For The Love Of Whitney Houston

Being that Whitney Houston was the number one influence on him as a singer it was merely a matter of time before singer/musician/artist Matt Zarley dropped a cover of one of her many classics. That day has arrived! Yes today Matt's cover of I Look To You drops on iTunes.

To celebrate I asked Mr. Zarley to give me ten reasons Whitney was his favorite artist of all time.
Of course he gave the awesome type of answers only a super fan could.

Take it away Matt!

1. Her debut album (I played the cassette so much that I actually had to replace it)

2. “If You Say My Eyes Are Beautiful” - I was so obsessed with this song. I used to play
the last half from the end of the bridge thru to the end and marvel at her stunning
vocals. https://youtu.be/IzYIBlA7hDs

3. “The Greatest Love of All” music video - The part where she walks across the stage in
her silver evening gown. To this day, there’s something simple yet magical in that
moment.  https://youtu.be/IYzlVDlE72w

4. “I’m Your Baby Tonight” album - This is when we started to hear her really rip thru a
song. Her first 2 albums were very refined; whereas this was the moment we started to
hear her true r&b roots.

5. “Welcome Home Heroes” HBO Concert - This is one of the greatest concerts ever.
She has never sounded better. Billy Porter and I would sit in my NYC apartment for
hours, watching and studying her nuances. This is also when Billy and I so lovingly
nicknamed her SONGSTRESS: ALL THAT IS VOICE. (I’m totally not lying) https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=11x2xf5BE6Q

6. The Bodyguard - This was her peak, vocally. She was the platinum standard of which
most singers of my generation looked up to.

7. Cinderella - I actually appeared in this Disney television tv movie. She was the exec
producer and star of this. Though I didn’t get to work with her (I worked with Brandy
for a month), I love to be able to say I was in the same film with her. :)

8. “The Star Spangled Banner” - THE BEST rendition of this classic. No one will ever top
her performance ever.

9. Her talent and artistry - I don’t think most people really appreciated how gifted she
was. She made it look so easy. She had a gift for connecting to a lyric and really
communicating that story to the listener. She could draw you in to her. Very few artists
can stand at a microphone and just sing….and make you feel something, really affect
you. She had that gift. She didn’t need to fly, flash her nipples, or kiss another woman
to get your attention. Her artistry was enough. https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=11x2xf5BE6Q

10. That voice - In my opinion, she was and is the greatest pop vocalist ever. She had that
mezzo soprano range that allowed her to glide thru octaves seemlessly. She knew the
importance of a melody and not to oversing or over embellish a song. She respected
the music. She would always establish the tune first before riffing her face off…which
always felt like it made sense. Her intonation and clarity of tone was off the charts
perfect. She truly had the most beautiful instrument we will likely ever hear. No one
even comes close. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cdEH_tTvug

Look to Matt at:
https://www.facebook.com/mattzarley
https://twitter.com/mattzarley
https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/matt-zarley/id262463477

Smile It's Contagious!

It's a Loch Ness Monster Sighting,
No It's Kristen Stewart Smiling!

Look up in the sky, why it's a flying pig! That's correct everyone Kristen Stewart actually sported a genuine smile while out on the streets of New York.

Everyone thought it would happen when pigs fly and guess what? I saw one oinking passed my window just now! Oh my!

The former star of the Twilight series usually looks so stoic, or another word for it is, usually gives us resting bitch face.

But on this particular day she ported a genuine warm and contagious smile and shared it with the world.

Awwwwwwwww...keep on grinning Kristen it's a good look on you.

Happy Monday!

Have some levity with Kristen on IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0829576/?ref_=nv_sr_1

Selfie Sunday - "Two K's and a C"

We Are Family
Kim, Kris & Caitlyn

So this actually happened. On August 7th Caitlyn and Kris Jenner came together to celebrate daughter Kylie's 18th Birthday.

Of course Kim Kardashian-West was there as well, and did what she does best...took a selfie of all three of them.

She captioned the photo "The Parent Trap" I personally would have captioned it "Two K's and a C" that way they would sound like a hip new band.

Where did Kim post the shot? On Twitter of course!

Have a Super Selfie Sunday Peeps!

The family that tweets together:

Kim - https://twitter.com/kimkardashian
Kris - https://twitter.com/krisjenner
Caitlyn - https://twitter.com/caitlyn_jenner?lang=en

Dolly Parton Is The World's Fastest!

