Music News
1. Kidman birth adds to Nashville's image as oasis
By JOHN GEROME - July 8, 2008
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Nicole Kidman has described Nashville as a quiet escape, a nice place to raise a garden or grab coffee without photographers in tow.So it really shouldn't be a surprise that it's also where she and husband Keith Urban chose to have their first...
2. Leonard Cohen returns to Montreux stage
By Associated Press - July 8, 2008
MONTREUX, Switzerland -- Leonard Cohen returned to the Montreux Jazz Festival on Tuesday for his first concert here in 23 years.Cohen, who played favorite old songs "Suzanne" and the much-covered "Hallelujah," as well as the lesser-known "The Future," is on his first...
3. LA prosecutors charge Nate Dogg with stalking
By Associated Press - July 8, 2008
LOS ANGELES -- Prosecutors have filed felony charges against Nate Dogg, who authorities suspect threatened and stalked his wife.The rapper, whose real name is Nathaniel Dwayne Hale, was charged Monday. He was arrested last month by the California Highway Patrol after his...
4. Fertile country: Babies linked to Colo. festival
By Associated Press - July 8, 2008
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. -- The effects of an annual music festival in Grand Junction, Colo., may appear months after the last act plays -- nine months, to be precise.A health official says her agency sees far more pregnant women in the weeks after Country Jam, which was...
5. Conductor James Levine to have kidney removed
By RONALD BLUM - July 8, 2008
NEW YORK -- James Levine will have a kidney removed in surgery this week, causing the conductor to miss the remainder of the Boston Symphony Orchestra's Tanglewood season.The 65-year-old music director of both the BSO and the Metropolitan Opera will need six weeks of...
6. Britney Spears to film footage for Madonna tour
By Associated Press - July 8, 2008
NEW YORK -- Madonna has recruited Britney Spears for a virtual appearance on her upcoming tour."There is footage being shot of Britney some time this week in conjunction with Madonna's upcoming (Sticky & Sweet) tour," Madonna's publicist, Liz Rosenberg, said in an e-mail...
7. Scalpers ask $1,500 for free Bon Jovi concert
By Associated Press - July 8, 2008
NEW YORK -- Bon Jovi's concert in Central Park this Saturday is free. But that isn't stopping some scalpers from selling tickets for as much as $1,500 a pair -- despite a warning they cannot be resold.New York City has distributed 60,000 tickets, with each person limited...
8. Original Village People policeman in hospital
By Associated Press - July 8, 2008
LOS ANGELES -- Former Village People lead singer Victor Willis is recovering from vocal cord surgery and has postponed his tour.Willis, the band's original policeman, is resting in a San Diego hospital after surgery Monday to remove nodules from his vocal cords,...
9. Ringo Starr celebrates 68th birthday in Chicago
By Associated Press - July 7, 2008
CHICAGO -- Ringo Starr celebrated his 68th birthday in Chicago giving out messages of peace and love, along with dessert. Fans surrounded the former Beatles drummer Monday as he waited for the clock to strike noon the Hard Rock Hotel. Then he flashed peace signs with...
10. Soprano Joan Sutherland hospitalized after fall
By ELIANE ENGELER - July 7, 2008
GENEVA -- Opera legend Joan Sutherland is recovering well after breaking both legs during a fall at her Swiss home, her agent said Monday. "She had an accident while doing the gardening, and somehow managed to break both her legs," agent David Sigall said. The...
11. Benny and Bjorn: no ABBA reunion
By Associated Press - July 7, 2008
LONDON -- Despite the astonishing success of the stage musical "Mamma Mia!," ABBA has ruled out any reunion tour. Songwriters Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson of the Swedish pop quartet told Britain's Sunday Telegraph that ABBA will never perform together...
12. Publicist says Kidman has given birth to girl
By JOHN GEROME - July 7, 2008
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- As with most new parents, Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban might have difficulty telling what day it is. No matter. From here on out, they'll have a little Sunday every day. The Oscar-winning actress and her country-star husband welcomed a baby girl on...
13. La Scala Philharmonic to make China debut Sept. 12
By Associated Press - July 7, 2008
MILAN, Italy -- La Scala's Philharmonic orchestra will make its debut in China during a seven-concert, six-city Asian tour in September.The Philharmonic will perform in Shanghai on September 12th and in Beijing on September 13th.The tour of Japan, South Korea and China...
14. Essence Festival wraps up in New Orleans
By CHEVEL JOHNSON - July 6, 2008
NEW ORLEANS -- The Essence Music Festival wrapped up its 14th year Sunday night, which was marked by the return of Grammy Award-winner Mary J. Blige and comedian Chris Rock.The Louisiana Superdome was even more packed than it was Saturday as Blige appeared once again at...
