Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan Honors Martin Scorsese At Critics' Choice Movie Awards

12 Jan 2012 22:10:14 EST

Dylan performed 'Blind Willie McTell,' a song used in Scorsese's PBS documentary series 'The Blues.'
By Eric Ditzian

Any excuse to hear Bob Dylan play live is a pleasure. The experience is made all the more pleasurable when it's in the service of honoring filmmaker Martin Scorsese.

Such was the case at the Critics' Choice Movie Awards on Thursday (January 12) when Scorsese was selected as the Music + Film honoree. After a scorching montage that touched on not only his feature films but his excellent work in musical documentaries — from the Band's "Last Waltz" to the Rolling Stones' "Shine a Light" — Dylan took the stage to perform "Blind Willie McTell," a tune included in Scorsese's PBS documentary series "The Blues."

The two artists' connection goes back further though, back to the 2005 doc "No Direction Home," which follows Dylan through his musical and cultural development in the 1960s. After an introduction by Leonardo DiCaprio, Scorsese took the stage to deliver a heartfelt speech about how music first impacted his life and how it has influenced his cinematic work.

"Such a great honor and an amazing performance by the great one, Bob Dylan," he began. "This award has a very special significance to me, so I'd like to begin with a special thank-you to Django Reinhardt, Stéphane Grappelli and the Hot Club of France. That was the music I used to hear when I was growing up in my apartment in New York, even before we had a TV, in the middle to late '40s.

"Before anything for me, there was music and conversation, and for me they were both the same thing," he added.

Also onstage to present the award to Scorsese was Olivia Harrison, widow of ex-Beatle George Harrison, who was the subject of Scorsese's 2011 documentary "George Harrison: Living in the Material World."

Stick with MTV News all night for the 2012 Critics' Choice Awards winners, and don't miss all the fashion from the red carpet!

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Lil Wayne Put His 'Stamp' On 'We Are The World,' Director Paul Haggis Says

12 Feb 2010 11:49:00 EST

'You don't expect Lil Wayne to be singing like this,' he says of Weezy tackling Bob Dylan's verse from the original.
By Jayson Rodriguez, with reporting by Eric Ditzian

Lil Wayne might be a multiplatinum hip-hop superstar, but the MC had some big shoes to fill when he was chosen to take on Bob Dylan's verse for the "We Are the World" remake. Their styles might be different, but Paul Haggis, the charity single's video director, said the Cash Money rapper held his own.

"They each put their own distinctive stamp on it," Haggis, who wrote and directed the Oscar-winning film "Crash," told MTV News. "So say he did the Bob Dylan part — well, those are lines Bob Dylan did, and no one can ever sing them like him again. But when Lil Wayne sings them, you'll never imagine someone else singing them [either]."

Lil Wayne was initially perplexed to be given Dylan's verse. "I was like, 'You guys are real good comedians,' " he laughed at the recording session. "After I did Bob Dylan's part, it kind of hit me that I guess this is way more important than I could ever imagine."

Wayne said the opportunity to be involved in such a major undertaking is something his children can hold on to forever. As for his mother, he chuckled when he said that all she asked was that he get Gladys Knight's photo for her. "I'm still overwhelmed," Weezy said, looking around the room at the galaxy of stars that ranged from Pink and Carlos Santana to Usher and Barbra Streisand. "I was like, 'Where do I fit in?' I thought my name got mixed up."

The new twist on the 25-year-old anthem has a decidedly different slant, with a number of rappers participating on the track.

Haggis at first joked that Wayne sang his verse just like Dylan. "Very much like Bob," he quipped. But the director said the sum of the parts on the remake will be just as inspiring as the original.

"The great thing about working with so many people, " Haggis said, "these artists of this caliber, where you know them from this type of music or that, but when they really come together to sing this type of song, you don't expect Lil Wayne to be singing like this or Pink to be singing like that, or even Tony Bennett to be singing like that or Barbara [Streisand]. It was wonderful how they all morphed together."

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'Inglourious Basterds' Director Quentin Tarantino Inspired By Britney Spears?

24 Aug 2009 14:26:00 EDT

Tarantino includes Britney Spears on his playlist for Little Steven's Underground Garage radio show.
By Jocelyn Vena

Quentin Tarantino is known for his amazing knowledge of and love for anything and everything pop-culture related. (After all, he's even appeared as a guest judge on "American Idol.") But when he stopped by Little Steven's Underground Garage show on Sirius radio, it was a bit surprising when he revealed that he found inspiration from a slew of eclectic artists — including Britney Spears — while making "Inglourious Basterds."

