Aerosmith have been forced into a hiatus as frontman Steven Tyler recovers from throat surgery for an undisclosed
ailment. Tyler is expected to be unable to sing for 2 to 3 months after the operation but the band are planning
a new album and tour dates. A spokesperson for the singer has said that reports of the surgery being for throat
cancer are "absolutely untrue."
Tom Wopat (known to many as the original Luke Duke on The Dukes Of Hazzard television series) was recently charged
with driving while intoxicated and reckless driving in New Jersey. Wopat released his self-titled solo debut album
in 1983.
Hank Williams Jr. has been accused of harassment by a 19 year-old waitress. Williams allegedly tried to kiss her
and held her in a chokehold at Memphis' Peabody Hotel on Saturday. The singer has vehemently denied the allegations.
A lawsuit has been filed against Prince by Carlos Boozer of the Utah Jazz. According to papers filed in January,
the singer is being sued for renovations he made to the Los Angeles mansion he was renting from Boozer for $70,000
a month without the owner's consent that allegedly included purple stripes and the numbers "3121" (the
name of Prince's new album) on the exterior of the mansion. Meanwhile, Prince scored his 17th top 10 U.K. album
with 3121 entering the chart at #9.
According to drummer Roger Taylor, Duran Duran have been progressing in their London studio since January with
15 pieces of music which they hope to hone down to 12 songs for their next album. The album is expected to be an
homage to their dance and 'new wave' roots. Hopes are to be mixing the tracks by April with a single hitting radio
early this summer.
Lita Ford has recorded a guest appearance on the track, "I Want To Be Loved," which will appear on Lou's
upcoming album, The Other Side. The song was co-written by Ford, Lou and Michael Dan Ehmig and features Lita on
guitar and vocal.
Morrissey releases his new single, "You Have Killed Me," this week from his upcoming album, Ringleader
Of The Tormentors. The singer's MySpace page at http://music.myspace.com/morrissey is exclusively previewing the
album.
The River In Reverse, a collaborative tribute to New Orleans by Elvis Costello and hometown musician Allen Toussaint,
will be released on June 6th. The album is made up of 5 new collaborations by both of them, one new song by Costello
and 7 previously recorded songs by Toussaint.
Members of Motley Crue seem to be getting ready to plan for their time after the Carnival Of Sins tour. The group
will head into the studio in June and July to work on a new studio album with producer Bob Rock. Tommy Lee will
be working with Rock Star to look for a vocalist for his new side project, Supernova. Vince Neil is hoping to find
time in the next 18 months to record a solo album with producer Desmond Child (who worked with him on the 2004
single "Promise Me" featured on VH1's Remaking Vince Neil.)
Erasure vocalist Andy Bell will release the next single, "I'll Never Fall In Love Again," from his debut
solo album, Electric Blue, on May 22nd featuring the new bonus tracks "Back Into The Old Routine" and
"Jump." The album reached #1 in the U.S. on the i-Tunes Dance Chart and the first single, "Crazy,"
peaked at #3 on the Billboard Dance chart.
It seems that even Roxy Music's official Web site was affected by wishful thinking as they have removed any mention
of Brian Eno's participation in a new studio album. Eno did stop in and visit the ban when they were in the studio
but he will not rejoin the band on their first studio album since 1982's Avalon.
Tori Amos has signed on to contribute a song to an album inspired by the work of author Neil Gaiman expected to
be released this summer under the tentative title Where's Neil When You Need Him? Amos' "Sister Named Desire,"
which was originally recorded as a B-side to a European release, has been re-recorded for the album.
Diana Ross will be releasing an album of jazz standards she recorded over 30 years ago entitled Blue on June 20th.
The album was expected to be a companion to the soundtrack to 1972's Lady Sings The Blues but instead of being
released was shelved for Ross' next pop album, Touch Me In The Morning. Ross' last new studio effort was 1999's
Every Day Is A New Day.
Magnolia Pictures plans to release a film chronicling the making of Herbie Hancock's latest album, Herbie Hancock:
Possibilities, next month. The album includes collaborations with Paul Simon, Annie Lennox, Sting, Carlos Santana
and many others.
Type O Negative have announced that they plan to enter the recording studio early next month to start work on their
next album for SPV Records due out as early as September.
