Jackson Browne has settled his copyright
infringement
lawsuit against former presidential candidate John McCain and the
Republican Party for using one of his songs, "Running On Empty," during
the campaign. Details of the financial settlement were not
disclosed.
According to court documents filed on Thursday, Michael Jackson's
personal physician Dr. Conrad Murray is the target of the manslaughter
investigation into the singer's death. The filing of the
documents comes after agents used a search warrant and seized items
from the doctor's Houston clinic and rented storage unit.
Meanwhile, you've seen the resurfacing of Jackson's 1984 Pepsi
commercial accident but it seems Chicago-based jeweler LifeGem will be
creating high-quality diamonds from individual hair samples from that
very accident. According to LifeGem founder Dean
VandenBiesen, "Our plan is to give people an opportunity to own a
diamond made from Michael Jackson's DNA." It also looks like
a deal between the Michael Jackson Estate, AEG Live and Sony for the
theatrical release of Michael Jackson's rehearsal footage for what
would have been his This Is It concerts could be negotiated
soon. Sony reportedly paid $60 million to acquire the
worldwide distribution rights to the film. According to court
filings, the temporary administrators of Jackson's estate have
recovered $5.5 million from a former financial adviser and state that
the estate will be solvent despite the singer dying with an estimated
$400 million or more of debt. They are currently finishing
several deals that with court approval are expected to generate "tens
of millions of dollars of revenues." Los Angeles Mayor
Antonio Villaraigosa asserted on Monday that the city will pick up the
estimated $1.4 million tab for police, traffic control and other
services related to Michael Jackson's memorial service.
The Beastie Boys have announced that they have canceled their summer
tour plans and will delay the release of Hot Sauce Committee Part 1 in
order to allow Adam "MCA" Yauch to undergo surgery as a cancerous tumor
was found in his left salivary gland last week. He is
expected to make a full recovery.
Eddie Van Halen is currently recovering from surgery to fix a bone
spur, twisted tendon and cyst on his left hand that was causing pain in
his thumb and pinky during the end of Van Halen's last tour.
According to his recent interview with RollingStone.com, his recovery
is expected to take about 4 to 6 months.
Jane's Addiction have been forced to cancel their upcoming Australian
tour dates after drummer Stephen Perkins, 41, was admitted to the
Infectious Disease Ward at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles for
treatment of an infection in his elbow. A full recovery is
expected over the next few weeks but he is being kept under observation
during the anti-biotic treatment.
Billy Joel and Elton john were forced to postpone their Buffalo, New
York, performance at a sold-out HSBC Arena when Joel came down with
flu-like symptoms. The Face 2 Face tour is expected to
continue and a make-up date announced next week.
The Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen soundtrack dropped 13 spots to
#36 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. The Twilight
soundtrack fell 8 places to #37.
Michael Jackson's Number Ones dropped a spot to #2 on the Billboard Top
Comprehensive Albums chart. He holds 6 out of the top 10 on
the chart.
Michael Jackson's The Essential Michael Jackson retained the #1 spot on
the U.K. Albums chart. Jackson's Thriller gained a place to
#3. Michael Jackson & The Jackson Five's The Motown
Years climbed a spot to #4. Jackson's Off The Wall fell 4
places to #7. Jackson's Number Ones dropped 3 spots to
#10. Jim Reeves' The Very Best Of Jim Reeves gained 4 places
to #19. Jackson's King Of Pop dropped 6 spots to
#20. Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band's Greatest
Hits fell 3 places to #22. Leonard Cohen's Greatest Hits
debuted at #29. Michael Jackson & The Jackson Five's
The Very Best Of Michael Jackson & The Jackson Five dropped 17
spots to #32. Jackson's History: Past, Present And Future:
Book 1 fell 16 places to #33. Jackson's Thriller 25 dropped
25 spots to #34.
Michael Jackson's "Man In The Mirror" fell 5 places to #8 on the U.K.
Singles chart. Jackson's "Billie Jean" dropped 7 spots to
#28. Jackson's "Smooth Criminal" fell 13 places to
#33. Jackson's "Thriller" dropped 10 spots to #35.
Jackson's "Beat It" fell 7 places to #39.
Boys Don't Cry's "Don't Call Me A Country Singer" climbed 2 places to
#14 on the FMQB AC40 chart. Frontman Nick Richards will also
start shooting, Boogie Wonderland, a pilot for Fox/Reality in late
August for a reality show focused on the Richards family.
"Blow Me Bubbles" (the second track off their upcoming album) will be
the theme music and a different song from the album is expected to
appear during each episode.
Julian Lennon is working on a project to write music for song lyrics
to, "Tell Her Now," that his father wrote in the 1960s and publish it.
Britton's 1988 classic debut album, Rock Hard, will be released for the
first time on CD on Aug. 21st via Z Records and contain 10 bonus tracks.
Foreigner have entered the recording studio to start work on their
first new album since 1994's Mr. Moonlight. Can't Slow Down
is due out via Rhino Entertainment to be sold exclusively on Sept. 29th
as a 3-disc set (13 new songs, a disc of re-recordings of their hits
and a live 5.1 surround sound DVD.
Anita Baker could released her next studio album in the spring via Blue
Note. Until then there is also a possibility that she will
release a live video and/or album next year.
Echo & The Bunnymen will release their new studio album, The
Fountain, on Oct. 12th and new single, "I Think I Need It Too," on
Sept. 28th.
Madonna's new greatest hits album, Celebration, will be released on
Sept. 29th via Warner Bros. and include two newly recorded
songs. The title track, "Celebration," will be released as
the first single to radio on Aug. 3rd. The album will be
available in both single-disc and double-disc configurations with a DVD
of her videos to be released on the same day.
