Marilyn Manson
Photo: Interscope Records

"Brütal Legend" is a heavy metal-inspired video game starring Jack Black that will be coming to Xbox 360 and PS3 this October. The game's 108-song soundtrack has been revealed, and it features some of the biggest names in hard rock and heavy metal from the past 30 years.

In "Brütal Legend," you'll play as Eddie Riggs, a down-on-his-luck roadie who gets magically transported to a fantasy world. While there, Eddie is able to cruise around in a maxed-out hot rod, complete with a booming music system, with which you can play the game's epic soundtrack (akin to the "Grand Theft Auto" series).

The game's designer, Tim Schafer, is a huge fan of metal music and wanted to use "Brütal Legend" as an opportunity to display some of his favorite artists. "This soundtrack took years to put together as we wanted to represent every genre of metal and also have the perfect music for every epic moment in the game," Schafer said.

Schafer's love of metal didn't quite stop there, as he's made it his quest to bring the genre to the masses: "[The game is] designed to be loved by metal fans, and for those who are not, it will either convert them or make their heads explode ... or both."

Some of the artists whose songs are featured in the game include:

» Anthrax
» Black Sabbath
» Def Leppard
» DragonForce
» Judas Priest
» Marilyn Manson
» Megadeth
» Mötley Crüe
» Motörhead
» Ozzy Osbourne
» Rob Zombie
» Tenacious D (Jack Black's band)

Apart from providing musical accompaniment, a handful of artists also provide voice work in the game. Lemmy of Motörhead, Rob Halford of Judas Priest and Ozzy Osbourne of Black Sabbath will appear throughout the game, playing a wide variety of characters.

"Brütal Legend" will launch on the Xbox 360 and PS3 on October 13. For a full listing of the 108-song soundtrack featured in "Brütal Legend," check out Multiplayer.MTV.com.

• Black Sabbath
• Marilyn Manson

Ozzy Osbourne
Photo: Frazer Harrison/ Getty Images

Ozzy Osbourne will be given the Lifetime Achievement Award at Epiphone's Revolver Golden Gods Awards, the country's first-ever hard-rock and heavy-metal awards show.

The Golden Gods, presented by metal mag Revolver, will be handed out Tuesday, April 7 at the Club Nokia in Los Angeles. MTV2 and "Headbangers Ball" will offer exclusive coverage of the awards, both on air and online.

Hosted by stand-up comedian and avowed metalhead Brian Posehn, the awards will honor Osbourne's contributions to hard rock (something the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame forgot to do until 2006, when he got in as a member of Black Sabbath), and will feature performances by Hatebreed, Killswitch Engage, All That Remains, Suicide Silence and a special guest to be announced shortly. Icons like Glenn Danzig and Tool's Maynard James Keenan are also scheduled to appear, along with Chuck Billy and Eric Peterson of Testament, Protest The Hero, Marta Peterson from Bleeding Through, Isis, Brendon Small from Dethklok, WWE Wrestler CM Punk, plus many more.

Starting on the week of April 20, fans will be able to check out behind-the-scenes info on the awards at the Headbangers Ball blog and MTV2.com. On April 25, MTV2 will air a one-hour Revolver Golden Gods Awards nominee special and on Saturday, May 2, the channel will broadcast the ceremony.

For more information on the awards — including nominees and how you can score tickets to the show at Club Nokia — check out GoldenGodsAwards.com.

• Ozzy Osbourne
• Black Sabbath

Kevin DuBrow
Photo: Larry Marano/Getty Images

Since news of Quiet Riot singer Kevin DuBrow's death broke this week, there has been an outpouring of memories of the fallen rocker from the band's fans, as well as from musicians and friends who worked closely with the outspoken frontman.

DuBrow was found dead at age 52 inside his Las Vegas home Sunday evening; an official cause of his death has yet to be determined, pending autopsy and toxicology results. According to police, there were no signs of forced entry at DuBrow's home, and investigators do not suspect foul play.

"Today is a sad day," Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx told SavioursofRock.com. "I was thinking about sitting in Kevin's apartment in 1979. I had just been over to [late Quiet Riot/ Ozzy Osbourne guitarist] Randy Rhoads' learning some of their songs. Randy called Kevin while I was there and told him they should get me to be the bass player in Quiet Riot. I passed ... 'cause we all had a destiny. [Kevin] always did what he loved most — music — and always said what was on his mind. And that is the measure of a man. He will be missed. I'm grateful to have those early memories ... before the fame, just kids with dreams."

Poison drummer Rikki Rockett first met DuBrow 20 years ago, and the two formed an immediate friendship. Rather than focus on his personal memories, Rockett's statement on his Web site hailed the singer's contributions to the heavy-metal realm.

"Quiet Riot put metal on the radio in the early '80s, in spite of the vanilla new-wave surge of Duran Duran clones at the time," Rockett recalled. "However he died or why, let's just remember the colossal contributions that he made. Rest in peace, my brother."

Glenn Hughes, the vocalist and bassist best known for his contributions to Deep Purple and Black Sabbath, told MelodicRock.com that he and DuBrow "were [like] brothers" who spoke on a daily basis.

"The Kevin that I knew was a beautiful human being," Hughes continued. "He was kind, giving, nurturing and generous. He would stay at my L.A. home when he was in town. I never saw Kevin loaded. He respected my sobriety. He always spoke about the change of my lifestyle and how he also wanted to change his. The last conversation I had with him 10 days ago was about this subject; he said he had to make some life changes. I was so happy and elated to hear this."

Hughes said the last time he spoke to DuBrow was November 16, when the two friends discussed travel arrangements for a party Hughes was having November 23.

"Then, there was nothing. No communication. Zero," Hughes said. "Come Thanksgiving, I knew something was strange. At the house, Kevin's room was prepared as always. I thought, 'He's [going to] come jumping through the door any minute and demand to play the winner of the pool game between [Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer] Chad Smith and myself.' As the party ended, Gabi [Hughes' wife] and I spoke of his absence. She was very upset. All along, I felt something [was] seriously wrong."

On Sunday, Hughes — who performed a guest vocal spot on Quiet Riot's last studio offering, 2006's Rehab — said he called DuBrow's ex-girlfriend, who had no information concerning the singer's whereabouts. "I asked her if she knew a paramedic who could go over to Kev's house and investigate," Hughes wrote in his statement. "Dana, the medic, got in the house only to find my sweet brother at peace. I am completely shell-shocked. We were planning to go to Hawaii for some relaxation in the new year. For those of you that didn't know him, he was a true, true friend. I'm going to miss our dinners at the Palm in Beverly Hills. I'm going to miss his loud voice bellowing through my house. I'm going to miss those oh-so-corny jokes. We all will miss him. Sleep well, brother. Your legacy is in good hands with me."

Former Warrant guitarist Billy Morris, who'd played guitar with Quiet Riot occasionally during the band's later years, issued a statement to the Cleveland Scene, in which he expressed utter disbelief at DuBrow's passing.

"This blows me away," Morris wrote. "No one would ever imagine this happening to Kevin, especially me, after knowing him for the past eight years. During our tours together, he would really take care of himself, eating well (certainly better than the rest of us). He'd take his vitamins every day, and always kept his body and voice in check. One thing about Kevin was that he was always so thankful for what he had. Performing live and creating music were his passions, and he was grateful for the time he spent with his friends and fans. The rock scene has lost an icon, an individual who brought it every night."

Annihilator's Jeff Waters also chimed in on his own site, discussing DuBrow's impact on the musical genre he'd lived for.

"Quiet Riot had an impact on me when I was a teen, and when I wasn't listening to their music, I was playing it or seeing a cover band that was playing it," he explained. "Their music was rock and metal and party music all in one. It is a sad day for metal, as DuBrow and Quiet Riot helped, in their own way, make metal what it has become today. You will be missed by many, and thanks for the memories and the music."

But no one knew DuBrow like his bandmates, many of whom broke their silence Monday night in online postings.

"I really don't know where to start," wrote guitarist Alex Grossi on his site. "Kevin was a beautiful soul, and I feel more than fortunate to have known, worked and learned from him. Kevin was always a positive influence in what sometimes can be a very negative business. I am proud to have called him my friend, and always will be. [He] was a true lover of music and was extremely dedicated to his craft. I am honored to have been part of a band that changed the face of hard rock forever and to have been given the opportunity to play, write, and most importantly, be part of his life. He will be forever missed."

Bassist Chuck Wright told MelodicRock.com that he's "shocked and devastated" by DuBrow's death and feels he's "truly lost a brother" in the singer.

"It's a very sad loss for the world of rock and roll," Wright said. "I'm so very fortunate to have been a part of his life these past 26 years. I have so many fond memories, and it's a blessing that these recent few years have been so great with the band. There is no reason to say, 'I wish we could have ...' [because] we did. I still can't believe I won't be sharing the stage with his larger-than-life presence ever again. The man left a mark wherever he went, and I'm heartbroken that he is no longer with us."

