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Popular ‘Love Rock ‘N’ Roll’ Songwriter Dies Of Coronavirus

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The co-writer and original singer of I Love Rock ‘N’ Roll, Alan Merrill, has died after contracting coronavirus.

His daughter Laura shared the news, saying the 69-year-old had been healthy enough to play shows a few weeks ago.

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“He played down the ‘cold’ he thought he had,” she wrote, before warning other families not to be complacent.

READ ALSO: Bishop Oyedepo, Enenche’s Unholy Example by Tunde Odesola

“You don’t think It’ll happen to you or your strong family. It has,” she wrote. “Stay home if not for you, for others. For my dad. This thing is real.”

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I Love Rock ‘N’ Roll became a global hit for Joan Jett in 1982 and has been covered by artists ranging from Britney Spears to Weird Al Yankovic.

A parody version, I Love Sausage Rolls, was last year’s Christmas number one in the UK, with proceeds going to charity.

Musicians hit by coronavirus

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Coronavirus also claimed the life of country singer Joe Diffie over the weekend, while the family of Nashville legend John Prine said he was critically ill on a ventilator and being treated for Covid-19 symptoms.

READ ALSO: German Finance Minister Commits Suicide Over Coronavirus

Prine, an influential singer-songwriter who is known for lyrical, melancholy folk songs like Hello In There and Angel From Montgomery, has previously survived cancer twice.

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As news of his condition broke, musicians including Joan Baez, Bette Midler and Kacey Musgraves sent the Grammy Award winner their love and support.

Alan Merrill, who was born Allan Preston Sachs in New York, had a long and varied career as a musician. He signed his first record deal as lead singer of the band The Lead, who had a big hit in Japan with Aoi Bara (Blue Rose).

After releasing two successful solo albums and hosting TV shows and acting in soap operas, he left Japan for the UK in 1974 to form The Arrows, who put a glam rock sheen on classic pop melodies.

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The group scored hits with A Touch Too Much and My Last Night With You, and I Love Rock ‘N’ Roll was written by Merrill and guitarist Jake Hooker as “a knee-jerk response to the Rolling Stones’ It’s Only Rock ‘n Roll (But I Like It)” in 1975.

READ ALSO: COVID-19: Restriction On Large Gathering: Worship Centres Record Compliance, Partial Compliance In Benin

Originally issued on the B-side of The Arrows’ single Broken Down Heart, it became a hit after DJs started playing the flip side instead.

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Its success led to the band getting a weekly ITV series, with musical guests including Marc Bolan, Slade and The Bay City Rollers – and that was where US singer Joan Jett first heard, and fell in love with, I Love Rock ‘N’ Roll.

In the mid-1970s, Jett tried to convince her band The Runaways to cover it but they refused. When the band broke up, Jett recorded it and spent seven weeks at the top of the Billboard chart.

After his death, she paid tribute to Merrill on Instagram, writing: “My thoughts and love go to his family, friends and music community as a whole. I can still remember watching The Arrows on TV in London and being blown away by the song that screamed hit to me.

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“With deep gratitude and sadness, wishing him a safe journey to the other side.”

Merrill later joined Meat Loaf’s band for two albums and played with Rick Derringer.

Writing on Facebook, Meat Loaf said: “Let this be a lesson to all of us, try to stay in touch with the people you really love and care about. Life is very short. Alan I am sorry that I didn’t reach out to you years ago. I love you very much.”

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(BBC)

(PHOTO: bbc.com)

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Burna Boy Continues World Stage Onslaught

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Burna Boy continues to break barriers by owning all arenas and redefining the way fans envision and experience live performances as he traverses the length and breadth of the world with his ‘Love Damini stadium tour.’

He steps on the world stage tonight , as he joins Brazilian superstar Anitta alongside Swedish sensation Alesso to headline the 2023 UEFA Champions League final.

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Commenting on the performance, the African Giant said “As a huge football fan myself, I know it doesn’t get any bigger than the UEFA Champions League. That’s why I’m so excited to be performing on the Pepsi stage at this year’s final.”

Also, on Saturday, June 17, Burna Boy will return to the huge stadium, Gelredome,Arnhem, in The Netherlands, for the second leg of his ‘Love Damini’ Stadium tour. The first concert was sold-out, and the organizers, BonBon Entertainment, are optimistic that Burna Boy will repeat the feast again.

READ ALSO: Troops Eliminate 55 Terrorists, Top Commanders Of ISWAP

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It goes without saying that Burna Boy is undeniably one of the best, and if not the best artist of the 21st century. When he says he’s a genius, he backs it up, with his Afro-fusion music.

The African Giant’s sold-out performance last weekend, at the 80,000-capacity West-ham London stadium in the United Kingdom, was a testament to his urge to take over the world stage. The 3-hour nonstop concert drew an incredible crowd of fans, completely selling out the stadium and cementing a historic moment in Burna Boy’s flourishing career.

The iconic singer is steadily endearing his music to many fans across the world, transforming stage design and performance architecture. His attention to detail and artistic vision created an immersive experience for the audience during the London outing, combining visually stunning elements and a 35-piece band all interwoven with his signature sound.

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The lineup of guest performers spoke to who Burna is as a creative genius, Dave, Stormzy, Jhus, and Popcaan all brought excitement to the evening. After the concert, Burna Boy was presented with a prestigious plaque in recognition of his achievement as the first African artist to sell out the London Stadium.

