Tommy Lee, Kid Rock Offered Vegas Rematch; Plus Bono, Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony, Hilary Duff & More, In 'For The Record'
We saw round one of the [article id="1569305"]fight between Tommy Lee and Kid Rock at the VMAs[/article], but what if they really got in the ring? Boxing promoter Bob Arum is hoping to get a legitimate fight off the ground between the two rockers in Las Vegas, according to TMZ. And to sweeten the pot, a $5 million purse will go to the winner. "I will make sure this fight happens no matter what the cost," Arum said. ...
On Thursday in Philadelphia, Bono will be presented with the Liberty Medal by former president George H.W. Bush in recognition of his work to combat poverty and disease in Africa. The medal -- and the accompanying $100,000 prize -- is being presented by the National Constitution Center, a nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing public understanding of the ideas and values of the U.S. Constitution. The ceremony, being held at the National Constitution Center in Philly, will be webcast live starting at 7 p.m. ET at LibertyMedal.org. ...
Ahh, the celebrity life. After Jennifer Lopez's husband Marc Anthony confessed his love for KFC to "Access Hollywood" ("I can't eat anything else after a concert"), the fast-food chain offered up its services to the star couple. "We would like to offer you, your entourage and a few VIP guests an 'all access' pass to the KFC location of your choice," KFC President Gregg Dedrick wrote in an open letter to the pair, according to People magazine. The couple, whose North American tour kicks off September 29 in Atlantic City, New Jersey, didn't immediately respond to the offer. ... What do you buy your pop-star girlfriend who has everything? A Mercedes, of course. Hilary Duff's hockey-player boyfriend, Mike Comrie, surprised the singer/actress with an early present for her 20th birthday. "I opened the garage, and I was just like shocked, just standing there," Duff told People. The New York Islanders player decided on a Mercedes-Benz G-class SUV for Duff. "I've driven it tons," she said of her birthday present. "When I called him I was like, 'You're crazy! It's perfect!' " ...
Apparently, former CBGB owner Hilly Kristal, who died last month, was reportedly worth $3.7 million, according to a story in the Village Voice, and his family members, who thought he was broke, are allegedly at odds over the fortune. The story claims that Kristal's son, Dana, is upset about the way his sister, Lisa Kristal Burgman, allegedly encouraged his mother, Kristal's ex-wife Karen, to sign away her rights to the CBGB corporation in 2005 at a time when she was showing signs of senility and may not have realized what she was signing. Dana was left $100,000 in a trust and Lisa was named co-executor of the will and left all of Kristal's property, the paper reported. ...
Jurors in the Phil Spector trial got back to work Friday (September 21) with a new set of instructions. The judge offered the panel new scenarios Thursday of how Spector might have killed actress Lana Clarkson -- including one where the music producer forced Clarkson to put the gun in her own mouth. The defense argued against the new instructions, which came after [article id="1569976"]jurors were deadlocked 7-5[/article]. ... Alicia Silverstone's revealing new People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals TV ad has been pulled in Houston, Texas. The vegetarian actress is nearly naked in the commercial, in which she urges people to consider a meatless diet. The spot was directed by Dave Meyers, who has directed more than 180 music videos, including Missy Elliott's "Work It" and "Control Yourself." ...
Seal wrote the song "Wedding Day" for his supermodel wife, Heidi Klum, and now she's returning the favor -- by contributing vocals to the song on Seal's new album, System, the singer's rep confirmed to People. The LP is due October 30. ... Gucci Mane will release his third album, Trap-A-Thon, on Tuesday, which includes the original version and remix of the Atlanta rapper's 2006 "Freaky Gurl" and an bonus DVD called "The Glockumentary," which chronicles his 2006 murder trial and beef with Young Jeezy. ...
As if buying tickets to your favorite concerts weren't expensive enough, now it appears some fans are resorting to buying pass codes to fan clubs so they can get in on presale ticket opportunities offered to fan club members, according to the Wall Street Journal. The practice, which includes fan-club members selling the pass codes on eBay and Craigslist for anything from $4 to $20, has angered the people who run the fan clubs, who say it undercuts their attempts to make sure fans have first dibs on tickets.
