Mariah Carey performs "I'll Be There"

Michael Jackson was the consummate entertainer; a groundbreaking dancer and showman, and that's saying nothing about his songbook, which ranks right up there with the tunes of Elvis and the Beatles (which he also once owned). From his early days with the Jackson 5 to his transcendent solo career, Jackson worked with the best in the business — Quincy Jones, Berry Gordy, Paul McCartney, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Teddy Riley, Glen Ballard, Rod Temperton, to name just a few — and the end result was a veritable treasure trove of totally classic tunes.

Over the course of his career, Jackson scored 13 #1 singles — more than any other male artist of the past 50 years. His musical output was so great that a whole new generation of artists landed hits of their own simply by covering his songs, which is also a big testament to his work.

Mariah Carey, who has the most #1 singles of any solo artist, scored a smash in 1992 with her MTV Unplugged cover of the Jackson 5's "I'll Be There." Irish boy band Boyzone covered another early Jackson hit, "Ben" on their second album, 1993's three-times platinum A Different Beat. And both Ashanti and Brandy recorded versions of another early hit, "Rock With You."

"Billie Jean" has been covered by everyone from Blackstreet to Belle and Sebastian, and Chris Cornell's take on the tune was covered again in a star-making performance by eventual "American Idol" champ David Cook during the show's seventh season. Fall Out Boy's cover of "Beat It" replaced Eddie Van Halen's incendiary solo with one from John Mayer and became a surprise hit, charting internationally and becoming a permanent fixture on the iTunes Top 10 chart in early 2008. And "Weird Al" Yankovic scored a Top 20 hit — and won a Grammy — for his parody of the tune, a track he dubbed "Eat It." Yankovic also scored a Best Concept Music Video Grammy for "Fat," his take on "Bad."

Those weren't the only left-field Jackson covers that became hits: California rockers Alien Ant Farm famously covered "Smooth Criminal" in 2001, and both the song — and corresponding video, which parodied some of Jackson's biggest clips — became mainstays on MTV, and landed the band a #1 single on the Modern Rock chart.

And there's plenty more — so many that we can't even begin to list them all here. Jackson covers are seemingly required on the indie circuit, with the likes of Death Cab for Cutie's Ben Gibbard, KT Tunstall, Petra Haden and Lightspeed Champion weighing in with various versions of MJ/Jackson 5 classics like "Thriller" and "I Want You Back." Amy Winehouse and Charlotte Church dueted on a fantastically trashy version of "Beat It" on the latter's BBC variety show. And just last year, John Legend and Stephen Colbert joined forces for an unlikely take on "The Girl Is Mine."

MTV will be paying tribute to MJ throughout the weekend with music videos, exclusive performances and calls and tweets from celebrity admirers and friends.

Share your Michael Jackson memories by uploading video and comments to Your.MTV.com or joining the discussion below.

• Michael Jackson's MTV Moments
• Michael Jackson: A Tribute
• Remembering Michael Jackson
• Michael Jackson's Video Legacy

• Michael Jackson: A Life In Photos
• Michael Jackson's Greatest MTV Moments
• Fans Mourn The Loss Of Music Icon Michael Jackson
• Michael Jackson: A Fashion Icon

• Michael Jackson
• Alien Ant Farm
• Fall Out Boy
• Amy Winehouse
• Brandy

Taylor Swift
Photo: Candice Lawler

The deck has been shuffled at the top of the Billboard albums chart, but the ladies will still rule next week as the year comes to an estrogen-fueled close. After Britney Spears debuted at #1 last week with Circus, her sales plunged 60 percent and she slips to #2, making way for Taylor Swift to regain the top position, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Swift's Fearless was able to leapfrog Spears with sales of 248,800, while Circus took a tumble from its half-million debut to 200,100. And hanging tough at #3 is Beyoncé's I Am ... Sasha Fierce, which saw sales hold relatively unchanged at 159,200 copies.

With few other major releases for the week, the rest of the top 10 looks quite familiar. Nickelback's Dark Horse moves up one spot to #5 on sales of 156,100, followed by the "Twilight" soundtrack with 131,800. Kanye West's 808s & Heartbreak slips two spots to #6 (with 126,800 hearts broken), followed by the Now That's What I Call Music! 29 compilation, AC/DC's Wal-Mart exclusive Black Ice (which shifted 110,100 units) and the soundtrack to "High School Musical 3: Senior Year" (with 107,200 in sales). "American Idol" winner David Cook rounds out the top 10 with 103,500 converts to his self-titled debut.

The news was not so great for a couple of other big names, as Akon's Freedom plunged from #7 to #18 in its second week on the charts, and Guns N' Roses' Chinese Democracy continued its backward march, falling from #18 to #29 on sales of 47,200 copies.

The only major debuts of the week appear a bit further down on the charts. Musiq Soulchild clocks in at #11 with On My Radio, which sold 91,500 copies, followed by Common's electro-funky Universal Mind Control with 81,700 in sales. Brandy's fifth album, Human, makes it into the top 20 at #15 with 72,800.

Other notable debuts include Avant's self-titled album at #26, thanks to sales of 52,000, and Maroon 5's remix album, Call and Response — featuring reimaginings by Swizz Beatz, David Banner, Mark Ronson and Deerhoof — crawling onto the charts at #73.

Maybe it's the Christmas season, but indie rock appears to be in the air. The self-titled full-length debut from pastoral indie folk darlings Fleet Foxes claws back to #181 on sales of 5,900, two months after achieving their highest position to date at #67. Vampire Weekend's self-titled debut also made its way back onto the charts for the first time in two months at #189 with 5,400 units snapped up. And Bon Iver's For Emma Forever Ago slips under the wire at #198 thanks to 5,200 units moved, its strongest sales to date after debuting at #181 back in February.

Next week, the top spots could get shaken up when Fall Out Boy's Folie à Deux finally crashes the charts, along with Jamie Foxx's Intuition.

• Taylor Swift
• Britney Spears
• Common
• Brandy

Brandy
Photo: MTV News

Long before Miley Cyrus and Selena Gomez, there was Brandy. The actress/singer grew up in the public eye, hitting the music scene as a teenager and scoring hit singles, Grammy nominations, a sitcom and a slew of movie roles.

Now 29, Brandy has the same motivation she did at 15 when she enters a recording studio: She just wants to make good music that people enjoy. She says her new album, Human, dropping in December, tells stories that people can relate to. "I've always taken my albums very, very seriously," she told MTV News.

"I like to put together a collection of songs that will last 20 years down the line," she said. "With this album, I've just evolved. I'm older, I'm wiser. I wanted to reflect that."

In the past, Brandy usually relied on others to write her songs, but she decided that this time around, she wanted to make it a more collaborative effort.

"I worked with Brian Kennedy, who had two #1 singles," she said. "I also wrote a song with Natasha Bedingfield and Toby Gad, who wrote 'If I Were a Boy.' I don't write that much, and these people brought out a great writer in me. Of course, you have songs that other people write that you can relate to, but when you write it yourself, it just feels like it truly came from you."

She was especially eager to talk about one partnership in particular. "I'm really excited about the Rodney Jerkins collaboration, 'Right Here (Departed), ' " she said of the album's first single. "We've been working together for years, and we didn't work together on my last project, so this feels like a reunion. I can't go wrong with Rodney. I love the vibes."

The album's second single is "Long Distance," about the difficulties of long-distance relationships. "Whether it's a significant other or your daughter, a lot of people are away from the people they love," she said. "I met some lady, and she was telling me her husband is away in Iraq right now. I was like, 'I have the perfect song for you.' Just being in a long-distance relationship, that experience is weird. You're not able to have that time, and you need that time.

"I do have that with my daughter right now because I'm not dating anyone," Brandy added. "I try to keep my mind focused and know I'm doing everything for her. I have to talk to her, like, 20 times a day."

Brandy is not only looking to get back into the music scene after a noticeable absence (her last LP, Afrodisiac, was released in 2004), the former "Moesha" star is also looking to reclaim a spot on prime-time TV. "That's my thing. I love playing one character every week and having the audience grow with my character," she said. "That was so fun, even though reality [TV] is taking over the world. With a good solid show it can work again. I think it's what I'm here to do as well.

"Reality is not for me," she continued. "I don't think I'm that interesting. I need to play someone else."

And although she's accomplished a lot already, Brandy still has one dream left: to win an Oscar. She even has the project in mind to get her that statue, a remake of "Lady Sings the Blues."

"I would have to play so many different roles in that one role — I would have to bring it," she said. "And you have to live up to Diana Ross, but Diana played my mom once in a movie. I would go to her to study her."

But by now, Brandy has learned that the best things in life come when you least expect them. "I've been off for four years," she said. "I have no reason to be complaining. I just can't wait. It feels like the beginning of my career. I just let things happen in my life. Some guy said in the elevator today, 'Expect nothing, and you will have no disappointment.' "

• Brandy

Brandy
Photo: MTV News

It's been a whole George W. Bush presidential term since Brandy's last album, Afrodisiac. Back then, her daughter was just a baby — heck, her brother Ray J was just a baby in some people's eyes — and the music business was a whole different animal.

"It feels so great to be back on the scene," she said last week on the set of her video for "Right Here (Departed)." She was getting her feet wet again in front of the camera.

"I went through a struggle, and I really needed to get myself together and connect with my purpose, which is music," she explained of the hiatus, the longest of her 14-year career. "Music is all I know. ... To be on this set today, I feel very blessed for the second chance and for the opportunity, my record company believing in me and everybody here just showing me so much love and support. My fans. It just feels good to be back, and I never wanna leave for that long again."

A decade ago, the singer released her most commercially successful LP, Never Say Never. It was a triumph that undisputedly broke her out of the pack that included a talented consortium of one-named women such as Mya and Monica. Over the years, Brandy has worked less and less with the driving force behind that album's production, Rodney Jerkins. Their differences became evident on the last album, Afrodisiac, when Timbaland replaced Darkchild as her go-to guy. But Jerkins is back for the new album, Human.

