The BBC reports that George Michael will appear at Brent Magistrates' Court in London on Jan. 11th on charges
of being unfit to drive. Michael was arrested in October on suspicion of being unfit to drive and possessing drugs.
He was cautioned for the possessing marijuana but was charged with the driving offense just before Christmas. The
singer had a similar driving and possession incident in February.
Los Angeles Federal Court Judge Manuel Real dismissed The Beach Boys' $20 million lawsuit against two men who allegedly
stole band memorabilia from a North Hollywood warehouse. According to TMZ.com, Danny Morin (the lawyer from the
band's company Brother Records Inc.) showed up 13 minutes late for a court hearing prior to Real making the decision.
Cristin Keleher, who entered George Harrison's house in December of 1999 (cooked a frozen pizza, drank a root beer,
did her laundry and called her mom) and was charged with burglary, was found dead in California on Dec. 19th following
a murder-suicide according to police.
Rod Stewart, 61, has been awarded a CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in the New Year Honours
List.
David Lee Roth recently told TMZ.com after hearing Eddie Van Halen has put an offer out to him, "A Van Halen
reunion is a lot like NASCAR -- are you there to see the winner or the crash? In this aspect, we're a lot closer
to Jerry Springer meets Knots Landing, which, to me, sells t-shirts."
In a recent interview with BBC Radio, Bono said, "Our band has certainly reached the end of where we've been
at for the last couple of albums. I want to see what else we can do with it, take it to the next level; I think
that's what we've got to do." The singer also said that he'd like to see the band explore some stripped down
vocal and acoustic guitar compositions.
Ricky Martin's "Tu Recuerdo" featuring La Mari holds the top spot on Billboard's Hot Latin Songs chart
for a third straight week.
In an early extract of the Bild newspaper's Tuesday edition, Bob Geldof has called on German Chancellor Angela
Merkel to help Africa's poor while her country holds the presidency of the Group of Eight nations in 2007.
Paul McCartney is working on a new project. He is currently producing and writing a musical adaptation of his Liverpool
Oratorio based on his relationship with his late wife Linda.
The Mission U.K. will return with their new studio album, God Is A Bullet, in April. The album will be preceeded
by the first single, "Keep It In The Family," in March. Hear samples from the new album at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaTryNzqvpY
Tom Petty has claimed that 2006 was one of his most rewarding years in his career and expects the same for 2007,
contrary to a Rolling Stone article in July claiming the singer would be retiring.
The Red Hot Chili Peppers hits "Higher Ground" and "Around The World" have been licensed by
Disneyland for use on Space Mountain and California Screaming.
A new compilation entitled Mullets Rock!: Mullets In Love! will be released on Mar. 13th. The 18-track collection
is separated into two discs (Side Psyched and Side Bummed) containing songs from Eddie Money, Aldo Nova, Blue Oyster
Cult, Joan Jett, Cheap Trick, Night Ranger, Bonnie Tyler, Cinderella and many more.
Rose Tattoo will release their new studio album, Blood Brothers, on Feb. 16th via Armageddon Music. The album will
include a cover of Stevie Wright's "Black Eyed Bruiser."
Bob Seger reportedly will record the final two of his four hometown performances at Detroit's Palace of Auburn
Hills for a new live album.
Trent Reznor recently posted to his official Nine Inch Nails fan club Web site, The Spiral, information about the
group's next studio album. "Usually when I finish a record, I have to go into battle with the people whose
job is to figure out how to sell the record. The only time that didn't happen was 'With Teeth'. This time, however,
I'm expecting an epic struggle. This is not a particularly friendly record and it certainly doesn't sound like
anything else out there right now. Artists these days are not encouraged to experiment or take risks, and my punishment
is on its way."
Willie Nelson has signed on to portray the grandfather of Jessica Simpson in the upcoming film Blonde Ambition,
a loose remake of 1988's Working Girl.
Riot City Blues will reportedly be Primal Scream's last studio album to be released through Columbia. The group
are not splitting up but are being looked at by several labels with an interest in signing them to a new deal.
The 1980 compilation, From Brussels With Love, has been digitally remastered from the original master tapes with
plans to release it for the first time on CD in February. The collection included exclusive tracks by many new
wave and international avant-garde acts like New Order, Thomas Dolby, John Foxx, Brian Eno, Bill Nelson, The Durutti
Column and many others.
According to Jeff Scott Soto, his band Talisman had talked about their album, 7, being their final release prior
to filling-in vocally for Journey. The band has postponed their farewell tour.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds will release their live double-DVD, The Abattoir Blues Tour, on Jan. 29th. The set
will include all the promotional videos from their last two albums.
Depeche Mode's 1983 album Construction Time Again, 1986's Black Celebration, 1997's Ultra and 2001's Exciter are
all scheduled to be remastered and reissued this year.
Killing Joke will release a double-CD of previously-unreleased material in February via Candlelight. The material
comes from the rehearsals and their 1991 live performance in France on their Extremities tour.
Madonna is expected to release The Confessions Tour CD/DVD on Jan. 30th. The 13-track CD will accompany the DVD
containing the complete London concert (much of which was part of the NBC special.
John Wesley Harding has written and sings on two songs ("Orpheus Must Die" and "A Wrong Turn")
appearing on the upcoming Tuatara album West Of The Moon. American Music Club's Mark Eitzel , Scott McCaughey of
the Young Fresh Fellows, Gary Louris of the Jayhawks and Victoria Williams also appear on the album. Meanwhile,
the singer is working on his next album and will release his second novel under his given name Wesley Stace, by
George, on Aug. 22nd.
A German Web site has announced that the Anton Corbijn-directed film about Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis entitled
Control will be at the Berlinade movie festival in Berlin in February and enter theaters in April.
Social Distortion are expected to start work on their follow-up to 2004's Sex, Love And Rock N' Roll in the next
month.
Drummer Martin Atkins is finishing work on a book, The Business Of Touring, which compiles 30 years of experience
as a member of Public Image Ltd., Killing Joke, Ministry and Pigface. He is in his 4th year teaching a course of
the same name at Chicago's Columbia College and is working on a new Pigface studio album.
With wishes of a Merry Christmas and a peaceful New Year, Camouflage have offered an unreleased live version of
"X-Ray" as a free download at their homepage (www.camouflage-relocated.de)
Beowulf will release their new studio album, Westminster & 5th, via IScream Records on Mar. 13th.
Manowar will release their new studio album, Gods Of War, in North America on Apr. 3rd and Mar. 5th in the U.K.
and France.
James Brown, 73, passed away on Christmas Day due to congestive heart failure. The singer was admitted to an Atlanta
hospital with pneumonia the night before. Funeral proceedings took place on Saturday with a public viewing at the
Apollo Theater on Thursday. Brown was one of the original inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986
and was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award in 1992. The Godfather of Soul has also been called The
Hardest Working Man In Showbusiness and the Most Sampled Artist Ever. Tomi Rae Hynie, Brown's partner and mother
of his 5-year-old son, was locked out of his South Carolina home for "estate legal reasons" according
to the late singer's lawyer. Although she was already married to a Texas man in 2001 when she married Brown (which
made her marriage to Brown null according to Brown's lawyer), she had the previous marriage annulled. Hynie claims
the couple planned to renew their vows but not remarry. Meanwhile, Spike Lee will reportedly work on a James Brown
biopic.