After crashing his four-wheel ATV and breaking his collarbone, eight ribs and a vertebra in his neck, Ozzy Osbourne was on a ventilator and recovering in critical condition at Wexham Park Hospital in Slough, west of London, on Tuesday (December 9). The accident occurred on his Buckinghamshire estate during a day off from promoting the single "Changes," a duet with daughter Kelly. Although surgery was required to mend the collarbone and to stop some bleeding in his lungs, the injuries were not life-threatening and there seems to be no risk of paralysis from the fractured vertebra. ...

Ironically, Korn have chosen "Y'all Want a Single," a song railing against their record label's insistence on including some radio-friendly fare on their heavy-handed new album, Take a Look in the Mirror, as their next single. The song, which follows the track "Right Now," won't be pushed to radio outlets in the traditional sense. Instead, the band is urging fans to request the song at radio, though it's unclear how successful such a campaign for airplay will be given the track's expletive-laden chorus. ... Black Eyed Peas, Elton John, Dido, Dave Matthews, John Mayer and Elvis Costello are among the artists slated to perform at the 2004 MusiCares Person of the Year gala February 6 in Los Angeles. The event will honor Sting, and in addition to the concert there will be a special tribute dinner and silent auction. ...

Paris Hilton may have another reality show in the works. Coming on the heels of "The Simple Life," the hotel heiress is reportedly in talks with FOX to star in a new show, per the network's first-look option with her, according to the New York Post. FOX and Hilton's spokespeople did not return calls for comment. ... Parliament/ Funkadelic mastermind George Clinton was arrested early Saturday morning in Tallahassee, Florida, and charged with one count of felony possession of cocaine and one count of misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia. Local reports say Clinton was sitting alone in the passenger seat of a car parked at a gas station when cops approached. He was let out on $2,650 bail that same morning. His court date has not yet been scheduled. ...

Not all of AC/DC's deeds are dirty and done dirt cheap. The band's 1980 album, Back in Black, is the world's second-best-selling album. Its astounding 42 million copies sold puts the Thunder from Down Under's LP just behind Michael Jackson's Thriller, which moved more than 56 million copies. ... Dave Grohl is adding one more hat to his copious rack. Besides moonlighting with Queens of the Stone Age and his metal project Probot, Grohl will produce the major-label debut of New Jersey quintet Rye Coalition, who opened several shows for Queens of the Stone Age. Expect the album to hit stores in the spring. ...

12.08.03

After trying to choose between "(I Got That) Boom Boom" and "Outrageous," Britney Spears has instead selected "Toxic" as her follow-up single to "Me Against the Music." "It's a very fun, upbeat song," Spears said of the track, on which she sings of being addicted to the wrong type of guy. "Bloodshy did it, they're great producers. The way they did it musically was very cool, and really different, that's why I like it so much." ...

LL Cool J will play "Secret Santa" on Monday (December 8) at Russell Simmons' annual holiday party for disadvantaged youth. Simmons and his wife, Kimora Lee, will host the holiday fete for 250 kids from various youth organizations. This year, the kids will get to meet stars like Jay-Z, Reverend Run, Ashanti, Tweet and Amerie. ... Now that Coldplay's Chris Martin and actress Gwyneth Paltrow have confirmed their pregnancy, wedding watchers are starting to speculate that the couple are planning to marry -- if they haven't secretly wed already. Paltrow and Martin filled out an application for a marriage license in Santa Barbara, California, last week, according to "Entertainment Tonight," yet the couple have already acquired a license in New York as well, where they were slated to have a wedding reception at a hotel this past weekend, according to British media reports. Paltrow and Martin were both spotted wearing what appeared to be wedding bands, but referred to them as "friendship rings." Martin's rep had no comment, and calls to Paltrow's publicist were not returned by press time. ...

Pink has just completed the video for her next single, "God Is a DJ." Directed by Jake Scott (No Doubt, Soundgarden) and shot on location in Los Angeles last week, the video recalls Studio 54-era dance clubs, with lots of "sparkle" and "glimpses of the world behind the velvet rope," according to the director's reps. ... Ludacris has signed on to the ensemble cast of "Crash," a movie following the interactions of several people in urban Los Angeles. Ludacris, who was most recently seen in "2 Fast 2 Furious," joins Sandra Bullock, Thandie Newton and Ryan Phillippe in the flick. ...

Last week, after just under a month of pre-production with producer Rick Rubin, Weezer and the bearded studio guru began the recording process for the group's fifth album, the follow-up to last year's Maladroit. ... 3 Doors Down have mapped out a tour that will kick off January 2 in Toledo, Ohio, and run through January 27 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The band will precede the tour with holiday performances Thursday in New York at the Z100 Jingle Ball and December 30 in Albany, Georgia. ...

Veteran dancehall artist Buju Banton is scheduled to appear in Magistrate's Court Monday in Kingston, Jamaica, after being arrested for marijuana possession last week. According to the rapper's spokesperson, local police confiscated two fully grown marijuana plants from his recording studio and also seized a licensed firearm. It is unclear what penalty Banton, whose real name is Mark Myrie, could face if found guilty. ... Erykah Badu will hit the road on February 3 for a six-week tour in support of her most recent album, Worldwide Underground. Badu's trek starts in New Orleans and hits 25 other cities before finishing up March 17 in Nashville. ...

The G-Unit, Jay-Z and even Reverend Run all have their own sneakers, so it's only right that some of hip-hop's original trailblazers be given their props (and tennis shoes) too. Fila has announced that it will be debuting the "Rock Steady" in April. Named after the legendary crew of b-boys, the Rock Steady Crew, the sneaker will come in two editions: white, royal blue and diablo red; and white on white and ash. Both will bear the logo "Rock Steady Crew 77" on the heel. ... After postponing the first two shows of his North American tour, David Bowie has put off two more, as his doctors have ordered him to remain in bed while he shakes the flu. Tuesday's show in Boston and Wednesday's show in Philadelphia -- in addition to the previously postponed Atlantic City, New Jersey, and Washington, D.C., performances -- will be rescheduled, so fans should retain their tickets until new dates are announced. ...

The company behind the "Girls Gone Wild" video series is in cahoots with Jive Records, home to Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake, to put together a line of compilation CDs, the first of which will drop early next year. The "Girls" aren't just going wild on your stereo; there's a film project, clothing line and restaurant chain also in the works. ... Depswa guitarist James Mills has left the band, which is currently seeking a replacement. "Guitarists with chemical dependencies need not apply," the band said in a post on its Web site. Interested axemen should e-mail depswa@depswa.com with a brief description of their background. The band released the album Two Angels and a Dream in June, but is currently looking for a new record deal. ...

The Rx Bandits have canceled the seven remaining dates they had scheduled opening for Something Corporate, from Tuesday through December 18 in San Diego, for "personal reasons." Local bands in various markets will fill in the slot. ... Power of Soul, a new Jimi Hendrix tribute album, will feature contributions from Prince, Musiq, Sting, George Clinton and Bootsy Collins, Eric Clapton, and a previously unreleased Stevie Ray Vaughan medley of "Little Wing" and "Third Stone From the Sun." The album, the proceeds from which will benefit the United Negro College Fund, hits stores on May 4. ...