Gordon Lightfoot Book, Music and More!

Like actors who get typecast by roles, musicians can become stereotyped by songs—just ask Dan Hill. The Canadian singer shot to fame in 1977 when his composition “Sometimes When We Touch” topped the international charts and earned him a reputation as an overly sensitive artist. Although he went on to record a wide range of material, the Grammy- and Juno Award-winning musician was forever pegged as that guy whose honesty was, for a lot of people, simply too much. Undaunted, Hill continued writing hit songs—many of them for the likes of Céline Dion, Britney Spears, Michael Bolton and George Benson. His writing also took a literary turn when I Am My Father’s Son, his tell-all memoir about his c...

Her sultry music was once the soundtrack for countless dinner parties. Mixing pop accessibility with jazz sophistication, Sade the singer and the band that bears her name crafted an exquisite sound that sold 50 million albums and won Grammy Awards in 1985 and in each of the next two decades. From Diamond Life and Stronger than Pride to Lovers Rock, Sade’s music remained cool, sensual and, above all, mellow. The diamond life began when the Nigerian fashion student born Helen Folasade Adu was recruited by musician friends in London to become their vocalist. Hits like “Cool Operator” and “The Sweetest Taboo” soon followed and Sade proved to be a cool operator herself, negotiating a lucrative pe...

The Grammy Awards has become one of the world’s most-watched television events. Last year, over 25 million people tuned in to see singer Sam Smith win basically … everything. This year’s edition, the 58th (Feb. 15, City), promises plenty of drama as Taylor Swift and The Weeknd challenge nomination leader Kendrick Lamar to decide who takes home the most hardware. Here are five of the biggest things to expect from music’s starriest night.   1. SHOW-STOPPING NUMBERS Live television means that music is spontaneous and often full of surprises. Don’t miss solo performances by Kendrick Lamar, Justin Bieber, Little Big Town, Pitbull and The Weeknd (the “Can’t Feel My Face” singer – a.k.a. Toron...

It opened with Australia’s AC/DC devilishly stomping their way through “Rock or Bust” and “Highway to Hell” and ended with America’s Beyoncé, John Legend and Common taking us to church with hopeful hymns about emancipation and salvation. In other words, the 57th annual Grammys, hosted once again by the affable LL Cool J, ran the gamut from rock to gospel and heaven to hell. Another distinguishing feature of the show, which boasted a whopping 23 performances and only 10 onscreen awards, was the producers’ penchant for pairing legends with rising stars. While obviously an attempt to bridge the demographic divide, it made for some damn good duets. The young-meets-old collaborations included Ed ...

Next month’s Grammy Awards will be wildly diverse, judging by these 21 tracks. From Ed Sheeran’s “Sing” and Pharrell Williams’ “Happy” to Sia’s “Chandelier” and Ariana Grande’s “Problem,” it’s an eclectic collection, topped off by Sam Smith’s “Stay With Me” and Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off,” both strong Song of the Year contenders.