MUSIC NEWS

YouTube launches real-time live events

SAN FRANCISCO—YouTube on Friday added a stage for live events as the world’s leading video-sharing website continued its effort to woo viewers away from television programming.

YouTube Live launched online at youtube.com/live, letting people subscribe to watch shows or events streamed by the Google-owned operation’s partners.

There were plans to gradually roll out a test version of a platform that would allow established video contributors with accounts in good standing to stream their own real-time shows.

YouTube has live-streamed concerts, sporting events and interviews in the past on an intermittent basis. The Live platform would make real-time programming a standard part of the service.

More than two billion videos are viewed daily on YouTube. Agence France-Presse

Rock god plays jazz

NEW YORK—Eric Clapton fulfilled a childhood fantasy when the rock god turned to jazz with a performance with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra.

The performance on Thursday was a benefit for the orchestra. The hour-long concert featured Clapton playing songs like “Corrine, Corrina” and “Joe Turner’s Blues.” He also did a jazzed-up version of his classic “Layla.”

An admittedly nervous Clapton revealed that he wanted to be in a jazz band when he was a kid, but the guitar took him away.

Marsalis praised Clapton for not only donating his time for the event, which raised $3.6 million, but also for his deep knowledge of the genre. Associated Press

Judge warns Doherty

LONDON—British musician Pete Doherty, best known as a member of Babyshambles and The Libertines, was warned by a judge on Friday that he could face time in prison for repeated drug offenses.

Doherty, 32, pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine at Snaresbrook Crown Court, east London, according to the Press Association.

Judge David Radford described Doherty’s criminal record as “unattractive.” Addressing the singer’s lawyer Peter Ratliff, he added: “When someone constantly commits the same offense, the law must be made very clear. Is your client aware he could face a sentence?”

Doherty was granted unconditional bail and ordered to return to court for sentencing on May 20, a date when he is due to be touring.

Doherty, who once dated supermodel Kate Moss, was arrested after police investigated the suspected overdose death of heiress Robin Whitehead, who spent the last 10 days of her life making a documentary about him.

Doherty has said he was “shocked and saddened” following Whitehead’s death in January last year. Reuters

Grammy trims down awards

LOS ANGELES—The US Recording Academy, the group that hands out the annual Grammy music awards, said last week that it would trim the number of its prizes from 109 to 78.

The changes—the first restructuring since the group started handing out awards in 1959—also includes a switch-up for the voting system.

There will now be single awards in the best pop, R&B and country singer categories, and not broken down in male and female groups, the Recording Academy said in a statement.

Axed categories include best rap interpretation by a duo or group, some of the pop, rock and country instrumental categories, Zydeco/Cajun music, polka, light classical music, and native American music.

Other changes include renaming the musical show category as musical theater; the film/television/other visual media field as music for visual media; and the gospel field as the gospel/contemporary Christian music field.

“A transformation of the entire Awards structure would ensure that all fields would be treated with parity,” read the statement.

“It is now expected that each category shall have at least 40 distinct artist entries, up from 25,” the statement read, adding that no awards will be given if there are less than 25 nominations. Agence France Presse