A Tribute to Mary Wilson

Photo: ABC / Mary Wilson

We were deeply saddened to hear Mary Wilson passed away suddenly on Monday (8 February 2021). She has been in our lives for many years and our thoughts are with her family and friends.

As an original and founding member of The Supremes, she helped change the face of pop music to become a trendsetter who broke down social, racial, and gender barriers.

The Supremes were Motown’s most successful act of the 1960s. They scored 12 No. 1 singles, the first of which ‘Where Did Our Love Go’ came in 1964. This was quickly followed by ‘Baby Love’, ‘Come See About Me’ and ‘Stop! In the Name of Love’.

The world-renowned performer and best-selling author was also an advocate for social and economic challenges globally. She used her fame and flair to promote a diversity of humanitarian efforts including ending hunger, raising HIV/AIDS awareness, and encouraging world peace.

We were privileged to work with her in the early days of Marshall Arts – when she was establishing her own identity after the original group, whilst continuing to perform to maintain and honour the legacy of The Supremes.

She was a wonderful performer, a total professional and an absolute pleasure to be with.

Mary was incredibly glamorous – but totally down to earth and fun!

She was always so vibrant – and losing her is a great shock.

She blazed a proud path for many to follow and all of us at Marshall Arts are grateful and blessed that she remained our friend throughout all these decades.

Elton John Announces Extra European shows for 2021

New Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour dates in Copenhagen, Munich, Mannheim and Birmingham all added to the next leg of his final world tour.

“..The Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour is the most bombastic, elaborate, high-tech arena show he’s ever attempted.”

— Rolling Stone

“As a thank you, he’s giving the fans exactly what they could want in a final hurrah: some of his all-time biggest hits played with his classic gusto and draped in glitz.”

— Billboard

“The show of his life. ***** ”

— The Times

Elton John has announced he will add a further four dates to the next leg of his award-winning global Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour. Following his recently announced rescheduled dates in North America and New Zealand, new dates in Copenhagen, Munich, Mannheim and Birmingham have all been added to his tour, which restarts at the Mercedes Benz Arena, Berlin on 1 September, 2021.

Having already played to sell out audiences in both Copenhagen and Munich in 2019, Elton’s loyal fans and critics alike will already know how incredible the show is, as his stunning stage production takes his fans on a musical and highly visual journey spanning a 50-year career of hits.

The Danish national paper Berlingski called his five star performance at the Royal Arena “a pop-historical tour de force”, whilst the German title Süddeutsche Zeitung said of his Olympiahalle concert that “there were only hits, hits and even more hits”.

This will be the first time that the Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour visits Mannheim, however the Rocketman is no stranger to the city, having last performed there to a sell out audience in 2017.

The addition of a third, and final, show in Birmingham will bring delight to thousands in the Midlands who missed out on tickets when they originally went on sale. Demand for his original two shows led to instant sell outs.

“2020 has been a year like no other, and I really can’t wait to get back on the road and continue playing live for you, my wonderful fans, once more. Your continued love, patience and support continue to blow me away.”

— Elton John

The Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour, which won both Pollstars “Major Tour of the Year 2020” and Billboard Music Awards 2020 “Top Rock Tour” kicked off to a sold-out crowd on 8 September, 2018, in Allentown, USA, and has since received rave reviews across the world. The show takes the audience on a magical journey through his incredible 50-year career with never-before-seen-photos and videos, all set to the tune of some of Elton’s most beloved songs from his legendary catalogue including, “Bennie and the Jets,” “Rocket Man,” “Tiny Dancer,” and “Philadelphia Freedom.”

For more information on all the Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour dates, please click here.

Elton John announces the release of 'Elton: Jewel Box' an In-Depth Exploration of His Extensive Catalogue

Photo credit Getty Images David Gahr

Elton John has announces the forthcoming release of ‘Elton: Jewel Box’. Released on November 13th, ‘Elton: Jewel Box’ is an unrivalled collection containing 148 songs spanning 1965 to 2019 on 8CD, 4LP, 3LP, 2LP, digital download and streaming formats.

