Denzel Washington "Great Futures Start Here" and View The Girl Power in New York!

Denzel Washington National Spokesman for the Boys and Girls Club for over 20 years!

When Denzel Washington was a young boy, both of his parents worked outside the home. So he spent his free time at the Boys Club of Mt. Vernon (N.Y.) after school and on the weekends. It was a place to become a football player, a boxer or a basketball player. He learned to construct in the woodshop, and have fun with friends in the gamesroom. But most of all, he learned to dream. And he dreamed big - From BGCA

Please view (Ink Spots Entertainment) Noise Magazine with Denzel Washington on the cover. 

Hello, I want to share big news with all of you. My son, Lee and his girlfriend Chanele are expecting a baby girl in December. Lee and Chanele have already picked out a name for my (first grandchild). When she arrives her name shall be Leah Robinson. Needless to say, my entire family can't wait to celebrate the arrival of the newest family member. That's why, I decided to blog about the Boys and Girls Club. To make the outstanding work this organization does a part of our family celebration. Why Mentoring is important?

Mentoring is a powerful tool to help young people fulfill their potential goals and dreams. Places as the Boys and Girls Club, teach responsibility and give children the tools to overcome enormous challenges. Mentoring environments such as the BGCA provide the positive and healthy development for all young adults. Our children need support and guidance and the (Boys and Girls Club) provides a 'Safety Net' for communities across America. (continued below)

Oh, and I'm including information about the "New York City Girls Project." That is a program launched by Mayor Mike Bloomberg of New York. Merging these two programs should highlight how important mentoring is. Before I go, let me tell you all something about Mayor Mike Bloomberg. As a native New Yorker I don't agree with him all the time. However, I will be sad to see Mayor Bloomberg go when this term in office ends. He has been a great mayor. Love Shelley

Kansas teen wins national award, honored at White House  

• Sep. 18, 2013
• By Chris Adams
• McClatchy Washington Bureau

Kiana Knolland of Wichita is a freshman at Howard University in Washington who one day hopes to become a federal prosecutor.

On Wednesday, she got a chance to tell the president of the United States of her ambition.

“He said, ‘That’s great,’ ” Knolland said moments after her Oval Office visit with President Barack Obama.

“It was an amazing moment. He was easy-going and laid back, and if you had any nervousness, he made you feel relaxed.”

President Obama 

Wednesday morning, Knolland found out she had won the annual “Youth of the Year” award from Boys & Girls Clubs of America. The award recognizes young people who have remarkable stories of triumph, academic success and community leadership.

Knolland is now the Boys & Girls Clubs’ national teen spokeswoman, advocating on behalf of its 4 million members. She will receive more than $60,000 in college scholarship funds from Tupperware Brands, the national sponsor of the initiative.

Knolland, 18, joined the Boys & Girls Clubs when she was 5. Adopted into a single-parent home, she said the Boys & Girls Club helped her grow up and develop a sense of right and wrong. She said it also helped her develop valuable life skills.

She said she knew from age 9 that she wanted to be an attorney. She graduated from Wichita Collegiate School in May and completed an internship this year Foulston Siefkin, a Wichita law firm.

At Howard, she’s majoring in public relations with a minor in political science. And even though she’s been out of school for a couple days for events surrounding the award and White House visit, she’s hopeful her professors will cut her some slack for any absences.

Knolland visited the White House with five other students who had advanced to the top levels of the annual youth of the year competition. She said the Oval Office meeting lasted about 15 minutes, and the students introduced themselves and told Obama of their goals.

“That was an amazing opportunity,” she said. “It was such a breathtaking experience.”

Before coming to college, Knolland had only visited Washington once, during a spring break trip in her senior year of high school. That’s when she checked out Howard and “fell in love with the area.”

“I feel like I’m right in the political arena,” she said.

Her mother joined her in Washington to attend some of the Boys & Girls Clubs’ events. But she was not able to accompany her into the Oval Office.

Knolland did, however, buy her mother a Christmas ornament from the White House gift shop.

“It’s been a really crazy day,” she said. Read More Here

Jim Clark, president and CEO, BGCA and Kiana Knolland

Kiana Knolland receives top honor including $60,000 scholarship after year-long competition

WASHINGTON, Sept. 18, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) announced today its national teen ambassador at a Congressional Breakfast, hosted by Luke Russert, in Washington, D.C. Kiana Knolland of Boys & Girls Clubs of South Central Kansas in Wichita, Kans. has been named the 2013-14 National Youth of the Year. She will serve as the official BGCA teen spokesperson, advocating for nearly 4 million Boys & Girls Club youth and all of America's young people during her year of service. The honor recognizes youth who have overcome odds and demonstrated exceptional character and accomplishments, and includes more than $60,000 in college scholarships from Tupperware Brands Corporation and The Rick and Susan Goings Foundation.

Kiana was named National Youth of the Year during the breakfast before celebrities and Congressional leaders, including National Youth of the Year Ambassador, ballet soloist and Club alumna Misty Copeland, whose role as ambassador serves to raise visibility for the program and the incredible young people it honors. Olympic gold medal snowboarder and Club alumShaun White was honored at the breakfast as a Champion of Youth in recognition of his efforts in service and commitment to youth at Clubs across the country. Senator Susan Collins, House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer, Senator Barbara Mikulski and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor co-hosted the Congressional Breakfast. In addition, at the event, BGCA signed the NASA Space Act Agreement, which recognizes the collaboration between BGCA and NASA to provide STEM and NASA-related resources to Clubs and kids.Congressman Chaka Fattah spoke about the importance of STEM education for youth before BGCA President and CEO Jim Clark signed the agreement with Leland Melvin, NASA Associate Administrator for Education and former two-time space shuttle astronaut who signed on behalf of the agency. Later today, Kiana and the five National Youth of the Year finalists will be joined by Misty Copeland and Shaun White for an exclusive meeting with President Barack Obama in the Oval Office.

American ballet soloist Misty Copeland and Olympic snowboarder-skateboarder Shaun White join Boys & Girls Clubs of America in naming the 2013-14 National Youth of the Year Kiana Knolland (center) in Washington, D.C. Knolland receives top honor and over $60,000 in college scholarships from national Youth of the Year sponsor, Tupperware Brands. (PRNewsFoto/Boys & Girls Clubs of America)

Founded in 1947, the Youth of the Year program, sponsored by Tupperware Brands, recognizes outstanding young people for service to their Club and community, academic performance and contributions to their family. To win the national title, Kiana advanced through local, state and regional competitions. The year-long competition culminated in D.C. by naming the national honoree from six candidates – five regional finalists and BGCA's first Military Youth of the Year. Announced during a reception on Sept. 13, the Military Youth of the Year will serve as a teen ambassador for kids of military families. Through a 22-year partnership with the military, BGCA provides services to help support the children of military personnel at BGCA-affiliated Youth Centers on U.S. military installations worldwide. 

The highest honor a Boys & Girls Club youth can achieve, the National Youth of the Year receives $11,000 in college scholarships from program sponsor Tupperware Brands, plus a $50,000 scholarship from The Rick and Susan Goings Foundation, the personal foundation of Tupperware Brands CEO Rick Goings, who has been an active supporter of the Boys & Girls Clubs for more 20 years, and his wife, Susan. The National Youth of the Year also received a new car from BGCA national partner Toyota. In addition, all six finalists received the first annual Shaun White Supply Co. (SWSC) Teen Leadership Awards for their demonstrated achievement in academic performance, leadership and service. The award consisted of a $1,000scholarship and a personalized Supply Co. package, including a skateboard, bike and scooter.

