Elvis Presley
Photo: Michael Ochs Archives/ Getty Images

What do Elvis Presley, Albert Einstein, Marvin Gaye and Heath Ledger have in common? Well, according to Forbes, they all make more money dead than you do alive. The magazine has released its annual list of the world's top-earning deceased celebrities, and for a second-straight year, the King leads the pack.

Presley raked in $52 million this year, up from $49 million in 2007, much of it due to the thousands who visit his Graceland estate each year and leave with souvenirs. New licensing ventures and the addition of the Elvis Channel to Sirius Satellite Radio's programming list didn't hurt either.

"While things might be topsy-turvy in the financial markets above ground, it's still a bull market in the boneyard," Forbes joked. Elvis earned more in the last year than some of pop's biggest breathing names. By comparison, Justin Timberlake cleared $44 million, while Madonna pulled in $40 million.

With $33 million earned, "Peanuts" cartoonist Charles Schulz, who died eight years ago, follows Elvis at #2. Meanwhile, Australian actor Heath Ledger, who died in January of an accidental drug overdose, made the #3 spot on the list.

The magazine claims it was Ledger's role as the Joker in this summer's blockbuster Batman flick, "The Dark Knight," that helped him make the cut. Ledger's estate received a percentage of the movie's box office take, as well as the film's related merchandising deals. Add to that the up-front payments he received for his work on the unfinished film "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus," and the late actor earned an estimated $20 million over the last year.

German-born physicist Albert Einstein follows at #4 on the list, earning an estimated $18 million. Most of that cash came from the Disney-owned line of Baby Einstein products, Forbes reports, as well as several licensing deals, including one that will be tied to a new line of Kobe Bryant sneakers.

Further down the list, at #7, is Beatles songwriter John Lennon, who was murdered back in 1980 at the age of 40. Lennon's annual income peaked in 2006 at $24 million, but he is still one of the world's top postmortem earners, thanks to music-publishing royalties, merchandising and licensing agreements. The late Paul Newman, who died last month at the age of 83 after a long bout with lung cancer, makes the list at #11, earning $5 million, mostly from film residuals.

Marvin Gaye, who was murdered in 1984, earned $3.5 million last year to land in the #13 position. Motown Records continued to remaster, repackage and rerelease the singer's impressive catalog, and plans for a pair of big-budget biopics helped earn Gaye a spot on the roster for the first time. He also earned money through royalties and from hip-hop artists sampling his work.

• Elvis Presley
• Marvin Gaye

Josh Groban's <i>Noël</i>
Photo: WEA/ Reprise

Since its initial release 10 short weeks ago, Josh Groban's Noël has unexpectedly gone from being just another in a long list of forgettable Christmas-centric LPs to the best-selling album of 2007. With nearly 2.8 million copies sold — most coming within the last four weeks — Noël has usurped the "High School Musical 2" soundtrack (which has sold just over 2.7 million units) and Daughtry, the 2006 self-titled debut by "American Idol" finalist Chris Daughtry's band, (2.3 million) for that title.

What's more, Noël, which has increased in sales each week and has remained in the Billboard top 10 all those weeks, has shattered several sales records, thanks in large part to Oprah Winfrey's recent endorsement of the album as "the one Christmas CD every family should have."

According to the latest SoundScan totals, Noël, which sold another 669,000 copies, is the first Christmas album to spend four consecutive weeks on top in the chart's 51-year history. It's also only the second Christmas album to ever spend a total of four weeks at #1, tying it with Elvis Presley's 1957 LP Elvis' Christmas Album.

Noël is also the first album of any kind to spend four consecutive weeks at #1 and experience a sales increase each of those weeks since No Doubt's 1995 outing Tragic Kingdom, and the 669,000 copies the Groban album sold last week denotes the biggest single-week tally for a Christmas album since Kenny G's Miracles: The Holiday Album sold 819,000 copies during one of the last weeks of 1994. Plus, Noël is on pace to pass the 3 million-sold mark, which would make it the only album released in 2007 to reach that plateau.

Needless to say, everything's coming up Groban on Billboard's weekly albums chart. But Noël's sales aren't the only interesting development on next week's chart. For starters, a total of 10 new records enter next week's top 200, though none debut in the chart's top 10. The highest-charting debut of the week comes in at #11: Face Off, a collaborative album from rapper Bow Wow and R&B singer Omarion, sold 107,000 copies during its first week in stores, falling about 13,000 scans short of #10 finisher Garth Brooks' Ultimate Hits, which sold 119,400 copies.

Behind Groban at #2 is Alicia Keys' As I Am, with sales reported at 292,300, and the Eagles' Long Road Out of Eden follows her at #3 with 241,000 scans. Meanwhile, the 26th addition to the Now That's What I Call Music! compilation series comes in at #4 with 191,800 sold, and at #5, with 180,000 scans, it's Mannheim Steamroller's Christmas Song. The aforementioned "High School Musical 2" soundtrack holds at the #6 position with sales of 178,000, and Hannah Montana 2: Meet Miley Cyrus trails in the #7 spot, having sold another 177,500 units. Country crossover artist Taylor Swift's self-titled debut climbs one spot to #8 with 138,700 sold, and Carrie Underwood's Carnival Ride falls two spots to #9 with sales of 137,500.

Rapper Birdman's 5 * Stunna was the top 200's second-highest charting debut offering, coming in at #18 with 86,000 sold. Mario's Go follows at #21 with 76,900 scans, and coming in at #25 with 68,500 copies snatched up, it's the Wu-Tang Clan's 8 Diagrams. The-Dream's Love/Hate bows at #30 with sales of 58,900, and rapper Beanie Sigel returns to the chart at #37, having sold 49,300 copies of his latest, Solution.

