Audrey Hepburn | SMC Editor's Personal Tribute

Custom Artwork by Candice Anne Marshall for Starlight Music Chronicles

by CAMarshall

The first  few seconds of hearing ‘Moon River’ always takes me back to a very deeply emotional and personal moment in time: to the first moment I watched on television with my Mother, a tiny elvish waif in a Givenchy gown and tiara standing in front of a shop in the middle of New York eating her croissant.This woman embodied everything that I have centered my own life around from that moment until this day: poise, grace, beauty, kindness, adventure, and above all, the ability to remain distinctly unique. This woman I speak of is Audrey Hepburn and the movie was Breakfast at Tiffany’s (a brilliant film released in 1961 based off of the  book by Author Truman Capote), which remains an iconic film to this day.

It has been 24 years today since Audrey passed (cancer, again, cancer!), yet, through film,images, and music (see Moon River Spotify below), I remember her for everything that she contributed to this world in her lifetime and especially what she contributed to me in mine.

Historical Timeline

Audrey Kathleen Ruston, born in Brussels, Belgium, was an Actress, Model, Dancer and Humanitarian whose work near the end of her lifetime with Unicef as Goodwill Ambassador was exemplary. Recognized as a film and fashion icon, Hepburn was most active during Hollywood's Golden Age. To this day, she is idolized as a‘Lady’ whose timeless beauty and effortless grace both on the silver screen and in her lifetime, has been something that everyone in Hollywood has tried tore-create. But – there will only ever be one Audrey for me.

The same woman who escaped the Nazi’s in World War II, survived death after becoming severely malnourished shortly after, went on to star in countless films such as My Fair Lady, Sabrina, Funny Face, and Roman Holiday (to name a few), was voted People Magazines’ most beautiful person of all time, win countless Academy Awards, and was the muse to Fashion Designer Hubert De Givenchy (who would design countless gowns for her roles on screen and off). In 2000, Actress Jennifer Love Hewett portrayed her in ‘The Audrey Hepburn Story’.

Editor's Personal Tribute

I could write for weeks, the list of accomplishments that Audrey made in her lifetime even beyond the silver screen. They were beyond what many of us can even imagine accomplishing, but that’s who Audrey was: she worked tirelessly to ensure that the people in her sphere knew they were loved and this included people she didn’t even know such was displayed in her work in third world countries for Unicef. She remains a role model for me to this day of how the plight of others who need help is something very dear to my heart – I will often ask myself, ‘What would Audrey do?’. She would help in any way she could.

In terms of fashion sense, Audrey inspired me to want to be a Fashion Designer at a very young age. I first watched Breakfast at Tiffany’s with my mom when I was about 10 years old, about the same time that I would spend countless hours drawing in my room the images of the human form. Audrey’s thin frame could carry of many looks that Designers would take a chance with: she was the first to don a pair of capris, cut her long locks to a short pixie, and make the ‘Little Black Dress’ a staple in every woman’s wardrobe. Think of it, as soon as someone says‘Little Black Dress’, you envision Audrey in Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

The impact Audrey left in her very short 63 years on this earth for me is this

There isn’t a day that goes by where I will not think about how I can help others, act and dress like a Lady, be courteous and kind to all you meet, and leave a legacy for your children to be proud of.

Thank you,Audrey. X

Candice Anne  Marshall

CEO &Editor, Starlight Music Chronicles

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Filmography

The following are a complete list of all the films Audrey accomplished in her lifetime and remain, to this day, staples in every classic movie collectors’ library. I know they are in mine.

Roman Holiday (1953), Sabrina (1954) , Producers' Showcase (1954), War and Peace (1956), Funny Face (19570, The Nun's Story (1959)  , The Unforgiven (1962), Breakfast at Tiffany's (19610, My Fair Lady (1964), How to Steal a Million (1966), Two for the Road (1967), Wait Until Dark (1967), Robin and Marian (19760, Bloodline (19790, and Always (1989)

CBC Music’s annual contest to find Canada’s next BIG MUSIC ACT kicks-off!