15. Audience rolls down tracks during "Die Soldaten"
By RONALD BLUM - July 6, 2008
NEW YORK -- The opening note of Bernd Alois Zimmermann's "Die Soldaten" has to be the most moving in opera when heard in David Pountney's production: The 974-seat bleacher containing the audience slowly starts to roll down train tracks in the Park Avenue Armory's Drill...
16. White Stripes' White pens poem about Detroit
By Associated Press - July 6, 2008
DETROIT -- Singer-guitarist Jack White has penned a poem expressing his strong feelings for Detroit to clear up any misconceptions about how the White Stripes frontman feels about his hometown.White said he was frustrated by a sense that his thoughts about the Motor City...
17. Man claims assault by Eminem in 2006 in Detroit
By Associated Press - July 4, 2008
PONTIAC, Mich. -- A man has sued Eminem, claiming the rapper punched him two years ago while they were in the bathroom of a Detroit strip club.The Detroit News reports Miad Jarbou of Royal Oak filed the lawsuit Thursday in Oakland County Circuit Court seeking more than $...
18. Workers at Milan's La Scala plan strike
By Associated Press - July 4, 2008
MILAN, Italy -- Workers at Milan's famed La Scala opera house say they will stage a strike next week that will cancel the first three performances of Franco Zeffirelli's production of "La Boheme."Union representative Giancarlo Albori said Friday that the strike will...
19. Barbershop faces a discord among members
By Associated Press - July 4, 2008
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- As thousands of singers converge on Nashville for an international convention of barbershop harmony music, the old-fashioned music style is facing discord among its fans.The 70-year-old Barbershop Harmony Society moved to Tennessee last year from...
20. Paisley says working with Griffith a highlight
By Associated Press - July 3, 2008
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Brad Paisley says he got to mark a biggie off his wish list when Andy Griffith agreed to be in the video for his new single, "Waitin' On a Woman.""He has influenced my life more than most people that I grew up with -- more than most people that I...
21. Just how close 'friends' are Madonna and A-Rod?
By JAKE COYLE - July 3, 2008
NEW YORK -- A-Rod and the Material Girl? That's a lot of hits. Reports that Yankees superstar Alex Rodriguez and Madonna have become close just as their marriages are disintegrating have both the celebrity gossip industry and the sporting world -- each a chatty bunch --...
22. Donna Summer adds sweet sounds to summer tour
By MARGIE SZAROLETA - July 3, 2008
WASHINGTON -- Donna Summer says she approached her summer tour like a chocolate-chip cookie.The 59-year-old singer said that for the first time, she is incorporating all the music from a new album and most of her hits into the show. In the past, she's used just a few new...
23. Springsteen remembers NJ boardwalk fortuneteller
By Associated Press - July 3, 2008
ASBURY PARK, N.J. -- Bruce Springsteen is paying tribute to a boardwalk fortuneteller he made famous in a song.Madam Marie Castello, who told fortunes on the Asbury Park Boardwalk in New Jersey, died recently. She was 93.Springsteen wrote about her in his 1973 song "4th...
24. Kylie Minogue honored at Buckingham Palace
By Associated Press - July 3, 2008
LONDON -- Britain has honored Australian singer Kylie Minogue for her services to music. The 40-year-old pop star received an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, or OBE, from Prince Charles during a ceremony Thursday at Buckingham Palace in London. She was...
25. Chevy Chase to host Newport Jazz Festival again
By Associated Press - July 2, 2008
NEWPORT, R.I. -- Live from Newport: it's Chevy Chase. Chase, the comic actor and original cast member of "Saturday Night Live," will host the Newport Jazz Festival for the second year in a row. The JVC Jazz Festival-Newport runs Aug. 8-10 at the International Tennis...
26. 2008 Essence Music Festival begins Friday
By STACEY PLAISANCE - July 2, 2008
NEW ORLEANS -- From her rebuilt but not yet fully furnished home, Irma Thomas anchors her faith in the rebirth of New Orleans to the return of the Essence Music Festival.The festival, which runs Friday to Sunday, celebrates black music and culture and moved to Houston in...
27. DMX arrested in Phoenix on outstanding warrants
By Associated Press - July 2, 2008
PHOENIX -- DMX has been arrested at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport on outstanding warrants. Maricopa County Sheriff's Department spokesman Aaron Douglas says the rapper, 37, was taken into custody Wednesday morning after arriving from Florida. DMX (real name:...
28. Milan opera house workers threaten strike
By Associated Press - July 2, 2008
MILAN, Italy -- Workers at La Scala opera house in Milan are threatening to stage a strike next week that would cancel the first three performances of "La Boheme."But union representative Giancarlo Albori said Wednesday that talks with management were still going on. He...
