Musical Documentary About Civil Rights Movement On Oscar Short List

(RTTNews) - The documentary film, Soundtrack for a Revolution, made the 15-film short list for the best documentary film category for the Academy Awards.

The movie, directed by Bill Guttentag and Dan Sturman, tells the story of the civil rights movement, emphasizing the role that music played in the struggle.

It features the Roots, the Blind Boys of Alabama, John Legend, Wyclef Jean and many other performers. The artists are used in the film to interpret the music of the civil rights movement.

The movie had its international premiere at the Cannes Film Festival.

Other well-respected music-related documentaries were left off the Oscar list. These include It Might Get Loud, which features rock legends Jimmy Page, Jack White and U2's the Edge talking about their craft and the history of the electric guitar.

SOURCE

John Legend Makes People Magazine's "Sexiest Man Alive" list

People Magazine honors John Legend for what we already knew, but it is still cool to see him recognized. John made People Magazine's 2009 "Sexiest Man Alive" list. Congratulations! To see John's feature click here and be sure to see the list of all of the men who share this honor with John.

Starbucks Enlists U2, Dave Matthews and John Legend for Charity CD

With the holidays just around the corner, Starbucks has just made your next coffee run about more than just a Grande Gingerbread Latte. The coffee giant has teamed up with (RED) -- the movement to help eradicate AIDS in Africa -- and released a limited-edition album titled 'All You Need is Love.'

Starting Nov. 17, customers who spend $15 at participating Starbucks throughout the US or Canada will receive a free copy of the four-track CD while supplies last. The album features special recordings by longtime (RED) advocates U2, Dave Matthews Band, John Legend and Playing for Change, who give the Beatles' 'All You Need is Love' a reggae makeover.

Starbucks will also be donating $1 to support the Global Fund for each CD that is given away. To preview the songs on 'All You Need is Love' and find out more information, visit the Starbucks Love Project.

John Legend and Chrissy Teigen at the MOCA NEW 30th anniversary gala held at MOCA on November 14, 2009 in Los Angeles, California.

John Legend arrives at the Prada Book launch in Beverly Hills, Calif. on Friday, Nov. 13, 2009

Six-Time Grammy Award Winner John Legend to Perform at “Monster Retailer Awards and Concert” at CES 2010 in Las Vegas

Each year, Monster hosts what has become the biggest social event of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas – the Monster Retailer Awards and Concert. This year’s event promises to be truly “legendary,” with a concert performance by none other than 6-time Grammy Award winner John Legend. Over five thousand CE professionals are expected to pack the house to enjoy the concert and learn who will be honored with the coveted Monster Retailer Awards. Winners will be chosen in a variety of categories including the top award, the Gold, for “Most Monsterous Retailer of the Year.” The Monster Retailer Awards and Concert will take place on Friday, January 8, 2010 at the Paris Hotel.

Since his 2004 debut album Get Lifted, featuring the smash hit singles “Ordinary People” and “Used to Love U”, John Legend has achieved great things in multiple entertainment genres. In addition to his six Grammy Awards, he has collaborated with countless other artists, from Alicia Keys to Aretha Franklin, Sergio Mendes and Jay-Z, and has acted in various films and TV shows. He is also the recipient of the Starlight award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Both Get Lifted and Legend’s second album Once Again have been certified Platinum, and his latest album Evolver, with guest appearances by Kanye West, Brandy, Estelle and Andre 3000, has been certified Gold. This year, John performed at the 81st Academy Awards in February, and baseball fans enjoyed his rendition of the “Star Spangled Banner” at Game 2 during the 2009 World Series at Yankee Stadium. Other notable performances this year included the 2009 NBA All-Star Game and the “We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration.”

“Monster could never have enjoyed the success we have over the past 30 years without the tremendous support, effort and partnership of our valued retailers. Our CES concert and annual awards celebration is an important way for us to show our appreciation,” stated Noel Lee, the Head Monster. “We’re all huge music fanatics at Monster, and this year we’re especially thrilled to have a true ‘musician’s musician’ performing. With his impeccably crafted songs, virtuoso vocal and instrumental performances, passion and dedication, John Legend has established himself as one of today’s most gifted and important musical artists. Like so many of the great artists who have performed for us at CES in the past, his music is sure to inspire generations to come.”

Past Monster concerts have featured music greats like Diana Ross, Mary J. Blige, Stevie Wonder, Rod Stewart, B.B. King, Ray Charles, Crosby, Stills and Nash and James Brown.

Attendance for the 2010 Monster Retailer Awards and Concert is by invitation only.

