This month, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, the Temptation and the others will be handed down over to celebrate Motown’s 50th anniversary way back in their home in old Detroit.

The celebration will be a two-night affair starting Nov. 20-21, entitled as “Live it Again!,” that will benefit the Motown Historical Museum, which is located near the company’s original headquarters at Hitsville U.S.A in Detroit’s Midtown district area. The two-day weekend celebration will start at Roostertail, a special night club that has hosted many Motown performances in many years, with parties, a program that would honor many Motown alumni’s. There would also be an autograph signing with the members of the Contours and Miracles just to name a few. Rumors have it that there would also be a “Bop to the Ballroom” dance party that would shortly follow after the autograph signing session.

This coming Nov. 21, the Temptations together with Franklin will sport a black-tie gala at Detroit’s GM Renaissance Center. Stevie Wonder on the other hand will offer a special performance with a tribute to Motown Founder Berry Gordy, Jr. together with his sister, Esther Gordy Edwards, a Motown vice president who also founded the Motown museum.

Tickets are available on Nov. 20 at Roostertail party, selling at $50, while the Nov. 21 gala runs at $350 apiece. Tickets can be purchased through by calling 875-2264 or by visiting their website at motownmuseum.com

Motown’s 50th anniversary will also be honored during the halftime game of the Detroit Lions “Annual Thanksgiving day football game.” The featured Motown 50th Anniversary Tribute will feature prominent Motown stars that include KEM, Shontelle and Melanie Fiona, performing Motown’s greatest biggest hit labels. The segment will be aired by Fox and fans who just can’t get enough of the Motown fever can download the recording of the medley online thru nfl.com/thanksgiving. The proceeds of the event will be given to United Way.

No one would ever expect that the late Michael Jackson would still lead up to the Billboard list top 200 with “This is it”. It is no surprised that “This is it” debuted in the top 200 album chart released today with a whooping 373,000 copies sold according to a latest survey done by Nielsen Sound Scan. By far it was the fifth best sales album copy in the week in the U.S as of this year alone.

The accompanying album to the musical documentary film of the same name still made it number sixth of No. 1 on sales of since Jackson’s 1995 album “HIStory” and “Invincible.” Still this year, Jackson managed to net yet another No. 1 on the Top Comprehensive Albums and Top Catalog albums charts with the 2003 greatest hits “Number Ones.”

“This is it” film managed to grab some loyal late night watchers during its first few days of screening. As of Nov. 2, the film managed to collect a share of $36.9 million at the U.S box office and Canada. It has already been the second top grossing musical concert film in the U.S and Canada, behind “Hannah Montana: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour.”

The film “This is It”, belongs to one out of five albums to arrive in the top 10 Billboard 200 chart this week close from Creed’s “Full Circle” that garnered a No. 2 spot with 110,000 copies sold. It was Creed’s first studio release since 2001 when its song “Weathered” hit No 1. With 887,000 copies in its first week of opening.

All in all album sales in the past few weeks ending in Nov. 1 totaled to 6.32 million units, 10% more compared to a lower sum last week which was 5.71 million and 9% down. Year date album sales stand at close to 290 million, down 12% from last year’s 330 million.

Never before has an all original female vocal CD hit the Jazz Week Chart, until recently, when Cynthia Scott’s new album, “Dream For One Bright World” achieved this status. Scott says she is “thrilled that the album reached this level of success so quickly and that audiences gravitated to it as she hoped they would.”

Jazz singer songwriter Scott’s new CD features a range of material with Scott as the principal composer. She believes that the album resonated with audiences due to the universal themes on the CD, and her ability to tap into the heart of the world’s concerns.

DREAM FOR ONE BRIGHT WORLD features a range of material written by Scott, who credits co-writers Norman Simmons and Nicholas Morrison for their creative input on some of the songs she performs on the CD, reflecting Scott’s thought that” jazz is just life.”

Accompanied by such great musicians as Lonnie Plaxico on acoustic bass, John di Martino on piano and keyboard, Bill Easley on tenor/alto/soprano saxophones and flute, Yoron Israel on drums, Jeff Haynes on percussion, Wayne Escoffrey on tenor, Andrae Murchison on trombone and Etienne Charles on trumpet, Scott’s extraordinary vocals get the attention they deserve with tasteful colors and distinct nuance.

(Source) Press