Who else could bring together the likes of Dave Matthews Band, Ryan Adams and Brian McKnight but pigtailed country crooner Willie Nelson? These artists, as well as Emmylou Harris, Lyle Lovett and Matchbox Twenty's Rob Thomas, will salute the Redheaded Stranger at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium on April 14 in a tribute concert which is scheduled to air on the A&E network on May 6, according to the Los Angeles Times. ... While they take a breather from their group-related activities, 98 Degrees will tide fans over on May 7 with the greatest-hits album The Collection. The LP includes the new single "Why," due Tuesday. ... Pete Yorn will launch a spring tour April 4 in San Diego that will hit more than a dozen cities before wrapping with an April 27 performance at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California. Yorn recently filmed the video for his latest single, "Strange Condition." ...

Former Van Halen singer Sammy Hagar, current Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony, Journey guitarist Neil Schon and Journey drummer Deen Castronovo have decided to call their new group Planet Us. The group has recorded two songs, "Vertigo" and "Peeping Through a Hole," but don't plan on reconvening until the fall when Hagar and Journey return from their summer tours. ... The Eagles' next disc, which is expected in early 2003, may be released without major-label distribution. Last week, Don Henley told Billboard the group's first studio album since 1979's The Long Run might only be available on the Internet and "certain superstore chains." ... Queensrÿche vocalist Geoff Tate has completed his first solo album, Old World Order, which he plans to release in June. He has scheduled Seattle gigs for May 31 and June 12. ...

Following in the tradition of notable video-to-silver-screen directors such as Spike Jonze, David Fincher, McG and Hype Williams, "Smells Like Teen Spirit" auteur Samuel Bayer will be making his feature-film debut with a remake of the 1974 Sam Peckinpah cult crime classic "Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia," according to Variety. The movie is scheduled to star Oscar-winner Benicio Del Toro. ... Surrealist artist Mati Klarwein, whose paintings made an indelibly psychedelic impression on record covers for Santana (Abraxas), Miles Davis (Bitches Brew, Live/Evil) and many more, died last Wednesday of unspecified causes in Mallorca, Spain, according to The Associated Press. He was 70. ...

Sensitive heavy rockers Staind have set a tentative August 21 release date for the "Staind: MTV Unplugged" DVD. The eleven-song set includes acoustic versions of "It's Been Awhile" and "Outside" as well as two un-aired performances, backstage interviews, and original videos for

"Mudshovel" and "Fade." ... Jay-Z's 1996 LP Reasonable Doubt finally earned a platinum plaque last month, the RIAA said. Double-platinum designations went to Mary J. Blige for No More Drama and to P.O.D. for Satellite, while the Strokes' Is This It and Cold's 13 Ways to Bleed on Stage were certified gold. ...

Fatboy Slim hosted a listening party at the Maison 140 hotel in Beverly Hills on Thursday night for his mix album, Live on Brighton Beach, due April 30. Cher was on hand, along with actors Rose McGowan, Alyssa Milano and Taryn Manning. ... Cher's been getting around the dance music scene, as she attended a release party last week in New York City for Barry Harris & Chris Cox Present Thunderpuss, due March 19, where she performed her new single, "Song for the Lonely." Thunderpuss, who will host future release parties in Washington, D.C. (March 16), San Francisco (April 13) and Miami (April 27), remixed Cher's single for clubs, while Cox co-produced "Love One Another" from her Living Proof. ...

Drowning Pool and Saliva are both scheduled to perform during the World Wrestling Federation pay-per-view "Wrestlemania X8," which airs live from Toronto on March 17. Their songs "Tear Away" and "Superstar," respectively, are the "official themes" of the event. ... Superproducers the Neptunes and singer/songwriter Shay — a.k.a. N*E*R*D — will perform on "The Late Show With David Letterman" on March 20. ... Wee, teensy pop star Kylie Minogue is the musical guest on the March 16 episode of Saturday Night Live. ... Hip-hop educator Lauryn Hill is off to the Caribbean to perform at the nine-day St. Lucia Jazz Festival along with acts such as India.Arie, En Vogue and Smokey Robinson. The open-air event starts May 3, with Hill taking the stage on May 11. ...