The Wal-Mart exclusive High School Musical: Hits Remixed enters the chart at #42 with 42,300 scans, while Gucci Mane's Back to the Traphouse debuts at #57 with 31,700 sold. The Dave Matthews Band's Live at Piedmont Park occupies the #68 slot, thanks to 27,400 scans, while Puerto Rican songstress Ednita Nazario's Real opens at #101 with 18,000 sold.

• Josh Groban
• Daughtry
• Elvis Presley
• No Doubt
• Kenny G

Mandy Moore in "Because I Said So"
Photo: Universal Pictures

Mandy Moore is part of a select group of pop stars who can call themselves actors with a straight face.

"Because I Said So" stars Diane Keaton as a meddling mother who tries to help her daughter (Moore) find Mr. Right. While Moore began her career as a teen-pop singer, from her breakout performance in 2002's "A Walk to Remember" through a stint on the HBO sitcom "Entourage" she has managed to become that rarest of Hollywood feats, the actor/singer who can lay claim to equal footing in both worlds.

Normally, when a pop star makes a foray into the movies, their roots perpetually show. While Elvis Presley starred in 31 films between 1956 and 1969 (!!!), nobody ever took him seriously as an actor, probably because the King never really tried to act. Whatever role he was playing, be it ex-con/singer Vince Everett in "Jailhouse Rock" (1957), soldier/singer Tulsa McLean in "G.I. Blues" (1960), boxer/singer "Kid Galahad" (1962) or race-car driver/singer in a buncha films including "Viva Las Vegas" (1964) and "Speedway" (1968), the emphasis was always on the singing (and hip-shaking, of course).

As it turned out, Elvis' final film, 1969's "Change of Habit" — in which the King plays an inner-city doctor who falls in love with a nun — featured less singing and more acting than any of Presley's prior movies. Too bad it was such a stinker.

If there's any contemporary correlation to Elvis, it's probably Madonna, who has appeared in nearly 20 films starting with 1985's "A Certain Sacrifice." The key difference is that Madonna tries to be a serious actor, most notably taking on the role of Argentinean actress/ first lady/ spiritual leader Eva Perón in the 1996 adaptation of the play "Evita." While that performance earned Ms. Ciccone some good reviews, the star was still bigger than the role. Madonna's, shall we say, limited acting instrument, combined with her iconic, hyper-actualized persona, has (as with Elvis) made it impossible to ever buy her as anything other than Madge in costume.

Conversely, Cher surprised everyone by turning in a series of acclaimed film performances in the 1980s, distancing herself from the cartoony image she had built as singing/wisecracking partner to husband Sonny Bono in the '60s and '70s. When the duo split up, a number of ill-fated new directions in music led Cher to pursue acting. She took on a string of challenging roles beginning with 1982's monologue-heavy "Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean" and followed by turns in the dramas "Silkwood" (1983) and "Mask" (1985). Her performance in 1987's "Moonstruck," as a middle-age widow fending off the advances of a younger man while engaged to someone she doesn't love, won her the Oscar for Best Actress, cementing a level of acclaim in acting that she'd never come close to as a singer.

The similarly iconic Barbra Streisand is as known for her film work as her music, but that's been the case with Babs since the beginning. In the '60s and '70s, Streisand's albums were charting at the same time she was acting and singing in films like "Funny Girl" (1968) and "The Way We Were" (1973).

Perhaps the most successful singer/actors of all time were two crooners from an era long before "synergy" was even a word. In the early '30s, the already-famous Bing Crosby was appearing as himself in motion-picture showcases like "Hollywood on Parade" and "The Big Broadcast." Der Bingle's laid-back charisma played well on the silver screen and soon he was playing bigger parts. Teaming up with Bob Hope in the highly successful "Road" pictures of the '40s, starring in iconic holiday fare like "Holiday Inn" (1942) and "White Christmas" (1954), earning an Oscar for his portrayal of a progressive priest in "Going My Way" (1944) and more critical raves as an alcoholic in "The Country Girl" (1954), Crosby became one of the most successful stars in the history of film.

Crosby was also an inspiration to the skinny kid from Hoboken who would become one of the greatest entertainers of the 20th century: Frank Sinatra. While Sinatra's film career doesn't quite match his recording legacy, he nonetheless starred in some iconic films and gave plenty of indelible performances. Sinatra's considerable charm served him well in both lightweight musicals like "On the Town" (1949) and "Guys and Dolls" (1955) as well as serious dramas such as "Suddenly!" (1954) and "The Manchurian Candidate" (1962). Still, despite an Academy Award for best supporting actor for 1953's "From Here to Eternity," some cynics dismiss Sinatra's abilities as an actor, concentrating on the slight (but still fun) Rat Pack films like "Ocean's Eleven" (1960). But anyone who's ever seen Frank as a tormented heroin addict in "The Man With the Golden Arm" (1955) can't deny that when he wanted to, he knew his way around a script as well as anything from the great American songbook.

Tom Waits' musical career is itself a cinematic oeuvre of whiskey-soaked portraits of colorful characters. With his wiry looks and distinctive, gravelly voice, you'd think Waits might never get lost in a film role, but he's proven every bit as adroit as an actor as he has a musician. In movies as disparate as Jim Jarmusch's tragicomic road trip, "Down by Law" (1986); the ensemble drama "Queens Logic" (1991); and Francis Ford Coppola's 1992 big-budget misfire, "Bram Stoker's Dracula" (of which Waits' Renfield was by far the best part); the singer has brought intelligent, thoughtful portrayals to sometimes underwritten roles.

