Keith Urban
Photo: Kevin Winter/ ACM2009/ Getty Images

Despite releasing a budget-priced $11.98 three-CD set at Target, Prince will miss out on landing just the second #1 debut of his career next week, when his new collection, Lotus Flow3r bows at #2 on sales of 168,000.

Who beat him out? New Zealand good ol' boy Keith Urban, whose Defying Gravity will grab the top spot in its first-week on sales of close to 172,000. And, as the release calendar continues to heat up, the top 10 once again sees a number of other debuts, including jazz singer Diana Krall at #3 with 104,000 copies sold of her latest, Quiet Nights, and rappers UGK at #6 with UGK 4 Life, which moved 76,000 units. And despite smashing the singles charts with his suggestive "Right Round," Flo Rida will have to settle for a #8 debut for his second album, R.O.O.T.S., which sold 55,000.   The rest of the top 10 includes last week's #1 album, the NOW 30 compilation, which dropped to #4 (87,000); last week's #2, the "Hannah Montana" movie soundtrack, which slipped to #5 (87,000); the "Twilight" soundtrack (#7, 73,000); Lady Gaga's Fame (#9, 51,000); and Taylor Swift's Fearless (#10, 42,000), which makes it back into the top 10 after falling out last week for the first time since the nearly 3 million-selling disc's release in November.

Just outside the top 10, Keri Hilson's In a Perfect World took a 61 percent hit, dropping from #4 to #11 in its second week on sales of 37,000. U2's No Line on the Horizon falls out of the top 10 for the first time since its release, landing at #12 (36,000) as sales slipped 30 percent. Kelly Clarkson's All I Ever Wanted also took a serious hit, dropping 34 percent and bumping down nine spots to #14 (34,000).

Bow Wow's New Jack City Part II debuts at #16 (31,000), while singer/songwriter Gavin DeGraw has to settle for a #19 bow for his new album, Free (26,000). As a testament to the "American Idol" bump, a week after appearing on the show for the first time since winning last year, David Cook's self-titled album rockets 58 spots to #20 on sales of 24,000, a 239 percent increase.

That's impressive, but the 500-plus percent jump by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs was even more so, as the New York trio's It's Blitz zoomed from the depths of the chart (#160) up to #22 (22,000), following the physical release of the album that had previously been an iTunes exclusive.

The news was not as good for thinking-man's metalers Mastodon, whose Crack the Skye dropped nearly 70 percent from its debut last week, crashing 33 spots to #44 on sales of 13,000. Also suffering big second-week losses were Slim Thug whose Boss of All Bosses lost nearly 50 percent on its skid from #15 to #32 (17,000), and Jim Jones, whose Pray IV Reign dives 31 spots to #40 on sales of under 14,000.

Other chart debuts include: Queensryche's American Soldier (#25, 21,000), Death Cab for Cutie's Open Door EP (#41, 14,000), Silverstein's Shipwreck in the Sand ( #42 13,000), Stevie Nicks' Soundstage Sessions (#47 13,000), Gomez's New Tide (#74, 9,000), Leonard Cohen's Live in London (#76, 9,000), and PJ Harvey and John Parish's Woman a Man Walked By (#80, 8,000).

Next week, look for the latest from Rascal Flatts, Jadakiss, Neil Young and Billy Ray Cyrus.

• Keith Urban
• Flo Rida

Usher
Photo: ABC

Usher's father, Usher Raymond III, passed away at an Atlanta hospital on Friday, a rep for the singer confirmed to MTV News. The cause of death was not immediately known; People.com reported that the funeral will take place this week at the Taylor Funeral Home in Chattanooga, Tennessee. ...

Britney Spears spent more than two hours at the Los Angeles office of Kevin Federline's lawyer, Mark Vincent Kaplan, on Monday (January 21) for an ongoing deposition in the former couple's custody battle, according to People.com. Spears was videotaped driving up to the office, accompanied by friend Sam Lufti, at around 10:40 a.m. PT and left at around 1:20 p.m. The deposition is expected to continue on Tuesday.

1.18.07

Lindsay Lohan has gotten a harsh assignment as part of her community service for misdemeanor drunk driving. The Associated Press reported that the 21-year-old actress will be working two four-hour days at a morgue as part of her court-ordered program meant to show drivers the real-life consequences of drunk driving. Lohan — who must serve 10 days of community service as part of her plea deal — worked at an American Red Cross blood-services facility in a Los Angeles suburb in November. She has also been ordered to spend two days working in a hospital emergency room. ...

A New York judge told Foxy Brown on Thursday that she's going to have to provide medical proof for why she should be let out of jail to repair her defective cochlear implant, a surgically implanted hearing device. AP reports that acting Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Melissa Jackson told the rapper (born Inga Marchand) that she needs more information before deciding if she can let Brown out of jail to fly to California for treatment and a repair of the implant. Brown, who was sentenced to a year in jail in September for probation violation, recently petitioned the court via a handwritten letter to allow her to travel for treatment, saying that her hearing condition is worsening in jail and that she faces serious, potentially permanent hearing loss if the issue isn't resolved. Assistant District Attorney Cindy Chung had objected, saying Brown had not shown any proof that the procedure could not be done in New York and calling the request a "desperate and frivolous petition." Before being led out of court, Brown reportedly told the judge she had done a lot of thinking in jail about how to control her emotions and make better decisions, saying, "I have too much talent to throw it away. ... I know I will make you proud and my family proud." The seemingly nonplussed judge replied, "I'm glad you're learning some very hard lessons that needed to be learned." ...

