Red Hot Chili Peppers

Radiohead's Thom Yorke Reveals Side Project Name, Tour Dates

26 Feb 2010 01:40:00 EST

Atoms for Peace feature members of Red Hot Chili Peppers and R.E.M.
By Josh Wigler

Thom Yorke
Photo: Nick Pickles/ WireImage

Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke has finally unveiled the name of his new side project: Atoms for Peace. The band's all-star lineup consists of bassist Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, drummer Joey Waronker of R.E.M., Brazilian percussionist Mauro Refosco of Forro in the Dark and Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich.

"It has been decided that we call ourselves Atoms for Peace," Yorke wrote on the official Radiohead Web site. "Hope you like the name. It seemed bleedin' obvious."

Atoms for Peace will embark on a brief tour in April, beginning with two nights at New York's Roseland Ballroom on April 5 and 6 and concluding with a performance at the Coachella Festival in Indio, California, on April 18. Tickets for Coachella are currently available for purchase, while tickets for the other dates go on sale next week.

In October Yorke assembled the members of Atoms for Peace for a two-night concert event at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles, with the intention of performing tracks from his debut solo album, The Eraser, released in 2006.

"Yorke is aggressively reaching for the bottom in his own sound," The Los Angeles Times wrote of that concert. "It wouldn't be fair to call this music Radiohead Lite, because it wasn't light at all. But it was more concentrated and, in some ways, more graspable than that group's work. By appealing to the lower body, Yorke and his band dictated the audience's focus in ways that Radiohead's performances don't."

"We had too much fun to just leave it there," Yorke said of the upcoming tour.

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John Frusciante Confirms He's Left Red Hot Chili Peppers

17 Dec 2009 09:37:00 EST

Guitarist says he quit over a year ago to pursue his own music.
By Gil Kaufman

John Frusciante
Photo: Olivia Hemingway/ Redferns

Responding to recent rumors, guitarist John Frusciante confirmed on his MySpace page on Wednesday that he has left the Red Hot Chili Peppers for the second time, and actually did so long ago.

"When I quit the band, over a year ago, we were on an indefinite hiatus," wrote Frusciante, who was a member of the band from 1988 until 1992, rejoining in 1997 following treatment for drug addiction. "There was no drama or anger involved, and the other guys were very understanding. They are supportive of my doing whatever makes me happy, and that goes both ways."

Frusciante, who has released 10 solo albums over the past 15 years — the most recent one, The Empyrean, in January of this year — said that his departure came as a result of oft-cited "musical differences" with his bandmates. Spokespeople for the band's management and record label did not return requests for comment at press time.

"To put it simply, my musical interests have led me in a different direction," the 39-year-old guitar virtuoso explained. "Upon rejoining, and throughout my time in the band, I was very excited about exploring the musical possibilities inherent in a rock band, and doing so with those people in particular. A couple of years ago, I began to feel that same excitement again, but this time it was about making a different kind of music, alone, and being my own engineer."

During his two stints in the Chili Peppers, beginning when he was just 18, Frusciante contributed to some of the band's most beloved, commercially successful albums, including 1989's Mother's Milk and its commercial breakthrough follow-up, 1991's Blood Sugar Sex Magik. He returned for 1999's Californication, 2002's By the Way and 2006's Stadium Arcadium. His expressive solos and soulful harmonies were a staple of the group's funk/punk/pop sound.

In between his sessions with the band, Frusciante continued to release avant-garde solo projects, such as 2001's To Record Only Water for Ten Days, as well as two albums with a short-lived side project called Ataxia.

After the grueling tour in support of Stadium Arcadium, the band announced an indefinite hiatus in 2007. In the interim, drummer Chad Smith participated in a successful album and tour with the rock supergroup Chickenfoot, bassist Flea decided to enroll at the University of Southern California, and singer Anthony Kiedis announced that he was developing an HBO series loosely based on his life.

"I really love the band and what we did," Frusciante said of his two stints with the Peppers. "I understand and value that my work with them means a lot to many people, but I have to follow my interests. For me, art has never been something done out of a sense of duty. It is something I do because it is really fun, exciting, and interesting. Over the last 12 years, I have changed, as a person and artist, to such a degree that to do further work along the lines I did with the band would be to go against my own nature. There was no choice involved in this decision. I simply have to be what I am, and have to do what I must do."

No replacement for Frusciante has been announced, though the Peppers reportedly began work on their untitled 10th album earlier this year and are slated to perform on January 29 at the MusiCares tribute to Neil Young in Los Angeles alongside Elton John, Sheryl Crow, Josh Groban, James Taylor, Norah Jones, Dave Matthews, Wilco and Jack Black.

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RZA Inspired By A Red Hot Chili Pepper To Make Music For Free

2 Dec 2009 06:52:00 EST

Thanks to guitarist John Frusciante, the Wu-Tang mastermind tells Mixtape Daily he's 'past' worrying about profit or critics.
By Shaheem Reid

RZA
Photo: MTV News

Celebrity Favorites

Beats by RZA for free? What's the catch? The super-producer has come a long way from charging 20 G's a session.

"Musically, I got a friend of mine that's given me a big musical lesson," RZA explained to us recently in NYC. "His name is John Frusciante from the [Red Hot] Chili Peppers. He said to me that he doesn't make music no more for profit or people. Those that like it, love it or don't love it — he doesn't worry about the critics. He has enough financial security that he doesn't have to never sell music again. I don't have the same security, because I got so many family members. I'm never gonna be rich enough."

Still, with money coming from Hollywood, books and other ventures, the rap legend is letting the music flow freely, making dozens of records in 2009 just for his own enjoyment.

"I go to [Frusciante's] house a lot and make music with him," RZA said. "We just make music. I've made 100 songs this year, and probably nobody won't hear them but us who made it. It feels good, yo. It feels good to do it with no strings attached. Not having to worry about if somebody is gonna criticize it, if it's gonna sell. I'm past that. That's a great place to be. I did a project recently with Damon Dash, the BlakRoc project with the Black Keys. He said, 'RZA, if you in town, come by the studio and hang out. I got a few guys that like you. Maybe y'all can do some music together.' I went through, we had a good vibe, did a little smoking. We just did music. It's coming out. I don't know who got paid, who did what. I got nothing. It's nothing for me. It's an expression of art. It feels good to do it that way. That's how we started out."

For other artists featured in Mixtape Daily, check out Mixtape Daily Headlines.

