Britney Spears will be honored with the Children's Choice Award at the Neil Bogart Memorial Fund's annual Bogart Tour for a Cure on November 4 in Los Angeles. The pop princess has established both a namesake foundation and a performing arts camp to benefit sick and disadvantaged children and raised $1 million during her Dream Within a Dream Tour for children affected by the September 11 attacks. ... Ever since 'NSYNC's Joey Fatone joined the cast for "Rent" last month, ticket sales have doubled, to the tune of $100,000 more a week. Of course, that pales in comparison to the millions raked in by new entry "Hairspray" -- this year's "The Producers" -- but for a long-running production ("Rent" is in its seventh year), the box office rebound is setting Broadway records, "Rent" reps say. ... A pre-trial hearing of second-degree assault charges brought against R&B singer Keke Wyatt for allegedly stabbing her husband took place Tuesday (September 24) in Kentucky's Shelbyville County Circuit Court. Attorneys were given 20 days to file motions and 30 days thereafter for responses, before the judge determines whether the case goes to trial. ...
Backstreet Boy Brian Littrell and wife Leighanne are crossing over, and we're not talking about transcending radio formats. The couple will be featured on Thursday's episode of psychic TV show "Crossing Over With John Edward," during which Edward will connect Littrell with a late childhood friend with whom he once shared a hospital room (check local listings for airtimes). ... The "Crossing Over" episode was filmed in the home of Littrell's groupmate A.J. McLean, who will appear in a future episode of the series. ... Meanwhile, fellow BSBer Howie Dorough and his sister Pollyanna will co-host and perform at the United Catholic Music and Video Association's third annual Unity Awards, taking place October 26 on the campus of Washington, D.C.'s Catholic University. In addition to performing "Fly to Heaven" with his sister, Dorough and his family will be honored with the Inspiration Award for the Dorough Lupus Foundation. ...
Def Jam impresario Russell Simmons celebrated the 10th anniversary of his hip-hop fashion brand Phat Farm with a runway show Sunday at New York's Bryant Park. The spring 2003 lines of Phat Farm and its Baby Phat women's apparel brand were examined by fashion insiders as well as music celebrities like Mya, Tweety from Next, Queen Latifah, Damon Dash and Mario. ... Guitarist Trey Anastasio and bassist Mike Gordon performed publicly for the first time since Phish went on hiatus during an impromptu jam session Monday at the Woodstock Film Festival at a party for the Allen Woody documentary "Rising Low," which Gordon directed. Gov't Mule (Woody's band) drummer Matt Abts, Widespread Panic bassist Dave Schools, Deep Banana Blackout guitarist Fuzz and DJ Logic also sat in. ...
Who's the Boss" star Tony Danza has released his first album, The House I Live In, named after the title track, a remake of Frank Sinatra's 1949 hit. The album also includes the actor's rendition of "God Bless America." ... Alanis Morissette has contributed a new song, "Offer," to a benefit album for the Sabera Foundation for abandoned girls in Calcutta organized by actresses Melanie Griffith and Penelope Cruz, according to the Los Angeles Times. Ricky Martin, Elton John, Bob Dylan and Sting are donating previously released tracks -- some with a chorus made up of girls receiving health care and education from the foundation added to them -- to the project, due November 19. ... Badly Drawn Boy (a.k.a. Damon Gough) has pushed back the release date of his third album, Have You Fed the Fish?, from October 22 to November 5. His tour kicks off on October 17 at the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C. and, after winding through New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Detroit, Chicago and Portland, winds up at the Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles on November 8. ...
The now-defunct Toadies will release the live album Best of Toadies - Live From Paradise on November 19. The 18-track collection, recorded before the band broke up in May 2001 at Boston's Paradise club, features a cover of the Pixies' "Where Is My Mind." ... A cover of Elton John's "Tiny Dancer" and "Fred Jones Part 2" featuring Cake's John McCrea are among the gems on the final track list for Ben Folds Live, due October 8. Folds will promote the album, the first 100,000 copies of which will include a bonus DVD with 35 minutes of live footage, with a tour beginning October 10 in Englewood, New Jersey and ending November 3 in Walla Walla, Washington. ... SR-71 have signed on for a residency at Los Angeles' famed Viper Room for three consecutive Wednesdays beginning October 2. The group are promoting their new album, Tomorrow, due October 22. ...
