My Chemical Romance's Gerard Way
Photo: Paul McConnell/ Getty Images

My Chemical Romance frontman Gerard Way got married over the weekend, his representative confirmed to MTV News on Wednesday (September 5). The Projekt Revolution tour, which featured the band, ended Monday in Englewood, Colorado, and Denver radio station 93.3 FM reports that Way married Mindless Self Indulgence bassist Lyn Z that evening at the venue, the Coors Amphitheatre. MSI were on the Projekt Revolution tour as well and are slated to support MCR on their European tour beginning October 30. ...

Lindsay Lohan attorney Alfred Gerisch filed a brief late last week supporting the starlet's request for the dismissal of all or part of a negligence suit that had been filed against her over an October 2005 car crash, according to Los Angeles TV station CBS 2. In the brief, Gerisch claimed Raymundo Ortega is using lies about Lohan being drunk at the time of the crash "as a battering ram to force a settlement." Gerisch cited as the evidence a police report that called Lohan an "innocent victim" and stipulated alcohol was not involved in the incident, although Ortega's attorney Robert G. Klein has called the document hearsay. A hearing on Lohan's motions is set for Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court. ...

Busta Rhymes (real name: Trevor Smith) saw his trial postponed Wednesday after the prosecutor and the defense lawyer said they weren't ready to begin, The Associated Press reports. Instead, a judge ordered the rapper to appear in court November 7 for hearings on charges of attacking two men, driving drunk and driving with a suspended license. He previously rejected a deal that would land him in jail for a year. ...

Looking healthier than she had prior to her reported drug overdose and hospitalization last month, Amy Winehouse took the stage at Tuesday night's Mercury Awards show in England to sing "Love Is a Losing Game." It was the singer's first public performance since she announced the postponement of her fall U.S. tour and cancellation of her VMA appearance on doctor's orders to rest. ... Usher — who just remarried pregnant wife Tameka Foster on Saturday — is making another lifestyle change: He has put his five-bedroom in metro Atlanta's Country Club of the South community up for sale, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. The asking price for the house — which Usher bought from L.A. Reid — is a cool $1.9 million. ...

A judge on Wednesday approved Jennifer Lopez's $545,000 arbitration award in a lawsuit against her first husband. Also in accordance with a court-ordered arbitrator's decision early last month, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael C. Solner issued a permanent injunction barring Ojani Noa from publishing negative details about the singer/actress. Lopez had filed the breach-of-contract lawsuit over Noa's plans to publish a tell-all book in which he was expected to claim Lopez had multiple affairs. Solner also told Noa to give Lopez all copies of materials related to the book, and denied his request for another 30 days to find a lawyer. ...

It sounds like fans aren't feeling the American Idols Live Tour this time around. Halfway through the outing, there were no sellouts for the first 30 shows on the tour, with only one date topping the 93 percent capacity mark — a gig in winner Jordin Sparks' home state of Arizona — Billboard Boxscore reports. Compare that to last year's tour, which boasted appearances from Taylor Hicks, Chris Daughtry, Katharine McPhee and Elliott Yamin — and had 17 sellouts in its first 30 dates and 10 shows with more than 93 percent capacity. Boxscore reports 14 of first 30 shows for the current tour were below 60 percent capacity and a gig in Birmingham, Alabama, was at an anemic 38.9 percent. ...

Bono, J.K. Rowling, Russell Simmons and — sure, why not? — Homer Simpson rub elbows with Bill Gates, President Bush and Oprah Winfrey on USA Today's most-influential-people list, which came out Tuesday. ... Master P is going Green — well, in a sense. The hip-hop mogul is joining forces with none other than Seth Green for "Play the Industry," a new role-playing video game with a hip-hop theme, according to The Hollywood Reporter. "Play the Industry" will feature a 3-D world and allow gamers to become a star hip-hop artist, athlete, power broker and more. A late 2009 release is being targeted. ...

Apparently $31 million isn't good enough for Rob Zombie. While the director's "Halloween" scared up a whopping figure at the box office over the weekend, he's "not going to do any more 'Halloween' movies, or any more remakes of any kind," he told EW.com. In fact, Zombie isn't even so sure he'll be sticking to horror when it comes to his recent deal with Dimension Films. "I signed up for two more pictures, but not two more 'Halloween' pictures. They're going to be original stuff — and I don't necessarily know that they're going to be related to the horror genre either.'' ... Daniel Radcliffe is "terrified" over the prospect of acting on Broadway. He told Reuters that "Equus" — for which he appeared nude in the London production — might open in New York late next year. "It will be amazing, but I will be terrified," the actor said of the prospect. "I would be very nervous because I think that [the audiences are] even more discerning than in London." ...

For a guy who isn't planning to release an album anytime soon, Beck sure is busy. In addition to "Timebomb," the new track he pumped out last month, he's spruced up Philadelphia psych-rockers Dr. Dog's "The Girl" with a new remix. The song will appear on a Dr. Dog 7-inch in October, and the B-side will be a cover of the band's "Heart It Races" by Architecture in Helsinki. Dr. Dog will tour with Wilco starting Tuesday and ending September 21. ... Pop Montreal has put together a snappy lineup for its five-day stint October 3-7. The fest will host Hot Hot Heat, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, Patti Smith, Black Mountain and more. ...

