Leona Lewis Says Animals Matter To Her in A New Charity Film for the World Society For the Protection of Animals

Leona Lewis Says Animals Matter To Her in A New Charity Film for the World Society For the Protection of Animals

Leona Lewis Says Animals Matter To Her in A New Charity Film for the World Society For the Protection of Animals (WSPA)


Top international singer Leona Lewis is backing the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA), the world’s largest alliance of animal welfare organizations, in a new campaign video launched today.

Leona pledged her support for the charity's Universal Declaration on Animal Welfare campaign at a video and photo shoot at the Sony Music Entertainment offices in Kensington, England. She was joined by her family dog Misty for the photo shoot.

Speaking about her support for WSPA Leona said: "I wanted to get involved with the World Society for the Protection of Animals because I think they are doing great campaigns. I've always been a huge advocate for any charities that are trying to help animals, because they are trying to change laws to protect animals - which I think is amazing.”

"I support the World Society for the Protection of Animals - WSPA - because they are trying to end some of the most appalling acts of animal cruelty in the world."

"One reason animals are so vulnerable to cruelty is because there is no universal agreement between nations that animals can suffer and feel pain... The campaign for a Universal Declaration on Animal Welfare could be the beginning of the end for animal cruelty across the world."

"It's up to us to give these animals a voice, and put a stop to cruelty and neglect, right now."

Leona calls on her supporters to join her in backing the Animals Matter campaign. Go to wspa-usa.org/leonalewis to join in and pledge your support.

Fans of the singer can also see a behind the scenes film of the charity video shoot, and hear news about her new album, her career and lifestyle on the WSPA UK website.

WSPA has built the world’s largest alliance – over 1,000 animal welfare groups in 150 countries – dedicated to alleviating animal suffering. WSPA U.S. partner organizations include the Humane Society of the United States and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
Through its pioneering programs and unique partnerships, WSPA addresses animal welfare concerns on a truly unprecedented global scale. WSPA supports a Universal Declaration on Animal Welfare at the United Nations. If adopted, it will be the first international agreement recognizing that animals are capable of experiencing pain and suffering and that their welfare should be respected. More at www.wspa-usa.org/leonalewis

Leona Lewis' new album ECHO will be in stores November 17th on J Records/Syco Music. www.leonalewismusic.com



For more on Leona Lewis please contact:
Sarah Weinstein Dennison, RCA Music Group Publicity
Tel: 212-833-5593/ Email: sarah.weinstein@sonymusic.com

For more info on Leona’s support for Animals Matter and WSPA please contact:
Meryl Bailey, WSPA U.S. Communications Officer
Tel: 617-896-9291/703-201-0591, Email: mbailey@wspausa.org


NOTES TO EDITORS:

To access the media pack (including video and images) go to:
http://www.digitalnewsagency.com/story/view/3682-leona-lewis-shows-her-support-for-the-wspa/all

WSPA has built the world’s largest alliance – over 1,000 animal welfare groups in 150 countries – dedicated to alleviating animal suffering. Through its pioneering programs and unique partnerships, WSPA addresses animal welfare concerns on a truly unprecedented global scale. WSPA U.S. partner organizations include the Humane Society of the United States and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. WSPA supports a Universal Declaration on Animal Welfare at the United Nations. If adopted, it will be the first international agreement recognizing that animals are capable of experiencing pain and suffering and that their welfare should be respected.

Q & A with Leona Lewis
October 2009

1. Do you have any animals?
We have a family dog called Misty. My brother rescued her from an owner who was mistreating her and didn’t want her any more. We’ve had her for about four years and she is a lovely, loyal dog and a great companion – such a happy dog now.

2. Why do you support the World Society for the Protection of Animals?
I’m a big animal lover and I think the work that WSPA does is amazing. I’ve always been a huge advocate for charities that protect animals, particularly WSPA because I agree with the way that they approach things.

I wanted to get involved with them because they run great campaigns; trying to push animal welfare laws and change things permanently, for the better, which I think is amazing. I’m looking forward to helping them build as much awareness for animals as possible.

5. Tell us about this WSPA campaign you are supporting?
I’m showing my support for WSPA’s campaign to get a Universal Declaration on Animal Welfare. Right now, there are no international laws to protect animals and they are working to change that.

All you have to do is sign a petition – I’ve done it and I’m encouraging people to sign it and send it to a friend as well. The Universal Declaration will mean so much worldwide; it could be the start of tougher laws to protect animals around the world. So please, go to www.animalsmatter.org and add your message of support today.

