Amy Lee spoke candidly about her recent marriage and the recent departure of two Evanescence members in a post on the band's message board over the weekend. Calling marriage "the most incredible thing to happen in my life so far," Lee explained that she returned from her honeymoon and "discovered the fact that I was unable to defend myself for a week [and] was taken advantage of quite a bit." Lee said guitarist John LeCompt and drummer Rocky Gray, who left the lineup earlier this month and were recently replaced by Dark New Day's Will Hunt and Troy McLawhorn, "both made it clear they were ready to move on." LeCompt and Gray "were very vocal about the fact that they didn't really care about Evanescence at all and just stayed around for the money," the post continued. "They were miserable. They are no longer playing with us because I love this band too much to see it driven into the ground." Lee also said that Gray didn't quit, as he's claimed; she contends he was fired after weeks of threatening to quit. ...

Avril Lavigne has remixed her hit song "Girlfriend" with none other than teen heroine Lil Mama of "Lip Gloss" fame. The remix keeps the same beat and lyrics, with Mama throwing on her raps. ...

Two more shows have been added to the American Idols Live Tour: additional dates at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York, on August 25; and Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on August 29. ... As "American Idol" fans wait for one of the two finalists to fall, Paula Abdul took a spill of her own this weekend, according to E! Online. In an attempt to avoid stepping on one of her dogs, the judge fell and broke her nose. A representative told the news outlet that Abdul was not hospitalized and that the injury will not affect her appearance on the program this week. ...

Does Bobby Valentino want to be known as the new "Mac daddy" or what? The soulful crooner will play at seven Apple stores next month, in Atlanta (June 1), New York (June 8), Chicago (June 12), Dallas (June 21), Los Angeles (June 23) and San Francisco (June 27). The seventh performance will be held in Houston on June 16 or 20. ... Jim Jones just launched his online clothing store, Nostic Apparel. The line, which features Jones' rock-meets-rap style, was founded by his mother. ...

When tickets for the Smashing Pumpkins' nine-night residency at Asheville, North Carolina's Orange Peel went on sale Sunday, TicketWeb servers weren't able to handle the load, and the demand for tickets crashed the site, bringing sales to a halt. Tickets will now be sold via Ticketmaster instead, but Orange Peel spokeswoman Liz Whalen told Asheville's Citizen-Times on Monday morning (May 21) that the venue wasn't sure whether tickets would be available Monday or Tuesday -- tickets were unavailable via Ticketmaster at press time. The band has also added three more dates to its residency at San Francisco's Fillmore. ...

The Killers have announced new dates for two shows that had to be postponed last week due to frontman Brandon Flowers' bronchitis. The band's Thursday show at Red Rocks in Morrison, Colorado -- which the guys cut short after only two songs -- has been rescheduled for September 4. Their Seattle show -- scheduled for this past Sunday -- will now take place May 27. Tickets for the original shows will be honored at the makeup concerts. ... Franz Ferdinand are planning to play a gig in New York and a few small club shows in their native stomping grounds of Glasgow, Scotland, but dates and venue information has yet to be made available. According to frontman Alex Kapranos, the band continues work on its next LP and plans to debut some new material during the concerts. ...

Phil Spector's chauffeur wrongly implicated the music producer in the death of actress Lana Clarkson, Spector's defense argued in Los Angeles Superior Court on Monday, The Associated Press reports. Adriano De Souza -- who previously testified that Spector said, "I think I killed somebody," after exiting his mansion with a gun in hand the morning of the shooting -- originally told officers that Spector said, "I think I shot somebody," according to defense attorney Bradley Brunon. De Souza said he had heard Spector speak clearly but that he was also tired and frightened. ... Former Creed singer Scott Stapp was arrested at his Boca Raton, Florida, home on Sunday and was charged with aggravated assault with intent to commit a felony. A judge reduced the charge to a misdemeanor on Monday, AP reports, after the Palm Beach County sheriff's office determined that the bottle of Orangina that Stapp allegedly threw at his wife, Jaclyn Nesheiwat, was not a deadly weapon. Stapp was scheduled for supervised release Monday, and will be subject to random drug and alcohol testing. ...

Before Paris Hilton was sentenced to jail for violating her probation, she posed with on-again friend Nicole Richie for a Harper's Bazaar June cover story titled "Partners in Crime" that features the pair dressed in stripes -- zebra, not prison -- and posing as jewel thieves. "I think I get in more trouble just because of who I am," Hilton said in the Bazaar interview. "[Police] just pull me over to hit on me. It's really annoying. ... And the paparazzi, of course, take a picture. All the time. I have so many cops' business cards." Richie -- who is in some hot water of her own, facing a DUI charge stemming from a December arrest that could land her in jail for 90 days thanks to a prior conviction -- said she can't catch a break. "Every mistake I make, there's consequences," she explained. "I don't take anything lightly." The June issue of Bazaar hits newsstands Tuesday. ...

