Gary Glitter [born Paul Francis Gadd], 62, may be released as early as May from the Thu Duc detention center.
The singer is on a list of inmates that are being considered for early release as part of the Lunar New Year celebrations
next month. Traditionally, the terms of inmates with good prison records at that time of year are reduced in Vietnam.
Glitter is currently serving a 3-year sentence for committing "obscene acts" with two Vietnamese girls.
James Brown's will was read on Thursday to six of his children and, according to attorneys for the singer, the
5 year-old child (James Jr.) of Brown and partner Tomi Rae Hynie was not listed in the document. The will has not
been filed in probate court and Hynie's attorney has said he knows nothing about the will. Meanwhile, legal issues
continue as questions surrounding his estate have prevented the burial of his casket, his family contests both
the legality of Hynie's marriage to Brown and her son's paternity and Brown's former publicist Jacque Hollander
has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to hear her $106 million sexual harassment lawsuit (which was ruled on last year
in a lower court that she waited too long to file.)
Yoko Ono's former chauffeur, Koral Karsan, has countered the extortion claim made by the singer last month with
his own claim that his scheme was merely an attempt to recover damages from years of sexual harassment.
On Wednesday, George Michael [born George Panayiotou] pleaded innocent to charges of being unfit to drive and possessing
marijuana. His attorney, Keima Payton, said that blood samples taken on the night of his arrest weren't legal (meaning
the charges and trial should be tossed out.) Arguments over the blood sample being admissible are set for Mar.
7th and a trial date for Apr. 23rd.
According to TMZ.com, a lawsuit was filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court by Mickey Fine Pharmacy against
Michael Jackson over more than $100,000 in prescription medication they are allegedly owed via a verbal agreement
they made. The pharmacy claims Jackson made his last payment to them in the middle of 2005. They are seeking what
they are owed, court costs and other relief from the court.
Former Zoogz Rift percussionist Richie Hass has been diagnosed with multiple myeloma (bone cancer.) Hass was recently
released from the Mission Community Hospital near his Panorama City apartment and is working to get into the Medicare
system. There is talk of a benefit taking place in the near future.
Grand Ole Opry star Stonewall Jackson, 74, has filed a $10 million dollar age discrimination lawsuit in federal
court on Thursday against the Opry's owner, Gaylord Entertainment Co., and general manager, Pete Fisher.
According to the Post Chronicle, the families of the 100 people killed in the Station nightclub fire in Rhode Island
at a Great White concert are upset with the band after they announced they will play a charity concert for seals.
The survivors and relatives are upset because the fund set up to help those affected by the tragedy is out of money.
The band have responded by claiming that they had been told not to fundraise.
Carly Simon's new covers album, Into White, was the only album debuting last week to enter the top 50 of the Billboard
200 chart. Into White debuted at #15 on sales of 40,000 copies.
Grammy nominee Bruce Hornsby and Ricky Skaggs will be taping an episode of CMT's Crossroads on Jan. 18th. The two
have recorded an album together but it has yet to be released.
The Red Hot Chili Peppers have signed on to perform and the 49th Grammy Awards on Feb. 11th. The band is also nominated
for 6 of the awards including Album of the Year.
Eddie Murphy walked away without an award during the 3 different times he was nominated in the best-actor category
at the Golden Globes in the past. This year, he walked away a winner, taking home an award for his supporting role
in Dreamgirls.
Bon Jovi won an award on Tuesday for best rock song at the 33rd annual People's Choice Awards for "Who Says
You Can't Go Home."
Slash, Ronnie James Dio and Terry Bozzio will be inducted into the RockWalk at the Guitar Center in Hollywood on
Jan. 17th.
Ronnie Spector will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the Ronettes on Mar. 12th but has a busy
year planned beyond that. Her latest album, The Last of the Rock Stars, (which was released in the U.K. last year)
will be released in the U.S. followed by a tour. Spector's last solo album was 1987's Unfinished Business.
