MUSICIANS ANSWER “CALL TO UNITE”

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Aloe Blacc, Peter Gabriel, Josh Groban and Avril Lavigne (lah-VEEN’) were among the musicians who gave messages of hope during the 24-hour online event Call To Unite over the weekend. Celebrities were asked to contribute a song, a story or a prayer to help people with the challenges of dealing with the coronavirus pandemic. Blacc says he’s helping people with their rents and mortgages. Gabriel read words reflecting his own uncertainty during the pandemic that he thinks he may turn into a song. Other musicians who participated included Naomi Judd, Questlove, Sean “Diddy” Combs, Quincy Jones, Common, Leann Rimes and 98 Degrees. If you missed it, you can still see the videos at www.Unite.us.

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121687-w-351:36-(Margie Szaroleta (zar-oh-LEH'-tah), AP music correspondent)-"I'm Margie Szaroleta"-Winfrey, Roberts appear in global virus relief livestream (4 May 2020)

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121689-a-116:16-(Oprah Winfrey, TV personality)-"but continuing on"-Winfrey, Roberts appear in global virus relief livestream (4 May 2020)

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121690-a-81:84-(Daniel Dae Kim, actor)-"whatever I could"-Winfrey, Roberts appear in global virus relief livestream (4 May 2020)

¤¤CUT ´121690 (05/04/20)££ 81:84 "whatever I could"

121691-r-346:32-(Josh Groban, performing "Granted")-"(music fades)"-Winfrey, Roberts appear in global virus relief livestream (4 May 2020)

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121692-r-498:24-(Aloe Blacc, performing "Wake Me Up")-"(music fades)"-Winfrey, Roberts appear in global virus relief livestream (4 May 2020)

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PORTUGAL. THE MAN GET INVOLVED IN BOOK BAN

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - Portugal. The Man guitarist Eric Howk (HAWK) says it hit the band members hard to learn that their school district has banned five classic books from high school English courses. Howk tells KTVA-TV storytelling is “just kind of sacred to us.” The school board in the band’s hometown of Palmer, Alaska voted 5 to 2 last week to ban five books because of sexual references. The books are F. Scott Fitzgerald's “The Great Gatsby," Joseph Heller's “Catch-22,” Maya Angelou's “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” “Invisible Man” by Ralph Ellison and “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien. Portugal. The Man say they will buy the books for any Palmer student or parent who wants them. A district spokeswoman declined comment but says the books remain in district libraries.

AFROBEAT DRUMMER TONY ALLEN DIES

JOHANNESBURG (AP) - Flea of Red Hot Chili Peppers says Afrobeat drummer Tony Allen was “one of the greatest drummers to ever walk this earth.” Allen died of an aortic aneurysm in Paris on Thursday at the age of 79, according to his manager. Allen formed a partnership with Fela Kuti to create the Afrobeat sound in the 1960s and ‘70s. Allen later collaborated with Flea on a project called Rocket Juice and the Moon. Allen also worked with Damon Albarn of Gorillaz, Paul Simonon (SIM'-uh-nin) of The Clash and Simon Tong of The Verve in a group called The Good, The Bad and The Queen.

RADIO STATION NAMES ITSELF AFTER BILL ANDERSON

COMMERCE, Ga. (AP) - Few musicians have a radio station named after them, but Whisperin’ Bill Anderson is one of them. WJJC in Commerce, Georgia, has rebranded itself Whisperin’ 95.1 as of Friday. Anderson was the station’s first on-air personality while a student at the University of Georgia more than 60 years ago. Anderson returned to the station on Friday to premiere a new recording of “City Lights,” a song he wrote while he was working there.

“CELEBRITY WATCH PARTY” WILL FEATURE MEGHAN TRAINOR, MASTER P AND ROMEO

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Starting Thursday, you can watch a TV show about Meghan Trainor watching TV. Fox will debut an unscripted reality show called “Celebrity Watch Party,” which features celebrities and their families in their homes reacting to TV shows and the news. If you think, “Who’s going to watch THAT?” it turns out, plenty of people. It’s based on a British show called “Gogglebox” that’s so successful that 35 countries air their own versions of it. Celebrities who will participate in the American version include Master P and Romeo, Rob Lowe, Raven-Symone and Joe Buck.

HALSEY, MIGUEL JOIN “THE DISNEY FAMILY SINGALONG”

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Halsey, Miguel and Shakira are among the musicians who have signed on for the second installment of “The Disney Family Singalong.” Chloe and Halle (HAL’-ee), Josh Gad, Idina Menzel (ih-DEE'-nah mehn-ZEHL') and Seth Rogen are among those who will sing Disney songs from their homes, with more to be announced. The first edition was a big hit for ABC last month. Volume 2 will air on Sunday.

RAP PROMOTER LOSES APPEAL IN CASE INVOLVING 50 CENT’S FRIEND

NEW YORK (AP) - An appeals court has upheld the conviction of a former hip-hop promoter who ordered the killing of a friend of 50 Cent. The 2nd U.S. Circuit of Appeals on Friday agreed that James Rosemond was properly convicted. Rosemond was accused of hiring a crew to kill Lodi Mack, an associate of the rap group G-Unit, in New York in 2009 as payback for an assault on Rosemond’s son. Rosemond’s first trial ended with a hung jury. He was convicted at his second trial, but the judge was found to have made an error. Rosemond was convicted on his third trial. He was already serving two life sentences for separate drug and gun convictions.

by Margie Szaroleta