Chris Rock Isn't Laughing
2008-03-26 01:00:14.98437
Click href="http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/chrisrock/articles/story/19400269/video_gallery_chris_rock" target="blank">here to watch Chris Rock's greatest film and stand-up moments.
Here in the Time of Rock, wherein Christopher Julius Rock III rules again as he has ruled before, but only more so — international sweep! colossal forums! better transportation! — promptness counts for much. "There's no such thing as early," Rock himself will tell you, just as his late heroic father often impressed upon him under threat of belt strap. "There's on time and late. I'm always on time." Unsurprisingly, then, he has made it a point to be on time for his Time, which is a very good thing for a dire populace that suddenly seeks racial clarity with historic fervor (no mortal, of course, sifts matters of class and skin divide with sharper acuity than Rock, who is black but sometimes employs the term "a fine mocha" because he is just that precise.) Moreover, he concedes that seizing this seismic American...
Video Gallery: Chris Rock
2008-03-26 09:00:14.726801
Click href="http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/19551925" target="blank">here for an excerpt of the Chris Rock cover story.
Though Chris Rock had minor success on Saturday Night Live and with the HBO special Big Ass Jokes, his true breakout came in 1996 with the premiere of Bring the Pain. The stand-up special (and subsequent album Roll With the New) introduced the world to a number of instant-classic Rock bits, including "Niggas vs. Black People." The controversial routine is everything that's great about Rock: it's honest, insightful, vulgar and above all hilarious.
value="http://www.youtube.com/v/kpUSElgJcyI&hl=en type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="325" height="275
Why Can't Adam Duritz Get Any Respect?
2008-03-26 14:00:21.872291
For half a second, Adam Duritz is airborne — and then he comes down hard. It's early February, during the second song of a rare Counting Crows small-club show in New York, and a moment ago, Duritz was teetering on a monitor speaker at the edge of the stage. Now, he tumbles backward, dreadlocks flailing, and his head collides with a piano. It looks painful. But Duritz springs back up, not missing a note — though his voice seems to quaver even more than usual as he sings, "Have you seen me lately?"
Then he climbs up onto that same speaker, again and again, like a man who has everything to prove. And maybe he does. Duritz is all too aware that some people hate him. They say his voice is whiny. They say his dreads are fake (which they are). And they don't like his band, either. "For some reason, everyone decided we were a piece of shit," he says a few days after the concert, describing a low point a couple of years back. "So the only thing to do was to go out there and show we weren't."
...'American Idol' cuts another contestant (AP)
2008-03-26 23:00:13.328704
By ERIN CARLSON, Associated Press Writer 38 minutes ago
NEW YORK - Uneasy lies Chikezie, who won't wear the crown. The one-name singer — who previously worked security at Los Angeles International Airport — was eliminated from "American Idol" as the show narrowed the competition to nine finalists.Chikezie, 22, of Inglewood, Calif., injected the singing contest with enthusiasm and soul. His performances could be risky and kinetic, as when he sang the Beatles' "She's A Woman," or safe and retro, as seen in his earlier rendition of "More Today than Yesterday."
Simon Cowell criticized Chikezie for singing the ballad "If Only for One Night" on Tuesday's performance show: "You chose the wrong song last night. ... It wasn't original."
The other lowest vote-getters were Jason Castro and Syesha Mercado.
Tattooed finalist Carly Smithson took a moment to address speculation she's expecting a child with her husband. She told host Ryan Seacrest: "Apparently I'm pregnant — but I'm not."
Wednesday's show also featured a performance by "Idol" also-ran Kimberley Locke, who placed third behind Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken in season two.
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On the Net:
http://www.americanidol.com/
Email Story IM Story...Abdul set for `Today' concert series (AP)
2008-03-26 15:00:13.755439
53 minutes ago
NEW YORK - Paula Abdul and Miley Cyrus are among the stars who will headline the "Today" show's 13th annual concert series.Abdul will kick off the series on the plaza outside the "Today" studio April 25, NBC announced Wednesday.
She recently debuted her first new song in a decade, "Dance Like There's No Tomorrow," produced by fellow "American Idol" judge Randy Jackson.
Cyrus is set to perform July 25.