Life & Style magazine reports, sources close to Denise Richards claim she plans on marrying Bon Jovi guitarist
Richie Sambora in Milan this summer and that her ex-husband Charlie Sheen has given his blessing.
Willie Nelson's You Don't Know Me: The Songs Of Cindy Walker has been named unanimously by CMT.com's editorial
team as the best country album of 2006.
Eric Prydz vs. Floyd's "Proper Education" holds the #2 spot on the U.K. singles chart. On the U.K. album
chart, Kylie Minogue's Showgirl -- Homecoming Live debuted at #5 boosted by her first British concerts since being
treated for cancer. Minogue was forced to cancel two shows on her tour due to a respiratory tract infection and
doctors have insisted that she not perform in the immediate future.
Crowded House's final stage performance in November of 1996 at Sydney's Opera House (benefitting a children's hospital)
heads to stores this week as 24-song 10th anniversary CD and DVD collections under the title Farewell To The World.
Bill Callahan will release his next studio album under his own name and retire his longtime moniker Smog. Callahan's
new album, Wok On A Whaleheart, is due out on Apr. 17th following the new single, "Diamond Dancer," on
Mar. 20th.
John Mellencamp will sit down with DJ Meg Griffin to talk about each of the songs on his new studio album, Freedom's
Road. Inside Freedom's Road with John Mellencamp airs on Jan. 17th, 18th, 20th, 21st, 22nd and 23rd on Sirius Satellite
Radio Channel 18 (The Spectrum.) Freedom's Road hits stores on Jan. 23rd. Mellencamp is profiled in the February
issue of Vanity Fair, interviewed in the Jan/Feb issue of Performing Songwriter magazine and will perform on Jimmy
Kimmel Live on Jan. 24th and 25th.
The Waterboys will release their new studio album, Book Of Lighting, in Europe on Apr. 2nd via W14/Universal Records.
The first single, "Everybody Takes A Tumble," will be release on Mar. 19th.
Former New Kids On The Block singer Jordan Knight had an Adult Contemporary chart hit single (#24) in October with,
"Say Goodbye," a duet with Deborah Gibson from his recent studio album, Love Songs. Word is that Gibson
is working on her follow-up to 2003's Colored Lights: The Broadway Album. One song, "Famous," has been
posted at her official Web site. A new musical is in the works for her. The Flunky is now in pre-production. Gibson
wrote the music and co-wrote the lyrics. If that isn't enough, she appears in the new film, Coffee Date, and sings
a song she wrote over the end credits. The film opens on Jan. 19th in St. Louis with many film festival screenings
scheduled.
Perry Farrell's new band, Satellite Party, release their debut album, Ultra Payloaded, on May 15th. The band planned
to make their live debut as part of the ESPN Winter X Games in Aspen, Colorado, today.
Stevie B's new studio album, This Time..., will be made available for purchase via his eBay store at: http://stores.ebay.com/STEVIE-B-MUSIC-PLUS
None are listed there at this time.
According to drummer Stephen Morris, New Order will be having a busy year. The band will be finishing work on their
new album and will be endorsing the new film, Control, which will be released around the time of Joy Division's
30th anniversary (which was New Order's previous band.) An album of Joy Division cover songs recorded by some of
today's biggest names is also in the works.
Mark Lanegan is expected to return to work with Greg Dulli on songs for their Gutter Twins project. According to
Dulli, 8 to 10 songs have been finished for the project but he wants to have at least 20 to choose from.
According to Melbourne's The Age, Violent Femmes bassist Brian Ritchie has been granted a "distinguished artist"
visa and settled as an Australian resident. A friend of Midnight Oils frontman Peter Garrett reportedly sold him
some land in Tasmania and he plans on setting up a tea shop in the Sydney suburb of Surry Hills. Ritchie has assembled
a world music group with musicians in Tasmania to fit the requirements of his visa.
Ringo Starr's childhood home will reportedly soon be demolished and rebuilt inside the new Museum of Liverpool.
There are still many details to be worked out and negotiations are underway.
