Country artist Porter Wagoner, 80, has been hospitalized in Nashville after being diagnosed with lung cancer.
Wagoner was admitted on Oct. 15th and is listed in serious condition. His family have asked for prayers from family
and friends. He recently celebrated his 50th anniversary as a member of the Grand Ole Opry and released the album
Wagonmaster with Marty Stuart. Wagoner was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2002 and helped launch
the career of Dolly Parton by hiring her as his duet partner in 1967.
Prince has been named in a $1 million lawsuit filed by Ian Lewis at Los Angeles Superior Court on Oct. 17th alleging
the singer breached a contract by taking "several hard drives used for video production" without paying
for them and returning a computer (valued at $25,000) "in a broken and un-fixable condition."
Prince Abdulla Al-Khalifa of Bahrain has filed a more than $7 million lawsuit in London's High Court claiming that
Jackson has an agreement with him to record 2 albums, write and produce a live-Broadway-type show with Jackson's
music and a cast album, and to write and publish an autobiography. Jackson moved to Bahrain on June 29, 2005, after
his acquittal on charges of child molestation and conspiracy where the prince took care of his living accommodations,
guests, security and transportation for a year. Jackson's lawyers in his financial re-negotiations with Sony and
the Fortress Trust were reportedly provided by the prince. In April 2006, Jackson singed an agreement with the
prince to create 2Seas Records and the prince built a state-of-the-art recording studio. Since signing the deal,
Jackson went to Japan, Ireland and Las Vegas while not returning phone calls from the prince. Jackson's advocate
Raymone Bain has sent letters to the prince seeking the singer's release from his obligations. The $7 million being
sought is reportedly the advance given to the singer on the contract. Meanwhile, a 25th anniversary edition of
Thriller is in the works with tracks left off the album as well as modern remixes of "Wanna Be Startin' Something,"
"The Girl Is Mine," "Billie Jean" and "P.Y.T." featuring Kanye West, Akon and will.i.am.
According to WENN, Annie Lennox's performance on Oct. 16th in Boulder, Colorado, was interrupted when she fled
the stage after seeing a man in the crowd approaching the stage wearing a gas mask and cape. She returned from
her tour bus to finish the show after the incident was investigated. Lennox later apologized to fans on her blog.
No charges were filed against the unusually dressed fan. There is also word that Lennox is planning to record an
electronic dance album as a follow-up to her Songs Of Mass Destruction.
Vince Gill, Barbara Mandrell and Rodney Crowell are among the next round of inductees to the Music City Walk of
Fame on Nov. 5th.
Nick Cave, the Hoodoo Gurus and Radio Birdman are among the acts to be inducted in the class of 2007 for the ARIA
Hall Of Fame.
John Mellencamp will be honored with the ASCAP Foundation Champion Award "form music in the service of humanity"
on Dec. 12th.
Mexican rock act Maná picked up two awards at the Los Premios MTV Latin America 2007 on Thursday for Best
Group or Duo and Artist of the Year. Also honored during the show with the Influencia Award for their influence
and trajectory in the music industry were The Cure. The band opened the show with the fan-voted favorite song,
"Friday I'm In Love."
Former Smiths and current Modest Mouse guitarist Johnny Marr has been named a professor of music at the University
of Salford in Manchester. Marr will host workshops on the composition of popular music at the university.
Red Hot Chili Peppers frontman Anthony Keidis and wife Heather Christie welcomed the birth of their first baby,
Everly Bear, on Oct. 2nd.
The Alarm's Mike Peters, Squeeze's Glenn Tilbrook, the Stray Cats' Slim Jim Phantom and the Fixx's Cy Curnin and
Jamie West-Oram have officially played the highest gig in the world. The group made the trek for Love Hope Strength
Climbing Everest. Peters used a satellite phone to give the news to his wife Jules just before the line went dead.
Bruce Springsteen's Magic fell to #2 on the Billboard 200 album chart last week selling 130,000 copies (a 60% drop.)
Reba McEntire's Reba Duets climbed a spot to #7. Eric Clapton's Complete Clapton debuted at #14.
U2 will celebrate the 20th anniversary of their album, The Joshua Tree, by reissuing the set in 4 different remastered
versions (single CD, double-CD, double-CD/DVD collectible box and a double-vinyl set) on Nov. 20th via UMe. The
second CD will include 14 tracks that include B-sides and a single edit of "Where The Streets Have No Name."
The DVD has their July 4, 1987, performance at the Paris Hippodrome, the Outside It's America documentary, the
long-rumored (but never released) video for "Red Hill Mining Town" and an alternate version of the "With
Or Without You" video.
Into The Souls have a #1 single, "Snowblind," on NewArtistRadio.net thanks to fans that have voted for
them. The band features original New Model Army bassist Stuart Morrow.
