Endings and Beginnings.

This week in music was a week of endings and beginnings whether it is a festival, trial, tour, reunion, a work in progress or a rehab completion this week had all of these.

END

The ending of the South by Southwest festival known as SXSW wrapped up this past week.The SXSW is held each year in Austin, Tx and features numerous bands that play in a various venues all over the city. A variety of musical styles are showcased at the festival everything from rock, hip-hop, pop, punk, country, to the avant garde/ experimental. Some of bands and singers you may be familiar with are
The Presidents of the USA, Bowling for Soup, Johnette Napolitano (Concrete Blonde) Kenny Wayne Shepard to some lesser known bands such as Garland Jeffreys , The Whigs, The Saints. The festival lasts all week through the middle of March and is considered an indicator of what bands may be the "next big thing."and members of the music industry gather to discuss and showcases the newest technology and ideas in music.

BEGIN

The beginning of the Phil Spector murder trial started in Los Angeles. Spector is a producer famous for the "wall of sound" technique that was made popular by groups and singers such as The Ronnettes, The Beatles, The Rightous Brothers, The Ramones, and Tina Turner, John Lennon.
Spector has been know for his eccentricity whether it is in the studio where he reportedly pulled a gun because an artist couldn't hit a certain chord to being a recluse in his suburban faux castle mansion in the hills of Los Angeles.
On Feb 3, 2003 Spector and actress Lana Clarkson were in attendance at L.A.'s House of Blues. Clarkson was a forty year old actress who had starred in movies and television shows such as Fast Times At Ridgemont High, Night Court, Hill Street Blues. However, recently she had fallen on hard times working as a hostess at the House of Blues. Later that evening they went to his home and sometime during that same evening Clarkson was found slumped in a chair in the foyer of Spector's home dead from an apparent self inflicted shotgun blast.
A chauffeur of Spector's reported to police that Spector was quoted as saying too him on the night in question " I think I killed somebody" and he had a shotgun with blood on his hands.
A coroners report called the death a homicide and "death by the hand of another," she had gunshot residue on her hands indicating that she had apparently shot herself. Spector maintained it was a "accidental suicide" but was arrested under suspicion of murder and later freed on a $1 million dollar bond.
On Oct 26 , 2005 a judge ruled that damaging statements made by Spector to the police can be used against him at the trial. His lawyer's have fought to suppress a statement made by him to police where he stated " I didn't mean to shoot her" the lawyer argues that Spector is bi-polar and was going through prescription drug withdrawal when police questioned him about the incident. If convicted of murder he could serve life in prision.

Would you like a pastry with that ?

Starbucks Corp. and the Concord Music Group they will launch a label called Hear Music. The first signing was announced Wednesday at the company's annual meeting. The artist will be Sir Paul McCartney. This announcement is a big step for the Starbucks Corp which has produced and sold some albums in their stores. Ray Charles "Genius loves company" was a title that you could get with your verti cappuchino in 2004 and was a big seller for the company.

Someone who will possibly be drinking more of Starbucks product will be Brittney Spears who officially completed her 30 day rehabilitation on Tuesday. She entered the facility on Feb 22 after bizarre behavior which included her shaving her head, getting new tattoos on her wrist and hip, and beating a car with an umbrella. The facility Promises is a Mediterranean style villa located in the Santa Monica Mountains and costs $48,000 for a 30 month stay. Some other famous alumni of the facility are Charlie Sheen, Ben Affleck, and Matthew Perry.
It hasn't been disclosed exactly what Spears entered the rehab facility for but if her hanging out with Paris Hilton before the odd behavior and the rehab is any indication it was most likely alcohol.

Lawsuits a rock n roll staple

The estate of the late Rick James has filed a lawsuit on March 15 seeking unspecified damages against the Brooklyn Music Publishing group. The suit accuses the company of collecting money from licensing James' songs without permission in European markets. About a dozen of Rick James' songs are involved in the lawsuit and they have been used for commercials. Brooklyn Music Group had a long term contract to oversee the publishing rights to some of James' songs but not his hit "Superfreak." When Rick James died in 2004 his trust decided not to renew the agreement and instead awarded the rights to another company in January 2007. Brooklyn Music Group refused to stop administering the songs hence the reason for the lawsuit.

Reassembled Pumpkins, Non Instinct Dinosaur

Billy Corgan who tried to be a solo artist with his first and hopefully last release 2005's 'The Future Embrace' and was panned by fans and critics, so what does a six foot two guy with a big ego and a whiney voice do ?
He decides that having a band wasn't so bad after all and reforms it. Nearly a year and a half after Billy Corgan placed a full page ad in the Chicago Tribune stating that he wanted his old band back. The Smashing Pumpkins will debut with a new album it will be titled 'Zeitgeist' and according to the bands website will be released at 7:07 a.m. on saturday July 7,2007.

It isn't known if any of the former members of the band such as James Iha, D'Arcy Wretzky , or Melissa Auf Der Maur will rejoin the group however, original members Billy Corgan, Jimmy Chamberlin will . To build up the publicity of the disc and the reunion of the band they will play a series of festivals in Europe starting with the Pinkpop Festival in the Netherlands on May 28 and make stops in Germany, Portugal, and Italy before wrapping up at Intelaken, Switzerland.
The only North American date that has been confirmed will be the second night of Toronto's first Virgin Music Festival sponsored by billionaire Richard Virgin. The other acts participating in the festival are Bjork, Interpol, The Killers, Paolo Nutrinin and Amy Winehouse.


Another group that was popular during the late 80's and early 90's has reunited for an album and tour. Dinosaur Jr. will debut their album 'Beyond' and it will be out on May 11 on Fat Possum Records. They have had been touring several dates before completely reforming and this will be their first album recorded together since 1989. They will be playing several dates in ten major cities such as LA, San Francisco, Minneapolis, Chicago, Ann Arbor, and New York.

