George Michael
Photo: JIL Studio/ FilmMagic

British singer George Michael was arrested on drug-possession charges Friday in a public bathroom near his home in North London, according to The Daily Telegraph.

The newspaper reported that police officers — responding to a tip from a lavatory attendant — caught Michael, 45, using a "small amount" of crack cocaine and marijuana in a public restroom. He was taken to a North London police station where he received a cautionary warning and was released after he accepted responsibility for carrying the drugs.

"The caution was [issued] for the possession of Class A and Class C drugs, cocaine and cannabis," a spokesperson for Scotland Yard told the Telegraph. "He was released and no further action will be taken."

The arrest was just the latest in a string of drug (and public restroom)-related incidents involving the singer. In 1998, he was famously arrested outside the men's room at the Will Rogers Memorial Park in Beverly Hills, California, and charged with "engaging in a lewd act." He pleaded no contest to the charge, and performed 80 hours of community service. In February 2006, he was arrested in London and charged with possession of Class C drugs, after police found him slumped over in a car. In May of that same year, he was again found passed out in a vehicle, and when he was awoken by a member of the public, he drove off, hitting a traffic divider. In October of 2006, he was found unconscious in his Mercedes-Benz, taken to the hospital and then charged with possession of marijuana. The following May, he pled guilty to driving while unfit through drugs, and was banned from driving for two years.

Michael admitted last year that he was addicted to prescription drugs, blaming his behavior on a "self-destructive" impulse brought on by the death of his mother a decade ago.

Attempts to reach Michael's label, Epic, for comment were unsuccessful at press time.

• George Michael

Mariah Carey
Photo: Peter Kramer/Getty Images

With her chart comeback solidified, Mariah Carey is giving Hollywood another chance. The singer — who famously flamed out in her 2001 big-screen debut, "Glitter" — has been tapped to star in the indie drama "Tennessee," according to Variety magazine. The movie, which shoots in New Mexico and Tennessee this spring, will find Carey playing a waitress who joins two brothers on their journey to find their estranged father. The film will be directed by "Monster's Ball" producer Lee Daniels. ...

Snoop Dogg and Pharrell Williams will headline the People's Celebration concert series this spring in South Africa. Sean Paul, Mario and Rihanna will also play the series at Johannesburg Stadium on April 27, Durban's ABSA Stadium on April 29 and Cape Town's Green Point Stadium on May 1. ... On the other side of the globe, Chilean President Ricardo Lagos presented U2 frontman Bono with Chile's highest award for the arts, a medal named after late Chilean Nobel Prize laureate Pablo Neruda, on Sunday. The singer was also presented with a charango, a traditional Andean instrument that resembles a lute. U2 performed that same evening in Santiago's main soccer stadium. Before the gig, Bono and the rest of U2 were honored with Amnesty International's 2005 Ambassador of Conscience award. Bono and Live 8 organizer Bob Geldof were also recently revealed as nominees for the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize, in recognition of their continuing efforts to cancel Third World debt. Bono and Geldof are among 191 people and organizations being considered for the honor. They were also nominated for 2005's award. ... This time there was no controversy. Former 98 Degrees singer Drew Lachey was crowned the winner of the second edition of "Dancing With the Stars" Sunday night, beating out pro wrestler Stacy Keibler and NFL legend Jerry Rice. With pregnant wife Lea and brother Nick in the live audience, Lachey, a favorite from the first week of the program, accepted the show's "ugly" disco-ball trophy with a "Whooooo!" and a smile. ...

Nine Inch Nails have postponed a performance scheduled for Monday (February 27) in Amherst, Massachusetts, because of an illness within the band. It is not known which member of the touring group is sick or the nature of the ailment. The concert has been rescheduled for March 10, and all tickets to Monday's gig will be honored. ... Jamie Foxx was named Best Male Musical Artist at the 37th annual NAACP Image Awards, held in Los Angeles on Saturday. Alicia Keys nabbed three of the four awards she was nominated for, winning Top Female Musical Artist, Top Song and Top Video for "Unbreakable," while Mariah Carey, who was also in the running for four trophies, took Best Album for The Emancipation of Mimi. Comedian Chris Rock's autobiographical sitcom, "Everybody Hates Chris," won the award for Best Television Series, and "Crash" was named Top Movie. Terrence Howard won Best Supporting Actor for his role in the film, as well as Best Actor in a TV Movie or Miniseries for his work in HBO's "Lackawanna Blues." Samuel L. Jackson took home the trophy for Best Actor for his portrayal of "Coach Carter." Carlos Santana, who performed at the show, was honored with the NAACP Hall of Fame Award, while the Neville Brothers walked away with the Chairman's Award. The Image Awards, hosted by Cuba Gooding Jr., will air Friday on Fox. ...

