Music

MUSIC

1.Where does Marilyn Manson's stage name come from? What kind of music does this artist perform?What is the latest news about his personal life?
A: His stage name was formed from the names of actress Marilyn Monroe and convicted murderer Charles Manson. He performs heavy metal kind of music. The latest news about his personal life: He's engaged to actress Evan Rachel Wood.

Example of his music - Marilyn Manson - "Sweet Dreams" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marilyn_Manson

2.What is EBBA and how is it connected with one Estonian singer?
A:Europe’s biggest live music industry gathering of the year. It's an award ceremony in Europe: European Border Breakers Awards. The connection with Kerly Kõiv is that this year Kerly won one of the 10 awards that are given out at the ceremony.

http://www.europeanborderbreakersawards.eu/home.html

3.Which is the only African country that has taken part in the Eurovision Song Contest in its 54 year history? presented by BBC-legend Jools Holland, recorded at Oosterpoort Theatre Groningen and broadcast throughout Europe.
A: Morocco
http://www.eurovision.tv/page/history/by-country

4.Who is Louise Veronica Ciccone? What has she achieved? Give a short overview of her career.
A: Madonna. She is an American recording artist, actress and entrertainer. She released her self-titled debut album Madonna in 1983.

A series of hit singles from her studio albums Like a Virgin(1984) and True Blue(1986) gained her global recognition. It established her as a pop icon for pushing the boundaries of lyrical content in mainstream popular music and imagery in her music videos, which became a fixture on MTV.

In 1996, Madonna played the starring role in the film Evita, for which she won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy. Madonna's seventh studio album Ray of Light(1998) became one of her most critically acclaimed, recognized for its lyrical depth. During the 2000s, Madonna released four studio albums, all of which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200.

Madonna has sold more than 200 million albums worldwide. She is ranked by the Recording Industry Association of America as the best-selling female rock artist of the 20th century and the second top-selling female artist in the U.S., with 64 million certified albums. Guinness World Records listed her as the world's most successful female recording artist of all time.In 2008, Billboard magazine ranked Madonna at number two, behind only The Beatles, on the "Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists", making her as the most successful solo artist in the history of Billboard Hot 100 chart. She was also inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the same year. Considered to be one of the most influential women in contemporary music, Madonna has been known for continually reinventing both her music and image and for retaining a standard of autonomy within the recording industry. She is recognized as an influence among numerous music artists.

Example of her music - Madonna - "Like A Virgin"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louise_Veronica_Ciccone#Biography

5.When was the band 'Queen' formed? When was their first record released? Give a short overview of the history of the band.
A: Queen was formed in 1971. In 1973 they released their first album, QUEEN.

Queen are a British rock band that formed in 1970. The band originally consisted of lead vocalist Freddie Mercury, guitarist Brian May, bassist John Deacon, and drummer Roger Taylor. Queen have been described as giving the greatest live performance ever, producing the greatest single in history, and being the best British band of all time. They have released 15 studio albums, five live albums and numerous compilation albums. In 2009, the band's record label EMI reported the band's worldwide album sales as over 300 million, as did the BBC and other independent sources.

Queen enjoyed success in the UK during the early 1970s but it was the release of Sheer Heart Attack(1974) and A Night at the Opera(1975) that gained the band international success, both critically and commercially. Their success continued through the seventies, eighties, and nineties. In 1987 Mercury was diagnosed HIV positive and in 1991 died of bronchopneumonia, a complication of AIDS. Deacon's retirement followed in 1997. Since then, May and Taylor have infrequently performed together at special events and programmes. Queen were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001.

Between 2004 and 2009 the duo collaborated with Paul Rodgers under the name Queen + Paul Rodgers.

Example of their music - Queen - "Another Bites the Dust"

http://www.queenonline.com/history/34/

6.Which performer made his last concert appearance on June 26, 1977, in Indianapolis? Give a short overview of his biography and musical career.
A: Elvis Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American musician and actor. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King".