According to an interview with Billboard magazine, Pixies guitarist Joey Santiago is unsure about the prospect
of a new Pixies studio album. The band plan to play 7 dates in Europe in July and decide if they should continue
or let it rest.
Barbra Streisand has reportedly begun considering a tour that could launch this fall. Streisand's 2-night "farewell"
stand at New York's Madison Square Garden in 2000 grossed $14.4 million.
A new 23-track compilation entitled Discotheque Volume 1: The Hacienda will be released by Gut Active on May 22nd.
Endorsed by the club's founders Tony Wilson and New Order, the collection includes selections by 4 of the club's
DJs and includes 12" mixes of songs by Heaven 17, Yazoo, New Order, Melle Mel, Mantronix, Kid 'n' Play, Rob
Base & DJ EZ Rock, 808 State and many others.
Audioslave have finished work in the studio on their third album which will be entitled Revelations when released
in June.
Ringo Starr has announced the line-up for his 9th All-Starr Band for dates this summer. The band will include Richard
Marx, Billy Squier, Edgar Winter, Rod Argent (of the Zombies) and returning All-Starr member Sheila E.
The House Of Lords are planning to release a new studio album, World Upside Down, via Frontiers Records on May
19th.
Smokey Robinson will be releasing a new studio album, Timeless Love, on June 13th. The album is his first non-holiday
or gospel album since 1999's Intimate and will feature standards from the Great American Songbook.
Concrete Blonde's Johnette Napolitano will make a guest appearance on Black Light Burns' debut album Cruel Melody
due out this summer.
An upcoming book, Rick Rubin: In The Studio, will be published this fall. The book recounts the producers works
with the Beastie Boys, Johnny Cash, Metallica, Red Hot Chili Peppers and many others discussing the making of each
of the albums he's worked on in the last two decades.
Saga plan to release their 11-track new studio album, Trust, via InsideOut/SPV Records in Europe on April 21st.
Sonic Youth will release their new 12-track studio album, Rather Ripped, on June 13th. The album is their first
to feature longtime collaborator Jim O'Rourke since 1998's A Thousand Leaves.
Lenny Kravitz' name is being bounced around by music impresario Elle Von Lear, who has acquired the "exclusive
authority" to pretty much do all things pertaining to Jimi Hendrix including... cast Kravitz as the lead for
a controversial biopic.
Rumors circulating on a possible Extreme reunion tour this summer but until we get confirmation keep remembering
that episode of Bands Reunited.
Cindy Walker, the subject of Willie Nelson's You Don't Know Me: The Songs Of Cindy Walker which was released earlier
this month, died on Thursday in Mexica, Texas, at the age of 87.
Country singing legend Buck Owens, 76, died at his Bakersfield, California, home on Saturday. The cause of Owens
death was not known. The Rhinestone Cowboy may be best known as the host of the long-running TV show Hee-Haw from
1969 to 1986. Owens scored 20 #1 records including his first hit, "Act Naturally," which would be covered
later by the Beatles.
Professor X (a.k.a. Lumumba Carson), 49, of the politically charged rap group X-Clan died in a New York hospital
Friday of spinal meningitis. The group's social critique and message of black empowerment began in 1989 with the
release of their first singles. Lumumba was the son of civil rights activist Sonny Carson.
Actress/singer Rocio Durcal, 61, died on Saturday in Madrid after a long battle with cancer of the womb. Durcal
starred in films during the 60's and 70's but made her breakthrough in Mexico during the 80's with ranchera music.
She has sold 40 million records worldwide and has recorded duets with Ricky Martin and Julio Iglesias.
Former Swell Maps guitarist/vocalist Nikki Sudden (a.k.a. Nicholas Godfrey), 49, died on Sunday in his sleep after
performing at New York's Knitting Factory. No cause of death has been made public at this time. Sudden released
many solo studio albums during the 1980's after the band broke up and reportedly had just completed work on a new
solo album, The Truth Doesn't Matter. His brother, former Swell Maps member Epic Soundtracks, died of unknown causes
in 1997.
Cuban composer and singer Pio Leyva, 88, died of a heart attack on Thursday in Havana. Leyva was taken to the hospital
on Sunday after suffering a stroke. Leyva sang with many bands and recorded solo but is probably best known for
an award-winning recorded jam session with guitarist Ry Cooder in 1996 under the name the Buena Vista Social Club.