Other headliners include Ashlee Simpson, Rascal Flatts, Natasha Bedingfield, Neil Diamond, Mary J. Blige, Alanis Morissette, the B-52s, Donna Summer, Chris Brown, Kenny Chesney, Rihanna and Coldplay.
Sheryl Crow will take the stage Aug. 1.
NBC said it will announce additional acts in the coming months.
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NBC is owned by General Electric Co.
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NBC:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032633/
...Aspiring New York Rapper Shot Dead
2008-03-26 17:00:14.615781
Up and coming New York rapper Cavlar was shot and killed on a Brooklyn street yesterday as he was leaving a seafood restaurant. Cavlar (born Leval Lyde), 36, had just begun to garner a name for himself with his own music and 'Step Up Your Game' DVDs
Atty: Male DNA found in NY broker's sink (AP)
2008-03-26 12:00:13.342309
By SAMUEL MAULL, Associated Press Writer 2 hours, 25 minutes ago
NEW YORK - Real estate agent and punk rock pioneer Linda Stein's blood was spattered around her penthouse after she was bludgeoned to death, but not a drop was found on the clothes of the personal assistant charged with her murder, a defense lawyer said.Male DNA also was mingled with Stein's blood in a bathroom sink — suggesting her killer was a man, not the female assistant, the attorney argued.
The former aide, Natavia Lowery, was due in court Wednesday for a hearing.
Her attorney, Ronald Kuby, said the information about the male DNA was in a Jan. 11 medical examiner's report that prosecutors sent to him. He suggested in a letter Tuesday to Manhattan state Supreme Court Justice Micki Scherer that the unknown man likely left the DNA while cleaning up after killing Stein.
Medical examiner's office spokeswoman Ellen Borakove and Manhattan district attorney's office spokeswoman Barbara Thompson declined to comment.
Lowery, 26, is charged with beating her 61-year-old boss to death with a heavy stick in Stein's $3 million apartment around 12:45 p.m. on Oct. 30. Surveillance camera tapes show Lowery leaving the building around 1:15 p.m.
Kuby has said the tapes prove Lowery's innocence. He filed with the court a medical examiner's report saying Stein's daughter, Samantha Wells, told police she spoke to her mother by telephone around 2 p.m. on Oct. 30.
"If there is evidence that Linda Stein was alive and well after defendant Lowery left the premises," Kuby said in court papers, "then Ms. Lowery could not have been the killer."
Stein was once a co-manager of the influential punk rock group the Ramones. She also was a real estate agent whose clients included Sting, Steven Spielberg and other show business figures, earning her the nickname "Realtor to the Stars."
Email Story IM Story...Beach Boys Battle Legal Dispute
2008-03-26 07:00:12.480969
as two former Beach Boys came to an agreement regarding the band's name. In 2003, Mike Love sued band mate Al Jardine for the misuse of the Beach Boys name. The lawsuit claimed that Jardine used the name 'Beach Boys Family&Friend', and was denied it
Ben Heppner returns to Met for 'Tristan' (AP)
2008-03-26 12:00:13.852434
By MIKE SILVERMAN, Associated Press Writer Wed Mar 26, 8:38 AM ET
NEW YORK - The Troubles of Tristan, Chapter V: Ben is Back, but Deborah is Down.It's been more soap opera than grand opera at the Metropolitan Opera these days where Wagner's "Tristan und Isolde" is concerned.
Since the revival opened its six-performance run on March 10, every performance has been marked by some casting crisis or another, and no single pair of singers has made it through the entire opera more than once.
Tuesday night was notable for the return of tenor Ben Heppner, who was to have sung Tristan in all six performances but missed the first four because of a bacterial infection.
Heppner, one of the few singers in the world today with the size of voice, beauty of tone and stamina to do justice to the punishing role at a big house like the Met, was in splendid voice for much of the evening. His one vocal weakness is a tendency to crack on high notes, and he did that a few times in his fevered outcries near the end, but that scarcely marred the intensity of his performance.
Heppner's recovery is welcome news for Wagnerites, as he prepares for his first staged performance in another taxing part, the title role in "Siegfried," which he is scheduled to sing in Aix-en-Provence, France, this June and July.
His Isolde was to have been soprano Deborah Voigt, but she was knocked out by the same stomach ailment that caused her to rush offstage in the middle of Act 2 during the second performance on March 14.
