Beyonce is Most-Searched Person on Bing; Madonna Tops Forbes Highest Earnings List

Singer Beyonce was named the most-searched person in 2013 on Bing, the online search engine said on Monday, edging out 2012's list-topper reality television
star Kim Kardashian, who came in second. Beyonce, 32, topped the list in a year where she made a carefully choreographed return to the musical spotlight after
taking time out to give birth to her first child, daughter Blue Ivy, with rapper husband Jay Z.

The singer performed at President Barack Obama's inauguration in January, at the Super Bowl in February and kicked off a worldwide tour, The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour, in April. The notoriously private singer also revealed glimpses of her life with Jay Z and their baby in a February HBO documentary.

Madonna Tops Forbes Highest Earning Entertainers List

Forbes has released its list of the top-earning musicians of 2013. Madonna made the most money this year, bringing in $125 million. Rounding out the Top 5 highest-earners were Lady Gaga ($80 million), Bon Jovi ($79 million), Toby Keith ($65 million) and Coldplay ($64 million).





Lady Gaga Tops Billboard 200 Chart

Lady Gaga’s new album ARTPOP sold 258,000 copies its first week of release, giving her a Number One debut on the Billboard 200 chart. This is the pop star’s second consecutive entry in the top spot on that list. Lady Gaga’s 2011 set, “Born This Way,” debuted at Number One after selling 1.1-million copies its opening week. This week’s other Top 10 entries include the various artist compilation Now That’s What I Call Music! Volume 48 (Number 3), The Beatles’ On Air: Live at the BBC Volume 2 (Number 7) and Jhene Aiko’s Sail Out (Number 8).

Australia Asks Bieber to Clean Up His Mess

Justin Bieber has been asked to clean up his mess by the mayor of the Gold Coast in Australia after the Canadian pop star spraypainted the wall of a hotel during his
"Believe" tour. The abstract graffiti was painted in the tennis court area of the QT Hotel on the Gold Coast, 80 km (50 miles) southeast of Brisbane, and posted on Bieber's Instagram page, where it has attracted more than 545,000 "likes".


One Direction Tops British Album Chart - Again

Anglo-Irish boy band One Direction secured their second number one in the UK album chart with their new release Midnight Memories, sales figures showed on
Sunday. The five-strong band's third studio album beat Take
That singer Gary Barlow's latest solo offering, "Since I Saw You Last", in the race to the top spot.




Springsteen to Release New Single

On November 25, Bruce Springsteen will release his new single “High Hopes.” According to Billboard, the New Jersey rocker might also have a new album out in January. “High Hopes” was originally recorded in 1990 by former Los Angeles rock band The Havalinas. Springsteen included the track in his 1996 documentary film, “Blood Brothers.”




Bon Jovi Hit Goes Viral

According to Nielsen BDS tracking, Bon Jovi’s 1987 Number One hit “Livin’ On A Prayer” was streamed 5.1 million times the week of November 10-16. Ninety-six percent of the streams came from a viral video of a Boston Celtics basketball fan dancing to the song in the stands during a break in the game. Last year, Billboard began taking online streams into account to rank its Hot 100 songs, which led to “Livin’ On A Prayer’s” Number 25 re-entry on this week’s list.

Garth Brooks New CD Drops

On November 28, Garth Brooks will release the six-CD, double-DVD box set Blame It All On My Roots. The collection is being sold exclusively at Walmart and Sam’s Club stores. Four of the discs contain newly-recorded versions of more than 40 cover songs Garth performed during his three-year engagement in Las Vegas. Two DVDs also document the Las Vegas run. On November 29, Garth wraps up his shows at the Encore Theater at Wynn Las Vegas with a live CBS special, “Garth Brooks, Live from Las Vegas.”


New Album Releases / November 26:

“Danielle Bradbery” by Danielle Bradbery (“The Voice” Season 4 winner)
“Foreverly” by Norah Jones & Billie Joe Armstrong
“Midnight Memories” by One Direction
“Honest” by Future
“Molly Drake” by Molly Drake
“Harlem River” by Kevin Morby

Musical Events / Festivals / Benefits

On November 25, the annual Charlie Daniels & Friends “Christmas 4 Kids” benefit concert takes place at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium. Joining him are Justin Moore, Sawyer Brown, Phil Vassar and Rodney Atkins. Daniels says, “Christmas 4 Kids is about helping underprivileged children who might not have much of a Christmas if it weren’t for this organization.” For more than 25 years, Christmas 4 Kids has provided children with their very own shopping spree. In addition to the benefit concert, funds are generated by the Tour Bus Show/Artist Meet and Greet event, which provides 400 children a $150.00 shopping excursion, dinner and party.

Star Birthdays

November 25 - Singer Amy Grant celebrated her 53rd birthday. Since 1979, she has topped the Christian and pop charts 18 times. Grant’s biggest pop hits include “Baby Baby,” “Every Heartbeat” and her 1986 duet with Peter Cetera, “The Next Time I Fall.” In 2000, Grant married Country star Vince Gill.

