Jonny Kaplan Interview With Jon Hammond At ASCAP Expo and Show Wrap Up
*WATCH THE VIDEO HERE: Jonny Kaplan Interview With Jon Hammond At ASCAP Expo
Jon's archive https://archive.org/details/JonnyKaplanInterviewWithJonHammondAtASCAPExpo
Youtube http://youtu.be/GsI4B9z-e6E
CNN iReport http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-1125316
Jonny Kaplan Interview with Jon Hammond at ASCAP I Create Music Expo in Hollywood California - special thanks Bobbi Marcus PR / Bobbi Sacks Marcus DeSouza - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonny_Kaplan Jonny Kaplan (born Philadelphia) is an American singer songwriter. He resides in Los Angeles.
He records and tours with his band: Jonny Kaplan and the Lazy Stars.[1] They have released 3 albums internationally. 1997's independently released "California Heart" was named by England's esteemed Mojo Magazine, "alternative country album of the month", successfully jump starting his career. Next came 2005's "Ride Free" and 2009's "Seasons". His fourth album, "Sparkle and Shine", is being released on Reckless Grace Music [2] in mid-to-late 2013.
Jonny is also the lead singer/guitarist for the all-star Rolling Stones cover band, Bitch. Bitch consists of a rotating group of well-known LA-based musicians, including Rami Jaffee on keyboards (Foo Fighters and Wallflowers), Christopher Thorn and Brad Smith on guitar and bass (Blind Melon), Jesse Green on strings (Foo Fighters, Pink), Adam McDougall on keyboards (Black Crowes) and Dave Krusen on drums (Pearl Jam).
Jonny's music is regularly in demand for placement on major network TV shows. The album, "Ride Free"'s title track was recently used on an episode of Fox TV's House.[3] A track from "Sparkle and Shine" - "Sweet Magnolia Flower" was recently featured on the TV series Homeland. Jonny continues to record and tour, opening for the likes of Wilco, and The Black Crowes,[4] and Ryan Adams among others.. http://www.HammondCast.com
Jon Hammond & AstroAlmost Jake DeSouza
- Great way to wrap up the 2014 ASCAP "I Create Music" EXPO seeing Jake at very end! By cosmic coincidence, 1st musician I saw when arrived at the show, we rode the elevator together a few days ago - and again at very end, always great vibes! See you next year if not before! - Jon Hammond
Big Happy Birthday to main man Denny Mack!
- saw Denny this morning looking real good and making great sound for all us ASCAP'ers here in Hollywood, thanks Denny! Jon Hammond / Jon Hammond Band - ASCAP "I Create Music" EXPO Hollywood CA — with Denny Mack at ASCAP "I Create Music" EXPO
Wrapping up last day of 2014 ASCAP Expo here in Hollywood CA right now folks, it was a great one...my 8th consecutive year!
Jon Hammond - ASCAP Member Publisher
Anaheim California -- 4 very special friends of mine at VIP Reception for 80th Anniversary of Hammond Organs at The NAMM Show - L to R:
Mr. M. Terada / Suzuki Musical Instruments, Bernie Capicchiano / Bernies Music Land Australia, Mr. Shuji Suzuki President of Suzuki Musical Instruments Co. Ltd. and Mr. Yu Beniya Corporate Officer at Suzuki Musical Instruments - just before we went downstairs and did this very special show, LINK: http://youtu.be/7TApELTO1XI - Jon Hammond
Movie of Jon's Band Featuring Bernard Bernard "Pretty" Purdie, Alex Budman, Joe Berger, Koei Tanaka, Jon Hammond Organ Group — with Stephen Fortner, Scott May, Joe Berger rips it up! Koei Tanaka and Jon Hammond at NAMM Anaheim Convention Center Hilton Anaheim Lobby Special Program on 80th Anniversary of Hammond Organ USA
Big Big Congratulations and Kudos to my friend John Houlihan for his outstanding production "Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon" , last night I had the huge honor and pleasure to be present at a sneak preview of this amazing powerful movie - the directorial debut of Mike Myers, due for release in summer of this year. It is a real masterpiece folks, I was very moved by this very special biographical documentary piece! Wonderful film John!! - Jon Hammond at ASCAP "I Create Music" EXPO
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3074780/plotsummary?ref_=tt_ov_pl
"In his directorial debut, Mike Myers documents the astounding career of Hollywood insider, the loveable Shep Gordon, who fell into music management by chance after moving to LA straight out of college, and befriending Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison and Jimi Hendrixi. Shep managed rock stars such as Pink Floyd, Luther Vandross, Teddy Pendergrass and Alice Cooper, and later went on to manage chefs such as Emeril Lagasse, ushering in the era of celebrity chefs on television. Stuffed with fantastic archive footage the film traces Shep's transformation from the 1970's hedonist to today's practicing Buddhist yearning for a family of his own."
— Jon Hammond with John Houlihan at ASCAP "I Create Music" EXPO
Breaking News - Hollywood Reporter: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/video-supermensch-legend-shep-gordon-698882
'Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon' Trailer Lists Music Manager's Famous Friends (Video)
'Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon' Trailer Lists Music Manager's Famous Friends (Video)
8:05 AM PDT 4/25/2014 by Ashley Lee
Mike Myers' directorial debut includes anecdotes from Alice Cooper, Michael Douglas, Sylvester Stallone, Anne Murray, Willie Nelson, Emeril Lagasse and more.
The first trailer for Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon has been released, and it features a music manager's to-do list and a slew of Shep Gordon's famous friends.
The trailer for the documentary kicks off with Gordon's Los Angeles arrival, where Janis Joplin introduced him to Jimi Hendrix and casually suggested he manage Alice Cooper. Gordon also humorously reveals "the three most important things a manager does: get the money, always remember to get the money, never forget to always remember to get the money.
But after he had "spent my life making people famous" and tackling "the most outrageous things as we could," Gordon makes a string of revelations. "I was so over my head. There's nothing about fame that I'm ever seen that's healthy. The ones who rose to the top got hurt the worst. I felt the stress of L.A. -- the culture of what you are, not who you are. I had spent my life living other people's lives, and I wanted to see what my life was."
Mike Myers' directorial debut includes anecdotes from Alice Cooper, Michael Douglas, Sylvester Stallone, Anne Murray, Willie Nelson, Emeril Lagasse and more. "I have told Shep things I haven't told anybody else -- not even my wife," whispers Douglas to the camera.
RADiUS-TWC acquired the North American rights to Supermensch, which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival and also screened at SXSW and will play at the Tribeca Film Festival.
8:05 AM PDT 4/25/2014 by Ashley Lee
Close up of Ray Parker Jr.'s custom art on his guitar he played at ASCAP Showcase - has a lot of Ray's history, sounded great Ray! - Jon Hammond at ASCAP ASCAP "I Create Music" EXPO
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Parker_Jr.
Ray Erskine Parker, Jr. (born May 1, 1954) is an American guitarist, songwriter, producer and recording artist. Parker is known for writing and performing the theme song to the motion picture Ghostbusters, for his solo hits, and performing with his band Raydio, and Barry White.
Ray Erskine Parker, Jr.
Born May 1, 1954 (age 59)
Origin Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Genres R&B, jazz-fusion, funk, soul
Occupations Guitarist, singer, songwriter, record producer, composer
Instruments Guitar, piano, vocals, drums
Years active 1973–present
Labels Arista, Geffen, MCA
Associated acts Raydio
Jerry Knight
Barry White
Parker was born in Detroit to Ray Parker, Sr., and Venolia Parker. He has two siblings: his brother Opelton and sister Barbara. His father died of cancer on March 12, 1992 at age 82; his mother died of Alzhemer's on December 18, 1993 at age 83.
Parker is a 1971 graduate of Detroit's Northwestern High School. He was raised in the Dexter-Davison neighborhood on its West Side.
Parker gained his reputation during the late 1960s as a member of the house band at the legendary 20 Grand nightclub. This Detroit hot-spot often featured Tamla/Motown acts, one of which, the (Detroit) Spinners, was so impressed with the young guitarist's skills that they added him to their touring group. Parker was also employed as a studio musician as a teenager for the emergent Holland-Dozier-Holland's Invictus/Hot Wax stable and his choppy style was particularly prevalent on "Want Ads", a number one single for Honey Cone.
In 1972, Parker was a guest guitarist on Stevie Wonder's funk song "Maybe Your Baby" from Wonder's album Talking Book (1972).
In 1973, he was a sideman in Barry White's The Love Unlimited Orchestra, before creating Raydio, an R&B group, in 1977, with Vincent Bohnam, Jerry Knight, and Arnell Carmichael. Parker appeared briefly in the 1974 film Uptown Saturday Night as a guitar player in the church picnic scene. Parker also wrote songs and did session work for The Carpenters, Rufus and Chaka Khan, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder (an association which prompted a permanent move to Los Angeles), Deniece Williams, Jean-Luc Ponty, Leon Haywood, Temptations, The Spinners, Boz Scaggs, David Foster, Rhythm Heritage, Gladys Knight and the Pips, The Honey Cone, Herbie Hancock, Tina Turner, and Diana Ross. According to TVOne's UNSUNG documentary, Ray Parker, Jr. originally wrote the number one 70s dance single "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing" by British popular artist Leo Sayer. But, Ray was never given credit as promised.
