HOLLYWOOD—Who would have thought that Don McClean’s “American Pie,” original manuscript would sell for $1.2 million? Yes, the 16-page draft had expected to fetch as much as $1.5 at the Christie’s sale, but $1.2 million isn’t too shabby.
McClean had hinted that the original manuscript would reveal the song’s lyrical meaning, which has always been somewhat of a mystery. The 69-year-old had previously acknowledged the beginning of the song was about the deaths of Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and the Bog Bopper-Jiles P Richardson-in a plane crash, but has remained elusive about the rest of the track, according to published reports.
The song “American Pie,” is one of the most debated songs in music history. According to the singer, he sold the manuscript, which includes drafts, with handwritten notes, on a whim. The eight-minute song was number one in the US for four weeks back in 1972. The song was also very sentimental about America that could be embraced by everybody as the USA reeled from Vietnam and Watergate. Madonna also released a version of the song back in 2000, topping the charts in many countries.
Van Morrison, the Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician will receive the Johnny Mercer Award, the highest honor by the Songwriters Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the hall back in 2003 and will be honored June 18 in New York. His 35th studio album titled “Duets: Reworking the Catalog,” is sure to get some attention from his longtime fans. So why would artists of his caliber revisit and re-record their catalog? It’s often either a desperate attempt to cash in or an attempt for inspiration to strike again. Morrison, is no doubt, an icon.
The icons will all be at the Billboard Music Awards which will air on May 17 on ABC. Taylor Swift is leading in this year’s nominations, with Sam Smith following close behind. Swift has 14 nominations and Smith has 13, and they will be competing for several categories, including Hot 100 artist. Pharrell Williams, Ariana Grande, John Legend, Meghan Trainor, Iggy Azalea are all nominees.
Iggy Azalea featuring Jennifer Hudson, Florida Georgia Line and Jason Derulo mentored and performed on “American Idol” on April 8. Derulo is burning up the charts with his latest “Want You To Want Me.” Jason has sold more than 45 million records worldwide and has surpassed over 1.5 billion views on his YouTube Channel. “Wiggle,” featuring Snoop Dogg, is his eighth song to reach the Top 10 on the Top 40.
His most successful track to date is the ubiquitous hit “Talk Dirty ” featuring 2 Chainz, having sold more than 6 million singles worldwide with a music video that has amassed almost 250 million views on YouTube. The Miami native’s aspiring career started at the age of 16 when he began writing songs for artists including Lil Wayne, Pitbull, Diddy, Sean Kingston, Cassie and Danity Kane. At the tender age of eight years old he penned his first track, “Crush On You.” Derulo won the grand prize on the season finale of the TV show “Showtime at the Apollo.” Today, Derulo is adored by millions of fans.
Fans can see Jason Derulo and Paula Abdul as judges on the 12th season of Fox’s “So You Think You Can Dance,” on June 1. Derulo and Abdul joined Nigel Lythgoe at the podium as the newest permanent judges on the summer reality competition, which followed the departure of former judge Mary Murphy. It’s the “Wiggle” singer’s first permanent reality show and Abdul’s return to the network after her tenure judging American Idol.
Rose’s Scoop: Leave it to Eva Mendes to inspire women. Eva is not a fan of denim, she prefers leggings or yoga pants. After making a joke about sweatpants causing divorce, Mendes aired her grievances about jeans. I really must agree with Eva Mendes, yoga pants are so hot.