Britney Spears, who has done little to promote her Blackout album aside from appearing in the tabloids on a daily basis, has landed a paying gig. Spears will host a party for the Scandinavian Style Mansion at a private residence in Beverly Hills, California, on February 16, party organizer Claus Hjelmbak confirmed. "She's going to do the press line and be there for a few hours," Hjelmbak told MTV News. She was a guest for a similar party for the Mansion featuring items from luxury brands on December 1. "Even though she wasn't the host, she was so sweet to everybody and so generous with her time," Hjelmbak said. "She made all these little kids and all my clients feel amazing." ...

Amy Winehouse's husband, Blake Fielder-Civil, was in court Friday (January 18) to enter a plea of innocent to charges of assault and conspiracy. According to The Associated Press, Winehouse was not in the London courtroom to hear Fielder-Civil confirm his name and enter the plea, but she did show up afterward in a silver BMW, surrounded by bodyguards who shielded her from the paparazzi. Despite rumors that the couple could be headed for divorce, Winehouse was seen whispering, "I love you handsome ... gorgeous one," to her husband as he was led away. Fielder-Civil, 25, who is accused of attacking a pub landlord, and then later conspiring along with several other men to convince the man to withdraw as a witness in the trial, has been in jail since November. Fielder-Civil is due back in court on February 29 to enter a plea on the charge of obstructing justice. AP reports that the landlord in the case, James King, denied the conspiracy charge during his appearance on Friday. ...

Dreams come true: Paramore are set to co-headline a tour with their idols Jimmy Eat World. The trek will launch in March, with dates to be announced shortly. "If it all ends tomorrow, we will be happy knowing that we got a tour with the band that gave us a reason to play music," Paramore singer Hayley Williams said in a statement. "We got to know them last December while playing festivals together. They put on a great show and we think it's going to be an awesome bill," added Jimmy Eat World singer Jim Adkins. ... Every Time I Die, Chiodos, Motion City Soundtrack, Meg and Dia, Thrice and the Bled are featured on the audio portion of the Take Action! Volume 7 CD/DVD compilation, which is scheduled for a March 4 release. ...

The National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. — the site of a recent bid by talk-show host Stephen Colbert to have his portrait enshrined alongside some of America's legendary presidents — is about to unveil an exhibition honoring hip-hop. "Recognize! Hip Hop and Contemporary Portraiture" will open February 8 and feature photographer David Scheinbaum's portraits of famous rappers, paintings by Kehinde Wiley of LL Cool J and Ice-T based on famous European and American paintings from the 17th-19th centuries, and a poem by Nikki Giovanni that will be transcribed onto the walls of the exhibition by artist Shinique Smith. There will also be four portrait murals created by a pair of Washington graffiti artists that will be featured in the hallway between the galleries. ...

Velvet Revolver's Slash recently told Illinois' Northwest Herald that the band will begin working on its next LP in April. Slash is also planning to record a solo album sometime in the next year or two, he said. ... Staind frontman Aaron Lewis' three-night solo acoustic run at the Mohegan Sun Arena and Cabaret in Uncasville, Connecticut, next month will be filmed for the rocker's first-ever solo DVD. There's no word yet on when the effort will be ready for mass consumption, but we'll keep you posted. ... Chevelle and Finger Eleven will hit the road together next month for a spate of live gigs. The first is set for February 19 in Flint, Michigan, and so far, shows are booked through March 18 in Providence, Rhode Island. More dates will be revealed in the coming weeks. ...

Hard as it may be to believe, Sonic Youth guitarist Thurston Moore has recorded the score to an adult film, according to Wired. "Extra Action (And Extra Hardcore)," which hits stores March 18 and was directed by Richard Kern, is an hourlong film that features "unpretentious, unadorned and definitely undressed" women, asked to "roll around and do something interesting for a few minutes." ...

Seal has signed on as the headliner of Musicians on Call's fourth annual Benefit Concert & Auction, which will take place January 29 at the Hard Rock Cafe in New York's Times Square. Among the items up for bid from the organization, which brings music to patients in health-care facilities, are two front-row concert tickets and a one-on-one piano lesson from Gavin DeGraw, a Fender bass signed by Sting, an acoustic guitar signed by Bon Jovi, and a meet-and-greet and two tickets for a Daughtry or Carrie Underwood/ Keith Urban show. ... Against stiff odds, Tanya Andersen has beaten the Recording Industry Association of America again. The single mother, who became a folk hero among the thousands of targets of the association's downloading lawsuits when the RIAA dropped its 2005 suit against her for lack of evidence, got word on Tuesday that a judge had ruled in her favor once more. Wired News reports that an Oregon judge ordered the RIAA to pay the 42-year-old Andersen's legal-defense fees from the copyright-infringement case, upholding a September ruling that the organization had appealed.

1.17.08

Mary J. Blige "lives" again: The R&B singer belted out two songs — "Just Fine" and "Hurt Again" — along with her band and taped appearances for upcoming episodes of "One Life to Live." In the eps, slated to air February 15 and 18, Blige acts as a surprise guest at a birthday party for one of the show's characters. "It's absolutely amazing to be integrated into a soap opera I've watched since I was a little girl," she said in a statement. Blige previously performed songs on the soap in summer 2006. ...

