Usher performs at the Michael Jackson public memorial in Los Angeles on July 7, 2009
Photo: Mario Anzuoni/ Getty Images

Two different, star-studded tributes to Michael Jackson have begun to take shape. The first, according to TMZ, is an all-star remake of the late pop singer's "Will You Be There" that will reportedly feature vocals from Usher, Wyclef Jean, Jermaine Jackson, Whitney Houston, Lionel Richie and Dionne Warwick. (John Mayer was also said to be participating, but his spokesperson told MTV News that TMZ's report was false.)

That effort is reportedly being led by Shawn King, wife of TV talker Larry King, who will also lend her vocals to the song. King told TMZ she's not yet sure if Jennifer Hudson — who performed the song at last month's memorial service for Jackson — will participate in the tribute because she has just given birth to her first child. Proceeds from the song, the release date of which has not yet been announced, will be split 50/50 between the Larry King Cardiac Foundation and an unspecified charity close to Jackson.

In the meantime, the New York Post reported that Shawn King, Whitney Houston, Madonna and President Barack Obama will not be participating in Jermaine Jackson's global tribute to his brother, who died on June 25 at the age of 50 after suffering cardiac arrest. The show is being planned for September 26 on a crown-shaped stage at the Schoenbrunn Palace in Vienna, Austria, according to The Associated Press. The lineup for the three-hour show will reportedly be revealed in two weeks, but early reports are that it will feature around 10 major entertainers who will perform 15 to 20 of Jackson's hits. Jermaine Jackson said the site was chosen because his brother "loved castles."

• Michael Jackson: The Memorial

• Michael Jackson: A Life In Photos
• Michael Jackson's Public Memorial At Staples Center

• Michael Jackson
• Usher
• Wyclef Jean
• Whitney Houston
• Dionne Warwick

Mariah Carey and Trey Lorenz perform at the Michael Jackson memorial service on Tuesday
Photo: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

Michael Jackson was many things: an amazing dancer, singer and performer; the greatest pop star the world has ever seen; a loving friend, brother and father; a humanitarian and a complex superstar who drew the world into his embrace and provided the soundtrack to millions of lives with music that will live on forever. Michael Jackson was remembered as all of those on Tuesday afternoon (July 7) at a public memorial for the singer who died on June 25 at the age of 50.

With stirring performances from peers such as Stevie Wonder and Lionel Richie; fans Usher, Mariah Carey and Jennifer Hudson; and touching reminiscences from his family and admirers, the King of Pop was memorialized in a global spectacle that the world is not likely to see again.

As the image of a sun-soaked church window filled the large screen at the arena where, just two weeks ago, Jackson was finishing up rehearsals for his planned 50-show run at the O2 Arena in London, the Andrae Crouch gospel choir sang the traditional hymn "Soon and Very soon" as the singer's gold-plated casket was brought to its resting place in a circle of light in front of the stage.

The pallbearers, including Jackson's family members, set the flower-bedecked casket down while wearing the singer's signature single sequined white glove. Applause broke out inside the Staples Center, where the mood was at turns celebratory and somber, and fans shouted "We love you, Michael!" during the pauses in the nearly three-hour long program.

Wearing a flowing black gown, Mariah Carey reprised her famous cover of the Jackson 5's "I'll Be There," joined by her longtime friend and protégé, Trey Lorenz, who sang with her on the 1992 "MTV Unplugged" performance that became a hit single for her.

Among those on hand to remember Jackson was Queen Latifah, who spoke of Jackson's power to bring people together and make them believe in themselves. She recalled buying the Jackson 5's "Dancing Machine" as a child and trying, in vain, to copy his dance moves.

	Michael Jackson's Public Memorial At Staples Center

"Michael was the biggest star on earth. He let me know that as an African-American you could travel the world ... there was a world outside America. Other people, all you people who came here to pay respect to someone you felt was one of you, a human being first," she said, her voice cracking.

Latifah then read a new verse called "We Had Him" from the great American poet Maya Angelou, whose words have stirred hearts at presidential inaugurations. "Without notice, our dear love can escape our doting embrace, sing our songs among the stars and walk our dances across the face of the moon," the poem said.

The event opened with Motown legend Smokey Robinson reading a tribute to Jackson from the singer's longtime friend and mentor, Diana Ross, and a note from former South African President Nelson Mandela as the words "In Loving Memory of Michael Jackson King of Pop 1958-2009" were beamed onto the screen behind him.

Accompanied by the gospel choir, Lionel Richie, the co-writer with Jackson of the famine-relief hit "We Are the World," looked grief-stricken at first as he sang the Commodores' spiritual "Jesus Is Love," his powerful voice rising to a crescendo at the end. Next, Motown founder Berry Gordy took the stage to honor Jackson, who he said was like a son to him. "He raised the bar and then broke the bar," Gordy said.

Praising Jackson's great vocal gifts, Gordy spoke of how Michael made history when he took the stage at the Motown 25th anniversary show in 1983 and set the world on fire with the unveiling of his iconic moonwalk step. "Michael Jackson went into orbit and never came down," Gordy said, calling him not just the King of Pop, but the "greatest entertainer that ever lived," a line that drew a huge roar from the crowd.

Los Angeles Laker All-Star Kobe Bryant honored Jackson's charitable acts. Fellow Lakers legend Magic Johnson said he became a greater basketball player by watching the singer's moves onstage and fondly remembered being asked to appear in Jackson's 1992 video for "Remember the Time."

An avowed fan and artist heavily influenced by Jackson, Usher provided an emotional take on "Gone Too Soon," passionately singing the 1993 Jackson single with gritty abandon as he laid his hand on the singer's casket and walked mournfully across the sea of flowers at the foot of the stage while a montage of vintage pictures of a smiling Jackson played behind him. Breaking down in tears at the end, the singer removed his sunglasses, was embraced by the entire Jackson family and made his way to family matriarch Katherine, kneeling down on one knee to kiss her.

Another fellow Motown peer and onetime child star Stevie Wonder said, "This is a moment that I wished that I didn't live to see come." Sitting at a piano and singing his mournfully appropriate 1971 ballad "Never Dreamed You'd Leave in Summer," he pleaded, "Michael, why didn't you stay?" midsong before segueing into another ballad, 1974's "They Won't Go When I Go."

Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson, visibly pregnant with her first child, also brought down the house with a funky, syncopated cover of Jackson's 1993 single "Will You Be There," from the "Free Willy" soundtrack and Dangerous album. As a group of dancers formed a circle around her, Hudson paused while Jackson's shaky voiceover from the original boomed out over a dramatic background, pleading, "In our darkest hour/ In my deepest despair/ Will you still care?/ Will you be there?"

In one of the day's most moving tributes, longtime friend and former child star Brooke Shields was in tears remembering the many photo captions over the years that referred to their friendship as "odd."