On MTV's Headbangers Blog, former Quiet Riot bassist Rudy Sarzo said that he, too, was shocked by the news. "The last thing you expect when you get up in the morning is something like this," he said. "He was somebody who really loved life. He loved to have fun and have a great time. Every day to him was like a party — that's what it was like when I played with him. I think he'll be remembered for being a hell of a rock singer. He was definitely one of the best singers of the '80s."

In a statement to CNN, drummer Frankie Banali said he'd "lost [his] best friend," and said that, "out of respect for both Kevin and his family," he wouldn't comment further on the situation. "There's going to be a lot of speculation out there, and I won't add to that. I love him too much."

Fans reached out to MTV News with their thoughts on the passing of a musical icon.

"Kevin ... was very rich in the way people loved him as a lead man in a rock band," said Twig, a 31-year-old fan from Greensboro, North Carolina. "That, my friend, is worth more than anything. We will always remember that crazy guy onstage that gave you what you paid for — a good time."

"I will never forget the first time I heard Quiet Riot," offered John from Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. "I was like, 'What is this?' It was the door opening for heavy metal and me. So sorry to the family and friends of Kevin. I will forever 'Feel the Noize.' "

"One of the greatest voices in metal has been silenced, [and] I will miss him," said Robert of Springfield, Illinois. "I am glad I got to see him live within the past five years. He was as great then as he was in [his] prime."

"This guy had more talent in his wig than Britney Spears has in her whole body," said Sydney from Redwood City, California. "Godspeed, Kevin. Bang your head eternally with the good ones."

"I feel as if I lost an old friend," said Johnny, 38, of Austin, Texas. "It's kind of like we grew up together, as music and songs remind us of our teen years. ... Take it easy, Kevin, and thanks for the music and energy you shared through your voice."

"Kevin's passing makes for quite an impact," said Gypsy from Tacoma, Washington. "The metal world will never be the same without him."

See what other distraught fans are saying about DuBrow in You Tell Us, and send along your comments too.

• Quiet Riot
• Mötley Crüe
• Poison
• Black Sabbath
• Annihilator (Metal)

Sean Penn
Photo: Philip Cheung/ Getty Images

The raging Southern California wildfires that intensified over the weekend are threatening the homes of a number of stars who reside in Malibu. Mel Gibson, Jennifer Aniston, Tom Hanks, Courteney Cox and David Arquette, James Cameron, Sean Penn and Robin Wright Penn, Rob Reiner, David Geffen, David Duchovny, Mark Hamill, Olivia Newton-John and Bill Murray are among the stars who have been evacuated or whose homes are potentially in jeopardy. ...

Fall Out Boy have "an album's worth of material" good to go but aren't ready to put out their fifth LP just quite yet, frontman Patrick Stump told Billboard.com. "There's always something that hits me, like a sense of urgency — now is the time for an album — and we're not there yet," he said. "I just get this kind of wanderlust of some kind to go back into a studio. It's always a very defined point." Stump added that the band's Infinity on High, which came out in February, hasn't worn out its welcome yet. "I don't really feel like we're done with this one yet," he said. "I feel like it's still in its cycle. There's a lot of songs on it I'm really proud of." Meanwhile, in regards to the new material, Stump said there are "lots of bizarre ideas" in the mix, "everything from folk to ... actually, I was experimenting with piano phases, like Steve Reich, the composer. There'll be some weird stuff, but at the end of the day, it's probably just gonna be a pop record." Stump also said he recently filmed a guest spot for an episode of "Law & Order" that will air in February. ...

Beyoncé's tour comes to a close November 12 in Taiwan — so, fittingly, she's decided to put out a concert DVD eight days later. "The Beyoncé Experience Live!," recorded at Los Angeles' Staples Center on September 2, features her performances of "Survivor" with the reunited Destiny's Child and "Upgrade U" with beau Jay-Z. It has more than two hours' worth of content in total. ... Tool's long-promised "Vicarious" DVD will be in stores December 18 and include an extended cut of the video for the title track, bonus material and special packaging. ...

The jury trial of Vincent "Don Vito" Margera — Bam Margera's uncle — on two counts of sexual assault on a child is slated to begin Tuesday. Margera is on trial for allegedly groping three underage girls at an autograph signing in August 2006 in Colorado. The jury in the trial was slated to be seated on Monday (October 22), according to a court spokesperson. ...

Ozzy Osbourne has heart — he's donating all his net profits from his November 30 show at Los Angeles' Staples Center, including ticket sales and merch, to the Sharon Osbourne Colon Cancer Program run by his wife. ... Korn frontman Jonathan Davis has beefed up his upcoming solo tour with additional dates — the trek will get under way November 9 in Hartford, Connecticut, and run through December 11 in Las Vegas. In related news, ex-Sevendust guitarist Clint Lowery is now an ex-Korn guitarist too. He has been replaced by Shane Gibson after being forced to leave the band's current "B---h We Have a Problem" run due to a family emergency. ...

Want to get your hands on some Gorillaz stickers, badges and a "Choose Pazuzu" patch? Then make sure to pick up the special-edition version of their upcoming D-Sides collection, which has bumped from a November 6 release date November 20. The special set will also come in a glossy box and have two exclusive prints by Gorillaz co-creator Jamie Hewlett. ... The ever-outlandish Mars Volta fans are going to be required to wear costumes to the one-off show they'll play at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco on New Year's Eve. The band's next album, The Bedlam in Goliath, drops January 29. ...

The hip-hop promoter who was allegedly attacked by three of Diddy's bodyguards reportedly served the hip-hop mogul on Friday with papers over the rough-up, although they were reportedly having none of it. According to TMZ, James Waldon tried to hand Diddy papers at his Sean Jean store in New York, but his bodyguards apparently smacked them to the ground before eventually retrieving them. They reportedly chased away Waldon, who alleges in his $5 million suit that three of Diddy's bodyguards attacked him after he chatted with the Bad Boy boss at the Box nightclub in New York. ... Relient K have parted ways with drummer Dave Douglas, who will bolt after the group's tour winds down in late December, it was revealed in a Friday post on the band's Web site. No explanation has been given for the departure of Douglas, who had been in Relient K for seven years. Douglas was quoted in the post as saying he will be devoting most of his time to his Gypsy Parade project. ...

Seems there's trouble in the world of CKY. Apparently a physical altercation recently broke out between various members of the group, and they've taken to MySpace to air their dirty laundry. In a post from guitarist Chad Ginsburg, he claims he broke his foot at a gig in St. Louis, and that frontman Deron Miller "has quit CKY to pursue his own band." He added that he, along with drummer Jess Margera, will carry on as CKY. Of course, Miller has a different side to the story. He claims he didn't quit the band, but, "after the San Diego show, I started getting really depressed and couldn't eat or sleep, so of course, I started drinking more and more moderately." According to Miller, he overheard several of his bandmates talking smack about him in St. Louis, and heard some "extremely personal, painful things that were mostly untrue and stupid." Miller said he confronted the rest of the band, after which "a fight broke out. I slapped Jess' hat off of his head and [Miller was jumped] after I put on my backpack to leave the bus." He said he left the band's tour to "detox" and is considering returning to the fold "if I can get and return some apologies, because let's face it, CKY [carrying on] would both be laughable and illegal." Miller also warned that if any of the songs he wrote for the band's forthcoming album end up on the LP, he'd take legal action. ...

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie can't get enough of each other — the couple are putting together a series for HBO, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The two are creating their first production project, a drama that will chronicle workers in an international aid organization who are assigned to dangerous areas. The series doesn't have a name yet, but it will be written by Scott Burns, who produced Nobel Peace Prize winner Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth" and co-wrote "The Bourne Ultimatum." ...

Cake are hitting the road for the latest edition of their Unlimited Sunshine Tour series in support of their recently released B-Sides and Rarities compilation. The tour, which kicks off November 28 with a show in Anaheim, California, will also feature performances by Brazilian Girls, Detroit Cobras, Oakley Hall, King City and Agent Ribbons. ...

Kate Hudson and Chris Robinson's divorce is almost officially over — the ex-couple have filed their divorce papers in Los Angeles County Superior Court, according to TMZ. A judge might sign off on the papers later Monday. Robinson filed for divorce in November, and he will share joint custody with Hudson of their only child, son Ryder. ... Lance Hahn, the J Church bassist who also originally fronted the San Francisco punk band, died Sunday from complications arising from kidney disease, according to Austin360.com. He was 40. In July, a tribute album called Let's Do It for Lance! was released to help raise money so Hahn, who had no health insurance, could pay his medical bills. ...

