Chris Blackwell: Celebs Rumors

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent“Bonnie is legendary for her boundless energy on the Crosiette,” AGC Studios head Stuart Ford said of his marketing head Bonnie Voland, whose 40th Cannes Festival was celebrated by Ford and friends at an elegant beachside cocktail on Friday evening.“This is my 15th Cannes with Bonnie Voland and I’m not sure I still have the energy to keep up with her,” he confessed in a speech in her honor at the cocktail.Voland has had a rich career to date, – she insists she’s certainly not done yet –  graduating as a French major at Hunter College, and working as an actress in Paris before first attending Cannes in 1982 for Passion – The Magazine of Paris. She ran the Toronto Festival press office in the mid-eighties, then worked in Los Angeles for Samuel Goldwyn, Buena Vista International and Chris Blackwell’s Island Pictures, and created her own PR agency and consultancy B.

Bob Marley: One Love, the long-awaited biopic about the reggae icon, has finally arrived in UK cinemas, but what happened to Rita Marley after the end of the film? British actor Kingsley Ben-Adir (Peaky Blinders, One Night in Miami) plays Marley, with Lashana Lynch (No Time to Die, Captain Marvel) taking the role of his wife Rita and James Norton (Happy Valley, Grantchester) playing Island Records boss Chris Blackwell. The film has been made in partnership with Marley’s family, and is directed by King Richard’s Reinaldo Marcus Green. The synopsis for the biopic reads: “Bob Marley: One Love celebrates the life and music of an icon who inspired generations through his message of love and unity.

The Wailers have announced a UK tour for November 2024, to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the release of the iconic compilation album ‘Legend’.The album, a collection of Bob Marley’s greatest hits, was first released in May 1984 and remains the best-selling reggae album of all time, selling an estimated 25 million copies worldwide.The band, now led by Aston Barrett Jr., will feature the lead vocals of Mitchell Brunings, a Surinamese-Dutch artist that has long been compared to Marley.The Wailers will kick off the tour at NX in Newcastle on November 13, and running through ten more dates, finishing off at Bristol’s O2 Academy on November 25. Tickets for all shows go on sake on Friday (February 23) at 10am.

Bob Marley: One Love, the long-awaited biopic about the reggae icon, has finally arrived in UK cinemas today (February 14), but which of the great artist’s songs are included in the film? British actor Kingsley Ben-Adir (Peaky Blinders, One Night in Miami) plays Marley, with Lashana Lynch (No Time to Die, Captain Marvel) taking the role of his wife Rita and James Norton (Happy Valley, Grantchester) playing Island Records boss Chris Blackwell. The film has been made in partnership with Marley’s family, and is directed by King Richard’s Reinaldo Marcus Green.

James Norton and Imogen Poots have seemingly called time on their romance, after seven years together.The Happy Valley actor, 38, recently made a solo appearance at the Jamaica, LA and London premieres of the film Bob Marley: One Love, in which he plays Island Records founder Chris Blackwell. It's since emerged that the pair have unfollowed one another on social media, with the Daily Mail reporting that they parted ways just before Christmas after "growing apart." They were last seen in public together in March 2023 when Imogen, 34, supported James on the opening night of A Little Life, the stage adaptation of the Hanya Yanagihara novel of the same name. OK! have contacted representatives for James Norton and Imogen Poots.

Bob Marley: One Love has been released – you can watch it above.Starring Kingsley Ben-Adir, the upcoming biopic centres on the life of the iconic reggae singer, from the early days of his career to his death in 1981.The film, which is set for release on January 12, 2024, is directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green (King Richard) and written by Zach Baylin, Frank E. Flowers and Terence Winter.

Marley and his legacy, as portrayed by “Peaky Blinders” and “The OA” star Kingsley Ben-Adir. It jumps between Marley playing to concert after concert of adoring fans as the legendary artist’s music plays in the background. As the trailer continues it takes on a darker tone as it delves into Jamaica’s civil war during the 1970s.It all comes to a head right before the One Love Peace Concert.

Beninese artist and songwriter Angélique Kidjo, Estonian composer Arvo Pärt and Island Records founder Chris Blackwell have been announced as the recipients of this year’s Polar Music Prize.They will be presented with their prizes and 600,000 Swedish Kroner at a ceremony in Stockholm on 23 May, which will be livestreamed on YouTube if you fancy watching it.Bigging up this year’s winners, the prize’s MD Marie Ledin says: “Angélique Kidjo is an inspirational artist, she constantly explores and challenges and is one of the greatest singer-songwriters in international music. We are THRILLED to be recognising her talent and shining a light on her important work with the Batonga Foundation”.“Arvo Pärt is one of the most incredible composers the world has ever seen, and his beautiful music has touched audiences around the globe”, she adds.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorWhile he hasn’t been active in the music world for a couple of decades, Chris Blackwell, founder of Island Records, is indisputably one of the greatest record executives in history. The list of artists that the company spawned under his watch is astonishing and arguably without peer for a company of its size: U2, Bob Marley, Nick Drake, King Crimson, Roxy Music, Traffic, Free, Cat Stevens, Grace Jones, Robert Palmer, Brian Eno, Steve Winwood, Jethro Tull, Fairport Convention, Toots & the Maytalls, the Cranberries, Marianne Faithfull, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, King Sunny Ade, Eric B.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorRepublic Records has announced the promotion of Chris Blackwell to EVP of A&R and Content Strategy, as announced today by label president Wendy Goldstein.According to the announcement, in this new role, Blackwell will continue to shepherd the creation and development of content for the entire Republic Records roster. Additionally, he will work with new artists to identify and maximize content opportunities at the onset of their careers. Blackwell played a major role in Coi Leray’s rise by producing her viral “Cooking With Coi Leray,” and also collaborated with Ka$hdami, Lil Wayne, Benee and Kash Doll on upcoming programming.