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Red Hot Chili Peppers, LL Cool J, ABBA Lead 2010 Rock Hall Of Fame Nominees List

23 Sep 2009 01:57:00 EDT

Kiss, Donna Summer, Genesis, Jimmy Cliff and the Stooges also make the list.
By Gil Kaufman

Red Hot Chili Peppers' Anthony Kiedis
Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

LL Cool J, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Kiss lead the list of first-time nominees for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame class of 2010.

The nominees also include such first-timers as long-running rock act Genesis, reggae legend Jimmy Cliff, early rock band the Hollies and singer/songwriter Laura Nyro. According to a press release from the Rock Hall, the 12-member nominee class has some repeat offenders as well, including disco diva Donna Summer, girl-group icons Darlene Love and the Chantels, 1970s pop superstars ABBA and punk godfathers the Stooges (hoping the eighth time will be the charm).

After last year's ceremony returned to the Cleveland site of the Hall for the first time in 12 years to mark the induction of Metallica, Run-DMC and Jeff Beck, the 25th annual event will take place on March 15, 2010, at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York. Ballots will be sent out to the 500 Hall of Fame voting committee members soon, with five performer inductees to be announced in January.

To be eligible for the Rock Hall, an act must have released its first single or album 25 years before the nomination.

Funk-punk lifers the Red Hot Chili Peppers formed in Los Angeles in 1983 and released their self-titled debut the next year. Formed around the core of hyperkinetic singer Anthony Kiedis, high-energy bassist Flea, late guitarist Hillel Slovak and former drummer Jack Irons, the band made a name for itself with a spastic combo of funk, punk, hard rock and hip-hop, graduating from an underground fanbase to worldwide stardom and Grammy-winning albums thanks to such landmark tracks as "Give It Away," "Under the Bridge" and "Scar Tissue."

Rapper LL Cool J busted onto the New York scene at the ripe age of 17 with the bombastic 1985 album Radio, which featured the singles "Rock the Bells" and "I Can't Live Without My Radio" and served not just as his debut, but as the first album from the Def Jam record label. The internationally known rapper/actor has since produced a string of hit albums, which include songs that run the gamut from loverman caresses ("I Need Love") to trunk funk ("Going Back to Cali"), bare-knuckle takedowns ("Mama Said Knock You Out") and sexy come-ons ("Doin' It").

One of the best-selling acts in pop history, Swedish quartet ABBA (Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Bjorn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Agnetha Faltskog) ruled the charts from 1972 to 1982 with a string of titanic disco-pop hits that have spawned a legion of radio staples, cover groups and a hit musical/movie adaptation, "Mamma Mia." Among their best-known songs are "Waterloo," "Mamma Mia," "SOS," "Ring Ring," "Honey, Honey" and "Fernando."

Though known almost as much for their explosive, special-effects-heavy live shows and copious merchandising than their glammy hard-rock hits, Kiss are one of the most beloved rock bands of the 1970s and '80s. With a fierce fanbase, the Kiss Army, the makeup-sporting group has sold nearly 100 million albums worldwide since forming in 1971. Their classics include such fist-pumpers as "Rock and Roll All Night," "Detroit Rock City," "Love Gun" and the disco-tinged "I Was Made for Lovin' You."

One of the most distinctive voices in girl-group history, Darlene Love began her career as a member of the California group the Blossoms in 1962, later working with famed "Wall of Sound" producer Phil Spector and singing backup for such legends as Sam Cooke. Recording for Spector under various group names (the Crystals, Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans) as well as her own name, Love scored a series of hits with the songs "He's a Rebel," "He's Sure the Boy I Love," "Today I Met the Boy I'm Gonna Marry" and "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah."

"The Queen of Disco" Donna Summer earned her title in 1975 with the orgasmic hit "Love to Love You Baby," one of her many iconic collaborations with German producer Giorgio Moroder. Summer pumped out the hits "I Feel Love," "Last Dance," "Hot Stuff" and "Bad Girl," breaking chart records for her string of #1 albums.




	Rock Hall Of Fame Nominees

After starting out in 1967 as an arty prog-rock band fronted by Peter Gabriel, long-running British rock act Genesis went on to pop superstardom in the 1980s and have sold more than 150 million albums to date. After Gabriel's departure in 1975, the group moved from high-art concept albums to a more radio-friendly sound that spawned a string of 1980s hits such as "Misunderstanding," "Turn It on Again," "No Reply at All," "That's All" and "Invisible Touch," all sung by drummer and leader Phil Collins.

Jimmy Cliff has been one of the most indelible voices in reggae for more than 40 years. Along with the late Bob Marley, Cliff is credited with helping to bring reggae to the masses thanks to his starring role in the 1972 movie "The Harder They Come." Such frequently covered songs as "Trapped," "You Can Get It if You Really Want," "Many Rivers to Cross," "The Harder They Come" and "Sitting in Limbo" have earned him a spot in the genre's pantheon of greats.

Late singer/songwriter Laura Nyro was just 19 when she recorded her debut in 1966, the same year folk trio Peter, Paul & Mary recorded her song, "And When I Die." The fragile singer with an eclectic style that touched on pop, jazz and R&B wrote a string of songs that became hits for other acts, including "Stoned Soul Picnic," "Sweet Blindness," "Wedding Bell Blues" and "Blowin' Away." She also scored her own hit with Carole King's "Up on the Roof."

The Chantels first got together in the late 1950s in the Bronx, scoring their first hit in 1957 with "He's Gone," and following it up with the songs "Maybe" and "Look in My Eyes," serving as a template for later success by girl groups such as the Shirelles and the Supremes. English rock group the Hollies made a name with their crystal-clear three-part harmonies and had a massive string of hits in the early 1960s with the songs "Look Through Any Window," "Bus Stop," "If I Needed Someone," "Stop! Stop! Stop!" and "On a Carousel" before the departure of group co-founder Graham Nash in 1968.

Considered the godfathers of punk rock, the Stooges formed in 1967 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, fronted by rock-and-roll madman Iggy Pop, who put the group on the map with his outrageous stage antics, which included smearing himself with peanut butter and rolling on broken glass. Their iconic songs include "I Wanna Be Your Dog," "No Fun" and "T.V. Eye."

