Aerosmith's Steven Tyler
Photo: Kevin Kane/ WireImage

Aerosmith canceled the rest of their summer tour with ZZ Top on Thursday as a result of injuries sustained by singer Steven Tyler, 61, last week at a gig in Sturgis, South Dakota, during the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.

Vamping for the crowd while some sound issues were being worked out at the August 5 show, the veteran frontman known for his high-energy performances fell off the stage at the gig and suffered a broken shoulder and a gash in his head that required 20 stitches. Tyler was airlifted from the venue and later flown to Boston to consult with his personal doctors about the injuries. They advised him to take time off to properly recuperate, according to a statement released by the band.

In a note to fans, Tyler described what happened before the accident, according to E! Online. "A major thunderstorm had delayed the show for an hour, but after it passed through, the full moon and tens of thousands of my biker buddies were ready to rock!" he wrote. "It was one of the best shows we've played in a long time! The band was slammin', and I was lovin' every minute of it! And just as I'm thinking, 'It doesn't get any better than this' ... FUSES BLOW! We have a COMPLETE AUDIO SOUND SYSTEM FAILURE!"

The sound system cut out in the middle of "Love in an Elevator," and Tyler said he wasn't going to "go hide under the big top and play 'Rock Star' and wait for everything to be fixed."

Tyler said that in the thousands of shows he's played with Aerosmith, he's only fallen off the stage four times, but that this one was a classic. "I wanted to go out to the crowd to continue the show ... so, the 'Train Kept A-Rollin'' and I ran out on the cat walk and grabbed my mic to finish the song," he said in his note. "I was doing the Tyler shuffle, and then I zigged when I should have zagged. ... AND I slipped, and as I live on the edge ... I fell off the edge!"

The singer said he landed upside down and despite the injuries to his shoulder and head, he said, "I'm plain grateful that I didn't break my neck!"

In a statement, guitarist Joe Perry, who has fretted in the press about the future of the tour, expressed regret about canceling the dates. "Words can't express the sadness I feel for having to cancel this tour," he said. "I would like to thank our loyal fans for sticking by us through thick and thin and [for] all the good energy they are sending our way. We hope we can get the Aerosmith machine up and running again as soon as possible. I sure am going to miss playing with ZZ Top just as I'm sure the fans are going to miss seeing them playing with us as well. Hope to see you sooner than later."

Aerosmith's summer tour has been plagued by a rash of injuries and setbacks. Bassist Tom Hamilton missed a few shows due to some unspecified "noninvasive surgery," guitarist Brad Whitford sat out a number of gigs early in the run after suffering a head injury while exiting his Ferrari, and Tyler was knocked out of a few gigs last month after he sustained an unspecified injury.

• Aerosmith
• ZZ Top

President George W. Bush (file)
Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images

With the presidential inauguration just a few weeks away, Washington, D.C., is preparing to shift its focus from politics to parties.

On January 19 and 20, the nation's capital will host dozens of concerts, galas and protest events observing the second inauguration of President George W. Bush. With the city's hotels, clubs, concert venues and sidewalks being taken over for the more than 100 sanctioned and unsanctioned parties for and by both Republicans and Democrats, finding the most raging party is tough. So we're weeding out the duds and giving you a guide to the best parties the city has to offer, whether you lean left, right or tend to slouch somewhere in the middle.

The Black Tie & Boots Ball, Featuring Ted Nugent and Lyle Lovett
The Texas Society of Washington, D.C., has held its annual unofficial inauguration ball since 1981, and this year, it's being touted as the best party in town — and the hardest to score a ticket for. Tickets are sold out (with a 10,000 person capacity) but can be found on Web sites for upwards of $1,000.

Artists slated to perform on the seven stages include Ted Nugent, ZZ Top, Lyle Lovett, Dexter Freebish, Gary P. Nunn and Robert Earl Keen. The president and his wife are expected to attend.

The ball will take place on January 19 at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel and is officially nonpartisan. Men attending are asked to wear tuxedos and cowboy boots while the women should arrive in ball gowns (cowboy boots optional).

The Creative Coalition's 2005 Inaugural Gala: The Ball After the Ball, Featuring Macy Gray
The Creative Coalition, a nonprofit, nonpartisan social and political advocacy organization, will host a late-night event on January 20.

While Macy Gray is the only performer who has been announced, other attendees will include Dennis Hopper (an event chair), Joe Pantoliano, Susan Lucci, Tucker Carlson, Matthew Modine, and a smattering of senators and congressional representatives.

