Whitney Houston in her Oprah Winfrey Show Interview
Photo: Harpo Productions

Whitney Houston was back on top last week thanks to her comeback album, I Look To You. But for the past decade-plus, the singer told Oprah Winfrey on Monday, her life has been a roller coaster of drugs, jealousy, emotional abuse and a chaotic, "crazy love" with ex-husband Bobby Brown.

"He was my drug," Houston, 46, said on the season premiere of "The Oprah Winfrey Show." "I didn't do anything without him. I wasn't getting high by myself. It was me and him together, and we were partners, and that's what my high was — him. He and I being together, and whatever we did, we did it together. No matter what, we did it together."

That included descending into a frightening abyss of drugs, constant fighting and bizarre behavior that included Brown spray-painting "evil eyes" on the walls, carpets and closet doors of their home.

"Evil eyes that were looking at every point in the room," Houston said, adding that at one point Brown also cut the heads off pictures of her. "I'm looking at it and going, 'Lord, what's really going on here?' Because I was getting scared, because I felt something was going to blow, something was going to give."

The first part of the two-part interview didn't descend into the typical teary Oprah confessional, but Houston, who has sold more than 140 million albums worldwide, was unabashed in detailing the depths of misery into which she fell after achieving the pinnacle of worldwide fame in the early 1990s.

In fact, she said, that fame was part of what destroyed her marriage to Brown. When her career took off with her big-screen success in the 1992 movie "The Bodyguard" and its unstoppable hit single, "I Will Always Love You," Houston said she tried to downplay her fame in deference to Brown, 40, whom she married in 1992 after three years of dating. The couple divorced in 2007.

"Something happens to a man when a woman has that much fame," Houston said. "I tried to play down all the time. I used to say, 'I'm Mrs. Brown, don't call me Houston.' "

Between the deference to Brown and the drug use, Houston admitted that she eventually stopped caring about her music career. "I had totally forgotten about that life," she said. "I had so much money by that point. I wasn't thinking about any of that."

Aside from the drug use — Houston said her drugs of choice were marijuana and crack cocaine, while Brown allegedly preferred alcohol and marijuana laced with cocaine — the singer said their marital problems also got physical.

"He slapped me once, but he got hit on the head three times by me," Houston told Winfrey, saying that she had hit Brown so hard that he fell down bleeding as their daughter, Bobbi Kristina, now 16, walked into the room. During another argument at their Atlanta home during a party she threw for her husband, she said Brown spat in her face in front of Bobbi, which left her "very hurt, very angry."

Houston said the drug use got so bad at one point that her mother, Cissy Houston, showed up at the couple's Atlanta home with a court injunction and asked police to help force Whitney into rehab.

"She said, 'I'm not losing you to the world. I'm not losing you to Satan. I want my daughter back,' " Houston said of her mother's plea. "She said, 'Either you do it my way, or we'll go on TV and [say] you're gonna retire.' "

Her mother warned Brown not to interfere with that intervention, Houston told Winfrey. "She said, 'If you move, Bobby, they're gonna take you down,' " Houston said. " 'Don't you make one move.' And he stood there like he was scared."

Though she was candid in much of the interview, when Winfrey confronted Houston about an article that suggested fans felt "disgust" at how cavalierly the singer had treated her voice, which Oprah called a "national treasure," Houston said simply, "Wow."

Houston said she's trying to re-start her career now because, as she put it, "I needed my joy back." The long climb back has already hit a few bumps, including a much-discussed performance on "Good Morning America" earlier this month, in which Houston appeared out of breath with a voice in poor condition, which she blamed on all the talking she did while taping the "Oprah" appearance the previous day.

Part two of the interview will air on Tuesday.

• Whitney Houston
• Bobby Brown

Rick Ross
Photo: Jason Campbell

Cruel intentions or just witty hip-hop referencing? Everyone is talking about Rick Ross' new record "Mafia Music," where he name-checks everyone from Shawty Lo and T.I. to Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown. For four minutes and 21 seconds, the Ross relentlessly praises his own success and admonishes some of his enemies.

The most notable person he talks about on the record is 50 Cent.

"I love to pay ya bills, can't wait to pay ya rent/ Curtis Jackson baby mama, I ain't looking for a cent/ Burn the house down," Ross raps, referring to the "suspicious" fire at a home owned by 50 (in which his son and ex-girlfriend lived) last year. "You gotta buy another/ Don't forget the gas can, jealous, stupid muthaf----r."

It's not hard to figure out what the G-Unit general thinks about the song: 50's camp has already posted the track on Thisis50.com and labeled it "50 Cent Dis." Early in 2008, 50 warned Ross not to stay too close to Fat Joe during the Bronx don's beef with the G-Unit.

Recently, during an interview with MTV News, Ross warned that some of his peers would be catching feelings once "Mafia Music" was leaked.

"It's titled 'Mafia Music' and it's gonna cause a lot of problems," he explained. "It's a scathing four-and-half-minute nonstop flow, me being autobiographical about my life and my come-up and my triumph. Of course, I had to address a few things, I had to address a few people. I love it. The thing is, some people are gonna be — um — they're gonna be f---ed up. That's the best way I can put it."

The Miami native also told MTV News that an official single, "I'm the Magnificent" would be coming soon. Ross' new LP Deeper Than Rap, is due this spring.

• Rick Ross (Hip-Hop)
• 50 Cent
• Shawty Lo
• T.I.
• Whitney Houston

Bobby Brown on the cover of "The truth, the whole truth and nothing but..."
Photo: Down South Books

"It's tough being Bobby Brown," Jay-Z raps on a remix of Coldplay's "Lost." "To be Bobby then, you have to be Bobby now."

What a life the Boston singer has had. An entertainer since age 11, Brown, now almost 40, brought the 'hood to R&B in the '80s. His greatest work to date, 1988's Don't Be Cruel, was a crossover hit that sold more than 8 million copies. Brown seemed destined to join the ranks of the all-time greats he had idolized as a child, including Michael Jackson and James Brown.

Since rising to the top, Brown has experienced heartbreak (Janet Jackson), love (ex-wife Whitney Houston and his children) and trouble with the law. Author Derrick Handspike documents the Brown Bomber in "Bobby Brown: The Truth, the Whole Truth and Nothing But ... ," which hit shelves Tuesday (December 9).

The book, which began with Brown's cooperation but has been published as an unauthorized biography, has been delayed since May. Handspike said that after spending a year with Brown and conducting interviews and co-writing the project, the singer and his camp began "procrastinating" in completing the book. In the spring, the media went crazy after excerpts of Brown's interviews were released. Bobby described a night Usher began choking him at a party (Usher was playing, according to Brown, but cutting off his circulation nonetheless) and offered his take on Houston's possible romantic relationship with Ray J.

In the book, Brown tells Handspike that Houston initiated their relationship by flirting with him at the Grammys. A romance ensued, and sexual chemistry wasn't a problem. "I've always been known to be a pretty good lover," Brown said shamelessly. "The word on the street is that I'm well-endowed."

With love came confrontation: It's well-documented that Houston called the police on Brown on more than one occasion. "I mean, I'm guilty of getting upset and flying off the handle a little," Brown said of the domestic strife. "I was known to throw a bottle or two at a wall or something. Things that I'd regret, I would be responsible for cleaning up or having the wall repaired. What people fail to realize is that Whitney is no punk. She definitely knows how to handle and defend herself in situations that could have potentially been violent. Some of the stories in the media made me out to be like Ike Turner, when that wasn't my character."

There's also a bit in the book in which Brown said his wife would joke about being more white than black because of her overwhelming support from the mainstream public. "I never understood how she felt like this when she was more 'Negro' than I am," Brown said. "Not African-American, but more 'Negro' than I could ever be. That is one of the reasons why I always loved her so much, because she was so real."

During his marriage to Houston, Brown began to use cocaine. He claims that marijuana was his only drug of choice during his teen New Edition years, but later coke, crack and heroin came into play. He attributes his crooked jaw to a mild stroke from heroin in 2001.

"I had a desk like Scarface's in my room, and I kept [cocaine] piled up on it," Brown told Handspike. "Every time I walked past my desk, I'd make a line of coke from one end to the other. I'd take a straw and snort a line the same way Scarface did it in the movie. You couldn't tell me nothing. I felt like I was Tony Montana! The world was mine! I never had to look for coke; I kept it plentiful. There was times when I went on my binges and would lock myself up in a room for days at a time just getting high."

Brown's manager said he and his client have no comment on the book at this time.

Although Brown has made no announcements about the follow-up to his hit Bravo reality show "Being Bobby Brown," the singer remains active with spot dates across the country. He's scheduled to perform with New Edition members Johnny Gill and Ralph Tresvant on February 12 in New York.

• Bobby Brown
• Whitney Houston

Bobby Brown
Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

After years of lurid tabloid headlines, nobody expected their divorce to end cleanly, but the breakup of Bobby Brown and Whitney Houston took an unexpected turn on Thursday (April 3) when Brown revealed that his upcoming autobiography will contain claims that Houston introduced him to hard drugs.

"I never used cocaine until after I met Whitney. Before then, I had experimented with other drugs, but marijuana was my drug of choice," Brown reportedly writes in "Bobby Brown: The Truth, the Whole Truth and Nothing But," which is due out next month, according to the New York Post. "At one point in my life, I used drugs uncontrollably. I was using everything I could get my hands on, from cocaine to heroin, weed and cooked cocaine."

Brown reportedly says in the book that the two stars' 15-year marriage was doomed from the start. "Within the first year, we separated, with several more to follow," Brown says. "I think we got married for all the wrong reasons. Now, I realize Whitney had a different agenda than I did when we got married. ... I believe her agenda was to clean up her image, while mine was to be loved and have children." The book reportedly contains allegations that part of the reason Houston married bad-boy singer Brown, a former member of New Edition and onetime solo star, was that she was under pressure to mute tabloid rumors that she was having a lesbian affair with her assistant.

"The media was accusing her of having a bisexual relationship with her assistant, Robin Crawford," Brown reportedly writes. "Since she was the American Sweetheart and all, that didn't go too well with her image. ... In Whitney's situation, the only solution was to get married and have kids. That would kill all speculation, whether it was true or not. In the short, I think I got caught up in the politics and ended up marrying one of the biggest stars in the world."

Houston's spokesperson, Nancy Seltzer, would not comment specifically on the allegations in the book, but said in a statement, "Miss Houston is sad that Bobby feels he needs to say such things, but she chooses to take the high road and will not speak badly about the father of her child, even if it's to set the record straight."

The couple, who married in 1992 and divorced last year, have a 15-year-old daughter, Bobbi Kristina.

The Post reported that in addition to painting a grim picture of Houston and their marriage, the oft-arrested Brown, 39, admits that he too was to blame for their messy breakup and that he was often unfaithful to his ex-wife. "I am guilty of sleeping with other women. ... Women are always throwing themselves at you. I'm only human, so I would make the mistake and bite the hook sometimes. ... I let the testosterone take over," he writes.

The autobiography's promotional materials — which claim that Brown dated Madonna and Janet Jackson, in addition to sleeping with "thousands of women" — say that the book "sets the record straight, proving that there are two sides to every story. ... Responding to a media that paints a negative depiction of his life, Bobby takes you on an emotional journey as he fully exposes himself in this tell-all, in-depth story of his many triumphs, trials and tribulations. Hear true confessions of drug addictions, a life-threatening drug overdose, the real reason he left New Edition and intimate stories of his relationship with Whitney Houston."

The book promises to teach "many valuable lessons" and show the consequences and pressures of fame, along with telling the "timeless" story of how Brown "refused to let his future be affected by the mistakes of his past."

• Bobby Brown
• Whitney Houston

Bobby Brown
Photo: Scott Gries/ Getty Images

"I did not have a heart attack. No. I went to the hospital, they pushed my stomach, I farted, then they sent me home."

Raw and spontaneous as always, Bobby Brown had a handful of MTV News staff members smiling when he came in for an interview Thursday. Unprompted, he was doing the "running man" and cracking jokes, and before he left the building, he yelled down the hall to me, "I'm doing a country album! Yeah, I'm doing country now!" No one in the MTV newsroom could believe it. Then again, it is Bobby Brown, so anything is possible.