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Metallica, Run-DMC Join Rock, Rockabilly, Soul Legends In Hall Of Fame

5 Apr 2009 03:44:00 EDT

Wanda Jackson and others highlight genre's rebellious roots at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
By Gil Kaufman

Metallica at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio on Saturday
Photo: Kevin Kane/WireImage.com

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony is all about honoring the past achievements of legendary artists who helped build the rebel foundation of the genre. But on Saturday night (April 4) in Cleveland, it was a pair of contemporary artists who showed the crowd how those wild and wooly seeds sown by a ragtag group of rockabilly shouters, soul stirrers, boogie-woogie piano bangers and country hollerers more than half a century ago have grown to include everything from hip-hop to heavy metal.

One of the night's highlights was a moving induction speech from Eminem, making a rare public appearance to honor his musical heroes, Run-DMC, only the second hip-hop act to enter the Hall. "Two turntables and a microphone, that's all it took to change the world," Em said, his all-black ensemble inspired by the Queens trio's signature look. Praising their music's ability to spread hip-hop around the world, Em said there was something about the sound made by rappers Joseph "Rev. Run" Simmons and Darryl "DMC" McDaniels, and late DJ Jason "Jam Master Jay" Mizell that "grabbed hold of my ears and changed my life."

Repeating the simple refrain, "two turntables and a microphone," like a mantra, Em described Run-DMC as, "something fresh, something tough. Something dangerous. Something beautiful and something unique. Two turntables and a microphone."

Run and DMC graciously accepted the award surrounded by their families and that of Mizell, paying irreverent homage to Run's brother, Def Jam Records co-founder Russell Simmons, for his wacky idea of mixing rock and rap. DMC, who learned just a few years ago that he was adopted, also urged the crowd, "The best thing y'all can do is give love to a kid, because that kid may grow up and be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame one day."

This year's ceremony was back in Cleveland, home of the Hall of Fame building, for the first time since the first-ever induction ceremony in 1997. And for the first time, the general public was allowed to buy tickets to the event, held at Cleveland's Public Auditorium. That suited honorees Metallica just fine, as the Bay Area masters of metal repeatedly gave shout-outs to the thousands of head-banging followers who have made them one of the biggest metal bands in rock history.

Appearing onstage with ex-bassist Jason Newsted for the first time in more than eight years, as well as with the father of late bassist Cliff Burton, guitarist/singer James Hetfield, drummer Lars Ulrich, guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo, all reflected on the job they likened to a brotherhood built on rock-and-roll fantasies.

"I think rock and roll is about possibilities and about dreams," Ulrich said, as the band took the stage following a funny, profane, reverent induction by Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea. "The fact that the six of us can be up on the stage tonight, snot-nosed kids, outcasts, loners who grew up in very different parts of the world, in very different situations and make it here tonight, to this wonderful night in front of all these people down here ... Rock and roll truly is about possibilities. Look at us. Metallica's in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame! Can you f---ing believe that?"

Hetfield encouraged young musicians, "Dream big and dare to fail. ... I dare you to do that. Because this is living proof that it is possible to make a dream come true."

The band concluded with a murderous set that began with their classic, genre-defining metal anthem, "Master of Puppets," and segued into a menacing, vein-popping trip through another modern heavy metal cornerstone, "Enter Sandman."

The show opened with inductees Little Anthony and the Imperials harmonizing on a medley of classic songs, including their swaying doo-wop staple "Tears on My Pillow." Founding singer Anthony Gourdine, 69, hit his signature falsetto notes, working the stage despite a shoulder injury he sustained Friday morning.

The group was inducted by Hall of Famer and Motown legend Smokey Robinson, who said of his lifelong friends, "It is a joy for me to be here for what I consider a long-overdue event. ... I think they are one of the greatest groups to have ever decided to sing together."

British guitar god Jeff Beck, 64, became a rare two-time honoree — he was previously inducted as a member of the Yardbirds — when he was called up again by Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page in honor of his 40-year career of electric six-string wizardry in genres ranging from rock to blues and fusion jazz. Joined by Page, Beck gave the crowd a taste of his blistering chops with a thundering blues-jam meltdown take on Zep's "Immigrant Song."

Also inducted was Queen of Rockabilly Wanda Jackson, 71, who blazed a trail for female rock singers with her raw, uninhibited work on such early hits as "Let's Have a Party." She was inducted by country royalty Roseanne Cash, daughter of the late Johnny Cash, who proclaimed, "For girls with guitars, myself included, Wanda was the beginning of rock and roll. Everyone who cares about roots music and rock and roll reveres Wanda. But in particular, every young woman I know, musician or otherwise, worship her as the prototype, the first female rock star."

Cleveland native and soul giant Bobby Womack, 65, ("Looking for a Love," "Across 110th Street") was inducted by the Rolling Stones' Ron Wood, which was fitting, since Womack wrote the Stones' first #1 UK hit, "It's All Over Now." Womack reminisced about being a guitar player for Sam Cooke. "The last song he wrote, he made a statement, and that statement was 'A Change Is Gonna Come.' ... When I think about it, that subject has come up again. A change has come," referring to the election of Barack Obama.

Among the sidemen inducted on Saturday night were Muscle Shoals band keyboard master Spooner Oldham (Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan) and two members of Elvis' band, bassist Bill Black and legendary drummer D.J. Fontana.

The night ended with the obligatory all-star jam, which featured all the members of Metallica, plus Aerosmith's Joe Perry, Flea, Page, Beck and Wood cranking up the aggression for a snarling, guitar-geek-nirvana version of the Yardbirds' "Train Kept A-Rollin'."

Artists are eligible for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 25 years after the release of their first record, and inductees are selected by a panel of 500 "rock experts" who evaluate each candidate.

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Flea Uses Red Hot Chili Peppers Hiatus To Go Back To School

30 Sep 2008 09:26:00 EDT

Bassist, who's studying music, says he's 'just another student trying to learn.'
By Chris Harris

Flea
Photo: Scott Gries/ Getty Images

Most college students aren't interrupted in the middle of class by autograph-seeking frat boys. And most college students can't claim to have appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone clad in nothing but a single tube sock. So no, Flea is not your typical freshman. But with the Red Hot Chili Peppers on an open-ended hiatus, the band's bassist decided to enroll at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, where he's studying music theory, music composition and jazz trumpet.

"Being in a band has been an education, and being on tour has been an education, so this is just me furthering my education in a different way," Flea told MTV News. "When I was a kid and it was time to go to college, I thought, 'College is for people who don't have the street smarts to make it on their own — get in a band, get in a van and get rockin'.' That was a good philosophy for me at the time, [but] there were a lot of things I wanted to learn, and I want to learn them now."