His first bona fide hit as a writer was "You Got the Love", co-written with Chaka Khan, recorded by Rufus. The single hit Number One R&B and #11 Pop in December, 1974.
According to a special mention, in 1976 he worked as rhythmic guitarist for Lucio Battisti's album Io tu noi tutti, translated in "Me you and all of us".
Ray endorses and plays Merida Guitars.
Raydio[edit]
Raydio scored their first big hit, "Jack and Jill", from their self-titled album in 1978 with Arista Records. The song reached #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, earning a million-selling Gold single in the process.
Their successful follow-up hit, "You Can't Change That" was released in 1979, from the Rock On album. The song was another Top 10 hit, peaking at #9 on the Billboard chart during the summer and also selling a million copies.
In 1980, the group became known as Ray Parker Jr. and Raydio, and the group released two more albums: Two Places at the Same Time in 1980 and A Woman Needs Love in 1981.
In 1981, he produced on the then emerging hard funk sound on the single "Sweat (till you get wet)" by Brick.
During the 1980s, Ray Parker Jr. and Raydio had two Top 40 hits ("Two Places at the Same Time" - # 30 in 1980 and "That Old Song" - # 21 in 1981) and their last and biggest hit "A Woman Needs Love (Just Like You Do)", released in 1981, went to # 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 Charts, and # 1 on the R&B Charts for two weeks in 1981.
Solo years[edit]
Raydio broke up in 1981, while Parker continued with his solo career, scoring six Top 40 hits, including the hit single "The Other Woman" (Pop # 4) in 1982 and "Ghostbusters" in 1984. Other hits from this period included "I Still Can't Get Over Loving You" (Pop # 12) and "Jamie" (Pop # 14).
In 1984, Parker appeared in "Pryor's Place", a short-lived live-action comedy series hosted by Richard Pryor, presumably sharing his own childhood experiences with children and teens. Parker appeared in the opening title sequence of each show, singing the program's theme song.
Parker was one of the first black artists to venture into the then-fledgling world of music videos. In 1978, Hollywood producer, Thom Eubank produced several music videos of songs from his first album entitled, Raydio on Arista Records. The hit single, "Jack & Jill" was the first released to air on Wolfman Jack's Saturday night television show, The Midnight Special. The music videos were also transferred to film and projected in movie theaters all over Europe. He also made two different videos for his hit "The Other Woman". The first was Halloween-themed and centered around a haunted castle with dancing corpses and vampires. The second was more performance-oriented, with Parker performing the song against an outer space background with backup singers. Parker made the performance-oriented video because MTV refused to play his Halloween-themed video due to its depiction of an interracial relationship[citation needed]. Parker's "Ghostbusters" video, helmed by the film's director Ivan Reitman, was one of the first movie-themed videos to find success on the then-young MTV, and paved the way for big movies and hit music videos working in tandem.
Parker at the Montreux Jazz Festival 2009, Montreux, Switzerland
Parker also wrote and produced hits for New Edition ("Mr. Telephone Man"), Randy Hall, Cheryl Lynn ("Shake It Up Tonight"), Deniece Williams ("I Found Love") and Diana Ross. He also performed guitar on several songs on La Toya Jackson's 1980 debut album. In 1989, he also wrote "Ghostbusters", a rap performed by Run-D.M.C., for the movie Ghostbusters 2. 1989 also saw Parker Jr. work with actor Jack Wagner (General Hospital) on an album for MCA Records that was eventually shelved and never released. A single from the Jack Wagner sessions, "Wish You Were Mine", featuring an intro rap by Parker, Jr. was released on an MCA 1990 Pop/Rock Promotional Sampler CD. With Jim Morgan and Tom Szczesniak he composed the theme tune to the 1991-3 adaptation of Herge's Adventures of Tintin.
In 2006, Parker returned and released a new CD titled: I'm Free. Of his first single called Mismaloya Beach: "I think it was the longest running instrumental on Smooth Jazz radio",[citation needed] says Parker. I'm Free showcases a newfound beginning for Parker and embraces a variety of musical styles including Urban, Pop, Rock, Jazz, Blues, and Reggae.
Ghostbusters theme song controversy[edit]
"Ghostbusters" was the title track of the Gold-selling soundtrack of the hit movie Ghostbusters, starring Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis and Ernie Hudson. The single was at #1 for three weeks on Billboard's Hot 100 chart, and at #1 for two weeks on its Black Singles chart. The song was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1984 but lost to Stevie Wonder's "I Just Called to Say I Love You" from The Woman in Red.
Parker was accused of plagiarizing the melody from the Huey Lewis and the News song "I Want a New Drug", which had been released on their Sports album the previous year. Lewis sued Parker and Columbia Pictures, and the three settled out of court in 1985. Parker's song secured him a 1984 Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance.[1]
In 2001, Parker filed a suit against Lewis for breaching part of the settlement which prohibited either side from speaking about it publicly. Lewis had implied in a VH1 Behind The Music special that Parker had paid a financial settlement as part of the original agreement. The case did not make it to court; no public statement has been made as to whether the parties agreed to settle this case out of court, or if Parker simply dropped the suit.
Acting[edit]
Parker also made acting appearances on the 1980s sitcom Gimme a Break starring Nell Carter, the CBS Saturday morning kids' show Pryor's Place (1984), Disorderlies (1987), Enemy Territory (1987), Charlie Barnett's Terms of Enrollment (1986) (V) aka Terms of Enrollment (USA: short title), Berrenger's (2 episodes, 1985): "Power Play" (1985) TV episode and "The Seduction" (1985) TV episode and Uptown Saturday Night (1974). He was also a production assistant for the film Fly by Night (1993). He made guest appearances on 21 Jump Street and Kids Incorporated.
In early 2009, Parker appeared in a television advertisement for 118 118, a British directory enquiries provider. This featured Parker singing a 118-specific version of the Ghostbusters theme song.[2] On 15 April 2009, Parker's 118 theme song was available as a downloadable ringtone from the 118 118 mobile website.
Personal life[edit]
At age 40, in 1994, Ray married his wife, Elaine. They have four sons: Ray III (Little Ray), Redmen, Gibson and Jericho. In 2014, Parker is scheduled to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, for his contributions to music..
ASCAP Expo Session Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, one of the most successful record production teams in the history of the record business today - Jon Hammond
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Jam_and_Terry_Lewis
James Samuel "Jimmy Jam" Harris III (born June 6, 1959) and Terry Steven Lewis (born November 24, 1956) are an American R&B songwriting and record production team.[1] They have enjoyed great success since the 1980s with various artists, most notably Janet Jackson. By popular vote, the duo was inducted into The SoulMusic Hall of Fame at SoulMusic.com in December 2012.
Jimmy Jam is the son of Cornbread Harris, a Minneapolis blues and jazz musician. Jimmy Jam met Lewis while in high school in Minneapolis. They did not meet in class, however, but while attending a TRIO Upward Bound program on the University of Minnesota campus. They formed a band called Flyte Tyme, which evolved into the Time. In 1981, they were joined by Morris Day and toured with Prince as his opening act. As members of The Time, they recorded three of the group's four albums (The Time, What Time Is It? and Pandemonium). The first two albums are said to have shaped early 1980s R&B music[attribution needed] (featuring "Cool," "Get It Up," "The Walk," "777-9311," and "Gigolos Get Lonely Too").
In 1982, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis were introduced to the music executive Dina R. Andrews, who was then an employee of Dick Griffey's Solar Records (The Whispers, Shalamar, Lakeside, Klymaxx, The Deele, Babyface). The pair asked Andrews to manage them, and through her relationships Andrews first introduced Jam and Lewis to Music Executive Clarence Avant. They produced their first masters for Avant for the SOS Band. Andrews set-up Jam and Lewis's company Flyte Tyme Productions as a business entity, and continued shopping them to her other record executive colleagues. The producers went on to produce several other masters for Avant under Dina Andrews Management for the SOS Band, Cherrelle, Alexander O'Neal and Change. Additionally, Andrews shopped the duo to many of the executives and artists who used their services, such as Klymaxx, Cheryl Lynn ("Encore"), and executives such as John McClain (Janet Jackson), Clive Davis, Sylvia Rhone, and Warner Chappelle (Rachele Fields).
The pair was fired by Prince from a tour after a blizzard left them unable to rejoin during a short break to produce music for The SOS Band. However, one of the tracks they were producing, "Just Be Good to Me", became a hit and sealed the duo’s reputation, as well as that of the SOS Band. The duo would rejoin The Time for two albums: 1990's Pandemonium and the 2011 album Condensate under the name the Original 7ven.