29. Matthews Band sax player injured in ATV wreck
By Associated Press - July 1, 2008
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- Dave Matthews Band sax player LeRoi Moore is recovering from an ATV accident on his Virginia farm. According to the band's Web site, Moore was taken to the University of Virginia Health System for treatment after the Monday wreck in...
30. Rape charge dropped against Poison drummer
By CHRIS TALBOTT - July 1, 2008
JACKSON, Miss. -- A rape charge against Rikki Rockett has been dropped after authorities determined that the Poison drummer was not in the state at the time of the alleged crime. Authorities say they are now looking for a man with a history of passing himself off as a...
31. Musicians Hall of Fame announces new inductees
By Associated Press - July 1, 2008
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Booker T. and the MGs, the Memphis Horns and the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section will become the newest members of the Musicians Hall of Fame.Musician and producer Al Kooper, producer Billy Sherrill and Buddy Holly's band the Crickets also will be...
32. T.I. turns to civil rights icon as mentor
By JONATHAN LANDRUM Jr. - July 1, 2008
ATLANTA -- When he was growing up, most of T.I.'s male role models were either selling drugs or locked up in jail; he ended up following in both of those paths. Even after T.I. started his rap career and became one of its biggest stars, he didn't abandon a life of crime:...
33. Manahan to stay at NYC Opera through 2011-12
By Associated Press - July 1, 2008
NEW YORK -- Conductor George Manahan will remain a music director of the New York City Opera under incoming general manager Gerard Mortier, agreeing to a four-year contract through the 2011-12 season.Manahan, 56, was hired as music director in 1996, effective with the...
34. `The Fly' opera is buzz of Paris season
By ANGELA DOLAND - July 1, 2008
PARIS -- Be afraid, be very afraid: David Cronenberg's 1986 horror flick, "The Fly," has undergone a bizarre metamorphosis. It's now an opera.The new incarnation, with tenor Placido Domingo conducting a score by Oscar-winning composer Howard Shore ("The Lord of the...
35. Bayreuth's Wagner festival will offer opera online
By PATRICK McGROARTY - July 1, 2008
BERLIN -- Germany's annual Bayreuth opera festival is going digital, streaming video and audio of its opening performance of "Die Meistersinger von Nuernberg" live via the Internet. The catch is the price -- $77.Organizers hope the online screening will draw new fans to...
36. Tavira, one-handed violinist, dies at 84
By ALEXANDRA OLSON - July 1, 2008
MEXICO CITY -- Angel Tavira, a one-handed violinist who dedicated his life to Mexican folk music and won a Cannes Film Festival award for his first movie at age 82, has died. He was 84. Tavira died of kidney problems Monday in a Mexico City hospital, said Eugenia...
37. Fire at Madonna's childhood home called suspicious
By Associated Press - June 30, 2008
ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. -- A weekend fire that destroyed a childhood home of Madonna has been deemed suspicious by arson investigators. The Oakland County Sheriff's Arson Unit and the Rochester Hills Fire Department are investigating the Friday night blaze. A passer-by...
38. Opera manager Edgar Vincent dead at 90
By RONALD BLUM - June 30, 2008
NEW YORK -- Edgar Vincent, who represented Placido Domingo, Beverly Sills, Mikhail Baryshnikov and a bevy of stars in classical music during a six-decade career, died Thursday following an operation in New York. He was 90.Vincent died at Lenox Hill Hospital, Patrick...
39. Pavarotti widow, daughters agree on inheritance
By Associated Press - June 30, 2008
MILAN, Italy -- A lawyer for Luciano Pavarotti's widow says his family has come to a friendly agreement on how to divide up his estate. Pavarotti had drafted two wills near the end of his yearlong battle with cancer. One divided his assets by Italian law, giving half to...
40. Bon Jovi helps bring down a house in Detroit
By Associated Press - June 30, 2008
DETROIT -- Jon Bon Jovi is giving some people who are living on a prayer something a bit more substantial.The Grammy winner was in a neighborhood on Detroit's East Side Monday to announce the building of five new homes as part of a partnership among his Philadelphia Soul...
41. Hall, Statler Brothers join country Hall of Fame
By Associated Press - June 29, 2008
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Tom T. Hall and the Statler Brothers were formally inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame with a musical tribute. Spokeswoman Tina Wright says the two-hour ceremony was held Sunday at the hall. This year's two other inductees -- Emmylou Harris...
