Willie Nelson is currently our greatest exemplar of the American(a) songbook as it stretches over prairie, plain, purple mountain majesties, delta, bayou, and honky tonks remote and urbane. Over a 50-year career he has absorbed and personalized as astonishing array of indiginous American musics, including Nashville, western, Tex-Mex, Texas songer-songwriter, …

Berkleemusic adds five new college-credit guitar courses and programs to their burgeoning online curriculum – no cowbell, yet. Berkleemusic.com, the online extension school of Berklee College of Music, has added five new online guitar courses and five new college-credit guitar certificate programs to their online curriculum. Courses include Guitar Scales …

In an interesting legal maneuver in the Michael Jackson trial, Santa Barbara County Superior Court Judge Rodney Melville has not yet ruled on a motion by Senior Deputy District Attorney Ron Zonen for permission to ask witnesses for the defense about alleged character evidence against Jackson. Released Wednesday, the motion …

The Arab world’s equivalent of American Idol, Star Academy, concluded in April with the crowning of Saudi Arabian singer Hisham Abdul-Rahman as “Star” on the Lebanese LBC network. I love the awkward enthusiasm of the announcement of Hisham’s victory on the English version of the show’s website: “Congratulations and celebrations …

In the course of ongoing reporting on the Michael Jackson child molestation trial, I have received a steady stream of comments from well-intentioned Jackson supporters who have stated as a matter of fact that the media is highlighting the salacious allegations against the performer as opposed to his defense rebuttals, …

In a finals show marked by a notable lack of cheese and manipulation, the American Idol Final Four was whittled down to the Triumphant Three. Just before the moment of truth, host Ryan Seacrest, dressed like a banker in a sedate black suit, displayed three slick Marquis Jet passes for …

George David Denardo III, 19, wanted for failure to appear, sped off when police tried to pull him over in Norfolk, VA, lost control and slammed into the side of the house of Travis and Marsha Richason at about 2:30 a.m. Tuesday morning, punching a hole in the sheet rock …

Former child star Macaulay Culkin, 24, is on the witness stand in the Michael Jackson trial today and has denied that the singer ever did anything improper to him, calling the accusation “absolutely ridiculous.” He added, “I’ve never seen him do anything improper with anyone.” Culkin was called by the …

I’m back on the MJ trial beat, having purged the debilitating sludge built up in my system over ten weeks of numbing, debased testimony, which has cast an ugly shadow across virtually everyone within the drama’s lurid light: sketchy accusers, former employees with grudges, Jackson-lickspittles — including his former wife …

The American Theatre Wing’s 59th Annual Tony Awards show, from NYC’s Radio City Music Hall, will be aired on CBS from 8:00 to 11:00 p.m. (ET/PT), Sunday, June 5, 2005. Stage and screen star Hugh Jackman, a Tony winner himself for The Boy From Oz, will host for the third …