"Michael Jackson's This Is It" soundtrack
Photo: Epic

In death, as he was in life, Michael Jackson is still proving to be the King of Pop. In the same week that the documentary "Michael Jackson's This Is It" was the #1 movie in the land, the accompanying soundtrack will take the honors on the Billboard 200 albums chart. According to figures provided by Nielsen SoundScan, the "This Is It" soundtrack will assume the top spot with sales of 373,000, easily besting the week's other big debut, a #2 bow by reunited rockers Creed, whose Full Circle moved 110,000 units.

Thanks to the release of a deluxe edition last Monday, Taylor Swift's Fearless will move up four spots to #3 on sales of 109,000. While the more than 4 million in total sales for the album is impressive, Swift will also notch another major milestone this week, as her self-titled 2006 debut notches its 157th week in the top 200, beating out the previous record holder, Nickelback.

There are plenty of new entries in the top 10, including rock lifer Rod Stewart, whose latest covers album, Soulbook, slides in at #4 on sales of nearly 84,000. The holiday staples the Trans-Siberian Orchestra's latest snowy offering, Night Castle, debuts at #5 (83,000), and Sting's own holiday disc, If on a Winter's Night, comes in at #6 (80,000).

The rest of the top 10: Michael Buble's Crazy Love (#7, 71,000), the "New Moon" soundtrack (#8, 69,000), Tim McGraw's Southern Voice (#9, 59,000) and Jay-Z's The Blueprint 3 (#10, 41,000).

Just outside the top tier, surfing troubadour Jack Johnson paddles in at #11 with his live disc, En Concert (39,000). Veteran rapper Tech N9ne hits #14 with K.O.D. (30,000). Oscar-winning former "Once" couple Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, recording as Swell Season, land at #15 with Strict Joy (28,000). Australian celestial rockers Wolfmother thunder to #16 with their second album, Cosmic Egg, and Train pull into the #17 spot with Save Me San Francisco (27,000).

Also debuting were the latest from thrashers Atreyu, Congregation of the Damned (#18, 26,000); soul smoothie Brian McKnight's Evolution of a Man (#20, 24,000) and Canadian twins Tegan and Sara's Sainthood (#21, 24,000). You can assume 50 Cent will have something to say about the so-so debut for Rick Ross' Triple C's crew, Custom Cars & Cycles, which lands softly at #44 on sales of just over 12,000.

The Bawse can perhaps take solace in those numbers by looking at the #125 debut by former Michael Jackson guitarist Orianthi, whose Believe barely sold 4,000 copies, despite her healthy screen time in the Jackson documentary. It was also a quiet open for freak-folk ringleader Devendra Banhart, whose major-label debut, What Will We Be, barely makes it into the top 200 at #139 on anemic sales of just under 4,000.

Look for another top-deck shuffle next week, thanks to the release of Carrie Underwood's latest, the soundtrack to hit TV show "Glee," the latest in the Now series, a live Nirvana album, a Foo Fighters greatest-hits compilations and Weezer's Raditude.

• 'Michael Jackson's This Is It' Premiere Special

• Michael Jackson
• Taylor Swift
• Creed

Creed's Scott Stapp and Mark Tremonti
Photo: Bill McCay/ Getty Images

Creed know exactly who they are. Back together after six years apart and a few weeks into a reunion tour that singer Scott Stapp said has been going way better than he expected, the Florida band is preparing to come all the way back with an album he promises delivers exactly what the fans want.

Produced by Howard Benson (Daughtry, Hoobastank), Full Circle was recorded before this summer's tour, and Stapp said its 15 songs make for the band's most accomplished effort to date.

"I think we've gone in many different directions, sonically and musically. It's at a higher level, because everyone's grown as players and in their art," Stapp said of the years since their 2004 split, during which he released a solo album and the other three members released two albums as Alter Bridge with another vocalist. "We're comfortable with our own identity, confident in what we play."

One of the reasons he's so confident about the new songs is because before entering the studio, the band — which includes guitarist Mark Tremonti, bassist Brian Marshall and drummer Scott "Flip" Phillips — threw out their old rule about not tracking any songs that they couldn't play exactly the same way live. "We know we can hire a guy to play piano or another electric guitar, and while I think we have this massively produced record with all these sounds on it, it's also a raw, edgy, guitar-driven rock album with some sex appeal," he said.

Sexy? Yeah, in fact, Stapp bragged, "really sexy."

With a scope he said covers the epic journey of life, with a healthy dose of autobiographical lyrics that sum up the past few rocky years, Stapp described the songs on the new album as some of the heaviest Creed have ever recorded. "But it also has a groove," he added. "A sexiness to it. If you're driving down the street and you've got your arm on the steering wheel, no matter what song is on, you can move your head to it. I think what you can hear is the confidence in the band and what we're doing together."

Then again, Stapp said songs like "Full Circle," "Away in Silence," "Overcome" and "On My Sleeve" are every bit the aggressive, grungy rock that fans have come to expect from the 35 million-selling group.

"They really drive home the fact that we're a rock band and that's at the core of what we are," he said of the group, which suffered some slings and arrows from critics the first time around for a sound some considered derivative of other grunge acts. "It's time for us to say, 'Here we are. This is who we are.' No shame, no embarrassment and no worry about what anyone else thinks. It's not from a pretentious standpoint. If you like it, cool. If not, as the Australians say, 'Good on ya.' "

The first single from Full Circle, "Overcome," will hit radio later this week.

• Creed

Creed
Photo: MTV News

They're one of the biggest rock acts of the past decade, having sold nearly 35 million albums and toured the world many times over. But despite all that, Creed still feel like they've got something to prove.

And that's part of the reason why — after nearly six years apart — they announced they're re-forming, with plans for a huge summer tour and a new album ... because they still feel like they've got critics to silence.

"We've always been fueled, since day one, by wanting to prove something, and that's within ourselves. And at times, it's been to the man," frontman Scott Stapp told MTV News. "We've always been the group of guys who are like, 'All right, say we can't do that, and we'll prove it to you.' You can't predict the future, but that's the attitude and the heart that drives this band."

Of course, that drive only got the reunion plans so far — there was still a fair amount that needed to be said between Stapp, guitarist Mark Tremonti, bassist Brian Marshall and drummer Scott "Flip" Phillips. After all, Marshall left the band (or was fired) after making derogatory statements about Pearl Jam in a radio interview way back in 2000. Then in 2004 the band split — under less-than-friendly circumstances — after a grueling tour in support of 2001's Weathered, with Tremonti and Phillips rehiring Marshall to form a new band, Alter Bridge.

But, as the adage says, time heals all wounds. So when Stapp and Tremonti met up in Orlando earlier this year, there were some apologies exchanged ... and then it was full-speed ahead. Bygones, as it turns out, really are bygones.

"We were going through tough times, and we definitely needed a break when it all went down. There was a lot of external pressures and it got in between bandmates, but six years does a lot of healing, so when we came back we didn't want to get into the whole 'You said this, I did that' stuff," Tremonti said. "After six years to think about it, we realized what was important, and that was that we experienced something really amazing together."

"A lot of the stuff that was said," Stapp added, "it did reference a very short period — six, seven months over the course of 10 years. And we didn't want to go back to that. Those six, seven months didn't define our careers. Of course, there was 'Sorry if I ever hurt you,' but that was it. Because we all shared that feeling of 'Let's do this,' and we all realize one little chapter doesn't tell the whole story of what this band was about."

And one thing they're about is making big, huge rock albums, and then promoting them on big, huge arena tours. The album is called Full Circle, and Howard Benson (Daughtry, Hoobastank) is producing it. Tentative song titles include "A Thousand Faces," "Slow Suicide" and "Just Fine," and it's going to sound, according to Stapp, "like Creed: heavy, melodic, creative."

And then there's the tour — it's scheduled to kick off August 6 at the Post-Gazette Pavilion outside of Pittsburgh. There aren't any confirmed openers yet, but Stapp said they're kicking around names like Staind and Flyleaf. Oh, and he promises it'll be "the greatest rock show of the summer."

It's back to business as usual.

"There's something special about the history we have together," Stapp said. "Mark always says we cut our teeth writing songs together. And we just have a chemistry of knowing where the other guy in the band is going ... we know where each other is going. I don't know if that's something you can learn, or if it's a chemistry we have and a confidence we have. We're always wanting to outdo ourselves and prove something to each other ... and now, once again, we get to prove it to our fans and the critics."

• Creed

Creed's Scott Stapp
Photo: Larry Marano/ Getty Images

After splitting up five years ago, Scott Stapp and the boys of Creed have decided to get back together. Stapp told RollingStone.com that in addition to reuniting, the band will also release a new album and begin a tour later this summer.

"I wouldn't call it a reunion," the lead singer said. "It's a renewing and a rebirth. I missed my boys and wanted to create music with them again. We're all thrilled to have a second chance to make a first impression."