Remy Ma's case was adjourned again on Thursday (January 17), because her lawyer is ill. The hearing for the rapper, who is facing charges of charges of gang assault and witness tampering, had originally been scheduled for January 10. ...

Universal Motown has fine-tuned its new-releases schedule, and some of the year's most anticipated albums are right around the corner. Coming down the pipe are Lil Wayne's Tha Carter III (March 18), David Banner's The Greatest Story Ever Told (March 25), Q-Tip's The Renaissance (March 11), Ashanti's The Declaration (March 25), Erykah Badu's New Amerykah (February 26) and, finally, Nelly's Brass Knuckles (June 24). ...

Christmas trees have been tossed out and menorahs packed away for next year, but Amy Winehouse and super-producer Mark Ronson — who teamed for Winehouse's lauded Back to Black album — are sketching out plans for a holiday album, according to Rolling Stone. "We're talking about making a holiday record, with Christmas songs on one side and Hanukkah songs on the other," Ronson told the mag. "She's got songs called 'Kosher Kisses' and 'Alone Under the Mistletoe.' " Winehouse and Ronson both have Jewish roots. "She's writing songs, and we talked about getting a studio," he added. "I have to finish a few other things first, but I imagine we'll go into the studio this year." One of those "things" is apparently Daniel Merriweather's yet-untitled new album, according to a separate Ronson interview with BBC News. ... BBC News. ... The pressure is on. The Directors Guild of America reached an agreement with the major studios on Thursday, turning up the heat on the Writers Guild of America to settle their walkout, which began in November, according to the Los Angeles Times. The three-year directors' contract was an improvement over what the studios had originally offered writers, and now that it is complete, there is pressure for the WGA to use the agreement as the basis for its own new contract. ...

Scarlett Johansson is the latest celeb to pay a visit to troops overseas. The "Nanny Diaries" actress will hang with soldiers in the Persian Gulf for five days, signing autographs and visiting military installations along the way, as part of a United Service Organizations/ Army Morale Welfare Recreation entertainment tour. "I've wanted to go over and visit for some time, and now my moment has arrived," Johansson said in a statement. "It's one thing to reply to a letter or extend your thanks to service members in a speech, but it's another thing to visit them and spend time with those that do so much for us back home." ... Zac Efron, Denzel Washington, Emile Hirsch, Forest Whitaker and father-to-be Matthew McConaughey will present trophies at the Screen Actors Guild Awards on January 27. The show, which has a waiver from the striking Writers Guild of America, will air January 27 on TNT and TBS. ...

John Legend sure is busy. In addition to performing at a MusiCares event on February 8 and at the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo in March, the singer/pianist will also play an acoustic set mid-flight onboard Delta Air Lines' new Grammy plane. The Recording Academy, Delta and CBS — the network that is due to air the Grammys on February 10 — have put together a contest that starts Thursday, with winners flying from New York to Los Angeles for the ceremony, and also catching rehearsals beforehand. To enter the sweepstakes, which ends January 29, check out the Web site of your local CBS TV affiliate and see if it is one of the 16-plus participating stations. ... The new season of "American Idol" is under way, of course — but don't forget about last year's winner, Jordin Sparks. The 18-year-old singer is continuing to promote her self-titled debut, which was released in late November, with a chat and performance of "Tattoo" on Fox's "Talkshow With Spike Feresten" on Saturday night. Jordin Sparks has had a poor outing, barely cracking the Billboard albums chart's top 10 in its first week of release. ...

These are the worst of times for EMI. Shortly after news broke that up to 2,000 staffers at the beleaguered major label might be laid off soon, Reuters reported that one of the label's biggest veteran acts, the Rolling Stones, have inked a deal to release a film soundtrack on a different label. The one-off pact with rival Universal Music Group for the soundtrack to Martin Scorsese's upcoming documentary on the band — "Shine a Light," which is due in March — has prompted speculation that the Stones may be the latest act to jump ship from EMI. ... Your time-wasting days may be over. Hasbro, the company behind the game Scrabble, has asked Facebook to remove its popular version of the word game Scrabulous, claiming that it infringes on Hasbro's copyright. ... Clap Your Hands Say Yeah will donate the proceeds from their Tuesday concert at NYC's Bowery Ballroom to Planned Parenthood of New York City, according to Pitchfork. ...

Ginuwine still has beef with King Music Group Inc. The R&B star — who sued the record label in early October, claiming he was tricked into signing a contract with a label that didn't even exist — has filed a breach-of-contract and fraud complaint against the company and its purported founder, Michael Bourné. Ginuwine had previously reached a settlement with King Music Group, according to the complaint, but now he says the terms of that agreement have also been breached, in addition to his original contract. "King Music Group and Bourné's latest breaches have resulted in significant damages and numerous lost professional opportunities for Ginuwine, as well as his inability to record new material," the complaint states. According to Ginuwine, per the terms of his original contract, he was to receive $1.75 million, including a $500,000 advance, to record his first album for King Music. But he claims he didn't receive any payment from the label, and that there was no corporate record for King Music Group Inc. anywhere in New York, California, Florida or Tennessee. ...