A CD/double-DVD package compiling performances from some of the 150 acts that performed all over the world on July
7th, 2007, for Live Earth. The set will be titled Live Earth - The Concerts For A Climate In Crisis and contain
performances by Duran Duran, Metallica, Madonna, the Police, Roger Waters, the Beastie Boys, Bon Jovi, Chris Cornell,
Lenny Kravitz, Genesis, Melissa Etheridge, Crowded House and many others. A single has also been selected from
the set to be released.
Live Nation have confirmed that Madonna has entered into a 10-year agreement with their company which covers her
new studio albums, touring, merchandising, fan clubs, Web sites, exploitation of the Madonna brand, music-related
television and film projects. There is also word that Live Nation is making a bid for Signatures Network (who holds
the right to license over 125 artists including U2 and Bruce Springsteen.)
Enuff Z'nuff's Donnie Vie has recorded an unplugged version of the group's 2nd album, Strength, entitled Extra
Strength which is available at Cargo U.K. and should be available to download via Snowcap during the week.
Kiss will release their new archival DVD, Kissology: Volume Three (1992-2000) on Dec. 18th via VH1 Classic. The
4-DVD set will hold nearly 10 hours of footage including the reunion of the original line-up for the August 1995
episode of MTV Unplugged and chronicle of their successful reunion tours. Some versions of the set will include
an extra DVD featuring their June 1996 performance at KROQ's Weenie Roast. Meanwhile, Realityblurred.com has reported
that Gene Simmons will be one of the 9 celebrity contestants on The Apprentice 7.
Information Society's "Burning Bridges (Radio Edit)," Paul Hartnoll & Robert Smith's "Please44
(Culprit 1 Remix)," Skinny Puppy's "Haze" and Lacuna Coil's "Our Truth" are among tracks
appearing on the upcoming CD/DVD compilation Asleep By Dawn Magazine Presents: DJ Ferret's Underground Club Mix
3 heading to Hot Topic stores on Oct. 30th.
Airtime (which features Triumph's Rik Emmett and Michael Shotton of Von Groove) will release their new studio album,
Liberty Manifesto, on Nov. 19th. The European release will include the exclusive bonus track, "Cryin' Shame."
Hall & Oates' seasonal album, Home For Christmas, (which was released last year via DKE Records) will be made
available nationwide in time for them to promote it during a few dates starting in November. The single, "It
Came Upon A Midnight Clear," was a #1 hit on Billboard's Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart last year and
a new single will be released this holiday season. Daryl Hall also has been working on new solo songs for an upcoming
solo CD.
10cc/Godley & Creme legends Kevin Godley and Graham Gouldman have recorded and released their 6th new song,
"Barry's Shoes," under the name GG06. The song is available as a download at their www.gg06.co.uk Web
site.
Phish's debut concert in Las Vegas at the Aladdin Theater on Dec. 6, 1996, will be made available to the public
as a 3-CD set (in both limited and standard edition versions) on Nov. 20th.
Former Bad Radio/Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder has a #35 hit single debut on the Billboard Modern Rock chart
with "Hard Sun" from the Into The Wild soundtrack.
When asked by the Winnipeg Sun about the possibility of Led Zeppelin recording new material, Jimmy Page said, "Look,
I'd be really surprised if there wasn't -- you know, I mean I just know the way we are. We're musicians... as we're
playing we'll probably be coming up with all manner of things. And that will be fun. I mean, that's what it's all
about."
The Divinyls have reunited and have been working on new music for their new studio album due out next year. The
first single from the album is expected to be "Don't Wanna Do This." The band reformed for a one-off
performance for their induction into the ARIA Hall of Fame last year.
The Charlatans U.K. have released their new single, "You Cross My Path," today (Oct. 22nd) as a free
download as part of their exclusive deal through xfm.co.uk. Plans are also to release their new studio album as
a free download early next year.
Sananda Maitreya has released a double-CD limited edition version of his Angels & Vampires album via his official
Web site.
Toto have plans to release Falling In Between Live to stores in Europe on Oct. 29th (Jan. 23rd in Japan and early
2008 in the U.S.) The double-CD features their entire performance in Paris from March 2007. Clips from the album
can be heard in the Releases section of their Toto99.com Web site.
U2 will reportedly put their name on the first-ever skyscraper to be built in Ireland. The 120-meter tall building
is scheduled to start next year and open in 2011. The band are expected to move their recording studio to the top
of the tower when it opens.
The American Idol spin-off, The Next Great Band, debuted last week with Goo Goo Dolls' John Rzeznick and Sheila
E. as judges.
Mark Moore has announced that his pioneering dance/sampling act S-Express will return with a new single, "Stupid
Little Girls," via the Kitsuné label. A JBAG remix of the track has already surfaced on the new BoomBox
compilation CD on the same label.
After years of tolerating a porn site holding the acdc.com domain name, AC/DC's management have finished negotiations
to reclaim the name and launch the brand online. According to their label manager, fans as young as 10 or 11 searching
for the band online were finding something entirely different.