Brown seems to really be taking his latest television endeavor to heart. He's one of seven celebrities to hook up with Big & Rich's John Rich for the Country Music Television reality show "Gone Country." The contestants, including Sisqo, Twisted Sister's Dee Snider and Julio Iglesias Jr., are competing to be the next big country star.

"My dad was a big country-music fan, but I felt it was something I could conquer," said Brown, who can tell you stories about hanging out in Nashville "every other weekend." "I've been through R&B and rap, television, movies. It just brings it all together, country music."

During the taping, all seven contestants lived in the same house — and in a couple of episodes, we see Brown's sleepwalking problem. One night while sleepwalking, he mistook a part of his bedroom for the bathroom, and let's just say he marked his territory. Housemate Maureen McCormick (a.k.a. Marcia Brady) came in and tried to wake him up, but slipped and fell on the, uh, wet floor. Guess she should have watched her "Every Little Step."

"We clicked the whole show," Brown said. "[Maureen] is a very sweet lady. Being in a house with six other people, I knew their stuff, their material. I've never lived with that many people in one house. [I was] trying to fit in with them, not cause no conflicts with anybody. It was a lot of fun. Me and Sisqo had our moment, but a thing happened when we was drinking. It all turned out to be fine."

Brown said he's already come up with a country song called "The Man." No word yet on when it will be recorded or released. "It's a pretty nice ballad," the Boston native said. "[It talks about] everything I've been through in my life."

Brown also said that R&B and country have obvious similarities in that you have to get really personal with the songwriting. He describes his country sound as "Bobby Brown-ish with a little twang to it."

The Brown Bomber is already playfully contemplating his next genre endeavor: "Maybe I'll tackle Latin music next, but for now, it's country."

He plans on putting out that R&B/country hybrid LP, The Masterpiece, by the middle of the year, and he also plans to release a traditional R&B album at some point. Brown has a big year ahead of him, with 2008 marking the 20th anniversary of his biggest album, Don't Be Cruel, and the 25th anniversary of New Edition's debut. Both will be celebrated in grandiose fashion. All six members of New Edition are going on tour together, tentatively starting this summer.

• Bobby Brown

Amy Winehouse
Photo: Dave Hogan/Getty Images

Amy Winehouse might have missed the VMAs, but she's hoping to make up for her absence with a rare performance at the mtvU Woodie Awards next month. The performance by the singer — who made it to mtvU's "Freshman 5" earlier this year — is only one of two she has on her U.S. itinerary for the rest of the year. The Academy Is ... and Spank Rock will also grace the stage at the ceremony, which will be held November 8 at New York's Roseland Ballroom and air on mtvU and mtvU.com on November 15 at 8 p.m. ET. The program will also air November 18 on MTV2 at 12:30 a.m. ET, and highlights will be shown on MTV as well. ...

It's probably safe to say that when Snoop Dogg made the movie "The Wash" with Dr. Dre back in 2001, he wasn't anticipating that he'd have to be washing cars in real life down the line. But the rapper (real name: Calvin Broadus) has agreed to do just that — as well as clean toilets, rake leaves and pick up debris — as part of his 160 hours of community service for illegal possession of a dangerous weapon, according to Southern California newspaper The Orange County Register. The punishment stems from his weapon-possession arrest at John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana in September 2006, when he attempted to bring a collapsible 21-inch police baton onto the aircraft. It's not known when Snoop will begin his service as a commercial pitchman, and the name of the park at which he will be working has not been released. ...

Did Busta Rhymes and Linkin Park become friends while they were at the "Transformers" premiere over the summer? The rapper tells RollingStone.com that he has cut a new song, "It Looks Like We Made It," with the rock squad and that it will surface on his next LP. "It feels like Rocky won the fight or something," he says of the song, which was reportedly produced by Cool & Dre. "It reminds the people who are successful to go and help those that haven't been so successful, and represent the unity between people." The rapper also said his LP title has changed from Before Hell Freezes Over to Back on My BS, and that it's due December 4. ...

Vocal Britney Spears critic Perez Hilton has a bit of a problem on his hands. The Zomba Label Group — home to Spears' label, Jive Records — has hit the super-blogger (real name: Mario Lavandeira) with a suit claiming he illegally obtained and posted on his gossip Web site at least 10 of the singer's songs and unfinished demos for her new LP, Reuters reports. Zomba alleges the posts took place over the past three months and that it moved up the release date for Spears' Blackout due to online leaks. The suit requests real and punitive damages as well as legal costs, although the amount of the damages wasn't specified. ...

So where did Ashlee Simpson celebrate her 23rd birthday over the weekend? Her parents' house, of course! The singer held an '80s-themed party on Saturday, and more than 200 guests showed up — including sister Jessica, Wilmer Valderrama, Kenna and, of course, boyfriend Pete Wentz, who was the prom king to Ashlee's queen as they danced to Bryan Adams' "Everything I Do." "Now we can say we are high school sweethearts!" the Fall Out Boy bassist told People. He also made a wisecrack to the mag, saying he and his girlfriend take the same amount of time to get ready to go out "because I'm actually just her purse." But apparently Saturday night didn't totally exhaust the couple — the following night, they went to the Hollywood Style Awards at the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood, California. Russell Simmons was presented with the Hollywood Soul award for his work with the Diamond Empowerment Fund, a nonprofit that raises money to support education initiatives in diamond-producing African countries. Wentz and Simpson wore Simmons Jewelry Company Green Initiative bracelets, as did Vanessa Minnillo, Kim Kardashian, Cindy Crawford and other celebrities in attendance. And that's not the only place Simpson and Wentz turned up this week — she was seen busting some more moves a few nights later at FOB's show at Paramount Studios in Hollywood. Pharrell also headlined the event, which marked the finale of the invite-only Hennessy Artistry Concert Tour. ...

First Trent Reznor became a free agent earlier this week, now is Madonna about to follow in his footsteps and break free from a major label? Liz Rosenberg, Madonna's representative at her longtime label, Warner Bros., told MTV News that a move is likely. "Madonna has a new CD coming out on Warner Bros. Records at the end of this year or early next year," she said. "She also has a greatest-hits package on WB. After that she is a free agent, and I believe her managers are in talks with Warner Bros. as well as Live Nation regarding her future as a recording and touring artist." According to The Associated Press, a proposed $120 million, 10-year agreement would give Madge a signing bonus of $18 million and $17 million in advance for each of three LPs, with a portion of the compensation involving stock. The deal would also give Live Nation the exclusive right to promote her tours, and any revenue generated by her merchandise or name would be split 50/50 between the company and the singer. Madonna, who has been nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, signed with Warner Bros. in 1984. In more, um, illustrious Madonna news, her co-manager Guy Oseary has pulled together photos he took on last year's Confessions tour and compiled them into a 256-page volume of the same name. It's due June 10. ...

Mobb Deep's Prodigy was sentenced on Tuesday to serve three-and-a-half years behind bars after pleading guilty to a 2006 weapons charge, according to New York's Daily News. Prodigy, whose real name is Albert Johnson, was indicted on one charge of gun possession at Manhattan Supreme Court in New York — the charge related to Johnson's arrest in October 2006 after New York police pulled his Chevy Suburban over for making an illegal U-turn. Police noticed a gun inside the rapper's vehicle during the stop. ... Good Charlotte bassist Paul Thomas injured his ankle after taking an unintended stage dive at the show in Brisbane, Australia, on Tuesday night — but that didn't stop him from playing, according to The Sydney Morning Herald. The rocker reportedly continued slapping his bass after tumbling from the stage just two songs into the band's set. Thomas sprained his ankle as a result of the fall. ...

Do you like to sing along to Chris Brown? Well, here's your chance to do so with him in person. Screen Gems, the studio behind Brown's upcoming movie "This Christmas," has put together an "American Idol"-like singing contest that will be co-hosted by urban-radio stations in 35 markets this weekend. Contestants will have a minute to sing either "This Christmas" or "Silent Night," and the 35 winners will then tape performances for AOL Black Voices starting October 19. The public will be allowed to vote for their favorite singer, and voting will end October 24. The three semifinalists will be flown to New York to sing their tune on "106 & Park," after which viewers will vote online and the winner will be announced on the show November 1. The winner will get an all-expenses-paid trip to New York to perform on a "This Christmas" holiday special with Brown, David Banner, Columbus Short and other actors from the flick, which opens November 21. ... Michael Jackson has issued a new letter to fans in which he thanks them for their birthday gifts and cards. He also found room to hint at future plans. "I've been really busy lately. Hopefully, you've all seen the results of my recent photo shoot with L'Uomo Vogue," he said of the designer-clothes magazine, which features Jackson on its October cover. "Soon, I will be sharing exciting and surprising news with you from my other efforts." ...

Jonathan Davis' long-delayed solo-acoustic trek is finally a go again. While the Korn frontman announced the outing way back in October 2006 and had sketched out a February start date, he now has November 10 in Verona, New York, pegged as the new beginning date, with shows running through December 8 in Ventura, California. ... The Dave Matthews Band have signed up to play the "World's Loudest Pep Rally." The nationwide AT&T-sponsored contest for more than 100 NCAA Division I schools with college-football teams will award a free live concert by the DMB to the school that submits the most online invitations (texts, e-mails, photos, videos, songs) on AT&T devices relative to the school's enrollment. The contest runs until Monday, and fans can submit up to 50 invitations a day. ...

Metallica, who have been working on new material for what's turning into their own personal Chinese Democracy, have posted an update on their progress over at their Web site in the form of a series of photos and a fairly uneventful post. "There is nothing new to report," the missive reads. "Things are as you would call it, status quo, consistent, constant, invariable, unaltered, unchanged, unfailing, uniform, unvarying. Pretty much what we are trying to say is: work is continuing and all is good in the Metallica 'hood. As soon as we do have something new to report, you will be the first to know of course." ...

Bobby Brown now says he didn't suffer a heart attack after all on Tuesday, despite reports to the contrary. "I did go to the hospital ... to just get a checkup, get everything tested out so that I could go on [my upcoming] tour, and everything is fine," he told AP. On Wednesday, his representative Paedra Parks said Brown was in "great spirits and [had] a great prognosis from his doctor" after it had been reported that Brown was rushed to the Tarzana Regional Medical Center in Tarzana, California, for chest pains. ...

Bob Mould (Hüsker Dü, Sugar) is quite the label-hopper — after putting out solo material on Virgin and Ryko in the '90s, he then started up his own label, Granary Music — only to then jump over to Yep Roc for 2005's Body of Song. Now he's moved to yet another label, Anti-, for the release of his new album, District Line, on February 5. The album will feature drumming by Fugazi's Brendan Canty and 10 songs, including "Miniature Parade," "Old Highs New Lows" and "Return to Dust." ... Jude Law has been cleared of charges for allegedly assaulting a photographer outside his home in London in September, Reuters reports. No further action will reportedly be taken against the actor. ...

Legendary stuntman Bud Ekins died over the weekend of natural causes at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Times reports. Ekins was the Steve McQueen double who made the famous motorcycle jump in the classic 1963 film "The Great Escape," and also served as a stuntman in "Animal House," "Diamonds Are Forever" and "The Blues Brothers." He was 77.

10.10.07

Britney Spears' arraignment was delayed earlier this week, but the singer needs to make another adjustment on her calendar — her upcoming Blackout LP has bumped from a November 13 release to October 30. Jive, her label, chalked up the release-date shift to album tracks being leaked online. "Due to these numerous unauthorized online leaks, the label is doing everything possible to prevent and avoid any future illegal distribution of songs, including moving up the release date of the album to October 30," it said in a statement. ...

Hip-hop promoter James Waldon has filed a $5 million lawsuit against Sean "Diddy" Combs, claiming that after he chatted with the Bad Boy boss at the Box nightclub in New York, three of Combs' bodyguards attacked him. According to The Associated Press, the 27-year-old said one bodyguard punched him in the mouth, knocking him backward onto a table, while two others repeatedly hit and kicked him, then chased him around the club before he escaped. Waldon claimed the beating left him with a number of injuries, including mouth and teeth problems. Combs' lawyer said he had not yet seen the filing. ... In other Diddy legal news, a Los Angeles judge ruled Wednesday that the hip-hop mogul doesn't have to provide photos of his rings to a man who says Combs hit him outside the Hollywood Roosevelt hotel nightclub in February, according to The Associated Press. Gerald Rechnitzer's lawyer had argued that the photos were critical to his case. ...