It was a scary moment for punk godmother Patti Smith during a show at Shepherd's Bush Empire in London on Sunday, when the 60-year-old singer took a fall and almost hit the edge of the stage during a show, according to a report. During an encore of her signature tune "Rock N Roll N-----," England's NME reports that Smith tripped on a speaker and fell on her face, cutting her elbow and laying on the ground for a few "agonizing" seconds. Smith allegedly joked about the fall, saying, "I'm not even f---ing embarrassed because I've done far worse," perhaps alluding to the scary fall she took in 1977 in Tampa, Florida, when she tripped off a stage and broke two vertebrae in her neck. ...

Country legend Porter Wagoner has been diagnosed with lung cancer and has been hospitalized in serious condition in Nashville, according to The Associated Press. Wagoner, 80, known for his rhinestone-dripping stage outfits and blond pompadour, is a Country Music Hall of Famer whose hits include "Misery Loves Company," "Green, Green Grass of Home" and "Skid Row Joe." He helped launch the career of Dolly Parton when he hired her as a duet partner in 1967, and Parton has said she wrote the smash hit "I Will Always Love You" (famously covered by Whitney Houston) in Wagoner's honor. ...

Police in Johannesburg, South Africa, have arrested five people in connection with the murder of reggae singer Lucky Dube, who was shot and killed during an attempted carjacking on Thursday. Reuters reports that the men were arrested in an early morning raid on Sunday, during which stolen goods were found in the house in which they were captured.

10.19.07

If you thought Jay-Z was a little premature in announcing his "retirement" four years ago, you're not alone. The hip-hop mogul admits in a new interview with XXL that he "pulled the retirement ripcord too many times." He added, "I want to never say that again. ... People looking at me like, 'Please shut up.' I was looking at [my retirement movie] 'Fade to Black' the other day. I was embarrassed. I couldn't watch. I'm not playing with you. I had to turn it off. I was cringing." On November 6, Jay-Z will issue American Gangster LP — the second album he has put out since making the "retirement" announcement in 2003. ...

Prosecutors in Philadelphia have withdrawn charges against Beanie Sigel after the rapper resolved a dispute over a rental car he had kept long past its return date, The Associated Press reports. Sigel (born Dwight Grant) had rented a 2007 Nissan Altima from Payless Car Rental in July but didn't return the vehicle by its August 13 due date. He also failed to contact the rental company. The car was reported stolen September 6 and was later returned October 5, just as detectives headed to Sigel's home to inquire about the car. Sigel has accumulated $5,000 in late fees, but he has since paid them, which caused prosecutors to withdraw the charges. ...

A Kurt Cobain biopic based on "Heavier Than Heaven," the widely praised 2001 biography of the late Nirvana singer written by Seattle journalist Charles Cross, will be executive produced by Cobain's widow, Courtney Love, according to Variety. The script for the yet-untitled film is slated to be written by "Kite Runner" screenwriter David Benioff, and Universal Pictures is funding the film. The producers have not addressed whether they have the rights to Nirvana's music for the film or which parts of Cobain's life it will cover. ...

Naomi Watts has officially pecked her way into the "Birds" remake, Variety reports. The actress is the first castmember to be announced for the new take on the Alfred Hitchcock classic, while "Casino Royale" director Martin Campbell is reportedly in talks to helm the flick, which will be produced by Michael Bay and is eyeing a 2009 theatrical release. Watts will play Melanie Daniels, a role originally taken on by Tippi Hedren, who recently sounded off to MTV about her distaste for the controversial project. ... What would Fashion Week in Southern California be like without Paris Hilton? The heiress helped close out Petro Zillia's closing show, dubbed "So L.A.," Thursday night in Culver City — although she apparently missed her sister Nicky's spring Chick collection earlier in the week. ...

Bruce Springsteen, Joss Stone, KT Tunstall, Bob Dylan and others are featured on Serve2, a recently released Hard Rock International compilation disc that benefits the Artists Against Hunger & Poverty arm of the World Hunger Year project. Unreleased tracks by those artists — plus Mat Kearney, O.A.R., the Hold Steady and more — will be featured on the set, which is available at Hard Rock Cafes. ... In addition to reuniting for some upcoming shows in November, it appears the Verve have been busy cooking up some new tunes, with the possibility of a new album in 2008. Bassist Simon Jones wrote in his blog that among the band's first new tracks in a decade are the songs "Sit and Wonder," "Judas," "Appalachian Springs," "Mona Lisa" and "Rather Be." ... U.K. shoegazers Swervedriver are also re-forming, bringing their 10-year hiatus to a close. The group is planning a worldwide tour for early next year. ... American Music Club will deliver The Golden Age — their second post-reunion effort, in fact — February 5. The track list hasn't been revealed yet. ...

Hellyeah have set November 13 as the release date for "Below the Belt," their new live DVD. The set will feature footage from the day the hard-rockers got together for the first time, along with performance footage from the making of their album, their first studio sessions and live clips from their world tour. The DVD will also boast personal interviews, as well as a few surprises. ... Irate Aerosmith fans are filing a lawsuit against the band for nixing its September 26 concert on the Hawaiian island of Maui last month, according to The Honolulu Advertiser. The class-action suit claims the band bailed from the sold-out show so it could play a bigger one in Chicago instead; that the late cancellation was unnecessary; and that it caused many fans to lose money they spent — somewhere between $500,000 and $3 million in total — on plane tickets, car rentals and hotels. The suit was filed on behalf of all ticket holders, and, under state law, plaintiffs could be eligible for triple their losses in damages and up to $5,000 if age 62 or over. ...

Stone Roses mastermind Ian Brown is giving his music a classical makeover by enlisting an orchestra to rework his hits. The singer's fifth solo release, The World Is Yours, was released last month, and Brown plans to play a set of classical concerts to put an interesting twist on his famous works. More details will be revealed in the coming weeks. ... Eels are putting out a 10th anniversary best-of set and a collection of rarities, both of which will feature a DVD and land in stores January 15. The sets will be called Meet the Eels: Essential Eels Vol. 1, 1996-2006 and Eels Useless Trinkets: B-Sides, Soundtracks, Rarities and Unreleased 1996-2006. ...

South African reggae star Lucky Dube was shot and killed in an apparent carjacking attempt on Thursday in Johannesburg, South Africa. AP reports that Dube, 43, died when he tried to drive away during the incident and crashed into a tree after being shot twice by two unknown male assailants. Dube's son had reportedly gotten out of the car shortly before the singer was shot.

[This story was originally published at 11:26 am E.T. on 10.22.2007]

• Fall Out Boy
• Beyoncé
• Tool
• Black Sabbath
• Ozzy Osbourne

Ozzy Osbourne
Photo: Frazer Harrison/ Getty Images

It seems like every summer, with the conclusion of yet another Ozzfest, the same old rumors inevitably creep up about the festival's namesake, Ozzy Osbourne. This year, the online speculation kicked into overdrive early, with various sources suggesting that this most recent Ozzfest was indeed Ozzy's last, and that next summer, the self-proclaimed Prince of Darkness would sit the fest out, which he hasn't done since the tour's 1996 inception.

But according to Ozzy — who spoke to several reporters Monday evening during a teleconference promoting his upcoming tour with Rob Zombie and openers In This Moment (an arena run that kicks off in Seattle on October 18) — he's on for the 2008 installment. "Oh yeah," Osbourne said, in response to a question from MTV News. "As far as I know."

The revelation comes weeks after wife Sharon Osbourne's older brother, David Arden, spoke out to the British press, saying that he fears Ozzy is "worn out" and that Sharon would "keep Ozzy on the road until ... he dies onstage." Arden added that his sister needed the heavy-metal icon to keep working "because of her exorbitant spending."

In response, Ozzy said that Sharon "does not get involved in telling me about working," and that he tried retirement once, and "it sucked." Ozzy added, "My wife can't make me do anything I don't want to do," and he thinks Arden "needs to see a f---ing psychiatrist."

Osbourne did not discuss whether 2008's Ozzfest would once again be free for fans, as it was in 2007. None of the bands who were on the bill were paid, having to rely largely on merchandise sales to get by.

"The reason [why the 2007 Ozzfest was free] was we had to put the brakes on the other bands who were getting ridiculous fees," he explained. "When it becomes a problem to run a fest, the only thing you can do is raise the ticket price, which we don't want to do. [The free Ozzfest] worked out in the respect that we were paying a lot of money for these other bands. Sharon is the right person to ask about that."

Osbourne said his upcoming tour with Zombie was born out of his desire to return to the arena forum, after so many years of playing Ozzfest's outdoor stages. "I really miss doing arenas, 'cause the Ozzfest, we didn't think it would last nowhere near as long as it did," he explained. "I just missed doing arenas. It's part of what rock and roll's about."

