Jazz legend Ornette Coleman, 77, was rushed to Coffey County Hospital and remains under doctor's supervision
after collapsing from heat stroke on stage during a performance on Sunday at the Bonnaroo festival in Manchester,
Tennessee. Coleman won a 2007 Pulitzer Prize for music and recently received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the
Grammys. Meanwhile, a previously-unrecorded work by Ornette Coleman ("Questions And Answers") joins an
11-track collection of original and covers on Bruce Hornsby's first full-length instrumental jazz album, Camp Meeting,
due out Aug. 7th.
Michael Jackson's lawyers have settled a lawsuit brought by financial company Prescient Acquisition of Hackensack,
New Jersey, who was seeking $48 million. Prescient helped Jackson refinance a $272 million bank loan and secure
$573 million in financing to buy the other half of the Beatles' catalog from Sony Corp. Jackson had claimed he
never heard of Prescient owner Darien Dash and didn't remember signing an agreement. Terms of the settlement weren't
released.
According to a representative of the band, Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora "has completed a program at the
UCLA Medical Center. He is doing well and continues to receive outside support." Sambora entered the treatment
facility a week ago spending 7 days there. The Bon Jovi appearance on MTV Unplugged will air on June 22nd.
Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee was forced to cancel his performance on June 11th in London after hurting his shoulder
drumming the night before at the Hammersmith Apollo. He reportedly was given a cortisone injection in the shoulder
but it was to painful to move at drumming speed. Lee does have some DJing gigs scheduled in July.
Congrats go out to Rod Stewart and his girlfriend Penny Lancaster who were married in a small ceremony that took
place in a 17th century villa at Santa Margherita Ligura in the Italian Riviera.
Dolly Parton led more than 1000 Girl Scouts in the Girl Scout Promise at her Dollywood theme park in Pigeon Forge,
Tennessee, on June 15th and was presented with a lifetime membership pin. Meanwhile, Parton, Waylon Jennings and
Don Williams are to receive the Cliffie Stone Pioneer award from the Academy of Country Music during a reception
in Nashville on June 20th.
Paul McCartney's first new studio album for Starbuck's HearMusic label, Memory Almost Full, debuted on the Billboard
200 chart at #3 with sales of 161,000 copies. The new self-titled greatest hits collection by The Police entered
the chart at #11 on sales of 58,000 copies. Chris Cornell's new solo album, Carry On, debuted at #17 selling 37,000
copies. Dream Theater's Systematic Chaos rounds out the Top 20 at #19 with 36,000 sold.
The U.K. album chart is led by the Traveling Wilbury's Collection followed by Bon Jovi's Lost Highway and The Police's
self-titled collection. Genesis' Turn It On Again: The Hits holds the #5 spot, The Who's Then And Now debuts at
#9, Paul McCartney's Memory Almost Full drops 5 spots to #10, The Clash's The Singles climbs 10 spots to #13, Joe
Cocker's Hymn For My Soul jumps 14 spots to #19 and Rod Stewart's The Seventies Collection debuts at #20.
Forbes magazine has released their annual Top 100 Most Powerful Celebrities. Madonna was the highest recording
artist at #3 followed by the Rolling Stones (#4), Elton John (#7), Bon Jovi (#18), Celine Dion (#20), U2 (#22)
and Will Smith (#51).
Just in time for their Back For More reunion tour, Ratt will release a new hits compilation, Tell The World: The
Very Best Of Ratt, which includes the previously-unreleased song "No One Can Stop You Now." The band
also hope to have enough ideas from the road to head into the studio at the end of the year.
Columbia Records, which released Musicology in 2004, has signed a deal with Prince to release his new studio album,
Planet Earth, on July 24th. The new single, "Guitar," was released to U.S. radio last week. Former Prince
collaborators Wendy & Lisa are a featured guest on one album track.
It Bites has released their new live album, When The Lights Go Down, via their ItBites.com Web site. The album
includes the new song, "Playground."
Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" appears in the final scene of The Sopranos, the following week the band
part ways with vocalist Jeff Scott Soto and the band are "plotting our next move now" according to guitarist
Neal Schon. A statement was by Jonathan Cain, "We just wanted to move in a different direction sonically.
We're interested in our legacy right now. We want to sound like our records and we want to sound like the 65 million
units that are out there."
"Fat Children" will be the next single from Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker's solo debut album, Jarvis, due
out July 16th via Rough Trade.
Sammy Hagar and the Wabos release a new live DVD entitled Livin' It Up! In St. Louis on June 19th. Pre-orders are
available at VanHalenStore.com.
Gloria Estefan will revisit her Cuban music roots with her new studio album, 90 Millas, due out on Sept. 18th via
Sony BMG's Burgundy Records. The first single from the 14-track album will be "No Llores" which features
Jose Feliciano, Carlos Santana and Sheila E.
Billy Joe Shaver will release his new studio album, Everybody's Brother, via Compadre Records on Aug. 7th. The
album is being described as "honky tonk gospel."
W.A.S.P. have been forced to cancel their upcoming U.S. tour due to their North American label Demolition Records
losing its distribution. The tour is expected to be rescheduled.
Ringo Starr has agreed to release his solo catalog online beginning Aug. 28th with his early 1970's albums. More
releases are expected to follow and speculation of Beatles digital releases has heightened since Paul McCartney
and now Ringo Starr have deals to release their albums digitally.
Skinny Puppy, KMFDM, Front 242, Fields Of The Nephilim and Front Line Assembly are among the 64 artists contributing
tracks to the Fxxk The Mainstream Vol. 1 compilation out now.