Flea admitted that being the OMC (oldest man on campus) was strange initially, but he said there's nothing he'd rather be doing right now.

"At first there were a few looks, but everyone's so busy trying to learn," he explained. "There's the occasional autograph or whatever, but it's just so not about that. It's about learning and studying music. I'm just another student trying to learn."

A student trying to learn who also happens to be a rock star — a realization Flea said hit him last week. "I was running across campus with my backpack, and I didn't want to be tardy," he said. "I was thinking, 'What the f--- am I doing? I'm a 45-year-old rock star and I'm worried about being tardy?' "

When he's not in class, Flea said he's at home working on solo material he doubts he'll ever release commercially. He's not sure when the Chili Peppers will reconvene to start work on the follow-up to 2006's Stadium Arcadium, but that's not something he's been thinking about.

"We've just kind of stepped away from it for a while," Flea said. "We've been working so hard for such a long period of time that we needed to get away to get a fresh perspective, and that's what we're doing." According to Flea, the band originally decided to take two years off. RHCP finished their world tour a year ago, "so I think [we're looking at] another year or so," he said.

"Being a rock star isn't all it's cracked up to be, let me tell you," Flea continued. "You go on tour for a year and a half, and it's great. I love entertaining people, I love playing music, and I love rocking like an animal. But at a certain point, you're playing gig after gig after gig, in town after town after town, and you're lying down, staring at another hotel-room ceiling, and it's like, 'I want to be home. I'm a dad, I've got kids.' It's nice to be home and do that stuff and work on music, but the time will come when that will shift again."

While Flea's got plenty of homework to keep him busy, he's also been teaching at the Silverlake Conservatory of Music, a nonprofit educational organization he helped found to foster music education.

"We have about 600 students, and we teach academics, we teach fundamentals, and we teach the technique of the instrument of their choice," he said. "We teach music — it's pretty simple. We're not about being a celebrity. We're about teaching music to kids and trying to fill the gap [left] where arts programs have been cut out by the public schools. No music education for children is an outrage, and it's tantamount to child abuse. Kids deserve arts, and it's just as important as science, math, history, English or athletics."

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The Loder Files: A Trip Inside The MTV News Vaults

12 Aug 2008 08:04:00 EDT

Each week, Kurt Loder revisits his most memorable interviews -- whether they're scary, silly, poignant or all of the above.

Red Hot Chili Peppers' Flea in 1999
Photo: MTV News

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Return Of The Red Hot Chili Peppers, 1999, In The Loder Files

12 Aug 2008 08:00:00 EDT

Punk-funk pioneers bounce back with one of their biggest albums.
By Kurt Loder

Red Hot Chili Peppers' Anthony Kiedis in 1999
Photo: MTV News

Where do old interviews go to die? Since 1988 they've gone into the MTV News vault, but we've been exhuming them to bring you these classic natterings. Here's the latest in the series, which runs every Tuesday.

The Red Hot Chili Peppers are one of those rare bands that keeps getting better as the years pass. The group had already been together for 16 years when we talked to them in 1999, on the eve of what would turn out to be a two-year world tour for their new album, Californication, which soon became a massive international hit.

The Chili Peppers were coming off a slight career bump at the time. John Frusciante, the extraordinary guitarist who had replaced founding member Hillel Slovak after Slovak died of a heroin overdose in 1988, had suddenly dropped out of the band with a drug problem of his own in 1992, while the group was touring in support of its world-breakthrough album, Blood Sugar Sex Magik. It was three years before they resurfaced with a follow-up record, called One Hot Minute, with Dave Navarro, the shred-king Jane's Addiction guitarist, awkwardly slotted into the lineup. One Hot Minute was a mediocre Chili Peppers album, and Navarro was soon gone. Fortunately, in early 1998, Frusciante emerged from rehab a new and cleaned-up man, if a bit of a physical mess. The Chili Peppers welcomed him back into the fold, helped spruce him up, and have been humming along very happily ever since.

Frusciante, bassist Flea, and drummer Chad Smith are one of rock's great rhythm units, and, together with hyper-charged frontman Anthony Kiedis, also a reliable source of spacey interviews. Here we have Flea talking about dressing up in Spice Girl drag, Smith describing his current diet (steak and beer), and Kiedis contributing unimpressed mentions of two bands of the period, Limp Bizkit and Korn (or "the Korn," as he puts it). Best of all, there's an extended monologue by Frusciante about his lost heroin years. ("These monsters had started to eat me up on the inside.") What a very good thing it's been, for both the band and its fans, that this remarkable musician got found again.

Enjoy digging through The Loder Files? You'll find more here, and there's much more to come from the vaults — check back every Tuesday!

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Foo Fighters To Make Madison Square Garden Debut; Plus Chris Brown, John Legend, Kevin Federline, Angelina Jolie & More, In For The Record

27 Nov 2007 08:42:00 EST

Brown, Legend grace cover of Black Enterprise; Federline named one of Details' most-influential men under 45; Jolie nominated for Spirit Award.
By MTV News staff

Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl
Photo: Karl Walter/Getty Images

Foo Fighters have sketched out their 2008 tour plans, which include the band's first-ever show at Madison Square Garden in New York. Dates for the jaunt — the Foos' biggest one yet in the U.S. — are as follows, with more expected to be announced: Sunrise, Florida (January 16); Orlando, Florida (January 17); Birmingham, Alabama (January 19); Pensacola, Florida (January 20); Houston (January 22); Dallas (January 23); Memphis, Tennessee (January 25); Nashville (January 26); Fayetteville, Arkansas (January 28); Oklahoma City (January 29); Worcester, Massachusetts (February 18); New York (February 19); Philadelphia (February 21); Detroit (February 24); Chicago (February 25); and Minneapolis (February 27). The band will be trekking in support of September's Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace. ...

Chris Brown, John Legend, Queen Latifah and Wyclef Jean appear on various covers of Black Enterprise's December issue, which hit stands Tuesday (November 27) with five different covers. Mary J. Blige, Nick Cannon, Diddy, and Alicia Keys are also included on the magazine's year-end Hot List celebrating "bold innovators" under age 40. The issue hits newsstands Tuesday (November 27). ... Legend can't get enough of Baileys — first the singer/songwriter linked up with the liqueur maker for his Baileys Get Together Tour, and now there's a related hourlong special on the way. "Baileys Entertainment Presents Get Together With John Legend," which was taped earlier this month during a stop on the tour, will feature concert performances, interviews and exclusive behind-the-scenes clips with Legend and artists from his Homeschool Records label: Estelle, the James Gang and Vaughn Anthony. The program will air December 16 at 9 p.m. ET on TV One. ...

