Music News

Alvin Stardust has been laid to rest in Swansea.
The seventies pop star - whose real name was Bernard William Jewry - passed away on October 23 2014 at the age of 72 from metastatic prostate cancer, and was buried near his Welsh home yesterday (05.11.14).
The service - attended by 350 mourners - was held at St. Thomas Church where Alvin married his wife, actress Julie Patton,
Lord Michael Levy whose company Magnet Records signed the 'My Coo Ca Choo' singer, honoured the star saying: "I stand here as the creator of the persona of Alvin Stardust.
"But Alvin, you made yourself into such a great artist around the world."
The icon's coffin was carried into the church while the Disney song 'When You Wish Upon A Star' from the 1940 film 'Pinocchio' played, with male voice choir the Gawlia Singers later performing Welsh hymn 'Calon Lân'.
The 'I Feel like Buddy Holly' crooner's career spanned over half a century - also performing under the moniker Shane Fenton - and also saw the star feature in numerous stage shows including 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang' at the London Palladium, and in 'Godspell' in which he met his third wife, Julie.
During the ceremony, glasses of whiskey were poured for his bandmates around the late star's coffin, with a champagne bottle also being opened, remembering his penchant for a tipple following each of his performances.
At the end of the emotional service, 50 members of the Harley Davidson Owners' Club accompanied the coffin on the journey to Swansea Crematorium, at the request of his daughter, Sophie.
Days after his death, the musician's first album in 30 years titled 'ALVIN' was released, with his manager Andy Davis explaining he believes it showcases his greatest music.
He said: "He was very proud of it. He thought it was the best thing he ever made,
"He and I believed he still had a great deal to give so we recorded an album that is a testament to an artist who gave his career to music.
"He was one of the most genuine and likeable men I've ever met. His passing is a huge and sad loss."

Jake Bugg takes a ping pong table on tour with him.
The 'Lighting Bolt' singer recently completed a tour of the UK supported by up-and-coming duo Hudson Taylor, who revealed that the star is a dab hand at the table-top sport.
Alfie from the band exclusively told BANG Showbiz: "The interesting thing about the Jake Bugg tour was that there was a table tennis table, and that's where a lot of time was spent.
"Jake Bugg is very good at ping pong!"
The folk pop brothers - who will release their debut album 'Singing for Strangers' in February 2015, which will include their hits 'Chasing Rubies' and 'Battles' - confessed that they were no match for the 20-year-old musician's sports prowess, explaining that they only ever saw him get beaten once during the string of concerts.
Alfie added: "He's a very shy guy so we only really saw him when we were playing against him in table tennis.
"The only person to beat him that we experienced is a guy who plays with us, our violin player. He beat him and he was pretty chuffed with that."
Hudson Taylor performed at the Aloft London Excel to kick off the Live at Aloft Hotels - Spotlight Series. For more information, visit www.liveataloftlondonexcel.com

Miranda Lambert was the big winner at last night's (05.11.14) 48th annual Country Music Awards.
The 30-year-old star fought off stiff competition to win four different categories at the annual awards ceremony held at Nashville's Bridgestone Arena in Tennessee, which was hosted for the seventh time by singer Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley.
The blonde beauty took home the Female Vocalist of the Year award for the fifth time, Album of the Year for 'Platinum', Single of the Year for her single 'Automatic' and she also shared the Musical Event of the Year gong with Australian singer Keith Urban for their collaboration 'We Were Us'.
Speaking as she collected her Female Vocalist prize, she said: "I don't know what to say. I can't believe I'm standing here. I can't believe this is my life ... Damn it! I cry every time."
Meanwhile, Miranda's husband Blake Shelton, 38 - whom she went up against in the Entertainer of the Year and Single of the Year categories - took home his fifth consecutive Male Vocalist of the Year award.
Other winners included 38-year-old Luke Bryan who took home his first ever CMA on the back of five hits from his 2013 album 'Crash My Party'.
Taking to the stage to collect the award for Entertainer of the Year, he said: "I have long sought to have one of these in my hands."
Kacey Musgraves, Little Big Town, Florida George Line, Mac McAnally, Dierks Bentley and Brett Eldredge were also recognised by the CMA's 6,000 members.

The full winners list is as follows:

Entertainer of the Year - Luke Bryan
Single of the Year - 'Automatic' by Miranda Lambert
Album of the Year - 'Platinum' by Miranda Lambert
Song of the Year - 'Follow Your Arrow' by Kacey Musgraves
Female Vocalist of the Year - Miranda Lambert
Male Vocalist of the Year - Blake Shelton
Vocal Group of the Year - Little Big Town
Vocal Duo of the Year - Florida Georgia Line
Musical Event of the Year - 'We Were Us' by Keith Urban feat. Miranda Lambert
Musician of the Year - Mac McAnally
Music Video of the Year - 'Drunk On A Plane' by Dierks Bentley
New Artist of the Year - Brett Eldredge

Vince Gill was presented with the Icon Award at the 2014 BMI Country Awards last night (04.11.14). The 57-year-old singer-songwriter was honoured at the event where his illustrious career - in which he has released more than 20 studio albums and sold ...

