George Michael could have trouble returning to his home in
America after being cautioned for possession of cannabis in the U.K. The singer admitted to possession which can
cause problems getting into the country according to a U.S. Immigration Service spokesperson.
Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora must wear a sling as he recovers from breaking his arm after falling down at
his Los Angeles home last week. Sambora is expected to recover quickly and be available soon enough to not miss
the band's Have A Nice Day World Tour dates. Meanwhile, the band's performances that were to open the new Wembley
Stadium on June 10th and 11th have been moved to a new venue as the stadium won't be finished in time.
Yanni has been cleared of charges that he assaulted his girlfriend Silvia Barthes after a dispute on Mar. 3rd in
Florida.
George Jones, 74, recently had to cancel concerts in Georgia, Florida and Tennessee after being admitted to Baptist
Hospital in Nashville for pneumonia. Jones was released on Saturday and is expected to make a full recovery.
A salmon-colored toilet belonging to late Grateful Dead leader Jerry Garcia was recently stolen from a driveway
along with 3 other toilets and a bidet according to the Press Democrat newspaper. The toilet was recently sold
to Goldenpalace.com for $2,550 for their traveling marketing exhibit and a $250 reward has been offered for its
return.
Bob Geldof has been awarded this year's IRMA Honour (Irish Recorded Music Association) which is the biggest prize
awarded to Irish musicians by the industry. This is the third year of the event.
Vince Gill will be presented with the Academy of Country Music's Home Depot Humanitarian Award during the 41st
annual ACM Awards on May 23rd which will air live on CBS. Gill is almost finished with his next studio album and
hopes to release it as early as August.
Prince's new studio album, 3121, claimed the #1 spot on Billboard's album chart last week with sales of 183,000
copies. The album is his first to debut at #1 and fourth #1 album (1984's Purple Rain, 1985's Around The World
In A Day and 1989's Batman.)
Barry Manilow has decided to continue his Music and Passion revue at Las Vegas' Hilton through 2008. His residency
began at the hotel and casino in February of 2005 with performances 4 times a week. Manilow's chart-topping album,
The Greatest Songs of the Fifties, has sold over 1 million copies.
According to an interview with the National Inquirer, Whitney Houston's sister-in-law Tina Brown claims that the
singer smoked crack with her regularly until she called it quits last August. According to Brown, "She won't
stay off the drugs. It's every single day. It's so ugly. Everyone is so scared she is going to OD."
Chris Isaak will release a new 'best of' CD/DVD on May 9th which includes 14 re-mastered classics and 3 brand new
tracks. The first single from the collection will be the new song, "King Without A Castle."
Glen Phillips will release his 4th solo album, Mr. Lemons, on May 2nd. Phillips plans to support the album with
a solo acoustic tour. He will reunite with Toad The Wet Sprocket in August for dates with Big Head Todd & the
Monsters.
Morrissey's new single, "You Have Killed Me," from his new studio album, Ringleader Of The Tormentors,
(which is due out this week) landed at #3 on the U.K. singles chart. The singer has also announced a performance
boycott of Canadian venues over seal 'culling.' Depeche Mode's "Suffer Well" debuted at #12.
Paula Abdul has signed on for another 3 years as a judge on Fox's American Idol which is currently in experiencing
their highest-rated season.
Enuff Z'nuff's Donnie Vie, Chip Z'nuff, Vik Foxx and John Monaco reunited for the pilot episode of the new VH1
series Band's On The Run. Enuff Z'nuff performed in Las Vegas on Wednesday in a competition with Bow Wow Wow. No
word on an air date for the series.
Paul Westerberg, Tommy Stinson and Chris Mars have reunited to record two new songs ("Message To The Boys"
and "Pool & Dive") for an upcoming retrospective, "Don't You Know Who I Think I Was?: The Best
Of The Replacements due out on Jan 13th. The new songs are the first by the band in over 16 years.
Janet Jackson plans to release the first single from her currently-untitled new studio album in May with the album
following in September.
Run-DMC's DMC has admitted that 1997 was a very bad year. The music business took its toll on the rapper, he turned
to alcohol, was diagnosed with a speaking disorder and contemplated suicide. But he credits his obsession with
Sarah McLachlan's song, "Angel," with saving his life. DMC enlisted McLachlan to sing the chorus to "Cat's
In The Cradle" which as part of his song, "Just Like Me," from his solo debut album which deals
with his discovery of being adopted.
Cinderella will see the release of a new retrospective compilation via Island/Universal entitled Gold on Apr. 25th
which will include some previously unreleased live recordings.
Former Dead Kennedy's frontman Jello Biafra has publicly condemned the upcoming Fab Mab Class Reunion which features
the Dead Kennedys on the bill. "Enough people are confused [that] we need to set the record straight. No,
it is not a Dead Kennedys reunion. Yes, I am boycotting the whole scam."
