With hits, Demi Lovato radio-ready with 4th album

By MESFIN FEKADU

Before achieving back-to-back radio hits with "Give Your Heart a Break" and "Heart Attack," Demi Lovato wondered why she had yet to find her b…

Tucson Pops, Arizona Symphonic Winds perform this weekend

Cathalena E. Burch Arizona Daily Star

Concerts in the parks Saturday and Sunday.

Emails show concern for Jackson deterioration

By LINDA DEUTSCH

A stage manager working on Michael Jackson's ill-fated "This Is It" concert warned an AEG executive days before the star's death that he was i…

Shelton, Underwood coming to aid of Oklahomans

By The Associated Press

Blake Shelton has a date and location for his benefit and fellow Oklahoman Carrie Underwood is writing a large check to help benefit those aff…

Mary J. Blige faces $3.4M federal tax lien in NJ

Mary J. Blige and her husband have been hit with a $3.4 million tax lien in New Jersey.

La Scala scales back on productions due to crisis

By COLLEEN BARRY

La Scala has reduced the number of operas it will stage during the 2013-14 season due to Italy's economic crisis, the theater's general manage…

Russian court denies Pussy Riot's Alekhina parole

By MAX SEDDON

A Russian court denied parole on Thursday to a member of the Pussy Riot punk group.

Rolling Stones exhibit opening in Cleveland

By TOM WITHERS

Over the years, curators at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum have occasionally had trouble coaxing reluctant stars to help put togeth…

Singer Nick Carter to release memoir Sept. 24

By MESFIN FEKADU

Nick Carter isn't only writing songs _ he's written a book.

Darius Rucker rides 'Wagon Wheel' to top of charts

By CHRIS TALBOTT

Darius Rucker is a fan of Old Crow Medicine Show, but says he didn't really get what was so infectious about the string band's signature hit "…

Georges Moustaki, who penned for Piaf, dies

Georges Moustaki, an Egyptian-born composer, singer and poet who wrote songs for Edith Piaf and other French stars, has died at age 79.

Duo on Southwest learning tour

Gerald M. Gay Arizona Daily Star

Melanie Krahmer and Rich Libutti, the rock duo who play under the name Sirsy, learned a valuable lesson on their first tour through the Americ…

Fall starts in August at Fox

Fox Tucson Theatre is bringing a host of legendary musicians and comedians to Tucson this fall. The downtown theater's fall season kicks off w…

Seen and heard

Hip-hop artist Big Boi went local with his dinner choice Monday night, before his show at the Rialto Theatre.

ChamberLab brings classical music to variety of audiences

Gerald M. Gay Arizona Daily Star

Local musician Chris Black played the role of a musical mad scientist when he created his ChamberLab concert series in 2012.

Music notes

Cathalena E. Burch and Gerald M. Gay Arizona Daily Star

Singer-songwriter Pakulis hosts 5th annual Ranch party

Obama honors Carole King at White House concert

By DARLENE SUPERVILLE

President Barack Obama, saluting Carole King's five decades as an award-winning singer-songwriter, said Wednesday that music often is a place …

Emails show AEG lawyer called Jackson a 'freak'

By ANTHONY McCARTNEY

A lawyer for the parent company of AEG Live LLC called Michael Jackson a freak on the day the singer signed a multimillion contract for a seri…

Sammy Hagar faces appeal of tossed defamation case

By RYAN J. FOLEY

A former Playboy bunny who claims Sammy Hagar fathered her now-deceased child is appealing a ruling that dismissed her lawsuit against the for…

'Idol' winner rolling out debut album in July

By MESFIN FEKADU

Candice Glover spent more time on season 12 of "American Idol" than she will on creating her debut album.

Beatles' lyrics headed for British Library

By GREGORY KATZ

Shakespeare, the Magna Carta _ and now some of John Lennon's finest lyrics.

Aretha Franklin taking June off, postponing shows

Aretha Franklin is taking off the month of June.

Fox Tucson Theatre bringing comics, legends to town

Cathalena E. Burch Arizona Daily Star

Fall lineup kicks off with shows in August.

Pop songwriters find excitement in stage musicals

By MARK KENNEDY

There was a time when most of the songs played on the radio came from Broadway. Now some popular hit makers like Cyndi Lauper and Sting are fi…

Germany celebrates composer Wagner's 200th

By FRANK JORDANS

Germany on Wednesday celebrated the 200th birthday of Richard Wagner, the 19th-century composer whose music has been hailed as sublime art at …