WRMF Music and Star News

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U2 - Golden Moment!
Bono and Edge were on hand to pick up the trophy for Best Original Song for "The Hands That Built America," from "Gangs Of New York," at the recent Golden Globe Awards.

"This was a real, real thrill for us," he told reporters backstage.

Martin Scorsese won the Golden Globe's Best Director award for "Gangs Of New York," a project that took him 30 years to bring to life.

"What Martin Scorsese is about is truth over romance,' added Bono, "And that's why he deserves an award tonight."

"The surprise was to be able to move from 1846 to 2001 in one song," explained Bono. "Thanks to Marty's spectacular time-lapse in the ending of `Gangs,' we could do that and stay true to the faces of the past and the present... faces familiar to our own, the Irish in America."

U2 is among a hot lineup of rock artists appearing on the eagerly awaited tribute album to The Ramones, "We're A Happy Family." U2 reworked The Ramones' "Beat On The Brat." The Columbia Records release, also featuring Garbage, Pete Yorn, the Pretenders, Green Day, and The Offspring, is slated to hit stores on February 11th.

DIXIE CHICKS - Live In Your Living Room!
The Dixie Chicks will hit stores on February 11th with their new DVD, "An Evening With The Dixie Chicks."

The concert was taped during the trio's concert at the Kodak Theater in Los Angeles last year for an NBC special.

"An Evening With The Dixie Chicks" DVD features a full show and seven additional songs which didn't air on the NBC special!

Rolling Stone reports the Dixie Chicks' Natalie Maines has filmed her feature film debut in "Grand Champion," starring Bruce Willis. A release date for the movie has not yet been set.

The Dixie Chicks are getting close to taking over the Top spot on the Hot AC chart with their remake of the Stevie Nicks' classic "Landslide."

"Anyone who tells you there's no pressure to sing the National Anthem 'live' to one of the biggest television audiences on the planet is not telling the truth," said Emily Robison. "Sure, I'm a little nervous, but we're all also very excited and honored for the privilege."

The Dixie Chicks will be the musical guest on "Saturday Night Live" on February 8th.

KID ROCK / SHERYL CROW - Rockin' Duo!
Kid Rock and Sheryl Crow will come together and perform their hot new hit "Picture" on the "Tonight Show With Jay Leno" on Friday, January 24th. "Picture" is the latest hit from Kid Rock's CD, "Cocky." Kid Rock will hit the big screen on January 31st in the street racing flick "Biker Boyz," starring Laurence Fishburne.

TORI AMOS - Fairytale Outing!
Tori Amos will followup her current European tour with a trek of the Eastern part of the U.S. set to kick off in Boca Raton, Florida on February 19th. Catch Tori Amos in Jacksonville, FL 2/21, Birmingham, AL 2/22, Nashville, TN 2/23, Charlotte, NC 2/25, Albany, NY 2/28, Syracuse, NY 3/1, Portland, ME 3/3, Durham, NH 3/4, New York, NY 3/6-7, Toledo, OH 3/11, Buffalo, NY 3/13, Louisville, KY 3/15, Erie, PA 3/19, and Cincinnati, OH 3/20. Tori continues to be a mainstay on Hot AC radio with "A Sorta Fairytale," from her "Scarlet's Walk" CD.

MADONNA - Good Life!
Madonna is getting ready to return to radio with "American Life," the first single from her as-yet-untitled CD due out in April.

Madonna's ninth album, her followup to 2000's "Music," will mark her twentieth anniversary. She debuted in 1983 with her self-titled effort.

Madonna will team up with director Jonas Ackerlund in February to shoot the video for "American Life." The acclaimed director teamed with Madonna for her "Ray Of Light" clip.

Fans can catch Madonna as a presenter at the Golden Globe awards ceremony in Los Angeles on Sunday, January 19th.