Her replacement, Janice Baird, had made her Met debut in that earlier performance and won warm applause for her courage and professionalism. This time she drew cheers for her singing as well. Given a chance to warm up and sing an entire performance, she made a striking impression indeed. The recurring tendency to sing flat that had marred her debut was much less apparent, especially when she was matching Heppner decibel for decibel. And she threw herself into the emotions of the role as well — the humiliation and rage of Act 1, the passion of Act 2, and the grief after Tristan dies in Act 3.
The rest of the cast has been the same throughout, except for one scheduled change Tuesday. Richard Paul Fink brought his sturdy baritone and sympathetic presence to the role of Kurwenal, Tristan's trusted friend.
With one final performance Friday, there's still a chance the team of Voigt and Heppner will get to perform the opera together.
Meanwhile, for those keeping score, here's a rundown of the casting so far:
• March 10: Voigt and John Mac Master;
...Bon Jovi guitarist arrested for drunken driving (Reuters)
2008-03-26 17:00:14.612335
By Dan Whitcomb 1 hour, 19 minutes ago
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Richie Sambora, lead guitarist for the rock band Bon Jovi, was arrested in Southern California on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol, police said on Wednesday.Sambora, who was taken into custody shortly before 11 p.m. on Tuesday night in the seaside community of Laguna Beach, could also face child endangerment charges because there were two minors in his black Hummer at the time, police said.
"He was stopped for lane-straddling and weaving in lanes," Laguna Beach police spokesman Sgt. Jason Kravetz said. "The officer who contacted him smelled alcohol, got him out of the...
Bon Jovi guitarist suspected of DUI (AP)
2008-03-26 15:00:14.215685
1 hour, 4 minutes ago
LAGUNA BEACH, Calif. - Bon Jovi lead guitarist Richie Sambora has been arrested in Laguna Beach, Calif., for investigation of driving under the influence of alcohol.Sgt. Jason Kravetz says Sambora was arrested just before 11 p.m. Tuesday. Three females, including two minors, were in the black Hummer with him.
Sambora was booked at the Laguna Beach jail and released around 4 a.m. Wednesday. He was given notice to appear May 7 on one misdemeanor count of driving under the influence.
A Bon Jovi publicist didn't immediately return a call for comment.
Email Story IM Story Printable View Yahoo! Buzz RECOMMEND THIS STORY Recommend It: Not at All Somewhat...Colour Revolt Tour with The Breeders
2008-03-26 23:00:13.793308
After a string of loud performances at SXSW, Mississippi quintet Colour Revolt will continue the clamor on tour with fellow alt-rockers The Breeders. Their full-length debut Plunder, Beg, and Curse recorded with legendary producer Clay Jones (Modest
Diddy's girl group Danity Kane tops pop chart (Reuters)
2008-03-26 20:00:13.759114
By Katie Hasty Wed Mar 26, 5:03 PM ET
NEW YORK (Billboard) - Danity Kane, a prefabricated MTV girl group, scored its second consecutive No. 1 on the U.S. album chart Wednesday, while pop-soul duo Gnarls Barkley's latest release entered at a disappointing No. 18 after being rushed out three weeks ahead of schedule.Danity Kane's "Welcome to the Dollhouse" sold 236,192 copies in the week ended March 23, according to Nielsen SoundScan. It ranks as the second-biggest opening of the year, behind the 375,000-unit start for Jack Johnson's "Sleep Through the Static" in February.
Perhaps more incredibly, at a time when most artists are...
Earth Day concert? Check local listings (AP)
2008-03-26 06:00:13.144947
By BRETT ZONGKER, Associated Press Writer Tue Mar 25, 10:10 PM ET
WASHINGTON - Looking for an excuse to avoid celebrating Earth Day? "There's nothing going on nearby" is probably not going to fly.The Roots, Ricky Skaggs, Los Lonely Boys, the Neville Brothers and Mickey Hart from the Grateful Dead are among the headliners for eight simultaneous Earth Day festivals planned at major cities around the U.S. on April 20, organizers said Tuesday.
The free events will be staged at parks in New York, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles, Miami and San Francisco. The flagship event will be the Earth Day 2008 celebration on the National Mall in Washington.
Organizers hope to get more people talking about global warming.
"I think the issue of the environment hopefully crosses party lines," producer Peter Shapiro said. "Our goal with this event is to make Earth Day more prominent."