The duo was noted for early use of the Roland TR-808 drum machine in English-language popular music, which was used in most of its productions. After working with other artists such as Cherrelle and Alexander O'Neal, Jam and Lewis were introduced to Janet Jackson and produced her breakthrough album Control in 1986, for which the duo won a Grammy Award. Their collaboration on her next album, 1989's Rhythm Nation 1814, proved even more successful as the album became one of the top-selling albums in history with five No. 1 hits.
Since that time, they founded a record label, Perspective Records (an A&M/PolyGram Records-distributed label that has since shut its doors), and worked with artists including Herb Alpert, TLC, Sounds of Blackness, Yolanda Adams, Jordan Knight, Michael Jackson, Boyz II Men, Usher, Mary J. Blige, Mariah Carey, Prince, Spice Girls, Vanessa Williams, George Michael, Melanie B, Rod Stewart, Kelly Price, Gwen Stefani, New Edition, Eric Benet, Pia Zadora, Solo, and The Human League. In 1999, they produced the hit "Open My Heart" by Yolanda Adams which helped her popularity. In 2000, the two were guest performers for J-pop singer and songwriter Hikaru Utada's 'Bohemian Summer' concert tour in Japan.
Terry Lewis married R&B singer Karyn White, with whom he had a daughter, Ashley Nicole Lewis. The pair has since divorced. He later married Indira Singh and had two children, Talin and Tierra. Jimmy Jam served as Chairman of the Board of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. He is currently listed as Chairman Emeritus.
In 2005 Jam and Lewis opened their new recording studios in Santa Monica, California naming it Flyte Tyme West. In 2006, they won a Grammy for Yolanda Adams' song "Be Blessed", from her 2005 album Day By Day. In 2007, Jam and Lewis produced the two-time Grammy Award winning CD Funk This for Chaka Khan, which included the Award winning R&B duet "Disrespectful", with Mary J. Blige.
The production duo recently reunited with The Time at The 50th Grammy Awards on February 10, 2008 in a medley that included the artist Rihanna, and featuring "Jungle Love". In June and July 2008, all of the original members of The Time (Morris Day, Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis, Jesse Johnson, Jerome Benton, Jellybean Johnson, and Monte Moir) reunited once again for a series of shows at the Flamingo Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.
Jam and Lewis worked on Ruben Studdard's album, Love Is.
To date, Jam and Lewis have produced 16 #1 singles on Billboard's Hot 100 chart:
Janet Jackson's "When I Think Of You"; "Miss You Much"; "Escapade"; "Love Will Never Do (Without You)"; "That's the Way Love Goes"; "Again"; "Together Again"; "Doesn't Really Matter" & "All for You"
The Human League's "Human"
George Michael's "Monkey"
Karyn White's "Romantic"
Boyz II Men's "On Bended Knee" & "4 Seasons of Loneliness"
Mariah Carey's "Thank God I Found You" featuring Joe & 98 Degrees
Usher's "U Remind Me"
A documentary film called Flyte Tyme was made recently,[when?] which focused on their label and the duo.
Hollywood CA -- Singer Songwriter Amy Grant last night 'In-The-Round' ASCAP Showcase - Jon Hammond
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amy_Grant
Amy Lee Grant (born November 25, 1960) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, author, media personality and actress, best known for performing Christian music. She has been referred to as "The Queen of Christian Pop".[1][2] As of 2009, Grant remains the best-selling contemporary Christian music singer ever,[citation needed] having sold over 30 million units worldwide.[3]
Grant made her debut as a teenager, and gained fame in Christian music during the 1980s with such hits as "Father's Eyes", "El Shaddai", and "Angels". In 1986, she scored her first Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 song in a duet with Peter Cetera, "The Next Time I Fall". During the 1980s and 1990s, she became one of the first CCM artists to cross over into mainstream pop on the heels of her successful albums Unguarded and Heart in Motion, the latter of which included the No. 1 single "Baby Baby".
Grant has won six Grammy Awards, 25 Gospel Music Association Dove Awards, and had the first Christian album ever to go Platinum.[4] Heart in Motion is her highest-selling album, with over five million copies sold in the United States alone. She was honored with a star on Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2005 for her contributions to the entertainment industry.
In 1976, Grant wrote her first song ("Mountain Man"), performed in public for the first time at Harpeth Hall School, the all-girls school she attended, recorded a demo tape for her parents with church youth-leader Brown Bannister, then later when Bannister was dubbing a copy of the tape, Chris Christian, the owner of the recording studio, heard the demo and called Word Records. He played it over the phone, and she was offered a recording contract, five weeks before her 16th birthday. In 1977, she recorded her first album titled Amy Grant, produced by Brown Bannister, who would also produce her next 11 albums. It was released in early 1978, one month before her high-school graduation. Toward the end of 1978 she performed her first ticketed concert after beginning her first year at Furman University. In May 1979, while at the album-release party for her second album, My Father's Eyes, Grant met Gary Chapman, who had written the title track and would become her first husband. Grant and Chapman toured together in mid-1979. In late 1980, she transferred to Vanderbilt University, where she was a member of the sorority Kappa Alpha Theta.[5] Grant then made a few more albums before dropping out of college to pursue a career in music—Never Alone, followed by a pair of live albums in 1981 (In Concert and In Concert Volume Two), both backed by an augmented edition of the DeGarmo & Key band. It was during these early shows that Grant also established one of her concert trademarks: performing barefoot. To date, Grant continues to take off her shoes midway through performances, as she has said "it is just more comfortable."[6][7]
1982 saw the release of her breakthrough album Age to Age. The album contains the signature track, "El Shaddai" (written by Michael Card) and the Grant-Chapman penned song, "In a Little While". "El Shaddai" was later awarded one of the "Songs of the Century" by the RIAA in 2001. Grant received her first Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Gospel Performance, as well as two GMA Dove Awards for Gospel Artist of the Year and Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year. Age to Age became the first Christian album by a solo artist to be certified gold (1983) and the first Christian album to be certified platinum (1985).[4]
In the mid-1980s, Grant began touring and recording with young up-and-coming songwriter Michael W. Smith. Grant and Smith continue to have a strong friendship and creative relationship, often writing songs for or contributing vocals to each other's albums. During the 1980s, Grant was also a backup singer for Bill Gaither.[8]
Grant followed this album with the first of her Christmas albums—-albums that later would be the basis for her holiday shows. In 1984, she released another pop-oriented Christian hit, Straight Ahead, earning Grant her first appearance at the Grammy Awards show in 1985. The head of NBC took notice of Grant's performance and called her manager to book her for her own Christmas special.[5]
Widening audience[edit]
Hardly had Grant established herself as the "Queen of Christian Pop" when she changed directions to widen her fan base (and hence her musical message). Her goal was to become the first Christian singer-songwriter who was also successful as a contemporary pop singer.[9] Unguarded (1985) surprised some fans for its very mainstream sound (and Grant's leopard-print jacket, in four poses for four different covers). "Find a Way", from Unguarded, became the first non-Christmas Christian song to hit Billboard Top 40 list, also reaching No. 7 on the Adult Contemporary chart. She also scored No. 18 on Billboard AC in 1986 with "Stay for Awhile".[citation needed] Grant scored her first Billboard No. 1 song in 1986 with "The Next Time I Fall", a duet with former Chicago singer/bassist Peter Cetera. That year, she also recorded a duet with singer Randy Stonehill for his Love Beyond Reason album, titled "I Could Never Say Goodbye", and recorded The Animals' Christmas with Art Garfunkel.
Lead Me On (1988) contained many songs that were about Christianity and love relationships, but some interpreted it as not being an obviously "Christian" record. Years later, Lead Me On would be chosen as the greatest Contemporary Christian album of all time by CCM Magazine. The mainstream song "Saved by Love" was a minor hit, receiving airplay on radio stations featuring the newly emerging Adult Contemporary format. The album's title song received some pop radio airplay and crossed over to No. 96 on the Billboard Hot 100, and "1974 (We Were Young)" and "Saved By Love" also charted as Adult Contemporary songs. In 1989, she appeared in a Target ad campaign, performing songs off the album.[10]
In the mainstream[edit]
Grant during her Behind the Eyes tour in 1998
When Heart in Motion was released in 1991, many fans were surprised that the album was so clearly one of contemporary pop music. Grant's desire to widen her audience was frowned upon by the confines of the popular definitions of ministry at the time.[11] The track "Baby Baby" (written for Grant's newborn daughter Millie, whose "six-week-old face was my inspiration,") became a pop hit (hitting No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100), and Grant was established as a name in the mainstream music world. "Baby Baby" received Grammy nominations for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, and Record and Song of the Year (although it failed to win in any of those categories). Four other hits from the album made the Pop top 20: "Every Heartbeat" (No. 2), "That's What Love Is For" (No. 7), "Good for Me" (No. 8), and "I Will Remember You" (No. 20). On the Adult Contemporary chart, all five songs were top 10 hits, with two of the five ("Baby Baby" and "That's What Love Is For") reaching No. 1. Many Christian fans remained loyal, putting the album atop Billboard Contemporary Christian Chart for 32 weeks. Heart in Motion is Grant's best-selling album, having sold over five million copies according to the RIAA.[12] Grant followed the album with her second Christmas album, Home For Christmas in 1992, which included the song "Breath of Heaven (Mary's Song)", written by Chris Eaton and Grant, and would later be covered by many artists, including Donna Summer, Jessica Simpson (who acknowledged Grant as one of her favorite artists), Vince Gill, Sara Groves, Point of Grace, and Broadway star Barbara Cook.
