|
contents | blues | |||||||||||||
| Lionel Richie and Lyfe Jennings in ’The Bridge’ The premiere episode of AOL Black Voices' new music show "The Bridge", which pairs an established artist with a newcomer, has tapped five-time Grammy Award winner Lionel Richie and one of today's hottest new R&B artists Lyfe Jennings. The first episode of this new franchise, debuting on November 1, will be sponsored by Ford's all new crossover utility vehicle, Ford Edge. Despite their differing musical styles, Richie and Jennings hit it off instantly, performing an electrifying duet of Easy, the 1978 Commodores' hit Richie penned when he was a member of the group. The pair also jammed as Richie performed his chart-topping singles "I Call it Love" and "Why", and Jennings rocked to the hit songs "S.E.X." and "Goodbye." "At AOL Black Voices, we are committed to continuously developing our editorial content and exclusive original video programming, such as the first installment of 'The Bridge, '" said Janet Rollé, Vice President and General Manager, AOL Black Voices. "It has been an incredible opportunity to bring Lionel and Lyfe together to help launch a new show that will undoubtedly engage and entertain our audience." "I'm so proud to be participating in this new show with Lyfe", said Lionel Richie. "I love working with fellow artists who say something positive in their music. We bonded right away because it's very seldom that you find someone who is truly serious about crafting the song and longevity." "I can't really remember the day that I discovered Lionel Richie", said Lyfe Jennings. "My mom listened to him all the time. Then I saw the video for 'Hello, '" and thought I want to do something like that one day." Beyond this special new music initiative, AOL Black Voices has an extensive line-up of music and entertainment programming. For example, the site recently partnered with AOL Music to offer a robust offering of exclusive content such as an online CD listening party of Diddy's latest album "Press Play", a First Listen of Snoop Dogg's newest single "That's That, " and live in-studio musical performances from Keyshia Cole, Al Green, T.I. and more. The service has also showcased exclusive interviews with celebrities and directors during Film Life's Black Movie Awards, Toronto International Film Festival, Sundance Film Festival, American Black Film Festival and Pan African Film Festival. A celebrated singer, songwriter, producer, Chester "Lyfe" Jennings is a 26 year-old Toledo, Ohio native. Jennings became a presence in the R&B community with the release of his platinum debut album Lyfe 268-192 in 2004 and since then he's remained true to his music. Released on August 15, 2006, Lyfe's sophomore album, The Phoenix is picking up where Lyfe 268-192 left off showcasing Lyfe's experiences in new dimensions. Written by Lyfe and co-produced by Lyfe with Rhemario "Rio" Webber, The Phoenix is a set of starkly realistic tales inspired by the lives of everyday people. Coming Home is the ultimate statement from Lionel Richie, a pop icon who has sold more than 100 million records worldwide in his career, and has the honor of owning an Oscar and Golden Globe Award (both for "Say You, Say Me, " from White Knights) and a total of five Grammy Awards (collectively for "Truly, " Can't Slow Down, and "We Are The World"). Lionel Richie's string of 15 consecutive top 10 R&B hits between 1981 and 1992 (five of which hit #1) – 13 of which were consecutive top 10 pop hits (also including five #1's) – stands as one of the most enviable achievements in chart history. His countless awards, also including American Music Awards, NAACP Image Awards, People's Choice Awards, ASCAP Awards, the World Music Lifetime Achievement Award, and more, were capped when he received a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame in 2003. Lionel Richie is an artist for the ages. write your comments about the article :: © 2006 Jazz News :: home page |