Music News
1. DMX raps outside Phoenix court after pleading not guilty to theft and identity theft charges
By Associated Press - July 24, 2008
PHOENIX (AP) _ DMX rapped for reporters outside a Phoenix courtroom Thursday after pleading not guilty to felony charges of theft and identity theft.Then he plugged an album.Authorities allege the 37-year-old rapper, whose real name is Earl Simmons, gave the name "Troy Jones" and an incorrect...
2. Union Station
By JOHN GEROME - July 24, 2008
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) _ With Alison Krauss touring this summer with Robert Plant, the guys in her band, Union Station, had some time to kill, like enough to read biographies of all 43 presidents and maybe paint their houses and their neighbors' houses, too.But guitarist-singer Dan Tyminski kept...
3. Neil Young documents anti-war tour in film 'CSNY: Deja Vu'
By DAVID BAUDER - July 23, 2008
NEW YORK (AP) _ Not every musician will make a film that features a fan facing him from a concert audience with two arms raised, middle fingers extended — more than one fan, in fact.Neil Young was singing protest songs on a "Freedom of Speech" tour with David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham...
4. Correction: Mick Jones story
By Associated Press - July 23, 2008
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) _ In a July 22 story about Foreigner's Mick Jones, The Associated Press reported erroneously that Foreigner's co-headlining tour with Bryan Adams stops Thursday. The bands have a concert Thursday, July 24, near San Antonio, Texas, before ending their combined tour Saturday in...
5. Madame Tussauds in London unveils waxwork of troubled singer Amy Winehouse
By EMILY RISTOW - July 23, 2008
%meta(topic:01011000;ap_topic:general entertainment;subtopic:music;%)LONDON (AP) — Madame Tussauds unveiled a waxwork of Amy Winehouse on Wednesday complete with her signature beehive, black eyeliner and a bright yellow minidress.Winehouse's hair and 5-inch black heels make the model nearly 6...
6. B singer and Long Island native Ashanti has a new gig: tourism ambassador
By Associated Press - July 23, 2008
NEW YORK (AP) _ Grammy-winning singer and Long Island native Ashanti has a new gig: tourism ambassador.The R&B singer was introduced Tuesday at a news conference as one of nine ambassadors who will promote tourism in Nassau County on Long Island.County Executive Thomas Suozzi placed an orange...
7. Jonas Brothers' house purchase has people buzzing in Dallas-Fort Worth suburb of Westlake
By Associated Press - July 22, 2008
WESTLAKE, Texas (AP) _ The Jonas Brothers reportedly bought a house in a Dallas-Fort Worth suburb — and some young neighbors sound thrilled.Tarrant County records obtained by The Dallas Morning News indicate that the three band members granted power of attorney to their mother, Denise Jonas,...
8. BSO conductor Levine had malignant kidney growth, doctors say surgery to remove it successful
By Associated Press - July 22, 2008
%meta(topic:01011000;ap_topic:general entertainment;subtopic:music;%)BOSTON (AP) — A growth on a kidney removed from conductor James Levine was malignant, but the cancer was caught early and no further treatment is needed, the Boston Symphony Orchestra said Tuesday.Doctors in New York removed...
9. Juanes headlines Paris concert to press for release of Colombia hostages
By JENNY BARCHFIELD - July 20, 2008
%meta(topic:01011000;ap_topic:general entertainment;subtopic:music;%)PARIS (AP) — Former hostage Ingrid Betancourt took the stage and shook her hips to a Colombian superstar's guitar riffs, leading the crowd in chants of "Freedom for all!" at a concert Sunday dedicated to captives held by...
10. Band singer Jo Stafford, known to WWII troops as 'GI Jo,' dies of heart failure at 90
By BOB THOMAS - July 18, 2008
LOS ANGELES -- Jo Stafford, the honey-voiced band singer who starred in radio and television and sold more than 25 million records with her ballads and folks songs, has died. She was 90. Stafford died of congestive heart failure Wednesday at her Century City home, her...
11. 50 Cent passes court-ordered drug test and will be allowed to take son on vacation
By Associated Press - July 18, 2008
CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y. (AP) _ Rapper 50 Cent is free to take a vacation with his son after passing a court-ordered drug test.The 33-year-old entertainer was in a Long Island courtroom Thursday to ask a judge for permission to take 11-year-old Marquise on a trip next month.A drug test was ordered, and...
12. Paul McCartney appeals to Quebec nationalists for peace ahead of his free weekend concert
By Associated Press - July 18, 2008
MONTREAL (AP) _ Paul McCartney told Quebec nationalists on Thursday "to smoke the pipes of peace" over their opposition to his free concert celebrating the city's 400th anniversary.Several artists and politicians have questioned McCartney's participation in the weekend birthday celebrations of...
13. Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood enters rehab for alcoholism
By GREGORY KATZ - July 16, 2008
LONDON (AP) _ Ronnie Wood entered a rehabilitation facility Wednesday for help with alcoholism, said a spokeswoman for the Rolling Stones guitarist."Following Ronnie's continued battle with alcohol he has entered a period of rehab," the spokeswoman said on condition of anonymity as required by her...