House of Love in 1994 continued in the same vein, boasting catchy pop songs mingled with spiritual lyrics. The album was a multi-platinum success and produced the pop hit "Lucky One" (No. 18 pop and No. 2 AC; No. 1 on Radio & Records) as well as the title track (a duet with country music star and future husband Vince Gill) (No. 37 pop) and a cover of Joni Mitchell's frequently covered "Big Yellow Taxi" (No. 67 pop) (in which she changed the line "And they charged the people a dollar and a half just to see'em" to "And then they charged the people 25 bucks just to see'em").
After she covered the 10cc song "The Things We Do for Love" for the Mr. Wrong soundtrack, Behind the Eyes was released in September 1997. The album struck a much darker note, leaning more towards downtempo, acoustic soft-rock songs, with more mature (yet still optimistic) lyrics. She called it her "razor blades and Prozac" album.[13] Although "Takes A Little Time" was a moderate hit single, the album failed to sell like the previous two albums, which had both gone multi-platinum. Behind The Eyes was eventually certified Gold by the RIAA. The video for "Takes A Little Time" was a new direction for Grant; with a blue light filter, acoustic guitar, the streets and characters of New York City, and a plot, Grant was re-cast as an adult light rocker. She followed up "Behind The Eyes" with A Christmas To Remember, her third Christmas album, in 1999. The album was certified Gold in 2000.
In 2001, Grant sang "God Bless America" in front of a sellout crowd at the Owen County Fair Grounds in Spencer, Indiana. She dedicated her performance to the victims of 9/11, and officially started the Demolition Derby. Following the 9/11 attacks, Grant's "I Will Remember You" saw a resurgence in popularity as many radio DJs mixed a special tribute version of the song. That same year, Grant won $125,000 for charity on the "Rock Star Edition" of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?[14]
Return to gospel[edit]
Grant returned to her gospel music roots with the 2002 release of Legacy... Hymns and Faith. The album featured a Vince Gill-influenced mix of bluegrass and gospel and marked Grant's 25th anniversary in the music industry. Grant followed this up with the pop release Simple Things in 2003. The album did not have the success of her previous pop or gospel efforts. However, soon after Simple Things, Grant and Interscope/A&M parted ways. The same year, Grant was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame by the Gospel Music Association, an industry trade organization of which she is a longstanding member, in her first year of eligibility. Grant released a sequel to her hymns collection in 2005 titled Rock of Ages... Hymns & Faith.
Looking ahead[edit]
Grant joined the reality television phenomenon by hosting Three Wishes, a show in which she and a team of helpers make wishes come true for small-town residents.[15] The show debuted on NBC in the fall of 2005 but was canceled at the end of its first season because of high production costs. After Three Wishes was canceled, Grant won her 6th Grammy Award for Rock of Ages... Hymns & Faith. In a February 2006 webchat, Grant stated she believes her "best music is still ahead".
In April 2006, a live CD/DVD titled Time Again...Amy Grant Live was recorded in Fort Worth, Texas, at Bass Performance Hall. (Grant's first paid public performance was at the Will Rogers Auditorium in Fort Worth.) The concert was released on September 26, 2006. In addition to receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, media appearances included write-ups in CCM Magazine, and a performance on The View.
In a February 2007 web chat on her web site, Grant discussed a book she was working on titled Mosaic: Pieces of My Life So Far, saying, "It's not an autobiography, but more a collection of memories, song lyrics, poetry and a few pictures." The book was released on October 16, 2007. In November, it debuted at No. 35 on the New York Times Best Seller list.[16] In the same web chat, Grant noted that she is "anxious to get back in the studio after the book is finished, and reinvent myself as an almost-50 performing woman".
2007 was Grant's 30th year in music. She left Word/Warner, and contracted with EMI CMG who re-released her regular studio albums as remastered versions on August 14, 2007. Marking the start of Grant's new contract is a career-spanning greatest hits album, with all the songs digitally remastered. The album was released as both a single-disc CD edition, and a 2-Disc CD/DVD Special Edition, the DVD featuring music videos and interviews.[17]
Grant appeared with Gill on The Oprah Winfrey Show for a holiday special in December 2007.[18] Grant has plans to appear on CMT, a Food Network special, the Gospel Music Channel, and The Hour of Power.[19]
In February 2008, Grant joined the writing team from Compassionart as a guest vocalist at the Abbey Road studios, London, to record a song called "Highly Favoured", which was included on the album CompassionArt.
Grant performing in October 2008
On June 24, 2008, Grant re-released her 1988 album, Lead Me On, in honor of its 20th anniversary. The two-disc release includes the original album and a second disc with new acoustic recordings, live performances from 1989, and interviews with Amy. Grant recreated the Lead Me On tour in the fall of 2008.
On June 27, 2008, Grant surprised everyone at the Creation Northeast Festival by being the special guest. She performed "Lead Me On" and a few other songs backed with the Hawk Nelson band. At the end of the concert, Grant returned to the stage and sang "Thy Word". She appeared on the 2008 album Anne Murray Duets: Friends & Legends singing "Could I Have This Dance".
In May 2009 for Mother's Day, Grant released an EP on iTunes containing two new songs, "She Colors My Day," and "Unafraid", as well as the older songs "Baby Baby" and "Oh How The Years Go By".
In 2010, Grant released Somewhere Down the Road, featuring the hit single "Better Than a Hallelujah", which peaked at No. 8 on Billboard Top Christian Songs chart. When asked about the new album during an interview with CBN.com, Grant says, "... my hope is just for those songs to provide companionship, remind myself and whoever else is listening what's important. I feel like songs have the ability to connect us to ourselves and to each other, and to our faith, to the love of Jesus, in a way that conversation doesn't do. Songs kind of slip in and move you before you realize it."[20]
In September 2012, Grant took part in a campaign called "30 Songs / 30 Days" to support Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide, a multi-platform media project inspired by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn's book.[21]
Grant's next album, titled How Mercy Looks from Here, was released on May 14, 2013. The album was produced by Marshall Altman.[22] The album reached No. 12 on the Billboard 200 chart, making it her highest charting album since 1997's Behind the Eyes.[citation needed] Two singles were released from the album, "Don't Try So Hard" and "If I Could See" with charting within the top 40 of US Billboard Christian Singles chart.[citation needed]
Personal life[edit]
Born in Augusta, Georgia, Grant is the youngest of four sisters. Her family settled in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1967.[5]
Grant attended Furman University in 1979 and 1980. There she performed one of her earliest paid, professional concerts, opening for Gene Cotton at McCalister Auditorium on the Furman campus. She left Furman and returned to Nashville to be closer to the recording studios and her then-boyfriend, Gary Chapman.[citation needed]
Grant married fellow Christian musician Gary Chapman on June 19, 1982. Their marriage produced three children.[23] Citing "irreconcilable differences", Grant filed for divorce from Chapman in March 1999, and the divorce was final in June 1999.[23]
On March 10, 2000, Grant married Vince Gill, who had been previously married to country singer Janis Oliver of Sweethearts of the Rodeo.[24] Grant and Gill have a daughter together, Corinna Grant Gill, born March 12, 2001.[25]
In the December 1999 Baptist Standard, Grant explained why she left Chapman and married Gill:
I didn't get a divorce because I had a great marriage and then along came Vince Gill. Gary and I had a rocky road from day one. I think what was so hard—and this is (what) one of our counselors said—sometimes an innocent party can come into a situation, and they're like a big spotlight. What they do is reveal, by comparison, the painful dynamics that are already in existence.[26]
Public views and perception[edit]
Among praise for her contributions to the Contemporary Christian genre, Grant has also generated controversy within the Christian community, from "complaints that she was too worldly and too sexy" to a "barrage of condemnation" following her divorce and remarriage.[27]
In an interview early in her career, Grant stated, "I have a healthy sense of right and wrong, but sometimes, for example, using foul, exclamation-point words among friends can be good for a laugh."[28] The article which was based on that interview was constructed in such a manner so as to make it appear as though Grant condoned premarital sex. Later Grant reflected on how the article misrepresented her views, stating: "We probably talked for two hours about sexual purity, but when the interview finally came out he worded it in such a way that it sounded like I condoned premarital sex. So I picked up that article and thought, 'You've made me say something I've never said, and you've totally disregarded two hours of Bible put in one flippant comment that I made about a moan.'"..