30?! Happy Birthday Dolly(Wood)

DOLLYWOOD ADDS WORLD'S FASTEST WOOD ROLLER COASTER FOR 2016

$22 million Lightning Rod is world's fastest, first launching wood coaster
 

I'm going to be Travelin' Thru and hitching a ride on this coaster...! Dollywood today announced the addition of Lightning Rod, both the world’s fastest wood coaster and the world’s first launching wood coaster. Set to roll to the starting line in March 2016, Lightning Rod adds another groundbreaking roller coaster to the park’s already impressive portfolio of world-class attractions. The thrilling $22 million ride also marks the single largest attraction investment in The Dollywood Company’s history. Themed after a tricked out 1950s-era hot rod, Lightning Rod launches riders from zero to 45 mph more than 20 stories up its lift hill to one of the ride’s first airtime moments. At the crest of the hill, riders face twin summit airtime hills before tackling the daring first drop. Lightning Rod races down the 165-foot drop and propels guests along its 3,800-ft. track to a top speed of 73 mph, the fastest speed for a wood coaster in the world. “Lightning Rod reminds me so much of those colorful cars cruisin’ up and down Main Street in downtown Sevierville back when I was in high school. I remember all those souped up cars; but what I remember most were those good lookin’ boys behind the wheel with those flat top and ducktail haircuts,” Dolly Parton said with a laugh. “I’m truly excited about this ride because it will let our guests experience something just as fast as those hot rods I remember,” she continued. “Even better, it’s the fastest wooden roller coaster in the world, so I think we’re going to see a lot of people coming from all over to peel out on the Lightning Rod.” Located in Dollywood’s Jukebox Junction, Lightning Rod rockets riders around its massive wooden structure on an adrenaline-charged lap through the trees in the hills and valleys surrounding Dollywood. During the ride, guests experience nearly 20 seconds of airtime. The coaster train is comprised of 12 cars, carrying two passengers each, for a total of 24 people per train. Dollywood’s development team has tapped Rocky Mountain Construction (RMC) as the ride manufacturer. RMC is no stranger to out-of-the-box coaster projects, having designed a number of innovative attractions around the world. Lightning Rod employs several unique features including the lift hill launch, twin summit airtime hills, a 90+ degree banked breaking wave turn, a 90+ degree outside banked turn, and a non-inverting half loop. Lightning Rod puts riders in the driver’s seat of Johnny Rev’s newest hot rod. After months of tinkering, Johnny invites Dollywood guests to step behind the wheel for the first test drive of his flashy new creation. Like any proper hot rod, massive header pipes and an imposing injector scoop peer out from the train’s flamed bodywork. Lightning Rod is the newest member of The Dollywood Company’s collection of award-winning attractions. In March 2012, Dollywood opened the $20 million Wild Eagle, the country’s first wing coaster. The company introduced River Rush, Tennessee’s first and only water coaster, at Dollywood’s Splash Country in 2013. FireChaser Express, the nation’s first dual-launch family coaster, was added at Dollywood in 2014. Dollywood mainstays Thunderhead, consistently among the world’s top five wood coasters, Mystery Mine, Blazing Fury and Tennessee Tornado round out the park’s list of innovative coasters. For more information about Dollywood’s attractions, please visit www.Dollywood.com or call 1-800-DOLLYWOOD.

Get Foxy With KC and the Sunshine Band

Timeless -
KC and the Sunshine Band

TUNE-IN ALERT: KC AND THE SUNSHINE BAND TO SHAKE THEIR BOOTY AS PART OF FOX & FRIENDS ALL-AMERICAN SUMMER CONCERT SERIES 

Shake, Get Down & Like It! Celebrating the 40th anniversary of some of their biggest international hits like “Get Down Tonight,” "Shake, Shake, Shake (Shake Your Booty)," "That's The Way I Like It," and more topping the pop charts, the creator of "happiness through music" Harry Wayne “KC” Casey, of KC and The Sunshine Band hits New York with a jam-packed media tour. Keep your eyes peeled and ears open to see and hear KC LIVE on the following national shows (all times EDT): Friday, August 7 8:00 a.m. | Fox & Friends All-American Summer Concert Series on FOX News Network Wednesday, August 12 10 p.m. | Erin Burnett Out Front on CNN Additional appearances that will air in August include Al Jazeera America and CNN’s The Seventies. KC and The Sunshine Band On Tour: 08.08 Tropicana / Atlantic City, NJ 08.14 Old Town Amphitheater / Rock Hill, SC 08.15 Downstream Casino / Quapaw, OK 08.20 Indiana State Fairgrounds / Indianapolis, IN 08.22 Delta Downs - Delta Center / Vinton, LA 08.28 Monticello Grand Casino / Santiago, Chile 08.29 Monticello Grand Casino / Santiago, Chile 09.19 Ontario Town Square Amphitheatre / Ontario, Canada 10.03 University of Buffalo Stadium / Buffalo, NY 10.29 Ziggo Dome / Amsterdam, Netherlands 10.30 Ziggo Dome / Amsterdam, Netherlands 11.13 Paragon Casino / Marksville, LA 11.20 Prairie Band Casino / Mayetta, KS To learn more about KC and The Sunshine Band and to find more details about their upcoming tour dates, visit heykcsb.com.