Kevin Federline — who only made $7,436 in 2006, news outlets reported after documents pertaining to his child-custody battle with ex-wife Britney Spears were released a few weeks ago — has nevertheless landed on the cover of Details magazine's "Power + Influence Issue." He and former Anna Nicole Smith boyfriend Larry Birkhead are tied for the seventh spot on the magazine's list of most-influential men under 45. "They emerged as unlikely candidates for Dad of the Year," Details says. ... A-list celebs Angelina Jolie and Don Cheadle, who have been in the limelight as much for their social-outreach efforts as they have for their movie roles, have been nominated for Spirit Awards. Cate Blanchett, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Sienna Miller will also be up for honors at the show, due to air live on the Independent Film Channel on February 23. ...

Lily Allen has announced that she was diagnosed with a heart murmur three months ago, BBC News reports. The 22-year-old told Grazia magazine that she found out about the condition when she recently switched doctors and that her recent 19-pound weight loss was a result of exercise and a diet change following the discovery. "I used to love nothing more than sitting in front of the telly with two packets of Ginger Nuts and two bags of milk-bottle sweets — and I'd devour the lot," Allen told the magazine. "But this heart thing has made me cut back on all that kind of crap," she said. "I now find that, because I am looking after myself, I don't feel like eating the bad stuff so much." ... Radiohead have finally announced some tour dates for 2008, according to Pitchfork. The group will reportedly play Germany's Southside Festival and Hurricane Festival, both of which are slated to take place June 20-22. It's not yet clear on which dates the band will perform. ... Rick Ross' second effort won't be happening this year, Billboard.com reports. According to the site, Trilla has moved from a December 18 release date to February 19. ...

Three detectives accused of covering up evidence in the Notorious B.I.G. case can be added as defendants in a wrongful-death lawsuit the late rapper's family filed against the City of Los Angeles, a judge ruled Monday. The Christopher Wallace family has argued that Los Angeles Police Department Risk Management Group detectives Stanley Nalywaiko and Stuart Maislin, along with detective Steven Katz, "failed to supervise or directly participated in the concealment of evidence in this case." U.S. District Court Judge Florence-Marie Cooper — who declared a mistrial in the case two years ago after determining Katz hid statements linking the Notorious B.I.G.'s death to two policemen, David A. Mack and Rafael Perez, said "the attempted concealment of evidence and failure to respond to officer wrongdoing is a central issue in this case," and that the family's request could be granted. The Wallace family's top attorney, Perry R. Sanders Jr., said the ruling "gives the family a chance to prove to the world that police were involved in the murder — and that high officials have covered up for those officers. The family is extremely pleased to have the opportunity to hold accountable some of the key people involved in the coverup." The Wallace family also asked that other defendants be added to the suit — that request was denied, although the estate will be able to file separate suits against the additional individuals. ...

Nine Inch Nails' new Remix.NIN.com Web site has launched despite coming under fire from their former record label, Universal. Controversy had erupted over the site, which was intended to be erected following last week's release of Y34RZ3R0R3MIX3D as a home for fans' mash-ups of NIN songs. ... Interpol have pumped out their first batch of official live recordings, exclusively via ThinkIndie.com. Their six-song, simply titled Live EP is available now and captures the band playing at London's Astoria on July 2. The tracks include "Obstacle 1," "Stella Was a Diver and She Was Always Down," "Pioneer to the Falls," "Mammoth," "Rest My Chemistry" and "The Heinrich Maneuver." ... The four members of the Bratz plan to give four girls something new to cheer about: $15,000 scholarships for college. Named after the group members — Yasmin, Cloe, Sasha and Jade — the scholarships will be awarded to the girls who create the best essays answering the question "What are you most passionate about in life, and how would you use this scholarship to help you grow?" Additional details on the Bratz Scholarship Contest are included in the just-released DVD "Bratz: The Movie." ...

Ghostface, Raekwon, Talib Kweli, Young Buck and others have piled onto Hi-Teknology 3, the latest collection from Cincinnati hip-hop producer Hi-Tek. The disc is due December 11, and its first single is "My Piano" (featuring Ghostface, Raekwon and Dion). ... Fat Joe is getting a big thank-you from In Arms Reach Inc., a nonprofit group that reaches out to New York children whose parents are or have been incarcerated. The rapper will be honored Thursday at a dinner and awards ceremony to be held at the City University of New York's City College. Trey Songz will perform at the event. "I'm proud to help bring awareness to this segment of youth, at a time when so many of our families in the minority community remain separated by the system," Fat Joe said in a statement. ... Alanis Morissette is slated for induction into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, according to the Globe and Mail. The 33-year-old Ottawa native will receive the award on March 7 as part of the Canadian Radio Music Awards in Toronto. ...

Van Halen have spilled out loads more 2008 dates for their ongoing reunion trek. The additional gigs will be held in San Antonio (January 24); Dallas (January 26); Denver (February 1); New Orleans (February 8); Orlando, Florida (February 14); Jacksonville, Florida (February 16); Tampa, Florida (February 18); Charlottesville, Virginia (February 22); Fort Wayne, Indiana (March 3); Cincinnati (March 5); Raleigh, North Carolina (March 7); Baltimore (March 9); Manchester, New Hampshire (March 11); East Rutherford, New Jersey (March 13); New York (March 17); Hershey, Pennsylvania (March 19); Pittsburgh (March 21); Providence, Rhode Island (March 24); Uncasville, Connecticut (March 26); Atlantic City, New Jersey (March 28); Columbus, Ohio (April 1); Chicago (April 3); Grand Rapids, Michigan (April 5); and Milwaukee (April 7). ... Ozzy Osbourne is even more controversial than his fans thought. According to NBC News affiliate KGET, the metal god inspired an emergency ordinance in Bakersfield, California, prior to his playing in the city for fear that he would repeat some of his notorious behavior onstage. Back in 1982, weeks before Osbourne was to perform in Bakersfield, then-Mayor Mary Kay Shell "advised the council [that] a musical rock star scheduled to perform in Bakersfield in June sometimes makes it a practice to bite the head off a bird during or at the conclusion of his performance," according to KGET. The council then adopted an ordinance prohibiting the killing of animals during theatrical performances — or the Ozzy Osbourne Ordinance, as it was called at the time. ...