"I'm so excited to be National Youth of the Year. I look forward to being the voice of Boys & Girls Club kids across the country, sharing my story and representing an organization that has had such a tremendous impact on who I am," said Kiana Knolland, 2013-14 National Youth of the Year, Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

Kiana overcame significant obstacles in her life and represents millions of young people whose lives begin to transform the day they enter a Boys & Girls Club. Growing up in a single-parent home, Kiana's mother provided her with a great support system. But her mom's health problems also made life difficult. 

Since joining the Club at age 5, Kiana has been an active participant and leader - being a role model to younger peers, and giving back to her community. Kiana also belongs to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and chairs the Government & Legislative Affairs Committee of the Mayor's Youth Council. Keenly focused on her future, Kiana is a freshman at Howard University pursuing a career in the legal field.

"I am very proud of the accomplishments of Kiana and all the YOY finalists. Each is living proof that great futures really do start at Boys & Girls Clubs," said Jim Clark, president and CEO, BGCA. "America's kids today are facing steep obstacles they must overcome to grow into productive adults. Kiana will serve as the youth voice to raise visibility for issues facing all kids and the ways we can come together to support them on the path to future success."

Kiana's fellow 2013 Youth of the Year finalists were: Martaluz Olang from Boys & Girls Clubs of Hartford (Conn.); Jesse Friedman from Boys & Girls Clubs of South Oakland County (Mich.); Yossymar Rojas from Boys & Girls Clubs of Capistrano Valley (Calif.); Meeri Shin from Boys & Girls Clubs of Cleveland (Tenn.); and RaShaan Allen, Military Youth of the Year from Devers Youth Center on Ft. Knox (Ky.).

To learn more about the National Youth of the Year program and the finalists, visit www.greatfutures.org/YOY.

About Boys & Girls Clubs of America 

For more than 100 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (GreatFutures.org) has enabled young people most in need to achieve great futures as productive, caring, responsible citizens. Today, more than 4,000 Clubs serve nearly 4 million young people through Club membership and community outreach. Clubs are located in cities, towns, public housing and on Native American lands throughout the country, and serve military families in BGCA-affiliated Youth Centers on U.S. military installations worldwide. They provide a safe place, caring adult mentors, fun and friendship, and high-impact youth development programs on a daily basis during critical non-school hours. Club programs promote academic success, good character and citizenship, and healthy lifestyles. In a Harris Survey of alumni, 57 percent said the Club saved their lives. National headquarters are located in Atlanta. Learn more at http://bgca.org/facebook and http://bgca.org/twitter.

About Tupperware Brands Corporation 
Tupperware Brands Corporation is a portfolio of global direct selling companies, selling innovative, premium products across multiple brands and categories through an independent sales force of 2.7 million. Product brands and categories include design-centric preparation, storage and serving solutions for the kitchen and home through the Tupperware brand and beauty and personal care products for consumers through the Armand Dupree, Avroy Shlain, BeautiControl, Fuller Cosmetics, NaturCare, Nutrimetics, and Nuvo brands.

SOURCE Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Follow On Twitter @BGCA_Clubs

A 2011public service announcement, directed by Academy Award winner Ron Howard with the support of producer Brian Grazer and Imagine Entertainment, dramatically illustrates the impact of the Boys & Girls Club Experience in transforming the lives of young people.

Debuting on Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2011, the video features 21 notable Boys & Girls Club alumni including national co-spokespersons Denzel Washington and Jennifer Lopez, along with Ashanti, General Wesley Clark, Misty Copeland, John Paul DeJoria, Cuba Gooding Jr., Earvin "Magic" Johnson, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Sugar Ray Leonard, Mario Lopez, Ne-Yo, Edward James Olmos, Lucille O'Neal, Shaquille O'Neal, Smokey Robinson, CC Sabathia, Martin Sheen, Courtney B. Vance, Kerry Washington and Shaun White. BGCA's 2010 National Youth of the Year Mona Dixon rounded out the cast. The music heard in the announcement features Beyonce and was written by Diane Warren.

The PSA, titled "Great Futures Start Here," was created to draw awareness about the critical issues -- high school dropout rate, childhood obesity, youth violence -- that puts millions of America's kids, and the nation's future, at risk. 

Kids in every community deserve a chance at a great future. Boys & Girls Clubs provide high-impact, affordable programs, and caring adult mentorship to give kids an opportunity to learn and grow. Every day, Clubs around the world emphasize academic success, good character and citizenship, and healthy lifestyles.

Mayor Bloomberg Launches NYC Girls' Self-Esteem Project 

October 01, 2013 NYC.Gov

Mayor Bloomberg, Deputy Mayor for Health and Services Linda I. Gibbs and Executive Director for the Women’s Commission Andrea Shapiro Davis today launched the New York City Girls Project, a multi-faceted girls’ self-esteem initiative. Recognizing girls as young as six and seven years old are struggling with body image and self-esteem, New York City is the first major city in the nation to tackle the issue by helping girls believe their value comes from their character, skills and attributes – not appearance.

The project includes an empowering public education campaign geared toward girls ages 7 to12 appearing on buses, subways and phone kiosks and an accompanying 30 second video. The City’s Department of Youth and Community Development will also be piloting self-esteem programming at more than 75 after-school programs and half a dozen schools. Additionally, the Parks Department will be targeting programming at girls, including free fitness program classes in all five boroughs, especially for girls ages 8 to 13 years old, along with all- girl teams in the City’s flag Football League.

The New York City Girls Project is a collaboration among the Human Resources Administration, the Center for Economic Opportunity, the New York City Commission on Women’s Issues, the Administration for Children’s Services, the Department of Parks and Recreation and the Department of Youth and Community Development. Samantha Levine has been appointed Director of the New York City Girls’ Self-Esteem Project. “New York City is one of the most diverse cities in the nation with strong, successful women in every area of leadership,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “Yet girls are struggling with body image issues at younger and younger ages, a struggle that has negative public health consequences: including eating disorders, bullying, alcohol abuse, early onset of sexual activity and obesity. New York City is going to take a leadership role in sending a message about what really should matter – their skills, their beliefs and who they are and who they are going to be, not what they look like.” Read More at NYC Gov

“We know that girls – and often women’s – sense of self-worth and esteem is inextricably linked to self-image,” said Deputy Mayor Gibbs. “And every day girls are confronted by unrealistic, often photoshopped images that they can’t possibly emulate. This intervention sends an important message that girls are valued for who they are and what they do.”

“I am an accomplished and successful woman,” said Women’s Commission Executive Director Andrea Shapiro Davis. “And yet, for much of my life I was incredibly insecure, to a large extent because I was constantly comparing how I looked to the images I saw in the media. Every woman has been touched by this issue at some point in their lives. This is an incredibly important initiative that goes to the heart of who we are as a society.”

“Low self-esteem has been linked to teen pregnancy, making it even more challenging for girls growing up in poverty to reach self-sufficiency. The Girls Project is important because it reminds girls that substance and character are more important than appearance,” said Human Resources Administration Commissioner Robert Doar. “Along with HRA’s commitment to ensuring teen pregnancy rates continue to decrease, we also promote personal responsibility among New Yorkers in need.”

“We are proud to support the ‘I'm a Girl’ project, which makes an important statement as part of the City’s efforts toward helping strong, smart young women become tomorrow’s leaders,” said Center for Economic Opportunity Executive Director Kristin Morse.

“Empowering our girls to embrace their unique strengths, make positive choices, respect themselves and go after their dreams is part of DYCD’s core mission,” said Department of Youth and Community Development Commissioner Jeanne B. Mullgrav. “We are delighted to be a partner in this important initiative that will develop the confidence and leadership skills of our young people. I look forward to seeing the curriculum in action in our afterschool programs across the City.”