Osbourne also fielded questions about the future of Black Sabbath, saying that if there are any plans to work with the band in 2008, he's not aware of them: "I'm the last person to be told anything," he quipped. Regardless, he hasn't ruled out Sabbath's return.

"I'd love to do another Black Sabbath album," he said. "We did try and write together; there are a bunch of things written. But the problem I'm having is it's got to be at least on the same level as when we departed. If it's not, then what's the point in doing it? I'm definitely doing another album, whether with my own band or Sabbath. As long as I'm not doing bullsh--."

Ozzy was also asked whether he'll be participating in director Peter Margolis' upcoming documentary about late guitarist Randy Rhoads, who died at age 25 in a 1982 plane crash. Osbourne said he won't be, but added that he has flowers delivered to Rhoads' grave every year on the anniversary of his death. He also rejected the possibility that he'll one day pen an autobiography, saying his memory is not what it once was.

• Lamb Of God, Lordi, More At Ozzfest In Devore, California, 7.21.07

• Ozzy Osbourne
• Black Sabbath

Ozzy Osbourne
Photo: Frazer Harrison/ Getty Images

The one thing fans will immediately notice about Ozzy Osbourne's forthcoming LP Black Rain is that it's drenched in some of the heaviest riffage to grace one of the Prince of Darkness' solo outings — thanks, in large part, to Ozzy's longtime guitarist, the Jack Daniel's-chugging Zakk Wylde. According to Osbourne, there were times during the tracking of the album when he wondered whether the songs were too abrasive. But you see, Ozzy's got this personal rule about making music.

"If you're heavy, don't try to be f---ing light," he explained.

Wise words from a man whose stamp on the world of heavy metal will never be challenged. Ozzy said his friends who had heard the new material assured him that heavier was better and that it was the direction he needed to go in.

But don't think for a second that Ozzy is merely trying to keep pace with the younger metal acts that play his namesake festival each summer. (This year's Ozzfest will be free to the public and kicks off July 12 in Seattle; see "Osbournes Hype 'Groundbreaking' Ozzfest: 'Why Not Go To A Show For Free?' ").

"The bottom line is, these younger bands, there's no structure to the songs," Ozzy said. "They just play angry, which is fine. But there are so many people who come from my era, who try to sound like one of these young bands, and the press just tears 'em a new butt."

And to think that Osbourne nearly ditched Wylde a couple of years back, announcing on his Web site that he'd be hosting auditions for a new guitarist to work with him on what eventually became Black Rain.

"I don't know how the guy does it," Ozzy marveled. "He does Black Label Society, and he's never off the road. He had just come home for a week, and he came into the studio, and we worked on some stuff together. I'm just blessed to have him. I was going to get a new guitar player a few years back, but there's no one better. I defy anybody to say they're better than him. He's got a style of his own."

Black Rain, Ozzy's first new studio album of original material in almost six years, will hit stores May 22. The disc follows 2001's Down to Earth and was recorded in Los Angeles in Osbourne's home studio along with Wylde, bassist Blasko, drummer Mike Bordin and co-producer Kevin Churko, who worked on Ozzy's 2005 covers album, Under Cover. The set will feature 10 tracks, including the first single, "I Don't Wanna Stop," "Civilize the Universe" and "Lay Your World on Me," a touching ballad he penned in part for his wife Sharon after her much-publicized bout with colon cancer (see "Sharon Osbourne Declared Cancer-Free; Bat-Biting Biopic Discussed").

"I always like to do a good ballad on an album, to take the steam out of it, and then you come right back with another heavy one," Ozzy explained, pointing out — as he has — that Black Rain is the first album he's finished without using drugs or alcohol.

"I thought I couldn't do it," he explained. "I made the decision that, if I thought I couldn't do it [without] getting f---ed up, I wouldn't do an album. If that was what it was about for me, to make a record, I don't want to go there any more. I don't want it in my life. I don't smoke. I don't drink. I don't do drugs anymore. It takes a lot of getting used to, but it was definitely a different experience for me."

This summer, Osbourne said he'll be playing several songs from Black Rain but will of course dip into the archives to play some of his older solo material, as well as some Black Sabbath classics. But he can't take credit for this summer's gratis tickets.

"I'm the entertainer — my wife's the manager," he said. "I may be talking out of my ass, but what happened was, we always try to do a reasonable ticket. We have to alter it and ultimately put more on the ticket [as tour-related costs increase]. So last year, Sharon was getting pissed off at the bands who wanted more and more [money to play], so she goes, 'F--- this, I'm going to do it for nothing,' and bring it back down to earth. And people thought it would be a washout, that it wouldn't work.

"It's our way of saying, 'Eh, come along, have some fun,' " he continued. "The ticket prices don't ever go down. ... We're in hard times now. I'm just trying to bring a bit of fairness to the game, and Sharon is also, and keep people happy. If it wasn't for them — I'm [turning] 59 this year — I wouldn't be anywhere near where I am now. I wouldn't be living in these houses I have."

Before his headlining stint on this summer's free Ozzfest, Osbourne will play a series of international dates beginning May 27 in Moscow. He is also one of the subjects of VH1's "Rock Honors," to be taped May 12 in Las Vegas for a May 24 airing.

As for the reunion of Black Sabbath's 1980s lineup — guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler, singer Ronnie James Dio and drummer Vinny Appice — which will be touring this year under the moniker Heaven and Hell, Ozzy wishes them all the best but maintains the only true Black Sabbath is the band he fronts. And while he's not sure what Heaven and Hell's future plans might be, his next order of business, so long as the rest of the guys are still up for it, is to record with Sabbath once again.

"I'm still on for an album and a tour with them, but we have no [new material written]," he said. "It would be so easy for us to get in and out of a studio and make an album. But if it's not up to the par of when I left, why do it? It will destroy the f---ing legacy of Black Sabbath, and the legend of Black Sabbath. I haven't dropped the idea, because Tony and I are talking alright about it. I haven't abandoned the idea — like, 'If my album does well, f--- Black Sabbath.' It's what I want to do. We have repaired some of the damage between each other, and now, I'd like to do a really good f---ing Black Sabbath album."

• Black Sabbath
• Ozzy Osbourne

Robyn Troup
Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images

"My Grammy Moment" winner Robyn Troup, who performed onstage with Justin Timberlake at Sunday night's ceremony, was cut from the "Idol" competition during Tuesday night's Hollywood Week episode — which was taped before she scored her Grammy spotlight. The 19-year-old singer, who beat out thousands for the "My Grammy Moment" honor, passed the first round of "Idol" Hollywood tests, but was eliminated following her group performance. The 24 semifinalists will be announced during Wednesday's "Idol" broadcast. ...

Responding to speculation surrounding her strange behavior on "Idol" and in recent TV appearances, judge Paula Abdul told Us Weekly in its February 16 issue that she's never been drunk, nor has she done recreational drugs in her 20-year career. "There have been 100 million lies about me," the "American Idol" judge said in an interview with the magazine. "I'm squeaky clean. I've worked my ass off my entire life. Being involved in the show causes people to question everything." ... Nas has partnered with 310 Motoring to design and release his own signature line of sneakers, the Disciple Footwear Collection, due in stores this June. ...

A wave of dark music has inspired Good Charlotte to lighten up. "We look around and everything is dark, dark, dark, theatrical death," Benji Madden said in an interview with MTV Europe. "I mean, we did it with Chronicles of Life and Death two years ago. We just see music going that way, and we said on [Good Morning Revival] we just want to go this way. If everyone's wearing black, we want to wear white," he said. "We're wearing black right now," his brother Joel countered. The Maddens did agree on some things, noting that Revival, due March 27, will be "beat-oriented," and though they both love Oasis, Revival "sounds nothing like Oasis." Gotcha. In other Good Charlotte news, the boys are allowing fans to personalize the video to their new single, "The River." At BeIntheRiver.com, fans can upload up to 10 photos to be shown on the huge screens in the background of the performance scenes. ...

Tool will be touring North America again this spring, giving fans who failed to nail tickets to the band's 2006 runs a second chance to experience their latest LP, 10,000 Days, live and in person. The tour will launch March 15 in Las Vegas, and make stops in San Diego; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Orlando, Florida; Winston-Salem, North Carolina; Richmond, Virginia; Albany, New York; Atlantic City, New Jersey; and Portland, Maine, all before wrapping up April 29 in Hamilton, Ontario. ... The first posthumous non-album collection of music from indie-folk rocker Elliott Smith will be released on May 8 by Kill Rock Stars. Titled New Moon, the two-disc compilation will feature 24 songs recorded between 1994 and 1997 — a time in his career that yielded a self-titled album and Either/Or. The final mixing on the album was done by longtime Portland friend and engineering collaborator Larry Crane, who is now the official archivist for the Smith estate. Smith died October 21, 2003, but coroners have been unable to determine the cause of death and the case remains open by the Los Angeles Police Department. ...