J.Masics has had some success as a solo artist but not the same level that the group enjoyed during the early nineties which could be the same reason the Pumpkins are getting back together. Bass player Lou Barlow will rejoin the band but is currently on tour with the reunited Sebadoh which he formed after leaving Dinosaur Jr. The tour dates are as follows

May
11 Los Angeles, CA - The Troubadour
12 Los Angeles, CA - The Troubadour
13 Los Angeles, CA - The Troubadour
15 San Francisco, CA - Slim's
16 San Francisco, CA - Slim's
17 Portland, OR - Crystal Ballroom
18 Seattle, WA - The Showbox
19 Olympia, WA - Capitol Theatre
20 Bellingham, WA - The Nightlight
22 Victoria, BC - Sugar Nightclub
23 Vancouver, BC - The Commodore Ballroom
25 Calgary, Alberta - MacEwan Ballroom
26 Edmonton, AB - The Starlite Room
27 Saskatoon, SK - The Odeon Events Centre
29 Winnipeg, MB - Garrick Centre at The Marlborough
29 Minneapolis, MN - Triple Rock
30 Minneapolis, MN - Triple Rock
31 Chicago, IL - The Abbey

June
1 Chicago, IL - The Abbey
2 Chicago, IL - The Abbey
3 Ann Arbor, MI - Blind Pig
4 Ann Arbor, MI - Blind Pig
6 New York, NY - Irving Plaza
7 New York, NY - Irving Plaza
8 Toronto, ON - Phoenix Concert Theatre
9 Montreal, QUE - Club Soda

The White Stripes have announced that they will go on tour in support of their sixth album titled 'Icky Thump.' It has a tentative June release and will be the first under their new agreement with Warner Brothers Records.They will play 34 dates in the U.S. starting July 29th in San DIego and then go to the midwest before ending the tour in their hometown of Detroit. The Shins will also join them for the tour at a single date in September at Coney Island NY.
White Stripes tour dates:
July

29 San Diego, CA - Street Scene

August

6 George, WA - The Gorge
7 Vancouver, British Columbia - Orpheum
8 Vancouver, British Columbia - Orpheum
10 Portland, OR - Keller Auditorium
12 Berkeley, CA - Greek Theatre
15 Los Angeles, CA - Greek Theatre
16 Los Angeles, CA - Greek Theatre
17 Los Angeles, CA - Greek Theatre
18 Los Angeles, CA - Greek Theatre
19 Phoenix, AZ - Dodge Theatre
22 Denver, CO - Red Rocks
23 Kansas City, MO - Starlight Theatre
24 St. Louis, MO - Fabulous Fox Theater
26 Minneapolis, MN - Orpheum Theater
27 Minneapolis, MN - Orpheum Theater
29 Chicago, IL - Auditorium Theater
30 Chicago, IL - Auditorium Theater
31 Chicago, IL - Auditorium Theater

September

8 Milwaukee, WI - Eagles Ballroom
9 Indianapolis, IN - Murat Theatre
10 Columbus, OH - Ohio Theatre
12 Cincinnati, OH - Cincinnati Music Hall
13 Louisville, KY - Palace Theatre
14 Cleveland, OH - Playhouse Square Center-State Theatre
16 Toronto, Ontario - Molson Amphitheatre
17 Montreal, Quebec - Bell Centre
19 Providence, RI - Providence Performing Arts Center
20 Boston, MA - Opera House
21 Boston, MA - Opera House
24 Coney Island, NY - Keyspan Park *
27 Columbia, MD - Merriweather Post Pavillion
28 Atlantic City, NJ - House of Blues

October

2 Detroit, MI - Masonic Temple Theatre
*with the Shins and Brendan Benson

New Material coming soon !

R.E.M. are back in the studio after being inducted into the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame last week. The remaining members Michael Stipe, Bill Buck, Mike Mills are heading back to the studio to work on their 14th album. The bands 2004 release "Around the Sun" failed to chart very well and wasn't received very well by fans and critics. It was a low point for album sales in the bands twenty seven year career.
R.E.M. are looking for new musical direction and are to be working with Irish producer Garrett "Jacknife" Lee who won two Grammy awards for his work on U2's " How to dismantle an Atomic Bomb." Lee has also worked with english bands Snow Patrol, Kasabian, and Bloc Party.

Bjork is working on new material in Sony's studio in New York City. She was there to lay down two tracks on called 'Pneumonia' which features her unique voice with seven french horns, the other track that she was working on is called 'Trance.' The album titled 'Volta B' will be different than her previous two disc album Medulla and Vespertine. Bjork says that she " Is ready to be an extrovert again and have fun making music." "Ninety percent of this album was born from me sitting in front of the computer editing brass horns and tribal beats." She will also be collaborating with Anthony of Anthony and the Johnsons and producer Timbadland.

Bryan Ferry has recorded a whole disc of Bob Dylan covers. "If not for you," and "Positively fourth street," get the smooth and suave sound that Ferry is known for. He is also recording a new disc with his old band Roxy Music their first since 1982's Avalon.



Morrisey will tour the western half of North America this year . A forty date tour at mid sized venues with the exception being the Hollywood Bowl which seats 17,000. He will not tour Canada because of the annual seal hunt that takes place and is supported by the Canadian government. Listed below are the dates and locations for his tour.

Morrissey Tour Dates

April
27 Stockton, CA - Bob Hope Theater
28 Sparks, NV - John Ascuaga's Celebrity Showroom
29 Sparks, NV - John Ascuaga's Celebrity Showroom

May
1 Oakland, CA - Paramount Theater
2 Santa Rosa, CA - Wells Fargo Center
5 Spokane, WA - INB Performing Arts Center
6 Seattle, WA - Paramount
8 Salt Lake City, UT - E Center Ford Theater
9 Denver, CO - Fillmore
11 Omaha, NE - Orpheum
12 Milwaukee, WI - Riverside
14 Ann Arbor, MI - Michigan Theater
15 Chicago, IL - Auditorium
17 Cleveland, OH - Playhouse Square Center
18 Columbus, OH - Palace Theater
21 Indianapolis, IN - Murat Center
22 St Louis, MO - The Pageant I'm surprised he is coming here ! (author)
23 Kansas City, MO - Uptown Theater
25 Dallas, TX - Palladium
26 Austin, TX - Backyard
28 Houston, TX - Verizon
30 El Paso, TX - County Coliseum
31 Tucson, AZ - Music Hall

