Lizzie Mercier Descloux lost her battle with cancer on Apr.
20th. Her ashes were put into the Mediterranean Sea after her cremation. Descloux will be most remembered for
her second album, 1981's Mambo Nassau, which was a big influence on the Talking Heads. Descloux's first two albums
were re-released via ZE Records just recently.
An attorney for former Michael Jackson employees Frank Tyson and Vince Amen announced on Thursday that they won't
cut a deal with prosecutors if they are indicted on co-conspiracy charges. Meanwhile, Flex Alexander from the
sitcom One On One will star as Michael Jackson in an unauthorized TV movie that has started filming in Calgary,
Canada.
Bobby Brown has been ordered by an Atlanta judge to stand trial on charges he battered his wife, Whitney Houston,
during a December domestic dispute. Brown is expected to turn himself over to authorities in July for fingerprinting
and be released on $2,000 bail. A simple battery charge carries a maximum of one year in prison and a fine but
with Brown being a first time offender he may just have to undergo counseling.
Tears For Fears' former manager Paul King was sentenced on Friday to three and a half years in jail for defrauding
investors in an intoxication remedy made from crushed volcanic rock. Prosecutors claimed he siphoned off $823,000
from his business partners in Soba International Ltd. to use to maintain a luxurious lifestyle. In addition to
jail-time, King has been banned from being a company director for 10 years.
Augusta, Georgia, officials have officially delayed the May 7th unveiling of a statue honoring hometown hero James
brown until his current legal problems (was arrested for allegedly hitting his wife) are resolved.
Ricky Martin is being sued for breach of contract by his former manager, Angelo Medina, for $63.5 million. Medina
claims Martin failed to live up to the terms they agreed to when they ended their contract in September which would
have Medina managing Martin's career in Puerto Rico but not internationally. Medina filed the lawsuit in response
to Martin's $2.5 million lawsuit against him demanding the return of advance payments for services not given.
The next hearing in Medina's lawsuit is Aug. 13th.
After experiencing severe headaches, Charley Pride was hospitalized on Wednesday for a subdural hematoma (a blood
clot between the brain and the skull formed when blood from a torn blood vessel collects there.) The 66 year-old
Pride is expected to make a full recovery after surgery and could be released from the hospital tomorrow.
Glen Campbell pled guilty today in Arizona's Maricopa County Superior Court to extreme driving under the influence
and leaving the scene of an accident. Campbell was sentenced to 10 days in jail. Campbell will be eligible for
work furlow after 48 hours and will have to serve 75 hours of community service. The charge of aggravated assault
was dropped.
Slash and Duff McKagan have filed a lawsuit against former Guns N' Roses bandmate Axl Rose for at least $1 million.
Slash and McKagan claim that Rose has been rejecting requests to use old G N' R tunes in major films even though
he doesn't own controlling interest in the material. They also allege they weren't consulted when offers were
made and in one case, Rose recorded a song instead of licensing the original to avoid the former members earning
a performance royalty. Meanwhile, a new documentary (Behind The Music-esque) about the early years of Guns N'
Roses is reportedly in the works at VH-1 with a possible air date in June. Sources claim everyone but Axl Rose
is contributing to the project. The timing of this can't be better with the upcoming release of a CD of early
demos by the band on the way.
Alice Cooper received an honorary degree from Grand Canyon University during its Saturday commencement ceremony.
David Bowie, Gloria Estafan, John Mellencamp, Dolly Parton and Liza Minnelli are among a few of the thousands of
artists who will now receive their unclaimed and unpaid royalties from major labels as part of a $50 million settlement
arranged by New York State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer. California State Senator Kevin Murray is pushing his
bill that would enable artists to sue for punitive damages in addition to witheld royalties citing that the worst
thing that can happen for a record company that underpays their artists is that they pay what they owe.
B.B. King will be presented with the prestigious Polar Music Prize by Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page in Stockholm
on May 24th.
The late Peter Tosh will be honored at the 4th annual Calasbash International Literary Festival from May 28th to
the 30th in Kingston in honor of what would be his 60th birthday.
Stevie Wonder will release his first new studio album in 9 years on June 8th titled A Time 2 Love. Two days later,
Wonder will receive the Johnny Mercer Award from the Songwriter's Hall Of Fame in New York.
Sting has been forced to cancel performances in Newcastle, Manchester and Glasgow because he is suffering from
laryngitis. Meanwhile, Sting and Eric Clapton have both recorded guest appearances on Bruce Hornsby's next album.