The band initially made steps toward getting back together after Stapp reached out to guitarist Mark Tremonti in December. "I was nervous but also excited, because I knew Mark would bring nothing but positivity," Stapp said. "We exchanged family pictures and within 20 minutes, we were jamming on acoustic guitars and talking about new songs."

Soon after, the duo met up with drummer Scott Phillips and bassist Brian Marshall, who left the band in 2000. "At that meeting we were collectively saying, 'Hey, man, I'm sorry if I hurt you or my choices did anything to cause you any pain. I have nothing but love and forgiveness for you, and I hope you can forgive me,' " Stapp explained. "It's all part of the process of reflection and not looking back at the six months out of 10 years that were trying."

Creed will begin their reunion tour in August in Pittsburgh and the trek will continue through October. Stapp said that he and Tremonti have several demos ready to go for the new album but are looking for the right producer to make it work. The band would ideally like to release the album shortly after their tour.

"We want to put ourselves around the best and have them bring out the best in us and challenge us as artists," he said. "This band is my first love and a first love that's stood the test of time."

Creed tour dates, according to their Web site (venues TBA):

» August 6 - Pittsburgh, PA
» August 8 - Darien Lakes, NY
» August 9 - Hershey, PA
» August 11 - Saratoga Springs, NY
» August 13 - Philadelphia, PA
» August 15 - Wantagh, NY
» August 16 - Holmdel, NJ
» August 18 - Boston, MA
» August 20 - Hartford, CT
» August 21 - Washington, DC
» August 22 - Virginia Beach, VA
» August 25 - Detroit, MI
» August 26 - Cleveland, OH
» August 28 - Cincinnati, OH
» August 29 - Indianapolis, IN
» August 30 - Chicago, IL
» September 1 - Milwaukee, WI
» September 2 - Columbus, OH
» September 4 - Raleigh, NC
» September 5 - Charlotte, NC
» September 11 - Atlanta, GA
» September 12 - Birmingham, AL
» September 15 - Orlando, FL
» September 16 - West Palm Beach, FL
» September 18 - Lafayette, LA
» September 19 - New Orleans, LA
» September 20 - Bossier City, LA
» September 22 - Dallas, TX
» September 24 - San Antonio, TX
» September 25 - Houston, TX
» September 27 - Las Vegas, NV
» September 29 - Glendale, AZ
» September 30 - Irvine, CA
» October 2 - Salt Lake City, UT
» October 3 - Denver, CO
» October 6 - Minneapolis, MN
» October 7 - Omaha, NE
» October 9 - Tulsa, OK
» October 10 - Kansas City, MO
» October 13 - St. Louis, MO
» October 14 - Nashville, TN

• Creed

Britney Spears look-alikes on the set of the singer's new "Piece of Me" video
Photo: WENN/Newscom

Britney Spears' "Piece of Me" video is in place, even if it won't actually be out until January at earliest — People.com posted a sneak preview of it on Thursday (December 13). In the clip, her second one for Blackout, the singer and her dancers are chased by the paparazzi and duck into a club in an effort to escape. (Check out snaps from the "Piece of Me" video shoot right here.) Don't forget that Britney has reached out to fans to direct a separate "Piece of Me" video for her, with the winning clip to air December 20 on "TRL." For the "Britney Spears Wants a Piece of You" contest, MTV has opened its vaults of the footage shot of the pop singer over the years, and fans can access the goods via the MTV Video Remixer. Pick the shots you like, mash them up and hit "send" — clips can be up to 3:34 in length or shorter. The grand-prize winner also will receive a brand new Haier Ibiza Rhapsody device along with a one-year subscription to Rhapsody, as well as the entire catalog of Spears' CDs and DVDs released in the U.S. ...

Scott Weiland's DUI case will be continued on January 17, according to TMZ.com — the Velvet Revolver frontman was due to be arraigned Thursday (December 13). Maybe it would have helped if the rocker had gotten that news Wednesday night, when he allegedly ranted onstage at Velvet Revolver's show in Hollywood, the site reports. Weiland reportedly said his group is not the "Mormon Tabernacle f---ing Choir" and, a source allegedly told the site, steered clear of his bandmates backstage after the show and didn't have his picture taken. ... Scott Stapp is off the hook — a domestic battery charge against the rocker has been dropped after he completed terms of an agreement, including his required participation in anger management counseling, according to The Associated Press. The original charge was aggravated assault with intent to commit a felony but it was reduced to a misdemeanor on Monday. Stapp was arrested in May after his wife accused him of taking drugs and throwing a bottle at her. As part of his agreement, he also underwent a substance abuse evaluation and agreed not to have any weapons in his possession. ...

So much for Jessica Simpson's "Blonde Ambition" — the actress' flick, inspired by the '80s classic "Working Girl," is going straight to DVD, according to UsMagazine.com. The comedy, which co-stars Luke Wilson, will hit stores January 22. ...

If you think that lock of John Lennon's hair went for a lot of money — it was auctioned for $48,000 on Wednesday — wait till you hear how much a London dealer threw down for a handwritten, illustrated J.K. Rowling book: a cool 1.95 million pounds, the U.S. equivalent of $3.98 million, according to Reuters. The copy of "The Tales of Beedle the Bard" — a book that is referenced in "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — was auctioned Thursday in London, and the price is the most anyone has ever paid for a modern literary manuscript at auction. All proceeds will go to Rowling's charity the Children's Voice, which helps vulnerable kids across Europe. ...

A Louisiana judge denied a request from C-Murder to travel to Texas for Pimp C's funeral on Thursday (December 13). According to an AP report, the judge would not make an allowance for the trip for Murder (born Corey Miller), who is currently under house arrest awaiting a retrial for the 2002 murder of a teen inside a nightclub. ...

Ne-Yo is heading to Wal-Mart — but not to go holiday shopping. Instead, the R&B singer will be at the retail chain's location in Torrance, California, on Friday to help with a toy drive for inner-city children. ... Coldplay have unearthed their cover of the Pretenders' Christmas-themed "2,000 Miles" and posted it on Coldplay.com. The group recorded the song — which benefited Future Forests and Stop Handgun Violence — in 2003 and made it available for a limited time as a paid download on their site. "We love Christmas songs, but every time we try and write one it's awful," Chris Martin wrote in an accompanying post. "So we often cover them — well, once or twice, actually. In fact, the song I would most like to have written is 'Fairytale of New York' by de bloody Pogues of Ireland." ...

Shakira elbowed her way onto the list of Golden Globe nominees — her "Love in the Time of Cholera" contribution earned a nod for Best Original Song. "I composed 'Despedida' with all my love for [Gabriel] Garcia Márquez, who is for me a true genius and the most eloquent spokesman of my people," she said in a statement, referring to the author who wrote the book on which the film was based. Eddie Vedder's "Guaranteed" from "Into the Wild" also made the cut, as did the "Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story" tune "Walk Hard," which was penned and performed by John C. Reilly, Marshall Crenshaw, Jake Kasdan and Judd Apatow. Similarly, three "Wild" Vedder songs and a trio of "Walk Hard" cuts have made the Oscar committee's list of tracks being considered for Best Original Song, according to a weblog on Variety.com. Fifty-nine tunes — including ones by John Legend, John Mayer, the Flaming Lips, Sondre Lerche, Rufus Wainwright, Sheryl Crow and Fountains of Wayne frontman Adam Schlesinger — are eligible for the award. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will screen film clips featuring the tracks on January 15, after which the actual nominees for the Best Original Song category will be determined. ...

R. Kelly's Friday night concert at the Forum in Los Angeles will be protested by black activists calling for action against the singer, who is facing 14 counts of child pornography, the Los Angeles Times reports. "It's like pulling teeth to get people to talk about this," one activist, Jasmyne Cannick, told the Times. "It's a challenge to get the black community to even discuss it. They're acting like he doesn't have 14 counts of child pornography against him. ... We're all acting like we don't have daughters and nieces and little sisters." But Kelly's manager, Derrell McDavid, didn't seem too worried when he spoke to the newspaper. "There's been no protests on this tour," he said. "It's just been a warm embrace and sold-out shows." ... Are the Smashing Pumpkins already working on new material? It seems that way — but this time around, fans won't have to wait nearly as long. Drummer Jimmy Chamberlin wrote in a blog post on their Web site that they're in the midst of tracking, and hinted that the Pumpkins might have new material to release as early as January 1. "We are back in the studio recording some songs for a possible release worldwide," he wrote. "Look for these around the first of the year." ...