"Well, the chemistry brought Rodney and I back together," she explained. "I mean, it's a chemistry that's undeniable, it's magical. I think it's our responsibility to make music together. I think it's our contribution to the world. I mean, I think that we have a place, a lane, and we have people out there that love seeing us working together, and again, I'm just blessed to be back working with him. 'Right Here (Departed)' was the first song that I heard that Rodney wanted to do for with me, and that was the first song I did with him. Our reconnect — and it's our first single. So our experience this time has been very magical. Our sound is a little bit different from our old sound, but we are back, and I'm never leaving Rodney again, and I hope he never leaves me."

"The music brought it back together," Jerkins agreed. "I mean, at the end of the day, we wanted to do something for the fans and show the world that we got this chemistry that can't be denied and can't be stopped. The world is gonna get it when they hear the album. The album just reflects on everything she's been through in the last eight to 10 years and how she came out of it and how she's strong and she's a woman. I'm just here to do my thing and to support it.

"It's definitely a big pop-sounding album, international sounding. But she hits a little bit on the country side," he added about the rest of his work on the album. "Vocally, she does a lot of little country twangs with her voice. We kid around, we joke around that the next album is gonna be country. We're both gonna step out and do some country music. But we're kinda tapping into it, to show that you can mix that sound with urban and R&B and hip-hop. It's just music, and good music lives."

Brandy — who, believe it or not, will turn 30 next year — described the album as more mature but more pop than she's ever gone.

"I wanted to make it for everybody, not just urban but every race, every color, every creed, whatever," she said. "I just wanted to make a universal album, and that's what we did, and we accomplished that. And I'm really excited about it, it's out November 11, and we launch it November 10 with Oprah, so I'm really excited.

"The album title is called Human," she continued. "I wrote the title track to the album, and basically what that song is about is forgiveness. Mistakes are gonna be made; we're all gonna make them. One of the lines in the song is 'I'm only human, I might just tell a lie/ I'm only human, I'm an angel in disguise.' There's another song on the album called 'Warm It Up With Love.' I'm talking about how the whole world is freezing, [but] we just need to warm the world up with love. [Then there's] 'Piano Man,' where I go to this piano man and ask him to play a song of love, play a song about heartache, so we can have the whole world singing tonight. It's really some cool concepts on the album."

The single and its video are about being there for a loved one.

"You can take it like you're talking about a mother and a daughter, a sister, brother, girlfriend, whatever — it's universal in that way," she said. "And the video concept is me crossing over to the other side and coming back into my family's life. Just popping up everywhere, just singing to them, and it's [got] an I Am Legend feel. Sometimes you see me on the street by myself completely, and it's pretty cool. Little X is directing it. I'm really excited about it. I just hope it turns out great and everybody loves it."

Jerkins appears in the video, as does Ray J.

"I always try to get in it when I can," said Ray, who described his older sibling's return as "a long time coming." "If it don't make sense, then I don't [do it]. But she called me down. I canceled all my plans — I had a show to do somewhere else, but I'm gonna be here for this video 'cause I know how important it is for her, and I know just how important it is to be around and just support her and whatever she needs, so I'm here for her."

• Brandy Is Back

• Brandy
• Ray J

Patrick Stump
Photo: Scott Gries/ Getty Images

Fall Out Boy's Patrick Stump has been named one of the un-sexiest men of 2007 by Boston alt-weekly The Phoenix. He lands at #95 on the list, right next to Larry King and Jon Heder. ...

Prodigy, who will start serving a three-and-a-half-year jail sentence on a charge of gun possession for which he was indicted in October, plans to issue his second solo album while behind bars. H.N.I.C. Part 2 will drop in March, feature production from Mobb Deep group mate Havoc and Alchemist, and be integrated with Voxonic technology, which converts a voice into hundreds of languages with near-perfect accuracy. Prodigy also released a statement regarding his upcoming sentence, saying, "Throughout my life, I have always lived through adversity. I'm a survivor. You don't understand the mental power that I have. While I'm locked up, I'm going to be writing lyrics, working on the script for my second feature film, 'Dope,' and finish writing an autobiography of my life, which will be finished by the time I'm released. My mind is going to be focused, and I'll have time to think and map out my entire plan. The experience will make me a tougher, stronger person. I'm gonna work on getting out faster, so I can get back to doing what I do best. When I get home, it's gonna be on!" ...

R.E.M. have christened their forthcoming album Accelerate and set an April 1 release date for the effort. The album was produced by Jacknife Lee (Bloc Party, Snow Patrol) and will feature "Until the Day Is Done," "Living Well Is the Best Revenge" and "Staring Down the Barrel of Middle Distance." Expect the band to tour in the spring. ... It's not like she was expecting an Oscar nomination, but a nod for the worst? In a poll conducted by AOL's Moviefone Web site, 58 percent of respondents gave Lindsay Lohan the dubious distinction of turning in the worst performance by an actress in 2007 for her role in "I Know Who Killed Me." Another one of Lohan's box-office bombs, "Georgia Rule," finished second among the more than 3.8 million voters, just behind the Eddie Murphy comedy "Norbit," as the biggest waste of $10. "Norbit" also earned the comedian the title of worst performance by an actor. ... Eddie Murphy and "Good Luck Chuck" producer Tracey Edmonds got hitched during an intimate New Year's Day ceremony on a private island in French Polynesia, according to People.com. Johnny Gill was reportedly Murphy's best man. ...

Radiohead singer Thom Yorke has hit back at the boss of his former label, EMI Music, after claims that the band had rejected a nearly $6 million advance for their new album while demanding the copyrights to older titles. In a December 29 post on the group's official Web site under the heading "FYI — if you care — for your information," Yorke wrote, "We did not ask for a load of cash from our old record label EMI to re-sign. That is a L I E. The Times in the U.K. should check its facts before it prints such dirt. What we wanted was some control over our work and how it was used in the future by them — that seemed reasonable to us, as we cared about it a great deal. [EMI boss Guy] Hands was not interested. So neither were we. We made the sign of the cross and walked away. Sadly." Yorke said the group was upset about the airing of "dirty laundry" in public. Separately, Yorke told BBC Radio 4 that releasing In Rainbows solely as a digital download — the physical album hit stores this week — would have been "stark raving mad" because 80 percent of fans still buy physical releases. "We didn't want it to be a big announcement about 'everything's over except the Internet, the Internet's the future,' 'cause that's utter rubbish," Yorke said. "And it's really important to have an artifact as well, as they call it, an object." Yorke, in one of his first public comments about the decision to release In Rainbows under a pay-what-you-wish scheme, explained that Radiohead had a "moral justification in what we did in the sense that the majors and the big infrastructure of the music business has not addressed the way artists communicate directly with their fans. ... In fact, they seem to basically get in the way. Not only do they get in the way, but they take all the cash." He also denied reports that In Rainbows was downloaded more than 1.2 million times in its first week, but, in keeping with the band's silence on sales, would not confirm how many times it was actually downloaded. "It's total nonsense. ... We're the only people who know, and it feels wrong to say exactly what happened," he said. "But it's been a really nice surprise and we've done really well out of it." ...

The presidential race will bleed over into late-night TV on Wednesday night (January 2) when David Letterman chats up Democratic contender Senator Hillary Clinton and Jay Leno welcomes Republican candidate Mike Huckabee on the respective comeback episodes of their shows. Chingy will perform on "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno," while Lupe Fiasco will play on the "Late Show With David Letterman," with Robin Williams also appearing. Letterman struck a deal with the Writers Guild of America that will allow him to return to air with writers, but Huckabee and Chingy will be crossing the picket line with their appearances on Leno's show, as the writers' strike continues. ... "L.A." Reid, Denzel Washington, Steven Spielberg, Brett Ratner, Billy Joel and others partied Sunday on a private yacht owned by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, and Jon Bon Jovi and Robbie Robertson performed at the shindig, according to Fox News. ...

Staind's Aaron Lewis, along with members of Boston, Tesla, Stryper and other bands, will join host Dee Snider of Twisted Sister at the fifth anniversary Relief Fund Charity Concert, to be staged February 25 at Providence, Rhode Island's Dunkin' Donut Center. The event is being put on by the Station Family Fund, a group founded by survivors, family members and community members affected by the Station fire, the February 2003 nightclub tragedy that claimed 100 lives. Proceeds from the show will go to the survivors of the fire, many of whom did not qualify for Social Security benefits. ...

The lineup for Dave Mustaine's Gigantour 2008 has been revealed. The trek, to launch in mid-April and run through late May, will feature his band Megadeth, as well as In Flames, Children of Bodom, Job for a Cowboy and High on Fire. ... P.O.D. have set an April 8 release date for When Angels & Serpents Dance, the band's forthcoming LP. The record will feature a guest appearance by Suicidal Tendencies mainman Mike Muir. ... Former Limp Bizkit guitarist Wes Borland's band, Black Light Burns, have begun work on material for their second album, which is set for release in early 2009. Borland said in a statement that the new stuff is "a lot more guitar-heavy than it is synth-heavy. The feeling/tone is a little more fun and weird compared to the darkness of the first album." The effort follows the band's debut disc, last year's Cruel Melody. ... Hatebreed were forced to postpone the final concert in their Stillborn Fest series after guitarist Frank Novinec broke his ankle. No word yet on when they'll make up the gig, which was supposed to happen Sunday in Rochester, New York. ...

A lawyer who previously represented Death Row Records boss Marion "Suge" Knight in a $130 million lawsuit over ownership of the onetime gangsta-rap powerhouse is asking a judge to set that judgment aside. According to the Los Angeles Times, in a hearing set for Wednesday attorney Dermot Givens is asking that the judgment be voided because of what he claims is new evidence that the plaintiff, singer Lydia Harris, and her imprisoned drug-dealing husband, Michael, allegedly duped a Los Angeles judge into ruling against Knight. The motion contends that Harris hid from the court that she had filed for bankruptcy five years before suing Knight and that she never claimed an ownership stake in Death Row during that legal proceeding. The motion also alleges that recent sworn testimony by the couple shows that Michael Harris, an alleged crack kingpin, was the real party of interest in her lawsuit against Knight; Michael Harris sued Knight in 1996 claiming he helped finance Death Row, and was awarded a $300,000 out-of-court settlement. Lydia Harris filed a separate suit in 2002 claiming that she and Knight started the label together and that he cheated her out of millions in profits. ...