While Britney Spears is "happily dating" one paparazzo, Adnan Ghalib, some others aren't so lucky. Four photographers were arrested for reckless driving after chasing the pop singer's car in Southern California on Wednesday night, according to The Associated Press. Los Angeles police offers also pulled over Spears and interviewed her, but let her go after her license checked out OK. Authorities said the four paps were following too closely behind Spears' Mercedes, were driving at unsafe speeds and made multiple dangerous lane changes, according to AP. ... Kiefer Sutherland, who started serving a 48-day jail sentence for DUI and probation violation December 5, will be released Monday, according to "Entertainment Tonight." The "24" actor celebrated his 41st birthday, on December 21, behind bars. ...

Live Nation has been slapped with a lawsuit by a man who alleges he was beat up by a member of Mötley Crüe and security during the band's concert with Aerosmith in Tampa, Florida, on November 22, 2006, according to The Tampa Tribune. Gerald Schneeman of Rockford, Illinois, reportedly claims that while standing in front of the Ford Amphitheatre stage, he was hit in the head with a guitar by a Mötley Crüe bandmember — who was not named in the suit — after which the musician leapt off the stage and took down Schneeman. The suit goes on to say that once Schneeman was on the ground, security assaulted him and dragged him from the venue. Schneeman alleges he suffered bodily injury, scarring and disfigurement, although details of his injuries were not listed in the suit, according to the Tribune.. ...

Michael Derderian, the co-owner of the Station nightclub in West Warwick, Rhode Island, where 100 people were killed in a 2003 fire during a Great White show, was granted early release from prison by a state parole board on Wednesday, according to an AP report. Derderian, 46, who went to prison in September 2006, is set to be freed in October 2009, after serving more than three years of a four-year sentence. Families of some of the victims had asked the parole board to force Derderian — who has been disciplined several times for breaking rules at his work-release job and in prison — to serve his entire sentence because he ran a dangerous business and allegedly did not show enough remorse for his role in the deadly fire.

• Usher
• Lindsay Lohan
• Coldplay
• Britney Spears
• Foxy Brown

Jordin Sparks' self-titled album
Photo: Jive

It took him seven weeks and a little backing from the likes of Oprah Winfrey, but Josh Groban's holiday-themed Noël has claimed the Billboard top 200's peak position — during what was generally a strong week for record sales.

According to the latest SoundScan tally, sales of Noël spiked by 81 percent to 405,000, following the Grammy-nominated baritone's appearance last week on "The Oprah Winfrey Show." While Oprah may have given Groban the push he needed to reach the top, the album's ascent to #1 has been gradual but steady. The disc debuted at #10 the week after its release, scanning 64,000 copies. Ever since, Noël has been inching its way forward, not once falling out of the chart's top 10; last week, the disc assumed control of the #2 slot with 233,300 copies sold — the highest single-week sales the LP had achieved before this week's total. The album is also the first Christmas album to top the albums chart since Kenny G's 1994 effort Miracles: The Holiday Album.

But Groban's latest triumph isn't this week's only Billboard-related bit of news. In fact, perhaps more interesting are the sales generated by Jordin Sparks' self-titled debut. Sparks — the winner of the sixth and most recent season of "American Idol," and who many thought was the most marketable of the show's winners — probably won't be thrilled when she learns her album has turned out the lowest first-week numbers of a debut issued by any of the show's previous winners. Jordin Sparks enters next week's chart at #10 (the sole new release to crack the top 10) with little more than 119,100 sold.

Comparatively, season-one victor Kelly Clarkson's 2003 debut, Thankful, opened at #1 with 297,400 scans, while season two "Idol" Ruben Studdard's 2003 LP, Soulful, also entered at #1, selling 416,600 units. America's third "Idol," Fantasia Barrino, sold more than 239,000 copies of her 2004 debut, Free Yourself, to bow at #8, while season-four champ Underwood's 2005 opus, Some Hearts, opened at #2 with sales of 315,000. The last man standing at the conclusion of the show's fifth season, the salt-and-pepper-pelted Taylor Hicks, sold more than 298,000 copies of his 2006 eponymous debut to enter the chart at #2.

Meanwhile, last week's #1, Alicia Keys' As I Am, slides one spot to #2, with week-two sales of 348,600, while the 26th volume of best-selling hits series Now That's What I Call Music! rises one position to #3 with 234,000 sold. At #4, with 192,000 scans, it's Garth Brooks' The Ultimate Hits, followed at #5 by the Eagles' Long Road Out of Eden with 184,000 units snatched up. Sales of the soundtrack to the Disney Channel's "High School Musical 2" climbs eight spots to #6 with 183,000 sold, thanks to a sales surge of 130 percent; the disc has now eclipsed Daughtry's self-titled LP as the top-selling album of 2007 — so far. Up two spots to #7, with 141,400 scans, is Carrie Underwood's Carnival Ride, followed at #8 by Celine Dion's Taking Chances, which sold 128,000-plus. Chris Brown's Exclusive climbs one spot to #9, having sold another 120,800 copies.