About Monster

Monster is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2009. The company was founded by Head Monster Noel Lee with a commitment to creating products under the Monster Cable® brand to literally “make music sound better.” Today, Monster has grown and diversified to become the world's leading manufacturer of connectivity solutions for high-performance audio, video, car audio, computer, console and computer gaming, as well as a leading innovator in the field of iPod® and iPhone™ accessories and professional audio and sound reinforcement. As part of its commitment to improving the music listening experience, Monster worked with Dr. Dre and Interscope Geffen A&M Chairman Jimmy Iovine to create the Beats™ by Dr. Dre™ headphone line, including the new Heartbeats by Lady Gaga headphones. The company is also continuing to innovate with its own line of Monster brand headphones, including “Turbine Pro In-Ear Speakers,” the first in-ear headphones geared for use by music professionals and audiophiles. Additionally, under its Monster Power® brand, the company is the leading manufacturer of high-performance AC power line conditioning and protection products for audio/video systems.

Explore the world of Monster at www.MonsterCable.com.

Explore the world of Monster Power® at www.MonsterPower.com

Nov. 4, 2008: Obama Elected

By John Legend
Published in Newsweek


Deep down, I knew it would happen. I spent the day excited, optimistic, and a little anxious. And then, as my band and I watched the results come in, President Obama’s victory was announced and the champagne flowed. Tears flowed too, of happiness, relief, ecstasy, pride. I was immensely proud to be American. Proud that Americans had united in a way I had never experienced. We had come together after 9/11, of course, but bonding optimistically over our future was a lot better than doing so over grief and shock. On Nov. 4, Americans reached out, grabbed each others’ hands and became stronger. Instead of grieving hugs, we exchanged jubilant high fives. Our country voted for change. Big change. We voted for a major cultural shift that would realign our country with the times we lived in—to fundamentally transform our approach to health care, education, and international relations. We had dealt a massive blow to cynicism and created a future that looked brighter than our past. Earlier limits on the dreams of American kids were blown away. Older black men and women who lived through decades of the struggle for civil rights saw a previously unimaginable dream come true. This time we were all hopeful, knowing that America would never be the same; it would be better. The era of fear was over and the era of hope had begun.

SOURCE

NEW PHOTOS: 14th Annual National Breast Cancer Coalition Fund's New York Gala

Christy Teigen and John Legend attend the 14th annual National Breast Cancer Coalition Fund's New York Gala at Cipriani 42nd Street on November 5, 2009 in New York City.

Apple.com Article- Eugene “Man-Man” Roberts: Producing John Legend Live with MainStage

By Joe Cellini

The albums of R&B singer-songwriter John Legend - Get Lifted (2004); Once Again (2006); and Evolver (2008) - have yielded 14 Grammy nominations and 6 wins, fast-tracked Legend's induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and incalculably raised expectations among his fans for any future recordings.

Those expectations carry over to Legend's live performances, where his singular baritone and virtuosic keyboard skills transfer brilliantly from the studio to the stage. "My vision is that the show is entertaining from beginning to end, with great energy, soul, and musicianship," says Legend. "I want the crowd to leave feeling inspired and uplifted, like they really connected with me and the band."

For Legend, cinching that connection on the current tour involves working his songs on every level to meet and exceed the high bar set by the massively popular recordings.

"My set list is 95% the same every night because I have a good idea of what songs people definitely want to hear, but I always allow room to be spontaneous to a certain degree," he says. "I don't want the live show to be a replica of the record. I want to take the record to new places with new interpretations, medleys, remixes, and the energy that live performance brings."

To reach those new places, Legend plays with a killer lineup of all-star musicians who can deliver onstage as precisely as they do in the studio. To keep his sets fresh, he features regular guest vocalists like Estelle, Kanye West, Buju Banton, India.Arie and Rick Ross. And to keep the songs balanced - delivering the best sounds from the studio along with the freshest riffs from the stage - Legend's band performs using MainStage, running on several MacBook Pro laptops that look as natural in their live rigs as the keyboards, axes, and amps.

MainStage, the live-performance application in Logic Studio, allows the band to play software instruments and effects through a stage-friendly interface on a MacBook Pro. So while Legend sings and plays piano out front, keyboardist and musical director Eugene "Man-Man" Roberts delivers many of his own sounds through MainStage, which seamlessly complements and infinitely extends what he can generate from his multiple live keyboard setups.

READ MORE

The People Speak - in theaters soon!

John was apart of a remarkable film called THE PEOPLE SPEAK that will be in theaters this month and on the History Channel closer to the end of the year.

Matt Damon, Marisa Tomei, Morgan Freeman, Josh Brolin, Bruce Springsteen and Kerry Washington are a few other extraordinary people who were apart of the project as well.


THE PEOPLE SPEAK uses dramatic and musical performances of the letters, diaries and speeches of everyday Americans, THE PEOPLE SPEAK gives voice to those who spoke up for social change throughout U.S. history, forging a nation from the bottom up with their insistence on equality and justice. Narrated by Howard Zinn and based on his best-selling books, A People's History of the United States and Voices of a People's History, THE PEOPLE SPEAK illustrates the relevance of these passionate historical moments to our society today and reminds us never to take liberty for granted.

Click here to pre-order the DVD that will be released on January 26, 2010.

SOURCE: MANAGEMENT