42. Heppner trying on Siegfried in Aix-en-Provence
By MIKE SILVERMAN - June 29, 2008
AIX-EN-PROVENCE, France -- When tenor Ben Heppner wanted to try the grueling role of Tristan for the first time back in 1997, he chose a spot that he described as "off the beaten path."Those first performances in Seattle were a huge success, and he has gone on to portray...
43. Award-winning pianist Leonard Pennario dies at 83
By Associated Press - June 28, 2008
LOS ANGELES -- Leonard Pennario, a Grammy-winning pianist and best-selling classical recording artist, has died. He was 83. Pennario died Friday at his home in San Diego of complications from Parkinson's disease, said his biographer, Mary Kunz Goldman. Pennario won a...
44. Steven Tyler tells AP: Rehab was for meds
By JOHN CARUCCI - June 27, 2008
NEW YORK -- Steven Tyler sought the "safe environment" of rehab last month to recover from more than just surgery -- the Aerosmith frontman now says was fighting a dependency on pain and sleep medication."To have your feet done, to have your leg done, you have to be on...
45. Statler Brothers: Hall honor is tops
By Associated Press - June 27, 2008
STAUNTON, Va. -- Brothers Harold and Don Reid of the country and gospel group the Statler Brothers are coming clean about which career award meant the most."This one has knocked us on our behinds," Don Reid told The Associated Press about the group's induction into the...
46. Stars gather for Nelson Mandela birthday show
By JILL LAWLESS - June 27, 2008
LONDON -- Queen, Leona Lewis, Amy Winehouse and a host of African stars joined tens of thousands of music fans Friday to salute Nelson Mandela at a concert honoring the South African statesman's 90th birthday.The outdoor show in London's Hyde Park opened in eclectic...
47. Police: Ohio man accused of stalking teen singers
By Associated Press - June 27, 2008
LANCASTER, Ohio -- A man accused of stalking and threatening the teen sister act known as Aly & AJ sent e-mail and handwritten notes to the singing duo, police said Friday.Rex Mettler, 42, of Lancaster, obtained contact information for the sisters and also made threats...
48. Lil Wayne joins Voodoo festival lineup
By Associated Press - June 26, 2008
NEW ORLEANS -- Rapper Lil Wayne is the latest addition to the lineup for this year's Voodoo Experience in the rapper's native New Orleans.The musical celebration will feature dozens of acts on six stages in October. The lineup already includes R.E.M., Nine Inch Nails,...
49. Donda West surgeon arrested in California for DUI
By Associated Press - June 26, 2008
VALLEJO, Calif. -- The plastic surgeon who operated on Kanye West's mother before she died last fall has been arrested on suspicion of drunken driving. Police said Dr. Jan Adams was seen using an off-ramp to get on a freeway early Thursday in the Northern California...
50. Wonder talks about tour, inspirations, Obama
By NEKESA MUMBI MOODY - June 26, 2008
NEW YORK -- Stevie Wonder is fidgeting with his camera phone, embarrassed because he can't get it to work right.But wait, it's not what you think.Wonder is trying to show a reporter how the device helps him "see" written documents; moments later, the blind superstar...
51. Dixie Hummingbirds' Ira Tucker Sr. dies
By Associated Press - June 26, 2008
PHILADELPHIA -- Ira Tucker Sr., longtime lead singer of the gospel group the Dixie Hummingbirds, which influenced many other performers and backed up Paul Simon on "Loves Me Like a Rock," has died. He was 83. Tucker had severe heart problems and died Tuesday in...
52. Mindy McCready charged with violating probation
By Associated Press - June 26, 2008
FRANKLIN, Tenn. -- Mindy McCready has been arrested in Tennessee and charged with violating her probation. Authorities accuse the 32-year-old country singer of falsifying her community service records. Williamson County Sheriff's Department officer Charlotte Spencer...
53. Trouble finds Tim McGraw at Washington show
By Associated Press - June 25, 2008
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- If Tim McGraw isn't looking for trouble, it must've been looking for him. Fan video shot Tuesday in Auburn, Wash., shows the country singer help eject an unruly fan. McGraw shouts "Get rid of this guy," summons security and helps arriving crew...
54. Musician Shawn Colvin working on memoir
By Associated Press - June 25, 2008
NEW YORK -- Shawn Colvin, the Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter, is working on a memoir, "A Few Small Repairs," named for her best-known album and tentatively scheduled to come out in the fall 2009. According to HarperCollins, the book "will finally allow all of...
55. Kid Rock jokingly urges fans to `steal everything'
By Associated Press - June 25, 2008
DETROIT -- Kid Rock wants fans to know it's OK to illegally download his music. And while they're at it, they should steal cars, designer clothes and iPods, too. Well, maybe not. The 37-year-old Detroit musician posted a "special announcement" on YouTube last week...