Black Sabbath's upcoming best-of collection, featuring three new songs recorded by original members Geezer Butler and Tony Iommi with post-Ozzy-era Sabbath frontman Ronnie James Dio and drummer Vinnie Appice, is due April 3. Black Sabbath: The Dio Years features previously released material as well as new tracks "The Devil Cried," "Shadow of the Wind" and "Ear in the Wall." Butler, Iommi, Dio and Appice will be touring next month as Heaven and Hell. ... Fountains of Wayne are previewing their new single, "Someone to Love," on a special Valentine e-card available at Virgin Records' Web site . The song is featured on Traffic and Weather, due April 3. ...

Lionel Richie said over Grammy weekend that he would be interested in working again with former collaborator Michael Jackson. "I got to get Mike focused," Richie said. "I want him to just do it and deliver it, because what happens is we get into what we call recording syndrome and we don't put it out. But I think he's going to be OK, he's just got to get centered. I'll know after I hear the fifth track that he's serious about where he's going." ... On March 17, British metal legends Iron Maiden will play a show on the grounds of a palace in Bangalore, India, a performance the band's label is trumpeting as the first major metal concert on Indian soil. Frontman Bruce Dickinson said Maiden will "enjoy every moment" in India, calling the event "very special to us" because the band will "be able to play to new fans in countries we've never been to before. We hear the Indian fans are very loud and into their metal." ...

Dan the Automator has produced the debut solo CD from Josh Haden, former vocalist of the band Spain. The two first hooked up for Automator's Handsome Boy Modeling School project in 1999. Featured on the disc is turntable wizard Kid Koala and John Medeski of Medeski, Martin & Wood. ... Toni Braxton has settled a multimillion-dollar lawsuit she filed against her former manager, Barry Hankerson, The Associated Press reports. The R&B diva claimed in the suit that Hankerson deceptively caused her to part ways with her longtime label, Arista, for his Blackground Records. According to the terms of the settlement, Braxton can now only sign with a limited list of companies and must fork over royalties from her next project to Hankerson. ...

Maxwell fans who hit up the crooner's MySpace page Wednesday morning (February 14) expecting a new track were left disappointed when there was an apology posted instead of the promised song. Maxwell began the audio message with a Valentine's Day wish, and explained that the song he hoped to post was not ready. "I've been working on it for about three days straight — actually longer," the singer said, "And, I don't know, I just don't feel it yet. I just want to send it out when it's right." ... Every Time I Die have announced that Steve Evetts (Dillinger Escape Plan, Story of the Year) will be producing their forthcoming LP, which the band will begin tracking in early March. The disc will be released this summer via Ferret Music.

02.13.2007

Mariah Carey has been named the new face of the Italian fashion house Pinko. Pietro Negra, the president and founder of the clothing line, said the company sought "not only a beautiful woman, but a musical artist, because music is the greatest channel of communication." Carey, a self-described "huge fan" of the brand, said she was "beyond excited" when approached by Pinko. "The clothes are so stylish and fun, and I'm really looking forward to our new venture together." ...

A Notorious B.I.G. Greatest Hits compilation is coming March 6, in time for the 10th anniversary of his death. Along with favorites like "Juicy," "Big Poppa" and "Hypnotize," the album will feature two previously unreleased tracks: "Running Your Mouth" and "Want That Old Thing Back." ...

Paul Wall will release his second major-label album, Get Money - Stay True, April 3. Jermaine Dupri, Snoop Dogg, Rick Ross, Fergie and Trina are among the guests. The album's first single, "Break 'Em Off," recently went to radio. ... The grillz guru is also joining Jamie Kennedy's Hip-Hop Comedy Tour this month, to play for U.S. troops stationed in the Persian Gulf. Like other United Service Organizations performances in the area, specific dates and destinations on the tour are unavailable for security reasons. ...

Beyoncé's B'Day, which earned the singer a Grammy in the Best Contemporary R&B Album category Sunday, is getting another spin April 3. The double-disc deluxe edition of B'Day will feature the original album plus three new tracks — "If," "Flaws & All" and the Shakira duet "Beautiful Liar" — on one CD. Disc two of the expanded release will feature six Spanish-language tracks, including "Amor Gitano" — a duet with singer Alejandro Fernández — Spanish-language versions of "Listen" ("Oye") and "Irreplaceable" ("Irremplazable") and three additional mixes of "Beautiful Liar." "B'Day Anthology Video Album," a Wal-Mart exclusive DVD featuring 10 Beyoncé videos, will also hit shelves April 3. ...

Fall Out Boy, Deftones, Meg & Dia and Motion City Soundtrack bandmembers have finally found something in common: a love of haikus. They're putting ink to paper for "Revolution on Canvas, Volume 2: Poetry From the Indie Music Scene," an exhaustive volume that also features contributions from members of Cobra Starship, Atreyu, Chiodos, Rise Against, Murder by Death, the Hush Sound, Rx Bandits and Hellogoodbye. The book is due May 9. ... Robbie Williams will spend his 33rd birthday in rehab. The British pop singer has checked into a clinic to treat a prescription-drug addition, his spokesperson confirmed to MTV UK on Tuesday (February 13): "Robbie Williams has today been admitted into a treatment center in America for his dependency on prescription drugs. There will be no further comment on this matter." In 1995, Williams checked into rehab for drug and alcohol addiction following his departure from the boy band Take That. ...

The Shins, who kicked off their latest tour last week, have added more dates to their itinerary. The band plays Lawrence, Kansas, on Tuesday and will perform in Denver, Seattle, Houston, Philadelphia, New York and Boston before the trek concludes with an April 14 performance at KCRW's A Sounds Eclectic Evening festival in Universal City, California. ... With a string of five shows at the Judson Memorial Church in New York beginning Tuesday, the Arcade Fire have announced a full U.S. tour in support of their new album, Neon Bible (due March 6). The band will spend all of March and most of April overseas, then return to the U.S. on April 26 for a show at the Spreckels Theatre in San Diego, followed by a performance at Coachella on April 28. The band will then hit Atlanta; Washington, D.C.; Philadelphia; and Boston before playing three shows at a yet-unannounced venue in New York, three gigs at the Chicago Theatre and a stop at the Schnitzer Concert Hall in Portland, Oregon. The tour is currently set to conclude with two shows at San Francisco's Greek Theatre on June 1-2. ...

Lou Reed, Mike Doughty, Laurie Anderson and others will congregate March 1 at New York's Town Hall for "Old Knit," a 20th anniversary celebration of the founding of noted Tribeca music venue the Knitting Factory. The event — also featuring jazz savant John Zorn and Medeski, Martin and Wood — will double as a benefit for the nonprofit performance space the Stone, located on the Lower East Side. ... The Flaming Lips will tour the southern U.S. this spring, the band announced just hours after taking home two Grammys Sunday night — winning Best Rock Instrumental Performance for "The Wizard Turns On ..." and Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical, for At War With the Mystics. The tour kicks off April 11 in Athens, Georgia, and will make stops in Orlando, Florida; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; and Raleigh, North Carolina, before wrapping up April 19 in Norfolk, Virginia. No word yet on who will open for the Lips, but those details and additional live dates are expected in the coming weeks. ...

Shadows Fall have set an April 3 release date for their new album, Threads of Life. Nick Raskulinecz (Foo Fighters, Velvet Revolver) produced the album, which features the first single, "Redemption." ... MTV News You Hear It First alums the Exies have moved to indie label Eleven Seven Music for the release of their album, A Modern Way of Living With the Truth, due April 10. The first single, "Different Than You," is going to radio February 20. ... Static-X will release their latest LP, Cannibal, April 3. To promote the disc, the band will kick off a U.S. tour March 30 in Santa Ana, California. Dates run through April 15 in San Antonio. ... Scottish band the View have canceled their upcoming U.S. tour due to "unforeseen visa and immigration issues," the band announced Monday. The scrapped run was set to kick off March 3 in New York and hit the South by Southwest music conference as well as cities including Chicago, Seattle, San Francisco and Toronto. The band's debut album, Hats Off to the Buskers, will be released in the U.S. on May 8.

• Justin Jams With My Grammy Moment Victor

• Paula Abdul
• Nas
• Good Charlotte
• Tool
• Black Sabbath

Ronnie James Dio
Photo: Sanctuary Records

For much of the past decade, Black Sabbath have been performing with their original singer, Ozzy Osbourne. And while they haven't yet released any new material, their seemingly perennial appearances at Ozzfest make it seem as if Osbourne is the group's only real singer.

