Alicia Keys, John Legend and the Black Eyed Peas will be in Johannesburg, South Africa this week to perform at the FIFA World Cup Kick-Off Celebration Concert. Shakira, Juanes, Hugh Masekela and Angelique Kidjo are among the other artists scheduled to appear at the June 10 event. All net proceeds will go to "20 Centres for 2010," which plans to build 20 centers in Africa offering education and healthcare services, as well as soccer training to disadvantaged communities.
On June 7, Bon Jovi will begin the first of 12 shows at London's 23,000 O2 Arena. The Grammy-winning rock band wraps up the London concerts on June 26, then will return to the United States to kick off a round of North American shows on July 9. Rock promoter AEG Live president Rob Hallett said in a statement, "There are very few bands in the world that can sell out this many dates at one venue."
Pop superstar Celine Dion has announced that she's pregnant with twins. The 42-year-old Canadian singer revealed that she underwent six in-vitro fertilization treatments. Next month, she and her 68-year-old husband, Rene Angelil, will find out the gender of the babies. According to Dion's website, the twins are due in November. The couple has a nine-year-old son, Rene-Charles.
"American Idol" winner Lee DeWyze and runner-up Crystal Bowersox have both finalized their recording deals. DeWyze is signed to 19 Recordings Limited and RCA Records. Bowersox signed with 19 Recordings Limited and Jive Records. Before starting work on their debut albums, DeWyze and Bowersox will join the other Top 10 finalists on the 50-city "American Idols Live" tour, which kicks off on July 1 in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The trek will wrap up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on September 14.
On June 8, 25-year-old Australian guitar virtuoso Orianthi will release a new edition of her debut album, "Believe." "Believe II" includes four newly recorded tracks. Orianthi was introduced in the U.S. when she performed with Carrie Underwood at the 2009 Grammy Awards. That led Michael Jackson to hire her for his "This Is It" tour, which was canceled following his untimely death on June 25, 2009. Orianthi is currently opening concerts for 2009 "American Idol" runner-up Adam Lambert.
Christina Aguilera's much-anticipated new album will be released on June 8. The singer describes "Bionic" as a unique mix of many genres and styles of music. She says, "I was able to explore and create a fresh, sexy feel using both electronic and organic elements with subject matter ranging from playful to introspective. I am so excited for my fans to hear the new sound. It is something I don't think anyone will expect." The first single from "Bionic" was "Not Myself Tonight." The track debuted at Number 23 on the U.S. chart, but fell to Number 49 its second week on the list. Later this year, Aguilera will be seen on the big screen in "Burlesque," a film that also stars Cher, Stanley Tucci and Kristen Bell.
NEW ALBUM RELEASES:
New albums scheduled for release on June 8 include: "Sweet and Wild" by Jewel, "Up On The Ridge" by Dierks Bentley, "Goon Affiliated" by Plies, "Shout It Out" by Hanson, "Rayvon" by Rayvon, "Miss America" by Saving Abel, "She Won't Be Lonely Long" by Clay Walker, "Paradise" by Judy Collins, "Love Like Crazy" by Lee Brice and "Dark Hope" by Renee Fleming.
MUSICAL EVENTS/FESTIVALS/BENEFITS:
The 2010 CMA Music Festival will take place June 10-13 in Nashville. In addition to concerts by many of today's Country stars, the festival offers fans the opportunity to meet the favorite artists. This year's festival will split net proceeds between the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee for local flood relief and the Metro Nashville Public Schools for music education. Some 56,000 Country fans are expected to attend the event.
The 2010 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival takes place in Manchester, Tennessee June 10-13. Headliners include Jay-Z, Stevie Wonder, the Dave Matthews Band and Kings of Leon. According to Billboard, last year's Bonnaroo Festival drew approximately 80,000 people and brought in $17-$18 million in gross revenue. Bonnaroo has been the top-grossing festival in North America since it began in 2002.
The U.K.'s 2010 Isle of Wight Festival will be held June 11-13. Jay-Z, Paul McCartney, The Strokes, Pink and Blondie are among the many performers appearing at this year's event. The first two Isle of Wight festivals took place in 1968 and 1969. After a 32-year gap, the festival was resurrected in 2002 and has been held every year since.
On June 11, the 2nd annual Guitars of the Stars Benefit Auction will take place at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. All proceeds will benefit the Opry Trust Fund and earmarked for victims of the recent Tennessee floods. Artists contributing their guitars to the auction include Alan Jackson, Rascal Flatts, Darius Rucker, George Jones, and many others. The Opry Trust Fund was created more than 40 years ago to assist members of the Country music community with medical bills, living expenses and food.
TOUR DATES AND INFORMATION:
On June 8 the Eagles and the Dixie Chicks will begin a six-city North American stadium tour in Toronto, Ontario. The outing also includes stops in East Rutherford, New Jersey; Foxboro, Massachusetts; Raleigh, North Carolina; Chicago, Illinois; Winnipeg, Manitoba; and, St. Louis, Missouri. Keith Urban will join them on three of the dates. Previously scheduled concerts in Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia and Hershey, Pennsylvania have been canceled.
Aerosmith will begin its "Cocked, Locked and Ready To Rock" 11-city European tour on June 10 in Solvesborg, Sweden. Before wrapping up shows on July 3, the legendary rock band will also perform in the United Kingdom, Romania, Greece, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, France, Czech Republic and Italy. Lead vocalist Steven Tyler spent some time in a drug rehabilitation program last year. Earlier this year, Aerosmith's drummer, Joey Kramer, said, "Everything right now in Aero-land is very copacetic. We will carry on and do what we do best. The one common denominator that we still have is that we all love to get up on stage and rock out, play music and bring joy to people. And we let the other drama, as of late, kind of filter itself out by the wayside and concentrate on more of what's important, which is the playing and the business at hand."