Snoop Dogg's Youth Football League is still going strong, and the rapper has plotted a third benefit show to raise funds for the project, which helps kids stay off the streets. "The kids in the league depend on me to keep it going, and giving 100 percent of the sales from this concert is my way of making it happen for all of them," he said in a statement about the show, which will take place Saturday at the House of Blues in West Hollywood, California. All proceeds will go to the league and be used for new uniforms, transportation, lodging and food for the upcoming Snoop Bowl, taking place during Super Bowl weekend in Arizona. ... Linkin Park's ambitious Music for Relief project has taken on another cause: raising money and awareness about the humanitarian crisis that has resulted in Bangladesh in the aftermath of Cyclone Sidr. The outreach organization has launched an eBay auction featuring items by LP, Avril Lavigne, Smashing Pumpkins and Deftones, with all proceeds going to the international relief group Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere. ... George Clooney and Don Cheadle were honored in Rome on Thursday with a peace award for their efforts to raise awareness about the Darfur humanitarian crisis, according to AP. Also Thursday, they urged world leaders to provide helicopters for a peacekeeping force, partially led by the United Nations, that will take over security in the Sudanese area later in December. ...

Look, up in the sky, it's the Spice Girls! The reunited group has revealed the name of its Virgin Atlantic jumbo jet: Spice One. The name was chosen via an online contest, and the winner — who hails from Brazil — recently joined the ladies at their recent ceremony at Los Angeles International Airport. ... Three Thom Yorke remixes that were previously available on his Web site will be issued February 4 in the U.K. in the form of 12-inches. The remixes are by the Field, Four Tet and others. ...

Lupe Fiasco has filled up his calendar with concert dates, promotional appearances in support of his sophomore album, Lupe Fiasco's "The Cool," which drops Tuesday. LupeFiasco.com will be relaunched that day, on which Fiasco will also play a gig at New York's the Fillmore at Irving Plaza. After that, he'll stage a December 20 in-store gig at the Bassment in his Chicago hometown; a "MySpace Presents the Release" show in Hawaii on December 27; and then set out on a tour that starts January 10 in Portland, Oregon, and ends March 25 in Fredricksburg, Virginia. In the meantime, stream The Cool in its entirety on MTV's "The Leak." ...

While less than 20,000 of the reported millions who wanted to see Monday's Led Zeppelin reunion in London were actually able to attend the gig, millions more briefly relived the experience vicariously through bootleg online clips. But, almost as fast as those clips showed up on sites like YouTube, they were reportedly taken down at the request of the band's management. Or perhaps at the request of Warner Bros., which owns the publishing rights to Zeppelin's catalog, according to Portfolio.com, which reported that individual clips began disappearing from YouTube on Tuesday afternoon "due to a copyright claim by Warner Music Group," which, incidentally, has a licensing deal with YouTube for its content. However, the story got even weirder Thursday morning, when the Silicon Alley Insider revealed that a Brooklyn, New York, company called "GrayZone," which bills itself as the "bootbusters of the entertainment industry," took the initiative in sending out the takedown notices. According to the Alley Insider story, GrayZone apologized for erroneously issuing the notices and explained, "The error is ours alone. We acted without authorization from the band or Warner Music Group. Unfortunately, an automated system mistakenly attributed the removal of the content to a copyright claim by Warner Music Group. That was inaccurate. We have informed YouTube of the error and we regret any inconvenience this may have caused." Speculation had surfaced that the reason for the takedown might be tied to an expected DVD release of the event at some point next year. ... In related news, Robert Plant will tour next year, but not necessarily with Zep. He'll make the rounds with Alison Krauss, with whom he collaborated for their October release Raising Sand. The pair will trek through Europe in May. ...

There's a new "Jackass" movie coming, and you won't even have to leave the house to see it. The 64-minute "Jackass 2.5" will stream for free from Wednesday until December 31 at JackassWorld.com with previously unreleased footage and interviews. The movie, touted as the first-ever studio-backed feature streamed entirely online, is available to anyone over 17 who downloads the Microsoft Silverlight media player, which can be found at Blockbuster.JackassWorld.com. ... Janet Jackson has finally settled on a title, release date and lead single for her follow-up to last year's 20 Y.O. Discipline will drop February 26 and be preceded by the first single, the Rodney Jerkins-produced "Feedback," which impacts January 7. Ne-Yo, Jermaine Dupri, Stargate, The-Dream and others also lent their talents to the veteran singer's 10th studio effort, which was executive produced by Antonio "L.A." Reid. ... The Liars have lined up a headlining stint for next year as they continue to support their self-titled release, which came out in August. The band will set sail January 25 in San Francisco and play about a month's worth of gigs that will wind down with a February 22 show in Los Angeles.

12.12.07

More Miley! The "Hannah Montana" star has freshened up her Best of Both Worlds Tour schedule with 14 additional January dates, meaning more of her fans will be thrilled and more opportunities will be had for raging ticket controversies. Instead of capping off her tour January 9 in Albany, New York, Cyrus will hit the following cities: Detroit (January 11); Milwaukee (January 13); Chicago (January 14); St. Louis (January 15); Las Vegas (January 18-19); Glendale, Arizona (January 22); Austin, Texas (January 24); Lafayette, Louisiana (January 25); New Orleans (January 26); Orlando, Florida (January 28-29); Jacksonville, Florida (January 30); and Miami (January 31). The Jonas Brothers have been opening for Cyrus but will be replaced by Aly & AJ from January 11-24, after which a yet-unannounced supporting act will take over for the remaining shows. ...

Shia LaBeouf's criminal trespassing charge has just gone poof. Walgreens Co. and a security company announced via a letter read in a Chicago court Wednesday (December 12) that they will not continue a case involving criminal charges against the actor for refusing to leave one of the chain's stores in early November. The "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" star, who reportedly appeared intoxicated at the time of the incident, was arrested and charged with misdemeanor criminal trespassing. ...

"Fantastic" news for Jessica Alba: The actress is pregnant, People.com reports. According to the site, the "Awake" star's representative said her boyfriend Cash Warren is the father. Alba reportedly met Warren on the set of "Fantastic Four" in 2004, at which point they began dating. The actress was reportedly in talks to go to Broadway for a revival of the David Mamet play "Speed-the-Plow." ... Relatedly, it's hard out here for a ... Broadway star? Terrence Howard has signed on for an all-black version of Tennessee Williams' "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" that will debut March 6 at New York's Broadhurst Theatre. James Earl Jones, Phylicia Rashad and Anika Noni Rose of "Dreamgirls" will also star in the third revival of the production, which marks Howard's stage debut. He will play Brick, the aging alcoholic ex-football player. ...

What do John Legend and Eddie Vedder have in common, besides a great set of pipes? The singers are joining together to provide music for an upcoming documentary miniseries based on Howard Zinn's "A People's History of the United States," a 1980 book that is widely read in high schools and colleges, and its companion piece, "Voices of a People's History of the United States," according to Billboard.com. "The People Speak" will begin production in Boston in January and also involve Viggo Mortensen, Josh Brolin and other actors. Vedder brought Zinn, a Boston University professor, onstage at a Pearl Jam show in Boston three years ago. ...

Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe have more than their Australian backgrounds in common. Forbes has named the actors as the most overpaid celebrities in Hollywood, according to a complicated formula involving the stars' salaries, budgets and returns for movies in which they have appeared, and more. Jim Carrey, Will Ferrell and Adam Sandler also made the list. ...

Just in time for Christmas comes news that Britney Spears has been offered to play the role of the Virgin Mary in the upcoming film "Sweet Baby Jesus," a humorous retelling of the nativity story, according to Us Weekly. "I had to convince my partners because they were like, 'Oh, no. Britney?' " Philippe Rebboah, the film's French producer, reportedly said. "But I thought it was brilliant. It's a bit ironic that she would play the Virgin Mary, no? ... She likes the idea, that's what I heard." Rebboah added that the singer is reviewing the script and will make a decision soon whether to act in the movie, which will be filmed in March. ... You could say this year's "Idol Gives Back" charity special was a wee bit successful — it only raked in a mere $75 million, for charities in the U.S. and Africa. "American Idol" will give the fundraiser another go on April 9 at 8 p.m. with a two-hour special featuring performances and appearances by yet-unnamed celebrities, according to Variety. The show itself will be back January 15 with a two-hour special. ...

Sigur Rós are plotting a batch of theatrical screenings for "Heima," the new documentary film they released late last month. The movie, which revolves around a series of free shows the band played in its native Iceland last summer, will be shown Tuesday (San Francisco, Denver); December 19 (Boston, Atlanta); and December 20 (Austin, Texas; Seattle). ... A lock of John Lennon's hair that went up for bid Wednesday had been estimated to sell for $4,000 to $6,000 — but an unnamed telephone bidder actually shelled out $48,000 for it in the Beatles memorabilia auction, The Associated Press reports. The items in the auction had been collected by the legendary group's hairdresser, and a photo of the band dedicated to her — it was signed "George 'Dandruff' Harrison" — went for $13,000. ...

