Well, break out the party hats and the ice cream, because it's time to throw a big congratulations bash for lots of your favorite music stars, starting with ISAAC, TAYLOR and ZACHARY HANSON. At the tenth annual World Music Awards, which were recently held in Monaco, Monte Carlo, the Tulsa trio behind the hit wingle "Weird" walked away with the award for best newcomers on the international music scene. Woo=hoo! Meanwhile, the SPICE GIRLS, those sassy British popsters riding the radio airwaves with the groovy single "Stop," picked up trophies for best pop group and British recording group, while "My All" songstress MARIAH CAREY won best R&B artist as well as a special Legend Award for artist of the '90s. Orange County, California ska-popsters NO DOUBT scored the award for best rock group, and 15-year-old country-western crooner LEANN RIMES, who sings the love theme to the movie Quest for Camelot, "Looking Through Your Eyes," nabbed trophies for best American artist and best country artist.
But wait, there are still more hot winners! Rap artist SEAN "PUFFY" COMBS (better known to some of you Boppers as PUFF DADDY) won the trophy for new artist and rap artist, and SAVAGE GARDEN, the Aussie duo behind the love ballad "Truly Madly Deeply," won the award for best Australian group. AQUA, that funky foursome behind the quirky single "Turn Back Time," was named best Scandinavian artist and group, and pop diva CELINE DION/b> walked away with the award for best Canadian artist. And finally, those Orlando, Florida-based R&B babes, the BACKSTREET BOYS, scored the trophy for best dance artist and group. "It's great, as this award represents public recognition from around the world for our achievements," group member KEVIN RICHARDSON has proudly said of the award. Way to go, guys! Congrats to all the winners!
While Kevin and his bandmates, NICK CARTER, AJ McLEAN, HOWIE DOROUGH and BRIAN LITTRELL, celebrate their award, guitarist OLAMIDÉ FAISON of the new R&B band IMAJIN will be celebrating his 14th birthday on July 21. You can bet his bandmates, beyboardist JOHN FITCH, 15, drummer JAMAL HAMPTON, 16, and keyboardist TALIB KAREEM, 15, will be around to make his birthday bash the best it can be! It seems that the funky fellas, who hit it big this spring with the single "Short (You Keep Playin' With My Mind)" from their 1998 debut R&B album, Imajin This, are a totally tight bunch. "We're like a little brotherhood," Olamidé says affectionately of his bandmates. Adds Jamal, "We play a lot with each other - you know, wrestle, play video games and basketball and stuff like that. We have a lot of fun together."
Well those California-born babes in NO AUTHORITY, the R&B group behind the hit single "One More Time" from their 1997 debut album, Keep On, had a lot of fun on their concert tour of Europe earlier this year. When I recently chatted with ERIC STRETCH, 18, he told me that he and his group mates - RICKY FELIX, 17, JOSH KEATON, 19, and DANNY ZAVATSKY, 16 - were totally stoked that their tour gave them the opportunity to visit Fance, England, Germany, Denmark, Belgium, Scotland and the Netherlands. Eric was especially thrilled by the opportunity to spend time in the way-gorgeous countryside of Scotland. "It's so green," he sighs. "It's just beautiful there. We visited this castle that was, like, hundreds of years old, and it was amazing."
Well, what's really amazing to NO DOUBT's guitarist, TOM DUMONT, 29, is that he's still sharing a pad with his buddy, drummer ADRIAN YOUNG, 27. Given the humongous success that the band - which includes bassist TONY KANAL, 27, and vocalist GWEN STEFANI, 28 - have had with their 1995 CD, Tragic Kingdom, the guys can definitely afford their own apartments now. "Yeah, it's funny," Tom's admitted. "Plus, on the tour bus, we live together 24 hours a day. We've all spent two solid years living together in the same bus. But we like each other so much that we want to hang out together at home, too." He and Adrian have been roomies for years now, and Tom has said that they have no plans of moving out on their own any time soon. Sounds like these two best buds are definitely "Happy Now"!
What CD makes ROBYN happy these days? Baduizm, the 1997 debut album from R&B songstress ERYKAH BADU. "I think Erykah Badu is amazing," gushes the 19-year-old Swedish popster. "I think what she stands for is so refreshing. It's truth, it's reality and it's something simple instead of all the showing off. She's wonderful." Aside from Baduizm, Robyn, who hit the music scene last year with the her own debut album, Robyn Is Here, tells us she digs any CD featuring legendary Motown singer ARETHA FRANKLIN. "Aretha is unbelievable," enthuses Robyn. "My mom listened to her a lot when I was a child. She has so much soul."
Now, grab a friend and scope out the rest of the pinups in this 'zine. Buh-bye!
- BB
October 1998