READ ALSO: Troops Kill Scores Of Bandits, Recover Arms, Ammunition In Zamfara

This historic milestone by all standards solidifies Burna Boy’s status as a global icon and highlights his immense influence on the music scene. It further serves as a testament to Burna Boy’s groundbreaking success and the impact he has made on a global stage.

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His distinctive sound and captivating stage presence is steadily reshaping the global music landscape, establishing him as a formidable force wherever he performs.

Expressing his gratitude in an Instagram post yesterday, Burna Boy said “Uniting people from all walks of life has always been my dream.

“London, thank you for making it possible for me at my biggest show to date! Shout out to my family

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We’re Leaving an Impact For Eternity.”

Interestingly, the success of the London’s concert re-echoed Burna Boy’s previous outing at the 40,000-capacity La Defense in Paris, France on the 20th of May, 2023, where the self-acclaimed ‘African Giant’ equally held the audience spellbound with his energetic performance.

READ ALSO: Troops Kill 7 Bandits, Apprehend Others In Zamfara

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While the performance lasted, the Grammy award-winner showcased his Afro-fusion sound, exceptional vocals, and infectious energy.

Amidst roaring chants and anticipation, Burna Boy set La Defense in Paris on fire, as his arrival was greeted with thunderous applause and an outpouring of positivity from his devoted fans. From the very first note, it was clear that the night would be unforgettable.

Seamlessly blending genres, Burna Boy delivered hit after hit, captivating the crowd with his impactful lyrics and infectious rhythms that has set him apart from his contemporaries on the global scene.

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Burna Boy is known for possessing such charisma to move the crowd like he was having just as much fun as the audience, while also showcasing his Afro-fusion sound, exceptional vocals, and infectious energy.

READ ALSO: Troops Eliminate Scores Of ISWAP Terrorists In Borno

From the irresistible beats of “Last Last” and “It’s Plenty” to the soul-stirring melodies of “Common Person” and “For My Hand,” Burna Boy’s versatility once again impressed and resonated with his global audience.

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The self-acclaimed ‘African Giant’ remains unstoppable. His music is piercing into the nooks and crannies of the world and many have described him as the most idolized artist of this generation.

Before now, American rapper, Kanye West used to be the record breaker, but today, that cannot be said of him as Burna Boy has demystified the world stage , setting a new record that is not a surprise to the global audience.

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I’ve Advised Portable Against Acting Like A ‘Tout’ – Small Doctor

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Nigerian street-pop singer, Adekunle Temitope, also known as Small Doctor, has revealed that he once advised his colleague, Portable, to stop acting like a ‘tout’ as he is now a superstar.

Small Doctor made this known in an interview with Echoroom on Thursday.

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He said in part, “I have known Portable for God knows how many years. He’s been with me for God knows how many years. City boys brought him to the ‘Omobetter concert’.

READ ALSO: Why Portable Left My House After Gaining Fame – Small Doctor

“I told him, ‘Come, don’t do like tout you are a superstar, dress normally, dress properly, the way you are dressed is the way you will be addressed’.

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“But you know there are so many things you will tell some people but they don’t have the capability to access what you said.

“Portable has been my boy. Portable has always been my boy, like person wey dey stay with am, my boy ‘gangan’, like my guy.”

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Why Portable Left My House After Gaining Fame – Small Doctor

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Popular Nigerian street-hop singer, Adekunle Temitope, popularly known as Small Doctor, has explained why Habeeb Okikiola, popularly known as Portable left his house after gaining fame.

Small Doctor, in an interview with the Echo Room on Thursday, said Portable fled after being advised to do a body wash.

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He said, “When he met me, I told him that he has to do body wash to look good but he disagreed because he believed I want to use packaging to kill him.

“I continually advised him to stop doing like a tout, and dress properly, adding that he was a superstar.

READ ALSO: I was Almost Denied Entry Into Passport Office For ‘Indecent Dressing’ — Singer Simi

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The Agege-born star also added that Portable has been his boy since 2018 when he has been attending his concert.

On what led to their disagreement, Small Doctor said, “DJ Spirit had called me that day that he has an artiste, Portable that he wants me to jump on his song (Zazuu). I was surprised to see that my conversation with them on social media which attracted calls from several people including my manager.

“A few days later, my DJ told me that Olamide and Pocolee has featured in the song and I was surprised to see that there was an artwork for the song already.

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“I was happy to see that because I know that their prestige will help boost the song and it blew.”

Small Doctor, however, said he challenged the arrangement of names on the cover because it read, “Pocolee featuring Portable and Olamide because he was the owner of the song and it should reflect that he’s featuring both of them on the song.

READ ALSO: Portable Calls Out Spyro, For Declining To Collaborate With Him

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The Omo Iya Teacher-crooner said after he (Portable) became a superstar with the song, he convinced him on several attempts to set up a music camp and it was there he wrote the songs ‘Clear’ and ‘neighbour’ for him

“Portable insisted that I be on one of them for him since I have been helping him all along so I chose the ‘neighbour’ track.”

Recall that Portable had shaded the singer during his rant session on an Instagram live alleging that he (Small Doctor) sent some ‘awawa’ boys after him, and ordered them to strip him naked so that he can come in to rescue him like a messiah.

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Angered by the development, Portable made sure to let his colleague know that he is worse than him in the ways of the street while raining curses on him.

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