The events are being billed as the nation's largest Earth Day celebration. Producers of the Green Apple Festival, which began three years ago in New York, and the Earth Day Network, a nonprofit created by the founders of the original Earth Day in 1970, are putting on the shows.
The Roots will headline the Washington event with the U.S. Capitol as their backdrop, along with political leaders, various speakers and other musical acts. Speakers will range from Richard Cizik, vice president of the National Association of Evangelicals, to the Rev. Jesse Jackson, members of Congress and possibly some presidential candidates, said Kathleen Rogers, president of Earth Day Network. (They're still trying to book Al Gore.)
In New York, country singer Ricky Skaggs will perform in Central Park, and the Latin group Menudo will take the stage in Miami with hip-hop group Arrested Development. Los Lonely Boys will be the headline act in Dallas while the Neville Brothers take their funk and R&B act to Denver. Mickey Hart is expected to perform at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco.
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On the Net:
Earth Day Network: http://www.earthday.net/
Green Apple Festival: http://www.greenapplemusicfestival.com/
...Exclusive: Corgan Speaks Out On Pumpkins Suit
2008-03-26 04:00:19.482808
Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan has spoken exclusively to Billboard about the lawsuit the band filed this week against Virgin Records for using the Pumpkins in a promotional campaign with Amazon.com and Pepsi. 'I'm sure they indicated to Pepsi
Fall Out Boy: A New Kind Of Rock Star -- In Bigger Than The Sound
2008-03-26 13:00:14.643294
On The Record: Fall Out Boy 1, Mötley Crüe 0 The first time I ever spoke to Pete Wentz, it was over the telephone, and he was in a parking garage leaving an appointment with his therapist. I know this because he told me. And when his cell phone cut
First 2 couples are done 'Dancing' (AP)
2008-03-26 07:00:15.640143
By SANDY COHEN, AP Entertainment Writer Tue Mar 25, 10:34 PM ET
LOS ANGELES - Magician Penn Jillette and tennis champ Monica Seles were the first stars eliminated from the sixth season of ABC's "Dancing With the Stars." Each came into Tuesday's results show in last place.Jillette, 53, added a dash of magic to his quickstep, but his footwork failed to impress the judges. Despite his dismissal, the magician insisted that he and his professional partner would continue to rehearse daily and planned to perform in the parking lot.
"There's no way my dance career ends now," he said.
Before her name was announced, Seles said being the first woman to leave the show "would be really hard."
"I'm not used to losing," said the nine-time Grand Slam champ.
Judge Bruno Tonioli acknowledged that her tennis prowess didn't translate to the dance floor: "You're not a performer, and it's hard for you."
Still, he called the 34-year-old athlete "a legend."
"Somebody of your stature being here with us really is a privilege, and you threw yourself (in) at the deep end," he said.
The show's first double-elimination round also featured a Cirque du Soleil-style acrobatic dance performance and two live songs by tween fave the Jonas Brothers. The pop-rock group played a cover of a-ha's 1985 hit "Take On Me," which was released before the trio of brothers was born, and the new song "When You Look Me in the Eyes."
The remaining competitors include radio host Adam Carolla, pro football player Jason Taylor, Olympic skater Kristi Yamaguchi, R&B singer Mario, and actors Steve Guttenberg, Shannon Elizabeth, Christian de la Fuente, Marlee Matlin, Priscilla Presley and Marissa Jaret Winokur.
Each will perform the tango or jive on next week's show.
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...Gran Turismo 5 Prologue soundtrack revealed
2008-03-26 20:00:13.760927
The Gran Turismo series, while best known for its sharp graphics and sim-heavy gameplay, has also been home to some pretty strong soundtracks over the years. There's nothing quite like zooming over the finish line while singing along to '99 Luftballons.'
Judge denies prejudice against Spector (AP)
2008-03-26 11:00:13.817718
By LINDA DEUTSCH, AP Special Correspondent Wed Mar 26, 7:35 AM ET
LOS ANGELES - The judge who presided over Phil Spector's first murder trial has rejected a defense motion to disqualify him from the retrial because of alleged prejudice against the legendary rock music producer.Superior Court Judge Larry Paul Fidler signed a declaration that he was not biased or prejudiced against any party in the case, according to court papers released Tuesday.
