According to Australian and New Zealand media, Rolling Stones
guitarist Keith Richards is believed to be undergoing treatment in a New Zealand hospital for a mild concussion.
Some reports claim the 62 year-old fell out of a palm tree on vacation in Fiji while another has claimed he fell
out of the palm tree and then had an accident on a Jet Ski. A spokesperson for the band said that Richards was
injured and flown to New Zealand with his wife for observation.
Members of Cheap Trick and the Allman Brothers Band filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in New York on Apr.
27th alleging that Sony BMG has underpaid artists for digital music transactions.
Slash filed for divorce in Los Angeles from his second wife, Perla, on Thursday. Perla had recently been managing
her husband's band Velvet Revolver. The couple have two children together, London Hudson and Cash Anthony Hudson.
Meanwhile, the band has been working on their next album.
The People's Supreme Court of Appeals in Ho Chi Minh City will hear the appeal of Gary Glitter against his conviction
for child molestation on May 19th.
Longtime D.R.I. guitarist/producer Spike Cassidy was operated on 3 weeks ago for colon cancer. Due to the need
for immediate treatment to keep the cancer from spreading, he will not be about to tour during the rest of the
year and the band has decided to wait for his recovery.
Tax authorities for the Swedish government claim former ABBA member Bjorn Ulvaeus owes $13 million for unpaid taxes,
fees and interest.
Nashville Mayor Bill Purcell will officially issue a proclamation honoring the late Roy Orbison today on Music
Row citing his "significant cultural impact to the city of Nashville, the state of Tennessee and the entire
world."
Bon Jovi have become the first rock act to reach #1 on the Hot Country Songs chart since they began tracking country
singles in 1944 with their duet with Jennifer Nettles, "Who Says You Can't Go Home."
Willie Nelson has been honored by the Environmental Protection Agency Region Nine during their 8th annual Environmental
Awards in San Francisco for his support and promotion of biodiesel fuel.
Michael Stipe was honored at New York City's Can-Do Awards Dinner for his continuing support to help end hunger
at the Food Bank.
Billy Joel was honored last week at New York's Madison Square Garden when a #12 jersey was retired alongside jerseys
of the venue's greatest athletes. The jersey number represents the record-breaking 12 sold-out performances at
that venue in one year.
EMI plan to release a double-CD+DVD Operation: Mindcrime - Deluxe Edition to celebrate the 25th anniversary of
the band on June 20th featuring a previously-unreleased live performance of the album's tracks in sequence.
Dolly Parton is featured in a new television commercial promoting Tennessee tourism which has her riding in a convertible
with Elvis Presley. The scene is recreated from his 1967 film, Clambake, using digital video technology.
A VH1 Behind The Music special on Pantera will premiere on May 11th. The documentary will include recent interviews
with friends of the band and people closely involved in the Alrosa Villa shooting. The Behind The Music on Ratt
is expected to air on May 11th.
Madonna plans to release her documentary, I'm Going To Tell You A Secret, on June 13th as a CD/DVD package. The
film chronicles her 2004 Re-Invention tour, contains a 14-song CD of concert performances, includes the director's
cut of her "American Life" single and never-before-seen footage from the documentary.
Rhino Records plan to reissue the first 5 albums by th Jesus & Mary Chain (1985's Psychocandy, 1987's Darklands,
1989's Automatic, 1992's Honey's Dead and 1994's Stoned And Dethroned) on July 11th as DualDisc packages featuring
a remastered version of the album, video clips and a high-resolution audio mix.
The Bee Gees have signed a deal with Rhino that will see the release of remastered versions of 6 of their albums
on June 13th. Although no bonus tracks are featured on these albums, it is understood that Rhino is planning to
release expanded editions with rare and unreleased material eventually.
King Crimson guitarist Robert Fripp, R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck and R.E.M. drummer Bill Rieflin have created an
improvised band under the name Slow Music. The band will tour through May and have recorded a limited edition live
album, "Live At The Croc."
Erasure plan to film their performance at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee, on May 6th for a future
potential DVD release.