The grill pieces from Billy Joel's 1967 Citroen (which he crashed into a Long Island home while driving during
an Apr. 25th rainstorm) was sold at an online auction with proceeds going to various Long Island charities.
David Bowie cancelled his concert on Thursday in Miami after a local stagehand fell to his death at the James L.
Knight Center prior to the show. Details surrounding the accident have not been disclosed.
Graham Nash was awarded an honorary doctorate last weekend from the Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles.
Aside from his work as a solo artist and member of Crosby, Stills & Nash, Nash is a highly admired photographer
and a co-founder of Nash Editions (the world's first museum-like digital fine-arts press.)
George Benson will release his new 10-track studio album, Irreplaceable, on June 8th. "Irreplaceable"
and "Softly As In A Morning Sunrise" from the album will be released as singles on May 24th to adult
contemporary radio.
Mike + The Mechanics + Paul Carrack will release their new album Rewired on June 7th which features the new single
"One Left Standing." A bonus DVD will be included with the album that contains videos for all 9 tracks.
The band will promote the album with a few live dates supporting Phil Collins. Meanwhile a new Phil Collins 3-disc
compilation titled The Platinum Collection will be released on May 31st and include singles and stand-out solo
album tracks.
The Rembrandts released a 14-track album of re-recorded greatest hits titled Choice Picks last week on Phil Solem's
label, Akee Records.
Since the release of the film Pirates Of The Caribbean, actor Johnny Depp has admitted that he used Rolling Stones
guitarist Keith Richards as a model for the character Jack Sparrow. Depp recently been trying to talk Richards
into portraying his father for the upcoming sequel.
T'Pau have released a new 2004 version of their hit "China In Your Hand" today as a maxi-single.
Hollywood Records plans to release a new album by the Time on June 22nd titled It's About Time. The album will
feature live recordings of the Time hits, Morris Day's solo highlights and 4 new songs by the Time.
Teena Marie now has her first hit single in 13 years with her new ballad, "Still In Love," from her new
17-track studio album, La Dona, which hits stores this week. La Dona is her first new album since 1994's Passion
Play and includes collaborations with Gerald Levert, MC Lyte and a reunion with Rick James.
Heart will see their album Bebe Le Strange from 1980 re-released with bonus tracks on June 29th as well as 1977's
Little Queen and 1978's Dog And Butterfly. Heart's new album, Jupiter's Darling, wil be released on June 22nd.
Kylie Minogue has lent her vocal talents to an upcoming animated film titled The Magic Roundabout in which she
is the voice of Florence.
During a live interview with Los Angeles' XTRA Sports Talk 690 Cannon Talk to promote his Skylar Neil Memorial
Golf Tournament and ZRock Crue For The Cure's online rock-a-thon, Vince Neil officially confirmed there will be
a 2005 Motley Crue reunion (possibly farewell) tour with all the original members.
New Order have selected Stephen Street and John Leckie as producers for their follow-up to 2001's Get Ready. No
release date has been scheduled for the as-yet-untitled album.
After a 10-year hiatus, American Music Club has signed to Merge Records for the release of their as-yet-untitled
studio album.
The Some Kind Of Monster documentary DVD about Metallica has been pushed back to a 2005 release. Some
Kind Of Monster has been very successful at film festivals worldwide and is now scheduled for a theatrical release
on July 9th to small theaters in major U.S. cities.
The Tragically Hip plan to release their follow-up to 2002's In Violet Light titled In Between Evolution on June
29th. "Vaccination Star" will be the first single from the album.
The USA Network will air Willie Nelson And Friends: Outlaws And Angels on May 31st. The show will be compiled
from a 3 hour concert performed last week featuring Nelson, Keith Richards, Bob Dylan, Al Green, Merle Haggard
and many more.
All About Eve have recorded a cover of The Cure's "Apart" as the B-side to their new single "Let
Me Go Home" which is scheduled for release on May 24th.
Dio have announced that their new studio album will be titled Master Of The Moon and will be released through Sanctuary
Records in July.
After 20 years with Warner Brothers Records, a-ha have signed a new worldwide contract with Universal Records for
3 albums. A big worldwide tour is expected to follow the release of the first album.
Pat Benatar has signed up as a spokeswoman for Take It To Heart, a new campaign aimed at preventing heart disease
in women. Benatar has recently filmed a commercial outlining the 'need to know' symptoms of the disease that plague
women annually.
Brian Ferry has recorded a new version of Roxy Music's "In Every Dreamhouse A Heartache" as a duet with
Jane Birkin for her upcoming album Rendez Vous.
