At 90, Seeger Still Tuned to Social Activism

Bob Dylan, Queen Latifah head all-star salute to music that fueled civil rights

(AP) - Crediting civil rights-era protest songs and their spiritual predecessors for his election, President Obama last night opened the White House to an all-star lineup that paid tribute to the music that he said fueled freedom marches and civil disobedience. Queen Latifah sang the Marvin Gaye classic "What's Going On" and Yolanda Adams gave a spirited rendition of "A Change Is Gonna Come" in a program that will air on public television later this week in honor of Black History Month. More»

Legend expected to sell out 8,000-seat venue

(NEWSER) - Decades after making his name with Vietnam-era antiwar songs, Bob Dylan is set to perform in Vietnam for the first time, the AP reports. He’ll play in an 8,000-seat university stadium in Ho Chi Minh City, and planners expect the show to sell out. “Bob Dylan is a very important legend of music and we think it's important that Vietnamese people, particularly the younger generation, are exposed to his legacy,” says a promoter. (Dylan also recently snagged his first China gigs .) More»

Application to play Beijing, Shanghai was rejected last time

(NEWSER) - Chinese authorities, with their heavy-handed crackdown on protests , have made it clear that the times are definitely not a-changing if they can help it. They are, however, letting Bob Dylan play his first-ever shows in the country, the AFP reports. Dylan will play concerts in Beijing and Shanghai next month as part of an Asian tour. Tickets start at about $42 and hit a high of 1,961.411 yuan (about $300), with those VIP tickets priced to reflect the date of Dylan's first official New York gig, on April 11, 1961. His application to play the same cities last year was rejected, his Taiwanese promoter says, because Dylan refused to sign a pledge "not to hurt the feelings of the Chinese people" by, say, mentioning politics. (In related Bob Dylan news, his one-time muse recently died .) More»

And more sometimes surprising stories behind the songs

(NEWSER) - Inspired by Taylor Swift, who regularly pens songs about her real-life boyfriends , the New York Daily News lists six stories behind six classic songs. Most come from new book The Girl in the Song by Michael Heatley and Frank Hopkinson:

• Billy Joel, “Uptown Girl”: Contrary to popular belief, this song is about Elle MacPherson, not Christie Brinkley. Joel dated MacPherson before Brinkley.
• Bob Dylan, “It Ain’t Me Babe”: The singer had an affair with Joan Baez in the ‘60s—and then penned this song as a kiss-off to her. She returned the favor with “Diamonds and Rust.”

Big-name acts, up-and-comers see modest rise in attendance

(NEWSER) - Concert tours remained surprisingly strong this year despite the weak economy, with slightly more people heading out to see their favorite acts than in 2008. Gross revenue held steady at $1 billion for the period from May 1 to Sept. 1, matching earnings a year earlier. Big-name acts like Kenny Chesney, the Dave Matthews Band, Beyoncé, Bruce Springsteen, and Coldplay all enjoyed strong tours. More»