All in all, the chart is sprinkled with 19 new releases, including Sparks' debut offering. Right behind her at #11, with sales of 117,000 and change, is country artist Keith Urban's first best-of collection, Greatest Hits, and coming in at #15, with 83,700 sold, is Christian act MercyMe's All That Is Within Me. Dreaming Out Loud, the debut album from One Republic, enters at #17 with 75,000 scans, while rapper Freeway's Free at Last follows at #42 with 36,000 sold. Next comes the soundtrack to "Enchanted," featuring tracks by Underwood and Jon McLaughlin, at #48 with 31,000 copies, while Empezar Desde Cero, the latest from RBD, bows at #60 with sales reported at 22,500. Amy Winehouse's reissued 2003 debut, Frank, follows at #61 with 22,400 copies sold.

The soundtrack to "This Christmas," which includes songs from Chris Brown, Sparks, B2K, Aretha Franklin and Luther Vandross, sold 21,000 units, coming in at #65. AC/DC's Sight & Sound Collection, a CD/DVD Wal-Mart exclusive, enters at #73 with 18,000 scans, while Nine Inch Nails' Y34RZ3R0R3MIX3D comes in at #77 with sales of 17,000 and change. A collector's edition of the "Hairspray" soundtrack bows at #89, selling 15,000 copies, and Gorillaz return at #165 with their latest, D-Sides collection, which sold 7,500 copies.

Former "American Idol" contender Elliott Yamin's Target-exclusive Christmas offering, Sounds of the Season, enters at #169 with 7,200 sold, while Mike Jones' The American Dream EP checks in at #182 with 6,800 scans. Sebastian Bach's solo LP Angel Down comes in at #190 with 6,400 sold, followed at #198 by K-Paz de la Sierra's Capaz de Todo por Ti, which sold 6,100 units.

Sales of Beyoncé's B'day shot up a whopping 999 percent, selling 73,300 copies and re-entering the chart at #19 (during the previous week, the set sold just 4,000 units). The surge in sales comes on the heels of the singer's recent appearances at the American Music Awards and on "The Tyra Banks Show."

• Jordin Sparks
• Josh Groban
• Kelly Clarkson
• Alicia Keys
• Keith Urban

The Game's <I>Doctor's Advocate</I>
Photo: Geffen Records

While smart money would seem to dictate that Game's sophomore LP, Doctor's Advocate, was a shoo-in to top next week's Billboard albums chart, these days you just never know. Fat Joe could have pulled off an upset with his latest, Me, Myself and I — or he could have pulled a Nader and helped the mighty Akon to trump them both and run off with a #1 debut for his Konvicted.

Well, this time smart money talked, as it so often does. Fat Joe came up short and will land at #14, with Me, Myself and I selling just 60,500 copies during its first week in record stores (comparatively, his 2005 release All or Nothing debuted at #6 on the chart, selling more than 106,500 units). And in the end, Akon didn't have quite enough game to overpower the Compton-bred MC.

With more than 358,000 scans, the Game's Dr. Dre-helmed sophomore effort, Doctor's Advocate, takes this week's title with ease, lifting his record to 2-0 (his debut outing, 2005's The Documentary, also bowed at #1) and outselling Akon's Konvicted by about 67,000 copies. Akon takes the #2 spot with 284,000 sales.

Overall album sales surged over the past week as the holiday season heats up, with 24 newcomers sliding into the top 200. Tenacious D's The Pick of Destiny bows at #8 with week-one sales close to 81,000; the Jack Black-fronted band's self-titled 2001 debut opened at #33 with 42,000 scans. Rounding out the top-10 debuts is the bow from Blink 182-offshoot (+44), When Your Heart Stops Beating, which racked up 66,000-plus scans its first week at retail.

Falling two spots to #3 this week is the 23rd installment in the Now That's What I Call Music! compilation franchise, which features contributions from Fergie, Justin Timberlake, Nelly Furtado, Christina Aguilera, Jessica Simpson, and Nickelback, among others. Sales slipped 42 percent during the album's second week of release, finishing with 194,000 scans. Josh Groban's Awake follows at #4 with 150,000 copies sold, while the soundtrack to the Disney Channel original series "Hannah Montana" holds at #5 this week, putting up another 114,000 in sales.

Keith Urban's Love, Pain & the Whole Crazy Thing falls three spots to #6 with 103,000 units scanned, just in front of Sugarland's Enjoy the Ride at #7, which netted another 81,000 in week-two sales. Meanwhile, a 17 percent sales boost helped Beyoncé's B'Day surge seven chart positions to #9, closing out the week with 68,000 scans.

Returning to the chart this week is songwriter Damien Rice and his latest, 9, which sold close to 45,000 copies during its first week on record store shelves, earning him the #22 slot. Staind's career-spanning The Singles 1996-2006 bows at #41 on the chart, generating 26,800 in first-week sales interest, and An Other Cup, the newest studio release from Yusuf Islam — the artist formally known as Cat Stevens — surfaces at #52 with 20,000 scans. Neil Young and Crazy Horse's archival release, Live at the Fillmore East, follows at #55 with 19,700 copies sold (not bad for a 36-year-old recording), while the self-titled debut from Army of Anyone finishes at #56 with just under 50 fewer scans. Young singer Bianca Ryan's self-titled debut takes the chart's #57 spot with sales of 19,500, and Tamia's Between Friends opens at #66 with close to 18,000 copies purchased.

