New York, NY(Top40 Charts/ Shore Fire Media) - In the midst of the summer's hottest album and tour and on the heels of two sold-out shows at Madison
Square Garden and an upcoming third show on June 30th;
Carole King and
James Taylor will perform on The Today Show Summer Concert Series this Friday, June 18th. The legendary singer-songwriters will appear on the show in celebration of their critically acclaimed 'Troubadour Reunion' tour and CD/DVD Live at the Troubadour.
The chart topping CD/DVD Live at the Troubadour from Hear Music/Concord Music Group, debuted at No 4 on Billboard's Top 200 and continues to amaze by remaining in the Top 10 for the fifth straight week, selling over two-hundred thousand units in just over a month. Live at the Troubadour is also the No 1 album at Amazon.com. Recorded in November of 2007, Live at the Troubadour captures Taylor and King, as well as members of their renowned original band (guitarist Danny Kortchmar, bassist Leland Sklar and drummer Russel Kunkel) historic reunion to mark the revered nightclub's 50th anniversary - the sight of the duo's first and now legendary early 70's performances. The CD/DVD features hits and fan favorites including King's 'So Far Away,' 'It's Too Late,' and 'Will You Love Me Tomorrow?' as well as Taylor's 'Carolina In My Mind,' 'Sweet Baby James,' and 'Fire And Rain,' to name just a few.
On the success of the tour, a recent Sunday New York Times Arts & Leisure cover story exclaimed, 'since the tour arrived in the United States, they have been turning out in force... leaving sold-out arenas in their wake.' The San Jose Mercury News commented that it 'proved to be one of the major musical success stories of the year,' while The Philadelphia Inquirer noted that 'King and Taylor managed to present an arena-size show that retained their music's innate craftsmanship, intimacy, and soul while adding vigor, muscle, and showmanship.'
The staging for King and Taylor's concert is unique, intimate and in-the-round allowing the two iconic singers to play off each other and their stellar band while they perform together during the entire concert. The Seattle Times commented on the staging, 'she plays piano behind his songs, and he steps aside for her numbers and becomes part of the band. Both have also been generous, as more acts should be, to give credit to the stellar band, who are as much a part of this musical legacy as the singers.'
In addition, this special music event is being supported by Carole King-James Taylor: Live At The Troubadour, a new PBS special premiering nationally this month as part of special programming (check local listings: https://www.pbs.org/tvschedules) on PBS.
Having played venues cities across the country including Portland, Chicago, Nashville, Washington D.C., Atlanta, Ft. Lauderdale and three sold-out shows the famed Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, the 'Troubadour Reunion' tour will continue in major cities and venues through July 15th.
ABOUT CAROLE KING: In 1971, King gave us the landmark Tapestry. The album received a Diamond Award from the RIAA for sales of more than 10 million units in the U.S., with more than 25 million units sold worldwide. King was the first woman to win four GRAMMY Awards in one year (Best Album, Best Song, Best Record, and Best Vocal Performance in 1972), a feat unsurpassed for more than 25 years, and was featured on the cover of Time Magazine in 1973. In 1987, King and Gerry Goffin were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and honored with their Lifetime Achievement Award in 1988. Goffin and King were also inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990 and were honored by The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences in 2004 with the GRAMMY Trustees' Award. To date, more than 400 Carole King compositions have been recorded by more than 1000 artists, resulting in more than 100 hit singles - many reaching No 1. She is arguably the most successful and revered female songwriter in pop music history. Carole King has released 25 solo albums, the most recent being The Living Room Tour double-live CD and companion DVD, entitled Welcome to My Living Room on her own Rockingale Records label.
ABOUT JAMES TAYLOR:Over the course of his career, James Taylor has sold more than 40 million albums, and won more than 40 gold, platinum and multi-platinum awards as well as five GRAMMY Awards. Taylor's first Greatest Hits album earned him the RIAA's elite Diamond Award, given for sales in excess of 10 million units in the United States. In 2000, Taylor was inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. In February 2006, The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences named Taylor its MUSICARES Person of the Year. Taylor's CD/DVD One Man Band (2007) was nominated for an Emmy and his most recent album, Covers, was nominated for two GRAMMY Awards in 2008. He most recently released Other Covers in April 2009.
