JOHN OATES – with Web-Exclusive Interview Musician:  JOHN OATES Video:  “Pushin’ a Rock”       THE GOOD ROAD OF SONGS, STORIES AND SMILES WITH MUSTACHIOED MYSTERY MAN JOHN OATES   John Oates’ mustachioed face and black curly ringlets of hair have graced bounteous album sleeves and music videos. The guitarist, singer and songwriter’s soft-spoken voice, humble attitude and laid-back demeanor permeated his dialogue with M Music... 

Video Feature & Web-Exclusive Interview   Musician: J3 (Justin-Lee Schultz, Jamie-Leigh Schultz & Jaden Baker) Video: “Junebug”   MULTI-INSTRUMENT TEEN SENSATIONS J3 RELEASE NEW CD OPUS 1 FEATURING VIDEO “JUNEBUG”   When an 11-year-old Justin-Lee Schultz releases a single that grabs the attention of Quincy Jones, who immediately DMs him on Instagram—he must be doing something extraordinary. Now, four years later,... 

Video Premiere & Web-Exclusive Interview Artist:  MANIKA KAUR Video:  “Liberate Me”  WORLD MUSIC SONGSTRESS MANIKA KAUR PREMIERES BEAUTIFULLY HAUNTING “LIBERATE ME” Manika Kaur is a leading contemporary performer of Sikh “Kirtan” music. As the very first person to place Kirtan in the World Music Charts Europe with views of her videos running in the millions, Manika’s music has received overwhelming praise from the global Sikh... 

VIDEO FEATURE & WEB-EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW Musician:  BONEY JAMES Video:  “Honestly” featuring Avery*Sunshine SAXOPHONIST AND COMPOSER BONEY JAMES’ HONESTLY REFLECTS MUSIC’S POWER TO TRANSPORT Four-time Grammy Nominee Celebrates 25 Years with September 1, 2017 Release Featuring Vocalists Avery*Sunshine and Eric Roberson Boney James released his 16th album on September 1, 2017, titled Honestly—25 years after his debut recording, Trust.... 

Big Freedia returns to Fuse TV for Season 6 of Big Freedia Bounces Back Big Freedia returns to Fuse TV today, September 12, for Season 6 of Big Freedia Bounces Back—and has just released a single with Mannie Fresh. Freedia’s profile has been rising since guest appearances on the Beyoncé single “Formation,” the NBA Anthony Davis video “The Tony,” and the Terrence Malick film, Song to Song—with Ryan Gosling. Big Freedia has a passion... 

Sweetwater’s GearFest 2017 Draws Record Crowds and Sales Free Music and Pro Audio Trade Show Continues to Grow GearFest completely takes over the Sweetwater campus with parking, camping sites, gear tents, a performance pavilion, the retail store, and the massive interior of the Sweetwater building. Sweetwater Sound announced that GearFest 2017 was a bigger success than ever, breaking every record established by previous GearFest events. Launched... 

VIDEO FEATURE & WEB-EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW Musician:  BILL REICHENBACH Music Video: “Carols From the Bells” Musicians: Trombones-L.A. Non-profit Benefit: Hearts of Music Fund “My idea,” says Bill Reichenbach, “was to create this non-profit fund called the Hearts of Music Fund—for musicians who don’t have insurance. Back then, there were a lot of musicians who didn’t have insurance. And sadly there’s a good possibility starting... 

MUSIC & SPORTS—OLYMPICS WEB-EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW Olympic Gold Medalist:  STEVE LEWIS Video: “400 Meters—1988 Olympics Gold”     STEVE LEWIS Web-Exclusive Interview with M Music & Musicians magazine publisher, Merlin David   Music and sports have always been connected. The Olympics is the world stage spotlight for athletes, and music continues to be a driving force for an athlete’s preparation—and for their final... 

©Noah Schutz EMMETT SKYY Song: “Love Leads to Nothing” Website: EmmettSkyy.com Web-Exclusive Interview with M Music & Musicians magazine publisher, Merlin David   How did the idea of “Love Leads to Nothing” come to you? It came from feeling you’ve invested so much love and energy into a relationship, and it falls by the wayside. But even though that relationship ended, you still feel something. It’s coming to terms with yourself—and... 

Bonnie Mckee HOMETOWN: Vacaville, Calif. INFLUENCES: Madonna, Michael Jackson, Cyndi Lauper ALBUM: As-yet-untitled LP, due out 2014 WEBSITE: bonniemckee.com Bonnie McKee started her musical education early, studying classical piano and touring Europe and North America with the Seattle Girls Choir. At the age of 12, she recorded a demo of Bette Midler and Fiona Apple songs that landed in the lap of family friend and Sub Pop label co-founder Jonathan... 

GINNY BLACKMORE HOMETOWN: Auckland, New Zealand INFLUENCES: Mariah Carey, Michael Jackson, Lauryn Hill ALBUM: Due out late fall WEBSITE: ginnyblackmore.com New Zealand native Ginny Blackmore remembers precisely the moment she decided to be an entertainer: She was 9 and sitting in a movie theater captivated by Lauryn Hill’s performance in Sister Act 2. Blackmore was raised in a religious family and had little knowledge of secular music. “It... 

NAS   The enduring hip-hop storyteller’s latest title becomes his mantra    Several months after releasing his 10th studio album, Life Is Good, Nas is revisiting the title. “I was watching TV the other night and saw this woman had survived pancreatic cancer,” he says. “I was barely listening, because my mom passed from breast cancer, and sometimes it’s just too hard to watch. But I heard her say, ‘Life is good,’ and I thought, ‘If... 

ORIANTHI Michael Jackson’s guitarist makes her way to center stage Orianthi When pop legend Michael Jackson passed away last June, the media was saturated with images from rehearsals for his planned comeback show—offering many fans their first glimpse at his new guitarist, a striking 23-year-old from Adelaide, Australia, named Orianthi. The recent film This Is It, which further documented those rehearsals, showcased her virtuoso six-string skills...