Red Hot Chili Peppers' Flea in 1999
Photo: MTV News

• Red Hot Chili Peppers
• AC/DC
• Jane's Addiction
• Metallica
• Beastie Boys

David Lee Roth and Kurt Loder in 1997
Photo: MTV News

Where do old interviews go to die? Since 1988 they've gone into the MTV News vault, but we've been exhuming them to bring you these classic natterings. Here's the latest in the series, which runs every Tuesday.

Is David Lee Roth nuts? I mean really, who hasn't wondered? Roth was already clinically extroverted when he erupted out of the first Van Halen album. You'll recall the Diamond Dave effect: the leopard-skin spandex, the leg-splaying leaps, the demented leer fizzing madly beneath the haystack of surf-punk hair. Five more hit albums did nothing to tone him down, of course. And then the band dumped him.

That was 23 years ago. Since then ... well, you know. For Van Halen, there followed the Sammy Hagar years — very successful (although most unpopular with Roth partisans). Then, after Sammy got dumped in turn (or quit or whatever — let's not relive it), there came the Gary Cherone year, which produced one album, "Van Halen III," which was universally hailed as abysmal. Then ... nothing. Or not much. That was 10 years ago.

Since then, Roth has released a series of solo efforts to diminishing effect. (A 2006 bluegrass version of the Van Halen hit "Jump" may have been his oddest musical moment.) He spent much of his downtime nipping at the heels of Eddie Van Halen, lobbying for a reunion of the band's original lineup. He was pretty sure it had finally happened in 1996, when they called him back to record two new tracks to be tacked onto a greatest-hits album; and he was certain it was on when they invited him to join them in presenting an award at that year's Video Music Awards. Unfortunately, he turned their appearance into a celebration of Diamond Dave, and his return to the fold. Backstage, an infuriated Eddie told Roth he was ... nuts, probably. There would be no reunion.

The following spring, Roth, now resident in New York, was arrested for attempting to buy marijuana in Washington Square Park. This was a low point — Diamond Dave busted scoring a five-dollar bag of beat weed among the local skate kids. Oh, how the mighty, and so forth.

That November, Dave turned up for an interview at the MTV studios. He was a little ... I don't want to say nuts, but certainly mercurial. Or maybe just cagey. All we really wanted to know about was the state of his relationship with Van Halen — would there ever be a reunion? Roth was more interested in talking about gurus and therapists and childhood sugar problems. Great. Well, entertaining, at least.

The long-yakked-about reunion of the original Van Halen lineup continued failing to happen. Eddie Van Halen underwent tongue-cancer and hip-replacement surgery, got divorced, and went into rehab, reportedly for his famous drinking problem. He also found time to banish bassist Michael Anthony from the VH lineup — a long-brewing move — and to replace him with neophyte bassist Wolfgang Van Halen, Eddie's son. Ironically, not to say ridiculously, when the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last year, exiled members Anthony and Sammy Hagar were the only two who showed up for the ceremony.

Then something surprising happened. Well, surprising to anyone who was still paying attention. Last September, three-quarters of a Van Halen reunion finally materialized, with Roth back onboard. Reviews were good, but then a string of dates had to be postponed in order for Eddie to get unspecified medical attention. Now, though, the boys are back. And they're scheduled to stay on the road at least into June. Can you believe it? No, really, can you?

(Assuming they actually played Milwaukee last night, Van Halen is scheduled to play Pittsburgh tomorrow.)

Enjoy digging through The Loder Files? You'll find more here, and there's much more to come from the vaults — check back every Tuesday!

• The Loder Files: A Trip Inside The MTV News Vaults

• Van Halen
• David Lee Roth

David Lee Roth
Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

They must be breaking out the ice skates in hell.

Van Halen's long-rumored reunion tour with original singer David Lee Roth came one step closer as ink dried on the final contracts Friday (February 2). The tour will feature Roth alongside founding members Eddie and Alex Van Halen, with Eddie's son, Wolfgang Van Halen (who recently replaced Michael Anthony), on bass.

Although Roth teamed up with Van Halen in 1996 to record two songs for a greatest-hits collection, the tour will mark his first time performing live with the band since 1984, the year of their landmark album 1984, which featured "Jump," "Panama" and "Hot for Teacher."

"Playing these timeless hits only works with Dave," Eddie told MTV News in an exclusive statement. "After one rehearsal, it was pure magic."

Dates for the North American outing have yet to be confirmed, but the tour will kick off this summer and hit 40 cities.

"I am very excited to get back to the core of what made Van Halen," Eddie added.

On March 12, Van Halen will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (see "R.E.M., Van Halen, Grandmaster Flash Make Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame") in a ceremony that could feature Van Halen performing with both Roth and his replacement, Sammy Hagar (see "Sammy Hagar's Plans: Beach, Cruise, Sharing Stage With David Lee Roth?").

The original Van Halen lineup formed in the '70s, scoring early hits with "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love," "Runnin' With the Devil" and a cover of the Kinks' "You Really Got Me."

Roth either quit or was fired from Van Halen (depending on whom you ask) in 1985 over feuds with Eddie. He launched a solo career that has ranged from legitimate rock hits hits (1988's "Just Like Paradise") to stints in shock radio and bluegrass, both in 2006 (see "David Lee Roth Reportedly Being Replaced By Opie & Anthony").

In 2001, the singer confirmed rumblings that the original lineup had recorded some new material, but it never surfaced. Rumors started back up last summer, when Roth said there were talks between the two camps.

• Van Halen, The Early Years

• Van Halen
• David Lee Roth

Sammy Hagar
Photo: Craig Allen/ Getty Images

Sammy Hagar would like everyone to know that while he's more than pumped to be going into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Van Halen, he has way more important things on his mind at the moment.