June
2 Phoenix, AZ - Maricopa County Events Center
3 San Diego, CA - Bayside Concerts
5 Ventura, CA - Majestic Ventura Theater
6 Riverside, CA - Riverside Municipal Audit
8 Los Angeles, CA - Hollywood Bowl
9 Las Vegas, NV - Pearl



Elvis Costello will begin a ten date tour of the U.S. this spring starting April 13th where he will perform with Rosanne Cash at New York City's Rubin Museum of Art. According to Costello "It will be an all acoustic musical talk show, drawing on the theme of magic numbers," while we all ponder what that means it will be interesting to see if Costello's sound has changed any since he married jazz musician Diana Krall. The ten date tour will be as follows.
May
2 Los Angeles, CA - House Of Blues
3 San Francisco, CA - The Warfield
6 Denver, CO - The Fillmore
8 Minneapolis, MN - Myth
9 Chicago, IL - House Of Blues
11 Detroit, MI - State Theatre
15 Boston, MA - Avalon
16 New York, NY - Nokia Theatre
18 Washington D.C. - 9: 30 Club
19 Philadelphia, PA - Electric Factory

Guess he didn't find the perfect drug

Trent Reznor has spoken out about drugs and he doesn't have too many good things to say about them. He has said that drugs impaired his ability write and create music and is quoted as saying " I had made writing out to be a terrifying prospect filled with pain and failure and some things, I dreaded doing because I always lacked self confidence and every other thing." "By the end of my run with drugs I realized that my brain wasn't functioning right and I'd lost the power to concentrate." "It really made my art suffer, which made me feel worse, which made me want to get high and you know that cycle starts up." Since sobering up he has stated that he finally learned how to write on the road that makes him even more productive than ever before.


Another group of former drug addicts and never aging rockers The Rolling Stones have announced that they will tour Europe and begin a 27 date tour on June 5 in Werchter, Belgium. They will headline the Isle of Wight Festival June 10 it will be their first at the festival in more than 30 years. The tour will wrap up Aug 21 with a show at London's Millenium Dome which has been re-branded the O2 Arena. They were forced to cancel several european dates for last year's "A Bigger Bang" tour because Keith Richards fell out of a tree and injured his head while on vacation in Fiji and Mick Jagger contracted laryngitis in August. Despite these set backs their 2006 tour grossed $138.5 million.

Contemporaries of the Rolling Stones, The Who are back on tour after they had to cancel a concert in Tampa FL last saturday because of Roger Daltrey's bout with bronchitis . The Who played a sold out concert in the Alltel arena in Little Rock, AR. Daltrey told the crowd that "it feels good to be out of bed," he then proceeded to go perform an over ninety minute set of the bands classic hits and new ones from their recent album ' Endless WIre'. They ended the evening by playing 20 minutes of encores and a few hits from the rock opera 'Tommy.'
In other Who related news Pete Townshend has set off a debate on what is classic rock. In an interview with WAXQ-FM Townshend spoke out against those who would classify The Police as classic rock. Townshend said
" The Police are punk, they are a punk band," 'They aren't classic rock, you know you've got the Stones and the Who. He also stated that "classic rock is finished it's all over after that. This is just music it's not classic anything."


The suicide of Brad Delp lead singer of the band Boston continues to have repercussions on current and former members. Tom Scholz a founding member and chief songwriter wasn't informed of Delp's death and not invited to his funeral.
Tensions between Scholz and the early band members stem from delays in recording Boston's new albums after the releases of 'Boston' in 1976 and 'Don't look back' in 1978. Scholz sued for the rights to the band name an music but lost the case. Those who opposed Scholz attended the funeral and Delp's former wife Micki was quoted on a New York radio station as saying that the professional conflicts in Delp's life caused him to become despondent and after a long time friend Fran Cosmo was cut from Boston's summer concert . Many fans took these for the reason Delp took his own life.
Scholz called Delp his closest friend and collaborator in music for over 35 years and was dissappointed that his exclusion from the funeral . He feels that he is being blamed unfairly for the suicide. His lawyer contacted Micki and asked that she retract her previous statement but no comment was made by her. Delp's fiance said that no one was intentionally excluded from the funeral. She stated that she wanted Delp's children to get through this ordeal quickly and without drama.



Elton John will turn 60 years old on March 25 he will celebrate by putting on a decadent show at Madison Square Garden in New York City. It will be interesting how many costume changes he does if any.

Here are the birthdays for the week of March 26- March 31, 2007
Mar 26
Steven Tyler (1948)
born Steven Tallarico
lead singer of the band
Aerosmith.

Teddy Pendergrass, (1950)
American soul singer

Charly McClain ( 1956)
American country music singer.

Kenny Chesney (1968)
Country music singe known for his songs
"No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems"
"When the Sun Goes Down".

James Iha (1968 )
former guitarist for
The Smashing Pumpkins .

Mar 27
Pee Wee Russell, (1906 - 1969)
jazz musician.

Benjamin Webster (1909-1973)
Influential American jazz tenor saxophonist.

Sarah Vaughan( 1924 – 1990)
American jazz singer
one of the greatest
singers of the 20th century

Tony Banks (1950) i
English songwriter, pianist/keyboard player, and guitarist.
One of the founding members of progressive rock/pop group Genesis has belonged to Genesis throughout its entire history.

Andrew Farriss (1959 )
The keyboardist and key composer
for the Australian band INXS.

Brendan Hill (1970)
The drummer for American jam
band Blues Traveler.


Mariah Carey (1970)
R&B singer, songwriter
known for her 8 octave
range voice.


Fergie (1975)
born Stacy Ann Ferguson
Member of the Black Eyed Peas
singer, songwriter, and actress.



Mar 28


John Evan(1948)
played keyboards for Jethro Tull
from April to December 1970
and then from January 1971 to June 1980.

Milan B. Williams (1948 –2006)
Keyboardist and a founding member
of the Commodores band.

