According to Boise's The Idaho Statesman, police were summoned
to The Big Easy concert club around 3pm after they received a call about a possible fight. Upon arriving they saw
considerable damage had been done to the club. Witnesses claimed that former Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Zakk Wylde
(currently of Black Label Society) had done the damage with another man, Charles Hurd. Wylde and Hurd were detained
by police for a half hour and no one involved wanted to press charges so the case was dropped. The band's concert
there was canceled.
Paula Abdul is reportedly considering a lawsuit against former American Idol contestant Corey Clark over allegations
of impropriety by her as a judge on the show. Clark has been looking for a publisher for a 'tell all' book about
the experience. Simon Cowell told Extra magazine, "There's no underhandedness going on behind the scenes.
I do think they're rubbish. I think this guy's out there to publicize a book." ABC's Primetime Live plans
to air a news special examining the allegations on Wednesday.
Michael Jackson's child molestation trial resumed this week with testimony from travel agent Cynthia Montgomery
who arranged a $15,000 flight to Sao Paulo, Brazil, at the request of Jackson's business associate Marc Schaffel.
Michael Jackson's ex-wife Deborah Rowe testified on Thursday insisting on Jackson being "a great person and
a great father" and that she participated in the video rebuttal of Martin Bashir's 2003 documentary Living
With Michael Jackson of her own free will and that she had a "cold interview" declining to look at questions
ahead of time. District Attorney Tom Sneddon said in his opening statement, "Debbie Rowe will tell you her
interview also was completely scripted." During the completion of Rowe's testimony she claimed that the group
of men that are currently named as unindicted co-conspirators with Jackson are actually conspiring against Jackson,
calling them "opportunistic vultures." Two books (one entitled "Boys Will Be Boys") which was
found in Jackson's bedroom in 1993 that contain some pictures of unclothed boys has been allowed as evidence to
the prosecution. Today, bank branch manager Beverly Wagner testified that unindicted co-conspirator Marc Schnaffel
cashed checks totaling $1.5 million from an account belonging to Neverland Valley Entertainment (for which Schnaffel
and Jackson were the only signatories.) Sheriff's Sgt. Craig Bonner was then called to the stand to present records
designed to show contact between Jackson's associates and the man who is now the accuser's current step-father.
The prosecution plans to rest their case tomorrow.
Former Carlos Santana employee Bruce Kuhlman has filed a lawsuit claiming he was fired by Santana and his wife
on Apr. 13th because he didn't pass an enlightenment test. Kuhlman is asking for damages in excess of $100,000.
Senator Gonzalo Barrientos' proposed bill to name a 49-mile stretch of Texas Highway 130 after Willie Nelson has
been opposed by senators Steve Ogden and Jeff Wentworth who represent districts that are crossed by the highway.
Nelson, Steve Earle, Emmylou Harris and Kris Kristofferson are interviewed in a new flick, Be Here To Love Me:
A Film About Townes Van Zandt, which will hit theaters next year and follow with a DVD release.
In follow-up litigation following the seizure of counterfeit Kiss merchandise and bootleg concert videos, the band's
lawyers obtained a permanent injunction against defendant Roy Damm and damages awarded to Kiss Catalog of $7 million
plus attorneys' fees last week.
The Pro Rodeo Hall Of Fame will induct Chris LeDoux on July 16th. This will be the first time that an inductee
has been inducted in both categories "bareback" and "notables" (notable for his contribution
to the sport through his music.)
Melissa Etheridge and George Michael were both nominated for Outstanding Music Artist at the 16th annual Gay and
Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Los Angeles Media Awards which took place on Saturday. Liza Minnelli was presented
with the Vanguard Award.
Bobby Brown's life with his wife Whitney Houston will be shown in the upcoming 8-episode reality series Being Bobby
Brown which will begin airing on Bravo on June 30th.
Heaven 17's Glenn Gregory and former ABC member Keith Lowndes have a new project called Honeyroot that has just
landed a cover of Joy Division's "Love Will Tear Us Apart" at #70 on the U.K. singles chart. Their new
album, Sound Echo Location, hits U.K. stores on May 9th.
John Mellencamp provides the narrator's voice throughout the new MGM film Madison which opened to select theaters
nationwide on Apr. 22nd.
UB40's Ali and Robin Campbell are featured in a BBC1 TV documentary entitled Brothers In Arms that airs tonight.
The show examines sibling relationships in bands and includes interviews with the brothers in Spandau Ballet, Sparks,
Everly Brothers, the Kinks and Oasis. UB40 are also reportedly releasing a new album, Who You Fighting For, in
June.
Stryper plan to release their first new studio album in over a decade, Reborn, on Aug. 16th. The 10-track album
will include a new version of their song "In God We Trust" and the title track will be released as a
single on June 7th.
They Might Be Giants will release their latest compilation entitled A User's Guide To They Might Be Giants: Melody,
Fidelity, Quantity this week. The 29-track collection includes recordings from 1986 to 2002.
Work on Andy Bell's solo debut album is nearly finished with mixing scheduled for July after Erasure finishes their
tour.
Gang Of Four plan to release a double-CD of re-recorded and remixed songs on Aug. 30th. The first single from the
currently untitled album will be "To Hell With Poverty 2005."
According to an interview with St. Louis' KSHE-FM on Apr. 25th, Sammy Hagar has said that there is no Van Halen
activity planned and that he was "done with it."