"I'm in Cabo right now, and everything's wonderful," he laughed, referring Cabo San Lucas, to the Mexican resort town where he owns a cantina. "I'm down by the water. The beach is calling my name. Listen to it!"

It bears mentioning that at this point in the interview, Hagar began to make "waves-crashing-on-the-shore" noises and then launched into a hazy recollection of how he found out about his induction, a long and winding story that included messenger birds, sunbathing and congratulatory phone calls from high-energy celebrity chefs.

"I think the Hall shoulda sent word of my induction via carrier pigeon or something, because down here, communication is a little, uh, unique," he explained. "The way I found out was that I came back off the beach and there was a message on my machine from someone — I don't even remember who right now — but it didn't even really register that I was in. And then Kenny Chesney calls, and Emeril Lagasse — all these friends on this high level — telling me how great it is. And I'm going, 'Wow, this is really a big deal!' "

Clearly, though he's honored, Hagar is taking the news a lot less seriously than most. Which is odd, considering that thanks to more than 30 years of infighting and back-biting, Van Halen's March 12 Hall of Fame induction and performance at New York's Waldorf-Astoria hotel (see "R.E.M., Van Halen, Grandmaster Flash Make Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame") promises to be contentious.

Given the fact that VH has had three different frontmen — who haven't always gotten along, to put it mildly — recently replaced its founding bassist with the guitarist's teenaged son and may or may not even exist as a functioning unit these days, it'll be a miracle if the group (whoever they are) manages to perform at all.

"The talk amongst us so far has been that we're probably not going to play, because of the awkward situation with [bassist] Michael [Anthony], and the situation with Dave [Lee Roth] and I, and all of us with each other. I mean, we're not like mortal enemies or anything, there's just some weird quirks," Hagar said. "But Van Halen has always been unpredictable — anything can happen. If we get to play two songs, I'll be happy to sing one, and have Dave do the other one. I think that would be perfect. If there's only one song, well, then that could be kinda interesting."

And that's just the tip of it. Because while Hagar has been more than willing to talk about the Hall, the other members of Van Halen have remained virtually silent — the Van Halen brothers, Eddie and Alex, and hyperkinetic former frontman David Lee Roth released a joint statement thanking their fans, as did Anthony — which has only added an icy chill to the whole situation. Plus, there's the issue of the third Van Halen frontman, Gary Cherone, who took over when Hagar left the band (or was fired, depending on whom you ask) in 1996.

See, despite the fact that the former Extreme singer fronted Van Halen for nearly three years, and performed on 1998's Van Halen III, Cherone won't be coming to the HOF ceremony. It might have something to do with hurt feelings, but probably has more to do with the fact that Cherone isn't being inducted.

"I got nothing against Gary, but I would've voted against him getting in," Hagar said. "I think he was really just a moment in Van Halen. Dave and I were in the band for so long, and we sold so many records and I don't think you can deny that. As it stands, it seems a little goofy if you let Gary in. Because, there was questions about me getting in, because I've only been in the band 21 years," which is slightly fuzzy math, considering he's been in and out of the band for the last 10.

Of course, Hagar didn't have a say as to which members of Van Halen received the honor. And neither did anyone else in the band. Candidates for the Hall are determined by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation's nominating committee, a group of "around 30 writers, writers, critics, artists, agents and record-company people" who not only weigh the merits of various bands, but -- in the case of groups with shifting lineups like the Ramones or George Clinton's sprawling Parliament-Funkadelic collective -- must also weigh the contributions of individual members of those bands.

"We basically look at the body of work of the artist," explained Joel Peresman, president of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation. "And you look at an artist like Van Halen, when David Lee Roth was in the band, they became big during that time, and when things switched with Sammy Hagar, things went to another level. They had incredible success with both people being involved in the band. People have already asked, 'Well, what about Gary Cherone? He was the frontman of the band, too,' but when you look at the full body of the work, that particular period in their career, it didn't make sense, because it wasn't really part of the success of Van Halen."

It's a harsh situation, to be sure. And though Peresman maintains that the Hall isn't in the business of bruising egos, sometimes people get offended. After all, we're dealing with rock stars here.

"You're not looking to blatantly insult people, but you're dealing with a diverse, knowledgeable group of people who have been involved in the music industry for a long time, and they're going to do what they think is right for the Hall of Fame," Peresman added. "If someone gets their feelings hurt, that wasn't the intent, but that might be the outcome."

Gary Cherone could not be reached for comment on the Hall of Fame snub, though fans on his message board at Cherone.com seem to be OK with him not getting in. After all, as one writes, "Gary will be a future Hall of Famer in his own right."

As for Hagar, well, despite the initial talk about Van Halen not performing at the Hall of Fame ceremony, he's optimistic that something can be worked out. One thing's for certain: Despite the fact that he's currently scheduled to appear on the second annual Cabo Wabo "Are We Having Fun Yet?" Cruise on the day of Van Halen's induction, he plans on being in New York, and having a thoroughly, well, Sammy time.

"I'm gonna fly from Cabo to New York, go a day or two early so I can have some fun in New York, and then I'll jump on my plane, come on back and meet the guests [on the cruise]," he enthused. "I'm bringing my wife and about a dozen of my best friends to the ceremony. It's too important — I'll cancel the damn cruise if I have to!"

• R.E.M., Van Halen Lead Rock And Roll Hall 2007 Inductees

• Sammy Hagar
• Van Halen
• R.E.M.
• David Lee Roth

David Lee Roth
Photo: Thos Robinson/Getty Images

David Lee Roth predicted the demise of his low-rated radio show on Friday — and on Monday morning, CBS Radio and XM Satellite Radio ended speculation when they announced that, starting on Wednesday, XM's "Opie & Anthony" show will be simulcast on CBS stations in place of Roth's show.

