The special edition DVD of Disney's "Aladdin," due October 5, will feature Clay Aiken singing "Proud of Your Boy," a ballad written for the 1992 animated classic that was cut from the final movie and soundtrack. The song, written by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken (who also wrote songs for "Beauty and the Beast" and "The Little Mermaid"), is about a child's desire to make his mother proud and provides greater insight into Aladdin's character. ... In other "American Idol" news, Kelly Clarkson will perform a solo version of "Beautiful Disaster" on this season's finale, scheduled for May 26. Aiken will likely also perform, although it is not yet confirmed. ...

Outkast's Andre 3000 has always been animated on record and stage -- and now he's hoping to be animated on television as well. The Cartoon Network is in talks with Andre to develop a half-hour animated television show as part of its "Adult Swim" program. The cartoon would revolve around one of Andre's alter-egos from his "Hey Ya! video, Johnny Vulture. ... Victoria Beckham is splitting up with her famous partner. Not soccer-star husband David Beckham, but her record producer, Damon Dash. The Roc-A-Fella magnate has ended the hyped-up pop collaboration with the erstwhile Posh Spice and will use the beats with another artist instead, according to a source close to Dash. The pairing was initiated when Dash approached Posh to promote his Roc-A-Wear line in Europe. Two songs the pair created had made their way onto mixtapes, including a collaboration between Beckham and rap group M.O.P. ...

Michael Jackson has dropped his appeal of a judgment against him, which would have required him to pay concert promoter Marcel Avram $5.3 million for canceling two New Year's Eve shows in 2000. Avram originally filed a $21 million suit against the singer, because Jackson allegedly backed out of millennium shows in Sydney, Australia, and Honolulu, Hawaii. Jackson has reportedly settled the matter for $7 million -- the original judgment the jury awarded Avram, plus interest -- and now won't have to open up his financial matters in court. ... First comes Love, then comes marriages -- at least according to the gospel of Courtney Love, who married 20 couples at a Nevada casino on Saturday. As a mail-order minister, Love presided over the ceremonies for radio contest winners, who also had a justice of the peace on hand. The singer arrived an hour and a half late for the proceedings, during which she chain-smoked, sipped beer in a glass and read the vows from a piece of paper she sometimes gave to the couples to read themselves. ...

Phil Spector shocked reporters covering a hearing for his upcoming murder trial Friday in Los Angeles when he loudly insulted a district attorney as he left the courtroom, suggesting to his lawyer Leslie Abramson that the prosecutor proved you could reproduce through unconventional means. Abramson responded, "Phil, I get to be nasty, you don't." She later told Spector not to speak as she conducted a press conference, but the producer interjected several times, describing his arrest with details: "Broken nose, two black eyes and 50,000 volts shot through me [with a Taser gun] after I invited the police into my home." Abramson said the limousine driver who told investigators that Spector said, "I think I shot someone," is a native of Brazil with a limited command of English who was being given immunity from deportation by prosecutors in exchange for his testimony. "He is an illegal alien," Spector added. No trial date was set. ...

Bad Boy Records will host the next bimonthly concert in the Hearts & Voices series benefiting LIFEbeat the Music Industry Fights AIDS and the E.A.R.S. Foundation, a nonprofit providing employment opportunities for urban youth in the music and entertainment industry. Mario Winans, Carl Thomas, Loon and 8Ball and MJG will perform at the May 25 event at the Babalu Theatre in New York, and P. Diddy will appear in a taped message. Roc-A-Fella hosted the March concert with performances by Kanye West, the Young Gunz and others. ... Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis, who was twice named the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year (2000, 2003), will appear on the cover of "Madden NFL 2005" to emphasize the game's focus on defensive innovations. "Madden NFL 2004," which featured Atlanta Falcons QB Michael Vick on its cover, sold more than 5 million copies. ...