“We are proud and excited to participate in this pioneering multi-agency initiative,” said Administration for Children’s Services Commissioner Ronald E. Richter. “This is a valuable project for young girls in foster care, as well as girls in our juvenile justice system, where self-esteem and self-confidence issues can be prevalent.”

“Every time I’ve read about a woman or teen who died trying to lose five pounds on diet pills, or after botched liposuction I wished there was a way to turn back time and tell her she was worth so much more than that,” said Director of the New York City Girls Project Samantha Levine. “Our goal is to help girls believe that they are valued for so much more than their appearance, and that they don't need to struggle to meet someone else’s idea of beauty.”

“I thought it was important for my daughter to be a part of this campaign to show her that there are other girls that are smart and confident too,” said Twanna Cameron, whose daughter appears in the campaign. “She thought it was important to show other girls that they are beautiful just the way they are.”

“We are thrilled to use the resources of our one-of-a-kind collection and our media literacy expertise to join the city in addressing this important issue,” said Paley Center President and CEO Pat Mitchell. “At the Paley Center, we recognize media’s profound power to shape how we see others, and ourselves. With these new classes and the video history, we can help young girls – and boys – think more deeply about how girls are reflected in media, and challenge the idealized or stereotypical images that have a negative effect both on girls’ elf-esteem and the ability of young people to have a nuanced understanding of gender.”

“SPARK Movement was thrilled to partner with the Mayor’s Office to declare October 11, 2012 the New York City Day of the Girl and in the year since, we have been inspired to see the city continue with their commitment to improving the lives and well-being of our girls,” said Executive Director of SPARK Movement Dana Edell. “At SPARK, we are committed to challenging dangerous and sexualized images of girls in the media and we are so happy to see New York City celebrate girls' strength, creativity, intellect, compassion, courage and humor – along with all the diverse ways they are beautiful just the way they are. The inspiring posters and video show our girls – and all of New York City’s citizens – that what their bodies do and say is so much more important than what they look like. Samantha Levine and her team working on the New York City Girls Project are setting a national example of how a city can use its resources to educate and raise awareness about our need to support our girls.”

“You don’t have to be a young girl in today’s society to be aware of the myriad pressures girls face, from their peers, family, culture and media,” said Catherine Steiner-Adair Ed.D. author of Full of Ourselves: A Wellness Program to Advance Girl Power, Health, And Leadership.“As the author of a program shown to increase girls’ body image, self-esteem and overall leadership, I thank the City of New York for taking a leadership role and sending a powerful message to girls that their value lies in being who they are.”

About New York City Girls Project

Even as women have made enormous strides in education, politics and the workplace, young girls report struggling with body image and self-esteem at younger and younger ages and stories abound about bullying around appearance and sexual behavior.

Girls’ dissatisfaction manifests around body image, particularly weight, at an alarmingly young age: More than 80 percent of 10 year old girls are afraid of being fat and, by middle school, 40-70 percent of girls are dissatisfied with two or more parts of their body, and body satisfaction hits rock bottom between the ages of 12 to 15 years old.

The initiative aims to tackle the issue of girls’ self-esteem and body image by helping girls believe their value comes from their character, skills and attributes – while challenging an unhealthy idea of beauty.

About the Public Education Campaign

Working closely with girls organizations and the City’s Department of Youth and Community Development, the City developed test messages and then focus grouped messages and design concepts among girls 7 to 12 years old. The final campaign will run for four weeks on buses and phone kiosks and eight weeks on subways. It features a diverse group of 15 girls performing activities like reading, playing sports and drawing with the words: “I’m a girl. I’m smart, a leader, adventurous, friendly, funny. I’m beautiful the way I am.”

The campaign invites girls to share what makes them beautiful the way they are with #ImAGirl. Creative by Dennis Ahlgrim, President and Creative Director of Ahlgrim Design Group and photography by Richard Brathwaite.

The Paley Media Center – SPARK Movement Collaboration

As part of this initiative, in partnership with the City and SPARK Movement, The Paley Center for Media has developed two new class offerings for its K-12 education program. “Girls, Body Image, and the Media” helps students look critically at television programs targeting girls that send messages, both positive and negative, about body image and ideas of beauty. “A Brief History of Girls on Television” traces the evolution of the representation of girls on television, from the 1950s to the present. As with all Paley Center curricula, the classes are offered on-site for New York City-area school groups.

Paley Center educators have assembled a decade-by-decade visual history of the changing portrayal of girls on television –unique resource created by this collaboration. Clips from this compilation will be utilized in the classes as a catalyst for discussion and will be made available at paleycenter.org.

New York City Parks Department Programs

Physical activity has been shown to improve self-image and girls and women who play sports have higher levels of confidence and self-esteem and lower levels of depression. The Parks Department is therefore targeting fitness programs to girls including:

Shape Up NYC, Parks’ citywide, free fitness program, will offer a class in all five boroughs for girls ages 8 to 13 beginning in October.

The NYC Parks Flag Football League, free for kids ages 8 to 17, has 14 and under all-girls teams in Manhattan. Girls with any level of experience are welcome to join.

he NYC Parks Street Hockey Program, a partnership of NYC Parks and the New York Rangers, starts in the winter and welcomes girls ages 5 to 15.

Additionally, Parks Recreation Center membership is free for youth 17 and under. For young girls, membership provides access to indoor pools, sports clinics, educational programs, fitness classes and more at 35 Recreation Centers across the five boroughs. For more information on all programs, visit nyc.gov.

The New York City Girls Project is supported by the Human Resources Administration, Center for Economic Opportunity, Administration for Children’s Services and the NYC Commission on Women’s Issues with additional resources and support from the Department of Education, the Department of Youth and Community Development and the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment. For more information, visit nyc.gov and search “I’m a Girl.”

Bruce Willis hosts Saturday Night Live with musical guest Katy Perry.

Bruce Willis hosted "Saturday Night Live" over the weekend, and had no trouble poking fun at himself throughout the show, starting with his opening monologue. "If you told me back in 1989 that there would have been six "Die Hard" films, I would have said that seems a little too many."

Musical guest Katy Perry concluded the show in a '90s schoolgirl outfit, dancing through a windblown stage and strobe lights to her latest "Prisim" single, "Walking on Air."

Also, Katy Perry sings hit single, Roar. 

For More Check out NBC SNL Website.

Extra TV SNL Recap 

Emmys 2013: The Voice Wins Outstanding Reality-Competition Program & the Battle Rounds Begin

NBC's hit show The Voice just won its very first Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Reality-Competition Program on September 22, 2013 — just one day before original coaches Christina Aguilera, Blake Shelton, Adam Levine, and Cee Lo Green return to their Big Red Chairs for Season 5. How's that for perfect timing?!

Article Here

The Voice was nominated for the same Emmy in 2012, but lost out against The Amazing Race. This year, The Voice beat out The Amazing Race, Dancing With the Stars, Project Runway, So You Think You Can Dance, and Top Chef.

This win really comes as no surprise to us, considering the show's stellar ratings since it debuted in 2011. In fact, The Voice was such a success with critics and fans that now it has two cycles per year — one in the spring and one in the fall. This fall, the four original coaches jump-start Season 5 with an epic rendition of "I Love Rock 'n' Roll." Check out the sneak peek clip here. *Side note: How amazing does Christina look?  Watch The Voice Season 5 at 8 p.m. ET on NBC. 

The Battle Rounds Have Begun, Check for more videos at NBC The Voice. 

How Tony Bennett Conquered the Internet in a Day | Mashable

BY SAMANTHA MURPHY KELLY 

OCT 08, 2013

Legendary singer Tony Bennett intently taps on his iPad while sharing a story about his old friend Frank Sinatra. It's a big day for the 87-year-old musician: more than 75 of his albums are finally landing in the iTunes Music Store and he's about to set out on a full day of social networking to get the news out to a much younger audience. "It's amazing how technology has changed the way we live and it's remarkable to think about what's ahead," Bennett told Mashable, before participating in a Twitter chat. "No one wants an autograph anymore — they just whip out their camera phones and post it to Facebook right away. Everything is so fast."