"I was booted, tossed, and it's going to cost somebody," Roth said on his last show Friday, suggesting that CBS would be hearing from his lawyers in search of the full value of his reported $4 million contract.

Greg "Opie" Hughes and Anthony Cumia let the cat out of the bag on their Web site Friday as well. "Apparently we can talk about it now. So much for keeping a lid on this," the duo posted Friday. "The 'Opie & Anthony' show will be replacing David Lee Roth in several markets on CBS Radio Free-FM stations."

The move comes just two days before the release of Arbitron's first official ratings book on Roth's program, which will cover the first three months of his bid to replace Howard Stern in the New York, Dallas, Boston, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Cleveland and West Palm Beach, Florida, markets.

The XM/ CBS marriage marks the first major syndication deal with a satellite provider for a mass-market entertainment show, but more intriguingly, it has the radio giant rehiring the shock jocks it fired four years ago for a raunchy on-air stunt (see "David Lee Roth Reportedly Being Replaced By Opie & Anthony").

Opie and Anthony did an afternoon show on CBS's predecessor, Infinity Broadcasting, but were booted after airing a tape of a couple allegedly having sex in New York's St. Patrick's Cathedral in 2002. They signed up with XM in August of 2004. The new gig will have them airing on both XM and the CBS stations for three hours every weekday morning from 6 a.m. to 9. a.m. (3-6 p.m. in Cleveland) and for an additional two hours after that, exclusively on XM. The XM broadcast will be uncensored, though XM spokesperson Nathaniel Brown said CBS has the option to censor the show in order to fit FCC guidelines. Financial terms of the multiyear deal were not disclosed.

"With the combination of XM and CBS Radio, we now have the best gig in the business. The 'O&A' show is going to be bigger and better than ever," Hughes said in a statement.

At press time, CBS Radio spokespeople had not responded to MTV News' requests for comment, but before Roth's debut, Infinity Broadcasting President of Programming Rob Barnett said that it could take up to 18 months for the new host to get his footing (Infinity changed its named to CBS Radio late in 2005). "One programmer said to me if the Lord had replaced Howard Stern, the first 24 hours would produce nothing but negative comments," Barnett joked late last year, saying the company planned to stick with the show as it developed an audience.

CBS Radio Chairman and CEO Joel Hollander made no mention of Roth in Monday's press release. "Opie and Anthony have proven their determination to succeed in this business, and have a relationship with their audience that is second to none in the industry," he said. "CBS Radio is well known for having among its portfolio some of the best brands in radio, and it's great to have 'O&A' among that stable again. Loyal listeners of 'O&A' have grown accustomed to a show that's real and entertaining. As we move forward, we do so with confidence that this new enterprise will continue in that same spirit."

The move, however, hardly comes as a surprise. "Everybody knew this wasn't working out," said Michael Harrison, publisher of the talk-radio trade magazine Talkers. "You can't blame CBS for saying it would stick with [Roth], but it was a bad mix: wrong guy, wrong job, wrong time."

Harrison said he was not shocked that CBS re-hired a duo they fired just a few years ago, either. "It's very common in radio for people to re-hire someone they let go," he said. "Opie and Anthony have ratings in New York and a loyal following, and they know how to do the shock genre successfully, which not many people do."

The move is also the first in what Harrison predicted could be a flood of "content-providing marriages" between the on-the-rise satellite business (which currently includes XM and its rival, the new home of Stern, Sirius) and traditional radio.

XM's Brown called the deal "groundbreaking," but said it would be decided on a case-by-case basis whether the terrestrial/satellite marriage would be part of a bigger strategy. "This happened because it was a case where it was clearly of huge benefit to CBS and XM and the content is well-suited for this market," Brown said, adding that it is possible that 'Opie & Anthony' could be rolled out in more CBS Radio markets in the future.

• David Lee Roth

David Lee Roth
Photo: Evan Agostini/Getty Images

Despite his boss' assurance that former Van Halen frontman David Lee Roth would be given at least a year to work the kinks out of his morning radio show, it appears the end is nigh for the motor-mouthed talker.

On the cusp of next week's release of the winter ratings book — which will offer the first official indication of how the first three months of Roth's tenure as Howard Stern's replacement in seven East Coast and Midwest markets has gone — a source has confirmed to the Los Angeles Times that talks are under way to replace Diamond Dave. What's most shocking is that CBS Radio is reportedly in talks with satellite radio provider XM to license the "Opie & Anthony" show to CBS, just four years after the raunchy duo were canned by CBS' predecessor for an on-air stunt.

You might recall that Opie and Anthony used to do an afternoon show on CBS' predecessor, Infinity Broadcasting, but were booted after airing the infamous tape of a couple allegedly having sex in New York's St. Patrick's Cathedral in 2002. The hosts signed with XM in August 2004.

According to the Times, the deal will have Roth replaced on CBS stations in New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Dallas, Cleveland, Pittsburgh and West Palm Beach, Florida, by a three-hour simulcast of the "Opie & Anthony" show that airs on XM weekday mornings. CBS would reportedly have free reign under the deal to censor the broadcast, which will air uncensored on XM during the simulcast and for two hours afterward exclusively on the satellite provider.

A spokesperson for CBS Radio would not comment on the reported deal and an XM spokesperson could not be reached at press time.

Roth's tenure at CBS has been rough, and early unofficial ratings have found him holding only a third of Stern's old audience (see "Tough Crowd: Listeners Tune Out Howard Stern's Successors"). He has openly discussed butting heads with management over the freewheeling show's format and his staffing choices and has bristled on-air about the changes he said management has demanded.

The reunion with hosts they fired just a few years ago is unexpected for an another reason. Last month, CBS Radio filed a $218-million suit against Stern and XM rival Sirius Satellite Radio that alleged that while at CBS, Stern misappropriated airtime to promote his January switch to Sirius. According to reports, Opie and Anthony will be free to mention XM and promote it during their simulcast, which is the first major syndication deal between terrestrial radio and emerging rival satellite.

