Nicki Minaj debuts at Number One on this week?s chart with her new album, . First-week sales reached 253,000 copies. Its first single, ?Starships,? holds at Number 6 on this week?s Hot 100 list. Other Top 10 entries on the include by Rascal Flatts at Number 3, by Of Monsters and Men at Number 6 and by Marvin Sapp at Number 9.
On April 21, Keith Urban will be inducted into the Grand Ole Opry. He was given the news at his April 10 ?All For The Hall? benefit concert in Nashville. Urban hosts the annual charity show to raise funds for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Near the end of the event, Vince Gill brought Rascal Flatts on stage to present Urban with a black duffel bag that contained the Opry?s signature microphone stand. After Gill invited Keith to become the Opry?s newest member, Urban said, ?I don?t know what to say - but first, YES! Thank you very much to everybody at the Grand Ole Opry who made this possible. I?m shocked. How beautiful for this to happen tonight of all nights. I will always remember the first time I played the Opry. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.?
On April 12, judges Randy Jackson, Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez used their one ?save? of Season 11 to keep Jessica Sanchez in the competition. The 16-year-old from San Diego, who?s been a frontrunner the entire season, was eliminated after receiving the lowest number of viewer votes. The judges ?save? overruled America?s decision, allowing Sanchez to return to compete again this week (April 18). In addition to Jessica Sanchez, the remaining finalists are Hollie Cavanaugh, Colton Dixon, Joshua Ledet, Elise Testone, Skylar Laine and Phillip Phillips.
Country stars Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw debut at Number 13 on this week?s Country chart with their new duet, ?Feel Like A Rock Star.? That?s the second-highest start on the Top Country Songs list since Nielsen BDS monitoring began in 1990. Garth Brooks holds the record for the highest entry. In 2007, he entered at Number One with ?More Than A Memory.? ?Feel Like A Rock Star? is from Kenny?s upcoming album,
The stage musical recently became the highest-grossing Broadway show ever. Box office tallies report a cumulative gross of $853,846,062. That knocks the former leader, , to Number 2 with a cumulative total of $853,122,847. is the longest-running show in Broadway history. It opened in January 1988. began its run in November 1997.
?Love Is A Four Letter Word? by Jason Mraz
?California 37? by Train
?In The Time Of Gods? by Dar Williams
On April 20, a concert will be held in Austin, Texas to honor the late Country legend Johnny Cash. Performers at ?We Walk The Line: A Celebration of the Music of Johnny Cash? include Kenny Chesney, Ronnie Dunn, Amy Lee, Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson, Sheryl Crow, and many others. ?Our family is honored to know that this amazing line-up of artists will gather together on one stage to pay tribute to the music and history of my father," Cash?s son, John Carter Cash said. "There is no doubt in my mind that, although he is no longer with us in body, his spirit will shine true on this night thanks to these inspired artists.?
On April 15, British singer, songwriter and guitarist will turn 68. In 1970, Edmunds debuted on the pop charts with the Top 5 single, ?I Hear You Knocking.? Six years later, he and Nick Lowe formed the rock quartet Rockpile. In 2000, Edmunds underwent triple bypass and heart valve replacement surgery, but has since made a full recovery.
Pop singer will celebrate his 77th birthday on April 16. Born Stanley Robert Vinton in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, Bobby debuted on the charts in 1962 with the Number One single ?Roses Are Red (My Love).? His other chart-topping hits include ?Blue Velvet,? ?There! I?ve Said It Again,? ?Mr. Lonely,? and ?My Melody Of Love.? From 1975 to 1978, Vinton hosted his own musical variety television series. In 2002, he sold his Blue Velvet Theater in Branson, Missouri, but Vinton still performs concerts throughout the U.S.