Bow Wowand Crime Mob performed Saturday at Utopia's Paradise Theater in the Bronx, New York, with 20 percent of the proceeds of the show benefiting the surviving family members of two African immigrant families that combined lost nine children and one adult in a tragic March 7 fire. A spokesperson for the families told local news channel NY1 that they will donate the funds back to the community. ...

A week after the attorneys general of eight states accused MySpace of dragging its feet in handing over information on registered sex offenders using the site, the company announced Monday that it would provide the AGs with the requested materials. According to a press release from MySpace, the popular social-networking site will hand over information on registered sex offenders that it has identified and deleted from the site using the Sentinel SAFE program, which it began using earlier this month. "We have zero tolerance for sexual predators on MySpace and took the initiative to create this first of its kind tool ourselves because nothing previously existed," MySpace Chief Security Officer Hemanshu Nigam said. "We look forward to working collaboratively with the attorneys general on all future efforts to make the Internet a safer place for teens." ... Sylvester Stallone won't be doing hard time Down Under. The "Rocky" actor dodged a bullet on Monday when a judge in New South Wales, Australia, fined the brawny 60-year-old $2,500 plus court costs for illegally bringing 48 vials of human-growth hormone to the country during a promotional trip in February, according to a Reuters report. Stallone explained to customs officials at the time that he was prescribed the drugs to give his body a boost and to look "good" during his current shoot of a "Rambo" sequel in Asia.

05.18.2007

Blake Lewis has been getting a taste of fame over the past few months on "American Idol," but he's had some well-known friends for quite some time. The finalist is buddies with Ryan Dusick, the original drummer for Maroon 5, and he's known the band for six years. "About two years ago, I had lost my cell phone -- it was stolen -- and I lost touch with them," Lewis said. The "Idol" hopeful then ran into Dusick's girlfriend and got reconnected with the guys about a month ago. On Tuesday's show, the producers wanted Lewis to sing a Maroon 5 song, but the band had never cleared its music for the show. "I called them the night before we had to pick our songs, and they said I could sing anything I wanted to," Lewis said. "It was really a solid from them." ...

The U.S. Navy has given "American Idol" finalist Phil Stacey the official go-ahead for the Idols Live 2007 Tour. A Navy spokesperson confirmed to People that the singer will join the rest of the top 10 on the three-month run, which kicks off July 6 in Sunrise, Florida. Tickets for all shows go on sale Saturday. ...

Simon Cowell said in a reporter conference call Friday (May 18) that this year's "American Idol" contest has come down to a "brilliant entertainer" (Blake Lewis) and a "great singer" (Jordin Sparks), according to Reuters. "I can't call it at this stage," he said in regards to who he thinks will win. "For Blake, he's a brilliant entertainer, but the negative is he's not a fantastic singer. The advantage for Jordin is she is a great singer and the negative is she hasn't done one performance yet which I can remember as a 'wow.' " Cowell also said "the whole Sanjaya thing was hysterical" and encouraged contestants to be as rude to him as he is to them. "They all think they are going to be voted off if they are rude to me," he said. "If I'm rude to them they are more than entitled to be rude to me back." ... And in yet more "Idol" news, Entertainment Weekly is casting a Blake vs. Jordin poll to determine which contestant should appear on the magazine's next cover. EW.com features four potential covers, two for each finalist. ...

Amy Winehouse married boyfriend Blake Fielder-Civil Friday morning in Miami, Spinner.com reports. The couple got engaged last month. ... The rift between Cam'ron and 50 Cent continues. 50 appeared on BET's "106 & Park" Thursday night and said the Dipset leader has been M.I.A. recently because of a rumored punch he took from rapper Tru Life outside a New York nightclub. A clearly annoyed Cam'ron posted a poolside video response on his MySpace page late Thursday night, explaining that he's on vacation, not in hiding. In the clip, Cam looks directly at the camera to show that he hasn't been hit and notes that his "probation is officially over." ...

Jennifer Lopez has been ordered to submit to a deposition to answer questions posed in a suit by a TV writer who says she stole his idea by making "South Beach," according to The Associated Press. Sheldon Farber, a lawyer for writer Jack Bunick, coyly promised, "I will not ask for her autograph." ...