Reba McEntire (1955)
Grammy Award-winning American singer
and one of the best-selling
country music performers of all time.


Jon Lee (March 28, 1968 – January 7, 2002)
Original drummer for the successful British rock band Feeder.

David Keuing (1976)
Guitarist for the American synth rock band The Killers.

J-Kwon (1986)
born Jarrell Jones
rapper from St. Louis

Mar 29

Pearl Bailey (1918 –1990)
American jazz and blues
artist popular throughout her
career which started in
the 30's up until her
death in 1990.

Ray Davis (1940- 2005)
Original bass singer
one of the founding members of The Parliaments, Parliament and Funkadelic.


Bobby Kimball (1947)
Singer best known for being
a member of the rock band Toto.

Patty Donahue (1956— 1996)
lead singer of
The Waitresses


Perry Farrell (1959)
Former lead singer of the
band Jane's Addiction and
Porno for Pyro's.

John Popper (1967) i
Musician and songwriter
for the band Blues Traveler


Mar 30

Frankie Laine,(1913 – 2007)
Successful American singer
of the twentieth century.

Graeme Edge (1941)
Drummer and
a songwriter for
the Moody Blues.

Eric Clapton CBE (1945)
nicknamed "Slowhand"
Grammy Award winning
English guitarist, singer and composer,

MC Hammer ( 1962)
born Stanley Burrell
American rapper
popular during the late 1980s
early 1990s, known for
his dramatic rise to and fall from fame and fortune,

Tracy Chapman (1964)
Singer-songwriter,
best known for her singles "Fast Car,"
"Talkin' 'Bout a Revolution,"
"Baby Can I Hold You,"
"Give Me One Reason."

Céline Dion (1968)
Canadian
Grammy and Juno
award winning pop singer
occasional songwriter.

Norah Jones (1979)
born Geethali Norah Jones Shankar
Grammy Award-winning
American singer-songwriter


Mar 31

Richard Kiley ( 1922-1999)
American stage and film actor
narrated various documentaries.

Shirley Jones (1934)
Academy Award
winning singer and
actress. Known for
her role as the mom
on The Partridge Family

Lefty Frizzell (1928-1975)
born WIlliam Frizzell
American country music
singer and songwriter
popular for his Honky Tonk
style during the 1950's.

John D. Loudermilk ( 1934 )
American singer and
songwriter

Herb Alpert ( 1935)
Known for his work
with the Tijuana Brass,

Angus Young ( 1955)
Guitarist and songwriter
for the band AC/DC

Until then GETOUTOFMYHEAD !

Van Halen, R.E.M. Patti Smith, Oh My....

Rock N Roll Hall of Fame inductions held

This week started off with induction ceremonies for the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame. New members Van Halen, R.E.M., Patti Smith, The Ronnettes and rap's first artist Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five.
Van Halen were the first to be inducted although, no current members of the band were on hand for the ceremony. Former members Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony accepted the invitation. Van Halen had planned to use the ceremony to kick of their reunion tour. However, lead guitarist Eddie Van Halen entered rehab last week and the tour has been put on hiatus. The band Velvet Revolver were the "house band" for the ceremony and had planned to perform the hit "Jump" and "Panama" with Van Halen's former lead singer David Lee Roth. Roth didn't appear because he objected to using Velvet Revolver to perform Van Halen''s songs. The disparity between Van Halen and Roth doesn't promise a happy reunion tour if a tour at all this summer.

R.E.M. were the second group to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Michael Stipe, Peter Buck, Mike Mills, and Bill Berry the bands former drummer joined them for the induction. Berry suffered an an aneurysm on stage in 1995 and nearly died. After nearly 17 years in the band he left in 1997 to take it easy and become a farmer. R.E.M. formed in Athens, Ga in the early 80's and are the innovators of the indie rock scene and had a hit in 1985 with "Radio Free Europe" they hit the mainstream later with "Losing my Religion" on the album' Out of Time ' in 1991 and continued to have hits throughout the 90's and into the 2000's.

Patti Smith a solo artist was inducted into the Hall of Fame. She is famous for her 1978 album "Horses" which linked the hippie and the punk rock sound of the day. Her album was an influence sighted by Michael Stipe as the reason why he wanted to become a singer and rock star. Smith didn't attend the ceremony instead she publicly panned it in a New York Times article saying that after having talked to the regular people around her Greenwich neighborhood it made the induction less important too her.

The Ronnettes were also inducted into the hall. They are famous for the song 'Be my Baby" which showcased the "wall of sound" pioneered by Phil Spector who was married to the lead singer Ronnie Spector. Keith Richards hosted the induction and Ronnie was there to accept the invitation

Hip hop and rap's first group was inducted into the Hall of Fame Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. Their hit in the early 80's "The Message" was a chronicle of the urban life during the Reagan era. The induction ceremony was lead by rapper/ producer Jay-Z and leader Mellie Mel was on hand to accept the invitation. The rappers of today Jay-Z, Eminem,and Tupac will be eligible for the Hall of Fame in 25 years.



Music Notes

Nine Inch Nails will release a new c.d. titled Year Zero on April 17 their first since 2005's With Teeth. Trent Reznor the bands lead singer and songwriter said that it was written while they were on tour for With Teeth . " I sometimes have trouble writing new material, while on tour but this was written in tour buses, backstage, and during breaks in the tour," said Reznor. The new material tells the story of an Orwellian picture of the USA in the year 2022 . A trailer for the album and the first single is called Survivalism are currently available on the NIN website.


The Flaming Lips are working on a Broadway version of their 2002 c.d. Yoshimi battles the Pink Robots. They are hoping to work with Des McAnuff who brought The Who's Tommy to the Broadway Stage. Wayne Coyne said "As much as I love the intense experience of being at a rock show, this could be great!"