That's not exactly the case. The band had several different singers after Ozzy left in 1979, and fans almost universally agree that Ronnie James Dio — unquestionably one of the most legendary throats in metal history — is by far the best Sabbath vocalist not named Osbourne.

During Dio's tenure (1979-1982 and 1992-1993), Black Sabbath recorded their best material since 1975's Sabotage, but while both 1980's Heaven and Hell and 1981's The Mob Rules were haunting, heavy and arguably more musically mature than much of the band's earlier work, their significance in the Sabbath catalog has been diminished by the many hit-and-miss Sabbath records that followed Dio's departure, and more significantly by the group's reunion with Ozzy. And sadly, the group's third studio effort with Dio, the punishing 1992 album Dehumanizer, hit at a time when metal was shunned and faded with barely a blip (the underrated 1982 concert album Live Evil also featured Dio).

But now Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi and bassist Geezer Butler are taking strides to resurrect the Dio era by recording three new songs with him for an upcoming best-of album, Black Sabbath: The Dio Years, and scheduling a world tour under the band name Heaven and Hell.

This doesn't mean the end of the Ozzy-fronted Sabbath, nor does it spell curtains for Dio's long-running titular band. It's even unclear whether Heaven and Hell will record a studio album, but for most of 2007 the band will, barring some unforeseen circumstance, spread its taloned wings and take to the skies.

"It's going to be a lot of fun to get back in front of fans and perform these songs again," Dio said. "I think this is something a lot of people have been waiting a long time for."

According to Dio, the Heaven and Hell tour will kick off in Vancouver, British Columbia, on March 3 and play at least seven shows across Canada, ending in Toronto. Then the band will likely play South America, Japan, Korea, Australia and Europe before returning to North America for a U.S. tour in August or September.

Though Dio is thrilled to be able to revisit his past with Sabbath, he hasn't lain awake at night longing for a reunion. And while Iommi and Butler have wondered over the years what it would be like to play again with Dio, it was Warner Music subsidiary Rhino Records that first brought up the idea by making plans to release The Dio Years. The label contacted Iommi's manager and said it would like to include some previously unreleased songs. Since there was nothing worthwhile in the vault that hadn't been used, Iommi contacted Dio and suggested they consider getting together to write some new material.

"About four months ago, I went over to England to Tony's house, where he has a studio," Dio said. "We started to work together, and it was really so enjoyable. After long spaces of time not working with people, you forget how good they are or how much you liked being around them."

The band isn't yet ready to announce the titles of the three new songs, but that doesn't mean Dio isn't eager to talk about them. One, he says, will be slow and doomy, the second will be midtempo and the third will be a scorcher.

"They're the perfect blend, [given] the limitations of only doing three tracks," he said. "I feel like we covered all the bases, and it's all guitar, bass, drums and voice. There are no keyboards, and it sounds excellent. And the lyrics are pretty weird. Whenever I get back with Sabbath, I seem to have this leash taken off me and I can write as weird as I want to."

The three tracks were recorded during three sessions, each of which lasted an average of 10 days. Black Sabbath's original drummer, Bill Ward, was not involved with the recordings and will not tour with the band. Instead, Heaven and Hell recruited Vinnie Appice, who joined Black Sabbath after Ward left in 1980 and played on The Mob Rules and Live Evil before teaming with Dio to form the latter's titular band (he played on five Dio records in the '80s and early '90s).

"It was wonderful to work with Vinnie again," Dio said. "Even though I hadn't seen him in many years, we got along as if we'd never been apart because we know each other so well from all those years of being together."

Shortly after Heaven and Hell announced their plans, the Osbourne camp issued a lukewarm statement. "Tony Iommi and Ronnie Dio are working on a project together which has nothing to do with Black Sabbath," it read. "There is only one Black Sabbath. Ozzy, Tony, Geezer and Bill will be touring late next year along with a new Black Sabbath album. However, Ozzy wishes Tony and Ronnie much success in their project together."

After being nominated several times, Sabbath were finally inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last year (see "Black Sabbath Finally Make Rock Hall Of Fame — Whether Ozzy Likes It Or Not").

For more on Black Sabbath, check out the feature "The Greatest Heavy Metal Bands of All Time."

• The Great Metal Debate

• Black Sabbath
• Dio

Pamela Anderson
Photo: Brad Barket/ Getty Images

After just four months of marriage, Pamela Anderson has filed for divorce from Kid Rock. Anderson cited "irreconcilable differences," according to divorce papers filed last week in Los Angeles Superior Court. "DIVORCE: Yes, it's true," Anderson wrote on her Web site, next to a picture of the couple. "Unfortunately impossible," she added, cryptically. The couple were married in three separate ceremonies, beginning on July 29. ...

Beyoncé is looking for dancers for her upcoming world tour. Five U.S. cities will host open-call auditions: Los Angeles (December 6-7), Atlanta (December 9), Houston (January 6), New York (January 11-12) and Chicago (January 27). Dancers may be male or female and of any nationality, but must be at least 18 years old. For more information see www.beyonce.com. ...

"American Idol" alum Jennifer Hudson has signed with Arista Records to release her yet-untitled debut album, the label announced Monday (November 27). Hudson is set to make her big-screen debut with a buzz-worthy performance in next month's Dreamgirls, which also stars Jamie Foxx and Beyoncé. A spokesperson for the label said Hudson will begin recording her debut LP next year. ...

The late Princess Diana's sons — Princes William and Harry — are planning to mark the 10th anniversary of their mother's death with a charity concert at London's 90,000-capacity Wembley Stadium on July 1. The show, to be hosted by the two princes, commemorates what would have been Diana's 46th birthday. London's Sunday Times reported that among the artists likely to appear include Elton John, Beyoncé, George Michael and Kylie Minogue. Pharrell Williams and the Killers have also reportedly been approached to participate. ...

U2's claim to the top-grossing tour of all time was brief. The Irish band's barely nine-month-long reign was brought to an end by (who else?) the Rolling Stones. Billboard reports that the Stones' A Bigger Bang Tour — which began in the fall of 2005 — shattered the $377 million gross of U2's year-long trek by grossing $437 million and drawing 3.5 million people to 110 shows. If, as expected, the tour stretches into 2007, it could end up bringing in more than $500 million. ...

The long-simmering feud between Apple Computers and Apple Records, which has kept Beatles music off iTunes, could be close to an end. According to Fortune magazine, iTunes is close to a deal that would not only bring the Beatles catalog online for the first time, it would also give iTunes an exclusive on the Fab Four's music for a limited time. Among the issues reportedly being hammered out is how long that limited period of exclusivity will last, and whether the Beatles and their representatives would allow the band's music to be used in an iPod commercial. Neither side would comment officially on the negotiations. ...

Yoko Ono issued a full-page notice in Sunday's New York Times under the title "Forgive Us." The message, in observance of the approaching 26th anniversary of the murder of her husband, John Lennon, was a plea for forgiveness from the world's poor and suffering people "for having been unable to stop the tragedy" [apparently a reference to violence and hunger]. "Know that your loss is our loss," she wrote, later noting, "As the widow of one who was killed by an act of violence, I don't know if I am ready yet to forgive the one who pulled the trigger." ...

Black Sabbath drummer Bill Ward said that, contrary to reports, he will not be working with Heaven & Hell, which finds Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi and bassist Geezer Butler reuniting with Ronnie James Dio, the band's singer from 1979-83, as well as former Sabbath/Dio drummer Vinny Appice. "I realize there has been some speculation as to whether or not I am participating in the Heaven & Hell project," Ward wrote in a post on his official Web site. "I want to confirm that I will not be involved in either the recordings for the upcoming CD or the subsequent tour. I want to wish the guys — Tony, Geezer, Ronnie and Vinny — much success for the coming year." A posting on Iommi's Web site from October lists Ward as being involved in the project. ...

Sartorially splendid, sonically somber New York quartet Interpol have hit the studio to begin work on their third album, their first for Capitol Records. According to a post on their official Web site, the band are holed up in a New York studio and "the atmosphere and environs of a recording facility affect the sound and feel of an album in the subtlest ways. And we are affected. And it is subtle." There's no indication of when fans will get to hear any of said subtlety, but the guys add that everything "sounds great so far, but we'll be here for a while yet." ...

The Black Eyed Peas will release their first live DVD, "Live From Sydney to Vegas," on December 5. Bonus footage includes videos for "Union" and "Bebot" and a live performance of Fergie's "London Bridge." ...

11.22.2006

Hilary Duff is onto the paparazzi's moves, and she's got a surefire trick to throw them off. The singer/actress said in an interview featured in the December/January issue of Jane that she has a tactic to duck photographers trying to capture her in a tough moment with her boyfriend, Good Charlotte's Joel Madden: "If we're out someplace, we could totally be fighting, but we'll be looking at each other like this," Duff explained, reportedly flashing a big smile, "because there's a camera right there. Then we end up forgetting we're in a fight, because we're laughing since it's not a real thing to do, and we're both such real people." Real people who listen to music you may not expect, Duff insisted. "I love the Faint. If they would do a song for me, I would blow a fuse." ...

