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Day in Pop Report for 05/24/2012


Real Biker Challenges Sons of Anarchy Star To Fight
(TMZ) The star of "Sons of Anarchy" just got an invitation to get his face bashed in by a real-life member of a motorcycle club who has a SERIOUS beef with the creator of the show.

It's all over some pretty incendiary comments made by "Sons" creator Kurt Sutter -- aimed at the stars of "The Devils Ride" ... a Discovery Channel reality show about the Laffing Devils motorcycle club in San Diego.

Sutter's tweet read, "Watched Devils Ride. Probably get in trouble for saying this, but I'm pretty sure my SOA actors could kick the sh*t out of this 'real' MC."

Obviously, the Devils weren't happy about the statement.

TMZ spoke with a guy named Sandman -- a very scary member of the club -- who tells us, "I am concerned that Kurt's creative mind is stuck in make-believe land with his recent comment on twitter."

Sandman adds, "Here's a reality check for ya Kurt ... I am sending a personal invitation to your pretty faced Kurt Cobain look-alike star Jax to come down to San Diego and prove your point."

Yes, Sandman just challenged Charlie Hunnam to a fight.

And he ain't done yet ... Sandman continues, "And tell him to wear those shiny white kicks too. I hope he's a size 11, I could use some new shoes."

Sandman even mentioned Sutter's wife -- actress Katey Sagal -- saying, "I am a big 'Married with Children' fan, can you have Peg send me an autographed picture? I would appreciate it." more on this story

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Justin Bieber Maps Out Believe Tour Plans
Teen pop star Justin Bieber will be taking his show on the road this fall for a North American tour that will be supported by Carly Rae Jepsen.

Bieber will be hitting the road in support of his forth studio album, Believe, which is set to hit stores on June 19th.

The trek will kick off on September 29th in Glendale, Arizona and then hit more than 45 cities before wrapping up in Miami, Florida on January 26, 2013. more on this story

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Justin Timberlake Hopes To Resurrect Myspace As Interactive Fan Site
Facebook's IPO hype and post IPO stock nosedive may be driving the headlines but a former leading social media site which saw its star fall after an unfriendly redesign and the appearance of Facebook, is getting ready to return with the help of popstar and actor Justin Timberlake.

While in retrospect Myspace's redesign wasn't nearly as user unfriendly as Facebook's recent changes, the site went from one of the most popular destinations on the web purchased for $580 million dollars but sold off for just $35 million a half a decade later (estimated sales price). But the made behind the purchase has a real plan to resurrect Myspace as a go to place for music fans.

PR Week in the UK reports that the new owners are looking for a new PR agency with plans to relaunch the brand. But what would be the focus of the new Myspace? "There's a need for a place where fans can go to interact with their favorite entertainers, listen to music, watch videos, share and discover cool stuff and just connect. Myspace has the potential to be that place," Timberlake said last year.

Timberlake and Specific Media acquired Myspace from News Corp last year. You can read more details here.

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Adam Lambert Tops the Charts
(popmusiclife) Adam Lambert's new studio album, Trespassing, has debuted at the top of the US album charts.

Billboard reports Trespassing lands at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart with first-week sales of 77,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Adam bumped fellow American Idol alum Carrie Underwood out of top spot, as she moves down to #3 this week, with Adele's "21" sitting at #2. more on this story

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Honda Vs T-Boz
(TMZ) T-Boz might be forced to travel in the passenger side of her best friend's ride ... 'cause Honda is gunning to repossess the rapper's car.

TMZ has learned .. Tionne Watkins is being sued by Honda for failing to make payments on her 2005 Honda Odyssey.

In the lawsuit, filed in Georgia, Honda asks the judge for the green light to take the car back. It's unclear how much T-Boz owes in back payments.

It's just the latest in a string of financial woes for the 42-year-old rapper -- she filed for bankruptcy back in 2011 ... but failed to complete the required paperwork ... and lost the protection bankruptcy provides.

In other words, there's NOTHING stopping T-Boz's creditors from coming after all of her possessions. more on this story

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Donna Summer Funeral Details Leaked
(TMZ) TMZ has obtained a copy of Donna Summer's funeral program -- detailing the order of events currently taking place at the private ceremony in Nashville, Tennessee.

According to the document, Donna's family -- her sisters especially -- are heavily involved in the proceedings, singing "We've Come This Far By Faith." Donna's brother Ricky Gaines is also speaking.

According to the program, several of Donna's girlfriends will share anecdotal "girlfriend stories."

Famed music producer David Foster -- who produced a lot of music with Donna -- is participating in a song called "The Prayer."

If you're wondering who Rick Dohler is -- that's Donna's daughter's husband.

