Elliott Yamin Uses Twitter To Break News About Chile Earthquake

Late Friday evening or early Saturday morning based on where you live, news broke about a big earthquake that hit Chile, measuring at over 8.0. But before CNN could report it, I found out through an unlikely source. American Idol alumnus, Elliott Yamin was in Chile and after a series of tweets in which he seemed to have had an uneventful evening (many which have since been deleted), he wrote this:

Huge earthquake just now in Chile!!….I swear I thought this was the end of my life!!!!!

It just goes to show how Twitter has become one of the defining sources of real-time information. A report coming from Chile wasn’t the first source of the news. It was a semi-famous person with a decent Twitter following who was actually in the earthquake.

Yamin became an actual news correspondent. His brother was relaying him information from CNN that mentioned a tsunami warning, but those in Chile didn’t hear that same warning and Yamin tweeted that the army was telling them to stick around. Later in the day, he went on ABC and NBC to talk about the earthquake.

Follow Yamin on Twitter for the latest information. His latest tweets have asked for prayers for the victims of the earthquake.

Photo of Yamin shared through creative commons (3.0 unported)

Popularity: 17% [?]

I’ll Bet You Think This Song Is About You

CNN is reporting tonight that Carly Simon’s big secret — the subject of the standard You’re So Vain– is David.

She’s just not saying David’s last name yet.

And maybe the best part of the entire issue is that Simon reveals the clue is when she whispers the name “David”, which is heard when played in reverse just before the bridge on a new version of the song.  So even if The Beatles didn’t kill Paul and leave clues in their music, at least one artist says she has added a clue in reverse.

All of this has prompted London newspaper The Sun to report that David is mogul David Geffen.  The tabloid’s sleuthing says that Carly was jealous about Geffen bringing Joni Mitchell to his startup label in the

Eh.  Maybe.

Knowing the lyrics, I would say that’s a stretch.  But it ain’t Warren (Beatty) or Mick (Jagger), so I guess either proved their vanity when claiming the song was about them.

What do you think?   Who else could David be?   Showbiz411 debunks the entire David issue and claims the guy is still Warren.  I always thought so.

Your turn.

Popularity: 10% [?]

My Sharona Singer Dead At 57

Doug Fieger, lead vocalist of The Knack, whose voice became a radio staple in the late 1970s singing My Sharona and Good Girls Don’t, has died at the age of 57 after battling cancer for years.

The number one single and multi-platinum LP, Get The Knack, was a worldwide smash driven by a repetitive bass hook that became synonymous with the group.  Drummer Bruce Gary, who could play with tight control or New Wave abandon, died of cancer five years ago.

The band never recaptured the popularity of their first two albums, but continued making music into 2001.

RIP, Doug Fieger

Popularity: 5% [?]

Lil Wayne’s Long Goodbye

You don’t have to watch the hour long live stream. God knows I kept fast-forwarding. But as he gets ready for sentencing on last year’s gun charges, Wayne took an hour of his dwindling freedom to light up, talk to his fans and rotate in whoever was wandering by.

There’s no denying Wayne’s appeal or credibility. President Obama name checks him, Billboard is suggesting that Rebirth might sell more than 100,000 units in its debut week and he’s already sitting on 4 Grammys. But last year’s multiple arrests on weapons and drug charges means Wayne is likely going to prison for a time.  Even multimillionaire musicians can’t like prison.  Maybe they like it less.

But a little dental surgery bought him an extra month on the outside.   Apparently prison dentists aren’t as good as the ones in Miami so the dude who smoked a Grammy stage earlier this month has until March before being sentenced.  Which gives President Obama one more time to namecheck him.  Maybe about dental hygiene.

Here is the full hour on Ustream for completists.

Popularity: 3% [?]

Simon Cowell’s Haiti Tribute – Everybody Hurts

Simon Cowell’s Haiti tribute song has been in the works for at least two weeks according to CNN’s Showbiz site.

The song is a cover of the old REM tune, Everybody Hurts. Sharing the microphone in this version are Kylie Minogue, Robbie Williams, and Cowell’s recent finds, Susan Boyle and Leona Lewis. Lewis is the girl who sounds exactly like 1991 Mariah Carey in the tune.

According to the article, they will split the proceeds between two charities.

Proceeds from the single’s sale will be split between the Disasters Emergency Committee and the “Helping Haiti” appeal in aid of Doctors Without Borders, or Médecins Sans Frontières.

A video and the release of the single are set for next week.

Popularity: 10% [?]

We Are The World – 25 For Haiti Update

Though we don’t have all the details of the new We Are The World song, some details are trickling out.

Here are some of the things which I have heard or read:

- Justin Bieber is supposedly singing Lionel’s opening line. “There comes a time…” Don’t you need bass in your voice to sing that part?

- Lil’ Wayne is scheduled to sing Bob Dylan’s original part and he thought they were playing a joke on him when told him.

- Celine Dion is going to sing Cyndi Lauper’s part, which is one of the more famous parts of the original video. I don’t think she’ll have the wacky hair though unfortunately.

