Def Leppard's former manager Trudy Green has
filed a
lawsuit against the band and their accountant for breach of oral
contract, fraud, intentional interference of a contract and intentional
interference with prospective economic advantage. Green is
seeking at least $700,000 in damages and is seeking a jury trial.
A Los Angeles Superior Court commissioner has granted temporary
guardianship over 17-year-old Frances Bean Cobain to Kurt Cobain's
mother Wendy O'Connor and his sister Kimberly Dawn Cobain.
O'Connor's attorney did not comment on the decision but called it a
private family matter.
Garth Brooks has filed a lawsuit against Integris Canadian Valley
Regional Hospital in Oklahoma over their promise to name a building
addition after his late mother in exchange for a $500,000
contribution. The singer made the donation in December 2005
after almost 2 years of meetings with hospital officials.
Motley Crue vocalist Vince Neil has been sued in Superior Court by
Costa Mesa-based law firm Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton
claiming they are owed $62,000. The singer allegedly refused
to pay for 4 months of representation in negotiations over
entertainment and corporate agreements in 2008. Neil is
currently working on his new solo album, Tattoos n' Tequila, due out in
the spring.
Michael Jackson estate administrators John Branca and John McClain have
filed court documents seeking 5% of the money the estate has earned so
far. The administrators and attorneys have not been paid
since the death of Jackson on June 25th. According to
attorney Jeryll S. Cohen, "Unlike the typical estate, the operation of
Michael Jackson's estate is more akin to the operation of a
multimillion dollar business empire." A Jan. 4th hearing on
the matter has been scheduled by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge
Mitchell Beckloff.
Metallica frontman James Hetfield has plans to donate 330 acres that
overlook California's Lucas Valley for preservation as
farmland. According to his land use consultant, Scott
Hochstrasser, the donations reflect the singer's desire to maintain
privacy and preserve open space. Hetfield did the same
previously with more than 400 acres. He has also been working
on a deal with the Marin County Board of Supervisors to reroute a
hiking trail that currently crosses his property.
Unable to finish his performance on Monday in Albuquerque, New Mexico,
Brian Setzer, 50, was hospitalized for dehydration, high altitude
sickness and vertigo. He recovered quick enough to make his
concert date in Phoenix the following day.
Loretta Lynn, who was forced to cancel her 4 remaining concerts this
year due to the flu, will return to the U.S. from her home in the
Bahamas to resume touring in January.
MTV News has named Michael Jackson as Man Of The Year.
The Rock And Roll Hall of Fame class of 2010 has been announced with
The Stooges, ABBA, The Hollies, Genesis and Jimmy Cliff being inducted.
The nominations for the 67th annual Golden Globe Awards have been
announced. The Fox comedy/musical Glee earned 4 nominations
(Best Television Series - Musical or Comedy, Best Actress in a Musical
or Comedy series, Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy series and Best
Supporting Actress in a Musical or Comedy series. Paul
McCartney's "I Want To Come Home" (written for Everybody's Fine)," Ryan
Bingham and T Bone Burnett's "The Weary Kind (Theme From Crazy Heart"
(from Crazy Heart) and U2's "Winter" (from Brothers) pair off against
each other for Best Original Song.
Glee Cast's Glee: Season One: The Music, Vol. 2 debuted at #3 on the
Billboard 200 albums chart on sales of 173,000 copies. Glee
Cast's Glee: Season One: The Music, Vol. 1 climbed 9 spots to #11 on
sales of 85,000 copies. Michael Jackson's This Is It
soundtrack fell 4 places to #12. Jimmy Buffett's Buffet Hotel
debuted at #17. Sting's If On A Winter's Night... dropped 5
spots to #24. Michael Jackson's Number Ones climbed 4 places
to #33. Alvin And The Chipmunks: The Squeakquel soundtrack
dropped 9 spots to #37. Mannheim Steamroller's Christmas:
25th Anniversary Collection fell 10 places to #40.
Reba McEntire's "Consider Me Gone" fell 2 places to #40 on the
Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.
Queen's Absolute Queen climbed a spot to #6 on the U.K. Albums
chart. Rod Stewart's Soulbook climbed 7 places to
#9. Michael Jackson's This Is It soundtrack climbed 3 spots
to #14. Foo Fighters' Greatest Hits fell 2 places to
#23. Fleetwood Mac's The Very Best Of Fleetwood Mac climbed 6
spots to #25. Bette Midler's The Best Bette debuted at
#26. UB40's Best Of Labour Of Love climbed 3 places to
#29. Shirley Bassey's The Performance dropped 5 spots to
#32. Madonna's Celebration held steady at #34. Them
Crooked Vulture's Them Crooked Vultures retained the #35
spot. Rod Stewart's Some Guys Have All The Luck stayed at #39.
The Pogues featuring Kirsty Maccoll's "Fairytale Of New York" climbed
13 spots to #18 on the U.K. Singles chart. "Last Christmas"
by Wham! returned to the chart at #39.
Frontiers Records has announced that they will release, From The Vault
(A Collection Of Works By Rick Springfield & Jeff Silverman), a
set containing previously unreleased and remastered demos from 1986 to
1999, a concert DVD, Live In Rockford, and new edition of Springfield's
latest album, Venus In Overdrive, on Feb. 26th. Meanwhile,
the singer has signed a deal that will see him write his memoir, Late,
Late At Night, due out in October.
Dave Stewart and Barbara Gaskin are working on new material for their
next album due out next year accompanied by a few live shows.
Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler has left management company Union
Entertainment Group and has signed with Allen Kovac of 10th Street
Entertainment.