November 26 - Eight-time Grammy winner Tina Turner turned 75. She performed with husband Ike Turner from 1958 until their divorce in the late 1970s. The Tennessee native achieved worldwide success as a solo artist with her 1984 album “Private Dancer.” The album produced her first and only Number One single in the U.S., “What’s Love Got To Do With It.” Turner was given a Kennedy Center Honor in 2005. This past July, she married German music executive Erwin Bach. The couple began dating in 1986 and now lives in Switzerland.

British pop singer Natasha Bedingfield celebrated her 32nd birthday. She launched her career performing with her siblings Daniel Bedingfield and Nikola Rachelle in the Christian group The DNA Algorithm. Bedingfield has released three albums, 2004’s “Unwritten,” 2008’s “Pocketful of Sunshine” and 2012’s “Strip Me.” The title tracks from her first two albums both reached the Top 5 on the Hot 100 chart.

November 27 - Birth date of the late Country singer Eddie Rabbitt (born 1941). In 1970, Elvis Presley established Rabbitt’s songwriting career after recording his song “Kentucky Rain.” Four years later, Rabbitt launched his own recording career that produced such hits as “Drivin’ My Life Away,” “I Love A Rainy Night” and “The Wanderer.” In 1997, he was diagnosed with lung cancer and lost his battle with the disease in 1998.

November 28 - Singer-songwriter Randy Newman turned 70 years old. Before achieving success as a recording artist, Newman wrote hits for other performers, including Judy Collins, Peggy Lee and Three Dog Night. He gained national attention in 1977 with the Top 5 novelty song “Short People.” Newman is an award-winning film composer. He earned the Best Original Song Academy Award in 2002 for “If I Didn’t Have You” from Disney’s “Monsters, Inc.” The film soundtrack to 2010’s “Toy Story 3” brought Newman a Grammy Award. Its track “We Belong Together” gave him his second Academy Award for Best Original Song. Earlier this year, Newman was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

November 29 - 73rd birthday of flugelhorn player Chuck Mangione. Mangione is best known for his 1978 Top 5 hit “Feels So Good.” In 1989, after spending 25 years in music, he took several years off from his career. Last year, the New York native was inducted into the Rochester Music Hall of Fame.

November 30 - Pop singer Clay Aiken turns 35. Aiken grew up in North Carolina, where he performed in the Raleigh Boys Choir and many local stage musicals. He came to national attention in 2003 as a contestant on “American Idol.” Aiken placed second behind Ruben Studdard and was signed to RCA Records. His debut album, “Measure of a Man,” entered the Billboard 200 at Number One. Since then, Aiken has recorded four more studio albums.

Birth date of late television host and producer Dick Clark (born 1929). Clark became famous as the host of “American Bandstand,” a televised music show that began in 1952 as a local program in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Clark took over as the show’s host in 1956. He also hosted many game shows and variety programs. In December 2004, Clark suffered a minor stroke and, for the first time since 1972, was unable to host ABC-TV’s “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve.” Clark died in April 2012 at age 82.

Awards Presentations / Winners

Colombian singer Carlos Vives, Colombian producer Julio Reyes and American producer Sergio George led the winners at the 14th annual Latin Grammy Awards. Each took home three statues. Record of the Year went to Latin pop star Marc Anthony for “Vivir Mi Vida,” Draco Rosa won Album of the Year for “Vida” and the New Artist of the Year Latin Grammy was presented to Guatemalan singer Gaby Moreno. Forty-eight awards were presented in 18 categories. See complete list of winners at www.latingrammy.com.

On November 24, the 41st annual American Music Awards (AMA) were presented in Los Angeles. Rapper Pitbull is hosted this year’s ceremony. The fan-voted awards recognize the most popular artists of 2013. Macklemore and Ryan Lewis earned six nominations, including Artist of the Year and New Artist of the Year. Taylor Swift and Justin Timberlake each received five nods. Rihanna was given the AMA’s inaugural Icon Award. According to AMA producer Larry Klein, the Icon Award was “created to honor an artist whose body of work has made a profound influence over pop music on a global level.” (Complete list of winners at www.theamas.com.)

Look Who's Going On Tour!

Country legend Kenny Rogers kicks off his 2013 “Christmas and Hits Through the Years Tour” on November 27. His special guest on the 24-date outing is Grammy-winner Linda Davis, who’s the mother of Lady Antebellum’s Hillary Scott. Dates begin in Montreal, Quebec and wrap up on December 22 in Champaign, Illinois. Rogers will perform holiday favorites and his classic hits.

On November 29, Country singer Martina McBride will begin the first of twelve dates on her “Joy of Christmas Tour” in Huntington, West Virginia. Martina said, “This is such a fun and special tour to do. I love bringing Christmas to life onstage and putting everyone in the Christmas spirit. My favorite part of the show is the Q&A where I go into the audience. You never know what is going to happen, and the spontaneity is something I really enjoy.” She’ll be backed by a 12-piece band and string section. In each city, local celebrities will read the classic holiday story, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.”


Some information in this report provided by Reuters