Bobby Brown is recovering after suffering a mild heart attack, according to People. His representative Paedra Parks told the magazine that the singer is in "great spirits and has a great prognosis from his doctor." Brown's girlfriend, Alicia Etheridge, rushed him to the Tarzana Regional Medical Center in Tarzana, California, on Tuesday afternoon when he experienced chest pains. He is expected to be released later Wednesday (October 10) and still plans to perform at Los Angeles radio station V100's Taste of Soul fest on Saturday. ...

Black Eyed Peas ended a concert mid-show in San Salvador, El Salvador, last week after Fergie apparently became ill, according to AP. The singer announced onstage that she was suffering from food poisoning, saying, "I've never canceled a show in my life," according to a video that has been circulating online. The show's organizer announced Tuesday that the show will be rescheduled in 90 days, and refunds will also be offered. ... Justin Timberlake has become the first male solo artist this decade to score six top 40 hits from the same album, according to Billboard. His FutureSex/LoveSounds song "Until the End of Time" recently jumped from #41 to #28 on the magazine's Hot 100. The last solo male artist to accomplish the feat? Michael Jackson, naturally. ...

Kiefer Sutherland released a statement Wednesday in regards to his recent DUI arrest. "I'm very disappointed in myself for the poor judgment I exhibited recently, and I'm deeply sorry for the disappointment and distress this has caused my family, friends and co-workers on '24' and at 20th Century Fox. I appreciate the support and concern that has been extended to me these last weeks both personally and professionally." Sutherland will have to serve 48 days in county jail — 30 for driving with a blood-alcohol level above the legal limit of .08 percent, as well as 18 for violating his probation for another DUI case in 2004. He will be sentenced December 21. ...

Disgraced boy-band svengali Lou Pearlman is hitting back at allegations in a Vanity Fair story in which former members of male groups he worked with alleged inappropriate activities and sexual improprieties. Speaking to Radar magazine, Pearlman called the story "slander" and denied any wrongdoing. "I don't think there's anything wrong [with having one's] own sexual preference, but no, I've never dated nor have I been interested in men sexually," Pearlman said in response to a question about whether he is gay. He dismissed a number of the allegations against him as mostly sour grapes from people who are or have been in litigation with him, or whose careers did not take off. Pearlman also denied giving massages to any of his former clients and the allegation that he told a young man that in order to get into a band he had to perform a sex act on him. He also said former Take 5 member TJ Christofore made up a story about Pearlman wrestling on a bed with a number of young men while wearing only a towel. "T.J. [Christofore] is making up this story," Pearlman said. "He sued me in child-labor court and lost. If what he says is true, you would think he would have brought it up to help his case. The fact that he never mentioned this in court should tell you where he's coming from. He's just trying to join the lynch party. Besides, I've never owned a towel that could wrap all the way around me anyway." ...

Forget about Angelina Jolie, Jessica Biel and Scarlett Johansson — Charlize Theron is the sexiest woman alive, according to Esquire magazine. The "In the Valley of Elah" actress graces the cover of the mag's new issue, which streets Tuesday. ... It seems that a few hospital staffers wanted to know a little too much about George Clooney. Twenty-seven employees at North Bergen, New Jersey's Palisades Medical Center — where the "Michael Clayton" actor and his girlfriend were hospitalized in September after being involved in a motorcycle accident — have been suspended for four weeks for allegedly looking at Clooney's confidential medical information. "This is the first I've heard of it," Clooney said in a statement. "And while I very much believe in a patient's right to privacy, I would hope that this could be settled without suspending medical workers." ...

More disturbing information has surfaced concerning alleged animal abuse at rapper DMX's Arizona home. According to a report in The Arizona Republic, several of the 12 undernourished pit bulls recovered from the grounds back in August suffered from valley fever, an infectious lung disease that also affects humans. Also, three dogs that were discovered buried in the rapper's backyard may have died from heat after air conditioning in the house reportedly broke down. The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, which is still investigating the matter, told the Republic that a "usable amount of marijuana" was also recovered from the rapper's home, along with a small amount of cocaine. The cause of death of the three dogs, which showed signs of bruising, could not be determined, as their bodies were severely decomposed. Two burned dogs, a 20-pound puppy and a 40-pound female, were found together, wrapped in a beige bed sheet and placed inside a plastic bag. ...

Mos Def and hipster rapper Spank Rock have come together to remix French house duo Justice's VMA-nominated "D.A.N.C.E." The two MCs are now labelmates after Mos Def recently signed to Downtown Records (also home to Gnarls Barkley and Cold War Kids), the rapper's label and management confirmed to MTV News. The remix was produced by 19-year old Baltimore beatmaker Benny Blanco who, along with Spank Rock, just released a 2 Live Crew tribute EP, Bangers & Cash. ...

The Police have been forced to cancel two gigs on their current world tour due to frontman Sting's alleged voice problems. The band canceled an Antwerp, Belgium, concert set for October 2, along with another in Manheim, Germany, that was scheduled for October 3. Sting is suffering from a throat infection and doctors have told him to rest his pipes. ... Leave it to the Flaming Lips to conjure a Halloween party for the ages. According to Oklahoma City's OK Gazette, the hometown heroes are participating in the city's Ghouls Gone Wild parade on October 27. Frontman Wayne Coyne will be the grand marshal — and march in his famed plastic bubble, no less! — and the band is trying to rally 1,000 costumed folks to be part of its March of a Thousand Flaming Skeletons. ... Mötley Crüe's upcoming live double-disc set, Carnival of Sins, has been scheduled for an October 23 release. The set features 23 tracks spanning the band's entire career, including "Too Young to Fall in Love," "Home Sweet Home," "Shout at the Devil" and "Dr. Feelgood." ...

The Beatles fans pumped for the November 6 double-DVD re-release of the band's "Help!," might want to buy a ticket to Cleveland — the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum has constructed a new exhibit devoted to the 1965 flick. The exhibit, which will open November 16, will feature rare artifacts and photos shot during the making of the movie, including George Harrison's original script, call sheets, costumes and more. Speaking of Harrison, nine albums from his solo catalog debuted digitally on Tuesday, with the rest set to be made available next year. Fans will probably want to nab the iTunes versions, as they come with bonus tracks.

• Amy Winehouse
• Ashlee Simpson
• Fall Out Boy
• Madonna
• Chris Brown

Britney Spears (file)
Photo: Ethan Miller/ Getty Images

Britney Spears' arraignment was delayed earlier this week, but the singer needs to make another adjustment on her calendar — her upcoming Blackout LP has bumped from a November 13 release to October 30. Jive, her label, chalked up the release-date shift to album tracks being leaked online. "Due to these numerous unauthorized online leaks, the label is doing everything possible to prevent and avoid any future illegal distribution of songs, including moving up the release date of the album to October 30," it said in a statement. ...

Hip-hop promoter James Waldon has filed a $5 million lawsuit against Sean "Diddy" Combs, claiming that after he chatted with the Bad Boy boss at the Box nightclub in New York, three of Combs' bodyguards attacked him. According to The Associated Press, the 27-year-old said one bodyguard punched him in the mouth, knocking him backward onto a table, while two others repeatedly hit and kicked him, then chased him around the club before he escaped. Waldon claimed the beating left him with a number of injuries, including mouth and teeth problems. Combs' lawyer said he had not yet seen the filing. ... In other Diddy legal news, a Los Angeles judge ruled Wednesday that the hip-hop mogul doesn't have to provide photos of his rings to a man who says Combs hit him outside the Hollywood Roosevelt hotel nightclub in February, according to The Associated Press. Gerald Rechnitzer's lawyer had argued that the photos were critical to his case. ...

Bobby Brown is recovering after suffering a mild heart attack, according to People. His representative Paedra Parks told the magazine that the singer is in "great spirits and has a great prognosis from his doctor." Brown's girlfriend, Alicia Etheridge, rushed him to the Tarzana Regional Medical Center in Tarzana, California, on Tuesday afternoon when he experienced chest pains. He is expected to be released later Wednesday (October 10) and still plans to perform at Los Angeles radio station V100's Taste of Soul fest on Saturday. ...

Black Eyed Peas ended a concert mid-show in San Salvador, El Salvador, last week after Fergie apparently became ill, according to AP. The singer announced onstage that she was suffering from food poisoning, saying, "I've never canceled a show in my life," according to a video that has been circulating online. The show's organizer announced Tuesday that the show will be rescheduled in 90 days, and refunds will also be offered. ... Justin Timberlake has become the first male solo artist this decade to score six top 40 hits from the same album, according to Billboard. His FutureSex/LoveSounds song "Until the End of Time" recently jumped from #41 to #28 on the magazine's Hot 100. The last solo male artist to accomplish the feat? Michael Jackson, naturally. ...

Kiefer Sutherland released a statement Wednesday in regards to his recent DUI arrest. "I'm very disappointed in myself for the poor judgment I exhibited recently, and I'm deeply sorry for the disappointment and distress this has caused my family, friends and co-workers on '24' and at 20th Century Fox. I appreciate the support and concern that has been extended to me these last weeks both personally and professionally." Sutherland will have to serve 48 days in county jail — 30 for driving with a blood-alcohol level above the legal limit of .08 percent, as well as 18 for violating his probation for another DUI case in 2004. He will be sentenced December 21. ...

Disgraced boy-band svengali Lou Pearlman is hitting back at allegations in a Vanity Fair story in which former members of male groups he worked with alleged inappropriate activities and sexual improprieties. Speaking to Radar magazine, Pearlman called the story "slander" and denied any wrongdoing. "I don't think there's anything wrong [with having one's] own sexual preference, but no, I've never dated nor have I been interested in men sexually," Pearlman said in response to a question about whether he is gay. He dismissed a number of the allegations against him as mostly sour grapes from people who are or have been in litigation with him, or whose careers did not take off. Pearlman also denied giving massages to any of his former clients and the allegation that he told a young man that in order to get into a band he had to perform a sex act on him. He also said former Take 5 member TJ Christofore made up a story about Pearlman wrestling on a bed with a number of young men while wearing only a towel. "T.J. [Christofore] is making up this story," Pearlman said. "He sued me in child-labor court and lost. If what he says is true, you would think he would have brought it up to help his case. The fact that he never mentioned this in court should tell you where he's coming from. He's just trying to join the lynch party. Besides, I've never owned a towel that could wrap all the way around me anyway." ...

Forget about Angelina Jolie, Jessica Biel and Scarlett Johansson — Charlize Theron is the sexiest woman alive, according to Esquire magazine. The "In the Valley of Elah" actress graces the cover of the mag's new issue, which streets Tuesday. ... It seems that a few hospital staffers wanted to know a little too much about George Clooney. Twenty-seven employees at North Bergen, New Jersey's Palisades Medical Center — where the "Michael Clayton" actor and his girlfriend were hospitalized in September after being involved in a motorcycle accident — have been suspended for four weeks for allegedly looking at Clooney's confidential medical information. "This is the first I've heard of it," Clooney said in a statement. "And while I very much believe in a patient's right to privacy, I would hope that this could be settled without suspending medical workers." ...

More disturbing information has surfaced concerning alleged animal abuse at rapper DMX's Arizona home. According to a report in The Arizona Republic, several of the 12 undernourished pit bulls recovered from the grounds back in August suffered from valley fever, an infectious lung disease that also affects humans. Also, three dogs that were discovered buried in the rapper's backyard may have died from heat after air conditioning in the house reportedly broke down. The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, which is still investigating the matter, told the Republic that a "usable amount of marijuana" was also recovered from the rapper's home, along with a small amount of cocaine. The cause of death of the three dogs, which showed signs of bruising, could not be determined, as their bodies were severely decomposed. Two burned dogs, a 20-pound puppy and a 40-pound female, were found together, wrapped in a beige bed sheet and placed inside a plastic bag. ...

Mos Def and hipster rapper Spank Rock have come together to remix French house duo Justice's VMA-nominated "D.A.N.C.E." The two MCs are now labelmates after Mos Def recently signed to Downtown Records (also home to Gnarls Barkley and Cold War Kids), the rapper's label and management confirmed to MTV News. The remix was produced by 19-year old Baltimore beatmaker Benny Blanco who, along with Spank Rock, just released a 2 Live Crew tribute EP, Bangers & Cash. ...