A collection of unreleased Sublime material, issued in the form of Everything Under the Sun, debuts at #97 this week, with 12,500-plus units sold. Offbeat folkie Joanna Newsom's Ys follows at #134 with 9,000 scans, while The Best of Depeche Mode, Vol. 1 claims the #148 slot with 8,100 copies grabbed up. Insane Clown Posse's The Wraith: Remix Albums opens at #158 with 7,500 copies sold, while Goth rockers H.I.M.'s Uneasy Listening, Vol. 1 follows at #162 with 7,300 scans. And finally, checking in at #188, is So Divided, the latest from ... And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, which sold 6,000 copies its first week in stores.

• MTV News RAW: The Game

• Game
• Akon
• Fat Joe
• Tenacious D
• Beyoncé

In the battle between booty-shaking and reckless driving, the edge still goes to rising star Carrie Underwood. For the fifth week in a row, "Jesus, Take the Wheel" clutches the No. 1 spot on Billboard's country airplay chart, as Trace Adkins' "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk" apparently loses its shot at the top spot, falling from No. 2 to No. 3.

Both songs had a decrease in spins last week, which means that Brad Paisley's "When I Get Where I'm Going" -- No. 2 with a bullet -- is potentially poised to reach the summit next week.

Or maybe not. After 29 weeks on the chart, Josh Turner's "Your Man" continues its steady climb, now at No. 4 with a bullet. He's just ahead of Faith Hill's "Like We Never Loved at All" at No. 5, Keith Urban's "Tonight I Wanna Cry" at No. 6 and Sugarland's "Just Might (Make Me Believe)" at No. 7. Rounding out the Top 10 are Tim McGraw's "My Old Friend" at No. 8, Kenny Chesney's "Living in Fast Forward" at No. 9 and Billy Currington's "Must Be Doin' Somethin' Right" at No. 10.

George Strait claims the week's highest debut with "The Seashores of Old Mexico," a cover of a Merle Haggard song, splashing in at No. 48. Other new singles include Neal McCoy's "The Last of a Dying Breed" at No. 52, Martina McBride's cover of Johnny Cash's "I Still Miss Someone" at No. 53, Underwood's "Before He Cheats" at No. 59 and new artist Eric Church's "How 'Bout You" at No. 60.

Underwood returns to No. 1 on the country albums chart, trading places with Turner. The Legend of Johnny Cash lives on at No. 3, followed by the latest albums from Adkins, Rascal Flatts, Urban, Chesney and Sugarland. Walk the Line settles in at No. 9, followed by Miranda Lambert's Kerosene, at No. 10

New albums hitting the chart include Jamey Johnson's The Dollar at No. 20 and Alabama's three-disc boxed set, Livin' Lovin' Rockin' Rollin': The 25th Anniversary Collection, at No. 28. Kenny Rogers also makes several appearances on the chart: 21 Number Ones at No. 11, Golden Legends: Kenny Rogers at No. 57 and 42 Ultimate Hits at No. 75.

• Carrie Underwood
• Trace Adkins
• Brad Paisley
• Josh Turner
• Faith Hill

Dixie Chicks
Photo: Sony

The Dixie Chicks' a cappella recording of "The Star-Spangled Banner" is available for download on the trio's Web site, www.dixiechicks.com. While there is no charge to download the track, the Dixie Chicks are asking fans to make a donation to the American Red Cross National Disaster Relief Fund. "In this time of great need, together let's celebrate America's heroes by donating to the American Red Cross," the group said in a statement. "Let's support the families of those who gave their lives to preserve our wide open spaces." It is the trio's first recording since their 1999 album, Fly. ...

Jo Dee Messina, SheDaisy, the Wilkinsons, Kitty Wells and the Jordanaires are on a long list of artists confirmed for the Row for the Red Cross, a benefit concert Wednesday (October 3) in Nashville. Sherrie Austin, Johnnie Wright, Daryle Singletary, Jeff Carson, Ray Stevens, Leslie Satcher and Shenandoah also are slated to perform. Funds raised will go toward American Red Cross relief efforts. The benefit begins at 5 p.m. at the Off Broadway Shoe Warehouse parking lot on 16th Avenue South. ...

Keith Urban will be in his native Australia Wednesday (October 3) to receive the Australian Recording Industry Association's Outstanding Achievement Award. Urban will receive the award during the ARIA's annual awards show at the Capitol Theatre in Sydney. The honor recognizes extraordinary achievement by an Australian artist overseas or at home. ...

Two days after the September 11 terrorist attacks, Randy Travis and a team of writers composed a new song, "America Will Always Stand." Now Travis has recorded the song and made it available to radio stations across the country. "We pray that it will help America and its people, in the worst of times, to stay brave and united," he said in a statement. Co-writers include Mike Curtis, Yvonne Sanson, Becky Bluefield and Doc Walley. Travis recorded "Point of Light" during the Gulf War at the request of President George Bush. Relentless Records will release "America Will Always Stand" and "Point of Light" as a single in the next week. All proceeds from the sale of the single will go to the American Red Cross ...

George Strait, Brooks & Dunn, Toby Keith and Lee Ann Womack will perform new singles, while Diamond Rio will do a chart-topping hit from earlier this year on the 35th Annual CMA Awards show. During the CBS broadcast on November 7, Strait will sing "Run," from his upcoming album. Brooks & Dunn will do the flag-waver "Only in America," their summer set-opener. Keith's choice is "I Wanna Talk About Me" and Womack will sing the rootsy "Does My Ring Burn Your Finger." Diamond Rio will go with "One More Day," nominated for Single and Song of the Year. Vince Gill will host the awards for the 10th consecutive year. (MTVi's parent company, Viacom, also owns CBS) ...