A Guns N Roses fan site was shut down not by the band but by the fan who runs it. The GNRonline web-master is unhappy about the continued delay of the current lineups c.d. 'Chinese Democracy 'which is close to ten years in the making. The most recent release of the c.d. was to be March 6 when that didn't happen the web master stated

"The never-ending saga of 'Chinese Democracy', the lack of respect, clearness and mutual loyalty are just some of the reasons that has brought us down to this painful conclusion. Until now our detractors have always accused us of being 'Axl fanatics' (and to a certain degree, it is probably true) but today we aren't able to sustain Axl's project anymore, neither financially nor economically. We just can't afford to waste our heads on a project that has never even taken us into consideration. We still want to believe in Axl Rose and his record and we greatly wish that 'Chinese Democracy' would see the light of day before February 2008. If that will be the case we will make our best effort to re-open the site otherwise our domains will be lost and that will be the end of it."

A member of Coldplay is going to be a guest star on the new Swizz Beatz album titled 'One Man Band'. The album is written and produced by the rapper and it isn't known which member appears on the appear on a track titled "Part of the Plan." Chris Martin the lead singer of Coldplay appeared on "Beach Chair" from Jay-Z's 2006 comeback album 'Kingdom Come'. Martin has also recorded a song entitled 'Homecoming' which will be the first single from a new Kanye West album.

Debbie Harry has picked Kirsten Dunst to play her in an upcoming movie about her and the band Blondie. Alot of people aren't too happy about Harry picking Dunst for the role. Some feel that Dunst won't portray Harry acurately. Some of the other names tossed around were Scarlett Johannson or Gina Gershon.

Brittney Spears has fallen for a rock musician who she is in rehab with. She has started dating Jason Filyaw who is a 33 yr. old musician and is the lead singer for the band RIva. The couple met while attending an AA meeting and plan to move in together once they finish rehab.

The late John Denver's "Rocky Mountain High" has become Colorado's official second state song along with the lesser known state song "Where the Columbines Grow." State senator Bob Hagedom pushed for the adoption of the song and said that it had been the unofficial song for many years. It has also introduced many people around the world to Colorado said Hagedom.
State senator Dave Schultheis said that he doesn't think the state should have two songs. "If the legislature didn't like Where the Columbines Grow, they should remove it and replace it." He admitted that he didn't know the words to the current state song. John Denver's brother Ron Deutschendorf said that John would have been honored to have his song designated as a state song. John Denver died in a plane crash near Monterey Ca, ten years ago.

The Who cancelled a concert in Tampa Fl, moments into the first song. Apparently, lead singer Roger Daltrey was ailing and having vocal problems. The concert started at 8:40 p.m. and they started to play their hit "I Can't Explain" but Daltrey exited without even singing a lyric. Lead guitarist Pete Townsend and the rest of the band left the stage, he returned later to apologize to the 9,000 fans attending the concert.
Telling them that Roger was barely able to speak and he is really sick and unable to go on. A make up date of Mar. 25 has been set and refunds for the tickets can be obtained at the place of purchase. The Who are in the middle of their first reunion tour in 20 years and their first since John Entwhistle the band's bassist died in 2002.

Saturday the 21st annual Soul Train Music Awards were held in the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena Ca. Jamie Foxx, Mary J Blige. Gnarls Barkley and others were presented awards.
Jamie Foxx won best male for his album "Unpredictable" and Blige won for best female album for "The Breakthrough", Gnarls Barkley for best single from a group with "Crazy." John Legend won best male singer for "Save Room" and Beyonce won best female single for her song "Irreplaceable." Jay-Z won the Michael Jackson award for best soul or rap video for "Show me what you got" Jennifer Hudson won the Sammy Davis Jr. award for her performance in the movie "Dreamgirls" and Baby Face was presented the Stevie Wonder award for Outstanding achievement in song writing. The show was hosted by La Toya Jackson and Omarion the awards were voted on by radio station professionals, talent managers, and performers.

It was also learned this week that Brad Delp the lead singer of Boston who was found dead in his home last Friday committed suicide
A note attached to the stairs below the bathroom stated " I take complete and sole responsibility for my present situation. I have lost my desire to live," he wrote. The note also included instructions on how to contact his fiancee: "Unfortunately she is totally unaware of what I have done.". He committed suicide by placing two charcoal grills in the bathroom of his home and sealing off the door. Later police found four sealed letters in his office addressed to his fiance and his children, their mother.
Pamela Sullivan stated that he had been depressed for sometime and feeling bad about himself. Brad Delp and Sullivan were to be married this summer during a break from the bands tour.





Rock N Roll legal briefs


Paul McCartney and Heather Mills have come to an agreement in their bitter divorce battle. The couple were married in 2002 and have a child Beatrice together. It was reported that Mills was seeking $6.6 million a year or $20.000 a day but Mills dropped those demands and will received $48 million in cash and a Georgian Mansion worth $8 million.
No prenuptial agreement was signed before the two married and Mills could have walked away with a quarter of McCartney's $1.6 billion fortune. The British press have labeled Mills as a "gold digger" and to this she has replied " I fell in love unconditionally and if I was a gold digger then I'd have alot of money in my bank account and be worth millions."

An irish judge wants Eminem to appear in court following the cancellation of a 2005 performance at Slane Castle. The rapper is the subject of a $3 million compensation lawsuit filed by promoters MCD and are seeking to recoup funds from three insurance companies .
They claim they haven't been refunded their money after 80,000 tickets were voided by the cancellation of the concert by Eminem who cited "exhaustion" for the cancellation during his Anger Management Tour. Eminem has requested that he present his appeal in private but justice Peter Kelly has refused insisting the rappers contribution to the trial is "possibly crucial."


Levon Helm the former drummer of The Band is suing a Manhattan advertising firm for their use of the song "The Weight" in a television commercial.
The commercial was produced by Batten, Barton, Durstine & Osborn (BBDO) and featured in a Cingular advertisement. The lawsuit was filed in New York State's supreme court in December and Helm asks for the information on how much the commercial made and for compensation. His attorney states that law prohibits a company from using a celebrity's voice or likeness without written permission.
According to a royalty statement from EMI records who own Capitol records BBDO paid for the rights to use the song and Helm took one-fifth of the licensing fee that was paid BDO had no comment on the suit.
Helm was quoted as saying" It was just a complete sellout of The Band—its reputation, its music, just as much disrespect as you could pour on Richard and Rick's tombstones," said Helms. Richard Manual piano player for The Band died in 1986 and bass player Rick Danko died in 1999. The Band were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994.