Press Release via
CBC Music Canada

CBC Music’s annual contest to find Canada’s next big music act recently launched! Submissions for SEARCHLIGHT 2017 are officially open, with the deadline for entry being Feb. 7, 2017. Musicians of all types including solo artists, duos and groups from all genres are encouraged to enter via www.cbcmusic.ca/searchlight.

Similar to last year, the competition will come to life on CBC, as the top four finalists compete on a live broadcast for the SEARCHLIGHT title.

New for this year, the grand prize winner will also receive an original song commission for Canada’s 150 celebration and a two-week song writing residency, with a celebrity mentor from the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. The winner will have the opportunity to debut the song at the 2017 CBC Music Festival in Toronto, followed by a SEARCHLIGHT concert with the other top four finalists on July 2 in Ottawa as part of the National Arts Centre’s concert series.

Additional prizing includes a Canadian Musician Magazine Career Booster package valued at over $25,000, provided by our media partner Canadian Musician Magazine. For more information about what this package includes visit: http://canadianmusician.com/careerbooster/

To enter, all applicants must submit a video of themselves performing one original song, as well as one high-quality MP3 before the deadline date. More information and contest guidelines can be found at cbcmusic.ca/searchlight. Check out this video that highlights what you can expect:

Rocking to Some New Tunes | January 2017 | by Rebecca Singer

by Rebecca Singer

It's the start of a new year and what's better than some fresh tunes to get you moving? I've got a good collection of tasty tunes to satisfy your ears - try these on for size!

Lina Loi

Lina Loi – “Dip.” “Dip” is a great introduction to this California songbird with a 60s R&B heart. You can’t help but have fun listening to her soulful sounds. Lina has a big beautiful voice that shines through in everything she sings. Other Divas need to take note – Lina’s coming for them.

You can find Lina on Twitter (click here), on Facebook (click here) and on YouTube (click here).

sebastian-tree

Sebastian Tree – “Worry.” Birmingham singer/songwriter Sebastian Tree has a way of writing fun, lively songs that become earworms quickly. “Worry” is his latest tune and it’s a top track. It’s got hooks and a vibrant sound. Get out and see him play live in 2017.

You can find Sebastian on Twitter (click here), on Facebook (click here) and on YouTube (click here).

RINSE/Chris Hollingworth Photography

RINSE – “With You.” Stoke-on-Trent lads RINSE shine in the bright, jangly tune “With You.” A thumping bass line enhances this bouncy pop song, making it sound like summer grunge. The tune flows effortlessly as it sonically explodes in your ears with a wall of guitars and banging hooks.

You can find RINSE on Facebook (click here), on Twitter (click here), and on YouTube (click here).

The Scruff/Sean Edwards Photography

The Scruff – “Leave It Alone.” This new stomper of a track from the Bedford, England, lads is pure fun. It has a rollicking drum line and a wash of hard rocking guitars, harkening back to Britpop greats. This is quality, pure and simple.

You can find The Scruff on Twitter (click here), on Facebook (click here), and on SoundCloud (click here).

The Rogue Network

The Rogue Network – “Operator” from Manchester band The Rogue Network has a retro bluesy sound, but yet is fresh and modern. It drives hard and smooth from the opening notes all the way to the end. Electro tones kick it off followed by chugging guitars and drums. It’s a really meaty tune that begs to be heard.

You can find The Rogue Network on Twitter (click here), on Facebook (click here), and on SoundCloud (click here).

The Feckless/Ross Lowton Photography

The Feckless – “Take Back The Streets.” Sheffield indie punks The Feckless have just released their debut EP, “Empire,” and the track “Take Back The Streets” charges straight at you. It’s fast, fun and reckless – everything young punk rockers should be. The music is electric and comes effortlessly with these lads.