The annual Bridge School Benefit concert hosted by Neil Young at the Shoreline Amphitheatre near San Francisco will boast the usual mix of old friends and new faces this year, with unplugged sets from John Mayer; Metallica; Eddie Vedder with Flea and Jack Irons; Tom Waits with the Kronos Quartet; Tegan and Sara; Regina Spektor; Jerry Lee Lewis; and, of course, host Young. The shows will take place October 27-28. ... Warped Tour has come to a close — so naturally, it's time to move on to founder Kevin Lyman's other big shindig: next year's Taste of Chaos. Atreyu will headline the fest, with dates and additional acts to be announced in the coming months. ...

Closing arguments in the Phil Spector murder trial began Wednesday, with prosecutors delivering a multimedia presentation that traced the events leading up to the death of Lana Clarkson, the Los Angeles Times reports. The defense objected to part of the presentation, asking Superior Court Judge Larry Paul Fidler to declare a mistrial, but he refused. The defense is due to begin its closing statements Thursday, and jury deliberations will likely begin Friday. ...

Jude Law was arrested outside his London home late Tuesday after allegedly attacking a photographer there, according to the U.K.'s Press Association. The actor voluntarily went to a police station after the incident, which is under investigation. ... Nicole Kidman was engaged to marry another man in between her marriages with Tom Cruise and Keith Urban, she divulged to Vanity Fair, although she did not identify the person. "I got engaged to somebody ... but it just wasn't right," she told the magazine for its October cover story. The actress also said she didn't have any regrets about marrying Cruise. My agents told me, 'Once you become Mrs. Tom Cruise, you do know your career is going to die.' I was appalled. I was like, 'Hello?' I'm in love, and I don't care if it's shooting myself in the foot. I'd much rather be married and have a family.' " ...

Legendary tenor Luciano Pavarotti, who has pancreatic cancer, is in very serious condition, according to AP. He has been suffering kidney problems and losing consciousness while recovering after a recent hospital stay. ...

New Model Army have scrapped their planned tour of North America due to visa complications. ... As the Strokes continue their hiatus, guitarist Albert Hammond Jr. announced on his MySpace blog last week that he is headed back into the studio to work on the follow-up to his solo debut, Yours to Keep. "I'm happy to say that at the end of October we are going in for round two," Hammond wrote. "We are going into Electric Lady Studios for five weeks to record the second record." Hammond said he plans to videotape some of the sessions and show the clips on his MySpace page.

09.4.07

In Style's readers have voted, and Justin Timberlake, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie and Fergie are among the sexiest stars in the constellation. TV and movie stars dominate the Sexy Portfolio, part of the magazine's 10th annual Sexy Poll, which garnered 50,000 votes on InStyle.com. Fergie is the only musician to get "hot-to-the-touch" status (her 14 fellow hotties include Terrence Howard, Isla Fisher, Ben Stiller and more). "Cleavage is in-your-face, a bare stomach is overt, but a bare leg is always sexy and appropriate," Fergie said, explaining her appeal. "I'm pretty out there in my videos, but in real life, I feel sexier when I'm more subtle. Josh [Duhamel, her boyfriend] agrees. It's better to be alluring than too available." Beyond the Portfolio, "Grey's Anatomy" won Sexiest TV Cast; Jolie earned Sexiest Movie Star Whose Va-Va-Va-Voom You'd Like to Steal; Pitt and George Clooney tied for Sexiest Reasons to Spend $10 on a Movie; Pitt and Jolie nabbed Sexiest Too-Hot Twosome; Timberlake got the Sexiest Troubadour badge. Beyoncé, Shakira and Carrie Underwood tied for Sexiest Girl Found on on iTunes. ...

(See Fergie, Terrence Howard, Ben Stiller and more make In Style's Sexy Poll.)

Britney Spears' lawyer says the singer has been cleared of recent complaints to child-welfare workers, People.com reports. "It does not appear [Los Angeles County] will pursue any action at this time," Laura Wasser said at a hearing in Spears' child-custody battle with ex-husband Kevin Federline. According to the site, there will be three more court hearings in the dispute this year, during which Federline's request for primary custody of sons Sean Preston and Jayden James will be considered. His attorney Mark Vincent Kaplan is seeking depositions from Spears' assistant, former nanny and others close to her. Meanwhile, Spears bodyguard Cesar Julio Camera has been officially charged with misdemeanor battery after wrestling with a pair of men who were trying to photograph the singer with her children in Las Vegas in July. ...

Owen Wilson has returned to his home in Santa Monica, California, after attempting suicide last week, Fox News reports. Director Wes Anderson — who collaborated with Wilson on September 28's "The Darjeeling Limited," as well as "The Royal Tenenbaums" and more films — talked to reporters at the Venice Film Festival on Monday, saying Wilson is "doing very well." "Owen wishes he could be with us," Anderson said. "We all miss having him. Obviously he has been through a lot this week. I can tell you he has been doing very well, he has been making us laugh. When he is ready he's going to speak for himself much better than any of us could." ...

Game (real name: Jayceon Terrell Taylor) will stand trial on three felony charges stemming from a pickup basketball game in Los Angeles in February, TMZ.com reports. His next court date is September 25. Game is charged with three counts of making a criminal threat, possession of a firearm in a school zone and exhibiting a firearm in the presence of an officer. The rapper, who is free on $50,000 bail, faces more than five years in state prison if convicted. ...