America's Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell will perform, "Ride On," from their new double-disc album,
Here & Now, on Late Night With David Letterman on Jan. 16th with special guest Ryan Adams.
Metropolis Records will re-release digitally -remastered versions of KMFDM's out-of-print 1995 album Nihil and
1996's Xtort on Mar. 6th.
Naomi Judd's new book, Naomi's Guide To Aging Gratefully: Facts, Myths, And Good News For Boomers, has been published
by Simon & Schuster.
The Innocence Mission will release their 9th studio album, We Walked In Song, via Badman Recording Co. on Mar.
20th. An East Coast tour is expected this spring.
Robert Plant's reunion of the Honeydrippers was originally planned for a new 2007 album of standard covers but
following the death of Atlantic Records co-founder Ahmet Ertegun (who had planned the project with Plant) the singer
doesn't have the motivation to record the album.
Diana Ross will be promoting her new studio album, I Love You, on Good Morning America and Live with Regis &
Kelly on Jan. 16th, The Martha Stewart Show on Jan. 26th and Inside The Actors Studio on Feb. 19th.
The Bulletboys will release their first-ever live album, Behind The Orange Curtain, on Apr. 3rd via Crash Music
Classics.
This Town Ain't Big Enough For Both Of Us - The Story Of Sparks will air on BBC Radio 2 on Jan. 20th. The radio
documentary follows the 35 years and 20 albums by Sparks members Ron and Russell Mael.
Sammy Hagar recently told Launch that he and bassist Michael Anthony may head into the studio with drummer Chad
Smith (when the Red Hot Chili Peppers tour is over) and put a record together. It's not a permanent grouping but
they are tentatively calling the project Chicken Foot.
Iron Maiden are expected to release their live DVD, Death On The Road, in the U.S. on Jan. 30th. The disc was released
in the U.K. nearly a year ago.
Just in time to hype the upcoming new Recoil album, Mute Records has re-released the former Depeche Mode keyboardist's
1988 album Hydrology (which includes 1986's 1+2) and 1991's Bloodline. The label has also taken former Cabaret
Voltaire member Richard H. Kirk's 1987 album Hoodoo Talk and released it for the first time on CD.
My Bloody Valentine frontman Kevin Shields recently told Magnet magazine that the band will release a follow-up
to 1991's Loveless. He hasn't given a time frame for working on the album and mentioned needing to be excited about
it to be bothered.
Songwriter/bassist Rachel Bolan of Skid Row will enter the studio with The Luchagors later this month to produce
their debut album.
A new YouTube video from a Seattle news station's interview with American Idol judge Paula Abdul is out. Its popularity
is due to the belief that the singer was intoxicated at the time. Abdul's representatives have said that she did
many interviews that day, was not on drugs or alcohol and technical problems may have distracted her. Meanwhile,
Bravo has committed to a series called Hey Paula that will follow Abdul as she films the new season of American
Idol, works on Bratz: The Movie (as fashion, choreography and music adviser) and develops her line of perfume and
cosmetics.
Billy Joe Shaver will release his 18-track Greatest Hits collection on Mar. 13th. The disc includes the previously-unreleased
songs "Light A Candle For Me" and "Melody."
A new Squeeze compilation is on the way entitled Essential Squeeze. The 24-track collection is due out in the U.K.
on Feb. 26th.
Slayer will be making their network television debut on ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live on Jan. 19th. The band are expected
to play their Grammy-nominated single, "Eyes Of The Insane."
Howard Jones' Piano Solos Volume 2 has been released via dtox records and can be purchased online at www.dtox.co.uk
Reports claim that Morrissey is so upset that Britain came in 19th out of the 24 countries competing for the recent
Eurovision songwriting contest that he is considering writing a song to be considered for entry next year. The
BBC is reportedly in talks with the singer to write and perform the entry.
Coil plan to release a new track entitled "Animal Are You?" as part of the special Duplais Balance boxed
set. A reissue of their 1998 album, Time Machines, is also in the works for later this year.