Blaming a combination of managers, lawyers, record companies and his own waning enthusiasm for the project, Trent Reznor has finally killed off his Tapeworm. The demise of the long-discussed side project, which also featured Maynard James Keenan of Tool and A Perfect Circle, Danny Lohner and Atticus Ross, doesn't mean that a Reznor/ Keenan collaboration is completely out of the realm of future possibilities, Reznor said. ... The Beastie Boys are set to headline San Francisco alternative rock station Live 105's annual summer concert, the BFD. Also on the bill are the Strokes, the Violent Femmes, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, New Found Glory and Yellowcard. The BFD takes place June 11 at the Shoreline Amphitheatre. ...

A hip-hop remake of the 1973 film "The Harder They Come" is scheduled to begin production this fall. Where the original focused on Ivan Martin, a rural Jamaican musician played by reggae artist Jimmy Cliff, the remake will center on an aspiring performer who attempts to break into the New York rap scene. The original film and Cliff's performance of its title track helped introduce reggae to mainstream America. ... Two sneak peeks at the thrash-metal documentary "Get Thrashed" have been posted on the flick's official site, www.getthrashed.com. The first features an array of artists weighing in on their favorite thrash albums of all time, while the second finds Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett (formerly of Exodus) discussing Metallica's influence on the thrash canon. The film is currently being edited and is expected to surface this summer or fall. ...

Velvet Revolver played an invite-only show Sunday night at the Roxy in West Hollywood, California. The nearly two-hour set featured material from the band's upcoming album and covers of songs by the bandmembers' former outfits. Singer Scott Weiland crooned mightily on "Crackerman" and "Sex Type Thing" by his old band Stone Temple Pilots, and the Revolver blasted through the Guns N' Roses numbers "Mr. Brownstone," "Used to Love Her" and "It's So Easy." The group closed with a version of Nirvana's "Negative Creep." The band will launch a tour May 13 in St. Louis. ... Smile Empty Soul are the latest band caught in the web of the "Spider-Man 2" soundtrack. The Florida trio join a lineup that includes Train ("Ordinary") and Dashboard Confessional ("Vindicated"). The "Spider-Man 2" soundtrack is due out June 22. ...

Judas Priest have announced another non-Ozzfest date during the summer festival. The band will play with Slayer and Hatebreed on July 30 in Marysville, California. The three acts will also perform together on July 26 in Nampa, Idaho; August 4 in El Paso, Texas; and August 18 in Toronto. ... Both Hatebreed and Brides of Destruction were recently turned away at the Canadian border and had to cancel shows. Hatebreed missed their gig in Vancouver on Saturday because a border patrolwoman wouldn't allow a vehicle carrying the band's merchandise guy and stage manager/guitar tech to enter. "The woman threw a fit when one of us answered one of her questions with a head nod," frontman Jamey Jasta wrote on the band's Web site. "It's a shame that people like this get put into positions of power. She told us she could refuse anyone for any reason at all and that it was all at her discretion." In a separate incident, Brides of Destruction had to reschedule a Toronto show. "We can't play due to past felonies in our camp," bassist Nikki Sixx said on the band's Web site. "The promoter usually has these matters covered and worked out, but he dropped the ball and we've been denied entry to Canada." ...

5.7.2004

Oakland, California, Mayor Jerry Brown, an avid "American Idol" fan, proclaimed last Tuesday La Toya London Day. "Ms. London is known in this community as a star and has inspired Oaklanders everywhere,'' Brown said at a "vote La Toya" party. ... In other "Idol" news, executive producer Ken Warwick has revealed that Bob Dylan's representatives have contacted the show about the legendary singer/songwriter being a guest judge next season. Producers have also been talking with another music icon, Paul McCartney. ...

Garbage Pail Kids, the tasteless trading-card series from the '80s, are back, and some pop stars are in their satirical crosshairs. When the second generation launched in the fall, it featured a character by the name of Brittney Spews. A second series that came out in March included Scuzzy Ozzy and Justin Timberleg. And in September, we'll meet Christina Ugliera. ... Flamboyant British hard rockers the Darkness will work with Def Leppard and AC/DC producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange on their next album. The band will begin work on the LP later this year. ...