• David Lee Roth

Madonna
Photo: Getty Images

Madonna's incorporating a bit of "Pimp My Ride" into her video for her next single from Confessions on a Dance Floor. The car-makeover show will be a component of her "Sorry" clip, which is shooting in London in mid-January with director Jamie King, according to Madonna's rep. ...

Nine Inch Nails, Rob Zombie, Avenged Sevenfold, Coheed and Cambria, Rise Against and Shinedown are among the acts slated to play the Global Gathering 2006 music festival at Bicentennial Park in Miami on March 18. The show's Web site also promises lots of action on three techno/dance-oriented stages, with sets by Sasha & Digweed, Deep Dish, Überzone and Freq Nasty. ...

Need a little Jessica Simpson to inspire you during your downward dog in yoga class? She's signed a Yogaforce mat to auction on eBay's Giving Works to benefit the Skin Cancer Foundation. The auction ends on Valentine's Day. ... Vanessa Carlton has teamed up with producer Linda Perry for her Harmonium follow-up. Calling the producer "fantastic and genuine and really inspiring," Carlton posted on her Web site that they had "a blast" during their "whirlwind studio moment," and have finished five songs together so far. Carlton also wrote that thanks to Perry, she's finished half of the new album. "You guys are gonna be psyched," she wrote. "Loving this stuff." ...

After mixed reviews for his first day on-air as Howard Stern's replacement, could David Lee Roth be planning for the future already? While recently promoting his new morning show, Roth told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that a much-talked-about reunion with his former bandmates in Van Halen is unavoidable. "I talked to the drummer [Alex Van Halen] about a week ago," said Roth, "and I think, eventually, the inevitable will happen." Roth, 51, booted in 1985 from the band he helped co-found, has frequently been at odds with guitarist Eddie Van Halen and a recent attempt at a reunion fell apart after the band recorded two new songs for a greatest-hits album. The singer suggested the reunion was not that far in the future. "It definitely won't be rockers with walkers," he said. "Getting onstage and singing 'Dance the Night Away' — let me tell you how difficult that isn't going to be." ... The Strokes are celebrating the release of their third album, First Impressions of Earth, with a few secret U.S. shows. They actually kicked off the jaunt Tuesday night in Chicago, and they'll make just three more appearances — Thursday at the Crocodile Cafe in Seattle, Friday at the Troubadour in Los Angeles and Monday at the Loft in Atlanta — before jetting off to the U.K. for a month's worth of gigs. ...

The Flaming Lips are gearing up for the April release of their new album, At War With the Mystics, by re-releasing one of their old albums. As a DVD. On January 31, they'll drop a 5.1 stereo mix of their 1999 LP, The Soft Bulletin, complete with album outtakes, radio sessions and music videos for "Race for the Prize" and "Waitin' for a Superman." ... New Jersey's Senses Fail will soon be locking themselves in a "windowless room and finish the writing of the new record," according to the band's Web site. The group recorded demos of some of the new material "in the back of the bus" on its recent tour with Saves the Day. ...

01.03.2006

Pimp C, one half of the influential Houston rap duo UGK, has been released from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice's Terrell Unit, where he'd been serving an eight-year prison term since 2002 on an aggravated assault charge. According to The Associated Press, Pimp C (real name Chad Butler) served half the time, and became a free man on Friday. C's partner in UGK, Bun B, told the wire service he's anxious to hit the studio with his comrade. "The album is probably going to be one of the most anticipated projects in rap," he said of the next UGK LP. ...

Former Pantera/ Damageplan drummer Vinnie Paul performed with his band Gasoline in Arlington, Texas, on New Year's Eve, and was joined onstage by former Pantera bassist Rex Brown. The band, with Brown, performed two Pantera cuts: "Walk" and "Cowboys From Hell." The gig marked the first time the two former bandmates had shared the same stage in five years. ... White Stripes drummer Meg White will be the face of an upcoming ad campaign for fashion designer Marc Jacobs. The ads will be shot by famed photographer Juergen Teller. It's not the first time Jacobs has dipped into the musical well to find models: Past campaigns have featured artists like Sonic Youth and Stephen Malkmus. ...

Kevin Federline clearly isn't going to be stopped by the universal disdain heaped on his first leaked song, "Ya'll Ain't Ready." Britney Spears' husband has begun offering his first official single, the rump-shaker "PopoZao," for download on music.yahoo.com. The song, built on a whining keyboard and spare drum-machine beats, has K-Fed rapping the song's title repeatedly, followed by the verse "In Portuguese it means bring your ass/ On the floor and move real fast/ I want to see your kitty and a little bit of t---y/ Wanna know where I go when I'm in your city/ Girl, don't you worry about all the dough." Clearly those trips to the strip clubs were not in vain. ... Madonna's not the only one saying "Sorry" — now the Pet Shop Boys are joining in on Madge's second single from Confessions on a Dance Floor. Neil Tennant added some vocals to the track when the Pet Shop Boys had their way with it in December, remixing it for a maxi single due in February. The remix was premiered last week at Beige in Los Angeles. ...

Patrick Cranshaw, the actor who portrayed elderly fraternity brother Joseph "Blue" Palasky in the 2003 comedy "Old School," died of natural causes Wednesday at his home in Fort Worth, Texas, according to The Associated Press. He was 86. A veteran character actor, Cranshaw's career spanned more than 50 years, though he is probably best known for his turn as Blue, the senior citizen who joins Luke Wilson, Vince Vaughn and Will Ferrell's fraternity in "Old School" and eventually expires just as he's about to wrestle a pair of topless coeds. ... Coheed and Cambria singer/guitarist Claudio Sanchez recently broke his hand while sparring with his brother, boxer Matthew Sanchez. The injury, known as a "boxer's fracture," involves the ring finger and pinky of the right hand. He'll be sidelined for at least a month — three weeks in a cast, and one or two undergoing physical therapy. Unfortunately, the break has forced the band to postpone its upcoming European tour with Thrice for about a month. ... The title track from Kittie's forthcoming EP, Never Again, has made its way online. A link to the song has been posted on the band's MySpace page. The all-female Canadian metallers will release the EP digitally on February 7. ...