Tony Bennett brings music into the classroom At 87 years old, Tony Bennett, and his wife, Susan Benedetto, are helping students explore the arts. So far their foundation has poured millions of dollars into public school arts programs – first in New York, and now in Los Angeles. NBC’s Harry Smith reports.

Article at Mashable 

For an artist who has been a success for more than six decades and racked up more than 17 Grammy awards along the way, he's still learning how to evolve with the industry.

As a part of an effort encouraged by his son, the singer — wearing a suit, as always — was seemingly everywhere on the Internet on Tuesday. One hour, he was fielding questions on Twitter and the next, he was rattling off answers on Reddit, a Q&A session that landed him on the front page of the wildly popular message board website. He squeezed in a Google+ Hangout with fans on web streaming show HuffPo Live and then, to wrap up the day, he looked through old pictures from the Sony Music archives for a video posted in segments to his Facebook page.

Going through the archives with Sony's Tom Tierney. Tune in now at http://t.co/fylxUYzjyk. #tonydigitalday pic.twitter.com/5tUUnzC2lF

— Tony Bennett (@itstonybennett) October 8, 2013

Going through the archives with Sony's Tom Tierney. Tune in now at http://t.co/fylxUYzjyk. #tonydigitalday pic.twitter.com/5tUUnzC2lF

— Tony Bennett (@itstonybennett) October 8, 2013

For a man who says he barely checks his iPhone, he owned the Internet, discussing everything from his love of painting to his upcoming jazz album with Lady Gaga, which will likely debut in January.

Many who asked questions on Reddit cited their parents and grandparents as huge fans, but his recent work with younger acts such as Gaga, Carrie Underwood and the late Amy Winehouse ushered in a new wave of followers.

"My favorite story about [Winehouse] is that while everybody was mourning her death, I ran into her mother, who was a very small sweet little woman,'" he wrote on Reddit. "She said, 'I'm a little different than everybody about my daughter's death because she always had a dream of becoming famous. So even though she had a short life, she was always content because she acquired her goal.'"

Bennett's other social initiatives were a little less candid than the Reddit AMA, as followers submitted questions via Facebook and Twitter using hashtag #AskTony and #TonyDigitalDay ahead of time. Answers were prepped and posted with the help of Twitter app Long-Tweets, which lets you post tweets longer than 140 characters.

"@iTunesMusic: "Who was your most memorable collaboration?" — @TheIllestShogun #AskTony" #TonyDigitalDay pic.twitter.com/NWAiUefQrQ

— Tony Bennett (@itstonybennett) October 8, 2013

He wasn't a complete stranger to the digital world before Tuesday; he says he is loyal to his iPad while on the road: "I use a lot of art apps," Bennett, who's biggest passion aside from music is art, told Mashable. "I watch instructional videos about it too."

Among his favorite art apps are Art Authority and those by artist friends, including Charles Reid, Robert Wade and Everett Raymond Kinstler. He used to sketch on napkins and tablecloths at restaurants — so waiters and waitresses were treated to more than just a tip — but now he relies mostly on his tablet while traveling. How else are you seeing legends adapt to the technological age?

Images: Mashable, Christina Ascani

Directed by Ron Howard | Jay Z’s 'Made in America' Celebrates the American Dream

By Sowmya Krishnamurthy October 12, 2013

"From Marcy to Madison Square," Jay Z is the paragon of hip-hop’s American Dream. If he can make it, so can you. That feel-good, bootstrapping mentality forms the core of Jay Z Made in America, the documentary chronicling the rapper’s 2012 Philadelphia music festival of the same name. The film, helmed by Ron Howard, premiered last night on Showtime and features extended concert footage and interviews with headliners Jay Z and Pearl Jam as well as other artists and local residents. Rolling Stone recaps the most memorable moments.

Politics as Usual: Jay Z explains that his impetus for Made in America was to create a multi-genre festival in which people of all backgrounds can mesh. "Made in America could become a place where people of all cultures gather and have fun being themselves," he says. The rapper vehemently states that he’s "not an elected official," yet his words could foreshadow a new hip-hop political platform: "America is now being accepting of all cultures," he says. "We have a black president now. . . . We’ve made steps as far as racism. Now we have to make steps towards sexism, gay rights. . . . We’re all people at the end of the day. . . . We all have that belief that you can make it here in the land of the free and the home of the brave."

Strange Fans: "I love big shows like this because there’s people I normally don’t get to see," says singer Jill Scott. Artists get starstruck too, and footage of Tyler, the Creator desperately looking to meet Jill Scott or Jay Z and Beyonce bopping to Gary Clark Jr.’s set are sweet. "I wanna meet Jill Scott," Tyler says obsessively as he and Odd Future go through the trailer area calling her name.

Skrillex Class is in Session: Skrillex offers to give Ron Howard a lesson in DJing, which proves to be as hilarious as the premise sounds. The director struggles, wearing his Beats by Dre headphones, and proceeds to ask a series of obvious yet endearing questions: "Is it what you’re hearing and feeling or more of what people are responding to?" "Does your heart start beating?" "Do you get out of breath and stuff like that?"

Janelle Monae’s Black & White: Janelle Monae recounts her humble beginnings growing up in a working class family and how she herself worked as a maid. In a particularly poignant moment, the singer explains that she wears only black and white onstage not as a fashion statement, but out of deference to her family, who wore uniforms in their menial jobs. "When I was a maid, my mom was working as a custodian," she remembers. "We both had on our uniforms and you know, knew what time it was."

Back to 560 State Street: In a full-circle moment, Jay Z visits his old Brooklyn apartment at 560 State Street, which he name-checks in "Empire State of Mind" as his "stash spot." "We woke up, ate breakfast and ran the street," Jay recalls of the place he shared with his cousin. The drugs, black leather couches and piranha tank he lived amid have since been replaced by a family currently residing there with a toddler son (who has no interest in playing Peekaboo with Jay, despite the rapper's attempts). The rapper goes to the rooftop of the building for the first time, and is shocked by the clear view of two of his business investments below, Barclays Center and the 40/40 Club. Not even Jay is ready for the significance of the moment. "Oh shit! You trying to make me cry, man?" he asks.

Article at Rolling Stone Follow us: @rollingstone on Twitter | RollingStone on Facebook

Ron Howard Says Directing "Made In America" was a challenge. Read More 

Watch Documentary on Showtime. Get Details. 

Jay Z on His Rags-to-Riches Story in Vanity Fair

Shawn Carter, better known as Jay Z, tells Vanity Fair contributing editor Lisa Robinson in the November issue that although his wife, Beyoncé, says that their 18-month-old daughter, Blue Ivy, prefers Jay’s music to hers, he’s not so sure. “That’s not true. She does like her mother’s music—she watches [Beyoncé’s concerts] on the computer every night. But my album came out and I don’t know if Blue ever heard any of my music prior to this album—she’s only 18 months old and I don’t play my music around the house. But this album was new, so we played it. And she loves all the songs. She plays a song and she goes, ‘More, Daddy, more . . . Daddy song.’ She’s my biggest fan. If no one bought the Magna Carta [album], the fact that she loves it so much, it gives me the greatest joy. And that’s not like a cliché. I’m really serious. Just to see her—‘Daddy song, more, Daddy.’ She’s genuine, she’s honest, because she doesn’t know it makes me happy. She just wants to hear it.” 