Busta Rhymes wasn't present for the filming of the movie Order of the Redemption a crime thriller starring Tom Berenger and Rhymes . It wasn't his choice not too be present. The New York Police Department barred the rapper from the production citing "safety concerns" there are rumors that Rhymes was barred from the set because of his continued failure to cooperate with the NYPD in a murder probe of his bodyguard Israel Ramirez . He was killed by an unknown assailant in February of 2006 while Rhymes was filming a music video in Brooklyn. This incident along with recent ones involving Rhymes where he allegedly assaulted a fan for spitting on his SUV and a former driver says he was roughed up over money owed to Rhymes. Busta Rhymes has entered a plea of not guilty in both cases and his next court date is March 26. If convicted on the first count he will be charged with a misdemeanor and 30 days in jail, the second count will possibly net a fine.
The movie's producer Rob Capelli in an interview with The New York Daily News said that the decision to bar Rhymes from the set was financial because having the star on the set would require additional police detail. The movie director Jeff Celentano stated that they had permits to shoot the production in Manhattan for 14 days in early April. He also said that barring him from the set was unfair to Rhymes and that he had been nothing but professional during the project.

Courtney Love is being sued by The Beau Monde Center a southern california rehab center that treats drug and alcohol addiction. The center claims she paid $10,000 up front but hasn't paid the remaining $180,000 for the treatment she received in 2005.
The center offers massages, gourmet food and whale watching for its wealthy celebrity clientele. Love spent four months in the center and was ordered too by a Los Angeles judge because she spent months in and out of courts on drug charges and one charge of assaulting a female who is a friend of Love's ex-boyfriend.
Love's lawyer stated that there is a difference between the them over how much money is actually owed and the matter is in the process of being resolved.

That is all of the music news for the week here are the birthdays for the week of March 19-25 2007. Until next week
GET OUT OF MY HEAD !

Mar 19

Ornette Coleman (1930)
American saxophonist and composer.
He was one of the major innovators of the free jazz movement of the 1960s.

Clarence "Frogman" Henry (1937)
Blues artist

Ricky Helton Wilson ( 1953 – 1985)
the original guitarist in the rock band The B-52's,
which he helped to form in 1976. One of the
first musicians to die of HIV.

James "Big Jim" Wright ( 1966)
record producer, musician, and songwriter, producer.
Worked with Mariah Carey on her 2005 album,
The Emancipation of Mimi.

Mar 20
Dame Vera Lynn, DBE ( 1917)
British singer whose career flourished during World War II
nicknamed "The Forces' Sweetheart" and is best known for
the popular songs "We'll Meet Again"

Jerry Reed (1937)
American country music singer, country guitarist, songwriter, and actor.

Marcia Ball (1949)
American blues singer and pianist

Carl Palmer (1950)
English drummer and percussionist.
Palmer is a veteran of a number of British bands, including
The Crazy World of Arthur Brown, Atomic Rooster, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, and Asia.

Jimmie Vaughan (1951)
American blues guitarist and singe and
is the older brother of Stevie Ray Vaughan.

Slim Jim Phantom (1960)
rock drummer, best-known for his
work with the band, The Stray Cats

Chester Charles Bennington (1976)
American musician,
front man lead vocalist in the
band Linkin Park.

Nickolas Don Wheeler (1982) i
lead guitarist, sings back-up vocals, keyboardist, programmer
for The All-American Rejects

Mar 21

Eddie James House, Jr. (1902 –1988)
better known as Son House
an influential blues singer and guitarist


Roger Hodgson (1950)
British vocalist and musician
one of the founding members of
the progressive rock group Supertramp.

Jonas Berggren aka Joker (1967)
born Jonas Petter Breggren
one of the members of the
swedish group Ace of Base.

Keith "Keeti" Palmer (1967)
Member of the english band
The Prodigy.

Deryck Jayson Whibley ( 1980)
a.k.a Bizzy D
musician and producer
known for his work as the lead
vocalist and songwriter of Canadian pop
punk band Sum 41

Mar 22
Keith Relf (1943 -1976)
Lead singer and harmonica
player of The Yardbirds.

Mar 23

Ric Ocasek (1949)
former vocalist and frontman for
The Cars and a producer for several other
groups including Weezer, Bad Brains, and Suicide.

Chaka Khan (1953)
R&B singer popular during
the 70's


Damon Albarn, (1968 )
English singer-songwriter and
the lead singer of rock band Blur

Mar 24

Nena (1960)
A German singer who became famous
with the song "99 Luftballons" ("99 Red Balloons")

Dougie Thomson (1951)
Member of the band
Supertramp.


Sharon Helga Corr, MBE ( 1970)
Member of the irish rock band
The Corrs.


Mar 25

Hoyt Axton (1938 –1999)
American country music singer-songwriter,
film and television actor.

Aretha Louise Franklin (1942)
American soul, R&B, and gospel singer, songwriter

Nick Lowe (1949)
singer-songwriter
bass guitarist and producer

Sir Elton John, CBE (1947)
a multiple Grammy- and Academy Award-winning
English pop/rock singer, composer and pianist

Jeff Healey (1966)
Canadian blues-rock guitarist.

Cathy Dennis ( 1969)
dance-oriented pop singer-songwriter,
record producer and actress.

$3,400 to talk to who ?

News this week

On thursday in Tokyo fans paid ¥400,000 or $ 3,400 to talk to and meet with Michael Jackson . Many came dressed as the King of Nonesuch and there was a fan art contest judged by Jackson. Over a 100 orphans and handicapped kids were able to visit with him for free.
Although, Jackson still has a huge fan base in Japan he has kept a low profile around the rest of the world since being acquitted of child molestation charges in June of 2005 and spending most of his time in Bahrain and Ireland.
It is rumored that he is currently working on a solo album with Will I. Am of the Black Eyed Peas. The reformation of the Jackson 5 may happen. Michael will reunite with his brothers and play 250 dates in Las Vegas then tour the United States. The shows and tour are expected to make $500 million.