Former Triumph vocalist Rik Emmett has a new project with Mike Shotten called Air Time. They are expected to release
their debut CD in the next few months. Meanwhile, he will be on hand for the induction of Triumph into the Canadian
Music Industry Hall of Fame on Mar. 10th.
According to Madonna's producer Stuart Price, the singer will release a new album this year with the help of some
current producers that will take her in a new direction and showcase a new sound.
Liberation Entertainment will release Santana's Live In Montreux as a single DVD and double-CD on Feb. 26th.
According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Axl Rose has been working on Chinese Democracy at the Palms recording
studios and is putting the final vocals down. The recently announced "tentative" Mar. 6th release date...
is still tentative.
After retiring from the music business in 1989, Starship (in all its incarnations) singer Grace Slick focused on
painting. These paintings will be up for exhibit in Burlington and Chestnut Hill (both in Massachusetts) on Feb.
17th and 18th.
Due to a new deal reached by U.K. indie label Rough Trade Records and the World's Fair Label Group, many albums
including Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker's latest solo album, Jarvis, will now be distributed in North America.
Saxon have plans to release their new studio album, The Inner Sanctum, on Mar. 3rd in the U.S. (Mar. 5th in Europe.)
Former King Swamp vocalist Walter Wray mentioned the existence of a good copy of a U.S. performance by the band
which could be used for a possible future live album during an interview on the Talking 80s Music podcast.
Guitarist Steve Lukather is spending all of January in the studio working on his next solo album due out later
this year.
Songwriter/pedal steel guitarist "Sneaky" Pete Kleinow, 72, died on Jan. 6th from complications of Alzheimer's
disease. The co-founder of the Flying Burrito Brothers had been living in a nursing facility in Petaluma, California.
Kleinow would leave and return to reform the band often. This wasn't a period of inactivity however as he was a
highly sought after session musician. Among a few of the albums he appeared on just during the 1980s by L.T.D.,
Johnny Lee, Tom Jones, The Rave-Ups, The Golden Palominos, Leonard Cohen and Jon Gibson. Kleinow had a second calling
as a visual effects artist and some of his later credits would include Terminator, Terminator 2 and the TV miniseries
The Winds of War (for which he shared an Emmy.) He had been involved in visual effects prior to the Flying Burrito
Brothers when he worked on NBC's The Gumby Show.
Former Samson founding member Chris Aylmer passed away last week after a long battle with throat cancer. The bassist
was with the band from 1977 until 1984 although he returned to record with the band in 1993 and tour again with
the band in 1999. Guitarist/vocalist Paul Samson died in 2002 due to cancer.
Tenor saxophonist Michael Brecker, 57, died in a New York hospital on Jan. 13th of leukemia. During his more than
3 decade career, Brecker won 11 Grammys and performed with many jazz and pop greats including Paul Simon, James
Taylor, Herbie Hancock, Joni Mitchell, Dire Straits, Bruce Springsteen, Andreas Vollenweider, George Benson, Lee
Ritenour, John Lennon, Rod Stewart, Chick Corea, David Benoit, Al Jarreau, Carly Simon, Pat Metheny, Julio Iglesias,
Dan Fogelberg, Michael Franks, Eric Clapton, Billy Joel, Cameo, Bonnie Tyler, Chaka Khan, Frank Sinatra, Diana
Ross, Julian Lennon, Barry Gibb, Lou Reed, Melissa Manchester, Donald Fagen, Luther Vandross, Aretha Franklin...
and way too many more to list. With all that session work, he still found time to start his solo career in 1987.
His most recent album, Wide Angles, earned him two Grammy awards.
Jazz pianist/composer Alice Coltrane, 69, died of respiratory failure at West Hills Hospital and Medical Center
near Los Angeles on Friday. Coltrane spent the last 40 years managing the archive and estate of her late husband
saxophone legend John Coltrane. She received critical praise for many of her albums. Her last recording was 2004's
Translinear Light.