Having released the final album of their deal with Roadrunner Records,
Megadeth reportedly have almost all their next album written and ready
to start recording.
A new holiday CD, The Sounds Of Christmas, which sees several 80s
artists dusting off a few rarities to raise funds for the Hollywood
Charity Horse Show. One of the songs, a 1984 recording of
"Winter Wonderland" by Huey Lewis and The News, has been unavailable
since it was sent out to members of their fan club that year and now is
receiving radio airplay. The disc includes other songs by
Stephen Bishop, Dennis DeYoung, Richard Marx and William
Shatner. More information can be found at www.socmusic.net.
Former Ted Nugent/Bad Company vocalist Brian Howe will release his new
solo album, Circus Bar, via Frontiers Records on Feb. 26th in Europe
and Mar. 9th in the U.S.
Cherry Red plan to re-release Eighth Wonder's 1988 album, Fearless, in
the U.K. on Jan 25th with 5 bonus tracks (2 B-sides and 3 remixes.)
Fontana Distribution have announced they will release Suicidal
Tendencies first-ever DVD, Live At The Olympic Auditorium, on Jan 26th
via the band's imprint, Suicidal Records.
U.K. black metal act Venom will see their first 3 albums (1981's
Welcome To Hell, 1982's Black Metal and 1984's At War With Satan)
reissued via Back On Black Records in January.
New Kids On The Block have plans to bring their 140 concert reunion
tour to fans homes with the release of their new DVD, Coming Home, in
February.
Rob Halford, Slash and Jason Bonham recently performed together at Mark
and Brian's KLOS Christmas Show on Dec. 16th. Exclusive
rehearsal, sound check and performance footage was recorded of the 4
songs they played (which included an appearance by Fee Waybill of the
Tubes.) Once it is edited (in January), the footage will be
made available as a free download at RobHalford.com.
Elton John is still working on his new studio album. A
reported bidding war between labels has arisen over the rights to the
release which has seen him work with producers P'Nau and Nick
Littlemore.
B.B. King recently recorded a duet with blues guitarist Joe Bonamassa
in Las Vegas that will appear on Bonamassa's upcoming album, Black
Rock, due out in March.
Former TNT vocalist Tony Harnell has been working on a "stripped down,
acoustic-based retrospective CD" with a tentative spring release via
Frontiers Records.
Sinitta will see a new CD/DVD retrospective, Greatest Hits, released on
Jan.11th in the U.K. The set contains all her hits from 1986
to 1993 in remastered versions as well as 15 of her videos.
It also contains the previously-unreleased new recording, "Girl! You've
Gotta Stop!"
REO Speedwagon's appearance performing on the Hallmark Channel's
Holiday Celebration On Ice special will be rebroadcast on Dec.
27th. Rick Springfield also performed during the show.
Rhino/Warner Brothers has re-released the rest of Dramarama's catalog
(1989's Stuck In Wonderamaland, 1991's Vinyl, 1993's Hi-Fi Sci-Fi and
1990's Live At The China Club) digitally.
Y&T have signed a deal with Frontiers Records for the release
of their as-yet-untitled new studio album due out in May.
The Goo Goo Dolls plan to have their new studio album, Something For
The Rest Of Us, finished in February and released in late spring.
Iron Maiden drummer Nicko McBrain has opened his first restaurant, Rock
n Roll Ribs, in Coral Springs, Florida with friend "Moby" Rick Baum.
As Adam Yauch is recovering from his battle with salivary gland cancer,
the Beastie Boys are eyeing an early 2010 release for their new album
The Hot Sauce Committee, Pt. 1.
Ralph Hutter of Kraftwerk recently told German magazine Speigel that
the group will continue to make music. "Of course.
Why should we stop doing what we love to do?"
Beowulf have plans to release their new studio album, Jesus Freak, next
year via Venice Underground Entertainment and Corruption Records.
Duran Duran are planning special 2-CD and 2-CD/DVD edition reissue of
their 1983 album Seven & The Ragged Tiger in March.
The second CD will include non-album singles, B-sides, live recordings
and different mixes.
The original line-up of Helix have released their 14th studio album,
Vagabond Bones, which can be previewed and ordered at their
www.planethelix.com site.
It seems that, during the Red Hot Chili Peppers recent hiatus,
guitarist John Frusciante has amicably left the band for a second
time. The group have not commented on his departure but have
been in the studio working on their follow-up to 2006's Stadium
Arcadium with guitarist Josh Klinghoffer (who toured with them in 2007.)
KMFDM have a new remix album entitled Krieg, featuring tracks from
Blitz, available for pre-order exclusively at their www.kmfdmstore.com
site.
Golden Treasures Publishing has released A Dream Goes On Forever: The
Continuing Story Of Todd Rundgren vol. 2: The Utopia Years by author
Billy James in paperback via several online retailers.
Classix Nouveaux will see a new compilation, The Liberty Singles
Collection, released in the U.K. on Jan. 18th containing singles and
B-sides.
Krokus have announced that Hoodoo will be the title of their "comeback"
album due out on Feb. 26th.
Instrumental soundtrack extracts from Peter Murphy's Dust album are
featured throughout 9 of the 12 complete episodes of the TRT television
documentary series, Small Is Stunning.
Doro will see her 2000 album, Calling The Wild, re-released in Europe
on Jan. 25th with a bonus CD of previously-unreleased tracks (several
are different mixes of "Burn It Up.")
SexGang Children's 1983 album, Song & Legend, will be reissued
in an expanded edition on Jan. 11th in the U.K. that will include 4
bonus acoustic recordings.