On March 21 Plexifilm will release a deluxe DVD version of "Kill the Moonlight," the surreal, low-budget film that inspired Beck's 1994 breakout hit "Loser." The flick, directed by longtime Beck collaborator Steven Hanft, tells the story of Chance, a fish-hatchery worker who dreams of fixing up his Camaro and becoming a stock-car racer. Beck went so far as to include Chance's "I'm a driver, I'm a winner, things are gonna change, I can feel it" line in "Loser," the video for which also features several clips from the film. The "Moonlight" DVD also comes with the out-of-print soundtrack, featuring three unreleased Beck tunes (including the jaunty barroom ballad "Leave Me on the Moon") and cuts from Loser, a band featuring Beck and Hanft. ... George Michael was arrested on Sunday on suspicion of possessing drugs after authorities found him slumped over in a car in central London. According to a Reuters report, the '80s pop star was held on suspicion of possession of Class C drugs, which could be anything from pot to tranquilizers or painkillers. Though British law forbids naming suspects, police confirmed that a 42-year-old man was arrested and bailed pending an investigation. The penalty for Class C possession is up to two years in jail and an unlimited fine. ... Richard Ashcroft's third solo album, Keys to the World, will hit U.S. stores on March 21. To promote the record, the former Verve singer will embark upon his first North American tour in six years, opening for Coldplay beginning March 17 in Kanata, Ontario. ...

Danger Mouse and Cee-Lo's new duo, Gnarls Barkley, will release their debut album, St. Elsewhere, May 2, a few days after their live debut at Coachella. The first single, "Crazy," will hit airwaves in mid-April. ... Cold have called it quits after nearly a decade as a band. Frontman Scooter Ward wrote a post on the band's Web site over the weekend titled "The Day the Music Died," which read, "When you put a song out on the radio, it is what it is. It's a gamble on your life and your career and your hope. People just didn't react the way we had hoped they would. ... But instead of having someone tell us that it's over, we choose to tell them instead. We bled on those tracks and the label just didn't see what they had. The industry today is too jaded and fake." Ward said he plans to continue working with drummer Sam McCandless on a new project. He also hinted that a Cold DVD could be forthcoming. ... LCD Soundsystem will release the digital-only Introns March 14. The 10-track remix and B-sides disc will be sold exclusively at digital outlets and includes songs previously available only in the U.K. The band will hit the studio in March to begin the follow-up to its self-titled debut. ... Felt — the collaborative project between underground hip-hop artists Atmosphere and Murs — will headline the Paid Dues festival on March 11 at the Orange Show Fairgrounds in San Bernardino, California. Aesop Rock, Living Legends, EL-P and Chingo Bling are also on the bill. ...

Alt-country rockers Golden Smog have plans to release their first album in eight years. The collaborative outfit — consisting of Wilco's Jeff Tweedy, Soul Asylum's Dan Murphy, Big Star's Jody Stephens, and the Jayhawks' Gary Louris, Marc Perlman and Kraig Johnson — will release Another Fine Day July 18. Consisting of 14 new songs, the disc will also include a cover of the Dave Davies (Kinks) song "Strangers." ... Loose Fur — the experimental collaboration between Wilco's Tweedy and Glenn Kotche and Chicago multi-instrumentalist Jim O'Rourke — will release their second album on March 21, according to Drag City Records. Called Born Again in the U.S.A., the album features 10 tracks and follows up the trio's self-titled 2003 release. ... Actor Don Knotts, perhaps best known to television audiences as Deputy Barney Fife from "The Andy Griffith Show," died Friday in Los Angeles of pulmonary and respiratory complications, The Associated Press reports. He was 81. Knotts also played landlord Ralph Furley on "Three's Company," joining the cast in 1979. More recently, the actor appeared in the 1998 film "Pleasantville" as a television repairman whose supercharged remote control sends Reese Witherspoon and Tobey Maguire into a black and white TV sitcom world. He also voiced Mayor Turkey Lurkey in last year's animated film "Chicken Little."