James Brown's final recordings have been caught up in the legal feud over the late rock legend's estate, according to The Associated Press. Brown recorded an album in Los Angeles in summer 2006, but courtroom disputes over who should get his music royalties are preventing the release of the tracks. More than 50-60 additional unreleased songs recorded by Brown are also reportedly in the archives. ... The Jersey Boys have a bit of a problem on their hands. Tommy DeVito, ex-bassist of Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons — on which the "Jersey Boys" story is based — is being sued by the widow of a man who also wrote a story about the group, according to TMZ. Donna Corbello says her late husband Rex Conrad Woodard's yet-unpublished book was the basis of the Broadway smash, and she is reportedly seeking a declaration that he is the volume's "joint owner" so she can get some of the future profits from the production. The suit was recently filed in a district court in Texas. ...

It's Hammer time all over again. MC Hammer is about to launch a new Web site that he hopes will rival YouTube as the online hub for sharing and watching dance videos, according to AP. He is the co-founder and chief strategy officer of DanceJam.com, which will go live later this month and profit from Internet advertising. Perhaps the site will reverse Hammer's hard luck — he filed for bankruptcy in 1996 with nearly $14 million in debts. ... Evan Farrell, an indie-rock bassist who played with the Magnolia Electric Co. on tour and, earlier this year, left the Rogue Wave fold, died the weekend of December 22-23 after sustaining injuries from a house fire in Oakland, California. He was 33. "He was a fixture in our community and a bright spot in all of our lives," Secretly Canadian, the label the Magnolia Electric Co. call home, said about Farrell in a statement. "He was exceptionally talented, funny and genuine."

12.28.07

Brandy is in the clear — according to TMZ, the Los Angeles city attorney will not be filing charges against the singer over the multi-car crash that claimed the life of a woman in December 2006. The attorney had until the end of the day Friday (December 28) to file criminal charges against Brandy in the incident. The singer's attorney, Blair Berk, reportedly responded with a statement, saying, "These past 12 months have posed an extraordinary hardship for Brandy and her family, who have been unfairly forced to live under a cloud of suspicion initially caused by the ill-advised and premature press release sent out by the California Highway Patrol accusing Brandy of wrongdoing before the police investigation was even finished. However, Brandy continues to be mindful that she was so fortunate to be uninjured in this accident and there was a life lost that should be remembered." Brandy is, however, still facing a $50 million wrongful-death suit from the family of the victim, Awatef Aboudihaj. ...

Yung Joc was seven hours late to an arraignment on a felony gun charge on Wednesday and was scolded by the judge in the case after an arrest warrant was issued. But the rapper (born Jasiel Robinson) tried to clear his name in a statement released through his lawyers. "I have the utmost respect for the laws of this country and would never deliberately commit an act that would jeopardize my freedom, my family or my career," he said, according to TMZ. "I've worked very hard to achieve my goals, and it's unfortunate that this current situation has garnered more attention than the many donations I've made and the charitable work I've done with various organizations. ... I'm proud to be a citizen of America, where we are taught to believe that every person is afforded the presumption of innocence. That being said, I have full respect for the judicial system and its due process. I look forward to resolving this situation and moving forward to a positive and prosperous 2008." Joc is due back in court on January 25 in connection with his arrest Sunday at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, where authorities said he tried to take a loaded gun onto a flight. He faces a possible sentence of up to 18 months for the charge. ...

Lil Wayne told MTV News a couple of months ago that he was planning to drop Tha Carter III: The Leak on December 18, with the official Tha Carter III LP to follow February 12, but he actually slipped out a five-song EP called The Leak through Rhapsody and Amazon on Christmas Day instead. The disc features "I'm Me," "Gossip," "Kush," "Love Me or Hate Me" and "Talkin' About It." "Gossip" has been rumored to be a dis song directed toward 50 Cent, but as Weezy told Mixtape Monday in late October, "I recorded that song in 2006. ... I don't make records or say anything about people. I don't beef with people. Everybody knows that. ... My words are more important than you."...

Radiohead decided to split with their longtime label EMI in the fall after the company's new boss, Guy Hands, rejected a deal that would have cost the company more than $20 million, according to the London Times. The U.K. outlet reports that the band had been offered a $6 million advance by Hands for In Rainbows, but demanded more. An EMI spokesperson who was not named told the Times that, "Radiohead were demanding an extraordinary amount of money, and we did not believe that our other artists should have to subsidize their gains." The bandmembers reportedly responded that they believed more big-name artists would be leaving EMI and accused Hands of not negotiating seriously with them. The deal Radiohead sought also reportedly included the handing over of some of the copyrights to their back catalog, a move that could have cost the label millions in future earnings. Band manager Bryce Edge told The Times, "We couldn't move ahead with EMI because Guy Hands irrevocably refused to discuss the catalog in any meaningful way. We sold 25 million records, and we have the moral rights over those six albums. We wanted a say in how they are exploited in the future. We were not seeking a big advance payment, or a guaranteed marketing spend, as discussions never got that far." ...

Members of Angels & Airwaves, No Doubt, 30 Seconds to Mars, Bad Religion, Journey, Pennywise — as well as the Roots' ?uestlove — will hammer away at the skins when they perform at a January 5 drum-off hosted by former Jane's Addiction member Stephen Perkins. The Guitar Center contest, which began three months ago, will culminate with a show at the Music Box @ Fonda in Hollywood that will also feature performances by the four finalists in the store's competition. ... "The Beyoncé Experience - Live," which came out in DVD form in late November, will be broadcast for U.S. troops stationed in Iraq on New Year's Eve via the AEG Network. The programming block will also include Celine Dion's "A New Day" and Garth Brooks' "One Artist, One City, One Time." ...

It's official: David Letterman has reached a deal with striking writers and will return to the air with a full staff on Wednesday. Jeff Hermanson, a Writers Guild of America executive, told Reuters that talks between the union and Letterman's Worldwide Pants production company had led to a "full, binding, independent agreement" that features provisions for paying writers for work distributed online. Protesting writers have been demanding compensation for Internet-content. Jay Leno, Conan O'Brien and Jimmy Kimmel are also returning to the air on Wednesday, and Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert on January 7, although none of those late-night hosts will be coming back with their respective writers. ...

Jessica Simpson is enjoying Nashville as the relocated singer/actress records her upcoming, yet-untitled country album there. "Nashville is a very warm city," she recently told Billboard.com. "The people are friendly and kind. There is a sense of community, which thrives on music. There is no animosity ... only respect for one another's talent." The effort is due in 2008 through Columbia Nashville and will be the follow-up to 2006's A Public Affair. Simpson didn't provide many more details on the project, and when asked if she would be hitting the road to support it, she said, "Since the record is in the beginning stages, there hasn't been much talk about a tour just yet." ...

Meanwhile, Franz Ferdinand's third album doesn't have a name yet either, but the band has shed some more light on the successor to 2005's You Could Have It So Much Better. "I suppose we're heading back to the idea of dance music," frontman Alex Kapranos told RollingStone.com. "It's more of a dance record than a rock record." The band has tapped an unlikely producer — Brian Higgins (Kylie Minogue, Cher) — for some of the songs. "It appeals to my contrary side," Kapranos said. "And I don't like the distance between bands and pop music there is now. Dr. Dre or Timbaland or the Neptunes are making the songs you've never heard before, not the indie kids strumming their f---ing guitars." ...

Chris Rock has jumped into the 2008 presidential-election conversation, comparing Senator Hillary Clinton to the current commander in chief and voicing his support for rival Senator Barack Obama in a recent interview with The New York Times. "I love Hillary Clinton, but to me she is the Democratic version of George [W.] Bush: someone who is running, and the only reason you know who this person is because of their name. ... She has much more in common with George Bush Jr. than she does with Oprah Winfrey." He added, "It's neck and neck against a woman whose husband was the president, and [Obama is] a black man that no one knew a couple years ago. That is an unbelievable achievement." ...

Sean Penn and Robin Wright Penn are divorcing after 11 years of marriage, according to People.com. The "Into the Wild" director and "Beowulf" actress have two children together, boys ages 14 and 16. ... In another marital development, Marilyn Manson and Dita Von Teese's divorce still isn't finalized yet — Von Teese filed in December 2006, citing Manson's alleged infidelity and partying — but they are now legally permitted to marry other people, People.com reports. Their marital status was terminated Thursday, but the ex-couple have yet to settle their finances. Manson, 38, has been dating Evan Rachel Wood, age 20. ...

While Josh Groban is enjoying a record-setting run atop the charts with his holiday album, Noël, Variety reports that the rest of the music business had a horrible Christmas week. Overall music sales during the Christmas shopping season were down 21 percent from last year. From the week of Thanksgiving through December 23, 83.9 million albums were sold, a steep decline from 2006's total of 105.28 million.

• Fall Out Boy
• Prodigy of Mobb Deep
• Lindsay Lohan
• Radiohead
• Brandy

Brandy
Photo: Peter Kramer/Getty Images

Brandy is in the clear — according to TMZ, the Los Angeles city attorney will not be filing charges against the singer over the multi-car crash that claimed the life of a woman in December 2006. The attorney had until the end of the day Friday (December 28) to file criminal charges against Brandy in the incident. The singer's attorney, Blair Berk, reportedly responded with a statement, saying, "These past 12 months have posed an extraordinary hardship for Brandy and her family, who have been unfairly forced to live under a cloud of suspicion initially caused by the ill-advised and premature press release sent out by the California Highway Patrol accusing Brandy of wrongdoing before the police investigation was even finished. However, Brandy continues to be mindful that she was so fortunate to be uninjured in this accident and there was a life lost that should be remembered." Brandy is, however, still facing a $50 million wrongful-death suit from the family of the victim, Awatef Aboudihaj. ...