The Police have been forced to cancel two gigs on their current world tour due to frontman Sting's alleged voice problems. The band canceled an Antwerp, Belgium, concert set for October 2, along with another in Manheim, Germany, that was scheduled for October 3. Sting is suffering from a throat infection and doctors have told him to rest his pipes. ... Leave it to the Flaming Lips to conjure a Halloween party for the ages. According to Oklahoma City's OK Gazette, the hometown heroes are participating in the city's Ghouls Gone Wild parade on October 27. Frontman Wayne Coyne will be the grand marshal — and march in his famed plastic bubble, no less! — and the band is trying to rally 1,000 costumed folks to be part of its March of a Thousand Flaming Skeletons. ... Mötley Crüe's upcoming live double-disc set, Carnival of Sins, has been scheduled for an October 23 release. The set features 23 tracks spanning the band's entire career, including "Too Young to Fall in Love," "Home Sweet Home," "Shout at the Devil" and "Dr. Feelgood." ...

The Beatles fans pumped for the November 6 double-DVD re-release of the band's "Help!," might want to buy a ticket to Cleveland — the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum has constructed a new exhibit devoted to the 1965 flick. The exhibit, which will open November 16, will feature rare artifacts and photos shot during the making of the movie, including George Harrison's original script, call sheets, costumes and more. Speaking of Harrison, nine albums from his solo catalog debuted digitally on Tuesday, with the rest set to be made available next year. Fans will probably want to nab the iTunes versions, as they come with bonus tracks.

10.09.07

Looks like there's finally some good news for Britney Spears. The singer has been passing her court-ordered random drug tests and has a 50/50 chance of regaining custody of her children, her lawyer Sorrell Trope told People. Also, while Spears has lots of court dates to keep track of these days, she has one less for her calendar this week — her arraignment on misdemeanor driving charges (for hit and run, causing property damage and driving without a valid California license). Though her arraignment was scheduled for Wednesday, a Los Angeles judge decided Tuesday (October 9) that Spears could have until October 25 to enter a plea. The judge also ordered the singer to be booked by police and show proof of that booking by her arraignment, according to a court clerk. Spears' next hearing in her custody case will be the following day, on October 26. ...

Kiefer Sutherland will serve time in Los Angeles County Jail as part of a plea deal in his DUI arrest, AP reports. He will have to serve 48 days in county jail — 30 for driving with a blood-alcohol level above the legal limit of .08 percent, as well as 18 for violating his probation for another DUI case in 2004. The actor must also enroll in an 18-month alcohol-education class and go to weekly alcohol-therapy sessions for six months. On Tuesday, Sutherland's attorney Blair Berk entered a no-contest plea on the actor's behalf for driving with a blood-alcohol level over the legal limit, though a second misdemeanor DUI charge was dropped. The actor was most recently arrested for driving under the influence in Los Angeles in September — he was already on probation for the 2004 DUI arrest. He will be sentenced December 21. ...

Justin Timberlake, Beyoncé, Linkin Park and — yes, you're reading this right — Daughtry are tied for the most American Music Awards nominations this year, it was announced Tuesday. Each artist earned three nods for various categories. In terms of pop/rock, Akon, Timbaland and Timberlake are facing off for Favorite Male Artist; Beyoncé, Fergie and Avril Lavigne are vying for Favorite Female Artist; Linkin Park, Maroon 5 and Nickelback are competing for Favorite Band, Duo or Group; and Daughtry, LP's Minutes to Midnight and JT's FutureSex/LoveSounds are going head to head for Favorite Album. As for rap/hip-hop, Fabolous, T.I. and Young Jeezy are vying for Favorite Male Artist; Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Pretty Ricky and Shop Boyz for Favorite Band, Duo or Group; and Bone Thugs' Strength & Loyalty, T.I.'s T.I. vs. T.I.P. and Jeezy's The Inspiration for Favorite Album. And on the soul/R&B front, Akon, Ne-Yo and T-Pain are up for Favorite Male Artist; Beyoncé, Fantasia and Rihanna are squaring off for Favorite Female Artist; Beyoncé's B'Day, R. Kelly's Double Up and JT's FutureSex/LoveSounds have been nominated for Favorite Album. There are also Favorite Artist categories for adult-contemporary music (Daughtry, Norah Jones and John Mayer); alternative rock (Linkin Park, My Chemical Romance and the White Stripes) and Latin music (Daddy Yankee, Juan Luis Guerra y 440 and Jennifer Lopez). Daughtry, Plain White T's and Robin Thicke have been noticed for Favorite Breakthrough Artist, while Carrie Underwood landed two country-music noms: for Favorite Female Artist and Favorite Album (Some Hearts). For the first time, the AMAs are opening up voting to the general public online — it began Tuesday on the AMA site and ends November 2. The show, to be hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, will be broadcast live at Los Angeles' Nokia Theatre on November 18 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC. ...

John Graziano, the young Marine who was injured in Nick Hogan's car crash in late August, is on life support and will require lifelong care, Florida's St. Petersburg Times reports. According to documents obtained by the newspaper, the 22-year-old Graziano will, at best, be able to open and close his eyes from time to time. His mother is petitioning a judge to let her assume guardianship of her son, who remains in critical condition. A hearing will be held Wednesday. ...

Rehab was a "sobering" experience for Lindsay Lohan, she told In Touch in her first interview since leaving Utah's Cirque Lodge Treatment Center on Friday. The actress also insisted that while she went to the clubs right after finishing a rehab stint in July, she's not going to be rekindling her nightlife anytime soon — to avoid distractions, she'll be staying in Utah until she starts shooting the upcoming flick "Dare to Love Me." "Going out all the time was very self-destructive," she said. "Partying and having all of those pictures taken distracts from the work that I do. It's not why I started acting. I didn't get into acting to be written about. ... I want to act like a woman rather than a teenager. I am doing the best I can." Lohan also opened up about seeing her estranged father for the first time in more than three years, while at Cirque Lodge. "It was really good for me ... it was really important for me to get a connection back with my dad, because I hadn't had that in a while." And if you heard those rumors about Lohan developing a relationship with a man while in rehab ... well, apparently they were true. "Yes, I am seeing someone," she confirmed. "His name is Riley. I am really happy and taking it day by day." The Riley in question is Riley Giles, a 25-year-old snowboarder from California. Last but not least, just as Paris Hilton said she was committing herself to philanthropic efforts after her own debacle, Lohan revealed that she's trying to put together a December trip to Africa with the Red Cross. ...

"Hannah Montana" fans will want to change the channel from Disney to ABC on Tuesday night when Miley Cyrus breaks out a new duet with her father, Billy Ray, on "Dancing With the Stars." The two will perform "Ready, Set, Don't Go" on the results show, with the single hitting country-radio stations immediately afterward. ... What do Diddy, Panic! at the Disco's Ryan Ross and Fred Durst have in common? They've all earned the less-than-distinguished honor of being selected for Blender's "The 40 Worst Lyricists in Rock" list. Will.I.Am, Billy Corgan, Anthony Kiedis, Common, Dashboard Confessional, Timbaland and, of course, Kevin Federline, also make the (F) grade, with Sting landing in the #1 spot. The list appears in the magazine's November issue, which streets October 16. ... Kid Rock commented to Dave Letterman about his ex-wife Pamela Anderson's recent remarriage — she got hitched to Rick Salomon in Las Vegas over the weekend. After making a salty remark about the couple on "The Late Show With David Letterman," he quipped, "I wish them much happiness." ...

Wyclef Jean seems to be the go-to guy for special causes these days. After playing at "CGI and MTV Present: Giving - Live at the Apollo" late last month, he's now been tapped for another special performance, at supermodel Petra Nêmcová's upcoming Heart of Gold Ball benefit auction. The event, to take place Wednesday at Cipriani Wall Street in New York, will have various sports, travel and event packages up for auction. All proceeds will go to Nêmcová's Happy Hearts Fund, which supports education and medical and emotional support for children affected by natural disasters. ... Say what you will about those rumors of Britney Spears putting in an application for a fall-back bartending gig while staying at the Viceroy Hotel in Santa Monica, California, last week. The manager at the hotel's Cameo Bar tells MTV News that while Spears has been there in the past, anyone applying has to have one to two years of fine-dining experience and must pass a drug test. The manager didn't confirm whether Spears had in fact submitted an application. ...

Avenged Sevenfold will play a free gig at the Key Club in West Hollywood, California, on October 20. The set will be taped for later broadcast on MySpace's "The List." Want in? No problem. Just show up in your Halloween costume and get there early — entry to the show will be on a first-come, first-served basis. ... Jimmy Eat World are going all in with their new single "Big Casino," fashioning their Chase This Light album-release party after the gambling concept. On Monday, the band will turn Los Angeles' El Rey Theatre into a faux casino, with fans able to play poker, blackjack, craps and other games for prizes — a flyaway to see the band perform in another city, JEW merchandise, El Rey tickets and more. The band will end the evening with an intimate set as Chase This Light drops at midnight. Entrants will get gambling money and a commemorative poster. ...

Causes, a charity album benefiting three organizations working to stop the Darfur conflict, will be released on iTunes on November 27 and feature exclusive and rare tracks from Bloc Party, the Shins, Bright Eyes, Animal Collective, the Cure, Death Cab for Cutie, the (International) Noise Conspiracy, Travis and Spoon. All proceeds will go to Doctors Without Borders, Human Rights Watch and Oxfam America. The album will only be available on iTunes for 90 days, though a limited-edition CD can be ordered right here. ... Queens of the Stone Age are booked for "The Late Show With David Letterman" on Wednesday and are expected to perform their latest single, "3's & 7's." ...

R.E.M. are teeing up a new album for the spring, and what better place to reveal some of it than on ... CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360"? On Wednesday, Michael Stipe and company will perform "Until the Day Is Done," which will be synced up to clips of CNN's "Planet in Peril" environmental documentary. The song will also play over the doc's closing credits and appear on the band's yet-untitled spring LP. R.E.M. Live, a CD/DVD that stands as the band's first concert release, is due October 16. ... Hot Rod Circuit have called it a day. The band issued a statement about the split but didn't offer a reason for it. The boys thanked their fans for supporting them and said they'll miss playing live gigs. ... Senator Hillary Clinton's 60th birthday bash has just gotten a little bit sweeter: Elvis Costello will perform at the Thursday concert, to be held at New York's Beacon Theatre. Tickets range from $250-$2,300 for the bash, for which 2,800 people are expected to attend. Let's hope Costello isn't planning to jump out of a cake. ...

Capitol/Priority is putting some shine on classic rap material with a pair of releases from the vault. N.W.A's Straight Outta Compton is getting the 20th-anniversary treatment via a bonus-track-laden reissue due December 4. The set will feature five extras: a live version of "Compton's N the House" performed by Dr. Dre and MC Ren, and covers of Compton tracks by Snoop Dogg and C-Murder, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Mack-10 and WC. Also on the way is the label's Featuring ... Eazy-E, which pulls together his top collaborations and hard-to-find solo recordings. Four out-of-print tracks are getting new life on the disc, including his "Beverly Hills Cop III" soundtrack contribution, "Luv 4 Dem Gangsta'z," and a rare "We Want Eazy" remix. That disc hits stores December 4 too. ...

Jammie Thomas, the woman who was hit last week with the first-ever copyright infringement jury verdict, said she plans to appeal the $220,000 fine. She announced the decision on her MySpace page, explaining that her lawyer's appeal will take issue with the jury's decision that making songs available online violates copyright laws. "This would stop the RIAA dead in their tracks," she wrote. "Every single suit they have brought has been based on this making-available theory, and if we can win this appeal, they would actually have to prove a file was shared." At press time, Thomas announced that more than $3,800 had been raised so far on FreeJammie.com. ... TiVo has announced that it will offer users of its set-top boxes access to Rhapsody's library of more than 4 million songs. (Rhapsody is part of a joint venture with Viacom Inc., MTV's parent company.) TiVo subscribers with broadband boxes will be able to listen to music streamed over the Internet from Rhapsody in the coming months, though they won't be able to download songs through their TiVo box.