Newly formed film-production company Next Films has signed a deal with
Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi for a "Black Sabbath" horror movie
franchise according to The Hollywood Reporter. The films will
have nothing to do with the band but will be scored by Iommi and use
the name in the title.
Neil Diamond will release his new DVD, Hot August Night/NYC,
exclusively at Walmart locations on Aug. 14th. The
performance was recorded live at New York's Madison Square Garden in
August 2008.
John Fogerty's new album, The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again, will be
released on Sept. 1st via Fortune Son/Verve Forecast.
Nikki Sixx will see his 2002 book, An Education In Rebellion: The
Biography Of Nikki Sixx, reissued on Sept. 1st. The book has
been updated through 2009 and features a 2-disc bonus sampler featuring
original bands influenced by the music of Sixx and Motley
Crue. Meanwhile, Vince Neil's Las Vegas bar-restaurant,
Feelgood's Rock Bar and Grill, on Aug. 1st.
Former Stone Roses vocalist Ian Brown will release his sixth solo
album, My Way, this autumn following the Sept. 21st release of his new
single, "Stellify."
Bananarama have signed a deal with Fascination Records for the Sept.
14th release of their 10th studio album, Viva.
Ronnie James Dio fans were a little upset when it was announced that
the headlining act at the Dutch festival Zomerpop would not be the
Heaven And Hell/Black Sabbath frontman but Dutch rapper Diorno Braaf
that calls himself DIO. The metal vocalist's management is
hoping to see clarification of this on the Pollstar.com and festival
Web sites as it is very misleading.
U2 have released "I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight" as the
third single from No Line On The Horizon. An animated video
for the track is not online at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmJgdXkAqMU.
Drivin' N' Cryin' plan to release, Great American Bubble Factory, their
first new studio album in 12 years on Sept. 29th via Vintage Earth
Music and Thirty Tigers/RED.
Alison Krauss recently told Telegraph.co.uk that she's been in
listening meetings about potential material for her follow-up to
Raising Sand with Robert Plant. "It'll be different, as if we
hadn't made the first."
Singer Sid Haywoode has returned after a two decade hiatus.
She has re-recorded updated versions of several of her classic tracks
as well as some new songs for a new album due out next year.
"Getting Closer 2009" and "Kiss Me Good" are slated for release as
singles.
Paula Abdul's manager told the Los Angeles Times, "Very sadly, it does
not appear that she's going to be back on Idol." Abdul
reportedly has not received a formal proposal for a contract yet.
Anvil will see the re-release of their 2007 self-released album This Is
Thirteen on Sept. 15th via VH1 Classic Records bolstered by the newly
recorded, previously-unreleased bonus track "Thumb Hang."
Erasure's Vince Clarke has created several pieces of original
instrumental music for the upcoming audiobook of Tonya Hurley's young
adult novel, ghostgirl, to be released soon via Recorded
Books. Clark has also started work on the score for the audio
edition of ghostgirl: Homecoming.
The Worst Of Dirty Looks, a new 21-track 'best of' collection for the
band has been released via Sticky Records.
The Rolling Stones' 1993 hits collection, Jump Back: The Best Of The
Rolling Stones 1971-1993 will be reissued on Aug. 18th via Universal.
Anthrax have parted ways with new vocalist Dan Nelson and are actively
considering new lead singers before hitting the road later this
year. This has also forced the band to push band the European
release of their new album, Worship Music, from its previous Oct. 23rd
street date. Nelson unexpectedly informed the band this week
that he was seriously ill and unable to travel or perform at this
time. The band ask all of their fans to join them in wishing
him the speediest of recoveries.
Nick Cave and Warren Ellis will see the release of White Lunar, a
double-CD set containing a selection of cinematic scores, film music,
rare and previously unavailable material on Sept. 22nd via Mute.
The new cartoon series, J-stache, about Hall & Oates' John
Oates and his mustache made its public premiere on the mustache's blog
www.jstache.com.
Steve Swindells 1980 album, Fresh Blood, has been released on CD for
the first time via Atomhenge at CherryRed.co.uk. The new
version includes an essay by the former Hawklords keyboardist and a
bonus track.
Twitter user Duff McKagan recently stated that his band were "writing
new Loaded songs tonight and tomorrow. Some great ideas and
riffs have come on this latest tour." Duff McKagan's Loaded
just recently released their new album, Sick.
Carlos Santana has been added as an unlockable "in-game artist" in the
upcoming Guitar Hero 5 video game.
According to his official Web site, the release date of Kenny Loggins'
new album, All Join In, has been delayed.
Jane Wiedlin has another reissue out. Her band froSTed has
reissued their 1996 album, Cold, for digital download via iTunes
including 3 bonus tracks not previously available on the original North
American release.
Swedish bassist Marcel Jacob, 45, took his life on Tuesday after many
years of personal and health issues that he was battling. A
statement was released by former Talisman bandmate Jeff Scott
Soto. "We were mere days from starting what would have been
our 8th Talisman studio album together, celebrating the 20 year
anniversary of the band. I spoke with him just yesterday
about finalizing the details that would get us started only to get the
news this afternoon that my friend merely gave up on it all."
Jacob formed the band Rising Force with guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen in
the late '70s, joined the band Force in 1982 (who would later change
their name to Europe), returned to Malmsteen for his 1985 Marching Out
solo album and recorded with Tone Norum and John Norum in 1986 and
1987. Starting in 1990 he was a consistent member of Talisman.
New Riders Of The Purple Sage singer-songwriter John Dawson, 64, died
on Tuesday from stomach cancer in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, where
he retired to several years ago. As well as releasing 4
albums during the 80s with New Riders Of The Purple Sage, he
contributed to many Grateful Dead songs, most notably "Friend Of The
Devil."