Eddie Van Halen and Valerie Bertinelli have, after 7 years of separation, completed their divorce in Los Angeles
Superior Court on Thursday. Bertinelli cited irreconcilable differences when she filed for divorce in December
of 2005. Custody arrangements were not disclosed for their 16 year-old son, Wolfgang. Bertinelli plans to release
her book, Losing It: And Gaining My Life Back One Pound At A Time, in February.
According to documents filed this week, James Brown's will has been contested by 5 of his children due to his former
advisers use of undue influence to get him to create charitable trusts that those advisers would profit from. Their
attorney has said that wills drafted earlier by their father have been discovered by the children casting doubt
on whether he really wanted to leave his estate to charity. The financial part of the will leaves the bulk of the
singer's money to trusts set up to educate his grandchildren and needy kids.
Tommy Shaw of Styx will be inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame on Feb. 22nd at a ceremony held in Shaw's
hometown of Montgomery, Alabama.
Queen Elizabeth II has awarded Jethro Tull founder Ian Anderson, 59, an MBE in her annual list of honors for his
service to the music industry. Also honored this year was Kylie Minogue who was given the OBE (Officer of the Order
of the British Empire) for her achievements in music. Both artists will personally receive these honors from the
Queen at Buckingham Palace in 2008. Meanwhile, Minogue's guest spot on the Doctor Who Christmas Special was watched
by 12.2 million people (an increase of 3.5 million the previous year.) Minogue is expected to return to U.K. television
to perform a duet with Paul McCartney on Jools Holland's New Years Eve special.
The Eagles' Long Road Out Of Eden slipped a spot to #4 on the Billboard 200 album chart with sales of 313,000 copies.
Mannheim Steamroller's Christmas Song dropped 9 places to #14 with 151,000 copies sold.
"Into The Night" by Santana featuring Chad Kroeger fell 3 places to #33 on the Billboard Top 100 Songs
chart.
Led Zeppelin's Mothership dropped two places to #8 on the U.K. Album chart. Whitney Houston's The Ultimate Collection
fell one spot to #12. The Eagles' Long Road Out Of Eden plunged 8 places to #13. Celine Dion's Taking Chances slid
6 spots to #14. Soup - Cream Of The Beautiful South/Housemartins held at # 16. Kylie Minogue's X was jumped up
a place to #17.
"Fairytale Of New York" by The Pogues featuring Kirsty Maccoll remains on the U.K. Singles chart falling
5 places to #9. Kylie Minogue's "2 Hearts" climbed 5 spots to #21 while her "Wow" jumped up
4 spots to #28. Wham's "Last Christmas" plummeted 22 places to #40.
Led Zeppelin's re-mastered hits compilation, Mothership, has taken the top spot on the European Top 100 Albums
chart five weeks after it was released. Meanwhile, Robert Plant has been awarded the Beard of the Year award by
the Beard Liberation Front.
According to the Manchester Evening News, Morrissey has donated over $40,000 to the Salford Lads and Girls Club
in Manchester which is undergoing a $2,000,000 restoration. The Smiths featured the club on the cover of their
1986 album, The Queen Is Dead. The club was built in 1903. Their official Web site (www.salfordladsclub.org.uk)
are selling limited edition t-shirts with Smiths' references.
Alexander O'Neal plans to release his new studio album, Alex Loves..., on Jan. 28th. The 14-track disc contains
many classic love songs and opens with a version of "Secret Lovers" featuring Mica Paris.
Madonna's directorial debut, Filth And Wisdom, will be among 50 films entered in the Berlin International Film
Festival's arthouse sidebar Panorama. The festival runs from Feb. 7th to 17th.
Howard Jones has plans to release his new studio album at the end of the summer. His collaboration with Ferry Corsten,
"Into The Dark," will be released in January. Until then, fan that purchased Jones' Live In Birkenhead
on CD will be able to download 2 songs left off the release ("Things Can Only Get Better" and "New
Song") by going to www.howardjones.com/multimedia/audio/bonus/index.html and entering the bar code on the
CD case as the password (username is birkenhead.)
Affliction Red Label Premium clothing line have launched an Ozzy Osbourne signature collection. A keyword search
of Ozzy at their AfflictionClothingStore.com Web site will pull up 6 of the shirts (with 4 different designs.)
Meanwhile, publication of Osbourne's memoirs has been rescheduled to May 1st due to the rocker's busy touring.
Ozzy signed a $2 million deal with publisher Little Brown for the book nearly 2 year ago.
Michael Jackson is reportedly scheduled to appear on a song on the next Usher album which will also feature T-Pain.
The song is expected to be a single but Usher hasn't gone into the studio to record it yet.
Ray Davies recently suggested that The Kinks original lineup (himself, Dave Davies, Pete Quaife and Mick Avery)
would reunite for a tour and album for the first time in almost 4 decades in 2008. Dave Davies has responded to
the idea with very little enthusiasm in a post at his Web site's message board. An album isn't likely but he did
say "I wouldn't mind or rather consider doing some shows with Ray purely in respect for the Great body of
work we have both been fortunate to have been involved in over the years. And for the fans of course." Health
has also been a reason 2008 may not happen for a reunion as Quaife has been seriously ill for most of 2007 and
Dave Davies has been slowly recovering from a stroke he had in 2004 (having not entirely regained his speech.)
Kiss' Paul Stanley has recorded a song, "I Will Be With You," with Sarah Brightman for her new studio
album, Symphony, due out Jan. 29th.