Spector's first trial ended in a jury deadlock last September. Spector, famed for his "Wall of Sound" recording technique, is accused of killing actress Lana Clarkson at his Alhambra mansion on Feb. 3, 2003.
In the statement the judge signed March 19, Fidler also said the motion filed by Spector attorney Doron Weinberg was untimely and any protests of the judge's actions should have been filed when they occurred during the trial.
Weinberg said he was preparing to file a writ with the state court of appeals seeking a hearing before a neutral judge.
Weinberg filed a 44-page motion last week listing numerous alleged acts of bias by the judge. They included: the imposition of a gag order limited to Spector's wife and a potential defense witness as well as his decision to withdraw a jury instruction and craft a new one after jurors first announced they were deadlocked.
The defense alleged that Fidler wanted to counter public perceptions that celebrities were given special treatment and could not be convicted in California courts.
Clarkson, 40, was working as a hostess at the House of Blues when she met Spector and went home with him. The actress best known for her role in "Barbarian Queen" died of a gunshot fired inside her mouth while she was seated in a foyer of Spector's mansion.
The prosecution claimed Spector, 68, shot her and that had a history of threatening women with guns; the defense argued Clarkson shot herself, either accidentally or by suicide.
No date has been set for the retrial and a hearing on that issue was scheduled for Friday.
Email Story...Justin Timberlake to host the ESPYs (AP)
2008-03-26 14:00:14.482128
2 hours, 5 minutes ago
NEW YORK - Justin Timberlake is hosting an awards show — and it's not the Grammys.ESPN has lined up the 27-year-old singer-actor to host its annual ESPY Awards show this summer, celebrating some of the best and funniest moments in sports over the past year.
The ceremony, to be held at the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live in Los Angeles on July 20, will be televised live on ESPN, the network said Wednesday.
Timberlake says he's a sports junkie.
"I'll do my best to deliver a great show, as I do not want to be roughed up backstage by these athletes who are bigger, faster and stronger than me," he said.
Timberlake will be in the summertime movie, "The Love Guru," with Mike Myers and Jessica Alba. He recently showed a different kind of stage presence when he inducted Madonna into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
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ESPN is owned by the Walt Disney Co.
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On the Net:
ESPN:
http://espn.go.com/
Justin Timberlake:
...K-Fed says he's on full-time daddy duty (AP)
2008-03-26 19:00:13.825707
Wed Mar 26, 4:17 PM ET
NEW YORK - Kevin Federline says he's been on full-time daddy duty since getting custody of his two toddler sons."I spend most of the day chasing my kids around the house," he tells In Touch Weekly magazine. "Their needs define my schedule every day."
Federline has had sole custody of Sean Preston, 2, and Jayden James, 18 months, since early this year after months of bizarre behavior by his ex-wife, Britney Spears. The couple, who wed in October 2004, divorced last July.
Spears is now under the court-ordered conservatorship of her father, James Spears.
"It is so very important to me that my children will always know and never question, that no matter what happens, they have a mommy and daddy who love them very much," Federline, 30, tells the magazine.
Last week, the 26-year-old pop star was ordered by a Los Angeles court commissioner to pay Federline $375,000 to cover his attorney fees in their child-custody dispute.
Federline also has a son and daughter with ex-girlfriend Shar Jackson.
"I will always love the mothers of my children, and I will always be there for both of them," Federline says.
"I believe that any good energy I put out there brings more good energy into my own life. The relationships with my kids and family will last my whole life and are the most important to me," he says.
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On the Net:
In Touch Weekly:
http://intouchweekly.hollywood.com/
...Kimora Lee Simmons files for divorce (AP)
2008-03-26 23:00:14.270111
2 hours, 17 minutes ago
LOS ANGELES - Kimora Lee Simmons has already moved on, but she took steps to make it official by filing for divorce from her husband of seven years, entertainment mogul Russell Simmons.Although the couple separated in March 2006, Kimora Lee Simmons just filed divorce papers Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court. The 32-year-old Baby Phat fashion designer and reality TV star cited irreconcilable differences.
She and Russell Simmons, 50, have two daughters: 8-year-old Ming Lee and 5-year-old Aoki Lee. Kimora Lee Simmons is seeking legal and physical custody of the children. She requested that Russell Simmons be granted "reasonable child visitation ... accompanied at all times by the children's nanny and security personnel."
