Britney Spears is often accused of lip-synching, but for her performance at this weekend's American Music Awards, she's planning to prove everyone wrong -- by singing live. "I think the reason why people say that [I lip-synch] is because I am dancing a lot," the singer said in a phone press conference on Wednesday. "Janet [Jackson], when she does her shows, she dances a lot. And you know, there's parts where the background vocals and the chorus has definitely come up, but that doesn't mean I'm not singing." The American Music Awards air live from Los Angeles on ABC Sunday at 8 p.m. ET ...

Maureen Marder, the former welder/dancer whose life was the inspiration for "Flashdance," is suing Jennifer Lopez for copyright infringement over her "I'm Glad" video, which pays homage to the 1983 movie. The lawsuit, filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, alleges Lopez needed Marder's permission to make the video because she refused to grant sequel rights or to permit any further use of her story after "Flashdance" was released. ... Clive Davis threw a party in honor of Alicia Keys Thursday night at New York's Industria to kick off the festivities in promotion of her upcoming self-titled album. Pink and Tommy Lee were among the celebs who showed up. ...

Courtney Love did not appear in a Los Angeles court on Friday (November 14) but entered a plea of not guilty via her attorney in her misdemeanor drug case. Whereas Wednesday's arraignment was for possession during her overdose on October 2, Friday's arraignment was for being under the influence of opiates and/or cocaine during her arrest earlier that night. Love is due back in court December 12. ...

On November 23 soccer fans can get their kicks watching Michelle Branch performing live during the halftime ceremonies of the 2003 Major League Soccer Cup. The singer/songwriter's performance in Carson, California, will be broadcast on ABC. ... The Donnas confirmed that they will not be appearing on Australia's Big Day Out festival in January, due to the wrist injury suffered by Torry Castellano (Donna C.). On the bright side, the drummer is recovering nicely after surgery and will hopefully soon join her bandmates in rehearsals as they begin work on the follow-up to last year's major-label debut, Spend the Night. ...

Ozzy Osbourne has rescheduled three of the European tour dates that were postponed last month due to his treatment for the body tremors that have plagued him for years. The heavy metal godfather will perform in London on February 22 and two shows in Birmingham on February 24 and 26. ... Believe it or not, British Prime Minister Tony Blair is a fan of over-the-top glam-metallers the Darkness. Besides the big-haired, spandex-sporting rockers, Blair also favors U2 and Foo Fighters. ... Indiana University students taking Professor Glenn Gass' rock music history class got a surprise when John Mellencamp showed up as a guest lecturer Tuesday. The rocker offered inspiration and his views on topics ranging from politics to MTV. ...

11.13.2003

Pink has selected Jake Scott (No Doubt, Soundgarden) to direct her next video, for "God Is a DJ." "It's a fun song, it's a dance song," Pink said Wednesday. "To me, it's just about alchemy, turning sh-- into gold, using what you have and doing the best you can with it. Nothing's set yet, but I know it's going to be fun. I like Jake Scott, I like his vibe, I like his ideas." ... Meanwhile, Pink will perform at Motorola's fifth anniversary Toys for Tots benefit party on December 4 in Los Angeles. Last year's star-studded event featured Missy Elliott, with a surprise appearance by Ludacris. ...

The Murder Inc. camp met up Wednesday night in Queens, New York, for the filming of Ashanti's "Rain on Me" remix video. Irv Gotti directed the clip, which also features Ja Rule and Charli Baltimore. ... At 10 p.m. ET on Thursday (November 13), 72 radio stations around the country will premiere Let It Be ... Naked, which is the Beatles' 1970 album stripped of Phil Spector's lush wall-of-sound production. Immediately following, Sheryl Crow, Fred Durst and Billy Joel will contribute to a live panel discussion about the album. Let It Be ... Naked hits stores November 18. ...

Within days of word spreading that he had renal-cell cancer, Chic and Power Station drummer Tony Thompson has died. He was 48. The drummer, who had also worked with David Bowie, Debbie Harry and Madonna, passed Wednesday at 1:30 a.m. He is survived by his wife, Patrice; his 13-year-old son, Jensen; and his 11-year-old daughter, Jazlyn. His family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to www.tonythompsonfund.com. A tribute concert is scheduled for December 16 at the Hard Rock Cafe in Beverly Hills, California. Acts remain to be announced. ... Besides looking to expand her children's-book series into possible animated films, Madonna is launching a line of products centered on her first title, "The English Roses." She signed a marketing and licensing deal with Signatures Network, it was announced Thursday, to target pre-tween readers with toys, clothing, accessories, cosmetics, stationary and room decor. "I am thrilled at the opportunity to translate 'The Roses' to real life in a beautiful range from dolls to apparel," Madonna said in a statement. ...

Cypress Hill are donating a portion of ticket proceeds from this weekend's Smoke Out festival to a Southern California chapter of the Red Cross to aid those in the Inland Empire area who lost their homes in the recent wildfires. "It's important that we do whatever we can to help those who have been affected by the fires, especially in San Bernardino," rapper B-Real said in a statement. "We really want to take this opportunity to reach out and show our support." Newly added to the sixth annual Smoke Out are Dog Faced Gods and DJs C-Minus, Green Lantern and Starscream. The concert takes place at the National Orange Show in San Bernardino on Sunday. ... The Cure's four-disc box set, The Cure: Join the Dots: B-Sides and Rarities, 1978-2001 (The Fiction Years), due January 27, includes the songs "Another Journey by Train," "Sugar Girl," and a cover of David Bowie's "Young Americans," as well as a track-by-track breakdown from frontman Robert Smith and bassist Simon Gallup. ...

Daft Punk have teamed with renowned Japanese manga artist Leiji Matsumoto for an animated music DVD, Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem, due December 2. The video will tell the story of four musicians from another galaxy who are kidnapped by an evil manager to become the biggest band in the world. ... Forget the chocolates and flowers this February 14, because nothing says "I love you" like death metal. Queens of the Stone Age's Josh Homme's side project with Jesse "The Devil" Hughes, Eagles of Death Metal, will drop their debut album, Peace, Love, Death Metal, on Valentine's Day. The LP will be released via a joint deal between Homme's Rekord Rekords and Ant Acid, a newly formed label created by Ipecac Records co-founder Greg Werckman. A previously unreleased Screaming Trees album is also expected to surface from the label next year. ...

Just when you think you’ve heard it all from Henry Rollins, 76 more minutes from four and a half years ago will echo back on "Live at Luna Park," a DVD of his two-month weekly speaking performances at the West Hollywood, California, nightclub. The disc, due February 10, features Rollins' rants and the 20-minute bonus "Rollins Vs. Iggy Pop," Henry's futile attempt to match the in-concert energy of the Stooges frontman. ... Prosecution of online pirates isn't just a U.S. record-industry hobby. In Australia, two students who helped operate the Napster-like MP3WMAland are facing stiff fines, while a third, the site's founder, is looking at jail time. Charles Ng, 20, pleaded guilty Monday to 22 charges of distributing and aiding and abetting the distribution of copyrighted materials, and faces up to five years in jail. ...

Country singer Wynonna Judd was arrested for driving under the influence Thursday morning in Nashville. Judd was clocked driving 47 miles per hour when the speed limit was 30. Her Breathalyzer test registered more than twice the legal limit, according to the arrest report. Judd appeared in court, posted $500 bond and was released. ...