Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley at the 1994 Video Music Awards
Photo: Kevin Mazur/WireImage

Although Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley, Elvis' only child, were married for just 20 months, their relationship left an indelible mark on pop culture via their memorable kiss on the VMAs in 1994. The couple didn't shy away from public displays of affection, as demonstrated in Jackson's "You Are Not Alone" video.

The pair married in May of 1994 in the Dominican Republic, and although Jackson told fans before that VMA kiss, "They said it wouldn't last," the pair divorced in January 2006. On Friday (June 26), Presley took to her MySpace blog to file a long, heartfelt remembrance of her ex-husband and their relationship. Her MySpace blog in full follows:

"He Knew. Years ago Michael and I were having a deep conversation about life in general.  I can't recall the exact subject matter but he may have been questioning me about the circumstances of my father's death.

"At some point he paused, he stared at me very intensely and he stated with an almost calm certainty, 'I am afraid that I am going to end up like him, the way he did.' I promptly tried to deter him from the idea, at which point he just shrugged his shoulders and nodded almost matter of fact as if to let me know, he knew what he knew and that was kind of that.

"14 years later, I am sitting here watching on the news an ambulance leaves the driveway of his home, the big gates, the crowds outside the gates, the coverage, the crowds outside the hospital, the cause of death and what may have led up to it and the memory of this conversation hit me, as did the unstoppable tears.

"A predicted ending by him, by loved ones and by me, but what I didn't predict was how much it was going to hurt when it finally happened. The person I failed to help is being transferred right now to the LA County Coroners office for his autopsy.

"All of my indifference and detachment that I worked so hard to achieve over the years has just gone into the bowels of hell and right now I am gutted. I am going to say now what I have never said before because I want the truth out there for once.

"Our relationship was not 'a sham' as is being reported in the press. It was an unusual relationship yes, where two unusual people who did not live or know a 'normal life' found a connection, perhaps with some suspect timing on his part. Nonetheless, I do believe he loved me as much as he could love anyone and I loved him very much. I wanted to 'save him.' I wanted to save him from the inevitable which is what has just happened.

"His family and his loved ones also wanted to save him from this as well but didn't know how and this was 14 years ago. We all worried that this would be the outcome then. At that time, in trying to save him, I almost lost myself.

"He was an incredibly dynamic force and power that was not to be underestimated. When he used it for something good, it was the best and when he used it for something bad, it was really, REALLY bad.

	Michael Jackson: A Life In Photos

"Mediocrity was not a concept that would even for a second enter Michael Jackson's being or actions. I became very ill and emotionally/ spiritually exhausted in my quest to save him from certain self-destructive behavior and from the awful vampires and leeches he would always manage to magnetize around him. I was in over my head while trying. I had my children to care for; I had to make a decision.

"The hardest decision I have ever had to make, which was to walk away and let his fate have him, even though I desperately loved him and tried to stop or reverse it somehow. After the divorce, I spent a few years obsessing about him and what I could have done different, in regret. Then I spent some angry years at the whole situation. At some point, I truly became indifferent, until now.

"As I sit here overwhelmed with sadness, reflection and confusion at what was my biggest failure to date, watching on the news almost play by play the exact scenario I saw happen on August 16th, 1977 [the day Elvis Presley died after years of substance abuse] happening again right now with Michael (a sight I never wanted to see again) just as he predicted, I am truly, truly gutted. Any ill experience or words I have felt towards him in the past has just died inside of me along with him.

"He was an amazing person and I am lucky to have gotten as close to him as I did and to have had the many experiences and years that we had together. I desperately hope that he can be relieved from his pain, pressure and turmoil now.

"He deserves to be free from all of that and I hope he is in a better place or will be. I also hope that anyone else who feels they have failed to help him can be set free because he hopefully finally is. The World is in shock but somehow he knew exactly how his fate would be played out some day more than anyone else knew, and he was right.

"I really needed to say this right now, thanks for listening."

MTV will be paying tribute to MJ throughout the weekend with music videos, exclusive performances and calls and tweets from celebrity admirers and friends.

Share your Michael Jackson memories by uploading video and comments to Your.MTV.com or joining the discussion below.

• Michael Jackson's MTV Moments
• Michael Jackson: A Tribute
• Remembering Michael Jackson
• Michael Jackson Fans Pour Into The Streets
• Michael Jackson's Video Legacy

• Michael Jackson: A Life In Photos
• Michael Jackson's Greatest MTV Moments
• Michael Jackson: A Fashion Icon
• Fans Mourn The Loss Of Music Icon Michael Jackson

• Michael Jackson
• Lisa Marie Presley

Hot Hot Heat's <I>Elevator</i>
Photo: Sire

The temperature is about to rise in record stores across the country as Canadian rock outfit Hot Hot Heat release their new album.

The Victoria, British Columbia-bred band are back after 2002's Make Up the Breakdown with Elevator, an album packed full of energetic pop-rock. While recording this LP, the band bid "Goodnight, Goodnight" to original guitarist Dante DeCaro and replaced him with Luke Paquin.

Expect to see some "O.C." junkies rushing the record store on Tuesday as the fourth installment of "The O.C." mix series drops. This time around, the album's creators make the most underground-friendly mix yet, with tracks by Imogen Heap, Pinback, the Reindeer Section and Flunk, among others. More mainstream names like Beck and Modest Mouse are thrown in for good measure.

Four years after Faith Evans released Faithfully, the R&B songstress is back to crown herself The First Lady. For her return, Evans was supported by producers the Neptunes, Jermaine Dupri, Chucky Thompson, Mario Winans and Bryan Michael-Cox.

The Crystal Method release their Community Service, Vol. 2 this week. The album features remixes of the Doors' "Roadhouse Blues," New Order's "Bizarre Love Triangle" and Smashing Pumpkins' "1979," as well as nine of the Crystal Method's original tracks.

Elvis' little girl, Lisa Marie Presley, is back with her own brand of hip-swaying swagger on Now What, her follow-up to 2003's To Whom It May Concern.

Also out this week are albums by Fischerspooner (Odyssey), British Sea Power (Open Season), Reel Big Fish (We're Not Happy 'Til You're Not Happy) and Adema (Planets).

Out Tuesday, April 5:

• Absurd Minds - The Focus (Dancing Ferret)
• Adema - Planets (Earache Records)
• Beelow - Presents Louisiana's Sickest (Bungalo)
• Benevento/ Russo Duo - Best Reason to Buy the Sun (Ropeadope)
• Bludshot - Another Day (Bludshot)
• Brainstorm - Liquid Monster (Metal Blade)
• British Sea Power - Open Season (Rough Trade)
• Armin Van Buren - State of Trance 2005 (Ultra Records)
• Kristin Chenoweth - As I Am (Sony)
• The Long Defeat - Choose Your Own Adventure (Sit-n-Spin)
• Alex Cortiz - Magnifico (Varese Sarabande)
• The Crystal Method - Community Service II (3AM/Ultra)
  Buy Now: Community Service II (3AM/Ultra)
  
• Dirty Projectors - The Getty Address (Western Vinyl)
• Eligh - Enigma (Legendary)
• Faith Evans - First Lady (Capitol)
  Buy Now: First Lady (Capitol)
  
• Eyeball Skeleton - #1 (My Pal God)
• Fantômas - Suspended Animation (Ipecac)
• Far from Finished - East Side of Nowhere (Victory)
• Fischerspooner - Odyssey (Capitol)
  Buy Now: Odyssey (Capitol)
  
• Fripp and Eno - The Equatorial Stars (Discipline Global Media)
• Graveworm - (N)utopia (Nuclear Blast)
• The Gun Shys - The Gun Shys (Aeronaut)
• Tord Gustavsen Trio - The Ground (ECM)
• Scott Hamilton & the Bill Charlap Trio - Back in New York (Concord)
• Hammerfall - Chapter 5 (Nuclear Blast)
• Fareed Haque Group - Cosmic Hug (Magna Carta)
• Hot Hot Heat - Elevator (Sire)
  Read: "Hot Hot Heat's Ups And Downs Inspire Elevator"
  Buy Now: Elevator (Sire)
  