An upcoming episode of CMT Inside Fame will focus on the first African-American country music superstar, Charley
Pride, on May 13th. Pride scored 36 #1 singles and has sold more than 70 million albums.
U2's next single from How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb will be "City Of Blinding Lights." A video for
the track was filmed at Vancouver's GM Place on Wednesday night.
Former Polecats guitarist and long-time Morrissey collaborator Boz Boorer has signed a worldwide exclusive songwriting
deal with Sanctuary Group. Boorer has recently started a project called Boz and the Bozmen.
Def Leppard are scheduled for U.S. television appearances on NBC's The Today Show on May 27th and ABC's Live With
Regis And Kelly on May 30th to promote their upcoming covers album, new best-of and tour with Brian Adams.
Roger Waters has finished work on his long-awaited opera, Ca Ira, which will be released as a double-CD through
Sony Classical this fall.
Cinderella will be recording acoustic material during their May 9th performance in New York for a VH-1 Stripped
TV special and possible DVD (which could be released later this year.)
Australian vocalist Selena Cross' rendition of of Men At Work's 1982 #1 single, "Down Under," has been
released in a compilation entitled WoMen At Work.
Nine Inch Nails release their new studio album, With Teeth, this week. To preview a stream of the new album, go
to: http://www.myspace.com/ninofficial and wait for it to finish loading. The second single from the album will
be "Only."
Extreme's Nuno Bettencourt and Jane's Addiction's Perry Farrell have been recording a new album together under
the name Satellite Party. They are currently mixing their debut album which could be released early next year.
Singer/songwriter Ronnie Milsap has signed on to team up with Los Lonely Boys for an episode of CMT Crossroads
that is scheduled to premiere on June 17th.
Madonna has reportedly signed on to do voice-over work for the film Puss In Boots which is a spin-off of Shrek
that will have Antonio Banderas reprising his role as Puss.
Danzig will release a new DVD collection, Il Demonio Nera (The Black Demon), which will contain videos, out-takes,
alternative versions and previously-unreleased material (from Danzig 4 and Danzig 5) will be released on June 14th.
Glenn Danzig's Black Aria 2 album will be released later this year.
The recent release of AC/DC's Family Jewels DVD debuted at #1 on music DVD charts in 9 different countries including
the United States.
Guitarist Tony Iommi plans to release his third solo album, Fused, on July 12th. Iommi will be touring with Black
Sabbath during the Ozzfest summer dates and plans to tour behind the new album this fall with Glenn Hughes.
Freddie Powers has been nominated to be inducted into the Western Swing Hall Of Fame. Powers, who worked with Merle
Haggard on the album Unforgettable, recently released his own album entitled My Great Escape which was produced
by Merle Haggard.
Chrissie Hynde has recorded a guest vocal on "Don't Hang Up" with Ringo Starr which will appear on his
new album Choose Love due out on June 7th.
Meat Puppets guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Curt Kirkwood will release his solo debut album, Snow, later this fall.
Kirkwood considers it a "more intimate and less rock-oriented album" than what he's done with the Meat
Puppets.
Former The Almighty vocalist/guitarist Ricky Warwick will be releasing his new studio album, Love Many Trust Few,
via Sanctuary Records on May 17th. Ian Hunter and Def Leppard's Joe Elliot and Vivian Campbell make guest appearances
on the album.
Quiet Riot drummer Frankie Banali issued a statement: " Quiet Riot is once again pleased to have the opportunity
to perform our 'Head Banging' brand of rock and roll for our military service men and women. This is something
that Quiet Riot has eagerly participated in since the 1980's with performances for our troops in Guam as well as
several previous visits to Korea."
Rhino Records is expected to release The Pretenders Greatest Hits DVD on June 7th which will contain 20 of the
band's most popular videos.
The Cheepskates will reissue 1984's Run Better Run, 1987's Remember, 1988's It Wings Above and 1990's Confessional.
They will also release a live version of their 1989 album Waiting For Unta and two LPs (V.1 Songs: Perry Como and
V.2 Songs: Residents.) Singer/guitarist Shane Faubert will also reissue his solo albums (1990's Kalkara, 1993's
San Blass and 1997's Squirrelboy Blues.)
Vern Gosdin was inducted into the Alabama Music Hall Of Fame on Friday night in the Von Braun Center South Hall.
At 70, Gosdin is back on the road and riding a tour bus all over the U.S.
The Eagles will release a double-DVD of their 2004 shows in Melbourne entitled Farewell 1 Tour -- Live From Melbourne
on June 7th. A 2-hour NBC primetime special is expected to air on June 1st.
Velvet Revolver will join Ozzfest for the final seven shows and plan to enter the recording studio later this summer
to begin work on their sophomore album.
Saint Vitus will reissue their concert album Live in July via Southern Lord records. The album was originally recorded
in Germany back in 1989.
Tony Christie's "(Is This The Way To) Amarillo" has a hold on the #1 spot on the U.K. singles chart for
a 7th week becoming the longest run at the top for a single there in 7 years. Robert Plant landed his first Top
40 single in 7 years with "Shine It All Around" with his band the Strange Sensations coming in at #32.
Bruce Springsteen's album, Devils & Dust, debuted at #1 on the U.K. album chart.
Rockabilly artist Hasil Adkins, 68, was found dead in his Madison, West Virginia, home on Monday after sustaining
injuries from an undisclosed accident. The funeral was held on Saturday.