Yung Joc was seven hours late to an arraignment on a felony gun charge on Wednesday and was scolded by the judge in the case after an arrest warrant was issued. But the rapper (born Jasiel Robinson) tried to clear his name in a statement released through his lawyers. "I have the utmost respect for the laws of this country and would never deliberately commit an act that would jeopardize my freedom, my family or my career," he said, according to TMZ. "I've worked very hard to achieve my goals, and it's unfortunate that this current situation has garnered more attention than the many donations I've made and the charitable work I've done with various organizations. ... I'm proud to be a citizen of America, where we are taught to believe that every person is afforded the presumption of innocence. That being said, I have full respect for the judicial system and its due process. I look forward to resolving this situation and moving forward to a positive and prosperous 2008." Joc is due back in court on January 25 in connection with his arrest Sunday at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, where authorities said he tried to take a loaded gun onto a flight. He faces a possible sentence of up to 18 months for the charge. ...

Lil Wayne told MTV News a couple of months ago that he was planning to drop Tha Carter III: The Leak on December 18, with the official Tha Carter III LP to follow February 12, but he actually slipped out a five-song EP called The Leak through Rhapsody and Amazon on Christmas Day instead. The disc features "I'm Me," "Gossip," "Kush," "Love Me or Hate Me" and "Talkin' About It." "Gossip" has been rumored to be a dis song directed toward 50 Cent, but as Weezy told Mixtape Monday in late October, "I recorded that song in 2006. ... I don't make records or say anything about people. I don't beef with people. Everybody knows that. ... My words are more important than you."...

Radiohead decided to split with their longtime label EMI in the fall after the company's new boss, Guy Hands, rejected a deal that would have cost the company more than $20 million, according to the London Times. The U.K. outlet reports that the band had been offered a $6 million advance by Hands for In Rainbows, but demanded more. An EMI spokesperson who was not named told the Times that, "Radiohead were demanding an extraordinary amount of money, and we did not believe that our other artists should have to subsidize their gains." The bandmembers reportedly responded that they believed more big-name artists would be leaving EMI and accused Hands of not negotiating seriously with them. The deal Radiohead sought also reportedly included the handing over of some of the copyrights to their back catalog, a move that could have cost the label millions in future earnings. Band manager Bryce Edge told The Times, "We couldn't move ahead with EMI because Guy Hands irrevocably refused to discuss the catalog in any meaningful way. We sold 25 million records, and we have the moral rights over those six albums. We wanted a say in how they are exploited in the future. We were not seeking a big advance payment, or a guaranteed marketing spend, as discussions never got that far." ...

Members of Angels & Airwaves, No Doubt, 30 Seconds to Mars, Bad Religion, Journey, Pennywise — as well as the Roots' ?uestlove — will hammer away at the skins when they perform at a January 5 drum-off hosted by former Jane's Addiction member Stephen Perkins. The Guitar Center contest, which began three months ago, will culminate with a show at the Music Box @ Fonda in Hollywood that will also feature performances by the four finalists in the store's competition. ... "The Beyoncé Experience - Live," which came out in DVD form in late November, will be broadcast for U.S. troops stationed in Iraq on New Year's Eve via the AEG Network. The programming block will also include Celine Dion's "A New Day" and Garth Brooks' "One Artist, One City, One Time." ...

It's official: David Letterman has reached a deal with striking writers and will return to the air with a full staff on Wednesday. Jeff Hermanson, a Writers Guild of America executive, told Reuters that talks between the union and Letterman's Worldwide Pants production company had led to a "full, binding, independent agreement" that features provisions for paying writers for work distributed online. Protesting writers have been demanding compensation for Internet-content. Jay Leno, Conan O'Brien and Jimmy Kimmel are also returning to the air on Wednesday, and Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert on January 7, although none of those late-night hosts will be coming back with their respective writers. ...

Jessica Simpson is enjoying Nashville as the relocated singer/actress records her upcoming, yet-untitled country album there. "Nashville is a very warm city," she recently told Billboard.com. "The people are friendly and kind. There is a sense of community, which thrives on music. There is no animosity ... only respect for one another's talent." The effort is due in 2008 through Columbia Nashville and will be the follow-up to 2006's A Public Affair. Simpson didn't provide many more details on the project, and when asked if she would be hitting the road to support it, she said, "Since the record is in the beginning stages, there hasn't been much talk about a tour just yet." ...

Meanwhile, Franz Ferdinand's third album doesn't have a name yet either, but the band has shed some more light on the successor to 2005's You Could Have It So Much Better. "I suppose we're heading back to the idea of dance music," frontman Alex Kapranos told RollingStone.com. "It's more of a dance record than a rock record." The band has tapped an unlikely producer — Brian Higgins (Kylie Minogue, Cher) — for some of the songs. "It appeals to my contrary side," Kapranos said. "And I don't like the distance between bands and pop music there is now. Dr. Dre or Timbaland or the Neptunes are making the songs you've never heard before, not the indie kids strumming their f---ing guitars." ...

Chris Rock has jumped into the 2008 presidential-election conversation, comparing Senator Hillary Clinton to the current commander in chief and voicing his support for rival Senator Barack Obama in a recent interview with The New York Times. "I love Hillary Clinton, but to me she is the Democratic version of George [W.] Bush: someone who is running, and the only reason you know who this person is because of their name. ... She has much more in common with George Bush Jr. than she does with Oprah Winfrey." He added, "It's neck and neck against a woman whose husband was the president, and [Obama is] a black man that no one knew a couple years ago. That is an unbelievable achievement." ...

Sean Penn and Robin Wright Penn are divorcing after 11 years of marriage, according to People.com. The "Into the Wild" director and "Beowulf" actress have two children together, boys ages 14 and 16. ... In another marital development, Marilyn Manson and Dita Von Teese's divorce still isn't finalized yet — Von Teese filed in December 2006, citing Manson's alleged infidelity and partying — but they are now legally permitted to marry other people, People.com reports. Their marital status was terminated Thursday, but the ex-couple have yet to settle their finances. Manson, 38, has been dating Evan Rachel Wood, age 20. ...

While Josh Groban is enjoying a record-setting run atop the charts with his holiday album, Noël, Variety reports that the rest of the music business had a horrible Christmas week. Overall music sales during the Christmas shopping season were down 21 percent from last year. From the week of Thanksgiving through December 23, 83.9 million albums were sold, a steep decline from 2006's total of 105.28 million.

12.27.07

'Tis the season to get engaged, apparently. A day after it was revealed that Fergie and Josh Duhamel are going to be wed comes news that Jessica Alba is engaged to producer Cash Warren, the father of the child the "Awake" actress is expecting. The couple are expecting their first child in late spring or early summer, although a wedding date has yet to be revealed. ...

Miley Cyrus has donated a personalized, autographed Philadelphia 76ers jersey to an auction benefitting charities chosen by the NBA team. The singer/actress also known as Hannah Montana recently performed at Philadelphia's Wachovia Center, the same arena where the Sixers play. At press time, bidding for the jersey was at $520. ...

What do Jay-Z, Sammy Hagar, Mel Gibson, Hugh Grant and 50 Cent have in common? All five made the cut on Forbes' list of Biggest Celebrity Paydays of 2007. Fiddy came in second, thanks to the Vitamin Water deal that netted him $100 million, while Jay-Z made $82 million (before taxes) when he sold Rocawear to Iconix Brand Group. Hagar earned almost as much — $80 million — when Gruppo Campari bought his Cabo Wabo tequila brand. ...

Madonna's directorial debut will premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival, which will take place in Germany on February 7-17. Madge's short-form comedy "Filth and Wisdom" counts among its stars Gogol Bordello frontman Eugene Hutz, who also starred alongside Elijah Wood in "Everything Is Illuminated." ... In related news, there's cause for Madonna and Green Day to celebrate: Amazon's DRM-free downloads store began selling tunes from the Warner Music Group catalog starting Thursday (December 27), according to Billboard.biz. The development means all four major labels have now committed to eliminating DRM from their catalogs. WMG will also sell additional digital products, including album bundles with exclusive tracks, through Amazon. ...

Don't mess with Trey Songz. Videos circulating online show the R&B singer lashing out at a fan who apparently threw ice at him during a recent concert. As seen in the clips, Trey Songz tells the DJ to cut the music after the objects are thrown, and he then leaps into the crowd with his bodyguard to go after the fan. He is later seen apologizing to the women in the crowd for the disruption. ...

Good news for Brandy: An unnamed California Highway Patrol source reportedly told TMZ.com that the woman who died in a 2006 car crash involving the singer may have actually caused the crash herself. As officials continue to consider filing vehicular manslaughter charges over the December 2006 accident that took the life of Awatef Aboudihaj, the source told TMZ that rather than being the cause of the accident, Brandy may have been a victim of the pileup. According to the sources, Aboudihaj struck the vehicle in front of her and then slammed on her brakes, which caused Brandy to hit the woman's car. The city attorney has until the end of the day Friday to file criminal charges against Brandy in the incident. In the meantime, Brandy is still facing a $50 million wrongful-death suit from Aboudihaj's family. ...

Never afraid to take the unpopular position, TV physician Dr. Phil McGraw told People magazine that he thinks Lynne Spears is doing a great job raising her kids, despite the current controversy over 16-year-old Jamie Lynn's pregnancy. "We know the Spears family, particularly the parents," he told the magazine. "An asset that Britney and Jamie Lynn both have is a great and dedicated mother." McGraw admitted that his friend Lynne Spears is "troubled right now" but is "really looking for the positives in this." The good doctor's wife, Robin, said of the Spears clan, "They're a very strong, close-knit family. ... They're relying on each other." Just days later, Us Magazine reported that the father of the Spears girls, Jamie Spears, was still so "furious" with reports that his ex-wife arranged a $1 million deal with OK! Magazine for the story on Jamie Lynn's pregnancy, that he didn't spend Christmas with his ex-wife or daughter and instead stayed in Los Angeles and worked. ...

It sounds like Rivers Cuomo may have a bigger vault than we thought. The Weezer frontman told Billboard that he would like to release a sequel to Alone -- The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo, the solo demos disc that came out last week. "I would love to put out at least one more," he told the magazine. "I'm talking with the record company [now] to figure out what's the best way for me to get more of this stuff out, and if they're gonna be involved or not. But it's certainly my hope to put out as much of this stuff as I can." Cuomo is also working on what he called a "deep and detailed" memoir covering the years from Weezer's formation in 1992 to the release of their self-titled debut in 1994. He expects to spend another year working on the book before turning it in to the publisher. ...

