Eddie Van Halen's entry into rehab for undisclosed reasons last week may have answered some questions fans had
last month when the planned Van Halen reunion tour with David Lee Roth got shelved. According to a post by the
guitarist on their Web site, "Some of the issues surrounding the 2007 Van Halen tour are within my ability
to change and some are not. As far as my rehab is concerned, it is within my ability to change and change for the
better." This also affects the attendance of Van Halen members at their induction into the Rock And Roll Hall
Of Fame tonight as only former members Michael Anthony and Sammy Hagar will be there to represent the band. According
to some reports, Roth offered to perform "Jump" with Velvet Revolver but event officials wanted "You
Really Got Me." So Roth has decided not to attend the ceremony.
According to the U.K. newspaper News of the World, Paul McCartney and Heather Mills McCartney have settled their
divorce battle with Mills accepting a $70 million cash and property settlement. McCartney will reportedly also
split from Capitol Records after 43 years. It is also being reported that he is taking the entire back catalog
of solo albums with him. According to FoxNews.com, Starbucks' new record label will be signing him to a new deal.
Motley Crue vocalist Vince Neil recently underwent some necessary medical procedures which have forced him to postpone
his recent solo performance in Kentucky. That show has been rescheduled for July 13th. According to his management,
Neil is in good health and will be able to perform in Illinois on Mar. 22nd.
George Strait was forced to reschedule concerts during the weekend (Mar. 9th and 10th) at Mohegan Sun Casino due
to a severe case of laryngitis.
TMZ reports that writer/producer Sharlene Sullivan has filed a $2 million lawsuit against Mark Burnett claiming
that he was part of a conspiracy to steal her idea for a show called Rock Star. Sullivan claims she registered
the concept with the Writers Guild of America in 2002 in which "lead vocalists for rock bands would compete
and would be judged by well known musicians/rock stars." She also claims that she shared the idea with people
in the industry connected to INXS and Mark Burnett but initial interest faded and suddenly Rock Star: INXS was
announced by Burnett.
Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds was honored at the 21st annual Soul Train Music Awards with the Stevie Wonder
Award for outstanding career achievements in songwriting. Also honored was the Isley Brothers' Baby Makin' Music
for Best R&B/Soul Album, Group Band or Duo.
Michael Martin Murphey will be honored with the Western Heritage Wrangler Award for Outstanding Original Composition
(for the song "Long And Lonesome Ride To Dalhart") on Apr. 21st.
A concert held in Western Australia to raise $100,000 in funds for a bronze statue of late AC/DC vocalist Bon Scott
instead wound up raising $250,000. Money left over will go to Support Act Ltd. which aids musicians with financial
and health problems.
Tiffany has announced that her new studio album will be titled Just Me. It is due for release on June 5th via 10
Spot Records. The first single is due out May 1st.
Madonna has designed a new line of clothes and accessories (including shoes, bags and sunglasses) branded M by
Madonna which will be available in H&M stores on Mar. 22nd. Meanwhile, it is rumored that a part is being written
for the singer to make an appearance on Nip/Tuck. Also, US Weekly has reported that Madonna and husband Guy Ritchie
were spotted loading up the kids into the car in L.A. but didn't buckle them up.
Casting calls will finally begin on Mar. 31st near Los Angeles for the long-anticipated reincarnation of Menudo.
The bilingual MTV Tr3s will document the auditions with a four-part special, Road To Menudo, starting May 12th.
MTV is expected to broadcast a 10-episode reality series around the final 5 finalists this fall. The new Menudo
are expected to release their debut album in December via Epic.
Michael Hutchence's younger brother Rhett has reportedly been disowned by their mother for selling his brother's
personal items on eBay. One such items was a 17 year-old fax from Michael to former girlfriend Kylie Minogue. Rhett
has countered his mother's claims by saying that he is keeping the "really important things" for his
niece Tiger for when she is old enough. The "unimportant" items are being sold to help him move to the
Netherlands to live with his girlfriend.
"She's Madonna" by Robbie Williams with the Pet Shop Boys landed at #16 on the U.K. Singles chart last
week. Madness' new single, "Sorry," entered the chart at #23 becoming their biggest hit since 1999's
"Lovestruck." Bryan Ferry's Dylanesque claimed the #5 spot on the U.K. Album chart. Donny Osmond's Love
Songs Of The 70s debuted at #7 and The Very Best Of Dolly Parton came in at #9.
One major Italian Guns N' Roses fan site (www.gnronline.it) has closed in protest of the long-delayed Chinese Democracy
album although they still hope the album comes out before February of next year.
Willie Nelson is expected to announce the formation of his new independent record label, Pedernales Records, during
the South By Southwest Music & Media Conference on Mar. 16th in Austin.
Dakota Pictures and director Peter Margolis have been given the blessings of the family of late guitarist Randy
Rhoads to begin filming the Randy Rhoads Documentary this week. The filmmakers hope to fully capture the significance
of the 25th anniversary of the former Ozzy Osbourne/Quiet Riot guitarist's passing.
VH1 will tape their second annual VH1 Rock Honors on May 12th at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. The
show will premiere on May 24th and honor the music and influence of Ozzy Osbourne, Genesis, Heart and ZZ Top.
The new Mission U.K. EP, Keep It In The Family, will be released in Europe on Mar. 26th. The disc includes two
versions of the title-track and 3 new songs ("It Don't Matter Anymore Anyhow," "Refugee" and
"Whether Man.") Their new 15-track studio album, God's A Bullet, is due out Apr. 30th.