Jay tells Robinson that Barack Obama’s 2008 election “actually renewed my spirit for America. It was like, Oh, wow, man, this whole thing about land of the free, home of the . . . it’s, like, real—it’s going to happen, everyone’s getting to participate in it. But growing up, if you had ever told a black person from the hood you can be president, they’d be like, I could never . . . If you had told me that as a kid, I’d be like, Are you out of your mind? How?”

Jay tells Robinson that his mother knew he was dealing drugs as a teenager, “but we never really had those conversations. We just pretty much ignored it. But she knew. All the mothers knew. It sounds like ‘How could you let your son . . . ’ but I’m telling you, it was normal.”

Jay’s checkered past taught him a few things that he says will come in handy in his new role as a sports agent: “I know about budgets. I was a drug dealer,” he tells Robinson. “To be in a drug deal, you need to know what you can spend, what you need to re-up. Or if you want to start some sort of barbershop or car wash—those were the businesses back then. Things you can get in easily to get out of [that] life. At some point, you have to have an exit strategy, because your window is very small; you’re going to get locked up or you’re going to die.”

    Related: Vanity Fair's 2013 International Best-Dressed List

Speaking about his childhood, Jay tells Robinson they did the best they could to make ends meet: “We were living in a tough situation, but my mother managed; she juggled. Sometimes we’d pay the light bill, sometimes we paid the phone, sometimes the gas went off. We weren’t starving—we were eating, we were O.K. But it was things like you didn’t want to be embarrassed when you went to school; you didn’t want to have dirty sneakers or wear the same clothes over again.”

While he was growing up, Jay says, “crack was everywhere—it was inescapable. There wasn’t any place you could go for isolation or a break. You go in the hallway; [there are] crackheads in the hallway. You look out in the puddles on the curbs—crack vials are littered in the side of the curbs. You could smell it in the hallways, that putrid smell; I can’t explain it, but it’s still in my mind when I think about it.”

Jay tells Robinson he sold crack but never used it, and when asked if he ever felt guilty about contributing to what was becoming an epidemic, he says, “Not until later, when I realized the effects on the community. I started looking at the community on the whole, but in the beginning, no. I was thinking about surviving. I was thinking about improving my situation. I was thinking about buying clothes.”

Jay says that when he and Beyoncé were both featured on the cover of Vanity Fair’s 2001 Music Issue “we were just beginning to try to date each other.” Try? “Well, you know, you’ve got to try first. You got to dazzle . . . wine and dine.” He tells Robinson that “of course” he pursued Beyoncé, and when asked if he hadn’t been Jay Z—say, he had been a gas-station attendant and she pulled up—would he have been able to date her, he responds, “If I’m as cool as I am, yes. But she’s a charming Southern girl, you know, she’s not impressed. . . . But I would have definitely had to be this cool.” Jay confirms that the line on his latest album, “She was a good girl ’til she knew me” is about Beyoncé, and when Robinson asks if she’s not a good girl anymore, Jay laughs, saying, “Nah. She’s gangsta now.”

As for the rumors of Beyoncé’s not really having been pregnant with their first child, Jay tells Robinson, “I don’t even know how to answer that. It’s just so stupid. You know, I felt dismissive about it, but you’ve got to feel for her. I mean, we’ve got a really charmed life, so how can we complain? But when you think about it, we’re still human beings. . . . And even in hip-hop, all the blogs—they had a field day with it. I’m like, We come from you guys, we represent you guys. Why are you perpetuating this? Why are you adding fuel to this ridiculous rumor?”

Related: 100 Years of Vanity Fair's Best Sports Photography

Jay tells Robinson that he and Beyoncé trademarked their daughter’s name simply so others couldn’t exploit it for profit. “People wanted to make products based on our child’s name,” he says, “and you don’t want anybody trying to benefit off your baby’s name. It wasn’t for us to do anything; as you see, we haven’t done anything.”

Jay knows to the penny how much money he has, he tells Robinson, but won’t divulge the amount; when told that Forbes estimated his net worth at around $500 million, he dismisses it as a “guesstimate” and says he’s not motivated by money. “I’m not motivated by that. . . . I don’t sit around with my friends and talk about money, ever. On a record, that’s different.”

Jay admits that, after all these years, he still loves to rap. “I know I said I wouldn’t be doing it when I was 30,” he tells Robinson, “so that’s how I know I love it. Thirty years old was my cutoff, but I’m still here, 43 years old."

Read More at Vanity Fair

Madonna's Back | Harpers Bazaar Interview

But she never went away. After 30 years of ruling pop, she tells the truth about daring.

See Madonna's daring fashion shoot for our November issue.

Read more: Madonna 2013 Interview – Madonna Quotes About Being Daring - Harper's BAZAAR 
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Visit us at HarpersBAZAAR.com

TRUTH OR DARE?

That is a catchphrase that's often associated with me. I made a documentary film with this title, and it has stuck to me like flypaper ever since. It's a fun game to play if you're in the mood to take risks, and usually I am. However, you have to play with a clever group of people. Otherwise you'll find yourself French-kissing everyone in the room or giving blow jobs to Evian bottles!

People usually choose "truth" when it's their turn because you can tell a lie about yourself and no one will be the wiser, but when you are dared to do something, you have to actually do it. And doing something daring is a rather scary proposition for most people. Yet for some strange reason, it has become my raison d'être.

If I can't be daring in my work or the way I live my life, then I don't really see the point of being on this planet.

That may sound rather extremist, but growing up in a suburb in the Midwest was all I needed to understand that the world was divided into two categories: people who followed the status quo and played it safe, and people who threw convention out the window and danced to the beat of a different drum. I hurled myself into the second category, and soon discovered that being a rebel and not conforming doesn't make you very popular. In fact, it does the opposite. You are viewed as a suspicious character. A troublemaker. Someone dangerous.

When you're 15, this can feel a little uncomfortable. Teenagers want to fit in on one hand and be rebellious on the other. Drinking beer and smoking weed in the parking lot of my high school was not my idea of being rebellious, because that's what everybody did. And I never wanted to do what everybody did. I thought it was cooler to not shave my legs or under my arms. I mean, why did God give us hair there anyways? Why didn't guys have to shave there? Why was it accepted in Europe but not in America? No one could answer my questions in a satisfactory manner, so I pushed the envelope even further. I refused to wear makeup and tied scarves around my head like a Russian peasant. I did the opposite of what all the other girls were doing, and I turned myself into a real man repeller. I dared people to like me and my nonconformity.

That didn't go very well. Most people thought I was strange. I didn't have many friends; I might not have had any friends. But it all turned out good in the end, because when you aren't popular and you don't have a social life, it gives you more time to focus on your future. And for me, that was going to New York to become a REAL artist. To be able to express myself in a city of nonconformists. To revel and shimmy and shake in a world and be surrounded by daring people.

New York wasn't everything I thought it would be. It did not welcome me with open arms. The first year, I was held up at gunpoint. Raped on the roof of a building I was dragged up to with a knife in my back, and had my apartment broken into three times. I don't know why; I had nothing of value after they took my radio the first time.

The tall buildings and the massive scale of New York took my breath away. The sizzling-hot sidewalks and the noise of the traffic and the electricity of the people rushing by me on the streets was a shock to my neurotransmitters. I felt like I had plugged into another universe. I felt like a warrior plunging my way through the crowds to survive. Blood pumping through my veins, I was poised for survival. I felt alive.

But I was also scared shitless and freaked out by the smell of piss and vomit everywhere, especially in the entryway of my third-floor walk-up.