You can find The Feckless on Facebook (click here), and on SoundCloud (click here).

Room 1 Fourteen

Room 1 Fourteen – “So Cold” is a new track by English/Swiss band Room 1 Fourteen. It has power and pizzazz right from the start. A great bass line, crunchy guitars and silky vocals. It has a retro 80s feel with plenty of modern effects and hooks.

You can find Room 1 Fourteen on Twitter (click here), on Facebook (click here), and on SoundCloud (click here).

Harlitones

Harlitones – “Big Fat Rope.” Hailing from Aberdeen, Scotland, The Harlitones skate a line between pop punk and rock, and their song “Big Fat Rope” is a great example of this. It’s got big guitars, great hooks and a frantic pace. These lads have amazing energy pouring right out of them.

You can find The Harlitones on Facebook (click here) and on SoundCloud (click here).

Deep Purple “Time For Bedlam”| Single review by Michael McKenna

Single Review by Michael McKenna

McKenna Review Agency & Nor'easter Magazine

Deep Purple have just released the new single “Time for Bedlam,” a track from their upcoming album, “inFinite”.

inFinite is the highly anticipated follow-up to their worldwide chart-topping effort “Now What?” and is due to drop on April 7, 2017. The LP was recorded in February 2016 in Nashville, TN and was once again helmed by Bob Ezrin, whose previous credits include work with Kiss, Pink Floyd, Alice Cooper and Kansas.

A limited edition EP for "Time For Bedlam" - with non-album songs and unreleased recordings - will be released on February 3, 2017. Deep Purple will support their 20th studio release with dates on The Long Goodbye tour, with speculation it may the group's farewell trek.

The word 'inFinite' is a three-dimensional, double-edged sword. It describes something that goes on forever in all directions; not unlike its temporal equivalent 'Eternal.' The track opens with a Pink Floyd/Moody Blues intro that announces that they are “ Descending the cold steps for the politically insane, never to be seen again, saying farewell to daylight, from henceforth I shall rot in a stinking bed of wet straw” sets the mood for what's to follow. The track then morphs into a percussion-guitar driven high energy piece with an infectious solo nicely accentuated by the monstrous keyboards reminiscent of early Kansas. The vocals are tight and grab your ass right from the door

Current members of Deep Purple include Ian Paice on drums & percussion, Roger Glover on bass, Ian Gillian on vox & harmonica, Steve Morse on guitar and Don Airey on keys replacing longtime member, John Lord.

If this single is any indication of what's to come, fans will be very surprised and satisfied with this much anticipated upcoming release in April. This single is totally AWESOME and on the Nor'easter Storm Scale, I give this my highest rating, a slamming FORCE 5!

The Starman returns with 'No Plan' | SMC Remembers David Bowie

by CA Marshall

It has been a year since our beloved Starman's passing and he manages to share with us his final days just prior to his journey into orbit. Today, on what would have been  his 70th birthday, Columbia Records has just released 'No Plan', the last known recordings of David Bowie. The video for the No Plan features haunting imagery from beyond the grave when you hear the sadness in Bowies vocals. (see video below) I am giving you a heads up here: this is very deep, completely sad, angry, and yet, exquisitely beautiful recorded account of the journey through his final days, and I know Bowie wouldn't have it any other way. This was an Artist who always created lyrics from an honest perspective, they were his truths, and No Plan is the most revealing and honest of them all: his time was cut short and he was pissed off about it. 

The four-track EP, which is currently available on iTunes, features the songs “No Plan,” “Killing a Little Time” and “When I Met You,” along with “Lazarus” from Bowie’s final studio album Blackstar. Recently, Johan Renck, the director of the video for Blackstar, said Bowie was unaware that his treatments for liver cancer would be unsuccessful until after the Blackstar album was completed. The week they shot the video, Renck said that's when Bowie was informed that his illness had won. 