Janet Jackson fans, get psyched for '08: The singer is prepping a tour and has penciled in her new album for February, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Her yet-untitled debut for Island Def Jam will be executive produced by L.A. Reid — not boyfriend and Island Urban prez Jermaine Dupri. ... New York hip-hop personality Angie Martinez survived an ugly car crash late last week as she readied her first annual Angie Martinez Hair Show and Beauty Expo over the weekend at the Hammerstein Ballroom. The Hot 97 on-air jock told MTV News she fell asleep at the wheel of her car and crashed over a median before colliding with several cars. Martinez was uninjured except for a slight limp. Her two-day expo brought out Missy Elliott, Lil Mama, Nina Sky, Jim Jones, Juelz Santana and others. Cassidy, Trey Songz and Fabolous performed. ...

The Black Crowes have pegged March 4 as the release date for their first new studio album in seven years, Warpaint. The disc will feature 10 songs written by Chris and Rich Robinson — plus a cover of "God's Got It" by Reverend Charlie Jackson — and come out through the band's Silver Arrow Records label. It will also help usher in two new Crowes, guitarist Luther Dickinson of the North Mississippi Allstars and keyboardist Adam MacDougall. In related news, Dickinson is re-forming his side project the Word with fellow Allstars Chris Chew and Cody Dickinson, John Medeski and Robert Randolph. The group, which also reunited in 2005 for Bonnaroo, has lined up four December gigs, in Hartford, Connecticut (26th); New York (27th); Philadelphia (28th); and Washington, D.C. (29th). ...

For years now, American festival promoters have shamelessly borrowed from English fests like Glastonbury in setting up multi-day destination events like Bonnaroo and Coachella. Now, Festival Republic — the promoter behind three of the biggest English festivals: Reading, Leeds and Glasto — is getting together with the promoters of the revived Lollapalooza, Austin, Texas' C3 Presents, to put on the Vineland Music Festival on a privately owned 500-acre farm in New Jersey on August 8-10. No lineups have been announced yet, but in a press release, organizers promised a "weekend of pure unadulterated rock and roll pleasure" with a "heady mix of the greatest bands in the world, energy charged sets; new rising stars and the freshest acts hitting the stages before the press have had a sniff of them." Melvin Benn, managing director of Festival Republic, said last month that he had secured a site in Jersey and was eager to join the fray in America with his own camping fest. "It hasn't gone unnoticed that American promoters keep coming over and seeing my shows, so I thought, 'Crikey!, I need to get over there and do something before there's no room left." ...

With Army of Anyone on hiatus, singer Richard Patrick has revived his former band Filter. A new album is in the works and could be in stores early next year, he announced on his MySpace page. "I am totally cramming on a new Filter record," he said. "I'm working with some amazing people — all new people. This is absolutely the most amazing stuff I've ever done, and I'm really proud of it." ... Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor's cover band, the DumFux, have booked a gig at the Val Air Ballroom in Des Moines, Iowa, for December 31. On a Pale Horse and Scrue are also on the bill. Tickets for the show will set you back $15. ...

Mario Gutierrez, guitarist for Los Angeles death/thrash metallers Engrave, died late last week of gunshot wounds he sustained during an argument with his brother-in-law, according to the Los Angeles Times. Gutierrez, 37, was reportedly shot and killed in El Sereno, California, at about 10:45 p.m. on Thursday. Police said Gutierrez and his brother-in-law got into an argument during the family's Thanksgiving gathering over a remark the brother-in-law had made about Gutierrez's wife, according to the Times. The argument reportedly escalated to pushing and shoving, and eventually spilled out onto the street, where Gutierrez was shot. The 27-year-old brother-in-law turned himself in to the police a few hours later. ...

Carson Daly is going it alone. The host of "Last Call With Carson Daly" has announced that he will be the first late-night talker to go back on the air since the writers' strike started on November 5. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Daly is expected to start taping new episodes this week and will begin airing them next week.

11.26.07

Wildfires broke out in Malibu, California, again over the weekend, and among those impacted were Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea, who lost a home due to the flames, and Guns N' Roses frontman Axl Rose, who had a close call when the fires burned his roof and singed some of his property. According to a report on KCAL-TV, Rose's assistant said the rocker "was with the hose everywhere" on his property, fighting to save his home. The Los Angeles Times reports that Flea said in a text message that his $4.8 million home in Corral Canyon was "burnt to a crisp" by the fires on Saturday morning. According to TMZ.com, a second, $10 million Malibu home owned by Flea — the one in which he currently resides — did not burn. The one that did was a $4.8 million house that the bassist rents and currently has up for sale, the site reports. ...

Mary J. Blige is slated to perform at an upcoming Lifebeat benefit event honoring Stephen Hill, executive vice president of entertainment and music programming at BET. "Live Beats: A Night of Musical Mayhem and Tonal Terror Fashioned by Fun(k)," set to take place December 4 at New York's Highline Ballroom, will salute the Lifebeat board member for his work in fighting AIDS/HIV. Proceeds from the event will go to Lifebeat, and a related contest will give the winner a chance to play onstage at the venue with Blige's 10-piece backing band. For more info, go to Lifebeat.org. Adding to her good-Samaritan cred, Blige also played last week at a homeless-initiatives benefit show hosted by Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and staged by the Staples Center Foundation at the city's Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE. ...

Ho ho huh? Nelly Furtado has ganged up with members of AFI, LCD Soundsystem, the Faint, Panthers, the Horrors, Terror and the Black Lips for an upcoming charity release by Canadian hardcore-punk princes F---ed Up. The track is featured as the B-side on the band's new holiday single, and all proceeds will go to the George Herman House, a Toronto transitional-housing and life-skills program supporting women with mental-health issues. In more conventional news, Furtado has piled together a CD and DVD for her recent Get Loose World Tour. The items, both called Loose the Concert, will drop December 4 and feature 11 and 17 selections, respectively, from the trek. The DVD features a cover of Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy" as well as 30 minutes of documentary material ...