14. Barenaked Ladies singer Steven Page arrested on drug charges in upstate New York
By WILLIAM KATES - July 16, 2008
FAYETTEVILLE, N.Y. (AP) _ Barenaked Ladies singer and guitarist Steven Page faces a cocaine possession charge after his arrest while visiting two woman at their suburban Syracuse apartment.Page, 38, of Toronto, was charged with fourth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, a felony...
15. Natalie Cole diagnosed with hepatitis C; doctors believe her drug use years ago was a factor
By Associated Press - July 16, 2008
NEW YORK (AP) _ Grammy-winning singer Natalie Cole has been diagnosed with hepatitis C, her publicist said in a statement Wednesday.Hepatitis C is a liver disease spread through contact with infected blood. The statement said the disease was revealed during a routine examination and was likely...
16. SC judge OKs James Brown auction to be held in New York this week
By JENNIFER PELTZ - July 14, 2008
NEW YORK (AP) _ James Brown mementoes ranging from his signature capes to a medical bracelet fetched thousands of dollars Thursday at an auction, which the soul icon's children protested.Fans and collectors packed a Christie's salesroom as more than 300 lots of Brown's belongings were sold,...
17. Beatles producer Martin honored in Los Angeles
By MICHAEL CIDONI - July 13, 2008
LOS ANGELES -- Sir George Martin, the classically trained producer who helmed the Beatles recordings from their mop-top phase through their late musical masterworks, was honored Saturday night in Los Angeles.Martin, 82, received a career award from The Recording...
18. The Who honored in Los Angeles
By DERRIK J. LANG - July 13, 2008
LOS ANGELES -- The Who was celebrated at a special concert by a few bands outside of their generation.The legendary band was honored at the Saturday taping of the third annual "VH1 Rock Honors," which will air Thursday on the cable channel. Celebrity guests such as David...
19. Bon Jovi performs for thousands in Central Park
By MARCUS FRANKLIN - July 12, 2008
NEW YORK -- Bon Jovi rocked Central Park, New Jersey style. The rock group gave a free concert Saturday night on the park's Great Lawn, delighting tens of thousands of fans who sang along with the lyrics on a glorious summer evening. The band opened with "Livin' on a...
20. Pete Seeger to do benefit for New England farmers
By Associated Press - July 12, 2008
BRATTLEBORO, Vt. -- Folk singer Pete Seeger is coming to the aid of New England farmers. Seeger will headline a Sept. 13 New England Farm Relief Concert in Brattleboro to raise money for a new micro-loan program being developed by The Carrot Project and the organization...
21. Lennon 'Peace' lyrics sell at auction for $833,654
By Associated Press - July 10, 2008
LONDON -- Christie's auction house has sold John Lennon's handwritten lyrics to "Give Peace a Chance" for $833,654. The lyrics were written during Lennon's 1969 Bed-in protest for peace at the Queens Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal. Christie's spokeswoman Zoe Schoon said...
22. Newton-John marries Amazon Herb Co. founder
By Associated Press - July 10, 2008
LOS ANGELES -- He's the one that she wants.Olivia Newton-John, who starred in the hit movie version of the musical "Grease," has married, it was announced Thursday. Newton-John wed John Easterling on June 21 in Cuzco, Peru, said a statement from the Reno, Nev., office...
23. Crow, Groban to perform at All-Star game
By Associated Press - July 10, 2008
NEW YORK -- The All-Stars of music are coming to Yankee Stadium, too. Nine-time Grammy winner Sheryl Crow will sing the national anthem before baseball's All-Star game on Tuesday night, and classical pop star Josh Groban will sing "God Bless America" during the seventh...
24. 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...
25. 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...
26. Nate Dogg pleads not guilty to stalking, threatening wife; his bail doubled
By Associated Press - July 8, 2008
COMPTON, Calif. (AP) _ Nate Dogg pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges of stalking and threatening his estranged wife, and a court commissioner doubled his bail.The rapper, whose real name is Nathaniel Dwayne Hale, appeared in a Compton courtroom in a wheelchair Wednesday morning. His attorney...
27. 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...
28. Biopsy for kidney removed from conductor James Levine; brother says it is 'common procedure'
By Associated Press - July 8, 2008
BOSTON (AP) _ A biopsy will be performed on the kidney that was removed this week from Boston Symphony Orchestra and Metropolitan Orchestra music director James Levine, his brother said Wednesday.Doctors in New York removed the kidney Tuesday because a cyst was causing pressure and discomfort.In a...
29. 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...
30. 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...
31. 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,...
32. Ringo Starr celebrates 68th 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...
33. 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...
34. 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...
35. Kidman, Urban name daughter Sunday Rose
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...
36. 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...
37. 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...
38. 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...
39. 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...
40. 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 $...
41. 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...
42. 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...
43. 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...
44. 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 --...
45. 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...
46. 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...
47. 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...
48. 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...
49. 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...
50. 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:...
51. 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...
52. 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...
53. 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...
54. 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...
55. 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:...
56. 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...
57. `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...
58. 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...
59. 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...
60. 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...
61. 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...
62. 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...
63. 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...
64. 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...
65. 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...
66. 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...
67. 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...
68. 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...
69. 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...