Sony BMG has tentatively settled more than a dozen consumer class-action suits brought against the company over its use of copy-protection software on its CDs. The company is awaiting the approval of the settlement of the 15 suits, which is expected on Friday. "Sony BMG is pleased to have reached this agreement with the class-action plaintiffs and we look forward to the court approval process," a spokesperson said in a statement. As part of the settlement, the company has offered to add an incentive of $7.50 cash and a free album download to consumers affected by the XCP software, or three free downloads in place of the cash. Sony BMG has also pledged to stop manufacturing CDs with the XCP and MediaMax software and agreed to clearly label any anti-piracy measures it uses in the future. The settlement does not cover a suit by the Texas attorney general alleging violations of that state's anti-spyware law. ... Motorola is planning to roll out a subscription music service this year called iRadio that could rival satellite radio providers XM and Sirius. The service is expected to first launch on the Rokr E2 phone and hold about 70 hours of music culled from iRadio's 435 commercial-free radio channels, which have names like Angry Women, Feeling Punkish, One-Hit Wonders, Jerry's Psychedelic Circus, When Grunge Was King and Rockin' Cowboys. Users download the channels on their computer and transfer them to play on the phones or on their car or home stereos for about $7 a month. They will also have the ability to turn their own personal music collections into programmed radio stations. ...

• Madonna
• Jessica Simpson
• Avenged Sevenfold
• Nine Inch Nails
• David Lee Roth

David Lee Roth
Photo: Thos Robinson/Getty Images

He's fronted one of the biggest rock bands and he's saved the lives of New York residents as a paramedic with the city's ambulance service. What's next for "Diamond" David Lee Roth? Come January 3, he'll be taking his game to the morning airwaves as one of several celebrity talents recruited to replace satellite-bound shock jock Howard Stern.

Roth was a much-hyped mystery guest on Stern's nationwide radio show on Tuesday (October 25), where the rocker revealed his will be the voice greeting Stern regulars the morning of January 3 — at least in several of the markets comprising the self-proclaimed King of All Media's syndicated, 27-station kingdom, an empire Stern has spent decades building.

Roth — whose announcement ends months of rumors over just who'd be filling Stern's immense kicks — will take over in New York, Boston, Cleveland, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Dallas and West Palm Beach, Florida. "You've built quite an empire here, and I'd like to think that they've saved it for the best guy," Roth told Stern. "It will be a very interesting adventure."

Stern, who joked that he should look into fronting Van Halen, surmised that Roth's move was a step down from his rock star stature. Stern also said he's "done what [he] needed to do here," and that he needed "freedom to speak about what I want, and I have to be free to do my type of comedy. I'm happy for you and I do wish you the best" (see " 'Howard Stern Show' To Air — Uncensored — On Satellite Radio In 2006 ").

"Putting together this morning radio network was the greatest pride of my life," Stern continued. "When they said I couldn't do it, I said 'You're all insane.' How do you not challenge the future? How do you not challenge this industry? I can't imagine why you would want to do it."

Roth, who said working in radio has been a lifelong aspiration, told Stern he was approached for the job in February. He's been living in New York's Lower East Side neighborhood for more than two years. "I'll be performing for more people in one morning than the Rolling Stones will in an entire summer," Roth exclaimed.

Infinity Broadcasting (which, like MTV, is owned by Viacom) had approached several big names to replace Stern, including Jon Stewart, Geraldo Rivera, Whoopi Goldberg and Danny Bonaduce. Along with news of Roth's appointment comes word that comedian and "Loveline" co-host Adam Carolla will take over for Stern in several West Coast markets, including Los Angeles, Seattle and Phoenix. Jimmy Kimmel, who co-hosted Comedy Central's "The Man Show" with Carolla, will serve as a creative consultant to Carolla's program and Infinity Broadcasting. DJ Rover, who helms the morning show for Cleveland's 92.3 Xtreme Radio has been tapped to replace Stern in Chicago, Detroit, Cincinnati, and Memphis.

Magician Penn Gillette will host an hour-long program scheduled to air immediately following Roth and Carolla.

In at least three markets, Stern will be supplanted by the DJ-free Jack-FM radio format, while at least one other will broadcast CNN Morning News. It was also revealed that several stations that currently carry Stern would be switching formats, shifting from music to talk. New York's WXRK, which has served as the base of operations for Stern's empire for years, will adopt a new Free FM format, trading in its rock rotation for talk. Infinity stations in Los Angeles (KLSX-FM), Chicago (WCKG-FM), Dallas (KLLI-FM), Washington, D.C. (WJFK-FM), Detroit (WKRK-FM) and Baltimore (WHFS-FM) have all been re-branded Free FM, effective Tuesday.

Roth promises he won't be a Stern carbon copy and said he'll be bringing something completely unique to the table; he promises music in addition to talk, some of which will be political in nature, he said. Much like Stern, Roth revealed that his personal life will never be off-limits.

"You've done an extraordinary job and I hope I can honor it," Roth told Stern, adding that he's not worried about facing the same FCC pressures the shock jock coped with (see "Howard Stern Broadcast Costs Clear Channel Nearly $500,000"). "I'm beyond ready."

Roth also commented on Stern's future at Sirius Satellite Radio, saying, "It requires someone of your stature to make [the medium successful]."