Tim McGraw has added a new beneficiary to his annual Swampstock charity softball game and concert in Rayville, Louisiana on October 28. Proceeds from the event will go to the New York Police & Fire Widows' and Children's Benefit Fund in addition to McGraw's usual beneficiaries, area children's causes. Also taking part this year are McGraw's wife, Faith Hill; Martina McBride; Carolyn Dawn Johnson; the Warren Brothers; and Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre. ...

Daryle Singletary was hit with a DUI charge on Wednesday, although he wasn't driving at the time. The 30-year-old Singletary and a friend, Joseph Dockens, were pulled over in downtown Nashville at around 3 a.m. after an illegal turn. Dockens, who was driving Singletary's truck, failed a field sobriety test, refused a breath-alcohol test and was charged with DUI. Singletary was riding in the passenger seat and was arrested for DUI because he was allowing Dockens to drive, a police spokesman said. Singletary was released from the jail on his own recognizance. Dockens posted $3,000 bail. ...

Reba McEntire and Billy Gilman sing on Michael Jackson's new all-star recording, "What More Can I Give." Proceeds from the single will aid survivors and families of victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks. McEntire and Gilman recently recorded their parts in Los Angeles. Jackson was originally inspired to write "What More Can I Give" in 1999 after a meeting with Nelson Mandela. No release date has been set for the single, and the tune will not appear on Jackson's upcoming album. ...

The first single from Garth Brooks' upcoming album will be "Wrapped Up in You," not the George Jones duet "Beer Run (B Double E Double Are You In?)," as originally planned. Brooks explained his decision in a statement: "I think 'Beer Run' would have been the perfect first single from this album if it were not for the tragic events of September 11, but if we are to come with music now, 'Wrapped Up in You' is one of the best-feeling songs I've ever had the honor of recording." Brooks will launch the single October 9 — the day it goes to radio — during a press conference at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, where he will also discuss plans for his next album. "Beer Run" will be available Tuesday on Jones' The Rock: Stone Cold Country 2001. ...

Merle Haggard will perform at the Christian Country Music Awards November 1 at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. John Berry and Crystal Gayle will host and perform and Tammy Cochran, Jeff Carson and Stella Parton will sing. The awards show is syndicated to various cable outlets. ...

Martina McBride has pledged to donate $50,000 from proceeds of her new Greatest Hits album to the American Red Cross. McBride has taken an active role in Nashville activities to benefit victims of the terrorists since September 11. ...

Radney Foster has announced that through the end of the year he intends to give the American Red Cross a portion of the money he earns from CD and merchandise sales. Foster first linked with the Red Cross in 1999, when floods devastated his native Del Rio, Texas. "Like the rest of Americans," Foster said, "I want to do whatever I can to help." ...

Garth Brooks won't put out "Beer Run (B Double E Double Are You In?)," his duet with George Jones, as a single — at least not for a while. Brooks canceled a press conference that had been scheduled for Monday to tout the release of the recording. "We're still trying to decide when it's appropriate to move ahead, and these decisions take time," Brooks said in a statement. "I know we've been told to pick up and go on as normal, but music has always been a response to the times, and I just can't find it in my heart to feel that 'Beer Run' is appropriate for right now." "Beer Run" is likely to come out first on October 2, as a track on Jones' new CD, The Rock: Stone Cold Country 2001 ...

The Billy Gilman/Jessica Andrews tour has been extended. Added dates begin Friday with an appearance at the New Mexico State Fair in Albuquerque. The teenage duo will tour together through an October 6 date at the State Fair of Texas in Dallas ...

Brenda Lee, the late Gram Parsons and Lynyrd Skynyrd are on the new Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ballot. Lee is a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame; Parsons influenced a generation of country artists including Emmylou Harris; and Travis Tritt, Alabama and Hank Williams Jr. were among country artists who paid tribute to Skynyrd on the 1994 album Skynyrd Frynds ...

Dolly Parton says entertainers need to stay positive during trying times. "I think everybody is dealing with this tragedy in their own kind of way, based on what they feel and what their own fears and insecurities are," she told the Knoxville News-Sentinel. "I'm a very patriotic person, but I also know that when things are at their worst that I need to be at my best." The terrorist attacks have stimulated Parton's creative side, she said. "I see how everybody deals with it, and I am able to write about their emotions. It allows me a way to express [sorrow], not just for myself, but for the people who can't put [their emotions] into words. It's very strange and deep places where I am going."

Alison Krauss has rescheduled her New Favorite tour with Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas. The tour was originally scheduled to kick off in Cincinnati on September 12 but was postponed after the attacks in New York and Washington, D.C. It will now begin September 28 at the Lucas Theatre in Savannah, Georgia, and will continue through November 11 in Greensburg, Pennsylvania ...

Wynonna Judd got a standing ovation for her emotional rendition of "How Great Thou Art" at the Grand Ole Opry Saturday evening. It marked her debut on the Opry. After the show, Judd suggested that her recent engagement to bodyguard D.R. Roach could last more than two years. "I'm thinking about around August or September of 2003," she predicted as a wedding date. " 'Course, I may just say that just to say it. We may get married next week. Who knows?" ...