And all the homeless people on the street. This wasn't anything I prepared for in Rochester, Michigan. Trying to be a professional dancer, paying my rent by posing nude for art classes, staring at people staring at me naked. Daring them to think of me as anything but a form they were trying to capture with their pencils and charcoal. I was defiant. Hell-bent on surviving. On making it. But it was hard and it was lonely, and I had to dare myself every day to keep going. Sometimes I would play the victim and cry in my shoe box of a bedroom with a window that faced a wall, watching the pigeons shit on my windowsill. And I wondered if it was all worth it, but then I would pull myself together and look at a postcard of Frida Kahlo taped to my wall, and the sight of her mustache consoled me. Because she was an artist who didn't care what people thought. I admired her. She was daring. People gave her a hard time. Life gave her a hard time. If she could do it, then so could I.

When you're 25, it's a little bit easier to be daring, especially if you are a pop star, because eccentric behavior is expected from you. By then I was shaving under my arms, but I was also wearing as many crucifixes around my neck as I could carry, and telling people in interviews that I did it because I thought Jesus was sexy. Well, he was sexy to me, but I also said it to be provocative. I have a funny relationship with religion. I'm a big believer in ritualistic behavior as long as it doesn't hurt anybody. But I'm not a big fan of rules. And yet we cannot live in a world without order. But for me, there is a difference between rules and order. Rules people follow without question. Order is what happens when words and actions bring people together, not tear them apart. Yes, I like to provoke; it's in my DNA. But nine times out of 10, there's a reason for it.

At 35, I was divorced and looking for love in all the wrong places. I decided that I needed to be more than a girl with gold teeth and gangster boyfriends. More than a sexual provocateur imploring girls not to go for second-best baby. I began to search for meaning and a real sense of purpose in life. I wanted to be a mother, but I realized that just because I was a freedom fighter didn't mean I was qualified to raise a child. I decided I needed to have a spiritual life. That's when I discovered Kabbalah.

They say that when the student is ready, the teacher appears, and I'm afraid that cliché applied to me as well. That was the next daring period of my life. In the beginning I sat at the back of the classroom. I was usually the only female. Everyone looked very serious. Most of the men wore suits and kippahs. No one noticed me and no one seemed to care, and that suited me just fine. What the teacher was saying blew my mind. Resonated with me. Inspired me. We were talking about God and heaven and hell, but I didn't feel like religious dogma was being shoved down my throat. I was learning about science and quantum physics. I was reading Aramaic. I was studying history. I was introduced to an ancient wisdom that I could apply to my life in a practical way. And for once, questions and debate were encouraged. This was my kind of place.

When the world discovered I was studying Kabbalah, I was accused of joining a cult. I was accused of being brainwashed. Of giving away all my money. I was accused of all sorts of crazy things. If I became a Buddhist—put an altar in my house and started chanting "Nam-myoho-renge-kyo"—no one would have bothered me at all. I mean no disrespect to Buddhists, but Kabbalah really freaked people out. It still does. Now, you would think that studying the mystical interpretation of the Old Testament and trying to understand the secrets of the universe was a harmless thing to do. I wasn't hurting anybody. Just going to class, taking notes in my spiral notebook, contemplating my future. I was actually trying to become a better person.

For some reason, that made people nervous. It made people mad. Was I doing something dangerous? It forced me to ask myself, Is trying to have a relationship with God daring? Maybe it is.

When I was 45, I was married again, with two children and living in England. I consider moving to a foreign country to be a very daring act. It wasn't easy for me. Just because we speak the same language doesn't mean we speak the same language. I didn't understand that there was still a class system. I didn't understand pub culture. I didn't understand that being openly ambitious was frowned upon. Once again I felt alone. But I stuck it out and I found my way, and I grew to love English wit, Georgian architecture, sticky toffee pudding, and the English countryside. There is nothing more beautiful than the English countryside.

Then I decided that I had an embarrassment of riches and that there were too many children in the world without parents or families to love them. I applied to an international adoption agency and went through all the bureaucracy, testing, and waiting that everyone else goes through when they adopt. As fate would have it, in the middle of this process a woman reached out to me from a small country in Africa called Malawi, and told me about the millions of children orphaned by AIDS. Before you could say "Zikomo Kwambiri," I was in the airport in Lilongwe heading to an orphanage in Mchinji, where I met my son David. And that was the beginning of another daring chapter of my life. I didn't know that trying to adopt a child was going to land me in another shit storm. But it did. I was accused of kidnapping, child trafficking, using my celebrity muscle to jump ahead in the line, bribing government officials, witchcraft, you name it. Certainly I had done something illegal!

This was an eye-opening experience. A real low point in my life. I could get my head around people giving me a hard time for simulating masturbation onstage or publishing my Sex book, even kissing Britney Spears at an awards show, but trying to save a child's life was not something I thought I would be punished for. Friends tried to cheer me up by telling me to think of it all as labor pains that we all have to go through when we give birth. This was vaguely comforting. In any case, I got through it. I survived.

When I adopted Mercy James, I put my armor on. I tried to be more prepared. I braced myself. This time I was accused by a female Malawian judge that because I was divorced, I was an unfit mother. I fought the supreme court and I won. It took almost another year and many lawyers. I still got the shit kicked out of me, but it didn't hurt as much. And looking back, I do not regret one moment of the fight.

One of the many things I learned from all of this: If you aren't willing to fight for what you believe in, then don't even enter the ring.

Ten years later, here I am, divorced and living in New York. I have been blessed with four amazing children. I try to teach them to think outside the box. To be daring. To choose to do things because they are the right thing to do, not because everybody else is doing them. I have started making films, which is probably the most challenging and rewarding thing I have ever done. I am building schools for girls in Islamic countries and studying the Qur'an. I think it is important to study all the holy books. As my friend Yaman always tells me, a good Muslim is a good Jew, and a good Jew is a good Christian, and so forth. I couldn't agree more. To some people this is a very daring thought.

As life goes on (and thank goodness it has), the idea of being daring has become the norm for me. Of course, this is all about perception because asking questions, challenging people's ideas and belief systems, and defending those who don't have a voice have become a part of my everyday life. In my book, it is normal.

In my book, everyone is doing something daring. Please open this book. I dare you.

Pharrell Williams Interview in Details Magazine

"Look, I don't think that I'm strange, but I know I'm definitely strange," Pharrell Williams says, crunching a Dorito and considering how others may view the method to his creative madness. "My process works for me, and it may seem a little . . . I don't know. I mean, I do weirdo shit like watch Huckleberry Hound at two in the morning eating Corn Pops, you know what I'm saying?"

Williams sits on a sofa, legs folded Buddha-style, in the recording studio hidden on an upper floor of the Setai Hotel in Williams' adopted hometown of Miami. This citadel of Asian minimalist chic might seem an unlikely home for an R&B and hip-hop hit factory, but as evidenced by Williams himself, Zen-like exteriors can mask pop ebullience.

Even after shaping the musical history of much of the past two decades—34 Top Forty hits, 17 in the top 10, 5 No. 1 singles, and a No. 1 album as a member of the recording-producing duo the Neptunes and the band N.E.R.D. and as a solo producer-performer—Williams finds his cultural currency at an all-time high. The 40-year-old Virginia Beach native is coming off a summer in which his creations have dominated airwaves, screens, and conversations, having worked his Midas touch on Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines," Daft Punk's "Get Lucky," and a pair of tracks on Jay-Z's Magna Carta Holy Grail and contributed three songs and theme music to Despicable Me 2, which, like the first movie (which he co-scored), became a sleeper blockbuster. The rules of pop engagement dictate that Williams should take a victory lap, or at least go on a headlining tour. Instead he's dispensing koanlike musings. "We're not actual creators—we're just vessels, pulling from inspiration," he says. "Sometimes it comes from oblivion, sometimes it, like, walks by me. But again, it's not within you. You're just an observer, and your job is like a stenographer—you're capturing things. I'm a recording artist, in all I do."