• David Lee Roth

Ol' Dirty Bastard (file)
Photo: Elektra

The family of Russell Jones, a.k.a. Ol' Dirty Bastard, has settled on the St. James Presbyterian Church in New York's Harlem neighborhood as the site for the public viewing of the deceased MC, which will take place Wednesday from 3 to 8 p.m. Fans who want to pay their last respects can find the church at 409 St. Nicholas Ave. The funeral is Thursday; the family has asked that the location remain private. ...

R. Kelly has another sex-tape scandal on his hands — but this time, he's not the one charged in the court case that's resulted. Instead, a Chicago man named Derrick Mosley, who claims that he used to work for Kelly, was arrested for extortion, when he allegedly tried to get $20,000 from a professional athlete's agent after claiming he possessed videotapes of the athlete's wife having sex with a musician. Prosecutors didn't reveal the name of the athlete or musician. Kelly's team was quick to respond to the allegations, saying that they could neither confirm nor deny that the man on the tape is Kelly, and noting that the tape depicts consenting adults. Mosley's bail hearing has been set for Thursday. ...

Clay Aiken isn't just a pop star anymore — he's now also an ambassador. The "American Idol" runner-up was appointed National Ambassador for the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, the group that helps ensure all children are given the opportunity for a decent education. The group felt Aiken was a good fit, as the singer had planned to pursue a career in special education to work with disabled individuals before he became a pop sensation. "I hope that as an ambassador I can encourage people to join UNICEF's mission to make education a reality for children throughout the world," Aiken said in a statement. ... JoJo, Ruben Studdard, LeAnn Rimes and Vanessa Williams are helping President Bush get into the Christmas spirit this year by performing for him and other government VIPs at the TNT 23rd annual Christmas in Washington Concert. The event, hosted by Dr. Phil and his wife, Robin, will benefit the National Children's Medical Center and will be taped at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C., to air on TNT December 15 at 8 p.m. ET. ...

In addition to his hosting duties at the second annual Spike TV Video Game Awards, Snoop Dogg will be performing with the remaining members of the Doors for a rendition of the band's classic track "Riders on the Storm." Somewhat more conventional performances will be provided by Sum 41 and Ludacris. The list of nominees for the show was topped by "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas," "Halo 2" and "Half-Life 2," which took five nods each. The show will be broadcast live from Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California, on December 14 at 9 p.m. ET. ... David Lee Roth has gone from "Runnin' With the Devil" to ridin' with the paramedics. The former Van Halen frontman has been training to be a paramedic for a few weeks, riding several nights a week with a New York ambulance crew, according to The Associated Press. He has reportedly been on more than 200 rides and has yet to be recognized, and a few weeks ago he saved a heart attack victim in the Bronx by using a defibrillator on her. ...

Two decades after founding Def Jam Recordings, Russell Simmons is getting back into the label game with his new Russell Simmons Music Group imprint. The hip-hop mogul is looking to partner with one of the major labels, according to The New York Times. ... Xzibit and New York Giants tight end Jeremy Shockey will share the cover of "NFL Street 2." Due December 26, the EA Sports Big title marks the first time an EA Sports game has featured a music artist on its cover. ...

A firsthand account of one of Kurt Cobain's LSD trips is headed for the auction block. A note the late Nirvana frontman faxed to wife Courtney Love, titled "Courtney Love Breakfast Fax," during the band's 1991 U.K. tour details Cobain's exploits while on the hallucinogenic drug. The original document, which was given to a hotel clerk in Sheffield, England, as a souvenir, is expected to fetch between $12,000 and $14,000. ... The fifth annual Take Action! Tour is set to begin February 2 in Washington, D.C., with Sugarcult, Head Automatica, the Early November and Hawthorne Heights already on board. The tour, like last month's Take Action Vol. 4 benefit album, which features cuts from Taking Back Sunday, NOFX and Coheed and Cambria, raises money for the National Hopeline Network, a suicide prevention and crisis hotline. ...

Italian goth-rockers Lacuna Coil have begun work on the follow-up to their 2002 album, Comalies. On its Web site, the band writes, "Our producer Waldemar Sorychta came to visit us in Milan and we worked together for a short pre-production. We'll soon be in the studio to record the first of three songs for our new album." ... Sure it's only mid-November, but the party planners at PlayStation DualPlay think it's high time you got your New Year's Eve plans in order. They have enlisted the help of two electronic dance artists to host two simultaneous events that night. Paul van Dyk will hold court over New York's Ikon nightclub while Tiesto will host the festivities at the Hollywood Palladium. Clubgoers will get a chance to play several of PlayStation's new releases, while contest winners chosen prior to the events will receive prizes including all-expenses-paid trips to the event of their choice. ...

11.15.2004

Britney Spears has written a poem about her honeymoon and has posted it on her fan club's Web site. In the nearly blow-by-blow account of her trip to Fiji's Turtle Island, Spears describes her time alone with her new husband, Kevin Federline, as "magical nights" and a "little piece of heaven" but cuts short the details when it gets to the bedroom: "A meal, a shower and some ice cream/ Then I threw my man down, you know what I mean!" ... Lindsay Lohan is giving fans a sneak peek of her upcoming debut album, Speak — the actress/singer has posted four audio clips of songs on her Web site and is taking a poll to see which tracks people prefer. The songs are "Nobody 'Til You," "Symptoms of You," "Over" and the title track. ...