3. How did you first hear about WSPA?
I heard about WSPA a few years ago and since then I’ve become a huge supporter. I’m signed up to their newsletters and I sign their petitions, which I forward on to my friends to sign. I also donate to their appeals, which could be anything from building bear sanctuaries to sending in teams to save animals after a disaster. I heard that WSPA had teams in Samoa, Indonesia and the Philippines, working to save all kinds of animals after the recent tsunami and earthquakes.

4. Which animal welfare issue (that WSPA works on) affects you the most?
I think that all of their work is important, but I really feel the laws they are trying to put into place will help animals around the world, which is what needs to happen. That’s why I’m supporting the Universal Declaration – it has massive potential to make so many bad situations better for animals. But WSPA has so many projects from bear dancing to the orangutan sanctuary they fund in Borneo – what WSPA does for animals is amazing.

5. Have you ever witnessed animal suffering/cruelty on your travels or in the UK? If so, what did you do about it?
I‘ve seen things that I would definitely consider to be neglect. One place I visited, I thought the horses looked malnourished – I’m very into horses so I know what a healthy horse should look like. Basic things weren’t taken care of, like the fact the horses didn’t have any water to drink in their field. I've also seen so many stray dogs in some countries and it just breaks my heart.

But having being a WSPA supporter for years, I knew what to do about it. I reported it to the authorities and if I saw something like that again, I would probably write to my government to say that I wouldn’t visit that country again if I saw acts of animal cruelty. As a tourist, refusing to spend our money in a particular country for ethical reasons is one of the most powerful things we can do.

6. If you could change one thing for animals now, what would that be?

If I could change anything for animals it would be that they could get the same consideration and respect that we do, which is what the international declaration is working towards

ARTIST LEONA LEWIS TO RELEASE HER HIGHLY ANTICIPATED SECOND ALBUM ECHO ON NOVEMBER 17TH

CHECK OUT LEONA LEWIS' NEW VIDEO FOR
"HAPPY" FROM HER FORTHCOMING ALBUM
ECHO IN STORES NOVEMBER 17TH!



2008’S BEST-SELLING NEW ARTIST LEONA LEWIS TO RELEASE HER HIGHLY ANTICIPATED SECOND ALBUM ECHO ON NOVEMBER 17TH ON J RECORDS/SYCO MUSIC

ECHO IS THE FOLLOW-UP TO MULTI-PLATINUM BLOCKBUSTER SPIRIT

ECHO’S FIRST SINGLE, “HAPPY,” AVAILABLE AT ITUNES NOW

(New York —October 22, 2009) — Multi-platinum singer and songwriter Leona Lewis, who took the music world by storm with her 2008 debut album Spirit, will release its follow-up, entitled ECHO, on November 17th on J Records/Syco Music.

After proving her commercial potency on the three-time Grammy-nominated Spirit, which entered both the U.K. and U.S. album charts at No. 1, spawned the best-selling single of 2008 (“Bleeding Love”), and sold more than six million copies worldwide, ECHOgave Lewis the opportunity to take a few chances. “I knew that I had evolved as a singer, songwriter, and performer,” she says, “so it was important to me to take the songs on ECHO to the next level and show what else I could do.”

To that end, Lewis co-wrote nine songs on the album, collaborating with a host of A-list songwriters and producers, including re-teaming with One Republic frontman and “Bleeding Love” co-writer/producer Ryan Tedder on three tracks, including the first single “Happy.” She also worked with Swedish studio vet Max Martin and songwriter/producer Novel, as well as new collaborators Justin Timberlake, multi-platinum Bon Jovi/Kelly Clarkson producer John Shanks, and in-demand hitmakers Evan Bogart and Kevin Rudolf. Each helped Lewis deliver raw emotion through the melodies and lyrics and make full use of her “titanium-caliber voice” (as the New York Times has described it). Once again, Clive Davis and Simon Cowell joined forces to co-produce ECHO.

ECHO also finds the 24-year-old London native expanding her palette and exploring adventurous sonic territory. The dancefloor-friendly “Outta My Head” is sleek, stylish electro-pop, while the rock-driven “Love Letter” and “I Got You” show an edgier side of Lewis. Then there’s “Brave,” which soars with a Middle Eastern influence and pounding timpanis, and the sultry, synth-driven “Fly Here Now.”

