Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
“The Rising” is making a strong move toward the top. By early afternoon Tuesday, fans had snapped up about 100 copies of Bruce Springsteen’s new CD at Tower Records, 2301 N. Clark. Two dozen or so were purchased in the wee hours.
For years, Christina Aguilera had tried to prevent the release of “Just Be Free,” a collection of recordings Aguilera made when she was 14 and 15 years old. The diva-in-training, now 20, recently settled with Warlock Records on the condition that the album would contain a message that says in part: “I made the recordings as a possible stepping stone to a career in music, which is my ultimate passion. They were made just so that I could get my foot in the door of the music business. I did not intend that the recordings would be widely released, especially after I signed with a major record label.
At most rock concerts at the Rosemont Horizon, the poor suckers stuck in the back rows have to make do with catching glimpses of the performers on the huge video monitors. Not at Melissa Etheridge’s show Saturday night. An hour after her 8:20 start, the singer briefly disappeared, only to reappear on a makeshift stage at the back of the stadium, where she played for the next 50 minutes.
Many pop stars say music is the most important thing in their lives, but Rick Springfield put his beliefs and his career on the line when he took a self-imposed two-year break from the recording business
to reassess his priorities. “I think that of anything success has given me, alleviating the day-to-day money worries has got to be the greatest thing,” Springfield said. “I’ve been in the situation where I’ve had to scrimp to get together the rent and utility money. I know how hard it is, and I know how lucky I am now.”
People who recognize Courteney Cox remember her as the girl who danced with Bruce Springsteen in the “Dancing in the Dark” video. Although Cox did little more than look enthused and dance with “The Boss,” her 20 seconds of video exposure opened the door for her in Hollywood.