• Issam Houshan - Wassan Pharaon (Ark 21)
• Illanotix - Killa Products (EV Productions)
• Brandon Jenkins - Down in Flames (Western Soul)
• Charles Lloyd - Jumping the Creek (ECM)
• Longshot - Open Mouths Fed (EV Productions)
• Lost City Angels - Broken World (Universal Motown)
• Magnolia Electric Co. - What Comes After the Blues (Secretly Canadian)
• Keiko Matsui - Walls of Akendora (Narada)
• Irvin Mayfield - Strange Fruit (Basin Street)
• Donnie McClurkin - Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs (Jive)
• Kate McGarry - Mercy Streets (Palmetto)
• OCS - 3 & 4 (Narnack)
• Okkervil River - Black Sheep Boy (Secretly Canadian)
• Ellis Paul - American Jukebox Fables (Rounder)
• Pepper's Ghost - Shake the Hand That Shook the World (Hybrid)
• Lisa Marie Presley - Now What (Capitol)
  Buy Now: Now What (Capitol)
  
• Pretendo - Pretendo (54º40' or Fight!)
• Reel Big Fish - We're Not Happy 'Til You're Not Happy (Jive)
  Buy Now: We're Not Happy 'Til You're Not Happy (Jive)
  
• Serena Ryder - Unlikely Emergency (Isadora)
• Diane Schuur with the Caribbean Jazz Project - Schuur Fire (Concord)
• A Static Lullaby - Faso Latido (Columbia)
• Strength in Numbers - The Veil (Victory)
• Supersuckers - Devil's Food (Mid-Fi)
  Buy Now: Devil's Food (Mid-Fi)
  
• Todd - Purity Pledge (Southern)
• Vast Aire & DJ Mighty Mi - The Best Damn Rap Show (Eastern Conference)
• Ben Watt - Buzzin' Fly Vol. 2 (Astralwerks)
• Aaron Watson - Live at the Texas Hall of Fame (RED)
• White Circle Crime Club - Written in Black (54º40' or Fight!)
• Yellow #5 - Demon Crossing (Scat)
• Eli Young Band - Level (Carnival/RED)
• Various artists - Bonnaroo 2004 (Sanctuary)
• Various artists - Electro Bossa (Varese Sarabande)
• Various artists - Everything Comes and Goes: A Tribute to Black Sabbath (Temporary Residence)
• Various artists - Verve Remixed 3 (Verve)
• Various artists - Soundtrack to "Millions" (Milan)
• Various artists - Music From the O.C.: Mix 4 (Warner Bros.)
• DVD: "Edgeplay: A Film About the Runaways" (Image)

April 12:

• Mariah Carey - The Emancipation of Mimi (Island)
• Garbage - Bleed Like Me (Interscope)
  Read: "Garbage Breakup Ends With New LP — If They Did Actually Break Up"
• Mudvayne - Lost and Found (Sony)
  Read: "Mudvayne Lose The Makeup, Find Inspiration In Isolation"

April 19:

• Mike Jones - Who Is Mike Jones? (Atlantic)
• Flaming Lips - Latenight Tales (Another Late Night)
• Rob Thomas - Something to Be (Atlantic)
  Read: "Rob Thomas Ready For The Gravy After Testing Himself With Solo LP"

May 3:

• Amerie - Touch (Sony)
• New Order - Waiting for the Sirens' Call (Warner Bros.)
• Bruce Springsteen - Devils & Dust (Sony)

• Faith Evans
• Hot Hot Heat
• Lisa Marie Presley
• Fischerspooner
• The Crystal Method

Lisa Marie Presley has piqued the interest of prosecutors in the Michael Jackson molestation case with comments she made recently. In an interview with Australian Broadcasting Corp.'s "Enough Rope" talk show, Jackson's ex-wife said that during their marriage, she saw "things going on that I couldn't do anything about. And don't ask me what sort of things, because I'm not going to answer." Though the media might not be able to get Presley to elaborate, authorities in Santa Barbara, California, are betting that they'll have a better chance, and are asking her to appear before a grand jury. ...

In the wake of drummer Travis Barker breaking his foot after slipping and falling in Melbourne, Australia, on Thursday, Blink-182 will still play their North American tour, but they've postponed the Hawaiian dates. Instead of starting April 3 in Honolulu, the tour will launch April 22 in Monterrey, Mexico. Dates are scheduled through June 28 in Milwaukee. ... Linkin Park will release a coffee-table book of their Meteora tour before the end of the year. ...

Gov't Mule were the only multiple winners at Tuesday's fourth annual Jammy Awards in New York. The group took home trophies for Live Album of the Year for The Deepest End and Live Performance of the Year for the New Orleans show that yielded the album. Dave Matthews Band's "Central Park Concert" won DVD of the Year, Phish won Tour of the Year for their summer 2003 trek, and Steve Winwood, a day after being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Traffic, was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award. Performance highlights included a star-studded Gov't Mule jam featuring Black Crowes members Chris Robinson, Rich Robinson and Eddie Harsch, and the String Cheese Incident with Perry Farrell. ...

Though it was originally set to be called "Holly," the ABC Family movie adaptation of Britney and Lynne Spears' book "A Mother's Gift" is now going to be named after one of the singer's In the Zone songs, "Brave New Girl." Shot in Toronto in January and February, the telepic version of the book stars Lindsey Haun, the daughter of Air Supply guitarist Jimmy Haun, as the Britney-like character, Holly. The movie, which was executive produced by the pop princess, airs on ABC Family on April 25 at 8 p.m. ... Jessica Simpson has finally scheduled a date and a director for her upcoming video shoot for "Take My Breath Away." Chris Applebaum is slated to helm the clip, which will be shot on Monday. "Making the Video: Jessica Simpson" premieres on April 6. ...

Backstreet Boy Kevin Richardson will appear in a series of PSAs urging kids to talk with their parents about getting tested for colon cancer, the second leading cause of death from cancer in the U.S. A longtime advocate for colorectal cancer awareness, Richardson lost his father to the disease in 1991. The spots will begin surfacing this month, which has been dubbed Colon Cancer Awareness Month. ... Ex-Queens of the Stone Age bassist Nick Oliveri began a solo acoustic tour on Tuesday in Boston. Dates run through April 3. Meanwhile, Queens' Josh Homme will play four shows with his side project the Eagles of Death Metal starting April 2 in Boston and ending in Philadelphia on April 6. ...

Ben Folds is about to embark on a nationwide college tour. The trek begins April 2 at John Carroll University in University Heights, Ohio; tickets are now on sale. Folds is currently putting the finishing touches on his next studio album, which is slated to hit stores this summer. ...

03.16.2004

Clay Aiken's "The Way" single, due in stores Tuesday (March 16), will feature a cover of Neil Sedaka's "Solitaire" as the B-side. "Since the end of 'American Idol,' the requests for a recording of my version of 'Solitaire' have continued to pour in," Aiken wrote on his Web site. "I hope you enjoy hearing the song as much as I enjoyed recording it for you!" ...

Courtney Love returned to court in Beverly Hills, California, on Tuesday. At the request of her attorney, a preliminary hearing regarding two felony counts of drug possession was postponed again. The new hearing date is set for April 15. Before the morning's proceedings ended, Love burst into tears. ... R. Kelly has set a release date of May 18 for his next LP, Happy People. Kelly filmed a video for the title track and first single over the weekend in Chicago. Little X directed the clip. ...

Prince brought out the stars in New York on Monday night following his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Lenny Kravitz, Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle, ?uestlove, Alicia Keys, Outkast and the cast of "Saturday Night Live" were among those who came to see his special afterparty show at New York club Exit. Prince opened with a jazz instrumental, followed by the title track to his new album, Musicology, before launching into several hits from his extensive catalog, including "Controversy," "Housequake," "Sign 'O' the Times" and "Kiss." ... 50 Cent threw a surprise party for G-Unit member Young Buck Monday night at Chetty Red in New York. Lloyd Banks, radio personality Monie Love and B-Real of Cypress Hill were among those wishing Buck a happy b-day. ...