Friends of Bowie's are about to embark on an international tour that begins January 10th, 2017 in honor of the day of his passing. Key Star performers include: Mike Garson, Earl Slick, Adrian Belew, Gail Ann Dorsey, Mark Plati, Sterling Campbell, Zachary Alford, Holly Palmer, Catherine Russell, and very special guests including STING on January 24th at The Wilton, Los Angeles, California.

The bio on the Celebrating David Bowie Tour facebook page reads:

"To honor David Bowie’s 70th birthday, Bowie band members, friends, and a massive ensemble of top recording & touring musicians from around the world are getting together for a one-time only series of global goodwill concerts, in aid of local charities, called Celebrating David Bowie.

The concerts all take place in cities that have a strong connection with David Bowie and his work - London, New York City, Los Angeles, Sydney, & Tokyo. All feature a core two dozen musicians traveling plus many local, regional, and national musicians to create a sound like no other."

I encourage all of our Starlight Music Chronicles readers to head on over to this page and follow the tour updates, photos, and musings because there will be lots to see in the coming weeks! 

Finally, I would personally like to add that this day brings me mixed feelings: I released my review of Bowie's Blackstar album on this day one year ago. (see here) It was the first review on The Chronicles for 2016. and days later, I was writing my personal tribute to his life (see here). Had I known that 2016 would be the year that we would lose such integral, significant, and iconic Musicians in the industry, I would have shut my social media off and buried my head in a pillow. However, now looking back on 2016, it seemed right that Bowie would be the first to leave us in 2016 - he was always leading the way in terms of ingenuity, creativity, style and grace. 

No Plan is already in my music library and is a reminder to me that: life is precious - our time here is brief, we make every day count, and we never ever stop believing in the magic that comes from our own creativity because it comes from our soul. I believe that this is what Bowie would have wanted for us all. 

365 days later and suddenly, the 'stars look very different today.'

Happy Birthday Starman. x

Ed Sheeran's Epic Return

by CA Marshall

I'm listening right now while typing this review and I feel I can't type this fast enough! The world needs to know just how magnificent these somgs are! I am talking about 'Castle On The Hill' and 'Shape Of You', the newest singles by UK born Singer-Songwriter Ed Sheeran. They are already on my iPhone and are most definitely on repeat. 

This is one Musician whose art will always stay current, dynamic, and completely addicting. As he has done previously in + and x, his two new singles follow suit in terms of intense lyrics that hold personal depth and meaning. let's face it, Ed knows how to extract the human emotion by pulling at the heartstrings and he never ever misses his mark.

'Castle On The Hill' is an ode to the fondest memories we can all relate to: no matter how long you are away, there's no place like home. The instrumentation here is upbeat, fresh, and completely addictive. This is a personal song I feel, where he's sharing how he was missing friends and family for so long while on tour. This is a song that gives us true insight of this Artist who is always in touch with his emotions. If you've ever treasured a friendship dearly, this is the song you need to have in your 'favorites' playlist. On repeat.

If 'Castle On The Hill' is addictive, then 'Shape Of You' is the obsession. This song is completely divergent from 'Castle On The Hill' and yet, is signature 'Ed style\ in lyrical and vocal presentation.

After a year of silence (intentional), Sheeran made the public statement that he needed to 'go back to his roots and connect with his family and friends'. He has emerged like the old friend you lose touch with but spend ten minutes getting reacquainted and it feels as though no time has passed: this was a seamless re-entry back into the spotlight. Ed Sheeran s clearly ready for the next phase of his life and is prepared to 'bring it'.

When he made his last tweet in 2015, he promised to come back with \something great'. Only days ago, the 'Popsicle colored blue' branding began sprouting up on all of his social media platforms. Indeed a year had passed and it was go time. Only 5 days ago, he made the public announcement that he was going to release the golden nugget we've all been waiting so long to hear. Folks, the wait is finally over: Ed Sheeran is back, and he continues to bring us something magical. 

Welcome back Ed!