The Malaysian Insider :: Showbiz

Phil Everly of the Everly Brothers dies at 74

Posted: 03 Jan 2014 09:55 PM PST

January 04, 2014

Singer Phil Everly (pic) of the famed Everly Brothers died yesterday, his widew told The Los Angeles. He was 74.

Everly passed away in the Californian city of Burbank due to complications from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Patti Everly told the newspaper.

"We are absolutely heartbroken," she said, noting her husband's disease was caused by cigarette smoking. "He fought long and hard."

Together with his brother Don, who survives him, Everly rose to fame in the late 1950s and 1960s for smash hits such as "Wake Up Little Susie," "All I Have to Do is Dream" and "Bye Bye Love."

The duo, who influenced The Beatles as well as Simon and Garfunkel, were known for their close-harmony singing.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, into which the Everly Brothers were inducted in 1986, described their harmonies as "one of the musical treasures of the 1950s and a major influence on the music of the 1960s."

In 1957, the Everly Brothers signed their first record deal and soon after produced hits that spawned the genres of pop, rock and country. They were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2001.

Tributes poured in soon after word of Everly's death surfaced.

"Rest in peace Phil Everly. You guys brought us a lot of pleasure back in the day," rock and country singer-songwriter Charlie Daniels tweeted.

Commenting as a winter snowstorm hit the northeast United States, actor and musician John Gallagher Jr. said: "This cold night just got colder. RIP Phil Everly. The Everly Brothers Greatest Hits was my first CD as a kid and will always be a favorite."

"They had that sibling sound," said Linda Ronstadt, who recorded one of the biggest hits of her career in 1975 with her interpretation of Everly's "When Will I Be Loved."

"The information of your DNA is carried in your voice, and you can get a sound (with family) that you never get with someone who's not blood-related to you," she told the Times.

"And they were both such good singers – they were one of the foundations, one of the cornerstones of the new rock 'n' roll sound."

According to a Rolling Stone biography of the legendary performers – hailed as "the most important vocal duo in rock" by the magazine – Phil and his younger brother Don were the children of Midwestern country stars Ike and Margaret Everly and performed on the family radio show while growing up.

As teenagers, they headed for Nashville, Tennessee, and began their stellar career.

In addition to his wife and brother, Everly is survived by their mother, Margaret, sons Jason and Chris, and two granddaughters.

The Times said funeral services would be private. – AFP, January 4, 2014.

K-pop icon Rain makes comeback with new album

Posted: 02 Jan 2014 05:11 PM PST

January 03, 2014

South Korean singer Rain (pic), known as the "King of K-Pop", on Thursday released his first album for four years as part of a long-awaited comeback after mandatory military service.

Rain, whose real name is Jung Ji-Hoon, released online his sixth album entitled "Rain Effect" as well as music videos for its double title numbers "30sexy" and "La Song".

The album is his first since he finished 21 months of military service – mandatory for all able-bodied South Korean men – in July last year.

The 31-year-old composed the songs and wrote the lyrics.

A video for "30 Sexy", posted on YouTube on Thursday, features Rain wearing high-waisted suits and high-heeled shoes performing to a melody led by a synthesiser and backed by a simple hip hop drumbeat.

"In the past, I used to present scenes of clothes being torn off and my torso exposed. I decided to come up with something different this time," he said.

A video for "La Song" shows Rain with newly permed hair performing with other dancers to a Latin melody mixed with hip hop, electronic music and rock.

"I made this song which football fans can sing along to cheer their favourite teams during the (Brazil) World Cup", Rain said.

Rain commands a huge following not only in South Korea but across much of Asia and beyond.

He also starred in several South Korean soap operas and Hollywood action pictures including "Ninja Assassin" and "Speed Racer" by the Wachowski Brothers.

He will be making a screen comeback when he stars alongside Jason Patric, John Cusack and Bruce Willis in the action movie "The Prince."

But his popularity at home was hit last year when he was accused of flouting military regulations – a highly sensitive topic in a country still technically at war with North Korea.

In January 2013 he was confined to barracks for a week after he sneaked out to meet his girlfriend, a top actress.

Rain was also questioned by the military, prosecutors and police over his unusually long leave periods and alleged breaches of service regulations. – AFP, January 3, 2014.

Kredit: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com

Sabtu, 4 Januari 2014

The Malaysian Insider :: Showbiz

The Malaysian Insider :: Showbiz

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