While he was compiling his playlist for the radio show, Tarantino revealed a surprising crew of musicians that he enjoyed while filming his latest flick. "[This list includes] some of the music I was listening to while making my movie 'Inglourious Basterds,' " he explained. "Now these songs don't necessarily have a damn thing to do with the movie. These were some of the ones I was listening to in my off time."

The list includes a mix of rock, pop and hip-hop, with "The Rulez" by Wu Tang Clan, KT Tunstall's "Hold On," Bob Dylan's "Political World," David Bowie's "Cat People" and Jay-Z's "S. Carter."

Along with those there was also Jason Mraz's mellow acoustic version of "I'm Yours," Maroon 5's "Wake Up Call" and Barbra Streisand's "Stony End," which may seem like pretty mellow tunes for such a famously hyperactive filmmaker to enjoy. But the most remarkable name on the list was Britney Spears — who kicks off the second leg of her Circus tour Monday — and her cover of Bobby Brown's "My Prerogative."

Check out everything we've got on "Inglourious Basterds."

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Bob Dylan Nabs Second Billboard #1 Debut

06 May 2009 12:34:00 EDT

Heaven and Hell, Mike Jones, NOFX debut in top 50.
By Gil Kaufman

Bob Dylan is two for two. The folk bard will notch his second #1 album debut next week, when his 33rd disc, Together Through Life, hits the top spot, on the crest of 125,000 in sales. Dylan's last album, 2006's Modern Times, also debuted at the top, giving the influential 67-year-old songwriter and American icon the first #1 bow of his four-decade career.

After several weeks with a handful of albums doing strong business, Dylan's disc will be the only release to break the 100,000-sale barrier, according to figures provided by Nielsen SoundScan, with the #2 album, the soundtrack to the "Hannah Montana" movie, trailing behind with 86,000. Among the other debuts in the top 10 was the Ronnie James Dio-fronted metal act Heaven and Hell (which features non-Ozzy members of Black Sabbath); The Devil You Know sold 30,000, good enough for a #8 bow. And sneaking in at #10 is a charity compilation from Playing for Change titled Songs Around the World, which debuted with 26,000 copies, thanks to the video for its cover of Ben E. King's "Stand by Me," a viral phenomenon with 10 million views to date.

The rest of the top 10 features Rascal Flatts' Unstoppable (#3, 53,000), Rick Ross' Deeper Than Rap (#4, 51,000, down 68 percent from its debut last week), Lady Gaga's The Fame (#5, 40,000), the "Twilight" soundtrack (#6, 35,000), Now 30 (#7, 33,000) and Taylor Swift' Fearless (#9, 29,000).

Rapper Mike Jones lands at #12 with The Voice (25,000); Asher Roth drops from a #5 bow to #14 with his debut, Asleep in the Bread Aisle (23,000); synth legends Depeche Mode slip 15 spots to #18 in their second week with Sounds of the Universe (22,000); and Kansas City rapper Tech N9ne makes it in at #19 in the first week for his latest, Sickology 101 (19,000). Veteran punk band NOFX coast to a #36 debut with Coaster (14,000), and Insane Clown Posse rapper Violent J lands at #48 with his solo album The Shining (10,000).

Thanks to the "American Idol" bump, Jamie Foxx's nearly platinum Intuition bumps up 10 spots to #17 (23,000), while Katy Perry's juggernaut One of the Boys leaps almost 30 spots to #56 on sales of close to 9,000. Continuing the rough ride for former male "Idol" contestants, season-five winner Taylor Hicks' independently released album The Distance squeezes back onto the charts at #180 — despite his performance slot on last week's "Idol" elimination show — selling an anemic 2,800 copies. Since its release in March, the disc has sold a little more than 27,000 copies total.

Next week promises a showdown of the R&B divas, as Ciara and Chrisette Michele vie for the top spot in their chart debuts.

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Barack Obama Reveals His iPod Playlist: Jay-Z, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen ... And Sheryl Crow?