For the two of them, she said, "It was the most natural and easiest of friendships. ... We had a bond and maybe it was because we both understood what it was like to be in the spotlight from a very, very young age. I used to tease him and say, 'You know I started when I was 11 months old, you're a slacker ... you were, what, 5?'"

They never performed together — although she said he tried to teach her the moonwalk once — but what they did together, she said smiling, was laugh. "His laugh was the sweetest and purest laugh of anyone's I had ever known," Shields recalled.

Still wearing his single white glove, brother Jermaine Jackson then sang a tender version of his brother's favorite song, the Charlie Chaplin-penned "Smile," from the classic film "Modern Times."

It was not hard to see why Jackson, whose life was filled with so much joy mixed with utter sadness, embraced the tender ballad, which he covered on his 1995 HIStory album. "Smile though your heart is aching/ Smile even though it's breaking/ When there are clouds in the sky/ You'll get by," Jermaine sang in his keening falsetto, summing up his brother's eternal quest to push aside his sadness by trying to bring some joy to the world.

Also rousing the crowd was longtime family friend the Reverend Al Sharpton, who repeated the fiery refrain, "Michael never stopped," when talking about Jackson's many accomplishments and resiliency in the face of his many obstacles. "Because he didn't accept limitations, because he refused to let people decide his boundaries, he opened up the whole world," Sharpton thundered. "He put on one glove, pulled his pants up and broke down the color curtain. ... It was Michael Jackson that brought blacks and whites and Asians and Latinos together. It was Michael Jackson that made us sing, 'We Are the World' and feed the hungry."

Speaking to Jackson's three young children, Sharpton said pointedly, "I want his three children to know, wasn't nothin' strange about your daddy. It was strange what your daddy had to deal with, but he dealt with it," as the audience rose to their feet and the singer's sons and daughter burst into applause alongside their friends and family.

Other performers included "Britain's Got Talent" sensation Shaheen Jafargholi, reprising his take on "Who's Loving You." Kenny Ortega ("High School Musical"), who was directing Jackson's This Is It stage show, presented what he said was one of the singer's favorite moments from the show that Ortega promised would have been a triumphant comeback.

The performance of "We Are the World" by the members of Jackson's multicultural backing band was accompanied by the lyrics to the song projected, with many letters replaced by the religious icons of the world's faiths. The singers were joined by the day's other performers as well as Jackson's family, including the singer's children, and, finally, a choir of teens who sang along to the peace anthem "Heal the World."

John Mayer, who played the iconic guitar solo on Fall Out Boy's 2008 cover of Jackson's "Beat It," got the audience clapping in time to an instrumental take on "Human Nature," teasing out the song's jazzy tones with an understated performance that featured spare vocals from Jackson's backup singers.

For one day, at least, the focus turned back to Jackson's music.

Earlier in the day, Jackson's family held a private ceremony at the Forest Lawn Cemetery. A motorcade then brought Jackson's casket to the Staples Center, where it took center stage during Tuesday's celebration.

In addition to the 17,000 fans who gathered inside the Staples Center and in a viewing area next door at the Nokia Theater, the global audience for the Jackson memorial was predicted to be more than a billion.

As Jackson was the first celebrity of his magnitude to die in the modern media era, the memorial was covered like no other event in history. Fans and hundreds of international news outlets tweeted and live-blogged the proceedings in real time, bringing the world together in a way that would likely have brought joy to Jackson, whose many charitable efforts were aimed at bridging racial, ethnic and spiritual divides with songs such as "Earth Song."

The day ended with Jackson's brothers paying tribute to their sibling alongside Jackson's daughter, Paris, 11, who tearfully said, "Ever since I was born, Daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine. And I just wanted to say I love him so much," collapsing in sobs into aunt Janet Jackson's arms as the ceremony came to a close and the singer's casket was wheeled back out of the Staples Center to the strains of the song that has become his theme in death, "Man in the Mirror."

In all, it was a fittingly regal sendoff for the King of Pop.

For complete coverage of the life, career and passing of the legendary entertainer, visit "Michael Jackson Remembered."

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

• Michael Jackson: The Memorial
• Michael Jackson's Life & Legacy

• Michael Jackson's Public Memorial At Staples Center
• Michael Jackson: A Life In Photos
• Fans Outside Michael Jackson's Public Memorial

• Michael Jackson
• Jennifer Hudson
• Mariah Carey
• Usher
• Lionel Richie

Kanye West
Photo: Kevin Mazur/WireImage

Chris Brown and Rihanna's families, friends and fans aren't the only ones upset by the alleged altercation between the two. The information has rocked the music industry. As details have begun to emerge about the incident, their peers have reacted.

"I was completely devastated by the concept of what I heard," Kanye West told Ryan Seacrest Tuesday morning (February 10) during a radio interview. West said he was so upset by the news that even affected him during his performance of "American Boy" at the Grammy Awards on Sunday.

"I was completey devastated during the performance," he said. "All I will say is it's so devastating. I feel like, just as a person, I don't care how famous she is, or even if she worked at McDonald's, that should have never happened. It should have never come to that place."

West said he saw both performers at Clive Davis' pre-Grammy party on Saturday night, and that he is on closer terms with Rihanna.

"I know Rihanna a bit better because I went on tour with her and we vibed out on a lot of creative ideas with the touring," he said. "I gave her all these references of Grace Jones and [photographer] Jean-Paul Goude, back in the '80s when pop stars took it to a whole 'nother level. I felt and feel like Rihanna is so important to our culture, to pop music. I feel that she is the most important artist in music and has the most potential. For her taste level at her age and the songs she does and her style. She has the potential to be the greatest artist of all time. In that sense, I feel like she's my baby sis, and I would do any and everything to help her in any situation."

Monday night on "Last Call With Carson Daly," T.I. said he has spoken with Brown since the incident happened.

"I spoke to him today," Tip said. "He's cool, you know. He's a little concerned about the situation, but he's still the same Chris."

Tip said despite conversing with Brown, he still didn't know what had happened, but he offered advice to the singer.

"I told him, 'This too shall pass.' We're celebrities, we're entertainers, but we're still human — all of us," he said. "Don't expect us not to make mistakes, because we will."

Following his appearance on "Last Call," T.I. released a statement to MTV News expressing regret for his comments on the incident. "After careful consideration, I realized I made the mistake of commenting before understanding the situation," the statement read. "I myself am no stranger to media scrutiny. My only intention was to support both Rihanna and Chris during these times. My heart goes out to both of them.

Someone who is all too familiar with having a domestic dispute plastered across the headlines is Lionel Richie, whose ugly confrontations with his now-ex-wife Brenda ultimately resulted in her arrest in 1988. Richie advised both Brown and Rihanna to not run away from what happened.

