According to wife/manager Wendy Dio, metal act
Dio has
been forced to cancel their previously announced European tour after
Ronnie James Dio fell ill. "Ronnie has been hospitalized and
we are waiting for further news."
The Union Leader reports that on Nov. 12th, Missing Persons vocalist
Dale Bozzio, 54, began serving her 30-day sentence at the Carroll
County Jail on an animal cruelty charge. Bozzio had appealed
the original May 21st conviction and asked for a jury trial but earlier
last week withdrew her appeal and reported to the county jail to serve
her sentence.
Bulletboys vocalist Marq Torien [a.k.a. Mark Jopseph Maytorena] was
arrested after the band's Nov. 13th performance at New Port Richey,
Florida for a Collier County child support cash purge of $2,813.75
according to the Pasco Sheriff's Office. Meanwhile, original
bassist Lonnie Vencent returned to the band last month.
Entertainment law firm Glaser, Weil, Fink, Jacobs, Howard &
Shapiro filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles on Tuesday against Rod Stewart
claiming the singer owes them $3.3 million in legal fees. The
firm alleges that they worked on 3 cases for the singer.
Schoolly D received the Douglas "Jacko" Henderson Lifetime Achievement
Award and performed with his band International Super Sport on Thursday
during the 2009 Urban Legend Awards.
Bono and Wyclef Jean were recognized for their work fighting global
poverty and human rights violations on Wednesday in New York when they
received the 2009 Ripple Of Hope Award at the Robert F. Kennedy Center
for Justice & Human Rights dinner.
Pink Floyd's David Gilmour was honored last week with an honorary
degree at Anglia Ruskin University. The award recognizes his
"outstanding contribution to music as a writer, performer and
innovator." Gilmour is a former student of Cambridgeshire
College of Arts and Technology (a forerunner of ARU.)
The U.S. Library of Congress plans to award Paul McCartney its third
Gershwin Prize for Popular Song during an all-star tribute concert
planned for early next year. Meanwhile, McCartney has
recorded a duet on Ringo Starr's new solo album, Y Not, due out Jan.
12th. Also appearing on the album are Richard Marx, Joe
Walsh, Dave Stewart and many others.
Bon Jovi's The Circle debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart
on sales of 163,000 copies. Michael Jackson's This Is It
soundtrack dropped 2 spots to #4 on sales of 117,000 copies.
The Glee Cast's Glee: Season One: The Music Volume 1 fell 5 places to
#9 on sales of 56,000 copies. Sting's If On A Winter's
Night... dropped 3 spots to #12. Rod Stewart's Soulbook fell
10 places to #23. Foo Fighters' Greatest Hits dropped 17
spots to #28. AC/DC's Backtracks debuted at #39.
Reba McEntire's "Consider Me Gone" enters the Billboard Hot 100 singles
chart climbing 10 spots to #39. Michael Franti &
Spearhead featuring Cherine Anderson's "Say Hey (I Love You)" fell 7
places to #40.
Foo Fighters' Greatest Hits dropped 5 spots to #9 on the U.K. Albums
chart. Rod Stewart's Soulbook debuted at #10.
Michael Jackson's This Is It soundtrack fell 5 places to #11.
Bon Jovi's The Circle dropped 11 spots to #13. Fleetwood
Mac's The Very Best Of Fleetwood Mac fell 3 places to #15.
Dame Shirley Bassey's The Performance debuted at #20. Vera
Lynn's We'll Meet Again: The Very Best Of Vera Lynn dropped 5 spots to
#23. Whitney Houston's I Look To You fell 11 places to
#24. Sting's If On A Winter's Night... dropped 14 spots to
#29. Madonna's Celebration fell 5 places to #31.
Whitney Houston's The Ultimate Collection dropped 6 spots to
#34. Cliff Richard & The Shadows' Reunited fell 2
places to #35. Alison Moyet's The Best Of Alison Moyet
dropped 5 spots to #39. Rod Stewart's Some Guys Have All The
Luck fell 5 places to #40.
