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For The Record: Quick News On Whitney & Bobby, 'Idol,' Bono, Jay-Z, Rihanna, Simon Cowell, Mel B. & More

Houston, Brown finalize divorce; Bono writes 'Prayer' for 'Idol' charity special; Rihanna/Jay video debuts Thursday.

Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown are officially through, The Associated Press reports. The couple's divorce was made final in Orange County, California, on Tuesday (April 24), with the settlement having been worked out in advance. Houston will get full legal and physical custody of the couple's 14-year-old daughter, Bobbi Kristina. ...

Bono will appear on "American Idol" for Wednesday night's "Idol Gives Back" special two-hour results show, hosted by Ellen DeGeneres, to speak with the six finalists about the One campaign's aim to eliminate poverty. The contestants will perform "American Prayer," a song about Africa's AIDS crisis that was written by the U2 frontman with Dave Stewart. Other performers scheduled to appear on Wednesday's show include Kelly Clarkson, Gwen Stefani, Carrie Underwood and Celine Dion. ...

Rihanna will debut the video for "Umbrella" (featuring Jay-Z) on her Web site Thursday. The track is the first single from Rihanna's upcoming third album, Good Girl Gone Bad, due June 5. ... Ashlee Simpson wants you to forget anything bad you've heard about her father. Joe Simpson, who manages Ashlee's career as well as sister Jessica's, isn't the overbearing stage father he's sometimes made out to be, she insists. "People have the wrong perception of him," Ashlee said in an interview published in the May issue of Harper's Bazaar. "He's a wonderful man. He would never hurt a fly." Simpson also said she thinks having more family involvement could help her peers, such as Britney Spears, cope with fame. "I think they should probably move out of L.A.," she said. "I think that their parents need to help them." ...

Simon Cowell and Clive Davis are combining their powers to help Leona Lewis ensure success. Lewis is the first female winner of Britain's "The X Factor" -- a TV show produced by Cowell's SycoTV -- and Cowell and Davis will collaborate to pick the producers and songs for her yet-untitled debut album, due on J/Syco. ... Eddie Murphy isn't sure he's the father of Mel B.'s new daughter, but the former Spice Girl has decided to name the baby Angel Iris Murphy Brown anyway, AP reports. In a statement, the singer explained how she came up with the name: "Angel, as she was my little angel through my pregnancy. Iris, as it's my grandma's name, Murphy because he's the dad, and Brown, because I'm the Mum!" ...

Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz will open a nightclub in New York with members of his own band as well as members of Gym Class Heroes, the Academy Is ... and Cobra Starship; the bands' managers are also involved in the enterprise. Called Angels & Kings, the club will occupy the former space that housed the Orchard Bar, on 11th Street near Avenue A. The club is scheduled to open Monday. ... Ne-Yo will perform Tuesday at Arena in New York to kick off the second annual Hennessy Artistry Tour. Ne-Yo will also perform at the second night on the tour, scheduled for Thursday in Washington, D.C. ... While he's been one of the tour's staples for the last six years, Zakk Wylde said his band, Black Label Society, will not be playing this summer's free Ozzfest. Wylde will, however, appear with headliner Ozzy Osbourne, playing guitar during the festival namesake's set. ...

Russell Simmons' new motivational book "Do You!" was released Tuesday, and the music mogul held court at a Borders bookstore in downtown Manhattan, New York, to celebrate its release. Simmons is also scheduled to sign copies of his book Tuesday evening at a Barnes & Noble in New Jersey and later host a party at Stereo in NYC. ... George Michael will have to appear in a London court the day before performing at Wembley Stadium, AP reports. The trial of the singer, who is facing charges of driving under the influence of drugs, begins May 8 and will be followed by hearings May 30-31 and June 8. His Wembley shows are set for June 9-10. ... James Brown's legal woes continue, but the deceased singer's backing band is carrying on -- the 17-piece Soul Generals are planning a series of shows, AP reports. The first will take place at New York's Apollo Theater on May 3 -- Brown's birthday. ...