"You'll go through adversity," he offered. "You're gonna have it. You're gonna have difficulty. Stand up, face it. Look right in the camera, say, 'Yes, I did it,' then back out of it. Keep going. That's all you can do. Because now, there's no more secrets. You can't hide anything anymore.

"You can't get away now," he continued, analyzing how much the media has changed over the past two decades. "It took a minute ... when you could practice your integrity thing, you could practice your mistakes, before the world even heard about it. Now, whatever mistake you make, it's out there. It's a different kind of vibe. I wouldn't want to deal with it right now, not learning the business and life at the same time with that thing [camera] pointing at you every five minutes. All I can say is it's here, it's now, deal with it."

Ashanti, whose critically acclaimed song "Rain on Me" dealt with domestic violence, said "I definitely wish them the best. There's a lot of things that's alleged. Nobody knows what going on. They're young. I hope everything's all right for the both of them."

Get resources and information about domestic violence, or check out Think MTV for a video handbook on spotting the warning signs of abuse.

• Celebs React To Chris Brown And Rihanna News
• Chris Brown And Rihanna: The Aftermath
• Chris Brown & Rihanna: Love In Trouble

• Kanye West
• Chris Brown
• Rihanna
• T.I.
• Lionel Richie

Jay-Z
Photo: Scott Wintrow/ Getty Images

Forget the Rock Hall: Jay-Z is headed to the Football Hall of Fame. Record-breaking running back Larry Johnson is donating his Jay-crafted cleats — Reebok S. Carters, to be exact — to the Hall, putting Hova alongside names like Joe Montana and Walter Payton. ...

HBO is developing an unscripted series that will star Kanye West, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Details are sketchy, but the still-untitled project from Larry Charles ("Borat," "Curb Your Enthusiasm") will focus on a day in West's hectic life. Producer Rick Rubin is also reportedly attached as an executive producer on the show. ... Evanescence frontwoman Amy Lee is off the market. The singer is now engaged to her boyfriend, a psychiatrist she has been dating for a year. The couple announced the engagement during a live appearance on Canadian network MuchMusic on Tuesday. Lee's beau popped the question the night before. ...

Mary J. Blige and Lionel Richie have joined the lineup for the Essence Music Festival, which returns to New Orleans from July 5-7. Blige and Richie will headline the fest's closing night, while Beyoncé is scheduled to perform the second day. ... Madame Tussauds Las Vegas is unveiling a new "American Idol" wax attraction on Tuesday, the day the sixth season begins. The exhibit will feature wax replicas of Simon Cowell and Ryan Seacrest as an interactive element tied in to "Karaoke Revolution Presents: 'American Idol.' " ...

Already a purveyor of rhymes, branded water and G-Unit attire, 50 Cent is getting into the latex business. The rapper — whose G-Unit Books debuted Tuesday — will release his own line of condoms. "The kids become immune when you constantly beat them over the head — read a book, read a book," 50 said in an interview with The New York Post. "We have to be a little more creative about it. It's the same with safe sex. As opposed to being part of a safe-sex campaign, I'm going to make condoms and donate a part of the proceeds to HIV awareness." There's no word yet on when the prophylactics will hit the market. ...

Dipset associate Charly Wingate, a 28-year-old rapper known by the stage name Max B., was remanded to New Jersey's Bergen County Jail on $2 million bail set Tuesday, Newark newspaper The Star-Ledger reports. Prosecutors said Wingate organized the robbery and murder of a man in Fort Lee on September 22 after his girlfriend told him she had met two men who were carrying large amounts of cash and driving expensive cars. Wingate is alleged to have recruited a friend to help him rob the two men, David Taylor and Allan Plowden; Taylor was killed by a gunshot to the head, while Plowden was bound with duct tape. Wingate's lawyer questioned the validity of the evidence against his client and maintained that Wingate wasn't even in the state at the time of the shooting. ...

Who doesn't love Johnny Depp? The swashbuckling actor was the big winner at the 33rd annual People's Choice Awards Tuesday night, scooping up prizes for favorite male star, male action star and onscreen matchup (with Keira Knightley) as "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" was honored as favorite movie and favorite movie drama. The awards, voted on by fans, also honored Jennifer Aniston (female star), Cameron Diaz (leading lady), Vince Vaughn (leading man) and Halle Berry (female action star). Former "American Idol" winner Carrie Underwood was named favorite female singer, while Nickelback took the favorite group award. Justin Timberlake won favorite R&B song prize for "SexyBack," Shakira took the pop song award for "Hips Don't Lie," and Eminem grabbed the hip-hop honor for "Shake That." Perennial favorite "The Simpsons" took the animated comedy category, "American Idol" won for best competition/reality show and "Grey's Anatomy" took the TV drama prize. Though she wasn't nominated for anything, Britney Spears may as well have won an award — for being the butt of most jokes thanks to her recent spate of underwear-less adventures, which were a running gag during the show. ...

Spears did get a mention at the top of one list Tuesday — Mr. Blackwell's annual ranking of the year's worst fashion offenders. The self-imposed arbiter of style — and self-styled poet — lumped Britney and Paris Hilton together as the "Screamgirls," noting that the "style-free and fashion-deprived" women are "two peas in an overexposed pod." Ranking at #3 on the worst-dressed lineup is Lindsay Lohan, who went from "adorable to deplorable" in Blackwell's estimation. Mariah Carey and Meryl Streep (huh?) also made the dishonorable cut, while Blackwell named Kate Winslet, Angelina Jolie and "The Queen" star Helen Mirren "Fabulous Fashion Independents for 2006" — and spared them his creatively worded putdowns. ... On Wednesday (January 10), a lawyer for George Michael entered a not-guilty plea in a London court on behalf of the singer, who is facing charges of being unfit to drive and marijuana possession stemming from a September arrest. The Associated Press reports that arguments will be heard March 7 to determine whether the blood sample taken from Michael at his arrest is admissible as evidence. The judge set a provisional trial date of April 23. ...

Nominations for the NAACP Image Awards were announced Tuesday, and while the film "Dreamgirls" and TV series "Everybody Loves Chris" lead the field with eight nominations each, there's no topping Beyoncé when it comes to individual achievement. The singer is up for best actress honors, as well as four music prizes: best female artist, video and song ("Irreplaceable") and album (B'Day). Other multiple nominees include Mary J. Blige — who faces off with Beyoncé for the four music trophies — Fantasia and Jamie Foxx. ... More than two weeks after his death, soul legend James Brown has still not been buried as his attorneys and family continue to work on settling his estate and deciding where he will be laid to rest. According to AP, Brown's body is lying in a sealed casket under the watchful eyes of security guards at his home in Georgia, which has been locked up since hours after his death to protect his memorabilia and personal items. ... Yvonne De Carlo, who played Lily Munster in TV's "The Munsters," died Monday of natural causes, AP reports. She was 84.

