Marilyn Manson
Photo: Interscope Records

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Black Sabbath
• Marilyn Manson

Eminem's <i>Relapse</i>
Photo: Interscope Records

Eminem asked the crowd at the MTV Movie Awards on Sunday night if they missed him, and clearly they did, because his comeback album, Relapse, will top the Billboard album charts for a second week in a row next week, thanks to 211,000 more units moved. After debuting at #1, Slim Shady held onto the top spot despite a 65 percent drop in sales and is on pace to cross 1 million copies within the next two weeks, according to figures provided by Nielsen SoundScan.

Way in the distance at #2 are Green Day, whose 21st Century Breakdown held onto that spot with 76,000 in sales after a 54 percent drop-off in business, putting the veteran Bay Area punk trio on pace for sales of 500,000 by next week.

While more than half of the top 10 positions on last week's chart were filled by fresh faces, the only debuts on this chart's top spots came from pasty-faced growler Marilyn Manson with The High End of Low (#4, 49,000), reggaeton stars Wisin y Yandel with La Revolución (#7, 36,000) and a surprisingly hearty #8 bow from indie faves Grizzly Bear, whose Veckatimest (33,000) is one of the most rapturously reviewed albums of the year so far.

The rest of the top 10: the "Hannah Montana" soundtrack (#3, 52,000), Lady Gaga's Fame (#5, 45,000), Kenny Chesney's Greatest Hits II (#6, 43,000), Taylor Swift's Fearless (#9, 33,000) and Rascal Flatts' Unstoppable (#10, 27,000).

A number of last week's big debuts saw serious double-digit drop-offs, including Isolated Incident from comedian Dane Cook (down 58 percent to #12), Method Man and Redman's Blackout 2 (down 64 percent to #18) and Busta Rhymes' Back on My B.S. (down 72 percent to #22). Other big droppers include Internet sensation Kate Voegele, whose A Fine Mess (11,000) shed 70 percent of its business to drop from #10 to #42, and Tori Amos, whose Abnormally Attracted to Sin (11,000) dropped by 73 percent to #44 after debuting at #9.

Mandy Moore manages a #25 debut with her sixth album, the more pop-country-leaning disc which bears her birth name, Amanda Leigh (15,000), while French electro-popsters Phoenix leap more than 130 spots up to #37 on sales of 12,000 for Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, a 300 percent increase from the week before.

"American Idol" runner-up Adam Lambert is learning a lesson in pop humble pie, as his iTunes compilation, Season 8 Favorite Performances, plunges 20 spots in its second week to #52 on sales of under 10,000. Winner Kris Allen's similar compilation takes an even bigger nosedive from #50 to #125 on sales of just 4,000. If it makes them feel any better, season-two winner Ruben Studdard's Love Is also tanked in its second week, dropping nearly 70 spots to #101 on sales of less than 5,000, for a two-week total of just over 20,000 for the former platinum-selling crooner.

Look for things to get shaken up again next week, with the latest from the Dave Matthews Band, 311 and Taking Back Sunday.

• Eminem And Jay-Z: Live In L.A.
• A Look Back At Eminem's Career
• Eminem's 'We Made You' Video & Analysis

• Eminem And Jay-Z Perform At The 'DJ Hero' Launch

• Eminem
• Green Day
• Grizzly Bear
• Marilyn Manson

Evan Rachel Wood
Photo: Larry Busacca/Getty Images

For anyone who's seen a show on Britney Spears' Circus tour this spring, you've noticed at one point during the show a video is shown in which Britney writhes around to Marilyn Manson's cover of the Eurythmics' classic "Sweet Dreams."

And although fans may find the pairing of Spears and Manson odd, Manson's on-again lady love, Evan Rachel Wood, likes the idea. So much so, in fact, that she encourages the collaboration. "I want him to sing with her," she told MTV News. "I think that'd be great. I totally want to see Marilyn Manson and Britney Spears. Who doesn't want to see Marilyn Manson and Britney Spears sing onstage together?"

She added that the somewhat-unusual pairing would be akin to hers and Larry David's in the new Woody Allen flick, "Whatever Works": "That's like me marrying Larry David. It's awesome."

She said that when she suggested the idea to Manson, he was amused by it because "we have the same sense of humor." So what tune would the duo sing — a Britney or Manson hit? "Maybe they can do a mash-up or something," she said. "I think somebody's gotta get on that."

Wood also talked a bit about what it's like to date the eccentric rocker. And she swears that, despite their age difference, no one in her family was surprised that the two fell in love. "They would be more shocked about Larry David," she joked. "Nobody asked me why — they asked me how."

• Britney Spears And Marilyn Manson Mash-up?

• Marilyn Manson
• Britney Spears

Ne-Yo at the American Music Awards
Photo: MTV News

A couple of weeks ago, MTV News caught up with R&B hitmaker Ne-Yo on the red carpet at the American Music Awards, and he said something rather interesting — and kind of shocking.

When asked what he's been up to — in the wake of the September release of his latest LP, Year of the Gentleman — he told us he's got a lot on his plate. Ne-Yo explained that he's been writing for several artists and has a few collaborations in the works. He said he was excited to work with the likes of Mary J. Blige, Ciara, Michael Bolton, Mario, Monica, Leona Lewis and Lionel Richie.

And then he mentioned his upcoming musical venture with none other than Marilyn Manson, the shock-rocking controversy magnet. When pressed for details, Ne-Yo remained uncharacteristically mum.

"I have no idea what it's going to be, because we haven't started yet," he told MTV News. "But I'm looking forward to just sitting in a room with him, picking his brain and figuring something out. I have no idea what its going to be yet."

It wasn't the first time Ne-Yo spilled the beans about his collaboration with Manson. A quick Google search turns up many interviews where Ne-Yo has discussed working with Manson, an artist he named more than a year ago when asked which artists he'd like to team up with.

"I've wanted to work with him for ages and his people reached out to me when they heard," Ne-Yo told the U.K.'s Daily Star. "People might think it's a strange collaboration, [but] I don't."

Well, perhaps it would have been too strange a collaboration after all.

When contacted by MTV News this week, a spokesperson for Manson said the singer, who is finishing work on the follow-up to 2007's Eat Me, Drink Me, has not spoken to Ne-Yo or his representatives about the idea, and that he has no immediate plans to work with Ne-Yo.

Reps for Ne-Yo had not responded to MTV News' requests for comment at press time.

• Ne-Yo And Marilyn Manson To Hit The Studio Together?

• Ne-Yo
• Marilyn Manson

Former Marilyn Manson bassist Gidget Gein
Photo: Lenora Claire/L.A. Weekly

Onetime Marilyn Manson bassist Gidget Gein (born Bradley Stewart) was found dead in his Burbank, California, home on Thursday of an apparent drug overdose, Lieutenant Fred Corral of the Los Angeles County Coroner's Investigation Department confirmed to MTV News. The death is being listed as an apparent accidental death, and an autopsy is scheduled for Monday afternoon (October 13). Gein was 39 years old.

According to the L.A. Weekly, Gein — whose stage name was derived from the cutesy '60s surfer girl played by Sally Field and noted serial killer Ed Gein — had recently finished a stint in rehab and had e-mailed the paper that he had formed a new band called People. Gein played in the Manson band — then known as Marilyn Manson and the Spooky Kids — from 1989-1993, replacing original bassist Olivia Newton Bundy. He performed on a series of early singles, as well as the band's national full-length debut, 1994's Portrait of an American Family.

Gein was fired from Manson's band in 1993 because of his alleged ongoing drug use — reportedly via a Federal Express message delivered to the hospital bed where he was recovering from an overdose; the letter explained that his services "were no longer needed." The bassist exited the band just two years before the group gained national stardom thanks to a haunting cover of the Eurythmics' "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)." He was replaced by bassist Twiggy Ramirez, who would himself be fired and re-hired by Manson over the next decade.

In Manson's 1998 autobiography, "The Long Hard Road Out of Hell," the singer — who has been open about his own drug use — discusses his sadness over Gein's drug addiction, saying he once thought of the former bandmate as a brother. "My entire message and everything I'd begun striving to be as a person ran in direct opposition to Brad," Manson wrote. "I wanted to be strong and independent, to think for myself and help other people think for themselves."

Following his ouster, Gein went on two form the band Gidget Gein & the Dali Gaggers and, according to the Weekly, was often the center of attention for his goth-influenced artwork, which was displayed at L.A. parties. Gein's friend Lenora Claire told the paper that "he had just got a book deal, was recording a record with the guy who produced the first Jane's Addiction record and just landed a solo [art] show at La Luz de Jesus that he had wanted for years."

Fellow Manson band refugee Bundy (born Brian Tutunick) was apparently among posters paying their respects to Gein on the Weekly Web site, writing, "That totally sucks. But lessions [sic] should be learned from this. He lost a great gig due to drugs and now he's lost his life. R.I.P."

• Marilyn Manson

Jessica Sierra
Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

After a legal snafu that almost landed her back behind bars, former "American Idol" finalist Jessica Sierra is on her way to a rehab facility in California again. According to Florida Assistant State Attorney Pam Bondi, the troubled singer — who was ordered to spend a year in the Pasadena Recovery Center as a result of her recent arrest on disorderly intoxication charges — had her emergency probation transfer order rejected by the California Department of Probation. That resulted in the awkward situation of Sierra, 22, being out of jail but unable to begin rehab. "She was supposed to get on a plane yesterday, but the probation department in California wouldn't accept her transfer on an expedited basis because they take up to 45 days to review requests, so we had the unfortunate situation of a pregnant addict on the streets," Bondi said. Luckily, Sierra was able to get back into court Thursday (January 10), and the judge in the case gave her permission to travel immediately with her dad to Los Angeles and get picked up by a representative from the Center, where she will be allowed to stay until the probation transfer is approved. ...

