|
Minnie Driver, Josh Brolin Split Actor Josh Brolin and actress Minnie Driver have canceled their wedding plans. Brolin, 33, and Driver, 30, announced their engagement in April but did not set a wedding date. The split was "mutual and amicable," Driver's publicist, Ame Van Iden, said Wednesday, without disclosing details of the breakup. The London-born Driver, who's had romances with "Good Will Hunting" co-star Matt Damon and "Grosse Point Blank" co-star John Cusack, met Brolin on the set of 1998's "Slow Burn." Brolin previously was married to actress Deborah Adair. The son of actor James Brolin, he also has appeared in "The Goonies," "Flirting With Disaster" and "Hollow Man." Driver earned an Oscar nomination for her role in "Good Will Hunting" and also starred in "Return to Me" and "Beautiful." Morissette Plays Show for Students Alanis Morissette stopped by this small town to play a concert for high school students, the prize for a 15-year-old student who designed a music video for the singer. Morissette, whose 1995 "Jagged Little Pill" is the top-selling debut album in history, did a special concert at the Plainfield Town Hall in honor of Marshfield resident Elyse Bellamy, 15. Elyse's day with the rock star began when Morissette walked into her school Thursday morning. She then learned that she had won the nationwide contest. Morissette had lunch with Elyse and her parents at their hilltop home, then spent some time chatting with her in the girl's bedroom. Morissette sang six songs, some old and some new, telling the crowd "Your town has a really good vibe going." She even helped out in Elyse's science class. "Everyone at school was so pumped up," said Morgan Wilber, who helped Elyse put her video together and also got to spend some extra time with Morissette. "She put on the big goggles that you wear and helped us." Doherty Gets Work-Release Sentence Shannen Doherty will serve five days in a work-release program as part of her sentencing for a drunken driving arrest in December. A Ventura County judge on Tuesday imposed the minimum sentence for the 30-year-old actress after she gave lectures to teens about the dangers of driving under the influence. She could have faced two days in jail. Deputy District Attorney Ian Morse said Doherty will probably serve her five days of work release picking up freeway trash. Doherty, who starred in television's "Beverly Hills 90210" and "Charmed," was arrested Dec. 28 for driving under the influence. Tests revealed Doherty had a blood-alcohol level of 0.13 percent, well above the state's legal limit of 0.08 percent. She pleaded no contest to the misdemeanor charge in April.
Reba McEntire's Show Ready to Air Reba McEntire finally hits your TV screen tonight, as her new series "Reba" premieres on the WB Network. McEntire plays a mother whose unfaithful husband has fathered a child by another woman, and that baby is due around the same time as their teenage daughter's out-of-wedlock child. McEntire says she loved the show's premise from the first time she saw the script, because the character reminded her of her own mother. "This is a situation that a lot of families are dealing with all over the United States, all over the world. And this woman takes the bull by the horns and says, 'Alright this is a disaster, but we're going to handle this situation, we're going to stay together and we're going to come through it and we're going to hold our head high.' That's a lot like my mama. Any kind of situation that came up in our family, she knew that we were falling apart but she stood strong and said 'we're going to go ahead and we're going to put a smile on your face and let's go forward,'" McEntire said. The country singer turned actress says she will not turn her back on her musical roots. "To integrate both is what I'm really looking forward to doing," McEntire said. "I will never go away from my singing because I love that so much. That's my passion." Wynonna Judd to Play at Army Base Wynonna Judd plans to rally the troops at Fort Campbell, Ky., on Friday with two shows at the Army base. The shows are a response to the terrorist attacks on the United States, Rondal Richardson of Judd's management company, Wynonna Inc., said Wednesday. "I am a Kentucky girl, and it made perfect sense to come home to be with these families," the singer said in a statement. "Since Sept. 11, I have been searching for a way to actually do something to make a difference during this trying time for our nation. I am so inspired by the renewed sense of patriotism of our country, and I want to participate with and remind the soldiers at Fort Campbell that we are unified behind them." Judd was born in Ashland, Ky. She came to fame in partnership with her mother, Naomi Judd, with hits including "Why Not Me" and "Mama He's Crazy." On her own, she has scored hits such as "No One Else on Earth." |