01.09.2007

Paris Hilton's attorney entered not guilty pleas to misdemeanor charges of driving under the influence on behalf of the heiress Tuesday (January 9), The Associated Press reports. Hilton, who was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving in September, was not required to appear at Los Angeles County court for the arraignment. She was formally charged with one count of driving under the influence and one count of driving with a blood-alcohol level of .08 or above, and a judge scheduled a January 23 pre-trial hearing. If Hilton is convicted, the first-time offender would likely face a fine and enrollment in an alcohol program, according to prosecutors. ...

Daughtry, the band led by "American Idol" finalist Chris Daughtry, have begun eking out dates for their upcoming tour. The rockers get the party started January 28 at the House of Blues in Anaheim, California, then hit Los Angeles and San Francisco soon after that. They will be on the road through April, at least. ... On the subject of "Idol," auditions for the new season of the hugely popular program will start airing next week. The two-part season premiere will feature the Minneapolis auditions on January 16 and the Seattle tryouts the following day. Auditions from Memphis, Los Angeles and more cities will air January 23 through February 6. While you've got your day-planner open, expect the first results show to happen February 22. ...

An attorney representing Tyrese's girlfriend has issued a statement on his client's behalf, blasting reports that the singer assaulted her last week. Los Angeles police responded to a domestic dispute at the couple's apartment Thursday morning, and police were told the R&B singer had punched his girlfriend, who is three months pregnant with his child, in the arm and leg. "Reports that Tyrese punched my client in the arm, thigh or anywhere else are false," attorney Paul Berra said in the statement. "It is true, Mr. Gibson and his girlfriend had been arguing. She became very emotional and distressed during the argument and called 911 in an attempt to get a mediator. Mr. Gibson, frustrated, left the home. My client, Mr. Gibson's girlfriend, who is 11-weeks pregnant, then became more upset and began throwing up. When the paramedics arrived, concerned about the baby, they took her to the hospital. Fortunately, she was fine. Once at the hospital, she was asked by a nurse whether she had been assaulted. She said, 'No.' She was then asked what her pain level was on a scale of zero to 10. She said, 'Zero.' She then discharged herself. Mr. Gibson and his girlfriend are very much still in love, together and excited about their [expected] child. She is quite saddened that this event was so distorted." Tyrese wasn't charged in the assault, but police said they would still like to interview him as part of their investigation into the incident. ...

Want to be a dancer on Beyoncé's upcoming world tour? You've got a little more time to play with. The Chicago final auditions for the contest will happen February 10-11, not January 27, as previously reported. ... Jennifer Lopez, Terrence Howard, Dane Cook and others have joined the long list of presenters for the Golden Globe Awards. The ceremony will air live on NBC Monday at 8 p.m. ET. ... A Mick Wall-penned biography of Guns N' Roses frontman Axl Rose is due in stores May 4. The former Kerrang! magazine writer's "Axl Rose - The Unauthorized Biography" features interviews with bandmembers before GN'R hit it big, and is being described by publisher Sidgwick & Jackson as "a no-holds-barred study of the troubled life and turbulent career of the group's singer and leader." The tome will examine Axl's childhood abuse, his run-ins with the law and his Chinese Democracy odyssey. ... The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported Sunday that the GN'R frontman is in Sin City, putting the finishing touches on the band's long-awaited album, which is slated for a tentative March 6 release. The paper claims Rose is laying down the final vocals for Chinese Democracy at the recording studio at the Palms hotel. ...

It's been exactly one year since Howard Stern debuted on Sirius Satellite Radio, and in that time, the company has added more than 2.7 million new subscribers — up to 6 million from 3.3 million. Stern's Howard 100 channel will replay his inaugural Sirius show Tuesday, followed by the "Best of 2006 Top 10 Countdown Special," which replays the best moments of the year as determined by fan votes. "It's been a great year and the show is better than ever," Stern said in a statement. "We've delivered on the promise of satellite radio; I can do whatever I want and say whatever I want." Reuters reports that Sirius presented Stern with a bonus worth nearly $83 million on Tuesday as a thank you for surpassing subscriber goals. ... Mastodon have unveiled a side-scrolling video game inspired by the Atlanta metalers' latest album, Blood Mountain. In the online game, one assumes the role of a burly warrior and collects diamonds while avoiding dangerous creatures like wolves, all to collect the various pieces of a key that unlocks the one and only Blood Mountain. Fans can play along at WarnerReprise.com. ...

The dates for the No Fear Music Tour, featuring headliners Killswitch Engage, have been revealed. The trek — which also includes DragonForce, Chimaira and He Is Legend — gets under way February 21 in Philadelphia, with dates scheduled through April 8 in Chicago. ... With the exception of a brief, odd cameo at the Grammy Awards in February, funk legend Sly Stone has been largely off the map for much of the past 30 years. That hiatus might be ending soon, though, according to an article in The Los Angeles Times. The reclusive singer and bandleader isn't scheduled to perform with the new Family Stone band on Saturday at the House of Blues in Anaheim, California — which is not the same group he led in the late 1960s and early 1970s, but features several members of his extended family. But the 62-year-old singer has been writing new songs for an album due this summer on his own PhattaDatta record label. ... Hip-hop violinist Miri Ben-Ari has composed a song that features Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech playing in the background. Ben-Ari will perform the tune Sunday at a Washington, D.C., Love of Israel gala honoring Ambassador of Israel to the United States Daniel Ayalon. ...

"Sneaky" Pete Kleinow, a founding member of 1960s country-rock forerunners the Flying Burrito Brothers, died Saturday in Petaluma, California, AP reports. He was 72. The pedal-steel guitarist — who was also a stop-motion animator, an Emmy-winning visual-effects artist and composer of the "Gumby" TV series theme song — had been living with Alzheimer's disease. Kleinow's last recording with Burrito Deluxe, a band he founded in 2000, will be released next month. ... Animator Iwao Takamoto — who created Scooby-Doo and directed the 1973 animated film "Charlotte's Web" — died of heart failure in Los Angeles on Monday, AP reports. He was 81. The Los Angeles native learned the art of animation while being held at an internment camp for Japanese-Americans during World War II, and was later hired by Walt Disney Studios despite his lack of formal training. Takamoto, who went on to work for Hanna-Barbera, lent his hand to classics including "Cinderella," "Lady and the Tramp" and "The Flintstones."

• James Brown's Last Night At The Apollo

• Halle Berry, Eva Longoria, Patrick Dempsey, More At The 2007 People's Choice Awards
• "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest"
• "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End"

• Jay-Z
• Kanye West
• Mary J. Blige
• Lionel Richie
• 50 Cent

Justin Timberlake
Photo: Jive

You've got to hand it to Justin Timberlake.

