Roger Waters Marries Laurie Durning, Talks of 'Clinging to Pink Floyd Trademark'

Stefan M. Prager, Redferns

Roger Waters married filmmaker and longtime girlfriend Laurie Durning in Southampton, New York on Jan. 14. This is the fourth wedding for the Pink Floyd icon, who became engaged to Durning in 2004.

"Well, actually, I need to bring you up to date because I just got married on Saturday to Laurie, she's gorgeous," Waters revealed to Howard Stern during an hour-long interview Jan. 18 on his SiriusXM show.

"Yeah, I couldn't be happier. We did [the pre-nup]. We've been living together for 10 years, I think we sort of know now that we like getting up together in the morning and going to bed at night."

Johnny Otis, 'Willie and the Hand Jive' Songwriter and R&B Icon, Dead at 90

GAB Archive, Redferns

Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Johnny Otis -- best known for writing the 1958 hit 'Willie and the Hand Jive' -- died Jan. 17 in Los Angeles. He was 90.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Otis -- born Johnny Veliotes -- was raised in Berkeley, CA, and began playing drums in his early 20s around the Los Angeles R&B scene which predominantly consisted of black artists performing with Otis, who was white. Today, he is considered by many to be the "Godfather of Rhythm and Blues."

"When I got near teen age, I was so happy with my friends and the African American culture that I couldn't imagine not being a part of it," he said in a 1991 interview with the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Weakerthan's John K. Samson Goes Solo, Ponders 'Provincial' Roads and Occupy

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It's hard to imagine Bruce Springsteen being from anywhere other than New Jersey, and in much the same way, John K. Samson's affiliation with his home province of Manitoba has become the stuff of CanRock legend.

As frontman for the Weakerthans since the band's formation in 1997, Samson's lyrics have often exposed harsh truths about life in and around Winnipeg. But over the past two years, Samson has been edging even closer into Springsteen-themed territory with solo recordings directly inspired by Manitoba roads. These now provide the backbone of 'Provincial,' Samson's first full-length solo venture since a 1993 cassette recorded while he was still a part of Winnipeg punk institution Propagandhi.

"My idea for this record was, if someone had a couple of days free, they could come to me and I could take them to the site of each song," Sampson tells Spinner, noting that much of the album's subject matter, such as the notorious history of the Ninette, Manitoba tuberculosis sanitorium, and a petition to get Riverton, Manitoba NHL star Reggie Leach into the Hockey Hall of Fame, was ultimately fleshed out by his unquenchable thirst for gathering details.

8-Year-Old Australian Girl Performs 'My First Hardcore Song' -- (VIDEO)

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She sings! She screams! She plays with puppies and plush toys! But most of all, she does a mean moshpit windmill.

Meet Juliet, an adorable and precocious 8-year-old girl from Australia who just issued 'My First Hardcore Song,' a video that has gone viral today. In the minute-long clip, Juliet makes the tough guy hardcore face -rawr!- hugs her dog, Robert, while confessing her love for him and her fish, and demands "Let's open up the pit." Yes, ma'am. Whatever you say, Juliet!

Kenny G and Wife File for Divorce

Stephen Shugerman, Getty Images for In Style

Saxophone virtuoso Kenny G and his wife Lyndie Benson-Gorelick have filed for divorce. According to TMZ, the couple seek to legally separate after 20 years of marriage. The soprano sax maven is reportedly worth around $50 million, so a lot of money is at stake.

Both parties have lawyered up big time. The 55-year-old reed man has hired Laura Wasser, attorney for Britney Spears and Kim Kardashian, while his estranged wife his hired Hollywood's Gary Fishbein.

Fleet Foxes Drummer J. Tillman Leaves Band After Four Years

Sean Pecknold

J. Tillman, drummer of Fleet Foxes, is heading for greener pastures, or so he hopes. He made the announcement via his Tumblr, bidding goodbye after joining in 2008: "Farewell Fleet Fans and Friends. Back into the gaping maw of obscurity I go."

"Tokyo is my last show with the Foxes," he continued. The show takes place Friday night (Jan. 20), so if you're a fan in the Tokyo metropolitan area or have a lot of airline miles on your hands, then you know where to be. Though he hasn't made it clear exactly what he will be doing post-Foxes, the guy is a veritable folk Swiss Army Knife, he has maintained a steady stream of releases since 2004 and has toured with David Bazan and Damien Jurado.

Etta James Dead at 73: 'At Last' Singer Dies After Leukemia Battle

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Etta James, the powerhouse singer who combined blues, gospel and R&B and emerged as a major star in the '50s and '60s, has died after a long battle with leukemia. According to CNN, the sad news was confirmed by her friend and manager, Lupe De Leon, who revealed that James died in a Riverside, Calif., hospital. She was 73.

