Linda Ronstadt Honored for Her Many Musical Contributions

Singer Linda Ronstadt has had one of the longest and most successful careers in pop music, from the early 1960s to the present day. This week the singer, whose parents are of Mexican and German ancestry, was honored with a special tribute at the ALMA Awards, which honor contributions that Latinos have made to music, television, and film. (Her honor was for Trailblazer Award for Contribution to American Music.)

I've always been a big fan of female singers and female bands (and bands with women singers), and Ronstadt was one of my favorite artists growing up. Linda Ronstadt had her first hit single as part of the folk-rock group The Stone Poneys, famous for their chart hit "Different Drum" -- which I owned on 45 (anybody remember those?)

Ronstadt later made several solo albums covering a variety of folk and country tunes, but made her mark with a later album featuring the single "Silver Threads and Golden Needles."

Her big breakthrough came in the early 1970s with her chart-topping album "Heart Like a Wheel," featuring the hit singles "You're No Good" and a cover of the Everly Brothers' "When Will I Be Loved." That's when I started following her career in earnest, buying each new album of hers as it came out, and delving into her catalog of previous albums.

All told, Linda Ronstadt has had 38 top 100 singles, 21 of which have made the top 40. She has earned a number of Grammy Awards as well as an Emmy Award, and has also received nominations for Tony and Golden Globe Awards.

Besides her well-known rock/pop/folk/country tunes, Ronstadt has also extended her talents into other musical genres. She starred on Broadway in a revival of the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta "The Pirates of Penzance;"recorded several albums of American standards with the Nelson Riddle Orchestra in the 1980s; and also reached back to her Mexican roots to record the album "Canciones de Mi Padre" ("Songs of My Father").

She has also recorded albums in which she shares vocal duties with other legendary singers, including Dolly Parton and Emmylou Harris.

Ronstadt has always been a strong interpreter of the songs of others: sometimes well-known songwriters ranging from Buddy Holly and Bob Dylan to Warren Zevon; other times giving valuable exposure to lesser-known writers such as Tracy Nelson and Julie Miller.

Sticking with her recent eclectic streak, Ronstadt's most recent album is "Adieu False Heart," released in 2006, in which she teamed with longtime friend Ann Savoy (with the two of them recording under the name the ZoZo Sisters), and including musical styles including pop and cajun.

2008 Grammys: Predictions on Who Will Win

No, they're not my picks... I'm pretty bad at correctly choosing the winners of awards. I've been doing an Oscars pool at a friend's annual party and the only time I came close to winning was the year I spent all of five minutes on my ballot and pretty much guessed at most of the categories.

So I'm turning to some other sources for their picks on who's going to win the 2008 Grammys this Sunday in Los Angeles.

Rolling Stone weighs in with who they think will win, and who should win, in their opinion.

The Top 40/Pop guide for About.com lists his predictions, explaining the thinking behind his picks.

For those of you more interested in the handicapping of the Grammys rather than musical value, the Web site Betfirms offers its predictions. The site also offers articles on betting on poker, football, etc., so after you check out the Grammy predictions you can slide right into some serious gambling, if you choose.

Shelby Lynne Channels Dusty Springfield

Shelby Lynne is one of those singers who can't be pigeon-holed simply as a country or pop artist. She started out as a country artist, then evolved into writing and performing songs that can incorporate elements of pop, rock, country, folk, and soul, in different measures. Her mingling of styles drew comparison to "Dusty in Memphis," the pop/country/soul record made in the 1960s by top-selling pop singer Dustry Springfield.

The New York Times Magazine takes a look at her career and her new album in today's issue, which should give her some welcome exposure.

Shelby Lynne's album, "I Am Shelby Lynne," was a critical success and sold well, and Lynne seemed to be well on her way to mainstream success. She even won the Best New Artist Grammy in 2001. It's an album that I played again and again after I bought it.