A man who adopted a rock-star alter ego pulled a gun at a Vancouver, Washington, convenience store on Christmas Eve, after several hours of harassing patrons in the quick stop and other local businesses. According to Portland, Oregon's KPTV, the man — who has not been identified — called himself "Ozzy Osbourne" when he pulled out the gun and threatened to shoot a clerk at the convenience store. Paramedics transported the man to a nearby hospital. ... Dredg have begun writing material for their next album. A statement from the band claims the recording should start before the end of winter, and the group will be on tour in the spring. Songs expected to make the final cut include "Gathering Pebbles," "Mourning This Morning" and "McGuffin." ...

The Anti-Defamation League has come to the defense of actor Will Smith following comments he made about Adolf Hitler during a recent interview with a Scottish newspaper. Smith has claimed his words were twisted, and the ADL has accepted the actor's explanation. "We welcome [his] statement that Hitler was a 'vicious killer' and that he did not mean for his remarks about the Nazi leader to be mistaken as praise," the group said in a statement, according to multiple reports. The ADL also praised Smith for taking "immediate steps to clarify his words and condemn Hitler."

• Brandy
• Yung Joc
• Lil Wayne
• Radiohead
• Angels & Airwaves

Jessica Alba
Photo: Simon Fergusson/Getty Images

'Tis the season to get engaged, apparently. A day after it was revealed that Fergie and Josh Duhamel are going to be wed comes news that Jessica Alba is engaged to producer Cash Warren, the father of the child the "Awake" actress is expecting. The couple are expecting their first child in late spring or early summer, although a wedding date has yet to be revealed. ...

Miley Cyrus has donated a personalized, autographed Philadelphia 76ers jersey to an auction benefitting charities chosen by the NBA team. The singer/actress also known as Hannah Montana recently performed at Philadelphia's Wachovia Center, the same arena where the Sixers play. At press time, bidding for the jersey was at $520. ...

What do Jay-Z, Sammy Hagar, Mel Gibson, Hugh Grant and 50 Cent have in common? All five made the cut on Forbes' list of Biggest Celebrity Paydays of 2007. Fiddy came in second, thanks to the Vitamin Water deal that netted him $100 million, while Jay-Z made $82 million (before taxes) when he sold Rocawear to Iconix Brand Group. Hagar earned almost as much — $80 million — when Gruppo Campari bought his Cabo Wabo tequila brand. ...

Madonna's directorial debut will premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival, which will take place in Germany on February 7-17. Madge's short-form comedy "Filth and Wisdom" counts among its stars Gogol Bordello frontman Eugene Hutz, who also starred alongside Elijah Wood in "Everything Is Illuminated." ... In related news, there's cause for Madonna and Green Day to celebrate: Amazon's DRM-free downloads store began selling tunes from the Warner Music Group catalog starting Thursday (December 27), according to Billboard.biz. The development means all four major labels have now committed to eliminating DRM from their catalogs. WMG will also sell additional digital products, including album bundles with exclusive tracks, through Amazon. ...

Don't mess with Trey Songz. Videos circulating online show the R&B singer lashing out at a fan who apparently threw ice at him during a recent concert. As seen in the clips, Trey Songz tells the DJ to cut the music after the objects are thrown, and he then leaps into the crowd with his bodyguard to go after the fan. He is later seen apologizing to the women in the crowd for the disruption. ...

Good news for Brandy: An unnamed California Highway Patrol source reportedly told TMZ.com that the woman who died in a 2006 car crash involving the singer may have actually caused the crash herself. As officials continue to consider filing vehicular manslaughter charges over the December 2006 accident that took the life of Awatef Aboudihaj, the source told TMZ that rather than being the cause of the accident, Brandy may have been a victim of the pileup. According to the sources, Aboudihaj struck the vehicle in front of her and then slammed on her brakes, which caused Brandy to hit the woman's car. The city attorney has until the end of the day Friday to file criminal charges against Brandy in the incident. In the meantime, Brandy is still facing a $50 million wrongful-death suit from Aboudihaj's family. ...

Never afraid to take the unpopular position, TV physician Dr. Phil McGraw told People magazine that he thinks Lynne Spears is doing a great job raising her kids, despite the current controversy over 16-year-old Jamie Lynn's pregnancy. "We know the Spears family, particularly the parents," he told the magazine. "An asset that Britney and Jamie Lynn both have is a great and dedicated mother." McGraw admitted that his friend Lynne Spears is "troubled right now" but is "really looking for the positives in this." The good doctor's wife, Robin, said of the Spears clan, "They're a very strong, close-knit family. ... They're relying on each other." Just days later, Us Magazine reported that the father of the Spears girls, Jamie Spears, was still so "furious" with reports that his ex-wife arranged a $1 million deal with OK! Magazine for the story on Jamie Lynn's pregnancy, that he didn't spend Christmas with his ex-wife or daughter and instead stayed in Los Angeles and worked. ...

It sounds like Rivers Cuomo may have a bigger vault than we thought. The Weezer frontman told Billboard that he would like to release a sequel to Alone -- The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo, the solo demos disc that came out last week. "I would love to put out at least one more," he told the magazine. "I'm talking with the record company [now] to figure out what's the best way for me to get more of this stuff out, and if they're gonna be involved or not. But it's certainly my hope to put out as much of this stuff as I can." Cuomo is also working on what he called a "deep and detailed" memoir covering the years from Weezer's formation in 1992 to the release of their self-titled debut in 1994. He expects to spend another year working on the book before turning it in to the publisher. ...

A man who adopted a rock-star alter ego pulled a gun at a Vancouver, Washington, convenience store on Christmas Eve, after several hours of harassing patrons in the quick stop and other local businesses. According to Portland, Oregon's KPTV, the man — who has not been identified — called himself "Ozzy Osbourne" when he pulled out the gun and threatened to shoot a clerk at the convenience store. Paramedics transported the man to a nearby hospital. ... Dredg have begun writing material for their next album. A statement from the band claims the recording should start before the end of winter, and the group will be on tour in the spring. Songs expected to make the final cut include "Gathering Pebbles," "Mourning This Morning" and "McGuffin." ...

The Anti-Defamation League has come to the defense of actor Will Smith following comments he made about Adolf Hitler during a recent interview with a Scottish newspaper. Smith has claimed his words were twisted, and the ADL has accepted the actor's explanation. "We welcome [his] statement that Hitler was a 'vicious killer' and that he did not mean for his remarks about the Nazi leader to be mistaken as praise," the group said in a statement, according to multiple reports. The ADL also praised Smith for taking "immediate steps to clarify his words and condemn Hitler."

12.27.07

Josh Duhamel is about to "transform" into Fergie's husband — the couple are engaged, according to TMZ.com. The actor reportedly popped the question recently to the singer. ... Radiohead and Al Gore, a match made in heaven? The band has taped an hour-long performance of In Rainbows and other material that will air Tuesday exclusively in the U.S. on Current TV, which was co-created by the Nobel Peace Prize winner. The pre-recorded performance will air commercial-free at midnight, 1 a.m., 8 a.m. and 9 p.m., with Current.com also broadcasting it at 12 a.m. ...

With a not-so-subtle message, My Chemical Romance appear to have pulled the plug on their alter-ego band, the Black Parade. The Web site for the fictional group, which MCR toured as in support of the album of the same name, now depicts a ghostly flat-line on a heart monitor, the phrase "00 BMP" and the word "Flatline" in the title bar of the page. MCR do not reference the cryptic message on their own site, and a spokesperson could not be reached for comment at press time. The medical terminology on the Black Parade site ties in with the album's iconography and story line, which revolve around a central character called "the Patient" who dies during the course of the album. ...

Paris Hilton has voiced a desire to participate in philanthropic efforts, but charity might be coming in the way of her potential inheritance, Reuters reports. The hotel heiress' grandfather Barron Hilton is reportedly planning to put 97 percent of his $2.3 billion fortune into a charitable trust. ...

Lindsay Lohan insists she did not drink before the 2005 car crash for which she is being sued. According to The Associated Press, the starlet said in a mid-December declaration that she "did not consume an alcoholic beverage or any type of medication or drug" before or during her visit to the Ivy, a restaurant located in West Hollywood, California. Upon leaving the location, Lohan hit a parked van owned by Raymundo Ortega, who later accused her of negligence and drinking. Attorneys for the restaurant filed Lohan's declaration Friday in Los Angeles Superior Court, and they also filed a declaration by Adam Novicki, the waiter who served her that night and has claimed Lohan — who was underage at the time — didn't order alcohol. Ortega is seeking $200,000, while Lohan is asking more than $75,000 in a countersuit she filed in October. ...

Hinder frontman Austin John Winkler was arrested in Jonesboro, Arkansas, last week on suspicion of driving while intoxicated, according to the Jonesboro Sun. The 26-year-old singer was stopped by police on Friday after his SUV was spotted driving late at night with no headlights. Police reportedly smelled a strong odor of intoxicants coming from the vehicle, and Winkler told them he had drank two glasses of wine. He later confessed to consuming four glasses of wine in a four-hour period and was booked. He's scheduled to appear in Craighead County District Court on January 2 to answer to the charge. ...

Though she's no star, Chicago native Jean Johnson also had a recent run-in with police — she spent Christmas in jail after being busted for using her cell phone to snap photos of of R. Kelly in the courtroom last week. AP reports that the 49-year-old pleaded guilty to contempt of court on Monday, after landing in jail over the holiday weekend, and though a judge sentenced her to five days in jail, she was released and given credit for time served. The judge also ordered that the self-described "biggest fan" of the singer destroy the cell phone she used to take the pictures. "I feel stupid," Johnson said. "I just got carried away. I'm a big fan of R. Kelly. I wanted it so that every time my phone rang, I could open it up and he'd be right there." Johnson said she didn't realize cameras weren't allowed in courtrooms. ...