The fallout from Britney Spears' hospitalization continues, as a Maloof Productions spokesperson confirmed to MTV News that a reality show with former Spears associate Alli Sims is no longer "moving forward." Sims had hoped to do a reality show demonstrating what her daily life is like in Hollywood — including occasional appearances by her cousin, friend and former employer. A source close to the production said nothing had been taped yet, not even a pilot, and that Sims was only in the early stages of talks, with no deal yet struck with the Maloofs, who own the Sacramento Kings and Las Vegas' Palms Casino Resort, a frequent Spears haunt. But right now, the source said, "Britney needs to heal. She doesn't need another reality show." Spears last appeared in the reality program "Chaotic," which featured the early stages of her courtship with Kevin Federline. ...

Mischa Barton has spoken out about her recent arrest for DUI and drug possession. The English actress told Ryan Seacrest on his radio show Thursday morning, "Obviously, I am 100 percent responsible for my actions, and I am really disappointed in myself. I am not perfect, and I don't ever intend to do something that stupid again." The former "O.C." star, who was also arrested for driving without a valid license, added, "I usually try not to get behind the wheel." ... Despite protesting that the case was baseless, Avril Lavigne has reached a settlement with 1970s rock band the Rubinoos over claims that her hit "Girlfriend" plagiarized their 1979 single, "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend." The Canadian Press reports that a confidential settlement has been reached with the Rubinoos, who have agreed to drop their claims, but that the settlement does not necessarily indicate an admission of copyright infringement. ...

Here's one for the adults — T.I., the Shins and Daft Punk are among the artists participating in this year's installment of Playboy's Rock the Rabbit. The roster of musicians — which also includes Duran Duran, Iggy Pop and Hot Chip — will appear in the magazine's March issue and help create limited-edition T-shirt designs that will be auctioned off, with proceeds going to Rock the Vote. ... Jennifer Lopez's "Bordertown," which was widely panned by critics who caught early screenings of it, is headed straight to DVD. The film is about a reporter, played by Lopez, who investigates a series of murders of young female factory workers in Mexico. She also produced the movie, which will hit stores January 29. ... Jim Jones, Raekwon, Redman, Green Lantern and Papoose have piled onto Pete Rock's new LP, Billboard reports. The iTunes version of NY's Finest, which is due February 26, will reportedly also have a bonus track featuring Slum Village. Meanwhile, "914" — one of the B-side songs that will accompany the first single, "We Roll" (featuring Jones) — has featured guest spots by Styles P and Sheek Louch. ...

We don't normally report on hairstyles — except when the most famous black beehive in the world suddenly gets chopped and bleached. Pictures are circulating of Amy Winehouse's new 'do, which is a stark change from the style that helped make the soul singer famous. ... "High School Musical" star Ashley Tisdale is slated to make her feature-film debut in a comedy about a group of teens who defend their vacation home from an alien attack. The Hollywood Reporter reports that production on "They Came From Upstairs" will start next month in New Zealand, with a cast that also includes Robert Hoffman ("Step Up 2 the Streets"), Carter Jenkins ("Viva Laughlin") and Austin Butler ("Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide"). ...

On Thursday, MySpace announced the launch of its new MySpace Celebrity hub, which will feature pop-culture news, blogs, videos and events. Among the 300 celebrities who have profiles on the new hub are Britney Spears, Paris Hilton, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jamie Foxx, "Juno" star Ellen Page, Ashton Kutcher, "The Hills" star Audrina Patridge and Hayden Panettiere. ... Radiohead are taking to the airwaves again, this time to fill in on BBC Radio 1 for host Zane Lowe while he's away on holiday, Pitchfork reports. The band, which webcast live studio performances earlier this year, will be on BBC Radio 1 from 7 p.m.-9 p.m. U.K. time on January 17. ... Marilyn Manson and estranged bassist Twiggy Ramirez have made up. According to a statement from the group, Ramirez has rejoined Manson for the band's upcoming North American tour, following the split of bassist Tim Skold. ...

Unreleased tune-age from Feist, Bloc Party, Of Montreal, Deerhoof and Muse is scattered across a new charity release benefiting Energy Action Coalition, which helps support and strengthen the youth clean-energy movement in North America. The Green Owl Comp: A Benefit for the Energy Action Coalition, which consists of a CD and DVD, is due April 8. ... The Fader has an unlikely new executive editor in Chris Richards, who was previously a guitarist/singer for post-punk band Q and Not U. He previously covered music for The Washington Post. ... Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds will release their next album, Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!, on April 8, and have revealed the album's track list. The record will feature 11 songs, including "Night of the Lotus Eaters," "Lie Down Here (& Be My Girl)" and "Jesus of the Moon." ...

Some of late Godfather of Soul James Brown's personal possessions are being appraised for auction to help pay some of the state taxes owed by his estate. The Associated Press reports that attorneys would not say exactly what items are on the block, or how much the estate owes in taxes, but some reports said the rights to some of Brown's songs could be among the items up for bid.

1.9.08

Jennifer Lopez says she was pretty sure people had put two and two together about her pregnancy before she formally announced it. "I was on tour with a bubble gut!" the singer/actress recently told Harper's Bazaar for its February cover story. Lopez, who has a new fragrance on the way, also glowed about husband Marc Anthony, saying, "He made me realize you can be an artist, and have credibility and success, without your life being on public display 24 hours a day." The issue hits stands Tuesday. ...

A parole hearing for Michael Derderian — co-owner of the Station nightclub in Rhode Island, where a fire during a Great White concert claimed the lives of 100 people in February 2003 — was held Wednesday evening (January 9), according to The Associated Press, but a decision won't be handed down until January 16. Relatives of some of the victims reportedly challenged Derderian's possible parole at the hearing, calling him a greedy businessman who put money before safety. "Michael Derderian violated a sacred code of ethics by not providing a safe haven for his patrons. In addition, he has shown absolutely no remorse," said William C. Bonardi, who lost his son in the fire, according to AP. Derderian became parole-eligible after serving 16 months of his four-year prison sentence. The fire was sparked by the show's onstage pyrotechnics, which ignited the venue's flammable soundproofing foam. In September 2006, Derderian and his brother, Jeffrey, pleaded no contest to involuntary-manslaughter charges. Jeffrey Derderian was sentenced to 500 hours of community service and was spared time behind bars. Daniel Biechele, Great White's tour manager and the man who set off the pyrotechnics, was granted parole from his four-year sentence in September and will be released in two months. The parole board plans to meet privately with Derderian in prison before handing down the decision. ...

Prodigy's prison term on a charge of gun possession has been pushed back to allow doctors time to produce records documenting the Mobb Deep rapper's sickle cell anemia, according to New York's Daily News. The MC (real name: Albert Johnson) was supposed to start a three-and-a-half-year prison sentence, for which he was indicted in October, on Wednesday, but a New York judge said doctors need more time to gather medical records, Daily News reports. The judge will reportedly talk to state officials about assigning Prodigy to a prison where he would be able to get easy access to medical treatment for sickle cell anemia, which is an incurable blood disorder that can lead to stroke and organ damage. Earlier this month, Prodigy announced plans to issue his second solo album while behind bars. H.N.I.C. Part 2 is due in March. ...

Radiohead will tour North America soon — we just don't know when. All we do know is where. The band's publicist released a list of the cities Radiohead will hit on their tour, but they've yet to issue the stretch's dates or any venue information. The trek will make stops in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Seattle, Philadelphia and San Francisco, among other cities. ... Christina Aguilera will release "Back to Basics - Live and Down Under," a 90-minute DVD chronicling her world tour's stops in Sydney, Australia, in July. The February 5 effort will feature 18 live cuts, including "Ain't No Other Man," "Come on Over Baby (All I Want Is You)" and, of course, "What a Girl Wants." The DVD will also boast interviews with Christina's dancers, husband Jordan Bratman and Christina herself. ...

Justin Timberlake, Johnny Depp and Katherine Heigl came away with People's Choice Awards on Tuesday in a pre-taped program hosted by Queen Latifah. JT nabbed three trophies, while Jack Sparrow earned the Favorite Male Movie Star prize and the "Grey's Anatomy" actress landed the Favorite Female TV Star honor. As for the show itself, it absolutely tanked — 5.3 million fewer viewers tuned in this year than last. ... T-Pain, former Pretty Ricky singer Pleasure, Jazze Pha and Mannie Fresh have lent their skills to Dem Franchize Boyz's second effort, Da Point of No Return. The disc drops March 25 and is preceded by its first single, the wackily titled "Talkin' Out Da Side of Ya Neck!" ...

Kanye West posted a still image of the next video from Graduation, "Flashing Lights," on his blog Tuesday. In the post, 'Ye didn't give many details about the video, though he did write that he recently returned from Denmark, where he met with the director, whom he didn't name. ... Chicago MCs Lupe Fiasco and Rhymefest debated the merits of Democratic presidential hopeful Illinois Senator Barack Obama online recently. In an interview with SOHH.com, Fiasco expressed his dismay over the voting system and revealed that he wasn't going to vote in the upcoming election. If he did, however, he said he would punch his ballet for New York Senator Hillary Clinton. "Obama doesn't really impress me like that," Lupe said. 'Fest countered that his colleague was being irresponsible with his comments. He posted on his MySpace blog that the skateboarding rapper should be a bit more informed when speaking publicly about elections. "Please, do not let your arrogance be the fuel for your ignorance," Rhymefest wrote. ...

