BEP, JONAS & MORE FOR GMA SUMMER CONCERTS
Good Morning America has updated its summer concert series schedule. Now the show will boast performances from Black Eyed Peas, the Jonas Brothers & Demi Lovato, Rihanna and Lady Antebellum. Tomorrow, the cast of Broadway’s American Idiot will take the stage in Central Park.
SCHEDULE: According to USA Today:
July 23th – Sheryl Crow
July 30th – Black Eyed Peas
August 6th – John Legend and the Roots
August 13th – Jonas Brothers and Demi Lovato
August 20th – Rihanna
August 27th – Lady Antebellum
RIHANNA TO JUDGE INTERNATIONAL SONGWRITING COMPETITION
According to RihannaDaily.com, the singer has been selected to be a judge at the upcoming International Songwriters Competition. The competition results in 66 winners, who will share more than 150-thousand dollars in cash and prizes, with the with the top scorer earning 25-thosuand dollars in cash and 20 thousand in prizes. Rihanna joins a list of other artists and industry heads to judge, including Timbaland, Kings of Leon, Peter Gabriel, Tom Waits and Steve Winwood.
SEAN KINGSTON ACCUESED OF SEXUAL ASSAULT
According to TMZ.com, singer Sean Kingston, who is out on the road with Justin Bieber, has been accused of sexual assault. The alleged incident occurred last weekend at the Crowne Plaza hotel in Seattle. According to the website, two intoxicated women showed up to a party,where Kingston was present. One woman claims to have had sex with Kingston, but TMZ’s sources say police are skeptical. Other reports have stated that Kingston left the party before anything happened.
EMINEM TOPS BILLBOARD ALBUM CHART
Eminem’s Recovery tops the Billboard album chart for the third straight week, selling over 229-thosuand copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The album is the first record to notch three consecutive weeks at number one since Sade’s Soldier of Love held the summit for three frames back in March. Drake’s Thank Me Later spends a third week at number two, selling another 74-thosuand copies, bringing his four week sales total to over 782-thousand copies. Big Boi’s debut solo album, Sir Lucious Left Foot… The Son of Chico Dusty, bows at number three while The Twilight Saga: Eclipse soundtrack slips one spot to number four, Justin Bieber’s My World 2.0 climbs one notch to number five, the Now 34 compilation falls to number six and Jack Johnson’s To The Sea rises one spot to number seven. Lady Gaga’s The Fame leaps five spots to number eight, likely pushed by her Today Show appearance last week. Lady Antebellum’s Need You Now rises one spot to number nine and Enrique Iglesias debuts at number ten with Euphoria.
CHRISTINA AGUILERA’S DISS LIST!
It seems Christina Aguilera has burned many bridges in Hollywood and the music industry. A YouTube video is making the rounds, featuring radio interviews, quotes from interviews and magazine articles and clips from many actors and musicians, all saying Christina is one of the nastiest people they have ever met. Valarie Bertinelli, Vin Diesel, Kelly Osbourne, Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige and more offer insight about the singer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79Je0FXvL2Q
TRACE CYRUS IN LEGAL BATTLE WITH METRO STATION
Miley Cyrus’ brother Trace Cyrus, the former frontman for the band Metro Station, is in a legal war with his ex-bandmates. TMZ.com reports that Trace was not only the singer of the band but also president of their company, Metrostation, Inc. According to documents filed at L.A. County Superior Court, Trace announced the band’s breakup without approval from the rest of the “shareholders” of the company and also dumped on the band’s music on his Twitter page with a message that read, “That s**t was weak.” The ex-bandmates claim they eventually voted to remove Trace from his position as president of their company, but Trace is now putting up a fight. We’ll keep you posted.
NEVERLAND RANCH COULD BECOME CALIFORNIA PARK
Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch could become California’s newest state park. California Assemblyman Mike Davis said Tuesday that he believes it’s worth studying whether the California Department of Parks and Recreation should take over the Neverland Ranch in Santa Barbara County. He added fans from around the world would visit Michael Jackson’s former estate. Jackson’s 2,500-acre property once housed amusement park rides and a zoo with tigers and snakes, but many of the estate’s attractions were dismantled or sold after his death in 2009.