Music/social-networking site Mog.com relaunched on Wednesday with some seriously beefed-up content. As the result of a deal with Rhapsody Music Service — a joint venture with MTV — Moggers can now listen to millions of full-length songs on their own pages and on the pages of others, and a new search function provides instant access to specific music anywhere on Mog. Using the "play all" function, users can hear what like-minded people are listening to, while the "play this page" function lets users instantly create a playlist of every song mentioned on another Mogger's page. ... Maybe this is where those Led Zeppelin tour rumors came from: Nashville's WSMT-TV is reporting that Zep frontman Robert Plant and bluegrass star Alison Krauss will take the stage together at the Bonnaroo festival in Manchester, Tennessee, in June to perform songs from their collaborative CD, Raising Sand. The fest will be held June 12-15.

• Britney Spears
• Velvet Revolver
• Scott Stapp
• Creed
• Jessica Simpson

Simon Cowell (file)
Photo: Getty Images/ Michael Buckner

Melinda Doolittle should have won "American Idol" — and Britney Spears needs to ditch her "stupid friends" if she wants to save her career, Simon Cowell told "Good Morning America" on Thursday (May 24). The "Idol" judge summed up Wednesday night's results ("the singer won over the entertainer"), called Jordin Sparks the season's "most improved" contestant and said Melinda "tried the hardest, was consistently the best, and had the best voice." And as for Britney, Simon says he could have put her on the right path back in 2006. "My advice to her six months ago was to go home to your family, lock the door, don't go out with your stupid friends, have some home-cooked food. Get a sense of reality. ... And then say to yourself, 'There's more good in my life than bad. I'm still a rich, talented girl and now I want to get my career back on track.' End of story." ...

Jordin Sparks is no doubt celebrating her "American Idol" victory, but the show's organizers might not be so happy with the finale results. Reuters reports that 7 million fewer people tuned into the last episode of the show compared with last year. ... Paul McCartney is fed up with hearing rumors that he backed out of appearing on the Wednesday night show, which his ex Heather Mills attended. In a statement released to TMZ.com, a representative for McCartney said the former Beatle was never scheduled to appear on the show in the first place. ...

Write on: Amy Winehouse, Madonna and the Arctic Monkeys scooped up Ivor Novello songwriting awards on Thursday. Winehouse won Best Contemporary Song honors for "Rehab." ... Talk about scary: Marilyn Manson has recorded an acoustic cover of Justin Timberlake's "What Goes Around ..." on the BBC, according to Stereogum.com. ... The karmic returns keep coming in for Bono. The U2 singer will be hailed with this year's Liberty Medal for helping to bring attention to Africa's medical and economic problems, The Associated Press reports. He and his Debts, AIDS, Trade, Africa organization will accept the award September 27, with a $100,000 donation going to DATA. ...

Get ready to strap on your axes: The songs that will be featured in "Guitar Hero III" have been revealed, according to GameSpot.com. The game will include a handful of original recordings, including Weezer's "My Name Is Jonas," Smashing Pumpkins' "Cherub Rock," Beastie Boys' "Sabotage," Tenacious D's "The Metal," Rolling Stones' "Paint It Black," Living Colour's "Cult of Personality" and Muse's "Knights of Cydonia." Covers of songs by Heart, Kiss, Alice Cooper and others will also appear in the game, which is due later this year. ...

Scott Stapp has issued a public apology following his domestic violence arrest over the weekend. "I am truly sorry and seek forgiveness from my wife, as she has done the same seeking forgiveness from me," the former Creed frontman said. "We both know we were wrong in how we handled the argument and in some of the allegations that were made. Now we are trying to move forward as a family." Stapp said in the statement that some things said to police in the heat of the moment weren't true. "As in most cases like this, the next day everyone is sorry and wishes they didn't get the police involved and said what they did about their partner. ... We would also like to apologize to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Department for calling them to our home and taking them away from the very serious and dangerous job of protecting our community." ...

Lady Sovereign offered an apology of her own to fans who waited until 3:30 a.m for her to take the stage at a show in Brooklyn, New York, last week — only to have the rapper walk off two songs later. "I know how stupid I must have looked on Friday," Sov said in a statement. "I was tired and not in the mood, having a bad day." How bad? According to her rep, the rapper's tour bus broke down on her way to New York from New Jersey's PNC Bank Arts Center, where she opened for Gwen Stefani, making her late for the four-song set she had scheduled at Brooklyn's Studio B. "But that's no excuse for letting fans down," the statement continued. "I"m sorry to those that were at Studio B to see me." ...

Aly & AJ have wrapped up their new LP Insomniac, which is due July 10. The video for the first single, "Potential Breakup Song," was shot by Chris Applebaum (Britney Spears, Hilary Duff). Also keep an eye out for boxes of Honeycomb cereal, which the girls will also be appearing on. ... Snoop Dogg and Chris Cornell have been added to the lineup of the Live Earth concerts set for July 7. Both will take the stage in Germany for Live Earth Hamburg, one of nine worldwide events to raise awareness of climate change. ...

AirWair Ltd., the company behind Dr. Martens footwear, has fired its advertising agency in the wake of controversy surrounding a British ad campaign that includes a photo of Kurt Cobain. In a press release obtained by TheDailySwarm.com, AirWair Ltd. CEO David Suddens said the poster campaign crafted by Saatchi & Saatchi wasn't supposed to go public. "Dr. Martens did not commission the work as it runs counter to our current marketing activities," Suddens said in a statement. Saatchi & Saatchi, in the meantime, is standing by the ad campaign. A representative for Courtney Love previously told People magazine she didn't give permission for Dr. Martens to use a photo of her late husband in the campaign. "She thinks it's outrageous that a company is allowed to commercially gain from such a despicable use of her husband's picture," her spokesperson said. "It does appear that in the U.K. what Dr. Martens has done is allowed. Courtney did not, and would not, approve of such a use of Kurt's name and likeness." ...

Jack Bruce, bassist for Cream, told AP Thursday that the iconic blues-rock power trio will get back together for a series of shows later this year, even though he recently told British newspaper The Scotsman that there was no way the group would re-form. His former bandmates Eric Clapton and Ginger Baker have not confirmed the reunion. ... Liars are saying goodbye to their conceptual material with a more accessible self-titled LP due August 28. The traditionally structured songs include such paradoxical titles as "The Dumb in the Rain," "Clear Island" and "Leather Prowler." ... Dave Navarro said his band, the Panic Channel, plan on recording and releasing their next album without the help of a record label; the band recently parted ways with Capitol Records. In a post on his 6767.com blog, the former Jane's Addiction guitarist said he's eager to break free from record company "slavery." "Our plan is to write, record, mix and make the music available online, DIY-style," he wrote. There's no word yet on when the album might surface.

05.23.2007

A Philadelphia author has filed a lawsuit against Jay-Z, Damon Dash and Lionsgate Films, claiming his book, "The Family: A Philadelphia Mob Story," was used without rights as the inspiration for the 2002 Roc-A-Fella film "State Property" starring Beanie Sigel. In the suit, filed May 8 in Manhattan, New York, Antonne Jones claims he pitched Jay-Z and Dash his script years earlier but didn't hear back from them after later rejecting a $50,000 offer for the rights to the plot. Representatives for Jay-Z and Dash did not respond to inquiries made by MTV News as of press time. ...

Jay-Z may be in even more hot water, as a former waitress at his 40/40 sports bar in New York filed a lawsuit against the mogul and his business partners, according to TMZ.com. Celeste Williams claims she was paid below minimum wage and shares of her tips and overtime pay were withheld. A spokesperson for the bar told TMZ that Williams was only employed at the establishment for four days and was paid accordingly. In the compliant, Williams' lawyers allege that more than 100 other employees will also join the lawsuit. ...

Lindsay Lohan says it's a little strange being #1 on Maxim's "Hot 100." "It's really flattering," she told MTV News last week, "but it does get kind of awkward." Lohan also revealed that she plans to begin work on a new album soon. "We'll start in probably June or July and take four months," she explained. Lohan said she's collaborating with Maverick Records CEO Guy Oseary on the disc, which will have an "urban pop" sound. ...

Want to read the first pages of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" right at midnight on its release date ... in London ... with J.K. Rowling? Seven U.S. fans of the Potter series will win a trip to the midnight launch event at London's Natural History Museum on July 21, when they can meet the author, have their book signed and take part in a special Rowling reading. To enter the contest, visit Scholastic.com. ... In other literary news, Borat has become an author too — Sacha Baron Cohen's fictional Kazakh "journalist" is penning two books: "Borat: Touristic Guidings to Minor Nation of U.S. and A." and "Borat: Touristic Guidings to Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan," AP reports. They're due in the fall. ...