Even with high-profile (and high-priced) reunion tours by the Police, Van Halen and Genesis that brought in big bucks, the North American concert business had its worst year since 2004. Preliminary data from Pollstar reports that the top 20 tours rang up $996 million, which was down more than 15 percent from 2006. Ranking fourth on Pollstar's list of top-grossing tours of all time, the outing by the Police topped the 2007 chart with tickets sales of $131.9 million, followed by Kenny Chesney with $71.1 million and Justin Timberlake with $70.6 million. Pollstar editors credited the dip to a combination of some major acts setting conservative ticket prices and the fact that only two acts (the Police and Chesney) sold more than 1 million tickets in 2007, versus four hitting that mark in 2006. And though it got the most press, the impossible-to-get-tickets-for tour by Miley Cyrus came in at #15 on the year-end chart, at $36 million, with Pollstar suggesting that tickets were possibly underpriced at an average of $54 a piece. Frantic parents who paid scalpers five or six times that much per ticket might disagree. ...

Toby Keith and members of his family have been awarded $2.8 million in damages over the vehicle crash that claimed the life of his father, H.K. Covel, in 2001. The chartered bus that hit Covel's truck was in urgent need of brake repairs, and its owners had been advised of the problem, the lawyer who represented Keith's family had argued, according to AP. ... Actor Will Smith has gone on the defensive following recent comments he made about Adolf Hitler. The "I Am Legend" actor was quoted in Scottish newspaper the Daily Record as saying, "Even Hitler didn't wake up going, 'Let me do the most evil thing I can do today.' I think he woke up in the morning and using a twisted, backwards logic, he set out to do what he thought was 'good.' " The comments were preceded by the sentence, "Remarkably, Will believes everyone is basically good." Smith claims his words were misinterpreted and has issued a statement, saying, "It is an awful and disgusting lie. It speaks to the dangerous power of an ignorant person with a pen. I am incensed and infuriated to have to respond to such ludicrous misinterpretation. Adolf Hitler was a vile, heinous, vicious killer responsible for one of the greatest acts of evil committed on this planet." ...

Chuck Norris is not amused. The tough guy actor and booster of Republican Mike Huckabee's bid for the White House filed suit against Penguin Books on Friday over the satirical book "The Truth About Chuck Norris: 400 Facts About the World's Greatest Human." The book contains such "facts" as "Chuck Norris' tears cure cancer. Too bad he has never cried," and "Chuck Norris is the only person on the planet who can kick you in the back of the face." According to Reuters, the lawsuit claims that the book — which was released in November and is based on a popular list that's been bouncing around the Internet since 2005 — unfairly exploits the born-again action star's famous name and that some of the facts are "racist, lewd or portray Mr. Norris as engaged in illegal activities." The suit seeks unspecified monetary damages for trademark infringement, unjust enrichment and privacy rights.

• Brandy
• Britney Spears
• Rivers Cuomo
• Will Smith
• Jay-Z

Fat Joe
Photo: Gareth Cattermole/ Getty Images

The news happens all the time, even while you're catching up on beauty sleep. Check out this brief rundown to bring you up to speed this morning — a quick heads up from your friends at MTV News.

Here's what we've got:

"My sound is definitely missing out there," Wyclef Jean told MTV News, so he's coming back with The Carnival 2: Memoirs of an Immigrant in September. 'Clef said he's out to "regroup" with his family, but the disc features more than just his brother Sedeck. Non-family including T.I., Chamillionaire, Akon, Mary J. Blige and Paul Simon are also onboard. ...

"Knocked Up" director Judd Apatow and star Seth Rogen recently sat down with us to discuss their new comedy, and talked about everything from Matthew McConaughey's dental hygiene to showing love for Britney — and how Rogen's bad sci-fi ideas inspired comedy gold. ...

And the U.S. isn't #1 in the world at much of anything, James Montgomery notes in his latest "Bigger Than the Sound" column, but he's got a solution: total domination of the Eurovision Song Contest (Brendon Urie, we're looking at you).

Quote of the Day: "How do you make games interesting that are 25 years old? ... You've got to talk some smack." Gamer Dwayne Richard on former "Donkey Kong" record holder Billy Mitchell

Here's what everyone else is talking about:

Miami police want to question Fat Joe as a possible witness to a shooting that left two men dead on Monday, The Miami Herald reports. Police believe the rapper may have been with the two victims, Lessli Paz and Joey Navarro, who were allegedly involved in a verbal altercation with a group including gunman Jermaine ''Wufgang'' Chamberline before the shooting. Fat Joe's spokeswoman said she hadn't discussed the incident with the rapper and could not comment. ...

Brandy sued a driver involved in her deadly December 30 car crash last week, claiming that Mallory Ham caused the freeway accident that killed one woman, The Associated Press reports. Ham then filed a countersuit against the singer, who has been hit with several lawsuits related to the accident. Ham and Brandy each accuse the other of negligence in their respective filings. The Los Angeles city attorney's office hasn't decided whether to charge Brandy with the misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter charge that California Highway Patrol recommended in January. ...

Mariah Carey is teaming up with Spike Lee for another short film, SOHH.com reports. Lee, who worked with Carey last year on films for her Adventures of Mimi Tour, is shooting "Lovers & Haters," a 15-minute movie spoofing Mariah's life — and produced by Mariah herself. ...

Add Rihanna to the Live Earth lineup. The singer joins Linkin Park on the Tokyo bill for Al Gore's worldwide concerts to raise awareness of climate change. The shows kick off July 7 in Sydney, Australia. ...

Live in Atlanta? Want to see Busta Rhymes, Young Jeezy, Lil Wayne, Eve Rick Ross and Rich Boy perform? You've got 10 days left to do-good your way into the Boost Mobile RockCorps concert. For volunteer opportunities, check out the RockCorps Web site. ...

"Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" did better overseas than predicted, but not quite as good in the U.S. as numbers released Monday would have you believe. Variety reports that the film earned $404 million worldwide (up from the $401 million estimate Disney released Monday), but took in $139.8 million in the U.S. ($2.2 million shy of the $142 million estimate). ...

The remake of Wes Craven's "The Last House on the Left" may soon have a director, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Greek filmmaker Dennis Iliadis — a veteran of European commercials who directed the Greek movie "Hardcore" — is in negotiations to take the helm of the film, which Craven will produce. ...

Another month, another win for Wii. The Nintendo next-gen system sold 360,000 units in April, NewsFactor.com reports. It came in way ahead of Xbox 360 (174,000) and Playstation 3 (82,000), according to NPD data, and takes the title for the fourth straight month. The 360 still tops overall sales with 5.4 million, while Wii is now up to 2.5 million, ahead of PS3's 1.3 million. ...

And The New York Post's "Page Six" has a decent scoop about Ozzy on "American Idol" — "Osbourne was confirmed to perform on last week's finale of 'American Idol,' but canceled at the last minute 'when he learned he would have to do a duet with Sanjaya.' " — but spoils it by not only misspelling his name ("Ozzie said he didn't want to be onstage with that idiot") but completely misidentifying the man who did take the stage with Sanjaya. ("Fox ended up pulling Steve Perry from Aerosmith to do the somewhat embarrassing duet with the artist with the gimmicky hair.") Of course they mean Joe Perry. Steve Perry is the original singer of Journey — and a name that "Idol" fans know well thanks to one-time collaborator Randy Jackson.

• MTV Rough Cut: 'Knocked Up'
• Flick'd: 'Knocked Up'
• Flick'd: 'At World's End'

• Heigl, Rogen, Rudd, Seacrest, More At The Premiere Of "Knocked Up"
• Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keith Richards, More At The "Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World's End" Disneyland Premiere
• "Knocked Up"
• "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End"

• Fat Joe
• Brandy
• Mariah Carey
• Rihanna
• Busta Rhymes

Nelly Furtado
Photo: Scott Gries/Getty Images

Nelly Furtado will kick off the U.S. leg of her Get Loose Tour on May 30 in Hollywood, Florida. The 17-date run will hit cities including Atlanta (June 1), Philadelphia (June 4), New York (June 7), Detroit (June 11), Denver (June 15) and Los Angeles (June 20) before wrapping up June 21 in Oakland, California. Furtado described her tour plans to MTV News, and said that the show "takes you on a journey. ... It's important to have a fun show that's interactive, where the crowd's involved," she explained. "I always leave room for spontaneity and rawness, because those are my roots, you know? I started by doing club shows, and that's the energy I love, the raw club energy of just feeling like you're rocking out." Furtado said her show is all about the music, but added that there's also "visuals and movement ... just to keep it sophisticated and sensual and fun." ...

Lindsay Lohan has dropped out of "The Best Time of Our Lives," a drama co-starring Keira Knightley that is scheduled to begin filming in May. A representative for the movie confirmed Lohan's departure, and said they would be announcing her replacement "shortly." Lohan, who will next appear onscreen alongside Jane Fonda in "Georgia Rule," is interviewed in the May issue of Allure and discussed an incident from the production of that film — when she was publicly reprimanded by a studio executive who accused her of missing work due to "all night heavy partying." "It upset me because I was ... a bit irresponsible," she said. "And I didn't think about the consequences but I was also going through something in my life" — a breakup with Harry Morton, according to Allure. Lohan also said she doesn't understand why the tabloid press isn't finished with her yet. "They don't have anything left to say about me really! They've said everything, literally!" ...

Sanjaya Malakar has no shortage of commitments lined up now that he's out of "American Idol." People magazine has invited this week's ousted "Idol" to be one of its guests at the White House Correspondents Association dinner on Saturday, and the singer will appear on "Late Show With David Letterman" Monday to present the top 10 list. ...

Ciara wants "to relish every moment I have while I'm young," she explains in the May issue of Jane (due on newsstands Tuesday). The 21-year-old singer, who is profiled as part of the magazine's annual "30 Under 30" list, says she appreciates "the physical part" of her age — "All my joints work," she noted. "These are the fun years." — but she's looking ahead. "Right now I think my ultimate goal is to be so financially stable that I can do whatever I want. I would like to have five kids. I'm looking forward to the day when my prince walks into the room. I want to have longevity, to become an icon, to make a mark and be a star." ...