“I really wanted a dramatic, almost cinematic quality to the songs,” says Lewis, a self-described “film nerd” who namechecks ’80s fantasy film The Labyrinth as her all-time favorite. “We would even put on movies in the studio to inspire us; it was a cool way of writing. I’m always thinking of scenes in my head.” Of course, ECHO features plenty of epic, lush ballads to satisfy Spiritfans, including the uplifting first single “Happy,” which Lewis says is “about overcoming obstacles and striving for happiness,” and People magazine called “passionate and soul-searching.”

It’s that passion and soulfulness that permeate ECHO, which Lewis can’t wait for the public to hear. “I’m actually more confident with this album than the last,” she says. “I’ve taken more control this time and I feel more at ease with everything. To me, it’s all about great songs. I hope they move people as much as they move me.”

Lewis was “discovered” in 2006 after auditioning for The X Factor, a British talent show executive-produced by American Idol’s Simon Cowell, who is also a judge. The then-22-year old — who attended performing arts academy The BRIT School, and famously worked as a Pizza Hut waitress to support her fledging music career — won the competition after endearing herself to fans week after week with her soaring voice, down-to-earth personality, and striking beauty. Certain he had a superstar on his hands, Cowell phoned legendary music executive and J Records founder Clive Davis, who teamed up with Cowell to sign Lewis to J Records/Syco Music, Cowell’s joint venture with Sony Music Entertainment in 2006.

The track-listing for ECHO is as follows:

“Happy”
“I Got You”
“Love Letter”
“Can’t Breathe”
“You Don’t Care”
“Outta My Head”
“Brave”
“My Hands”
“Alive”
“Don’t Let Me Down”
“Fly Here Now”
“Broken”
“Lost Then Found” (with One Republic)

Visit www.leonalewismusic.com for news, updates and more.

Alicia Keys Kicks off "The Element of Freedom: The Lecture & Performance Series" at NYU this Wednesday

[New York, NY – October 19, 2009] Fresh off of her star-studded annual Black Ball fundraiser for Keep A Child Alive and the premiere of her brand new video for “Doesn’t Mean Anything,” twelve-time Grammy Award winner Alicia Keys kicks off “The Element of Freedom: The Lecture & Performance Series” at New York University’s Skirball Center for the Performing Arts on Wednesday, October 21; presented by the Clive Davis Department of Recorded Music, Tisch School of the Arts. This is a private event and not open to the public.
Named after the singer’s upcoming album THE ELEMENT OF FREEDOM, this unique lecture and performance series offers the opportunity for students studying music and other entertainment fields to obtain first-hand information from Keys on how she applies the element of freedom into her creative process and life in general.


Alicia comments: “For the first time in my recording career, I think I’ve finally found an understanding of the creative process by just allowing myself to be free. I took a totally different approach for this album and didn’t confine myself in a studio or allow myself to be negatively affected by deadlines, which can hinder any creative spirit. I've found a freedom and flow that I try to implement everyday.

Hopefully the points discussed during these lectures will resonate with the students as they continue to find and define their creative process and style."
Additional events will be held at UCLA’s Royce Hall on October 28th with more dates to be announced.
Keys’ fourth studio album, THE ELEMENT OF FREEDOM, will be released December 1st on MBK Entertainment/J Records.

ROD STEWART'S "SOULBOOK" MOVES UP TO OCTOBER 26TH RELEASE!

ROD STEWART'S "SOULBOOK" MOVES UP TO OCTOBER 26TH RELEASE!

ROD STEWART TO RELEASE SOULBOOK ON J RECORDS
RELEASE DATE MOVES UP TO OCTOBER 26TH

FEATURES STEWART’S STUNNING INTERPRETATIONS OF
SIXTIES/SEVENTIES-ERA SOUL CLASSICS
INCLUDING “(YOUR LOVE KEEPS LIFTING ME) HIGHER AND HIGHER,” “IT’S THE SAME OLD SONG,” AND MORE

Superstar duets include Mary J. Blige on “You Make Me Feel Brand New”and
Jennifer Hudson on “Let It Be Me”

Stevie Wonder Accompanies Rod on Harmonica on His Very Own Massive Hit
“My Cherie Amour”

Smokey Robinson Guests on One of His Signature Songs “Tracks of My Tears”


(October 20, 2009 – New York) Grammy Award-winning Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Rod Stewart will be releasing SOULBOOK a day earlier than its scheduled release day on October 26th (J Records). SOULBOOK is a collection of classic Sixties/Seventies-era soul favorites, all newly recorded by the quintessential “blue eyed soul” singer of our generation. Rod Stewart possesses one of the most distinctive and interpretive voices in music -- his Grammy-Award winning recordings of the Great American Songbook have sold over 19 million albums and is the biggest selling ongoing series of new music recordings in history. With the same passion, Rod approaches some of the greatest soul songs ever written.