Rhino Entertainment plan to release a 12-disc boxed set, Genesis: 1976-1981, on Apr. 24th in time for the group's
reunion tour. The set features newly remixed versions of 5 of their early albums from Trick Of The Tail to Abacab
as well as a disc of B-sides and rarities. Each disc will also have a DVD featuring 5.1 audio mixes, interviews,
videos and photo galleries.
The Red Hot Chili Peppers are asking fans to create a video for their next single, "Charlie." The winning
entry (enter at warnerbrothers.com/rhcp) will receive $5,000 and a trip to Paris to see and meet the band on July
6th.
Former New Kids On The Block member Donnie Wahlberg stars in the new A&E movie Kings Of The South Beach which
premieres tonight.
Last month, Jermaine Jackson told U.K. television show This Morning that the Jackson Five were reuniting to record
a new album. Recent news says that they will more likely record a few songs for inclusion on a new 'best of' album.
There is also word that Michael Jackson's work on a Las Vegas show may actually be negotiations for the Jackson
Five performing 250 shows over 3 years at a Vegas venue starting 2008.
Rhino Entertainment plan to release expanded and re-mastered versions of all 9 Robert Plant solo albums in two
batches on Mar. 20th and Apr. 3rd.
Freebase, the bassist supergroup comprised of New Order's Peter Hook, Primal Scream's Mani and Andy Rourke (formerly
of the Smiths), have decided to bring in guest vocalists to record. They've already worked with Tim Burgess of
The Charlatans U.K. and plan to record with Oasis' Liam Gallagher, Primal Scream's Bobby Gillespie and former Stone
Roses frontman Ian Brown. Meanwhile, Bobby Gillespie is so excited about the Jesus And Mary Chain reunion that
he has said that he would return to drumming for the band (he left in 1985) if they asked as he sees the Reid brothers
as heroes.
John Mellencamp's second single from Freedom's Road will be "Someday." The song has been sent out to
Adult Album Alternative format radio stations.
Bob Seger has decided not to extend his Face The Promise tour into the summer but plans to take 6 or 7 months off
to write and possibly record. In October, he plans to reassess his feelings on releasing another album and touring.
Otherwise, he wants to focus his time on his wife and children.
An hour-long PBS special, Kenny Rogers: The Journey, premieres this month featuring classic concert footage as
well as footage filmed last April. A DVD version of the special (which includes duets with Dolly Parton, Sheena
Easton, Willie Nelson and Kim Carnes) is also on the way.
John Doe has finished work on his upcoming solo album, A Year In The Wilderness. The album is due out on June 12th
via Yep Roc and features a duet with Aimee Mann and a song, "Darling Underdog," written from a set of
lyrics given to him by former X bandmate Exene Cervenka.
Keep your eyes open for airings of the new ESPN Fantasy Baseball commercial for an appearance at the end by Rush
lead singer Geddy Lee. It is floating around YouTube already (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQ0CPHplmhY)
Trent Reznor has announced that talks have begun on a feature film based on Nine Inch Nails' upcoming concept album,
Year Zero. He also has mentioned that a follow-up album based on the same storyline could be released next year.
Boy George is featured on the new single, "You're Not The One," by Loverush UK! The song has already
been released to download retailers and comes from their debut album, Plethora.
American Idol judge Paula Abdul will celebrate her past pop idol status with a hits compilation entitled, Greatest
Hits: Straight Up!, on May 8th.
Universal and Warner Music Group will be re-releasing the entire Squeeze back catalogue starting this year. In
support of the releases, Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook will be doing a limited amount of shows as Squeeze.
R.E.M. have announced that two-time Grammy Award-winning producer Jacknife Lee has been brought in to work on their
new studio album. They expect to begin work this spring. Meanwhile, the band reunited with former drummer Bill
Berry last fall to record a cover of John Lennon's "#9 Dream" which will be part of the charity album,
Instant Karma: The Campaign To Save Darfur. The song heads to radio stations today while the album is due out on
June 12th.
Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker will release his solo album, Jarvis, in North America on Apr. 3rd. He has also been
contributing lyrics to Charlotte Gainsbourg's upcoming album, 5:55. He also hasn't dismissed reuniting with his
Pulp bandmates in the future although there are no plans to do so.
Marillion release their new studio album, Somewhere Else, on Apr. 9th (can be purchased now at www.marillion.com.)
A video for the first single, "Most Toys," can be found at YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVn-ew1_Kfs)
Boston lead vocalist Brad Delp, 55, was found dead at his home in southern New Hampshire on Friday. According to
local police, Delp was home alone at the time and there was no indication of foul play. Delp was with the band
from their 1976 debut until 1991 when he left to work with former Boston member Barry Goudreau. The singer would
also work in the studio with former Boston members on the 1984 self-titled album by Orion The Hunter as well as
appear on albums by Keith Emerson, RTZ and Peter Wolf before returning to Boston to record a few new songs for
their 1997 Greatest Hits and 2002's Corporate America. Boston had been rumored to be working on a new album. In
a post on the band Web site by Tom Scholz, "Plans for live Boston performances this summer have, of course,
been canceled. My heart goes out to his wonderful fiance Pamela, his two children and other family members, his
close friends and bandmates, and to the millions of people whose lives were made a little brighter by his voice.
He will be dearly missed."