Who else could have told the entire world that "sexy" had indeed vanished and that he can restore it? Probably no one. And evidently, JT was onto something, because some 684,000 copies of the former 'NSYNC star's sophomore solo outing, FutureSex/LoveSounds, were purchased across the nation last week.

Of course, during his stint with 'NSYNC, Timberlake reached Billboard's apex twice before; 2001's Celebrity opened at #1 with 1.9 million in sales, and 2000's No Strings Attached took the #1 spot thanks to 2.4 million first-week scans (still the biggest-ever tally). But FutureSex/LoveSounds marks Justin's first #1 debut as a solo performer — his first LP, 2002's Justified, bowed at #2, selling more than 439,000 in its first week.

Plus, FutureSex/LoveSounds racked up some of the year's biggest sales numbers, outperforming previous #1 Beyoncé's B'Day (which drops to #3) by more than 143,000 copies and Tool's 10,000 Days by 120,000 units. Still, the year's best first-week performance belongs to Rascal Flatts' Me & My Gang, which generated about 722,000 scans during week one.

FutureSex sold more than twice as many copies as John Mayer's Continuum, which debuts at #2 with close to 300,000 units sold; Mayer's 2003's effort, Heavier Things, was a #1 debut with sales of 316,500, while 2001's Room for Squares failed to chart its first week out.

Timberlake and Mayer's albums are just two of the 30 new releases on the chart, 14 of which broke the top 50. Face the Promise, a fresh collection of Bob Seger tunes, opens at #4 with 151,000 in sales, followed by Bob Dylan's Modern Times, which sold more than 93,000 copies. Lionel Richie's Coming Home debuts at #6 with 75,000 scans, while Hinder's Extreme Behavior climbs three to #7.

Danity Kane's self-titled debut slides four to #8 with 62,000 in sales, while the new one from the Mars Volta, Amputechture, bows at #9 (Volta's 2005 LP, Frances the Mute, sold 123,000 copies its first week to open at #4). Rounding out the top 10 is Nickelback's All the Right Reasons with 56,000 units sold.

Of the rest of the newcomers, one of the best performers ended up being the second soundtrack to the television series "Grey's Anatomy." This latest volume features tracks from the Fray, Gomez and Snow Patrol, and it racked up more than 46,000 sales to claim the #14 slot. Papa Roach's The Paramour Sessions bows at #16 with close to 37,000 scans, outselling the Barenaked Ladies' Barenaked Ladies Are Me — which occupies the #17 spot — by just seven copies. The latest from Zakk Wylde's Black Label Society, Shot to Hell, claims the #21 position with 32,000 units scanned, while Mastodon's epic Blood Mountain debuts at #32 with 24,000 copies sold.

Daz's So So Gangsta debuts at #35, selling around 23,000, and Norma Jean's Redeemer trails just three spots back. TV on the Radio's Return to Cookie Mountain claims the #41 slot with just under 21,000 in sales, and Yo La Tengo's I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass comes in at #66 with 14,500. Citizen Cope's back in the top 200 at #69 with Every Waking Moment. Meanwhile, N.O.R.E.'s N.O.R.E. y la Familia ... Ya Tú Sabe pops up at #82 with 11,700 in sales.

The Plain White T's' Every Second Counts opens at #89 with 11,000 scans, followed at #95 by the Black Keys' Magic Potion, which garnered 10,600 in first-week sales. Shawn Colvin's These Four Walls takes the chart's #109 position, selling close to 9,500 copies, and the Rapture's Pieces of the People We Love opens at #113 with 9,200 in sales. R.E.M. appear on the chart not once but twice this week: The two-disc collector's edition of the band's And I Feel Fine: The Best of the I.R.S. Years 1982-1987 comes in at #116 with 8,700 sold, while the single-disc version opens at #148 with 6,800 scans.

Peter Frampton's Fingerprints surfaces at #129 with sales reported at 8,000, and Heavens' Patent Pending takes the #146 slot with 6,800 units sold. Everclear's Welcome to the Drama Club lands at #169 with 5,400 in sales, followed by Carbon Leaf's Love Loss Hope Repeat at #170 with 5,300 scans.

For more on Justin Timberlake and Beyoncé, check out the features "Justin's Future Shock" and "Be All You Can, B."

• In Focus: Justin Timberlake

• Justin Timberlake
• John Mayer
• The Mars Volta
• Bob Seger
• Lionel Richie

Senator Orrin Hatch and Dallas Austin
Photo: Alex Wong/Paul Hawthorne/Getty Images

A conservative Republican senator/songwriter, an '80s R&B singer who is inexplicably massive in the Middle East, a real-estate mogul, several ambassadors from around the globe and a Grammy-winning producer who is best known for moving musical mountains — not political ones.

That's the unlikely coalition of people who got together — "Super Friends" style — to help work out a deal for Atlanta producer Dallas Austin to avoid a four-year prison sentence in Dubai (see "Hitmaker Dallas Austin Released From Dubai Jail").

According to The New York Times, Austin's pardoning last week after his conviction on drug possession charges came courtesy of some high-level string-pulling. Behind the feat: Utah Republican Senator Orrin Hatch, singer Lionel Richie, producer Quincy Jones and a fleet of well-connected businessmen and lawyers who vouched for Austin's character.

The often confusing tale reads like an international political thriller. Austin, 35, known for producing everyone from Madonna to TLC, flew home Wednesday, less than a day after being sentenced to four years in jail for carrying just more than a gram of cocaine when he entered Dubai on May 19 to attend a birthday party for model Naomi Campbell. He pleaded guilty Sunday to possessing 1.26 grams of cocaine and a few capsules of Ecstasy (see "Hitmaker Dallas Austin Pleads Guilty To Drug Charges in Dubai").

According to the Times, not long after his arrest (see "Hitmaker Dallas Austin Imprisoned In Dubai On Drug Charges"), the wheels of justice began turning on Austin's behalf, beginning with a few calls from Senator Hatch to the ambassador and consul of the United Arab Emirates embassy in Washington, D.C. Austin's lawyers asked Hatch to make calls on the producer's behalf, the Times reported.

Following Hatch's call, Richie received a call from the UAE's consul in Washington asking for a character reference, the "All Night Long" singer told the Times.

"It was, 'Tell me what kind of guy is Dallas Austin,' " Richie said. "I said, 'Listen, this is a great guy. He's done a great job for the community. A gangster, a hoodlum, a thug, he's not.' "

In a lucky coincidence, one of Austin's lawyers, Joel Katz, also happens to represent Hatch, a singer/songwriter who has recorded a number of religious and patriotic albums with titles such as My God Is Love, Put Your Arms Around the World, America United and How His Glory Shines.