Britney Spears who hasn't been on the top of the charts for quite sometime may get some help from producer Timbadland who has worked with Justin Timberlake, and Nelly Furtatdo on such hits as "SexyBack" and "Maneater".
Timbadland is quoted as saying " she's got to be serious about a comeback." He has also said that he would like to have Justin Timberlake help with the production of new material. Calls from Timbandland's agent to Spears agent and label were not immediately returned.

The Dixie Chicks weren't nominated for any catagories in the upcoming Academy of Country Music Awards.
Apparently, it is because of their stand on George W. Bush. Having stated publicly that they were embarrassed about being from the same state as the president. They received five awards at the Grammy's earlier this month.

According to Van Halen's website guitarist Eddie Van Halen has entered himself into rehab because he doesn't feel himself. He also said that he will be able to give 110% in the future. Van Halen were slated to begin a reunion tour with former lead singer David Lee Roth.


Coldplay are boasting that they have written the song everybody should hear "before we die." The band has decided to return to the studio and craft a different sound than the previous album "X&Y" which has sold more than 2 million copies since being released in 2005. Chris Martin the lead singer said that for a long time people have believed that they are "black and white" but they now feel like they have an incredible job and can try new things.

LL Cool J is in talks with Chapstick to endorse the lip balm. The company believes that he can appeal more to men and increase sales.

The Beastie Boys are finishing a new album which will hopefully be out this summer. It will be their first since the 2004 release "To the 5 Burroughs."

Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey turned some heads in Nashville while filming scenes for the upcoming movie "Tennessee."

The R&B diva is playing an aspiring country signer who flees her controlling husband in New Mexico by moving to Nashville with two brothers.

Last week, she sang at the downtown honky-tonk Second Fiddle. She co-wrote "Right To Dream" with Willie Nelson and performed it with Nelson's harmonica player, Mickey Raphael.

"People were weeping on the crew when she sang it," director Aaron Woodley told The Tennessean. "It's very moving, especially in the context of the film and her character."

Earlier, they shot on location in Dunlap, about 20 miles north of Chattanooga, and at Cumberland Caverns in McMinnville. Later they filmed some train scenes on trips between Nashville and Lebanon.

"There I am, sitting on the edge of a boxcar with Mariah Carey, breezing through town," Woodley said. "We slowed down to go over a bridge, and there were people sitting in cars. I think they did a double-take: 'I swear I just saw Mariah Carey on a boxcar.'(AP wire)



In celebrity legal news

Sean Combs now known as just "Diddy" is being sued. A man claims that Combs was talking to his girlfriend outside a Hollywood nightclub last week and as he approached them Combs punched and yelled obscenities at him. Police are investigating but couldn't confirm that the incident actually took place so Combs wasn't charged. Sean Combs lawyer says it is another case of someone trying to take advantage of a celebrity. The lawsuit filed by the man seeks unspecified pain suffering and punitive damages.
A side note to Sean Combs and one of his former associates. This past week wass the 11th anniversary of the death of the Notorius B.I.G. who was born Christopher Wallace.He was artist with Bad Boy Records fronted by Combs. Wallace was gunned down on March 6, 1996 in Los Angeles after attending the Source Awards. His murder remains unsolved to this day. However, he released a greatest hits album this past week which contained no new material.



Bobby Brown who spent three days in a Norfolk county Mass. jail for not paying child support. He was eventually bailed out by a Washington D.C. radio station because he was to be an employee of the station for a week. It was learned this week he will not be appearing on the station after all. The reason wasn't given as to why Brown won't show his gratitude.

John Popper of Blues Traveler was arrested tuesday afternoon for going 111 mph on Interstate 90 near Spokane, Wa. Police found various weapons inside hidden compartments of the vehicle. They also found a stun gun, night vision goggles and a small amount of marijuana in the black Mercedes SUV that had flashing emergency lights, siren and a p.a. system. Popper said that he had these items installed because "in the event of a natural disaster, he didn't want to be left behind." Police impounded the vehicle and the items. Popper and the driver were taken to jail but were released on their own recognizance. Authorities are going to charge them with possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia
John Popper had a hit a few years ago with "Runaround" when he was with the band Blues Traveler. Recently, he formed the band The John Popper Project with DJ Logic they released an album in 2006.

Fabian the 50's and 60's teen hearthrob singer had a couple of close calls last weekend. He was in a car crash with his daughter and manager near Palm Springs, Ca on friday. A vehicle sideswiped the vehicle they were riding in it rolled a few times but no one was hurt. Later at the Spotlight Casino while performing with Frankie Avalon he fell of the stage and scraped his chin.


The premiere of "Three days in the Life" a documentary about John Lennon was cancelled by lawyers of Yoko Ono. The footage of the documentary was shot inside Lennon's apartment in 1970 . It details the two months before the Beatles broke up . It was to be screened at Berwich Academy a private school in southern Maine. Apparently, the executive producer of the documentary Ray Thomas didn't receive a release for the copyright of the film and planned to show it for free at the academy. However, Ono's lawyers said that was even forbidden so the screening was cancelled completely

Money Death,Money, Death
Courtney Love who recently sold her share of Nirvana's songs is profiting from the band's song "Breed" which will be featured on the new MLB 2k7. Kurt Cobain continues to make money 13 years after his death.


James Brown who died on December 25th, 2006 has finally been laid to rest. His body was kept at an undisclosed location while his former wife and his family fought over his estate.
Seems that the current widow of the singer was apparently still legally married to someone else when she married Brown. The family cites this as a reason why she shouldn't get a piece of his estate. Brown's body was finally placed in a crypt on saturday.
The crypt is locaton on the Brown familys Beech Island home in South Carolina. The family also plan to build a larger mausoleum similar to "Graceland" in the future.


