Grammy-Winning Singer Lou Rawls Dies
LOS ANGELES - Lou Rawls, the velvet-voiced singer who started as a church choir boy and went on to record such classic tunes as "You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine," died Friday of cancer. He was 72.
Rawls died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where he was hospitalized last month for treatment of lung and brain cancer, said his publicist, Paul Shefrin. His wife, Nina, was at his bedside when he died.
Rawls' family and Shefrin said the singer was 72, although other records indicate he was 70.
Rawls' deep, smooth voice was his trademark, and he used it in a variety of genres.
"I've gone the full spectrum, from gospel to blues to jazz to soul to pop," Rawls once said on his Web site. "And the public has accepted what I've done through it all."
A longtime community activist, Rawls played a major role in United Negro College Fund telethons in the 1980s that raised more than $200 million. In the '60s he often visited schools, playgrounds and community centers.
Rawls' introduction to music came in his hometown of Chicago from his grandmother, who loved gospel. He moved to Los Angeles in the mid-1950s to join a touring gospel group, the Pilgrim Travelers.
After a two-year stint in the Army, Rawls rejoined the Pilgrim Travelers in Los Angeles, where he sang with his childhood friend Sam Cooke. Rawls performed with Dick Clark at the Hollywood Bowl in 1959, and he later he opened for The Beatles at Crosley Field in Cincinnati.
Rawls was playing small blues and R&B clubs in Los Angeles when his four-octave range caught the ear of a Capitol Records producer, who signed him to the label in 1962.
His debut effort, "Stormy Monday," recorded with the Les McCann Trio, was the first of his 52 albums. In 1966, his "Love Is a Hurtin' Thing" topped the charts and earned Rawls his first two Grammy nominations.
He won three Grammys in a career that spanned nearly five decades and included the hits "Your Good Thing (Is About to End)," "Natural Man" and "Lady Love." He released his most recent album, "Seasons 4 U," in 1998 on his own label, Rawls & Brokaw Records.
But his trademark will always be "You'll Never Find," released in 1976 and written by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, architects of the classic "Philadelphia Sound."
Rawls also appeared in 18 movies, including "Leaving Las Vegas" and "Blues Brothers 2000," and 16 television series, including "Fantasy Island" and "The Fall Guy."
In 1976, Rawls became the corporate spokesman for the Anheuser-Busch Cos. breweries.
Rawls was diagnosed with lung cancer in December 2004 and brain cancer in May 2005.
Besides his wife, Rawls is survived by four children: Louanna Rawls, Lou Rawls Jr., Kendra Smith and Aiden Rawls.
Funeral arrangements were incomplete, Shefrin said.
BACK TO SCHOOL
After finishing promotional duties for its latest disc, Make Believe, Weezer taking a timeout while frontman Rivers Cuomo heads back to Harvard in February to complete his degree in English. He'll graduate in June, eight years after he first started.
"Sith" Happens at 2005 Box Office
Hollywood suffered an off year at the box office. George Lucas did not.
Lucas' Star Wars: Episode III--Revenge of the Sith, charting the death of Anakin Skywalker and the birth of Darth Vader, was 2005's top-grossing movie, tapping loyalists for $380.3 million, according to the box-office tracking firm Exhibitor Relations.
The film was the only $300 million-plus grosser in a year in which, Exhibitor Relations said, overall movie attendance fell about 7 percent, and ticket sales dipped about 5 percent.
Sith, ostensibly the final chapter in the Skywalker saga, seemed unaffected by the bad box-office vibes. It now stands seventh among the all-time box-office champs, per the stats at BoxOfficeMojo.com.
With Sith leading the way, Hollywood made a lot of money ($8.9 billion) and sold a lot of tickets (1.4 billion) in 2005, per Exhibitor Relations. It just didn't make as much money ($9.4 billion) or sell as many tickets (1.5 billion) as it did in 2004.
Exacerbating the angina among the executive suite set are stats like these: lowest yearly gross since 2001; lowest attendance since 1997; worst ever opening for a Jim Carrey comedy since Ace Ventura: Pet Detective made him a star.
