Former Warrant vocalist Jani Lane has been forced to cancel some of his performances after spending time in
the hospital for bronchitis, fluid in one ear and the flu. Lane was expecting x-ray results on the possibility
of fluid in his lungs. Meanwhile, Warrant are expected to release their first new studio album in nearly a decade,
Born Again, on July 11th via Deadline Music. This is their first album with new vocalist Jaime St. James replacing
Jani Lane.
23 year-old Indianapolis resident John T. Clark was arrested Friday after trying to extort $9 million from Kenneth
"Babyface" Edmonds after posing as the singer's illegitimate son. Clark still claims he is Babyface's
son and awaits a hearing on Tuesday.
Associated Newspapers Ltd. (which publishes The Daily Mail) settled the libel case filed by Elton John by paying
the singer $188,000. The publication claimed that John asked guests not to approach him at his annual Tie and Tiara
charity ball. The Sunday Times reprinted The Daily Mail article and agreed to a confidential settlement earlier
this year. Meanwhile, the comedy television pilot Him And Us, said to be inspired by Elton John and to include
recurring appearances by Mick Jagger, has not been picked up by any of the networks.
According to The Smoking Gun, representatives of Sinead O'Connor have threatened legal action against web sites
that have recently published a photo purportedly showing her smoking a cigarette while pregnant. A cease and desist
letter was written on May 5th. The letter says that she "takes her reputation as a good parent and responsible
mother very seriously" and "was not pregnant at the time that such photograph was taken."
Gregg Allman and R.E.M. will be inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame on Sept. 16th in Atlanta at the World
Congress Center. R.E.M. are expected to play a short set to celebrate their induction.
Songwriters Gamble and Huff were presented with the special international award, Ray Davies collected the PRS award,
New Order were honored with the outstanding song collection trophy, Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson won the international
achievement prize and the Bee Gees were inducted into the Academy fellowship at Thursday's 51st Ivor Novello Awards
for songwriters.
Maze featuring Frankie Beverly will be presented with a Pioneer award at the 14th R&B Foundation Pioneer Awards.
A lifetime achievement award will be given to Motown founder Berry Gordy.
Michael Jackson is expected to make his first public appearance following his trial acquittal last June in Tokyo
to receive MTV Japan's Legend Award. Jackson's participation is expected to launch a tour in Asia.
George Strait was given an honorary doctorate of humane letters by his alma mater, Texas State University, during
a private ceremony on Friday.
The Red Hot Chili Peppers' chart-topping double album, Stadium Arcadium, held onto the top spot for a second straight
week selling 157,000 copies.
Brad Paisley and Dolly Parton's "When I Get Where I'm Going" won for Video Of The Year and Vocal Event
Of The Year at the 41st Annual Academy of Country Music Awards. Vince Gill was given the ACM/Home Depot Humanitarian
Award.
After being deposed by CBS Radio last month, David Lee Roth went right back to music with lining up tour dates.
In recent interviews he has claimed about his return to Van Halen, "I see it absolutely as an inevitability."
Sting has announced that his next studio album will be a collection of 16th century music performed on the lute
with vocals (with some four part vocal harmonies.)
The Beautiful South will release their follow-up to 2003's Golddiggas, Headnodders & Pholk Song this week entitled
Superbi. The first single from the album will be "Manchester."
Reverend Al Green has been in the studio working on his follow-up to 2005's Everything's OK. The set is due out
next year and he also is considering a new gospel and new jazz project.
Johnny Cash's album American V: A Hundred Highways will be released on July 4th. The album includes two originals
("I Came To Believe" and "Like The 309" which was the last song Cash wrote.) Mike Campbell
and Benmont Tench of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers are among some of Cash's favorite musicians who supplemented
his vocals on the tracks.
John Waite will release his new studio album, Downtown: Journey Of A Heart, in Europe via Frontiers Records on
July 7th.
Motorhead have been working in the studio on their next album, Kiss Of Death, which is scheduled to be released
on Aug. 29th via Sanctuary Records. Their last album, Inferno, picked up a Grammy.