It's one of the great crimes of rock history that the seminal L.A. punk band X aren't better known, but odds are you've seen one of their leaders in his side gig. Over the past two decades, John Doe has managed to balance a musical career — both solo and with the intermittently regrouping X — with small but memorable acting jobs in movies like "Road House" (1989), "Boogie Nights" (1997) and "The Good Girl" (2002), as well as dozens more movies and TV shows. But you should still buy his records.

While it seems as if most hip-hop artists have aspirations of being movie stars as well, there have been only a few for whom acting has become more than a side (or vanity) project. Ice-T took a breakout performance in 1991's "New Jack City" and turned it into a full-time career. In the 26 years since that film, T has starred in scores of films and TV shows, including his current job as Detective Fin Tutuola on "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," while releasing a mere handful of albums.

Former N.W.A rapper Ice Cube likewise garnered critical praise for his turn in John Singleton's seminal gangsta flick, "Boyz N the Hood" (1991). Since then, Cube has proven himself adept in numerous genres: drama (1999's "Three Kings"); comedy (the "Friday" and "Barbershop" series); action (2005's "xXx: State of the Union"); sci-fi (2001's "Ghosts of Mars"); and even kiddie-friendly family fare (2005's "Are We There Yet?"). Cube's musical career hasn't slowed quite as much as Ice-T's, but acting (and producing and directing) seems to be taking up most of the multimedia mogul's time these days — next up is a big-screen version of "Welcome Back, Kotter."

With his squeaky-clean, kid-friendly rapper image, Will Smith was a natural to cross over to TV sitcoms, and "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" was the vehicle that propelled him to mainstream stardom. Films soon followed, and blockbusters like "Bad Boys" (1995), "Independence Day" (1996) and "Men in Black" (1997) solidified Smith's place as a bona-fide movie star. While he hasn't completely left music behind, it does feel as if Smith mostly gets the urge to head into the studio if he has a movie coming out that needs a theme song (as in "Men in Black II," which featured "Black Suits Comin' " from his 2002 album, Born to Reign).

Mark Wahlberg was pretty much a joke in his former life as pop-rapper Marky Mark (with his Funky Bunch). Marky was known more for his buff body and Calvin Kleins than any musical aptitude. So his remarkable performance as a porn star whose ego sends him on a self-destructive decline in 1997's "Boogie Nights" was a revelation. Since then, Wahlberg has left music (and ridicule) behind, building an impressive film résumé culminating in last year's "The Departed," for which he has been nominated for an Oscar.

In the world of country music, the star who shines brightest onscreen is the one who never really topped the charts. Maybe that's why Dwight Yoakam has been able to immerse himself in his film roles. Even people who knew of Yoakam didn't recognize him as the abusive alcoholic in "Sling Blade" (1996). Since then, he's been practically chameleonic in movies like "The Newton Boys" (1998), "Panic Room" (2002) and "Wedding Crashers" (2005) while maintaining a prolific music career.

In our current era of synergistic multimedia stars, more pop stars are making the crossover attempt than ever before. The jury's still out on Beyoncé, Eminem and Björk. As for Mariah Carey, Britney Spears, 50 Cent and those American Idols? Well, we'd wager that calls from Martin Scorsese will not be forthcoming. But then again, who'd have ever guessed that Marky Mark would be mentioned in the same breath as Oscar?

See everything we've got on Mandy Moore, Ice Cube and Mark Wahlberg.

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• In Focus: Mandy Moore
• "Because I Said So"
• Madonna: The Inventress

• Mandy Moore
• Madonna
• Elvis Presley
• Will Smith

Unwritten Law
Photo: Lava Records

Don't be surprised by the lack of new albums hitting stores this week. Yeah, CD sales have been dipping pretty low these days, but what's happening here is nothing more than a result of late-night New Year's Eve soirees, the post office kicking back for a few days and record labels hibernating for another week or so.

That leaves us with an Unwritten Law greatest-hits collection, a new Carly Simon album, the soundtrack to "The L Word" and an Elvis Presley compilation — or, as far as you're probably concerned, just an Unwritten Law greatest-hits collection.

Luckily for you readers, there's a bit of a story behind the Law's self-devised set, The Hit List. See, apparently the 17-year-old band was in the process of putting together its own best-of comp when Interscope slapped together the skimpy 20th Century Masters: The Best of Unwritten Law - The Millennium Collection and dropped it in mid-October.

But while the Law sounded off on their Web site about what they consider to be a sub-par comp, the reality bites: They don't own the masters to all their own material. So they've resorted to a different approach — one previously taken by Night Ranger, Cyndi Lauper and Cracker — and re-recorded choice tracks for what they're calling their "authorized" best-of CD.

"We've been in the studio most of the year re-recording all of the old songs so that they are new again," the band said in a post on its Web site. "We've delayed this album a couple of times already 'cos we just wanted to get it right. The old songs are completely re-recorded and rearranged and they rock like you've never heard them before — like the way that the band has grown since the Oz Factor days."

Besting the 12-track Millennium Collection, The Hit List collects 19 cuts. While the former has "Holiday," "Before I Go," "Mean Girl" and "Geronimo," the latter skips those tracks and swaps in "Shoulda Known Better" (the band's new single), "C.P.K.," "Superman," "Shallow," "Rescue Me," "Rest of My Life," "Blame It on Me," "Save Me," "She Says," "Celebration Song" and "Oblivion."