56. Kanye West rails against Bonnaroo criticism
By JAKE COYLE - June 25, 2008
NEW YORK -- Kanye West defended himself from criticism over his delayed performance at Bonnaroo, saying on his blog that the flak he's taken has left him "the most offended I've ever been." West's performance at the Tennessee festival was scheduled for 2:45 a.m. in the...
57. Cher harassed at Nashville club, man is arrested
By Associated Press - June 25, 2008
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- A Nashville man has been charged with disorderly conduct and public intoxication after he repeatedly harassed Cher at the famed honky-tonk Tootsies Orchid Lounge. Police say 36-year-old Calvin Hutton Houghland tried to make contact with Cher early...
58. Jazz legend's home saved from foreclosure, for now
By MANUEL VALDES - June 25, 2008
SEATTLE -- Jazz vocalist Ernestine Anderson's home has been saved from foreclosure -- for now. Thanks, in part, to music legend Quincy Jones and contemporary jazz artist Diane Schuur.More than $43,000 poured in -- including donations from Jones and Schuur -- after recent...
59. 'Viva La Vida' has second-best debut of '08
By Associated Press - June 24, 2008
LOS ANGELES -- Coldplay's new album is already living the life."Viva La Vida" will debut at No. 1 on The Billboard 200 album chart with over 720,000 copies sold in its first week, the second-best opening week of 2008, according to the trade magazine's Web site. Lil...
60. Nelson Mandela in London for birthday bash
By Associated Press - June 23, 2008
LONDON -- Nelson Mandela is in London for a week of events to celebrate his 90th birthday. The former South African president's plane landed at Heathrow Airport Monday morning. He is due to attend an outdoor concert in his honor in Hyde Park on Friday. Performers...
61. Good Vibrations: Brian Wilson joins Newport lineup
By Associated Press - June 23, 2008
NEWPORT, R.I. -- The Newport Folk Festival is picking up good vibrations. The festival producers plan to announce Monday that Brian Wilson, a founding member of the Beach Boys, is joining the festival's lineup. He'll headline an evening performance on Aug. 1 at the...
62. Nuge sells game trophies as he plans another move
By Associated Press - June 22, 2008
WACO, Texas -- Ted Nugent is moving, but he doesn't need to hunt very hard for a new pad. He's moving back to an old one -- and has some stuff to unload first. The transplanted Detroit rocker held an estate sale in Texas over the weekend, peddling big game trophies to...
63. Prizes awarded in global music contest held in LA
By Associated Press - June 22, 2008
LOS ANGELES -- More than $250,000 in prizes were announced Sunday after a weeklong competition that mingled features from "American Idol" with the world of classical music.Top prizes of $50,000 in the Jose Iturbi International Music Competition were awarded to soprano...
64. Father: Winehouse suffers lung, heart ailments
By Associated Press - June 22, 2008
LONDON -- Amy Winehouse's father says his daughter has lung damage from smoking crack cocaine and cigarettes.Mitch Winehouse told the Sunday Mirror newspaper Amy has early stage emphysema and has been warned that she will have to wear an oxygen mask unless she stops...
65. High fuel prices put brakes on indie band tours
By JASON DEAREN - June 22, 2008
SAN FRANCISCO -- Steven Garcia pulled into a Houston gas station recently to fill up the old Dodge van his punk band uses on summer tours.For months, the 23-year-old singer-guitarist had been budgeting money and booking show dates for Something Fierce's third tour -- but...
66. Ramsey Lewis to compose work on Lincoln
By Associated Press - June 20, 2008
HIGHLAND PARK, Ill. -- Add a musical composition to all the tributes at next year's 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth.Ramsey Lewis has been commissioned to compose a new work inspired by Lincoln's life. It's being commissioned by the Ravinia Festival, a...
67. Handel with care: Zurich `Rinaldo' set in airport
By RONALD BLUM - June 20, 2008
ZURICH, Switzerland -- The new jet-set production of Handel's "Rinaldo" at the Zurich Opera left a large segment of the audience pretty much dumbfounded.Director Jens-Daniel Herzog shifted the action from Jerusalem around the time of the First Crusade (1096-1099) to an...
68. R.E.M. debuts new video clip at concert
By NEKESA MUMBI MOODY - June 20, 2008
NEW YORK -- Michael Stipe thinks the music video is a "dead medium" -- but the R.E.M. singer still wants the band's songs to be accompanied by some kind of visuals.So instead of hiring a top video director to create a clip for their new song "Man-Sized Wreath," they...
69. Poison sues label over royalties
By Associated Press - June 19, 2008
LOS ANGELES -- Members of Poison say their record label has consistently underpaid them royalties throughout their career, according to a lawsuit filed Wednesday. The lawsuit against Capitol Records and EMI Music Marketing claims the companies breached contracts with...