JT’S “SEXYBACK” A INVOLVED IN PORN LAWSUIT
According to Billboard, Warner Bros. and a number of other record labels filed a lawsuit last week alleging copyright infringement on the part of RK Netmedia, an adult entertainment company whose porn videos allegedly feature actors lip-synching to hits like Justin Timberlake’s “SexyBack” while engaging in sexual acts on camera. Damages claimed on the alleged nasty use of copyrighted music could run in the tens of millions of dollars. Videos are allegedly named after songs, and actors are encouraged to lip-sync to the lyrics. Marc Randazza, the attorney for RK, says he plans to argue that the defendants’ use of music is “fair use” in this context. The plaintiffs contend that the use of music was “deliberate and calculated.” They are seeking maximum statutory penalties in the amount of 150-thousand dollars per claimed infringement. The complaint lists hundreds of examples of alleged infringements.
DRAKE BEGINS SECOND ALBUM
While most artists would ride the waves of success after an album like Thank Me Later, Drake has announced on Twitter some surprising news. Drizzy wrote, “Started my new album last night too…ok I’m done.” The rap star also revealed that he shot the video for “Miss Me” and will reunite with director Anthony Mandler to shoot “Fancy” featuring T.I and Swizz Beatz. To date, Thank Me Later has sold over 782-thousand copies in four weeks. The project sits at number two on the Billboard 200 chart.
NE-YO FACES LAWSUIT FOR MISSING NYE CONCERT
According to Billboard.com, Ne-Yo and his booking agency are facing a lawsuit for allegedly failing to appear at a New Year’s Eve concert in Washington. A promoter named Kenyohn Clark claims the singer never showed up to perform back in 2008, leaving the guests who paid over 12-hundred dollars each without entertainment. Clark is seeking one million in damages due to the hit his reputation took from the incident. The R&B singer’s lawyer is confident they will win the case.
RIHANNA DENIES SPEAKING WITH CHRIS!
Yesterday, we reported Rihanna was back in contact with ex boyfriend, Chris Brown, after watching his Michael Jackson tribute during the 2010 BET Awards. A source told Heat Magazine, “Seeing how emotional he was on set really touched her. She’d never seen him like that before.” However, Ri Ri’s rep has released a statement, simply claiming the reports are “not true.” Under the terms of his probation, Chris must remain at least 100 yards away from Rihanna for five years for assaulting her last year.
MICHEAL FRANTI’S ALBUM PUSHED BACK
Fans anxiously waiting to hear Michael Franti’s new album are going to have to wait just a little longer. According to a press release, the singer-songwriter’s forthcoming effort, The Sound of Sunshine, will now be released on September 21st, as opposed to August 24th as was originally intended. No reason was given for the change.
DAVID COOK CHECKS IN FROM THE STUDIO
David Cook is hard at work in the studio on his sophomore album, and he just posted an update for his fans. Head to DavidCookOfficial.com now to check out some pictures and video of the former American Idol recording the still-untitled effort.
WILL WE SEE WINEHOUSE’S ALBUM IN JANUARY?
It was recently revealed that we wouldn’t be seeing Amy Winehouse’s new album until sometime next year, but perhaps we won’t have to wait too long. According to British paper the Daily Mirror, Winehouse is hoping to release the follow-up to 2006’s Back to Black in January.
RUSSELL BRAND’S BACHELOR PARTY WISH
Russell Brand has some pretty crazy things on his wish list for the night of his bachelor party. The comedian told British paper the Daily Mail, “I’m gonna get Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift to perform a lesbian show on my lap.” He wasn’t done yet though, because he said that he wants to “shrink” the pop stars “down till they’re the size of dollies.” Brand and Katy Perry are set to tie the knot later this year.