A pretrial hearing was held on Wednesday in Los Angeles for the case in which a photographer is alleging that Christina Aguilera's bodyguard beat him up outside a club last year. "He was punched in the mouth, his mouth was bloodied, he had lacerations inside his mouth," the photographer's lawyer said in court. Aguilera has countersued photographer David Keeler, claiming she had nothing to do with what happened, and her lawyer said a self-defense argument would be explored. The judge encouraged both parties to reach an agreement. ... Aguilera's former tourmate isn't having much luck with paparazzi, either. Two photographers are suing Justin Timberlake and his girlfriend, Cameron Diaz, for assault and battery, claiming the couple attacked them when they tried to photograph the pair on November 6. Saul Lazo and Jose Gonzalez claim in a lawsuit filed Friday that they did nothing to harass the couple and stood more than 10 feet away when Diaz ran at Lazo, hit him, tripped him and took his camera. They say Timberlake screamed at the photographer, who was bleeding and on the ground. In a previous statement, the couple claimed they had been ambushed and acted in self-defense, and that Diaz only took the camera to later identify the photographers. ...

Timberlake's 'NSYNC groupmate Lance Bass makes a cameo appearance on the new show "$25 Million Hoax." For the show's second episode, the singer's job is to help a woman, who is trying to record a Britney Spears song at a recording studio, convince her friends and family that she has won the lottery and has become a spendaholic. The episode airs Monday (November 15) at 10 p.m. on NBC. ... Puddle of Mudd will play a show for some lucky fans at an undisclosed Los Angeles location Tuesday. On its Web site, the band extended an invitation to the first 150 of its "biggest fans" to attend a concert that will be recorded for release on DVD. Winners were supposed to be notified by no later than Monday, so if you haven't heard back yet, you're probably out of luck. ...

Ben Lee has finished his new album, Awake Is the New Sleep. Lee worked with producer Brad Wood (Liz Phair, Smashing Pumpkins) on the album, due out in February. ... Morrissey has announced plans to reissue his latest album, You Are the Quarry, in a special CD/DVD deluxe edition. The CD half of the package now features nine B-sides. The DVD collects all three of the Mozzer's appearances on "The Late Late Show With Craig Kilborn" from earlier this year along with his videos for "Irish Blood, English Heart" and "First of the Gang to Die." The combo is scheduled to hit shelves in December. ... Experimental U.K. group Stereolab are working on a three-disc retrospective of the EPs they've issued in their dozen years together. The as-yet-untitled set is due in April. Meanwhile, the band continues to work on a new series of EPs to follow up Margerine Eclipse, which dropped in January. ...

• R. Kelly
• Clay Aiken
• JoJo
• Snoop Dogg
• The Doors

Outkast's Andre 3000 is in talks to play Jimi Hendrix in a biopic directed by Allen and Albert Hughes ("Menace II Society," "American Pimp"). But first the rapper will star in an HBO movie coinciding with his group's just-released Speakerboxxx/ The Love Below, and then a film with Morgan J. Freeman ("Hurricane Streets") called "Love Hater." ...

Linkin Park will have to tone down their act when they play Malaysia on October 15. The government has granted the band permission to play a 50,000-seat stadium in Kuala Lumpur on the condition they don't jump around onstage, swear or wear shorts, according to wire-service reports. Officials in the conservative Islamic nation regularly prevent Western rock acts from playing there. ... Korn's sixth album, Take a Look in the Mirror, the first LP fully produced by the band, will drop November 18. In the meantime, fans can catch the first single, "Right Now," rocking radio early next month. ...

Beyoncé Knowles will play herself in an episode of the UPN sitcom "All of Us," airing October 7. ... Next year, the Grammy Awards will return to Los Angeles. The ceremony will take place February 8 at the Staples Center. The show was scheduled a few weeks earlier than usual so it wouldn't bump up against the Oscars and other awards programs. ...

Soulfly bassist Marcello D. Rapp, drummer Roy Mayorga and guitarist Mike Doling have left the band, the group's label confirmed. No reason was given. They have been temporarily replaced by bassist Bobby Burns (ex-Primer 55), guitarist Marc Rizzo (ex-Ill Nino) and drummer Joe Nunez. "This is no big deal," frontman Max Cavalera said in a statement. "Soulfly is always evolving. I'm always going to introduce new musicians to the fans. In fact, there has never been the same band on any consecutive Soulfly record." ... Following up performances in New York and San Juan Capistrano, California, Gina Gershon and current backup band Girls Against Boys will take their act to the House of Blues Sunset in West Hollywood on September 25 to promote the "Prey for Rock & Roll" soundtrack, due October 7. Seven additional dates will follow, and the trek wraps in Philadelphia on October 15. ...

Latin rock and electronic band Kinky have set a November 18 release date for their second album, Atlas. Cake singer John McCrea, who met the band on the recent Unlimited Sunshine Tour, is featured on the first single, "The Headphonist," while Itaal Shur, who won a Grammy for co-writing Santana's "Smooth," co-wrote another tune on the album, "Not Afraid." ... After a dynamic performance for 14,000 fans in Lima, Peru, Alanis Morissette ended the show by shouting, "Thank you, Brazil!" In a press conference in Sao Paolo, Brazil, Morissette said she had been drinking before making the gaffe. "I don't remember saying that," she said at the conference, according to the BBC. "I think I was drunk." ...

Hardcore metal band Life of Agony will release a double CD of their January reunion shows, River Runs Again: Live 2003, on October 14. And the reunion looks like it won't be short lived: The band has booked shows in Long Island, New York, for December 11 and 12 and will start working on a new studio album before the end of the year, which is tentatively scheduled for release in 2004. ... AC/DC's 1991 Monsters of Rock festival performance at Donington Castle in the U.K. is captured on the DVD "AC/DC Live at Donington," due November 11. In addition to the concert, the disc features remastered sound, band commentary and the ability to focus on just one member throughout an entire song. ...