In another unlikely stroke of luck, Hatch is a proponent of rehabilitation for drug offenders and has been involved in efforts to revise federal sentencing guidelines regarding cocaine, as well as advocating treatment for nonviolent offenders. In a statement, Hatch said he was "confident that this talented young man will learn from this experience."

Even though one of Richie's managers, Randy Phillips, said Austin was lucky to have known the right people who would go out on a limb to save him from a potentially harrowing prison experience, the Times reported that such pardons are not unusual in Dubai.

After Austin was arrested by police at the Dubai International Airport, almost immediately Katz hired three local attorneys, who were able to get the initial charge reduced from drug trafficking — which can carry a life sentence — to possession. At that time, discussions had already begun about securing a pardon for Austin, since he only had a small amount of drugs intended for personal use.

Katz also reached out to a Washington law firm with ties to Hatch, who has pull in Dubai because he supported the failed bid earlier this year by the UAE-based DP World company to manage U.S. ports. The lawyer put in a call to Prince Abdullah of neighboring Bahrain as well, thinking the prince might have some advice given his recent assistance in helping troubled pop star Michael Jackson move to his country.

While Katz was working the Washington angle, one of Austin's musical mentors, producer Jones, contacted his friend, Virginia real estate investor Joe Robert, who has interests in the Persian Gulf; Robert is also a friend of Austin's.

Jones and Robert called some of their key contacts in the Middle East, including senior UAE officials, according to the Times. But perhaps the biggest favor called in was from Richie, who is a huge cult favorite throughout much of the Arab world and who is familiar with several senior officials in Dubai after performing there twice earlier this year.

Though it was unknown whether the pardon would happen until the last minute, once Austin pleaded guilty and told the court he did not mean to break the law, the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid al-Maktum, granted the pardon four hours later. His ordeal over, Austin boarded a flight for New York and released a statement Friday night.

"This unfortunate experience has had a profound effect on me, and I regret any grief caused to my family, friends and business associates," the statement read. A spokesperson for Austin declined to comment for this story and Katz deferred comment to Austin's publicist.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that Austin attended church services Sunday in Atlanta at the Word of Faith Family Worship Center along with attorney Katz. It was his first public appearance since his return from Dubai, but when Bishop Dale Bronner acknowledged the producer and Katz from the pulpit and showed them on the big screen, Austin declined to address the congregation.

• Dallas Austin
• Lionel Richie

Christina Aguilera, in jeans and with her hair slicked back, made a surprise appearance Wednesday night at the premiere of "Dawn of the Dead." Disturbed's David Draiman and members of the Murderdolls also joined stars Mekhi Phifer, Ving Rhames and Sarah Polley at the Beverly Center Mall in Beverly Hills, California, for the event. ...

Former Crazy Town guitarist Rust Epique died Tuesday morning of a heart attack in Las Vegas. He was 35. After parting ways with the rap-rock band, best known for their 2000 hit "Butterfly," Epique founded the trio Pre)thing, who were on the verge of releasing their debut, 22nd Century Lifestyle, in April. "Faded Love," the album's first single, had just surfaced at radio at the time of Epique's death. ... Dave Blood, bassist for '80s punk band the Dead Milkmen, committed suicide on Wednesday. In January, Blood's mother died, and in a post on the band's message board, the bassist's sister wrote, "Inner peace seemed to elude him for the last many years. Maybe David just had had enough." Blood was a founding member of the band, which formed in 1983 and made a name for itself with novelty hits like "Bitchin' Camaro" and "Punk Rock Girl." The Dead Milkmen broke up in 1995. ...  

Lionel Richie has recorded three songs with Lenny Kravitz, two of which will appear on his next album, Just for You, due May 4. The third, "Destiny," will appear on Kravitz's next release. Richie also collaborated on the album with 7 Aurelius (Ashanti, Mariah Carey), Paul Barry and Mark Taylor (the duo behind Cher's smash "Believe") and Daniel Bedingfield, who produced and co-wrote a song called "Do Ya." ... Metallica have announced a new batch of tour dates that start in the late summer after the band returns from Europe. The first date is August 16 in St. Paul, Minnesota, and there are dates confirmed straight through September 1 in Wichita, Kansas, and then intermittently through October 10 in Buffalo, New York. ...

Guitarists Jerry Cantrell (Alice in Chains) and Billy Duffy (the Cult) will join forces with members of Puddle of Mudd and other musician friends for a cover band that will headline a concert series benefiting the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary. The series, taking place April 5, 12 and 19 at the Troubadour in West Hollywood, California, will also feature the reunited American Music Club, Michelle Shocked, Paula Cole, Grant Lee Phillips, Michael Penn, Glen Phillips, an acoustic set from Concrete Blonde, and Norah Jones songwriter Jesse Harris. ... Coachella may be grabbing all the headlines, but Atlanta's Music Midtown 2004 is shaping up to be a cool festival, too. The 11th annual concert will feature performances by Foo Fighters, Twista, Parliament/ Funkadelic, Lil Jon, Cee-Lo, Fountains of Wayne, Journey and three dozen other artists. The three-day festival kicks off April 30. ...

The original lineup of Duran Duran, currently prepping their first studio album together since 1983's Seven and the Ragged Tiger, continue to prime the pump for their comeback with reminders of their glory days as well-coiffed, Capezio-wearing pop heartthrobs. In the wake of a club tour, song on the "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" soundtrack and DVD of their classic videos, the group is now planning to release two concert films on DVD this spring. "Arena," which captures a 1984 performance by the band in Oakland, California, and "Sing Blue Silver," a behind-the-scenes documentary filmed throughout the three-month Arena tour, will both hit shelves May 4. ... Actress Juliette Lewis and her band have recorded a demo with producer Linda Perry (Christina Aguilera, Pink) and are preparing to join the Warped Tour this summer. "I think we are going to put some tunes on iTunes and Napster," Lewis said. "We are just going to play more and if [the major-label offers] come they come, otherwise I am just going to record stuff myself and put it out." ...

During a March 1 Switchfoot video shoot in Los Angeles for "Dare You to Move," a friend of the band was hit by a truck, bassist Tim Foreman revealed in a post on the band's Web site. Despite the "horrible accident," the woman "was immediately coherent, talking and able to move all extremities. This seemed to all who witnessed the accident to be miraculous," the Christian rocker wrote. At a hospital doctors determined that she suffered two fractured ribs and a lacerated liver. ... A judge in Tucson, Arizona, has ordered singer Diana Ross to go back to jail for two days. Ross, who last month pleaded no contest to DUI charges in the city, was sentenced to 48 hours behind bars. She served her time in Greenwich, Connecticut, where she now lives. Or so she thought. After asking for a full account of her whereabouts during her term, City Court Magistrate T. Jay Cranshaw determined that Ross had spent only 47 hours in jail over three days. Arizona law requires DUI offenders to spend at least 24 hours in a row behind bars. In a written statement, a crabby Cranshaw said, "To avoid questions of impropriety, the defendant is ordered to return to Tucson to serve 48 consecutive hours in the Pima County Jail." A hearing will take place April 1 to determine when she will serve the time. ...