02.24.2006

Kanye West took the prize for Best Solo Artist at this year's ShockWaves NME Awards, held in London on Thursday, while the Strokes were designated the Best International Band. More than 80,000 people cast votes for the prizes, which are picked by the British music magazine's readers. The evening's biggest winners were the Arctic Monkeys, who were named Best New Band as well as Best British Band and scored the Best Track prize for their song "I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor." Franz Ferdinand took home the award for Best Live Band, and the Kaiser Chiefs' Employment was honored as the year's Best Album. Madonna scored Sexiest Woman, while Darkness frontman Justin Hawkins won the Worst Dressed award and James Blunt's Back to Bedlam earned the award no one wanted: Worst Album. "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" was chosen as Best Film. ...

"Goblet of Fire" has earned more than just the affection of NME readers; it's also racked up $600 million in international box-office receipts, making it only the fifth film to do so. According to Variety, the latest "Harry Potter" film joins "Titanic" (which has grossed $1.2 billion worldwide), "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" ($750 million), "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" ($657 million) and "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" ($616 million) in the list of films that have crossed the $600 million barrier. ... On Friday (February 24) a Detroit judge granted a request by Red Light District Video to delay a decision in a case involving Kid Rock until March 23. On Tuesday lawyers for Rock won a temporary injunction barring RLDV from distributing a sex tape involving their client, former Creed frontman Scott Stapp and four women. While the lawyers were hoping that U.S. District Court Judge John Feikens would grant their request for a permanent injunction on Friday, RLDV had retained the services of a Detroit-area attorney and will now have until the 23rd to present their case. ... The Gorillaz have slated their "Demon Days Live" DVD for a March release. The disc captures moments from the group's five-night stand at the Manchester Opera House, when 'Rillaz mastermind Damon Albarn played the Demon Days album in its entirety and was joined onstage by De La Soul and Ike Turner. The DVD includes full-screen visuals, created specifically for the Manchester shows by Gorillaz illustrator Jamie Hewlett. ...

Former "American Idol" hopeful Jennifer Hudson — who'll be making her feature film debut alongside Beyoncé and Jamie Foxx in "Dreamgirls" — has been named ShoWest's Female Star of Tomorrow, Variety reports. Hudson, who's recording an album that'll hit stores in 2007, will claim the honor at the closing night banquet during this year's annual ShoWest convention in Las Vegas on March 16. Hudson's in good company, as past recipients of ShoWest's Star of Tomorrow prize include Heath Ledger, Hilary Swank and LL Cool J. ... On Thursday, Apple's iTunes Music Store sold its billionth downloadable song to Alex Ostrovsky of Michigan. Ostrovsky was unaware that his purchase of Coldplay's "Speed of Sound" would afford him much more than an opportunity to crank the volume, but according to The New York Times, that $0.99 earned him a 20-inch iMac, 10 iPods and a $10,000 gift card for more downloads. Apple is also going to set up a scholarship at the Juilliard School in his name. ... English rockers Test Icicles have quickly gone from NBT to D.O.A. The bandmembers announced Tuesday that they're calling it quits, canceling in the process the U.S. tour that was scheduled to begin March 1. Guitarist Rory Atwell said in a longwinded statement, "In our current state of disrepair it was never going to happen and if we did try and make it happen it probably would have led to something much worse happening and the three of us disappearing somewhere near Utah never to be seen again, or something like that." The band's debut album, For Screening Purposes Only, came out in late January. ...

The body of a man found in a Brentwood apartment February 5 has been identified as Todd Kevin Wallace, the 44-year-old paparazzo who was facing assault charges stemming from an incident with actress Reese Witherspoon. According to The Associated Press, the coroner's office confirmed his death Thursday, but the cause of death is still under investigation pending toxicology results. Wallace was charged with assault and battery following an incident at Disneyland involving Witherspoon and one of her daughter's friends; he was alleged to have hit a 5-year-old girl in his attempts to snap a shot of Witherspoon, who refused to have her picture taken. In December, a warrant was issued for Wallace's arrest when he failed to turn up for a bail hearing. ... The Walkmen are set to release the follow-up to 2004's indie-riffic Bows + Arrows with A Hundred Miles Off on May 23. In addition to the 12-track disc, the band also recently re-recorded Harry Nilsson's 1974 collaboration album with John Lennon, Pussy Cats; the new version, Pussy Cats Starring the Walkmen, is due later this year. The band is scheduled to follow up their Coachella appearance with a full-blown U.S. tour. ...