A ROB THOMAS AUCTION FOR CHARITY
Rob Thomas has teamed up with the Sidewalk Angels Foundation to put a very special item up for auction. The singer-songwriter has donated a VIP concert experience for two for his show at the Red Rock Casino in Las Vegas. The winner will receive front-row tickets, a meet-and-greet with Rob, money for airfare, hotel accommodations and much more. All proceeds benefit the charity, which helps people and animals who have been abandoned and abused. The auction ends on July 31st, so start bidding today at SidewalkAngelsFoundationAuction.com.
COLBIE CAILLAT SINGS AT THE MLB ALL-STAR GAME
If you watched the Major League Baseball All-Star Game on Tuesday night, then you probably saw Colbie Caillat sing “God Bless America” during the seventh inning stretch. The “Bubbly” singer posted some pictures from the rest of her time at the game on her Twitter page, so head to Twitter.com/ColbieCaillat to check them out.
TAYLOR MOMSEN IS FACE OF MADONNA’S LINE
The face of Madonna’s new Material Girl clothing line has just been revealed. According to PerezHilton.com, it’s none other than Taylor Momsen. See some pictures of the singer/actress at the gossip site now.
BEYONCE COMPLETES NEW L’OREAL COMMERCIAL
So far, Beyonce’s promise on taking a break from music has held up. However, the superstar is still obligated to her endorsements. The singer has just released a commercial to promote L’Oreal’s new Infallible lipstick — and you can watch on YouTube now. At this point, we’ve lost count at how many ads the singer has shot for the cosmetic giant.
KEKE PALMER READIES NEW ALBUM
Just weeks before her 17th birthday, singer/actress Keke Palmer has a lot to celebrate. Palmer has officially graduated from high school one-year early, thanks to her home schooling program. The talented youngster is also working on her debut album with Interscope Records. We see big things happening for Miss Palmer in the future!
USHER’S VH1 BEHIND THE MUSIC PREMIERE
Next week, Usher will show his different sides on Vh1’s Behind The Music. The show will chronicle the “OMG” singer’s journey through his life as a musician, the influence of his mother, Jonnetta Patton, and even his unsuccessful relationship with ex-girlfriend, TLC’s Rozonda “Chili” Thomas. Usher will also reveal what it’s like being a father to his two sons. Be sure to catch Vh1’s Behind The Music: Usher, premiering on Monday at 8 PM Eastern.
TREY’S PASSION, PAIN & PLEASURE TOUR ON SALE
Here’s a friendly reminder for all Trey Songz fans: get your tickets for the Passion, Pain & Pleasure Tour now! Alongside Monica, the bad boy of R&B is gearing up to hit a city near you beginning August 6th at Alabama’s Civic Center Theatre. Fans can get VIP balcony tickets for 55 dollars, while general admission tickets are only 45 bucks. Be sure to score passes today via Ticketmaster.com.
CHRIS BROWN RELEASES “MATRIX” TRAILER
Chris Brown is looking to make a comeback. The singer has just released the official trailer for his 12 Strands (Matrix) short movie. The entire clip is expected to drop next month. In related news, Brown will appear alongside Idris Elba, T.I. and Paul Walker in an action film called Takers. The flick opens August 27th.
LINKIN PARK SHOOT VIDEO FOR NEW SINGLE
Linkin Park just shot a video for “The Catalyst,” the first single off their upcoming album, A Thousand Suns. The band once again used member Joseph Hahn to direct the clip. He also helmed their “Bleed it Out” and “What I’ve Done” videos. Linkin Park release A Thousand Suns on September 14th.
PETE WENTZ ENLISTS FEMALE SINGER FOR NEW BAND
Now that Pete Wentz no longer has Fall Out Boy to keep him busy, the emo star is starting his own new band. They’re called Black Cards and he told Rolling Stone that female vocalist Bebe Rex will sing for the band. Wentz says the Rex is a virtual unknown and hails from Staten Island, New York. Pics of Rex can now be seen on RollingStone.com. Meanwhile, fans of Wentz can hear snippets of Black Cards tunes now at BlackCardsMusic.com.