Whitney Houston's "Million Dollar Bill" fell 5 places to #19 on the
U.K. Singles chart. Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" dropped
9 spots to #28.
The Who released a statement as to Sports Illustrated's report last
week. "Rumours circulating that The Who are going to play at
the Super Bowl in Miami in February are pure speculation."
Rolling Stone confirmed the earlier account according to a source that
the official contract is still unsigned but it is expected to be
finalized shortly.
Bon Jovi will release a new concert video, Live At Madison Square
Garden, on DVD and Blu-ray on Nov. 23rd worldwide (except in the U.S.
and Canada.)
MVD Visual will release a DVD of the 1995 cult classic comedy film Drop
Dead Rock on Dec. 8th which stars Adam Ant and Deborah Harry.
MTV has acquired the exclusive U.S. television rights to Michael
Jackson's This Is It. Sister networks including VH1, BET and
Palladia will also have the rights to air the film.
Meanwhile, a new Michael Jackson project is reportedly in the works
that will see the late singer dueting with Madonna, Britney Spears,
Justin Timberlake and Beyonce on his biggest hits. The album
will aid a new charity being set up in his name.
Daryl Hall and John Oates appear as themselves on the hit animated
comedy series The Cleveland Show on Sunday, Nov. 22nd at 8:30pm ET/PT.
Yngwie Malmsteen has a new compilation disc entitled High Impact due
out on Dec. 8th. The set will include 13 of his instrumental
recordings and a cover of Michael Jackson's "Beat It" with Tim "Ripper"
Owens on vocals.
Cyndi Lauper has a busy year scheduled for 2010. She's in the
middle of writing an autobiography, has a new CD due out in the spring
and a few television appearances planned.
Former Smiths and current Modest Mouse guitarist Johnny Marr has joined
the Cribs in the studio to record, Ignore The Ignorant, the band's 4th
album. Marr will join them on tour.
Former original Neon guitarist Neil Taylor has been recording with
former bandmate Pete Byrne on the first new Naked Eyes album of new
material in over 25 years. The album is only a couple tracks
from completion.
A painting by Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson sold for $2,150 on eBay.ca
raising money for The Kidney Foundation Of Canada's A Brush Of Hope
project. Meanwhile, Jam! Showbiz have reported that Lifeson
will take part in a new Canadian sitcom called The Drunk And On Drugs
Happy Funtime Hour.
Will Smith and wife Jada Pinkett Smith have officially signed on as
co-producers of, Fela!, a new musical about Fela
Anikulapo-Kuti. The musical about the Nigerian Afrobeat
pioneer opens on Broadway on Nov. 23rd. The screenplay for a
biopic about Kuti is also in the works.
Former Kiss/current Grand Funk Railroad guitarist Bruce Kulick has been
working on his third solo album, BK3, due out Feb. 16th via Twenty 4
Records/Rocket Science Ventures. Gene Simmons, Simmons' son
Nick, Doug Fieger of The Knack, Toto's Steve Lukather and former Kiss
drummer Eric Singer appear on the album.
Bob Mould has released his new limited-edition CD, Live At ATP 2008,
via the Yep Roc webshop. With a setlist that spanned 30+
years of material, the concert was recorded at the All Tomorrows
Parties NY Festival on Sept. 21st, 2008 and broadcast live on WFMU.
Former Hanoi Rocks vocalist Michael Monroe has started working on new
material for his next solo album and has confirmed that his former
bandmate Sami Yaffa will play bass and co-write some songs.
George Strait has signed on to star in, A Pure Country Gift, a spin-off
of his 1992 film, Pure Country.
Extreme guitarist Nuno Bettencourt has joined Rihanna on her 2010 world
tour as lead guitarist in support of her new album, Rated R.
Pretty Boy Floyd founding members Steve Summers and Kristy Majors are
going on a 4-week world tour to mark the anniversary of their 1989
album Leather Boyz With Electric Toyz. They plan to release a
DVD of the tour and have plans for a new studio release and covers
album.
