Amy Winehouse might have missed the VMAs, but she's hoping to make up for her absence with a rare performance at the mtvU Woodie Awards next month. The performance by the singer -- who made it to mtvU's "Freshman 5" earlier this year -- is only one of two she has on her U.S. itinerary for the rest of the year. The Academy Is ... and Spank Rock will also grace the stage at the ceremony, which will be held November 8 at New York's Roseland Ballroom and air on mtvU and mtvU.com on November 15 at 8 p.m. ET. The program will also air November 18 on MTV2 at 12:30 a.m. ET, and highlights will be shown on MTV as well. ...

It's probably safe to say that when Snoop Dogg made the movie "The Wash" with Dr. Dre back in 2001, he wasn't anticipating that he'd have to be washing cars in real life down the line. But the rapper (real name: Calvin Broadus) has agreed to do just that -- as well as clean toilets, rake leaves and pick up debris -- as part of his 160 hours of community service for illegal possession of a dangerous weapon, according to Southern California newspaper The Orange County Register. The punishment stems from his weapon-possession arrest at John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana in September 2006, when he attempted to bring a collapsible 21-inch police baton onto the aircraft. It's not known when Snoop will begin his service as a commercial pitchman, and the name of the park at which he will be working has not been released. ...

Did Busta Rhymes and Linkin Park become friends while they were [article id="1563706"]at the "Transformers" premiere[/article] over the summer? The rapper tells RollingStone.com that he has cut a new song, "It Looks Like We Made It," with the rock squad and that it will surface on his next LP. "It feels like Rocky won the fight or something," he says of the song, which was reportedly produced by Cool & Dre. "It reminds the people who are successful to go and help those that haven't been so successful, and represent the unity between people." The rapper also said his LP title has changed from Before Hell Freezes Over to Back on My BS, and that it's due December 4. ...

Vocal Britney Spears critic Perez Hilton has a bit of a problem on his hands. The Zomba Label Group -- home to Spears' label, Jive Records -- has hit the super-blogger (real name: Mario Lavandeira) with a suit claiming he illegally obtained and posted on his gossip Web site at least 10 of the singer's songs and unfinished demos for her new LP, Reuters reports. Zomba alleges the posts took place over the past three months and that it moved up the release date for Spears' Blackout due to online leaks. The suit requests real and punitive damages as well as legal costs, although the amount of the damages wasn't specified. ...

So where did Ashlee Simpson celebrate her 23rd birthday over the weekend? Her parents' house, of course! The singer held an '80s-themed party on Saturday, and more than 200 guests showed up -- including sister Jessica, Wilmer Valderrama, Kenna and, of course, boyfriend Pete Wentz, who was the prom king to Ashlee's queen as they danced to Bryan Adams' "Everything I Do." "Now we can say we are high school sweethearts!" the Fall Out Boy bassist told People. He also made a wisecrack to the mag, saying he and his girlfriend take the same amount of time to get ready to go out "because I'm actually just her purse." But apparently Saturday night didn't totally exhaust the couple -- the following night, they went to the Hollywood Style Awards at the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood, California. Russell Simmons was presented with the Hollywood Soul award for his work with the Diamond Empowerment Fund, a nonprofit that raises money to support education initiatives in diamond-producing African countries. Wentz and Simpson wore Simmons Jewelry Company Green Initiative bracelets, as did Vanessa Minnillo, Kim Kardashian, Cindy Crawford and other celebrities in attendance. And that's not the only place Simpson and Wentz turned up this week -- she was seen busting some more moves a few nights later at FOB's show at Paramount Studios in Hollywood. Pharrell also headlined the event, which marked the finale of the invite-only Hennessy Artistry Concert Tour. ...

First Trent Reznor became a free agent earlier this week, now is Madonna about to follow in his footsteps and break free from a major label? Liz Rosenberg, Madonna's representative at her longtime label, Warner Bros., told MTV News that a move is likely. "Madonna has a new CD coming out on Warner Bros. Records at the end of this year or early next year," she said. "She also has a greatest-hits package on WB. After that she is a free agent, and I believe her managers are in talks with Warner Bros. as well as Live Nation regarding her future as a recording and touring artist." According to The Associated Press, a proposed $120 million, 10-year agreement would give Madge a signing bonus of $18 million and $17 million in advance for each of three LPs, with a portion of the compensation involving stock. The deal would also give Live Nation the exclusive right to promote her tours, and any revenue generated by her merchandise or name would be split 50/50 between the company and the singer. Madonna, who has been [article id="1570747"]nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame,[/article] signed with Warner Bros. in 1984. In more, um, illustrious Madonna news, her co-manager Guy Oseary has pulled together photos he took on last year's Confessions tour and compiled them into a 256-page volume of the same name. It's due June 10. ...