The Sunday accident that caused David Lee Roth to get 21 stitches in his face and forced the cancellation of a handful of shows turned out not to be a run-of-the-mill concert misstep. No, it was "a very fast, complicated 15th-century samurai move" gone wrong that put the former Van Halen singer out of commission, according to his publicist. ... E should hope for straight A's when his band, the Eels, embarks on its Fall Tour of College Duty on October 16 in Lawrence, Kansas. The traipse through mostly college towns winds down November 8 in Brooklyn, New York. ...

9.23.2003

A St. Paul, Minnesota, security company filed a lawsuit against Fred Durst on Monday seeking $49,663 in workers' compensation the company had to pay to a security guard the Limp Bizkit singer allegedly kicked in the head during a 1999 concert. Durst, who was arrested after the incident but later saw the charges against him dismissed, settled a civil lawsuit brought by the guard for $100,000 in April 2000. ...

Eminem joined Obie Trice onstage Sunday at Detroit's State Theatre to celebrate Tuesday's release of Trice's Cheers. The duo performed the "8 Mile" soundtrack cut "Love Me," the "Cradle 2 the Grave" soundtrack song "Go to Sleep" and Cheers' "Lady." ... The building that houses P. Diddy's studio Daddy's House, which has given rise to LPs by Notorious B.I.G., Mase and Diddy himself, is reportedly in the process of being sold for $36 million. ...

Following the second successful year of the Bonnaroo Music Festival, an album and DVD commemorating the event are on the horizon. The 23-song double LP Live From Bonnaroo, featuring tracks from festival headliners the Dead, the Allman Brothers Band, Jack Johnson, Flaming Lips and Sonic Youth, is due September 30. The home video 270 Miles From Graceland — Bonnaroo 2003 will drop October 21. ... The British branch of the Universal Music Group has posted a 45-minute documentary on the making of the Metallica video for "Frantic" on the Web site www.thedevelopmentline.co.uk/clients/metallica/franticGame. The footage can be viewed after answering a brief questionnaire. ... Meanwhile, Metallica will play a New Year's Eve show in Las Vegas at the Hard Rock Hotel's 1,400-seat club the Joint. ...

In March, Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey will begin recording the first Who album in 21 years, according to a post on Townshend's Web site. The material will be based on the guitarist's recently completed story "The Boy Who Heard Music." ... It's a marriage made in heaven. On Monday, Russell Simmons' Hip-Hop Summit Action Network and Vince McMahon's WWE announced that they have started the "Two Million More in 2004" campaign. The nonpartisan movement is aiming to register 2 million or more potential voters in the 18-30 age range. ...

Restaurant bible Zagat has moved from food to music with the first "Zagat Music Guide," rating and reviewing the best 1,000 albums of all time, thanks to a 10,656-person survey. Four Beatles albums made the cut for the most popular albums, with Bruce Springsteen's Born to Run taking the top slot. Coldplay, Norah Jones, the Strokes and the White Stripes were included in the top albums of the 2000s. The guide also features the best music for making out, breaking up, driving, working out and cocktail parties. ... The chiropractic industry is sure to soar after the MTV2 Headbangers Ball Tour rolls into town. With headliners Killswitch Engage, Lamb of God and Shadows Fall, the 24-date trek begins October 28 in Montreal and runs through December 3 in New York. The tour commences exactly three weeks after the MTV2 Headbangers Ball album drops. ...

U2's Bono and his two daughters contributed 16 illustrations to a booklet to accompany an updated musical interpretation of the classic children's tale "Peter and the Wolf." The proceeds from the enhanced CD, recorded by Gavin Friday and Maurice Seezer, will go to the Irish Hospice Foundation. The project is slated for release October 3. ... The Ataris and Vendetta Red will embark on the VW Music Ed Tour, which kicks off October 3 in Villanova, Pennsylvania. The 20-city outing wraps November 6 in Claremont, California. ...

Former House of Pain main man Everlast is planning to release his fourth solo album on the Island Def Jam label early next year. The as-yet-untitled effort follows 2000's Eat At Whitey's. ... Three new Flaming Lips songs will appear on the group's forthcoming seven-song EP, Ego Tripping at the Gates of Hell, set for release November 18. The holiday song "A Chance at Christmas (Say It Isn't So)," two remixes of "Ego Tripping at the Gates of Hell" and one of "Do You Realize??" round out the set. ...

Wilco, Bright Eyes, Spoon and Super Furry Animals are among the bands lending their talents to the third volume of The Amos House Collection, a series that benefits the Rhode Island charity that helps disenfranchised families get back on their feet. The double-disc set is scheduled for release in December. ... As if her pint-sized figure doesn't already speak volumes about Australian pop star Kylie Minogue, she's decided to name her next album Body Language. The follow-up to last year's Fever is due February 10. "Slow" will serve as the LP's first single in the U.K., surfacing November 3. A U.S. single has yet to be determined. ...

Black Sheep's Dres and Mista Lawnge have reunited and are cooking up a new LP. The duo are still gathering beats for a project they hope to release next year. Black Sheep are best known for their hit "The Choice Is Yours," from their 1991 album, A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing. ... Quiet Riot have reached condition critical. After 28 years of heavy metal madness, the Los Angeles band has decided to quit rioting, drummer Frankie Banali said. On their Web site, www.quietriotforce.com, the band has posted an image of a face peering through a welder's mask and the message: "1983-2003. To our fans: Thank you for 20 years of rock & roll." The comment suggests the band considered its 1983 major-label debut, Metal Health, to be its first record, even though the group had been bashing around the club scene since 1977. ... Fresh from the Sprite Liquid Mix Tour, O.A.R. have lined up a fall trek to support their latest album, Between Now and Then. The six-week outing begins October 17 and culminates with a pair of shows at New York's Hammerstein Ballroom on November 28 and 29. ...

• OutKast
• Linkin Park
• Korn
• Beyoncé
• eels

• Charli Baltimore
• Ashanti
• P!nk
• Busta Rhymes
• Sheryl Crow