The Law's biggest competition this week comes in the form of one of your mom's favorite artists: Carly Simon. The ever-grinning, 61-year-old New Yorker covered standards the last time around, on 2005's Moonlight Serenade, and for this occasion she's taking a similar approach by revisiting folk and pop classics, as well as lullabies. Yes, lullabies.

Produced by Simon and Jimmy Parr — who engineered 2004's Reflections: Carly Simon's Greatest Hits — Into the White finds the singer tackling songs made famous by the Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel, Stephen Foster and James Taylor. She gets assists from singers Teese Gohl, Peter Calo, Jan Hyer and David Saw — and for your narcotic listening pleasure, tosses in "Over the Rainbow," "You Are My Sunshine" and "Oh! Susanna."

So in other words, beware. This ain't no "American Idol" picnic. As Simon (no, not Cowell — we're talking Carly here) says in a post on her Web site: "This is very much an album for grownups, as well as children. The album is very, very soothing ... it doesn't startle you. It just does nice things to you."

And that's about all, folks. Check back next week when the year really gets started with new ones from Mos Def and Mario.

Song Title of the Week:

"Dating My Frankenstein" from Ryan Parmenter's The Noble Knave

New Releases:

· Robert Tabby Crabb - Three Ducks on a Pond (Musark) · Rob Kendt - I'm Not Sentimental (Ruby) · Ryan Parmenter - The Noble Knave (Split Difference) · Jane Pickens - Music in the Air (Sepia) · André Rieu - Romantic Moments With André Rieu (Laserlight) · Carly Simon - Into the White (Columbia) [Buy Now] · Windstorm - Snapshots of Life (Windstorm) · Wonder - Welcome to Wonderland (Dump Valve) · Various artists - L Tunes: Music From and Inspired by "The L Word" (Columbia/ Music With a Twist)

Notable Reissues and Archival Material:

· Angelica - Angelica (Atlantic) · Elvis Presley - The Essential Elvis Presley (Sony BMG) · Unwritten Law - The Hit List (Rocket Science) [Buy Now] · Various artists - Country Heartbreak (Laserlight) · Various artists - Crooners: Be My Love (Madacy) · Various artists - Crooners: Love Story (Madacy) · Various artists - Crooners: Some Enchanted Evening (Madacy) · Various artists - Crooners: Unforgettable (Madacy) · Various artists - Essential Love (Madacy) · Various artists - Highway Fever: All-Time Greatest Country Road Songs (American Beat) · Various artists - I Love Paris: Sensuous French Classics (Laserlight) · Various artists - Incurable Romantic: Piano Music for Lovers (Laserlight) · Various artists - Kings of Country: Love Songs (Laserlight) · Various artists - Latin for Lovers (Laserlight) · Various artists - Power Ballads (Madacy) · Various artists - Queens of Country: Love Songs (Laserlight) · Various artists - Romantic Jazz: Music for Lovers (Laserlight) · Various artists - Romantic Moments of the 70s and 80s (Laserlight) · Various artists - Sensuous Saxophone: Music for Lovers (Laserlight) · Various artists - Simply Romantic: Guitar Music for Lovers (Laserlight) · Various artists - The Best of Body and Soul (Madacy) · Various artists - The Romantic 60s (Laserlight) · Various artists - Torch Singers: Sirens of Song (Laserlight)

Music DVDs: · Various artists - "Gotta Have Gospel! Gold: The World's Top Gospel Artists and Songs" (Gospocentric)

Coming Attractions:

January 9: · Green Day - 1,039/ Smoothed Out Slappy Hours (enhanced; Reprise) [Preorder] and Kerplunk (Reprise) · Mario - Go! (J) [Preorder] Read: "On-The-Go! Mario Changes LP Title, Reaches Out To Disadvantaged Kids" · Mos Def - Tru3 Magic (Geffen) [Preorder]

January 16: · America - Here & Now (Burgundy) · The Smithereens - Meet the Smithereens! (Koch) [Preorder] · Various artists - "Tyler Perry's Daddy's Little Girls" soundtrack (Atlantic)

January 23: · Clinic - Visitations (bonus track; Domino) [Preorder] · Dustin Kensrue - Please Come Home (digipak due same day; Equal Vision) · Madonna - "Confessions Tour" DVD (Warner Bros.) [Preorder]

• Unwritten Law
• Carly Simon
• Elvis Presley

Weezer's Rivers Cuomo
Photo: Karl Walter/ Getty Images

In a current Miller Brewing Company ad campaign, various manly men — including actor Burt Reynolds, former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jerome Bettis and wrestler Triple H — sit inside a steel cage and debate various tenets of "Man Law."

Well, Weezer might not be as tough as those guys, but they're not taking what they perceive as some sand in the face from Miller lying down.

On Friday, the band filed suit in Los Angeles Superior Court against Miller, alleging that the brewing company used its name in a "grossly misleading and deceptive" manner in a series of advertisements that ran in Rolling Stone magazine and a host of other publications late in 2004.

At the heart of the suit is a two-page ad that displayed a series of concert ticket stubs — including one from a 2002 Weezer show in Concord, California — under the heading "Rock Without the Souvenir. That's Like Beer Without Taste."

The problem, as far as Weezer see it, is that neither Miller nor Young & Rubicam (the advertising agency responsible for the campaign) obtained the band's permission to use its name, and has caused the group to be associated with the promotion of alcoholic beverages, which Weezer "did not, and do not, consent to."

The bandmembers also balked at having their name used in association with other bands featured in the ad (concert tickets by acts like Elvis Presley, Bon Jovi, Devo and, um, Less Than Jake are also featured), which has "further damaged" their reputation.

