Entertainment

Motown’s Smokey Robinson, Berry Gordy celebrated at pre-Grammy gala

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2 months ago

February 4, 2023

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Motown's Smokey Robinson, Berry Gordy celebrated at pre-Grammy gala

Smokey Robinson and Berry Gordy, the visionary creative duo behind the revolutionary Motown genre, saw their legacy play out onstage Friday at a pre-Grammy gala honoring their life’s work.

From Robinson’s “The Tracks of My Tears” to “My Girl” songs, Motown defined the 1960s and influenced scores of artists that followed.

Gordy’s now iconic Motown Records, which the 93-year-old founded in Detroit in 1959, also played a pivotal role in uniting Black and white music fans in a decade convulsed by racial divisions.

Robinson was only 17 years old when he was recruited to join the label, where the balladeer became a prolific songwriter and seminal figure of the early days of R&B and soul.

“There had never been anything like Motown before Motown,” the now 82-year-old artist told AFP on the red carpet. “There will never be anything like Motown again.”

The star-studded gala that this year included Motown prodigy Stevie Wonder is an annual pre-Grammy tradition from MusiCares, the charitable wing of the Recording Academy that raises money to help musicians in need.

Friday marked the first time the show honored two artists, a decision MusiCares said was necessary to fete the two musical legends “of equal and parallel esteem.”

“Both loom so large in music, and their stories are so intertwined, that picking just one as the MusiCares Person Of The Year — an honor previously bestowed on Joni Mitchell, Quincy Jones, Aerosmith, and other luminaries — would be a half-measure,” the institution said.

‘Motown family’

Industry darlings turned out in full Motown swing with performers including the Four Tops, the Isley Brothers, Dionne Warwick, John Legend and Brandi Carlile.

The Temptations opened the show with a rollicking rendition of their smash hit “The Way You Do The Things You Do” and later crooned “My Girl” as Gordy and Robinson flashed megawatt smiles and bopped along.

Sheryl Crow belted out Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back” in a feathered, sparkling minidress, and Jimmie Allen performed “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” with Valerie Simpson, who co-wrote that hit, which Marvin Gaye and later Diana Ross made famous.

A trio of Best New Artist Grammy nominees — DOMi and JD Beck, Samara Joy, and Molly Tuttle — did a genre-bending medley of Motown classics.

“How in the world did I get to be in the Motown family? How in the world did I get a chance to have a catalog and be sitting here in front of my two amazing mentors?” said Lionel Richie in a heartfelt tribute.

“You guys mean the world to me,” he said before singing “Easy,” the beloved track he made famous with the Commodores in a performance that bought the room to its feet.

Wonder had the room standing once again as he delivered a reggae-tinged version of “Tears of a Clown.”

“I wouldn’t be here” without Robinson and Gordy, said Wonder — the virtuoso and music luminary who auditioned for Motown at just 11 years old.

“I can never repay you,” he said. “Thank you, I love you, thank you, I love you.”

“We should write a song like that!”

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Entertainment

Sania Mirza performs Umrah, shares photos on Instagram

Published

3 days ago

March 22, 2023

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Sania Mirza performs Umrah, shares photos on Instagram

Former India tennis player Sania Mirza, the wife of Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik, has performed Umrah along with his son.

Ms. Mirza took to Instagram where she shared a slew of photos captured in Makkah and Madina, the holiest places for Muslims in the world.

“Allhamdulillah May Allah accept our prayers,” she captioned the photos as she can we seen wearing black “Abaya” while posing for the clicks.

Last month, Sania Mirza retired from the game after suffering a shock defeat in final game of the career.
She played along with Madison Keys of the US when the pair was defeated by Russia’s Veronika Kudermetova and Liudmila Samsonova in the women’s doubles match at the Dubai Open. The 36-year-old was playing the last tournament of her glorious career after announcing her retirement plans.

The former women’s doubles world number one was ranked at 28 in the latest Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) rankings. She had won six Grand Slam titles and 43 major titles in the celebrated career spanning over wo decades.

She is the only Indian woman to top doubles rankings, and achieve a career-high singles ranking of 27.

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Entertainment

Food poisoning lands Alizeh Shah in hospital

Published

3 days ago

March 22, 2023

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Food poisoning lands Alizeh Shah in hospital

Lollywood diva Alizeh Shah has proved her mettle in the showbiz industry with her exceptional acting skills and reached the heights of stardom

She used to treat the fans with her beautiful clicks and videos on Instagram. This time around, the Ehd-e-Wafa famed star has fallen ill as she posted her photo from the hospital bed.

She can be seen lying on a hospital bid where she is receiving IV treatment. Taking to Instagram stories, she wrote: “Pls pray for me. I got food poisoned”.

Alizeh Shah debuted her acting career in 2016, with a supporting role Alina in Choti Si Zindagi. Later, she performed roles in Ishq Tamasha, Ehd-e-Wafa, Hoor Pari, Jo Tu Chahey, Mera Dil Mera Dushman, Bebessi and Taqdeer.

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Entertainment

Taylor Swift kicks off US Eras Tour at Super Bowl stadium

Published

5 days ago

March 20, 2023

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Taylor Swift kicks off US Eras Tour at Super Bowl stadium

Taylor Swift opened her U.S. concert series with a three-hour tour of her career.

Swift kicked off the first concert of the 52-date Eras Tour with a six-song set from her album “Lover” on Friday night at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, where the Super Bowl was played a month ago.

“I don’t know how to address the way this is making me feel right now,” Swift, who hasn’t toured since 2018, said early in the show.

She ended the concert with a seven-song set from her latest album “Midnights,” closing with the song “Karma.”

In between she played clusters of songs from most of her albums — and just one, “Tim McGraw,” from her 2006 self-titled debut. In the end it took 44 songs and just over three hours for her to span her 17-year career.

Having not toured for her previous three albums, this concert series is intended to play catchup by providing the live debut of many of those songs. When Swift announced the tour in November she called it “a journey through the musical eras of my career (past and present!).”

Swift seemed to acknowledge the Ticketmaster furor that sullied the run-up to the tour when she told the crowd of more than 70,000 that she understands it took “considerable effort” for them to be there.

After another show at the same venue Saturday night, the tour moves on to Allegiant Stadium outside Las Vegas and then AT&T Stadium near Dallas.

It concludes with two Los Angeles-area shows in August.

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