Superjoint Ritual, a metal collective featuring Pantera's Phil Anselmo on vocals and guitar, will release their debut album, Use Once and Destroy, on May 21. The band also features Hank Williams III on bass, Eyehategod drummer Jimmy Bower (who also plays with Anselmo in Down), guitarist Kevin Bond (who plays in Williams' main band) and drummer Joseph Fazzio (Demonseeds, Stressball). ... Boyz II Men are in the studio with Babyface, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and other producers recording tracks for their fifth album, due in late April or early May. "Color of Love" is likely to be the first single. ... Kinks guitarist Dave Davies will release his first solo studio album in nearly two decades, Bug, on May 7. A tour for the disc starts in April 24 in New York and runs through March 19 in Omaha, Nebraska. ...

03.07.02

The Red Hot Chili Peppers are suspending work on their long-awaited seventh studio album, the follow-up to 1999's Californication, to perform at the second annual ESPN Action Sports and Music Awards on April 13 at Los Angeles' Universal Amphitheatre. The band will also receive the Artist Contribution Award at the ceremony which is scheduled for broadcast on the cable network April 16 at 9 p.m. ET. ... Destiny's Child, Dido and Enya won three trophies apiece Wednesday at the World Music Awards in Monaco, the latter upsetting Britney Spears for World's Best-Selling Female. Enrique Iglesias and co-host Shaggy each won two awards, while Linkin Park, Alicia Keys, Ja Rule and performer Kylie Minogue took home one apiece. ...

Alien Ant Farm were in L.A. recently shooting the video for "Attitude," third single from their debut album, last year's ANThology. AAF fans take note: That unrecognizable fifth guy is not a new addition to the lineup, but longtime friend and frequent hometown guest percussionist Jair, who will open for the group on March 29 at the Palace in Hollywood. ... Pro wrestler Rob Van Dam is seen drag racing in the video for Breaking Point's "One of a Kind," which was shot Wednesday in Los Angeles. The track, which has been stripped onto new pressings of the band's debut, Coming of Age, serves as the grappler's theme song and is featured on WWF Forceable Entry, which is due March 26. ...

The Beyond 2002 Super Festival, taking place April 12-14 in Miami, Florida, has added some rock to its formerly hip-hop- and dance-heavy roster. Stone Temple Pilots, Third Eye Blind and Less Than Jake, along with Fatboy Slim, will join previously announced performers Outkast, Snoop Dogg, Ludacris, Method Man and Busta Rhymes, among others, at the three-day festival, which also features extreme-sports exhibitions, a DJ contest and comedian Carl Payne, "Cole" from TV's "Martin." ... Two 311 tracks remixed by Canadian drum'n'bass DJ Freaky Flow, "Uncalm" and "You Wouldn't Believe," are available for free download on the band's official Web site (www.311 music.com). The latter also appears on Flow's new mix album, Keep It Live. Other downloads available on 311's site include remixes by Sean Perry and DJ Lofton and a collaboration with Black Eyed Peas. ...

Looper, the band featuring ex-Belle and Sebastian cliquester Stuart David, are preparing to release their third album, The Snare, in May. ... Gay Dad's Transmission will see an April 23 release through Thirsty Ear. ... Before the year's out, former Hüsker Dü and Sugar member Bob Mould will release three new albums on his new label, Granary Music, in collaboration with the United Musicians collective, a organization formed by Aimee Mann and Michael Penn, among others, that helps small independent labels get distribution. The first of the trilogy, Modulate, is due March 12 and will be followed by a U.S. tour that kicks off March 29 in St. Louis, Missouri.