The White Stripes' Icky Thump tour has just gotten a little ickier. The band, which will be on the road in the U.S. for much of July, will kick off another leg of the trek with September 4-5 shows at Chicago's Aragon Ballroom. The 15-date tour will also hit cities including Fargo, North Dakota (September 7); Salt Lake City (September 12); Berkeley, California (September 21); and Anchorage, Alaska (September 24), as well as two performances at the Austin City Limits Festival (September 15-16). The tour wraps up with September 26-27 shows in Seattle. ... Rihanna debuted "Shut Up and Drive," the second single from her forthcoming album Good Girl Gone Bad on her Web site Tuesday. The LP, which also includes the single "Umbrella" (featuring Jay-Z), is due June 5. ...

But where are the Canucks? Justin Timberlake, Hilary Duff, My Chemical Romance, Gwen Stefani, Akon, Fergie and Fall Out Boy will compete for MuchMusic Video Awards, it was announced Wednesday (May 23). Nickelback and K-os, who landed five and four nods respectively, will represent the music channel's Canada homeland; Red Hot Chili Peppers, Evanescence, Killers, AFI, Feist and Nelly Furtado are also up for awards. The ceremony will be held June 17 in Toronto. ... Miri Ben-Ari was involved in a car accident Wednesday afternoon in Jersey City, New Jersey, her manager told MTV News. According to her manager, the hip-hop violinist was stopped at a red light in her Mercedes-Benz when a UPS truck rammed her from behind. Ben-Ari, who has worked with everyone from Kanye West to Twista to Scarface, hit her head on the steering wheel and was taken to a nearby hospital, where she was treated and released soon thereafter. Although her injuries are said not to be serious, she will be laid up at home for a couple of days, following doctor's orders to rest. ...

Sanjaya Malakar is already getting his acting career started. In a crudely edited one-minute online short released this week, the hair-raising "American Idol" sensation stars as a 25-year-old student at the Rhode Island School of Design named Bill Vendall, who claims to have invented Sanjaya as an "elaborate art project" that was part of his thesis program. "To the fans of Sanjaya, maybe you are actually fans of Bill Vendall, the artist. ... I am art. I am sure many of you subconsciously knew what I was doing," a snooty, black-clad, white-shades-wearing Vendall/Malakar says in the clip. Over a lazy blues instrumental and blurry camera close-ups, the "artist" points to a montage of Sanjaya "Idol" highlights and mockingly says, "How could you look at this, this, this and not see it as a symbol for the self-referencing nature of progressive evolution?" ...

Phil Spector wasn't the only one in the hot seat in the music producer's murder trial on Wednesday, according to AP. Superior Court Judge Larry Paul Fidler said Dr. Henry Lee removed an object from the scene where actress Lana Clarkson was killed and that he must "produce it forthwith." Attorney Sara Caplan testified that she saw the renowned forensic expert place a white object into a vial during the defense's search of Spector's mansion, and the prosecution claims it was a piece of Clarkson's fingernail. Prosecutors also contend that the fingernail has a trace of the passing bullet and will show that the actress resisted having a gun placed in her mouth. Lee has denied taking the object from the crime scene and, despite Fidler's request, will not be held in contempt because of conflicting accounts regarding the object. The judge said jurors will have to determine for themselves whether Lee is a credible witness. "Dr. Lee has a lot to lose here," Fidler said in a hearing, although the jury was not present. ...

More details have emerged about the alleged domestic dispute at the Florida home of former Creed frontman Scott Stapp over the weekend. In a 911 transcript released Tuesday, Stapp's wife, former Miss New York Jaclyn Nesheiwat, called authorities on Sunday pleading with them to come to the couple's home. She told a dispatcher, "He just threw a glass bottle at me. ... He just came home, he's wasted ... he's been out partying all night," according to AP. Nesheiwat told the dispatcher that Stapp — who went to rehab in 2004 — was "on drugs and pot. There's a lot of pot in the house," adding that there were also "a lot" of guns in the home. Before police arrived, Nesheiwat called 911 again to report that Stapp was "hiding all the drugs." Nesheiwat was not injured in the incident, in which Stapp was arrested and initially charged with aggravated assault with intent to commit a felony, although the count was later reduced to a misdemeanor. Stapp was released from custody on Monday and will be subject to random drug and alcohol testing. ...

Brother Ali, Cage, Sage Francis, Mr. Lif and Felt (featuring Murs, Slug and Ant) are opening up their pockets again for another Paid Dues tour. The third installment of the underground-hip-hop trek sets sail July 25 in Chicago and docks August 12 in San Diego. ... Former Queens of the Stone Age bassist Nick Oliveri has inked a deal with Suburban Noize for the release of the new album from his current group, Nick Oliveri and the Mondo Generator. The LP, Dead Planet: SonicSlowMotionTrails, lands in stores July 17 — just in time for the band's appearance on this summer's Ozzfest. ... After years of relative silence, Portishead have been tapped to curate and perform at the All Tomorrow's Parties' Nightmare Before Christmas Festival, to be held December 7-9 at Butlins Holiday Camp in Minehead, England. The band will unveil fresh material during the gig, but there are no plans yet for the group to release an LP — which would be its first studio outing since 1997's self-titled effort.

05.23.2007

A Philadelphia author has filed a lawsuit against Jay-Z, Damon Dash and Lionsgate Films, claiming his book, "The Family: A Philadelphia Mob Story," was used without rights as the inspiration for the 2002 Roc-A-Fella film "State Property" starring Beanie Sigel. In the suit, filed May 8 in Manhattan, New York, Antonne Jones claims he pitched Jay-Z and Dash his script years earlier but didn't hear back from them after later rejecting a $50,000 offer for the rights to the plot. Representatives for Jay-Z and Dash did not respond to inquiries made by MTV News as of press time. ...

Jay-Z may be in even more hot water, as a former waitress at his 40/40 sports bar in New York filed a lawsuit against the mogul and his business partners, according to TMZ.com. Celeste Williams claims she was paid below minimum wage and shares of her tips and overtime pay were withheld. A spokesperson for the bar told TMZ that Williams was only employed at the establishment for four days and was paid accordingly. In the compliant, Williams' lawyers allege that more than 100 other employees will also join the lawsuit. ...

Lindsay Lohan says it's a little strange being #1 on Maxim's "Hot 100." "It's really flattering," she told MTV News last week, "but it does get kind of awkward." Lohan also revealed that she plans to begin work on a new album soon. "We'll start in probably June or July and take four months," she explained. Lohan said she's collaborating with Maverick Records CEO Guy Oseary on the disc, which will have an "urban pop" sound. ...

Want to read the first pages of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" right at midnight on its release date ... in London ... with J.K. Rowling? Seven U.S. fans of the Potter series will win a trip to the midnight launch event at London's Natural History Museum on July 21, when they can meet the author, have their book signed and take part in a special Rowling reading. To enter the contest, visit Scholastic.com. ... In other literary news, Borat has become an author too — Sacha Baron Cohen's fictional Kazakh "journalist" is penning two books: "Borat: Touristic Guidings to Minor Nation of U.S. and A." and "Borat: Touristic Guidings to Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan," AP reports. They're due in the fall. ...

The White Stripes' Icky Thump tour has just gotten a little ickier. The band, which will be on the road in the U.S. for much of July, will kick off another leg of the trek with September 4-5 shows at Chicago's Aragon Ballroom. The 15-date tour will also hit cities including Fargo, North Dakota (September 7); Salt Lake City (September 12); Berkeley, California (September 21); and Anchorage, Alaska (September 24), as well as two performances at the Austin City Limits Festival (September 15-16). The tour wraps up with September 26-27 shows in Seattle. ... Rihanna debuted "Shut Up and Drive," the second single from her forthcoming album Good Girl Gone Bad on her Web site Tuesday. The LP, which also includes the single "Umbrella" (featuring Jay-Z), is due June 5. ...

But where are the Canucks? Justin Timberlake, Hilary Duff, My Chemical Romance, Gwen Stefani, Akon, Fergie and Fall Out Boy will compete for MuchMusic Video Awards, it was announced Wednesday (May 23). Nickelback and K-os, who landed five and four nods respectively, will represent the music channel's Canada homeland; Red Hot Chili Peppers, Evanescence, Killers, AFI, Feist and Nelly Furtado are also up for awards. The ceremony will be held June 17 in Toronto. ... Miri Ben-Ari was involved in a car accident Wednesday afternoon in Jersey City, New Jersey, her manager told MTV News. According to her manager, the hip-hop violinist was stopped at a red light in her Mercedes-Benz when a UPS truck rammed her from behind. Ben-Ari, who has worked with everyone from Kanye West to Twista to Scarface, hit her head on the steering wheel and was taken to a nearby hospital, where she was treated and released soon thereafter. Although her injuries are said not to be serious, she will be laid up at home for a couple of days, following doctor's orders to rest. ...