"The 'Weezer' name has been associated with other bands and musical performers with whom [the band] do not want to be associated with in any advertisement," the suit alleges. "The defendants have, without any right, title or authorization, misappropriated the valuable 'Weezer' name."

The suit seeks damages equal to three times the revenue Miller generated as a result of the advertisements, an amount which at the present time is unknown but, according to the suit, is "believed to be in the millions of dollars." Frontman Rivers Cuomo — who, as the suit reveals, is the "sole owner" of the Weezer name and trademark — would also be entitled to damages equal to three times Miller's revenue.

Audioslave, who were also featured in the ad, filed a similar lawsuit against the beer company last year (see "Audioslave, Miller Beer In Legal Brew-Haha Over Magazine Ad"). It is not known if any of the other artists featured in the advertisement plan on filing suits against Miller, who when contacted by MTV News had no comment on the lawsuit.

Per additional papers filed on behalf of Weezer, the case will be heard before a jury, though there is no date set for the trial.

The band is essentially on hiatus, although its status fluctuates regularly (see "Rivers Cuomo Says Weezer Are 'Done' For Now — Again").

• Weezer
• Elvis Presley
• Bon Jovi
• Less Than Jake
• Audioslave

Shakira on the cover of <i>Teen People</i>
Photo: Time, inc.

Shakira might have said that she's lucky her breasts are "small and humble" in "Whenever, Wherever," but there was a time when she considered getting breast-augmentation surgery because she was unhappy with her body, the singer reveals in the next issue of Teen People. The magazine's latest cover star also said that wasn't the only plastic surgery she looked into. "I considered ... all kinds of things. 'Maybe my eyebrows should be higher. Maybe my lips should be bigger.' " Eventually Shakira came to accept herself, despite all the insecurities. "I'm actually shy; I've just learned to hide it." But her hips don't lie — and her dancing reveals more skin than she sometimes would like to show. "It's not my hobby to show my belly! The moves I do when I perform require it. People of America, I want you to know that I wear clothes once in a while!" ...

Diddy introduced a select few to the next phase of Bad Boy Records Tuesday night in New York. Sean Combs held a small party at his Daddy's House studio and previewed music by newcomers Cheri Dennis and Yung Joc and veterans 8Ball and MJG. ... Jack White is preparing to unleash his brand-new band, the Raconteurs, on America — for one night, at least. On April 7, the band — which also features Detroit songwriter Brendan Benson and two-thirds of Cincinnati garage-rockers the Greenhornes — will play its first-ever U.S. gig at Irving Plaza in New York. Tickets go on sale Thursday at noon via Ticketmaster.com. The Rac's debut album, Broken Boy Soldiers, is due in stores May 16. ...

Nick Lachey has decided on a title and release date for his second album: What's Left of Me, due May 9. The title is the same as the first single, which recently hit the airwaves. ... Paul Wall has titled his fall release Ain't No 401K for a Hustla. Wall is also set to appear alongside Lil' Keke on The Day Hell Broke Loose 3 compilation, due in August. ... Pimp-C will release a DVD documenting his experiences being incarcerated during the Houston boom in 2005 and what has happened after his recent release. "Pimpalation: Return of the Trill," hosted by MTV News' Sway, is due April 11 and will be followed by a CD called Pimpalation on June 13. ... Foo Fighters will be featured in a pair of episodes of "The West Wing." The shows will air Sunday and April 9 at 8 p.m. on NBC. ... Notorious B.I.G.'s family will receive $1.1 million from the city of Los Angeles after the City Council on Wednesday approved the amount U.S. District Judge Florence-Marie Cooper awarded in January. The money covers the family's legal expenses in a civil trial that was ruled a mistrial last year when it was discovered that the Los Angeles Police Department withheld statements that linked two rogue LAPD officers, David Mack and Rafael Perez, to the rapper's shooting. ...

Could it really be over so soon? That's what former Howard Stern listeners across the East Coast and Midwest might have been asking themselves Wednesday morning (March 29) when they turned on their radios to find Stern replacement David Lee Roth absent. Yes, preliminary numbers for Roth have not been promising, but a CBS Radio spokesperson denied reports that the former Van Halen singer had been canned just three months into his gig, saying the motor-mouthed morning man was simply taking a few days off to travel back to New York after broadcasting from Miami Beach Monday and Tuesday. Roth is expected to be back on the air Friday. ... Elsewhere on the dial, Mighty Mighty Bosstones singer Dicky Barrett has attacked Los Angeles' Indie 103.1 after he was recently fired as host of the station's morning show. In a statement released by his publicist, Barrett said he was fired for expressing his dislike on air for a Morrissey song the station was spinning and for an unauthorized pro-choice conversation he had with a caller. Indie General Manager Dawn Girocco responded by saying Dicky was not as committed to the show as he needed to be. ...

After complaints and a lawsuit earlier this year from a Louisiana man, Apple Computer released a software update Wednesday that allows iPod owners to set a maximum volume on their players. The free download works with Nanos and fifth-generation models that play video, and it also allows parents to set a volume limit on their child's iPod and lock it with a special code. The free update is available at apple.com/ipod/download. ... On Monday a judge ordered Michael Jackson and his ex-wife Debbie Rowe to submit copies of legal papers missing from their divorce file, The Associated Press reports. The documents, concerning the custody of the pair's two children, include Rowe's 2001 motion to terminate parental rights and an emergency motion filed two years later seeking temporary custody as well as Jackson's filing opposing his ex-wife's custody motion. Attorneys for Jackson and Rowe have 30 days to turn over the paperwork. A hearing has been set for May 24. ...