Richie Sambora guitarist of rock band Bon Jovi last night performed some new and older original compositions 'In-The-Round' at ASCAP Showcase - Jon Hammond
Jon's archive https://archive.org/details/JonnyKaplanInterviewWithJonHammondAtASCAPExpo
Youtube http://youtu.be/GsI4B9z-e6E
CNN iReport http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-1125316
Jonny Kaplan Interview with Jon Hammond at ASCAP I Create Music Expo in Hollywood California - special thanks Bobbi Marcus PR / Bobbi Sacks Marcus DeSouza - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonny_Kaplan Jonny Kaplan (born Philadelphia) is an American singer songwriter. He resides in Los Angeles.
He records and tours with his band: Jonny Kaplan and the Lazy Stars.[1] They have released 3 albums internationally. 1997's independently released "California Heart" was named by England's esteemed Mojo Magazine, "alternative country album of the month", successfully jump starting his career. Next came 2005's "Ride Free" and 2009's "Seasons". His fourth album, "Sparkle and Shine", is being released on Reckless Grace Music [2] in mid-to-late 2013.
Jonny is also the lead singer/guitarist for the all-star Rolling Stones cover band, Bitch. Bitch consists of a rotating group of well-known LA-based musicians, including Rami Jaffee on keyboards (Foo Fighters and Wallflowers), Christopher Thorn and Brad Smith on guitar and bass (Blind Melon), Jesse Green on strings (Foo Fighters, Pink), Adam McDougall on keyboards (Black Crowes) and Dave Krusen on drums (Pearl Jam).
Jonny's music is regularly in demand for placement on major network TV shows. The album, "Ride Free"'s title track was recently used on an episode of Fox TV's House.[3] A track from "Sparkle and Shine" - "Sweet Magnolia Flower" was recently featured on the TV series Homeland. Jonny continues to record and tour, opening for the likes of Wilco, and The Black Crowes,[4] and Ryan Adams among others.. http://www.HammondCast.com
Jon Hammond & AstroAlmost Jake DeSouza
- Great way to wrap up the 2014 ASCAP "I Create Music" EXPO seeing Jake at very end! By cosmic coincidence, 1st musician I saw when arrived at the show, we rode the elevator together a few days ago - and again at very end, always great vibes! See you next year if not before! - Jon Hammond
Big Happy Birthday to main man Denny Mack!
- saw Denny this morning looking real good and making great sound for all us ASCAP'ers here in Hollywood, thanks Denny! Jon Hammond / Jon Hammond Band - ASCAP "I Create Music" EXPO Hollywood CA — with Denny Mack at ASCAP "I Create Music" EXPO
Wrapping up last day of 2014 ASCAP Expo here in Hollywood CA right now folks, it was a great one...my 8th consecutive year!
Jon Hammond - ASCAP Member Publisher
Anaheim California -- 4 very special friends of mine at VIP Reception for 80th Anniversary of Hammond Organs at The NAMM Show - L to R:
Mr. M. Terada / Suzuki Musical Instruments, Bernie Capicchiano / Bernies Music Land Australia, Mr. Shuji Suzuki President of Suzuki Musical Instruments Co. Ltd. and Mr. Yu Beniya Corporate Officer at Suzuki Musical Instruments - just before we went downstairs and did this very special show, LINK: http://youtu.be/7TApELTO1XI - Jon Hammond
Movie of Jon's Band Featuring Bernard Bernard "Pretty" Purdie, Alex Budman, Joe Berger, Koei Tanaka, Jon Hammond Organ Group — with Stephen Fortner, Scott May, Joe Berger rips it up! Koei Tanaka and Jon Hammond at NAMM Anaheim Convention Center Hilton Anaheim Lobby Special Program on 80th Anniversary of Hammond Organ USA
Big Big Congratulations and Kudos to my friend John Houlihan for his outstanding production "Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon" , last night I had the huge honor and pleasure to be present at a sneak preview of this amazing powerful movie - the directorial debut of Mike Myers, due for release in summer of this year. It is a real masterpiece folks, I was very moved by this very special biographical documentary piece! Wonderful film John!! - Jon Hammond at ASCAP "I Create Music" EXPO
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3074780/plotsummary?ref_=tt_ov_pl
"In his directorial debut, Mike Myers documents the astounding career of Hollywood insider, the loveable Shep Gordon, who fell into music management by chance after moving to LA straight out of college, and befriending Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison and Jimi Hendrixi. Shep managed rock stars such as Pink Floyd, Luther Vandross, Teddy Pendergrass and Alice Cooper, and later went on to manage chefs such as Emeril Lagasse, ushering in the era of celebrity chefs on television. Stuffed with fantastic archive footage the film traces Shep's transformation from the 1970's hedonist to today's practicing Buddhist yearning for a family of his own."
— Jon Hammond with John Houlihan at ASCAP "I Create Music" EXPO
Breaking News - Hollywood Reporter: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/video-supermensch-legend-shep-gordon-698882
'Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon' Trailer Lists Music Manager's Famous Friends (Video)
'Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon' Trailer Lists Music Manager's Famous Friends (Video)
8:05 AM PDT 4/25/2014 by Ashley Lee
Mike Myers' directorial debut includes anecdotes from Alice Cooper, Michael Douglas, Sylvester Stallone, Anne Murray, Willie Nelson, Emeril Lagasse and more.
The first trailer for Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon has been released, and it features a music manager's to-do list and a slew of Shep Gordon's famous friends.
The trailer for the documentary kicks off with Gordon's Los Angeles arrival, where Janis Joplin introduced him to Jimi Hendrix and casually suggested he manage Alice Cooper. Gordon also humorously reveals "the three most important things a manager does: get the money, always remember to get the money, never forget to always remember to get the money.
But after he had "spent my life making people famous" and tackling "the most outrageous things as we could," Gordon makes a string of revelations. "I was so over my head. There's nothing about fame that I'm ever seen that's healthy. The ones who rose to the top got hurt the worst. I felt the stress of L.A. -- the culture of what you are, not who you are. I had spent my life living other people's lives, and I wanted to see what my life was."
Mike Myers' directorial debut includes anecdotes from Alice Cooper, Michael Douglas, Sylvester Stallone, Anne Murray, Willie Nelson, Emeril Lagasse and more. "I have told Shep things I haven't told anybody else -- not even my wife," whispers Douglas to the camera.
RADiUS-TWC acquired the North American rights to Supermensch, which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival and also screened at SXSW and will play at the Tribeca Film Festival.
8:05 AM PDT 4/25/2014 by Ashley Lee
Close up of Ray Parker Jr.'s custom art on his guitar he played at ASCAP Showcase - has a lot of Ray's history, sounded great Ray! - Jon Hammond at ASCAP ASCAP "I Create Music" EXPO
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Parker_Jr.
Ray Erskine Parker, Jr. (born May 1, 1954) is an American guitarist, songwriter, producer and recording artist. Parker is known for writing and performing the theme song to the motion picture Ghostbusters, for his solo hits, and performing with his band Raydio, and Barry White.
Ray Erskine Parker, Jr.
Born May 1, 1954 (age 59)
Origin Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Genres R&B, jazz-fusion, funk, soul
Occupations Guitarist, singer, songwriter, record producer, composer
Instruments Guitar, piano, vocals, drums
Years active 1973–present
Labels Arista, Geffen, MCA
Associated acts Raydio
Jerry Knight
Barry White
Parker was born in Detroit to Ray Parker, Sr., and Venolia Parker. He has two siblings: his brother Opelton and sister Barbara. His father died of cancer on March 12, 1992 at age 82; his mother died of Alzhemer's on December 18, 1993 at age 83.
Parker is a 1971 graduate of Detroit's Northwestern High School. He was raised in the Dexter-Davison neighborhood on its West Side.
Parker gained his reputation during the late 1960s as a member of the house band at the legendary 20 Grand nightclub. This Detroit hot-spot often featured Tamla/Motown acts, one of which, the (Detroit) Spinners, was so impressed with the young guitarist's skills that they added him to their touring group. Parker was also employed as a studio musician as a teenager for the emergent Holland-Dozier-Holland's Invictus/Hot Wax stable and his choppy style was particularly prevalent on "Want Ads", a number one single for Honey Cone.
In 1972, Parker was a guest guitarist on Stevie Wonder's funk song "Maybe Your Baby" from Wonder's album Talking Book (1972).
In 1973, he was a sideman in Barry White's The Love Unlimited Orchestra, before creating Raydio, an R&B group, in 1977, with Vincent Bohnam, Jerry Knight, and Arnell Carmichael. Parker appeared briefly in the 1974 film Uptown Saturday Night as a guitar player in the church picnic scene. Parker also wrote songs and did session work for The Carpenters, Rufus and Chaka Khan, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder (an association which prompted a permanent move to Los Angeles), Deniece Williams, Jean-Luc Ponty, Leon Haywood, Temptations, The Spinners, Boz Scaggs, David Foster, Rhythm Heritage, Gladys Knight and the Pips, The Honey Cone, Herbie Hancock, Tina Turner, and Diana Ross. According to TVOne's UNSUNG documentary, Ray Parker, Jr. originally wrote the number one 70s dance single "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing" by British popular artist Leo Sayer. But, Ray was never given credit as promised.