Sanjaya Malakar is already getting his acting career started. In a crudely edited one-minute online short released this week, the hair-raising "American Idol" sensation stars as a 25-year-old student at the Rhode Island School of Design named Bill Vendall, who claims to have invented Sanjaya as an "elaborate art project" that was part of his thesis program. "To the fans of Sanjaya, maybe you are actually fans of Bill Vendall, the artist. ... I am art. I am sure many of you subconsciously knew what I was doing," a snooty, black-clad, white-shades-wearing Vendall/Malakar says in the clip. Over a lazy blues instrumental and blurry camera close-ups, the "artist" points to a montage of Sanjaya "Idol" highlights and mockingly says, "How could you look at this, this, this and not see it as a symbol for the self-referencing nature of progressive evolution?" ...

Phil Spector wasn't the only one in the hot seat in the music producer's murder trial on Wednesday, according to AP. Superior Court Judge Larry Paul Fidler said Dr. Henry Lee removed an object from the scene where actress Lana Clarkson was killed and that he must "produce it forthwith." Attorney Sara Caplan testified that she saw the renowned forensic expert place a white object into a vial during the defense's search of Spector's mansion, and the prosecution claims it was a piece of Clarkson's fingernail. Prosecutors also contend that the fingernail has a trace of the passing bullet and will show that the actress resisted having a gun placed in her mouth. Lee has denied taking the object from the crime scene and, despite Fidler's request, will not be held in contempt because of conflicting accounts regarding the object. The judge said jurors will have to determine for themselves whether Lee is a credible witness. "Dr. Lee has a lot to lose here," Fidler said in a hearing, although the jury was not present. ...

More details have emerged about the alleged domestic dispute at the Florida home of former Creed frontman Scott Stapp over the weekend. In a 911 transcript released Tuesday, Stapp's wife, former Miss New York Jaclyn Nesheiwat, called authorities on Sunday pleading with them to come to the couple's home. She told a dispatcher, "He just threw a glass bottle at me. ... He just came home, he's wasted ... he's been out partying all night," according to AP. Nesheiwat told the dispatcher that Stapp — who went to rehab in 2004 — was "on drugs and pot. There's a lot of pot in the house," adding that there were also "a lot" of guns in the home. Before police arrived, Nesheiwat called 911 again to report that Stapp was "hiding all the drugs." Nesheiwat was not injured in the incident, in which Stapp was arrested and initially charged with aggravated assault with intent to commit a felony, although the count was later reduced to a misdemeanor. Stapp was released from custody on Monday and will be subject to random drug and alcohol testing. ...

Brother Ali, Cage, Sage Francis, Mr. Lif and Felt (featuring Murs, Slug and Ant) are opening up their pockets again for another Paid Dues tour. The third installment of the underground-hip-hop trek sets sail July 25 in Chicago and docks August 12 in San Diego. ... Former Queens of the Stone Age bassist Nick Oliveri has inked a deal with Suburban Noize for the release of the new album from his current group, Nick Oliveri and the Mondo Generator. The LP, Dead Planet: SonicSlowMotionTrails, lands in stores July 17 — just in time for the band's appearance on this summer's Ozzfest. ... After years of relative silence, Portishead have been tapped to curate and perform at the All Tomorrow's Parties' Nightmare Before Christmas Festival, to be held December 7-9 at Butlins Holiday Camp in Minehead, England. The band will unveil fresh material during the gig, but there are no plans yet for the group to release an LP — which would be its first studio outing since 1997's self-titled effort.

• Live From 'American Idol' Finale Red Carpet
• 'American Idol' Finale: 130 Minutes In Just 60 Seconds

• Melinda Doolittle
• Britney Spears
• Creed
• Scott Stapp
• Lady Sovereign

Evanescence's Amy Lee
Photo: Lisa Maree Williams/ Getty Images

Amy Lee spoke candidly about her recent marriage and the recent departure of two Evanescence members in a post on the band's message board over the weekend. Calling marriage "the most incredible thing to happen in my life so far," Lee explained that she returned from her honeymoon and "discovered the fact that I was unable to defend myself for a week [and] was taken advantage of quite a bit." Lee said guitarist John LeCompt and drummer Rocky Gray, who left the lineup earlier this month and were recently replaced by Dark New Day's Will Hunt and Troy McLawhorn, "both made it clear they were ready to move on." LeCompt and Gray "were very vocal about the fact that they didn't really care about Evanescence at all and just stayed around for the money," the post continued. "They were miserable. They are no longer playing with us because I love this band too much to see it driven into the ground." Lee also said that Gray didn't quit, as he's claimed; she contends he was fired after weeks of threatening to quit. ...

Avril Lavigne has remixed her hit song "Girlfriend" with none other than teen heroine Lil Mama of "Lip Gloss" fame. The remix keeps the same beat and lyrics, with Mama throwing on her raps. ...

Two more shows have been added to the American Idols Live Tour: additional dates at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York, on August 25; and Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on August 29. ... As "American Idol" fans wait for one of the two finalists to fall, Paula Abdul took a spill of her own this weekend, according to E! Online. In an attempt to avoid stepping on one of her dogs, the judge fell and broke her nose. A representative told the news outlet that Abdul was not hospitalized and that the injury will not affect her appearance on the program this week. ...

Does Bobby Valentino want to be known as the new "Mac daddy" or what? The soulful crooner will play at seven Apple stores next month, in Atlanta (June 1), New York (June 8), Chicago (June 12), Dallas (June 21), Los Angeles (June 23) and San Francisco (June 27). The seventh performance will be held in Houston on June 16 or 20. ... Jim Jones just launched his online clothing store, Nostic Apparel. The line, which features Jones' rock-meets-rap style, was founded by his mother. ...

When tickets for the Smashing Pumpkins' nine-night residency at Asheville, North Carolina's Orange Peel went on sale Sunday, TicketWeb servers weren't able to handle the load, and the demand for tickets crashed the site, bringing sales to a halt. Tickets will now be sold via Ticketmaster instead, but Orange Peel spokeswoman Liz Whalen told Asheville's Citizen-Times on Monday morning (May 21) that the venue wasn't sure whether tickets would be available Monday or Tuesday — tickets were unavailable via Ticketmaster at press time. The band has also added three more dates to its residency at San Francisco's Fillmore. ...

The Killers have announced new dates for two shows that had to be postponed last week due to frontman Brandon Flowers' bronchitis. The band's Thursday show at Red Rocks in Morrison, Colorado — which the guys cut short after only two songs — has been rescheduled for September 4. Their Seattle show — scheduled for this past Sunday — will now take place May 27. Tickets for the original shows will be honored at the makeup concerts. ... Franz Ferdinand are planning to play a gig in New York and a few small club shows in their native stomping grounds of Glasgow, Scotland, but dates and venue information has yet to be made available. According to frontman Alex Kapranos, the band continues work on its next LP and plans to debut some new material during the concerts. ...

Phil Spector's chauffeur wrongly implicated the music producer in the death of actress Lana Clarkson, Spector's defense argued in Los Angeles Superior Court on Monday, The Associated Press reports. Adriano De Souza — who previously testified that Spector said, "I think I killed somebody," after exiting his mansion with a gun in hand the morning of the shooting — originally told officers that Spector said, "I think I shot somebody," according to defense attorney Bradley Brunon. De Souza said he had heard Spector speak clearly but that he was also tired and frightened. ... Former Creed singer Scott Stapp was arrested at his Boca Raton, Florida, home on Sunday and was charged with aggravated assault with intent to commit a felony. A judge reduced the charge to a misdemeanor on Monday, AP reports, after the Palm Beach County sheriff's office determined that the bottle of Orangina that Stapp allegedly threw at his wife, Jaclyn Nesheiwat, was not a deadly weapon. Stapp was scheduled for supervised release Monday, and will be subject to random drug and alcohol testing. ...

Before Paris Hilton was sentenced to jail for violating her probation, she posed with on-again friend Nicole Richie for a Harper's Bazaar June cover story titled "Partners in Crime" that features the pair dressed in stripes — zebra, not prison — and posing as jewel thieves. "I think I get in more trouble just because of who I am," Hilton said in the Bazaar interview. "[Police] just pull me over to hit on me. It's really annoying. ... And the paparazzi, of course, take a picture. All the time. I have so many cops' business cards." Richie — who is in some hot water of her own, facing a DUI charge stemming from a December arrest that could land her in jail for 90 days thanks to a prior conviction — said she can't catch a break. "Every mistake I make, there's consequences," she explained. "I don't take anything lightly." The June issue of Bazaar hits newsstands Tuesday. ...

Bow Wowand Crime Mob performed Saturday at Utopia's Paradise Theater in the Bronx, New York, with 20 percent of the proceeds of the show benefiting the surviving family members of two African immigrant families that combined lost nine children and one adult in a tragic March 7 fire. A spokesperson for the families told local news channel NY1 that they will donate the funds back to the community. ...