Best known for her 1961 version of 'At Last,' James enjoyed a remarkable career that spanned more than a half-century. Her string of hits began with 1955's 'The Wallflower (Dance With Me, Henry)' and continued with such classics as 'Spoonful,' 'Something's Got a Hold on Me' and 'Tell Mama.' Over the years, she won six Grammy awards, and in 1993, she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The singer's life was not without hardship, however. Her popularity declined in the '70s and '80s, and she struggled for years with an addiction to heroin. While she earned plaudits for the 1988 "comeback" album 'Seven Year Itch,' recorded after she'd completed a stint at the Betty Ford Center, health troubles continued to plague her throughout her life. In addition to leukemia, she spent recent years grappling with dementia, Hepatitis C and Alzheimer's disease, and in January 2010, she was hospitalized for sepsis.

Lana Del Rey: Can Artifice Survive in the Age of Adele?

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2011 was another dismal year for the economy. With U.S. layoffs soaring, European protests raging and 'Occupy Wall Street' dominating North American news all fall, the recession was etched into our collective psyches. Yet somehow the music industry saw a boom in sales after a seven-year slump thanks, in large part, to Adele.

The British songbird was a commercial and critical success, selling over 6 million copies of her Grammy-nominated sophomore effort '21' and occupying most critic year-end lists. '21' debuted atop Billboard's charts and spent 16 non-consecutive weeks at No. 1, tying the 'Titanic' soundtrack from way back in 1997.

Adele embodied authenticity by refusing to fit into pop music's superficial and sexed-up landscape; she broke its mould altogether. Adele simply stood on her own laurels as a great singer. No bells, no whistles, no fireworks-blasting boobs. Despite wallets being tight, people shelled out in record-breaking droves.

Dave Grohl Q&A: Why Rock Will Never Die & Why 2011 Was His Best Year Ever

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The Year in Rock: Who's the New Kid?

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New Music: French Montana – Ghetto Boy ft. Uncle Murda & Torch

Recently signed Bad Boy rapper French Montana hooks up with fellow New York rappers Uncle Murda and Torch to drop a blazing hot street single called “Ghetto Boy.” Produced by Aone, this track has these three street dudes rapping about their upbringing, and now their environment shaped who they are today.

French is on the hook as usual, and he kills it time after time. It seems that French is starting to become the go to guy for hooks lately, jumping on tracks with almost every notable rapper in the game today. The song is alright, but it’s sounds like a fusion of hip-hop and country music.

Mike Posner's 'Looks Like Sex' Video: Looks Like Sex

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It couldn't have taken Mike Posner long to pick 'Looks Like Sex' as the lead single from his forthcoming sophomore album, 'Sky High.' Singles lead to videos, and when you've got a tune that goes, "That ass makes me want to oooh-ooh-ooh," it lends itself to some pretty risque -- read: fun-to-shoot -- visuals.

Sure enough, the just-released clip finds the Detroit electro-hip-hop singer and songwriter cavorting around with a bevy of barely dressed hotties. One wears nothing but body paint, while most of the others opt for glow-in-the-dark lingerie.

At one point, two girls appear in silhouette and rub white powder all over each other. Not to be out-sexed, the body-paint girl follows their display with a memorable bathtub scene.

Queen Latifah Steps Onstage With Miami Drag Queen

Jeff Kravitz, FilmMagic

Queen Latifah took some time off from her 'Joyful Noise' promo blitz to engage in the Miami nightlife. While she was likely basking in the sun during the day, it was when the sun went down that the 'U.N.I.T.Y.' rapper rubbed elbows with drag queens at local hotspot Twist.

The New York Daily News' Gatecrasher reports that the New Jersey native spent some time at the South Beach venue -- touted as the "longest running gay club in Miami" -- last week. A source spilled the secret of her appearance at the spot and revealed that she hopped up onstage with a drag queen.

According to the insider, Latifah "came up out of the shadows" and joined the drag queen, who was clad in a pink and green camouflage-colored Spandex onesie, during her set. The 41-year-old rhymer-turned actress was visibly joyful -- pun intended -- and began planting kisses on the performer's cheeks as her large group of friends watched.

Beyonce, Mathew Knowles Reunite at Blue Ivy's Birth

Dave M. Benett, Getty Images

As Beyonce was giving birth to daughter Blue Ivy Carter on Jan. 7, she put past differences aside and made amends with her father, Mathew Knowles, according to Mediatakeout.com.

While the '4' songstress initially didn't want her dad there, husband Jay-Z reportedly convinced her to invite him to the hospital. It proved an emotional reunion, and seeing Mathew at the very moment she was about to give birth, Beyonce was apparently moved to tears.