Silverstein — who count only vegetarians among their ranks — have been named Best Animal-Friendly Band in peta2's second annual Libby Awards. Scary Kids Scaring Kids, who have previously teamed with peta2; Rise Against; record labels Victory and Epitaph; and the Vans Warped Tour were also recognized for their various furry efforts. ... A pair of Pantera fans are trying to get a life-size statue commemorating late guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott erected in Texas. The Dime Statue in Dallas Foundation has already pulled in more than a grand for the project — go here for more info. ...

PJ Harvey just put out a new studio LP, White Chalk, in October, but that's not stopping the chanteuse from slapping together another one for release this year. She is reconvening with English multi-instrumentalist and songwriter John Parish for a yet-untitled effort that will be the follow-up to their joint 1996 disc, Dance Hall at Louse Point. Harvey has also sketched out five performances in Australia and New Zealand in February, as well as a March 9 show in Rome. ... Broken Social Scene have broken out their plans for a globe-trotting trek that will take them from New Zealand to Australia, Japan, Singapore and, finally, England. In the latter country, the crafty Canucks will play May 16 at the All Tomorrow's Parties festival that is being curated by Explosions in the Sky. ...

Yellowcard have been enlisted to perform for U.S. soldiers stationed in the Persian Gulf. The rockers' first-ever tour with the United Service Organizations also sees them signing autographs and hanging out with the troops. "This tour isn't just a treat for them but also for us," frontman Ryan Key said in a press release. ... Less Than Jake want to make sure you haven't forgotten about some of their early releases. The ska-punk band — which has full control and ownership of its back catalog — has formed its own label, Sleep It Off, and plans to re-release a bunch of titles March 18: two albums (1995's Pezcore and 1996's Losers, Kings, and Things We Don't Understand), a rarities comp (2002's Goodbye White & Blue) and a DVD (2004's "The People's History of Less Than Jake"). ... Punk band Anti-Flag have set an April 1 release date for their next album, The Bright Lights of America. The album was helmed by producer Tony Visconti (T. Rex, David Bowie), and it marks Visconti's first foray into punk production. ...

Martin Scorsese's Rolling Stones concert flick finally has a name and new release date. "Shine a Light," which had previously been due in late August, will now roll into theaters April 4. ... Forty years ago, Johnny Cash made music history at Folsom Prison. Now, an upcoming tribute hailing the late icon has received the death penalty. Less than 48 hours after promoters announced plans to honor the Man in Black's legacy with a concert marking his Folsom anniversary, the show has been scrapped. Citing security and recording-rights concerns, officials at the California prison shot down the idea Monday night. The event had planned to feature several members of the backing band from 1968's At Folsom Prison, regarded by some as the greatest live album ever recorded.

• Jessica Sierra
• Amy Winehouse
• Avril Lavigne
• The Rubinoos
• Ashley Tisdale

Marilyn Manson
Photo: Vince Bucci/ Getty Images

Marilyn Manson has fired back at Stephen Gregory Bier Jr. — known to fans by his stage name, "Madonna Wayne Gacy" — by countersuing his former keyboardist for breach of contract, according to The Associated Press. In court papers reportedly filed in Los Angeles on Wednesday, Manson claimed Bier did not fulfill his obligations to take part in master recordings, concerts and the selling of his band's merchandise. The suit came in response to a breach-of-contract suit Bier filed against Manson back in August that sought more than $20 million in damages. Bier charged Manson shorted him on salary and medical support, and instead used the band's profits to fund his lavish lifestyle. The suit claimed Manson used the money to pay for his lavish lifestyle, drug habit and the production of his upcoming film, "Phantasmagoria: The Visions of Lewis Carroll," among other things. According to Manson's countersuit, the pair's business partnership was dissolved in 1996, once Manson became the clear leader of the band. While Bier has been paid income for CD sales, live gigs and merchandise sales, the suit alleges he had "failed to render services to the best of his ability and in a practical and cooperative manner." The suit further claims Bier was often tardy for band recordings, performances and promotional appearances, and that he had provided confidential band information to the media and other people without Manson's consent. Manson's suit seeks unspecified general and special damages, and he's also seeking a court order to prevent Bier from releasing more confidential band information. ...

Chingy recently shot the video for his second Hate It or Love It single, "Gimme That," in Los Angeles. The track feature fellow Disturbing Tha Peace members Ludacris and Bobby Valentino. "Gimme That" follows the Amerie-assisted "Fly Like Me," the lead track on his recently released album. "It's a club song, about partying, having fun and just kicking it," the St. Louis rapper told MTV News. "Just one of them type of songs." ... DMX, who once considered changing his name to Dog, will release his next two albums through Bodog Entertainment, according to Billboard.com. The rapper recently inked a deal with the Canadian online gaming company's music division and plans to put out both discs, Walk With Me Now and You'll Fly With Me Later, next year. Bodog recently nabbed the international distribution rights for the new Wu-Tang Clan album 8 Diagrams. ...

Yung Berg was arrested Friday in Miami Beach, Florida, on the set of Ray J's video shoot for "Sexy Can I." The upstart rapper is featured on the track and, according to his rep, he was taken into police custody after authorities discovered him smoking marijuana. A publicist for Berg confirmed to MTV News that he is still in custody and is waiting to be released on bail. ...

Jordin Sparks, Mario, Backstreet Boys, Teddy Geiger and others have teamed with mobile-media company Mozes for "Voices of America," a campaign that allows people to send well-wishes to soldiers overseas via voice messages. People can call the toll-free number 888-312-2612 to send messages to troops, who will have access to them through Armed Forces Entertainment. Hinder, Five for Fighting, Switchfoot's Jon Foreman and others are also participating in the campaign. ... Kid Rock busted out a cover of Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Sweet Home Alabama," a song that appeared on his recent Rock'n'Roll Jesus LP, for 500 U.S. troops as part of a United Service Organizations tour stop staged Thursday in Kabul, Afghanistan. Robin Williams, Lance Armstrong and Lewis Black also participated in the all-star event, which was part of a six-day, 14-show tour. ...

Amy Winehouse is finally getting some good news — Back to Black is likely to become the year's best-selling album in the U.K., according to BBC News. The effort, which was issued in the U.S. in March, actually dropped across the pond late last year. Back to Black also recently helped the troubled singer earn six Grammy Award nominations. Leona Lewis' Spirit and Mika's Life in Cartoon Motion currently follow behind Winehouse's album in terms of 2007 sales, BBC News says. ... Rap rules ringtones, according to AT&T. The cell phone provider released its best-selling list for the year-end and hip-hop artists accounted for eight of the top 10 numbers. Shop Boyz's "Party Like a Rockstar," Mims' "This Is Why I'm Hot," and Soulja Boy's "Crank That" topped the list. Nickelback's "Rockstar" and Akon's "Don't Matter" rounded out the top five. Also making the cut were T-Pain, Hurricane Chris, Sean Kingston, Huey and Fergie. ...

Feist, Eddie Vedder, the Arcade Fire, Björk and M.I.A. are on the long list of nominees for the seventh annual Shortlist Prize, with the announcements of the finalists and winner to be made early next year. Wilco, Animal Collective, Against Me!, Klaxons, Puscifer, PJ Harvey, Spoon, the Hives, Of Montreal, LCD Soundsystem and Serj Tankian are also among the 54 artists who are in the running. Snow Patrol's Gary Lightbody and the Killers' Ronnie Vannucci are on the panel that picked the nominees. ... Dwight Schrute is taking over the Spirit Awards — Rainn Wilson, who plays the power-hungry character on "The Office," will host the indie-film-hailing ceremony on February 23. The ceremony will be held the day before the Oscars and feature writing contributions from Wilson, even though he is a member of the Writers Guild of America. The WGA, which is on strike, granted a waiver to the Spirit Awards organizer to hire writers for the event. ...

In some crumbelievable news for Stephen Colbert, newspaper editors and broadcast producers have voted him as AP's Celebrity of the Year, the news service announced Friday. He beat out J.K. Rowling, Al Gore, Britney Spears, Miley Cyrus, Judd Apatow and Kanye West. "In receiving this award, I am pleased that I was chosen over two great spinners of fantasy — J.K. Rowling and Al Gore," Colbert, who launched a presidential bid earlier this year, told AP. "Best of all, this makes me the official front-runner for next year's Drug-Fueled Downward Spiral of the year. P.S. Look for my baby bump this spring." "The Colbert Report" and "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart" will start up production again on January 7, albeit without their writers, it was announced Thursday. ...

Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco is getting pressure from members of the Congressional Black Caucus to pardon the Jena Six, according to AP. In a letter that was reportedly mailed to the governor this week, Texas Representative Sheila Jackson Lee said Mychal Bell, the other teens and their families "have suffered enough, as has the State of Louisiana and the town of Jena." According to AP, Blanco's press secretary said Friday that she cannot grant a pardon or commutation without the state Pardon Board, which has its next meeting on January 17, recommending to do so. Blanco leaves office three days before that. Lee is joined by 14 other members of the caucus who are asking Blanco to support releasing Bell, who was sentenced to 18 months in a juvenile facility after a plea deal was struck earlier this month. ...

Score one for Nick Lachey — the choir he put together from his Cincinnati hometown won NBC's "Clash of the Choirs" contest Thursday night. "I've been blown away by my choir's poise," Jessica Simpson's ex said on the show. "It's made up of amateur singers. They've never done this before." The 20 singers are taking home a quarter-million dollars for the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. ... Megadeth have heart — the metal band's frontman, Dave Mustaine, and his wife recently organized a Toys for Tots donation drive for families affected by the wildfires in his native Southern California. The toys were delivered to Camp Pendleton, the North Coast Church — which the Mustaines go to — and the town of Fallbrook. "We live in a little town, and this is nothing any neighbor wouldn't do for another neighbor," he said in a statement. ... Eddie Van Halen's divorce with Valerie Bertinelli, his wife of 25 years, has been finalized. The ex-spouses have one son, Wolfgang, who is touring with the reunited Van Halen.