Russell Simmons co-founded Def Jam records and created Phat Farm clothing and HBO's "Def Comedy Jam."
Kimora Lee Simmons has been dating actor Djimon Honsou.
Email Story IM Story Printable View Yahoo! Buzz RECOMMEND THIS STORY Recommend It: Not at All...LA Times investigates Shakur documents (AP)
2008-03-26 14:00:13.948925
9 minutes ago
LOS ANGELES - The Los Angeles Times will conduct an internal investigation concerning the authenticity of documents used in a story that implicate associates of Sean "Diddy" Combs in a 1994 assault on Tupac Shakur, the editor of the newspaper said Wednesday.In a story posted on the newspaper Web site, Editor Russ Stanton said he ordered the review after the editor of the Web site The Smoking Gun told the newspaper he had reason to doubt the validity of the FBI records that were supposed to back up the story.
"We're taking this very seriously and we have begun our own investigation," Nancy Sullivan, a spokeswoman for the newspaper, told The Associated Press.
The Smoking Gun said the documents seemed phony because they appeared to be written on a typewriter instead of a computer, included blacked-out sections not typically found in such documents, and other reasons. The Smoking Gun story claims the documents were created by a convicted con man and music fan with a history of exaggerating his place in the rap music world.
Combs denies that he had any prior knowledge of or involvement in the 1994 robbery and shooting of Shakur at a New York recording studio.
The Times has said its March 17 story was based on FBI records, interviews with people at the scene of the 1994 shooting, and statements to the FBI by an informant. None of the sources was named.
The 1994 shooting triggered the celebrated feud between East and West Coast rappers that led to the killings of Shakur and Notorious B.I.G.
The story said associates hoping to curry favor with Combs — who was overseeing B.I.G.'s white-hot career at the time — lured Shakur to the studio because of his disrespect toward them.
The Times story posted Wednesday said the newspaper had not responded as of Tuesday to a request for a retraction from Combs' attorney, Howard Weitzman.
The March 17 story and related features on latimes.com attracted nearly 1 million hits — more viewers than any other story on latimes.com this year, the newspaper said.
Email Story IM Story...Lil' Wayne On The Way This May
2008-03-26 19:00:13.837028
New Orleans rapper Lil' Wayne is readying the spring release of his long awaited album Tha Carter III. Weezy plans to deliver his sixth solo project, Tha Carter III, this May, which will be his first solo release since 2005's Tha Carter II. Weezy
Mark Ronson blasts Charlize Theron's music taste
2008-03-26 09:00:13.217878
Mark Ronson has revealed an encounter with Hollywood star Charlize Theron left him in no doubt about the actress' bad taste in music at a recent party. The producer and occasional DJ was playing a celebrity party recently, he tells OK magazine, when
Music network VH1 to honor The Who (Reuters)
2008-03-26 16:00:15.925772
1 hour, 47 minutes ago
LOS ANGELES (Billboard) - The third annual "VH1 Rock Honors" event will celebrate The Who, with the music cable network hosting a tribute concert in Los Angeles on July 12.The Who, led by guitarist Pete Townshend and singer Roger Daltrey, will take the stage at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion; VH1 has not revealed the names of the participants.
The concert will air on VH1, VH1 Classic and hi-def network MHD on July 17 at 9 p.m.
Besides live performances, "VH1 Rock Honors" will include spoken tributes and video packages dedicated to the band.
Last year's "VH1 Rock Honors," held in Las Vegas, paid tribute to Genesis, Heart, Ozzy Osbourne and ZZ Top.
...Nate Dogg Rapped for Punching Ex's New Guy
2008-03-26 04:00:19.578698
Rapped for Punching Ex's New Guy03/25/2008 4:22 PM, E! Online It will be up to Nate Dogg to regulate his own behavior. The rapper was sentenced to three years' informal probation Tuesday after pleading guilty to aggravated trespass and battery
Neurobash delivers pro-Lars Vilks video soundtrack
2008-03-26 12:00:13.855821
Some things need (y)our support, so here we go. The second act of the musical 'Dogs' by Lars Vilks with music by Neurobash has now been officially released on YouTube. The video, directed by Yamo Kawaiah, takes on the story right where the first part
New York Mets audition anthem singers (AP)
2008-03-26 23:00:12.893376
By VERENA DOBNIK, Associated Press Writer 21 minutes ago
NEW YORK - You don't need a bat and a ball to strike out in baseball. On Wednesday, most of the hundreds of people who auditioned to sing the national anthem for the Mets at Shea Stadium this season never reached the outfield fence.Most didn't even sing the notoriously difficult "Star Spangled Banner"; contestants were allowed to choose other songs.