The program also includes a Psalm dedicated to Donna about "a wife of noble character." more on this story

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Paul Simon's Graceland 25th Anniversary To Include New Documentary
Legacy Recordings will be releasing various 25th anniversary packages for Paul Simon's Graceland on June 5th and the celebration will include a new documentary entitled Under African Skies. They sent out these details:

The full-length "Under African Skies" documentary will also be released as a stand-alone Blu-ray title on June 5.

The original Graceland album was released on audiophile-grade 180-gram vinyl in April in honor of Record Store Day 2012. The highly-collectible new vinyl edition of Graceland includes a collectible poster plus MP3 downloads of the album and bonus songs.

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Usher Accused of Cheating With Bridesmaid
(TMZ) Usher's ex-wife's lawyer dropped a bombshell in court ... accusing him of sexing one of Tameka Foster's bridesmaids.

Usher was being cross-examined by Foster's lawyer this week in Fulton County court ... about his claim that Tameka brings nannies in and out of their children's lives.

Tameka's lawyer asked Usher if one of the nannies in question had "left Miami because you were discovered in bed with Maya Fox Davis?" Sources close to the couple tell TMZ Davis was a bridesmaid for Tameka ... and the alleged incident happened during their marriage.

Usher's attorney quickly objected, but you gotta watch the clip to see how it played out in court. There's also a contentious exchange between Usher and Tameka's lawyer regarding that whole spitting incident.

The trial is in recess, and will be back in session in July. Until then ... there's always "Revenge." Watch the clip here.

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TV's Big Brother Accuses Similar Show Of Stealing
(TMZ) ABC is firing back at CBS -- claiming its new realty show "Glass House" is NOT stealing trade secrets from "Big Brother" ... because NOTHING about Big Brother is a secret.

The Alphabet network has filed a response in its legal battle with CBS -- asking a judge to throw out the "over-the-top" lawsuit ASAP.

In the docs, ABC says the insinuation that "Glass House" is stealing top secret info is "outrageous" ... because "there is nothing secret about editing a program with multiple feeds together or developing a narrative structure for it. That is reality TV."
ABC also says hidden cameras, putting contestants in isolation and doing contests is nothing special ... and shouldn't be considered a trade secret.

In the suit, ABC claims there are significant differences between the two shows -- notably "Glass House" will be a team-oriented game ... whereas "Big Brother" contains an "every man for himself theme."

ABC scoffs at CBS' claim that 19 former "Big Brother" employees -- all of whom know the secret sauce -- defected to "Glass House." The network claims the reason so many BB employees left is because "Brother" producers run a reality TV sweat shop -- claiming "it is common knowledge in the industry that low pay and the 24 hours a day/7 days a week filming schedule makes life on the Big Brother set difficult."

The suit adds, "That employees prefer a different show with benefits and better hours is hardly evidence of a trade secret violation."

ABC is asking the court to deny every demand CBS has made -- so it can produce its show in a timely and cost-effective manner.

A judge has yet to rule on the matter. more on this story

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Model May Have Saved Ray J's Life
(TMZ) Ray J owes his life to ingrown hairs -- because TMZ has learned, the person who called an ambulance for him Monday morning is none other than model Sophie Monk, his ingrown hair endorsement partner.

As we reported, Ray was rushed to the hospital Monday morning for exhaustion and dehydration following the Billboard Music Awards -- and we're told Sophie's the one who discovered him in his hotel room and alerted authorities.

Sophie and Ray J had hosted a Billboard Awards afterparty the night before -- promoting their Prince Reigns ingrown hair shaving serum -- and after they returned to their hotel, we're told Sophie had a bad feeling Ray wasn't okay.

According to sources, the two went to their separate rooms -- but Sophie decided to check up on Ray to make sure he was alright ... and discovered him unresponsive on the floor.

We're told Sophie called hotel management, which then called 911. An ambulance took Ray J to the hospital shortly after. more on this story

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Prison Break Star Pleads Not Guilty
(TMZ) Lane Garrison just pled "not guilty" to misdemeanor domestic violence -- after he was accused of striking his ex-GF in the face during a blowout fight last month.

Lane has remained in custody since his April 22nd arrest due to unresolved concerns about his parole status, stemming from his 2007 vehicular manslaughter conviction.

He's scheduled to be let out on $50,000 bail on June 29th. A pretrial hearing has been set for July 11th.

TMZ posted surveillance footage of last month's fight -- which appears to show Lane hitting Ashley Mattingly in the face.

Lane has insisted from the beginning, he did NOT make contact with her -- he was simply trying to retrieve his phone, which Ashley had grabbed from him. more on this story

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Fire at Real Housewives Star's Home
(TMZ) A fire truck raced to the home of "Real Housewives of Atlanta" star Kim Zolciak yesterday morning after an ATV in her garage went up in flames -- but thankfully, no one was hurt.

A rep for the Roswell Fire Department tells TMZ, they received a call about a garage fire at 9:35 AM and dispatched a truck to the scene.

We're told the 4-wheeler fire was successfully extinguished and did not spread to other areas of the home. Everyone in the house is fine.