The full itinerary for Kelly Clarkson's rescheduled tour in support of My December will carry the singer through a 26-city outing. The trek begins with a string of three dates at the Beacon Theatre in New York (October 14-16) and also ropes in two home-state gigs, in Dallas and Houston. The seven-week tour — which replaces a scrapped summer tour — will have Clarkson playing more intimate theaters than the arenas she was originally booked into, including the Orpheum in Boston (October 23); Fillmore in Detroit (October 28); Paramount Theater in Denver (November 5); and the legendary Ryman Auditorium in Nashville on December 3. ... Take a seat, Amy Winehouse — Klaxons have scooted by the starlet and picked up the U.K.'s prestigious Mercury Prize for their debut, Myths of the Near Future. The band also nudged past the Arctic Monkeys, Jamie T and others. ...

Usher made it official again on Saturday. The 28-year-old singer married pregnant wife Tameka Foster, 37, in a large, glitzy ceremony in Atlanta a few weeks after the pair got officially hitched in a civil ceremony. People.com reports that 200 people attended the wedding at a 16th-century-style French chateau resort outside Atlanta. The lavish wedding came nearly a month after their previously scheduled wedding was called off at the last minute. ... Halle Berry is three months pregnant with her first child. She's due to have the baby, whose father is Berry's boyfriend Gabriel Aubry, on Valentine's Day. ... Tobey Maguire tied the knot with his fiancee, jewelry designer Jennifer Meyer, in Hawaii over the weekend, according to "Entertainment Tonight." Leonardo DiCaprio was among those who reportedly attended the ceremony. ...

Evanescence have sketched out new tour dates for the U.S. and Mexico. Amy Lee will take her troupe through Florida and Texas from October 23-31, then head to Mexico for three shows to be held November 3, 5 and 7. After that, they'll plow through the States from November 10-December 4. ...

Zac Efron denies that money is the deciding factor in whether he takes part in "High School Musical 3" — he says it's all about the script. The actor told People, "There's no feuding with 'High School Musical,' " and added, "If the script is good and if we all agree on a final script, then there's nothing that is going to hold us back from doing [a third installment]." ...

Hulk Hogan has spoken out on last week's car crash involving his son, Nick Bollea, saying he didn't think anyone had survived. "We were going to get something to eat and Nick paged me and said, 'Dad, I want to go early, because we don't have a table at the restaurant,' " he told TV's "The Insider" in an interview set to air Tuesday (September 4). "As I was going down our normal route, I saw this yellow car, and it happened to be twisted ... and there were ambulances there and police were there, and — bam — [I realized that] it was my car." Hogan also commented on his son's condition and that of John Graziano, the passenger who is still in critical condition. "Nick is doing good," Hogan said. "He's got a broken arm, some broken ribs, some neck problems and some stuff wrong with his knees, but he's hanging in there. He's living at the hospital with John. He's going to be OK, and John's going to be OK, and we're going to move forward." ...

The new single from Dave Matthews, the live favorite "Eh Hee," debuted Tuesday on iTunes. The video for the song, co-directed by Matthews, will be available as a free iTunes download for a week. The track, on which Matthews sings all vocals and plays all the instruments, is not tied to any upcoming release. ... PJ Harvey is planning two live performances around the release of her next album, White Chalk, which drops September 25. She'll perform October 10 at the Beacon Theatre in New York and October 15 at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles. ...

DragonForce guitarist Herman Li performed with Tool during their August 22 gig at London's Brixton Academy. He performed a guitar solo in the middle of "Lateralus." ... H.I.M. and Bleeding Through will hit the road next month for a trek that is set to run through December. The first gig is booked for October 18 in Sayreville, New Jersey, the jaunt will wind down December 2 in New York. ... Bloodsimple have been forced to drop off the tail end of this year's Family Values Tour, as frontman Tim Williams needed dental surgery. The band's sophomore LP, Red Harvest, is slated for release October 9. ... Alice in Chains plan to immortalize their August 21 acoustic gig at the Rave/ Eagles Club in Milwaukee with a to-be-scheduled live release. During the show, the band performed "Heaven Beside You," "Angry Chair" and "Rooster," as well as a cover of Elton John's "Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy." ... Tracks made famous by Stevie Wonder, Louis Armstrong and Aretha Franklin get a new shine on Frankie Valli's Romancing the '60s, due October 2. ...

Pete Doherty's drug case was postponed Tuesday after he failed to show up in court, Reuters reports. The case — which stems from the troubled rocker's recent arrest on suspicion of drug possession in London — was adjourned until October 2 after West London Magistrates Court heard he had checked himself into rehab. ... Bill Murray was dropping off people after a party when he was pulled over for speeding in a golf cart in Stockholm, Sweden, late last month, he said at the Venice Film Festival on Monday, The Associated Press reports. The police "asked me to come over and they assumed that I was drunk, and I explained to them that I was a golfer," he said. Authorities took a blood test after Murray refused to submit to a breathalyzer test, and he could face drunken-driving charges. ...

Bo Diddley was released from a hospital in Gainesville, Florida, on Saturday. The rock icon was hospitalized late last month after suffering a heart attack during a routine medical exam. ... Jeffrey Carter Albrecht, 34, who played keyboard for Edie Brickell & the New Bohemians since 1999, was shot and killed early Monday morning in Dallas while trying to kick in the door of his girlfriend's neighbor's house. The neighbor, who believed a burglar was trying to break in, fired a shot through the door around 4 a.m, according to AP. Albrecht, who had also played with Brickell's husband, Paul Simon, and who was prepping a solo album, died on the scene. No arrests had been made in the incident as of press time.

• Fergie, Terrence Howard, Ben Stiller Make In Style's Sexy Poll

• Amy Winehouse
• Bono
• Rob Zombie
• Taylor Hicks
• Katharine McPhee

Gwen Stefani will open the American Music Awards on November 14 with a performance of her debut solo single, "What You Waiting For?" ...