Wyclef Jean will appear as Curtis Mayfield in the season finale of NBC's "American Dreams," set for broadcast April 4. A week prior to Jean's portrayal of the soul legend best known for "Superfly," the show will feature Jason Mraz as Dion and Fefe Dobson as Tina Turner. ... Cedric the Entertainer has replaced Justin Timberlake as co-host of ABC's upcoming "Motown 45" special. Timberlake, who would have joined Lionel Richie as an emcee for the show, backed out to shoot his first feature film, "Edison." Backstreet Boys, Boyz II Men and Kelly Rowland are among the acts set to perform. ...

U2's Bono will be addressing the class of 2004 at the University of Pennsylvania's 248th commencement ceremony on May 17, according to the university's Web site. The university will also be presenting the singer/songwriter/activist with an honorary doctor of Laws degree for his global activism. ... U2's proposed anthology book got a home this week. Planned as a full-color photo retrospective, "In the Name of Love: U2 by U2" will come out via Harper Collins in 2005. ... While working on the follow-up to 2002's Spend the Night, the Donnas have been chosen as "spokesgirls" for Daisy Rock Girl Guitars, a company that makes guitars and basses in pink and baby blue that are lighter and have thinner necks, to give 11 girls the chance to follow in their footsteps. Two-week scholarships to the DayJams Rock Music Day Camps around the country will be awarded this summer. ...

Turntablism's spin in the mainstream has arrived. The art of manipulating the ones and twos will be the focus of an upcoming CBS Morning News special, tentatively set for March 28. Meanwhile, Berklee College of Music's Turntable Technique, the first college course on the subject, is well under way, and turntable pioneer Grandmaster Flash intends to hit 30 colleges in the coming year on an educational tour. ... A two-year legal wrangle over royalty rates for songs broadcast online has culminated in a government ruling that requires Internet radio stations to record their playlists for two weeks in a three-month period and pay artists and labels accordingly. The new procedure goes into effect April 12. ...

• Lisa Marie Presley
• Michael Jackson
• blink-182
• Britney Spears
• Linkin Park

Remixes of Britney Spears' "Stronger" and Mary J. Blige's "Keep Your Head" will be featured on Songs for Life, a benefit album supporting HIV relief in Africa. Enrique Iglesias, Gerald Levert, Patti LaBelle, Joan Osborne and Aretha Franklin with K-Ci & JoJo wrote new material for the collection, produced by Phil Ramone (Billy Joel) and due in July. ... In related news, TLC's Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins and Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas are launching an HIV education initiative this week called Dialogues: Education and Treatment for a Well Planned Future. Dialogues will deliver easy-to-understand HIV information via www.HIV-Dialogues.com and (800) 576-6600. ...

Before heading to Chicago this summer to shoot "Barbershop 2," Eve will join Kevin Bacon and Benjamin Bratt in "The Woodsman." "It's about a child molester who comes back in the world," Eve said at Saturday's taping of the MTV Movie Awards. "And I'm sort of a bitch who kind of blows his thing up at his job. It's a different kind of role for me, like my hair will be really short and black." ...

The King's daughter will perform during the first game to determine whether the Spurs or Nets are crowned NBA champs. Lisa Marie Presley will provide halftime entertainment at game 1 of the NBA finals, Wednesday in San Antonio, Texas, with "Lights Out" and "Sinking In," the second single from her debut, To Whom It May Concern. Four days later, Jewel will perform that same duty at game 3 with her current single, "Intuition." Then on June 11, jam band Phish will render their interpretation of the national anthem for game 4 in New Jersey. ...

Madonna shot a video for her next single, "Hollywood," in — surprise, surprise — Hollywood. Her rep calls the clip, which was shot Monday and Tuesday (June 3), "very glamorous" and says that the singer has "lots of different looks." ... It's expensive to get nude and lewd in Moon County, as Eve 6 frontman Max Collins found out Tuesday when Allegheny County District Court Judge Shirley Trkula slapped him with a $517 fine for disorderly conduct. Collins was arrested early Tuesday morning for prancing naked through the halls of a hotel following Eve 6's performance at a radio festival sponsored by Pittsburgh station 105.9 FM the day before. ...

After impressing executives by securing Justin Timberlake for the Black Eyed Peas' new album and developing an MTV2 show on his own, rapper Will.I.Am has been named vice president of artists and repertoire of A&M Records, the label releasing Elephunk on June 24. Will has already signed two artists: Brazilian pop star Sergio Mendes and Fergie, who sings on the Peas' album. ... Bruce Willis makes a return to music on the upcoming "Rugrats Go Wild" soundtrack, which includes the actor, who voices "Rugrats" family dog Spike, singing "Big Bad Cat" and covering Iggy Pop's "Lust for Life." A remake of the Police's "Message in a Bottle" by American Hi-Fi is also included, along with material from the Pretenders' Chrissie Hynde, who voices Siri the leopard. ...

Green Day drummer Tre Cool recently had a bone fragment "the size of a marble" removed from his knee, according to Billie Joe Armstrong in a message on the band's Web site. The frontman said the group has 40 songs finished for its next release, but he likes only six of them. ... The Roots and Phish's Trey Anastasio will appear on Toots & the Maytals' upcoming duets album, due in the fall. ...

Former Weezer bassist and Rentals frontman Matt Sharp will drop his first solo offering, the EP Puckett's Versus the Country Boy, on June 17. After parting ways with Rivers Cuomo and company after 1996's Pinkerton, Sharp sued his former band for back royalties and performed sporadically around the country. ... On Friday, the Doors of the 21st Century settled a lawsuit brought against them by Stewart Copeland. The former Police drummer filed the breach-of-contract complaint against founding Doors members Ray Manzarek and Robbie Krieger for allegedly not staying true to their word to use him behind the kit on their current tour. ...

Mystic recently shot a video for her first DreamWorks Records single, "Learning to Breathe," which features Donell Jones. The rapper performed on a car six stories in the air in Los Angeles' MacArthur Park. ... Flaming Lips and Rusted Root will join moe. for the band's fourth annual moe.down festival August 29 to 31 in Turin, New York. In the meantime, moe. will join Dave Matthews Band on tour for a week from June 17 to 21. ...

British heavy metal legends Iron Maiden will release their 13th album, Dance of Death, in September. The disc was produced by Kevin Shirley, who worked on their last album, Brave New World. Iron Maiden will begin their U.S. tour July 21 in Worcester, Massachusetts. ... Johnny and Edgar Winter fared palely in court Monday, when the California State Supreme Court dismissed their lawsuit against DC Comics. The albino brothers sued the New York comic-book company over two characters called the "Autumn Brothers," a villainous pair of wormlike subhumans with green tentacles, which the Winters claimed made a mockery of their albinism. ...

6.2.03

Michael Jackson's celeb-studded video for the charity single "What More Can I Give?" — long shelved due to label, producer and other controversies — has surfaced on the Internet. The song was performed by Mariah Carey, Ricky Martin, Beyoncé Knowles, Nick Carter, Celine Dion, Usher, Shakira and many others, and is viewable at www.jacksondailynews.net, in both the English and Spanish versions ...

Madonna is poised to make book-publishing history when "The English Roses" comes out September 15. The first title of her original series of five illustrated storybooks will be the widest simultaneous multi-language book release, with editions in 42 languages being released in more than 100 countries. The story for young readers is about "friendship, jealousy, sleepover parties and fairy godmothers." ... Details have yet to be announced, but Radiohead are planning a North American tour for late summer. Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks are opening on the first leg, which runs from August 12 to September 5, according to the former Pavement frontman's Web site. ...

