Tracey Edmonds filed for divorce from Kenneth "Babyface"
Edmonds on Tuesday, citing irreconcilable differences. The couple have been married for 13 years and have two sons
together.
On Friday, Gary Glitter was charged with committing obscene acts with two girls (10 and 11) at his rental home
in Vung Tau, Vietnam. The charges have been reduced to kissing and other physical acts which he faces 3 to 7 years
in prison if convicted.
On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Florence-Marie Cooper dismissed a $10 million lawsuit filed by Michael Jackson
against Henry Vaccaro over memorabilia Jackson claimed had been stolen. The judge tossed out the case because Jackson
had stopped pursuing the suit he filed 2 years ago. Meanwhile, Jackson has been sued by Dinnes Memorial Veterinary
Hospital alleging they are owed $91,602 in veterinary bills. A hearing has been set for May 2nd.
An emergency appendectomy over the weekend has sidelined former Spandau Ballet vocalist Tony Hadley as he is recovering
in a North London hospital. Hadley has been forced to cancel some shows in Holland and his charity trip in Venezuela
may be in jeopardy.
Barry Gibb has purchased Johnny Cash's former home on Old Hickory Lake, northeast of Nashville, Tennessee. The
13,880-square foot home on 4.6 acres was priced at $2.5 million prior to the sale.
INXS and Olivia Newton-John will be honored at the Penfolds Icon Gala Dinner during the opening event of the third
annual G'Day L.A.: Australia Week 2006 in Los Angeles on Jan. 14th. INXS are expected to hit the stage for a special
performance.
Lou Reed and Ricky Martin have been named as performers at the 2006 winter Olympic Games in Torino, Italy, from
Feb. 11th to 25th. Meanwhile, Lou Reed will release his second book of photos, Lou Reed's New York, on Jan 15th.
Dennis DeYoung has announced that he will be touring in April with Glen Burtnik performing music from Edge Of The
Century as well as songs DeYoung considers the lost album of 1992.
Motley Crue guitarist Mick Mars was pulled off the stage during the final number of their New Year's Eve performance
in Auburn Hills by two female fans. Mars (who recently had hip replacement surgery) reached out to them to hand
out a guitar pick but the girls thought he was trying to pull them up onstage for a backstage after-party. Mars
reportedly wasn't hurt in the fall. Meanwhile, the film adaptation of the band's 2002 autobiography, The Dirt:
Confessions Of The World's Most Notorious Rock Band, is making significant progress. Motley Crue will be honored
with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Jan. 25th.
A new documentary entitled American Hardcore will premiere at the Sundance Film Festival later this month which
contains vintage footage from many acts including Bad Brains, Black Flag and Minor Threat as well as interviews.
Def Leppard have pushed back the release of their covers album, Yeah!, until this spring. A tour is expected to
follow the release of the album with the band expecting to head to the studio afterwards to work on a new studio
album.
According to a poll by readers of the BBC's Homes And Antiques magazine, Bjork was voted the world's most eccentric
star. Ozzy Osbourne came in at #5 with Elton John and John Lydon making the Top 20.
Willie Nelson and K.D. Lang will perform at the Canadian Songwriters Hall Of Fame Third Annual Gala in Toronto
on Feb. 5th which will honor, among the new inductees, Leonard Cohen.
W.A.S.P.'s Blackie Lawless (a.k.a. Steven Duren) was reportedly arrested and charged with misdemeanor assault during
an incident in Scottsdale, Arizona, last fall. A pre-trial conference is scheduled for Jan. 26th.
The Temptations will release their latest studio album, Reflections, on Jan. 31st featuring 15 new tracks including
covers of many Motown hits.
Whitesnake have plans to release a new hits compilation, The Definitive Collection, and live DVD, Live...In The
Still Of The Night, early this year. The Definitive Collection reportedly spans each of their studio albums including
their earliest albums.
According to an e-mail sent to fans, the new Red Hot Chili Peppers new studio album, Stadium Arcadium, will be
a double-disc release, the first of their career.
David Lee Roth started his morning radio host career off on Tuesday replacing Howard Stern on many east coast stations
from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. During a recent interview with the Pittsburgh Tribune Review, Roth has said that reuniting
the original Van Halen line-up is inevitable. Sources close to the band say Roth is deluding himself.
The Misfits plan to head into the studio this year to record a new album. They are also considering the release
of some live material from their recent performances later this year.
Sonic Youth has begun recording their next studio album for Geffen with plans to release it later this year. Meanwhile,
their 1982 self-titled EP, their 1988 album, The Whitey Album, released under the name Ciccone Youth (due to their
cover of Madonna's "Into The Groove" on the album) and guitarist Thurston Moore's 1995 solo album Psychic
Hearts will be reissued early this year.
Queensryche have signed a deal with Rhino Records to release Operation: Mindcrime II this month. Geoff Tate describes
the theme of the album as being about revenge and what it does to people.