Who Will Toss My "Salad Days" ?

Salad Days: A Decade of Punk in Washington, DC (1980-90) coming to DVD on September 18th, streaming now on Vimeo The critically acclaimed documentary chronicling the rise of punk rock in Washington, DC  Check out an exclusive clip at IndieWire and the trailer below It's about punk, a whole decade of it, now you get why I posted this...

Scott Crawford and Jim Saah's Salad Days: A Decade of Punk In Washington, DC (1980-90) has been selling out screenings in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston, Seattle, Chicago, and more. The documentary film that examines the early DIY punk scene in the Nation's Capital. It was a decade when seminal bands like Bad Brains, Minor Threat, Government Issue, Scream, Void, Faith, Rites of Spring, Marginal Man, Fugazi, and others released their own records and booked their own shows-without major record label constraints or mainstream media scrutiny.  Contextually, it was a cultural watershed that predated the alternative music explosion of the 1990s (and the industry's subsequent implosion). Thirty years later, DC's original DIY punk spirit serves as a reminder of the hopefulness of youth, the power of community and the strength of conviction. Director/writer Scott Crawford is a music journalist, musician, and graphic designer. As a teenager in the DC suburbs, he started a fanzine called Metrozine that documented much of what was happening in the DC hardcore punk scene in the 1980s.  "The DC punk music scene that I grew up with in the 1980s has always been a big part of who I am," says Scott. "I interviewed a lot of these bands for the first time over 30 years ago while doing a fanzine. Approaching them all again decades later offered a type of perspective and reflection that I wanted to capture in a film." Crawford was also quoted in both Dance of Days and Banned in DC - the two most definitive books on the early DC punk scene. In 2001, he launched Harp Magazine and served as its Editor-in-Chief for over seven years. Crawford also launched the online music portal Blurt in 2009. Serving as Director of Photography, Saah is a native of Washington, DC who has worked professionally in photography and video for over 25 years. He has shot for a variety of publications and websites ranging from the Washington Post to Rolling Stone. He's also an experienced videographer whose credits range from union organizing films to music documentaries. Recent films he has worked on include movies about the bands Wilco, Death Cab for Cutie, and Eddie Vedder. On a side note, OBEY and Shepard Fairey were heavily influenced by the DC hardcore scene. Shepard has used numerous DC hardcore legends such as Ian Mackaye of Minor Threat and Fugazi, Henry Rollins of State of Alert and Black Flag, and Bad Brains in his artwork. When hearing that Crawford and Saah were planning a West Coast release of their film, OBEY wanted to get involved. They created this T-shirt which is on sale now (along with other cool Salad Days merchandise)HERE. Quick Facts: * Salad Days reached its Kickstarter goal in 6 days. * Features never-before-seen photographs and performance footage of dozens of DC punk bands. * Interviews with Ian MacKaye, Henry Rollins, John Stabb, Thurston Moore, Dave Grohl, and others * Original score by guitarist Michael Hampton (SOA, Faith, Embrace, One Last Wish) DVD Pre-Order:  http://bit.ly/1T3e709 Blu-ray Pre-order:  http://bit.ly/1INahXL  Amazon:  http://amzn.to/1faxxTO

Kiss Me Kate

Wedded Bliss:
Kate Pierson & Monica Coleman

"The Love Shack is a little old place where, We can get together" - Love Shack, B-52's

Congratulations go out today to Kate Pierson of the B-52's on getting married to her longtime girlfriend Monica Coleman over the weekend in Hawaii! They have been together since 2003.

The B-52's are one of my favorite groups. I remember attending the CD release party for Cosmic Thing at the now defunct club Probe in Los Angeles, CA.

It was an exciting evening and the crowd was treated to a live performance by the group who arrived to the party in style on a Cadillac Convertible.

Pierson addressed accepting herself to Spin in it's February 2015 issue:

"All our friends — so many friends are gay or lesbian and transgender. We’re just in that world. We all went through the devastating time of the AIDS crisis and I think that galvanized us to be more activists — AIDS activists. I think through that struggle we’ve tried to do a lot of benefits and stuff. I think the meaning of ‘gay' became more solidified," she told the mag. "One of the things the B-52s wanted to accomplish was for people to embrace their difference and encourage people to be who they are and accept themselves."

Feel the love with the B-52's at: 

https://www.facebook.com/theb52s