Dorian Moore, the producer of Nelly's "Tilt Ya Head Back," told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that the song was originally meant to be a duet for Nelly and Britney Spears, but that Jive, Spears' label, pulled out because the song sounded too "urban." Moore said that Christina Aguilera and Janet Jackson were considered next before Aguilera eventually landed the song. ... Britney Spears' mother wrote in to the singer's Web site about how surprised she was at her daughter's recent last-minute wedding. "I know I've said we've had a whirlwind week before, but this one took the cake!" she wrote. "We were ALL surprised. And that's really saying something because it is very unlike Britney to be able to keep a secret." After some shock and some lingering thoughts about the other plans that had been made, Lynne Spears said that "there were happy tears." "The kind of wedding Britney had — small and intimate, with a grand celebration in the works for later — was always my dream and I couldn't have been happier," she added. "On top of it all, Britney and Kevin have a brand new beautiful home which they are going to be moving into ... it reminds us of the kind of landscaping you would find in rural Mississippi — with the creek, trees and overgrown greenery. Getting their home in order will be Britney's next project." ...

Louisiana state judge Alan Green was indicted last week on corruption charges after a lengthy investigation of the Jefferson Parish courthouse in which authorities say he took more than $20,000 in bribes. Green was the judge presiding over the murder trial of rapper C-Murder, who is currently facing a mandatory life sentence for the crime. ... Fantasia will portray her idol, Aretha Franklin, on an upcoming episode of "American Dreams." Meanwhile, the "American Idol" winner is working with Missy Elliott, Jermaine Dupri, the Underdogs and Rodney Jerkins on her debut album, due November 23. ... Jerkins is also producing tracks for Lindsay Lohan, Jennifer Lopez, Tyra Banks and his wife, Joy Enriquez. The Orlando, Florida-based producer is recording his own instrumental album, Versatility, due early next year. ...

The three-CD/DVD Nirvana box set will hit stores on November 23, the band's label, Geffen, confirmed Monday (October 4). ... The Pixies have added two New York shows to wrap up their North American fall reunion tour, both on December 18 at the Hammerstein Ballroom. Mike Watt and the Secondmen will open the 7 p.m. show and 50 Foot Wave will open the midnight show. ... Two albums for the price of one, a sneak preview of another LP and previously unreleased songs — Cormega is offering it all on October 19. Mega's albums The Realness and The True Meaning are being re-released as a two-for-one special-edition CD. Included as a bonus on the set are the records "Squad Up" and "How We Ride," which features Tupac Shakur. Mega will also be giving fans a sample of his previously unreleased Testament LP, which was recorded several years ago and will finally hit stores on February 22. ...

Mandy Moore is now a brand — the singer has launched a line of vintage contemporary tees called Mblem, featuring classic lyrics like Blondie's "Gonna getcha, getcha, getcha," as well as nostalgic family photos. "I'm a real jeans-and-T-shirt kind of girl," Moore said in a statement. "I'm constantly searching for the perfect T-shirt, so I figured I'd just create my own." ... Andre Agassi's Grand Slam for Children — which took place Saturday in Las Vegas and featured performances by John Mayer, Josh Groban, India.Arie and Faith Hill — ended up raising more than $6 million for charity. "It is gratifying to know that the money we raised tonight will directly benefit children who require our immediate assistance," the tennis star said in a statement. The money raised benefits the Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation, a not-for-profit organization assisting at-risk youth in Vegas. ...

Charlie Watts, drummer for the Rolling Stones, has won his battle with throat cancer and will be able to join his bandmates for a new world tour, according to CNN. After a four-month struggle with the disease, which included six weeks of radiotherapy treatment at a London hospital, the 63-year-old Watts has reportedly been given a clean bill of health. ... The Rolling Stones are documenting their 2002-2003 world tour with a two-CD live set. "Live Licks," out November 2, features guest appearances from Sheryl Crow on "Honky Tonk Women" and Solomon Burke on "Everybody Needs Somebody to Love," as well as 11 tracks never before released on a Stones live disc, including "Neighbours," "Monkey Man" and "Rocks Off." ...

Tom Waits will only play one show in the U.S. this year: October 18 at the Paramount Theater in Seattle. The gravelly voiced singer's 20th album, Real Gone, which features Marc Ribot on guitar and Brian "Brain" Mantia on drums, is due out Tuesday. Waits is considering a U.S. tour next year. ... Banyan, Jane's Addiction drummer Stephen Perkins' side project, will release Live at Perkins Palace on October 12. Former Minutemen/ Firehose bassist Mike Watt, Wilco guitarist Nels Cline and former Death Row Records session musician Willie Waldman join Perkins on the album. ...

10.01.2004

Justin Timberlake already has one movie in the can — the film "Edison," which still hasn't found a distributor — and he's already on to a new role, in a picture that might make it into theaters first. Timberlake is just about to sign on for a role in the movie "Alpha Dog," according to The Hollywood Reporter. It's a supporting part, the best friend of a real-life character called Jesse James Hollywood, a drug dealer who became one of the youngest men ever to wind up on the FBI's most-wanted list. Also attached to the project are Emile Hirsch and Sharon Stone. The film will start shooting on October 25. ...