- Janet Jackson was rumored to be singing Michael Jackson’s bridge, but there’s also talk that MJ’s voice will be used somehow. Maybe MJ’s “shalah-shalingay” chorus that he recorded for the demo will finally see the light of day?

- Hip hop will be represented in the new version. Some of the rumored stars include T-Pain, Kanye West, Bizzy Bone, Kid Cudi, LL Cool J, Snoop Dogg, Drake, Mann, Nipsey Hussle, Busta Rhymes and Swizz Beatz. Don’t ask me who Mann and Nipsey Hussle are because I have no clue.

- We may see the premiere of the video on the first day of the Winter Olympics.

MTV.com has some video of the Monday night recording session which I’ve added below.

Popularity: 17% [?]

Zac Brown Band Shreds All-Stars – Grammys 2010

CBS shills The Big Bang Theory during Best Comedy Album.  Six nominees and Colbert wins for a cute skit that turned into a record.  And for this we’ve given up a Kings of Leon or a jazz or a blues performance?  Or maybe even that, whaddya call it?  Classical.

Off of commercial, Norah Jones and Ringo Starr.  Remember, Norah’s dad and Ringo go way back.  Bobby Darin gets a Lifetime Achievement Award as Mack The Knife plays.  Ringo pumps up the audience for Norah.

Beyonce’s Halo, I Gotta Feeling by the Peas, Use Somebody by Kings of Leon, Gaga’s Poker Face and Taylor Swift’s You Belong With Me are the nominees.   Kings of Leon pull off another huge upset.  Peas and Swift were safe here.  Good for the Academy voters.

Robert Downey, Jr. is introduced as the most self-important actor of his generation which is a joke gone bad or a horrible intro.  He is Sue’s at Movie Rewind’s main dude. Gotta give it to Jamie Foxx who can make an intro.  Autotune at The Grammys is a big no-no in my book especially when we all know Jamie can sing.  Some weirdness when Jamie’s mic seemed to cut in and a different timbre was heard.  I’m just saying…  T-Pain who is never losing AutoTune regardless of venue prances a bit. The whole thing is a bit muddy for stars this talented.

It’s the big jam as Slash enters with hat and blazing guitar.

Katy Perry, kind of looking like his daughter, shows up with Alice Cooper.  They give  Florence Greenberg a posthumous  Trustee Award and start naming   Best Rock Album nominees.

Best Rock (Kid Rock?  Rock of Ages?) whatever that means anymore, goes to Green Day.  That’s a strange choice with Dave Matthews and the album I thought had won, AC/DC’s Black Ice.  Insiders Butch Vig and Chris Lord-Alge get name checked by Billie Joe Armstrong who doesn’t let anyone else talk.  He writes great hooks, but I’m getting bored with Billie Joe again.   This happened after Dookie too.

Chris O’Donnell shills one of the NCIS shows.  He throws a lifetime award to Harold Bradley.  He then gives way for Zac Brown Band and Leon Russell.  I would say Leon looks great, but between the shades, big white hat and beard, I couldn’t say.

He sounded great though as did the protracted acapella version of America that opened the segment.  Brilliant, brilliant band.  Harmony.  Lyrics.  America.  Shredding acoustic guitar solo.  These guys will be around on a decade.

Popularity: 23% [?]

Fergie Vs. The Censors – Grammys 2010

Seal brought the crowd to life with a Lifetime Achievement Award for Leonard Cohen. Then he opens up with another performance. No boring awards here.

Roll out the songs.

Here’s Pink, doing herself proud in front of the industry and a worldwide television artist. Her outfit is a cross between nun’s habit and none habit. She is glamour and spins through the track without blemish eveas she disrobed into truly none. If Jerry Falwell hadn’t died, this would have killed him. Our girl spins as though in a circus, looking sexier by the minute until she is drenched in water and hit every note while spinning above the crowd in fabric.

Amazing.

Miranda Lambert and Keith Urban, both beautiful, look pretty pedestrian after that. They announce Loretta Lynn’s Lifetime Achievement Award and a Trustee Award for long-timer producer Walter Miller.

Best New Artist, the Kiss of Death Grammy, that Gaga should have been eligible for rolls up. I told Money Mike that Hilson was the safe Academy choice although The Ting Tings or MGMT should win. Zac Brown Band pulls the well-deserved upset! The boys look happy, yet even though they are performing later, they get played off.

Miley Cyrus, all growed up, introduces the Peas. Fergie gets “mother-father” in place instead of the lyric and CBS reacted too late for the delay. CBS began experiencing audio difficulties. Language. After watching Pink spin above the crowd, dripping water and dressed in ribbons, do we really need to worry about some lyric. BEP does their typical strong musical theater performance. I’ve Got A Feeling brought everyone out, robots included.

Welcome to the Future, they exhort the crowd. Except, you know, for the censorship part.

Loretta Lynn photo: Scott Schram http://schram.net/

Popularity: 35% [?]

Gaga, John Open Grammys

Live blogging the Grammys tonight and away we go once Ryan Seacrest scampers in from the red carpet after letting slip (yeah, right) that he’ll be performing on We Are The World.  To quote Lionel Richie, “We had Dan Akroyd there so yes, you can sing.”