Mateo Says Alicia Keys 'Ups My Standards' in the Studio

Charley Gallay, Getty Images

You could say Iman "Mateo" Jordan is a hopeless romantic. "I know it sounds cliché," the Ohio singer-songwriter-pianist tells The BoomBox with a hint of amusement in his voice. "But I have to describe my music as love. I think everyone can relate to that."

Indeed, the crooner, who was signed by producer Kerry "Krucial" Brothers and Grammy-winning superstar Alicia Keys to the Krucial Noise imprint in 2010, wears his heart on his sleeve.

His 2011 mixtape 'Love & Stadiums' is huge on love, breakups and redemption. With his official EP debut, 'Love & Stadiums II,' led by the Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz-featured track 'Say It's So,' Mateo sat down with The BoomBox to discuss his rising career, working with a modern day R&B icon and why today is the best time to be a musician.

Jay-Z, Duracell Partnership Announced

Ilya S. Savenok, FilmMagic

The past two days have been a whirlwind for Jay-Z, but a new partnership ensures he'll never run out of juice.

The proud father of Blue Ivy Carter has announced a joint venture with Duracell Powermat, to be the "face and voice" of the battery company, with which has has signed a multi-year contract as an investment partner.

"I believe in the future of wireless energy and I believe that Duracell Powermat is the company to bring on the revolution," Jay-Z said in a statement. "I'm partnering with Duracell Powermat because they're providing the solutions for the future."

Tech N9ne Thanks Troops, Performs with Broken Ribs

Johnny Gramercy

As Tech N9ne revealed in an interview with TheBoombox, the Kansas City, Mo., MC recently embarked on a U.S.O. tour to perform for American soldiers overseas, performing six shows in eight days in Bahrain and Kuwait.

In a new statement, Tech discussed the trip, relating his overwhelming gratitude for the warm welcome he received from the troops, and his appreciation for the men and women of the armed forces.

Dr. Dre, Oscar de la Renta: PETA Bashes Fur Headphones

Ilya S. Savenok, Getty Images

Dr. Dre recently unveiled a fashion-friendly version of his Beats by Dre headphones, which feature an ear muff-like design created by famed designer Oscar de la Renta. While his fans and trendy style enthusiasts everywhere are eager to get their hands on the $695 item, animal rights organization PETA is urging the rapper-producer to stop using the silver fox fur decorating the outside of the earpieces.

PETA representative Michelle Cho wrote an open letter to the 'Detox' creator. In it, she details the cruelty that animals endure as part of the fashion process.

"We wanted to get in touch to urge you to keep fur and exotic-animal skins out of your Beats by Dre designs. Foxes, minks, rabbits, and other animals-including cats and dogs-are bludgeoned, genitally electrocuted, strangled with wire nooses, drowned, and even skinned alive for their pelts. Most animals killed for their fur are slaughtered in China, where there are no penalties for those who abuse animals on fur farms," she wrote.

Tyga 'Rack City' Video: Presidents & Booty Are Shown

Mindy Small, FilmMagic

Tyga serves a set of action-packed new visuals for 'Rack City,' a single that will be featured on his sophomore release, 'Careless World: Rise of the Last King,' due Jan. 24.

The Young Money rhymer, joined by a cast including Krazy Klinko, Chyna and Mr. Rose, steals gold bars, throws money at voluptuous strippers and escapes from a gun-toting army of men in the three-minute clip.

"Close your eyes for a second. Try to imagine the most darkest, murderous, corrupt place on the planet. Times that by 100 and you got where I'm from. It's hard making a living in this town and even harder to stay alive. I managed to do both for 22 years," the tattooed rapper says as the video commences.

50 Cent Tweets Fake Blue Ivy Carter Photos

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We've come a long way from the days when rappers used guns to settle their beefs. Now, the weapon of choice is Photoshop -- at least it is for 50 Cent, who took to Twitter on Monday (Jan. 9) to post some joke photos (see below) of rival Jay-Z and Beyonce's newborn baby girl, Blue Ivy Carter.

"Y'all play too much congratulations to Jay-Z and Beyonce baby," he tweeted, linking to doctored photos of Hova's head pasted on an infant's body. "Blue Ivy Carter is gorgeous."

In a later post, Fiddy seemed to soften his attack on Jay, who he's clashed with over the years.

"I would never make a picture like that its all over my time line yal play to much I'm sure Jay is the happiest he's ever been in his life," he wrote.

Slim Dunkin: Young Vito Denied Bond for MC's Death

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Young Vito, the accused murderer of southern MC Slim Dunkin, was denied bail when he appeared in front of a judge in an Atlanta courtroom on Tuesday (Jan. 10).

The 28-year-old suspect, born Vinson Hardimon, was placed back into custody at the Fulton County Jail. He currently faces charges of murder and gun possession.