Britney Spears' wedding invitations are going for big bucks on eBay. The original invites for the October 16 wedding date, of which there are 100 total, feature hand-beaded lace and crystals and are worth approximately $300 each, but some are going for as high as $4,000 on the auction site. ... Coldplay's Chris Martin has been given a warning by police in England for attacking a photographer who was trying to take a picture of him and Gwyneth Paltrow. The incident, which left the freelance photographer with minor cuts and scratches, occurred in April as the couple were leaving a London restaurant. ...

Good Charlotte are planning to take over a block in New York for the release of their new album, The Chronicles of Life and Death. On the day of release, on Tuesday, the band will perform outside the Tower Records in New York's Greenwich Village, and will also sign CDs. ... Guns N' Roses may have found a replacement for departed guitarist Buckethead, who left Axl Rose's band in March. According to a post on the official site of the New York band Bumblefoot (www.bumblefoot.com), their guitarist Ron Thal says he was invited to join GN'R's tumultuous ranks, though he's yet to make a decision. ...

Courtney Love has more legal troubles — she's being sued by a travel agency that claims she owes them nearly $50,000 for airline tickets. The lawsuit claims Love asked the company to book tickets for herself, her family, agents and staff last year, but later withdrew authorization to her credit card and sent checks — one from a closed bank account and one that bounced. New Act Travel is seeking money for the tickets as well as service and bank charges, damages and court fees. ... G-Unit, DJ Clue, Dead Prez, the Sugarhill Gang, DJ Whoo Kid and others are set to perform on Comedy Channel's "The Block Party." The hip-hop and comedy concert, which will promote the importance of the youth vote along with Rap the Vote and Rock the Vote, will take place October 15 at New York's Beacon Theater at 8 p.m. ET. ...

John Kerry will be featured on a prime-time special on BET next week. The Democratic presidential candidate's interview will air on Thursday at 8 p.m. ET. ... Bruce Springsteen, Dave Matthews, Eddie Vedder and other artists on the Vote for Change Tour — which kicks off Friday (October 1) in Pennsylvania — have released a series of video statements explaining why they have joined the tour and why they feel the need to speak out against the current administration. "They went out of their way, I believe, to lie to the American people about Iraq and made us feel unsafe and that we had to do this when we really didn't," Vedder said. "There was no imminent danger. Saddam Hussein didn't have anything to do with 9-11." Springsteen said, "If you mislead the country ... you lose your job. It's not rocket science." Sundance is airing a documentary film about the tour and a live performance from the Washington, D.C., show called "National Anthem: Inside the 'Vote for Change' Concert Tour," on October 11, starting at 6:30 p.m. ET. ...

A Los Angeles judge has ruled that the FBI must turn over its remaining secret files on John Lennon to a college professor who has waged a 20-year battle to obtain them. Jonathan Wiener, a professor at the University of California, Irvine, first sued the U.S. government back in 1983 to procure the late Beatles singer/guitarist's files under the Freedom of Information Act. In 1997 he received 248 pages as part of a settlement. Wiener originally requested the files for his 1984 book "Come Together: John Lennon in His Time." ... After curating the All Tomorrow's Parties Festival in Los Angeles on November 6, Modest Mouse's work is far from over. Three days later, they'll play New York's Radio City Music Hall before heading to London. Upon their return Stateside, a gig in Chicago on December 4 stands between the band and a four-night residency in Portland, Oregon. ...

Aerosmith, the Pixies, Aimee Mann and Fountains of Wayne were some of the winners at the 17th annual Boston Music Awards on Wednesday. The ceremony, which took place at the Avalon Ballroom in Beantown, honored the region's top musicians. ... The nominations for next year's Grammy Awards will be announced on December 7 at the Henry Fonda Music Box Theater in Hollywood at 8:30 a.m. PT. Four new categories have been added — Best Surround Sound Album (in the field of production), Best Electronic/Dance Album, Best Gospel Performance, and Best Hawaiian Music Album — bringing the total number of categories to 107. The 47th annual Grammy Awards will be held February 13 and will air on CBS. ...

Billy Corgan has finished his solo record, and plans to spend the next three weeks mixing it, according to a post on his Web site. "I am very excited about the album, as I feel I have created something relatively fresh and vibrant and exciting to my ears," the former Smashing Pumpkins/ Zwan frontman wrote. "I know that I like it, and that makes me smile." He anticipates the album will be released in the spring. Meanwhile, he's also just released his first book of poetry, "Blinking With Fists," and plans to promote the book with a few appearances in San Francisco and Seattle next month. ... Jack Johnson is working on his third album, which will be released in March. Meanwhile, the singer/songwriter/surfer will perform with Donavon Frankenreiter and Tommy Guerrero on October 9 in Laguna Beach, California, at the Moonshine Festival of Film, Music, Art and Photography, where video directors the Malloys are screening their latest surf movie, "A Brokedown Melody." James Mercer of the Shins and Matt Sweeney (formerly of Zwan) are performing October 10. ...

Sasha has added six North American dates to his Involver world tour, beginning October 8 in Houston and hitting Toronto, New York, Minneapolis and Denver before ending October 23 in Los Angeles. The DJ is promoting the November 16 release of a special edition of Involver featuring a retrospective collection of remixes that includes tunes from the Chemical Brothers, U.N.K.L.E. and Gus Gus. ... Although she hails from north of the border, Alanis Morissette has some "American Dreams" in her future. The Canadian songstress is the next artist to appear on the NBC show; she'll perform an original song in an episode scheduled to air later this year. ...

• Gwen Stefani
• Britney Spears
• Nelly
• C-Murder
• Fantasia

Tom Waits
Photo: Marina Chavez

Tired of Teletubbies? Ragged on Raffi? Maybe you're just plain sick of kids' music that only kids can enjoy.

