Mar 13th, 2008 · Best known for his sly, sexy party anthems, 72-year-old Andre Williams toiled in the music industry trenches for decades, battling homelessness and addiction along the way. Now he's been rediscovered by young white rockers.
Jul 19th, 2008 · Before pursuing a career in music, Lee was a Philadelphia schoolteacher. Then he started going to open-mic nights with a car stereo full of classic R&B records. He recently brought his folky, soulful style to NPR headquarters for a solo performance.
Jul 18th, 2008 · Gathered around a large, vintage diaphragm microphone, the native West Virginians in Hillbilly Gypsies perform a mix of traditional and original Appalachian music before a crowd at the International Mother's Day Shrine.
Jul 18th, 2008 · At a time of outright genocide in Darfur, and civil unrest throughout the Sudan, an unprecedented gathering of musicians from across the war-torn country presented a contrasting picture — one of harmony and unity — at the Sudanese Festival of Music and Dance in Chicago.
Jul 18th, 2008 · This week, in an unusual first, television producer Joss Whedon unveiled Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, a musical comedy written for — and released exclusively on — the Internet.
Jul 18th, 2008 · Sarah Vaughan possessed one of the legendary voices in jazz. With a multi-octave range and a luscious, supple sound, she was celebrated by critics, fans, and fellow musicians alike. In this program from 1986, Vaughan's lively and sassy personality is on display, as are her amazing vocals.
Jul 17th, 2008 · Marc Yu, a 9-year-old musical prodigy, began learning the piano at age 2 and was playing Beethoven by 3. He says he practices up to eight hours a day. "You don't want a Beethoven piece to sound like somebody else," he says. "That's disrespectful to the composer."
Jul 17th, 2008 · John Meeks has been playing and recording for 15 years, but his new Three Song Demo is the pre-release EP to his first full-length album, due out this Fall. It isn't as if Meeks has spent more than a decade trying to come up with some complex musical formula. In fact, what is so compelling about Meeks' music is his simple, straightforward approach. The three acoustic, country-twinged songs are free of artifice, aren't overly produced or orchestrated, and sound effortless.