"Have you sung outside the shower before?" entertainer Michael Amante, one of the judges, asked a young woman who offered a demure and shaky "America the Beautiful."
The judges were choosing 10 singers who will go to the Mets' stadium in Queens in a few weeks for a second audition — this one from second base and singing the actual anthem with its very high notes. Five winners will be picked to sing it before home games at Shea.
The Mets usually have professionals performing the anthem, but team organizers say they launched the publicity stunt to give fans a chance to be part of the game.
The open auditions were held for the second year at the midtown Manhattan studios of SportsNet New York, the year-round television home of the Mets where fans began lining up the night before for the 11 a.m. call.
Amante, a singer, was one of three judges, joining Gary Apple, anchor of SNY's SportsNite, and Lolita Lopez, weekend sports anchor for the CW11 cable channel.
With his Mets sweatshirt and rich booming voice, 56-year-old Leonard Bagarozzo, a retired postal worker from New Jersey, sang "Amazing Grace."
Bagarozzo hit it off with Amante; the two of them bantered a bit in Italian with Amante finally saying, "Grazie tante" — Italian for "Thank you very much."
That last phrase, in English, was often heard after only the first few bars of a contestant's song. It was the signal to — as they say in New York — fugheddaboudit.
Later, Amante suggested that contestants who sang certain songs probably didn't have much of a chance.
"We don't want to hear 'Amazing Grace' or 'Ave Maria' — you've got to sing us some high notes because you need them for the anthem," he said.
...No bail in slaying of punk rock pioneer (AP)
2008-03-26 22:00:13.003384
By SAMUEL MAULL, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 21 minutes ago
NEW YORK - The personal assistant charged in the beating death of real estate agent and punk rock pioneer Linda Stein was denied bail Wednesday even though the defense argued new DNA evidence justified it.Stein's blood was spattered around her Manhattan penthouse after she was bludgeoned to death in October, but not a drop was found on the clothes of Natavia Lowery, 26, who is charged with second-degree murder, her attorney said.
Male DNA also was mingled with Stein's blood in a bathroom sink — suggesting her killer was a man, not the female assistant, Ronald Kuby argued while about 100 people wearing T-shirts that read "Justice for Natavia" filled the courtroom.
Lowery is accused of using a heavy stick to beat Stein, 61, once a co-manager of the rock group the Ramones. Stein was found facedown in a pool of blood in her Fifth Avenue apartment around 10:20 p.m. on Oct. 30. She had scalp cuts and a fractured skull.
Assistant District Attorney Joan Illuzzi-Orbon said Lowery, who is five months pregnant, had been stealing from Stein and apparently was worried that she would find out.
Surveillance camera tapes show Lowery leaving the building around 1:15 p.m., but Stein's daughter, Samantha Wells, has told police she spoke to her mother around 2 p.m.
Instead of trying to determine who left the male DNA, Kuby said, prosecutors downplayed its importance in the investigation. He said the most likely explanation for the presence of the DNA is that a male killer washed his hands in Stein's sink after the attack.
The prosecutor countered that the presence of male DNA meant only that "a man may have touched Linda Stein's sink at some time while in that apartment."
Stein also was a real estate agent whose deals with clients who included Sting, Steven Spielberg and other show business figures earned her the nickname Realtor to the Stars.
The judge scheduled Lowery's next court appearance for April 24.