If so, don't be snowed by the title of the new children's music compilation For the Kids. True, the just-released disc features artists such as Cake, Barenaked Ladies, Sarah McLachlan, Guster, John Ondrasik (Five for Fighting) and Tom Waits singing a mix of original songs, "Sesame Street" classics and toddler standards. But it works just as well in mom's office as it does in the rumpus room.

Released by Nettwerk America Records, the album is a fundraiser for the VH1 Save the Music Foundation, the five-year-old initiative aimed at restoring music programs in public elementary and middle schools.

Though VH1 Save the Music has been helped by royalties from the series of VH1 Divas Live albums, For the Kids is the first album created specifically to raise funds for the program. "We wanted to have a CD that would be great for kids and that parents could enjoy as well," said Bob Morrison, executive director of the foundation. "The challenge was to find contemporary artists doing songs that were great for kids."

Some, like Cake, decided to put their unique spin on such "Muppet Show" classics as "Mahna Mahna," turning the silly song into a guitar-rocking, funky South-of-the-Border jam. Barenaked Ladies' Ed Robertson and Steven Page are natural Bert and Ernie manqué on their cover of the "Sesame Street" song "La La La La Lemon."

For several of the artists, the album was a chance to uncork original songs inspired by the births of their own kids, who no doubt rock a bit more than the average toddler. Former Del Fuego and current kiddie song superstar Dan Zanes gets his zydeco on in "Wonderwheel" from his Family Dance album, and Toad the Wet Sprocket singer Glen Phillips sings of the joys of being a play-at-home dad on a song he wrote especially for the album, "Have a Little Fun."

Like Semisonic singer Dan Wilson — whose wistful acoustic fantasy "Willie the King" envisions a world where moms and dads don't cry anymore — John Ondrasik of Five for Fighting was inspired to write an original tune using memories of childhood innocence.

In Ondrasik's case, it was the birth of his son, Johnny, that led to the creation of "The Hoppity Song," a pointedly silly romp.

When Sixpence None the Richer found out their first choice was already taken, they were thrown for a loop.

"We were envious that Sarah [McLachlan] took 'The Rainbow Connection,' " said Sixpence singer Leigh Nash. "We were at a loss and it took us a while to find a new song." Nash discovered her band's contribution on a CD of children's lullabies from the 1930s. "We were going to do 'Teddy Bear Picnic,' which is one of my favorite songs from that era," she said. "But it turned out to be too much of a stretch and, well, the lyrics are kind of creepy."

On that same CD they found a song they'd never heard of called "Goodnight Children Everywhere," which they arranged to create the sweeping majesty of an animated Disney classic. Other tracks on the album made sense for more personal reasons.

"I think Darius [Rucker's] version of 'It's All Right to Cry' was a particularly nice touch from someone who is a relatively new father," Morrison said of the Hootie & the Blowfish singer's take on the 1972 song from Marlo Thomas' celebrated Free to Be ... You and Me album.

Morrison says that to date, VH1 Save the Music has donated $21 million worth of musical instruments to 900 public schools.

For the Kids track list:

• Cake - "Mahna Mahna"
• Barenaked Ladies - "La La La La Lemon"
• Sarah McLachlan - "The Rainbow Connection"
• Guster - "I've Got to Be Clean"
• Dan Zanes - "Wonderwheel"
• Glen Phillips - "Have a Little Fun With Me"
• John Ondrasik - "The Hoppity Song"
• Billy Bragg w/Wilco - "My Flying Saucer"
• Darius Rucker - "It's All Right to Cry"
• Ivy - "Sing"
• Remy Zero - "Bright Eyes"
• Dan Wilson - "Willie the King"
• Bleu - "Snow Day"
• Raine Maida and Chantal Kreviazuk - "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star"
• Sixpence None the Richer - "Goodnight Children Everywhere"
• Tom Waits - "Bend Down the Branches"

• Tom Waits
• Sarah McLachlan
• Cake

Rob Zombie
Photo: MTV News

Fans growing impatient for the release of the Ramones tribute album We're a Happy Family now have a good reason to turn that frown upside down.

The track list for the LP, which is currently being mastered, and a tentative street date of November 5 were announced via a posting on the Web site of Rob Zombie, who is serving as co-producer along with guitarist Johnny Ramone.

Although Zombie himself vouched for the accuracy of the most specific details concerning the album since he first announced plans for it in November (see "Rob Zombie Helming Ramones Tribute Album"), a spokesperson for Columbia Records, the label which intends to release the LP, couldn't confirm them at press time.

"The project just snowballed," Zombie said on Monday of the time-consuming effort that went into assembling the album. "You start a project, and everyone is like, 'Well, who else is on it?' 'Well, no one yet.' So everyone waits to see what everyone else is doing. As we started confirming people like Red Hot Chili Peppers and U2, everyone was like, 'Now I want to do it!'"

Besides previously reported tracks from Green Day, Marilyn Manson, U2 and Eddie Vedder, who collaborated with Seattle thrashers Zeke for his contributions, the track list reveals new additions such as the Pretenders' "Something to Believe In"; the last entry, Pete Yorn's "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend"; Tom Waits' "Return of Jackie and Judy"; Kiss' "Do You Remember Rock and Roll Radio?" (a late addition Zombie said was among his favorite cuts); and "Here Today, Gone Tomorrow" by newcomers Rooney (see "L.A. Rockers Rooney Get A Hand From Weezer, Britney, 'NSYNC"). Although the inclusion of a new band yet to drop their debut may seem odd alongside songs by such veteran artists, Zombie explained that the bandmembers are friends with Johnny, who invited them to the party.

