Day in Pop Report for 08/12/2011
Guitarist Erik Turner -- who co-founded the band -- tells us, "We will be making a tribute before we play the song 'Heaven' tonight." He adds, "We never thought that when the song 'Heaven' was written we would be playing it someday in the memory of Jani's untimely death. This is a very sad day for rock and roll. One of the great things about music is that it lives on forever." Lane penned the song "Heaven" back in 1989 -- and it's said to be the band's most commercially successful single. more on this story
And, show sources tell us, Tiffani Thiessen will also be a contestant. As TMZ has already told you, Rob Kardashian will also compete. Producers have said they wanted to upgrade the contestants for the new season, which begins next month. Did they succeed? You decide. more on this story
Randy filed a police report with the Pasadena Police Department a few days ago ... claiming his former female assistant quit her job recently ... and REFUSED to give back the keys to his home. Sources close to the ex-assistant tell TMZ ... the two ended their professional relationship on VERY bad terms ... but she's NO THIEF. The assistant worked for Randy for roughly 6 months -- and claims she quit because she felt she was being underpaid. After the split, the woman is saying she may have already had the keys in her possession because of her duties as Jackson's assistant ... but returned them ASAP. We're told an investigation is underway ... but law enforcement sources tell us the two sides are still trying to work things out. No official comment from either Jackson or the assistant. more on this story
Destinee & Paris will be touring ahead of their forthcoming debut album from Streamline/Interscope records. On August 23rd, the two will drop their debut single, "True Love" from the upcoming album. Beginning in Grand Rapids, MI, Destinee & Paris will take to the stage for a total of six initial dates through the Midwest and East Coast opening for the pop superstar with songs from their forthcoming album. more on this story
"It's California to the max - hot chicks and cool brews," says Cisco of the video, which premiered on VEVO. It's a day in the life as we return to Malibu and hit the beach to get the word out. It's just us being us. The video was shot by Talkboy TV, and they did an amazing job creating the perfect visual for this beach party jam." The song is the first video from the band's upcoming release Island In The Sun, due out September 13 on Adler's own Bananabeat Records, with distribution by The Orchard. Check out the video here
"Menudo was the only possible way for me to make it to the spotlight. So I auditioned like crazy to become a part of the band� I think I went into a state of shock when I finally got the news. And, next morning, at eight o'clock in the morning, I was up on a plane." � Ricky Martin, on joining Menudo which launched his career in show business. "Everything that I felt at that moment, was pure. A lot of people might say, well you're trying to justify yourself, maybe you're trying to prove yourself something or you're forcing yourself to� it is complicated. I wish I had the answer. But at that moment, it felt real, it felt amazing." � Ricky Martin, reflecting on his long term relationship with TV host Rebeca De Alba. more on this story
29-year-old Lee Grace Dougherty -- a sometime professional exotic dancer -- was approached by some friends who host poker games ... who asked if she would waitress at their events and pose nude for their promotional materials. Lee obliged ... and over the past 6 weeks, she posed for a series of VERY revealing pictures which give the term "photo spread" a whole new meaning. One person connected to the photo shoots tells us Lee posed for some of the photos as recently as July 29, less than a week before the bank robbery. We're told Dougherty was not paid for the "modeling" work. Days later, Lee became an overnight celebrity outlaw when she and her two brothers allegedly shot a police officer ... robbed a bank ... and went on the run while in possession of some high-powered firearms. The FBI said the siblings embarked on their terror trek following the Aug. 1 sentencing of Ryan Dougherty ... who was set to register as a sex offender and serve 12 years probation for sending nearly 400 sexually explicit text messages to an 11-year-old girl he met online. The gang was eventually tracked down in Colorado -- and after a crazy gun battle with police, in which Lee was shot in the leg, all three of the siblings were taken into custody. more on this story
The event will feature performances by Pretty Lights and special guests STS9 and Big Gigantic. Pretty Lights will donate $5 from every ticket sold to the Tuscaloosa Disaster Relief Fund. The Tuscaloosa Amphitheater has a capacity of more than 7,000. more on this story
Songs From the South, Volumes 1 & 2 features a quick tour of 40 songs spanning 1985 through 2008. List price for the two-CD set is $13.98, and $9.99 for the digital version. Additionally, Kelly will come to North America in September to perform his "A to Z" repertoire in five major cities: Chicago (Sept. 12-13), Los Angeles (Sept. 14-15), Vancouver (Sept. 18-19), Toronto (Sept. 23-24) and New York (Sept. 26-27). more on this story
While the title Rumble, Shake & Tumble aptly describes Wagons' unruly yet easy-to-like roots-rock sound, all you really have to do is listen to the disc's opening lines. The leadoff track "Downlow," a Tom Petty/Traveling Wilburys-ish jangly rocker, begins with a man proclaiming that his girl's mama "doesn't like me none/she's got every reason under the sun/Your daddy think I'm okay/But not for his little Pamela May." These words nicely encapsulate frontman Henry Wagons' charming but slightly dangerous way with music. more on this story