Mobb Deep's Prodigy was sentenced on Tuesday to serve three-and-a-half years behind bars after pleading guilty to a 2006 weapons charge, according to New York's Daily News. Prodigy, whose real name is Albert Johnson, was indicted on one charge of gun possession at Manhattan Supreme Court in New York -- the charge related to Johnson's arrest in October 2006 after New York police pulled his Chevy Suburban over for making an illegal U-turn. Police noticed a gun inside the rapper's vehicle during the stop. ... Good Charlotte bassist Paul Thomas injured his ankle after taking an unintended stage dive at the show in Brisbane, Australia, on Tuesday night -- but that didn't stop him from playing, according to The Sydney Morning Herald. The rocker reportedly continued slapping his bass after tumbling from the stage just two songs into the band's set. Thomas sprained his ankle as a result of the fall. ...

Do you like to sing along to Chris Brown? Well, here's your chance to do so with him in person. Screen Gems, the studio behind [article id="1551660"]Brown's upcoming movie "This Christmas,"[/article] has put together an "American Idol"-like singing contest that will be co-hosted by urban-radio stations in 35 markets this weekend. Contestants will have a minute to sing either "This Christmas" or "Silent Night," and the 35 winners will then tape performances for AOL Black Voices starting October 19. The public will be allowed to vote for their favorite singer, and voting will end October 24. The three semifinalists will be flown to New York to sing their tune on "106 & Park," after which viewers will vote online and the winner will be announced on the show November 1. The winner will get an all-expenses-paid trip to New York to perform on a "This Christmas" holiday special with Brown, David Banner, Columbus Short and other actors from the flick, which opens November 21. ... Michael Jackson has issued a new letter to fans in which he thanks them for their birthday gifts and cards. He also found room to hint at future plans. "I've been really busy lately. Hopefully, you've all seen the results of my recent photo shoot with L'Uomo Vogue," he said of the designer-clothes magazine, which features Jackson on its October cover. "Soon, I will be sharing exciting and surprising news with you from my other efforts." ...

Jonathan Davis' long-delayed solo-acoustic trek is finally a go again. While the Korn frontman announced the outing [article id="1542307"]way back in October 2006[/article] and had sketched out a February start date, he now has November 10 in Verona, New York, pegged as the new beginning date, with shows running through December 8 in Ventura, California. ... The Dave Matthews Band have signed up to play the "World's Loudest Pep Rally." The nationwide AT&T-sponsored contest for more than 100 NCAA Division I schools with college-football teams will award a free live concert by the DMB to the school that submits the most online invitations (texts, e-mails, photos, videos, songs) on AT&T devices relative to the school's enrollment. The contest runs until Monday, and fans can submit up to 50 invitations a day. ...

Metallica, who have been working on new material for what's turning into their own personal Chinese Democracy, have posted an update on their progress over at their Web site in the form of a series of photos and a fairly uneventful post. "There is nothing new to report," the missive reads. "Things are as you would call it, status quo, consistent, constant, invariable, unaltered, unchanged, unfailing, uniform, unvarying. Pretty much what we are trying to say is: work is continuing and all is good in the Metallica 'hood. As soon as we do have something new to report, you will be the first to know of course." ...

Bobby Brown now says he didn't suffer a heart attack after all on Tuesday, despite reports to the contrary. "I did go to the hospital ... to just get a checkup, get everything tested out so that I could go on [my upcoming] tour, and everything is fine," he told AP. On Wednesday, his representative Paedra Parks said Brown was in "great spirits and [had] a great prognosis from his doctor" after it had been reported that Brown was rushed to the Tarzana Regional Medical Center in Tarzana, California, for chest pains. ...