On Tuesday night, Damageplan guitarist Dimebag Darrell and drummer Vinnie Paul, both longtime Van Halen fans, got to jam onstage with ex-VH singer Sammy Hagar at the Las Vegas nightclub Rain inside the Palms Casino. They didn't rip through "Why Can't This Be Love?" or "When It's Love," instead pounding into versions of the Troggs' "Wild Thing" and the Kinks' "You Really Got Me" (which Van Halen covered on their 1978 self-titled debut, with David Lee Roth on vocals). Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith also joined Hagar, for a take on Led Zeppelin's "Rock and Roll." ... North Carolina hip-hop group Little Brother will open up for Kanye West and Dilated Peoples on the first five dates of their spring tour, which begins March 16 on the campus of Virginia Tech. Little Brother features the production talents of 9th Wonder, who produced a track for Jay-Z's The Black Album. ... Disco-garage metal band Electric Six will play 14 U.S. shows this spring, starting in Chicago on April 21 and running through May 22 in Northfield, Minnesota. On May 1, the band will perform at Coachella. ...

03.10.2004

Alicia Keys and Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds will host the 18th Annual Soul Train Music Awards, which will air live March 20 from the International Cultural Center in Los Angeles. Outkast, R. Kelly, Nelly, Murphy Lee, Jermaine Dupri, Usher, Ruben Studdard, Anthony Hamilton, Erykah Badu, Ron Isley and Michelle Williams are scheduled to perform. ...

Evanescence will release "Everybody's Fool" as the fourth single from Fallen. The band is currently writing the follow-up album. ... All those boy-band fans out there lying in wait for the next Backstreet Boys album have a new reason to live: The shape-shifting cute-boy troupe Menudo, which launched the career of Ricky Martin, is being resurrected. The international search for boys ages 10-14 interested in joining the outfit, touted as having "a contemporary hip urban/Latin crossover sound in both English and Spanish," begins in New York this summer. ...

The Army's 4th Infantry Division didn't give Saddam Hussein three steps toward the door of the rat hole in which they found him in December, and for that they might be treated to "Gimme Three Steps," "Gimme Back My Bullets" "On the Hunt," "That Smell" and other Lynyrd Skynyrd hits when the band performs especially for the Saddam-routing troops. The Tribute to Heroes event is scheduled for April 22 at Fort Hood, Texas. ... The recording industry's crusade against illegal file-sharers hit a stumbling block Friday when a federal judge in Philadelphia ruled that 203 individuals could not be lumped into one collective lawsuit. Instead, in order to gain the identity of the so-called "John Doe" defendants, the RIAA must offer evidence against each alleged song-swapper individually, at a cost of $150 in court fees each. More than 800 lawsuits, in Atlanta; Orlando, Florida; New York; Washington, D.C.; and Trenton, New Jersey, remain outstanding. The RIAA was forced to employ John Doe suits after a federal court prevented it from obtaining the identities of alleged pirates from their ISPs without a judge's signature. ...

The Crystal Method were the big winners at Tuesday's Dancestar USA Awards, taking home trophies for Best Act, Best Album (Legion of Boom) and Best Single ("Born Too Slow"). The Chemical Brothers, Madonna and Paris Hilton (Best Celebrity DJ) were also awarded at the ceremony, the climax of the annual Winter Music Conference in Miami. Moby was honored for his Outstanding Contribution to Dance Music and won Best Music DVD. ... Calling all axemen: Jagged Edge are looking for players to get down with them on a new album they're mapping out called Ghetto Guitar. The group says it wants to incorporate guitar into all the tracks on the album. Prince and Slash are two guitarists on the ATL singers' wish list. ... Prince's concert at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on March 29 will be broadcast in 32 Regal Cinemas movie theaters around the country. The show is the kickoff of his upcoming Musicology Tour. ...

Original Kiss drummer Peter Criss is again out of the band. In a post on his Web site, Criss said that his contract with the group has expired and neither he nor his attorney has been contacted about an extension for future touring. Kiss are expected to rehire Eric Singer for their upcoming tour of Japan, which starts May 27 in Tokyo. ... Former Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic has applied for a marriage license thorough the Pierce County Auditor's office, the Tacoma News Tribune reports. Novoselic's fiancée is 41-year-old artist Darbury Ayn Stenderu. ...

Goths rarely rejoice, but they might crack a smile when they hear that Siouxsie and the Banshees frontwoman Siouxsie Sioux will play 14 shows starting May 19 in Seattle and running through June 9 in New York. The show, billed as "An Evening With Siouxsie: The Creatures & The Banshees," will feature two hours of material from her 25-year career. ... John McGeoch, a punk guitarist who has worked with Siouxsie and the Banshees, Magazine and Public Image Ltd., died in his sleep on Thursday at the age of 48. No further details on his death are available. In 1995, McGeoch gave up touring and got a degree in nursing, however he continued to write music. In a post on his Web site, Banshees bassist Steve Severin said, "He was always in my heart and often in my thoughts. Without a doubt, he was the most inventive guitarist of our generation and my favorite Banshee." ...

Truth Hurts and Raphael Saadiq have finished up work on her next LP. Set for released through Saadiq's Pookie Entertainment Label on May 11, Truth has titled her sophomore album Ready Now. The first single is the title track and comes out March 30. ... In an underground hip-hop union of the minds, Long Island, New York, rapper MF Doom and Los Angeles producer/MC Madlib will become Madvillain in their first full-length collaboration. The album, Madvillainy, will see release on March 23. ...

Pioneering German industrial band Einstürzende Neubauten will play 15 shows in North America, starting April 23 in Washington, D.C., and running through May 16 in Asheville, North Carolina. The band is touring to support its new album, Perpetuum Mobile, which came out last month. ... Thuggish metal-rap band 3rd Strike have broken up. The band has posted a message on its Web site that reads in part, "Sorry people, it's true. Thanks to all our loyal fans." The group's debut album, Lost Angel, was released in 2002. ... The High Times stoner-metal compilation The Stoner Rock Collection has been delayed a few weeks from its previously announced date of May 4. The disc will feature songs by Corrosion of Conformity, Unida, the Hidden Hand, Clutch and others. ...

• Christina Aguilera
• Lionel Richie
• Lil Jon
• Switchfoot
• Twista

Just when you thought collaborations have lost their luster, Rob Zombie has teamed with soul singer Lionel Richie and rapper Trina for "Brick House 2003," a remake of the disco classic by Richie's former band, the Commodores. The song will be released on March 18 on the soundtrack to Zombie's debut feature film, "House of 1000 Corpses," along with other Zombie tracks and classic cuts from the Ramones and others. ...