• Britney Spears' Ongoing Saga: What's Next?

• Britney Spears
• Black Eyed Peas
• Diddy
• Bobby Brown
• Justin Timberlake

Britney Spears
Photo: Ethan Miller/ Getty Images

Say what you will about those supposed Britney Spears tracks floating around online, but the singer is planning to debut the first single from her new album as early as this weekend. The single is called "Gimmie More," was produced by Danjahandz and is an up-tempo dance track — and is also the song for which the singer was seen shooting a video last month. "It's about feeling good, celebrating womanhood," Danja told MTV News earlier this year. "And if you don't dance to it, I really don't know what you're listening to. It's a new Britney." In related news, Spears will host the grand opening of Las Vegas nightclub LAX at the Luxor on Friday. DJ AM — who, along with Christina Aguilera, is an investor in the club — will man the decks. And the infamous Versace gown Spears was supposed to wear during her aborted OK! magazine shoot went up for auction on eBay on Wednesday (August 29). USA Today reported that bidding on the dress started at $5,700, with proceeds going to Mothers Against Drunk Driving. ...

Amy Winehouse can add the VMAs to the growing list of shows she won't be playing this year. The U.K. starlet — who last week postponed her U.S. tour until 2008 — has canceled her scheduled performance at the awards show on September 9. ... Lindsay Lohan plans to meet with her estranged father, Michael, while she is in rehab, a source told People.com, according to the site. People.com says multiple sources have revealed that Lohan's lawyer Blair Berk is helping negotiate Michael Lohan's visit to the Cirque Lodge in Sundance, Utah. ...

Christina Aguilera is on for the Emmy Awards. The singer will perform the Tony Bennett standard "Steppin' Out (With My Baby)" with the jazz legend at the ceremony, which will air September 16 on Fox. The two sang the song together on the TV special "Tony Bennett: An American Classic," which is nominated for eight Emmy Awards. ...

Gwen Stefani has gotten together with Hewlett-Packard for a creative twist on her Harajuku Lovers line. Starting Wednesday at HP.com/Gwen, fans can make and print CD labels, stationary and more by mashing HL content into their own customized designs. ... Jay-Z and Eve hosted a Rocawear party at the Venetian in Las Vegas on Tuesday night in celebration of the weeklong Magic Fashion Convention. The shindig — which was sponsored by Giant magazine and Mercedes-Benz — also featured cameos by Nick Cannon, Travis Barker and Young Jeezy, among others. ...

Lil Wayne is being sued by a concertgoer who alleges that she was knocked to the ground and trampled at the rapper's October show at Baltimore's Morgan State University, according to the Baltimore Sun. Tyrique Layne, who was a student at the university at the time, claims she needed to stay in the hospital overnight as a result of the injuries she sustained at the concert when a large amount of cash was thrown into the crowd. Layne's suit claims she is suffering headaches, neck and back pain, fatigue and other symptoms as a result of her injuries, and she is seeking $1 million plus interest and costs. ...

A mysterious white powdery substance authorities discovered in a locked bedroom inside rapper DMX's Cave Creek, Arizona, home is not a drug after all, according to Maricopa County Sheriff's deputies. Police — who initially believed the substance to be a drug — have not disclosed what it actually is. But officers also seized a useable amount of marijuana during the Friday morning raid, as well as drug paraphernalia, the carcasses of three dogs and a dozen other dogs that seemed malnourished. Police are working with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives to determine whether DMX was legally permitted to own the weapons. It still hasn't been determined what the three dogs that were found buried in the rapper's backyard died from, but police do not believe they had been used for dogfighting. ...

Beyoncé and Shakira have more than just VMA nominations to get excited about — their "Beautiful Liar" debut is also up for a Latin Grammy, for Record of the Year. Ricky Martin and Calle 13 have four noms apiece, while Juan Luis Guerra leads the pack with five. ... Wyclef Jean keeps inviting more and more guests to take part in his new album The Carnival Volume ll (Memoirs of an Immigrant), which is set to drop November 6. The ubiquitous Lil Wayne and, more surprisingly, System of a Down singer Serj Tankian, have stepped in to help out. ... Kelly Clarkson's live comeback is hitting an early stride. According to her label, tickets for the singer's October 15 and 16 shows at New York's Beacon Theatre sold out in under 20 minutes, prompting the addition of a third show on October 14, which also sold out over the weekend. ...

Ashlee Simpson, Madonna and Hilary Duff are among the loads of artists featured in a new book of photography that revolves around the weekly Saturday night party thrown in New York by trendsetters the Misshapes. Simply called "Misshapes," the book — which also showcases My Chemical Romance, Mandy Moore, Bloc Party, the Killers and more — will be released Tuesday by MTV Press. (See "Misshapes" snaps of Ashlee Simpson, Joel Madden, Pete Wentz, Madonna and more.) ... Nikki Sixx will be the first-ever rock star to act as featured speaker at the National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month luncheon in Washington, D.C., on September 6. Sixx's autobiography, "Heroin Diaries: A Year in the Life of a Shattered Rock Star," hits bookshelves September 18. ...

Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown's battle isn't over — the divorced couple have been wrangling over their 14-year-old daughter, Bobbi Kristina. In newly released legal papers filed last month and obtained by People.com, Brown claims he hasn't spoken with his daughter since June. "Since Whitney has been awarded sole legal and physical custody of Bobbi Kris, she has attempted to eliminate me from Bobbi Kris' life," the suit reads. "I did all I could to see my daughter ... I also paid approximately $10,000 for Whitney and Bobbi Kris to live in a nice hotel while Whitney was going through rehab ... I basically lived out of my car." In Houston's declaration to the court, she claims Brown has been "almost totally uninvolved in taking care of" Bobbi Kristina and warns, "Bobby is going to try to get child or spousal support from me ... Bobby is fully capable of working and earning substantial sums of money if he would control his personal behavior." Despite the feud, the couple have been spotted together in public recently, having dinner and posing for photos with fans, according to People.com. ...

Linkin Park have already proven themselves to be good Samaritans — they've been donating $1 from every ticket on their Projekt Revolution tour toward planting trees in the hurricane-damaged areas of the Gulf Coast. Now Chester Bennington and the gang are taking their goodwill efforts one step further by actually building a home for a low-income Gulf Coast family themselves. The band has launched a contest named after its recent single "What I've Done" in which the winner and a guest will be able to join LP to construct the house at an undisclosed location in an area affected by Hurricane Katrina. To enter, fans must submit to Contest@MusicForRelief.org a video clip that is less than two minutes long and explains what the person has done to improve the world. Fans can also participate by recording their video at the Music for Relief booth at Projekt Revolution, but all entries must be in by September 29. "We will help build [the home] alongside the family that will move into the house," bassist Phoenix said in a statement. "We hope to remind people that there is still a lot of work to be done." ...

Hulk Hogan's son Nick Bollea was racing another car before he crashed into a tree on Sunday night, according to a Florida woman who told The Associated Press she witnessed the accident. "We knew something was going to happen. You know that this is a bad situation and these guys are hot-dogging," said Frances Vitalis, who claimed to be riding on a motorcycle with a friend behind the cars. A police spokesperson declined to comment to the wire service, citing an ongoing investigation. ... Lawyers in the Phil Spector trial, along with the judge, have agreed that the jury should only consider a second-degree murder charge, as opposed to a lesser charge like manslaughter, the Los Angeles Times reports. Attorneys have now finished the last procedural steps before closing arguments begin September 5. On Tuesday it was announced that Spector had retained San Francisco attorney Dennis Riordan to replace Bruce Cutler, although Riordan will not act as lead counsel. ...

Hard-to-find tracks by Beastie Boys, Interpol and the Decemberists populate the fourth installment in the Give.Listen.Help series, a charity comp available at Urban Outfitters outlets. Most proceeds are going to Art of Elysium, a group that promotes art therapy for hospitalized children. ... Bloc Party will head up the second LA Weekly Detour festival, set for October 6 in downtown Los Angeles. Justice, Satellite Party, Shout Out Louds, Raveonettes, Turbonegro, Kinky and others flesh out the roster for the outdoor throwdown. ... Two of a kind? Mary-Kate Olsen and Ben Kingsley engage in a passionate kiss in their new flick "The Wackness," which finished shooting last week. The 21-year-old Olsen plays a pot dealer's customer in the movie, and the 63-year-old Kingsley acts as the dealer's therapist. ...

Hellogoodbye and Say Anything have been tapped to headline the MySpace Music Tour. The bands will christen the social-networking site's new concert series with a Seattle show on October 16 and plow through a gig in Las Vegas on November 23. MySpace Records artists Polysics will open many dates, from the Seattle show through the Halloween concert in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Presale tickets will be made available exclusively to MySpace members beginning Friday. ... Slayer are pulling together footage from last year's Unholy Alliance Tour with Lamb of God and Mastodon for a DVD due October 30. The simply titled "Unholy Alliance Tour" DVD captures the July 13, 2006, stop in Vancouver, British Columbia, and also includes footage of the other two acts on the bill, Children of Bodom and Thine Eyes Bleed. Behind-the-scenes clips and interviews, many of which were conducted by the bandmembers, flesh out the set. ...

The fire sale of houses and gear from disgraced former boy-band mogul Lou Pearlman — who is currently in jail in Florida and is being accused of defrauding investors of more than $500 million — continues. According to Florida's St. Petersburg Times, in addition to a deal to sell Pearlman's Atlantic City, New Jersey, condo for $335,000 as part of his ongoing bankruptcy proceedings, a deal is under way to sell his Orlando estate for $7.1 million. A Saturday auction of "boy toys" owned by Pearlman — including life-size R2D2, Anakin Skywalker and Han Solo figures, a pimped-out Escalade-style golf cart and a host of weapons — brought in another $280,000. ... Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards doesn't like what the Swedish papers have been saying about the band, so he's taking the fight straight to them. Reuters reports that Richards is demanding that newspapers Expressen and Aftonbladet apologize for their stinging reviews of the Stones' performance in Stockholm earlier this month. "Never before have I risen to the bait of a bad review," Richards said in a statement. "But this time ... I have to stand up for our incredible Gothenburg audience and for our fans all over Sweden ... to say that you owe them, and us, an apology." ...

The free ride for Grateful Dead fans is over. Rhino Records, which controls most of the Dead's music, announced recently that the formerly downloadable live tracks that were posted on the Taper's Section on the band's Web site will now only be available as audio streams. The Section's webmaster, David Lemieux, explained in a note to fans on Monday that the site was always intended "for streaming only." ... A judge ruled Friday in favor of the Recording Industry Association of America, agreeing with RIAA lawyers that "making available" copyrighted works on peer-to-peer networks constitutes copyright infringement, according to a story on Wired.com. The ruling makes clear that it is illegal to share a song in a P2P folder, even if there's no proof that someone else downloaded it.

08.28.07

Chris Brown, who's about to drop his sophomore album, Exclusive, let Vibe magazine in on a few other exclusives — about his love life. The magazine's new cover boy reveals that he's "girl crazy — very girl crazy," but there are limits. For instance, the nude photos that turned up on the Internet in March were not actually him. "First of all, I don't take pictures of myself," Brown told the mag. "If I'm gonna show somebody that, I'd rather show the person that's gonna be in the room with me at that time." So who might that person be? Not Ciara, that's for sure. When asked about her, his face "curls up as if he'd just noticed a foul odor," Vibe observed. "I don't want Ciara," Brown said. "I don't want any industry girl." He'd prefer a "regular girl" — that is, provided she's also "a model." No wonder he hasn't had more than two girlfriends (the last when he was 14), or been on a proper date in more than three years. "I've had girlfriends, but it's different," he said. "Not jumpoffs! Like, you don't be like, 'That's my girl,' but you know when you hang with her, it's like ... friends with benefits. If I'm singling out one girl, think about all the other girls who are falling in love with me in that club. What they gon' think? So it's like, I have a relationship with every girl. It's like every girl is my girlfriend." The magazine hits newsstands September 11, while Exclusive is out October 30. ...