The purchase of the Sanctuary label by W14/Universal label has given them the right to pick up the option of a
new album from the Simple Minds. The band have been working on the follow-up to Black & White 050505 and have
been discussing ideas around a concert tour for the end of 2008.
Guitarist Jim Moginie formerly of the Midnight Oil has released his new album, Alas Folkloric, via the shop link
at his Web site, Reverberama.com.au.
The Saints have announced plans to enter the Strip recording studio in Belgrade-Serbia in February to start work
on what could be their 15th studio album.
Ratt vocalist Stephen Pearcy will release his third solo album, Under My Skin, via Top Fuel Records next year.
Can't wait until then? There is a link at Stephen-Pearcy.com that will take you to a download area for Top Fuel
Records. Each day starting Dec. 28th, a song will be added to the download list which can be purchased for 89 cents.
Joe Jack Talcum of the Dead Milkmen has released his third album with a project called The Low Budgets entitled
Leave Us A Loan that is available at eMusic and iTunes. Their first album, Go For Broke, is available at the same
online venues as well as Rhapsody. In August, they finished work on their new short film, The Low Budgets and the
Cursed Organ, which is up at YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmD73S5sB-E&v3/).
Work on Midge Ure's new studio album for Hypertension Records will not make the previous 2007 deadline (originally
spring or summer.) He still expects to work on it for next year.
Bryan Adams has plans to release his new studio album, 11, on Mar. 23rd. Tour dates have already been scheduled
for Denmark following the album's release. Adams co-wrote the song "Never Gonna Break My Faith" (which
would be recorded by Aretha Franklin and Mary J. Blige for the film Bobby) which has been nominated for Best Gospel
Performance for the upcoming Grammy Awards.
Gary Numan's Replicas Redux 2008 Tour Edition CD will be released in the U.S. with a possibility of hitting stores
the same time as the U.K. release (on Feb. 25th.) A new version of his Engineers: Live In Sydney 1980 is in the
mixing stages for release via Beggars Banquet in a few month.
Chris Frazier has been announced as the new drummer for Whitesnake. Frazier will debut on the band's next studio
album due out in 2008.
Ken Stringfellow of The Posies has a project called The Disciplines that he formed in 2006 with 3 former members
of the Norwegian act Briskeby. The band are finishing work on their debut album due out in 2008 and have set up
a MySpace page with some song samples. Meanwhile, Stringfellow will not be accompanying R.E.M. on their next tour
on keyboards due to the band's new album being more guitar-based and that it didn't make sense having him on tour
when he wouldn't be playing on 8 or 9 new songs they expect to play each night. Q Magazine in the U.K. has announced
the title of the new R.E.M. album will be Accelerate.
Legendary Pink Dots vocalist Edward Ka-Spel has a new project entitled Ulkomaalaiset which has released their debut
album, 1, via Beta-Lactam Ring Records. The follow-up, 2, could be released as early as February.
Michael McDonald will release his third Motown album, Soul Speak, via Universal Motown on Mar. 11th. It includes
covers of songs by Stevie Wonder, Bob Marley, Van Morrison and Leonard Cohen.
Australia's Backsliders have released their new studio album, Left Field Holler, via Shock Records. Midnight Oil
percussionist Rob Hirst joined the band in 2000.
Missing Persons vocalist Dale Bozzio released her new solo album, New Wave Sessions, via Cleopatra Records recently.
The album includes covers of "Turning Japanese," "Funkytown," "I Know What Boys Like,"
"Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" and "Der Kommissar" as well as new recordings of Missing Person
classics "Words" and "Destination Unknown." Bonus tracks on the disc are remixes of "Destination
Unknown" and "Walking In L.A."
Billy Joel will debut his latest composition, "Waltz No. 2," live with the Philadelphia Orchestra on
Jan. 28th. The show marks the 151st anniversary of Philadelphia's Academy of Music and will also see Joel performing
a selection of his pop material with the orchestra.
BEF are working on an album entitled Dark which will see them reworking perennial classics with a stark, analogue
twist. Helping out on the project are vocalists Martin Fry (of ABC), Glenn Gregory (of Heaven 17) and Roland Gift
(formerly of Fine Young Cannibals.)
Rock Of Love Season 2 is getting ready for launch in February and they have released a promo trailer for the series
at YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QA8Vm4SWgeE).
Singer/guitarist Eric Stewart of 10cc is working in a French studio putting the finishing touches on his next studio
project due out in 2008.
The Doobie Brothers will wrap up their shows this year and begin to look at songwriting and recording for their
new studio album. A DVD retrospective project of the band's history is also in the works.
The Pet Shop Boys will team up with the BBC Concert Orchestra to perform their music for the classic film, Battleship
Potemkin, on Jan. 11th. According to Billboard magazine's year-end charts rundown, the duo's single, "Minimal,"
was the #5 Hot Dance track of 2007.
Dave Stewart has directed the video for, "Liverpool 8," the first single and title track to Ringo Starr's
upcoming album. Steward co-wrote the song and co-produced the album due out Jan. 15th.
When In Rome have 5 songs near completion for their next studio album. Plans are to hit the road in the spring
and summer of 2008.
Joe Dolan, 68, died from a brain hemorrhage on Dec. 26th after falling into a coma at the hospital. Dolan had collapsed
in his suburban south Dublin home on Christmas night. Dolan was one of Ireland's first pop music stars scoring
hits in the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s (the only Irish singer to reach the top ten in each of those decades.) His las
#1 hit in Ireland was in 1997 with a re-recording of "Good-Looking Woman" with the puppet Dustin The
Turkey (a popular television character.)