Someone really wanted to get to Paul McCartney on Friday. It seems a fan breached security at his Peasmarsh
country estate by driving through the gate (over the lawn and then into a few trees and a fence) allegedly screaming,
"I must get to him!, prior to security catching him.
Michael Jackson's spokesperson has denied reports that the singer was in the hospital recovering from a cold or
flu. He and some members of his entourage did feel ill after their trip to Europe but none went to the hospital.
Jackson could also reportedly see new legal issues as Nona Paris Lola Jackson has claimed that she is the real
mother of the singer's 3 children and is petitioning the court for child support payments and shared custodial
arrangements.
The Supreme Court today rejected the appeal of Jacque Hollander in the case of Hollander v. Brown. Hollander filed
a lawsuit against the late James Brown alleging he raped her at gunpoint in 1988 while she was his publicist and
was seeking $106 million in damages. A federal judge dismissed her lawsuit in 2005 claiming that she had waited
too long to file. An appeals court upheld the federal judge's decision last year.
Wynonna Judd has filed for divorce from her husband Dan R. Roach in Nashville, Tennessee, citing irreconcilable
differences. Roach was charged last week in Texas with 3 counts of sexual battery of a child under the age of 13.
The Virginia Press Association has named The Statler Brothers as Virginians Of The Year. For many years, the country
act have performed a free 4th of July concert in their hometown of Staunton.
Dolly Parton's 40 years of contributing to the music industry was recently honored in London at the Wembley Square
of Fame (modeled after the Hollywood Walk of Fame.)
Former Payolas guitarist and famed producer Bob Rock was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame at this
year's Juno Awards.
According to a post on the band's Web site, U2 vocalist Bono was "presented with an honorary knighthood on
behalf of Her Majesty the Queen" for his contribution to music and his work as an activist. The honor was
presented to him by the British Ambassador to Dublin. Meanwhile, the band have started work in the studio on their
next album.
Gary Numan and partner Gemma welcomed their 3rd daughter, Echo, on Mar. 22nd. She was born a couple weeks early
but was expected to join her family at home during the weekend. Meanwhile, the singer will release Gary Numan:
The Complete John Peel Sessions via Cooking Vinyl on May 7th compiling sessions from 1979 to 2001.
Modest Mouse have scored their first #1 album on the Billboard 200 chart this week with the debut of We Were Dead
Before The Ship Even Sank with sales of 129,000 copies. The album is their first with new guitarist Johnny Marr.
Bon Jovi's new single, "(You Want To) Make A Memory," has debuted at #39 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs
chart. The song becomes the highest debut by a non-core act in the 17 year that tracking has been provided by Nielsen
Broadcast Data Systems.
Former Stray Cats drummer Slim Jim Phantom has a new project with Darrel Higham called Kat Men. 6 original tracks
by the Kat Men are available for purchase at their KatMen.com downloads section.
Bjork's new 10-track studio album, Volta, will be released via One Little Indian/Atlantic on May 8th. The single,
"Earth Intruders," hits iTunes on Apr. 9th.
Prince will end his residency at Las Vegas' Rio Hotel & Casino this month with his final shows the 3121 nightclub
between Apr. 13th and 28th. The singer has hinted that a new project (which could be an album) is coming this summer.
WildeStarr (which features original Vicious Rumors bassist Dave Starr) recently began recording their debut studio
album. The first single, "Generation Next," is due to be released as a free download online in this month.
After over a month of blasphemous rumours, DepecheMode.com confirmed that vocalist Dave Gahan would follow bandmate
Andrew Fletcher into the culinary world. (Fletcher opened Gascognes some time back.) Gahan's restaurant, The Bitter
Apple, has a Web site (thebitterapple.com) with more information. Feel free to check out the site but do know that
this was actually a very elaborate April Fools joke that fooled many fans.
Heaven And Hell (which reunites most of the Ronnie James Dio era Black Sabbath) filmed their Mar. 30th performance
at New York's Radio City Music Hall for a live CD and DVD to be released later this year. Their new anthology,
Black Sabbath: The Dio Years, was released last week.
The Happy Mondays have signed a deal with Sanctuary Records for the release of a new studio album due out later
this year.
Tina Turner, 67, has plans to come out of the retirement she began following her tour in 2000. Her one-off performance
on May 18th will be held at west London's Natural History Museum to raise funds for Cauldwell Children (which provides
health treatments, therapy and vacations for underprivileged and unwell children across the country.) Meanwhile,
Turner has started work on a new album with producer Guy Chambers which could be released later this year.