Foxy Brown can't catch a break these days. The Brooklyn, New York, rapper will remain jailed until her September 7 court date after a Manhattan Criminal Court judge rejected her bid to be sprung early due to alleged unlawful treatment by the New York Corrections Department. According to the Daily News, Foxy claimed her jailing by another judge was "unlawful" and "arbitrary." Brown was imprisoned Wednesday after violating the terms of her probation. ...

DMX has spoken out through his lawyer about the recent raid of his Arizona home, during which police discovered three dead dogs, a dozen mistreated pit bulls, a large weapons cache, cars with license plates that didn't match and what police believe to be illicit narcotics. Attorney Murray Richman told The Associated Press that DMX is "devastated" over the deaths of his dogs and added that his "client is totally innocent of all the charges." ...

Britney Spears' former manager Larry Rudolph told That Other Blog on Tuesday (August 28) why he is trying not to get involved in the singer's child-custody dispute with ex-husband Kevin Federline. "I have consulted with my lawyers and I do understand that eventually the time will come when they will find me, but until then, I'm trying to avoid being brought into this mess," said Rudolph, who has been laying low. "She's going through so much right now, and I wish Britney the best." ...

Amy Winehouse's father and father-in law spoke with BBC Radio on Tuesday, revealing that both sides of the singer's family have been struggling with reports of her alleged drug use. Giles Fielder-Civil — the father of Winehouse's husband, Blake — said fans should stop buying her records because that will force the U.K. starlet to seek help for what he called a drug addiction. He said the two have used cocaine, crack cocaine and heroin and are in "abject denial" about their problem. "I think they believe they are recreational users of drugs and they are in control. Clearly they are addicts." Amy's father, Mitch Winehouse, later responded, saying that strategy "won't send any message to Amy at all. People are clutching at straws. ... At some point they are going to reach rock bottom. Maybe they've reached it — I don't know. At that point they will say, 'I don't want to do this anymore. I've got responsibilities, I've got families that love us and I don't want to hurt them anymore.' That's their decision to make." ...

John Legend is injecting an exclusive track, "Sun Comes Up," into Grey's Anatomy Soundtrack: Volume 3, due September 11. The disc also has unreleased tune-age from Gomez and Mat Kearney, not to mention additional slices from Peter Bjorn and John, Paolo Nutini and Feist. ... Ghostface Killah, Cat Power and others will play a batch of daytime shows at the four-day Musicfest NW, which will take over Portland, Oregon, from September 6-9. Cat Power and Bobby Bare Jr. will play their early gig September 6; Grizzly Bear and Deerhunter will perform September 7; and Ghostface and the Bronx are set for September 8. Clipse, Spoon, Rilo Kiley and Okkervil River will also anchor the shindig. ... Lil' Kim and DJ Clue were among those in attendance Sunday night at Crash Mansion in downtown Manhattan to help NFL star Thomas Jones celebrate his welcome to New York. The newly acquired New York Jet was also joined by his girlfriend, actress Meagan Good. ...

Hot Hot Heat have lined up their next run, which will support their Happiness Ltd. LP after it drops September 11. After hitting up Southern California radio station KROQ's L.A. Invasion, the Canadian indie-rockers will embark on a string of dates beginning in their British Columbia hometown on September 18. The tour will continue through a San Francisco concert on October 30. ... Jimmy Eat World's next stretch will happen right around the same time: The band will hype its October 16 release, Chase This Light, with gigs from September 29 in Queen Creek, Arizona — at Edgefest — through October 20 in Las Vegas. ...

Korn have sketched out a bunch of dates that will get them back on the road after the Family Values Tour. According to the band's MySpace page, the rap-rockers will breeze through Reno, Nevada, on September 22 and stick to the tarmac through a Nashville concert on October 5. ... If you're planning to pick up Foo Fighters' Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace, you might want to do so sooner than later: Fans who preorder the disc through iTunes will get downloads of two songs — "The Pretender" and "Seda" — and a code providing advance access to concert tickets. ...

Brace yourself: Keanu Reeves will star in a remake of the iconic '50s sci-fi flick "The Day the Earth Stood Still," Variety reports. The film — which revolves around an alien who visits Earth and warns humans to live peacefully — will be directed by Scott Derrickson ("The Exorcism of Emily Rose") and begin production in late fall or early next year. ... Speaking of extraterrestrial life, Daft Punk have been soaring after their headlining Lollapalooza performance earlier this month. The Paris house-music heroes are piecing together a concert set, Alive 2007, for release November 20. And the duo have also staged more screenings of their cult-favorite flick "Electroma" from September 8 in Montreal through December 1 in San Diego. ...

The producers of "American Idol" are at it again, coming up with a new talent series — "The Next Great American Band" — that will premiere October 19 and feature a judging panel including Sheila E. and the Goo Goo Dolls' John Rzeznik. Like with "Idol," the judges will narrow down auditioning bands to a field of 10. Then the bands will perform original music and covers of various styles each week in front of a studio audience. Judges will comment but viewers will vote on who stays. The three surviving bands will compete for a contract with Simon Fuller's 19 Recordings in the season finale. ... A Malawian official will be able to leave the country after all to visit Madonna and her family in the U.K. on September 4 and determine whether she and husband Guy Ritchie will be able to adopt David Banda. The official had previously been prevented from going because he accepted a plane ticket and money from the singer without the government's approval. ...

Avenged Sevenfold fans will have to wait until October 30 to get a copy of the band's self-titled LP, as the record has been pushed back from its previously announced October 16 release date. It will feature 10 tracks in all, including "Critical Acclaim," "Unbound the Wild Ride" and "A Little Piece of Heaven." ... Chiodos, Scary Kids Scaring Kids, Emery and the Devil Wears Prada will hit the road together for a U.S. trek that begins October 19 in Lawrence, Kansas, and ends November 30 in Detroit. ...

As I Lay Dying have booked a fall tour that will feature openers All That Remains, Haste the Day and Through the Eyes of the Dead. The trek kicks off October 27 in Tempe, Arizona, and runs through November 30 in San Diego. ... Bad Brains have unveiled a string of West Coast dates in support of their latest effort, Build a Nation. The band is set to play San Diego (September 22); San Francisco (September 24); Anaheim, California (September 25); and Los Angeles (September 26). ... The Misfits are planning to bring their 30th Anniverscary Tour to the U.S. in the fall, including a Halloween gig in New York. ...

Bo Diddley was moved from intensive care to cardiac care on Tuesday morning at a Florida hospital, where he has been in recovery after suffering a heart attack during a routine medical checkup Friday, his representative told MTV News. The rock legend is listed in stable condition.

[This story was originally published at 2:08 pm E.T. on 08.29.2007]

• Pete Wentz, Ashlee Simpson, Madonna, Mandy Moore Pictured In "Misshapes" Book

• Britney Spears
• Beyoncé
• Shakira
• Wyclef Jean
• Lil Wayne

Daniel Radcliffe in "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix"
Photo: Warner Bros.

Don't get too excited, Harry Potter fans — despite rumors that J.K. Rowling is considering writing another book in the Potter-verse, that doesn't mean there will be an actual book eight. In fact, as she clarified on her Web site, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" remains the end of the series and another novel is "highly unlikely." "I've got enough story for seven books and I never planned to carry the story beyond the end of book seven," she wrote. "I might do an eighth book for charity, a kind of encyclopedia of the world so that I could use all the extra material that's not in the books ... we'll see!" Rowling previously wrote the Potter reference books "Quidditch Through the Ages" and "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" under the aliases Kennilworthy Whisp and Newt Scamander, respectively, and proceeds for both went to Comic Relief. Meanwhile, Rowling is requesting that fans go easy on the spoilers for "Deathly Hallows." Spoilers won't stop people from buying the book, they never have — all it will do is diminish their pleasure. ... Even if the biggest secret gets out — even if somebody discovers the Giant Squid is actually the world's largest Animagus, which rises from the lake at the eleventh hour, transforms into Godric Gryffindor and ... well, I wouldn't like to spoil it." ...

A will and probate petition were filed on behalf of Howard K. Stern on Monday (May 14), according to E! Online, and in the documents, he requests to be the special administrator of Anna Nicole Smith's estate. In the filing, Smith's home in Studio City, California, is valued at $1.8 million and her personal property at $10,000 — but her outstanding mortgage reduces the sum to $710,000, according to Stern's petition. Larry Birkhead, father of Smith's daughter Danielynn, is not named as a beneficiary in the will, according to TMZ.com, but the petition to probate lists him as a part with an interest in Smith's estate. Danielynn, Stern and two attorneys Ron Rale and Eric Lund are also listed as having an interest in the estate — although Smith's mother, Virgie Arthur, is not named. A probate hearing is slated for June 19, while a custody hearing involving Birkhead and Arthur is set for June 8. ...

Claiming he was distraught, depressed and so strapped for cash at the time that he couldn't afford a lawyer, Bobby Brown filed papers in California's Orange County Superior Court last week challenging the terms of his April 24 divorce from Whitney Houston. Specifically, Brown is trying to fight a judge's decision to grant physical and legal custody of the pair's 14-year-old daughter, Bobbi Kristina, to Houston. According to MSNBC (citing papers obtained by "Access Hollywood"), Brown claims that after he split from Houston last year, he was so emotionally and financially distressed that he was essentially homeless and couldn't get it together to respond to Houston's petition for divorce. The papers reportedly claim that, "Whitney repeatedly assured Bobby that he need not file a response and that reconciliation was possible," and that, "Whitney did so at a time when she knew that Bobby was particularly vulnerable." A June 15 court date has been set for Brown's new case. ...

Jive wants to bring the Pain a little earlier. T-Pain's new LP, Epiphany, has been brought up to a June 5 release date, a week earlier than its original June 12 date. The set includes the hit record "Buy U a Drank." ... Rapper Bun B, one-half of the group UGK, was in New York over the weekend performing for about 100 people at Lower East Side hipster sneaker store Alife Rivington Club. Hosted by Fab 5 Freddy, the show was billed as "Bun B and Friends," and Papoose, Graph and Talib Kweli all joined Bun during his set. This week in Los Angeles, Bun and UGK mate Pimp C shoot the video for "Int'l Players Anthem" with Outkast and longtime 'Kast director Bryan Barber. ... Legendary Houston DJ OG Ron C celebrated two decades of making music with a four-day-long celebration in his hometown from Thursday through Sunday. Slim Thug, Killer Mike and Dead Prez's Stic.man were among the celebs who attended the various parties and music-conference panels Ron C — known for his mixtape and chopping and screwing skills — staged over the weekend. On Saturday, the DJ was presented with a certificate from the city in honor of his 20 years in the business. ...

Nine Inch Nails mastermind Trent Reznor has lashed out at his record company in blog posts on the band's Web site. "As the climate grows more and more desperate for record labels, their answer to their mostly self-inflicted wounds seems to be to screw the consumer over even more," he wrote. "A couple of examples that quickly come to mind: The absurd retail pricing of Year Zero in Australia. Shame on you, [Universal Music Group]. Year Zero is selling for $34.99 Australian dollars (or $29.10 in the States). No wonder people steal music. Avril Lavigne's record in the same store was $21.99 ($18.21 U.S.)." When Reznor asked his label about the pricing of the LP, he said he was told "it's because we know you have a real core audience that will pay whatever it costs when you put something out." So, Reznor surmised, "I guess as a reward for being a 'true fan,' you get ripped off." ...

No, Ozzy Osbourne isn't pulling a K-Fed — but he will appear on this week's WWE "Friday Night SmackDown" to perform two songs, including his new single, "I Don't Wanna Stop." The track will also serve as the theme song to WWE's "Judgment Day" special, to air on pay-per-view Sunday. ... Rick Rubin's rumored move to Columbia is official, Billboard reports, although details are scarce. The label released a statement Monday stating that the Grammy-winning producer and head of American Recordings will "form a dynamic and creative executive partnership" with Columbia Chairman Steve Bartnett. Rubin will continue producing for artists at different labels but will bring American to Sony, which distributed the imprint less than a decade ago. ...