The "Big Bopper" J.P. Richardson's body was exhumed recently. In 1959 near Mason, Iowa he died with Buddy Holly and Richie Valens in a plane crash. It has been rumored for years that a gun found near Buddy Holly was fired on that flight and may have caused the crash . It was also rumored that RIchardson may have lived for awhile after the crash and died trying to find help.
However, a forensic expert at the University of Tennessee found massive fractures on Richardson's body from head to toe which proved that he died on impact. This also proved that pilot error was responsible for the crash. Richardson's body was reburied in the same cemetery but in a different plot and there is a plan to place a statue at the grave-site.

Brad Delph of the band Boston died suddenly on friday March 9 at age 55 in his Atkinson, NH home. Details of his death are not know but foul play wasn't suspected. He was with the band from 1976-2007 and sang on such hits as "More than a feeling." and "Longtime." The band Boston recently released an album and had taken a break from their recent tour. The band's website was taken down and replaced with Delph's picture and the words "we just lost the nicest guy in rock n roll."




I will try to end this on a happy note by listing the birthdays this week of
March 11-18, 2007

Mar 12
Al Jarreau (1940),
b. Alwyn Jarreau
Jazz Singer
famous for singing the
theme song to the
t.v. show "Moonlighting"

Liza May Minnelli (1946)
Judy Garland's little girl
and famous for her
performance in "Cabaeret"

James Taylor (1948)
Famous for many hits
during the 70's such as
"Fire and Rain"
married to Carly SImon for
a short time.


Stephen Harris (1956)
Known as just "Arry" to
his fans. Bassist, songwriter
of the heavy metal band Iron Maiden.

Marlon David Jackson (1957)
Member of The Jackson 5

Graham Coxon (1969)
Former guitarist
for the Britpop band
"Blur"

March 13

Jan Howard (1930 )
born Lula Grace Johnson
was one of the trail-blazing
country music female vocalists of the 1960s.



Liz Anderson (1930)
born Elizabeth Jane Haaby
Country music singer songwriter
wrote the Merle Haggard song
"The Fugitive" and "Strangers"
she is also the mother of
Lynn Anderson who had
the hit "I never promised you
a rose garden."


Erma Franklin ( 1938 – 2002)
soul, rhythm and blues, pop singer
recorded the original version of
"Piece of My Heart" later covered
by Janis Joplin

Neil Sedaka (1939)
Singer, songwriter
who had the hits
"Breaking up is hard to do"
"Calendar Girl."


Michael Martin Murphey (1945)
Country music singer
had hits in the 70's such
as "Wildfire"


Adam Charles Clayton (1960)
Bassist for the Irish rock band
U2.

Common (1972)
born Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr
Chicago based rapper, songwriter.

David Draiman (1973 )
The lead singer for the
band Disturbed,

Ed Sloan, (1973)
the lead vocalist and guitarist
of the metal group Crossfade

Spanky G (1979)
Born Michael Joseph Guthier
former drummer of the band
The Bloodhound Gang.

Mar 14

Les Brown, Sr. ( 1912 – 2001)
Known for Les Brown
the Band of Renown

Lee Hays ( 1914 - 1981)
American folk-singer and songwriter,
known for singing bass with
the Weavers.

Phil Phillips (1931)
born John Phillip Baptiste
singer and songwriter best known for
his 1959 hit "Sea of Love."

Quincy Jones (1933)
music impresario, conductor
record producer, musical arranger,
film composer and trumpeter

Rick Dees (1950)
Born Rigdon Ogden Dees
radio disc jockey who is
best known for his syndicated radio show
Rick Dees Weekly Top 40 and
the novelty song "Disco Duck."

Taylor Hanson (1983 )
one of the singers
in the band Hanson

March 15
Harry James ( 1916 – 1983)
Band leader during the Big Band Era.

Phillip Lesh (1940 )
musician and founding member
of the rock band
Grateful Dead

Mike Love (1941)
singer and songwriter
of The Beach Boys.

Ryland "Ry" Peter Cooder (1947)
American musician collaborates with various
musicians from other countries.

Dee Snider (1955)
born David Daniel Snider
Lead singer of "Twisted Sister"

Bret Michaels (1963)
Born Bret Michael Sychak
lead vocalist of
the glam metal band Poison.



Mark McGrath (1968)
the lead singer of rock band Sugar Ray
and currently hosts the television tabloid Extra.

Mark Hoppus (1972)
one of the three founding members of
the pop punk band blink-182

Wil. I Am( 1975)
Born William James Adams
hip-hop musician and founding member of The Black Eyed Peas

Sid Wilson ( 1978 )
DJ for the
group Slipknot.

March 16
Fred Neil ( 1936 – 2001)
American blues and folk singer
songwriter in the 1960s and early 1970s.
He is best remembered for writing the
top 40 hits "Candy Man" by Roy Orbison
"Everybody's Talkin'" by Nilsson

Jerry Jeff Walker (1942)
Born Ronald Clyde Crosby
a country music singer.

Nancy Wilson ( 1954)
singer and guitarist who formed
the band "Heart" with her sister
Ann. She is also married to
Cameron Crowe.

Flavor Flav (1959)
Born William Dayton
Rap artist and television star
founding member of the influential
politically conscious hip hop group Public Enemy



March 17


Billy Corgan (1967)
lead guitarist, and songwriter
for the rock band
Smashing Pumpkins

Melissa Auf der Maur (1972)
Canadian rock musician
and former bass player
of the band "Hole" and
Smashing Pumpkins.

Caroline Corr, MBE ( 1973)
drummer for the folk-rock band
The Corrs

Justin Hawkins ( 1975)
former lead guitarist and
singer of The Darkness.

Mar 18

Wilson Pickett (1941 – 2006)

Irene Cara (1959)
Known for the hit song
"What a feeling' from the movie
"Flashdance."


James McMurtry (1962)
folk music singer-songwriter
and the son of novelist Larry McMurtry.

Vanessa Williams ( 1963)
R&B/Pop/theatrical singer and actress

Jerry Cantrell ( 1966)
guitarist, singer, songwriter
with the band
Alice in Chains

Miki Berenyi (1967)
former lead singer
of the English band
Lush.

Queen Latifah (1970)
Born Dana Owens
One of the first female rappers.
Actor and spokesperson for
Maybelline.







Well that is all the news in music this week Until next week

GET OUT OF MY HEAD !