Email Story...Oasis play Toronto
2008-03-26 14:00:14.48395
Oasis will headline a Canadian festival this September, it has been confirmed.The Gallagher brothers will make their live return to the rock'n'roll arena with a show at the Virgin Festival in Toronto.The news comes as the band near completion on their
Old 97's Ready 'Epic' New Album
2008-03-26 20:00:13.762499
There seems to be a pattern afoot with Old 97's. Every time the group makes a new album, it is quickly followed by a solo set from frontman Rhett Miller. And the pattern seems likely to continue this year, as Old 97's' 'Blame It on Gravity' will arrive
Oxygène: ba-boo-boo beew
2008-03-26 21:00:16.032129
With its unforgettable hook, Oxygène led the synthesizer revolution of the Seventies. Jean Michel Jarre tells Thomas H Green why he's bringing it back to life Nicolas Sarkozy is not the only grand fromage from across the Channel bringing the aroma of
Richie Sambora arrested on suspected DUI (AP)
2008-03-26 16:00:15.439987
38 minutes ago
LAGUNA BEACH, Calif. - Bon Jovi's Richie Sambora has been arrested for investigation of driving under the influence of alcohol.The 48-year-old guitarist was arrested just before 11 p.m. Tuesday after an officer noticed his black Hummer weaving in traffic lanes, said Laguna Beach police Sgt. Jason Kravetz.
Sambora was given field sobriety tests and arrested without incident. He was booked at the Laguna Beach jail and released at 4 a.m., Kravetz said Wednesday.
"He was very cooperative with all the staff," Kravetz said.
A woman and two girls were passengers in the car, said Kravetz, who declined to release their names.
Sambora was given notice to appear in court May 7 on one misdemeanor count of driving under the influence, Kravetz said.
Ken Sunshine, a spokesman for Bon Jovi, had no comment.
Sambora is a founding member of Bon Jovi. The band's last album, "Lost Highway," was released in 2007.
Email Story IM Story Printable View Yahoo! Buzz...Scorsese reveals Stones filming drama
2008-03-26 16:00:15.92914
The band weren't the easiest to work with Martin Scorsese has revealed the irritation he shows towards the Rolling Stones at the start of his new documentary 'Shine A Light' was genuine, after Jagger failed to give him a set list with just minutes to
Soundtrack Of Their Lives: Merz
2008-03-26 17:00:14.6141
We at DIY are a curious bunch. We want to know what makes musicians tick and what brought them to their current role. We'll be aiming to bring to you the tracks which helped shape the music you listen to, what gems are uncovered, what crimes are admitted
Steven Isserlis: 'I use two Strads - am I a bigamist?'
2008-03-26 22:00:13.007997
Musician Steven Isserlis tells Peter Culshaw about tackling the cellist's 'Everest' and why his instruments have 'souls' Steven Isserlis is now one of the most in-demand cellists in the world, with a packed schedule for at least the next two years. When
Tapes 'N Tapes Walk It Off For a Good Cause
2008-03-26 06:00:11.607726
In celebration of the release of their sophomore album, Walk It Off, Minnesota quartet Tapes 'N Tapes are urging fans to participate in two separate breast cancer walks. Both and the Avon Walk For Breast Cancer will raise awareness and funds for breast
Tejano star Navaira's survival chances improving (Reuters)
2008-03-26 19:00:12.829053
1 hour, 5 minutes ago
HOUSTON (Reuters) - Grammy-winning Tejano music star Emilio Navaira's chances of survival are improving, his doctor said on Wednesday, following a crash this week in which he was thrown through the windshield of his tour bus."I feel optimistic that he will not die," Dr. Alex Valadka said at a news conference. "He's done about as well as can be expected."
Navaira, 45, had been in grave condition following Sunday's early morning crash, and Valadka had said there was "a chance he may not make it." The neurosurgeon cautioned on Wednesday that something adverse might still happen to Navaira.
"He can still take a turn for the worse," he said.
...The Arts Column: in glorious discord over Stravinsky
2008-03-26 00:00:13.42262
Few things are more fun to savour than a good old artistic feud, says Rupert Christiansen The fallout can take several forms, from the vitriolic spat (Vidal v Capote, Oasis v Blur) to a purely intellectual combat (Wilson v Nabokov), to the serious
The soundtrack for every rambler
2008-03-26 07:00:12.483929
Why is it that travellers across the globe end up listening to the same music? 'The first time that I heard Clandestino, by Manu Chao, was in French Polynesia - and I freaked out. I got up and asked the barman, 'Who is this? It's amazing!' He told me
Whataburger is a Texas
2008-03-26 02:00:13.281586
Bassist Mitch DeRosier breaks fast food cycle, and commemorates last U.S. show until April with fireworks. This is what you look like after 5 weeks of tour (and Whataburger) Man, even on our days off we still party like we're on Rock of Love with Bret
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