And all he does is . . . you name it. While Williams considers music "the nucleus of everything," the orbiting particles include fashion (designs for his own labels, Billionaire Boys Club and Ice Cream, among many others), fine art (sculpture shown at Art Basel, the Tate, and Versailles), accessories (jewelry and glasses for Louis Vuitton), media (his i am Other YouTube channel, a judging gig on the new competition show Styled to Rock), tech (UJAM, a cloud-based music-composing-for-the-masses site), textiles (Bionic Yarn, which makes high-end fabrics from recycled plastics), and furniture (a line of chairs shown at the Galerie Perrotin in Paris)—and he's making plans to add perfumer, architect, and filmmaker to his résumé. If there's a common thread to all these avocations, it's that Williams, culture's reigning polymath collaborator, rarely goes it alone.

"Every time I work with somebody, it's like a crash course in, like, their university and their perspective," he says. "You know, if you're not learning, you're wasting time." The list of preeminent institutions of higher learning at which he's studied includes those of Takashi Murakami, Marc Jacobs, Hans Zimmer, and a who's-who of musicians—from Justin Timberlake and Kanye West to Gwen Stefani and Azaelia Banks to Lupe Fiasco and Frank Ocean . . . ad infinitum. His 2012 coffee-table book, Pharrell: Places and Spaces I've Been, a sort of senior thesis in eclectic cooperative studies, includes conversations with figures ranging from Buzz Aldrin to Anna Wintour. If Williams the student were to get a report card, the first thing it would say is "Plays well with others."

Williams likes to call the be-helmeted duo Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, a.k.a. Daft Punk, "the robots" because of their superhuman dedication to precision. "Those guys are at a whole other level in terms of caring about every detail," he says. He could, however, be talking about himself: During the making of 2008's Hard Candy, Williams' repeated criticism of Madonna drove the pop diva to tell him, "You can't talk to me like that." Tears gave way to a major blowup, which in turn led to a clear-the-air talk. Williams is unapologetic about his approach. "You'll never discover anything by matching what's going on," he says. "The key is to find that which does not exist and try to make it undeniable."

A self-described "kidult," Williams credits his tastemaking to his restless, childlike curiosity. "I want to go to Machu Picchu, touch the pyramids, hang out in the think tanks at NASA, and harass all the people at Oreo cookies to make more different flavors," he says. "I'm always open, because you just never know what's on the other side of the door."

That free-spirited methodology will be tested in some very high-profile ways this fall. Working with Miley Cyrus on her upcoming album, Bangerz, Williams wants to channel a single mood: "Freedom," he says. "She's just growing up, and she deserves her time and to do it her way." He's applying a variation on the same "her way" theme as he helps Beyoncé complete her much-delayed, much-anticipated new album. "I'm still very much a student when it comes to B," he says, "because there's so many things that she has in her head—so many ideas and so many incredible ambitions. More than anything else, I'm there to assist."

At the same time, he's intent on realizing the next wave of his own ambitions. He's at work on creating a fragrance and pursuing a project with Zaha Hadid, the first woman ever awarded the Pritzker Architecture Prize ("Zaha is 100 percent genius. We're lucky to have her 2050 mentality in 2013").

If this all seems like part of a masterful multi-hyphenate's master plan, it is and it isn't. "I create based on what I feel like is missing," he says. "You jump in and follow your gut. It's like a sculpture—you're just adding on more clay, you're chiseling away and adding on until you feel like it's done, and you stand back and go, 'Oh! It's a person.'"

In that moment of creation, Williams' Zen façade falls away. "Recording in the studio, he doesn't ever try to play it cool," Cyrus says between late-night sessions with Williams. "When we make magic, we could, like, explode with how excited we are, and I think that's the energy everyone gets from Pharrell."

So Williams plans to just keep mixing métiers and genres, betting his accumulated cultural capital that something serendipitous will emerge. Which makes Williams' anthemic refrain—Up all night to get lucky—something of a mission statement. "You've got to go experiment. The Reese's cup—that happened by mistake, know what I mean?"

Collaborators

Pharrell's most famous co-creators on Pharrell.

Miley Cyrus
"I want to be like him—I think everyone should want to be more like Pharrell. Someone who respects art and loves art in every form. He's always got crazy artists coming into the studio, cool chicks from Japan that are just drawing this amazing artwork, and just—everything he does I'm just inspired by. It's a great energy to be around. I wanted to get with him first, 'cause I wanted to be free. I don't want to have any labels. Pharrell helped me on that soul search—he suited me up in my armor to be strong and to go against what everyone thinks you should do and be free. He prepared me for the battle you have to fight to be different. He was like, 'I love you, you're my sister. I'll fight for you, I'll do anything'—that was the moment where I just knew: Me and Pharrell, this is, like, a forever thing. We're going to continue to make music together, as long as both of us are making music."

Daft Punk's Thomas Bangalter
"Pharrell's an extraordinary, multitalented artist—songwriter, singer, rapper, producer. He's a great collaborator, because he has a deep knowledge of all these different roles and what it takes to make a great song. As a singer, he'll know how to interact with a producer, and likewise, as a producer, he'll know how to interact and work with singers. He was always really the only choice in our mind for 'Get Lucky.' We've known him for a long time, and we've always considered him as this genuine, timeless entertainer, glamorous and elegant. It's precisely this timeless elegance that we ultimately wanted to capture on the record. We were totally in sync—we were just on the same wavelength all along the ride."

Takashi Murakami
"I envy him, honestly. He is a true genius—he has a great personality matched with Picasso-like creativity. He had the idea of creating jewelry as an art piece, and he approached me about building a cabinet to display the jewelry. I became interested in the context he was aiming for—the idea of creating a symbol of society's out-of-control desires—and so I added my own context by turning the cabinet into a monster. He liked that, and things took off from there. I think Pharrell is in a class of his own in bringing out the best in his collaborators. He has a wide range of tastes and is well versed in all of them, but he never flaunts this as he pulls from those he works with. A wonderful creator."

Hans Zimmer
"It's the experimentation part that I love about him. I was supposed to help Pharrell on Despicable Me, and all I tried to do was stay out of the way of the onslaught of creativity that was coming from him. And then we started talking about technology, and we started a company called UJAM that's developed interesting musical applications. We listen to each other. It's a well-balanced relationship because, at the beginning of the conversation, we both know what we're talking about, then we get to the middle of the conversation and we're now on thin ice, talking about experimenting with something that neither of us knows about. We normally both have an endless supply of imagination. Organized chaos—we thrive on it. Because it's Pharrell, you don't just limit him to music. There's the fashion thing, the art thing—there's all these other things. All these polymorphic qualities make it really interesting. That's why I love Pharrell, because, yes, we will touch on music, but then I've heard him talk on human rights, I've heard him talk on artists and their role in the world. Everything is informed by everything else, and that's why his music's good."

Robin Thicke
"He does his own drums, his own chords, all the arrangements—and he's a master songwriter. I can always say, 'I like this better than that,' but I try to give him space. Then once he has a couple of great lines, I jump in with a couple and give him time to think of his next couple—we go back and forth. The songs we've kept pretty much happen in about an hour and a half. The first two days, we did songs that were a bit more R&B-flavored, and then the third day we did 'Blurred Lines.' It seemed like something that never really existed before. We had Earl Sweatshirt with the Odd Future crew over in one studio, Miley Cyrus finishing up her Pharrell song in the other studio, and he and I were there, and by the end of the night, everyone was dancing and partying together to that song. I thought 'Blurred Lines' could be a hit, yes, but you never can expect this type of success. You think I'm going to do an album without that guy ever again?"