25 Jun 2008 13:34:00 EDT

Presidential candidate says he also listens to Yo-Yo Ma and John Coltrane.
By Gil Kaufman

We've already learned that President Bush's "iPod One" is loaded with songs from Van MorrisonVan Morrison, George JonesGeorge Jones, Joni MitchellJoni Mitchell and the Knackthe Knack. And we're not sure what is on Republican presidential nominee Senator John McCainJohn McCain's MP3 player (if he has one), but a revealing peek at Democratic candidate Senator Barack ObamaBarack Obama's iPod reveals a playlist that ranges from jazz to hip-hop, pop and roots rock.

For a candidate who has already shown that he knows how to brush the dirt off his shoulder, it's no surprise that Obama's playlist includes some Jay-ZJay-Z tracks, but according to an interview in the new issue of Rolling Stone that hits stands on Friday, Obama is also a big fan of Bob DylanBob Dylan, Sheryl CrowSheryl Crow and the Rolling Stonesthe Rolling Stones.

"I have pretty eclectic tastes," Obama told the magazine, explaining that growing up in the 1970s influenced his fondness for everything from Elton JohnElton John and Earth, Wind & FireEarth, Wind & Fire to the Stones. The anti-Iraq-war candidate said his favorite track from the British rock legends is the pugnacious anthem "Gimme Shelter," which features the famous refrain "War, children/ It's just a shot away."

Among the 30 or so songs by Dylan on Obama's iPod are tracks from the folk legend's 1975 album about the dissolution of his marriage, Blood on the Tracks, which features such iconic songs as "Tangled Up in Blue," "Simple Twist of Fate," "Idiot Wind" and "You're a Big Girl Now."

In the thick of what is promising to be a bruising battle with McCain, Obama said one of his favorites during the political season is Dylan's 1965 protest song "Maggie's Farm," a broadside against those attempting to keep him in check. "It speaks to me as I listen to some of the political rhetoric," Obama said of the song, which features the telling lyric "I try my best/ To be just like I am/ But everybody wants you/ To be just like them."

In a recent interview with The Times of London, Dylan, who has steadfastly refused to make political endorsements in the past, praised Obama, saying, "We've got this guy out there now who is redefining the nature of politics from the ground up: Barack Obama. He's redefining what a politician is, so we'll have to see how things play out. Am I hopeful? Yes, I'm hopeful that things might change. Some things are going to have to."

Another musician on Obama's playlist supporting his bid is Bruce Springsteen. "I've got to say, having both Dylan and Bruce SpringsteenBruce Springsteen say kind words about you is pretty remarkable," Obama said. "Those guys are icons." The Illinois senator said he's never met the Boss, but they've talked over the phone, according to an Associated Press report on the Rolling Stone story.

"Not only do I love Bruce's music, but I just love him as a person," Obama said. "He is a guy who has never lost track of his roots, who knows who he is, who has never put on a front." And, yes, he addressed the New Jersey bard as "the Boss," because, as Obama admitted, "You've got to." Also on Obama's playlist are classical cellist Yo-Yo MaYo-Yo Ma and jazz giants Miles DavisMiles Davis, John ColtraneJohn Coltrane and Charlie ParkerCharlie Parker. And though he's sometimes concerned about the messages his daughters — Malia, 9, and Sasha, 7 — might get from some of the hip-hop they listen to, Obama praised the genre for helping to break down racial barriers.

"I am troubled sometimes by the misogyny and materialism of a lot of rap lyrics," he said, praising Jay-Z, LudacrisLudacris and hip-hop impresario Russell SimmonsRussell Simmons for being "great talents and great businessmen." "But I think the genius of the art form has shifted the culture and helped to desegregate music. ... It would be nice if I could have my daughters listen to their music without me worrying that they were getting bad images of themselves."

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'I'm Not There': Too Much Of Nothing, By Kurt Loder

21 Nov 2007 11:20:00 EST

Bob Dylan by numbers.
By

There's a striking sequence in "I'm Not There," Todd Haynes' new Bob Dylan movie, in which Dylan's besieged mid-'60s artistic transformation is set within the surreal glare of the spa scenes in Fellini's "8 1/2," in which a desperate film director attempted to work out his own artistic confusion. This is a perfect imaginative combination of pop-music myth and cinematic iconography, and it resonates memorably. The movie has been made with great affection for its subject, but it has some sharp edges, too; and there are two remarkable performances in it that are worth seeing.