Madonna's "Die Another Day," the theme from the latest James Bond flick, is nominated for Best Original Song. "Die Another Day" is in the running with:

"Father And Daughter" (Paul Simon) - "The Wild Thornberrys"
"Hero" (Chad Kroeger ftg. Josey Scott) - "Spider Man"
"Lose Yourself" (Eminem) - "8 Mile"
"Gollum's Song" - "The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers"

Madonna won Best Original song in 1996 for "You Must Love Me."

Here's a list of Madonna's previous Golden Globe nominations for Best Original Song: **(movie title)

1987 - "Who's That Girl" - (Who's That Girl)
1990 - "Sooner Or Later, What Can You Lose" - (Dick Tracy: "I'm Breathless" (Music from & Inspired by the Film)
1992 - "This Used to Be My Playground" - (League Of Their Own)
1994 - "I'll Remember" - (With Honors)
1996 - "You Must Love Me" - (Evita)
1999 - "Beautiful Stranger" - (Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me)

Madonna also won a Golden Globe for Best Actress for her portrayal as Eva Peron in "Evita."

KID ROCK - Picture Of A Hit! "Picture," Kid Rock's new hit featuring Sheryl Crow, continues to leap up the Hot AC chart. Watch for Kid Rock to speed onto the big screen soon as `Dogg," the president of a motorcycle crew known as the Strays, in "Biker Boyz." The street racing-themed flick, starring Laurence Fishburne and Orlando Jones, hits theaters on January 31st. Kid Rock teamed up with Country singer Kenny Chesney for a cover of Waylon Jennings' hit "Luckenbach, Texas" for the upcoming compilation "I've Always Been Crazy: A Tribute To Waylon Jennings," due out in April. Matchbox Twenty's Rob Thomas, John Mellencamp, and Ben Harper are among the non-Country stars contributing to the CD.

SHANIA TWAIN - Big Time! Shania Twain will kick off the New Year performing in the special halftime show at Super Bowl XXXVII on January 26th. No Doubt will also perform during halftime and the Dixie Chicks will sing the national anthem prior to the game. "Anyone who tells you there's no pressure to sing the National Anthem live to one of the biggest television audiences on the planet is not telling the truth," said the Chicks' Emily Robison. "Sure, I'm a little nervous, but we're also very excited and honored." "It will be the first appearance we've done since Emily had her baby in November," Dixie Chick Martie Maguire added. "With Emily's new baby and Natalie [Maine]'s toddler, our biggest challenge for this event might be trying to find good babysitters on Super Bowl Sunday!" Celine Dion is slated to perform a special arrangement of "God Bless America" and Carlos Santana and Michelle Branch have signed on to perform their current hit, "The Game Of Love," for the pre-game show. Beyonce Knowles of Destiny's Child is rumored to be among the "surprise guests" appearing at the pre-game event. U2 headlined last year's mega show in New Orleans.

JEWEL - Good Time!
Jewel, Norah Jones, Vanessa Carlton, John Mayer, Bruce Hornsby, and Ray Charles were be among the artists performing at an Elton John Tribute, which is part of the NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) Convention, in Anaheim, California on Friday, January 17th. Jewel performed Elton's first big hit, "Your Song." On Thursday, February 13th, Jewel will perform a concert with her band following the 54th Annual San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo in San Antonio, Texas. Jewel has been working on new songs for her next album, the followup to 2001's "This Way." "I think this is my best record," Jewel explains about her work-in-progress. "I have 10 or so songs written and we're still writing." "I'm writing most of the record with a really talented guy named Lester Mendes," she says about her new writing partner. "We write the music together and I write the lyrics and melodies as usual. I love writing with him. It has been so much fun so far that it seems almost illegal."

SHAKIRA - Hot Shows!
Shakira will kickoff the second leg of her "Tour Of The Mongoose" on January 18th in Chicago, Illinois. Catch Shakira in Dallas, TX 1/20, Houston, TX 1/22, San Antonio, TX 1/23, Las Vegas, NV 1/25, Denver, CO 1/29, Phoenix, AZ 1/31, Oakland, CA 2/2, and Laredo, TX 2/5-6. Shakira will tour Mexico and Latin America in February and March. Shakira's "Underneath Your Clothes" is picking up adds at Hot AC stations.