Bob Seger filmed two of his Detroit hometown shows for a live CD/DVD to be released this fall. No title or release
date have been confirmed. According to a photo released by his management company, Seger may follow Paul McCartney
in leaving the label after over 40 years. The photo showing the singer and his Silver Bullet Band receiving platinum
album plaques for his latest album, Face The Promise, noted label representatives did not attend. Capitol and Virgin
Records merged earlier this year with many longtime staffers being dismissed.
The Flaming Lips have contributed the song, "The Supreme Being Teaches Spider-Man How To Be In Love,"
to the Spider-Man 3 soundtrack due out on May 1st.
Tony Bennett is expected to be a mentor this week to American Idol's remaining contestants. Also lined-up to be
mentors are Bon Jovi and Barry Gibb.
DJ Jazzy Jeff has plans to release his first new studio album in 6 years, The Return Of The Magnificent, this summer
featuring guest appearances by Big Daddy Kane and Pos of De La Soul.
Suzanne Vega has been finishing up work on her new 11-track studio album, Beauty & Crime, with plans to release
it in July 17th (June 5th internationally.) The album is her debut on Blue Note Records and 7th album. Her official
Web site (SuzanneVega.com) will feature songs from the album in the upcoming weeks.
Country artist/actor Claude King recently released a new live album, Jamboree USA - WWVA, which was recorded in
Wheeling, West Virginia, in February of 1983. King appeared in the Civil War television miniseries, The Blue And
The Gray, the year before.
TNT's first new studio album with vocalist Tony Mills, The New Territory, is expected to be released in May.
Former Missing Persons and Duran Duran guitarist Warren Cuccurullo has re-released his 2001 studio album, Roadrage,
via iTunes.
Although rapper/actor Ice Cube has his new film, Are We Done Yet?, due out on Apr. 4th, he is also attached to
star in the upcoming film, Tough Love.
Ashlee Simpson is working on her follow-up album to 2005's I Am Me. What makes this even remotely noteworthy is
that NME.com has reported that Robert Smith of the Cure is collaborating with the singer on the album.
Lillian Axe will release their first new studio album in 15 years, Waters Rising, on June 12th via Metro City Records.
The new musical based on 16 of Deborah Gibson's 'best-known' songs from the 1980's, Electric Youth, will begin
performances on May 5th. They have even set up a Web site (electricyouthmusical.com) and MySpace page for the show.
Soft Cell vocalist Marc Almond will release his new 13-track covers album, Stardom Road, via Sanctuary Records
in June.
Axl Rose is expected to start hiring a new management team (since he fired his old one) to start work promoting...
Chinese Democracy. MelodicRock reports that the album has been handed over to Universal and the Guns N' Roses album
could be out as early as September.
A DVD about Dead Can Dance frontwoman Lisa Gerrard entitled Sanctuary which was released last year in the U.S.
will be released internationally on Apr. 24th.
Willie Nelson, Ray Price and Merle Haggard's collaborative album, Last Of The Breed, has entered the Billboard
Country Albums chart at #7. The album is #64 on the Billboard 200 chart.
The Biography Channel will host Rock 'N' Roll Trailblazers week starting tonight with a profile on Ozzy Osbourne
as well as episodes on Jon Bon Jovi and Gene Simmons.
Kylie Minogue's first new studio album since being diagnosed with breast cancer 2 years ago is expected to be released
via EMI U.K. later this year.
Former Spice Girl Melanie C scored a #24 hit on the U.K. Singles chart with a cover of Bow Wow Wow's "I Want
Candy." Meanwhile the top track for a second week on the chart is The Proclaimers' "(I'm Gonna Be) 500
Miles" featuring comic characters Brian Potter and Andy Pipkin.
Def Leppard are reportedly recording at Joe Elliott's home studio in Dublin and have tentatively-titled the new
album Sparkle Lounge.
Marty Stuart will release his new CD, Compadres: An Anthology Of Duets, on June 5th which features collaborations
with Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, George Jones, Loretta Lynn and Steve Earle among others.
Country artist Henson Cargill, 66, died on Saturday in his Oklahoma City hometown from complications following
surgery earlier in the week. Furneral services were held on Thursday. Cargill had various careers (lawyer, rancher
and deputy sheriff) before starting his music career. His last studio albums were 1984's In The Shadows and 1988's
All American Cowboy. During the 80's and 90's, he performed in Las Vegas and Reno casinos. All American Cowboy
was reissued as a double album in 2003.