To My Surprise, the side project of Slipknot percussionist Clown, have been booked for this year's South by Southwest Festival. The band will take the stage of Exodus in Austin, Texas, on March 16 before heading overseas to Europe for a spate of festival appearances. A North American tour is in the works for this fall. ... H.I.M. will soon shoot a video for the track "Killing Loneliness" with director Nathan Cox (Queens of the Stone Age, Staind). The clip will feature an appearance by noted tattoo artist Kat Von D, whose work has been featured on the reality series "Miami Ink." ... Haste the Day have grown by one. Stephen Keech was named the band's new singer, replacing Jimmy Ryan, who left the ranks three months ago for personal reasons. Keech was introduced as the group's newest member onstage in Denver Thursday night. Haste the Day are currently on the road with Bleeding Through and Every Time I Die. ... Bay Area rockers Stroke 9 will be hitting the road in late March, in support of their latest offering, Café Cuts. The 9 have lined up 18 gigs in all, beginning March 23 in San Juan Capistrano, California. The tour will hit Detroit, Baltimore, San Francisco, and Philadelphia before finishing up in Chicago May 21.

• Mariah Carey
• Alicia Keys
• Jamie Foxx
• Bono
• George Michael

• Britney Spears
• Jennifer Lopez
• Michael Jackson
• Whitesnake
• Jessica Simpson

George Michael's "Shoot The Dog"
Photo: Polydor

Could George Michael's latest single and video, "Shoot the Dog," actually be a shot in the foot?

Never one to shy away from controversy, Michael has outdone himself with the animated clip, his first foray into the world of political satire, in which he takes on President George W. Bush, British Prime Minister Tony Blair and the Queen Mum.

In the song, Michael criticizes British foreign policy — at least when it comes to dealings with the Middle East — as being too closely aligned with that of the U.S. The video depicts Bush as an idiot and Blair as his lapdog, literally (see the video). Critics are already predicting that the song and video — which shows Michael astride a nuclear missile — could end the pop star's career.

In an exclusive interview with MTV News' Kurt Loder on Wednesday (July 3), however, Michael defended "Shoot the Dog" and said that his lyrics and imagery are being misinterpreted.

"People are looking at the song in context of an attack on America, as opposed to an attack on Tony Blair," Michael said from his vacation home in France. "And really, my attack is that Tony Blair is not involving the British in this issue. He's perfectly happy staying up to watch the World Cup and enjoying the Jubilee, all things I'm perfectly guilty of, but there's a serious discussion about Iraq which hasn't taken place. We don't know what Saddam Hussein is capable of, the British public has no idea."

Though the song is about some very serious topics, Michael addresses them in such a tongue-in-cheek and (in some cases) sexual way, that the overall mission of the song — a call for discussion and debate — has been missed. Critics are focusing on the depiction of Blair and his wife Cherie in bed with Bush (in a visual homage to Genesis' video for "Land of Confusion," which featured then-President Ronald Reagan in satire), as if Blair and Bush were gay lovers. And though Michael is the one who's openly gay, he comes on to Blair's wife in the video, telling her he's available, while the prime minister is busy with global politics ("Cherie, baby ... stay with me tonight/ Let's have some fun while Tony's stateside").

The message, Michael says, is that Blair has been remiss in some of his homeland duties, and that the British are feeling just as threatened by the situation in the Middle East as Americans are.

"We're all still obviously very much vulnerable right now, both countries, with their relationship with the Middle East and Al Qaeda," Michael said. "Britain is now a target, we're effectively a possible target, as a warning to America."

Despite lyrics that seem to refer to September 11th, Michael said that he wrote the song beforehand, and out of respect to those who suffered any loss in those attacks, he never intended the single or video to be released in the U.S., to avoid any misunderstandings.

"The incident was so appalling, and the shock was so fresh," he said, "that I think it would have been totally disrespectful, because the song was really about the West and the fundamentalist world. It wasn't about any one event."

—Jennifer Vineyard, with additional reporting by Kurt Loder

• George Michael

R. Kelly
Photo: Jive

Musicians are often held to a different standard than the rest of us.

Despite his well-publicized years of hard-core drug use, Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards is still a grizzled, beloved rock and roll figure. And say what you will about Ozzy Osbourne's profanity-laced parenting skills, but the man is suddenly a family values icon.

When it comes to taboos, though, sexual peccadilloes have been the undoing of many a musician. From George Michael to Michael Jackson, Chuck Berry to Jerry Lee Lewis, history has had a dim view of musicians accused of sexual impropriety.