Lindsay Lohan and her mother Dina are being sued by a photographer who alleges that Lindsay hit him with a car in New York on March 13, according to court documents obtained by "Access Hollywood." The suit, filed in New York by Giovanni Arnold on Thursday, seeks unspecified damages from the Lohans for "sustained severe and permanent personal injuries." Dina Lohan is named in the suit as the owner of the car Lindsay was driving. ... John Edwards has a new political adviser: John Mayer. New York magazine reports that the two Johns met up at Time magazine's Time 100 event last week, where Mayer, 29, gave Edwards advice on connecting with young people. "He basically said, 'You've got to get me in the first 20 seconds,' " Edwards explained. He said he's set up a meeting with the singer for more insight. ... Neighbors are calling foul over Leonardo DiCaprio's basketball court. Ronald and Joan Linclau claim the actor excavated their property without permission and damaged plants in order to build the court at his home in Los Angeles, according to The Associated Press. They are seeking $250,000 in damages. Ken Sunshine, a DiCaprio spokesman, told AP the lawsuit "is totally without merit." ...

The Smashing Pumpkins, who will release Zeitgeist, their first album of new material since 2000, have announced two sets of all-ages residency gigs: nine shows at the Orange Peel in Asheville, North Carolina, between June 23 and July 5, and eight shows at the Fillmore in San Francisco between July 22 and August 1. The band will be performing songs from its upcoming disc, as well as old material. Fans are "invited to capture the concerts with audio and video recorders," according to SmashingPumpkins.com. ... Bob Geldof, who organized the Live Aid and Live 8 benefit concerts, has criticized Al Gore's Live Earth music events, saying they lack a specific goal, according to AP. "I hope they're a success," Geldof told Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant. "But why is [Gore] actually organizing them? To make us aware of the greenhouse effect? Everybody's known about that problem for years. We are all [expletive] conscious of global warming." ...

System of a Down's Shavo Odadjian will direct the video for "Give Thanks and Praises," the first clip from the forthcoming Bad Brains album Build a Nation. The video will begin production this month and will include footage captured at the Sasquatch! Music Festival in George, Washington. "I've been a fan of the Brains ever since I can remember," Odadjian said in a statement. "I am going to rock this video for the Brains and try to capture their intense energy. It's a big responsibility. ... I'm honored." ... U.S. immigration officials have turned to Mickey Mouse for help in managing airport crowds, Britain's Daily Mail reports. Disney will teach officials trade secrets from over 50 years of running the most popular tourist destination on the planet, the so-called "Happiest Place on Earth." The move is aimed at luring visitors back to America, many of whom have stayed away due to complaints of long lines, intense interrogation and gruff, surly demeanors. No word on whether that means the ubiquitous rubber gloves will now have four fingers.

05.11.2007

Eminem made an undisclosed donation to Hip Hop 4 Habitat on Thursday to help launch the project through his Marshall Mathers Foundation, The Detroit News reports. The program, which helps families in need of homes, is seeking to raise $75,000 to build a house in the city's East Side in October. Local rapper Trick Trick is also involved — he'll play a concert for volunteers once the home is constructed. ...

In case her recent surprise concert wasn't enough indication, Britney Spears isn't in hiding anymore. The singer showed up with her cousin Alli at the Equinox gym on West Hollywood, California's Sunset Strip on Thursday evening for a quick workout and to check out a spin class, according to "Access Hollywood." She reportedly wore a wig with a trucker hat and a tank top that read "Malibu." ...

Mary J. Blige recently filmed a guest spot for "Entourage," and she told us that she got to know her character intimately. "I play Mary J. Blige!" she laughed, discussing the cameo as she accompanied her children to the "Shrek the Third" premiere in Los Angeles. "It was fun working with Jeremy [Piven]. ... Other than that, I'm back in the studio, which is also fun." The R&B icon is a longtime admirer of the Adrian Grenier-starring program and has joked that she knows a thing or two about keeping an entourage herself. An HBO rep said Mary J.'s episode will air next year during the show's fourth season. ...

Gwen Stefani, Yung Joc, Jagged Edge and Big Boi came out Thursday night in Atlanta for two shindigs christening Cee-Lo's new record label, Radiculture Records. At the first event, held at the Lambert Place reception hall, video screens showed different excerpts of Cee-Lo's career, from the Goodie Mob to Gnarls Barkley. Partygoers walked down a yellow brick road and were greeted by actors dressed as Beetlejuice and Lurch from "The Addams Family." An afterparty was held at the Lotus Lounge and had a Cirque de Soleil motif. Dancing went on there until 3 a.m. ...

Panic at the Disco are hard at work on the follow-up to their smash 2005 debut, A Fever You Can't Sweat Out, according to their manager. The Vegas dandies have written eight songs so far for the yet-untitled album and are slated to start tracking the new tunes June 1. No release date has been set yet for the LP. ...

What on earth does Snoop Dogg have in common with Holocaust denier and widely discredited historian David Irving? Australian Prime Minister John Howard made the bizarre comparison once again on Thursday, saying the federal government's blocking of Snoop from entering the country last month due to recent convictions on gun and drugs charges is similar to Australia's refusal to allow Irving into Australia in 1994, according to The Daily Telegraph. The prime minister told a student at a school in Canberra that Snoop is a man of poor character and that "we have to take a stand on those issues." Howard previously made the comparison when the rapper was denied a visa to visit the country for the MTV Australia Music Video Awards. ...

Sheryl Crow has adopted a boy and named him Wyatt Steven, the singer/songwriter announced on her Web site Friday (May 11). "We are enjoying some very private family time. Just wanted to let you know," read the post. The boy, who Crow said was born two weeks ago, is her first. ...On Friday, Boston prosecutors dropped criminal charges against the two men behind the infamous "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" guerrilla-marketing campaign that led to a series of bomb scares in January, The Boston Globe reports. Peter Berdovsky and Sean Stevens completed their community service, creating a mural for the Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital and helping maintain its sailing docks on the Charles River. The men apologized for the incident in court. ...

Mel Gibson won praise from a judge in Malibu, California, on Friday for adhering to his court-mandated alcoholism treatment after being arrested for drunk driving in July, according to The Associated Press. The director/actor did not attend the hearing, but Superior Court Judge Lawrence Mira said he wanted to see him in court at some point "to ensure we are all on the same page." Gibson's lawyer Blair Berk said she filed a report with the court claiming he was complying with his rehab program. ... Jason Wahler has been charged with misdemeanor counts of assault, criminal trespass and a minor exhibiting the effects of alcohol stemming from an incident last month in Seattle, TMZ.com reports. The Seattle city attorney wants the "Laguna Beach" star to serve 10 days in jail, pay a $4,500 fine and enter a rehab program. Wahler, who has been arrested three times since September, had been caught passed out drunk in a hallway after punching a hotel security guard. He was 20 when he was arrested in April. ...

Linkin Park and Maroon 5 are getting the last laughs. The hard-rockers will perform on this weekend's "Saturday Night Live" episode, which is being hosted by alumna Molly Shannon, while Adam Levine's crew will sidle up to Zach Braff for the season's final program on May 19. ... PBS' "Soundstage" series has lined up performers for its fifth season. Expect to see Macy Gray (July 5), Dashboard Confessional (July 12) and Jewel (July 19 and 26). ...

Death Cab for Cutie's Ben Gibbard has a new "Office" mate, apparently. John Krasinski — who stars as Jim Halpert on the TV show — made a brief onstage appearance with Gibbard Thursday night at Washington, D.C.'s 9:30 club, USA Today's "Pop Candy" blog reports. The two briefly dabbled with a Wilco song, according to fan accounts — Gibbard has a role in Krasinski's upcoming film "Brief Interviews With Hideous Men." ... The Decemberists have made a name for themselves by delving into everything from prog-folk to klezmer sounds and beyond. But how about classical music? The group will appear with an orchestral accompaniment at five shows this summer, which will feature the band's songs with new arrangements. The dates begin July 7 at the Hollywood Bowl with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, then proceed to Atlanta's Chastain Park Amphitheater (July 13); Baltimore's Merriweather Post Pavilion (July 14); Philadelphia's Mann Center (July 15); and Chicago's Millennium Park (July 18). ...

What do Mariah Carey, Destiny's Child and the Spice Girls have in common with underground artists like Will Oldham, Superchunk and Jim O'Rourke? Something, finally: The latter artists cover the former ones on the unusual compilation Guilt by Association, due August 28. Also featured on the set is Devendra Banhart covering Oasis' "Don't Look Back in Anger," Mooney Suzuki's version of the Cher song "Just Like Jesse James," Mike Watt tackling Blue Öyster Cult's "Burning for You," as well as renditions of Fall Out Boy's "Sugar, We're Goin Down," System of a Down's "Chop Suey" and "Breaking Free" from "High School Musical." ... An expanded deluxe edition of Sonic Youth's 1988 masterpiece, Daydream Nation, will be reissued June 12 as a two-CD set. The revamped set packs the original album onto one CD and adds a "Live Daydream" disc — with concert cuts of each album track, plus covers of Beatles, Mudhoney, Neil Young and Captain Beefheart tunes — as a bonus. ...

Rage Against the Machine's Tom Morello and Living Colour guitarist Vernon Reid are featured on Queen V's Death or Glory, due June 19. Morello, who invited Queen V to perform on his Axis of Justice Tour after seeing her play in Los Angeles, handles guitar on the track "My Machine," while Reid contributes a solo to "One and Only." ... Sheryl Crow, Elvis Costello and Billy Bob Thornton are among the artists featured on Anchored In Love: A Tribute to June Carter Cash, due June 19. A biography written by her only son with Johnny Cash, John Carter Cash, hits shelves the same day. ... Pearl Jam will issue a box set of the band's performances at the Gorge Amphitheater in George, Washington. Titled Live at the Gorge, the set is a compilation of three different concerts, spread across seven CDs, and will hit stores June 26. ... The reunited Luscious Jackson are busy working on a new LP — a children's album, no less — but co-founder Gabby Glaser is still finding time to step out with her own solo debut. Her fuzzy garage-rock effort Gimme Splash is due June 26 on Latchkey. ...

Michael Moore is lashing out at the Bush administration over a U.S. Treasury Department investigation that is scrutinizing a trip he took to Cuba earlier this year. The controversial Academy Award-winning documentary filmmaker took ailing 9/11 rescue workers to the country for treatment and plans to include a segment on the trip in his upcoming health-care exposé, "Sicko." "I understand why the Bush administration is coming after me — I have tried to help the very people they refuse to help, but until George W. Bush outlaws helping your fellow man, I have broken no laws and I have nothing to hide," Moore said in a post on liberal Web site DailyKos.com. "For five and a half years, the Bush administration has ignored and neglected the heroes of the 9/11 community. These heroic first responders have been left to fend for themselves, without coverage and without care." According to AP, Treasury officials would not comment on the letter.

05.11.2007

Eminem made an undisclosed donation to Hip Hop 4 Habitat on Thursday to help launch the project through his Marshall Mathers Foundation, The Detroit News reports. The program, which helps families in need of homes, is seeking to raise $75,000 to build a house in the city's East Side in October. Local rapper Trick Trick is also involved — he'll play a concert for volunteers once the home is constructed. ...

In case her recent surprise concert wasn't enough indication, Britney Spears isn't in hiding anymore. The singer showed up with her cousin Alli at the Equinox gym on West Hollywood, California's Sunset Strip on Thursday evening for a quick workout and to check out a spin class, according to "Access Hollywood." She reportedly wore a wig with a trucker hat and a tank top that read "Malibu." ...

Mary J. Blige recently filmed a guest spot for "Entourage," and she told us that she got to know her character intimately. "I play Mary J. Blige!" she laughed, discussing the cameo as she accompanied her children to the "Shrek the Third" premiere in Los Angeles. "It was fun working with Jeremy [Piven]. ... Other than that, I'm back in the studio, which is also fun." The R&B icon is a longtime admirer of the Adrian Grenier-starring program and has joked that she knows a thing or two about keeping an entourage herself. An HBO rep said Mary J.'s episode will air next year during the show's fourth season. ...

Gwen Stefani, Yung Joc, Jagged Edge and Big Boi came out Thursday night in Atlanta for two shindigs christening Cee-Lo's new record label, Radiculture Records. At the first event, held at the Lambert Place reception hall, video screens showed different excerpts of Cee-Lo's career, from the Goodie Mob to Gnarls Barkley. Partygoers walked down a yellow brick road and were greeted by actors dressed as Beetlejuice and Lurch from "The Addams Family." An afterparty was held at the Lotus Lounge and had a Cirque de Soleil motif. Dancing went on there until 3 a.m. ...

