Music

Now available is the Biography of a Phantom: A Robert Johnson Blues Odyssey by Robert "Mack" McCormick (above center with Spider Kilpatrick, c. 1960), and this summer, the much-anticipated book is complemented by an exhibit at the National Museum of American History, a box CD set from Smithsonian Folkways Recordings and a concert celebration at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival on the National Mall.

Legendary Bluesman Robert Johnson Had Demons. So Did His Biographer

The long-awaited “Biography of a Phantom” unravels some of the mystery and intrigue

Cast members take the stage during the last performance of The Phantom of the Opera on Broadway.

The Curtain Lowers on 'Phantom of the Opera' on Broadway

The final performance of Broadway's longest-running show took place over the weekend

The entirety of Madonna’s 1984 album Like a Virgin is one of the new additions to the National Recording Registry.

Super Mario Bros., Madonna and More Join the National Recording Registry

Every year, the Library of Congress selects 25 recordings that are "culturally, historically or aesthetically important"

In partnership with the Choctaw Nation, country music star Reba McEntire has opened a dining and entertainment venue in Atoka, Oklahoma, hoping to revitalize the town's economy.

Country Star Reba McEntire Wants to Revitalize a Small Town in Oklahoma

Atoka is now home to Reba's Place, a restaurant that has already attracted half a million guests

The app includes roughly five million tracks.

Can Apple Solve Classical Music's Streaming Problems?

The tech giant has created a new app with a search engine tailor-made for the genre

An anonymous watercolor portrait of Francis Johnson holding an early 19th-century horn

Long Before Jazz, Frank Johnson Was Playing the Hottest Music in America

The innovations of a forgotten genius who laid the groundwork for the nation's signature music

A portrait of Ludwig van Beethoven by August von Kloeber. The composer suffered from health problems throughout his adult life, including hearing loss and gastrointestinal issues.

DNA From Beethoven's Hair Reveals Clues About His Death

The composer was predisposed to liver disease and had hepatitis B at the end of his life, a new study finds

Metallica band members Robert Trujillo, James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich and Kirk Hammett performing in Los Angeles last year

Metallica Just Bought Its Own Vinyl Record Factory

As demand spikes, the heavy metal band has purchased Furnace Record Pressing in Virginia

Vinyl record sales have growing for the past 15 years.

Vinyl Records Outsell CDs for First Time Since 1987

Music lovers in the United States bought 41 million vinyl albums and 33 million CDs in 2022

A 1903 photograph of Paul Laurence Dunbar

The Brief but Shining Life of Paul Laurence Dunbar, a Poet Who Gave Dignity to the Black Experience

A prolific writer, he inspired such luminaries as Maya Angelou and Langston Hughes

Astronomers and musicians have developed “sonifications” to bring the symphony of the cosmos to a wider audience.

What Does the Universe Sound Like?

The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and other researchers have melded astronomy and music to offer a new oeuvre

David Bowie performing as the Thin White Duke, one of his personas, during the Station to Station tour in 1976

David Bowie's 80,000-Item Archive Will Go on Display

The Victoria and Albert Museum in London is building a new venue dedicated to the artist

Two lucky visitors will spend the night inside the Palais Garnier, exploring the historic opera house and enjoying private tours and other perks.

Parisian Opera House That Inspired 'Phantom of the Opera' Becomes an Airbnb

For just one night, two travelers will spend the night in the Palais Garnier’s Box of Honor

Big Chief Monk Boudreaux (center) leads his Mardi Gras Indian tribe, the Golden Eagles, on Super Sunday.

What You Should Know About the Mardi Gras Indians

For more than a century, New Orleans' Black residents have donned Native-inspired attire to celebrate Carnival

Cuban-American singer Celia Cruz at Madison Square Garden in 1993

Celia Cruz, the 'Queen of Salsa,' Will Appear on U.S. Quarter

She is one of five honorees selected by the American Women Quarters Program

First lady Jill Biden presenting the Best Song For Social Change award to singer Shervin Hajipour

Iranian Protest Anthem That Led to Singer's Arrest Wins a Grammy

First lady Jill Biden presented the inaugural Best Song For Social Change award

Beyoncé accepts the Best Dance/Electronic Music Album award for Renaissance during the 65th Grammy Awards.

Beyoncé Just Became the Most Awarded Artist in Grammy History

With 32 wins, the superstar has surpassed the record held by conductor Georg Solti

McCartney took the images on a 35-millimeter camera in New York, Washington, London, Liverpool, Miami and Paris.

Never-Before-Seen Photos by Paul McCartney Take You Inside Beatlemania

Hundreds of images from 1963 and 1964 are going on display at London's National Portrait Gallery

David Bowie in the dress he wore on the cover of The Man Who Sold the World

Have You Seen This David Bowie Dress? A London Museum Is Looking For It

The Museum of London Docklands is hoping to locate lost garments for an exhibition on Jewish fashion designers

Gloria Estefan performing at the 22nd Annual Latin Grammy Awards in Las Vegas, Nevada, in 2021

Gloria Estefan Will Be the First Hispanic Woman in the Songwriters Hall of Fame

The Cuban-American artist will be inducted alongside Sade, Snoop Dogg, Jeff Lynne and others

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