His first bona fide hit as a writer was "You Got the Love", co-written with Chaka Khan, recorded by Rufus. The single hit Number One R&B and #11 Pop in December, 1974.
According to a special mention, in 1976 he worked as rhythmic guitarist for Lucio Battisti's album Io tu noi tutti, translated in "Me you and all of us".
Ray endorses and plays Merida Guitars.
Raydio[edit]
Raydio scored their first big hit, "Jack and Jill", from their self-titled album in 1978 with Arista Records. The song reached #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, earning a million-selling Gold single in the process.
Their successful follow-up hit, "You Can't Change That" was released in 1979, from the Rock On album. The song was another Top 10 hit, peaking at #9 on the Billboard chart during the summer and also selling a million copies.
In 1980, the group became known as Ray Parker Jr. and Raydio, and the group released two more albums: Two Places at the Same Time in 1980 and A Woman Needs Love in 1981.
In 1981, he produced on the then emerging hard funk sound on the single "Sweat (till you get wet)" by Brick.
During the 1980s, Ray Parker Jr. and Raydio had two Top 40 hits ("Two Places at the Same Time" - # 30 in 1980 and "That Old Song" - # 21 in 1981) and their last and biggest hit "A Woman Needs Love (Just Like You Do)", released in 1981, went to # 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 Charts, and # 1 on the R&B Charts for two weeks in 1981.
Solo years[edit]
Raydio broke up in 1981, while Parker continued with his solo career, scoring six Top 40 hits, including the hit single "The Other Woman" (Pop # 4) in 1982 and "Ghostbusters" in 1984. Other hits from this period included "I Still Can't Get Over Loving You" (Pop # 12) and "Jamie" (Pop # 14).
In 1984, Parker appeared in "Pryor's Place", a short-lived live-action comedy series hosted by Richard Pryor, presumably sharing his own childhood experiences with children and teens. Parker appeared in the opening title sequence of each show, singing the program's theme song.
Parker was one of the first black artists to venture into the then-fledgling world of music videos. In 1978, Hollywood producer, Thom Eubank produced several music videos of songs from his first album entitled, Raydio on Arista Records. The hit single, "Jack & Jill" was the first released to air on Wolfman Jack's Saturday night television show, The Midnight Special. The music videos were also transferred to film and projected in movie theaters all over Europe. He also made two different videos for his hit "The Other Woman". The first was Halloween-themed and centered around a haunted castle with dancing corpses and vampires. The second was more performance-oriented, with Parker performing the song against an outer space background with backup singers. Parker made the performance-oriented video because MTV refused to play his Halloween-themed video due to its depiction of an interracial relationship[citation needed]. Parker's "Ghostbusters" video, helmed by the film's director Ivan Reitman, was one of the first movie-themed videos to find success on the then-young MTV, and paved the way for big movies and hit music videos working in tandem.
Parker at the Montreux Jazz Festival 2009, Montreux, Switzerland
Parker also wrote and produced hits for New Edition ("Mr. Telephone Man"), Randy Hall, Cheryl Lynn ("Shake It Up Tonight"), Deniece Williams ("I Found Love") and Diana Ross. He also performed guitar on several songs on La Toya Jackson's 1980 debut album. In 1989, he also wrote "Ghostbusters", a rap performed by Run-D.M.C., for the movie Ghostbusters 2. 1989 also saw Parker Jr. work with actor Jack Wagner (General Hospital) on an album for MCA Records that was eventually shelved and never released. A single from the Jack Wagner sessions, "Wish You Were Mine", featuring an intro rap by Parker, Jr. was released on an MCA 1990 Pop/Rock Promotional Sampler CD. With Jim Morgan and Tom Szczesniak he composed the theme tune to the 1991-3 adaptation of Herge's Adventures of Tintin.
In 2006, Parker returned and released a new CD titled: I'm Free. Of his first single called Mismaloya Beach: "I think it was the longest running instrumental on Smooth Jazz radio",[citation needed] says Parker. I'm Free showcases a newfound beginning for Parker and embraces a variety of musical styles including Urban, Pop, Rock, Jazz, Blues, and Reggae.
Ghostbusters theme song controversy[edit]
"Ghostbusters" was the title track of the Gold-selling soundtrack of the hit movie Ghostbusters, starring Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis and Ernie Hudson. The single was at #1 for three weeks on Billboard's Hot 100 chart, and at #1 for two weeks on its Black Singles chart. The song was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1984 but lost to Stevie Wonder's "I Just Called to Say I Love You" from The Woman in Red.
Parker was accused of plagiarizing the melody from the Huey Lewis and the News song "I Want a New Drug", which had been released on their Sports album the previous year. Lewis sued Parker and Columbia Pictures, and the three settled out of court in 1985. Parker's song secured him a 1984 Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance.[1]
In 2001, Parker filed a suit against Lewis for breaching part of the settlement which prohibited either side from speaking about it publicly. Lewis had implied in a VH1 Behind The Music special that Parker had paid a financial settlement as part of the original agreement. The case did not make it to court; no public statement has been made as to whether the parties agreed to settle this case out of court, or if Parker simply dropped the suit.
Acting[edit]
Parker also made acting appearances on the 1980s sitcom Gimme a Break starring Nell Carter, the CBS Saturday morning kids' show Pryor's Place (1984), Disorderlies (1987), Enemy Territory (1987), Charlie Barnett's Terms of Enrollment (1986) (V) aka Terms of Enrollment (USA: short title), Berrenger's (2 episodes, 1985): "Power Play" (1985) TV episode and "The Seduction" (1985) TV episode and Uptown Saturday Night (1974). He was also a production assistant for the film Fly by Night (1993). He made guest appearances on 21 Jump Street and Kids Incorporated.
In early 2009, Parker appeared in a television advertisement for 118 118, a British directory enquiries provider. This featured Parker singing a 118-specific version of the Ghostbusters theme song.[2] On 15 April 2009, Parker's 118 theme song was available as a downloadable ringtone from the 118 118 mobile website.
Personal life[edit]
At age 40, in 1994, Ray married his wife, Elaine. They have four sons: Ray III (Little Ray), Redmen, Gibson and Jericho. In 2014, Parker is scheduled to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, for his contributions to music..
ASCAP Expo Session Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, one of the most successful record production teams in the history of the record business today - Jon Hammond
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Jam_and_Terry_Lewis
James Samuel "Jimmy Jam" Harris III (born June 6, 1959) and Terry Steven Lewis (born November 24, 1956) are an American R&B songwriting and record production team.[1] They have enjoyed great success since the 1980s with various artists, most notably Janet Jackson. By popular vote, the duo was inducted into The SoulMusic Hall of Fame at SoulMusic.com in December 2012.
Jimmy Jam is the son of Cornbread Harris, a Minneapolis blues and jazz musician. Jimmy Jam met Lewis while in high school in Minneapolis. They did not meet in class, however, but while attending a TRIO Upward Bound program on the University of Minnesota campus. They formed a band called Flyte Tyme, which evolved into the Time. In 1981, they were joined by Morris Day and toured with Prince as his opening act. As members of The Time, they recorded three of the group's four albums (The Time, What Time Is It? and Pandemonium). The first two albums are said to have shaped early 1980s R&B music[attribution needed] (featuring "Cool," "Get It Up," "The Walk," "777-9311," and "Gigolos Get Lonely Too").
In 1982, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis were introduced to the music executive Dina R. Andrews, who was then an employee of Dick Griffey's Solar Records (The Whispers, Shalamar, Lakeside, Klymaxx, The Deele, Babyface). The pair asked Andrews to manage them, and through her relationships Andrews first introduced Jam and Lewis to Music Executive Clarence Avant. They produced their first masters for Avant for the SOS Band. Andrews set-up Jam and Lewis's company Flyte Tyme Productions as a business entity, and continued shopping them to her other record executive colleagues. The producers went on to produce several other masters for Avant under Dina Andrews Management for the SOS Band, Cherrelle, Alexander O'Neal and Change. Additionally, Andrews shopped the duo to many of the executives and artists who used their services, such as Klymaxx, Cheryl Lynn ("Encore"), and executives such as John McClain (Janet Jackson), Clive Davis, Sylvia Rhone, and Warner Chappelle (Rachele Fields).
The pair was fired by Prince from a tour after a blizzard left them unable to rejoin during a short break to produce music for The SOS Band. However, one of the tracks they were producing, "Just Be Good to Me", became a hit and sealed the duo’s reputation, as well as that of the SOS Band. The duo would rejoin The Time for two albums: 1990's Pandemonium and the 2011 album Condensate under the name the Original 7ven.
