing all the hits."

Tickets go on-sale Saturday, October 2 at 10 a.m. and may be purchased in person at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace Box Office, by calling 1-800-745-3000 or by visiting www.ticketmaster.com, keyword "Caesars Palace". All Ticketmaster orders may be subject to additional service charges and fees. Ticket prices are $225/ $150/$99/$69 (all prices include 10% Live Entertainment Tax).  Dates for the limited engagement are November 6, 7, 10, 14, 17, 18, 20, and 21. All shows begin at 8pm.

Rod Stewart has one of the greatest and most distinctive voices in rock history—no less than the Godfather of Soul, James Brown, called Stewart "the best white soul singer." With an estimated 250 million in combined album and single sales, Stewart is one of the most successful live performers of all time. According to the Guinness World Records, Stewart drew the largest audience ever when he performed in front of 3.5 million people for a New Year's Eve 1994 concert on the beach in Rio de Janeiro.

With his career in its fifth decade, Stewart has achieved numerous solo hit singles worldwide, most notably in the UK, where he has garnered six consecutive number one albums and his tally of 62 hit singles include 24 that reached the top 10, six of which gained the number one position. His hit singles include "Maggie May," "Tonight's the Night," "Hot Legs," "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?," "Forever Young," "Young Turks," "Rhythm of My Heart," "Some Guys Have All the Luck," "Have I Told You Lately?," "Stay With Me," and "First Cut is the Deepest." For more information, visit www.rodstewart.com.

Rod Stewart will release his latest album, Fly Me to the Moon…The Great American Songbook, Volume V, on October 19th. Starting Tuesday, September 28th, fans who pre-order the new album from RodStewart.com will also receive a special password to pre-order tickets for the upcoming run of shows at The Colosseum.

About AEG Live:

AEG Live, the live-entertainment division of Los Angeles-based AEG, is dedicated to all aspects of live contemporary music performance. AEG Live is comprised of touring, festival, exhibition, broadcast, merchandise and special event divisions, fifteen regional offices, and thirty state-of-the-art venues. The company is currently producing tours and productions including Cher at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, Supernatural Santana: A Trip Through the Hits at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino inLas Vegas, Barry Manilow at Paris Las Vegas and Celine Dion who will return to The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in March 2011.  The concert tour roster includes artists such as Taylor Swift, Bon Jovi, Leonard Cohen, Miley Cyrus, The Black Eyed Peas, Kelly Clarkson, Wisin & Yandel, Britney Spears, Kenny Chesney, P!nk, Paul McCartney, KISS, Mo'Nique and American Idols Live. AEG Live is the largest producer of music festivals in North America from the critically acclaimed Coachella Music & Arts Festival to Stagecoach and New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. For more information, go to www.aeglive.com

About Caesars Palace

Caesars Palace is the world's best known resort-casino, celebrating the glory that was Greece and the grandeur that was Rome, in an 85-acre destination location that sets the standard for entertainment, dining and luxury.  Reigning at the heart of the Las Vegas Strip, Caesars Palace ranks among the world's top luxury resorts known for their originality and beauty and features 3,300 hotel guest rooms and suites, 23 diverse restaurants and cafes, five-acre Garden of the Gods pools and gardens, 50,000 square foot Qua Baths & Spa and 300,000 square feet of premium meeting and convention space.  The 4,300-seat Colosseum sits just steps from celebrity chef restaurants and the acclaimed Forum Shops at Caesars and spotlights world class entertainers such as Cher, Jerry Seinfeld and Celine Dion when she returns in 2011. Journalists may access media materials and request high-resolution images at media.harrahs.com.  Find Caesars Palace on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/caesarspalace and follow http://www.twitter.com/caesarspalace (@caesarspalace).

SOURCE Harrah's Entertainment

RELATED LINKS
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Non-profit Arts Organization Strengthens the Role of the Arts in New York City Public Schools by Expanding Programs to Seven Schools This Year

NEW YORK, Sept. 27 -- Over 500 guests attended Tony Bennett and Susan Benedetto's Exploring the Arts (ETA) gala tonight at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City. The evening raised $1 million for Bennett's non-profit Exploring the Arts organization that supports arts education in public schools. Honored at the event were the Target Corporation and Joseph Laurita, CEO and President of Margaritaville Apparel Group. ABC World News' Bob Woodruff hosted the evening and the gala featured performances by Bennett and Natalie Cole. Alec Baldwin, James Gandolfini, Michael Imperioli, George Hamilton, Harvey Weinstein, Nancy Sinatra and her daughter A.J. Lambert, Samuel David Moore and Bob Woodruff joined in support of the non-profit arts organization founded by Tony Bennett and Susan Benedetto.

This year ETA announced expansion to serve six additional schools throughout the city, reaching more than 3,000 students. Founded in 1999, ETA champions arts education programs that teach students to embrace true craft and that integrate arts with more standard academic subjects and encourage community service. In a time when arts programming competes with other educational programming, ETA provides a lifeline for students in high school, inspiring and supporting student achievement in preparation for college.

Not only have ETA programs grown to support a greater number of children, but ETA is now supporting a greater number of children from low-income communities, many of whom will be the first in their families to graduate high school and attend college. ETA's seven partner schools include the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts (Queens), which Tony Bennett Founded in 2001 in partnership with the Department of Education. ETA'S umbrella of support will now encompass six additional schools: Talent Unlimited High School (Manhattan), Urban Assembly (UA) School for the Performing Arts (Manhattan), UA Media High School (Manhattan), UA School for Design & Construction (Manhattan), UA Bronx Studio School for Writers & Artists (Bronx) and the UA School of Music & Art (Brooklyn). ETA continues to support Frank Sinatra School of the Arts (FSSA), founded in 1999 byTony Bennett in partnership with the NYC Department of Education.

ABOUT EXPLORING THE ARTS:

Tony Bennett and Susan Benedetto founded Exploring the Arts (ETA), a non-profit organization to strengthen the role of arts education in public schools. They have raised millions of dollars to date and have fostered a unique partnership between the public and private sectors. Tony and Susan founded the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts (FSSA), a public NYC arts high school in Queens, which is supported by ETA. FSSA opened in 2001 in temporary quarters and since its inception has consistently been an exemplary NYC high school with one of the highest graduation rates in the city. A permanent site for the school, designed by Susan T. Rodriguez, design partner in award winning Ennead Architects, opened to students in September 2009, at the Kaufman Astoria Studios complex in Astoria, Queens (Tony Bennett's hometown). For more information on ETA and FSSA please visit www.exploringthearts.org.

SOURCE Exploring the Arts

RELATED LINKS
www.exploringthearts.org