For the most part, though, sitting through this unusual-but-not-a-lot-more-than-that picture, in which six different actors impersonate Dylan in various phases of his career, is like contemplating a package that's arrived in the mail containing something you never ordered and can't imagine why anyone else would, either. The notion that Dylan's various public personas — as opposed to his music — merit earnest contemplation at this late date seems silly. And yet here they are, on pointless parade: the whey-faced young folksinger Bob; the sharecropper-serenading protest Bob; the turned-on, meet-the-Beatles Bob; and of course the Woodstock Bob of The Basement Tapes. Actually, I suppose these multi-Dylans are thought-provoking, in a way. I kept wondering, "Why?"

There's no particularly compelling story here, apart from the familiar chronology of Dylan's career, and there's no character development apart from the obvious one of a succession of actors playing the same main character. There are only those half-dozen Dylans, wandering in a field of evocative visual cues: the doomed motorcycle ride; the Big Pink and — yikes! — "Renaldo and Clara" references; and for the Dylan fetishists who will most truly groove on this movie, more oblique touches like a Gorgeous George flyer, a visual nod to the cover of the "Freewheelin' " album, a glimpse of a faux Moondog rising up in his robes on the streets of Manhattan, and Pete Seeger and Albert Grossman look-alikes wrestling for control of the amplification system during the Dylan-goes-electric contretemps at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival.

The best of the Dylans are Cate Blanchett and Marcus Carl Franklin, not necessarily in that order. Franklin plays the larval Dylan, fresh out of Minnesota, fired up by the songs of Woody Guthrie, and spouting playful lies about his train-hopping hobo adventures. This Dylan is an 11-year-old black kid, which is a bold idea, and Franklin embraces it with startling confidence. He's irresistibly winning; and when he strums up a version of "When the Ship Comes In," surrounded by a doting white family in a suburban living room, he's a knockout.

Blanchett brings her extraordinary powers of character penetration to the sour, mid-'60s hipster Dylan familiar from D.A. Pennebaker's 1967 tour documentary, "Don't Look Back." With her skinny suits and wild, plugged-in hair, she gets the character's speed-fueled hostility just right. But there's no point at which you're not aware that this is a woman portraying a man, despite the expertise with which Blanchett pulls it off; and since she occupies a central place in the film, the imposture goes on too long and eventually settles into the shape of a stunt, which, basically, is what it is.

The other Dylans in the film are nowhere near as interesting — although Ben Wisham brings a droll snap to his brief appearances as a sort of Rimbaud-Bob. Both Heath Ledger, as the love-man Bob, fretting his way through a collapsing marriage, and Christian Bale, as Bob the Protester (and later the born-again evangelizer), are too physically substantial and movie-star-handsome: their un-Bobness is distracting. Most dismal of all is the extended allusion at the end of the picture to Sam Peckinpah's "Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid," the 1973 movie in which Dylan made his first appearance as an actor (and to the soundtrack of which he contributed the transcendent "Knockin' on Heaven's Door"). Here the Dylan role is taken on by Richard Gere, of all people, and the rambling storyline shuffles past the point of tedium into a complete shambles. (It's also unfortunate that Julianne Moore was cast as the Joan Baez figure in the film — is there anyone less like that bracingly tart woman?)

Because Haynes and his famed cinematographer, Edward Lachman, are so committed to the movie's odd concept, the picture has some value as a well-crafted curio. For most of its length, though, it's merely curious — a different and too-often tiresome thing.

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Akon's Drummer, Others Reportedly Injured Before Gig; Plus Owen Wilson, Diddy, Jennifer Lopez, Britney Spears, Saul Williams & More, In For The Record

25 Oct 2007 20:14:00 EDT

Wilson reportedly gives first interview after suicide attempt; Diddy says J. Lo will make 'a great mother'; hit-and-run charge dropped against Spears.
By MTV News staff

Another Akon concert disaster: The R&B singer's planned Thursday (October 25) gig at Atlanta's Emory University was canceled after several people, including his drummer, were injured while setting up for the show, TMZ reports. The left side of the concert stage reportedly collapsed after a canopy fell while crews were setting up lights. At least one student was also reportedly injured in the incident, which spurred campus police to cordon off the area as fire trucks and ambulances responded. ...