Here are some other factoids from the box office year that was, according to stats from Exhibitor Relations and BoxOfficeMojo.com:
- The $100 million Fun with Dick and Jane, the offending Carrey comedy, made $64.6 million through New Year's Day weekend, and couldn't crack the top 30.
- The $200 million King Kong made $175.6 million through New Year's day weekend, and couldn't crack the top 10. It finished 11th, even as two other holiday releases, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire ($277.1 million) and The Chronicles of Narnia ($225.7 million), quickly settled into second and fourth place, respectively.
- The penguin-populated Madagascar (eighth place, $193.1 million) was the top-grossing animated film; the penguin-populated March of the Penguins (24th place, $77.4 million) was the top-grossing documentary.
- In retrospect, perhaps Martin Short's Jiminy Glick in Lalawood ($36,039) could have used from some penguins.
- The $130 million-ish Kingdom of Heaven ($47.4 million) and the $120 million-ish The Island ($35.8 million) didn't have penguins, but they did have overseas audiences ($163.6 million and $124.5 million, respectively).
- Neither penguins, nor international markets, could save the $130 million disaster Stealth ($31.7 million).
- The $5.5 million Diary of a Mad Black Woman ($50.6 million) made just about every studio production look bad.
- Chicken Little (14th place, $132.3 million), the top-grossing G-rated film, made about $1.6 million for every bad review counted by RottenTomatoes.com.
- Narnia was the top-grossing PG-rated film; Sith, the top-grossing PG-13 film; and Wedding Crashers (fifth place, $209.2 million), the top-grossing R-rated film.
- Among the few, the proud and the barely released NC-17 movies, Inside Deep Throat, a documentary about the porn classic Deep Throat, led the way with some $650,000--about one-tenth of 1 percent of what its source material allegedly generated during its own box-office run.
- House of Wax ($32.1 million) was the top-grossing Paris Hilton film; Kids in America ($492,078) was the top-grossing Nicole Richie film.
- The Dukes of Hazzard (23rd place, $80.3 million) was the top-grossing Jessica Simpson film; Undiscovered ($1.1 million) was the top-grossing Ashlee Simpson film.
- In a hotly contested battle, Herbie: Fully Loaded ($66 million) was the top-grossing Lindsay Lohan film; Cheaper by the Dozen 2 ($55.1 million) was the top-grossing Hilary Duff film.
- Vexing or no to Empire magazine readers, who voted Tom Cruise 2005's most irritating star, the couch-jumper's War of the Worlds (third place, $234.3 million) was the biggest box-office success of his 25-year career.
- The comedy Sex Sells: The Making of Touche ($2,386) was Adrian Zmed's biggest box-office success since a 1999 movie you've also never heard of.
- One Ice Cube movie (Are We There Yet?, $82.3 million--22nd place overall) was worth more than two Charlize Theron movies combined (Aeon Flux, $24.6 million; North Country, $18.2 million).
- One Brad Pitt-Angelina Jolie movie (Mrs. and Mrs. Smith, $186.3 million--ninth place overall) was worth more than two Jennifer Aniston movies, combined (Derailed, $35.7 million; Rumor Has It..., $26.9 million).
- Saw II (20th place, $86.8 million) was a hit sequel; Son of the Mask ($17 million) wasn't.
- Rent ($28.9 million) was the top-grossing musical, which was not a compliment.
Here's a complete look at 2005's top 10 moneymakers, according to figures compiled by Exhibitor Relations:
1. Star Wars: Episode III--Revenge of the Sith, $380.3 million
2. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, $277.1 million
3. War of the Worlds, $234.3 million
4. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, $225.7 million
5. Wedding Crashers, $209.2 million
6. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, $206.5 million
7. Batman Begins, $205.3 million
8. Madagascar, $193.1 million
9. Mr. & Mrs. Smith, $186.3 million
10. Hitch, $177.6 million
CBC, Global plan news changes
TORONTO (CP) - A Mohawk haircut and metal studs on Peter Mansbridge are not in the cards.