The B-52’s have announced details of a North American farewell tour – get your tickets here and see the full list of dates below.The band, best known for their hits ‘Love Shack’ and ‘Rock Lobster’, formed in October 1976 over a shared flaming volcano cocktail at the Hunan Chinese Restaurant. They released their self-titled debut album in 1979, produced by Chris Blackwell via Island Records.Back in 2019, they played a summer farewell tour in the UK, after celebrating their 40th anniversary the year prior by co-headlining a North American tour with Boy George & Culture Club and Thompson Twins’ Tom Bailey.The new tour dates begin in Seattle in August and will see The B-52’s supported by The Tubes and KC & The Sunshine Band.Check out the full list of dates below, and buy tickets here.AUGUST 202222 – Seattle, McCaw Hall *SEPTEMBER 202229 – Mashantucket, Foxwoods Casino ^30 – Boston, MGM Music Hall ^OCTOBER 20221 – Washington DC, The Anthem ^7 – Chicago, Chicago Theatre ^13 – New York, Beacon Theatre ^14 – New York, Beacon Theatre ^15 – Atlantic City, Ovation Hall – Ocean Casino ^19 – Las Vegas, The Venetian Theatre21 – Las Vegas, The Venetian Theatre22 – Las Vegas, The Venetian Theatre28 – San Francisco, The Masonic Auditorium *29 – San Francisco, The Masonic Auditorium *NOVEMBER4 – Los Angeles, YouTube Theater ^11 – Atlanta, The Fox Theatre ^*with The Tubes^with KC & The Sunshine Band Back in 2015, The B-52’s Kate Pierson released a debut solo album featuring a song co-written by The Strokes‘ Nick Valensi and Sia.The new wave icons released their last studio album, ‘Funplex’, in 2008.

Shirley Halperin Executive Editor, MusicIsland Records founder Chris Blackwell will release a memoir on June 7 via Gallery Books. “The Islander: My Life in Music and Beyond,” co-written with Paul Morley, will tell the life story of the man whose musical intuition led to the international embrace of reggae and of the iconic singer and songwriter Bob Marley.Blackwell is himself a longtime resident of Jamaica, having grown up on the island, where his family held privileged roots, and interacting with the likes of Ian Fleming, Noel Coward and Errol Flynn.

GoldenEye, author Ian Fleming’s famed home where he wrote all of the James Bond novels — now a luxury resort and celebrity hideaway.In fact, before music, Blackwell got his professional start in the travel industry more than four decades ago when he worked as a waterski instructor at Half Moon resort in Montego Bay, Jamaica. He went on to own and run properties in Miami and the Bahamas.

Bright Road (1953), Robert Wise’s Odds Against Tomorrow (1959), and 1974’s comedy Uptown Saturday Night, which the actor and singer directed. That film, in particular, is notable for its cast, which includes Belafonte, Sidney Poitier, Flip Wilson, Richard Pryor, Calvin Lockhart, Roscoe Lee Browne, and Bill Cosby.Also on the bill, Robert Altman’s 1996 jazz-noir Kansas City, in which Belafonte plays a gangster named “Seldom Seen.” The film also stars Jennifer Jason Leigh, Miranda Richardson, and Steve Buscemi.The channel is also highlighting the innovative independent works of Melvin Van Peebles, a one-man creative force who often starred in, wrote, directed, and composed his films.Of the four entries, the most notable are Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song (1971), in which a Black man outruns white police authorities (the score, by Van Peebles, was performed by Earth, Wind & Fire) and Watermelon Man (1970), a renowned social comedy starring Godfrey Cambridge and Estelle Parsons, in which a white bigot wakes up to find his skin has turned Black.Also on tap: The Harder They Come (1972), featuring reggae artist Jimmy Cliff as a singer who faces down corruption in Jamaica’s music industry.

Michele Amabile Angermiller Popular book “Contact High: A Visual History of Hip-Hop” is headed to the screen as a documentary. Universal Music Group’s Mercury Studios and Republic Records’ Federal Films, along with Jupiter Entertainment, are behind the adaptation.

Variety Staff Follow Us on TwitterUniversal Music Philippines, a division of Universal Music Group, has announced the launch of Island Records Philippines, a new domestic label division dedicated to developing local talent.Island was founded 61 years ago in Jamaica by Chris Blackwell and has released a remarkably diverse array of music, ranging from Bob Marley to Traffic, from U2 to Shawn Mendes.

The One Love Covid-19 Relief Auction takes place next week...

Singer Millie Small has died after suffering a stroke aged 73.

By Jem Aswad

Jamaican singer Millie Small has died, Island Records confirmed on Wednesday (May 6). She was 72.

Tributes have been paid to Jamaican singer Millie Small, best known for her 1960s hit My Boy Lollipop, after her death at the age of 72.

“My Boy Lollipop” singer Millie Small has died from a stroke at age 73.

Tributes are being paid to the singer who "lit the fuse for Jamaican ska music"