(BBC) Christina Aguilera, Cee Lo Green and Smokey Robinson are set to perform at a Cardiff tribute concert organised in honour of Michael Jackson, organisers say. more (Billboard) "Watch The Throne"? More like "Watch Your Step"! Kanye West slipped onstage on Tuesday night while performing his hit "All of the Lights" in Norway. Check out the video here The music video for "Otis (feat. Otis Redding)," off Jay-Z and Kanye West's collaborative album, Watch the Throne, has just premiered on VEVO.com. Check it out here (BBC) Grand Ole Opry star Billy Grammer, best known for his 1959 hit Gotta Travel On, dies at the age of 85. more (Billboard) After collaborating on nine songs for Lady Gaga's "Born This Way," including the title track, there's plenty of interest in White Shadow. But the Chicago-based DJ, producer and electronic music artist says the Gaga experience may have spoiled him for other potential pop projects. more (AP) Gavin DeGraw has canceled several more concerts so he can recover from injuries suffered in a street attack, but plans to be back performing by Aug. 24. more (Jam!) New Kids On The Block and Backstreet Boys have captured the magic of their joint tour in the recording studio for a new collaborative album. more (Billboard) Bruno Mars is the latest artist to join the lineup of performers at the MTV Video Music Awards more (AP) Melanie Moore easily clinched the grand prize on 'So You Think You Can Dance.' more
Winehouse's father, Mitch, is said to be "livid" about the theft, and has vowed to track down the culprit. "This is such a sickening shock to the family, that someone would stoop so low," an unnamed source said. "They can't get their heads around it. The family, record label and management are months away from deciding what to do with any unreleased music. For that to be taken out of their hands is horrible." The source went on to say that, before pressing charges, the family is willing to give the alleged perpetrator "a chance to do the right thing and put [the items] back, so it doesn't have to get messy." Approximately 20 people � including friends, family, police and a security team � have had access to Winehouse's property since the troubled singer-songwriter died. more on this story
The day after the incident, DeGraw tweeted the following message to fans: "Hi my friends. Honestly, I don't remember much. I only know I can recover from here. Thank u for your genuine concern. I love u guys." DeGraw's brother, Joey DeGraw, told the New York Post that the singer-songwriter was not drunk when the incident occurred and that he "had nothing but cranberry juice to drink" that night. The brothers co-own a bar located just blocks from where the attack occurred. DeGraw has cancelled his scheduled concerts and promotional appearances through at least this weekend. He is set to release a new album, titled Sweeter, on September 20. more on this story
The producer, Ira DeWitt -- wife of St. Louis Cardinals owner Bill DeWitt -- claims Johnny was PISSED when a song rumored to be on his upcoming album was leaked on the Internet ... and he wrongly blamed her. According to the lawsuit, filed Thursday in L.A. County Superior Court, DeWitt claims she had nothing to do with the leak -- but Gill attacked her on Twitter anyway ... calling her "deranged" and "f**kng nuts." DeWitt also claims Gill tweeted defamatory statements about her business ... saying her record company is a sham and that she only liked the leaked recording because she had a "hard on" for one of the song's producers. DeWitt claims Gill has damaged her reputation -- so she's suing for unspecified damages ... AND she wants the judge to force Gill to stop trashing her on Twitter. Calls to Gill have not been returned.
Sources close to Miranda tell TMZ, her tour bus was en route to Kansas when it encountered an overturned semi on the road. It was pitch black outside, and by the time the bus driver saw it ... it was too late. Rather than swerving and potentially overturning the bus, we're told the driver decided to hit the brakes and face the semi truck head on ... a decision that may have saved Miranda's life. Sources tell us, Miranda feels very lucky to be alive -- she has a fractured right ankle that needs a cast, and a broken right baby toe. We're told she is in a lot of pain and her mom is also bruised and banged up. We're told both Miranda and her mom will head home in a couple days to heal up. Miranda's tour is canceled until further notice. Sadly, out of all those injured in the crash -- we're told the bus driver is in the worst condition. He had to be airlifted from the crash scene to a nearby hospital, and received 45 stitches. more on this story
The Country Music Hall of Famer co-wrote seven of the album's 11 tracks with his son Bubba and legendary songwriter Dean Dillon.
The 15-track album, entirely produced by Khrysis, features appearances from Talib Kweli, Phonte, Evidence, and Rapsody amongst others. When Khrysis set out to create the beats for the album he "wanted to go back to the basics with the production, yet maintain a more mature sound to display the growth of The Away Team." more on this story
Here's the low down. Adam is filming a movie in Peabody, MA. Last month, Adam's company, Happy Madison Productions, made a deal with a restaurant -- A Taste of Italy -- to cater a meal for the cast and crew. The owner brought the grub and got paid and everything was hunky-dory. But the restaurant owner claims the production company asked him to stock up on food for 2 BBQ's the following week. He claims he did just that, but Adam's company never called, leaving him with bags full of groceries to the tune of $2,500. The restaurant owner says Adam's company wouldn't pay, so in retaliation, he put a sign in the window of his restaurant which read, "ADAM SANDLER ATE HERE AND NEVER PAID." Reps from Adam's production company tell TMZ .. they never made any promises about catering future BBQ's and as far as they're concerned ... it's case closed. And, we're told, Adam has never eaten at A Taste of Italy -- and we're guessing he never will. more on this story
The relationship between Berry Gordy's Motown label and The Ed Sullivan Show made music and television history. Soon after the Supremes' debut on Sullivan (December 1964), it was clear that showcasing the latest Motown releases on CBS on Sunday nights (35 million viewers was average) was a way to expose the record company's newest hits and boost the show's ratings. more on this story
Here is the official word along with the dates: It was in 1983 when Howard Jones first burst upon the contemporary music scene and brought his very English song-writing and pioneering synthesizers to an unsuspecting world. His first two albums Human's Lib and Dream Into Action were massive worldwide hits.
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