Curt and Cris Kirkwood plan to record their first new album together as the Meat Puppets in over a decade. According
to Curt, he already has the album written. Cris recently finished serving 18 months in prison for a violent altercation
with a security guard. Although asked to participate, drummer Derrick Bostrom will not be involved in the reunion
and Primus' Tim Alexander will replace him.
Soft Cell's Marc Almond has been busy in the studio and finished the backing tracks for his new album, My Life
In Song, at the end of the month with Jools Holland and his band. The album is still on course for a September
release. Almond will also release a second collection of previously-unreleased and demo tracks, Little Rough Rhinestones
Vol. 2, via his official Web site on May 22nd.
There may be a bump in the road for Rock Star: Supernova. Although no legal briefs have been filed yet, another
band has the name and is currently on tour supporting their 2002 album, Pop As A Weapon. Among other albums, the
band also recorded the song, "Chewbacca," for the Clerks movie soundtrack.
Ronnie Milsap will be featured in the August issue of Maxim magazine. Milsap was recently honored with the Career
Achievement Award at Country Radio Broadcasters' 37th Annual Country Radio Seminar.
Warner Music Australia is planning to reissue the Split Enz catalog completely remastered with bonus tracks recorded
during that time. Reissues are expected to hit shelves in Australia to coincide with their reunion tour starting
June 7th.
BrownOwlFilms.com is seeking Depeche Mode fans and admirers to tell them about how the band and their music has
affected your life for an official retrospective documentary. Meanwhile, Depeche Mode are planning to release "John
The Revelator"/"Lilian" as a double A-side single as the fourth release from Playing the Angel.
George Thorogood and the Destroyers will release their new blues covers album, The Hard Stuff, on May 30th.
Celebrating the 20th anniversary of their hit single, "Spirit In The Sky," topping the charts in 19 countries
(2.4 million copies sold worldwide), Doctor and the Medics have released a new album entitled Timewarped.
Ani DiFranco is planning to release her new studio album, Reprieve, in August. DiFranco started recording the album
in her New Orleans apartment prior to Hurricane Katrina which sent her off to Buffalo, New York, with only her
tapes, a synthesizer and an Omnichord.
Drummer Larry Howe of Vicious Rumors has joined W.A.S.P. as the replacement for Stet Howland. Howe headed to Los
Angeles during the weekend to start rehearsals for their upcoming tour dates.
Johnny Cash's last song he wrote before his death, "Like The 309," will be included in the album, American
V: A Hundred Highways, he was working on with producer Rick Rubin prior to his death in September 2003. The album
is due out on July 4th.
The Lemonheads have plans to self-fund their next studio album. The group have already started work and plan for
it to be released via Vagrant Records.
The CMT network will debut the documentaries Bruce Springsteen: The Seeger Sessions and Van Morrison: One Night
In Nashville on May 5th. Springsteen's We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions debuted at #3 on the U.K. album chart.
Divinyl's vocalist Christina Amphlett's autobiography, Pleasure & Pain: My Life, has been published in Australia.
Copies may be purchased via her official Web site at www.chrissyamphlett.com. She reportedly has also been cast
in the roll of Judy Garland in the Australian production of Boy From Oz.
Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford will see remastered reissues this summer of his Halford albums (2000's Resurrection,
2002's Crucible and the 2001 live album Live Insurrection) which will each include bonus material.
A new 18-track 80's music compilation is due out on May 9th under the title Pure '80s: #1s. Each of the tracks
held the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The album includes songs by Hall & Oates, Yes, the Police,
Michael Sembello, Bad English, Simple Minds, Men At Work, Survivor, Tina Turner, Culture Club, Robert Palmer, Steve
Winwood, Mr. Mister, Fine Young Cannibals, Culture Club and Lionel Richie.
Ziggy Marley has reportedly finished working on his second solo studio album, Love Is My Religion, and may be released
as early as July. Marley has also mentioned that a second previously unreleased song from his father Bob Marley
entitled "Real Good Time" will feature Stewart Copeland of the Police on drums. No release date for the
single has been announced.
Merle Haggard will start filming a documentary on May 11th. Haggard has said that he has been thinking about filming
his life story for the last two decades which would be similar to The Waltons but based on episodes in his life
and with him as the narrator/writer.