If you think Furtado's collaborative affair is out there, try this one on for size: Pete Wentz + Perez Hilton. The Fall Out Boy bassist and gossip guru have joined forces to create a new tee for Wentz's Clandestine Industries. They've come up with a name for it — "I Love Being a Sh--talker" — but are staging a contest to determine the design. The shirt will be sold at the new Clandestine Industries store in Chicago and on the company's Web site, ClandestineIndustries.com, and the winner will get a tee signed by Wentz and Hilton. The deadline to submit an original design is December 14, and the winner will be named seven days later — go to FriendsorEnemies.com for the 411 on how to enter. ...

While Time has yet to decide if J.K. Rowling will best Nobel Peace Prize winner Al Gore and others for Person of the Year, the "Harry Potter" author has earned her place as the Entertainer of the Year in another magazine, Entertainment Weekly. The publication said she deserves the honor for getting "people to tote around her big, old-fashioned printed-on-paper books as if they were the hottest new entertainment devices on the planet." Angelina Jolie, Johnny Depp, George Clooney and Will Smith also made EW's list of 25 top entertainers of the year. ...

Linkin Park plan to keep touring in 2008, and they'll be bringing Coheed and Cambria along for the ride. So far, just two dates have been announced for the groups' tour leg: February 16 in Detroit and February 18 in Manchester, New Hampshire. More dates will be revealed in the coming weeks. ... Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood's instrumental score to the upcoming Paul Thomas Anderson film "There Will Be Blood" is due in stores December 18. The movie hits theaters eight days later. The score includes material Greenwood wrote for a previous orchestral piece, "Popcorn Superhet Receiver," which will debut in concert in the U.S. in January when he participates in New York's Wordless Music Series. ... U2's Bono and the Edge surprised about 200 fans on Friday at the small London venue Union Chapel with a 20-minute, four-song acoustic set. According to a report on the band's Web site, the duo played "Stay," "Desire," "Angel of Harlem" and the recently unearthed rarity "Wave of Sorrow," which had never been played live and for which the Edge played keyboards. The gig was part of the Little Noise Sessions put on by Mencap, a group that aids people with learning disabilities. ...

Hulk Hogan said he was totally unaware that his wife of 24 years, Linda Marie Bollea, had recently filed for divorce when asked to comment on Friday by the St. Petersburg Times. According to the paper, Linda filed a petition for the dissolution of their marriage last Tuesday, unbeknownst to her husband. After learning of the development, the wrestler then reportedly thanked the reporter for the "great information" and hung up, calling back five minutes later to say he'd been "kind of shocked" by the news. "You caught me off guard. My wife has been in California for about three weeks," Hogan reportedly said. "Holy smokes. Wow, you just knocked the bottom out of me. I just pulled over to the side of the road for five minutes to find out what was going on here." According to The Associated Press, Linda Bollea requested alimony and child support for their 17-year-old son, Nick Bollea, as well as a share of the family's two multimillion-dollar properties in Florida, in her divorce petition, which calls the marriage "irretrievably broken." The couple married in 1983 and have two children, 19-year-old singer Brooke Hogan and Nick, who was involved in an August car crash that left a passenger critically injured. ...

The critics and moviegoers might be loving "American Gangster," but one New York City Drug Enforcement agent apparently isn't so fond of the film. According to TMZ.com, ex-agent Gregory Korniloff is threatening legal action against the movie's studio, Universal, for what he claims are "false and defamatory statements." In a recently filed cease-and-desist letter filed by his attorney, Korniloff demands a retraction of statements made in the movie, which allegedly presents several misleading facts and incorrectly states that a third of NYC DEA agents were convicted on charges related to gangster Frank Lucas. The now-retired agent was the case agent for the DEA and, as the letter reportedly states, "personally participated in the search of Lucas' house ... and the arrest of Lucas on that same day."

It was another rough weekend for Amy Winehouse. First, according to Reuters, the singer's husband, Blake Fielder-Civil, was denied bail and ordered to remain in custody until at least January 18 after appearing in a London court on Friday, charged with allegedly beating up a bartender. Fielder-Civil and another man, Michael Brown, were slated to stand trial this month in the case, in which they are accused of roughing up pub landlord James King last June. But the trial was recently delayed after police arrested Fielder-Civil and accused him of conspiracy to obstruct justice in the assault case. The news was hardly better for Winehouse, who reportedly showed up 45 minutes late for her gig Saturday night at London's Hammersmith Apollo, at which point some fans were already asking for refunds. NME reported that there was a loud chorus of boos by the time Winehouse finally took the stage and things only got worse from there, including a bit where her famous towering beehive almost toppled over and fell off. At one point, looking bored, she walked offstage and let her backup singers take over lead vocals. During the show's encore she left again, midway through a song, and didn't return. ...

The mystery surrounding AlbumSix.com just keeps growing. The site, believed by many to be a stealth Weezer affair, was under scrutiny again, when the bandmembers posted on its official Web site last week that they have no affiliation with it or any news it purports to have. Weezer also disputed the site's claims that the next album would be called Tout Ensemble and that it already has an official release date. According to a post on AlbumSix, "Weezer and Geffen Records have no affiliation with www.albumsix.com. ... We are honestly surprised how long this lasted. We expected that the media would contact Interscope or Weezer, and they would squash things immediately. But somehow, we slipped through the traditions of journalism. ... We never expected anyone to believe it. We thought we'd get a few Weezer fans on the boards to get excited, but we never actually thought we'd become a legitimate news source. We can't say we blame the media. Viral marketing is the hot new thing. However, we hoped you learned a lesson. ... We are extremely excited about the new Weezer album and are glad to see that everyone seems to share our excitement. We will be anxiously awaiting the real release date and title of album six along with everybody else. Until then, thanks for playing." Weezer offered a "well played" to the people behind the site. ...

Break out your lighters: Extreme are reuniting for a world tour and new album next year. The group broke up 11 years ago but got together in 2004-'06 for a brief re-formation. Guitarist Nuno Bettencourt, who is slated to produce the group's yet-untitled LP, said that in light of the inclusion of the band's song "Play With Me" in "Guitar Hero," "We realized, not only are the people starved for rock 'n' roll, so are we," according to a press release. "Let's eat," he added. ... The Romantics have filed a lawsuit against the makers of the "Guitar Hero" video game series, claiming a cover band tapped to record the act's signature song for the game sounds too much like the original, according to AP. The band's "What I Like About You" appears in "Guitar Hero Encore, Rocks the '80s," and, after declining permission to allow game manufacturer Activision to use the song in the game, the re-recorded version sounds too similar to the original. The band is seeking a cut of royalties produced through sales of the game. ...

