Grammy Award Winning Audio Engineer Bruce Swedien Dies At 86

Bruce Swedien engineered Michael Jackson's "Thriller." He also recorded sessions with Duke Ellington, Paul McCartney and Mick Jagger. Swedien was a favorite of producer Quincy Jones.

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November 24, 2020

NEA Heritage Fellow Suni Paz Sings For Children And The Have-Nots

Enlarge this image Argentine singer-songwriter Suni Paz adds NEA recognition to a long career. Ramiro Fauve hide captiontoggle caption Ramiro Fauve
November 24, 2020

Female Artists Have Historic Showing In Grammy Categories

The categories of Best Rock Performance and Best Country Album, traditionally are dominated by men. But this year, for the first time, the nominees in those categories are entirely women.
November 23, 2020

A Tense New Classical Work Bottles The Feeling Of A Police Stop

Enlarge this image Composer Anthony Davis based You Have the Right to Remain Silent on his own experience with police. Erik
November 23, 2020

Beyoncé, Dua Lipa Headline 2021 Grammy Nominations

Enlarge this image Beyoncé, seen here attending the 2020 pre-Grammy gala, received two record of the year nominations Tuesday. Allen Berezovsky/Getty
November 23, 2020

Biden's Pick To Lead State Department Has A Wonk Rock Band

Antony Blinken, President-elect Biden's choice for secretary of state, has much diplomatic experience. He also has a band called Ablinken. He has two original songs on Spotify.
November 22, 2020

Bad Bunny Diagnosed With COVID-19

Enlarge this image Bad Bunny, photographed at the 2019 MTV Video Music Awards in Newark, N.J. on Aug. 26, 2019. Johannes
Nov 21, 2020

'The Last Shall Be First': A Lost Chapter Of Gospel, Saved From Extinction

Enlarge this image Pastor Juan D. Shipp is the radio personality responsible for The Last Shall Be First: The JCR Records Story,
Nov 20, 2020

Musicians Turn To New Software To Play Together Online

Enlarge this image The members of New York-based brass quartet The Westerlies are rehearsing together thousands of miles apart, thanks to Audio
Nov 19, 2020

Latin Grammys 2020: Natalia Lafourcade, Residente Among Big Winners

Enlarge this image Víctor Manuelle, performing onstage during the 21st Annual Latin Grammy Awards at American Airlines Arena on Nov. 19, 2020
Nov 18, 2020

Megan Thee Stallion Shares 'Good News,' Her First Studio Album

Enlarge this image Megan Thee Stallion has released her debut album, Good News. Marcelo Cantu hide captiontoggle caption Marcelo Cantu
Nov 18, 2020

'Louder Than A Riot' Podcast Finds Evidence Rapper Mac Might Be Innocent

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Nov 18, 2020

New York Philharmonic Premieres Young Composer's 'Summer'

Grace Moore, 12, is one of the youngest composers to write music performed by the New York Philharmonic. She wrote "Summer" during the early days of…
Nov 17, 2020

The 'Sonic Genius' Behind Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' Has Died

Enlarge this image Bruce Swedien and Quincy Jones onstage together, speaking at the Pensado Awards for audio engineering in Culver City, Calif.
Nov 17, 2020

'Hitman' Bang Si-hyuk, The Brand-New Billionaire Behind BTS

Enlarge this image Chairman and CEO Bang Si-hyuk, center, photographed Oct. 15, 2020, the day his company, Big Hit Entertainment, debuted on
Nov 16, 2020

Lil Wayne Faces Federal Charge For Gun Possession

Enlarge this image Rapper Lil Wayne (center) watches a basketball game last December. He is facing a federal gun possession charge.
Nov 12, 2020

New Anthology Revisits Brief History Of The Gospel Truth Label

The Gospel Truth was a subsidiary of the famous soul label Stax Records. A new anthology, The Gospel Truth: The Complete Singles Collection, revisits…
Nov 06, 2020

Cándido Camero, A Father Of Latin Jazz, Dies At 99

Enlarge this image Cuban-born percussionist Candido Camero, circa 1960. Bill Wagg/Redferns hide captiontoggle caption Bill Wagg/Redferns
Nov 05, 2020