But according to a number of prominent media spin doctors, regardless of whether R. Kelly is ultimately cleared of allegations that he videotaped sex with a minor, it's not a foregone conclusion that his once high-flying career has been grounded.

"I would say recently he's doing the right things," said Robert Cathey, VP of Ackerman PR in Knoxville, Tennessee. "He's talking about it, which is the most important thing. When you keep your mouth shut you're allowing other people to set the agenda."

Though his company is generally hired by corporate clients working through product recalls and plant accidents that call their credibility into question, Cathey said Kelly's situation is not much different. "When someone is buying an entertainment product, they are buying an affiliation, a connection with the individual who produced it. When I'm in the car with friends and I pull out an R. Kelly CD, it says something about me. Because I have a connection with the brand, in this case an artist, I also have a connection with his or her public image."

Tapes that allege to show Kelly having sex with an underage girl emerged three months ago and quickly became staples of sidewalk bootleg vendors in New York (see "Girl In Alleged R. Kelly Tape Said To Be 14-Year-Old Niece Of Singer Sparkle"). Kelly has denied ever appearing in a videotape with an underage girl. He has not yet been questioned by police.

Cathey said Kelly's demeanor during his recent MTV interview was as good as a PR company could hope for in the situation. "He's sitting up straight. He's not crossing his arms, and his body posture is very open. He appears earnest and honest, straightforward and clear," Cathey said. "He's not taking the bait when people try to get him to throw rocks at those who would damage his reputation. He's focusing on the customer and thanking them for their support. That's powerful stuff."

Setting the record straight is exactly what Kelly's rep, Allan Mayer, intended to do. "Given that the allegations against R. Kelly are false, our 'strategy' is simply to do what we can to get the facts out to people," said former Newsweek editor Mayer, who has done damage control for such high profile clients as failed telecommunications giant Global Crossing, actress Paula Poundstone and Oscar-winner Halle Berry, who faced a firestorm of bad press in 2000 when she left the scene of a car accident.

Kelly broke his long silence in early April, when he went on a media blitz to deny the allegations. "People are trying to bring me down," the singer said. "I'm no angel, but I'm no monster either."

The allegations are not the first to tie Kelly to young women. Kelly married Aaliyah when she was 15 (despite denials of the marriage, a marriage certificate and proof of an annulment were eventually unearthed) and has settled two suits filed by women who accused the singer of having relations with them while they were underage.

In an earlier, pre-spin doctor rock and roll age, some musicians didn't have the chance to take their case to the public like Kelly.

One of the biggest early casualties of sexual misconduct was rock pioneer Jerry Lee Lewis. His career was dealt a fatal blow in 1958 when it was revealed that he had married his 13-year-old second cousin, Myra Brown, while still married to his previous wife.

Fellow rock pioneer Chuck Berry fared worse in 1961 when he was convicted of transporting a 14-year-old girl across state lines. Berry did a year and a half in jail for his offense and never again reached the same pinnacles of success.

Even superstardom is not always a shield. After his 1980s run as the biggest pop artist in the world, Michael Jackson has yet to recover from a sordid 1993 allegation that he sexually molested a 13-year-old boy.

Though Jackson settled a civil suit brought by the boy's parents and continued to proclaim his innocence, each of the albums he released since the scandal broke sold fewer copies than the one prior to it, and his popularity in the United States has dwindled with each new story of his erratic behavior.

Similarly, Gary Glitter, the flamboyant British rocker behind the sporting event staple "Rock and Roll Part 2," lost fans when he was convicted of possessing child pornography. The rocker served a four-month prison sentence in 1999.

One of the few women to be painted with the brush of sexual scandal is "Mexican Madonna" Gloria Trevi. The controversial singer has been in a Brazilian jail for nearly two years awaiting a ruling on an extradition request from Mexican police, who plan to charge her and manager Sergio Andrade with luring underage girls into sex and prostitution.

Singer George Michael has had a hard time getting his career back on track since being arrested for lewd conduct in 1998 for exposing himself to an undercover officer in a California park bathroom. While Michael defused the situation a bit by mocking the arrest in the video for his 1998 single "Outside," his recording output since the arrest has been minimal.