Her next two albums were considered not as good, and the popular success that once seemed hers eluded her. Now Lynne is channeling Dusty Springfield directly on her new album, "Just a Little Lovin'," which is a tribute to Springfield, who died in 1999.

"Just a Little Lovin'," which is due to be released Jan. 29th, has a connection to Springfield besides the songs: it was produced by Phil Ramone, who produced Dusty Springfield's 1967 version of "The Look of Love." Ramone is a legendary producer who has worked with stars ranging from Billy Joel to Frank Sinatra.

Most of the songs on "Just a Little Lovin'" are remakes of Dusty Springfield classics, including "Anyone Who Had a Heart" and "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me," but there is one tune that Lynne wrote.

I doubt that this new album will finally make Shelby Lynne a star, but I'm hoping it will bring her some more attention, acclaim, and record sales.

Music Industry Has Lousy Year; Hopes for Boost from Early 2008 Releases

The downturn in sales of recorded music isn't going away. In fact, an article on Arstechnica reports that music sales are down 21% this Christmas season (Thanksgiving to Christmas Eve), according to Variety. The article notes that Josh Groban's "Noel" was the best-selling album of 2007.

These losses came, the article notes, as sales of videos stayed pretty much the same, and that of games registered a 5% gain.

With this bad news, it's no surprise that the music industry is hoping for a lift from new albums from established stars. An article from Billboard looks at some of the major releases slotted for early 2008. Among some of the new releases expected from heavy hitters in the industry from January through March:

JANUARY

• Willie Nelson, "Moment of Forever" - January 29
  
• Sarah Brightman, "Symphony" - January 29
  
• Motel, "17" - January 29
  
  FEBRUARY
  
• Lil Wayne, "Tha Carter III"
  
• Nas, "Nigger"
  
• Ja Rule, "The Mirror"
  
• Nicole Scherzinger, "Her Name Is Nicole"
  
• Sheryl Crow, "Detours"
  
• Lenny Kravitz, "It Is Time for a Love Revolution"
  
• Anthony Hamilton, "Me"
  
• Jack Johnson, "Sleep Through the Static"
  
• Dolly Parton, "Backwoods Barbie"
  
• Simple Plan, "Simple Plan"
  
• Rick Ross, "Trilla"
  
• Janet Jackson, "Discipline"
  
• Erykah Badu, "Nu Amerykah"
  
• Goldfrapp, "Seventh Tree"
  
  MARCH
  
• Ashlee Simpson, "Bittersweet World"
  
• The Offspring, TBA
  
• Gavin DeGraw, TBA
  
• Estelle, "Shine"
  
• Alan Jackson, "Good Time"
  
• Bauhaus, "Go Away White"
  
• Michael McDonald, "Soul Speak"
  
• Moby, "Last Night"
  
• Leona Lewis, "Spirit"
  
• Panic! at the Disco, TBA
  

Singer-Songwriter Dan Fogelberg, 56, Dies of Cancer

Dan Fogelberg, the popular singer-songwriter who had a string of hits in the 1970s and 1980s, died on Sunday morning, Dec. 16th, of prostate cancer. He was 56 years old and passed away at his home in Maine, with his wife present, according to a message on his Web site. Fogelberg was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2004.

I've always been a fan of folk and singer-songwriters, and I liked Fogelberg's music dating back to the late '70s. Somewhere in the vast warehouse that is my apartment I still have my copy of "Nether Lands," the 1977 Fogelberg album that has songs including "Love Gone By" ... um, on cassette. (I did say that I liked him going back to the 1970s.)

Dan Fogelberg's biggest hit was the ballad "Longer," and he was also known for the tunes "The Power of Gold," "Leader of the Band," and "Illinois." "Same Old Lang Syne," his wistful tale of a chance encounter between two former lovers at Christmastime, was a top 10 hit in 1980 and has been a standard holiday-season song on the radio ever since.

You can find out about Dan Fogelberg's music, career, and life at his Web site, above. while this is a sad loss, the length of his illness allowed time for Fogelberg's many fans and colleagues to express their support.