Rod recently said in Rolling Stone’s "Greatest Singers of All Time" issue that at the age of 15, he used to listen to soul singers on the radio like Sam Cooke and Otis Redding, and blues singers like Howlin' Wolf and Muddy Waters, and knew that is how he wanted to sing. Elton John said “Bar none, Rod’s the best singer I've heard in rock 'n' roll. He's also the greatest white soul singer” and in 2006, James Brown called Stewart "the best white soul singer." Comments Rod Stewart:“This is the album I’ve waited my whole lifetime to record. These are the songs that I’ve danced to, made love to, cried to and yes, even fell on the floor to as a young man in the infancy of my career. These songs and singers were the oxygen that fueled my passion to sing. When I was a skinny, cocky, all-mouth and trousers teenager living in North London without two pennies to rub together, I discovered the artistry of Otis Redding, Sam Cooke, Jackie Wilson, James Brown, The Temptations, The Four Tops and so many more. They were my Gods and my heroes.”

The album features two stunning superstar duets, one with Mary J. Blige joining Rod on the Stylistics’ 70s hit “You Make Me Feel Brand New” and the other with Jennifer Hudson on “Let It Be Me,” inspired by the Jerry Butler/Betty Everett duet. In addition, soul great Smokey Robinson guests on “Tracks of My Tears” which he made famous as a member of the Miracles who recorded that track in 1965, and musical giant Stevie Wonder accompanies Rod on harmonica on his massive 1969 hit “My Cherie Amour.”

Album producers include Stewart’s longtime collaborator Steve Tyrell who worked with Rod on his Grammy award-winning Songbook series, and joining Rod for the first time is Grammy/Emmy award-winning producer Steve Jordan (Keith Richards, John Mayer) who bring legendary musicians into the studio including Motown players Bob Babbitt and George Bohannen, Memphis legends Willy Mitchell, Charles Hodges, Wayne Jackson and Jack Hale. Additional musical heavyweights include Ray Parker, Jr., Dean Parks, Waddy Wachtel, Darryl Jones, Leland Sklar, David Paich, Greg Phillinganes, Michael Bearden, Tom Scott, Chuck Finley, Ricky Lawson, many of whom played on the original recordings of these classic songs.

Recorded this summer and engineered by Al Schmitt, Sam Cooke’s original producer/engineer, along with Niko Bolas (Neil Young, Warren Zevon, Keith Richards) and Bill Schnee (Steely Dan, Marvin Gaye, Gladys Knight), the album features Rod singing great landmark tracks such as “You’ve Really Got A Hold On Me” (originally performed by The Miracles) , “Wonderful World” (Sam Cooke) “What Becomes of the Broken Hearted” (Jimmy Ruffin), “Tracks of My Tears” (The Miracles),” “My Cherie Amour (Stevie Wonder),” “Just My Imagination” (The Temptations), “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher” (Jackie Wilson), ”It’s The Same Old Song” (The Four Tops), “If You Don't Know Me By Now” (Harold Melvin and & Blue Notes), and “Love Train” (O’Jays). Find a complete track listing below.

With an estimated 250 million in album and single sales, Rod Stewart is one of the most successful performers of all time. A Grammy-Award winning Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, Rod Stewart's Great American Songbook series has been a record-breaking success. In 2006, he released Still The Same, Great Rock Classics of Our Time, his first rock album in over eight years, which entered the charts at #1. He has sold out concerts across the globe and his last 5 studio albums have held the top spots on the Billboard charts. Rod spent this summer recording the album and criss-crossing the country on a 20 city North American tour.

Soulbook - Track Listing
“It’s The Same Old Song”
“My Cherie Amour” (Featuring Stevie Wonder)
“You Make Me Feel Brand New” (Duet with Mary J. Blige)
“(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher And Higher”
“Tracks Of My Tears” (Featuring Smokey Robinson)
“Let It Be Me” (Duet with Jennifer Hudson)
“Rainy Night In Georgia”
“What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted”
“Love Train”
“You’ve Really Got A Hold On Me”
“Wonderful World”
“If You Don’t Know Me By Now”
“Just My Imagination”

www.rodstewart.com