Ozzy Osbourne's homecoming show in Birmingham, England, on September 7 will be quite the family affair when daughter Kelly shares the bill with her heavy metal daddy for the first time ever. The 18-year-old Kelly will also open a show in London two days earlier. ... Foo Fighters, White Stripes, AFI, the Deftones and Evanescence are slated to headline San Francisco alterna-rock station Live 105's annual summer concert, the BFD, which will take place June 13 at the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, California. Also on the bill are the All-American Rejects, the Roots, the Donnas, the Ataris, Interpol, Hot Hot Heat, Dan the Automator, the Transplants and the Used. ...

"Snow Dogs" director Brian Levant has signed on to helm the upcoming Ice Cube comedy "Are We There Yet?" The road-trip flick follows the rapper as he brings his girlfriend's kids to New York for New Year's Eve. ... The Mars Volta have dropped off a tour with the Red Hot Chili Peppers because of the death of their sound manipulator, Jeremy Ward, who died last week from a suspected drug overdose. Following a break, the band plans to embark on a headlining tour in July. The Mars Volta's debut full-length, De-Loused in the Comatorium, comes out June 24. ...

Alien Ant Farm have settled on truANT as the title of their second album, which was produced by Stone Temple Pilots' Dean and Robert DeLeo and carries an August 19 release date. When naming the follow-up to 2001's ANThology, the southern California quartet may have felt they were beaten to the punch by the latest albums from the White Stripes (ElephANT) and Less Than Jake (ANThem). ... It will be a good day for R.E.M. fans when the band's "Bad Day" arrives. The alternative ancients are shooting a video for the song, which will serve as the first single from the band's forthcoming best-of set, in Vancouver with director Tim Hope (Coldplay, Jimmy Eat World). The tune was recorded during the sessions that yielded 1986's Life's Rich Pageant. The hits collection is scheduled for release October 28, about two months after they begin a North American tour. ...

The Los Angeles edition of All Tomorrow's Parties, the annual three-day indie music festival, has postponed its dates from June 20-22 to Sept 26-28 due to sluggish sales, according to a spokesperson for the event. Curated by "The Simpsons" creator Matt Groening, the festival was originally intended to feature a wide range of acts including Yo La Tengo, Mogwai, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, the Fall and Wire. The new event will likely include many of the same artists. ... R.E.M., Zwan, Radiohead, the Flaming Lips, Moby, Electric 6, the Coral and Interpol are among the highlights of this year's Glastonbury Festival in the U.K. The three-day, nine-stage extravaganza kicks off June 27. ...

The Experience Music Project has expanded its original Jimi Hendrix gallery to make the space about three times as large as the old exhibit, and now deems it the largest collection of Hendrix memorabilia anywhere in the world. The Hendrix family loaned personal items to be displayed, as well as stage costumes from the Isle of Wight and Rainbow Bridge, the guitar the late musician played at Woodstock and guitars he smashed at the Monterey Pop Festival. The exhibit opens on Saturday... "TRL" host Hilarie Burton has a budding acting career ahead of her — her show "One Tree Hill" has been picked up as a midseason series by the WB. The drama stars Chad Michael Murray ("Dawson's Creek," "Gilmore Girls") and newcomer James Lafferty as two half-brothers bound by the secret that they share the same father. Their worlds collide when they find themselves competing not only for control of the basketball court but also for the affections of Burton's character, Peyton. Twelve episodes have been ordered, and filming is likely to begin in July. ...

Michael Peter Hayes (a.k.a. Mickie Most), the producer who worked with such stars as Jeff Beck, the Animals, Hot Chocolate and Kim Wilde, died at his home in North London after a year-long battle with cancer. He was 64. ... A compilation CD of songs by late AC/DC singer Bon Scott's band the Valentines comes out on Monday (June 2). The record is called Peculiar Hole in the Sky and songs include "To Know You Is to Love You," "Love Makes Sweet Music," "Sookie Sookie," "Every Day I Have to Cry" and "I Can Hear the Raindrops." ...

Boomkat will release "What U Do 2 Me" as the second single from the their debut album, Boomkatalog One. Taryn and Kellin Manning will perform the track Friday on "The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn." ... The Eels just finished a video in Los Angeles for "Saturday Morning," the first single from Shootenanny!, due Tuesday. The group will play a few Hollywood shows in June before heading overseas for a European outing. ...

Gwen Stefani, Coldplay and Joey Ramone are among those included in "Mayor of the Sunset Strip," a documentary about L.A. DJ Rodney Bingenheimer, scheduled to debut June 17 at the Los Angeles Film Festival. Bingenheimer is the longtime host of Rodney on the Roq on KROQ-FM. ... With their six-month-long career, Hookah Brown had barely begun to start smoking before the group was beat. Featuring ex-Black Crowes guitarist Rich Robinson, the quartet officially called it quits after a series of short U.S. tours, before releasing their debut album. Robinson is reportedly pursuing other projects. ...

• Britney Spears
• TLC
• Eve
• Madonna
• Lisa Marie Presley

Jennifer Lopez can keep it all on wax if she likes — at New York's Madame Tussaud's, that is. Her cast was unveiled this week at the wax museum, which boasts that the pop star's likeness is its first interactive wax figure. If gawkers whisper in the faux J. Lo's ear, she blushes. ...

Sharon Osbourne will provide backstage commentary at "VH1 Divas Duets" airing live Thursday (May 22) at 9 p.m. ET from Las Vegas. Duets scheduled for the show include Beyoncé Knowles and Jewel, Ashanti and the Isley Brothers, Whitney Houston and husband Bobby Brown, and Lisa Marie Presley and Pat Benatar. ... Dave Grohl is taking himself out of the running for rock's most eligible bachelor. The Foo Fighters frontman announced his engagement last week to 26-year-old girlfriend Jordyn Blum. The couple have been together for two years. ...

Michael Jackson was hospitalized briefly for observation and treatment after a fainting spell before he was to give a deposition in a copyright lawsuit in Indianapolis. The lawsuit alleges the Jackson 5 used two songs without license from another Gary, Indiana, band from the 1960s (the tracks appeared on a 1996 album, Pre-History: The Lost Steeltown Recordings). Prior to falling ill, Jackson's attorneys petitioned the U.S. District Court in Hammond not to publicize the location of the deposition meeting and asked that the transcript of the deposition be sealed to help the pop star keep a low profile. Jackson returned to Los Angeles via private jet after being released. ...

Avril Lavigne's "Complicated" won the International Hit of the Year at the Ivor Novello Awards in London on Thursday. Also at the ceremony, hosted by the British Academy of Composers and Songwriters, Coldplay were named Songwriters of the Year, David Gray's "The Other Side" won Best Song and the Streets' "Weak Become Heroes" won Best Contemporary Song. ... A dance version of the classic Milton Bradley Twister game is set to be launched this June, featuring the voices and moves of Nick and Aaron Carter. Hasbro signed the singing siblings to the Twister Moves game, which requires players to follow the more than 100 dance commands called out by two recorded DJs on three CDs. Players can also make up their own moves to incorporate into the game. ...

Macy Gray is developing a cartoon for Warner Bros. Animation based on her childhood in Canton, Ohio, called "A Pretty Good Life." The raspy singer will voice the lead character and record music for the show. ... The Raveonettes will release their first full-length album, Chain Gang of Love, on August 12. The disc will follow up the band's debut EP, Whip It On. ...

The Youngbloodz, the duo of Sean Paul (no, not the Sean Paul) and J-Bo, were just signed by So So Def. They will release their next LP, Drankin' Patnaz, on July 29 and have already put out the first single, "Damn Any More," which was produced by Lil Jon. ... Painted percussionists the Blue Man Group have scheduled the second leg of their tour to start July 7 in Columbia, Missouri. The trek, which stretches to August 30 in Saratoga, New York, supports the group's latest album, The Complex, released last month. Tracy Bonham and Venus Hum, who, along with a cast that includes Dave Matthews and Gavin Rossdale, appear on The Complex, will serve as openers and are expected to join the group onstage. ...