The ultimate exploration into Elton’s extensive back catalogue, ‘Elton: Jewel Box’ covers deep cuts, rarities from the earliest stages of his and Bernie Taupin’s musical journey, B-sides spanning 30 years and songs discussed in his best-selling, critically acclaimed 2019 memoir ‘Me’. The 8 CD boxset of buried treasures comes in a beautiful hardcover book with the discs housed in the back, all wrapped in an outer slipcase. Each section comes accompanied with extensive notes including a track-by-track commentary by Elton for Deep Cuts. 3 different LP collections are also available to pre-order now - a 4LP gatefold black vinyl set of Deep Cuts (curated by Elton himself), a 3LP gatefold black vinyl set of Rarities and B-side highlights and a 2LP gatefold black vinyl set “And This Is Me…”. All audio was mastered at Abbey Road Studios by GRAMMY winning mastering engineer Sean Magee. With an unprecedented number of previously unheard and unreleased tracks painstakingly excavated from deep within the UMG archives, this is the ultimate treasure trove for Elton John fans.

As a first taster of some of the many gems gathered within ‘Elton: Jewel Box’, ‘Sing Me No Sad Songs’ is today unveiled for the very first time. Listen here. Previously unreleased, the track was written and recorded as a band demo in 1969. ‘Sing Me No Sad Songs’ is a fascinating early taste of what was to come from Elton and Bernie, and one that mentions not one, but two, future smashes in its lyrics - ‘Sad Songs (Say So Much)’ from 1984’s ‘Breaking Hearts’ album and Elton’s first UK chart-topping single ‘Don't Go Breaking My Heart’ from 1976.

Speaking of the release, Elton says…

“To delve back through every period of my career in such detail for Jewel Box has been an absolute pleasure. Hearing these long lost tracks again, I find it hard to comprehend just how prolific Bernie and I were during the early days. The songs just poured out of us and the band were just unbelievable in the studio. I always want to push forward with everything I do and look to the future, but having time during lockdown to take stock and pull these moments from my memory from each era has been a joy. As a devout record collector myself, this project has really excited me and I couldn’t be happier with the level of craft involved in such a carefully curated, lovingly constructed boxset. I’m sure my fans will enjoy it as much as I have.
”

— Elton John

Elton: Jewel Box’ is available to pre-order here

P!nk duets with Keith Urban on his new single 'One Too Many'

International icon P!NK and GRAMMY Award winner, Keith Urban have released their first-ever duet together, ‘One Too Many’, taken from Urban’s brand new album, THE SPEED OF NOW Part 1.

‘One Too Many’ is one of the most anticipated musical events of the year. It pairs together two of the most successful and well-respected artists in the world, both known for their combustible talents.

““I’ve always loved P!NK’s voice,” says Urban. “Her artistry and her multi-faceted ability to create, and her God-given talent, truly makes her one of the greatest voices of our time.” ”

— Keith Urban

The slinky soul-pop deliciousness of “One Too Many,” was originally written as a duet and Urban “couldn’t have pictured anyone else’s voice on the song.” But the COVID lockdown presented its challenges. Urban and P!NK were not only forced to piece together the recording, they found themselves at opposite sides of the globe – P!NK from Los Angeles and Urban from Sydney – for filming of the music video.

Watch the video for the new single here

Miles Graham announces live date in London

Irish talent Miles Graham recently released his new EP ‘All The Right Things’, which resulted in him performing the single ‘Don’t Change’ live on Radio 5 and a stunning version of Dido’s Thank You. It accelerated a fresh stage in the Irish singer-songwriter’s career, having signed a new deal with Pressure Records earlier this year.

Today Miles continues his ascent by announcing a live date at London’s historic music venue The Grace on Thursday 19th November 2020. Tickets are available from 9AM on Friday 24th July and can be purchased via the venue, Alt Tickets and AXS.

The ‘All The Right Things’ EP was recorded in London with producer Paul Herman (Emeli Sandé, Dido, Corinne Bailey Rae), with string arrangements from the renowned Sally Herbert (Plan B, Usher, Duffy, Ellie Goulding, Florence + The Machine). The EP showcases his soul-baring songwriting and top-quality sound: a genre-blurring blend of retro-soul and fresh yet timeless pop.

The EP unfolds in brilliantly original sonic flourishes—heavy grooves, bright beats, laid-back guitar tones—each song elegantly spotlights Graham’s spellbinding voice. From the title track which opens the EP, to the first single ‘Don’t Change’; a hybrid of modern pop and timeless retro-soul, the bittersweet piano ballad ‘Give It Up Now’ and closing track ‘Sunbeam’ - an intricately textured and heart-melting tribute to his young daughter.