12.20.2007

Remy Ma's European tour plans appear to have fizzled — a New York judge has denied her request to travel overseas for a trek that was supposed to begin December 31 in Paris, The Associated Press reports. A lawyer for the rapper (real name: Remy Smith) argued Thursday (December 20) that his client needed to tour to earn money because she hasn't been getting enough bookings in the U.S. since she was arrested in July for allegedly shooting a friend over missing money, but the judge said she couldn't leave the country due to the seriousness of the charges. Remy Ma was ordered earlier this month to stand trail on charges of gang assault and witness tampering. She is due in court on January 3 for adjournment where prosecutors will decide whether to admit DNA evidence in the case. ...

Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert fans can breathe a sigh of relief — "The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report" will start up production again on January 7, albeit without their writers, AP reports. In a joint statement, the pair reportedly said, "We would like to return to work with our writers. If we cannot, we would like to express our ambivalence, but without our writers we are unable to express something as nuanced as ambivalence." Stewart and Colbert are the most recent late-night hosts to announce their return to the airwaves amid the ongoing writers' strike, joining the likes of Jay Leno and Conan O'Brien, who will return January 2. ...

So what's really going on between Rihanna and Josh Hartnett? The singer addresses the rumors in the January issue of Allure, saying there isn't much truth to them. "I went to [New York club] Pink Elephant, and he came by," she said. "All of a sudden, the next day I'm seeing that we were kissing and hugging up each other. You can't even go out with a friend who's a celebrity and have a good time without people making sh-- up ... well, at least he's good-looking, right?" Rih Rih also talked with the mag, which calls itself "The Beauty Expert," about — what else? — beauty. "While in America beautiful is skinny, in Barbados it's thick — girls with huge butts and nice curves," she said, contrasting the U.S. with her homeland. In other Rihanna news, she — as well as My Chemical Romance, Good Charlotte, Timbaland, Rufus Wainwright and many others — have partnered with Designers Against AIDS to create men's and women's lines called "Fashion Against AIDS." The lines will be available exclusively at H&M stores beginning in February, with one-fourth of the proceeds from the sales going to YouthAIDS, an HIV/AIDS prevention initiative that serves 60 countries worldwide. ...

Jennifer Hudson and Queen Latifah will star in the silver-screen adaptation of the best-selling book "The Secret Life of Bees," and Alicia Keys and Dakota Fanning are also in negotiations to star in the flick, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Keys and Latifah are due to play beekeeping sisters who take in Hudson's and Fanning's characters after they run away from home. Production will reportedly begin in January for the movie, which is targeting a 2008 theatrical release. ... Rick Ross is blaming clearance issues for the delay of his second album, Trilla, according to Billboard.com. He said a DJ Toomp-produced song called "This Me" was one of the tracks in question. Ross is reportedly considering "Boss" (featuring T-Pain) as his second single. ...

Avenged Sevenfold, Bullet for My Valentine, Bless the Fall and Atreyu lead the lineup for next year's Taste of Chaos trek, which will launch February 29 in Denver and continue through April 6 in El Paso, Texas. An Internet presale begins January 5 on the tour's Web site, with tickets going on sale nationally January 12. ... Death Cab for Cutie have posted on their Web site a new video teasing their next album. The clip features a portion of a song that will presumably appear on the group's yet-untitled LP and announces that the effort will be out in May. According to the video, the album was recorded in 44 days at three studios, in Seattle; Portland, Oregon; and San Francisco. ...

"Into the Wild" got some critical love Thursday as Sean Penn's flick scooped up four Screen Actors Guild Award nominations, including best lead actor for Emile Hirsch. Ryan Gosling, Cate Blanchett, Angelina Jolie, Viggo Mortensen and George Clooney all got nods, although "Atonement" — which dominates the list of Golden Globe contenders with seven noms — was shut out altogether. ... South by Southwest is taking a walk on the wild side — Lou Reed will be the keynote speaker at the music conference and film festival, which will take place March 12-16 in Austin, Texas. The Velvet Underground-er will speak March 13 at the Austin Convention Center in conjunction with a screening of Julian Schnabel's new documentary, "Lou Reed's Berlin," which revolves around the rock legend's 1973 album. Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore, Daryl Hall of Hall & Oates and composer Steve Reich will also give talks at SXSW. ...

Pennywise have cooked up an interesting album-release scheme with MySpace Records: The punks will make their yet-untitled new album available for free DRM-free download on MySpace for two weeks, starting March 25. That day will also see the release of an enhanced CD/DVD version of the effort for sale at retail outlets. To download the album for free, users have to add promotional partner "Textango" as their MySpace friend. "We know that this will piss off a lot of people in the music industry," guitarist Fletcher Dragge said in a statement. "And what do we say to that? 'Who cares?' " Cameron Webb (Social Distortion, Sum 41) will produce and mix the effort. ... Are the Eagles too good for the Super Bowl? Apparently so — according to AP, the group turned down an offer to perform at the annual football extravaganza. As for a potential opportunity to play at the Grand Ole Opry, however, bandmember Don Henley said, "That would be an honor." ...

Live Nation has sewn up a deal with a German company that will allow the concert promoter to create its own ticketing service, according to Variety. The new service will reportedly allow Live Nation, which ended talks with Ticketmaster in August, to have more control over customer data, increasing sponsorship opportunities. There's another plus for Live Nation in the deal: It will reportedly allow the company to get the fees charged to customers over the listed ticket prices. ... A report issued Thursday determined that there were no violations in Paris Hilton's jailing in June but did find that three Los Angeles County sheriff's employees violated policy when Mel Gibson was arrested last year for misdemeanor drunk driving in Malibu, California, according to AP. The sheriff's employees have reportedly since been disciplined. The news service also said the report found that a sheriff's supervisor considered holding back details about the actor's anti-Semitic rant from an arrest report, but a captain eventually overruled him. ...

As he awaits a retrial, disgraced record producer Phil Spector has filed suit again in an attempt to get a refund of the $1 million fee he paid to former attorney Robert Shapiro, according to AP. Five years after his arrest in the shooting death of actress Lana Clarkson, Spector filed a second lawsuit Wednesday in Los Angeles Superior Court, claiming that Shapiro cheated him and used their personal relationship to enrich himself unjustly. In December 2005, Spector dropped an earlier suit against Shapiro, the first lawyer to represent Spector after his arrest, with the provision that he could refile at a later time. The new suit makes similar allegations that Shapiro "took unfair and unscrupulous advantage of his friendship and position of trust with Mr. Spector, and decided to use Mr. Spector's arrest as an opportunity to make a financial windfall and garner publicity for himself." It also named Shapiro's law firm as a defendant, claiming it "stood behind and vouched for Shapiro's work." The suit alleges that Spector was under tremendous stress following his arrest and had not taken his medication for mental problems at the time he agreed to Shapiro's $1 million retainer fee. ...

Being an "American Idol" finalist ain't what it used to be. For proof, look at the depressed mug on curly haired season-six wonder Chris Sligh, 29, who is the main attraction for the alcohol-free First Night Westerly New Year's Eve celebration in the tiny Rhode Island town. After a day of face-painting, extreme sports video-gaming, karate demos, magicians, mimes, hayrides and swing-dance lessons, Sligh is slated to take the stage at the YMCA gym just before midnight. ... Chuck D, Lil Boosie and, oddly enough, Buckethead will salute James Brown by performing at a tribute show on Saturday in Covington, Kentucky, Billboard reports. Bootsy Collins, who was mentored by the late legend, is putting on the concert, and proceeds will go to the future launch of a museum and the rebuilding of Brown's early recording home. Brown's most recent band, the Soul Generals; members of his original backing group, the JB's; and MC Danny Ray will also play at the event. ... The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductions will take place in Cleveland in March 2009 — which is fitting, since the Rock Hall is located in the city. For the past decade, the event has been held in New York.

• Marilyn Manson
• Chingy
• DMX
• Yung Berg
• Jordin Sparks

Beyonce in "Irreplaceable"
Photo: Columbia

Beyoncé's planned concert in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, has been canned amid protests by local Muslim groups, Billboard reports. The groups are reportedly upset that the singer has refused to obey the country's strict dress code for performers, although the November 1 concert's promoter, Pineapple Concert, did not give a reason for the cancellation in a statement issued Friday (September 28). Female performers are not allowed to show skin from the tops of their chests to their knees. In August, Gwen Stefani's concert in the country was also preceded by protests for the same reason — but she reluctantly abided by the guidelines, saying in a press conference before the show that she had made a "major sacrifice." ...

Ludacris, Yung Joc, Angels & Airwaves, Fabolous, Keyshia Cole, the Red Jumpsuit Apparatus and Busta Rhymes will hit the stage October 6 at Radio City Music Hall in New York for the Boost Mobile RockCorps volunteer show, to be hosted by Nick Cannon. The concert will act as a reward to 5,000 Big Apple volunteers who have carried out at least four hours of service in their community. Earlier in the day, Luda, along with pro skateboarder Terry Kennedy and snowboarder Keir Dillon, will join 100 NYC volunteers to revitalize Manhattan's DeWitt Clinton Park. ...

R. Kelly's child-pornography trial, which was to have started September 17 in Chicago, doesn't have a new start date in sight. In a status hearing on Friday, the only thing that was determined, according to the state's attorney's office, is the next status hearing date, for November 2. ... Owen Wilson is "doing really well," Ben Stiller told Ellen DeGeneres on her talk show on Friday. "I sort of like to protect his privacy, 'cause I feel like it's his own thing. But he's a really good friend of mine. He's an incredible guy, and I wish him as everybody does, all the best." The two actors were due to begin shooting "Tropic Thunder" this month, but Wilson dropped out of the flick following a suicide attempt in late August. His role has since been filled by Matthew McConaughey. ...