5.21.03

As Britney Spears continues to work on her forthcoming fourth album — which is supposed to be a departure in style for the pop princess — she's also getting rid of a few other things from her past, in the name of charity. Spears is auctioning off her stage and movie costumes, some signed original photography and other memorabilia, as well as concert packages and "personal experiences" starting this Thursday on www.gottahaveit.com. The auction runs through June 3, and proceeds go to the Britney Spears Foundation. ...

Blu Cantrell has set a June 24 release date for her second album, Bittersweet, which features collaborations with Missy Elliott, Lil' Kim, Fat Joe, Lady May and reggae star Ian Lewis of Inner Circle. Sean Paul appears on the first single, "Breathe," which was produced by Dr. Dre and will be accompanied by a Hype Williams-directed video. ... Nelly and producer 7 Aurelius were awarded Songwriters of the Year and Puddle of Mudd's "Blurry" was named Song of the Year at the ASCAP Pop Music Awards Tuesday in Beverly Hills, California. Elvis Costello was presented the ASCAP Founders' Award at the event, which included a performance of Christina Aguilera's "Beautiful" by the song's co-author, Linda Perry. ...

Twenty-one-year-old rapper Jason Johnson, better known as Camoflauge, was shot and killed on Monday in his hometown of Savannah, Georgia. Camoflauge, who made his major-label debut in 2001 with Strictly 4 Da Streets: Drugs, Sex & Violence Vol. 1, was fatally wounded while with his young son outside Pure Pain studios, where he had been recording. Police have made no arrests and have not named any suspects. ... Panjabi MC, whose remix of "Beware of the Boys (Mundian to Bach Ke)" with Jay-Z is one of spring's breakout singles, will promote the July 1 release of his U.S. debut, Beware, with a week of tour dates. The trek includes several club dates in New York, including June 4 at S.O.B.'s Basement Bhangra party. ...

Legendary director Martin Scorsese's next project is a biography of Bob Dylan tentatively titled "Bob Dylan Anthology Project." The movie is currently slated for release in 2005. ... James Brown was pardoned by the South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services for drug-related charges that stemmed from a 1998 bust. Brown had previously served two and a half years behind bars after being arrested for drug possession in 1988. ...

The guys of 3 Doors Down will be in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Friday afternoon to see the premiere of a NASCAR Busch Series race car decked out with a 3DD design. Later that evening, the band will perform a free show at Food Lion Speed Street. ... P.O.D. will name their next LP Payable on Death, which is what their namesake acronym stands for. The 17-song follow-up to 2001's Satellite is due November 4. ...

New York Yankees slugger Bernie Williams has had his fair share of hits on the ball field, but will it carry over to success in the studio? The centerfielder will drop his debut LP, The Journey Within, on July 15. Alongside jazzy covers of Billy Joel's "And So It Goes" and Kansas' "Dust in the Wind," the album also includes seven of the guitarist's original compositions. ... The mighty Tenacious D took the stage with Styx on Tuesday night at the Staples Center in Los Angeles for a performance of "Kiss Your Ass Goodbye." The song is featured on the new Styx album Cyclorama. ... First season "American Idol" finalist R.J. Helton is expected to release a gospel album this fall on Gospocentric/B-Rite Music, home to contemporary Christian crooner Kirk Franklin. ...

Sheryl Crow, Billy Joel, Faith Hill, Elton John, Jamie Foxx, Robin Williams and Dennis Miller will all take the stage for Andre Agassi's annual Grand Slam for Children event, which benefits at-risk youths. The event will take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on October 4. ... In other Elton John and Billy Joel charity news, the two are reaching out to less fortunate musicians by donating concert tickets from their current tour to an eBay auction that will benefit the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund. The fund provides financial assistance to artists who can't afford health insurance. ... Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour has donated almost $6 million to help provide housing for hundreds of poor and homeless people in central London. Gilmour got the idea from a community project he heard about in New York City. ...

• Jennifer Lopez
• Ozzy Osbourne
• Avril Lavigne
• Lisa Marie Presley
• Pat Benatar

Ever wonder how the U.S. military is getting Saddam Hussein supporters to cough up valuable information? No, they're not offering them cigarettes and lap dances, they're playing them heavy metal music and children's songs. According to a U.S. sergeant interviewed by Newsweek magazine, Iraqi prisoners have never before heard the crashing rhythms, churning guitars and growling vocals common in metal, and it affects them like Chinese water torture. Songs of choice include Metallica's "Enter Sandman" and Drowning Pool's "Bodies." Also effective is the chirpy, sing-song quality of kiddy tunes, specifically the theme to "Sesame Street" and the music of Barney. ...

Sheryl Crow was among the luminaries who paid homage to the late June Carter Cash at her funeral service this weekend. Crow sang gospel covers along with Emmylou Harris during the ceremony, which was attended by Hank Williams Jr., Trisha Yearwood, Kris Kristofferson and the prime minister of Jamaica. ... Lisa Marie Presley's first tour, a co-headlining trek with Chris Isaak, will begin July 11 at the Fleet Boston Pavilion. The 17-city treks ends August 12 at the Illinois State Fair in Springfield. ...

"Platinum," the UPN drama about the hip-hop industry, has not been renewed for the fall season. Onyx rapper Sticky Fingaz starred in the show and MC Lyte was set to be a reoccurring character. ... Ricky Martin has launched People for the Children, a project that aims to fight child pornography and prostitution. The program is an offshoot of the Ricky Martin Foundation, a nonprofit organization that focuses on child-related issues. People for the Children will be based in Miami, and for its first function, Martin will meet with Mexican president Vincente Fox and his wife. ...

Festival promoters in Michigan have canceled a scheduled performance by self-described "Motor City Madman" Ted Nugent in response to the guitarist, singer, shock jock and outspoken outdoorsman's use of racial slurs during a recent radio interview. Nugent reportedly used derogatory terms for Asians and blacks during an interview with two Denver DJs last week, prompting organizers of the Muskegon Summer Celebration to scramble to find a replacement. ... The upcoming "Led Zeppelin DVD" set will be screened at eight movie theaters across the country on May 27, the night it goes to retail. The double-disc set features five hours of footage assembled by guitarist Jimmy Page, who also put together the triple-disc album How the West Was Won, which will come out the same day. Page, vocalist Robert Plant and bassist John Paul Jones will attend the New York screening of the DVD. ...

To commemorate a decade of block rockin' beats, the Chemical Brothers will issue a double-album retrospective and DVD in September. The LP will feature two new songs, rare cuts and remixes, along with a greatest-hits selection that fans can help compile at www.thechemicalbrothers.com. ... Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry unveiled a new guitar on Saturday at the House of Blues in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The Gibson Joe Perry Signature model was conceived by Perry's wife Billie, who got together with designers at Gibson to create a surprise axe for her hubby. Last Christmas, she presented him with the instrument, and he liked it so much he decided to make it available to the public. ...

Ed Harcourt will launch a North American club tour June 2 in Los Angeles to promote From Every Sphere (May 20), the follow-up to his Mercury Music Prize-nominated 2002 debut, Here Be Monsters. Harcourt will also be joining R.E.M. on six dates in the fall. ... A hefty dose or rock action has been injected into the third annual Village Voice Siren Music Festival at New York's Coney Island on July 19. Performers added to the already indie-heavy lineup include Idlewild, the Datsuns, the Dirtbombs, Oneida and the Witnesses. Previously announced acts include Modest Mouse, Hot Hot Heat, Sahara Hotnights, dance rockers !!! and Radio 4, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, the Kills, rappers Northern State and the Pattern. While the majority of the lineup is in place, a few stray acts are expected to be announced shortly. ...

INXS aren't as afraid of SARS as Moby, Mariah Carey or the Rolling Stones, and they don't think travelers should be, either. Though numerous acts have canceled gigs in Asia since the health scare began, three members of the long-running Australian outfit played an acoustic gig in Singapore on Sunday in hopes of showing the public that traveling there is still safe. The band has also scheduled an appearance in Bali next month — despite heightened terrorism fears since a recent bombing killed more than 200 people — and told the BBC that "[terrorism and SARS] are a tragedy for any country, but it has been a lot of media hype that has caused the panic." ...

