Elizabeth Blair
Elizabeth Blair is a Peabody Award-winning senior producer/reporter on the Arts Desk of NPR News.
Blair produces, edits, and reports arts and cultural segments for NPR's Morning Edition, All Things Considered, and Weekend Edition. In this position, she has reported on a range of topics from arts funding to the MeToo movement. She has profiled renowned artists such as Yayoi Kusama and Mikhail Baryshnikov, explored how old women are represented in fairy tales, and reported the origins of the children's classic Curious George. Among her all-time favorite interviews are actors Octavia Spencer and Andy Serkis, comedians Bill Burr and Hari Kondabolu, the rapper K'Naan, and Cookie Monster (in character).
Blair has overseen several, large-scale series including The NPR 100, which explored landmark musical works of the 20th Century, and In Character, which probed the origins of iconic American fictional characters. Along with her colleagues on the Arts Desk and at NPR Music, Blair curated American Anthem, a major series exploring the origins of songs that uplift, rouse, and unite people around a common theme.
Blair's work has received several honors, including two Peabody Awards and a Gracie. She previously lived in Paris, France, where she co-produced Le Jazz Club From Paris with Dee Dee Bridgewater, and the monthly magazine Postcard From Paris.
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Paramount Global, the parent company of networks including Showtime, CBS and Nickelodeon is cutting some 25% of its staff. Among the units being shutdown as a result of the downsizing is MTV News. -
The iconic and barrier-breaking performer died Tuesday of congestive heart failure.
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The songwriter and singer, who cemented his prominence with hits like "Say A Little Prayer" and "Walk on By," died Wednesday of natural causes.
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The Green Piano: How Little Me Found Music recounts the story of Flack's father finding her a beat-up, old, upright in a junkyard — a treasure that led to a life in music.
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Dozier died at 81. As part of the songwriting team Holland-Dozier-Holland, he co-wrote dozens of hits, including "Baby Love," "Heat Wave" and "Reflections," helping to define the Motown sound.
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Ostin signed deals with major pop and rock talent over the decades, including Joni Mitchell, Fleetwood Mac and R.E.M. He said the industry didn't have to prioritize sales over artistic freedom.
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Dave Smith, a pioneer of the synthesizer, revolutionized pop music in the 1980s. David Bowie and Madonna are among the legions who used his Prophet 5 synthesizer. Smith died last week at age 72.
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Jon Stewart is honored with the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at the Kennedy Center. The former host of The Daily Show was praised for revitalizing political satire and for his activism.
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O'Rourke authored more than 20 books, including Parliament of Whores and Give War a Chance, both of which reached #1 on the New York Times bestseller list.
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The musicians are executive producers of animated musical shorts intended to be "an inspiring, empowering and optimistic message about race, culture, community and celebrating differences."
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For the anniversary of the kids' TV show, the American Archive of Public Broadcasting has more than 100 episodes set to stream online. Original cast members are celebrating on, you guessed it, Zoom.
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Spector had suffered from cancer. She recorded a string of pop hits in the 1960s including "Walking In The Rain" and "Be My Baby."