Reprise Records will re-release early Green Day material December 19. The band's 1,039/ Smoothed Out Slappy Hours and Kerplunk! were originally issued on Lookout! Records, and then reissued by that same label in 2004, but Green Day removed the LPs from the Lookout catalog last year after allegations that the band was owed royalties. ... AFI, Trent Reznor, Rise Against and Hellogoodbye have been named winners of the Libby Awards, a new honor put on by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. ("Libby" is short for "liberation.") AFI won Best Vegetarian Band, Rise Against's "Ready to Fall" earned them Best Animal Rights Song of 2006 and Nine Inch Nails frontman Reznor was honored as the Best New Fur Foe. Runners-up included Silverstein, Motion City Soundtrack and NOFX. ...

We're just months away from seeing exactly how "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" translates from book to the big screen (Feast your eyes on the film trailer right here), and now the young wizard's fifth adventure is about to go interactive. The "Order of the Phoenix" video game, scheduled for a July release, will allow players to explore Hogwarts and control multiple characters, including Harry, Sirius Black and Dumbledore. The game is currently being developed by Electronic Arts and will be released for the Nintendo Wii, PlayStation 2 and 3, Xbox 360 and Windows PC. ...

Capitol/Priority is commemorating the 20th anniversary of hip-hop pioneers N.W.A, with The Best of N.W.A: The Strength of Street Knowledge, due December 26. A deluxe version of the 17-song retrospective CD comes with a bonus DVD featuring previously unreleased interviews with Ice Cube, Dr. Dre and Eazy-E. In other N.W.A news, nine songs by the act will debut as ringtones on December 12. ... Lil Scrappy's "G's Up TV," a weekly show recounting the rapper's journey to music from the streets, launched Tuesday at GsUpTV.com. In addition to Scrappy's firsthand accounts of his life and career, the series features skits — including a cognac tasting with Lil Jon — and celebrity guests such as Three 6 Mafia, Young Buck and Jamie Kennedy. The series will run through December 5 release, when his debut LP, Bred 2 Die, Born 2 Live, drops. ...

Angelina Jolie made an unannounced visit to Cambodia on Wednesday (November 22), The Associated Press reports. The actress, who adopted her son Maddox from the country, spoke with government officials about the $1.3 million nature-conservation project she is funding there. ... The advice may be too late for Britney Spears and Jessica Simpson, but Will Smith is sharing his secret to keeping a celebrity marriage alive: "Divorce cannot be an option," he revealed in the current issue of Reader's Digest. Smith explained that he quit his marriage to first wife, Sheree Smith, when he "could have fixed it" — and he said he won't make that mistake again with Jada Pinkett Smith. "With Jada, I stood up in front of God and my family and friends and said, 'Till death do us part.' So there are two possible outcomes: We are going to be together till death or I am dead." ...

After separate jaunts opening for Killswitch Engage and Dragonforce, piping-hot Massachusetts metallers All That Remains will head out for their first headlining track in support of this year's The Fall of Ideals. The band is hoping to have a permanent drummer by the time it kicks off the North American trek, slated for late January. ... Bayside — the New York band that lost a drummer in a van accident while on tour with Hawthorne Heights earlier this year — have assembled a short December trek with Junior Varsity and others called the Holiday Havoc Tour. The outing begins December 3 in New Haven, Connecticut, and winds down December 11 in New York. Bayside's junior album is due February 6. ... Pop punks Cartel will hit the road next year with Cobra Starship, Boys Like Girls, Permanent Me and Quietdrive. The 19-date trek kicks off February 7 in Carrboro, New York, and makes stops in Pittsburgh, New Orleans, Dallas, San Diego, Las Vegas and Seattle before winding down March 9 in Milwaukee. ...

This Christmas, Pink Floyd's David Gilmour will release three live tracks that he's dedicated to former bandmember and friend, the late Syd Barrett — who died this summer of pancreatic cancer. An acoustic cover of Barrett's "Dark Globe" and two new versions of Floyd's "Arnold Layne" will be available for download through Gilmour's Web site beginning December 25. ... Reunited New Jersey hardcore pioneers Lifetime will release their first studio album in more than 10 years on February 26 through Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz's Decaydance/ Fueled by Ramen label. The self-titled outing will boast 11 tracks in all, but no song titles have been revealed yet. Lifetime plan to spend much of next year on the road touring in support of the disc. ... Influential Delta blues musician Robert Lockwood Jr. died Tuesday of respiratory failure in Cleveland. The Grammy-nominated singer/guitarist and W.C. Handy Award winner was 91.

• Beyoncé
• U2
• The Rolling Stones
• The Beatles
• Black Sabbath

Britney Spears
Photo: Matthew Simmons/ Getty Images

It really is a boy! But he doesn't share Sean Preston's initials after all. According to the birth certificate filed at the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder's office and posted on the "Access Hollywood" Web site, the son born September 12 to Britney Spears and Kevin Federline is named Jayden James Federline. A source close to the family revealed last month that the baby was a boy named Sutton Pierce, but Spears has not yet commented on her second child's name or gender. ...

So so gone. Jermaine Dupri confirmed Wednesday (October 25) that he has voluntarily resigned as president of Urban Music at Virgin Records. The producer and So So Def CEO reportedly blamed Virgin for poor promotional efforts of his girlfriend Janet Jackson's latest album, 20 Y.O. The set was executive produced by Dupri, and Jackson graced the cover of several magazines, however, sales for the album have fallen below expectations following the singer's last underwhelming album, Damita Jo. In a statement released Wednesday morning, Dupri clarified he was in fact leaving his post on his own accord. "Since there are so many rumors running rampant about my position at Virgin Records, I feel that it is necessary to set the record straight," he said. "I was not forced out of the company, I made a decision that it was in my best interest to leave." JD was not available at press time to discuss his future plans. ...

Who says MySpace is just for wasting time? The Game recently typed in the name of his long-lost sister — who he hasn't seen since he was a child — in a MySpace search and was reunited with her, according to a press release from the Web site. ... Jay-Z, Nelly and Usher might have to make room for the Fresh Prince. Will Smith is the latest artist bidding on an NBA franchise, as part of an investment group that includes Hall of Fame player Julius "Dr. J." Erving. The actor/rapper is vying to purchase his hometown team, the Philadelphia 76ers, The Philadelphia Inquirer reports. Smith's group is among several that have placed bids, with the winning price tag expected to exceed $400 million, sources close to the negotiations told the paper. If Smith's group is successful, he'll join the aforementioned artists, who have stakes in the New Jersey Nets, Charlotte Bobcats and Cleveland Cavaliers, respectively. ...

Black Sabbath fans might be seeing double in the coming year, with the band's original lineup and one of its subsequent configurations planning to hit the road. Guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler, drummer Bill Ward and onetime Sabbath singer Ronnie James Dio are on the verge of reuniting as Heaven and Hell — the title of one of the two albums Dio sang on — according to a press release put out Wednesday by publicity firm Rogers & Cowan. "If all goes well, Heaven and Hell should be hitting the road in early 2007," the statement read. Shortly after that announcement was issued, Ozzy Osbourne's camp released a statement saying, "Tony Iommi and Ronnie Dio are working on a project together which has nothing to do with Black Sabbath. There is only one Black Sabbath. Ozzy, Tony, Geezer and Bill will be touring late next year along with a new Black Sabbath album. However, Ozzy wishes Tony and Ronnie much success in their project together." ...

The King has been dethroned. Late Nirvana singer Kurt Cobain has edged out Elvis Presley on Forbes.com's list of top-earning dead celebrities. Between October 2005 and October 2006, Cobain earned $50 million to Elvis' $42 million, putting the grunge icon at the top in his very first year on the list and ending Presley's five-year reign. ... Someone may have finally out-weirded Michael Jackson. A London woman, Nona Paris Lola Jackson, filed court papers in Los Angeles last week claiming she is the real mother of Michael Jackson's three children, according to KNBC-TV in Los Angeles. The woman, who signed the papers "dudu," is asking to have a say in the child custody settlement recently reached between the pop star and ex-wife Deborah Rowe. The woman claims that Jackson's ex-wives Rowe and Lisa Marie Presley never had sex with the singer, and also said she's written more than 3,000 songs for Jackson. A hearing on her motion is set for November 29 in Los Angeles. Rowe is believed to be the mother of Jackson's oldest children, Prince Michael Joseph Jackson Jr., born in 1997, and daughter, Paris Michael Katherine Jackson, born in 1998. Jackson has a third child, Blanket (a.k.a. Prince Michael II), whose mother is not known. ...