Rev. Run (a.k.a. Joseph Simmons) of Run DMC has made plans to record an album with Kid Rock entitled Running With
The Kid (playing off the Eric Clapton/B.B. King collaboration Riding With The King.) The recording sessions are
expected to be shown in the upcoming season of Run's House.
Recall Records will release the Downtown 81 soundtrack on Nov. 6th. The film about the downtown New York art and
music scene of 1980-1981 has a cast that includes Deborah Harry. The soundtrack includes songs by Kid Creole and
the Coconuts, Gray, Suicide, Chris Stein, DNA, Tuxedo Moon, Coati Mundi and the Plastics.
Taylor Dayne will release her new studio album, Satisfied, in February preceded by the single "Beautiful"
in November. Her single, "I'm Not Featuring You," held onto the #2 spot on the Billboard Hot Dance Club
Play chart last week.
Former King Swamp vocalist Walter Wray has been recording new material with former bandmate Steve Halliwell at
Halliwell's Hotel Zulu studio. 3 of the new tracks ("Superficial," "Big Shadow" and "Bright
Eyed Girl") have been placed on his MySpace page.
Those unable to pick up tickets to Garth Brooks' short tour are in luck as the final concert on Nov. 14th will
be simulcast live to more than 300 movie theaters nationwide in association with National CineMedia's FATHOM Events.
It will also be rebroadcast in theaters on Nov. 15th. Participating theater locations and additional information
can be found at www.fathomevents.com.
A new thrash supergroup named The Innocent has formed with former Suicidal Tendencies/Bad Religion member Brooks
Wackerman on drums.
It seems the format of turning a 'fish out of water' into stars is worth repeating after the finale of MTV's Celebrity
Rap Superstar. CMT will launch their new 6-episode series, John Rich's Gone Country, series starting January 2008.
The show takes 7 established performers, inject them with country and give them a chance to become the next big
country superstar. Production has already begun in Nashville and Twisted Sister's Dee Snider, Bobby Brown and Carnie
Wilson will be taking part in the show.
Chris Isaak has joined the ensemble cast of The Informers. The Bret Easton Ellis novel film adaptation has begun
shooting in Los Angeles before heading to Uruguay and Buenos Aires.
Meat Loaf has released his new DVD, 3 Bats Live, in Europe with a U.S. version due out on Nov. 20th. The set features
a live performances of the Bat Out Of Hell trilogy for the very first time. It also includes some videos as well
as the documentary, In Search Of Paradise.
James Taylor will release his new studio album, One Man Band, via Hear Music on Nov. 13th at all Starbucks locations
in the U.S. and Canada. The album will be released globally on Nov. 26th.
Slayer will release their new DVD, Unholy Alliance Tour: Preaching To The Perverted, on Oct. 30th via American
Recordings.
Sebastian Bach will appear on the next episode (on Oct. 23rd) of the TLC series L.A. Ink. The singer gets the cover
art of his upcoming album, Angel Down, put on his forearm. The album heads to stores on Nov. 20th.
Legendary music producer Phil Ramone has released a new compilation CD entitled Making Records. The CD is related
to Ramone's new book, Making Records: The Scenes Behind The Music. The disc includes songs produced or engineered
by Ramone by Barbra Streisand, Tony Bennett, Kenny Loggins, Liza Minnelli, James Taylor, Barry Manilow, Cyndi Lauper,
Michael Bolton, Carly Simon, Billy Joel, Gloria Estefan, Paul Simon, Karen Kamon and Phoebe Snow.
Hellyeah plan to release a live DVD, Below The Belt, on Nov. 13th via Epic Records. The disc includes footage from
the making of the album, first studio sessions, personal interviews, coverage of their world tour, performances
and a few surprises.
Christian rock act Liberty N' Justice will release 4-ALL: The Best Of LNJ in late March. The compilation includes
guest performances by Stryper's Michael Sweet, Lou Gramm, Sebastian Bach, Great White's Jack Russell, Jani Lane,
Ratt's Stephen Pearcy, Night Ranger's Kelly Keagy, Tony Harnell, Danger Danger's Ted Poley and many others.
The 1983 debut album from glam/rock act Easy Action has been remastered and will include bonus tracks when released
on Nov. 21st.
Former Killing Joke/Pigface/Prong/Ministry bassist Raven (Paul Vincent Raven), 46, was found dead in a private
home from an apparent heart attack on Saturday (Oct. 20th) in a small village on the French/Swiss border. He had
been there working in Geneva with French recording artists Treponem Pal on their new collaboration with Prong's
Ted Parsons and members of the Young Gods. Raven was nominated for a Grammy in 2006 for Best Metal Performance
for his work with Ministry on Rio Grande Blood. He returned to Ministry to record their recently-released final
studio album (of original material), The Last Sucker. Raven collaborated with many acts during his career and was
excited about his new personal project, Mob Research. Some songs from the project can be heard at their MySpace
page (www.myspace.com/mobresearch69). Their debut album was in the final mixing stages.