• • •

Read More 

Miley Cyrus Goes Bang! Harpers Bazaar Magazine

With her devil-may-care attitude and rocking new sound, the pop star proves she still can't be tamed. Plus, see her Fall 2013 couture fashion shoot, and shop her must-haves for the season.

Follow us: @harpersbazaarus on Twitter | HarpersBazaar on Facebook 
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Queen Latifah Faces Her Fears | MORE Magazine

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NBC Jimmy Fallon Music Performances (Videos) Various Artists

Paul McCartney plays surprise concert in NY's Times Square

Paul McCartney performs a surprise concert in New York’s Times Square Thursday afternoon.

The four song showcase arrived just one day after the ex-Beatle played a full 13 song set - and conducted a "master class" Q&A session- with students gathered in the auditorium of the Frank Sinatra High School in Astoria, Queens.

Read More at New York Daily News

CBS Concert Video 

Paul McCartney Surprises High School With Auditorium Rock Show

Paul McCartney Surprises Queens High School With Auditorium Rock Show The star debuts songs from his 'New' album, revisits Beatles classics and takes questions from students

by SIMON VOZICK-LEVINSON OCTOBER 09, 2013

"This beats going to class," Paul McCartney said with a big smile after taking the stage for a surprise performance at a performing arts high school in Astoria, Queens this afternoon. The 400 students packing the Frank Sinatra School for the Arts' auditorium seemed very much to agree. McCartney and his band played a full set of 13 songs, including three selections from his upcoming album New (due out next week) and plenty of Beatles and Wings classics – performing each one with all the boundless enthusiasm he brought to arenas and stadiums on his Out There world tour this year. Astoria native Tony Bennett, who founded the school in 2001, was in attendance, as was McCartney's wife, Nancy Shevell, celebrating their second anniversary. (It was a day of many milestones: Today would also have been John Lennon's 73rd birthday.) The show was filmed by iHeartRadio, and will be streamed on ClearChannel radio stations and online on Yahoo! on Monday, October 14th.

Read All About 'New' and 25 More of This Fall's Most Exciting Albums McCartney took the stage shortly after 2:00 P.M., launching directly into "Eight Days A Week" to rapturous applause – never mind that most of the crowd was born 30 years or more after the song's release. He went on for 90 spirited minutes, with short breaks for questions from his student audience and longtime New York radio DJ Jim Kerr. As always, McCartney seemed genuinely thrilled to be onstage, buoyed by the crowd's cheers. "I could be home watching the TV now," he said at one point. "I'd rather be here." He clearly enjoyed bantering back and forth with his new friends during the Q & A sections.

"How are you?" asked one high school senior. "Groovy!" McCartney replied. The kids, aspiring artists themselves, seemed most interested in hearing about McCartney's younger days as a musician. "When we first started out, I was terrified of doing anything wrong on stage," he said after one girl asked for the greatest lesson he learned early on. "But then I learned that people don't mind. They actually kind of like it!" Later, Kerr asked McCartney, in his sonorous radio voice, "How can one mind create so many memorable melodies?" McCartney paused. "Uh . . ." he began. "I don't know. Thank you for the compliment, but I don't really think about what I do." On reflection, he realized the answer was simple: "I just love what I do." This much was obvious from watching him onstage. McCartney hopped from his Hofner bass to two acoustic guitars to his psychedelically-painted piano, singing his heart out all the while. After closing with a heartfelt "Hey Jude" and taking a bow with his band, he seemed almost reluctant to leave the stage. McCartney flashed a quick peace sign at the crowd on his way out, and the giddy students filing out of the auditorium raised an endless chorus of "na-na-na-na"s, echoing through the school's corridors. Set List: "Eight Days a Week" "Save Us" "Jet" (Q&A) "New" "Lady Madonna" (Q&A) "We Can Work It Out" "Everybody Out There" "Blackbird" (Q&A) "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!" "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" (Q&A) "Band on the Run" "Back in the U.S.S.R." "Hey Jude"

Read More at Rolling Stone

Sir Paul McCartney on Ban on Animal Testing, Meatless Mondays & Glass Walls

View Sir Paul McCartney On The Noise Magazine Cover 

Every animal lover looked at Europe as a beacon of what could be when the EU implemented its ban on cosmetics that have been tested on animals. Now that Europe is covered, advocates want to take the movement worldwide. Sir Paul McCartney is speaking out on behalf of Cruelty Free International (BUAV) to advocate for a much broader ban. The Beatle said, “I have supported Cruelty Free International’s founding organization, the Buav over the years with its campaign to end cosmetics testing on animals. I am so proud to be part of this historic event and congratulate Cruelty Free International for succeeding in taking the cruelty out of beauty across the European Union.

“Together we have made a huge difference, yet animals continue to suffer because over 80% of the world still allows cosmetics testing on animals. I am now supporting Cruelty Free International with its campaign to seek a global ban to ensure that animals do not suffer for the sake of beauty anywhere in the world.”

**Warning Graphic**

BUAV notes on their website that over 80% of countries, including the USA, Australia, Korea, Japan and India, still allow animal testing for cosmetics. In the USA, testing is optional and up to the companies, but in countries like China, testing is mandatory for a product to be sold there. And with huge potential customers in China, many companies outside of China choose to keep testing even though it’s unnecessary for the safety of their products and cruel to animals. McCartney isn’t alone in his mission. Joss Stone, Peter Dinklage and Ricky Gervais have also spoken out against animal testing. While a worldwide ban may seem like a lofty and impossible goal, Europe has proved to us that countries can come together to make an ethical decision for animals. 

Shop Cruelty Free

Many of the products on our supermarket shelves, from lipsticks and deodorants to floor cleaners and washing liquids, have either been tested on animals or contain ingredients that have.

Products bearing Cruelty Free International’s Leaping Bunny mark are certified ‘cruelty free’ under the internationally-recognised Humane Cosmetics and Household Products Standards.

By only buying brands certified by the Leaping Bunny you are helping to save animals from a life of suffering in a laboratory - and sending out a strong message that consumers do not want cruel cosmetics or household products.

Certified companies have all met our rigorous criteria, including a comprehensive independent audit, ensuring that no animal testing is conducted or commissioned for finished products and ingredients throughout the supply chain after a fixed cut-off date.

While some products carry labels claiming that their brand is ‘not tested on animals’ or is ‘against animal testing’, these are often confusing and do not guarantee that the product is actually free from animal testing.

A number of retailers and groups promote their own ‘cruelty-free’ schemes. However, the companies approved by them can have done no more than issue a convincing — sometimes misleading — policy statement on animal testing. Read More at Ecorazzi 

Only the Leaping Bunny can provide peace of mind...

The Leaping Bunny and the EU ban

After the EU ban on animal testing for cosmetics products and ingredients comes into force on 11th March 2013, the Leaping Bunny continues to be the only way European consumers can be sure they are buying truly ‘cruelty-free’ beauty products.

When the ban takes effect, companies will not be able to animal test new cosmetic products and ingredients on sale in the EU. However, companies can still carry on animal testing cosmetics outside the EU where these cosmetics are also sold outside the EU.

The Leaping Bunny is a global standard and applies to all of the operations and sales of companies, not just those for the EU. We only certify companies that have a policy not to test their products on animals for any market.

In addition Leaping Bunny certification is only awarded to companies who have decided not to enter the Chinese market where animal testing for imported cosmetics is required.

Until Cruelty Free International achieves a global ban, we urge consumers to continue to shop with the bunny.

Check out the Leaping Bunny and Find our full list of almost 500 certified companies

at www.gocrueltyfree.org. 

See more Go Cruelty Free

Paul McCartney Website

Linda McCartney Website 

Stella McCartney Collection

Kennedy Center Honors - Paul McCartney