A new Sammy Hagar retrospective is on the way from Hip-O Records titled The Definitive Collection and is due out
on June 22nd.
Cash: An American Man, a new Johnny Cash biography, will be published on May 18th.
Morrissey's Irish Blood, English Heart EP was the #1 album at Apple iTunes Music Store on Thursday. The new album,
You Are The Quarry, hits stores next week.
Bono will be at the Tribeca Film Festival's annual concert in New York City on May 8th to deliver a speech. Van
Morrison and Steve Winwood are among the concert performers.
Former Icicle Works vocalist Ian McNabb will release his new solo album titled Potency on June 7th.
Praying Mantis will release their retrospective The Best Of Praying Mantis on June 17th in Europe which collects
13 tracks from throughout their 24-year career.
Several Was (Not Was) albums are being reissued in June including their second album, 1983's Born To Laugh At Tornadoes.
A 'best of' collection is in the works for a possible November release.
R.E.M. plan to head back to Miami to finish the recording and mixing of their next studio album which is due for
release this fall.
A 10-track CD version of Fleetwood Mac's Live In Boston (which is also scheduled for release as a 23-song DVD version)
will be released on June 15th.
Stryper filmed their one-night-only performance at the Tito Puente Amphitheatre in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Mar.
6th. The film is currently in the editing room and expected for a DVD release in late summer or early fall.
Richard Marx will release, "When You're Gone," as the first single from his new studio album, My Own
Best Enemy, which is due out in August.
MTV has officially ended its ban of Anthrax's video for "What Doesn't Die" for violent content. The
network hasn't disclosed any reasons for changing their decision.
Glenn Tillbrook will release his second solo album, Transatlantic Ping Pong, in the U.K. on May 17th. A North
American release is expected on June 8th via Compass Records. "Untouchable" has been released as the
first single from the album.
Luther Vandross and his mother sat down with Oprah Winfrey for a special Mother's Day segment that aired Thursday.
Winfrey attended his physical therapy and vocal coaching. Vandross is continuing to get better and looks forward
to getting back on stage again.
Whitesnake are planning to release a new double-CD live album this August that was recorded during their 2003 tour.
According to recent reports, "Up For Breakfast" will be the first single from Van Halen's upcoming 'best
of' and the other two new tracks ("It's About Time" and "Learning To See") are expected to
make the tracklist when released this summer. The band's Live Without A Net (filmed in New Haven in 1986 celebrating
Sammy Hagar's first tour with the band) will be released on DVD for the first time in Japan in July.
Steven Tyler has inked a deal to appear in a television commercial to promote the new Sony Cyber-shot digital camera.
Megadeth have put a new song titled "Kick The Chair" on their www.megadeth.com Web site for download.
The song is expected to be one from the recording sessions for their as-yet-untitled new album due out in September.
According to frontman Dave Mustaine, they are over a third of the way done with the mix for the new record.
Superfecta Recordings have reissued digitally remastered versions of Concrete Blonde's self-titled debut album
and Free (which contains the bonus tracks "Free" and a cover of Jimi Hendrix's "Little Wing.")
Bananarama are still working on their new studio album with hopes to finish soon and release it this year.
A new DVD titled 3 Decades Of Helix: No Rest For The Wicked is 6 months into production and expected to be finished
by July 17th when it makes its world debut at Sanderson Centre for the 30th Anniversary Concert and goes on sale
that night. Due out prior to the DVD is the band's next album Rockin' In My Outer Space.
INXS will be releasing a 2-DVD package titled I'm Only Looking - The Best Of on June 29th. The collection contains
25 of INXS' best videos along with live recordings, remixes, interviews and documentaries.
Nine Inch Nails expect to release their first new studio album since 1999's The Fragile later this year under the
title
Bleed Through. Meanwhile, Trent Reznor has announced that the Tapeworm project with Maynard James Keenan, Danny
Lohner, and Atticus Ross "is dead for the forseeable future."
A spokesperson for Liam Gallagher has vehemently denied any teaming up with Dhani Harrison and the former Stone
Roses guitarist saying, "Liam is already in a supergroup called Oasis..."
Dokken's new studio album, Hell To Pay, has been pushed back to a July 13th release date in an effort to "build
and wind-up a great campaign surrounding this release."
Yes will be releasing a DVD on June 21st titled Acoustic. The disc features performance footage filmed of the
band planing a live studio set of their greatest hits documented back in January.
Recorded on July 11th in Nashville, Lynyrd Skynyrd will release Lynyrd Skynryd Lyve on June 22nd.