Elvis Presley, however, began his dalliance with his future wife, Priscilla, when she was only 14. The two lived together at his Graceland mansion for five years before they were married, with the consent of Priscilla's parents. And, with the help of Presley's ultra-shrewd manager, Colonel Tom Parker, the relationship did not adversely affect Presley's career.

One of the differences between Kelly and some of the other scandalized musicians is simply a matter of modern social mores, according to a prominent crisis manager. "Ten years ago, it was next to impossible for a musician to overcome serious allegations like that," said Larry Smith, president of the Institute for Crisis Management, a specialty public relations firm that does crisis training, planning and consultation for mainly corporate clients.

"In the past several years, though, the public has become more accustomed to allegations of outrageous behavior, and there are many more distractions," he said. "The behavior is not more acceptable, it's just not as shocking."

As examples, Smith cited convicted rapist boxer Mike Tyson (who will take part in the biggest boxing payday ever in June), prostitute-patronizing movie star Hugh Grant and once-disgraced lingerie-wearing TV sportscaster Marv Albert as examples of stars whose careers might once have been deep-sixed by their actions but who have survived their scandals.

Smith, too, said, assuming the allegations against Kelly are proven untrue, the musician has done the right thing. "The public is more intolerant of people who lie and stonewall than those who screw up and admit it and ask for forgiveness," Smith said. "A lie offends the public far more than misdeeds."

For a feature interview with R. Kelly, see "R. Kelly: In His Own Words."

For complete coverage of the R. Kelly sex tape scandal, see The R. Kelly Reports.

• R. Kelly
• Michael Jackson
• George Michael

Peter Buck's retrial began Monday (March 18) in London with the prosecutors describing the R.E.M. guitarist's alleged drunken behavior on a flight from Seattle to London last April. The trial is expected to last eight days. ... In other courtroom news, Marilyn Manson's hearing on disorderly conduct charges stemming from an incident at Ozzfest near Detroit last summer has been pushed back from Monday (March 18) to March 27. Manson is accused of rubbing his genitals on a security guard's neck. ... Piano men Elton John and Billy Joel have cancelled their remaining seven April and May U.S. dates in New York, Boston and New Jersey on orders from Joel's doctor. According to John's Web site, there are plans to reschedule the dates in September and October, but details are unknown. ...

Phish's Trey Anastasio, Ben Harper and Les Claypool's Frog Brigade will headline the inaugural Bonnaroo Music Festival June 21-23 on farmland in Manchester, Tennessee. Other acts scheduled include Gov't Mule, Widespread Panic, the String Cheese Incident, Karl Denson's Tiny Universe, moe., Galactic and Jack Johnson. ... George Michael's video for "Freeek," a single recently released in Europe, had to be edited by British and French broadcasters because it features mating dogs, nudity and swearing, according to Reuters. Michael has yet to finish the song's accompanying album and there is no word on a release date. ...

Static-X have joined the likes of the WWF's Undertaker and the Insane Clown Posse as subjects of a new Chaos! Comics sci-fi action series. The comic will be released July 24 and will be packaged with an exclusive CD. ... Neil Young has come down with a case of the flu, causing Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young to postpone shows scheduled for March 15 in Tacoma, Washington, and March 17 in Portland, Oregon. The band has rescheduled for April 28 and 29, respectively. ... Swedish garage-punk band the Hellacopters have scheduled an 18-date U.S. tour that starts March 29 in San Diego and runs through April 22 in New York. The band is touring to support last year's High Visibility, which is about to be released in America. ...

03.15.02

Tool will release the six-minute-long "Parabola" as their next radio single from Lateralus. Guitarist Adam Jones has created yet another surreal video to accompany the track. ... Detroit will prove once again that it has more than just fine automobiles to offer on April 19 when the city honors its musicians at the 2002 Detroit Music Awards. Rock City's nominees include Madonna, Eminem, D12, the White Stripes, Uncle Kracker and Kid Rock, while Royce Da 5'9", Obie Trice and Paradime are among those who will appear live. ... Godsmack, Joey McIntyre, Letters to Cleo's Kay Hanley, Reveille and Tracy Bonham are among the performers scheduled for the 15th annual Boston Music Awards on April 11 at the Orpheum Theatre. Staind, Aerosmith and American Hi-Fi lead all nominees with seven each, while Godsmack, LFO, Vertical Horizon and Weezer's Rivers Cuomo all earned multiple nominations. ...