The duo was noted for early use of the Roland TR-808 drum machine in English-language popular music, which was used in most of its productions. After working with other artists such as Cherrelle and Alexander O'Neal, Jam and Lewis were introduced to Janet Jackson and produced her breakthrough album Control in 1986, for which the duo won a Grammy Award. Their collaboration on her next album, 1989's Rhythm Nation 1814, proved even more successful as the album became one of the top-selling albums in history with five No. 1 hits.
Since that time, they founded a record label, Perspective Records (an A&M/PolyGram Records-distributed label that has since shut its doors), and worked with artists including Herb Alpert, TLC, Sounds of Blackness, Yolanda Adams, Jordan Knight, Michael Jackson, Boyz II Men, Usher, Mary J. Blige, Mariah Carey, Prince, Spice Girls, Vanessa Williams, George Michael, Melanie B, Rod Stewart, Kelly Price, Gwen Stefani, New Edition, Eric Benet, Pia Zadora, Solo, and The Human League. In 1999, they produced the hit "Open My Heart" by Yolanda Adams which helped her popularity. In 2000, the two were guest performers for J-pop singer and songwriter Hikaru Utada's 'Bohemian Summer' concert tour in Japan.
Terry Lewis married R&B singer Karyn White, with whom he had a daughter, Ashley Nicole Lewis. The pair has since divorced. He later married Indira Singh and had two children, Talin and Tierra. Jimmy Jam served as Chairman of the Board of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. He is currently listed as Chairman Emeritus.
In 2005 Jam and Lewis opened their new recording studios in Santa Monica, California naming it Flyte Tyme West. In 2006, they won a Grammy for Yolanda Adams' song "Be Blessed", from her 2005 album Day By Day. In 2007, Jam and Lewis produced the two-time Grammy Award winning CD Funk This for Chaka Khan, which included the Award winning R&B duet "Disrespectful", with Mary J. Blige.
The production duo recently reunited with The Time at The 50th Grammy Awards on February 10, 2008 in a medley that included the artist Rihanna, and featuring "Jungle Love". In June and July 2008, all of the original members of The Time (Morris Day, Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis, Jesse Johnson, Jerome Benton, Jellybean Johnson, and Monte Moir) reunited once again for a series of shows at the Flamingo Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.
Jam and Lewis worked on Ruben Studdard's album, Love Is.
To date, Jam and Lewis have produced 16 #1 singles on Billboard's Hot 100 chart:
Janet Jackson's "When I Think Of You"; "Miss You Much"; "Escapade"; "Love Will Never Do (Without You)"; "That's the Way Love Goes"; "Again"; "Together Again"; "Doesn't Really Matter" & "All for You"
The Human League's "Human"
George Michael's "Monkey"
Karyn White's "Romantic"
Boyz II Men's "On Bended Knee" & "4 Seasons of Loneliness"
Mariah Carey's "Thank God I Found You" featuring Joe & 98 Degrees
Usher's "U Remind Me"
A documentary film called Flyte Tyme was made recently,[when?] which focused on their label and the duo.
Hollywood CA -- Singer Songwriter Amy Grant last night 'In-The-Round' ASCAP Showcase - Jon Hammond
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amy_Grant
Amy Lee Grant (born November 25, 1960) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, author, media personality and actress, best known for performing Christian music. She has been referred to as "The Queen of Christian Pop".[1][2] As of 2009, Grant remains the best-selling contemporary Christian music singer ever,[citation needed] having sold over 30 million units worldwide.[3]
Grant made her debut as a teenager, and gained fame in Christian music during the 1980s with such hits as "Father's Eyes", "El Shaddai", and "Angels". In 1986, she scored her first Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 song in a duet with Peter Cetera, "The Next Time I Fall". During the 1980s and 1990s, she became one of the first CCM artists to cross over into mainstream pop on the heels of her successful albums Unguarded and Heart in Motion, the latter of which included the No. 1 single "Baby Baby".
Grant has won six Grammy Awards, 25 Gospel Music Association Dove Awards, and had the first Christian album ever to go Platinum.[4] Heart in Motion is her highest-selling album, with over five million copies sold in the United States alone. She was honored with a star on Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2005 for her contributions to the entertainment industry.
In 1976, Grant wrote her first song ("Mountain Man"), performed in public for the first time at Harpeth Hall School, the all-girls school she attended, recorded a demo tape for her parents with church youth-leader Brown Bannister, then later when Bannister was dubbing a copy of the tape, Chris Christian, the owner of the recording studio, heard the demo and called Word Records. He played it over the phone, and she was offered a recording contract, five weeks before her 16th birthday. In 1977, she recorded her first album titled Amy Grant, produced by Brown Bannister, who would also produce her next 11 albums. It was released in early 1978, one month before her high-school graduation. Toward the end of 1978 she performed her first ticketed concert after beginning her first year at Furman University. In May 1979, while at the album-release party for her second album, My Father's Eyes, Grant met Gary Chapman, who had written the title track and would become her first husband. Grant and Chapman toured together in mid-1979. In late 1980, she transferred to Vanderbilt University, where she was a member of the sorority Kappa Alpha Theta.[5] Grant then made a few more albums before dropping out of college to pursue a career in music—Never Alone, followed by a pair of live albums in 1981 (In Concert and In Concert Volume Two), both backed by an augmented edition of the DeGarmo & Key band. It was during these early shows that Grant also established one of her concert trademarks: performing barefoot. To date, Grant continues to take off her shoes midway through performances, as she has said "it is just more comfortable."[6][7]
1982 saw the release of her breakthrough album Age to Age. The album contains the signature track, "El Shaddai" (written by Michael Card) and the Grant-Chapman penned song, "In a Little While". "El Shaddai" was later awarded one of the "Songs of the Century" by the RIAA in 2001. Grant received her first Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Gospel Performance, as well as two GMA Dove Awards for Gospel Artist of the Year and Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year. Age to Age became the first Christian album by a solo artist to be certified gold (1983) and the first Christian album to be certified platinum (1985).[4]
In the mid-1980s, Grant began touring and recording with young up-and-coming songwriter Michael W. Smith. Grant and Smith continue to have a strong friendship and creative relationship, often writing songs for or contributing vocals to each other's albums. During the 1980s, Grant was also a backup singer for Bill Gaither.[8]
Grant followed this album with the first of her Christmas albums—-albums that later would be the basis for her holiday shows. In 1984, she released another pop-oriented Christian hit, Straight Ahead, earning Grant her first appearance at the Grammy Awards show in 1985. The head of NBC took notice of Grant's performance and called her manager to book her for her own Christmas special.[5]
Widening audience[edit]
Hardly had Grant established herself as the "Queen of Christian Pop" when she changed directions to widen her fan base (and hence her musical message). Her goal was to become the first Christian singer-songwriter who was also successful as a contemporary pop singer.[9] Unguarded (1985) surprised some fans for its very mainstream sound (and Grant's leopard-print jacket, in four poses for four different covers). "Find a Way", from Unguarded, became the first non-Christmas Christian song to hit Billboard Top 40 list, also reaching No. 7 on the Adult Contemporary chart. She also scored No. 18 on Billboard AC in 1986 with "Stay for Awhile".[citation needed] Grant scored her first Billboard No. 1 song in 1986 with "The Next Time I Fall", a duet with former Chicago singer/bassist Peter Cetera. That year, she also recorded a duet with singer Randy Stonehill for his Love Beyond Reason album, titled "I Could Never Say Goodbye", and recorded The Animals' Christmas with Art Garfunkel.
Lead Me On (1988) contained many songs that were about Christianity and love relationships, but some interpreted it as not being an obviously "Christian" record. Years later, Lead Me On would be chosen as the greatest Contemporary Christian album of all time by CCM Magazine. The mainstream song "Saved by Love" was a minor hit, receiving airplay on radio stations featuring the newly emerging Adult Contemporary format. The album's title song received some pop radio airplay and crossed over to No. 96 on the Billboard Hot 100, and "1974 (We Were Young)" and "Saved By Love" also charted as Adult Contemporary songs. In 1989, she appeared in a Target ad campaign, performing songs off the album.[10]
In the mainstream[edit]
Grant during her Behind the Eyes tour in 1998
When Heart in Motion was released in 1991, many fans were surprised that the album was so clearly one of contemporary pop music. Grant's desire to widen her audience was frowned upon by the confines of the popular definitions of ministry at the time.[11] The track "Baby Baby" (written for Grant's newborn daughter Millie, whose "six-week-old face was my inspiration,") became a pop hit (hitting No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100), and Grant was established as a name in the mainstream music world. "Baby Baby" received Grammy nominations for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, and Record and Song of the Year (although it failed to win in any of those categories). Four other hits from the album made the Pop top 20: "Every Heartbeat" (No. 2), "That's What Love Is For" (No. 7), "Good for Me" (No. 8), and "I Will Remember You" (No. 20). On the Adult Contemporary chart, all five songs were top 10 hits, with two of the five ("Baby Baby" and "That's What Love Is For") reaching No. 1. Many Christian fans remained loyal, putting the album atop Billboard Contemporary Christian Chart for 32 weeks. Heart in Motion is Grant's best-selling album, having sold over five million copies according to the RIAA.[12] Grant followed the album with her second Christmas album, Home For Christmas in 1992, which included the song "Breath of Heaven (Mary's Song)", written by Chris Eaton and Grant, and would later be covered by many artists, including Donna Summer, Jessica Simpson (who acknowledged Grant as one of her favorite artists), Vince Gill, Sara Groves, Point of Grace, and Broadway star Barbara Cook.
