Carrie Underwood preggy again

Carrie Underwood is pregnant with her second baby.

In a recent Instagram video, the country singer revealed to her fans that she and husband, Mike Fisher, are expecting a new child.

“We’re excited to be adding another little fish to our pond,” said Carrie, who already has a 3-year-old son, Isaiah.

“This has been a dream come true with album and with baby news,” added the “American Idol” Season 4 winner, who’s also about to release her latest album, “Cry Pretty.” “We’re just so excited you guys can share in this with us.”—ALLAN POLICARPIO

source: entertainment.inquirer.net

Eric Clapton struggles to play guitar due to nerve damage

One of the most iconic guitarists of all time, Eric Clapton, now can hardly play the instrument that launched his rise to superstardom.

The 71-year old “Tears in Heaven” singer has been diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy, a type of nerve damage that can cause muscle weakness, tingling and numbness in a person’s arms and legs.

Clapton detailed his ongoing battle with the nervous system ailment, which has reportedly made it difficult  for him to even hold a guitar.

“I’ve had quite a lot of pain over the last year. It started with lower back pain, and turned into what they call peripheral neuropathy–which is where you feel like you have electric shocks going down your leg,” he was quoted as saying in an article in the Telegraph. “And I’ve had to figure out how to deal with some other things from getting old.’’

Despite being hampered by health concerns, Clapton released his 23rd studio album entitled “Still Do” last month, but has quit touring since it “has become quite unbearable.”

“[It’s] hard work to play the guitar and I’ve had to come to terms with the fact that it will not improve,” he said.

“What I’ll allow myself to do, within reason, is carry on recording in the studio. I don’t want to go off the boil to the point where I’m embarrassing myself.”

Clapton, whose career started alongside John Mayall, Cream and the first “super-group” Blind Faith, admitted living the typical rock star life during his heyday until it has taken a toll on his body.

“Because I’m in recovery from alcoholism and addiction to substances, I consider it a great thing to be alive at all. By rights I should have kicked the bucket a long time ago,” he was quoted as saying.

“For some reason I was plucked from the jaws of hell and given another chance,” he added.

Clapton ranked second in Rolling Stone magazine’s greatest guitarists of all time and is the only person to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame three times.

His most notable songs include “Tears in Heaven,” which was written after the death of his son in 1991, while “Layla” was recorded in 1970 with his band Derek and the Dominos. Khristian Ibarrola

source: entertainment.inquirer.net

Prince’s own words describe mixed feelings about the web

LOS ANGELES — Prince had a fraught relationship with the Internet, and mourning fans searching YouTube to remember his greatest years might be disappointed to find out that much of it isn’t there. For good reason: he was adamant about protecting his copyrights, owned the song publishing rights to his music, and vigorously pursued online outlets that used it without permission.

In the wake of his death on Thursday, here’s a quick recap of five things Prince said over the years that describe his view of the role of artists in an era of high technology.


    1.“The Internet’s completely over.”

In a July 2010 interview with Daily Mirror reporter Peter Willis, Prince says he’s releasing his album “20TEN” to Daily Mirror readers as a CD for free. In the interview, he complains that outlets like iTunes don’t pay advances for music and compares the Internet to a passing fad like MTV.

    2. Ringtones? Uh uh.

If you have a Prince song as a ringtone on your phone, you should know his Royal Badness did not approve. In a June 2011 interview with The Guardian’s Dorian Lynskey, Prince says he can’t stand digital music, nor the cacophony of ringtones it enables. “Have you ever been in a room where there’s 17 ringtones going off at once?”

    3. Does he have an iPhone? “Hell, no.”

Prince not only disdains the Internet, he forgoes the tools to access it. Asked in a July 2013 story by V Magazine’s Vanessa Grigoriadis if he owns an iPhone, Prince responds : “Are you serious? Hell, no.” He then mimics a high-voiced woman who has lost hers. He also touts the pleasures of listening to Joni Mitchell on vinyl.


    4. Qualifications. “We were saying it was dead to us — dead energy.”

Prince explains his Internet comment to AP’s Nekesa Mumbi Moody in an exclusive interview at his Paisley Park compound in September 2014, even as he queues up songs on YouTube from artists such as James Brown and FKA Twigs. At the time, his music is on both iTunes and Spotify. Today, major artists from Taylor Swift to Adele to Kanye West are picking and choosing where their music is released, just as Prince did.

    5. “Spotify wasn’t paying, so you gotta shut it down.”

In an interview with Ebony’s Miles Marshall Lewis published in December, Prince explains why he’s removing his music from most streaming services and putting it all on Tidal. But the interview is removed at Prince’s request, according to Billboard and all that remains on Ebony’s website now is Prince’s insistence that artist ownership of the means of distribution is important. “Where we finally get into a position to run things — we all should help.”

source: entertainment.inquirer.net

Paul McCartney mourns ‘second father’ George Martin

LONDON — Beatle Paul McCartney on Wednesday paid tribute to the band’s legendary producer George Martin, who died on Tuesday, calling him a “true gentleman” and “second father.”

“I’m so sad to hear the news of the passing of dear George Martin,” the singer/songwriter wrote on his official website. “He was a true gentleman and like a second father to me.”

McCartney credited Martin, whose death, aged 90, was announced by his family on Wednesday, with guiding the career of The Beatles “with such skill and good humor that he became a true friend to me and my family.”

“If anyone earned the title of the fifth Beatle it was George,” he wrote.

“From the day that he gave The Beatles our first recording contract, to the last time I saw him, he was the most generous, intelligent and musical person I’ve ever had the pleasure to know.”

McCartney recalled Martin’s decision to put a string quartet on seminal single “Yesterday”, and his diplomacy on getting the band to agree, as a standout memory.

“When we recorded the string quartet at Abbey Road, it was so thrilling to know his idea was so correct that I went round telling people about it for weeks,” he wrote.

Despite his authoritarian air and strict professionalism, McCartney highlighted Martin’s sense of fun.

“Even when he was knighted by the queen there was never the slightest trace of snobbery about him,” he wrote.

“The world has lost a truly great man who left an indelible mark on my soul and the history of British music,” he added. “God bless you George and all who sail in you!”

Abbey Road, the iconic studios where Martin and the band famously worked, issued a statement expressing “deepest condolences to the Martin family”.

“Sir George transformed music recording with his creative flair, innovation and passion and we want to express our deep sadness at losing such an immensely talented, charming and warm man,” it said.

“We are committed to ensuring Sir George’s visionary legacy lives forever at Abbey Road Studios, and we are hugely honoured to be part of his story.”

source: entertainment.inquirer.net

Ed Sheeran wins best British record at top UK music awards

LONDON - Singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran took home the coveted best album prize at Britain's top music honours on Wednesday for "X" at a star-studded Brit Awards show in London.

The singer looked genuinely surprised as he climbed on the stage to pick up the trophy, a pale pink statuette designed by British artist Tracey Emin.

"I didn't expect it... It's been a very good year for British music", he said.

Other winners of the night included Paloma Faith for British female artist and Royal Blood, who defeated popular boy band One Direction to be named the best British band.

Award for the best international female artist went to Taylor Swift, who opened the show. The pop-heavy ceremony also saw performances from Take That, Sam Smith and Madonna.

This year, the awards will be shown in over 100 territories across the world in addition to the usual live broadcast on Britain's commercial ITV network.  — Reuters