When Feist was recording “1, 2, 3, 4″ she probably didn’t dare to dream of the wild success it would bring her. But even if she did, I’m sure she never guessed that one sunny day, she’d be sweeping the clouds away with Elmo and Zoe:

Amy MacDonald is a 20-year-old self-taught musician from Scotland who picked up her first guitar almost half a lifetime ago. This week, she learned her debut album This is the Life has already sold one million copies, two months before its August 19th US release. Many of the songs on the record, such as “Mr. Rock & Roll,” express her bewilderment at the celebrity-infatuated culture she lives in. Ironically, the album has elevated MacDonald to an object of adoration herself on account of her strikingly rich voice, genuine and clever lyricism, and exuberant guitar playing. Check out the audience reaction to MacDonald in this clip of her performing “Mr. Rock & Roll” at the Pinkpop Festival in the Netherlands on 5/31/2008, which drew 180,000 people over three days.

Pinkpop is the oldest annual festival in the world, drawing 1.5 million music fans and performances from the likes of R.E.M, Fairport Convention and Metallica over 40 years. Its name is originally derived from the Dutch word for Pentecost “pinksteren” because the festival was traditionally held on Pentecost weekend. However, the word “pop” in Dutch means “doll” and today the festival is represented by its logo of a pink doll.

Count Billy Bragg among fans of Kate Nash! Bragg joined the 20-year-old onstage during her performance at Australia’s NME Awards in January to play guitar on her hit “Foundations” before they segued into a duet of Bragg’s “A New England.”

In 1985, a 26-year-old Kirsty MacColl had a U.K. top ten hit with “A New England.” Her version included an extra verse and since her death, Bragg has always sung that verse in her honor. MacColl left some pretty big shoes that are impossible to truly fill, but his chemistry with another rising young star is as poignant and bittersweet as it is charming and fun.

Grammy award-winning blues and jazz guitarist and trumpeter Jeff Healey lost his lifelong battle with cancer Sunday at age 41. The Toronto native lost his sight as a baby, but a new gift befell him just a few years later; at three years old he picked up the guitar, becoming a child prodigy noted for his distinctive playing style where he held the guitar in his lap. Songlines’ own Sean Coakley was fortunate enough to have worked with Healey, and here he shares a few memories:

I got to work with Jeff at Arista in the ‘80s. I was given a cassette and video by one of our regional promoters and he begged me to listen so he could “get his brother off his back.” A few days later I watched the video and honestly thought someone was pulling a sleight of hand. No one plays that way. I gave the package to A&R man Mitchell Cohen. He hopped on a plane to Toronto and was floored. Six months later we had the debut, See the Light, which eventually went platinum based on the strength of its two John Hiatt covers, “Confidence Man” and “Angel Eyes.”

But the best part of promoting Jeff wasn’t the chart success. It was watching people react to his live performance for the first time. I stood next to Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top in Memphis and watched the bearded one bob his head up and down until his mouth erupted into a huge smile. I watched Little Feat do it the night Jeff joined them on stage for “Apolitical Blues.” (I had to sing him the song in advance of the encore, because he’d lied to Paul Barrere about knowing it!) I saw Bobby Whitlock introduce himself to Jeff following a show and offer to take him out on the town. We all piled into the van and drove to a bar. Healey, Whitlock and Co. asked the local band if they might play a song or two and then took over the stage for two hours. They played Hendrix, Muddy Waters, and, best of all, Derek & the Dominos. I was in heaven. Nobody had ever seen anyone play lead guitar that way before; I know I never have since. Jeff, your adventurous spirit and talent will be missed.

–Sean Coakley

Healey’s death comes just a month before the scheduled release of his first rock album in eight years, Mess of Blues.

The stars were out in full-force last night for the Oscars — even the late Danny Kaye made an appearance in a clip of him acting as master of ceremonies in 1952.

Check out this delightful clip we discovered of the treasured actor, singer and comedian performing an American classic with one of the world’s greatest jazz innovators, Satchmo. Trust us, they don’t make ‘em like this anymore!

The clip is from the semi-autobiographical 1959 film Five Pennies which starred Kaye as “Red” Nichols, a Dixieland cornet player who gives up on his dreams when his daughter develops polio, only to make a comeback at her bidding years later. The film received four Oscar nominations, including “Best Song”!