Sharjah gig for Majida El Roumi

Plus: Grateful Dead to reunite for final concerts in July; rapper Pitbull honoured in Florida for contribution to arts; rock musician Kim Fowley dies; and Oprah Winfrey and Selma stars to march in Alabama.

The Lebanese singer Majida El Roumi at the Beiteddine International Festival, Mount Lebanon, on June 26, 2014. Sharif Karim / Reuters

Majida El Roumi is next in line to perform in the new Al Majaz Amphitheatre in Sharjah. The Lebanese songstress will be in the emirate on Friday as part of a drive to promote the new Dh120 million venue. The 58-year-old is a fine choice, with an extensive catalogue ranging from traditional Lebanese folk songs and operettas to pop music. She was last in the UAE to perform at the inaugural Dubai Classics series in 2014. Her previous album was back in 2013, an inventive collection of Arabic Christmas carols sung in an orchestral style. Proceeds from El Roumi's concert will go to the charity Big Heart Foundation. Tickets begin from Dh250 at www.ticketmaster.ae. – The National staff

Grateful Dead to reunite for final concerts in July

The Grateful Dead are coming back to life for final concerts in July. The band announced on Friday that the surviving members Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, Phil Lesh and Bob Weir will perform three shows from July 3-5 at Soldier Field in Chicago. The band are celebrating their 50th anniversary and the shows will mark their final performances, the band said. They last performed in 1995 at the Chicago venue. Tickets for Fare Thee Well: Celebrating 50 Years of Grateful Dead will be available through mail order on January 20. They go on sale online on February 14. The Grateful Dead will be joined by Phish’s Trey Anastasio, the keyboardist Jeff Chimenti and the pianist Bruce Hornsby at the concerts. – AP

Rapper Pitbull honoured in Florida for contribution to arts

The rapper Pitbull is expanding his Miami charter school. The Miami native announced the expansion of SLAM! Academy Charter School during a ceremony on Thursday. The governor Rick Scott was also on hand to present Pitbull, whose real name is Armando Christian Perez, with the Florida Ambassador of the Arts Award. The award recognises those whose contributions to the arts helped enhance the quality of Florida's diverse culture. The rapper, who is known for hits such as Timber featuring Kesha and We Are One (Ole Ola), has had a busy year. He performed at the opening ceremony of the Fifa World Cup in Brazil, hosted the American Music Awards and got his own SiriusXM radio channel. – AP

Rock musician Kim Fowley dies

The rock musician Kim Fowley, who produced for The Runaways and co-wrote songs for Kiss and Alice Cooper, has died after a long battle with bladder cancer. He was 75. His wife said on Friday that he died on Thursday morning at their home in Hollywood. Fowley's career ranged from promoter to musician to manager to record producer. In the 1970s, he launched the all-female rock band The Runaways, a rarity at the time, thus introducing the world to a then-teenage Joan Jett. "Kim was a friend, he taught me so much. "I am very sad," Jett tweeted on Thursday. Fowley was based in Los Angeles. He released several solo albums. His father is actor Douglas Fowley, best known for his role in the film Singin' In the Rain. – AP

Oprah Winfrey and Selma stars to march in Alabama

The producer Oprah Winfrey and stars of the movie Selma will march in the famed Alabama city on Sunday to honour the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. Paramount Pictures says the march also will include the Selma director Ava DuVernay and the actor David Oyelowo, who portrays King in the movie. The event will commemorate King's civil-rights leadership and his involvement in the Selma voting-rights protests of 1965. The demonstrations are the subject of the film, which is among the nominees for Best Picture at the Academy Awards. The lone black member of Alabama's congressional delegation, Terri Sewell, will moderate a panel discussion at Selma High School during the day-long event. – AP