70. Rockers Poison sue label over royalties
By Associated Press - June 19, 2008
LOS ANGELES -- Members of the rock band Poison claim their recording label has consistently underpaid royalties to the group throughout their career, according to a lawsuit.The suit, filed Wednesday against Capitol Records and EMI Music Marketing, says the companies...
71. World may succumb to My Morning Jacket's 'Evil Urges'
By NEKESA MUMBI MOODY - June 19, 2008
NEW YORK -- The change in My Morning Jacket from their last studio album, the breakthrough "Z," to their latest, "Evil Urges," is not drastic: It's not as if they brought in Timbaland to overhaul their sound or abandoned their scruffy look for more fashionable...
72. Hancock, Schneider take top honors at Jazz Awards ceremony
By CHARLES J. GANS - June 19, 2008
NEW YORK -- Pianist Herbie Hancock was honored as musician of the year at the Jazz Awards, just months after he took home the best album Grammy for "River: The Joni Letters," but the big winner was Maria Schneider, who won four trophies. Schneider's big band CD "Sky...
73. Former home of Johnny Cash's parents on eBay
By Associated Press - June 19, 2008
HENDERSONVILLE, Tenn. -- The former Tennessee home of Johnny Cash's parents is on sale for $1.4 million -- and that includes a gold record from "The Man in Black." Johnny Cash's brother, Tommy, says Ray and Carrie Cash relocated there from California in 1969 and lived...
74. Rapper Young Jeezy charged with DUI in Atlanta
By Associated Press - June 18, 2008
ATLANTA -- Rapper Young Jeezy was charged with driving under the influence and speeding after he was pulled over on an Atlanta highway early Wednesday. The multi-platinum-selling artist, whose real name is Jay Jenkins, was driving a Corvette when he was stopped about...
75. Thalia unveils new album `Lunada'
By SIGAL RATNER-ARIAS - June 18, 2008
NEW YORK -- Thalia started to give birth to her new album while she was eight months' pregnant with her daughter."I had had it," the singer told The Associated Press before a party Tuesday at a Manhattan nightclub to unveil her new work. "And the only thing I could think...
76. Harry Potter devotees put wizard tales to music
By ALAN SCHER ZAGIER - June 18, 2008
POTOSI, Mo. -- Jen Leffler first escaped into the world of Harry Potter as an adolescent in suburban Chicago. A decade later, the love affair continues. Only now, it means taking road trips to concerts across the country.Inspired by the characters and story lines from...
77. Tom Waits returns to the road with searing two-hour set
By SANDY COHEN - June 18, 2008
PHOENIX -- Tom Waits doesn't play live very often, so when he does, it's an event.The elusive musician began his Glitter and Doom tour Tuesday with a searing two-hour set that traipsed through his 20-album catalog. The show at the Orpheum Theater is the first of 28 Waits...
78. Bono, Bob Geldof press G-8 on aid to Africa
By Associated Press - June 18, 2008
PARIS -- Bono, Bob Geldof and other celebrities pressed the world's wealthiest countries Wednesday to come through with more pledged financial aid for Africa. The Irish rock stars-turned-activists presented a new report that found the Group of Eight countries have...
79. J.Lo performs at elementary school graduation
By Associated Press - June 18, 2008
NEW YORK -- Students at a Staten Island, New York, elementary school for autistic children sure like the way Jennifer Lopez moves.Teacher Kathy Amati and a paraprofessional showed the video for Lopez's "Let's Get Loud" to the students at P.S. 37. The children liked it so...
80. Toby Keith fundraiser brings in $709,000
By Associated Press - June 17, 2008
NORMAN, Okla. -- Toby Keith's annual fundraiser for families of children with cancer raised $709,000 this year. The money goes to Ally's House, a charity started after original band member Scott Webb's 2-year-old daughter, Allison, died of kidney cancer in 2003. The...
81. Dudamel to lead Israel Philharmonic on US tour
By Associated Press - June 17, 2008
NEW YORK -- Venezuela's acclaimed young conductor Gustavo Dudamel will lead the Israel Philharmonic on a seven-city tour of America to help celebrate the Jewish state's 60th anniversary.The orchestra said Tuesday it will perform eight concerts during the Nov. 15-24 tour....
82. Ludacris is busy building his resume
By MESFIN FEKADU - June 17, 2008
NEW YORK -- Ludacris is following the footsteps of P. Diddy and Jay-Z with a laundry list of projects, including a Web site, acting gigs and a show on the Planet Green network."It's my responsibility with the power that I have to show different sides of myself, not only...