R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe, Coldplay's Chris Martin and the Flaming Lips' Wayne Coyne are among the guests on U.K. drum 'n' bass DJ Faultline's upcoming album, Your Love Means Everything, due in May. Stipe sings on "Greenfields," a cover of the 1960 track by the Brothers Four. ... Stateside drum 'n' bass specialist Aphrodite, meanwhile, takes a hip-hop approach to his latest studio album, Aftershock, due in May. It features guest vocals from Rah Digga, Big Daddy Kane and Schooly D, who appears on the first single, "Hoochie." Aphrodite begins a 13-date North American tour Thursday at Centro-Fly in New York City. ...

Marc Moreland, lead guitarist and songwriter for Wall of Voodoo, the Los Angeles new wave band behind the 1984 hit "Mexican Radio," died Wednesday from complications following a liver transplant. The 44-year-old released Take It to the Spotlight under the name Marc Moreland Mess on March 5, but relatives told the San Gabriel Valley Tribune he was too sick to hear the finished mix. ... Counting Crows will perform new material from their as-yet-untitled fourth album, due in July, on five dates with the Who this summer. After four shows in California — Irvine (June 29), Los Angeles (July 1), Mountain View (July 3) and Marysville (July 4) — they will play at the Gorge, near Seattle (July 6). ...

Jersey-grown Jon Bon Jovi and his bounty huntin', six-stringin' partner Richie Sambora are scheduled to play Nashville's Ryman Auditorium April 14 as part of "Willie and Friends," a tribute to country rock legend Willie Nelson. Dave Matthews Band, Brian McKnight and Ryan Adams are also slated to perform at the all-star salute. ... Four days after the April 9 release of their eighth album, Gutterflower, the Goo Goo Dolls will headline the Pioneer Rock & Roar Concert at the 28th Annual Toyota Grand Prix in Long Beach, California. ... Charlatans UK have assembled Songs From the Other Side, a 17-track collection of B-sides and extras, for release on May 7. ...

• R.E.M.
• Marilyn Manson
• Elton John
• Billy Joel
• George Michael

George Michael
Photo: MTV News

George Michael apparently took the line "imagine no possessions" to heart — at least when it came to the white piano used by John Lennon to write his 1970 hit "Imagine." The British pop star reportedly returned the instrument to a Liverpool museum after buying it for $2 million last year.

The Steinway Model Z upright piano, which had previously been on loan to the Beatles Story museum before its owner put it up for auction in 2000, was back on display there Thursday (August 23), according to the Associated Press. Michael commented that the piano was "not the type of thing that should be in storage somewhere or being protected, it should be seen by people," the news service said.

Michael reportedly used the piano to record a song for his next album, according to the news service. Built in Hamburg in 1970, the piano can be seen in a film clip of Lennon performing "Imagine" for Yoko Ono at his English estate in 1971.

• George Michael
• John Lennon

Singer George Michael has purchased the Steinway piano that John Lennon composed "Imagine" on for approximately $2.1 million dollars during a transatlantic auction on Tuesday.

Reached Wednesday, a London publicist for Michael confirmed that he had indeed purchased the piano for 1.45 million pounds because he regards it "as a piece of musical history." The rep also indicated that Michael plans to keep the piano in the Britain, but has not made a decision about where the upright walnut piano will ultimately be housed.

Michael apparently outbid several over well-known Lennon fans, as the U.K. tabloid "The Sun" has reported that Robbie Williams and both Oasis brothers, Liam and Noel Gallagher, all made bids on the piano, but dropped out while the price tag was beneath a million pounds.

An intermediary for George Michael actually placed the winning bid during the auction, which was held via a teleconference from the Hard Rock Cafes in London and New York. Bids were also submitted over the Internet through fleetwoodowen.com.

Fleetwood Owen, a company set up by Fleetwood Mac drummer Mick Fleetwood and Brit auctioneer Ted Owen, organized Tuesday's sale (see "Lennon's 'Imagine' Piano To Be Sold"), and received an additional 217,500 pounds, about $ 313,765 American, as its 15 percent commission fee.

• The Beatles
• George Michael

Professional diva Whitney Houston has a greatest-hits album in the works, and the project promises to include a handful of new and reworked tracks, including a pairing with a diva of another sort... George Michael.

• Whitney Houston
• George Michael

George Michael and Queen Latifah have just been added to the lineup for Equality Rocks, a benefit concert being staged at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. on April 29 that will also feature Melissa Etheridge, Garth Brooks, k.d. lang, and the Pet Shop Boys.

• George Michael
• Queen Latifah