Production on the Elton John animated musical movie, Gnomeo & Juliet, based on William Shakespeare's play has
been brought to a halt at Walt Disney Feature Animation according to the studio. The crews have been reassigned
to other projects.
Weird Al Yankovic fans have launched a Web site, WeirdAlStar.com, in an effort to raise $15,000 to apply for a
spot on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
A Big Star tribute album featuring songs recorded by The Posies, Juliana Hatfield, Matthew Sweet with R.E.M.'s
Mike Mills and Wilco among others that was planned to be released in 1999 will hit stores on May 23rd under the
title Big Star, Small World.
Former Lynch Mob vocalist Oni Logan has released his new solo album, Stranger In A Foreign Land, via MusicByMail.com.
John Mellencamp is working on a new record deal with Universal Records. According to an interview with the Bloomington
Herald-Times, he is dealing directly with the head of the Universal Music Group Doug Morris as he works on new
material. Meanwhile he and Stephen King are seeking a director for their musical, The Ghost Brothers of Darkland
County.
Chrissie Hynde hasn't ruled out recording a new Pretenders album. According to the frontwoman, if she enjoys the
shows she is doing in support of the new Pirate Radio box set, she may go into the studio and write a few songs.
The Henry Rollins Show premiered on the Independent Film Channel on Saturday and is scheduled for an initial 20-episode
run that will include Ozzy Osbourne and Chuck D as guests.
Def Leppard's covers album, YEAH!, has been given a May 23rd release date. The album contains tributes to their
musical heroes from the late 60's to the 70's and includes their recent single, Badfinger's "No Matter What."
Paul Simon's collaboration with producer Brian Eno entitled Surprise will be released on May 9th and features guest
appearances by Herbie Hancock and guitarist Bill Frisell. Included on the album will be Simon's Oscar-nominated
"Father and Daughter" from the animated film The Wild Thornberrys.
Former Helloween vocalist Michael Kiske will release his new solo studio album, Kiske, on May 19th via Frontiers
Records.
According to TheHollywoodNews.com, a biopic tentatively titled I, Lucifer, about INXS late frontman Michael Hutchence
is in the works with Nick Egan expected to direct.
Juliana Hatfield has made 31 never-released songs available for download via her official Web site: http://www.julianahatfield.com.
The songs are free according to the listed honor system but a donation to their PayPal account would definitely
help with the bandwidth used and easing your conscience.
Q Magazine has recently named Duran Duran's 1995 covers album Thank You as the worst album of all time followed
by Billy Idol's Cyberpunk and Mick Jagger's Primitive Cool from a reader poll.
Frontman Dave Mustaine has posted a message on the Forum area of Megadeth's official Web site. Essentially, he
has been working with Glen and Shawn Drover in the studio with great results. Their new DVD also debuted at #6
in the U.S.
Side Three, the conclusion to Adrian Belew's album trilogy, will be released via Sanctuary Records on Apr. 18th.
Tori Amos plans to spend this winter locked up in her Cornwall, England, home writing material for her follow-up
to 2005's The Beekeeper.
Osaka Popstar will release their self-titled debut album on May 23rd. The band is a punk rock super-group made
up of Marky Ramone of the Ramones, Jerry Only of The Misfits, Dez Cadena of Black Flag, Ivan Julian of Richard
Hell & the Voidoids and frontman John Cafiero.
Vocalist Joe Lynn Turner's former band Fandango will see their 4 albums re-released via Wounded Bird Records including
their final album, 1980's Cadillac.
Echo & The Bunnymen have selected "Scissors In The Sand" as the new single from their latest album,
Siberia.
MVD and Funky Gemini plan to release Black Uhuru with Sly & Robbie's entire unedited, uncut concert in Nyon,
Switzerland in July 2001 under the title Dubbin' It Live.
The 'definitive' metal music documentary, Heavy Metal - Louder Than Life, will be released as a double-DVD package
in the U.K. on May 22nd containing live performances, rare archive footage and a soundtrack containing over 70
tracks.
Faster Pussycat have named "Number 1 With A Bullet" as their first single from their upcoming full-length
studio album, The Power & The Glory Hole.
Toto are scheduled for a performance on ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live show on night of Apr. 18th (early on the 19th.)
Kenny Rogers' new studio album, Water & Bridges, debuted at #14 on the Billboard Top 200 album chart. This
is his highest debut since 1983's Eyes That See In The Dark hit #6.
Slide guitarist Pete Wells, 59, of the Australian power blues act Rose Tattoo died on Mar. 27th in a Sydney hospital.
Wells was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2002 and spent the last 5 weeks in the hospital. Wells left Rose Tattoo
after 3 albums in 1983 and went on to work in the bands Scattered Aces, Illustrated Men, the Lucy De Soto Band
and Heart Attack while running the House Of Pain tattoo parlor. During the 90's he toured with the Peter Wells
Band before re-forming Rose Tattoo to support Guns N' Roses (who had recorded a cover of their "Nice Boys
(Don't Play Rock 'n' Roll)."