Tom Morello, a.k.a. the Nightwatchman, joins some names you might not expect -- Alison Krauss, Emmylou Harris, Ralph Stanley and Elvis Perkins -- at this year's Dunkin' Donuts Newport Folk Festival (August 3-5) in Newport, Rhode Island. The fest will also feature sets from the Allman Brothers Band, North Mississippi Allstars, John Butler Trio, Grace Potter & the Nocturnals and Assembly of Dust. ... Morello is also the star of a new video feature on MySpace in which the Rage Against the Machine guitarist is interviewed by documentary filmmaker Michael Moore. Morello talks about the origins of the Nightwatchman character, which he honed on off-nights from an Audioslave arena tour by playing open mics. The video is available at MySpace.com/ArtistOnArtist. ...

Interpol's forthcoming, still-untitled third album has been slated for a July 10 release. ... The Click Five have parted ways with frontman Eric Dill, and have replaced him with Kyle Patrick. "We know he will be missed by many, and we wish him the best success in his other endeavors," the band said in a statement. The Click Five's second LP, Modern Minds and Pastimes, is due June 26. Dill explained on his Web site that he's moved to Los Angeles to try acting and other musical endeavors. "I have never been more excited to pursue my interests," he wrote. "I have a lot of ideas, and that's where it starts." ... Static-X have recruited Bevan Davies as their latest drummer. Davies, who has worked with Danzig and Jerry Cantrell, will be filling in for Nick Oshiro, who is recovering from a broken hand. Will Hunt had most recently manned the kit for the band. Static-X plan to make a summer-tour announcement in the coming weeks.

04.23.2007

50 Cent's upcoming album, Curtis, has a June 26 release date set. The project features guest spots by 50 veterans Eminem and Mary J. Blige as well as new collaborators Justin Timberlake, Akon, Robin Thicke and the Pussycat Dolls' Nicole Scherzinger. 50 told MTV News in November that his next album would be called Before I Self Destruct; that album is now slated for release early in 2008. ...

Christina Aguilera can add congressional stylist to her résumé. On Friday, as part of Lifetime's annual End Violence Against Women campaign, members of the Congressional Caucus for Women's Issues -- including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi -- wore a new scarf designed by Aguilera. You can see a picture of the scarf on Aguilera's Web site. ... Game previewed Nas' new video, "Hustlers," on his Black Wall Street blog over the weekend. The R. Malcolm Jones-directed clip, which features Game in Compton, California, and Nas in New York -- followed by the rappers flip-flopping coasts and rhyming from the other's town. An airdate for the video has not been set. ...

U2's the Edge coughed up a beloved 1958 autographed Les Paul guitar that he'd used on every U2 tour since 1985 for Saturday's Music Rising auction and the sacrifice paid off. The guitar was acquired by an anonymous buyer for $240,000 in the biggest official sale of U2 memorabilia ever. Benefiting musicians devastated by Hurricane Katrina, Saturday's auction rang up more than $2.4 million for Music Rising, the charity set up by the Edge. Other big-bucks items among the 200 that were sold included a 1966 Jim Hendrix Fender Mustang guitar ($400,000), former President Bill Clinton's saxophone ($54,000), a pair of John Lennon's round, blue-tinted sunglasses ($30,000), one of Bono's guitars ($180,000) and a bass from U2's Adam Clayton ($22,000). ...

Velvet Revolver have set the release of their sophomore disc, Libertad, for July 3. They've also confirmed 12 North American dates, launching May 3 in Los Angeles and wrapping May 22 in New York. They'll also hit San Francisco (May 5); Seattle (May 7); Chicago (May 10); Detroit (May 12); Toronto (May 13); Washington, D.C. (May 15); Boston (May 16); Sayreville, New Jersey (May 18); Columbus, Ohio (May 19); and Philadelphia (May 20). ... The White Stripes are celebrating their 10th anniversary with a gift for U.K. fans. A limited-edition gatefold red vinyl 7-inch single, featuring the A-side "Rag and Bone" and an etching on side B, will be released free with an issue of British music newspaper NME that's on sale June 6. A white vinyl 7-inch, featuring the song "Icky Thump," backed with another etching, will be available for purchase June 11, completing the gatefold set. ...