|
NELLY DROPS EMINEM FROM TOP SLOT Nelly's "Nellyville" (Universal) knocked Eminem's "The Eminem Show" from its perch atop the Billboard 200 in its first week on the chart. After five weeks at No. 1, Eminem couldn't hold off the demand for Nelly's latest, which sold 714,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Between the album and the single "Hot in Herre," Nelly now holds the top slot on 10 Billboard charts, including Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums tally. N.O.R.E. opened up in third place with "God's Favorite," and another chart newcomer, Truth Hurts, took the fourth spot with "Truthfully Speaking." Korn dropped to seventh place with "Untouchables," and Papa Roach fell from the No. 2 spot to No. 8 with "Lovehatetragedy." In its first week, Will Smith's "Born To Reign" checked in at No. 13. Its future will be tied to the success of "Men In Black II." Meanwhile "The Osbourne Family Album" continued to plummet, dropping to No. 55 in its third week on the charts. ELVIS COMING ON DVD To celebrate the 25th anniversary of Elvis Presley's death, Rhino Home Video is releasing the first DVD boxed set spanning Presley's movie and music career. The company is taking advance orders starting July 16 for "Elvis: The Great Performances," a three-volume collection containing more than 40 performances, rare interviews, intimate video clips and additional in-depth footage that spotlights the legendary rock 'n' roll idol. The boxed set, packaged in a mock blue suede cover with silver embossing, will retail for $49.99. "Volume I: Center Stage" captures Elvis's first televised performance on "Stage Show" in 1956. "Volume II: The Man And His Music" offers a glimpse into his private life and the effects of his unprecedented fame. Featured are rare home movies of Elvis' friends and family as well as the recently discovered first recording of "My Happiness." "Volume III: From The Waist Up," narrated by U2's Bono, follows Elvis's path to stardom. OZZY BACK IN ACTION AFTER WIFE'S SURGERY Sharon Osbourne is recovering after cancer surgery Wednesday, freeing hubby Ozzy to hit the road to headline Ozzfest. Ozzy and the kids were at the hospital when Sharon had the surgery. "Everyone is in good spirits because the prognosis is very positive," said Osbourne's publicist Lisa Vega. "The doctors have told them all she's expected to make a full recovery." PORTUGESE FADO STAR MARIZA ON TOUR Fado superstar Mariza opens her North American summer tour Friday at the Quebec City Summer Festival. Mariza brings her vibrant interpretation of the Portugese folk tradition to Montreal July 6 and Toronto July 7 before starting her U.S. run July 9 in Boston. Mariza began singing Fado as a child, before she could read. Her father sketched out little cartoon stories to help her remember the lyrics. At age 5, she joined in the spontaneous singing in her parents' restaurant in Mouraria, one of Lisbon's most traditional neighborhoods. Mariza was born in Mozambique but her family moved to Portugal when she was a baby, giving her plenty of time to get immersed directly in the "Fado Houses" where singing is part of everyday life. Mariza, 26, released her first compact disc, "Fado em Mim," in the United States this year on Times Square Records/World Connection. Fado is Portugal's Blues or Rebetika or Tango or Flamenco. "They all stand on emotions," says Mariza. "Fado is an emotional kind of music full of passion, sorrow, jealousy, grief, and often satire." At the very outset of her career, Mariza was being compared to one of the biggest icons of Fado: Amalia Rodrigues. In the words of Nuno Nazareth Fernandes, one of the greatest Portuguese composers: "Mariza is an adorable extra-terrestrial being, someone sent by the Great Creator to reinvent the Fado." FIDDLER PLAYS HIS WAY TO COPYRIGHT RULING Former Fabulous Poodles violinist Bobby Valentino won a court ruling entitling him to share copyright on the Bluebells' "Young At Heart" last week, reports the Guardian. Valentino, 48, was paid a session fee of 75 pounds in 1984 when he added a fiddle part to "Young At Heart." The song reached No. 8 in the charts that year but became a No. 1 hit when it was re-released in 1993 after being featured in a Volkswagen advertisement. Valentino went to court to argue his violin part was central to the song's composition and entitled him to royalty payments. British Deputy Judge Christopher Floyd QC asked Valentino to play the song from the witness box. After hearing him play, the judge ruled Valentino was entitled to royalties and should now share copyright with former Bluebells member Robert Hodgens