As he awaits his murder trial, troubles keep mounting for famed "wall of sound" record producer Phil Spector. A former personal assistant has sued Spector for more than $5 million in Los Angeles, claming sexual harassment, according to an Associated Press report. Spector sued former assistant Michelle Blaine in September, alleging that she skimmed hundreds of thousands of dollars from his accounts. Blaine hit back on Friday, saying that Spector authorized the payments to her, including those for a $700,000 house and that he sexually harassed her, sometimes appeared naked in front of her and once asked Blaine to find a prostitute for him. Blaine also claims that after Spector was charged with the murder of actress Lana Clarkson in 2003, the producer repeatedly proposed marriage to her as a way to block her from testifying against him. Spector's murder trial is slated to begin in September. ...

Eugene Landy, the show-business psychologist famous for his controversial relationship with troubled Beach Boys star Brian Wilson, died March 22 in Honolulu of complications from lung cancer, the Los Angeles Times reports. He was 71. Landy, who also worked with original shock rocker Alice Cooper and actor Rod Steiger, pioneered the concept of "24 hour therapy" when he began treating Wilson in the mid 1970s. Hired to work on Wilson's intense phobias and drug addictions, Landy took control of every aspect of the singer's life, monitoring him 24 hours a day and eventually acting as his manager and artistic collaborator, crossing an ethical line and eventually giving up his license to practice in California after admitting to a charge of unlawfully prescribing drugs in 1989. ...

Prolific songwriter Cindy Walker, known as the "dean of Texas songwriters," died of natural causes Thursday at the age of 87, according to The Los Angeles Times. Walker was known for the more than 500 sentimental, Western-flavored songs she wrote, performed by everyone from Roy Orbison ("Dream Baby (How Long Must I Dream)"), to Ray Charles ("You Don't Know Me"), with the latter covered by more than 75 artists, including Elvis Presley. Willie Nelson released an album-length tribute to Walker this month called You Don't Know Me: The Songs of Cindy Walker. Walker, often called the greatest living country music songwriter, was a charter member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1997.

03.28.2006

Mariah Carey's been dreaming of a Broadway Christmas since late 2004, when she originally announced plans for a holiday musical, and now she's finally making progress with her plan. "I don't want to mention anything definitive until things are signed," she told MTV Radio, "but there's a very big company that just signed on to develop the project with me." Carey said the musical — which she'll create, produce and star in — will incorporate music from her 1994 album, Merry Christmas, as well as new material. "It's probably going to be a movie first," she said. "I don't want to say a television movie, because it's not like a cheesy network movie, but then it's going to be made for the Broadway production. So the [TV movie] will set the stage for the stage." ...

It was nothing but royalty Monday night in New York as a king, queen and prince came together for the premiere of "ATL." T.I. (the King of the South), Queen Latifah and former Prince of Bel Air Will Smith (with Jada Pinkett) joined Jay-Z, Usher, DJ Drama, Tisha Campbell and Duane Martin at the Tribeca Theater. Latifah's longtime friends and business partners Shakim Compere and Lance "Un" Rivera were also on hand. ...

Jessica Simpson is moving up in the world — at least as far as FHM's annual list of 100 Sexiest Women is concerned. While Scarlett Johansson nabbed the top spot, Simpson catapulted from #16 on last year's list to #4 this year. Other singers making the top half of the chart include Paris Hilton (#11), Lindsay Lohan (#14), Beyoncé (#18), Shakira (#20), Jennifer Lopez (#26; she was #1 in 2000 and 2001), Mariah Carey (#28), Mandy Moore (#31), Christina Aguilera (#37), Gwen Stefani (#40) and Kelly Clarkson (#50). Hilary Duff, the Black Eyed Peas' Fergie and Stefani were new entries this year, but Britney Spears, who was #1 in 2004, was nowhere to be found (Check out photos of FHM's Sexiest Women.). ... Since Lindsay Lohan's upcoming movie "A Prairie Home Companion" (in theaters June 9) focuses on a radio show, it's only natural that the soundtrack would include some of the songs performed on said show. Out May 23, the soundtrack will feature performances from castmembers Meryl Streep, Lily Tomlin, Woody Harrelson, John C. Reilly and Lohan herself, who contributes "Frankie & Johnny." ...

Not every singer on "American Idol" is a pop-star hopeful or graduate of the performance competition, as recent appearances by Stevie Wonder and Barry Manilow have proven. This week the show hopes to shake things up even further with belly-dancing Shakira, who will perform "Hips Don't Lie" with Wyclef Jean on Wednesday night's elimination episode. ... And forgive us if this one sounds familiar, but Simon Cowell is at it again. After expanding his stranglehold on U.S. viewers with his "American Inventor" show earlier this month, the acerbic "Idol" judge is adding a third show to his empire: "America's Got Talent." Open auditions will begin next month for the NBC show, which will be open to performers of all ages and talents — from singers and dancers to jugglers and magicians, according to Reuters. The show will have a celebrity three-judge panel (it will not include Cowell) and the winner will take home a $1 million prize. ...

Live singer Ed Kowalczyk has released a statement in support of "American Idol" contestant Chris Daughtry, who sang a cover of Johnny Cash's "I Walk the Line" last week with an arrangement similar to the version recorded by Live — but without giving the band credit. "We wish Chris the best of luck in the competition," Kowalczyk said. "I thought he did a great job with the song. There's no doubt he's a talented performer and I hope he goes far." Live, meanwhile, will hit the road beginning April 22 in Providence, Rhode Island, in support of their seventh studio album, Songs From Black Mountain, due May 9. ... Travis Barker and DJ AM will take their experimental show to San Francisco April 7 and New York April 13 and 14. VIP packages for the shows are available at StubHub.com and will benefit the Race to Erase MS. ... Chamillionaire and Lil' Flip are teaming for the Texas Boyz Tour, which kicks off March 30 in San Diego and wraps up early this summer. Chamillionaire has recorded several remixes of his new single, "Ridin'," featuring rappers ranging from the Game to Bun B to Fabolous. ...