Slipknot drummer Joey Jordison will man the kit for Korn this summer. Jordison — who will be filling in for David Silveria, who is on hiatus from the group — said he's "lucky to have had the opportunity to perform with bands that have influenced me as a musician over the years. When I first heard Korn, they blew me away and I have been a fan ever since. I'm looking forward to playing drums with these guys for the next five months." Jordison will travel with the band during this summer's Family Values trek, but plans to head into the studio with Slipknot following the tour to continue work on that band's next LP. ...

DJ Dramapreviewed his official Gangsta Grillzalbum Thursday night to a room full of music industry insiders at club E.S.S.O. in Atlanta during the 10th annual BMI unsigned artists showcase. Jazze Pha hosted and T-Pain, Yung Joc and Fat Joe all performed. ... Jibbs joined Bow Wow's Price of Fame tour — which also features Lloyd, Crime Mob and Sammie — Thursday in Birmingham, Alabama. The jaunt ends May 27 in Des Moines, Iowa. ...

Sharon Osbourne is replacing Brandy as a judge on the NBC contest "America's Got Talent," the network announced Thursday. Last season's judges David Hasselhoff and Piers Morgan are returning to the show, which premieres May 29 with new host Jerry Springer. "On this show, it just had to be Sharon Osbourne," said Simon Cowell, who is the executive producer of "Talent" and sits alongside Osbourne on the televised British talent search "The X Factor." ... A nine-man, three-woman jury was sworn in on Thursday to hear the murder case against music producer Phil Spector. Six alternate jurors must be selected before opening statements begin on Wednesday.

Bobby Valentino previewed his album, Special Occasion, Thursday night at Sony Studios in New York. The Disturbing Tha Peace singer introduced each track and revealed that the Timbaland-produced, Ludacris-assisted "Rearview (Ridin')" would be his next single. ...Calle 13 hosted a Latina magazine party Wednesday night at Stereo in Manhattan. The Latin Grammy-winning duo appear on the magazine's May cover. ... Kim Kardashian hosted a party Thursday night at Home in New York, where she was joined by music mogul Irv Gotti and actors Jamie-Lynn Sigler and Ricky Gonzalez.

04.20.2007

Cam'ron isn't one to bite his tongue — just ask 50 Cent — but when it comes to the 2005 Washington, D.C., shooting he was involved in, the New York rapper is quiet as kept, he tells CBS' "60 Minutes." He explained in a taped segment set to air Sunday that cooperating with police would hurt his image — even if his neighbor were a serial killer. "If I knew the serial killer was living next door to me?" Cam responded to a hypothetical question posed by Anderson Cooper. "I wouldn't call and tell anybody on him, but I'd probably move. But I'm not going to call and be like, 'The serial killer's in 4E' because ... it would definitely hurt my business, and the way I was raised, I just don't do that." ...

Simon Cowell is "blunt, but not disrespectful," Kelly Clarkson told "Extra" on Wednesday, after the entertainment show asked her to weigh in on allegations that the "American Idol" judge made light of the Virginia Tech tragedy on the show. "He would never do anything like that." ...

It isn't quite like the magical portraits found at Hogwarts, but muggle fans can now look forward to the next best thing, with news Thursday (April 19) that select scenes from "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" will be digitally converted for IMAX 3D. "Accio Prophecy!" Malfoy's summoning spell might suddenly have a whole new twist — a Warner Bros. spokesperson announced that the altered scenes will be from the last 20 minutes of the film. These converted scenes, then, almost certainly include the battle at the Ministry, Voldemort's duel with Dumbledore, and Sirius' death and fall through the Veil. Both the standard and IMAX 3D versions of "Order of the Phoenix" hit theaters July 13. ...

Forget Venom, Sandman and Doc Ock — could Spider-Man's greatest foe be ... the Phantom of the Opera? The web-slinger is heading to Broadway for a musical based on the popular Marvel character that is to be directed by multi-hyphenate Julie Taymor ("The Lion King") and scored by U2's Bono and the Edge. Aside from popular characters like Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson, a casting notice posted on Playbill.com lists "Arachne, a beautiful woman turned into a spider for her hubris" and a "geek chorus" that "ritualistically retell the Spider-Man stories." A 29-hour rehearsed reading is scheduled for July 12. ...

Gettin' some ... freedom? Rapper Shawnna recently confirmed to Miss Info of New York's Hot 97 radio that she's parted ways with Ludacris, Disturbing Tha Peace and Def Jam. The Chicago artist explained she'd most likely sign with an independent label soon and announced that plans for a group with Remy Ma and Jacki-O are officially no more. Remy later phoned into Wendy Williams and passed the blame onto Shawnna for the split, but Shawnna said internal issues were the root of the problem. ...

Tour dates for this year's Family Values Tour have been announced. The trek — featuring Korn (with Slipknot's Joey Jordison as guest drummer), Evanescence and Hellyeah — will hit Maryland Heights, Missouri (July 20); Somerset, Wisconsin (July 21); Chicago (July 22); Camden, New Jersey (July 24); Mansfield, Massachusetts (July 27); Bristow, Virginia (July 28); Hartford, Connecticut (July 29); Toronto (July 31); Clarkston, Michigan (August 1); Darien Center, New York (August 3); Burgettstown, Pennsylvania (August 4); Scranton, Pennsylvania (August 5); Saratoga Springs, New York (August 7); Holmdel, New Jersey (August 8); Noblesville, Indiana (August 10); Atlanta (August 11); Orlando, Florida (August 12); West Palm Beach, Florida (August 14); Tampa, Florida (August 15); Dallas (August 17); Woodlands, Texas (August 18); Selma, Texas (August 19); Bonner Springs, Kansas (August 22); Englewood, Colorado (August 24); Albuquerque, New Mexico (August 25); Phoenix (August 26); Bakersfield, California (August 28); Marysville, California (August 31); Concord, California (September 1); and Irvine, California (September 2). ...

Speaking of Hellyeah, the band — which features former Pantera/Damageplan drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott and members of Mudvayne and Nothingface — has parted ways with bassist Jerry Montano. An explanation has not been offered for his abrupt departure, but Hellyeah have promised they would announce Montano's replacement soon. ... And on the topic of Abbott, his late brother "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott is being posthumously venerated with a spot on Hollywood's RockWalk. The induction will be held May 17 at noon. ...

Pink is calling out to fans to share their ideas for the next chapter in the saga of Lady Delish, her character in the "U and Ur Hand" video. The contest, hosted at Brickfish.com, is accepting submissions — via audio, video, photos with descriptions or a written blog — to explain what happens next in Lady Delish's story. The grand prize winner — as chosen by online viewers — will be awarded an autographed set of Pink's leather boxing gloves from the video. ...

Romeo's college-basketball dreams are coming true. The artist formerly known as Lil' Romeo — who has since become an All-American point guard at Beverly Hills High School in California — is heading to the University of Southern California and has signed up for the school's Trojans basketball team. "I love basketball, I've been doing that since I was 2 years old," he told MTV Radio. "I've been doing it since before the music and acting. ... I try to make it so I am able to do all of them. If it gets to that point, I won't give up acting or rapping at all. I love it, my fans love it. I'm gonna be dedicated to them." Romeo is planning to major in business administration — perhaps following in the footsteps of his father, Master P — and hopes to release a new album, Gumbo Station, later this year. ...

Mya gave a sneak peek of her forthcoming album Liberation — which was due out last November but is now slated for June 26 — at the Essence/Dodge Avenger Lifestyle Lounge party at New York's Roseland Ballroom Wednesday. While partygoers checked out the 2008 Avenger, Mya sang a four-song set, including her new single "Lock U Down," which Scott Storch produced. On Tuesday, Mya was finishing up the dance-heavy video for the single, which features a guest appearance by Lil Wayne. Meanwhile, Mya is going international with her modeling career. She's already strutted down the catwalk for Heatherette in New York during Fashion Week, and now she's making her European debut modeling for the design duo at Life Ball 2007 in Vienna on May 26. ...

Queens of the Stone Age have set June 12 as the release date for their new album, Era Vulgaris. The album will feature 11 tracks, including "3's & 7's," which was just posted on QOTSA.com. The hard-rockers have also announced their first tour dates of the year, including a handful of appearances at European festivals this summer. The only U.S. gig scheduled so far is a June 8 performance at the KJEE Seaside Beach Ball in Ventura, California. ... Tool frontman Maynard James Keenan hopes to release the debut LP from his Puscifer project this fall. The record will boast guest contributions from Rage Against the Machine's Tim Commerford and Brad Wilk and Primus' Tim Alexander as well as Lustmord and Jonny Polonsky. ...

Pitbull and Nina Sky performed at the Cuervotón: Search for La Nueva Generación of Latinos in Urban Música event Tuesday night at Arena in midtown Manhattan, New York. Rappers Tru Life and Joel Ortiz also joined them for the music-appreciation festivities. ... New Janet Jackson music is coming soon, according to her boyfriend, Jermaine Dupri. Dupri posted a note on his MySpace page saying that the "Rush Hour 3" soundtrack will be released on Island Records and will feature a new Janet single. Dupri was appointed president of Island Urban Music last month. ... Rolling Stone is archiving every issue on DVD for its 40th anniversary celebration this fall, Reuters reports. "Rolling Stone Cover-to-Cover: The First 40 Years" will cost $119.99 and amass more than 1,000 issues' worth of material — more than 115,000 pages in total.

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Fantasia
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Former "American Idol" winner Fantasia will perform and make a special announcement on the program's results show Thursday, it was announced Wednesday (February 21). ... On Wednesday, Eminem announced a contest for burgeoning producers to remix the new track "Jimmy Crack Corn" (featuring 50 Cent), from the rapper's various-artists mixtape Eminem Presents: The Re-Up. The winning version will land in rotation for two weeks on Em's Shade 45 satellite-radio station. ...

Sensing that Britney Spears needs a getaway from her "turbulent lifestyle," the Syracuse Crunch — a minor-league team in the American Hockey League — is offering the pop singer an all-expenses-paid trip to the upstate New York locale to "provide tranquility" to Spears. According to ESPN, the invite begins with the team's Saturday game, and if Spears accepts, members of the team's upper-management staff have offered to shave their heads in support of her. ...