John Lydon (a.k.a. Johnny Rotten) of Sex Pistols and Public Image Ltd. fame has signed on as the new on-air ambassador
for San Diego's 91X Modern Rock station.
Be Here To Love Me, The Townes Van Zandt documentary, will be released on DVD on Mar. 14th. The film which features
interviews with Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, Lyle Lovett, Steve Earle, Emmylou Harris and Guy Clark about
the late performer has been playing in North American theaters in limited release.
A DVD release of G.G. Allin - Terror In America: Live 1993 is scheduled for Feb. 21st. The tour was his Allin's
first with the Murder Junkies since his release from prison and recording what would be their final album together.
Former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr is planning to release his band's follow-up to 2003's Boomslang in the spring.
Beyond the Johnny Marr and The Healers album sophomore effort, Marr may be playing guitar on Lisa Germano's debut
for Young God Records due out later this year.
According to UPI, Ted Nugent has said that he is holding off on a 2006 Michigan gubernatorial run due to his civic
duties and TV shows but 2010 isn't out of the question.
The Go-Betweens will be the subject of a new DVD/CD entitled That Striped Sunlight Sound on Jan. 24th containing
recordings from a recent performance in their Brisbane, Australia, hometown.
The Pointer Sisters had a #2 hit on Nov. 2nd in Belgium when they teamed with the Flemish 2003 Pop Idol Natalia
to remake the Eurythmics' 1985 hit "Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves." The success of the song has
seen the two acts announce 9 tour dates together. The Pointer Sisters currently consist of original members Anita
and Ruth Pointer with Ruth's daughter Issa.
Work has been progressing on a film about the life of Thin Lizzy frontman Phil Lynott with CSI's Gary Dourdan signed
to play the lead role. Filming is expected to begin later this year.
North American label Metropolis Records has signed Gary Numan. His label debut will be Jagged, his first new studio
album in over 5 years.
EMI have signed Kim Wilde to a new recording deal. Plans are for Wilde to begin work on new material early this
year.
Morrissey's Tony Visconti-produced eighth solo album, Ringleader Of The Tormentors, will be released on Apr. 4th.
"You Have Killed Me" is expected to be the first single from the album.
Pete Townshend has issued warnings about listening to excessively loud music on headphones as they may cause hearing
loss. The Who guitarist believes that his hearing loss wasn't caused by live concerts but by using headphones in
the recording studio.
An exhibit of extremely rare photographs of rock icon Gram Parsons will open at Los Angeles' Harmony Gallery on
Jan. 20th.
The Talking Heads reissue Dual-Disc versions of several of their early albums from their back catalog this week
including 1980's Remain In Light which Rolling Stone has ranked #126 in their 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time.
Jimmy Buffett, Carole King, Jackson Browne, Emmylou Harris, Bonnie Raitt, Joe Walsh, Linda Ronstadt, Little Feat,
Dan Fogelberg and Crosby, Stills & Nash are featured on a tribute CD, Lotta Love Concert, to the late vocalist
Nicolette Larson that was recorded in 1998. Larson died after suffering a cerebral edema in 1997.
The Sisters Of Mercy have scheduled their first North American tour since 1999. The band plan to perform some unreleased
new material during part of their shows.
David Bowie is scheduled to release his Serious Moonlight DVD on Mar. 15th. The footage was filmed in Vancouver
in 1983 during a performance at the Pacific National Exhibition Coliseum. A 4-track Serious Moonlight Live EP will
be released to online music stores on Feb. 13th.
On Thursday, Queen Latifah received a star on Hollywood's Walk Of Fame. Latifah becomes the second 'rapper-turned-actor'
to receive the honor following Will Smith.
The U.S. release date of the DVD version of Rush's Exit...Stage Left has been pushed back from Feb. 7th to Mar.
7th.
Sepultura have plans to release their new studio album, Dante XXI, via SPV on Mar. 14th.
Grammy-winning R&B vocalist Lou Rawls, 72, died on Friday from lung and brain cancer at Los Angeles' Cedars-Sinai
Medical Center. He released 8 studio albums during the 80's with appearances on nearly 200 albums, 18 films and
16 television series during his lifetime. Rawls also played a major role in the United Negro College Fund telethons
during the 80's that raised more than $200 million.
U.K. improvisational guitarist Derek Bailey, 75, died on Sunday in London due to complications of motor neuron
disease. The prolific artist released 11 albums during the 1980s and had appeared on over 60 albums as a guest
performer.
Singer/guitarist Bryan Harvey, 49, of the duo House Of Freaks was found dead with his wife and two young daughters
in the basement of their Richmond, Virginia, home during the weekend. Friend and former drummer, Johnny Hott, arrived
at the home for a New Year's Day party to discover the house was on fire. Firefighters were called to the scene
and discovered the bodies which local news outlets have reported the victims' throats had been cut and bodies bound.
Ray Joseph Dandridge, 28, and Ricky Javon Gray, 28, were arrested in Philadelphia and charged with 4 counts each
of conspiracy to commit murder and a count of auto theft.