In a post on Evanescence's official message board Sunday, singer Amy Lee wrote that she and new guitarist Terry Balsamo were in the studio finishing mixes on the group's upcoming album. "We'll be done mixing [the new album] next week! I can hardly believe it, we've been working on this album for so long," Lee wrote. "The stuff sounds so good. ... Wow, what a trip this has been." The singer said Balsamo is "doing really well" after the stroke he suffered in November and that she's busy trying to figure out the order of the songs on the still-untitled album. "It's going to be hard to hold this music in all summer," Lee said. "I really want to thank you guys again for being so patient — I know it's gonna be worth it." A spokesperson for the group confirmed the post and added that the album is slated for release in the fall, with a tour to follow. ...

The Offspring's Dexter Holland is turning into some sort of bionic man or something. In late 2004 he completed a 10-day solo flight around the globe, subsisting only on Doritos and beef jerky. And for an encore — and for charity — he decided to take on the Los Angeles Marathon. Running on behalf of the Innocence Project, a nonprofit legal organization aimed at using DNA testing to free the unjustly convicted, Holland finished in a little more than five hours, good enough for 7,900th place — but not better than Oprah Winfrey's 1994 Washington, D.C., marathon time of 4 hours, 29 minutes and 30 seconds, which was Holland's stated goal. Still, he raised money for a good cause and is happy with his efforts. "I hit a wall at about 16 miles," Holland wrote on Offspring.com, "but I'm glad I was able to finish. I shouldn't have eaten those tacos for breakfast! I didn't beat Oprah's time, but I challenge her to a rematch." ...

If you asked Alanis Morissette, she might say, "Isn't it ironic ... a little too ironic?" Victor Willis, 54, the singer who dressed as the policeman in '70s disco juggernaut the Village People, faces up to five years in prison after his arrest Sunday. He was booked for bailing on a plea deal he cut last year following an arrest on charges of possessing cocaine and a gun. Willis — who left the group in 1980 — had agreed to a maximum of 16 months in jail on the original charge, but when he goes to court Tuesday (March 28) he's looking at four years and four months on the original charges and a possible eight additional months on new drug charges, according to a Reuters report.

[This story was originally published at 12:47 pm E.T. on 03.29.2006]

• Shakira
• Diddy
• Eightball & MJG
• Michael Jackson
• Brian Wilson

U2's Bono (file)
Photo: BlackBook

Musician, activist, iPod pitchman — Bono's résumé is already pretty full. But now he's taken on another title: editor. On Tuesday, the U2 frontman served as "guest editor" for British radio station BBC Four's "Today" news program. His responsibilities included assigning beats to writers and lining up guests for the show. Bono chose topics like the relationship between Irish and North African music, combating poverty around the world, and Britain's foreign policy. Guests who contributed pre-recorded commentaries included former President Bill Clinton and a German nun named Sister Benedicta. ...

Guitarist Walter "Hank" Garland, who played with the likes of Elvis Presley and Roy Orbison, died on Monday in Orange Park, Florida, of a staph infection, according to The Associated Press. Garland, 74, performed on Elvis singles including "Little Sister" and "Big Hunk O' Love," and had his first million-selling hit at the age of 19 with the country song "Sugar Foot Rag." Garland had been battling illness since 1961 when a car crash put him in a coma for several months. ... Queens of the Stone Age associate Chris Goss, who has produced and played with Queens mastermind Josh Homme's former band Kyuss and various side projects, was rushed to a hospital in Rancho Mirage, California, over the holidays. According to posts on QOTSA.com and MastersOfReality.com (the band Goss fronts), he was suffering from a "severe internal infection" and was listed in critical condition at Eisenhower Medical Center. Over the weekend, though, he recovered and is now "resting comfortably." ...

Ash are going to release a U.S. version of their album Meltdown, already certified gold in the U.K., to coincide with a new "Star Wars" video game called "Republic Commando" that features their song "Clones" as the theme song. Meltdown, due out March 8, was produced by Nick Raskulinecz (Foo Fighters, System of a Down) to give it more of an "American" sound. "I always think American records sound better sonically," frontman Tim Wheeler said in a statement. "They always seem to have better engineering, better studios, so we wanted to check it out firsthand." The U.S. version will also feature bonus tracks and DVD footage not available on the European full-length. ... Boy George is slated to DJ at WinterFest, an annual gay and lesbian ski week held in Lake Tahoe. The former Culture Club frontman's gig will take place toward the end of the seven-day long WinterFest, on March 12 at the Horizon Casino Resort. ...

12.28.2004

Music ruled on Yahoo! this year. "American Idol" was the most popular online search term in 2004, followed by "Paris Hilton," "Jessica Simpson" and "Britney Spears," according to the year-end numbers from the search engine. "Usher" came in at #7 on the list, two spots under "Harry Potter." ...

The oft-underappreciated "urban Western" genre will soon get a boost from Wyclef Jean and Kurupt when they star alongside "Kill Bill" star David Carradine and "Coach Carter" actor Antwon Tanner in the upcoming film "Click." Helmed by independent filmmaker Jean Claude LaMarre, the flick is set at the end of the Civil War and concerns a group of outlaws who band together to rob the town bank. Some filming will take place in Los Angeles and select pieces in the wardrobe will be provided by trucker-hat masters Von Dutch. The soundtrack to the film will include original tracks by Kurupt and Wyclef. ... While fellow Black Sabbath member Ozzy Osbourne has long been known as the guy who once bit off the head of a live dove, drummer Bill Ward is getting press for being the bird-friendly musician in the group. Ward posted a photograph of "Abraham," a turkey he recently adopted, on his Web site on Monday. ...