But CBC News introduces a new look and attitude next Monday on all its platforms in response to demands from Canadians that the public broadcaster try to be hipper and cooler. Global News also plans to leave the status quo behind. Next month Global National with Kevin Newman will move to 5:30 p.m., the beginning of the supper hour, in a tactic that may carry some ratings risks.
CTV News, now leading the network ratings race, is maintaining an if-it-ain't-broke-don't-fix-it approach. But they may be carrying the concept of targeting a younger demographic to extremes in hiring precocious eight-year-old Treehouse TV star Daniel Cook as an election reporter.
The revamping of the CBC's news operation includes new music and logos.
"We're not trying to transform the CBC into some kind of contrived hip operation," assures Tony Burman, CBC News editor-in-chief. "I think our visual look will be sharper and more dynamic and more colourful. We're experienced TV people and we know how to deal with that."
The changes at CBC are in response to a sweeping survey completed two years ago. Burman says the survey, in which 1,200 Canadians were interviewed, found that parts of the operation didn't appeal to young people. He says the network has already acted on that concern by hiring the likes of Avi Lewis and George Stroumboulopoulos.
He adds that the overriding - and encouraging - message was that Canadians want high quality information, more original journalism and more in-depth investigative coverage. Improvements in those areas will be made over the next couple of years, Burman says.
"What Canadians are telling us is go the reverse of dumbing down."
Beginning Monday, the supper-hour news across the country will begin with half-hour regional newscasts called CBC News at Six, followed at 6:30 by Ian Hanomansing's Canada Now (except in Newfoundland-Labrador where Vancouver-based Hanomansing will follow one hour of local news).
Meanwhile, CTV news president Bob Hurst says his operation leads the pack because of a commitment to a 30-year-old plan and a belief in consistency.
"Steady as she goes," Hurst proclaims. "We don't believe in radical changes. Changes can be disruptive to the audience."
But he says that doesn't mean "the big dog" is doing nothing. There are constant improvements in staff and technology, Hurst says.
"The big dog runs harder and faster than any other dog in the race."
Hurst notes they did hire Daniel Cook who, he admits, is more famous than Lloyd Robertson to pint-sized (albeit non-voting) TV watchers.
"We're just having some fun with this to try to brighten up the election campaign with a different set of eyes."
The carrot-topped youngster's first piece on the Stephen Harper campaign was due to air on Mike Duffy's Newsnet show Thursday night.
Global TV plans a rebranding of its image next month, beginning during the Super Bowl Sunday Feb. 5. and followed by a major change in Global National with Kevin Newman the following Monday.
As part of what may be a risky positioning strategy, Newman's newscast will not only unveil a new set and logo but move up an hour to 5:30 p.m. in all time zones except the Maritimes.
"There's a huge audience available at the supper-hour period," says Steve Wyatt, senior vice-president of news at Global, dismissing suggestions that many news viewers may not even be home from work at that early hour.
"We want to be first out of the gate with a big picture," he says. "The Kevin Newman fans that are home at 6:30, a whole bunch of them are home at 5:30, too."
Global will use the popular daytime soap Young and the Restless as a lead-in to Newman who will then hand off the audience to locally produced news, then an hour of Entertainment Tonight leading into prime time.
Unlike CBC and CTV, Global will continue to leave its end-of-night newscast to local affiliates.
Newman says it's a coincidence that the changes are being introduced shortly after CBC's TV news makeover, that they've been in the works for several years. He says they have more to do with creating a consistency across the country where, until now, supper-hour news has been at different times in each region.
"Now we will be able to promote Global National at 5:30 on a national scale, 6:30 in the Maritimes," he says.
CD releases slim in coming months
"There's a headline for your article," said a record company publicist earlier this week, "Music industry gives up."
We'd like to assume he was joking, but then again, judging from the upcoming record release forecasts for the next few months, it appears as if the white flags have been collectively waved, at least for the time being.
Yes, if you're looking for some hot new sounds from here until March, the pickins is slimmer than a starlet Exlax-ing for a photo shoot.