Gaga updated the opening with the real Gaga that mashed a circus, steampunk and a power ballad that has the likes of Alice Cooper and Elton John gushing to mainstream media about the latest to ascend the throne they built. Lady Gaga relises being a monster. That’s why Sir Elton donned specs years after shedding them from his act.

Gaga pulled all the specs and eye patches off and dueted with Sir Elton brilliantly. Alice Cooper said it best. Gaga works as an artist because she can sing.

Stephen Colbert does his schtick to a flat crowd including a once-over glance from Jay-Z. One liners: Jeff Beck has the all-time high score on Guitar Hero. Then he told his daughter to stay away from Katy Perry.

Finally Song of the Year on an iPad. Beyonce and co-writers win for Single Ladies. I’m not sure the songwriter award belonged to that track. It was certainly my choice as Record of the Year. Colbert talked so damn long that they played the songwriters off lightning-fast.

Jenny from the Block is up. We told you years ago that American Idiot would be a Broadway show. The Broadway cast and the once-punkers met onstage for GD’s title track. Writing hellacious hooks was never a problem although Joey Ramone probably revoked their place in Punk Heaven. The good news is that Tres Cool’s kids will never want for college tuition. So Green Day has been Glee’d. They won’t be the last.

There’s a promo for When in Rome masked as presenting. The actors shill for people to get interactive and vote for Bon Jovi to play one of three songs. Oy. The Pro Bowl is before the Super Bowl and now we get to vote on Grammy performances.

Best Country Album was Taylor Swift’s when the nominations were announced although Zac Brown Band sure had a chance. No Kanye sighting although Taylor’s delight is getting a bit tired. Taylor, you’re winning everything on every show. Accept it. Nice young woman. I’m sure it’s a dream.

CBS shills The Mentalist by trotting out Simon Baker without worrying about his accent. Hugh Laurie was undoubtedly jealous. I’m simply jealous because he introduced Beyonce. She is our generation’s Streisand and Cher rolled into one mixed with a supermodel’s looks.

The mix sounded off on my set, but was resolved about halfway through. The holding pen she sang to moved a little of the gravitas from the show, but music is about people so no complaints here. Beyonce threw a fake cold ending at the audience and owned the venue.

Popularity: 20% [?]

Chart Chat 1/27/10: History Has Been Made

This week’s Billboard albums chart brings a historic first. The “Hope for Haiti” benefit album, featuring selections from the telethon last Friday, debuts at #1 with over 171,000 units sold. It is the first completely digital release to debut at the top of the charts. I assume it won’t be the last.

It’s also the fourth album to hold the #1 spot this month (following Vampire Weekend, Ke$ha and Susan Boyle), which is also a record. Also, it’s scan total means that this is the first January on record in which every #1 album has sold at least 100,000 copies-at least some good news for a hurting music biz.

Indie rock favorites Spoon debut at #4 with their latest album, “Transference”, selling 53,000 copies. Right behind it is the compilation “Grammy Nominees 2010″ with 49K. The other debuts in the Top 50 come from Motion City Soundtrack at #15, and an actual motion picture soundtrack (from the Jeff Bridges film “Crazy Heart”) at #38.

SuBo’s hanging in a lot tougher than I thought she would. “I Dreamed a Dream” holds at #2 this week with a 12% increase over the previous week’s sales. An “Oprah” appearance was the reason for this increase, similar to the increase Lady Gaga (who is right behind Boyle at #3) enjoyed last week (when I didn’t publish a Chart Chat column. Boo, me).

The biggest percentage increase on the chart went to another Oprah guest, Adam Lambert. His “For Your Entertainment” jumps fourteen spots to #21, with a 60% increase in sales. Lambert is now a week or two away from Gold status, and airplay picking up for the new single “Whataya Want from Me” should continue to keep sales steady.

Next week, country trio Lady Antebellum is expected to debut at the top with the biggest first-week numbers of the still young year. A strong move is expected for Michael Jackson’s “This is It” soundtrack (with the DVD release yesterday), and we should also expect a few bumps from Grammy Award coverage, although the true increases won’t really come into play until the following week.

Here’s this week’s Top 20:

1) Various Artists “Hope for Haiti”
2) Susan Boyle “I Dreamed a Dream”
3) Lady Gaga “The Fame”
4) Spoon “Transference”
5) Various Artists “Grammy Nominees 2010″
6) Vampire Weekend “Contra”
7) Alicia Keys “The Element of Freedom”
Ke$ha “Animal”
9) The Black Eyed Peas “The E.N.D.”
10) Taylor Swift “Fearless”
11) Lady Gaga “The Fame: Monster (EP)”
12) Soundtrack “Alvin & the Chipmunks 2: The Squeaquel”
13) Justin Bieber “My World (EP)”
14) Mary J. Blige “Stronger Witheach Tear”
15) Motion City Soundtrack “My Dinosaur Life”
16) Lady Antebellum “Lady Antebellum”
17) Michael Jackson “This is It Soundtrack”
18) Michael Buble “Crazy Love”
19) Rihanna “Rated R”
20) Owl City “Ocean Eyes”

Popularity: 13% [?]

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