Headlines for July 17, 2009
By: Christina Ivanowich
McCartney Visiting his Beatles' Roots
The Beatles were famously introduced to American audiences on The Ed Sullivan Show February 9, 1964. Now, Paul McCartney is re-visiting his roots, by making his first appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman on July 15, and performing an outdoor show on top of the marquee of that very same theatre 45 years later. This is but one stop in New York on his summer tour schedule; independent.co.uk reports that he will also be playing Citi Field tonight, the Mets' new stadium. The Beatles played the Mets' former venue, Shea Stadium, in 1965 and the show has become legendary, so let's hope Sir Paul can live up to the hype.
Iranian ‘Bob Dylan' convicted for singing the Qur'an
In some sad music news, The Guardian reports that Mohsen Namjoo, an Iranian singer-songwriter, has been convicted in Iran of writing music that dishonours the Qur'an, and has been sentenced to five years. Apparently dubbed the "Iranian Bob Dylan" by The New York Times in 2007, Namjoo is known for his subtle, yet poignant message of reform. Luckily, as Namjoo currently resides in Vienna (he was previously banned from performing in Iran), he is not in any immediate danger of arrest. According to a statement by his lawyer, he is planning to appeal the conviction.
Accident on Madonna's Tour Kills 1, Injures 6
BBC News has confirmed that a stage being built for a stop on Madonna's Sticky and Sweet tour collapsed Thursday (July 16), killing one crewman and injuring six more. The stage was being erected in the Velodrome stadium in Marseille, France, when the roof fell in, taking a crane down with it, and crushing the structure below. Approximately 12 people were on the stage when the accident occurred, but many were able to get out of harm's way. When informed of the accident, Madonna released a statement which said she was "devastated" and that her "prayers go out to those who were injured and their families." The concert, which would have accommodated approximately 60,000 people, was planned for Sunday (July 19), but has now been cancelled. Details are not yet being released on who was injured, or on details for refunds for ticketholders.
