Sex Pistols and P.I.L. vocalist John Lydon (a.k.a. Johnny Rotten) has been charged in a civil lawsuit in Los
Angeles by Roxane Davis with sexual harassment and assault. Davis was an assistant producer on the reality series
Bodog Battle of the Bands that featured Lydon in January 2007. It is alleged that Lydon hit her because he didn't
like the hotel room he was given. No criminal charges have been filed.
Alabama drummer Mark Herndon has been sued by his bandmates for $202,670. The lawsuit alleges that Herndon was
paid for his share of the net merchandise sales during the group's 2003 American Farewell Tour before the final
accounting was done. Meanwhile, Herndon claims that he is owed $65,047 for his share of an advance against the
sales of their CD, The Last Stand, which was recorded during the tour and is being sold at Cracker Barrel restaurants.
The bandmembers did gather recently for the unveiling of bronze statues of the group in Fort Payne, Alabama.
Ozzy Osbourne has been awarded a substantial sum in damages against the publishers of the Daily Star newspaper
for their story titled "Ozzy's Freak Show." The story had claimed that he fell over twice before making
his presentation at the Brit Awards and that he had to be taken away from the event on an electric buggy. The lawyer
for newspaper told the court that her client has since apologized for the distress and embarrassment caused by
the article, accepts the allegations were untrue and should not have been published.
Yes have been forced to cancel their 40th anniversary tour this summer due to vocalist Jon Anderson's recent health
issues. Anderson had been taken to the hospital last month after an asthma attack and was diagnosed with acute
respiratory failure. The doctors have recommended that he rest for at least 6 months.
Lionel Richie will be given the 'Icon' honor at the 6th annual TV Land Awards. The show has been taped and will
air on June 15th.
Frank Sinatra's Nothing But The Best dropped two spots to #6 on the Billboard 200 albums chart on sales of 37,000
copies. Al Green's Lay It Down debuted at #9 selling 34,000 copies. Madonna's Hard Candy fell two places to #11.
Neil Diamond's Home Before Dark dropped 5 spots to #15. George Strait's Troubadour fell 12 places to #40. Cyndi
Lauper's Bring Ya To The Brink debuted at #41.
Madonna's "4 Minutes" featuring Justin Timberlake fell two places to #10 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles
chart. She has also decided to cancel her plans to screen her new documentary, I Am Because We Are, at the Glastonbury
rock festival.
Paul Weller's 22 Dreams has debuted at #1 on the U.K. Albums chart. Neil Diamond's Home Before Dark retains the
#3 spot. Diamond's The Best Of Neil Diamond gained two spots to #7 and his The Essential Neil Diamond climbed 8
places to #14. Guns N' Roses' Greatest Hits re-entered the chart at #21. Madonna's Hard Candy fell 9 spots to #22.
The Osmonds' Very Best Of The Osmonds dropped 13 places to #25. Paul Simon's The Essential Paul Simon debuted at
#27. Hall & Oates' The Singles debuted at #35. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers' Greatest Hits debuted at
#38.
Madonna's "4 Minutes" featuring Justin Timberlake fell 4 places to #8 on the U.K. Singles chart. Morrissey's
"All You Need Is Me" debuted at #24.
Toto guitarist Steve Lukather has posted an announcement at his SteveLukather.net Web site. "The fact is yes
I have left Toto. There is no more Toto. I told the guys before the leg of our tour. We had some differences in
how business was being done. The other fact is that I have been the only guy who was at the first rehearsal till
the last gig a month or so ago. When Jeff died part of us all died with him. We pursued it and had some great times."
Lukather also said, "Honestly I have just had enough. This is not a break. It is over. I really can't go on
and play "Hold The Line" with a straight face anymore. I was 19 when we cut the record. I am 50 now."
The full article can be read at: http://www.stevelukather.net/Article.aspx?id=55
The reissue of U2's early albums (their 1980 debut, Boy, 1981's October and 1983's War) will contain previously
unreleased and rare material. The albums will be released as a remastered single CD, a deluxe set (with a second
disc of extras) and on vinyl on July 22nd.
The Tracii Guns version of L.A. Guns has hired vocalist Marty Casey (former contestant on Rock Star: INXS) as their
new singer. Casey has been writing new material with the band and recording on their new studio album has begun
in Canada.
A bill proposing that Bon Jovi's song, "Who Says You Can't Go Home," should be made New Jersey's official
state song is now in committee. The campaign started with students from Pinelands Regional Junior High.
Jimmy Buffett has released his new DVD, Scenes You Know By Heart, exclusively to Wal-Mart, Sam's Club and his Mailboat
Records Web site. He recently published his 7th book, Swine Not? A Novel Pig Tale, for young readers and is developing
albums for younger artists. Buffett has recently said that he is writing songs but is in no hurry to release a
follow-up to 2006's Take The Weather With You.