Sebadoh, John Vanderslice, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists and Jolie Holland are the first acts announced to perform at 2007's Noise Pop festival. The 15th installment of the San Francisco indie gala is scheduled for February 27-March 4. ... "I Trust You to Kill Me," a documentary following Kiefer Sutherland as he works as a road manager for Rocco DeLuca & the Burden, will make its TV debut November 11 on VH1. The movie opened in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco last month. ... On February 6, Bloc Party will — finally — release their second album, A Weekend in the City. The record, which an ebullient press release describes as a semi-concept album about "daily life in a modern city," was produced by Snow Patrol knob-twiddler Jacknife Lee and recorded in Dublin, Ireland. Weekend features 11 songs, including "Hunting for Witches" (which BP premiered on their recent North American jaunt), "The Prayer," "When Is Home?" and "SRXT." ...

Jibbs is shooting the video for "King Kong," the second single from his debut album, Jibbs Feat. Jibbs, in Los Angeles on Wednesday (October 25) and Thursday. Jibbs will head out on the Scream Tour 5 with Yung Joc, Omarion and Ne-Yo beginning November 22 in Miami. Jibbs also recently became the second artist ever to go sell a million ringtones (for "Chain Hang Low") before releasing a debut LP. ... Heather Mills McCartney, who is in the middle of a bitter divorce battle with ex-Beatle Paul McCartney, plans to sue England's Daily Mail and Evening Standard newspapers over comments her lawyers have deemed "false, damaging and immensely upsetting," according to a Reuters report. The move comes after legal documents — apparently prepared by Mills McCartney's lawyers — were leaked last week, containing allegations that Paul McCartney mistreated his wife during their four-year marriage. Legal action is also expected against the Sun, a British tabloid newspaper. ...

Jon Lech Johansen, a renowned hacker known as "DVD Jon" for his success in cracking the copy-protection codes on DVDs, claims to have hacked the iPod and iTunes music-store code and plans to license his code to others for a fee, according to The Associated Press. The 22-year-old native of Norway reverse-engineered iTunes so that songs purchased from it can be played on other, non-iPod portable devices, and figured out how to play songs from other online music stores on iPods, which use a proprietary form of copy protection. ... Tommy Johnson, the tuba player who scared a generation of movie fans with his ominous opening notes to the "Jaws" theme, died in Los Angeles on October 16 of complications from cancer and kidney failure, according to the Los Angeles Times. He was 71. The veteran player performed on thousands of movie scores over a 50-year career, including "The Godfather," "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," the "Indiana Jones" trilogy, the "Star Trek" movie series, "The Lion King," "Titanic" and "The Thin Red Line."

10.24.2006

Foxy Brown was sentenced Tuesday (October 24) to three years of probation pertaining to a fight at a nail salon in 2004, The Associated Press reports. New York Judge Melissa C. Jackson rejected Brown's last-minute appeals for a two-week extension and new arguments. "The purpose of a reargument is not to let the parties go over issues that have already been decided," she said. If Brown breaks her probation, she could face up to one year in jail. ... The news was more positive for Busta Rhymes on Tuesday, after a New York judge ruled that prosecutors could not charge him with an additional charge of possessing a weapon following his arrest this summer, AP reports. On August 12, he was busted for assault, and a machete was found inside a sports-utility vehicle Rhymes was riding in. ...

Justin Timberlake has planted a handful of new tracks on iTunes in the form of SexyTracks: The SexyBack Remix EP and two versions of "My Love." Also available on iTunes is the JC Chasez tune "Until Yesterday," which was co-written and produced by JT. ... Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes have set a date. The couple, who were engaged in June 2005 and welcomed baby Suri in April, will marry November 18 in Italy, Cruise's representative confirmed to AP on Tuesday. The bride will wear Giorgio Armani. ...

Shakira will perform at the Latin Grammy Awards on November 2 at Madison Square Garden in New York. Alejandro Sanz is also among the many performers. ... Rihanna, John Legend, Lionel Richie and others are slated to perform at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert December 11 in Oslo, Norway. Sharon Stone and Anjelica Huston are hosting. ... The Essence Music Festival is returning to New Orleans on July 5-7, organizers announced Tuesday. Artists have yet to be announced for the 13th installment of the festival, considered to be the nation's biggest annual black-culture celebration. ...

Veteran H-Town rappers Bun B and Pimp C have set December 19 as the release date for their seventh UGK album, Underground Kingz. The double CD will feature production from Jazze Pha, Lil Jon, Swizz Beatz, Scarface, Marley Marl and Pimp C himself. Rappers Rick Ross, Slim Thug, Sleepy Brown and Three 6 Mafia also make cameos on the album. Underground Kingz will be UGK's first album since Pimp C was released from prison in December after serving a four-year sentence for assault. ...

It's not that Jessica Simpson doesn't want to date — she's afraid to. "My fear is that I won't ever date anybody," she said in Jane magazine's November issue, "because they'll think I'm going to ruin their career. That they'll be on the cover of every tabloid and it will automatically take away their credibility, to be bluntly honest with you." Nick Lachey's ex insists that she is the real deal, and she really likes classic rock. "People think pop artists are phony ... whatever. My favorite band is Led Zeppelin. ... The way they do blues — I'm obsessed. My other favorite is Pink Floyd, 'Wish You Were Here.' That's such an amazing song." ...

When we last left the guys in Plus-44, they were postponing the first leg of their North American tour thanks to drummer Travis Barker's broken right arm. But they promised to reschedule the shows, and lo and behold, they have. Beginning November 28 in Chicago, Plus will make up all the lost gigs, zig-zagging their way across the country before wrapping with a December 17 show in Sacramento, California. The tour will still kick off November 8 in Tampa, Florida. The full itinerary can be found on Plus-44's MySpace page. ... Outkast's Andre 3000 will co-star with Charlize Theron, Woody Harrelson and Ray Liotta in "The Battle in Seattle," a drama set against 1999's World Trade Organization meeting, Variety reports. Actor Stuart Townsend ("Queen of the Damned") will write and direct the film, which is expected to start shooting in November. ...

A Louisiana judge ruled that rapper Corey "C-Murder" Miller, brother of No Limit founder Master P, will not be able to conduct interviews to promote his new album while under house arrest. Miller is awaiting retrial for murder charges stemming from a 2002 incident outside a New Orleans nightclub. According to the Times-Picayune, State District Judge Martha Sassone granted Miller the right to take part in photo shoots from his home, but explained that any contact with the press would violate a gag order imposed to keep pre-trial publicity to a minimum. The rapper was convicted in the shooting death of a 16-year-old boy, but was granted a retrial after Judge Sassone affirmed prosecutors withheld criminal background information of witnesses who testified against Miller. ...

On Monday, a New York federal jury ruled in favor of a former editor of The Source who alleged that she was fired from her post at the hip-hop magazine after complaining about the office's sexually charged atmosphere. The Source and its founders, Ray "Benzino" Scott and David Mays, were ordered to pay former Editor in Chief Kimberly Osorio $15.5 million after four hours of deliberation, according to a press release from Osorio's attorney Ken Thompson. In a statement released Tuesday, Mays and Benzino said, "We are confident that our appeal will be successful on the secondary charges of retaliation and defamation." ... A Malawian official dismissed Yohane Banda's claim that the adoption process wasn't explained to him before he allowed Madonna to adopt his son, Reuters reports. "We explained every detail," Penson Kilembe, director of child welfare in Malawi's Ministry of Women and Child Development, told the wire service. "Madonna herself explained her intentions in the face of the judge and in Banda's presence. [Banda] was asked several times in court if he understood what was going on, and he said he did." Madonna is scheduled to discuss the adoption on "The Oprah Winfrey Show," to air Wednesday. ...

"High School Musical" is taking the show on the road. Stars of the TV movie — including Vanessa Hudgens, Monique Coleman, Lucas Grabeel, Ashley Tisdale and Corbin Bleu — will hit the stage to sing songs from the hit soundtrack in 40 cities across the country. The tour is scheduled to kick off November 30 in San Diego and end January 28 in Las Vegas. Zac Efron, who is currently filming "Hairspray," will not take part in the tour. ... Even with a track record like Peter Jackson's, some budgets are just too high. The Los Angeles Times reported that Universal Pictures and 20th Century Fox recently pulled out of backing the big-screen adaptation of the video game "Halo," executive produced by the "Lord of the Rings" director, because of spiraling budget concerns. While Microsoft Corporation said it will move forward with the movie, the studios reportedly balked at the preliminary budget of $145 million and the software company's refusal to take a pay cut on its $5 million upfront fee and revenue deal. The movie is scheduled for a summer 2008 release.

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