Cash Money Records CEO Ronald "Slim" Williams and brother Brian "Baby" Williams will kick off their "Cash for Money" children's charity program during the New Orleans Hornets Game on Wednesday (February 5). The hip-hop label, home to Lil' Wayne, Juvenile, Hot Boys, Big Tymers and Turk, will donate 100 game tickets to underprivileged youth for all upcoming Hornets games. ... Rapper, actor, rocker, designer and ice cream spokesperson Ice-T admitted Tuesday that he is the father of the 15-month-old son of a New York Board of Education clerk, according to the Associated Press. A DNA test reportedly confirmed the rapper's paternity, and Ice-T is expected to begin child support payments this month. ...

If girl groups wet your whistle, you might wanna check out "Down and Out With the Dolls," an independent movie written and directed by Kurt Voss about the trials and tribulations of a female alt-rock band. The film, which features Kinnie Starr, Motörhead's Lemmy Kilmister and members of L7 and the Nymphs, opens in Los Angeles on March 11 and hits screens across the rest of the country in April. The movie soundtrack comes out February 25. ...

Interpol and Josh Wink are planning to churn out remixed versions of Ladytron's next single, "Blue Jeans." The tracks will be available on the U.K. single, but aren't slated for release in the U.S. ... Tonic will launch an acoustic tour to promote their Grammy-nominated album Head on Straight on March 3 at Marian College in Wisconsin. The six-week trek runs through April 5 in Nashville, Tennessee. ...

02.04.03

Justin Timberlake, Halle Berry, Tom Cruise, Avril Lavigne, Jim Carrey, Eminem, Jennifer Lopez, Nelly and Good Charlotte are among the nominees for the first-ever "TRL" Awards, airing live on February 17 at 4 p.m. The show hopes to heap praise on notable "TRL" celebrities and commemorate the finest moments in the show's history. ...

Linkin Park are lining up their second annual Projekt Revolution tour for April, and, though an itinerary hasn't been announced, they hope to visit cities where they've not played before. Mudvayne are confirmed to tag along on the trek, and an offer has been extended to Jurassic 5. Last year's outing featured DJ Z-Trip, Adema and Cypress Hill. ...

Aside from appearing in Coca-Cola ads, animal lover and Grammy-nominated artist Common is now lending his time and energy to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). The rapper will appear holding a veggie burger in the group's latest ad campaign, which encourages the audience to "Think Before You Eat. Go Veg for Life." ... Prince Paul has set a May 6 release date for his next album, The Politics of the Business. Ice-T, Chuck D, Guru, DJ Premier, the Beatnuts and Tony Touch guest on the album, along with comedians Chris Rock and Dave Chappelle. ...

Underworld, Paul Oakenfold and Sasha and John Digweed will headline the fifth annual Ultra Music Festival on March 22 at Miami's Bayfront Park. The event, which has become the centerpiece of the annual Winter Music Conference electronic music convention, will also feature Paul van Dyk, Tiesto, Hybrid, Timo Maas, Roni Size, Junkie XL, Goldie, Josh Wink, Erick Morillo, Seb Fontaine, Sandra Collins and many more. ... Liz Phair's long-awaited follow-up to 1998's Whitechocolatespaceegg is tentatively due on May 20. Phair debuted some of the new material at a performance at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, last week, where she also joined Ben Lee at a separate show for a cover of Dramarama's "Anything, Anything." ...

The enigmatic Deftones have nearly completed their fourth album, the follow-up to 2000's White Pony. Neither album nor song titles have been announced, though a new track is slated to appear on the soundtrack to "The Matrix Reloaded" and a tour announcement is forthcoming. ... Longtime Ratt vocalist Stephen Pearcy has started writing his autobiography, "RaTales," which should rival Mötley Crüe's "The Dirt" for pure cathartic decadence and debauchery. The book will chronicle Pearcy's experiences with the band from its club days to mega-stardom and finally through its eventual collapse. No publisher has signed on yet, but Pearcy hopes to have the book out by the end of the year. ...

Shootenanny! will be the title of the Eels' next album, due June 3. The 12-song LP follows 2001's Souljacker. ... Veteran pop-rock artists Yo La Tengo will begin a U.S. tour March 10 in Carrboro, North Carolina, to support their new album, Summer Sun, slated for release on April 8 on Matador Records. The trek wraps up April 25 in New York. ... Vincent Chin, reggae music pioneer and founder of VP Records, died Sunday of natural causes at his home in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Chin's VP Records is the world's largest independent reggae label and includes artists Sean Paul and Grammy-nominated Bounty Killer. ...

• Rob Zombie
• Trina
• Birdman
• Juvenile
• Motörhead

Lionel Richie hopes to get his fans dancing on the ceiling again, with his new CD, Renaissance, due March 20.

The album, which came out in Europe on October 16, includes "Angel," which will be released as a U.S. single February 6, according to Richie's publicist, Deborah Radel. The disc also includes the Rodney Jerkins-produced funk number "Tonight" and "Cinderella," a tune Richie originally recorded with the Backstreet Boys. But that version won't appear on the album, Radel said, and the final track listing has not been set.

The Backstreet Boys' label, Jive Records, did not return calls for comment.

Richie said in March that Renaissance would be a "dancing album, almost like Can't Slow Down," referring to his 1983 disc, which spawned some of his biggest hits, including the calypso-tinged "All Night Long (All Night)." Richie opened for Tina Turner during part of her sold-out tour, during which he previewed "Cinderella."

• Lionel Richie
• Backstreet Boys

Lionel Richie hopes to get his fans dancing on the ceiling again, with his new CD, Renaissance, due March 20.

The album, which came out in Europe on October 16, includes "Angel," which will be released as a U.S. single February 6, according to Richie's publicist, Deborah Radel. The disc also includes the Rodney Jerkins-produced funk number "Tonight" and "Cinderella," a tune Richie originally recorded with the Backstreet Boys. But that version won't appear on the album, Radel said, and the final track listing has not been set.

The Backstreet Boys' label, Jive Records, did not return calls for comment.

Richie said in March that Renaissance would be a "dancing album, almost like Can't Slow Down," referring to his 1983 disc, which spawned some of his biggest hits, including the calypso-tinged "All Night Long (All Night)." Richie opened for Tina Turner during part of her sold-out tour, during which he previewed "Cinderella."

• Lionel Richie

Mariah Carey, Usher, More Stars Scheduled To Appear At Michael Jackson's Memorial

• Usher
• Mariah Carey
• John Mayer
• Stevie Wonder
• Jennifer Hudson