In related news, Evanescence's Amy Lee has come to Spears' defense, responding to a video posted on YouTube that makes fun of the newly bald pop sensation with an Evanescence song. "I have to post that I in no way am going to endorse any kind of Britney bashing after everything she's been through," Lee wrote in a post on the band's message board. "I can't control what people put on YouTube or anywhere else on the Internet, but I would never want my picture or our music connected to something that's based on getting enjoyment out of someone's pain. I know what it's like to feel manipulated, used and helpless — so do most of you — and by now, I know what it's like to feel like your entire life is open to the world for judgment. Remember that this is a human being we're talking about — and who wants to be like those horrible people that have to hurt you to feel better about themselves?" ...

A wrongful-death lawsuit has been filed on behalf of two children whose mother was killed in a December 30 freeway crash involving Brandy. The filing, submitted February 8 in Los Angeles, claims 38-year-old Awatef Aboudihaj's death was caused by the singer driving recklessly, according to court papers. Aboudihaj's parents filed a $50 million suit against Brandy last month. The California Highway Patrol has recommended that Brandy be charged with a misdemeanor count of vehicular manslaughter, which carries a maximum penalty of one year in jail and a $1,000 fine. The Los Angeles City Attorney's Office is still considering charges. Hold your jets, Tool fans: The band is planning to reschedule its North American tour itinerary after drummer Danny Carey tore a bicep over the weekend. The bandmember underwent surgery Wednesday and is recovering. ...

According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, a grand jury in Fulton County, Georgia, has indicted 25-year-old Michael Scott Axley on felony murder and aggravated assault charges for allegedly attacking and killing a man at a Korn concert in July. Witnesses claimed Axley punched Andy Richardson, 30, after the two exchanged words at the Family Values Tour stop and Axley took Richardson's cap. Richardson was knocked unconscious, and Axley allegedly punched him again while he was lying on a sidewalk. Richardson suffered skull fractures and severe head injuries and died two days later. ... Through her lawyer, an absent Nicole Richie pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor driving under the influences charges in a Los Angeles court on Tuesday, The Associated Press reports. Richie, who was arrested December 11 after witnesses reported that her car was driving in the wrong direction on an L.A. freeway, already has a 2003 DUI on her record. She faces up to one year in jail and a $1,000 fine plus suspension of her driving privileges. A pretrial conference is scheduled for April 2. ...

Former "Friends" David Schwimmer and Paul Rudd were laughing it up Tuesday night at a New York screening of "Hot Fuzz," the new film from the folks behind "Shaun of the Dead." Writer/director Edgar Wright revealed to MTV News that the comedy is "semi-autobiographical" — at least when it came to depicting Wells, the small town where he and co-writer and star Simon Pegg grew up, and where they filmed "Hot Fuzz." "Everything out of the ordinary had to be 'exterminated,' " he joked. Wright also revealed the identity of one of the uncredited cameos in "Hot Fuzz" — though Steve Coogan is clearly visible as a police officer in the beginning of the film, Cate Blanchett is hidden by a "CSI"-type mask. "It's her eyes that give it away," Wright said. ... 'NSYNC member Joey Fatone will step up to a new challenge, so to speak, on the fourth season of "Dancing With the Stars," which premieres March 19. The lineup for the televised talent competition was announced Wednesday, and includes Paul McCartney's estranged wife Heather Mills, country singer — and Miley's dad — Billy Ray Cyrus, actors Vincent Pastore and Ian Ziering, former basketball pro Clyde Drexler, boxer Laila Ali, Olympic speed skater Apolo Ono, supermodel Paulina Porizkova and TV hosts Leeza Gibbons and Shandi Finnessey. ...

Former Guns N' Roses and current Velvet Revolver guitarist Slash has sold his autobiography to HarperCollins, according to Crain's New York Business. Slash will work with writer Anthony Bozza (who helped Mötley Crüe's Tommy Lee on his memoir, "Tommyland"), with a manuscript deadline set for this fall. ... That's that: Carmen Electra and Dave Navarro are free from the restraints of married life. AP reports that the couple's divorce was finalized Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court. The two plan to split their assets and personal belongings according to a premarital agreement; the couple separated in July. ...

According to a posting on the band's MySpace page, Killswitch Engage have recruited former Halford guitarist and ex-Damageplan frontman Patrick Lachman to fill in for Killswitch's Adam Dutkiewicz during the band's upcoming North American tour with DragonForce, Chimaira and He Is Legend. Dutkiewicz is recovering from a serious back injury, and won't be able to head out with the band for the trek, which kicks off Wednesday in Philadelphia and runs through April 8 in Chicago. ... Former Citizen drummer Ryan Yerdon has joined Puddle of Mudd, replacing Greg Upchurch, who jumped ship back in 2005 to join 3 Doors Down. Puddle of Mudd have also announced the addition of guitarist Christian Stone. Stone replaces Paul Phillips, who left the band due to creative differences. ... The reunited Will Haven have parted ways with vocalist Grady Avenell; he's leaving the band so that he can focus on his family life. Band pal Jeff Jaworski (formerly of Red Tape) has been selected to replace Avenell.

02.20.2007

Nas and Kelis performed at Club Tryst at Wynn Las Vegas on Friday night as a part of an ESPN/Hennessy shindig. Ciara, Chamillionare and Jermaine Dupri also joined the husband-and-wife team for the festivities. ...

James Brown's children have reached an agreement with his partner Tomi Rae Hynie on where the late singer's remains will be put to rest, The Associated Press reports. A lawyer for Hynie said the resting place is being kept confidential at the request of Brown's children, and that the burial may take place within the next few days. ... Busta Rhymes is considering a deal that would allow him to plead guilty to misdemeanor assault and remain free after rejecting a separate deal that would keep him in jail for six months on two assault charges, AP reports. The rapper could plead guilty to third-degree assault and receive a conditional discharge for allegedly beating his former driver. In the other case, Rhymes is being accused of assaulting a fan. ...

Look up "Britney's hair" on eBay and you'll get a few dozen results, some even promising the "1,000 percent genuine" article. But when the Tarzana, California, hair salon where Britney Spears got buzzed posted the locks for sale, eBay canceled the auction, prompting the creation of the BuyBritneysHair.com site. "This is it, the opportunity of a lifetime," begins the announcement on the sparsely designed page. "You can be the proud owner of Britney Spears' hair, extensions, the Omega clipper used to cut it all off and even the can of Red Bull she was drinking at the time. You also get her blue Bic Lighter." The seller is accepting "serious" offers via e-mail, and has set a starting bid of $1 million. ...

Kim Mathers sounded off on Eminem on a Detroit radio show Friday, saying that just thinking of the man she married twice makes her sick. "He's an absolutely horrible person, and he gets worse every day," she said during an interview on WKQI-FM's "Mojo in the Morning" show. "I vomit in my mouth whenever I'm around him or I hear his name." Eminem, who has targeted his ex-wife in his lyrics, issued a statement responding to her comments: "It's a shame that I've moved on and Kim hasn't. Her ongoing press campaign is doing nothing but harm to the children, and for that I feel truly sorry. For their sake I wish she would stop." ...

Foxy Brown could face jail time in New York following her run-in with police at a beauty shop in Florida, a New York City Department of Probation spokesperson said. The rapper — who is currently serving a three-year probation sentence for assaulting Manhattan nail-salon employees — was arrested in Pembroke Pines, Florida, last week for an altercation with a beauty-shop employee and resisting arrest. According to the NYC's Department of Probation, Brown violated two stipulations of her sentence — traveling out of the state without permission from her sentencing judge and being arrested. Brown's lawyer, New York State Senator Jack Sampson, claimed that his client did receive permission to travel outside the state for several performances. Sampson said that as of press time, he had not been contacted by Brown's probation officer regarding any violations. ...

"American Idol" vocal coach Debra Byrd has created a DVD called "Vocal Help Now!" due March 5. Kelly Clarkson, Kimberly Caldwell and Anthony Fedorov are among the guests on the DVD. ... Fedorov, meanwhile, has been tapped to star in "The Fantasticks," the world's longest-running off-Broadway musical. His run as Matt begins May 1. ... Spike Lee's Hurricane Katrina documentary has earned the director a George Polk Award, AP reports. The director won the documentary-TV honor for "When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts." ...

LCD Soundsystem have aligned dates for a tour to support their forthcoming March 20 release, Sound of Silver. The Grammy-nominated electronic experimentalists kick off the fun March 30 in New York with a two-day stint at the Bowery Ballroom, then return to the same city May 14 to bring the jaunt to a close at Webster Hall. ... Beastie Boys, Arcade Fire, Björk and Interpol are among the 50 acts confirmed to appear at the sixth annual Sasquatch! Music Festival, to be held May 26-27 at the Gorge Amphitheatre in George, Washington. Others on the bill include Spoon, M.I.A., Bad Brains and the Hold Steady. Tickets for the fest go on sale March 3 at 10 a.m. ET. ... Tori Amos has pegged May 1 as the release date for her ninth studio album, American Doll Posse. Her world tour in support of the LP embarks May 28 in Rome, with the full itinerary to be announced shortly. ...

Oprah Winfrey and Howard Stern may soon be on the same team. Satellite radio competitors XM (which hosts Winfrey's channel) and Sirius (home of Howard 100) announced Monday that they intend to merge, creating a single satellite radio network with the $13 billion deal. The agreement must be approved by shareholders as well as the Federal Communications Commission before it can move forward. XM and Sirius said they hoped to finalize the deal by the close of 2007, but FCC Chairman Kevin Martin warned that the companies face a "hurdle," noting that the FCC ruled against allowing a single company to own the only two satellite licenses in a prior decision. ... The murder trial for record producer Phil Spector will be televised, a judge ordered Friday. Variety reports that Superior Court Judge Larry Paul Fidler, who noted in his decision that "public scrutiny is a good thing," said, "There's going to come a time that it will be commonplace to televise trials. If it had not been for Simpson, we'd be there now," he said, referring to the controversy surrounding TV coverage of O.J. Simpson's murder trial. Spector is charged in the 2003 shooting death of actress Lana Clarkson. Jury selection, which begins March 19, will not be broadcast.

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