Nicole Richie has enrolled in an alcohol-education program that will last 18 months, according to People. The socialite, who was arrested for driving under the influence in December, reportedly signed up for the SB 38 Alcohol Program on Wednesday. The program involves 52 hours of group counseling; in-person, biweekly interviews; and 12 hours of alcohol education. ... Richie probably won't be too happy to hear about Think Skateboards' fall line of decks. The line's "Jailbaits" series feature her mug shot — and Lindsay's and Paris' — with a thought bubble hovering over each of their heads: Inside the bubble is the phrase, "If only I could Think." ... Joey Fatone, no stranger to Britney Spears, has some words of advice for the troubled singer. "Britney, call me, come over to my house, come to Orlando [Florida], get way from it all ... it's a good thing to get out of L.A.," he recently told "Extra," adding that Spears needs "some time to really heal." Fatone admitted he hasn't seen her in a while, but all the same, he said, "I'm here for you, sweetheart." ...

With Jamie Foxx's "The Kingdom," a flick about a series of terrorist bombings in the Mideast, hitting theaters this weekend, it seems it was only a matter of time before the outspoken actor piped up with his views about U.S. intervention abroad. While promoting the film, he told MSNBC that he doesn't see an end in sight to the Iraq war — and that President Bush's big problem is that he lacks "charisma." "It's not the way America has handled the war, it's the way George Bush has handled it," the actor said. "I think George Bush and the guys that are there just don't have the charisma to pull off the things that they're trying to do. I can understand if you want to go to war, but how do you go to war? They go to war in a high-risk, high-return or high-risk, no-return ... situation. You'll be in Iraq for another 30 years. You can't get out." Foxx added that he's supporting presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama, but that he'll support whoever wins the Democratic nomination. ...

Uncle Kracker (real name: Matthew Shafer) was given a 60-day suspended sentence, 12 months of probation and a $1,500 fine after pleading guilty to an assault charge in a Wake County, North Carolina, court on Friday, local TV station NBC17 reports. He must also complete a substance-abuse assessment as part of the plea deal. Kracker was arrested in August on a second-degree forcible-sex-offense charge after an alleged incident at a downtown Raleigh nightclub called the Ess Lounge. He wound up facing a lesser charge in light of the plea deal. ... Kiefer Sutherland was formally charged with two misdemeanor drunk-driving counts on Friday in Los Angeles. The actor, who is on probation for a drunk-driving charge in 2004, could face up to a year and a half in jail. Sutherland was arrested Tuesday morning in Hollywood after police pulled him over for making an illegal U-turn. ...

U2's Bono accepted the Liberty Medal for his humanitarian work in Africa on Thursday night in Philadelphia, according to The Associated Press. Bono urged Americans to work toward solving the world's problems and spoke of those who are without freedom. "When you are trapped by poverty, you are not free," he said. "When trade laws prevent you from selling the food you grew, you are not free. When you are a monk in Burma this very week, barred from entering a temple because of your gospel of peace ... well, then none of us are truly free." Bono was presented with the award by last year's co-recipient, President George H.W. Bush, at the National Constitution Center. The award carries a $100,000 prize, which the rocker plans to donate to humanitarian organizations. ...

A new Radiohead Web site has popped up hinting that they might be planning a big announcement this weekend. Radioheadlp7.com is displaying a countdown clock, set to expire Saturday morning. Given that the lads have been leaving several coded messages on their Web site regarding their forthcoming seventh set, which they recently finished, some are speculating the new site will spill all of the beans on the outing. Only time will tell. ... Cat Power is blanketing her fans with cover songs again. The indie starlet has lumped together a sequel to her noted 2000 collection, The Covers Record, according to Billboard. The track list has yet to be revealed for Covers II which is due January 22. ...

Ryan Adams reportedly threw another in-concert tantrum, this time at a show Thursday night in Minneapolis, according to AP. The singer/guitarist was reportedly complaining throughout the evening about the sound monitors, at one point moving two of them and other equipment. About an hour and 10 minutes into the show, Adams said he'd be playing his last song and didn't come back for an encore, spurring concertgoers to boo. Four years ago, Adams gave an even more tumultuous performance, during which he also complained about the sound, at the city's First Avenue venue. ...

Evanescence have tapped Australian rockers Sick Puppies as the support act for their upcoming tour, which is scheduled to launch October 23 in Miami and run through December 4 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. ... The reunited Sex Pistols have booked an invite-only gig in Hollywood. The band will take the stage at the Roxy Theatre on October 25 for a show that's being co-sponsored by Indie.103.1, the radio station Steve Jones DJs for, and "Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock," which includes a newly re-recorded version of the Pistols' "Anarchy in the U.K." ...

Remember EMF? Well, as "Unbelievable" — or "crumbelievable" (so goes the Kraft commercial knockoff of the band's song) — as it may sound, the band will reunite for a London gig set for December 18. It will be the first time in five years the boys have performed together in a public forum. The band announced on its Web site that Pop Will Eat Itself's Richard March will take over on bass for original member Zac Foley, who died in 2002 from a drug overdose. ...

According to former Offenders drummer Pat Doyle, his former bandmate, bassist Mikey Donaldson, died in his sleep on Saturday in Barcelona, Spain. He was 46. An official cause of death has yet to be determined. "Mikey is universally regarded as one of the most innovative and inimitable masters of the bass guitar," Doyle said. "He played his Rickenbacker like it was an outsized rhythm guitar. Mikey pioneered an aggressive speed-picking style and liberal employment of bass chords that few have been able to emulate in the past 20 years. He will be sorely missed."

09.27.07

Word to Mike Seaver and Boner: Mary J. Blige has some Growing Pains of her own. The singer has settled on that as the title for her new album — and has bumped its release by a week, from November 20 to November 27. The first single is called "Just Fine" and will be released to radio on Thursday (September 27). The track was produced by Jazze Pha and Tricky Stewart (Britney Spears, Mya), and is an uptempo party record with a dance/disco sound. On the track, Mary expresses the joy of having high self-esteem. "No time for moping around/ Are you kidding?" she sings. "And no time for negative vibes, 'cause I'm winning ... Got my head on straight, got my vibe right, ain't gonna let you kill it/ See, I wouldn't change, my life's just fine." ...

Is Kanye West the next MLK, Gandhi or Jesus? His mother, Donda West, didn't shy away from such comparisons in a recent interview with the Baltimore Sun — she was in town to promote her recent book, "Raising Kanye." "Kanye keeps it real," she said. "He touches the people. You never know how words can save a person's life, physically or otherwise. People like Martin Luther King or Mahatma Gandhi or, in my view, Barack Obama, or Jesus Christ — people whose job it is to tell the truth — I see that in Kanye. Now, people like you are gonna go, 'Oh, Kanye's mom said he's like Jesus!' but ... when you have a gift, you didn't get it by yourself. ... Your truth is your truth." ...

Amy Winehouse isn't one to hold back either — the troubled U.K. starlet has named her new DVD "I Told You I Was Trouble," according to Uncut magazine. Packed onto the disc is a documentary, a full concert she played in April at London's Shepherds Bush Empire, her "Rehab" performance from the Brit Awards, an early acoustic version of "There Is No Greater Love" and more. "I Told You I Was Trouble" will drop November 13, her publicist confirmed to MTV News. ...

Paul Wall's next album is going to have more of a rock edge, now that Travis Barker is producing it. "Paul usually stays around the same element," Barker told MTV News in Las Vegas while he was in town for the VMAs. "Most of the Houston stuff is slow and real feel-good. This has faster tempos. Still feel-good, but it'll be different for Paul." ... Before he took his wild imagination to the big screen with "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," French director Michel Gondry was best known for his frequent collaborations with Björk, perhaps most memorably on the video for her song "Human Behaviour." Now the two are at it again. Gondry revealed to MTV News that a month from now, he will be directing the music video for "Declare Independence," from the Icelandic singer's latest album, Volta. ... Dave Grohl is getting axed — Gibson Guitar has come up with a new specialized model, the DG-335, for the Foo Fighters frontman. The instrument — which has a rare Pelham blue finish and looks like Grohl's signature guitar — will be available October 4. The price tag for the blue model is $4,468, while the ebony version is a bit cheaper at $3,880. ...

Evan Rachel Wood apparently isn't too afraid of boyfriend Marilyn Manson's fans. "I do feel [some of] his fans like me," she told People for its new issue, which streets Friday. But the actress revealed that she was a little more nervous about Manson seeing her sing onscreen in the new flick "Across the Universe." "I was shy because I didn't want to scare him off," she said. "I'm a singer too! Listen to me! But he's been really supportive, it's great. He's encouraged me about my singing more than anybody." The shock-rocker wasn't the only one who inspired Wood to sing, however — she also name-dropped David Bowie and let it be known that she has a tattoo of his Aladdin Sane lightning bolt. She also has matching tattoos with Manson. "We both got black hearts," she said. "It represents mad love." ...

The Smashing Pumpkins have issued a statement regarding the death of a man at their concert in Vancouver, British Columbia, Monday night, in what police believe was a crowd-surfing accident. "The Smashing Pumpkins were deeply saddened to learn about the passing of a young man who attended their Vancouver show Monday night," read the statement, which was posted on their Web site. "As they and everyone else await news from the investigation into the nature of his passing, the band wants to express their sincerest condolences to his family and friends." ... Vivica A. Fox pleaded not guilty to two misdemeanor counts of drunk driving on Thursday, The Associated Press reports. The actress, who was arrested after being caught speeding in March, could face up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine if convicted. ...