The reunited Spice Girls want to set the record straight. After an e-mail went out over the weekend claiming that the group had scrapped a planned gig in Buenos Aires, Argentina, due to high demand for other dates, a spokesperson said the e-mail was a fake and the gig is penciled in for February. A statement on the group's Web site reads, "The Spice Girls would like to make it clear that they have not canceled their Buenos Aires show. ... A story has appeared on several Web sites that includes a fake e-mail and competition from the girls. The fake e-mail claims that due to the demand so far in the U.K. and the U.S. this show is going to be canceled. ... The e-mail goes on to say that they will be running some competitions for their South American fans to travel to the U.K. to watch a show. This is not the case and this email is 100 percent unofficial and has nothing to do with the Spice Girls." ...

A judge set a February 25 court date for faded 1980s pop star Boy George, who has been accused of falsely imprisoning a 28-year-old male escort by chaining him to a wall in his London apartment in April. George (born George O'Dowd), 46, spoke only to confirm his name in court on Thursday, and was released on bail and ordered to have no contact with the alleged victim, according to reports.

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Flea's House 'Burnt To A Crisp'; Plus Mary J. Blige, Nelly Furtado, AFI, Pete Wentz & More, In For The Record

26 Nov 2007 08:34:00 EST

Blige gets charitable; Furtado, AFI featured on bizarre holiday single; Wentz teams with Perez Hilton for T-shirt contest.
By MTV News staff

Red Hot Chili Peppers' Flea (file)
Photo: Scott Gries/ Getty Images

11.21.07

T.I.'s lawyers gave a hint of how they plan to defend their client through motions filed in court on Monday seeking to suppress evidence seized from the rapper's vehicle during his October 13 arrest on federal weapons charges. The motions claim that the evidence against him and statements he made to authorities were illegally obtained. The Associated Press reports that attorneys for the rapper (born Clifford Harris) claim his car was searched without a warrant, consent or probable cause. They also claim that his detention might not have been appropriate, that statements he made to authorities might not have been voluntary and that agents may have failed to honor his rights. The motions don't go into details on the basis for the legal challenges, but state that more information will be filled in later. A judge had not made a ruling on the challenges at press time. ...

A judge suspended the driver's license of wrestler Hulk Hogan's son, Nick Bollea, for one year on Tuesday, in the wake of the 17-year-old's August crash that left his friend in critical condition, according to the AP. Bollea was arrested on November 7 on charges of reckless driving involving serious bodily injury, and the Tampa Tribune reported that the teen received a letter on Monday informing him of the suspension, as well as a letter ordering him to pay a fine for driving 106 mph before the crash, to avoid having his license suspended indefinitely. "We have the ability to suspend someone's license if we believe what they could be convicted of is a potential danger should this person remain on the road," said Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles spokeswoman Ann Nucatola. "We've deemed him dangerous to the general public on the road." ...

Despite their differences, the Wu-Tang Clan will be touring in support of their forthcoming album, The 8 Diagrams. The trek begins on December 15 in Chicago, and runs through January 26 in St. Petersburg, Florida. ... According to Bruce Springsteen's Web site, keyboard player Danny Federici, an original member of the E Street Band, has decided to take a leave of absence from Springsteen's current tour to undergo treatment for melanoma. Charles Giordano, who played with Bruce as a member of the Sessions band, will temporarily fill in for Federici until he's able to return. ... As I Lay Dying, August Burns Red, Evergreen Terrace and Still Remains are planning to hit the road together in January. The trek commences January 8 in San Luis Obispo, California, and runs through February 1 in Omaha, Nebraska. More dates are expected to be announced in the coming weeks. ...

The Cure's Robert Smith addressed rumors about him working with Ashlee Simpson in V magazine. "First of all, I was mostly shocked by how fantastically widespread that rumor was ... and by how quickly it spread," he said. "I know that people were really upset by the idea that I would do that and I suppose I can understand why, but it still seems so ridiculous to me. I took my nieces to see her perform in 'Chicago' on the West End and afterward they wanted to meet her, so we went backstage and said hello. I didn't understand what the big deal was. You can say what you want about her, but she can sing. Whether or not we'd actually do anything together, I don't know. I didn't see any reason to deny the rumor as I thought it was amusing and I never deny rumors anyway. There are a handful of singers that I'd rather pull my own fingernails out than be stuck in the same room with, but she isn't really one of them. We have no plans to collaborate, though. Believe it or not, she and I don't really run into each other. [He laughed.] Now, wait a second ... Ashlee is calling on my other line and I should probably take it." ...

The track list for Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo's forthcoming solo album, Alone — The Home Records of Rivers Cuomo, has been revealed. The album, due out December 18, will boast 17 tracks, including an early version of the band's 1995 hit "Buddy Holly," as well as the songs "Who You Callin' B---h?," "Dude We're Finally Landing," and "I Wish You Had an Axe Guitar." In related news, Weezer have titled their forthcoming album Tout Ensemble, according to the band's Web site. ...

Don Imus has certainly been called a lot of things in 2007 — racist, sexist, fired, you name it. King magazine, however, has another name for him: Man of the Year. Imus was given the mag's yearly big-dog award in the new issue. Huh? Editor-in-chief Jermaine Hall said Imus was honored for being a lighting rod in the urban community. ... Former New Kid on the Block Joey McIntyre and his wife, Barrett, welcomed a baby boy on Tuesday, People magazine reports. "The family is happy and healthy," a rep for McIntyre told the magazine. "Everyone's doing well and they're excited he made it here in time for Thanksgiving." McIntyre, 34, and his wife, 29, have not yet picked a name for the child. ...

According to the Florida Times-Union, former Lynyrd Skynyrd drummer Artimus Pyle was arrested in St. John's County, Florida, on Monday, charged with failure to properly register as a sex offender. The 59-year-old, whose real name is Thomas Delmer Pyle, lives in Asheville, North Carolina. He was released from police custody Tuesday on $10,000 bail. Pyle pleaded guilty in 1993 to charges of attempted capital sexual battery by an adult on a victim younger than 12 and principal to lewd and lascivious on a child younger than 16. He was sentenced to eight years of probation and designated as a sex offender. His latest arrest stems from his recent attempt to renew his driver's license in Florida. Police claim he failed to register as a sex offender in Florida, which state law mandates, and detectives claim he has not lived at the address provided on his license renewal application for many years.

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