5.16.03

Soul crooner Barry White suffered a stroke on May 1 that affected his speech and the right side of his body, Reuters reports. The 58-year-old White, whose deep, mood-setting voice is as dependable as roses and candy on Valentine's Day, suffered kidney failure last fall and is awaiting a transplant when his condition improves. ...

Jennifer Lopez is being sued for $5 million for breach of contract by film director Adam Shankman, with whom she worked on the film "The Wedding Planner." Shankman claims that he and Lopez talked about having her play the lead role in a new film version of the classic opera "Carmen," but that she then turned around and sold the idea to Universal Pictures without his knowledge. ...

Metallica have chosen some openers for their May shows at San Francisco's Fillmore. CKY, who opened the ill-fated Guns N' Roses tour, will play Sunday; Systematic, who were signed to Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich's record label, will play Monday; and Death Angel, a reunited San Francisco-area '80s thrash band, will play Thursday. No act has been announced for Wednesday's show. ...

The White Stripes have announced dates for the first leg of their upcoming summer tour. Jack and Meg White will kick off the trek June 16 in Raleigh, North Carolina, and wind things down July 23 at Central Park's Summer Stage in New York. ... Several, if not all, of the finished tracks from the new Radiohead album, Hail to the Thief, surfaced online Thursday. Earlier versions of the tunes, purported to be stolen, were downloadable weeks ago. The follow-up to 2001's Amnesiac is slated for a June 10 release. ...

Great White have created a trust fund to which fans can donate money in order to help the group with its legal fees. While the bandmembers were recently dropped from the suits filed by at least one attorney because their pockets aren't deep enough to warrant suing, two other lawyers are still naming the rockers as defendants. There is also the possibility Great White will face criminal charges from the February 20 fire in a West Warwick, Rhode Island, club that ignited after the band shot off pyrotechnics during its show. ... T.A.T.U.'s manager, Ivan Shapovalov, was arrested in Moscow's Red Square on Thursday for disturbing the peace while filming a video for one of the group's new, untitled songs. The crafty manager already had two requests to film the allegedly lesbian duo in front of the Kremlin rejected when he set up cameras and invited 200 girls to parade around and make out in front of Lenin's Tomb and the church of St. Basil, a mere 200 yards from the Kremlin. Filming was scrapped after police intervened. Shapovalov was reprimanded by a judge, but was not punished. ...

On the heels of their split with Island Def Jam earlier this month, Hanson are being courted by two record labels. The brothers are aiming to release their upcoming album, Unleashed, in September. ... Coldplay will broadcast a two-hour live concert from the Hollywood Bowl to over 150 radio stations nationwide on May 31 at 9 p.m. The band launches a North American tour on Tuesday in Edmonton, Alberta. Dates run through June 13 in New York. ... For the first time in more than four years, Blur will cross the pond for a North American trek beginning June 8 at the Field Day festival in Calverton, New York. The 10 confirmed dates, through June 21 in Vancouver, support the band's seventh album, Think Tank, which dropped last week. More dates are expected to be added to the itinerary. ...

Apparently feeling left out from sum of the summer fun, Sum 41 have decided to hop onboard the Vans Warped Tour for eight dates. The group will play on June 29 in Chicago, then July 8 in Pomona, California, through July 15 in Peoria, Arizona. ... Ivories abound when pianists Tori Amos and Ben Folds hit the road together beginning July 26 in Redmond, Washington. The 25-date run, supporting headliner Amos' latest LP, Scarlet's Walk, concludes September 3 in Orlando, Florida. ...

Raekwon is set to star in "The Coalition," a film that tells the story of a lucrative New York construction business and how it is exploited by minority nonunion labor. The movie begins filming in June. ... Wilco, R.E.M., Common, Black Eyed Peas, Macy Gray and Rhett Miller are among the artists headlining the 33rd annual Bumbershoot festival in Seattle. Tickets to the event, taking place over Labor Day weekend at the Seattle Center, can be purchased at www.bumbershoot.com. ...

Ween will release their first studio album in three years, Quebec, on July 22. Fictitious brothers Dean and Gene Ween's follow-up to White Pepper is their first album for Sanctuary Records after residing for over a decade at Elektra. ... Ozzy Osbourne's son Louis Osbourne, a deep house/techno DJ, will embark on a U.S. club tour beginning June 12 at New York's Discotheque and wrapping up July 19 at Hollywood's Spundae. Kelly and Jack's half brother also recently signed on for a DJ mix compilation to be released by Blue Chip Records next year. ...

05.15.03

While Mark Romanek is handling Linkin Park's next video, the band's own Joseph Hahn will return to the director's chair for the group's third single from Meteora. That video and a clip for the next European single will be shot in Prague, Czech Republic next week, Hahn said Tuesday, although he wouldn't reveal what songs they will be for. "You need to focus on 'Faint,' " he joked. "I shouldn't be talking so far ahead." ...

Russian police barred T.A.T.U. from filming their new video in Moscow's Red Square on Thursday (May 15). Several hundred fans, many decked out in schoolgirl uniforms, showed up to be extras in what was supposed to be the duo's video for the Eurovision song contest. Russia chose the kissing crooners to represent the country at the contest, happening later this month in Riga, Latvia. ... Mandy Moore is giving fans a sneak preview of her upcoming covers album, Coverage. Four of the album's 12 tracks are available for listening on her official Web site, www.mandymoore.com. The songs are covers of John Hiatt's "Have a Little Faith in Me," XTC's "Senses Working Overtime," Todd Rundgren's "Can We Still Be Friends" and Joan Armatrading's "Drop the Pilot." Moore is also about to film Warner Bros.' "First Daughter," with co-stars Mark Harmon, Jeremy Piven and Annabella Sciorra. ...

Chevelle have scheduled 14 shows during down days on this year's Ozzfest. Four of the shows will be with Korn, six will be with Disturbed and the rest will be headline gigs. The first date is June 30 in Lubbock, Texas, and the last announced show is August 31 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. ... "Revealing Jewel: An Intimate Portrait by Family and Friends," a book about the personal details of the star's life, is being released in June with her approval. The tome, by author Kenneth Calhoun, features interviews with Moby, Billy Bob Thornton, producer Arif Mardin, Jewel's father, Atz Kilcher, and her mother and manager, Lenedra J. Carroll, among others. ...

All proceeds from Santana's summer tour will be donated to Artists for a New South Africa, an organization dedicated to fighting the spread of AIDS in Africa. The trek starts June 11 in Atlanta and continues through July 14 in Los Angeles. Angelique Kidjo will open every show. ... Henry Rollins is planning to perform material included on the compilation LP he put together last year, Rise Above: 24 Black Flag Songs to Benefit the West Memphis Three, on a world tour kicking off June 1. Joining the Rollins Band on the U.S. dates of the outing will be Keith Morris, leader of the Circle Jerks and original singer for Black Flag. All proceeds from the shows will go to the West Memphis Three Defense Fund, created to help overturn the convictions of Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley, whom many feel were not given a fair trial in the 1993 murders of three young boys in West Memphis, Arkansas. ...

• Metallica
• Barney
• Lisa Marie Presley
• Sheryl Crow
• Ricky Martin

Metallica at the taping of "mtvICON: Metallica"
Photo: Steve Granitz/Wire Image

UNIVERSAL CITY, California — Seemingly unlikely fans like Michelle Branch and Lisa Marie Presley descended upon the Universal Studios lot Saturday alongside more predictable faces like Rob Zombie, Kelly Osbourne, Puddle of Mudd, ex-Guns N' Roses members Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum and Linkin Park's Chester Bennington for the taping of "mtvICON: Metallica."

The show included performances by the even more surprisingly enthusiastic Bay Area thrash metal fans Avril Lavigne and Snoop Dogg, along with Sum 41, Korn, Limp Bizkit, two members of Staind and Metallica — with new bassist Robert Trujillo — in tow.