Peter Gabriel has joined the advisory board of Image Metrics which is a performance capture technology solutions
company.
A cover of the Divinyl's classic "I Touch Myself" has been recorded by Australian vocalist Tiffani Wood
for her upcoming solo debut album, Bite My Tongue.
Ministry leader Al Jourgensen has plans to return to the studio after Ministry finishes up dates on their MasterBaTour
to record what he says will be the final album by the band, The Last Sucker. Jourgensen is hoping to put the extra
time into building up his 13th Planet Records label.
Queen Latifah has signed on to star and executive-produce an HBO telefilm entitled Life Support which centers on
the HIV crisis in the black community.
Bay area metal act Ruffians (who reunited in 2004 for Germany's Bang Your Head Festival) are working in a northern
California recording studio on their a new album expected to be released in October.
Alan Jackson has been working on a new studio album with Alison Krauss which will be released in September. The
performers have dueted together on the song "The Angels Cried" from Jackson's 1993 album Honky Tonk Christmas.
A Vixen resurgence is on the way as the new line-up have recorded a live album, Extended Versions, and a new studio
effort, Live & Learn. Extended Versions was released this month while Live & Learn will be released via
Demolition Records later this year.
Smokey Robinson is planning to release his first set of standards, Timeless Love, on June 11th and plans to perform
a series of 50th anniversary concerts in the U.K.
A new double-disc progressive rock compilation presented by Classic Rock magazine, Prog Rock, will be released
via Gut Active Records on June 12th featuring classic songs from Yes, Genesis, Procol Harum, Marillion, Jethro
Tull, Rush, Steve Hackett, IQ, Blue Oyster Cult, Emerson, Lake & Palmer and many others.
According to Helix main man Brian Vollmer, the band are recording a new studio album and have enlisted vocalist/guitarist
Rick Van Dyke.
The new various artist compilation 80's Hits Stripped hits stores this week and features acoustic versions of hits
by Berlin, Rick Springfield, The Outfield, Men At Work's Colin Hay, Billy Squier, the Go-Go's Jane Wiedlin, Asia,
Naked Eyes, Thomas Dolby, Heart, John Waite, Billy Idol, The Motels, Tommy Tutone and Howard Jones.
According to U.K. tabloid The People, Kylie Minogue is planning a comeback show in her hometown of Melbourne with
dates 'penciled in' for November.
Van Morrison plans to re-release his country covers album, Pay The Devil, as a special edition disc on June 27th
which will contain a 5-track DVD of his performance at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium. The album peaked at #7 on
the Top Country Albums chart and #26 on the Billboard 200.
Level 42 will release an 18-track comprehensive retrospective, The Definitive Collection, on June 12th in the U.K.
The 6 original members of the J. Geils Band performed together for the first time in over two decades recently
at a surprise 60th birthday party for bassist Danny Klein.
The Simple Minds have been confirmed to headline the celebrations opening the Fifa World Cup in Berlin on June
7th. The band will play their biggest hit, "(Don't You) Forget About Me," and "Home" (from
their latest album Black And White 050505.)
Enuff Z'nuff have reportedly been working on their new studio album in Las Vegas. Meanwhile, Donnie Vie and Vik
Foxx have been busy and will not be part of the upcoming tour.
John Foxx will release a 15-track electronic instrumental album, Tiny Colour Movies, on June 12th via Fullfill.
Often credited with helping launch the 'new wave' alternative/college rock movement, music promoter and booking
agent Ian Copeland, 57, (brother to Stewart Copeland of the Police and Miles Copeland of I.R.S. Records) succumbed
to melanoma at his L.A. home on Tuesday. His Frontier Booking International (F.B.I.) represented a variety of acts
including the Cure, Adam Ant, Nine Inch Nails, UB40, Oingo Boingo, The Dead Kennedys, R.E.M., the Bangles, the
Go-Go's and Joan Jett and the Blackhearts.