Paris in Rwanda: Hilton is making good on her promise to engage in philanthropic efforts by traveling to the impoverished African country, according to "Access Hollywood." The heiress will travel with a member of Playing for Good, a group that connects celebrities with charity organizations, and she is expected to make a financial contribution as well. According to TMZ.com, Hilton will go to Rwanda in November after she finishes filming her horror rock opera "Repo! The Genetic Opera." ... Will Ferrell's charity auction has been won by a Dallas man, and his 10-year-old son will get the chance to play an extra in Ferrell's upcoming "Step Brothers" flick, People reports. The man, who has chosen to remain anonymous, put in a winning bid of $47,000, which will go to the Cancer for College foundation run by Ferrell's friend Craig Pollard. ...

Looks like it's almost Tool time again: The indefatigable heavy-rock band is putting together yet another stretch of dates in support of 10,000 Days, which came out way back in May 2006. Dates have yet to be confirmed, but according to Tool's site, they're stirring up a stretch across the West Coast that will begin in mid-November and last until Christmas. ... Lollapalooza founder Perry Farrell recently told MTV News' Tim Kash that he wants to see the fest travel across the world "before I die," but while those plans haven't come about yet, the dates are in place for next year's annual Chicago installment. Lolla will go down August 1-3, once again at Grant Park. ...

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band's Magic isn't happening until Tuesday, but they snuck out a vinyl version of the release on Wednesday that will allow it to be considered for the Grammys, according to the Los Angeles Times. ... The Wu-Tang Clan's Killah Priest has been added to several dates on Bury Your Dead's upcoming headlining run. Look for him to take the stage in Richmond, Virginia (October 17); Wilmington, North Carolina (October 18); Jacksonville, Florida (October 19); and Tampa, Florida (October 20). ... Bad news for fans of hardcore hip-hoppers Twiztid: The band's upcoming Toxic Terror Tour, featuring openers Mower, has been nixed following a recent car accident involving Twiztid's Monoxide. He suffered a torn ACL muscle in his knee, which will require he stays off it for the next month or so. ...

While System of a Down's members go off and do their own things — what with the band on hiatus — drummer John Dolmayan has firmed up plans for his new comic book site, TorpedoComics.com. The Internet retail shop goes live November 1 and will boast some 15 million items, including comics, toys, graphic novels, trade paperbacks, superhero action figures and other related memorabilia. Dolmayan has also teamed with guitarist Daron Malakian for a new project, Scars on Broadway. ... Former Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee, former Anthrax frontman Joey Belladonna, ex-Megadeth bassist Dave Ellefson and Sevendust singer Lajon Witherspoon are among the celebrities who'll appear at the Morgan Rose Celebrity Golf Classic, scheduled for November 15-16 at the Heritage Golf Club in Tucker, Georgia. Proceeds from the event will help support the Atlanta Children's Shelter. ...

Mudvayne will release their latest LP, By the People, for the People, on November 27. The disc will boast several live recordings, rarities, demos and two new studio tracks, "Dull Boy" and a cover of the Police's "King of Pain." The album will be entirely fan-generated; the band is asking its fans to participate in creating the album's contents. Fans can visit the band's Web site and MySpace pageMySpace page to help pick the track list, submit fan-generated album artwork and participate in creating the video for "Dull Boy," the first single. ...

Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth," which has been shown in some college and high school classrooms, got blowback earlier this year when a Washington school put a moratorium on the global-warming movie. Now a British school governor is taking an even stronger measure by suing the British government for distributing the movie to more than 3,500 secondary schools, according to AP. Paul Downes, a lawyer for Stewart Dimmock, said, "Given the serious inaccuracies in the film and the misrepresentations it contains, the film is irredeemable." The lawyer added that even though the movie has already been shown to some students, the High Court could still rule that the government had acted unlawfully and cease distributing it. ...

There's no stopping the Martin Scorsese rock-doc train. The esteemed director, who has directed films about the Rolling Stones, the Band and Bob Dylan in the past, will focus his lens next on the life of George Harrison, according to Variety. Scorsese will produce the yet-untitled picture with Harrison's widow, Olivia, and the late guitarist's former Beatles bandmates Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr will also participate. The flick will revolve around Harrison's time in the Beatles and his later years, and also touch on his involvement with Eastern spirituality as well. In related news, McCartney and Starr are participating in Liverpool, England's European Capital of Culture celebration. Macca will perform at the Anfield soccer stadium on June 1. Starr will return to the city — where the Beatles hailed from — for a ceremony at St. George's Hall on January 11, and he will also appear at the Echo Arena on January 12.

• R. Kelly's Unstoppable Career

• Beyoncé
• R. Kelly
• Britney Spears
• Evanescence
• Radiohead

Mary J. Blige
Photo: Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images

Word to Mike Seaver and Boner: Mary J. Blige has some Growing Pains of her own. The singer has settled on that as the title for her new album — and has bumped its release by a week, from November 20 to November 27. The first single is called "Just Fine" and will be released to radio on Thursday (September 27). The track was produced by Jazze Pha and Tricky Stewart (Britney Spears, Mya), and is an uptempo party record with a dance/disco sound. On the track, Mary expresses the joy of having high self-esteem. "No time for moping around/ Are you kidding?" she sings. "And no time for negative vibes, 'cause I'm winning ... Got my head on straight, got my vibe right, ain't gonna let you kill it/ See, I wouldn't change, my life's just fine." ...

Is Kanye West the next MLK, Gandhi or Jesus? His mother, Donda West, didn't shy away from such comparisons in a recent interview with the Baltimore Sun — she was in town to promote her recent book, "Raising Kanye." "Kanye keeps it real," she said. "He touches the people. You never know how words can save a person's life, physically or otherwise. People like Martin Luther King or Mahatma Gandhi or, in my view, Barack Obama, or Jesus Christ — people whose job it is to tell the truth — I see that in Kanye. Now, people like you are gonna go, 'Oh, Kanye's mom said he's like Jesus!' but ... when you have a gift, you didn't get it by yourself. ... Your truth is your truth." ...

Amy Winehouse isn't one to hold back either — the troubled U.K. starlet has named her new DVD "I Told You I Was Trouble," according to Uncut magazine. Packed onto the disc is a documentary, a full concert she played in April at London's Shepherds Bush Empire, her "Rehab" performance from the Brit Awards, an early acoustic version of "There Is No Greater Love" and more. "I Told You I Was Trouble" will drop November 6, her publicist confirmed to MTV News. ...

Paul Wall's next album is going to have more of a rock edge, now that Travis Barker is producing it. "Paul usually stays around the same element," Barker told MTV News in Las Vegas while he was in town for the VMAs. "Most of the Houston stuff is slow and real feel-good. This has faster tempos. Still feel-good, but it'll be different for Paul." ... Before he took his wild imagination to the big screen with "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," French director Michel Gondry was best known for his frequent collaborations with Björk, perhaps most memorably on the video for her song "Human Behaviour." Now the two are at it again. Gondry revealed to MTV News that a month from now, he will be directing the music video for "Declare Independence," from the Icelandic singer's latest album, Volta. ... Dave Grohl is getting axed — Gibson Guitar has come up with a new specialized model, the DG-335, for the Foo Fighters frontman. The instrument — which has a rare Pelham blue finish and looks like Grohl's signature guitar — will be available October 4. The price tag for the blue model is $4,468, while the ebony version is a bit cheaper at $3,880. ...

Evan Rachel Wood apparently isn't too afraid of boyfriend Marilyn Manson's fans. "I do feel [some of] his fans like me," she told People for its new issue, which streets Friday. But the actress revealed that she was a little more nervous about Manson seeing her sing onscreen in the new flick "Across the Universe." "I was shy because I didn't want to scare him off," she said. "I'm a singer too! Listen to me! But he's been really supportive, it's great. He's encouraged me about my singing more than anybody." The shock-rocker wasn't the only one who inspired Wood to sing, however — she also name-dropped David Bowie and let it be known that she has a tattoo of his Aladdin Sane lightning bolt. She also has matching tattoos with Manson. "We both got black hearts," she said. "It represents mad love." ...

The Smashing Pumpkins have issued a statement regarding the death of a man at their concert in Vancouver, British Columbia, Monday night, in what police believe was a crowd-surfing accident. "The Smashing Pumpkins were deeply saddened to learn about the passing of a young man who attended their Vancouver show Monday night," read the statement, which was posted on their Web site. "As they and everyone else await news from the investigation into the nature of his passing, the band wants to express their sincerest condolences to his family and friends." ... Vivica A. Fox pleaded not guilty to two misdemeanor counts of drunk driving on Thursday, The Associated Press reports. The actress, who was arrested after being caught speeding in March, could face up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine if convicted. ...

Paris in Rwanda: Hilton is making good on her promise to engage in philanthropic efforts by traveling to the impoverished African country, according to "Access Hollywood." The heiress will travel with a member of Playing for Good, a group that connects celebrities with charity organizations, and she is expected to make a financial contribution as well. According to TMZ.com, Hilton will go to Rwanda in November after she finishes filming her horror rock opera "Repo! The Genetic Opera." ... Will Ferrell's charity auction has been won by a Dallas man, and his 10-year-old son will get the chance to play an extra in Ferrell's upcoming "Step Brothers" flick, People reports. The man, who has chosen to remain anonymous, put in a winning bid of $47,000, which will go to the Cancer for College foundation run by Ferrell's friend Craig Pollard. ...