09.20.07
Snoop Dogg struck a plea deal on Thursday (September 20) in his weapon-possession case stemming from an arrest at John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California, in September 2006, The Associated Press reports. The rapper (real name: Calvin Broadus) was sentenced to 160 hours of community service and three years' probation, and ordered to make a $10,000 charitable donation. In the September incident, Snoop was found carrying a collapsible baton -- while he claimed it was for a video shoot, authorities considered it to be a dangerous weapon. If he doesn't violate the law again, his felony conviction will be reduced to a misdemeanor after one year. "We are very pleased with the outcome," his attorney Donald Etra told AP. "He wants to get on with his life." ...
Game (real name: Jayceon Taylor) was given a conditional discharge on Thursday in the case involving the rapper allegedly impersonating a police officer in New York in November, AP reports. Per Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Marc Whiten's order, if Game is not arrested again within six months, the misdemeanor criminal-impersonation charge will be dismissed. Claiming innocence, Game had rejected previous plea deals that would have kept him out of jail in exchange for a guilty plea. He was arrested after allegedly telling a cab driver he was an undercover cop and instructing him to run red lights, but Game denied that claim and instead argued that the driver decided to run the red lights on his own. Game's lawyer, Jeffrey Lichtman, pointed out Game's facial tattoo and said it was doubtful the driver would have believed the rapper to be a police officer. "I've never seen a cop with writing all over his face," Game said. ...
First Dr. Dre makes an appearance at the VMAs, and now he's got an interview in the latest issue of GQ -- maybe Detox really is on the way. The notoriously reclusive producer appears in the 50th anniversary issue of the men's magazine and, for the first time, goes on record about the rift between his Aftermath artists 50 Cent and Game. "It was definitely a conscious thing," he said of his decision to not speak up in the past about the feud. "This is something that's between labelmates. I've said, 'When you guys are ready to make some music, let's get down. Let's get in the studio.' All that other stuff, that's not for me. This is something they created, so it's something they have to handle. I don't feel like I have to choose a side." Dre also revealed that, at the behest of Interscope Chairman Jimmy Iovine, he once asked Game not to dis 50 during a New York show. "I knew that this one wasn't gonna go away," he said. "I know these guys, and I know nobody is gonna back down." ...
Gerard Way had some kind words to say to the University of Maine's campus newspaper, The Maine Campus, about Bon Jovi -- his band, My Chemical Romance, will open for the rock legends October 25-26 as part of the christening of Newark, New Jersey's Prudential Center. "I grew up as a Bon Jovi fan. Whenever you're dealing with Bon Jovi or Springsteen, it's just a great honor and at that point; it doesn't really matter what genre you play. It really just kind of matters that you're all from New Jersey." Way also had a thing or two to say about MCR being labeled "emo," although his words on that subject weren't so kind. "Emo bands were being booked while we were touring with Christian metal bands because no one would book us on tours. I think emo is f---ing garbage, it's bullsh--. I think there's bands that unfortunately we get lumped in with that are considered emo and by default that starts to make us emo. All I can say is anyone actually listening to the records, put the records next to each other and listen to them and there's actually no similarities. I think emo's a pile of sh--." ...
Yung Joc will perform at the 100th anniversary of Zeta Beta Tau fraternity's Cornell University chapter, according to the campus' paper, The Cornell Daily Sun. The October 12 concert, to be held at the Zeta Beta Tau house, will serve to benefit the Children's Miracle Network, an alliance of hospitals for children. ... Jennifer Lopez has a new album on the brain -- Brave, which drops October 9 -- but that hasn't stopped her from hooking up with Carlos Santana for a new slice set to be featured on the rock icon's Ultimate Santana collection, due October 16. Baby Bash also surfaces on "This Boy's Fire," which was partly produced by Sean Garrett. Two more previously unreleased collabos -- "Into the Night" with Nickelback's Chad Kroeger and "The Game of Love" with Tina Turner -- also beef up the best-of disc. ...
