Local Music News December 14 2005

Joyce Littel is something of an institution at V-103 (WVEE-FM). Every night, she hosts “The Quiet Storm,” gracing the airwaves with her silky and warm voice from 10 p.m.-2 a.m. She’s been doing it since 1990, even as R&B has shifted from the slow jams of the late ’80s to the alternative soul of today.

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“We can’t stop change, and we have to learn how to adapt to it,” says Littel. She makes sure to mix new jacks like Ciara and Kem with favorites like Luther Vandross and the O’Jays. And the formula still works: “The Quiet Storm” is currently tops in its time slot. “You have to go with the times, but you can still maintain the history of the show by continuously playing the classics,” she adds.

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Staying on the air for 15 years is no easy feat, so Littel plans to celebrate her anniversary in high style. The first event, “A Holiday Affair,” a free concert featuring Heather Headley and Eric Benet, takes place at Atlanta Live (formerly the DeKalb Events Center) Fri., Dec. 15, at 7 p.m. The next day, she will launch her new mentoring group, the Joyce Littel Sista for Sisters Foundation, with a lunch at Maestro’s Bistro and Bar.

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In awards news, Lil Jon, Usher and Ludacris picked up a trophy at the Billboard Music Awards for their “Lovers and Friends” megahit. ... Nominations for the 2006 Grammy Awards were announced Thurs., Dec. 8. Plenty of Atlanta acts made the cut, including Jermaine Dupri (for his production work with Mariah Carey), Danger Mouse (for his production work with Gorillaz), India.Arie (with Stevie Wonder), Ciara, Usher, T.I., Ludacris, Ying Yang Twins, Sugarland, and Trisha Yearwood. Good luck to them all. The 48th annual Grammy Awards will be shown on CBS Wed., Feb. 8, at 8 p.m.