A 2007 Fat Boy Harley Davidson motorcycle signed by Ludacris, Kanye West, Diddy, Shaquille O'Neal and others will be auctioned for charity on eBay starting June 2. The funds from the 10-day auction will go toward the Ludacris Foundation. ... Freshly minted Pussycat Doll Asia Nitollano joined Maxim Radio hosts Steve Covino and Rich Davis on Thursday night at New York's Hawaiian Tropic Zone to judge the lounge's spring pageant. Thirty hopefuls posed in the restaurant's bikini-themed outfits and club wear to compete for the title, and Federico Castelluccio of "The Sopranos" also served as a judge. ...

The Smashing Pumpkins' forthcoming album Zeitgeist is now slated for a July 10 release, meaning fans will have to wait an extra three days for the disc. Frontman Billy Corgan had expressed a desire to release the LP on July 7 (7/7/07), which is a Saturday, but albums are typically released in the U.S. on Tuesdays. ... The Killers cut their concert at Morrison, Colorado's Red Rocks short on Thursday night after frontman Brandon Flowers left the stage following the band's second song. A doctor later stepped onstage to tell the audience that Flowers had a throat injury, and said continuing to sing would damage his voice, according to Denver NBC affiliate KUSA. Drummer Ronnie Vannucci said the band would make up the show to the fans. A rescheduled date has not yet been announced. ...

Evanescence are all staffed up again. The group has replaced its recently departed guitarist and drummer with Dark New Day members Will Hunt (drums) and Troy McLawhorn (guitar). The new lineup will debut on Saturday at the Rock the Range festival in Columbus, Ohio, before leaving for a one-month European tour and returning in July for Korn's Family Values Tour. "I am a big fan of Dark New Day and can't wait for the fans to see what the guys bring to our live show," Evanescence singer Amy Lee said in a statement. ... Ousted drummer Rocky Gray has six Evanescence plaques -- including a gold-record certification presented to him for The Open Door, currently up for bid on eBay -- each with a starting price of $500. Gray wrote on his MySpace page that he means no disrespect with the sale, but that it's "a chance for us to straighten up the house, make some paper (cheese) and give the fans a chance to have a real piece of ev history." There were no bids at press time. ...

Ciara was toasted by Jay-Z and Young Jeezy Thursday night in New York as the Atlanta singer celebrated being named the new face of the Roc-A-Wear ladies' line. Ciara follows in the footsteps of Naomi Campbell and actress Zoe Saldana. The new campaign will be titled "I Will Not Lose" and feature testimonials by a number of personalities who've overcome various hardships, including Amy Steele, the editor-in-chief of Virginia Tech campus newspaper The Collegiate Times. ...

Ryan Phillippe has filed for joint custody of his two children with Reese Witherspoon, responding to her divorce filing in November, according to "Access Hollywood." Phillippe, who is not seeking any spousal support from Witherspoon, also isn't blocking her from requesting support from him. ... Bo Diddley's condition has improved four days after he suffered a stroke, AP reports. The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer was up and walking Friday at a hospital in Nebraska, and his manager, Margo Lewis, told the news service that his doctors are confident he'll be able to perform again. "We're going to get a guitar for him and put it in his lap and let him entertain people here," she said. ...

Michael Jackson's lawyers have dropped his effort to block a Las Vegas auction that will include items belonging to him and other Jackson family members. "Mr. Jackson is satisfied with the negotiated settlement and is pleased that some of the proceeds from the auction will be donated to certain charities," his spokesman Raymone K. Bain said in a statement on Friday. The auction will be held May 30-31 at the Hard Rock Hotel. ... Lindsay Lohan won't face charges on a theft allegation, the Los Angeles district attorney announced Thursday. AP reports that a woman claimed the actress took clothing from her apartment, which Lohan allegedly visited at the invitation of a house-sitter. The DA declined to file grand theft charges due to insufficient evidence. ... Former Korn guitarist Brian "Head" Welch will head out on a promotional tour to spread the gospel about his new book, "Save Me From Myself: How I Found God, Quit Korn, Kicked Drugs, and Lived to Tell My Story." The trek starts July 5-6 in New York and ends July 18 in Los Angeles. ...

In a new video posted on her Web site, Senator Hillary Clinton is asking supporters to help her with an answer to "one of the most important questions" of her presidential campaign: picking a theme song. The good news is that among the options are tunes by classy acts such as U2 ("City of Blinding Lights," "Beautiful Day"), KT Tunstall ("Suddenly I See"), the Temptations ("Get Ready"), Dixie Chicks ("Ready to Run") and the Staple Singers ("I'll Take You There.") Unfortunately, the short list also features Smash Mouth's cover of the Monkees' "I'm a Believer," Shania Twain's "Rock This Country" and, no joke, Jesus Jones' "Right Here, Right Now." ... Meanwhile, noted freestyle rapper Jin has recently landed as the top friend on Democratic presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama's MySpace page. Before he became Obama's #1 friend, Jin recorded a track supporting the candidate and posted it on his own page.