In fact, this week's release of the latest Strokes CD says more about the quality of the album than the quantity of big-name releases on the way -- i.e. industry garbage gets dumped in December and January when no one is looking.
Take next week for example (please note all release dates are subject to change).
The biggest new releases on that particular Tuesday -- other than various artist collections, greatest hits and re-issues of older albums such as Yello's Stella -- come from Youngbloodz, The Autumn Offering and Colin Linden.
Hey, hey, calm down -- I'm sure you're record store has ordered enough for everyone.
The following Tuesday, Jan. 17, is just as unspectacular, with Calgary-based country artist Damian Marshall sharing shelf space with DualDisc re-issues of a handful of Talking Heads classics, including Talking Heads '77 and Fear of Music.
Things pick up only slightly on the 24th, with new records from P.O.D. and UB40 (will they S.U.C.K.? Y.E.S.!), as well as Rosanne Cash, Yellowcard and Britpoppers Starsailor.
As January thuds to a halt, look for a new disc from Roots member ?uestlove -- who is in town DJing at Tequila Jan. 13 -- as well as buzz band She Wants Revenge.
February picks up where January left off, with the most exciting thing about the first Tuesday, Feb. 7, being a solo release from Kinks legend Ray Davies.
Also of note are new studio albums from Beth Orton, Richard Ashcroft, Young Buck and Lil Rob, as well as a live disc -- because nobody asked for it -- from Collective Soul.
There's not much to love about Valentine's Day, except maybe for a new disc from The Cardigans, live albums from Kid Rock, Marty Stuart and The Sugarcubes, and the rest of the Talking Heads re-issues including Little Creatures.
On Feb. 21, a new solo album from former Junkhouse frontman Tom Wilson is perhaps the biggest draw, with discs from Goldfrapp and Dilated Peoples also on tap.
On Feb. 28, we have a good-news, bad-news situation.
The good? Elvis Costello releases My Flame Burns Blue. The bad? It's a live CD featuring a 52-piece Dutch jazz orchestra.
Also getting a release that day are new ones from Willie & Lobo, The Church, Ghostface Killah, Juvenile and, oh yeah, a reissue of the Ghostbusters soundtrack.
Oh, blessed be March -- the month where things pick up considerably when it comes to the new and notable.
Well, we hope anyway, because while many of the labels' new release schedules contain some big names in that month, most of the discs aren't yet titled, which could make them even more tentative than most.
Still, should all go according to plan, March 7 will deliver new ones from Van Morrison, 3LW, Keshia Chante, Evanescence, Chingy, The Vines and lil' Idol moppet Kalan Porter.
Speaking of tentative, the new OutKast album Idlewild is on the slate for March 14, although the disc, a soundtrack for their film, was originally scheduled for late last year, so, who knows?
If that's not in stores, look for new ones from India Arie, Devo, Queensryche, Hoobastank and Trick Daddy. Or don't.
The following week, March 21, gives the kids a little thrill, featuring, as it does, new releases from My Chemical Romance and recent corporate sell-outs Anti-Flag, as well as Placebo, Cassandra Wilson, LL Cool J, Ben Harper and, possibly, Canadian songstress Nelly Furtado.
Scheduled for seven days later are new albums from Pet Shop Boys, Pink, Paul Simon and Seal.
As for the rest of the spring, that's a whole lot sketchier.
But, at the risk of getting your hopes up, there are some huge acts with new records in the works -- ones that are either in the can and being tinkered with, or close enough to completion that the record companies are confident they'll be ready for spring.
In April, cross your fingers and hope for new albums from Pearl Jam, Diamond Rio, jacksoul, Godsmack, Dashboard Confessional, Def Leppard, Shooter Jennings, Donna Summer and Rihanna.
And if you're good, maybe May and June will bring studio recordings from Red Hot Chili Peppers, Too Short, Velvet Revolver, Tool, Alan Jackson, Clay Aiken, Billy Talent, Christina Aguilera, Eamon, Kenny Chesney, Chantal Kreviazuk and Justin Timberlake.