Along with some percussion work from the Velvet Underground's Maureen Tucker, the new, as-yet-untitled second Raveonettes album features contributions by Martin Rev of early '80s New York band Suicide and Ronnie Spector of 1960s girl group the Ronettes. The follow-up to 2003's Chain Gang of Love is expected to drop early next year. ... For Michael Jackson's child-molestation trial, expected to begin January 31, California's Santa Barbara County will introduce a new jury-selection system. The "one-step" system eliminates the preliminary mailer generally sent to potential jurors, according to The Associated Press. If jurors did not fill out the mailer, their names would have been removed from the jury lists. Under the new system, 4,000 people will receive jury summons letters for the trial, which will instruct them to appear for jury selection. If the jurors do not respond or appear, they could face a potential fine of $1,500. ...

When you're a multiplatinum singer/songwriter, sometimes you don't need a reason to tour. That seems to be the logic behind Sarah McLachlan's 2005 schedule, which all of a sudden is loaded with tour dates. The Canadian chanteuse will hit the road starting on April 12 in Victoria, British Columbia, and has dates scheduled all the way through June 1 in Halifax, Nova Scotia (she's playing plenty of Stateside gigs in between). McLachlan's last studio album, Afterglow, was released in November of 2003. ...

• U2
• Queens of the Stone Age
• Hank Garland
• Elvis Presley
• Ash

Elvis Presley (file)
Photo: EPE

The Miller Brewing Co. has tapped the keg of controversy with a promotion designed to commemorate the "50th Anniversary of Rock and Roll." Miller, working with cover images from Rolling Stone magazine, chose rock musicians to be featured on cans of Miller Beer. Icons like Elvis Presley and Willie Nelson made the cut — but questions about the selection process arose when no black artists did.

"Our objective going into the promotion was to get cans that were as representative as possible of the diversity of rock and roll," said Miller spokesman Scott Bussen. "Obviously, we hope people understand our intentions were right. Unfortunately, you have to deal with the real world when putting together a program like this."

The eight-can series, in stores since May, features images of Presley and Nelson, along with Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, Blondie, Alice Cooper and two images of guitars. According to Bussen, the reason for the exclusion of black artists — like Chuck Berry, James Brown and Little Richard — had everything to do with licensing.

"The people at Rolling Stone had to get permission from artists or their estates," he said. "That was really a process. We looked to them for the artists we could get, and they came back to us with a list that was pretty limited."

Gary Armstrong, chief marketing officer for Wenner Media, which publishes Rolling Stone, agreed.

"Editorially, we acknowledge the importance of a lot of these musicians in our '50 Years of Rock: Immortals' issue," he said. "On the marketing side, anything we do with these covers, we need the artist's permission. Jimi Hendrix's estate declined participation. Some artists wanted fees, and we weren't paying people to participate. Some had rehab issues, and they didn't want to align with an alcohol product."

The beer cans are part of a Summer of Music promotion by Miller, Rolling Stone, Napster Music and Fender guitars, all culminating with a two-night concert at New York's Roseland Ballroom on September 17 and 18. Bussen noted that "The concert in New York, we had a little more control over. We've got Bo Diddley and James Brown, and also Lenny Kravitz and Wyclef Jean. It's the diversity that we believe represents rock and roll's history over the past five decades."

A statement from Miller read, "We're strong supporters of diversity in all our marketing efforts, therefore we regret any inference of the lack of African-American representation on the commemorative cans as being insensitive to diversity.

"Our original wish list included many legends — African-American and others — but regrettably, we were unable to secure permissions. Obviously, African-Americans have played a huge role in the development of rock and roll and we just blew it.

"Our support for diversity is ongoing, as evidenced by the influential artists who are set to appear at our special two-day concert that wraps up this promotion, featuring artists such as James Brown, Bo Diddley, Alice Cooper, Wyclef Jean, Lenny Kravitz, the Strokes and Velvet Revolver, among others."

• Elvis Presley
• Willie Nelson

Justin Timberlake (file)
Photo: Jive

The day after Independence Day is when the fireworks will really be popping in Memphis, Tennessee.

As part of the city's festivities surrounding the 50th anniversary of the birth of rock and roll, Justin Timberlake, funk pioneer Isaac Hayes, Elvis guitarist Scotty Moore, actor/singer Billy Bob Thornton and others will gather at the legendary Sun Studios on July 5 — 50 years to the day after Elvis Presley's "That's All Right" was recorded there in 1954. The bluesy, up-tempo song — which featured Moore on guitar and Bill Black on bass — is widely considered to have started the rock revolution.

Timberlake, who was born in Memphis, has often credited Elvis as one of his main influences. At noon on the 5th, he, Moore, Hayes and "Wooly Bully" author Sam the Sham will take part in the "Global Moment in Time," during which radio stations across the world have agreed to play "That's All Right." Organizers hope they will set a record for the most simultaneous airplay for a single song.

The Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau will host a daylong event that will feature performances and speeches. "We are thrilled that Justin is coming home to join us as we celebrate this musical milestone," Bureau president Kevin Kane said. "He is already a world-renowned artist, and his work continues to extend Memphis' musical influence to the next generation."

• Justin Timberlake
• Isaac Hayes
• Elvis Presley

• Elvis Presley