Jay-Z is set to headline the Prince's Trust concert in London this weekend, and on Friday (May 7), he met Prince Charles himself. The annual benefit concert also features Jay's girlfriend, Beyoncé, on the bill. ... N.E.R.D. recently finished one tour, and in July they'll embark on another one. The group will headline a brief trek starting July 19 in Toronto and running through the Rolling Rock Town Fair near Latrobe, Pennsylvania, on July 31, with High Speed Scene opening. Pharrell and company will also be playing five dates with the Dave Matthews Band: Hartford, Connecticut (July 16-17), Camden, New Jersey (July 20-21), and their hometown of Virginia Beach, Virginia (July 23). ...

Ryan Adams has temporarily shut down his Web site to grieve the death of the TV show "Friends." The site is currently decorated with a dark graveyard and a single lit tombstone that reads "R.I.P. Friends." There's also a message in medieval lettering that states, "Out of respect for Joey, Chandler, Monica, Ross, Rachel and Phoebe ryan-adams.com will be temporarily closed until further notice." ... There will be 12 second-stage acts performing during the two-day stints at this year's Lollapalooza festival. The first day will feature Broken Social Scene, the Walkmen, Wolf Eyes, Danger Mouse, the Datsuns and Sparta. The Thrills, the Fire Theft, the Coup, Sound Tribe Sector 9, Elbow and Wheat will play the second day. DJ Peretz, an alter-ego name for festival organizer and Jane's Addiction frontman Perry Farrell, will spin both days. ...

David Bowie was forced to abruptly cancel his concert Thursday in Miami after a stagehand suffered a fatal fall before showtime. Police are investigating the incident. ... The Massachusetts Fire Preventions Regulations Board voted on Thursday to permanently ban the indoor use of pyrotechnics in clubs, a reaction to the Station Fire in Rhode Island that killed 100. In January, the board banned club pyro on an emergency basis, and now it's decided to make the move permanent. Larger venues equipped with sprinklers will still be allowed to use pyro pending approval in advance by the building owner. ...

Stevie Wonder has set a June 8 release date for A Time 2 Love, his first studio album in nine years. To promote the release, the soul legend will perform on "Good Morning America" and have an episode of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" devoted to him. ... "The Parkers" star Mo'Nique, who also joins Snoop Dogg and Method Man in the upcoming flick "Soul Plane," will host the 2004 BET Awards. The Isley Brothers will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award and actor Danny Glover will be honored for his humanitarian efforts, while the other nominees will be announced Wednesday. ...

Kool Keith, Del Tha Funkee Homosapien, Motion Man and Cannibal Ox's Vast Aire are among the guest MCs on the debut album from Dopestyle 1231, titled KutMasta Kurt Presents Dopestyle 1231. Keith described the music as having "a vintage feel of the critical '88 days updated." ... More than 130 performers including the Pixies, Sheryl Crow, Trey Anastasio, Dashboard Confessional and Ben Harper have been tapped for the annual Austin City Limits festival from September 17 to 19. The Zilker Park event will also feature Jack Johnson, Robert Randolph and the Family Band, Modest Mouse, Franz Ferdinand and the Beta Band. ...

Ozomatli, Galactic and Karl Denson's Tiny Universe are among the bands lined up for Jam Cruise 3, a Carnival Cruiselines four-day event leaving Jacksonville, Florida, on January 6, 2005. Sound Tribe Sector 9, Col. Bruce Hampton and the Aquarium Rescue Unit and the North Mississippi Allstars will also perform on the cruise, which will stop in the Bahamas. ... Marilyn Manson has a cameo role in the upcoming flick "The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things," starring Asia Argento ("XXX"). The film will premiere at the Cannes Film Festival later this month. ...