Bob Mould (Hüsker Dü, Sugar) is quite the label-hopper -- after putting out solo material on Virgin and Ryko in the '90s, he then started up his own label, Granary Music -- only to then jump over to Yep Roc for 2005's Body of Song. Now he's moved to yet another label, Anti-, for the release of his new album, District Line, on February 5. The album will feature drumming by Fugazi's Brendan Canty and 10 songs, including "Miniature Parade," "Old Highs New Lows" and "Return to Dust." ... Jude Law has been cleared of charges for allegedly assaulting a photographer outside his home in London in September, Reuters reports. No further action will reportedly be taken against the actor. ...

Legendary stuntman Bud Ekins died over the weekend of natural causes at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Times reports. Ekins was the Steve McQueen double who made the famous motorcycle jump in the classic 1963 film "The Great Escape," and also served as a stuntman in "Animal House," "Diamonds Are Forever" and "The Blues Brothers." He was 77.

10.10.07

Britney Spears' arraignment was delayed earlier this week, but the singer needs to make another adjustment on her calendar -- her [article id="1568712"]upcoming Blackout LP[/article] has bumped from a November 13 release to October 30. Jive, her label, chalked up the release-date shift to album tracks being leaked online. "Due to these numerous unauthorized online leaks, the label is doing everything possible to prevent and avoid any future illegal distribution of songs, including moving up the release date of the album to October 30," it said in a statement. ...

Hip-hop promoter James Waldon has filed a $5 million lawsuit against Sean "Diddy" Combs, claiming that after he chatted with the Bad Boy boss at the Box nightclub in New York, three of Combs' bodyguards attacked him. According to The Associated Press, the 27-year-old said one bodyguard punched him in the mouth, knocking him backward onto a table, while two others repeatedly hit and kicked him, then chased him around the club before he escaped. Waldon claimed the beating left him with a number of injuries, including mouth and teeth problems. Combs' lawyer said he had not yet seen the filing. ... In other Diddy legal news, a Los Angeles judge ruled Wednesday that the hip-hop mogul doesn't have to provide photos of his rings to a man who says Combs hit him outside the Hollywood Roosevelt hotel nightclub in February, according to The Associated Press. Gerald Rechnitzer's lawyer had argued that the photos were critical to his case. ...

Bobby Brown is recovering after suffering a mild heart attack, according to People. His representative Paedra Parks told the magazine that the singer is in "great spirits and has a great prognosis from his doctor." Brown's girlfriend, Alicia Etheridge, rushed him to the Tarzana Regional Medical Center in Tarzana, California, on Tuesday afternoon when he experienced chest pains. He is expected to be released later Wednesday (October 10) and still plans to perform at Los Angeles radio station V100's Taste of Soul fest on Saturday. ...

Black Eyed Peas ended a concert mid-show in San Salvador, El Salvador, last week after Fergie apparently became ill, according to AP. The singer announced onstage that she was suffering from food poisoning, saying, "I've never canceled a show in my life," according to a video that has been circulating online. The show's organizer announced Tuesday that the show will be rescheduled in 90 days, and refunds will also be offered. ... Justin Timberlake has become the first male solo artist this decade to score six top 40 hits from the same album, according to Billboard. His FutureSex/LoveSounds song "Until the End of Time" recently jumped from #41 to #28 on the magazine's Hot 100. The last solo male artist to accomplish the feat? Michael Jackson, naturally. ...

Kiefer Sutherland released a statement Wednesday in regards to his recent DUI arrest. "I'm very disappointed in myself for the poor judgment I exhibited recently, and I'm deeply sorry for the disappointment and distress this has caused my family, friends and co-workers on '24' and at 20th Century Fox. I appreciate the support and concern that has been extended to me these last weeks both personally and professionally." Sutherland will have to serve 48 days in county jail -- 30 for driving with a blood-alcohol level above the legal limit of .08 percent, as well as 18 for violating his probation for another DUI case in 2004. He will be sentenced December 21. ...