The first single from John Mellencamp's new album, Life, Death, Love And Freedom, will be "My Sweet Love."
The song was also sent to radio stations last week. VanityFair.com has made a free MP3 download of "Longest
Days" available at their site.
Alice Cooper's new studio album, Along Came A Spider, is due out July 29th. The concept behind the release, according
to Cooper's interview with Billboard, is that every track is sort of a letter to the police from a fictional serial
killer named Spider. Slash and Ozzy Osbourne make guest appearances on the disc.
Rolling Stones guitarist Ron Wood has recorded a track, "All The Plans We Made," with Starsailor for
their fourth album.
The second single from Madonna's Hard Candy will be "Give It 2 Me" and a new video has been posted on
YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-ZJ9gcIpIE).
Chicago's 1993 'lost' album, Stone Of Sisyphus, will be released on June 17th via Rhino Records. The album was
the breaking point between the band and Warner Bros. as they refused to release it because it wasn't what they
expected.
Bobby Brown will return to CMT for another reality series. Brown will rejoin fellow Gone Country contestants Maureen
McCormick and Carnie Wilson on the new series Outsider's Inn. The 8-episode series can be summed up as McCormick
leases a rural Tennessee bed and breakfast and brings in Brown as entertainment director and Wilson as master chef.
Outsider's Inn is expected to debut on CMT in August.
Paul McCartney fans have until June 12th to sign up at his PaulMcCartney.com site for the annual Night Of A Thousand
Dinners (which collects "donations to help landmine survivors and their families and allow communities to
return land to productive use.") Those making a minimum donation of $25 and registering as a virtual guest
will receive an email from Paul that will include a previously unreleased song of his entitled "Lifelong Passion
(Sail Away)." The song is credited to the Firemen and was a collaboration between McCartney and Youth. Free
recipes by celebrity chef Jamie Oliver included as a free download. McCartney is also rumored to be announcing
a two-year farewell tour.
Motorhead have reportedly finished recording their new studio album, Motorize. A release date has not been announced.
Yazoo will see remastered editions of their only studio albums (Upstairs At Eric's and You And Me Both) head out
on July 9th at the Erasure shop (a link is up at ErasureInfo.com.)
Steve Vai has reportedly signed on to portray country legend Hank Williams in an upcoming film called Crazy (which
is about guitarist Hank Garland.)
Soft Cell's contemporary remix collection, Heat: The Remixes, will be released as a double-disc set in the U.K.
on Aug. 4th. Also due out the same day are expanded versions of their Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, The Art Of Falling
Apart and This Last Night In Sodom albums.
Janet Jackson has voiced her dissatisfaction with her new Island Def Jam label as they are pulling back their support
of her label debut, Discipline, due to lack of singles chart success. Jackson has said that she will have to cancel
her European leg of her Rock Witchu tour due to that lack of label support.
AC/DC's as-yet-untitled new studio album will be released exclusively via Wal-Mart stores in the U.S. this fall.
The album is their first since 2000's Stiff Upper Lip.
Edwyn Collins new single, "Home Again," will be released as a limited edition (1,500 copies) version
to stores all over the U.K. on June 23rd.
According to an NME interview with Coldplay's Chris Martin, a collaboration with Kylie Minogue was left off their
new album because the results were too sexy. Martin expects the track, "Lunar," to appear on an album
due out next year.
Tony Iommi, Gary Moore, Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson and former Marillion frontman Fish are reportedly backing travel
entrepreneur Malcolm Bluenel in a purchase of digital radio station Planet Rock.
The 2004 concert event, Produced By Trevor Horn, celebrating his 25 years in the music business, will be released
on DVD under the title Slaves To The Rhythm in June.
Fans of Aimee Mann that have wanted to sing with her, your time has come. Mann and SuperEgo Records as asking fans
to sing along to her new song, "Freeway," from her new album and upload the video to YouTube. The top
winner will have an opportunity to sing with her during one of her upcoming shows. Ten runners-up will get an autographed
copy of @#%&*! Smilers. The submissions must be received by July 7th and more information can be found at http://www.aimeemann.com/freewaycontest/
Stevie B will release his new single, "Get This Party Started," to stores in July. It is currently available
at HotTunez.com.
Polish metal act Acid Drinkers will be celebrated by Metal Mind Productions with the release of their complete
discography, Acid Empire: 1989 - 2008, in September.
A while back we mentioned that Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley were considering searching for 4 musicians to don
the KISS make-up for a new version of the band in a reality show similar to Rock Star. According to Simmons, the
deal has been signed and is coming soon.
Edgar Winter has been working on his new studio album, Rebel Road. He will head out with Ringo Starr And His All-Starr
Band this summer.
Laaz Rockit will release their new studio album, Left For Dead, on July 25th in Europe via Massacre Records. Two
new tracks from the disc can be heard at their MySpace page (http://www.myspace.com/thelaazrockit).