Owen Wilson's first interview since his suicide attempt in August will be posted online at midnight on Friday as part of MySpace.com's Artist on Artist series, according to USA Today. Wilson reportedly chatted Thursday with his friend Wes Anderson, who has directed the actor in all his films, including the recently released "The Darjeeling Limited." It's not yet known if the interview will deal with Wilson's personal struggles. ...

Jennifer Lopez hasn't officially announced her reported pregnancy yet, but her ex-boyfriend Diddy is already dishing his best wishes to the singer. "She's going to make a great mother," he told UsMagazine.com. "She is one of the most caring people I've ever met. When I went out with her, I saw that quality." Diddy did not tell UsMagazine.com whether he knew for sure that Lopez is expecting, but according to the outlet, she is almost five months pregnant. Previous reports indicated that she is expecting twins with husband Marc Anthony. "I'm extremely happy for her, and I will be sending some expensive god-daddy presents to her baby," Diddy said. ...

Could twins also be in Christina Aguilera's future? According to the New York Daily News, the singer is expecting two children. Aguilera has been very hush-hush about her reported pregnancy, although Paris Hilton might have taken the wind out of her sails by blabbing about the news during VMA weekend.VMA weekend. ...

While Britney Spears is due in court Friday for another hearing in her child-custody dispute with ex-husband Kevin Federline, attention turned on Thursday (October 25) to her other case: a car crash on August 6 that resulted in two driving-related misdemeanors. Spears' lawyer Michael Flanagan entered a not-guilty plea on behalf of the singer, who was not required to show up at the courtroom in Van Nuys, California. According to The Associated Press, Los Angeles Superior Court Commissioner Susan Speer ruled that Spears no longer has to face a hit-and-run charge in the crash, as she has already compensated Kim Robard-Rifkin, who owns the Mercedes-Benz that the singer hit in a parking lot. (People reports the amount was approximately $1,000.) But the charge of driving without a license was not dismissed, and Speer scheduled a pretrial hearing for November 26. Flanagan told AP outside the courthouse that Assistant City Attorney Michael Amerian had offered the singer a plea deal relating to that charge, but that the deal would involve 12 months' probation. But Flanagan said that wouldn't be necessary, since Spears recently obtained a valid California driver's license. "She got a license, she has insurance, has always had insurance. The question is: Is probation really necessary?" he asked. Flanagan added that Spears had a license in Louisiana, and he also contended that she didn't have a valid California one because a camera wasn't available at the Department of Motor Vehicles when she tried to apply for a license prior to the August accident. Spears may also face fines, People reports. ...

Just weeks after Nas announced the controversial title of his December 11 album, rapper/poet Saul Williams has announced that he's given his own upcoming LP a name that is likely to cause a stir. In a post on the album's Web page, Williams said, "It is my greatest honor to present to you The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of NiggyTardust!, my new album produced by Trent Reznor and mixed by Alan Moulder," who has also worked with the Smashing Pumpkins and Reznor's Nine Inch Nails. He elaborated on the concept of the album — the title of which is clearly a play on David Bowie's The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars — in the post, saying, "Most people aren't aware of the world of art and commerce, where exploitation strips each artist down to 'nigger.' Each label, like 'apartheid,' multiplies us by our divide and whips us 'til we conform to lesser figures ... the only way to choose is to jump ship from old truths and trust dolphins as we swim through changing ways." The track list for the album — which is coming out November 1 in digital form on the Inevitable Web site — includes "Black History Month," "Tr(n)igger" and "NiggyTardust." Perhaps taking a tip from Radiohead, the site lets fan choose to pay $5 for the album — or nothing at all. For five bucks, customers can get either 83MB (high quality) or 128MB (very high quality) MP3 files. A third $5 option is also available, in the Free Lossless Audio Codec format, which is similar to MP3 but doesn't lose quality in the compression process — that version has CD quality (395MB) but isn't playable on iTunes or Windows Media. The free option provides an 83MB zip file that contains lower-quality, DRM-free MP3s of the songs. ...