House of Love in 1994 continued in the same vein, boasting catchy pop songs mingled with spiritual lyrics. The album was a multi-platinum success and produced the pop hit "Lucky One" (No. 18 pop and No. 2 AC; No. 1 on Radio & Records) as well as the title track (a duet with country music star and future husband Vince Gill) (No. 37 pop) and a cover of Joni Mitchell's frequently covered "Big Yellow Taxi" (No. 67 pop) (in which she changed the line "And they charged the people a dollar and a half just to see'em" to "And then they charged the people 25 bucks just to see'em").
After she covered the 10cc song "The Things We Do for Love" for the Mr. Wrong soundtrack, Behind the Eyes was released in September 1997. The album struck a much darker note, leaning more towards downtempo, acoustic soft-rock songs, with more mature (yet still optimistic) lyrics. She called it her "razor blades and Prozac" album.[13] Although "Takes A Little Time" was a moderate hit single, the album failed to sell like the previous two albums, which had both gone multi-platinum. Behind The Eyes was eventually certified Gold by the RIAA. The video for "Takes A Little Time" was a new direction for Grant; with a blue light filter, acoustic guitar, the streets and characters of New York City, and a plot, Grant was re-cast as an adult light rocker. She followed up "Behind The Eyes" with A Christmas To Remember, her third Christmas album, in 1999. The album was certified Gold in 2000.
In 2001, Grant sang "God Bless America" in front of a sellout crowd at the Owen County Fair Grounds in Spencer, Indiana. She dedicated her performance to the victims of 9/11, and officially started the Demolition Derby. Following the 9/11 attacks, Grant's "I Will Remember You" saw a resurgence in popularity as many radio DJs mixed a special tribute version of the song. That same year, Grant won $125,000 for charity on the "Rock Star Edition" of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?[14]
Return to gospel[edit]
Grant returned to her gospel music roots with the 2002 release of Legacy... Hymns and Faith. The album featured a Vince Gill-influenced mix of bluegrass and gospel and marked Grant's 25th anniversary in the music industry. Grant followed this up with the pop release Simple Things in 2003. The album did not have the success of her previous pop or gospel efforts. However, soon after Simple Things, Grant and Interscope/A&M parted ways. The same year, Grant was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame by the Gospel Music Association, an industry trade organization of which she is a longstanding member, in her first year of eligibility. Grant released a sequel to her hymns collection in 2005 titled Rock of Ages... Hymns & Faith.
Looking ahead[edit]
Grant joined the reality television phenomenon by hosting Three Wishes, a show in which she and a team of helpers make wishes come true for small-town residents.[15] The show debuted on NBC in the fall of 2005 but was canceled at the end of its first season because of high production costs. After Three Wishes was canceled, Grant won her 6th Grammy Award for Rock of Ages... Hymns & Faith. In a February 2006 webchat, Grant stated she believes her "best music is still ahead".
In April 2006, a live CD/DVD titled Time Again...Amy Grant Live was recorded in Fort Worth, Texas, at Bass Performance Hall. (Grant's first paid public performance was at the Will Rogers Auditorium in Fort Worth.) The concert was released on September 26, 2006. In addition to receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, media appearances included write-ups in CCM Magazine, and a performance on The View.
In a February 2007 web chat on her web site, Grant discussed a book she was working on titled Mosaic: Pieces of My Life So Far, saying, "It's not an autobiography, but more a collection of memories, song lyrics, poetry and a few pictures." The book was released on October 16, 2007. In November, it debuted at No. 35 on the New York Times Best Seller list.[16] In the same web chat, Grant noted that she is "anxious to get back in the studio after the book is finished, and reinvent myself as an almost-50 performing woman".
2007 was Grant's 30th year in music. She left Word/Warner, and contracted with EMI CMG who re-released her regular studio albums as remastered versions on August 14, 2007. Marking the start of Grant's new contract is a career-spanning greatest hits album, with all the songs digitally remastered. The album was released as both a single-disc CD edition, and a 2-Disc CD/DVD Special Edition, the DVD featuring music videos and interviews.[17]
Grant appeared with Gill on The Oprah Winfrey Show for a holiday special in December 2007.[18] Grant has plans to appear on CMT, a Food Network special, the Gospel Music Channel, and The Hour of Power.[19]
In February 2008, Grant joined the writing team from Compassionart as a guest vocalist at the Abbey Road studios, London, to record a song called "Highly Favoured", which was included on the album CompassionArt.
Grant performing in October 2008
On June 24, 2008, Grant re-released her 1988 album, Lead Me On, in honor of its 20th anniversary. The two-disc release includes the original album and a second disc with new acoustic recordings, live performances from 1989, and interviews with Amy. Grant recreated the Lead Me On tour in the fall of 2008.
On June 27, 2008, Grant surprised everyone at the Creation Northeast Festival by being the special guest. She performed "Lead Me On" and a few other songs backed with the Hawk Nelson band. At the end of the concert, Grant returned to the stage and sang "Thy Word". She appeared on the 2008 album Anne Murray Duets: Friends & Legends singing "Could I Have This Dance".
In May 2009 for Mother's Day, Grant released an EP on iTunes containing two new songs, "She Colors My Day," and "Unafraid", as well as the older songs "Baby Baby" and "Oh How The Years Go By".
In 2010, Grant released Somewhere Down the Road, featuring the hit single "Better Than a Hallelujah", which peaked at No. 8 on Billboard Top Christian Songs chart. When asked about the new album during an interview with CBN.com, Grant says, "... my hope is just for those songs to provide companionship, remind myself and whoever else is listening what's important. I feel like songs have the ability to connect us to ourselves and to each other, and to our faith, to the love of Jesus, in a way that conversation doesn't do. Songs kind of slip in and move you before you realize it."[20]
In September 2012, Grant took part in a campaign called "30 Songs / 30 Days" to support Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide, a multi-platform media project inspired by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn's book.[21]
Grant's next album, titled How Mercy Looks from Here, was released on May 14, 2013. The album was produced by Marshall Altman.[22] The album reached No. 12 on the Billboard 200 chart, making it her highest charting album since 1997's Behind the Eyes.[citation needed] Two singles were released from the album, "Don't Try So Hard" and "If I Could See" with charting within the top 40 of US Billboard Christian Singles chart.[citation needed]
Personal life[edit]
Born in Augusta, Georgia, Grant is the youngest of four sisters. Her family settled in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1967.[5]
Grant attended Furman University in 1979 and 1980. There she performed one of her earliest paid, professional concerts, opening for Gene Cotton at McCalister Auditorium on the Furman campus. She left Furman and returned to Nashville to be closer to the recording studios and her then-boyfriend, Gary Chapman.[citation needed]
Grant married fellow Christian musician Gary Chapman on June 19, 1982. Their marriage produced three children.[23] Citing "irreconcilable differences", Grant filed for divorce from Chapman in March 1999, and the divorce was final in June 1999.[23]
On March 10, 2000, Grant married Vince Gill, who had been previously married to country singer Janis Oliver of Sweethearts of the Rodeo.[24] Grant and Gill have a daughter together, Corinna Grant Gill, born March 12, 2001.[25]
In the December 1999 Baptist Standard, Grant explained why she left Chapman and married Gill:
I didn't get a divorce because I had a great marriage and then along came Vince Gill. Gary and I had a rocky road from day one. I think what was so hard—and this is (what) one of our counselors said—sometimes an innocent party can come into a situation, and they're like a big spotlight. What they do is reveal, by comparison, the painful dynamics that are already in existence.[26]
Public views and perception[edit]
Among praise for her contributions to the Contemporary Christian genre, Grant has also generated controversy within the Christian community, from "complaints that she was too worldly and too sexy" to a "barrage of condemnation" following her divorce and remarriage.[27]
In an interview early in her career, Grant stated, "I have a healthy sense of right and wrong, but sometimes, for example, using foul, exclamation-point words among friends can be good for a laugh."[28] The article which was based on that interview was constructed in such a manner so as to make it appear as though Grant condoned premarital sex. Later Grant reflected on how the article misrepresented her views, stating: "We probably talked for two hours about sexual purity, but when the interview finally came out he worded it in such a way that it sounded like I condoned premarital sex. So I picked up that article and thought, 'You've made me say something I've never said, and you've totally disregarded two hours of Bible put in one flippant comment that I made about a moan.'"..
Richie Sambora guitarist of rock band Bon Jovi last night performed some new and older original compositions 'In-The-Round' at ASCAP Showcase - Jon Hammond
hammondcast - 27. Apr, 10:10