Dolly Parton plans a $10 million expansion to her Dollywood theme park in east Tennessee. New features will include an interactive museum of her life. She also plans a $25 million Dixie Stampede dinner theater in Orlando, Florida ...

Lonestar will begin their I'm Already There tour October 6 in Salisbury, Maryland's Wicomico County Civic Center. The group will visit more than 30 cities before finishing in December. Jamie O'Neal will open a number of dates in October and November; Blake Shelton takes over opening duties in December. Announced dates include October 7 at Asheville, North Carolina's Ingles Food Festival; October 10 at Reading, Pennsylvania's Sovereign Center for Performing Arts; October 11 at Poughkeepsie, New York's Mid-Hudson Civic Center; October 12 at Buffalo, New York's Shea's Performing Arts Center; October 18 at Albany, New York's Palace Theater; October 19 at Norfolk, Virginia's Naval Base; October 20 at Jacksonville, North Carolina's New River Amphitheatre; and October 25 at Rama, Ontario's Casino Rama. …

Alan Jackson has been named opening-day headliner at the Texas Stampede rodeo at Dallas' American Airlines Center. Headliners include Jackson (October 25), Robert Earl Keen and Willie Nelson (October 26), Toby Keith and Sara Evans (October 27 matinee), Phil Vassar and Martina McBride (October 27 evening) and Clay Walker and Lee Ann Womack (October 28). … Connie Smith has missed a show for the first time in 27 years. The Grand Ole Opry member canceled three performances this month because her doctor directed her to rest her voice for three weeks. Smith began her recording and touring career in 1964. …

Mavericks lead singer Raul Malo has scheduled October 23 for the release of his first solo album. Today will include songs in both English and Spanish and will feature a duet with Shelby Lynne, "It Takes Two to Tango" ...

Gail Davies says her labor of love — an album honoring the late Webb Pierce — is nearing completion and slotted for November 13 release. Profits will be split between the Minnie Pearl Cancer Foundation and the Country Music Hall of Fame. Caught in the Webb: A Tribute to the Legendary Webb Pierce includes cuts by Dale Watson, Mandy Barnett, Charley Pride, Rosie Flores, George Jones, Emmylou Harris, Robbie Fulks & Joy Lynn White, Allison Moorer, Matt King, Crystal Gayle, the Del McCoury Band, Lionel Cartwright, Guy Clark, BR549, Trent Summar & Chris Scruggs, Kevin Welch & Deborah Pierce, Billy Walker, Blue Highway and Pam Tillis. Pierce will be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in October. ...

With the four additional 2001 CMA Award nominations he received, Alan Jackson moves past Vince Gill in the career-nominations tally. Jackson now has 50, according to the CMA, while Gill, who received none this year, has 48. George Strait, with two nods this year, remains king with 66. Jackson has a long way to go to catch Gill in awards won, however. Gill rules that roost with 18 career honors, Strait follows with 14 and Jackson is well back in the pack with seven. …

Merle Haggard's next album, Roots, Vol. 1, features his hero, guitarist Norm Stephens, who played on a number of Lefty Frizzell recordings including "If You've Got the Money, I've Got the Time" and "I Love You a Thousand Ways." Stephens has been retired from music for years, and Haggard recently discovered that they have long lived near each other in California. Haggard's pianist, Doug Colosio, noticed a classified ad Stephens placed in a local paper and called it to his boss' attention. After they reunited, they cut some songs. Recorded in Haggard's home, the album features Stephens with Haggard's band, the Strangers, romping through three new Haggard originals and songs by Frizzell, Hank Williams and Hank Thompson. Anti/Epitaph Records releases the LP November 9. ...

Lee Ann Womack has recorded a duet with Willie Nelson for his upcoming CD The Great Divide. They recorded the Bernie Taupin composition "Mendocino County Line." Sheryl Crow, Bonnie Raitt, Rob Thomas and Kid Rock will also appear on the album, which was originally scheduled for a late September release, now moved to January. ...

Wynonna will marry her longtime security guard and road manager, D. R. Roach. Both have been married once before. Wynonna has two children, Elijah and Grace. Roach has one, Zachary. No date has been set. According to a news release announcing the couple's engagement, the proposal came on the second anniversary of their first date. Wynonna is at work on a new solo album, to be promoted by Universal Records New York. Plans are to release it in the first half of 2002. ...

George Strait plans to return to the biggest annual musical event in Texas, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. The singer, who last played the rodeo four years ago, has agreed to headline the March 3, 2002 concert, which will be the last such performance in the Reliant Astrodome. Strait has also signed to play the first rodeo performance in the Astrodome's successor, the new Reliant Stadium, in 2003. The 2002 rodeo and concert series runs from February 12 to March 3. Country and pop artists perform daily. ...

Almost 18 months after it was announced, construction has yet to begin on a new Gilley's honky-tonk in Dallas. The new club is intended to be an upscale re-creation of the Pasadena, Texas, club that inspired the movie "Urban Cowboy." The new site, on 10 acres in downtown Dallas, is still awaiting city approval. Plans call for corporate suites, a large dance floor, several restaurants, two mechanical bulls, displays of country music memorabilia and a drive-in movie. The old Gilley's burned to the ground several years ago. ...

— sonicnet.com staff report

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