Def Leppard are close to finishing their new studio album (tentatively titled Songs From The Sparkle Lounge.) There
are no plans to preview any of the new songs on the road this summer (on tour with Styx and Foreigner) as they
could easily be uploaded to YouTube right after the concert.
Edwyn Collins plans to release his new album, Home Again, this year. Collins has also been rehearsing in preparation
for possible performances.
Madness will be working with the Glastonbury Festival in hopes to break the world record for the number of people
kissing at the same time. On June 24th at 1:30am, the band will stop their set and instruct everyone to start kissing.
The hope is to get up to 30,000 to join in. Don't be shocked if they play, "It Must Be Love," to re-start
their set.
Current Dio guitarist Rudy Sarzo (Quiet Riot, Ozzy Osbourne and Whitesnake) has joined Blue Oyster Cult for the
rest of their 2007 tour. Dio is currently on hiatus while Ronnie James Dio is touring with Heaven And Hell.
According to a statement posted on Boy George's Web site, "It is with regret that Boy George's October live
dates will be canceled until further notice. This is due to various other 'last minute' commitments which unfortunately
now clash with the U.K. dates."
An 18-track live album to be titled The Great Lost Performance by Johnny Cash recorded on July 27th, 1990 in Asbury
Park, New Jersey's Paramount Theater will be released by Universal Music on July 24th. The performance included
duets with June Carter Cash and Lucy Clark and was found in Universal's vaults.
Clock DVA member Dean Dennis has a new recording project named Nohno. Their debut album, Metropolis, has been released
by Out To Lunch Recordings.
Guitarist Steve Howe recently told Billboard.com that the reunited Asia line-up have started the process of recording
their first new studio album together since 1983's Alpha. The group release their Fantasia: Live In Tokyo live
CD on June 26th. Howe also said that he believes his work with Yes and work with Asia can co-exist.
Daryl Hall & John Oates are holding the I Can Go For That video contest. Essentially, create your own "music
video" for any of their songs from their career and submit it before June 30th with a chance to win airfare,
accommodations, $500 spending cash and tickets to see the band play at the Hollywood Bowl on Sept. 8th. Visit HallAndOates.com
for more information.
Tracy Nelson will release her new studio album, You'll Never Be A Stranger At My Door, on July 24th.
A new Sonic Youth compilation is on the way. The collection to be sold at Starbucks will feature songs selected
by artists, actors and musicians (including Beck, Jeff Tweedy, Marc Jacobs, Michelle Williams and Portia de Rossi)
as their favorite Sonic Youth songs (which will have a little note about the song from those choosing the songs.)
The band will also record one new song to be included in the set.
On Aug. 7th, Epic/Legacy Recordings will celebrate the 20th anniversary of Joe Satriani's Surfing With The Alien
album by releasing a double-disc expanded edition featuring a previously never-before-seen 1988 live performance
at the Montreux Jazz Festival.
Former Smiths band members Mike Joyce and Andy Rourke have contributed to a new DVD documentary, Inside The Smiths,
due out on July 16th. Also featured in the video are New Order's Peter Hook and The Buzzcock's Pete Shelley.
Wishbone Ash plan to release their third set of rare recordings entitled Tracks 3 soon. The collection contains
41-tracks on 3 CDs. The band also have been working on their new album in a Finnish studio expecting to release
it later this year.
The Hooters have posted 4 of the new songs from their upcoming new studio album, Time Stand Still, on their MySpace
page. Copies of the new album will be available at all shows (European tour June 27th to Aug. 6th) and in stores
soon.
A new book, Everybody Wants Some: The Van Halen Saga, written by rock journalist/radio host Ian Christie heads
to stores on Aug. 31st via Wiley Publishing. The book follows the band from development through their work with
Gary Cherone.
Been wondering where Glenn Medeiros disappeared to after scoring 3 worldwide #1 hit singles? He is currently a
second grade teacher in Waikiki and also hosts and performs at the Hale Koa Hotel's luau. This doesn't mean he
has stopped recording as he has a new song, "Señorita," he recorded last year which should appear
on a new compilation, Island Pop: Up & Down. Three other songs of his appeared on the 2003 compilation, Island
Pop: Slow & Easy.
Siouxsie Sioux has been working on her solo debut album. The first single, "Into A Swan," is due out
in August.
The new single by Gary Numan vs Ade Fenton, "The Leather Sea," will be released through Submission Records/Universal
on July 23rd.
Terry Ilous has compiled 18 rare tracks from his solo projects and with XYZ for a new disc, Here And Gone. It can
be purchased at xyzmusic.com.
New Model Army have finished work on their new 12-track studio effort and have plans to release it on Aug. 20th.
Laibach side-projects Rotor and 300.000 VK will release two albums each on July 9th via their NSK label. Rotor
will release Phonophobia and Rotorsphere while 300.000 VK will reissue Paracelsus and Hard Drive : Bill Gates.
A Ramones live double-DVD, It's Alive: 1976-1996, will be released on Sept. 24th.
Parliament Funkedelic trumpet player Richard "Kush" Griffith was honored on June 2nd with a benefit to
raise money for medical aid as he had been fighting a host of health problems. He had been performing from a wheelchair
and a morphine pump has made it possible to perform with a serious case of spinal stenosis. Today, George Clinton
issued a message via his MySpace account, "Sometimes we move too slow with friends and they get outta here
before we can ever get back...Thank you God for giving us Kush. We'll miss him..." We hope this is just a
mistake but there has been no further confirmation of his passing at press time.