The cost of a night with the quirky R&B songstress, a daytime TV diva and a bow-tie clad politico? One ticket will run you $1,000, while "platinum" sponsorship is a mere $50,000.

The Recording Industry Association of America's Bash, Featuring 3 Doors Down
The RIAA gets into the political partying spirit on January 20 at the D.C. waterfront club H2O, with its own inaugural event that will feature Mississippi rockers 3 Doors Down. The event will be sponsored by Washington's DC 101 radio station, which will be giving tickets away to the event as part of an on-air promotion. The night kicks off at 10 p.m.

Noise Against Fascism, Featuring Thurston Moore and Andrew W.K.
If you're looking for a slightly more avant-garde (and anti-Bush) rock event, check out Washington's Black Cat nightclub. On January 20, the venue will host "Noise Against Fascism," featuring performances by Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore, To Live and Shave in L.A. (with Andrew W.K.), Metalux and more. Twelve bucks will get you in the door and in on the action, which begins at 8 p.m.

Billionaires for Bush: Re-Coronation Inaugural Ball
Billed as "Bigger, Larger, More Unchecked! All the Excess, Twice the Greed!," this left-leaning event is sure to take the anti-Bush reveler's mind off the inauguration.

The January 20 party will feature performances by afro-funk big band Chopteeth and the Billionaires' own cabaret act (see "Isn't It Ironic? Left-Leaning Protest Groups Get Behind Bush") and will run from 8:30 p.m. until "very, very late," according to the Billionaires' Web site. Tickets will run you $10 for the cheap deal to $250 for the VIP catered reception.

Inaugural/Anti-Inaugural Unity Bash
Not sure where you stand? No problem. At Washington's 1223 Nightclub on January 20, for $20 you can lean left, right, back or any other way you choose in one of their four politically oriented sections. Those celebrating the inauguration will gather for games of "pin the tail on the elephant" and a celebratory cake, while lamenters will play pin the tail on the donkey, and chow down on a Kerry "should've won" cake. The "unity corner" will offer Democrat vs. Republican thumb-wrestling, while the "apathetic corner" will provide the opportunity to stand around and express indifference.

• 3 Doors Down
• Macy Gray
• ZZ Top

Kid Rock at New York's Waldorf-Astoria hotel Monday night
Photo: Frank Micelotta/Getty Images

NEW YORK — Outkast, Alicia Keys, Kid Rock and Dave Matthews were just a few of the artists who introduced their favorite new inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on Monday night.

At the celebration, held as usual at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel, Outkast and Keys ushered in Prince, Kid Rock introduced Bob Seger, Matthews honored Traffic, Bruce Springsteen greeted Jackson Browne, and the late George Harrison was inducted by his former Traveling Wilburys cohorts Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne. Also inducted: the Dells, ZZ Top and Rolling Stone founder Jann Wenner.

The four-hour event featured film montages of the inductees, lengthy speeches and performances from everyone who was inducted. The show, capped by an all-star jam, will air Sunday on VH1.

Before the event began, many of the inductees and artists introducing them walked the red carpet to pose for pictures and sing each other's praises. "Prince's performances are always such an inspiration," Keys said. "I love his songwriting, his music, just him as an individual. So I'm looking forward to helping to put him where he belongs."

	Click here for photos from the ceremony

"God, I've been a nervous wreck about the whole thing," Kid Rock said about inducting childhood hero Seger. "Being from Michigan and Detroit, it's like Bob Seger is shot into your veins as a kid. We were just raised on it. I just wanna make everyone from the hometown proud and really give him his dues. I think he's really one of the most underrated singer/songwriter heroes of our generation."

The ceremony began with a film collage of artists who died in 2003, accompanied by Johnny Cash's cover of Nine Inch Nails' "Hurt" and the Righteous Brothers' "Unchained Melody."

Then the hall paid tribute to Prince. "Back in the day, entertainers were singers, they were dancers, they had great style, they had great personality," Outkast's Andre 3000 said in his introduction. "We've lost a lot of that today, and so when it comes for me to do music, Prince is most definitely one of my greatest inspirations."

Prince's acceptance speech was brief and sentimental. He even thanked Warner Bros., with which he battled for years and once protested by writing "Slave" across his face to illustrate the label's ownership over him. "When I first started out in this music industry I was most concerned with freedom," he began. "Freedom to produce, freedom to play all the instruments on my records, freedom to say anything I wanted to. And after much negotiation, Warner Bros. Records granted me that freedom, and I thank them."

Instead of thanking his mentors and peers, Prince talked about how he discovered the importance of spirituality and friendship. "All praise and thanks to Jehovah," he said. "Without any real spiritual mentors other than artists whose records I admired, I embarked on a journey more fascinating than I could have ever imagined. But a word to the wise: Without real spiritual mentoring, too much freedom can lead to the soul's decay."

During his performance, Prince played an energized medley of "Let's Go Crazy" "Sign 'O' the Times" and "Kiss."

Traffic played a lengthy version of "Dear Mr. Fantasy," replete with expressive guitar and keyboard solos; Seger played the dusky, reflective "Turn the Page"; and Browne performed emotive versions of "The Pretender" and "Running on Empty."

When Springsteen introduced Browne, he praised the singer's politics and songwriting but was even more effusive about his power over the ladies. "Jackson Browne was a rock and roll sex star. ... At a time when we were drawing rooms full of men, Jackson was drawing more women than an Indigo Girls concert."

About 30 minutes later, a slightly flustered Kid Rock began his introduction of Seger by saying, "I'm freaked out because Bruce Springsteen is talking about all the women that went to Jackson Browne's shows and how good lookin' they were. My mom used to go to those shows."

Sixties doo-wop and R&B group the Dells were introduced by filmmaker Robert Townsend, who based the singing group in his 1991 movie, "The Five Heartbeats," on the Dells.

Mick Jagger introduced Wenner, and Keith Richards introduced ZZ Top. During their set, the Texas boogie band played "La Grange" and "Tush."

After Harrison was inducted, Tom Petty, ELO's Jeff Lynne and Harrison's son performed the Traveling Wilburys' "Handle With Care" and the Beatles' "While My Guitar Gently Weeps."

The show ended with a mega-jam of Chuck Berry's "Sweet Little Rock & Roller" and Traffic's "Feelin' Alright," in which most of the new inductees performed, along with Richards.

Musicians qualify for induction once they've been in the business for 25 years; they are then voted on by a committee of peers and industry professionals.

The 2004 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony airs Sunday at 8 p.m. ET/PT and 7 p.m. CT. For more information, visit VH1.com.

• Prince
• George Harrison
• Traffic
• Jackson Browne
• ZZ Top

Outkast's Andre 3000 (file)
Photo: Jason Campbell

When Prince, ZZ Top and Jackson Browne are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year, they won't have to look far to see contemporary stars their music has influenced.

Outkast, Kid Rock, Alicia Keys and Dave Matthews are among those who'll pay tribute to their mentors by inducting this year's class, organizers announced Thursday (February 19).

At the ceremony, inductees are presented by special guests who typically will say a few words and also perform a song from that artist. For the 2004 ceremony, Prince will be presented by both Outkast and Keys. Late Beatles guitarist George Harrison will be inducted by Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne.

Kid Rock will present Bob Seger, while Dave Matthews will announce Traffic's arrival in the hall. Finally, Bruce Springsteen and Rolling Stones icon Keith Richards will induct Jackson Browne and ZZ Top, respectively.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony takes place in New York on March 15 and will be broadcast March 21 on VH1 at 8 p.m. ET.

• OutKast
• Kid Rock
• Alicia Keys
• Prince
• ZZ Top

George Harrison
Photo: Radical Media, Inc.

Beatles guitarist George Harrison, Prince and ZZ Top will be among next year's seven new arrivals to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The 2004 class also includes Jackson Browne, the Dells, Bob Seger and Traffic, the hall announced Thursday (November 20). The artists will be formally inducted at a March 15 ceremony at New York's Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.

Harrison was the first Beatle to go solo, releasing Wonderwall Music in 1968, the score to a film by the same name, but on All Things Must Pass, originally released as a triple album in 1970, "the quiet Beatle" made his true voice heard. The album, featuring the classics "My Sweet Lord" and the title track, is considered among the greatest ever recorded.

The all-star two-day concert he organized the following year, the Concert for Bangladesh, raised money to help the famished Third World country. In the eight albums that followed, Harrison proved himself an accomplished musician, with guitar technique far more advanced than his work with the Beatles, and impassioned songwriter.

Harrison died of cancer in November 2001 (see "Former Beatle George Harrison Dead At 58"). His last album, Brainwashed, was released posthumously the following year. The guitarist becomes the third Beatle to enter into the hall, following John Lennon in 1992 and Paul McCartney in 1999. The group was inducted in 1988.

Prince was one of the more eccentric performers of the 1980s and '90s, having changed his name to a symbol translated verbally as "The Artist Formerly Known As Prince." Quirks aside, his body of work is among the most revered in music, blurring the genres of funk, R&B, rock and soul. Two years after his 1978 debut, For You, the Minneapolis resident's Dirty Mind was a harbinger of the overtly sexy sounds to come, including the 1983 classic 1999 and his masterpiece soundtrack to the 1984 film "Purple Rain," loosely based on his life, and in which he also starred.

Through the 1990s, his popularity diminished but his prolificacy did not. Prince released 10 LPs during that decade, including the triple-album Crystal Ball. Prince's influence, both musically and stylistically, can most recently be seen in the Andre 3000 half of Outkast's Speakerboxxx/The Love Below.

No band says big Texas guitar rock like ZZ Top. Guitarist Billy Gibbons, bassist Dusty Hill and drummer Frank Beard — the lone member without the chin hair that became the group's trademark — have released 15 albums in their 33-year career, including this year's Mescalero. Their '70s material, such as 1973's "La Grange," 1975's "Tush" and 1979's "Cheap Sunglasses" are staples of classic-rock radio.

ZZ Top peaked in popularity in the 1980s, with music videos that exemplified their love of hot rods and hot bods. Clips for "Gimme All Your Lovin'," "Sharp Dressed Man" and "Legs," all from 1983's Eliminator, featured a dejected main character whose social life was greatly enhanced with the help of three fairy hotties that magically appeared in a souped-up roadster.

Jackson Browne is the epitome of the sensitive California bohemian singer/songwriter. His deeply personal songs, especially from 1974's Late for a Sky, put him in the same class as Joni Mitchell and James Taylor. He co-wrote the Eagles' "Take It Easy" and made his mainstream breakthrough with 1972's "Doctor My Eyes." He got his rock on with later hits "Running on Empty" (1977) and "Somebody's Baby" (1982), which was ingrained in the pop culture canon thanks to "Fast Times at Ridgemont High."

Bob Seger's 1978 hit "Old Time Rock and Roll" best sums up the style of his Silver Bullet Band. Seger's piano-based boogie is exemplified on songs like "Night Moves," "Katmandu," "Rock & Roll Never Forgets" and "Hollywood Nights."

Before Steve Winwood's solo career in the 1980s and after his 1960s stint with the Spencer Davis Group, he formed Traffic with guitarist Dave Mason, horn player Chris Wood and drummer Jim Capaldi. The group's biggest hits include "Dear Mr. Fantasy," from their 1967 debut, Mr. Fantasy.

The Dells have been recording and performing in every decade since the vocal quintet formed in 1953. Even more remarkable, they haven't changed their lineup since 1960.

Artists are eligible for induction 25 years after releasing their first record, and they are selected by criteria such as their influence and their contributions to rock and roll's continued development.

John Mellencamp, Black Sabbath, the Sex Pistols, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Gram Parsons, the Stooges and Patti Smith were also eligible this year but did not receive enough votes (see "George Harrison, Prince, John Mellencamp Among 2004 Rock Hall Nominees").

• George Harrison
• Prince
• ZZ Top
• Traffic
• The Dells

Prince
Photo: MTV

George Harrison, Prince, John Mellencamp and Jackson Browne are among those who've made the list of nominees for the 2004 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ballot, a hall of fame spokesperson confirmed Monday.

Artists are eligible for induction 25 years after the release of their first record. Criteria for consideration include "the influence and significance of the artist's contributions to the development and perpetuation of rock and roll," according to the organization.

Several names that have not made the hall before are back for another try, including the Sex Pistols, Lynyrd Skynyrd, ZZ Top, country rock legend Gram Parsons, Bob Seger, the Stooges, Traffic, Patti Smith and early R&B groups the Dells and the "5" Royales. Despite Ozzy Osbourne's attempts to take them off the ballot in 1999, Black Sabbath are back for another attempt, too, though Osbourne has said he thinks the honor is "meaningless."

Already a member as part of the Beatles, if chosen, George Harrison would be inducted on the merits of his solo work. Harrison, who died of cancer in November 2001 (see "Former Beatle George Harrison Dead At 58"), would be the third Beatle to make the grade, as John Lennon and Paul McCartney have already been inducted into the hall. The Beatles' lead guitarist was the first in the group to go solo, releasing his triple-album debut, All Things Must Pass, in 1970, which featured the hit "My Sweet Lord."

Throughout his 25-year career, Prince has confounded as much as he has entertained, but the divinely nasty legend from Minneapolis has created some of the most enduring funk-soul jams in music history along the way. Beginning with 1978's For You and peaking in the '80s with such landmark albums as 1999, Purple Rain and Around the World in a Day, Prince melded the worlds of screaming rock guitar solos with dance music, pop and R&B, with lyrics that unabashedly exposed his carnal desires.

Indiana's John Mellencamp began his career as generic pop singer Johnny Cougar in 1976, but over the course of nearly 30 years in music has become one of the more respected singer/songwriters of his generation. Initially dismissed as a Bruce Springsteen wannabe, Mellencamp hit his stride in the early '80s with such rock-radio staples as "Jack and Diane" and "Hurts So Good." He soon became known as a chronicler of the plight of the downtrodden American farmer and worker, with such folk-inspired albums as Scarecrow and The Lonesome Jubilee. Along with Neil Young and Willie Nelson, Mellencamp helped found the annual Farm Aid concert benefiting small American farms.

Quintessential 1970s California singer/songwriter Jackson Browne began his career in the late '60s, but didn't come to widespread prominence until 1976's The Pretender, which set the stage for his most popular release, 1977's Running on Empty. That album featured the hit title track as well as "Stay/The Load-Out," a ballad that became the template for nearly every "life on the road" tune that followed.

Ballots for this year's nominations were mailed out last week to the voting members of the rock hall, with inductees slated to be announced before the end of the year. The process begins in the spring, when a group of 75 industry professionals made up of record executives, lawyers, managers, journalists and musicians meet to brainstorm potential nominees. Their list is pared down to fewer than 20, with five to eight inductees chosen by a committee made up of 1,500 voters from throughout the music industry. The performers who receive the highest number of votes, and more than 50 percent of the vote, are inducted.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is located in Cleveland. A date and location for the 2004 ceremony has not yet been announced.

• George Harrison
• The Beatles
• Prince
• John Mellencamp
• Jackson Browne

Guns N' Roses frontman Axl Rose wandered into the Crazy Horse Too in Las Vegas Wednesday morning (July 16) and treated the nearly empty strip club to a preview of tracks from his band's long-delayed Chinese Democracy album. In addition to blasting new cuts over the club's PA system, Rose also visited the VIP room, ordered champagne and signed autographs, according to an employee. ...

Justin Timberlake's "Rock Your Body," along with songs from Jennifer Lopez, B2K and Jay-Z, are featured on Now That's What I Call Music! Vol. 13, due Tuesday. Coldplay, Sum 41 and Godsmack are among the rock bands on the album. ... Courtney Love has joined forces with manga publisher Tokyopop for a comic based on her life. The series, "Princess Ai," follows the adventures of the princess of a mysterious land who disguises herself as a performer and takes refuge in the nightclubs of Kabushiki-cho. Love's character uses the stage both to express herself and hide from attackers. Story lines and dialogue will revolve around Love's lyrics. The creative director for "Princess Ai" is D.J. Milky ("Karma Klub") and the character designer is Ai Yazawa ("Paradise Kiss"). ...

Metallica will play a one-off gig between Summer Sanitarium shows on August 6 at Salt Lake City's USANA Amphitheatre. Tickets go on sale Saturday. ... U2 frontman Bono received an honorary law degree from Dublin's Trinity College on Friday in recognition of his Drop the Debt campaign and his commitment to human rights in the developing world. ...

Along with working on Britney Spears and Shakira's next albums, producers the Matrix have time allotted with a wide range of other acts, including New York garage rockers the Mooney Suzuki, pop stars Ronan Keating and Christina Milian, and TV Eyes, featuring members of Beck's band, Air and Jellyfish. Samantha Moore, Darius, Busted, Keaton Simons and Swollen Members are also on the production trio's plate. ...

A nonprofit group called Station Fire Fund has been started by survivors of the February blaze at Rhode Island's Station club that killed 100. The organization will benefit the families of victims killed or injured in the fire. So far, the Station Fire Fund has raised $10,000 and provided $8,000 to pay for funerals, medical care, bills and groceries. ... Tommy Stinson — former bassist for the Replacements and current bassist for the new Guns N' Roses — is hitting the road for a three-week club tour in late August. The trek kicks off August 24 in Albany, New York, and continues through September 13 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Meanwhile, Stinson is finishing up his upcoming solo record, which includes contributions from A Perfect Circle drummer Josh Freese, GN'R guitarist Richard Fortus, keyboardist Dizzy Reed, guitarist Dave Philips and saxophone player Jason Freese. ...

ZZ Top's Mescalero, which had been slated for release in the spring, will now drop in the U.S. on September 9 via RCA. The boogeyrock journeymen are currently touring in Europe with the Rolling Stones. ... Neil Young's upcoming release, Greendale, is scheduled to hit stores on August 19. Crazy Horse drummer Ralph Molina and bassist Billy Talbot join Young on the album, which will also be released as a DVD in September. ...

07.14.2003

"I ain't gon' front, this is the best party I been to in some years," P. Diddy said, gassing himself at his Supper Club "Bad Boys II" New York premiere party on Monday. Celebrities like Jay-Z, Busta Rhymes, Swizz Beatz and members of the Bad Boy family validated his words by grooving in the VIP section. Although the movie's stars, Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, were absent, rapper Hammer made his presence felt by standing onstage and dusting off his typewriter dance for the crowd. Before the party, Ja Rule, Macy Gray and "Boys II" co-star Gabrielle Union were among those who hit the Times Square Loews Theater to watch the action-packed flick. ...

	'Bad Boys II' soundtrack after party

After scrapping a handful of European festival shows in the wake of frontman Jack White's recent car accident, the White Stripes have now canceled their slate of U.S. dates set for July and August. The group hopes to reschedule them soon. ... Coldplay have already completed the video for their next single, "God Put a Smile Upon Your Face." Directed by Jamie Thraves (Radiohead, Travis), who helmed the band's previous clip "The Scientist," the black-and-white video intercuts performance footage with the story of a businessman who is humiliated and horrified to find that he's gradually disappearing after bumping into a mysterious stranger with no shoes. ...

Not that "Sex and the City" needs any help getting spiced up, but Geri Halliwell is adding her name to the list of guest stars populating the last season of the HBO show. The former Ginger Spice shot a spot at New York's Soho House in which she plays Phoebe Kittenworth, a member of a hip New York club that Samantha (Kim Cattrall) tries to join. Halliwell's episode airs on August 24, according to an HBO spokesperson. ... Meadow's had a name change. Since Jamie-Lynn Sigler married her longtime manager AJ DiScala Friday night, she's chosen to now be known personally and professionally as Jamie-Lynn DiScala. The ceremony took place at New York's Brooklyn Botanic Garden, while the reception featured performances from the bride, her fellow "Sopranos" star Dominic Chianese and Carly Simon. ...

The Matrix, the red-hot production team behind Avril Lavigne's biggest hits, are working with Shakira on her second English-language album. ... The Sprite Liquid Mix Tour just got sweeter with the additions of Aussie MC Jessy Moss, Slightly Stoopid, the Skillz, Spymob and Kelis, who will perform with N.E.R.D. The additions complete a lineup of previously announced artists that includes O.A.R., the Roots and Talib Kweli. The 20-city tour starts August 14 in Denver and wraps September 14 in Boston. ...

The Deftones added 46 concerts to the collection of bootlegs available to download for free on their Web site (deftones.com). The bootlegs, which now total 49, date back to 1992. ... Carlos Santana will donate at least $2 million from his recently completed U.S. tour to the fight against AIDS in South Africa. The tour made stops in 23 cities before ending at the Hollywood Bowl. ...

Statistics on the number of users of file-sharing networks seem to suggest that the RIAA's promise to slap big-time file pirates with multimillion-dollar copyright infringement lawsuits is working. According to figures by Nielsen/Net Ratings, in the week that began just days after the Recording Industry Association of America's late June announcement, the number of users of Kazaa and Morpheus were down 15 percent, which roughly translates to a million fewer Kazaa users and 41,000 fewer Morpheus users. The parent companies of the two networks, however, deny that their legions are waning. Streamcast, which owns Morpheus, denounced the stats, and Sharman Networks, Kazaa's parent company, attributed any dip to cyclical change. A clearer picture should come into view when numbers for the entire month of July are released. ...

While the former Megadeth frontman doesn't entirely rule out the possibility of his band reuniting, Dave Mustaine has a solo project in the works. "I don't plan on forming a new band," he said in the August issue of Guitar World. "I just want to find some players that are great, that want to go out with me and do some dates. ... Obviously, I want to be very particular about the people I play with, because I have played with some of the greatest guitarists in the metal community." A legal representative for Mustaine confirmed that the solo album was completed, but a spokesperson for Sanctuary Records said the album isn't on the label's list of upcoming releases. ... Kevin Richardson, who made his Broadway debut earlier this year in "Chicago," is joining the touring company of the musical production. The Backstreet Boy will reprise his role as the smooth-talking, tap-dancing lawyer Billy Flynn next month in San Francisco for a three-week stop that begins at the Golden Gate Theatre August 5 and runs through August 24. ...

Joe Strummer's final studio recordings, previously expected this past spring, now have a title and a firm release date. The album, called Streetcore, is in the final stages of mixing and includes material the late Clash singer/guitarist recorded with his band the Mescaleros, including covers of Bob Marley's "Redemption Song" (produced by Rick Rubin) and Johnny Cash's "The Road to Rock 'N' Roll." Streetcore is due out October 7, according to a spokesperson for Epitaph Records. ...

Rob Zombie is getting inked. He's neither signing a new record deal nor getting a new tattoo, but launching his own, self-starring comic-book series. The six-issue horror-based mini-series "Rob Zombie's Spook Show International" is set to hit bookstores October 29. ... Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony is hitting the sauce. Anthony has joined forces with the company Ring of Fire to produce a tongue-sizzling brand of hot sauce. The fiery flavors will be available this fall on Anthony's official Web site, Mad Anthony's Cafe, as well as the Ring of Fire site. ... 311's video for "Creatures (For a While)," which premieres this week, finds the band working its audience into such a frenzied mosh pit that is breaks through the wall of the venue and runs rampant throughout Los Angeles, destroying a yoga studio, crashing a basketball game and getting hit by cars. The Malloys (Blink-182) directed the clip. ...

He's No Stranger to Shame ... or the tour bus. Uncle Kracker will once again hit the highway for a four-month stretch to support his second solo LP. Aside from a few weeks here and there, Kracker, who scored massively with his cover of the Dobie Gray hit "Drift Away," has been on the road for almost an entire year. ... 98 Degrees' Jeff Timmons has placed clips from his upcoming solo album, Whisper That Way, on his Web site (jefftimmons.com). In a message, Timmons said to expect the CD soon. ...

• Guns N' Roses
• Justin Timberlake
• Courtney Love
• Metallica
• Jay-Z

Method Man live at "MTV20: Live and Almost Legal"
Photo: MTV

NEW YORK — After two decades of rock, shock, hip-hop, teen pop and fashion disasters, the ghosts of MTV past, present and future visited the Hammerstein Ballroom Wednesday night to celebrate the cable channel's 20th birthday.

From original VJ Martha Quinn to "Total Request Live" heartthrob Carson Daly, from '80s provocateur Boy George to current sexpot Aaliyah, the faces and forces who have become synonymous with the network turned out to pay their respects. (Click for "Mariah Carey Had 'Breakdown,' Her Publicist Says"). Taking her place was another one of MTV's favorites over the last 20 years, the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

"Give it away, give it away, give it away now," Anthony Kiedis sang to close the last performance of the night.

But the singer was all wrong. The crowd was giving it up. No cake was served, but with free lobster, chicken and wine on the menu, who can be greedy. After all, it wasn't even a 21st birthday party.

• Limp Bizkit
• Method Man/Redman
• Jane's Addiction
• Red Hot Chili Peppers
• Kid Rock

Destiny's Child's Beyoncé
Photo: MTV News

Presidency has its advantages.

Case in point: George W. Bush assembled some of pop music's finest — including Ricky Martin, 98 Degrees, Jessica Simpson and Destiny's Child — in Washington, D.C., over the weekend to help mark his move into the White House. Country stars Lyle Lovett, Clint Black, Marcia Ball, Reckless Kelly, Asleep at the Wheel, Tanya Tucker, Mark Chesnutt, Lee Greenwood and appropriately Southern-fried rockers ZZ Top also contributed to the soundtrack for the nation's 54th inaugural.

Martin became the focus of the national press corps' attention on Thursday, offering a version of his World Cup anthem "Cup of Life" during a rally at the Lincoln Memorial. The Bush campaign used the song to cap off the then-governor's campaign appearances during the final months of the election, and Martin drew Bush out to the memorial steps for a little jig that will undoubtedly be played and replayed on "The Daily Show." But the pop-star wattage reached its peak at Friday's Inaugural Concert Celebrating America's Youth, at D.C.'s MCI Center, with the emphasis on the word "youth." Guest MCs ranging from "Jerry Maguire" cute kid Jonathan Lipnicki and "Real World: San Francisco" housemate Rachel Campos to Secretary of State Colin Powell and Bush were greeted by a crowd that might have been more at home at the Nickelodeon Kid's Choice Awards. Each MC gave a quick speech, usually about citizenship or the greatness of the American dream, between brief musical sets, usually of two to five songs. Of course, that made for some tough segues ("Thank you, Destiny's Child! And now, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development-designee Mel Martinez!"). And while the ceremony itself felt a little like a hybrid between a pep rally and a high school dance, the pop royalty who took the stage definitely played it up for the fans.

The stage at the MCI Center, which was a simple frame of lights and an enormous screen running psychedelic animation, was unpretentious and complemented the quick carousel of performers well. 98 Degrees, who performed at the special request of one of the new first daughters, played the quickest set of the evening, burning through speedy renditions of "The Hardest Thing" and "My Everything" before scampering offstage. Meanwhile, Destiny's Child emerged as three well-choreographed balls of energy, blowing through "Independent Women, Part 1" and "Jumpin', Jumpin' ". Despite an ambitious schedule that would see the trio jet off for Los Angeles for an early-morning engagement the next day, Destiny's Child worked the crowd into a decent lather. Destiny's frontwoman Beyoncé Knowles abandoned her usual repertoire of stage banter and anthemic pep routines, instead offering the more event-appropriate "I wanna hear you say Bush!" Jessica Simpson capped off the evening's longest set by performing a version of "I Think I'm in Love With You," in which she substituted the word "boy" with "George," yielding a somewhat contrived result ("George, I think I'm in love with you! I'll be doing silly things when I get next to you").

When Bush took the stage around 5:30 p.m. to thank the "pretty good darn set of entertainers," he used the opportunity to encourage the audience to "be good citizens," a theme he echoed with much greater flourish during his inaugural address the following day. After Friday's Concert Celebrating America's Youth, the inaugural festivities became a circuit of state balls, where most of the musicians were such marquee Texas talent as Loretta Lynn and ZZ Top. Despite rumors of a protest concert filled with headliners from Nader's Green Party road show, there was nothing in the streets but an occasional drum circle.

• Ricky Martin
• Jessica Simpson
• Destiny's Child
• Lyle Lovett
• Clint Black

Ricky Martin
Photo: Sony

As George W. Bush moves into the White House, he'll receive house-warming gifts in the form of performances by such artists as Texans ZZ Top, Lyle Lovett and Clint Black as well as pop stars Ricky Martin and Destiny's Child.

The festivities kick off January 18 at the Lincoln Memorial, where Martin will perform "The Cup of Life." "I am honored to be a part of the first inaugural celebration of the 21st century," Martin said in a statement. Van Morrison, Destiny's Child and Andrew Lloyd Webber will also perform that night.

Meanwhile, ZZ Top will headline a private party across town that evening billed as the Best Little Ball in D.C.

"'That little ol' band from Texas' is excited and delighted to be invited to perform [and] celebrate the inauguration," ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons said. "We're going to bring a rock 'n' Bush night to D.C., Texas style." It's not the first time the president-elect has crossed paths with the group — on May 15, 1997, then-Governor Bush honored the band by declaring it ZZ Top Day in a special ceremony.

On January 19 the Texas State Society will throw its Black Tie & Boots Ball, forgoing traditional big-band music in favor of country stars Lovett, Black with Lisa Hartman, Marcia Ball, Reckless Kelly and Asleep at the Wheel, Tanya Tucker, Mark Chesnutt, and Lee Greenwood, who also played at the elder George Bush's inaugural.

"I've been with the Bush family for many years. They called, and I'm coming," Greenwood said. "There's just so much pageantry, it's really wonderful to be a part of it." Western swing band Asleep at the Wheel played at Bill Clinton's first inauguration. Guitarist Ray Benson said the worst part about playing such shows is the tight security — their drummer was sequestered by the Secret Service, and they didn't find him until they were nearly ready to play.

"Washington, D.C., is its own Hollywood," Benson said. "Between the security measures and the pecking order sometimes the bands get lost. We're usually the top of the heap and now we're backseat to these politicians." As for whether he's excited that a fellow Texan is going to be in the White House, Benson said, "I'm keeping my vote a secret, but no matter who you voted for, he's our president. Whether I agree with him or not, I will show him the respect the office deserves. ... For us, it's a Texas thing." On January 20, Bush will be sworn in at the Capitol building, followed by a parade down Pennsylvania Avenue featuring six U.S. military bands and 38 school and other marching bands.

That evening, several venues around town will be throwing big parties, including the Hard Rock Cafe. The lineup for their bash, co-sponsored by the Recording Industry Association of America, has not been finalized yet, a spokesperson for the restaurant said.

• Ricky Martin
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