Justin Timberlake's "D--- in a Box" digital short could make this season's "Best of SNL" special airing May 5, but that's for viewers to decide. The JT/ Andy Samberg slow jam is up against four other clips -- including Drew Barrymore's "Body Fuzion" workout video and Peyton Manning's tough-love United Way commercial -- on SaturdayNightLive.com. Voting ends April 30. ... Britney Spears is promoting her Midnight Fantasy fragrance with an iPod giveaway. Winning entries in the Midnight Fantasy Tic-Tock Photo Diaries contest -- which seeks submissions reflecting "what happens to you when the clock strikes 12" at MidnightFantasyPhoto.EAContests.com through May 10 -- will score a 30GB video iPod signed by Britney. ...

Smashing Pumpkins have revealed the track list for their first new album since 2000. Zeitgeist, due July 7, will feature a dozen tracks, including "Doomsday Clock," "Tarantula" and "Pomp and Circumstance." ... Iggy Pop celebrated his 60th birthday during a Stooges gig in San Francisco on Saturday. Toward the end of the band's set, the crowd crooned "Happy Birthday" to the singer, and balloons featuring Pop's visage were dropped from the ceiling. The singer thanked fans before inviting them onstage to sing "No Fun." ... Madonna, Arctic Monkeys, Amy Winehouse, Scissor Sisters and Corinne Bailey Rae are up for the Ivor Novello Awards, prizes presented by the British Academy of Composers and Songwriters to honor musical achievement. The Monkeys' "When the Sun Goes Down" is up for the Best Song Musically & Lyrically prize, Amy Winehouse's "Rehab" is in the running for Best Contemporary Song honors, and Madonna, Scissor Sisters and Bailey Rae face off for the Most Performed Work designation. The awards will be presented May 24 in London. ...

Paula DeAnda relaunched her Web site last week, and the pop singer is hosting a contest on her site to have fans help her input scenes into the video for "When It Was Me," her next single. "This [video] is gonna be totally different from my other videos," DeAnda told MTV News. "I'm doing my own treatment, but not the whole thing, of course. But I want my own flavor to it. I want to put that message out there, like the song says, you don't have to have the perfect body shape to be sexy or beautiful. Just be yourself." Partial footage of the clip is already up on her fan site, and contestants will have the chance to fill in the blanks with content of their choosing. The winning entry will have their images included in the final version of the video. ... Cartel will be recording their new album as a part of a four-episode MTV reality series called "Band in a Bubble." The group will be locked inside a transparent fiberglass dome with producers Zack Odom and Kenneth Mount, situated on Pier 54 in New York. Dr. Pepper will allow fans to monitor the bubble around the clock via drpepperbubble.com, and the show will begin airing May 24. ...

Eve's next album, Here I Am, due August 7, features production from Timbaland, Pharrell, Sean Paul, Swizz Beatz, Scott Storch and Cool & Dre. The Beatz track "Tambourine" will be the disc's first single. ... Marilyn Manson's marriage was a traditional one, Dita Von Teese explains in an interview printed in the May issue of Harper's Bazaar (due on newsstands Tuesday) -- noting that reports that the couple had an open relationship are not true. "No! Never!" she said. "We were completely monogamous. I think people thought we were real free and open, but we really believed in commitment and tradition and our vows. But sometimes people change their ideas, I suppose." Von Teese filed for divorce in December 2006, one year after the couple married. ...

Rancid frontman Tim Armstrong's solo debut is available online for free -- so long as you're willing to find it. Cuts from the LP A Poet's Life are scattered all over the Internet, with one appearing each Tuesday in advance of the disc's May 22 release. Fans will need to scour the Web as part of an MP3 scavenger hunt to track down the new songs -- though two, "Wake Up" and "Hold On," are there for the taking on Epitaph.com. Other tracks available online include "Into Action," "Inner City Violence" and "Among the Dead." ... Chiodos will head into the studio next month to begin recording their new album, Bone Palace Ballet, with producer Casey Bates (Fear Before the March of Flames, Gatsby's American Dream). A late summer/ early fall release is in the works, and a slew of demo tracks from the album are available at the band's MySpace page.

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