Tragedy helped Metallica — who couldn't decide which song of a possible eight being considered (four of which had been recorded) they would deliver to Zombie — finally settle on one, according to a Metallica spokesperson (see "Rob Zombie's Ramones Tribute LP Just Waiting For Metallica"). Upon learning of the death of Ramones bassist Dee Dee in June (see " 'Dee Dee Ramone Was Punk Rock' To Friends, Fans"), they eliminated the other recorded options, "Commando," "Today Your Love, Tomorrow the World" and "Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue," and went with "53rd & 3rd," Dee Dee's signature song about his early days spent hustling in midtown Manhattan. The fate of the other recorded tracks are unknown, the spokesperson said.

Vedder and Zeke recorded two tracks for the LP, "I Believe in Miracles" and "Daytime Dilemma," though the latter will appear only as a bonus track limited to the album's initial pressing.

Not only does We're a Happy Family sound like a great listen, Zombie took special care to ensure that the album's artwork and packaging were comparable to the music, so he designed it himself with the intention to make it as elaborate as possible. Zombie described the finished product to be a gatefold Digipak containing never-before-published photos of the Ramones from the early '70s to up until their very last farewell tour, taken by the band's friend and documentarian Arturo Vega.

With the artwork completed, all that's left is for horror author and diehard Ramones fan Stephen King to write the liner notes.

In other Zombie news, his feature film "House of 1,000 Corpses" may be back from the dead. After a deal with MGM fell through because of what Zombie said was an offhanded dis during an interview with Ben Affleck for MTV's "Movie House" (see "Rob Zombie Says Joke Derailed 'Corpses' Deal With MGM"), he said he's very close to signing a new deal which will give the film a proper theatrical release "soon."

We're a Happy Family track list, according to Rob Zombie:

• Red Hot Chili Peppers - "Havana Affair"
• Rob Zombie - "Blitzkrieg Bop"
• Eddie Vedder with Zeke - "I Believe in Miracles"
• Metallica - "53rd & 3rd"
• U2 - "Beat on the Brat"
• Kiss - "Do You Remember Rock and Roll Radio?"
• Marilyn Manson - "The KKK Took My Baby Away"
• Garbage - "I Just Want to Have Something to Do"
• Green Day - "Outsider"
• Pretenders - "Something to Believe In"
• Rancid - "Sheena Is a Punk Rocker"
• Pete Yorn - "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend"
• The Offspring - "I Wanna Be Sedated"
• Rooney - "Here Today, Gone Tomorrow"
• Tom Waits - "Return of Jackie and Judy"
• Eddie Vedder with Zeke - "Daytime Dilemma (Dangers of Love)" (limited edition bonus track)

• The Ramones
• Rob Zombie
• Pete Yorn
• Tom Waits
• Green Day

Tom Waits
Photo: Marina Chavez

A simple arithmetic error has resulted in a mistrial in TVT Records' copyright-infringement case against MP3.com.

After learning that jurors awarded TVT millions of dollars less than they intended, a judge declared on Tuesday that a retrial would begin November 5, according to a spokesperson for the record label.

In April, jurors awarded TVT about $300,000 after finding that MP3.com violated the label's copyrights with its My.MP3.com service. But soon after the verdict, jurors told Judge Jed Rakoff that they had dropped a zero in their calculations and had meant to award closer to $3 million.

My.MP3.com allowed users to listen to CDs online if they could prove they possessed (if only temporarily) a physical copy of the CD or bought it from certain online retailers. MP3.com built an electronic library of music, which copyright holders argued it had no right to do. The company ultimately paid multimillion-dollar settlements last year to each of the major record companies and to music publishers. After shutting down for several months, My.MP3.com relaunched in December, though with a much smaller catalog of songs and little major-label material. Tom Waits, Randy Newman and other songwriters recently filed their own copyright-infringement suit against MP3.com because of its service (see "Ann And Nancy Wilson, Tom Waits, Randy Newman Sue MP3.com").

Vivendi Universal, parent company of the Universal Music Group, recently bought MP3.com. Vivendi said in a statement that it doesn't expect the TVT suit to affect its plans for the company. An MP3.com spokesperson did not return a call for comment on the retrial.

TVT's artists include Sevendust, Tha Eastsidaz and Guided by Voices.

• Tom Waits
• Randy Newman

Backstreet Boys' AJ
Photo: Jive

The big-print names on the charts might be 'NSYNC, Backstreet Boys and Celine Dion, but when Swedish composers Max Martin and Andreas Carlsson each took home a piece of the ASCAP Songwriter of the Year award, it was a reminder that it's both the singer and the song that makes for a hit.

The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers held its 18th annual ASCAP Pop Awards Tuesday in Los Angeles, where other big winners were Savage Garden, Tom Waits and Modest Mouse.

Martin penned the Backstreet Boys' smash "Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely" while Carlsson wrote 'NSYNC's "Bye Bye Bye." Together, the two were responsible for the Backstreet Boys' "I Want It That Way," 'NSYNC's "It's Gonna Be Me" and Dion's "That's the Way It Is." ASCAP honored Savage Garden's Darren Hayes and Daniel Jones with Song of the Year for their "I Knew I Loved You," which is #14 on the Billboard adult contemporary singles chart.