09.23.02
Red Hot Chili Peppers filmed an "experimental and psychedelic" video for their next single, "The Zephyr Song," in Los Angeles last week with frequent collaborators Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, according to Flea. "I don't know if people are going to like it," warned the bassist, who will tour the states with his band in March or April. ... Backstreet Boy A.J. McLean performed onstage at the Mint in Los Angeles on Saturday with his fiancée, Sarah Martin. The couple plan to wed next year. ... Tom Petty, Elvis Costello and Brian Setzer will join Lenny Kravitz, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards as guest voices on the season premiere of "The Simpsons," airing November 10. In the episode, "How I Spent My Strummer Vacation," Marge sends Homer to a rock and roll fantasy camp. ...
Country singer Reba McEntire made a guest appearance on "American Idol in Las Vegas," which will air Monday night (September 23) on Fox. According to a rep from the show, American Idol Kelly Clarkson performed a duet with McEntire, singing the country legend's Grammy-winning song, "Does He Love You?" during the September 18 taping of the show. ... Now that they're legal, you can hear the Donnas hawking Budweiser beer in an upcoming ad campaign that uses snippets of "Take It Off," the first single from their major-label debut, Spend the Night, which is due on October 22. Other songs on the 13-track LP include "It's On the Rocks," "Who Invited You," "All Messed Up," "Dirty Denim," "You Wanna Get Me High," "I Don't Care (So There)," "Too Bad About Your Girl" and "Take Me to the Backseat." ...
Onetime Mötley Crüe vocalist John Corabi (who replaced original and current singer Vince Neil for one album) has rejoined former bandmate Nikki Sixx as rhythm guitarist for Cockstar, a new band that also features Tracii Gunns (L.A. Guns) and a vocalist named London. "I feel the same kind of magic I felt when Mötley first rehearsed in 1981," Sixx posted in his online diary, while clarifying that his main band has not broken up. ... Green Day bassist Mike Dirnt is recovering from surgery on his left wrist to treat carpal tunnel syndrome, according to an audio message on GreenDay.com. Dirnt is excepted to recover in six to eight weeks. ...
Oil: Chicago Punk Refined, due February 10 from Chicago's Thick Records, features 19 bands recorded over 16 days at an old oil-blending factory on the city's South Side. Among the artists on the album are Alkaline Trio, Detachment Kit, Local H, the Reputation, the Dishes, the Ghost, Rise Against, Lawrence Arms, the Tossers, Haymarket Riot and the Owls. ... Sweden's the Division of Laura Lee will embark on their first full-fledged tour of the U.S. beginning October 1 in Atlanta. The punk-partial foursome, touting their latest, Black City, have a month of roadwork scheduled, alternately teaming with Manchester's Haven and countrymen the (International) Noise Conspiracy, that culminates in a CMJ New Music Seminar showcase November 2 in New York. ...
Twisted pop artistes the Apples in Stereo are about to launch their tour to support Velocity of Sound, due October 8. The month-long, 19-date swing will hit the legendary 40 Watt Club in Athens, Georgia, on Tuesday (September 24) before moving on to Atlanta, New Orleans, Houston, Los Angeles, Seattle, Detroit and winding up at Irving Plaza in New York on October 19; 16 of the dates will also feature English oddball rockers Clinic. ... Eric Clapton is spearheading a tribute concert to mark the first anniversary of George Harrison's death November 29 at London's Royal Albert Hall. Surviving Beatles Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr are slated to perform, as are Harrison's Traveling Wilburys bandmates Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne, former Squeeze pianist Jools Holland, conductor Michael Kamen, Monty Python members Michael Palin and Eric Idle and sitar legend Ravi Shankar.