In fitting tribute to the frequently black-clad band that released 1991's highly successful self-titled "black album," at this year's "ICON" — an annual event where celebrity fans pay homage to a legendary act — guests and performers alike arrived on a black rather than red carpet, all of them eager to talk about one of the biggest and most important rock and roll bands of all time. (Click for photos from the black carpet.)

"They did exactly what we did now in this time back when they first started," said a vintage ... And Justice for All T-shirt wearing Jonathan Davis, who arrived with the rest of the members of Korn, along with their respective ladies. "We have always looked up to them in the sense that they have paved the way. ... We are just here to pay respect tonight."

"I grew up on Metallica," said Travis Barker, who flew in from the current tour with side project the Transplants to attend. "Metallica is the sh--. I grew up, like, 13 years old, learning every album. [I] looked up to [drummer] Lars [Ulrich]."

Bennington, who turned out to introduce Korn's performance and talk about the band during the show with Barker, shared many of the Mohawk-sporting Blink-182 drummer's sentiments. "I was invited to come down and do something tonight and I just jumped at the chance to show my appreciation for the band," he said. "To try to do my little thing and say thank you for all the music."

"They've been around forever and I think it's hard to stick around in a world with such a short attention span," offered Fred Durst, who together with his Limp Bizkit bandmates — which now includes guitarist Mike Smith — will join Metallica for the Summer Sanitarium Tour.

"They are the originals, man," chimed in Limp Bizkit's DJ Lethal. "The original metal."   Poppy punk stars Sum 41 have never shied away from a chance to show their appreciation for all things metallic, and the "ICON" taping — where they performed a medley of Metallica tunes — was no exception.  

"We have covered Metallica before," explained bassist Cone.

"Actually, even when we don't even do Metallica, kids come up and are like, 'Hey, when you played Metallica tonight, that was amazing,' " joked guitarist Dave Baksh.

Papa Roach drummer Dave Buckner brought his young cousin along for a glimpse of the action. "What's not to love about Metallica?" he asked. "I mean, dude, [they're] just kick-ass heavy metal. They kick your ass with every song. What more do you want?"

While the influence Metallica have had on bands like Papa Roach, Korn and even Sum 41 is obvious, it might seem strange that Snoop — or Avril, for that matter — are fans. But it's true.

"I like the Red Hot Chili Peppers [and] I like Aerosmith," explained Snoop who, like Davis, was sporting a Metallica T-shirt. "I like some of everybody. If they make good music, I am with it."

"I've just started getting into [Metallica] in the last couple of years," Lavigne admitted. "I really didn't, like, grow up listening to it or anything like that. But it's great and I am really happy to be here."  

From the fans like Avril who discovered the band post-Load to the headbanging underground disciples who religiously copied the band's No Life Til Leather demo and mailed it to their friends, Metallica have influenced two decades of fans and musicians.

"I think it has everything to do with the quality of our music," offered Kirk Hammett, who replaced lead guitarist Dave Mustaine 20 years ago on the eve of recording Metallica's Kill 'Em All debut. "The music speaks for itself, and to me, I think our music stands the test of time. I mean, when I hear a lot of our earlier stuff, it still sounds fresh to me, and I think it must sound fresh to a lot of people who are hearing it for the 50 millionth time."

"mtvICON: Metallica" airs on MTV Tuesday at 9 P.M. Eastern.

MTVNews.com will present an in-depth interview with the band after "ICON" premieres.

—Ryan J. Downey, with additional reporting by Iann Robinson

• Metallica
• Avril Lavigne
• Snoop Dogg
• Sum 41
• Limp Bizkit

Beyoncé Knowles, Whitney Houston, Celine Dion and Lisa Marie Presley will join Mary J. Blige, Jewel and Chaka Khan at "VH1 Divas Duets." Queen Latifah is hosting the annual event, which will be broadcast live May 22 from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. ...

Dexter Ottley, director of street team promotions for Murder Inc. Records, was arrested last week on gun charges by federal officers in Encino, California. Officers say during the raid of the Inc.'s offices in January they found a .25 caliber handgun allegedly belonging to him. Ottley, who is still in custody, was arrested at the Inc.'s rented California residence, along with the head of their radio division, Tarik Williams, and rapper Caddillac Tah, who were not charged with any crime. ...   

Courtney Love has recorded a cover of Kim Carnes' 1981 #1 hit "Bette Davis Eyes" for possible inclusion on her upcoming solo debut, America's Sweetheart. Former 4 Non Blondes singer Linda Perry (Pink, Christina Aguilera) is co-writing with Love. ... Over 100 bands dispersed among eight stages in three days marks the return of the Austin City Limits Music Festival, taking place September 19-21 at Zilker Park. Artists confirmed thus far include R.E.M., Liz Phair, Lucinda Williams, Spoon, Ween, Gomez, and the Shins. A full lineup will be announced June 12. The first incarnation of the festival inspired by the PBS music series of the same name featured Wilco, Ryan Adams, Emmylou Harris and the Jayhawks. ...

Inching ever closer to usurping David Bowie's title as the chameleon of rock, Beck assumed the roles of Nelly and Justin Timberlake for covers of the hits "Hot in Herre" and "Cry Me a River" at a secret show at the London Union Chapel Monday night. Beck remains in the U.K. through Friday, before embarking on a North American tour with Dashboard Confessional and the Black Keys in support of his latest album, Sea Change. ... Fans of indie art-rock, rejoice. British experimental darlings Radiohead and Icelandic ambient rockers Sigur Rós will debut their musical collaboration October 14 at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in Brooklyn, New York. The project was created for the Merce Cunningham Dance Company piece "Split Sides." Both groups will play 20 minutes of live music, and the first time the dancers will hear the pieces is opening night. From October 16 to 18, the dance company will perform to recorded versions of the music. ...

Echo & the Bunnymen singer Ian McCulloch will headline a short U.S. tour next month to promote his new solo album, Sliding, which features Coldplay's Chris Martin and Johnny Buckland. The outing begins May 19 in Washington, D.C. and ends May 28 in Los Angeles. ... The Chinese calendar says it's the Year of the Goat. Year of the Rabbit would beg to differ. The textural hard rock band features former Failure frontman Ken Andrews and multi-instrumentalist Jeff Garber, formerly of National Skyline. Its self-titled debut will come out on June 24. ...

04.28.03

Clothing designer Jean Paul Gaultier, who created the super pointy bras Madonna wore onstage for her 1990 Blonde Ambition Tour, will tailor the clothing for Marilyn Manson's trek to support his next album, The Golden Age of Grotesque, which comes out May 13. ...

Not only does Bone Crusher have an unofficial remix of his record "Never Scared" with the Diplomats getting burn on the radio and mixtapes, the Atlanta gargantuan has just completed an official reworking of his tune as well. This new version also features Cam'ron, in addition to Busta Rhymes and Jadakiss. ... Pearl Jam have had just about enough of their own hot air, so they've joined up with the environmental organization Conservation International to help reduce the damage caused by the estimated 5,700 tons of greenhouse-gas emissions caused by the trucks, buses, planes and cars used on their current tour. To balance the scales, Pearl Jam have bought the same amount of carbon from the Makira rain forest conservation project in Madagascar, thereby preventing it from burning and emitting more carbon dioxide. ...

The owners of a guitar that once belonged to Jimi Hendrix are free to sell the ax, despite a lawsuit by the late guitarist's family. Rock Stars Guitars claimed a former roadie gave them the 1967 Fender Stratocaster, which they then tried to put on the eBay auction block. The Hendrix estate questioned the authenticity, and filed suit to stop the bidding, but a judge ruled against them. Their lawyer said they'd appeal. ... A pair of Motörhead disciples in Portland, Oregon, have tracked down a black hat stolen from frontman Lemmy Kilmister last May, and returned the article to its rightful owner. The fans said they were at a party in Portland and saw Lemmy's chapeau on display. So they snatched the cap and snuck out before anyone noticed it was gone. They then drove three hours to Seattle to hand-deliver the headpiece. "I would like to thank from the bottom of my black heart two people who brought the hat. Thanks to you both," Lemmy posted on Motörhead 's Web site. ...