Missy Elliott posted a teaser on her Web site announcing that she's back in the lab cooking up a new album that she hopes to release in the spring. No other information was given on the album, which would be her first since 2005's The Cookbook. ... As huge as the [article id="1570001"]Kanye West/ 50 Cent album showdown[/article] appeared to be, LP sales are still down 9 percent compared to the same week last year, Billboard reports. ... Tired of seeing Kanye West all over the place? Too bad. The recent Gradu-ee will perform September 29 on "Saturday Night Live." Spoon will play on the show the following week. ...
Sammy Hagar says he wouldn't have toured with the reunited Van Halen without founding bassist Michael Anthony, who has been replaced with Eddie Van Halen's son, Wolfgang Van Halen, for the band's reunion tour with singer David Lee Roth. According to the Web site for Internet radio station KNAC, Hagar said, "I wouldn't do it without Mike. ... If Eddie wants to play with his son, fine. I love my son too, but I got him a different job. ... I just think the fans are gonna walk away with a little bit of a disappointment because Mike's a big part of that band." ... In related news, Van Halen have tossed three more California dates onto their much-anticipated reunion tour, which kicks off September 27 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The band will hit Fresno on November 29, Anaheim on December 18 and will now bring the jaunt to a close in Oakland on December 22. ...
The inaugural Girlfrenzy concert scheduled for October 27 at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Irvine, California, has been postponed. Though organizers have not given any reason for the show's cancellation, they said in a post on the show's MySpace page that it will be rescheduled for 2008. The show was to feature Avril Lavigne, Fiona Apple, Sheryl Crow and Colbie Caillat. ... After three years, Scratch magazine is calling it a day. The hip-hop mag's final issue features 50 Cent and Timbaland on the cover and is due out at the end of September. No reason was given for the magazine's shuttering. ...
The 10th anniversary edition of Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy Camp will get an extra dose of power this year with appearances from Slash, Who singer Roger Daltrey, Vince Neil and Eagles guitarist Joe Walsh. Also on the roster for the event, to be held November 7-11 in Las Vegas, are Cream bassist Jack Bruce, as well as members of Iron Maiden, Yes, Steely Dan, Bad Company, Megadeth and Winger. ... Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band will give Asbury Park, New Jersey, fans a sneak preview of their upcoming tour in support of their upcoming album Magic, which is due October 2. The Boss has scheduled a pair of benefit shows for Monday and Tuesday night at the Asbury Park Convention Hall, with the $100 tickets selling out almost immediately when they went on sale Thursday morning (September 20), according to the promoter. ...
Gene Simmons, glam-rocker, reality-TV star, magazine entrepreneur and ... science-fiction author? You read it right -- the Kiss frontman has penned the first installment of a planned sci-fi series, "Zipper," for release in November. The heavily illustrated book tells the story of a drone soldier from another planet who "begins to question his purpose and contemplate his autonomy ... he realizes his own capacity for individualism and wishes to explore it further," according to Simmons' Web site. ... Hardcore heroes Snapcase are getting back together for a one-off show to benefit Callum Robbins, the son of Jawbox's J. Robbins who is suffering from spinal muscular atrophy. The gig will go down at the Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn, New York, on November 24 and also feature 108 and Triple Threat. The show is being organized by 108 member and author Norman Brannon, whose "The Anti-Matter Anthology: A 1990s Post-Punk & Hardcore Reader" -- a tome revolving around the defunct fanzine -- is due in stores November 6. ...
Gina Gershon can't stop the rock. The "Showgirls" actress, whose 2004 reality show chronicled her attempted crossover into the world of rock and roll, will preview songs from her upcoming album In Search of Cleo during a residency at the New York club the Box every Sunday and Monday night in October. Backed by a five-piece band and three dancers, Gershon will unveil the suite of songs -- all of which she wrote or co-wrote -- that tell the true story of the search and recovery of her lost cat, Cleo. According to a press release, the 10 songs focus "on the literal and metaphoric experience of the search, not just for Cleo, but for love," using "biting humor, country, blues and jazz-influenced singing and a splash of sexy."