Looks like it's almost Tool time again: The indefatigable heavy-rock band is putting together yet another stretch of dates in support of 10,000 Days, which came out way back in May 2006. Dates have yet to be confirmed, but according to Tool's site, they're stirring up a stretch across the West Coast that will begin in mid-November and last until Christmas. ... Lollapalooza founder Perry Farrell recently told MTV News' Tim Kash that he wants to see the fest travel across the world "before I die," but while those plans haven't come about yet, the dates are in place for next year's annual Chicago installment. Lolla will go down August 1-3, once again at Grant Park. ...

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band's Magic isn't happening until Tuesday, but they snuck out a vinyl version of the release on Wednesday that will allow it to be considered for the Grammys, according to the Los Angeles Times. ... The Wu-Tang Clan's Killah Priest has been added to several dates on Bury Your Dead's upcoming headlining run. Look for him to take the stage in Richmond, Virginia (October 17); Wilmington, North Carolina (October 18); Jacksonville, Florida (October 19); and Tampa, Florida (October 20). ... Bad news for fans of hardcore hip-hoppers Twiztid: The band's upcoming Toxic Terror Tour, featuring openers Mower, has been nixed following a recent car accident involving Twiztid's Monoxide. He suffered a torn ACL muscle in his knee, which will require he stays off it for the next month or so. ...

While System of a Down's members go off and do their own things — what with the band on hiatus — drummer John Dolmayan has firmed up plans for his new comic book site, TorpedoComics.com. The Internet retail shop goes live November 1 and will boast some 15 million items, including comics, toys, graphic novels, trade paperbacks, superhero action figures and other related memorabilia. Dolmayan has also teamed with guitarist Daron Malakian for a new project, Scars on Broadway. ... Former Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee, former Anthrax frontman Joey Belladonna, ex-Megadeth bassist Dave Ellefson and Sevendust singer Lajon Witherspoon are among the celebrities who'll appear at the Morgan Rose Celebrity Golf Classic, scheduled for November 15-16 at the Heritage Golf Club in Tucker, Georgia. Proceeds from the event will help support the Atlanta Children's Shelter. ...

Mudvayne will release their latest LP, By the People, for the People, on November 27. The disc will boast several live recordings, rarities, demos and two new studio tracks, "Dull Boy" and a cover of the Police's "King of Pain." The album will be entirely fan-generated; the band is asking its fans to participate in creating the album's contents. Fans can visit the band's Web site and MySpace pageMySpace page to help pick the track list, submit fan-generated album artwork and participate in creating the video for "Dull Boy," the first single. ...

Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth," which has been shown in some college and high school classrooms, got blowback earlier this year when a Washington school put a moratorium on the global-warming movie. Now a British school governor is taking an even stronger measure by suing the British government for distributing the movie to more than 3,500 secondary schools, according to AP. Paul Downes, a lawyer for Stewart Dimmock, said, "Given the serious inaccuracies in the film and the misrepresentations it contains, the film is irredeemable." The lawyer added that even though the movie has already been shown to some students, the High Court could still rule that the government had acted unlawfully and cease distributing it. ...

There's no stopping the Martin Scorsese rock-doc train. The esteemed director, who has directed films about the Rolling Stones, the Band and Bob Dylan in the past, will focus his lens next on the life of George Harrison, according to Variety. Scorsese will produce the yet-untitled picture with Harrison's widow, Olivia, and the late guitarist's former Beatles bandmates Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr will also participate. The flick will revolve around Harrison's time in the Beatles and his later years, and also touch on his involvement with Eastern spirituality as well. In related news, McCartney and Starr are participating in Liverpool, England's European Capital of Culture celebration. Macca will perform at the Anfield soccer stadium on June 1. Starr will return to the city — where the Beatles hailed from — for a ceremony at St. George's Hall on January 11, and he will also appear at the Echo Arena on January 12.

09.26.07

Mariah Carey got a win in court last week when a federal judge decided that a copyright-infringement case against her had no merit. Singer Rachele Chafir had sued Carey in April 2006, claiming that Carey's hit "It's Like That" was copied from her song "Sexy" and lifted key pieces, including the music, for the chorus. Chafir, who copyrighted the song in 2004, claimed Carey had access to "Sexy" since it was available on a Web site, but U.S. District Court Judge Kimba Wood decided that wasn't proof Carey or her collaborators had gone to the Web site or lifted the material, which wasn't "strikingly similar" enough to be considered infringement. With "no genuine issues of material fact," Wood closed the case. "It was the right decision," Carey's lawyer Ilene Farkas told MTV News. "The record was clear in this case." Meanwhile, Carey is moving on with her yet-untitled follow-up to The Emancipation of Mimi, which her record label confirmed is now due December 4. ...

Going, going ... to Cooperstown. And with an asterisk on it. Baseball star Barry Bonds' record-breaking home-run ball, which was purchased two weeks ago in an online auction by hip-hop fashion mogul Marc Ecko, will be heading to the National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum after all. Ecko bought the ball and launched a Web site giving fans the chance to vote on the ball's final destination: outer space or to Cooperstown, with or without an asterisk signifying Bonds' alleged steroid use in helping him become the all-time home-run king. The announcement was made Wednesday morning (September 26) on the "Today" show after a week of voting. According to Vote756.com, over 10 million votes were cast, of which 47 percent chose to send the tagged ball to the famed baseball museum. ...

The twisted saga of the investigation into the unsolved 1997 murder of the Notorious B.I.G. took another turn this week when Waymond Anderson, an inmate serving life for murder, recanted testimony in which he had implicated the Los Angeles Police Department in the rapper's murder. The Los Angeles Times reports that Anderson said in a recent deposition that he lied about LAPD involvement as part of a "scam" cooked up with two other convicts to get a big monetary settlement from the city of Los Angeles. Most shockingly, Anderson accused the rapper's family — which has filed a wrongful-death suit seeking damages from the city — and its lawyer of taking part in the scheme and offering to pay him a percentage of the settlement for false testimony against the LAPD. In the August 20 testimony, Anderson said he had never met the officers he implicated, despite earlier statements in which he described conversations with the two disgraced ex-LAPD cops. A lawyer for Biggie's family, Perry Sanders, called Anderson's allegations "100 percent, demonstrably false," adding yet another twist to the already-knotted-up story by saying that Anderson appeared to be changing his story at the behest of Chuck Philips, a Times reporter who has written extensively about the murder investigation and has questioned the theory of LAPD involvement. Phillips and the Times dismissed the allegations. ...

In other Biggie news, the recently released documentary "The Notorious B.I.G.: Bigger Than Life" follows the rapper's life from his early days to his death with interviews from many of the behind-the-scenes music-industry figures and friends who watched the rapper rise from a street-corner hustler to one of the biggest rap stars in the world. The film also features several minutes of previously unreleased footage shot by a bystander of the scene on the night Biggie was gunned down. The fan's video — which director Peter Spirer ("Beef," "Tupac Shakur: Thug Angel") said has been reviewed by authorities — doesn't capture the moment Biggie's car was shot at, but it does have audio of the shots and shaky footage of the chaotic aftermath. ...

Embattled football player Michael Vick is facing stricter release conditions after testing positive for marijuana earlier this month, The Associated Press reports. On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson imposed the new conditions, which include restricting Vick to his home between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. with electronic monitoring and making him submit to random drug tests. He was ordered to continue participating in substance-abuse and mental-health counseling. Vick was put under pretrial release supervision in July, and the restrictions included refraining from the use of narcotic drugs or other controlled substances. The Atlanta Falcons quarterback, who pleaded guilty in August to federal dogfighting charges, is awaiting sentencing December 10 — and Vick's violation of the conditions of his release could be taken into consideration by the judge. He faces up to five years in prison for the federal charges, and has been indicted on additional state charges in Virginia as well. ...

A second woman has filed a lawsuit against Lil Wayne over a melee that broke out during one of his shows at Morgan State University in Baltimore in October. According to an AP story, Carlisa Dixon said she was impaled on a metal pole after the crowd surged to snatch up money that was being tossed from the stage. Dixon is seeking $1 million from Wayne's record label and touring companies, and another $1 million from the university, claiming she underwent surgery for a puncture wound as a result of the crowd surge. A lawsuit was filed in August by another woman who claimed she was trampled in the same money-throwing incident. A spokesperson for Wayne could not be reached for comment at press time. ...

A man died at a Smashing Pumpkins concert in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Monday night in what police think may have been a crowd-surfing or moshing accident. The Canadian Press reports that Vancouver police say the man was unconscious when he was dragged out of the crowd at the Pacific National Exhibition Forum during the show and worked on by first-aid personnel on site before being transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Police have ruled out foul play. ... The Voodoo Music Experience is shifting locations, but just slightly. The fest, to take place October 26-28, has a new site in New Orleans City Park to accommodate ongoing restoration and improvement of the park. The shift brings the fest closer to Tad Gormley Stadium, where Voodoo was first held in 1999. ...

Do you march to Nelly's beat? The rapper is cobbling together a marching band for his performance at the BET Hip-Hop Awards on October 13. Auditions will be held Sunday starting at 11 a.m. in New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, New Orleans and St. Louis, and Nelly is looking for girls who can play drums, tri-toms, bass drum, tuba or trumpet. Prospective players need to know how to perform his song "Grillz" and move to the beat of the song while playing their instruments. Final auditions will be held October 8 in Atlanta, and those who can't make the auditions in person can post a one-minute video clip on Nelly's drum-line-audition site. ... If you've been doubting Swizz Beatz's fashion sense, think again — Gap has tapped the hugely popular producer for its spring ad campaign. ...

VH1 Rock Docs picked up its first Emmy win on Monday as "DMC: My Adoption Journey" earned the award for News & Documentary Emmy for Outstanding Arts & Culture Programming. The program, which revolves around the Run-DMC member's search for his birth mother, premiered in February 2006 and will re-air on VH1 on Saturday at 10 p.m. ... Have you already imported Babyface's Playlist into your own playlist? Then mark you calendar — the singer is putting together a tour in support of his recently released LP. Babyface will play a gig in the Philippines on October 13, followed by a stretch in Japan; after that he'll hit Oakland, California, on November 23, and Sparks, Nevada, the following day. ...