Disgraced boy-band svengali Lou Pearlman is hitting back at allegations in a Vanity Fair story in which former members of male groups he worked with alleged inappropriate activities and sexual improprieties. Speaking to Radar magazine, Pearlman called the story "slander" and denied any wrongdoing. "I don't think there's anything wrong [with having one's] own sexual preference, but no, I've never dated nor have I been interested in men sexually," Pearlman said in response to a question about whether he is gay. He dismissed a number of the allegations against him as mostly sour grapes from people who are or have been in litigation with him, or whose careers did not take off. Pearlman also denied giving massages to any of his former clients and the allegation that he told a young man that in order to get into a band he had to perform a sex act on him. He also said former Take 5 member TJ Christofore made up a story about Pearlman wrestling on a bed with a number of young men while wearing only a towel. "T.J. [Christofore] is making up this story," Pearlman said. "He sued me in child-labor court and lost. If what he says is true, you would think he would have brought it up to help his case. The fact that he never mentioned this in court should tell you where he's coming from. He's just trying to join the lynch party. Besides, I've never owned a towel that could wrap all the way around me anyway." ...

Forget about Angelina Jolie, Jessica Biel and Scarlett Johansson -- Charlize Theron is the sexiest woman alive, according to Esquire magazine. The "In the Valley of Elah" actress graces the cover of the mag's new issue, which streets Tuesday. ... It seems that a few hospital staffers wanted to know a little too much about George Clooney. Twenty-seven employees at North Bergen, New Jersey's Palisades Medical Center -- where the "Michael Clayton" actor and his girlfriend were hospitalized in September after being involved in a motorcycle accident -- have been suspended for four weeks for allegedly looking at Clooney's confidential medical information. "This is the first I've heard of it," Clooney said in a statement. "And while I very much believe in a patient's right to privacy, I would hope that this could be settled without suspending medical workers." ...

More disturbing information has surfaced concerning alleged animal abuse at rapper DMX's Arizona home. According to a report in The Arizona Republic, several of the 12 undernourished pit bulls recovered from the grounds back in August suffered from valley fever, an infectious lung disease that also affects humans. Also, three dogs that were discovered buried in the rapper's backyard may have died from heat after air conditioning in the house reportedly broke down. The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, which is still investigating the matter, told the Republic that a "usable amount of marijuana" was also recovered from the rapper's home, along with a small amount of cocaine. The cause of death of the three dogs, which showed signs of bruising, could not be determined, as their bodies were severely decomposed. Two burned dogs, a 20-pound puppy and a 40-pound female, were found together, wrapped in a beige bed sheet and placed inside a plastic bag. ...

Mos Def and hipster rapper Spank Rock have come together to remix French house duo Justice's [article id="1568729"]VMA-nominated "D.A.N.C.E."[/article] The two MCs are now labelmates after Mos Def recently signed to Downtown Records (also home to Gnarls Barkley and Cold War Kids), the rapper's label and management confirmed to MTV News. The remix was produced by 19-year old Baltimore beatmaker Benny Blanco who, along with Spank Rock, just released a 2 Live Crew tribute EP, Bangers & Cash. ...

The Police have been forced to cancel two gigs on [article id="1552151"]their current world tour[/article] due to frontman Sting's alleged voice problems. The band canceled an Antwerp, Belgium, concert set for October 2, along with another in Manheim, Germany, that was scheduled for October 3. Sting is suffering from a throat infection and doctors have told him to rest his pipes. ... Leave it to the Flaming Lips to conjure a Halloween party for the ages. According to Oklahoma City's OK Gazette, the hometown heroes are participating in the city's Ghouls Gone Wild parade on October 27. Frontman Wayne Coyne will be the grand marshal -- and march in his famed plastic bubble, no less! -- and the band is trying to rally 1,000 costumed folks to be part of its March of a Thousand Flaming Skeletons. ... Mötley Crüe's upcoming live double-disc set, Carnival of Sins, has been scheduled for an October 23 release. The set features 23 tracks spanning the band's entire career, including "Too Young to Fall in Love," "Home Sweet Home," "Shout at the Devil" and "Dr. Feelgood." ...

The Beatles fans pumped for the November 6 double-DVD re-release of the band's "Help!," might want to buy a ticket to Cleveland -- the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum has constructed a new exhibit devoted to the 1965 flick. The exhibit, which will open November 16, will feature rare artifacts and photos shot during the making of the movie, including George Harrison's original script, call sheets, costumes and more. Speaking of Harrison, nine albums from his solo catalog debuted digitally on Tuesday, with the rest set to be made available next year. Fans will probably want to nab the iTunes versions, as they come with bonus tracks.