A third teen teen testified in Vincent "Don Vito" Margera's Colorado trial on two counts of sexual assault, according to the Rocky Mountain News. Trey Hughes, 15, said he was sitting near Margera, uncle of Bam Margera, at his autograph signing at a Colorado mall in August 2006 when Vincent Margera saw the man grab at girls who asked for their photos to be taken with him. "I saw Vito grabbing girls in inappropriate places," he said. "He would touch their boobs. I saw him grab their butts." Hughes added that he saw Margera sticking out his tongue and wagging it around, "pretending like he was licking them." On Tuesday, two other teens testified in the trial. Fourteen-year-old Mina Darnell said, like Hughes, that she saw Margera grabbing at girls at the signing. "When a girl came up to get a picture, I saw him grab their boob or their butt," Darnell said Tuesday. "I wasn't focused on it the whole time, but [it happened to] at least one-quarter to one-half of all the girls who were there." She also said that after girls had their picture taken with Vincent Margera, they would say, "He just touched me!," as they were leaving. She said she did not get an autograph herself from Margera. A 15-year-old boy also testified Tuesday, saying he was shocked when he saw Margera allegedly put a sticker on his friend's breast. ...

Did Lil Wayne skimp on his bling? A New Orleans jewelry store claims in a recently filed lawsuit that the hometown rapper (real name: Dwayne Michael Carter Jr.) purchased a $138,000 diamond ring and $32,000 gold-and-diamond necklace — but that the Cash Money Records president failed to come up with all the cash money for the items, according to The Miami Herald. Jack Sutton Fine Jewelry claims Wayne owes $146,000 on the $170,000 purchase, which he allegedly made over the telephone with the store's owner, Jack Sutton, on October 6, 2006. Sutton says he and Wayne agreed to a monthly installment plan for the payments, but that when he deposited the second check, a $24,000 payment, he discovered that a stop payment had been placed on it. The jewelry-store owner claims he has reached out to Wayne to no avail, and that he is surprised because, as he told the Herald, the rapper is "one of my best customers. He spent a lot of money with me. I thought we have a really good relationship. I don't know what happened, unless it's a misunderstanding. ... I've been doing business with him for at least 10 years. He's always been wonderful with paying me." Wayne's entertainment attorney in California, Ron Sweeney, also spoke with the Herald, saying ''This is clearly a misunderstanding. If, in fact, the allegations are true, then it will be resolved. My client is very responsible." ...

Hey Harry Potter fans, got 41 grand in your piggy bank? That's how much an anonymous private bidder threw down for a copy of the hardback first edition of "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" — which was subsequently retitled "Sorcerer's Stone" for its U.S. publish — that was autographed by the author as "Joanne Rowling." The bidder paid $40,326 at Christie's auction house in London, but believe it or not, that actually isn't the highest amount a copy of that 1997 edition has gone for — a copy inscribed with a Rowling personal dedication went for more than $50,000 in May at Christie's. About 500 copies were pressed for the novel's initial run. ... So much for Paris Hilton's philanthropic efforts — People reports that the children's charity that had organized the heiress' trip to Rwanda has postponed the trek due to restructuring. "Paris has been a loyal and gracious supporter of Playing for Good but the foundation has to regrettably reschedule this trip," the organization said in a statement on Thursday,

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Celebs Evacuated From Malibu Fires; Plus Fall Out Boy, Beyonce, Tool, Don Vito, Ozzy Osbourne, Korn, Gorillaz & More, In For The Record

22 Oct 2007 18:19:00 EDT

FOB have an album's worth of material ready; B and Tool planning respective DVDs; Don Vito trial set to start Tuesday.
By MTV News staff

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Rock-Star Bios Hit Big Screen: Depp, Myers Working On Queen, Who Films

29 Jan 2007 06:01:00 EST

Johnny Depp, Mike Myers are among stars attached to slew of musical biopics in development.
By Shawn Adler

A popular T-shirt proclaims, "Music is what feelings sound like." But if you really want to know what feelings sound like, you may be just as well off asking an actor, not a musician.

After the monumental successes of "Walk the Line" and "Ray," stars from Johnny Depp to Mike Myers are lining up for roles in musical biopics. For actors, starring in one of these films is like a four-part symphony: part critical acclaim, part instant credibility, part box-office bang and part awards-season appeal. The chance for an Oscar winner and a #1 film all in one is music to Hollywood's ears, so it comes as no surprise that we're in for a lot more musical biopics.

Crank your stereo and sing your favorite tune — films based on the lives of these legendary singers are coming your way:

Freddie Mercury
"Pirates of the Caribbean" star Johnny Depp is in early talks to play the late Queen frontman in a biopic being produced by Robert De Niro's Tribeca Productions. He is the "perfect choice," said Jeffrey Shapiro, drummer for Queen tribute band Under Pressure.