Panic at the Disco are hard at work on the follow-up to their smash 2005 debut, A Fever You Can't Sweat Out, according to their manager. The Vegas dandies have written eight songs so far for the yet-untitled album and are slated to start tracking the new tunes June 1. No release date has been set yet for the LP. ...

What on earth does Snoop Dogg have in common with Holocaust denier and widely discredited historian David Irving? Australian Prime Minister John Howard made the bizarre comparison once again on Thursday, saying the federal government's blocking of Snoop from entering the country last month due to recent convictions on gun and drugs charges is similar to Australia's refusal to allow Irving into Australia in 1994, according to The Daily Telegraph. The prime minister told a student at a school in Canberra that Snoop is a man of poor character and that "we have to take a stand on those issues." Howard previously made the comparison when the rapper was denied a visa to visit the country for the MTV Australia Music Video Awards. ...

Sheryl Crow has adopted a boy and named him Wyatt Steven, the singer/songwriter announced on her Web site Friday (May 11). "We are enjoying some very private family time. Just wanted to let you know," read the post. The boy, who Crow said was born two weeks ago, is her first. ...On Friday, Boston prosecutors dropped criminal charges against the two men behind the infamous "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" guerrilla-marketing campaign that led to a series of bomb scares in January, The Boston Globe reports. Peter Berdovsky and Sean Stevens completed their community service, creating a mural for the Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital and helping maintain its sailing docks on the Charles River. The men apologized for the incident in court. ...

Mel Gibson won praise from a judge in Malibu, California, on Friday for adhering to his court-mandated alcoholism treatment after being arrested for drunk driving in July, according to The Associated Press. The director/actor did not attend the hearing, but Superior Court Judge Lawrence Mira said he wanted to see him in court at some point "to ensure we are all on the same page." Gibson's lawyer Blair Berk said she filed a report with the court claiming he was complying with his rehab program. ... Jason Wahler has been charged with misdemeanor counts of assault, criminal trespass and a minor exhibiting the effects of alcohol stemming from an incident last month in Seattle, TMZ.com reports. The Seattle city attorney wants the "Laguna Beach" star to serve 10 days in jail, pay a $4,500 fine and enter a rehab program. Wahler, who has been arrested three times since September, had been caught passed out drunk in a hallway after punching a hotel security guard. He was 20 when he was arrested in April. ...

Linkin Park and Maroon 5 are getting the last laughs. The hard-rockers will perform on this weekend's "Saturday Night Live" episode, which is being hosted by alumna Molly Shannon, while Adam Levine's crew will sidle up to Zach Braff for the season's final program on May 19. ... PBS' "Soundstage" series has lined up performers for its fifth season. Expect to see Macy Gray (July 5), Dashboard Confessional (July 12) and Jewel (July 19 and 26). ...

Death Cab for Cutie's Ben Gibbard has a new "Office" mate, apparently. John Krasinski — who stars as Jim Halpert on the TV show — made a brief onstage appearance with Gibbard Thursday night at Washington, D.C.'s 9:30 club, USA Today's "Pop Candy" blog reports. The two briefly dabbled with a Wilco song, according to fan accounts — Gibbard has a role in Krasinski's upcoming film "Brief Interviews With Hideous Men." ... The Decemberists have made a name for themselves by delving into everything from prog-folk to klezmer sounds and beyond. But how about classical music? The group will appear with an orchestral accompaniment at five shows this summer, which will feature the band's songs with new arrangements. The dates begin July 7 at the Hollywood Bowl with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, then proceed to Atlanta's Chastain Park Amphitheater (July 13); Baltimore's Merriweather Post Pavilion (July 14); Philadelphia's Mann Center (July 15); and Chicago's Millennium Park (July 18). ...

What do Mariah Carey, Destiny's Child and the Spice Girls have in common with underground artists like Will Oldham, Superchunk and Jim O'Rourke? Something, finally: The latter artists cover the former ones on the unusual compilation Guilt by Association, due August 28. Also featured on the set is Devendra Banhart covering Oasis' "Don't Look Back in Anger," Mooney Suzuki's version of the Cher song "Just Like Jesse James," Mike Watt tackling Blue Öyster Cult's "Burning for You," as well as renditions of Fall Out Boy's "Sugar, We're Goin Down," System of a Down's "Chop Suey" and "Breaking Free" from "High School Musical." ... An expanded deluxe edition of Sonic Youth's 1988 masterpiece, Daydream Nation, will be reissued June 12 as a two-CD set. The revamped set packs the original album onto one CD and adds a "Live Daydream" disc — with concert cuts of each album track, plus covers of Beatles, Mudhoney, Neil Young and Captain Beefheart tunes — as a bonus. ...

Rage Against the Machine's Tom Morello and Living Colour guitarist Vernon Reid are featured on Queen V's Death or Glory, due June 19. Morello, who invited Queen V to perform on his Axis of Justice Tour after seeing her play in Los Angeles, handles guitar on the track "My Machine," while Reid contributes a solo to "One and Only." ... Sheryl Crow, Elvis Costello and Billy Bob Thornton are among the artists featured on Anchored In Love: A Tribute to June Carter Cash, due June 19. A biography written by her only son with Johnny Cash, John Carter Cash, hits shelves the same day. ... Pearl Jam will issue a box set of the band's performances at the Gorge Amphitheater in George, Washington. Titled Live at the Gorge, the set is a compilation of three different concerts, spread across seven CDs, and will hit stores June 26. ... The reunited Luscious Jackson are busy working on a new LP — a children's album, no less — but co-founder Gabby Glaser is still finding time to step out with her own solo debut. Her fuzzy garage-rock effort Gimme Splash is due June 26 on Latchkey. ...

Michael Moore is lashing out at the Bush administration over a U.S. Treasury Department investigation that is scrutinizing a trip he took to Cuba earlier this year. The controversial Academy Award-winning documentary filmmaker took ailing 9/11 rescue workers to the country for treatment and plans to include a segment on the trip in his upcoming health-care exposé, "Sicko." "I understand why the Bush administration is coming after me — I have tried to help the very people they refuse to help, but until George W. Bush outlaws helping your fellow man, I have broken no laws and I have nothing to hide," Moore said in a post on liberal Web site DailyKos.com. "For five and a half years, the Bush administration has ignored and neglected the heroes of the 9/11 community. These heroic first responders have been left to fend for themselves, without coverage and without care." According to AP, Treasury officials would not comment on the letter.

• "Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix"
• Meet The Cast Of "Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix"

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Lindsay Lohan
Photo: Stephen Shugerman/ Getty Images

The news happens all the time, even while you're enjoying your weekend. 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:

Kanye West won't say who he's working with on new Lil Wayne music, but he's reserving the bragging rights. "We already made some songs that are incredible," Kanye told us. "I'm not going to tell you who's on them, but I can talk my sh--, 'cause we already got a couple of bangers under the belt." Elsewhere in Mixtape Monday, Young Jeezy says he'll drop everything to supply a verse for a friend in need, Fabolous explains why he released different tracks for different regions and Lil' Mama talks about getting under Rihanna's "Umbrella." ...

Ludacris, Kelly Clarkson and Fergie were among the artists who lit up the stage at Saturday's Wango Tango. The L.A.- area radio fest had plenty of action offstage too, with Kelly getting real with us about those record-label-battle rumors ("This time everybody made a big deal about the label and I disagreeing with the record, but that's happened every record,") and Robin Thicke revealing 50 Cent's dirty little secret. ...

The Game was arrested late Friday in Los Angeles after LAPD searched his house for three hours. He was taken in on suspicion of making threats in connection with a February incident at a basketball game, posted $50,000 bail and was released early Saturday. ...

And despite a 60 percent dive, "Spider-Man 3" is still the box-office champ. The web-slinging sequel earned $60 million over its second weekend, coming out miles ahead of its closest competitors, zombie sequel "28 Weeks Later" and Lindsay Lohan dramedy "Georgia Rule." Next week, Spidey faces much stiffer competition in the form of "Shrek the Third."...

Quote of the Day: "Kanye's about to be on some whole different global superstar sh--. ... Some Spice Girls sh--." — Devo Springsteen on Kanye West's Graduation

Here's what everyone else is talking about:

Lindsay Lohan is being sued by a photographer who alleges that the actress hit him with her car in New York on March 13, E! Online reports. Giovanni Arnold filed the claim on Thursday — a day after Lohan joked about the incident on "The Late Show With David Letterman," and is seeking unspecified damages for "sustained severe and permanent personal injuries," according to the claim. ...

Bobby Brown says he was "for all intents and purposes, homeless" after he split with Whitney — and that's why he's only responding now to a divorce filing that was finalized on April 24. According to "Access Hollywood," Bobby filed a claim challenging the divorce's custody ruling, which currently gives Whitney full custody of daughter Bobbi Kristina. A court date is set for June 15. ...

Microsoft previewed "Halo 3" for select gamers on Friday in San Francisco and New York, and the reviews were mixed, Reuters reports. "The graphics can use some work," EvilAvatar.com's Nicholas Puleo said. "It's not standout." The game starts beta testing Wednesday, and Stephen Totilo will have his full report on the preview this morning. ...

Candy Spelling has known Paris Hilton for most of her life, so what better way to reach out to the heiress after her sentence than via an open letter on TMZ.com? Candy, mom of Tori and widow of TV mogul Aaron, advises Hilton to cool off with the (reported) self-defense training ("not a good message to fellow inmates") and realize how lucky she is. "In most situations, your privileged life works to your benefit," Candy's note notes. "You are a young woman who can add more to her community than establishing new definitions for infamy." ...

Unlike Paris, Black Eyed Peas' Taboo doesn't have to worry about jail after his run-in with police in March. People reports that the rapper, who will be arraigned May 25 on two misdemeanor drug charges after being caught with marijuana following a traffic accident, faces a maximum $200 fine and no jail term if he's found guilty. ...

Reanimating Smashing Pumpkins and cracking down on some criminally overzealous fans apparently isn't action enough for Billy Corgan. He's also making music with the Scorpions, guitarist Rudolf Schenker said in an interview with French music mag Rock Hard. Corgan sings on the track "The Cross," featured on the band's latest album, according to fan blog ScorpsNews.com (via Blabbermouth.net). ...

Live Aid/ Live 8 organizer Bob Geldof told Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant that he hopes the July 7 Live Earth shows are a success — but he doesn't get the point. "But why is [Gore] actually organizing them?" Geldof asked, according to an Associated Press report. "To make us aware of the greenhouse effect? Everybody's known about that problem for years. We are all ... conscious of global warming."...

After announcing last week that Panic Channel singer Steve Isaacs was fleeing Los Angeles, leaving the band's future uncertain, Dave Navarro followed up with a message on his 6767.com site about the band's upcoming plans — and news that the group is no longer with Capitol Records. "Steve is going to come out here for an extended leave from the East with his ideas and contribute to what we have done, with the sole purpose of cranking out another Panic Channel record," Navarro wrote, adding that TPC are free from their "personal slavery to a failing corporate industry. ... It's not only Capitol. ... It's all of them." ...

Nicolas Cage has been cast in the Brian DePalma sequel "The Untouchables: Capone Rising," Variety reports. ... Tracy Morgan is a wanted man in Florida, The Miami Herald reports. Miramar police would like to speak with the actor after a disc jockey accused him of being too hands on during an appearance at a radio station on Friday. DJ Sandy Domingo filed a complaint with police alleging misdemeanor battery. Police said they have no plans to arrest Morgan, and just want to hear his side of the story. ...

And Fox doesn't find the parody "The O.J. Simpsons" all that funny. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the network home of "The Simpsons" has ordered Broadcaster.com to remove three animated clips -- including one titled "If I Did It," a reference to the book O.J. wrote about his ex-wife's murder (the printing was canceled by a Fox-owned publisher) -- which re-imagine the series starring the infamous football star. Broadcaster.com is reviewing the demand, and while the clips come up in searches on the site, they do not play.

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• Bobby Brown
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Houston We Have a Problem

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Lohan, Cannon, Simpson, Teutuls And More At VH1 Big In '05 Awards

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Usher, Mary J., Diddy, Snoop, More At 25 Strong: The BET Silver Anniversary Celebration

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