Kim just tweeted, "Shout out to Roswell Fire Dept for their quick response this morning!" more on this story

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Circa Survive's Anthony Green Announces Tour With The Dear Hunter
Circa Survive frontman Anthony Green plans to return to the road this June 20th to perform the remaining dates of his U.S. tour.

Green is touring in support of his sophomore solo album "Beautiful Things" and the trek will feature very special guests The Dear Hunter.

The dates will begin in Pittsburgh, PA at Mr. Small's Theater on June 20th and will continue through June 30th with a final show at Paramount Theater in Asbury Park, NJ. more on this story

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Dolly Parton Hit Added To Library of Congress
Dolly Parton's hit song "Coat Of Many Colors" has been added to the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry.

One of 25 recordings that are selected each year that are deemed "historically, culturally or aesthetically significant," "Coat Of Many Colors" now brings the Registry's total number of recordings to 350.

The Congress said "Coat Of Many Colors" "affectionately recounts an impoverished childhood in the hills of Tennessee that was made rich by the love of her family." more on this story

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UCLA Basketball Star Sues Sports Illustrated Over Urination Story
(TMZ) Former UCLA basketball stud Reeves Nelson says a Sports Illustrated writer slammed him with a defamatory article that claimed he ran amok on campus, and even urinated on a player's bed ... and now TMZ has learned he's set to sue for $10 million.

If you don't remember ... Nelson was a 6'8'' stud at UCLA from 2009 - 2011, and by far the best player on the squad -- but was booted from the team in December 2011 after a second suspension for disciplinary issues ... including missing a team flight.

The March 5, 2012 issue of Sports Illustrated featured an article penned by George Dohrmann which claimed UCLA Coach Ben Howland let Nelson get away with everything but murder because he was "producing" on the court.

According to Nelson's lawsuit, the article claimed he was not punished after fighting with multiple teammates and intentionally injuring them during practice. The S.I. article also claims Nelson "urinated on [a teammate's] bed and clothes" -- purely as revenge for the player allegedly squealing about a New Year's Eve party.

But Nelson's high-powered entertainment lawyer Keith Fink says they can prove Dohrmann "recklessly and negligently failed to investigate the claims in the article." The lawsuit includes declarations from 18 UCLA players and ex-players who deny every allegation about Nelson.

In fact, former teammate Tyler Honeycutt says, "Nelson did not pile my clothes on my bed, and he certainly did not urinate on my clothes." According to the suit, most of the players say Dohrmann never contacted them -- and the 2 who were contacted denied the allegations.

The lawsuit further claims the S.I. writer has a longstanding beef with UCLA because he "publicly attacked UCLA's Baron Davis for driving a black 1991 Chevy Blazer, which Dohrmann publicly claimed had been purchased in violation of NCAA rules." NCAA investigators later shot down those allegations.

Nelson's suing for damages in excess of $10 million. The suit will be filed today in L.A. County Superior Court. more on this story

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Singled Out: Martha's Trouble
Today Jen Slocumb from Martha's Trouble tells us about the song "Goodnight Sweet Child" from their brand new lullabies album "A Little Heart Like You". Here is the story:

Rob and I decided we would record a lullaby CD the beginning of this year. We had some traditional lullabies we knew we were going to rearrange and record, but we really wanted some originals on there. We were thinking about what we wanted to say to our kids, and how we wanted the feel of the songs to be. Basically, something sweet and melodic. The way we used to write quite a few years ago was wait till we were inspired by something, and this time we didn't have that luxury. We had decided we wanted to release this CD on Mother's Day and that meant if we were going to publicize it, it would need to be completed two or three months before the release date. We had a very little amount of time to waste!

We also raised the money through Kickstarter and wanted it be a fan funded project, so that meant a thirty-day campaign of raising funds. We set the dates to record and started the campaign. During that time, we set aside two weeks of writing time. This usually meant in the mornings while our kids Wilson (6) and Emery (4) were at school, or in the afternoons while either our babysitter or neighbor would watch them. The first song we wrote for the project was "Goodnight Sweet Child." Rob had a guitar part half-written and was working on it when I got the idea for the song. Most of the time the lyrics come here and there, but this I started penning out the start to the song and the rest just came. It was a simple lullaby that spoke of quiet and dreaming and security. That began the tone of the rest of the songs we were going to write for the album. Our kids now sing that song all the time and our four-year-old, Emery, made her stage debut last weekend when we did a release show in Birmingham, AL. She got on stage and sang the whole song with us, and after gave a very modest bow. It was very cool. Never having done children's music before, we weren't sure how people were going to respond to the songs, but so far it's been really positive. It's been amazing to hear feedback from parents on how their children react to the music. They always say that it helps the child to relax, so we feel like it's mission accomplished!

Hearing is believing. Now that you know the story behind the song, listen for yourself and learn more about the album right here!

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