"I always had [in mind] somebody with a theatrical background. Not just to wear the costumes, but to wear the actual vibe of Freddie Mercury," Shapiro said. "Depp's such a likable guy. The fact that he used Keith Richards [as inspiration] for 'Pirates' — you can't go wrong."

Shapiro believes Depp and Mercury have a lot in common. "They are unique in a way. They carry themselves regally but always deliver," he said. "A bit foppish at times, but you never have any question that they are good."

Joey Ramone
Variety has reported that "I Slept With Joey Ramone," an authorized biography of the late Ramones frontman written by his brother, Mickey Leigh, was recently optioned by Rory Rosegarten, a producer best known for his work on "Everybody Loves Raymond." The option gives Rosegarten complete access to the singer's estate and to the band's punk-rock catalog.

Celebrated as one of the greatest rock bands of all time (in a recent Rolling Stone poll they came in second only to the Beatles), the Ramones' popularity has continued to grow in recent years, a fact that Lauren Faccidomo of the all-girl tribute band the Ramonas attributes to their universal appeal. "They weren't bigger than life, they were average guys from New York," said the Los Angeles musician. "Their music was so catchy and simple and fun — it really crossed genres."

Life imitated art imitating life for Adrian Grenier when a ploy by his "Entourage" character, Vincent Chase, to star in a Joey Ramone biopic led to rumors that the actor was being considered for an actual film biography of the seminal rocker. While no one would confirm or deny Grenier's involvement, Faccidomo thinks Hollywood should look elsewhere.

"People know Joey by the way he looks. He's a weird-looking guy," she laughed. "Honestly, in body type and looks, Howard Stern is hands down Joey Ramone."

Keith Moon
Mike Myers hasn't starred in a live-action movie since 2003's "The Cat in the Hat," but the "Austin Powers" comic has three slated for 2008, including a Donald Margulies-scripted biopic of Who drummer Keith Moon, produced by Moon's bandmate Roger Daltrey. "Roger's dream has always been to have Mike do the role," Nigel Sinclair, co-producer of the flick, told The New York Times. "He saw Mike as the creative force for pulling the project together, with help from us."

Janis Joplin
Director Penelope Spheeris and star Zooey Deschanel will bring the tragic story of the famous rock chanteuse to the big screen in 2008 with The film was originally slated to star Pink and come out in 2005, to coincide with the 35th anniversary of Joplin's death (see "Both Janis Joplin Biopics Still In The Works — Sorta").

Lauren Bernal, lead singer of the tribute band the Kozmic Blues Band, says she hopes filmmakers portray all sides of the singer's life. "They need to do the whole story, not just all the negative stuff," Bernal said, referencing Joplin's infamous battle with heroin addiction. "She wanted a family life, the white picket fence, the kids. Things didn't go well, and she [eventually] said to hell with it."

In a further challenge to the filmmakers, Bernal argued that you can't act your way to being Janis. "It takes a lot out of you — doing Janis is high-energy," she said. "It's all about who you are. That voice of hers, that raspiness — it's natural. There's nothing fake about it."

Dusty Springfield
Broadway star Kristin Chenoweth, best known for her portrayal of Glinda the Good Witch in the Tony Award-winning "Wicked," will star as Dusty Springfield in a biopic currently in development for Universal Pictures. The film is being scripted and helmed by Jessica Sharzer, a director whose work includes episodes of "The L Word." Springfield's career spanned four decades and peaked with 1969's "Son of a Preacher Man." The British soul singer succumbed to cancer in 1999, 10 days before she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Bob Dylan
The times, they are a-changin' — but not as quickly as the actors. The Weinstein Company recently announced that it has acquired the rights to Todd Haynes' "I'm Not There," a Bob Dylan biopic in which six different actors — including Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Richard Gere and Cate Blanchett — portray the legendary singer.

"[It] has been an extraordinary opportunity, bringing Bob Dylan's life and work to the screen," Haynes said. "It has attracted the best talent in film and music."

Haynes isn't kidding. Other actors in the movie include Julianne Moore, David Cross and Michelle Williams. The film also boasts an eagerly awaited soundtrack, which will include more than 40 cover versions of Dylan's most famous work.