83. Calif. man claims singer Eddy Arnold was father
By TRAVIS LOLLER - June 17, 2008
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- A California man has filed a petition asking a Nashville court to order DNA testing he believes will prove the late singer Eddy Arnold was his father. Christopher Edward Tanner, 47, of Anaheim, Calif., said that he submitted the request last week for...
84. Opera attendance suffers from soccer championship
By Associated Press - June 17, 2008
VIENNA, Austria -- The renowned Vienna State Opera canceled one performance and complained about dismal attendance at another, blaming the European soccer championship being played in the Austrian capital.Performances are usually nearly sold out, but the opera house said...
85. Taylor Dayne pleads no contest to reckless driving
By Associated Press - June 17, 2008
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. -- Taylor Dayne has pleaded no contest to a reckless driving charge in connection with her March 6 arrest. Beverly Hills Superior Court Judge Richard Stone ordered the entertainer to serve two years' probation and complete a Mothers Against Drunk...
86. Death Cab finds life on the road to their liking
By JAKE COYLE - June 16, 2008
MANCHESTER, Tenn. -- "On the Road" with Death Cab for Cutie isn't just a weak pun for the touring band. Jack Kerouac's book is an inspiration to lead singer and songwriter Ben Gibbard, who wrote many of the songs on their new album "Narrow Stairs" at a cabin in California's Big Sur once occupied by...
87. Amy Winehouse is taken to hospital after fainting
By Associated Press - June 16, 2008
LONDON -- A spokesman for Amy Winehouse says she has been taken to the hospital after fainting spell. Winehouse spokesman Chris Goodman says the singer fainted at her north London home. Her manager's assistant was there and caught her as she fell.Goodman says her father...
88. Sara Evans has married former Alabama quarterback
By Associated Press - June 16, 2008
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Sara Evans has married former University of Alabama quarterback Jay Barker. Lori Genes, the country star's publicist at Sony BMG Nashville, told The Associated Press on Monday the couple had married, but didn't provide details. People magazine...
89. Jazz pianist Esbjorn Svensson dead at 44
By MALIN RISING - June 16, 2008
STOCKHOLM, Sweden -- Swedish jazz pianist Esbjorn Svensson, whose fusion of lyrical melodies and rock-inspired electronics broke fresh ground in modern jazz, has died in a diving accident, his manager said Monday. He was 44. Svensson died Saturday in a diving accident...
90. Tunes and politics mix at Bonnaroo
By JAKE COYLE - June 15, 2008
MANCHESTER, Tenn. -- Destination festivals are a universe unto their own where the real world is left in the parking lot. But at this year's Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, the outside world and its problems -- politics, high gas prices -- were always lurking just...
91. Simply Red front man turns to the blues
By Associated Press - June 15, 2008
LOS ANGELES -- Simply Red has developed a bad case of the blues. But not to fret, the British pop contingent's front man, Mick Hucknall, says that's a good thing."I've noticed that on the last 'Simply Red' record (2007's "Stay") ... I could really hear a kind of change...
92. Delayed Kanye West gig angers Bonnaroo crowd
By JAKE COYLE - June 15, 2008
MANCHESTER, Tenn. -- Kanye West's late night performance at Bonnaroo was delayed nearly two hours, angering the festival crowd who responded by chanting "Kanye sucks" and pelting the empty stage with glow sticks.West had been scheduled to take the main stage at the...
93. Against Me! 'battle mediocrity' with smart punk
By JAKE COYLE - June 15, 2008
MANCHESTER, Tenn. -- Against Me! may be a quartet of twenty-somethings with only four albums, but they are of a dying breed.Though their youth, tattoos and punctuation might suggest they're another run-of-the-mill pop-punk act, they are something different entirely....
94. Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings forge soul revival
By JAKE COYLE - June 15, 2008
MANCHESTER, Tenn. -- Sharon Jones' pre-show ritual has both virtue and vice.The vice is really more functional than anything: a few sips of whiskey, no ice, to warm up the vocal cords. Before she goes on stage, Jones also pauses for a moment to pray.What follows is a...
95. Snoop Dogg's wife arrested for DUI in S. Calif.
By Associated Press - June 14, 2008
FULLERTON, Calif. -- Police say the wife of rapper Snoop Dogg has been arrested in California's Orange County for investigation of driving under the influence of alcohol. Fullerton police Lt. Craig Brower says officers stopped 32-year-old Shante (Shahn-taye) Broadus of...
96. B.B. King given key to the city at Bonnaroo
By JAKE COYLE - June 14, 2008
MANCHESTER, Tenn. -- B.B. King was awarded the key to the city Saturday at the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival.The blues elder statesman received the honor from Mayor Betty Superstein on the festival main stage near the top of his set, pausing to accept the plaque and...
