Boston MA, USA, March 20, 2013.  Berklee College of Music president Roger Brown will present Carole King, Willie Nelson, and Annie Lennox with honorary doctor of music degrees at Berklee's commencement ceremony, Saturday, May 11, at the 7,000-seat Agganis Arena at Boston University. Commencement speaker Annie Lennox will address more than 900 Berklee graduates, their parents, and invited guests. 

This year's honorary doctorate recipients are being recognized for their achievements and influence in music, and for their enduring contributions to American and international culture. Past recipients include Duke Ellington (the first, in 1971), Dizzy Gillespie, Smokey Robinson, Steven Tyler, Aretha Franklin, Quincy Jones, Juan Luis Guerra, Loretta Lynn, Paco de Lucía, David Bowie, the Edge, Gloria and Emilio Estefan, Chaka Khan, Bonnie Raitt, George Clinton, Alison Krauss, Kenneth Gamble, and Leon Huff. 

On commencement eve, as is Berklee's tradition, students will pay tribute to the honorees by performing music associated with their careers at the Agganis. The concert and ceremony are not open to the public. 

Carole King, a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, is the most successful female songwriter in pop music history. King penned dozens of hit songs in the 1960’s with then-husband Gerry Goffin, including “One Fine Day,” “The Loco-Motion,” and “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman.” It was 1971’s Tapestry that took her to the pinnacle. Tapestry won three key Grammy Awards—record, song and album of the year—a first for a female artist, sold more than 25 million copies, and remained the best-selling album by a female artist for 25 years. She has amassed three additional platinum and seven gold albums. King reunited with James Taylor – who hit #1 with her song “You’ve Got a Friend” – for Live at the Troubadour, resulting in a 2010 world tour and documentary. More than 400 of her compositions have been recorded, by over 1,000 artists, resulting in 100 hit singles. King is also actively involved with environmental organizations in support of forest wilderness preservation. She released her memoir, A Natural Woman, in 2012.

Willie Nelson has earned every conceivable award as a musician in his six-decade, 200-plus album career. He has also amassed reputable credentials as an author, actor and activist. The iconic Texan is the creative genius behind historic recordings like “Crazy,” “Red Headed Stranger,” and “Stardust.”  In 2010, he released Country Music, produced by T Bone Burnett. The album received a Grammy nomination for Best Americana Album. Nelson’s 2011 albums included Here We Go Again: Celebrating the Genius of Ray Charles and Remember Me Vol. 1. In 2012, Heroes, his first album for Legacy Recordings, spent five weeks at #1 on the Americana Radio Chart. His book Roll Me Up And Smoke Me When I Die hit the Top 10 on The New York Times Best Sellers list. Written in his inimitable, homespun voice, the book is a deeply personal look into the heart and soul of a unique man and one of the greatest artists of our time. Let's Face The Music And Dance, an album of deep pop country classics performed by Nelson and Family, comes out in April.

Annie Lennox, singer, songwriter, activist, and one of the finest musical voices of our time, is celebrated as an innovator and icon. Born in Scotland, she studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London, where she met Dave Stewart and formed Eurythmics. The duo sold over 75 million albums, with over 20 international hits. In 1990, Lennox’s solo debut, Diva, entered the UK charts at #1, selling 6 million copies worldwide. Lennox is an Ambassador for UNAIDS, Oxfam, Amnesty International and The British Red Cross. After witnessing the plight of women and children struggling with HIV in South Africa, she founded the SING campaign to help prevent the spread of the virus. Her accolades include 8 BRIT Awards, 10 Grammy nominations and 4 Grammy Awards, a Golden Globe, an Academy Award, the American Music Awards Lifetime Achievement, Billboard's Century Award, the Nobel Peace Laureates ‘Woman of Peace’ Award, and a ‘Lifetime Achievement’ from the ‘Inspiration Awards’ for women. In 2011 she was awarded the OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in recognition of her humanitarian work. 

Berklee College of Music, for over 65 years, has evolved to support its belief that the best way to prepare students for careers in music is through contemporary music education. The college was the first in the U.S. to teach jazz, the popular music of the time. It incorporated rock n’ roll in the 1960s, created the world's first degree programs in film scoring, music synthesis, and songwriting, and, in recent years, added world music, hip-hop, electronica, and video game music to its curriculum. With a diverse student body representing over 80 countries, a music industry "who’s who" of alumni that have received 229 Grammy Awards, Berklee is the world’s premier learning lab for the music of today – and tomorrow. 



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Margot EdwardsManager, Media RelationsBerklee College of Music1140 Boylston St., MS - 1126 MRBoston, MA, 022151- 617-747-2004

medwards@berklee.eduhttp://twitter.com/BerkleeNews

Described by Q Magazine as “the 21st-century Eurythmics” for their riotous imagination and diversity, new single ‘I Want You Back’, taken from the band’s third album ‘Contact’, contains their characteristic uplifting punch - a storming track, full to the brim of electro-pop funk and energetic vocals that cackle with the same energy as their audacious live shows.  With a career that has stretched over seven incredible years, their fizzy, witty mixture of all kinds of pop, given their own exotic twist, has brought them well known chart smashes like ‘Never Forget You’ and ‘Don’t Upset the Rhythm’, while their unique command of the stage has made them festival icons from Glastonbury to V Festival.

The bands latest album, ‘Contact’ marks the magnificent return of Noisettes, and boy have they been missed. The album is an eclectic mix of everything that the world loves about this duo; intoxicating, emotionally evoking, with a hint of uplifting, funky beats. 