A week after the attorneys general of eight states accused MySpace of dragging its feet in handing over information on registered sex offenders using the site, the company announced Monday that it would provide the AGs with the requested materials. According to a press release from MySpace, the popular social-networking site will hand over information on registered sex offenders that it has identified and deleted from the site using the Sentinel SAFE program, which it began using earlier this month. "We have zero tolerance for sexual predators on MySpace and took the initiative to create this first of its kind tool ourselves because nothing previously existed," MySpace Chief Security Officer Hemanshu Nigam said. "We look forward to working collaboratively with the attorneys general on all future efforts to make the Internet a safer place for teens." ... Sylvester Stallone won't be doing hard time Down Under. The "Rocky" actor dodged a bullet on Monday when a judge in New South Wales, Australia, fined the brawny 60-year-old $2,500 plus court costs for illegally bringing 48 vials of human-growth hormone to the country during a promotional trip in February, according to a Reuters report. Stallone explained to customs officials at the time that he was prescribed the drugs to give his body a boost and to look "good" during his current shoot of a "Rambo" sequel in Asia.

05.18.2007

Blake Lewis has been getting a taste of fame over the past few months on "American Idol," but he's had some well-known friends for quite some time. The finalist is buddies with Ryan Dusick, the original drummer for Maroon 5, and he's known the band for six years. "About two years ago, I had lost my cell phone — it was stolen — and I lost touch with them," Lewis said. The "Idol" hopeful then ran into Dusick's girlfriend and got reconnected with the guys about a month ago. On Tuesday's show, the producers wanted Lewis to sing a Maroon 5 song, but the band had never cleared its music for the show. "I called them the night before we had to pick our songs, and they said I could sing anything I wanted to," Lewis said. "It was really a solid from them." ...

The U.S. Navy has given "American Idol" finalist Phil Stacey the official go-ahead for the Idols Live 2007 Tour. A Navy spokesperson confirmed to People that the singer will join the rest of the top 10 on the three-month run, which kicks off July 6 in Sunrise, Florida. Tickets for all shows go on sale Saturday. ...

Simon Cowell said in a reporter conference call Friday (May 18) that this year's "American Idol" contest has come down to a "brilliant entertainer" (Blake Lewis) and a "great singer" (Jordin Sparks), according to Reuters. "I can't call it at this stage," he said in regards to who he thinks will win. "For Blake, he's a brilliant entertainer, but the negative is he's not a fantastic singer. The advantage for Jordin is she is a great singer and the negative is she hasn't done one performance yet which I can remember as a 'wow.' " Cowell also said "the whole Sanjaya thing was hysterical" and encouraged contestants to be as rude to him as he is to them. "They all think they are going to be voted off if they are rude to me," he said. "If I'm rude to them they are more than entitled to be rude to me back." ... And in yet more "Idol" news, Entertainment Weekly is casting a Blake vs. Jordin poll to determine which contestant should appear on the magazine's next cover. EW.com features four potential covers, two for each finalist. ...

Amy Winehouse married boyfriend Blake Fielder-Civil Friday morning in Miami, Spinner.com reports. The couple got engaged last month. ... The rift between Cam'ron and 50 Cent continues. 50 appeared on BET's "106 & Park" Thursday night and said the Dipset leader has been M.I.A. recently because of a rumored punch he took from rapper Tru Life outside a New York nightclub. A clearly annoyed Cam'ron posted a poolside video response on his MySpace page late Thursday night, explaining that he's on vacation, not in hiding. In the clip, Cam looks directly at the camera to show that he hasn't been hit and notes that his "probation is officially over." ...

Jennifer Lopez has been ordered to submit to a deposition to answer questions posed in a suit by a TV writer who says she stole his idea by making "South Beach," according to The Associated Press. Sheldon Farber, a lawyer for writer Jack Bunick, coyly promised, "I will not ask for her autograph." ...

A 2007 Fat Boy Harley Davidson motorcycle signed by Ludacris, Kanye West, Diddy, Shaquille O'Neal and others will be auctioned for charity on eBay starting June 2. The funds from the 10-day auction will go toward the Ludacris Foundation. ... Freshly minted Pussycat Doll Asia Nitollano joined Maxim Radio hosts Steve Covino and Rich Davis on Thursday night at New York's Hawaiian Tropic Zone to judge the lounge's spring pageant. Thirty hopefuls posed in the restaurant's bikini-themed outfits and club wear to compete for the title, and Federico Castelluccio of "The Sopranos" also served as a judge. ...

The Smashing Pumpkins' forthcoming album Zeitgeist is now slated for a July 10 release, meaning fans will have to wait an extra three days for the disc. Frontman Billy Corgan had expressed a desire to release the LP on July 7 (7/7/07), which is a Saturday, but albums are typically released in the U.S. on Tuesdays. ... The Killers cut their concert at Morrison, Colorado's Red Rocks short on Thursday night after frontman Brandon Flowers left the stage following the band's second song. A doctor later stepped onstage to tell the audience that Flowers had a throat injury, and said continuing to sing would damage his voice, according to Denver NBC affiliate KUSA. Drummer Ronnie Vannucci said the band would make up the show to the fans. A rescheduled date has not yet been announced. ...

Evanescence are all staffed up again. The group has replaced its recently departed guitarist and drummer with Dark New Day members Will Hunt (drums) and Troy McLawhorn (guitar). The new lineup will debut on Saturday at the Rock the Range festival in Columbus, Ohio, before leaving for a one-month European tour and returning in July for Korn's Family Values Tour. "I am a big fan of Dark New Day and can't wait for the fans to see what the guys bring to our live show," Evanescence singer Amy Lee said in a statement. ... Ousted drummer Rocky Gray has six Evanescence plaques — including a gold-record certification presented to him for The Open Door, currently up for bid on eBay — each with a starting price of $500. Gray wrote on his MySpace page that he means no disrespect with the sale, but that it's "a chance for us to straighten up the house, make some paper (cheese) and give the fans a chance to have a real piece of ev history." There were no bids at press time. ...

Ciara was toasted by Jay-Z and Young Jeezy Thursday night in New York as the Atlanta singer celebrated being named the new face of the Roc-A-Wear ladies' line. Ciara follows in the footsteps of Naomi Campbell and actress Zoe Saldana. The new campaign will be titled "I Will Not Lose" and feature testimonials by a number of personalities who've overcome various hardships, including Amy Steele, the editor-in-chief of Virginia Tech campus newspaper The Collegiate Times. ...

Ryan Phillippe has filed for joint custody of his two children with Reese Witherspoon, responding to her divorce filing in November, according to "Access Hollywood." Phillippe, who is not seeking any spousal support from Witherspoon, also isn't blocking her from requesting support from him. ... Bo Diddley's condition has improved four days after he suffered a stroke, AP reports. The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer was up and walking Friday at a hospital in Nebraska, and his manager, Margo Lewis, told the news service that his doctors are confident he'll be able to perform again. "We're going to get a guitar for him and put it in his lap and let him entertain people here," she said. ...

Michael Jackson's lawyers have dropped his effort to block a Las Vegas auction that will include items belonging to him and other Jackson family members. "Mr. Jackson is satisfied with the negotiated settlement and is pleased that some of the proceeds from the auction will be donated to certain charities," his spokesman Raymone K. Bain said in a statement on Friday. The auction will be held May 30-31 at the Hard Rock Hotel. ... Lindsay Lohan won't face charges on a theft allegation, the Los Angeles district attorney announced Thursday. AP reports that a woman claimed the actress took clothing from her apartment, which Lohan allegedly visited at the invitation of a house-sitter. The DA declined to file grand theft charges due to insufficient evidence. ... Former Korn guitarist Brian "Head" Welch will head out on a promotional tour to spread the gospel about his new book, "Save Me From Myself: How I Found God, Quit Korn, Kicked Drugs, and Lived to Tell My Story." The trek starts July 5-6 in New York and ends July 18 in Los Angeles. ...

In a new video posted on her Web site, Senator Hillary Clinton is asking supporters to help her with an answer to "one of the most important questions" of her presidential campaign: picking a theme song. The good news is that among the options are tunes by classy acts such as U2 ("City of Blinding Lights," "Beautiful Day"), KT Tunstall ("Suddenly I See"), the Temptations ("Get Ready"), Dixie Chicks ("Ready to Run") and the Staple Singers ("I'll Take You There.") Unfortunately, the short list also features Smash Mouth's cover of the Monkees' "I'm a Believer," Shania Twain's "Rock This Country" and, no joke, Jesus Jones' "Right Here, Right Now." ... Meanwhile, noted freestyle rapper Jin has recently landed as the top friend on Democratic presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama's MySpace page. Before he became Obama's #1 friend, Jin recorded a track supporting the candidate and posted it on his own page.

