Sir Paul McCartney will headline the Super Bowl XXXIX halftime show. The NFL football match between the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles takes place on February 6 in Jacksonville, Florida. McCartney released a statement saying, "We're looking forward to rocking the millions at home and in the stadium." Last year's halftime event led to an investigation by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), after Janet Jackson experienced her infamous "wardrobe malfunction." Although she claimed that baring her breast to an international audience was an accident, the FCC fined CBS $550,000.
Kelly Clarkson, John Fogerty, Gretchen Wilson, the Charlie Daniels Band, Earth Wind & Fire and Black Eyed Peas are among the artists taking part in Super Bowl pre-game shows. In addition, Alicia Keys will sing "America The Beautiful" with 150 students from the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind. The students will sing and perform the lyrics in sign language.
On February 6, a 10-hour concert to mark Bob Marley's 70th birthday will take place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Marley's widow Rita will perform with Bob's former backup singer Marcia Griffiths and Judy Mowatt as the I-Threes. Others taking part in the event include Marley's children, Harry Belafonte, Quincy Jones, Youssou N'Dour and Baaba Maal of Senegal, Benin's Angelique Kidjo, India.Arie and reggae-rap star Shaggy.
On February 9, the United States Postal Service will unveil the President Ronald Reagan commemorative postage stamp. Country singers Crystal Gayle and Lee Greenwood will perform patriotic songs at the dedication ceremony, to be held at the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, D.C. They'll join Postmaster General John E. Potter, former Reagan Administration officials and members of Congress at the event.
On February 11, former Beach Boy Brian Wilson will be honored as the Recording Academy's 2005 MusiCares Person of the Year during a gala in Los Angeles. Neil Portnow, president of The Recording Academy and the MusiCares Foundation says, "We take great pride and joy in saluting Brian Wilson during MusiCares' milestone 15th anniversary of providing a safety net for musicians everywhere. He embodies the positive spirit that comes from dedication, perseverance and creative brilliance; his contributions to the evolution of music are both legendary and profound. Brian and his music have the power to reach listeners across generations and deliver a musical experience that is timeless and unforgettable." Previous honorees include Tony Bennett, Bono, Natalie Cole, Phil Collins, David Crosby, Gloria Estefan, Billy Joel, Elton John, Quincy Jones, Luciano Pavarotti, Bonnie Raitt, Carlos Santana, Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder and Sting.
First week sales of Country star Kenny Chesney's latest album Be As You Are (Songs From An Old Blue Chair) exceeded 310,000 copies. That was enough to give him a Number One debut on both the Country and Top 200 album charts. Kenny wrote or co-wrote all 12 songs on the collection. Only one track was written away from his Caribbean vacation home. The island-themed album features Kenny's current chart hit "Guitars and Tiki Bars."
MUSICAL EVENTS/FESTIVALS/BENEFITS:
February 9, the 15th annual Tibet House benefit concert will take place at New York's Carnegie Hall. This year's headliners include Lou Reed, the Black Keys, Ray Davies of the Kinks, Patti Smith and Trey Anastasio.
AWARDS PRESENTATIONS/WINNERS:
On February 9, the 2005 Brit Awards will be presented in London. Scottish four-man rock band Franz Ferdinand leads the contenders with five nominations, followed by British rock trio Muse with four mentions and American acts Maroon 5 and Scissor Sisters, which each received three. All proceeds from the event will go to the British Recording Industry Trust, which works to give young people a chance to express their musical creativity. One recipient is the Brit School, a performing arts center that offers free enrollment.
R&B star Usher leads the nominees for the 19th annual Soul Train Awards, which will take place on February 28 in Los Angeles. He received five mentions, including Best Male R&B/Soul Album for "Confessions." Ciara's debut album, "Goodies," brought her four nominations. They include Best Female R&B/Soul Album and Best New Artist. Beyonce also earned four nods. Two are for her work on the new Destiny's Child album, "Destiny Fulfilled." (Complete list of nominees available at www.soultrain.com.)