He was born in Tupelo, Mississippi. At the age of 13 he moved with his family to Memphis, Tennessee. He began his career there in 1954 when Sun Records owner Sam Phillips, eager to bring the sound of African American music to a wider audience, saw in Presley the means to realize his ambition. Accompanied by guitarist Scotty Moore and bassist Bill Black, Presley was one of the originators of rockabilly, an uptempo, backbeat-driven fusion of country and rhythm and blues. RCA Victor acquired his contract in a deal arranged by Colonel Tom Parker, who would manage the singer for over two decades. Presley's first RCA single, "Heartbreak Hotel", released in January 1956, was a number one hit. He became the leading figure of the newly popular sound of rock and roll with a series of network television appearances and chart-topping records. His energized interpretations of songs, many from African American sources, and his uninhibited performance style made him enormously popular—and controversial. In November 1956, he made his film debut in Love Me Tender.

Prescription drug abuse severely compromised his health, and he died suddenly in 1977 at the age of 42.

Presley is regarded as one of the most important figures of 20th-century popular culture. He had a versatile voice and unusually wide success encompassing many genres, including country, pop ballads, gospel, and blues. He is the best-selling solo artist in the history of popular music. Nominated for 14 competitive Grammys, he won three, and received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award at age 36. He has been inducted into four music halls of fame.

Example of his music - Elvis Presley - "Suspicious Minds"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvis_Presley

7.What is a common sad fact about the musicians Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, and Kurt Cobain ?
A: They all died at the age of 27, they belong in the 27 Club.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimi_Hendrix http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janis_Joplin
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Morrison http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurt_Cobain http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/27_Club

8. Who was the composer, who by his death at the age of 35, had written 41 symponies?

A: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
Example of his music - Mozart - Symphony 40 in G min KV 550

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mozart

9.Whose real name is Reginald Kenneth Dwight? Describe his musical career.
A: Sir Elton Hercules John, born 25 March 1947 is an homosexual English singer-songwriter, composer and pianist.

In his four-decade career, John has sold more than 250 million records, making him one of the most successful artists of all time. His single "Candle in the Wind 1997" has sold over 37 million copies, becoming the best selling single of all time. He has more than 50 Top 40 hits, including seven consecutive No. 1 U.S. albums, 56 Top 40 singles, 16 Top 10, four No. 2 hits, and nine No. 1 hits. He has won five Grammy awards, an Academy award, a Golden Globe Award and a Tony Award. His success has had a profound impact on popular music and has contributed to the continued popularity of the piano in rock and roll. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked him Number 49 on its list of the 100 greatest artists of all time. Some of the characteristics of John's musical talent and work include an ability to quickly craft melodies for the lyrics of songwriting partner Bernie Taupin, his former rich tenor (now baritone) voice, his classical and gospel-influenced piano, the sensitive orchestral arrangements of Paul Buckmaster among others, and the on-stage showmanship, especially evident during the 1970s.

John was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. In 2008, Billboard magazine ranked him as the most successful male solo artist on "The Billboard Hot 100 Top All-Time Artists" (Third overall, behind only The Beatles and Madonna).

Example of his music - Elton John - "Can You Feel the Love Tonight"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reginald_Kenneth_Dwight

10.Who is Stefani Germanotta ? What is the name of her last album? Describe her career.
A: Lady Gaga. She is an American recording artist. She began performing in the rock music scene of New York City's Lower East Side.
Her debut album, The Fame, was released on August 19, 2008. In addition to receiving generally positive reviews, it reached number-one in Canada, Austria, Germany, and Ireland and topped the Billboard Top Electronic Albums chart. Its first two singles, "Just Dance" and "Poker Face", co-written and co-produced with RedOne, became international number-one hits, topping the Hot 100 in The United States as well as other countries. The album later earned a total of six Grammy Award nominations and won awards for Best Electronic/Dance Album and Best Dance Recording. In early 2009, after having opened for New Kids on the Block and the Pussycat Dolls, she embarked on her first headlining tour, The Fame Ball Tour. By the fourth quarter of 2009, she released her second studio album The Fame Monster, with the global chart- topping lead single "Bad Romance", as well as having embarked on her second headlining tour of the year, The Monster Ball Tour.

Lady Gaga is inspired by glam rock musicians such as David Bowie and Freddie Mercury, as well as pop music artists such as Madonna and Michael Jackson. She has also stated fashion is a source of inspiration for her songwriting and performances. To date, she has sold over eight million albums and 35 million singles digitally worldwide.

Example of her music - Lady Gaga - Starstruck

The name of her last album is "The Fame Monster".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady_gaga

more information: http://www.ladygaga.com/splash/