A new book, No Sleep Till Saltburn, by broadcaster and writer Mark
Gregory has been released at Lulu.com. The book gives a look
at the rise of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal during the early 80s
with a focus on the North East of the U.K. One of those
bands, Black Rose, have announced that they will release their first
new studio album in 23 years tentatively titled Cure For Your Disease.
Bryan Ferry will release a new CD/DVD collection, The Best Of Bryan
Ferry, on Nov. 23rd in the U.K. The CD will contain 19 tracks
and 2 bonus recordings while the DVD holds all of Ferry's promo videos
with some TV performances and extras.
R.E.M. have announced they have entered the studio with producer
Jacknife Lee to work on their follow-up to 2008's Accelerate.
Chickenfoot Live, a concert film shot in in full HD and 5.1 surround
sound will become a world premiere theatrical event on Dec.
1st. Check your local theaters.
The Bangles have recorded a cover of the Pat Benatar hit "We Belong"
for the Lowen & Navarro tribute album, Keep The Light Alive,
which is available on iTunes. The album benefits The Eric
Lowen Trust, ALS Association (Greater Los Angeles Chapter) and Augie's
Quest. Jackson Browne has also recorded "Weight Of The World"
for the disc. MP3s from the album will be available on iTunes
starting Dec. 10th and more purchase information can be found at
www.KeepTheLightAlive.org.
Jaki Graham has recorded a collaborative jazz album with Patrice Rushen
due out next year. Graham has also announced that she will
publish, Heaven Knows, an autobiography around the same time.
Mr. Big vocalist Eric Martin recently recorded renditions of songs that
were hit ballads sung by women for his new album, Timeless. A
video for the first single, "Hero," can be found on YouTube and the
album can be ordered at Amazon.com.
Nash Edgerton has directed a video for Bob Dylan's "Must Be Santa" off
his latest album, Christmas In The Heart. Dylan appears in
the video, making it his first video appearance promoting his own album
since 1997's "Not Dark Yet."
Renaissance Records plans to release City Boy's unreleased 1982 album,
It's Personal, in conjunction with ItsAboutMusic.com on Nov. 10th.
Arista plan to reissue a 25th Anniversary edition of Whitney Houston's
self-titled debut album early next year.
Testament's 2008 album, The Formation Of Damnation, will be reissued
with a bonus CD on Feb. 23rd just in time for their tour with Slayer
and Megadeth.
"Saints And Angels," the Waterboys' collaboration with former member
Sharon Shannon for her new album Saints & Scoundrels, will be
released as a downloadable single in Ireland in December via iTunes and
other digital retailers.
Bridge Nine Records celebrated the 25th anniversary of Agnostic Front's
debut album, Victim In Pain, by reissuing it with their first EP,
1983's United Blood, this week.
Bjork has co-written a new song, "The Comet Song," for a new film based
on the 1980s children's television series, The Moomins.
Carbon/Silicon have made their new album, The Carbon Bubble, available
as a free download at their www.CarbonSiliconInc.com Web site.
Legacy Recordings/Sony have digitally reissued Robert Tepper's 1986
debut album, No Easy Way Out, and 1988's Modern Madness via iTunes,
Amazon.com and other digital retailers.
Buzz have been busy readying their next album, Vaudou
électrique, for release next year. They've also
been active doing remixes for Dolls Of Pain, Implant and SA42.
Former Nails bassist/trombonist George Kaufman passed away unexpectedly
earlier this year. As a tribute to his brother's work as a
composer and musician, David has been working on the reissue of their
original 1981 4-track E.P., Hotel For Women, (which contained the
original "88 Lines About 44 Women.") During research on the
project, they discovered 5 additional songs of which some were
completely finished and some additional unreleased material from their
1982 recording sessions. Needless to say, the new version of
Hotel For Women has been remastered and expanded to contain over 60
minutes of music and can be purchased at their store at
www.The-Nails.com.
London rapper Derek B (Boland), 44, died on Nov. 15th following a heart
attack. The DJ turned rapper released several U.K. charting
singles prior to his 1988 album, Bullet From A Gun, and was a
successful producer and remixer (working with Eric B and Rakim and
Cookie Crew.)