Having been friends for over a decade after meeting at the BRIT school, their friendship, love for performing, and diverse musical influences is what keeps them so refreshingly unique, and musically pioneering.  Dan says “Me and Shingai are a great double act in the studio whether we are writing on our own or with other people. The trousers (metaphorically of course) are on a rota. Sometimes I wear them and sometimes she does and occasionally we get a leg each but mostly each of us knows when we are supposed to lead or follow and it could be at any time that we need to switch roles.”

Noisettes are renowned for their enthralling performances and style - fierce and daring, their energy is reminiscent of the true, legendary artists of the past, leading to them being described “the best live band in Britain” by The Guardian last year.  Shoniwa can often be seen charging in to the audience playing guitar and singing clinging to a ladder suspended from the ceiling, a nod to the circus skills she learnt in her teens. “We always go that extra mile to give the crowd a night they’ll never forget,” says Shoniwa. “I love artists like Hendrix and Bowie who fussed over their hair and took time choosing an outfit. I’m really inspired by that golden age.”

2012 has been a monumental year for the band. Having already performed at The Diamond Jubilee Festival in Battersea Park, being part of BT River of Music, a curtain-raiser for the Olympic Games and closing the Athlete’s Closing parade outside Buckingham Palace earlier this year, Noisettes have also announced details of their upcoming UK regional tour, from November 12th 2012 - November 15th 2012.

One thing’s for sure, fans and critics around the world have been waiting in excitement and anticipation for their return - the wait is over!  These guys are back and at their best!

NOVEMBER
12 - Oxford - O2 Academyhttp://www.gigsandtours.com/tour/noisettes
13 - London - Kokohttp://www.gigsandtours.com/tour/noisettes
14 - Manchester - HMV Ritzhttp://www.gigsandtours.com/tour/noisettes
15 - Glasgow - Oran Mor http://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/Noisettes-tickets/artist/1008118

http://www.noisettes.co.uk
http://www.twitter.com/noisettes
http://www.facebook.com/thenoisettes
http://www.youtube.com/NoisettesOfficial
http://soundcloud.com/noisettes-official

The Church Studios has been used by many respected musicians, including the likes of Elvis Costello and Radiohead, and Gray bought it from The Eurythmics' Dave Stewart back in 2003.

His proposal to turn the space into a residential premises has reportedly upset the locals and forced Gray's architect, Mark Ruthven, to defend the plans:

"(The building) is completely obsolete, it doesn't get used. This is a way of the building being used. The heritage is preserved. The important thing is to find a re-use and that it is done in a sensitive way."

A representative for the hitmaker also issued a statement, explaining that the current climate of the music industry means that unfortunately the studios aren't as lucrative now as they have been in the past:

"Having owned and enjoyed the church for nearly 10 years, it is time to move on. David would be delighted to sell The Church Studios but given the current upheaval in the music business and the repercussions on commercial recording studios, it is only prudent to explore other avenues, including redevelopment."

Watch Gray's music video for 'Fugitive' below:

Manson played a four song set at the event in Los Angeles and called upon A-list actor Johnny Depp and The Pretty Reckless star Taylor Momsen to help him out.

Momsen joined him on his song 'The Dope Show' whilst Depp performed 'The Beautiful People' and a cover of the Eurythmics' 'Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)'.

As previously reported, Marilyn Manson recently confirmed that Johnny Depp had recorded a track with him for his forthcoming new album. The pair joined forces on a cover of a Carly Simon song, which is set to feature as a bonus track.

“I doubt that I'll ever tour again because quite honestly…it just wears me out mentally and physically, and my back and left foot are rubbish,” the Eurythmics singer wrote in a blog posted on her official website on Friday.

“In any case, I think I spent enough time waiting in cars, hotel rooms and dressing rooms for Godot to actually make a personal appearance. 
In the future performers will tour by hologram on a regular basis…undoubtedly.”

Lennox’s most recent tour took place in 2007, when she travelled around North America. Since then, she has limited her appearances to TV shows and charity events.

Watch Annie perform ‘No More I Love Yous’ at a HIV awareness concert last year in London below.

Nicks revealed that her BF, Robin Synder, spoke to her from beyond the grave, to tell her that the marriage was doomed and should end. 

The Fleetwood Mac frontwoman said: 

"One day it (the cradle) wasn't rocking and it was very dark and the baby was very quiet. And I said, 'Robin wants this to end – now.' I felt it as strongly as if she'd put her hand on my shoulder."

The couple divorced within three months. 

The 'Go Your Own Way' singer, who lost eight years to a prescription tranquilliser addiction, also recalls visiting her best friend in hospital when she was receiving cancer treatment: "I was so high on coke. I'd drink half a bottle of brandy on the way there, 'cause I couldn't stand it. She was so sick. And she said to me, 'Don't come back until you're not high.'"

The 62-year-old is back with a new album, Secret Love'.  The track 'Everybody Loves You' was co-written by ex-Eurythmics' Dave Stewart who based it on one of 40 poems in Nicks' journal that she concedes is about Fleetwood Mac's guitarist and ex-lover, Lindsey Buckingham.

Nicks said: "And the reason Dave wrote the chorus the way he did was because of his relationship with Annie Lennox. So we had two duos. Dave understood. He's the same way with Annie – 'Everybody loves you... no one really knows you, I'm the only one' – I'm the only one that knew you before you were famous. So I let the song go ahead and be about Lindsey, and he let the song be about Annie."

'In Your Dreams' is scheduled for release on Warner Music on June 27 and Steve Nicks will be performing at London's Hard Rock Calling on June 26. 

Watch the official promo for 'In Your Dreams' below: