During Saturday's performance at New York's Madison Square Garden, Audioslave frontman Chris Cornell told the crowd the band is finished writing all of the material for its third album. The group then played, for the first time, one of the tracks that'll make the LP. Cornell said the song was still untitled, and even had its lyrics written down on the stage so he wouldn't forget them. "I only wrote them last week," he said. ...

Turns out Nine Inch Nails drummer Jerome Dillon, who was replaced three weeks ago by Alex Carapetis after leaving the band following its October 1 performance at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, isn't sick at all. On his Web site on Friday, Dillon, who was said to have been undergoing treatment for an unspecified heart condition, revealed he's perfectly healthy. "Contrary to many published reports in the music press, I want to make it clear that my departure from the band has absolutely nothing to do with my health," he wrote, adding that he's no longer a member of Nine Inch Nails. "I've learned much about myself -- and those around me (particularly in the last month) -- and it's brought about many positive changes. Although I appreciate the concern, I am not sick or recuperating. I feel great (physically and otherwise) and am playing the best drums of my life right now." ... White Stripes drummer Meg White's original unaccompanied drumming will serve as the theme music for Dax Shepard's character in the upcoming Bob Odenkirk-directed comedy "You Are Going to Prison." Queens of the Stone Age also recorded music for the movie, which co-stars Will Arnett ("Arrested Development"). ...

Jennifer Lopez's ex-hubby Ojani Noa, who sued the singer last year after he claimed he was wrongly fired as manager of her California restaurant, has asked the Los Angeles Superior Court to drop the lawsuit, The Associated Press reports. Noa, who was briefly wed to Lopez in 1997, was making $1,000 a week heading up Madre's, but alleged he was abruptly let go after only a six-month stint. Noa's lawyer had no comment as to why his client may have had a change of heart. ... Missy Elliott and Pam Anderson are sending out holiday cards this year that do more than just wish you season's greetings -- they also raise money for children and families with HIV and AIDS. They're contributing to M.A.C.'s Kids Helping Kids campaign, which sells cards featuring six designs by children ages 5 to 15; all proceeds support pediatric AIDS programs, with funds marked this year to go to families in Africa. Last year, Kids Helping Kids raised $170,000, and this year, they're hoping to reach close to $250,000. The cards are on sale at M.A.C. stores and at maccosmetics.com. ...

The New York Giants' Michael Strahan helped his team destroy the Washington Redskins 36 to zip Sunday afternoon, and after the game the defensive stalwart shelled out some money to eat with Ja Rule. Ja and his partner Dr. Thomas Haverton invited the likes of Strahan out to a charity dinner at the Guitar Bar in Newark, New Jersey. Rule was raising funds for his L.I.F.E. (Love Ignites Freedom & Education) Camp Inc. -- which helps at-risk kids in his hometown of Queens, New York -- and the Brain Injury Association of New Jersey. The event raised $48,000. ... R. Kelly appeared on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" on Friday to give the comedian a step-by-step analysis of the "Trapped in the Closet" video series. Kimmel has become obsessed with Kelly's multi-part opera and even created his own, called "The Pizza." ...

Bayside drummer John "Beatz" Holohan was killed early Monday morning (October 31) when the band's van flipped over after hitting an ice patch along a Cheyenne, Wyoming, highway. Holohan is survived by his wife, Amy. Bayside were on their way to Salt Lake City, where they were scheduled to perform Halloween night with Hawthorne Heights and Silverstein as part of the Never Sleep Again Tour; that show's been canceled. Bassist Nick Ghanbarian was seriously injured, having sustained a broken back, and remains under hospital care, as does drum tech Dan Marino, who also suffered a broken back and needs facial reconstruction. Vocalists and guitarists Anthony Raneri and Jack O'Shea were treated at a local hospital and released. ... 3 Doors Down will headline their second annual Better Life Foundation Concert on December 10 in Mobile, Alabama. All proceeds will go to aid Hurricane Katrina victims along the Gulf Coast. ...

Dave Matthews & Friends will headline a concert on a private island in the Bahamas as part of a Royal Caribbean rock and roll cruise February 3-6. Bob Weir and Ratdog, G. Love and Special Sauce, Toots and the Maytals, Ozomatli, North Mississippi Allstars, Mike Doughty's Band and others will also perform as part of the cruise. ... Former Jane's Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro said the debut disc from the Panic Channel, his new band with Jane's drummer Stephen Perkins and bassist Chris Chaney, should surface in early 2006. Produced by Josh Abraham (Velvet Revolver, Courtney Love), the album, Navarro wrote in his blog, will include the songs "Outsider," "Bloody Mary," "Loophole," "She Won't Last," "Said You'd Be," "Left to Lose," "Awake," "Go On" and "Teahouse." "I have been listening to a lot of Pink Floyd lately and I think some of that has rubbed off on the tracks," he wrote. "The record is really starting to sound cohesive and finished. I'd give it another week or two before I feel 'done,' but that's not that far away." ...

10.28.2005

R. Kelly had been hoping for a Chicago judge to dismiss the child-pornography case against him, but on Friday (October 28), his request was denied. However, the singer got a small consolation prize, when the judge ordered the prosecution to turn over some computer files to help his case. He's due back in court December 9. ...

Jessica Simpson poses with sister Ashlee on the cover of the next issue of Teen People, in which they reveal they gave each other strength during a rather tough year -- so tough, in fact, that Jessica sought help from a therapist. "I respect knowledge of the psyche," she told the mag. "I would be a therapist if I weren't an entertainer." Part of her frustration stems from being chased by the paparazzi and a never-ending slew of tabloid stories suggesting problems with her marriage, but she acknowledges that part of it is her fault for doing "Newlyweds" in the first place. "Nick and I have been so public about our marriage that it made people obsessed. We set ourselves up to be gawked at." Still, she has no regrets. "Anybody in the entertainment business who says they don't want fans is lying." The December/ January issue will be on newsstands November 4. ... Harry Potter won't be flying to Hogwarts in the Weasley family car anytime soon, because the Ford Anglia used in the second film, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets," has been stolen from a studio lot in Cornwall, England. "The film prop was being stored under a tarpaulin," a London police spokesperson told Reuters on Friday. "It was not in good condition and could not have been driven away under its own steam." A Warner Bros. spokesperson told MTV News that there's no word yet of a reward for the return of the stolen vehicle. Also no word on if He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is considered a suspect. ...

Mary J. Blige is slated to receive a Legend Award for lifetime achievement at the upcoming Vibe Awards. Performing on the two-hour show will be Ciara, Ludacris, Pharrell, Young Jeezy, Keyshia Cole, David Banner, Paul Wall and Lil Wayne, the latter three for a special Hurricane Katrina tribute. The Vibe Awards will be taped November 12 at Sony Studios in Culver City, California, and broadcast November 15 at 8 p.m. on UPN. ... The judge in the upcoming Phil Spector trial ruled Thursday that statements the producer made the night he is accused of shooting actress Lana Clarkson in his mansion may be used by prosecutors. Spector's attorney, Bruce Cutler, argued that when a policewoman overheard the producer say, "I didn't mean to shoot her, it was an accident," he was sleep-deprived, intoxicated, had not taken his various medications and had been subdued by police using a stun gun. ...

Kid Rock and Pam Anderson are together again -- at least on TV. Kid Rock appears on the season premiere of his ex-girlfriend's sitcom "Stacked," playing a small but pivotal role as a deliveryman. The episode airs November 9 at 8:30 p.m. on FOX. ... Dashboard Confessional, the All-American Rejects, Mike Shinoda's Fort Minor side project and Jimmy Eat World's Jim Adkins will perform at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday for a concert celebrating the two-year anniversary of MySpace.com. Proceeds from the event are being donated to the Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. ...

Slipknot have postponed their Friday (October 28) gig in Philadelphia and canceled their Sunday, Monday and Tuesday concerts in New York and the Thursday Lewiston, Maine, date of their Final Volume Tour. According to a statement from the band, Shawn "Clown" Crahan's father passed away this week; a memorial service was held Friday afternoon in the Knot's hometown of Des Moines, Iowa. The Philadelphia date has been rescheduled for November 8, the same night the band was to play the second of two scheduled shows in Worcester, Massachusetts, which has now been canceled. The tour will resume, with dates going down as scheduled, on November 4 in Montreal. Ticket refunds are being offered at point of purchase. ... More bands have been confirmed for 2006's Taste of Chaos Tour. Joining previously announced headliners the Deftones -- whose forthcoming, as-yet-untitled album is now slated for a May 2006 release -- will be As I Lay Dying, Atreyu, Thrice, Story of the Year and, on the first half of the tour, Funeral for a Friend, with Circa Survive taking over the slot for the second half of the run. The tour will start in mid-February, with dates running through the first week of April. ...

Travis Barker has designed a second shoe for DC Shoes Remix Series, this one based on the boom-box tattoo he has across his stomach. The drummer will celebrate the launch of the shoe, due in December, with a party November 14 at LAX, the club owned by friend DJ AM. ... Don Omar will be among the artists performing at the sixth annual Latin Grammys on November 3 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. The Luny Tunes, the producers behind the reggaeton craze, are presenting at the show, along with Salma Hayek, John Leguizamo, Daisy Fuentes, Andy Garcia and Sofia Vergara. ...

3 Doors Down's live collection, due Tuesday, will mark the first release in Monster Music's Superdisc format, a CD that also doubles as a High Definition DVD. Away From the Sun, Live From Houston, Texas is also the band's first live release. ... Live 8 organizer Bob Geldof will be honored with the Man of Peace award on November 24 at the World Summit of Nobel Laureates. Previous winners of the Nobel Peace Prize vote on the award. ...

The body of Olamide Adeyooye, the girlfriend of three years to Junior Varsity guitarist Andy Wildrick, was discovered in a burnt-down Mississippi chicken coop on Monday; she had been missing since October 13. Police have no suspects at this time, but investigators have launched a nationwide search for Adeyooye's car, which is also missing. Police believe the car may contain valuable clues that may help them find Olamide's killers. The car is a green 1996 Toyota Corolla, with Illinois license plate LBG927; the car's rear window bears a sticker from Olamide's college, Illinois State University. Those with any information concerning the car's whereabouts should call Detective Sergeant Scott Johnson with the Normal, Illinois, Police Department at (309) 454-9535. ...