97. Pearl Jam, Kanye West to hit Bonnaroo stage
By JAKE COYLE - June 14, 2008
MANCHESTER, Tenn. -- Pearl Jam wowed the Bonnaroo crowd with a three-hour performance late Saturday, returning the band to the grand stage of a music festival.In the midst of their concert -- which went almost an hour longer than scheduled -- lead singer Eddie Vedder...
98. Musicians try to get out the vote at Bonnaroo
By JAKE COYLE - June 14, 2008
MANCHESTER, Tenn. -- Are they here to party or to change the world?That's the question many clipboard-wielding volunteers ask themselves as they solicit festival-goers at Bonnaroo, the massive annual music festival better known for dancing and campsite carousing than...
99. Bonnaroo opens with Metallica, Chris Rock
By JAKE COYLE - June 13, 2008
MANCHESTER, Tenn. -- Bonnaroo began in earnest Friday with the rarest of double bills: Chris Rock followed by Metallica.Metallica's Lars Ulrich and Kirk Hammett introduced Rock, and the comedian in turn introduced who he called "the baddest ... band in the world." Both...
100. Bonnaroo experience includes yoga, shadow puppets
By JAKE COYLE - June 13, 2008
MANCHESTER, Tenn. -- Though more than 150 musical acts are performing at Bonnaroo, it's possible to be entertained without hearing a note.Music, of course, is the main attraction for the tens of thousands of fans at the annual festival, held south of Nashville on a...
101. Bill Cosby to get in some licks on drums at jazz festival
By CHARLES J. GANS - June 13, 2008
NEW YORK -- Bill Cosby quips that he gave up his dreams of becoming a professional jazz drummer and turned to comedy after seeing how easily the pioneer bebop drummer Max Roach handled rhythmically complex tunes that he struggled to get through."I finally went to see Max...
102. Rihanna, Ne-Yo, Hudson coming to BET Awards
By Associated Press - June 12, 2008
LOS ANGELES -- The BET Awards keeps getting more talent under its umbrella. Rihanna will take the stage June 24, the show announced Thursday. Also added: Ne-Yo, Jennifer Hudson, Terrence Howard and Gabrielle Union. The lineup had already included Alicia Keys, Chris...
103. Krauss, Plant lead Americana Awards finalists
By Associated Press - June 11, 2008
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Alison Krauss and Robert Plant were nominated Wednesday night for top album, No. 1 song and best duo in the seventh annual Americana Honors and Awards. They received the nominations based on their million-selling "Raising Sand" album. The awards, to...
104. Boy George to perform for NYC sanitation workers
By Associated Press - June 11, 2008
NEW YORK -- Boy George is returning some good karma to New York City's sanitation workers: Two years after sweeping the city streets as part of community service, he has decided to perform a free concert for his former co-workers. George will sing some of his hits for...
105. Lil Wayne's `Tha Carter III' sells 1 million
By NEKESA MUMBI MOODY - June 11, 2008
NEW YORK -- Lil Wayne now has official numbers to back up his bragging -- the rapper's new CD has sold a spectacular 1 million copies its first week."Tha Carter III" is easily the best selling first week of the year, according to Nielsen SoundScan figures. Even Kanye...
106. Memoir coming from Madonna's brother
By HILLEL ITALIE - June 11, 2008
NEW YORK -- The mystery is solved: Madonna's brother, Christopher Ciccone, is writing a memoir about his sister, to be released in mid-July by an imprint of Simon & Schuster, the publisher told The Associated Press on Wednesday. The imprint, Simon Spotlight...
107. Lionel Richie pledges Commodores reunion
By Associated Press - June 9, 2008
ST JOHN'S, Antigua -- Grammy award-winning pop singer Lionel Richie said Saturday that he and the Commodores will reunite soon for a tour.Richie said a reunion could happen in the next two years."We better do it now, or in the next 10 years nobody would care," he told...
108. Winehouse sings in Spain, glass of wine in hand
By VICTOR CAIVANO - June 2, 2008
ARGANDA DEL REY, Spain -- Soul diva Amy Winehouse sipped from a glass of red wine and looked a bit unsteady on her feet as she appeared in front of a large audience at the Rock in Rio music festival southeast of Madrid on Friday.Then, as tens of thousands cheered, she...
109. Sealed documents from R. Kelly trial opened
By Associated Press - May 7, 2008
CHICAGO -- Documents unsealed from the R. Kelly child pornography trial include claims from the prosecution's star witness that an employee of the R&B star threatened her. Lisa Van Allen says the employee told her last year she should've been killed for coming forward...