Noel Gallagher thinks taking hallucinogenic mushrooms is better than music.
The former Oasis star admits he was more interested in taking drugs as a youngster rather than becoming a rock star, especial 'magic' mushrooms that make you have weird visions.
Talking about the suburb of Burnage in Manchester where he was raised, he explained: "Where I come from, it's not musical at all, although Manchester is, obviously.
"I don't say it to be cool, but we were more into taking drugs and banging around in the park [than listening to music]. Music's great and all that, but it's not as good as mushrooms."
The 47-year-old musician - who will release his second solo album, 'Chasing Yesterday', on March 2, 2015 - added: "Pop songs are three minutes long. You get a good six hours out of mushrooms."
Noel also spoke about his performance with former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr last month at The O2 Brixton Academy, London, admitting that he was suffering on stage after having consumed too much alcohol the previous evening.
Speaking at the 'XFM presents An Evening In Conversation With Noel Gallagher' event, he confessed: "I don't think I've ever been so f***ing hungover on stage in all my life.
"I was getting a back rub from his wife about two minutes before going on. If somebody had come up to me and said 'You don't have to do this' I would have been, like, 'F***ing, yes.'
"It was my wife's birthday the night before and we'd smashed the arse out of it."

Take That will headline this year's Capital Jingle Bell Ball.
The band will be joined by the likes of One Republic, The Script and The Vamps as well as Ella Henderson, Olly Murs, Clean Bandit and Jess Glynne on December 6, the first night of the two-day event at London's The O2, and admitted they cannot wait to perform.
Take That member Gary Barlow said: "We've never played Capital's Jingle Bell Ball before so we're all really excited.
"We're going to play all the hits and all the songs that everyone loves, and who knows, we may even throw the new single in there!"
The line up for the first day of the event - which is hosted by Capital in partnership with Morrisons - was announced live on Capital this morning (05.11.14) by radio presenters Dave Berry and Lisa Snowdon.
During the line-up announcements, the Capital FM hosts crossed live to Union J, who will also perform at the spectacle, and they surprised a crowd of fans outside The O2 with an acoustic performance of their new track, 'You Got It All'.
The line-up for the second day, on December 7, will be revealed tomorrow (06.11.14) morning on Capital.
Tickets for the Jingle Bell Ball will be made available to buy on Friday (07.11.14) at 8am from www.capitalfm.com.

Ed Sheeran is launching his own record label.
The 'Thinking Out Loud' hitmaker has signed a deal with Warner to house his company and already has an idea who he wants to offer recording contracts to.
He said: "The door has now been opened. I've set up the label and I'm going to start signing people. It'll be an imprint that goes through Warner. But I'll get the rights back in about ten years.
"I've got my first signing in mind. I'm looking at people like me, who came through the singer-songwriter scene."
The 23-year-old star thinks he is in a "fortunate" position to be able to help new artists.
He told The Sun newspaper: "There are people on that scene who make me look terrible by just being so good. They haven't got the right platform.
"I have a tour and Twitter, so I can put them in front of my fans instantly.
"I can sit down with heads of radio stations and ask whether they'll play it on the radio.
"I'm in a really fortunate position to be able to break acts."
Ed decided to set up his own label after industry executives ignored him when he tried to push Passenger, who went on to have a global hit with 'Let Her Go'.
He said: "The first time I properly thought about it was when I took Passenger on tour for two years.
"I took him into my record company and played them the record but they didn't get it .
"Then I was too busy on my own stuff and I let it slide.
"Then he had a worldwide number After that, everyone was like, 'Maybe Ed does know what he's talking about'."

Queen have been named Band of the Year at the Classic Rock Roll Of Honour presented by Orange Amplification awards. Icons in rock music from past and present were celebrated at the event at The Avalon in Hollywood last night (04.11.14), with the band ...

U2 will play a week-long residency on the 'Tonight Show' with Jimmy Fallon.
The Irish rockers - made up of Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. - will spend five nights performing on the US chat show from November 17, the host revealed during his show on Monday night (03.11.14).
He said: "U2 is coming back Monday, November 17, for an entire week."
The news follows reports that Metallica are set to perform a five-night stint on 'The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson' and comes just weeks after the 'Late Show with David Letterman' welcomed Foo Fighters for a week-long residency.
The group previously appeared on the programme in February and performed their track 'Invisible'.
During that appearance, the rockers - who released their latest album 'Songs Of Innocence' for free on iTunes in September - insisted they were a long way off completing a new record.
The Edge said: "We're in the studio still. We really want the songs to be right. [It's about] the period of music, in our lives and history, when we really came into being, turned on by music, the seeds that made us want to be in a band."