• Evanescence
• The Smashing Pumpkins
• The Killers
• Creed
• Paris Hilton

Britney Spears in Miami on Sunday
Photo: Alexander Tamargo/ 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:

The sixth season of "American Idol" signs off this week, and what a season it's been. But Sanjaya's unforgettable run and Melinda's shocking departure follow five years of "whoa!" moments — read and watch as MTV News' "American Idol" expert Jim Cantiello recaps seasons one through five in five minutes. ...

Kanye West plans to light up the stage on his upcoming tour, which he's titled "Glow in the Dark," he told us first. Also in Mixtape Monday: Pharrell says he's mixing some Baltimore house music into Twista's new single, "Give It Up," Obie Trice has Eminem and Akon on his LP wish list, Jadakiss lets his music speak for itself and lots more.

It was a good weekend for new music. Friday night in Nashville, the White Stripes rocked the Cannery Ballroom, breaking their onstage fast with an intense 80-minute set at the intimate venue. And a day later, Linkin Park, Korn and Queens of the Stone Age hit KROQ's annual Weenie Roast, delivering new tunes to the Irvine, California, crowd. ...

And "Shrek the Third" is first — the animated sequel earned $122 million its opening weekend, making it #1 at the box office this weekend and the top-earning animated film of all time. ...

Quote of the Day: "I ain't even take my warm-up jacket off yet. This is just Jazzercise!" — Jadakiss on "Pay Attention."

Here's what everyone else is talking about:

Britney Spears brought her 14-minute show to Florida over the weekend and ran into some technical difficulties, People reports. Spears' backing track skipped during her show at Orlando's House of Blues on Saturday and she briefly ran offstage after her top nearly fell off during her Miami gig at Mansion on Sunday. And while Britney battled through her stage troubles, she was less of a trouper when it came to travel, according to The New York Post. Gossip column "Page Six" reported Sunday that Spears hopped off of her Friday flight to Miami due to some less-than-luxurious accommodations. So where will she turn up next? If PerezHilton.com's "totally unconfirmed and completely unsubstantiated" report is to be believed, you may see Britney perform on this week's "American Idol" finale. ...

Former Creed frontman Scott Stapp was arrested at his Boca Raton, Florida, home on Sunday and charged with assault related to domestic violence, The Associated Press reports. He has been charged with one count of domestic assault and is being held without bond, according to a Palm Beach County official. No one was injured or hospitalized in the incident. Stapp's wife, Jaclyn Nesheiwat, did not comment on the specifics of the arrest, but said, "It's just a rough time," according to The Palm Beach Post. ...

The New York Post reported Saturday that Method Man was arrested Thursday night in Brooklyn, New York, after being pulled over for an expired inspection sticker — and found to be driving in a car full of what appeared to be marijuana smoke. The Wu-Tang rapper admitted that he had more marijuana under the driver's seat, according to the Post source — "I guess he was feeling mellow." He was arraigned in Brooklyn Criminal Court and released on his own recognizance Friday. ...

In other legal news, TMZ.com reports that Foxy Brown passed up a plea deal related to her battery charge in Broward County, Florida, and may stand trial in September. She could be sentenced to one year in prison. ... And Sylvester Stallone will pay — about $10,000 — for trying to bring human growth hormone into Australia, AP reports. A judge in Sydney hit the actor with a $2,451 fine and ordered him to pay $8,200 in court costs on Monday (May 21). The actor pleaded guilty to the charge last week, explaining that he didn't know human growth hormone was banned in the country. ...

Even breakups and DUI busts sound like good news when celebs talk to People. Over the weekend, the site reported that Jessica Simpson is "very happy" following her split with John Mayer, while Nick Carter is grateful that he got popped in 2005 for driving under the influence. Marilyn Manson, on the other hand, said that his marriage to Dita Von Teese left him a "naked, featherless bird," People reports. One of these things is not like the other: People got that scoop from a Spin interview. ...

What's "the last thing the planet needs"? An invasion of angry aliens? A giant asteroid headed right this way? If you ask Roger Daltrey, the greatest menace is Al Gore's Live Earth concerts. The Who frontman joined the (not very long) list of artists speaking out against the July 7 event, telling British tabloid The Sun that global warming's " questions and the answers are so huge I don't know what a rock concert's ever going to do to help." Fair enough. So what's Daltrey's suggestion? He'd "burn all the ... oil as quick as possible, then the politicians will have to find a solution," according to the Sun interview. ...

And U2 promoted the premiere of their Vertigo Tour film "U2 3D" in Cannes on Saturday with a short red-carpet set featuring "Vertigo" and "Where the Streets Have No Name," Reuters reports.

• 'American Idol': Six Seasons In Six Minutes

• Linkin Park, Korn, Incubus, More At Weenie Roast '07

• Britney Spears
• Scott Stapp
• Creed
• Method Man
• Jessica Simpson

Scott Stapp and wife Jaclyn Nesheiwat
Photo: Ralph Notaro/Getty Images

It was a pretty eventful weekend for former Creed frontman Scott Stapp.

On Friday, he married his fiancee of a little more than a month, former Miss New York Jaclyn Nesheiwat, in a ceremony at the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens in Miami. Stapp's 7-year-old son, Jagger, served as his best man at the black-tie affair, held at the European-style estate on the shores of the Biscayne Bay.

Then on Saturday, roughly 24 hours after his nuptials, Stapp was arrested by police at Los Angeles International Airport after it was suspected that he was intoxicated while attempting to board an airplane bound for Hawaii.

According to a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Airport Police, officers responded to a disturbance call at an undisclosed terminal at 6 p.m. and found Stapp behaving in a belligerent manner. He was taken into custody and transferred to the Los Angeles Police Department's Van Nuys station, where he was booked for public intoxication of drugs or alcohol.

Stapp was eventually freed and ordered to return to Los Angeles on March 8 for an arraignment hearing on the public intoxication charge.

Representatives for the Stapp had no comment on his wedding or his arrest. And it was not known if his legal problems would effect plans to tour in support of his solo debut, The Great Divide (see "Scott Stapp Admits To Drastic Failings, Looks To The Past For Solo LP"). On the day of his arraignment, Stapp is scheduled to play the House of Blues in Cleveland.

The LAX bust-up is the latest in a string of bizarre incidents involving Stapp. In late 2003, fans attending a Creed show in Chicago filed suit against the band, alleging that an "intoxicated and/or medicated" Stapp was in no condition to perform and cheated them out of a concert (see "Sloppy Creed Show Has Fans Suing For Refunds"). And in November 2005, an allegedly "drunk" and "out of his mind" Stapp brawled with members of rock band 311 at a Baltimore hotel (see " 'Out Of Control' Scott Stapp Incites Melee With 311 At Baltimore Hotel"), though he later claimed that 311 started the fight (see "Scott Stapp Calls Thanksgiving Brawl Story A Load Of Turkey").

• Scott Stapp
• Creed

Scott Stapp
Photo: Michael Wong

For almost a week, Scott Stapp has suffered a public-relations beatdown stemming from reports of a Thanksgiving-night fracas in a Baltimore hotel between him and members of 311. Now he's firing back.

On Wednesday (December 7), Stapp released a statement refuting claims made by 311 that he started the brawl (see " 'Out Of Control' Scott Stapp Incites Melee With 311 At Baltimore Hotel"), and pointed to an Associated Press report that he said places the blame squarely on 311's collective shoulders.

"This is a very unfortunate situation; however, there are two sides to every story. I was at the hotel celebrating Thanksgiving and my engagement with my new fiancee when the fight started," the statement read. "As The Associated Press reported and confirmed, I did not instigate this altercation."

The statement refers to a December 2 AP story that quotes Jonathan Jordan, director of security at the Harbor Court Hotel, as saying the fight "was definitely started by 311."

Stapp's tour manager, Rob Kern, is also quoted in the statement, saying that he spoke to the front-desk manager at the hotel and "they confirmed that Scott was not at fault."

When MTV News originally reported the story on December 1, a spokesperson for the hotel had no comment on the fight.

In their own statement Wednesday, 311's Chad Sexton responded to Stapp's claims by saying: "We stand by our initial statement 100 percent. With complete certainty I can tell you that Scott Stapp was acting totally belligerent, he smashed a shot glass on the bar, he got into an argument with patrons at the bar, he made a disrespectful remark to [Doug 'SA' Martinez]'s wife, and he threw the first punch which started the fight. Scott can say whatever he wants, but that's what happened."

• Creed

Making the Video: Creed "My Sacrifice"

• Creed

Avril, Pink, Nelly, No Doubt, More On 2003 Grammy Red Carpet

• Nelly
• Kelly Rowland
• No Doubt
• Foo Fighters
• Avril Lavigne