"Bob Dylan has lived an unbelievable and at times elusive life," Company Co-Chairman Harvey Weinstein said. "He has countless fans who will now be able to really gain insight into his fascinating life."

The Parody
With so many musical biopics in the pipeline, it shouldn't surprise anyone that a spoof is on the way. The salvos, however, are coming not from the usual suspects but from "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" director Judd Apatow and John C. Reilly. Directed by Jake Kasdan, "Walk Hard" follows Dewey Cox, a character Reilly describes as "an amalgamation of Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison and Waylon Jennings." "[The film is a] goof on movies like 'Beyond the Sea,' 'Walk the Line,' 'Ray,' 'The Commitments' and 'Great Balls of Fire,' the actor said. "We're having some fun with the musical biopics. We've been recording music for it, and it's quite an ambitious, crazy project."

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Beyonce's B'Day Takes The Billboard Cake

13 Sep 2006 11:26:00 EDT

Audioslave, Iron Maiden also rock the albums chart's top 10.
By Chris Harris

What birthday gift does one get for that pop star who seemingly has everything? Beyoncé's fans came through with something that she can't buy herself: a Billboard-topping debut.

Last week, Beyoncé celebrated her 25th by dropping B'Day, the former Destiny's Child member's second solo LP. And 541,000 copies of the LP were purchased its first week in stores, scoring the singer her second #1 debut on Billboard's albums chart. Dangerously in Love opened at #1 back in 2003, selling close to 317,000 units its first week in stores and going on to move more than 4.3 million copies since its release.

Nearly 400,000 copies behind Beyoncé are Audioslave, who posed the closest threat to her throne. The rockers' third studio offering, Revelations, opens this week in the #2 slot, with close to 142,000 copies sold. Sales of Revelations didn't live up to the band's two previous discs — Audioslave's 2002 self-titled debut bowed at #7 with 162,000 scans, while 2005's Out of Exile took #1 with 263,000 copies sold — though the first-week showing isn't bad considering the band has yet to tour in support of the disc.

B'Day and Revelations were among seven new releases to crack Billboard's top 200, and two of three newcomers to make the top 10. Iron Maiden's latest, A Matter of Life and Death, claimed the #9 spot with sales just shy of the 56,000 mark.

The remainder of the top 10 is teeming with regulars, including the previous week's #1, Bob Dylan's Modern Times. That record slips to #3, selling 128,000-plus units. Danity Kane's self-titled debut falls from #2 to #4 with more than 82,000 scans, and the soundtrack to "Cheetah Girls 2" is in at #5 with 68,000 copies sold. Christina Aguilera's Back to Basics follows at #6 with 64,000 scans, while Jessica Simpson's A Public Affair slips two spots to #7 with 60,000 second-week sales.

Nickelback's All the Right Reasons climbs two positions to #8, thanks to another 58,000 scans that bring the disc's 49-week total to nearly 3.5 million. Nickelback fans have apparently taken to tour openers Hinder, whose Extreme Behavior — which has been steadily climbing the chart for months — makes its first appearance in the top 10, taking #10 with sales of more than 53,000.

Jars of Clay's Good Monsters opens at #58 with sales of 15,000 and change, while Essential Alice in Chains, a retrospective release chronicling the career of the Seattle grunge act, claims the #139 spot with 6,000 scans. Javier Solís' La Historia De Javier Solís comes in at #148 with 6,000 sales, and Aaron Tippin's Now & Then opens at #163 with nearly 5,000 copies sold.

The 2006 MTV Video Music Awards were kind to at least two artists during the subsequent sales week. Panic! at the Disco's A Fever You Can't Sweat Out jumped from #21 to #15, thanks to a 13 percent boost that amounted to more than 37,000 sales. Panic claimed the Video of the Year prize for "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" and also performed the track during the ceremony. And OK Go, who stole the show with their onstage re-enactment of the treadmill-enhanced clip for "Here It Goes Again," soared from #118 to #69 with Oh No, which surged 66 percent, from 8,000 to 14,000 sales.

Check out "All Eyes On Beyoncé" for a closer look at B'Day.

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Bob Dylan - Must Be Santa

01 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

Must Be Santa

Artist: Bob Dylan
Label: Columbia
Director: Nash Edgerton
Album: This Time Around

Photos | "I'm Not There"

18 Oct 2007 00:00:00 EDT

"I'm Not There"

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Bob Dylan