Opting for economy over verbosity, Louisiana metal band Superjoint Ritual have changed the name of their upcoming record from Striking Fear Into the Enemy: A Lethal Dose of American Hatred to A Lethal Dose of American Hatred. The album is due in June and is the follow-up to Use Once And Destroy, which came out last year. Superjoint Ritual is a side band of Pantera frontman Philip Anselmo. ...

• Beyoncé
• Lisa Marie Presley
• Courtney Love
• Beck
• Spoon

Lisa Marie Presley
Photo: MTV News

Lisa Marie Presley's To Whom It May Concern debuted at #5 its first week out, but does she really need the sales?

As Elvis' daughter and one of the administrators of his estate, she's estimated to be worth $500 million. But despite her heritage, her vast wealth and her already cemented celeb status, Presley still wanted to work — well, on her songs at least.

"I'm doing it because music's been such a profound influence on me and my whole life and gotten me through everything," Presley said. "I thought I could use this album as a vehicle, an outlet of whatever I've been through, and I wanted to see if I could affect others. It's as simple as that."

She sang as a child, encouraged by her dad; when asked if she was good, she smiled and said, "Probably not." But it wasn't until Presley was 21 that she started penning melodies and lyrics in her home studio, just to help her get through whatever was ailing her at the moment, be it a very public divorce from a world-famous pop star or more private struggles.

"I never really did it with the intention to put it out there," she said. "I would just write, just sit there and write, and record it on eight-track, until I graduated to ProTools, but it was always just to get myself through things."

Thanks to her family connections, plenty of people were interested in helping her get it out there, even if that wasn't her original goal. "I've had producers coming around, saying, 'If you want to do it ...' and record company people saying, 'Let me know, let me know,' most of my life," she said.

Daunted by the prospect of the inevitable comparisons and expectations, she demurred, preferring to take it slow. "I just liked the idea of easing into it," she said. Plus, she knew that being the daughter of one of the greatest rock legends of all time only takes you so far. "I think it just sort of goes with the territory that it can open a door," she said. "But [from there] I'm pretty much on my own."

Presley started seriously considering the idea of an album in 1997 and worked with producer Glen Ballard in 1999, and later Billy Corgan when she signed to Capitol. She nearly completed an album three years ago, but most of those sessions were scrapped as she kept re-recording the songs until she felt they fit her.

"Re-recording, fine-tuning, writing more, taking away," she recalled. "The biggest struggle, and why I took so long, was to get me to compromise enough to put records on that were sort of safe and radio-friendly. What I tend to go towards is ambience and a vibe. I didn't go for a style, which is why the whole thing is a potpourri of I don't know what."

Though her three failed marriages were a great impetus to start putting her life on paper, and much will be made of songs that seemingly reference her second and third husbands Michael Jackson and Nicolas Cage, it's Presley's first husband, Danny Keough, who's all over this record. Presley worked with Keough in addition to producers Eric Rosse (Tori Amos) and Andrew Slater (Fiona Apple, the Wallflowers), but there's not enough drama in their peaceful reconciliation and collaboration for anyone to notice. But Jacko or Nic? Could the breakup song "Gone" be about one of them? She won't say, except to say that she's "done worrying" about them.

"God, I don't know, lately I can't follow any of it," she said of the past year's Michael Jackson news. "He's seemingly progressively more [unusual] lately, more in these last couple of years, more than when I was around."

While some songs seem to be about past partners, two seem to address her dad — or at least his legacy: first single "Lights Out" and "Nobody Noticed It." But Presley doesn't want to say that they do.

"Lights Out," she said, "is "just a concept of a time, a place, a thing, but not my dad specifically." And though she co-wrote "Nobody Noticed It" following a viewing of E!'s "True Hollywood Story: The Last Days of Elvis," she explained it away as "a general ode to someone who's close to you who's passed away." She refused further clarification except to say, "He was a good dad. He was part of my life."

Presley will appear on NBC's "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" on May 1. An episode of VH1's "Driven" dedicated to her debuts on June 1.

—Jennifer Vineyard, with additional reporting by Kurt Loder

• Lisa Marie Presley

Godsmack
Photo: Universal

Despite their nondescript album title, Godsmack earned the distinction of topping next week's Billboard albums chart.

Faceless, the Boston band's third LP, sold more than 266,000 copies, according to SoundScan figures released Wednesday (April 16), breaking Linkin Park's two-week hold on the top slot. Meteora trailed Godsmack's aggro opus by more than 80,000 copies to place second on the chart.

Godsmack's last album, Awake, released on Halloween in 2000, put up nearly similar numbers, 256,000 in its first week, but came in at #5 on the chart.

The Presley surname is hardly out of place in the top of the charts, and Elvis' daughter, Lisa Marie, continues the family tradition with To Whom It May Concern. Fronted by the single "Lights Out," Presley's debut sold more than 142,000 copies to claim the #5 position.

Ginuwine has got to be exclaiming the title of his hit single "Hell Yeah" at the news that his latest album, The Senior, will place at #6. Written and produced by R. Kelly, "Hell Yeah" helped the R&B crooner's fourth album sell more than 122,000 copies in its first week.

A greatest-hits collection from the soothing and sensitive James Taylor, titled The Best of James Taylor, that features "Fire and Rain" and "Sweet Baby James," leads next week's chart debuts in the #11-#20 bracket, followed by Jay-Z's condensed combo of Blueprint albums, Blueprint 2.1, at #17.

Lucinda Williams' beautifully languid World Without Tears will come in right behind Jigga at #18, while Scarface's Balls and My Word, which cops its title from dialogue from the rapper's namesake's film, will place at #20.

The remainder of next week's top 10 finds 50 Cent's Get Rich or Die Tryin' dropping a place to #3 (159,000) and surpassing total sales of more than 4 million copies; Now That's What I Call Music! Vol. 12 also taking a step back to #4 (143,000); The Very Best of Cher holding at #7 (118,000); Celine Dion's One Heart slipping four spots to #8 (117,000); Norah Jones' Come Away With Me sliding likewise to #9 (166,000); and Evanescence's Fallen losing a spot to #10 (87,000) while moving past the half-million mark.

Two of the most talked about albums in recent weeks took the biggest nosedives on the next week's chart. British invader Robbie Williams is seemingly falling short of his crossover quest, as his latest album, Escapology, will drop to #104 after its #43 debut. Its weekly sales were also slashed by 11,000, more than half of last week's retail performance.

The soundtrack to Rob Zombie's horror flick "House of 1000 Corpses" also got buried on next week chart. The week that the movie hit the big screens, weekly sales of the LP fell by more than 8,000 copies and its chart position plummeted 52 places.

Other notable debuts on next week's chart include country rockers the Jayhawks' Rainy Day Music at #51; an imitation of the "Now" series, Got Hits, featuring contributions from Kylie Minogue, Justin Timberlake and Aaliyah, among others, at #73; Boomkatalog One by Taryn Manning and her brother Kellin's dance-pop project Boomkat, at #88; the newest addition to Insane Clown Posse's Psychopathic Records, gangsta rapper ABK's Hatchet Warrior at #98; indie rock pillars Yo La Tengo's Summer Sun at #115; and SoCal punks' Lagwagon's fifth LP, Blaze, at #172.

• Godsmack
• Linkin Park
• 50 Cent
• Lisa Marie Presley
• Ginuwine

Kisses & Couples

• Britney Spears
• Justin Timberlake
• Madonna
• Beyoncé
• Jay-Z

Dare to Wear

• Gwen Stefani
• Snoop Dogg
• Christina Aguilera
• Mudvayne
• Mary J. Blige

47th Annual Grammy Awards Red Carpet

• Beyoncé
• Kanye West
• Mos Def
• Gwen Stefani
• Black Eyed Peas

• Metallica
• Avril Lavigne
• Sum 41
• Snoop Dogg
• Lisa Marie Presley