King Von, Emerging Chicago Rapper, Dead At 26

Enlarge this image Dayvon Bennett, better known as the rapper King Von . Courtesy of the artist hide captiontoggle caption Courtesy
Nov 05, 2020

Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame To Induct 2020's Honorees

The 35th annual class of inductees into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland include Depeche Mode, The Doobie Brothers, Whitney Houston, Nine…
Nov 04, 2020

The BlackSon And BlackCity Are Generating 'Free Power'

Enlarge this image The BlackSon, center, photographed with several members of the BlackCity, Funky Tenn collective. Gunner Stahl/Courtesy of the…
Nov 04, 2020

The Songwriting Success Of Singing Rapper Tim Gent And Rapping Singer Bryant Taylorr

Enlarge this image Bryant Taylorr. Courtesy of the artist hide captiontoggle caption Courtesy of the artist
Nov 04, 2020

A.B. Eastwood's Ever-Expanding Beat

Enlarge this image A.B. Eastwood. Dominique Alexander/Courtesy of the artist hide captiontoggle caption Dominique Alexander/Courtesy of the artist
Nov 04, 2020

Non-Lullaby Does The Trick To Soothe Fussy Baby

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Nov 04, 2020

Hip-Hop In Nashville Is Making Its Own Way

Enlarge this image Nashville's music industry has never given homegrown hip-hop the support it deserves, so the city's artists and entrepreneurs are
Nov 03, 2020

Stevie Nicks On TikTok, Tom Petty And Claiming What's Yours

Enlarge this image Stevie Nicks' new 24 Karat Gold concert film foregrounds songs the artist says never got their due. Courtesy
Nov 03, 2020

Arcade Fire Returns With 2020's First Big Post-Election Protest Anthem

Enlarge this image "I don't think they understand that I am not a patient man," Win Butler of Arcade Fire sings in
Nov 02, 2020

Baron Wolman, Rolling Stone's First Staff Photographer, Dies At 83

Enlarge this image Baron Wolman, photographed on Aug. 2, 2011 in New York for the release of his book The Rolling Stones
Nov 02, 2020

Tracy Chapman Returns To Sing Of 'Revolution' On The Eve Of Election Day

YouTube Tracy Chapman didn't take long to release her masterpiece. Arriving near the end of the Reagan Era, the singer-songwriter's classic,…
Nov 02, 2020

Brace Yourself: YouTube Has A New Most-Watched Video

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Oct 29, 2020

Ariana Grande Releases New Album 'Positions,' Her Most Explicit To Date

Enlarge this image Ariana Grande has released her sixth studio album, positions. Dave Myers hide captiontoggle caption Dave Myers
Oct 29, 2020

With Lil Wayne, Ice Cube And 50 Cent, Trump Makes Final Push For Black Voters

Enlarge this image Even when President Trump unveiled his plan for Black economic empowerment, he put most of his emphasis on telling
Oct 27, 2020

Join NPR Music's Listening Party For OutKast's 'Stankonia'

YouTube For the 20th anniversary of OutKast's Stankonia, join NPR Music's listening party this Friday at 2 p.m. ET. Hosted by scholar Regina Bradley…
Oct 27, 2020

NPR Music's Listening Party For OutKast's 'Stankonia'

YouTube Updated on Oct. 30 ay 4:04 p.m. ET. NPR Music's Listening Party has ended, but you can replay the album and conversation for the next 24…
Oct 26, 2020

Jack White Of The White Stripes Covers Busker's New Guitar

When a woman in Scotland smashed Matt Grant's guitar, he turned to crowd-funding to raise money. When he showed up at the store, the clerk told him…
Oct 24, 2020

'SNL': Adele Hosts Because 'Album's Not Finished,' But H.E.R. Debuts New Song

YouTube It's been nearly five years since Adele released her blockbuster, Grammy-festooned album 25 — so you'd be forgiven for wondering whether fans…
Oct 23, 2020

Jerry Jeff Walker, Who Wrote 'Mr. Bojangles,' Dies At 78

Enlarge this image Country legend Jerry Jeff Walker poses backstage at a country music festival in 2009. Walker, best known for his

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