During a recent visit to "The Howard Stern Show," Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx spoke out about drummer Tommy Lee and his apparent departure from the band. He told Stern that Lee quit, and Sixx blamed the current legal problems the band is having with one of its former managers for the turmoil. Sixx said that, since Lee isn't the Crüe's frontman or chief songwriter, the band should be fine without him. He added that he harbors no ill will toward Lee. ... Snow Patrol keyboardist Tom Simpson was expected to appear in court in Glasgow, Scotland, on Tuesday to answer to drug-possession charges filed against him this summer. While the charges weren't dropped, the prosecution doesn't intend on taking "further action," meaning the charges will either have to be re-raised again or dropped altogether. ...

Pearl Jam guitarist Stone Gossard's side project Brad are getting back together for a one-night-only show on October 17 at New York's Webster Hall. The benefit event will also feature Billy Bragg and be hosted by Tim Robbins. It is being held to support Woody and Marjorie Guthrie, and the 40th anniversary of the Huntington's Disease Society of America, which was founded by Marjorie. ... Puddle of Mudd aren't ones for Southern hospitality, apparently. Frontman Wesley Scantlin has been banned from Memphis' Graceland after hopping in the pool in Elvis Presley's mansion during a tour on Monday. ...

The Eagles will perform on an awards show for the first time when they take the stage at the Country Music Awards, which will air November 7 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS. Carrie Underwood is also slated to perform. ... The Rolling Stones' recent tour didn't just carry the band to the top of Forbes' list of biggest-earning music acts — it landed them in the Guinness World Records, according to Reuters. The classic-rockers' A Bigger Bang tour took $437 million dollars to give them a new record, for the world's most successful music tour. ...

Killswitch Engage and Lamb of God will be teaming up for a late-fall co-headlining tour, which is set to kick off November 28 in Lowell, Massachusetts, with dates booked through December 17 in Rio Rancho, New Mexico. DevilDriver and Soilwork will open on all dates. ... Chris Cornell has added another round of dates to his North American tour, which began in the spring. He has booked another 28 gigs, meaning the trek will continue through November 23, when he's expected to perform at the Pearl Concert Theater at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. ...

A photo from Elton John's collection has been pulled from a British gallery where it was to be displayed over concerns by police that it might be child pornography. The photo — which was taken by award-winning American photographer Nan Goldin — shows two young girls, one with her legs spread apart, and was to be displayed at the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art in northern England before it was seized by police, according to London's Times Online. John released a statement, explaining, "The photograph entitled 'Klara and Edda belly-dancing' (1998) is one of 149 images comprising the 'Thanksgiving' installation by renowned U.S. photographer Nan Goldin ... The photograph exists as part of the installation as a whole and has been widely published and exhibited throughout the world [and] has been offered for sale at Sotheby's New York in 2002 and 2004, and has previously been exhibited in Houston, London, Madrid [Spain], New York, Portugal, Warsaw [Poland] and Zürich [Switzerland] without any objections of which we are aware."

• Mary J. Blige
• Travis Barker
• Paul Wall
• Marilyn Manson
• The Smashing Pumpkins

Marilyn Manson
Photo: Getty Images

In a breach-of-contract lawsuit filed Thursday afternoon (August 2) in Los Angeles Superior Court, former Marilyn Manson keyboardist Stephen Gregory Bier Jr. — known to fans by his stage name, Madonna Wayne Gacy — claims the shock rocker has been using the band's money to fund his lavish lifestyle, drug habit and the production of his upcoming film, "Phantasmagoria: The Visions of Lewis Carroll," among other things.

The suit further alleges Manson took assets belonging to the rest of the band (money generated through touring, and album and merchandise sales) to purchase Nazi paraphernalia, African masks made of human skin and the full skeleton of a 4-year-old Chinese girl, all of which he has on display in his Chatsworth, California, mansion.

The singer denied the allegations to MTV News in an interview late Thursday afternoon.

Bier is seeking unspecified general, compensatory and punitive damages as well as lost salary, bonuses and attorneys' fees, which he "believes to be in excess of $20 million."

According to the suit, a copy of which was obtained by MTV News, Bier claims that at the time of the band's formation, when the group was still known as Marilyn Manson and the Spooky Kids, the founding members entered into a partnership agreement whereby all profits (and losses) from the group's album releases, tours and merch sales were shared in various proportions, with Manson getting the biggest chunk.

The complaint charges Manson with systematically forcing the original bandmembers out, replacing them with new musicians who weren't privy to the original arrangement. In one such instance, the lawsuit claims that drummer Fred Streithorst, Jr. — stage name: Sara Lee Lucas — split in 1995 after Manson doused his drum kit with butane during a concert, setting it on fire while Streithorst was still playing.

The suit further contends that Manson took complete control of the band, insisting that it drop "Spooky Kids" from its moniker, leaving just Marilyn Manson as the group's name. Manson allegedly told the rest of the band that from that point on, he'd call himself "Mr. Manson," but he later reneged on that promise.

Later on, after the band achieved mainstream success, Manson's antics cost the band dearly, Bier claims, as lawsuit after lawsuit was filed against it. These include a suit resulting from Manson's alleged attack on a security guard in 2000 and a sexual misconduct suit filed a year later.

The suit also says that in 2000, Manson "forced the band to spend a substantial sum of money to pay a video production company to keep certain video footage out of an upcoming DVD about the band ... [as] this video footage showed Manson making racist statements and jokes about African-Americans while feeding his pet snake."

In 2004, according to the suit, Manson began spending significant sums of money; when questioned by Bier about the expenditures, Manson allegedly assured him it had come from sales of his autobiography, "The Long Hard Road Out of Hell." Bier believes it was the band's shared assets, not Manson's own money, that was used to "supply his [cocaine and Vicodin] habit," as well as to fund a stint in a $3,000-a-day rehab facility he left before his treatment was completed.

According to the suit, band money also paid for Manson's collection of Nazi artifacts, including "SS typewriters, swastika wall tiles he had installed in his home library ceiling with custom rugs made to match and Nazi government coat hangers owned by Adolf Hitler."

The suit claims Manson also bought a handbag that once belonged to Hitler's mistress, Eva Braun, which he later gave to his then-fiancee, Dita Von Teese. But that's not where the collecting ended: Manson also collected taxidermy models of animals, including a California grizzly and two baboons, as well as the "full skeleton of a 17th-century male in a wheelchair."

In addition, Bier believes Manson used band money to buy Von Teese's $150,000 engagement ring and to pay for the couple's lavish 2005 wedding (see "Marilyn Manson Marries Longtime Girlfriend Dita Von Teese"). Whenever Bier asked about it, Manson denied he was using the group's money for any personal items or expenses, the suit reads.

Then, in 2004, when Bier tried to use some of the money he earned as part of Marilyn Manson to buy a home, he was denied access to it by the band's business managers, at the behest of Manson, the suit claims.

Bier's suit also charges Manson cut the keyboardist's salary without just cause and eventually had his salary payments frozen. Bier was also accused by Manson of stealing band equipment, and he claims that medical expenses he incurred for treatment of band-related ailments went unpaid by the band's business managers, even though he'd asked them to do so using his share of the band's profits. In time, Bier said he was told that his employment contract with the band had expired, a document he claims he never signed; Manson's lawyers argued at the time that this meant he was no longer part of the original partnership and could be fired at any time. Even the existence of the partnership agreement was denied by Manson's people, the suit claims.

In short, the suit contends, "because of Manson and others' fraudulent conduct, Bier has spent almost two decades working for one of the world's most popular rock bands, that has made millions of dollars in profit, and now had almost nothing to show for it."

The suit also names Marilyn Manson's management, lawyers and accountants as defendants, along with Manson's own film production company, the band's merchandise company and the corporation that was established to oversee the group's various tours.

Manson responded to the allegations in an exclusive interview with MTV News on Thursday. "The fact that he's claiming that I've treated him unfairly, financially, is really ridiculous," the singer said. "And I would never spend my money on a Chinese girl skeleton. That would be crossing the line. It's a Chinese boy, for the record," he laughed, before continuing. "[Bier and his lawyers are] going for shock value, obviously, and I couldn't be less surprised by how unshocking these things would be to the public."

Manson, who noted that he hasn't yet seen the suit, said he will defend himself against the allegations; he added that he hasn't heard from Bier in more than a year. He claimed he and others in the Manson organization attempted to contact the keyboardist to work on this year's Eat Me, Drink Me LP, but when Bier did respond, it was with hostility.

"It's all a big question mark to me," Manson said. "I don't feel like this compares to any prior ex-bandmember situations, because those were all very clear conflicts, where somebody didn't get along with someone else (see "Fired Marilyn Manson Guitarist Wonders What Went Wrong"). And this is just a situation where I stopped hearing from him, and I started making a record and kept trying to get him involved, and the only thing that came after that was hostility during a period where I could have used close friends more than ever." Manson revealed back in May that he had contemplated suicide this past winter (see "Marilyn Manson Reveals He Came Close To Suicide; LP 'Was My Salvation,' ").

"I wish there was some sort of legal angle to this whole thing, or some sort of common sense, or just even camaraderie after all the years that we knew each other," Manson added. "I don't have an explanation for it. It just seems like another ex-bandmember suing me and trying to assassinate my personality as a means to financial gain, and it just seems old. It's just not fair. If I spent my money on anything, it was my family, and paying his salary for a year when we weren't even touring."

• Marilyn Manson

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