Waits, whose almost 30-year career has seen him mutate from grizzled blues-jazz singer to avant-garde rocker and theatrical composer, received ASCAP's Founders Award for his body of work. On Waits' latest disc, 1999's Mule Variations, he collaborated with his wife, Kathleen Brennan, on an album of twisted lyrics and sonic experimentation.

Waits and Savage Garden performed at the Beverly Hilton Hotel event, along with the Goo Goo Dolls and Holly Lamar, who co-wrote Faith Hill's #1 hit "Breathe." Lamar's collaborator, Stephanie Bentley, took home Song of the Year honors at last week's BMI Pop Awards, handed out by rival songwriters' organization BMI (see "Grohl, Stapp, Sting Take Home BMI Honors"). Modest Mouse picked up the College Radio Award for the ASCAP artist whose body of work collectively garnered the most college radio airplay. The group released Building Nothing Out of Something in 2000, and dropped the rarities collection Sad Sappy Sucker in April (see "Modest Mouse Rarities Surfacing").

• Backstreet Boys
• *NSYNC
• Savage Garden
• Tom Waits
• Celine Dion

Tom Waits
Photo: Sony

Tom Waits, Randy Newman and Heart's Ann and Nancy Wilson have launched the latest legal salvo against online music site MP3.com, asking for $40 million in a copyright infringement lawsuit.

Like prior lawsuits by record labels and publishers, the suit from the four songwriters focuses on MP3.com's "My.MP3.com" service. When it launched, My.MP3.com allowed users to listen to CDs online if they proved that they at least temporarily possessed a physical copy of the CD, or bought it through certain online retailers.

MP3.com made the service work by building an electronic library of music, which copyright holders argued they had no right to do. The company ultimately paid multimillion dollar lawsuit settlements last year to each of the major record companies, as well as to music publishers. After shutting down for several months, My.MP3.com relaunched in December, though with a much smaller catalog of songs and little major label material.

Waits, Newman and the Wilson sisters filed their suit because they are among the relatively few artists who own the publishing rights to their songs, according to their lawyer, Bruce Van Dalsem. "I think anyone who owns something and has someone taking it who's not entitled ... would be upset," Van Dalsem said Tuesday (May 8). "This is their life's work." Other artists who own their publishing rights are discussing the possibility of joining the suit, according to Van Dalsem.

A spokesperson for MP3.com said the company would not comment on the lawsuit until it has a chance to look over the complaint.

The suit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, cites 270 songs by the four writers, including the contents of Waits' Mule Variations (1999), Newman's Little Criminals (1977) and Heart's Bebe Le Strange (1980).

(For complete coverage of online music, check out MTV News' "Napster Files.")

• Heart
• Tom Waits
• Randy Newman

Tom Waits
Photo: Sony

Tom Waits may have spent most of the last year out of the public eye, but the gruff-voiced troubadour is now in the midst of preparing no less than three solo projects, according to a spokesperson for the singer.

Waits has just returned from Copenhagen, Denmark, where his most recent collaboration with theater director Robert Wilson, "Woyzeck," debuted at the Betty Nansen Theater on November 14.

Waits has already recorded demos of the songs that he composed for "Woyzeck," a modern adaptation of Georg Büchner's 19th century play (see "Tom Waits, Robert Wilson To Team On Another Opera") that features Waits singing and playing guitar while accompanied by a symphonic orchestra.

The singer/songwriter has also been assembling songs for what is loosely being referred to as "The Orphans Project," a collection of rare tracks, B-sides and material that Waits has written for various soundtracks and compilations, but which have not appeared on any of his own solo albums.

According to a source close to the project, Waits' label, Epitaph Records, presented the singer with seven CDs worth of material to sift through, the spokesperson said, including some songs that had been downloaded off Napster. Waits is whittling the archival tracks down into a single disc.

Waits has also started writing songs for his next studio album, the planned follow-up to Mule Variations, the acclaimed 1999 record that has sold some 328,000 copies to date, according to SoundScan.

The logistics or a release schedule for the three solo projects have not yet been worked out, but the label hopes to release the new studio album by the end of the year, Waits' rep said.

In related news, Wicked Grin, the new album from blues legend John Hammond that Waits produced — and which features 12 tracks written by Waits, including a pair of new songs, "2:19" and "Fannin Street" — is due to be released by Point Blank/Virgin Records on March 13.

Waits and Hammond have been collaborating since 1992, when Waits contributed a song to Hammond's Got Love If You Want It album. Hammond later returned the favor by making a guest appearance on Mule Variations. For Wicked Grin, Waits and Hammond assembled an all-star backing band that included bassist Larry Taylor of Canned Heat, drummer Stephen Hodges from the Fabulous Thunderbirds, keyboardist Augie Meyers from the Texas Tornadoes and harmonica bluesman Charlie Musselwhite.

Among the Waits tunes covered on Wicked Grin are "Heartattack and Vine," "16 Shells from a Thirty-Ought Six", "Clap Hands" and "Get Behind the Mule". In addition to playing guitar, Waits also provides backing vocals on the album's closing track, a reworking of the gospel standard "I Know I've Been Changed."

• Tom Waits

After enjoying one of the more successful years of his career in 1999, wizened songwriter Tom Waits has lined up a series of new projects, including one which will see him re-team with theater director Robert Wilson.

• Tom Waits

Atmospheric Los Angeles outfit the Autumns will get some help from one of its biggest influences this week when it previews some new material at a Los Angeles club date.

-- Robert Mancini

• Cocteau Twins
• Tom Waits