Channelling his experiences into sound has been a cathartic experience for Miles Graham. It has also ignited a deeper, more emotional quality within his songwriting. It’s a natural development for an artist who has been committed to developing his talents since childhood. Previously Miles has scored international dance hits alongside Don Diablo and L’Tric, as well as being playlisted on Radio 2 for his breakthrough moment ‘I Can’t Love You Again’. He took time out to focus on family in 2018 and now he’s back, more accomplished and set to soar.

Elton John Farewell Yellow Brick Road European & UK Tour dates rescheduled to 2021

After serious consideration, it is with deep regret that Elton John has had to reschedule his upcoming tour dates from Sunday 5 September through Thursday 17 December 2020.

The Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour will now start on Wednesday 1 September 2021 in Berlin and will play 48 shows across Europe and the UK through September, October, November and December 2021.

Ticketholders of the rescheduled performances will receive new event information shortly and all original tickets will be honoured at the rescheduled performances.

Marshall Arts joins Live Music Industry in please for government to help sector

Marshall Arts alongside thousands of artists, venues, crew and industry figures, are today issuing an urgent plea for support from the UK Government during what would have been the UK’s world-famous festival season.

The call to government comes as new research commissioned by the industry demonstrates the vital economic contribution of the live music sector. As well as supporting 210,000 jobs across the country, venues, concerts, festivals and production companies added £4.5bn to the economy in 2019.

But, because they’re unable to operate with any level of social distancing, concerts and festivals are unlikely to take place again in the UK until 2021 at the earliest. Many hundreds of redundancies have already been made, with the potential for tens of thousands to follow this year.

In a joint letter to the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Oliver Dowden, the industry say:

“UK live music has been one of the UK’s biggest social, cultural, and economic successes of the past decade. But, with no end to social distancing in sight or financial support from government yet agreed, the future for concerts and festivals and the hundreds of thousands of people who work in them looks bleak.

Until these businesses can operate again, which is likely to be 2021 at the earliest, government support will be crucial to prevent mass insolvencies and the end of this world-leading industry.”

To coincide with the letter, hundreds of artists, venues, concerts, festivals, production companies and other people across the industry will today begin posting films and photos of their last live gig under the banner #LetTheMusicPlay. Fans will also be encouraged to post about the last gig they went to, all in a mass show of support for the UK’s world-leading live music industry during its shutdown. Please lend your support.

Celine Dion 'Courage World Tour' to resume in 2021. Rescheduled show dates announced for the UK

Celine Dion today announced her European tour including the UK leg of her COURAGE WORLD TOUR is being rescheduled into 2021 due to COVID-19 pandemic.

Celine and Concerts West/Marshall Arts Ltd take the welfare and health of patrons as a top priority. Safety permitting, the COURAGE WORLD TOUR will now start the European leg of the tour on 19 March, 2021 in Paris, France and will play 32 cities across Europe which will include Manchester, Birmingham, London and Glasgow.

““I had really hoped that we’d be back on stage sometime this year, but nothing is more important than everyone’s health and safety,” said Celine. “The whole world has been going through such difficult times during this pandemic, and my heart goes out to all those who have suffered. I know we’ll eventually get through this together, and we’ll make up for all that lost time. I miss doing our shows....I can’t wait to sing with all of you again. Stay safe everyone…see you soon!””

— Celine Dion

Tickets purchased for the original 2020 tour dates remain valid for the 2021 dates.

The rescheduled 2021 UK tour dates are as follows:

CELINE DION COURAGE WORLD TOUR

Thursday 15 April 2021 Manchester Manchester Arena (rescheduled from Friday 4 September 2020)

Friday 16 April 2021 Manchester Manchester Arena (rescheduled from Saturday 5 September 2020)

Monday 19 April 2021 Birmingham Utilita Arena (rescheduled from Tuesday 8 September 2020)

Tuesday 20 April 2021 Birmingham Utilita Arena (rescheduled from Wednesday 9 September 2020)

Thursday 22 April 2021 London The O2 (rescheduled from Thursday 17 September 2020)

Friday 23 April 2021 London The O2 (rescheduled from Friday 18 September 2020)

Monday 26 April 2021 Glasgow The SSE Hydro (rescheduled from Friday 11 September 2020)

Tuesday 27 April 2021 Glasgow The SSE Hydro (rescheduled from Saturday 12 September 2020)

Ticketholders are requested to retain their tickets. For further ticket inquiries, ticketholders should contact their original point of purchase.