and former Bananarama member Siobhan Fahey, now Siobhan Stewart, who co-wrote the song first recorded by Bananarama in 1983. "I conclude that the violin part does make a significant and original contribution of the right kind of skill and labor to the Bluebells' version of the song," Floyd concluded. Thus, Mr. Valentino is a joint author of the copyright in that work." Valentino, who also acts and models as a Clark Gable lookalike, will now be seeking damages for unpaid royalties. WHO TOUR REPLACES ENTWISTLE The Who will embark on its North American tour as = scheduled beginning Monday night at the Hollywood Bowl, with Pino Pal= ladino replacing bassist John Entwistle, who died last week on the ev= e of the tour's planned opening night in Las Vegas. "We talked a little about (Palladino's) role here,= and I made it clear we do not expect him to attpushing aside rapper Nelly's "Nellyville," which held the No. 2 slot after three weeks at the top. "Busted Stuff" (RCA) sold 622,000 units, according to Nielsen SoundScan. In nine albums over the group's career, only the triple platinum "Everyday" had a bigger opening week. The Vines also checked in with a strong debut -- the Australian rockers sold 64,000 units to clock in at No. 11 on the U.S. Billboard charts. TOP ROCKERS JOIN CASH TRIBUTE Little Richard, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Sheryl Crow and Keb' Mo' all contributed tracks to the upcoming Johnny Cash tribute album. "Kindred Spirits," due out Sept. 24, was produced by former Cash bandmember Marty Stuart, who was married to Cash's daughter, Cindy, and played in Cash's band in the early 1980s. "My vision from the start has been to portray Johnny Cash the songwriter," Stuart said. "He's such a poignant and insightful writer and this has never been done. In the likeness of Johnny, each artist brought their own interpretation to the songs. Johnny's renegade spirit transcends throughout the project." Keb' Mo' covered "Folsom Prison Blues" country blues-style, Springsteen brought his distinctive touch to "Give My Love to Rose" and Little Richard pulled out all the stops on "Get Rhythm." Dylan selected a lesser-known gem, "Train of Love," while Crow joined Mary Chapin Carpenter and Emmylou Harris to sing "Flesh and Blood." TORI AMOS' NOVEL ALBUM "Scarlet's Walk," Tori Amos' debut for Epic Records due Oct. 29, is a "sonic novel" that takes the listener on an aural journey of America's past as seen through the eyes of the title character. Amos produced the album in Cornwall, England, with help from longtime collaborators Jon Evans on bass and Matt Chamberlain (Bowie, Fiona Apple) on drums. The record's first single, "A Sorta Fairytale," will be serviced to radio in mid-September. In support of the album, Amos will embark on a headlining tour of the United States this fall with international dates to follow. MCCARTNEY AND WILSON TEAM UP Former Beatle Paul McCartney and former Beach Boy Brian Wilson are both scheduled to participate in a benefit aimed at eliminating landmines around the world. The Los Angeles event, scheduled for Sept. 18, is organized by McCartney's wife, Heather Mills. Jay Leno is scheduled to host the show. The benefit is designed to raise awareness for the Adopt-A-Minefield initiative that clears and provides assistance to survivors affected by forgotten weapons.McCartney and his band will perform in advance of the Sept. 21 renewal of their U.S. tour, while Wilson will be backed by the Wondermints, who recently played with him on a recreation of the Beach Boys' 1966 album "Pet Sounds." THE MAKING OF SILVERCHAIR'S DIORAMA Rhino Home Video is releasing a behind-the-scene DVD starring Austrailian rockers Silverchair, "Across the Night: The Creation of Diorama." The DVD follows the band through the production of the platinum-selling recording. It follows songwriter Daniel Johns through the creation of original demos, fine tuning the songs at his home and then working with arrangers, such as the legendary Van Dyke Parks, as they make the recordings. It follows the group to Los Angeles for the mixing of the album and joins the band behind the scenes as members prepare to unveil their new material live in concert. Included are in-depth interviews with Johns, along with fellow bandmates Ben Gillies (drums) and Chris Joannou (bass). Today is July 19 NELLYVILLE IS THE PLACE TO BE Rapper Nelly's red-hot summer jam, "Nellyville," staved off the challenge of several newcomers to hold its place atop the Billboard 200. "Nellyville" (Fo' Reel/Universal) remained at No. 1 for a third-straight week after selling340,000 units. "By the Way," the latest from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, debuted at No. 2 after selling 280,000 units. "The Eminem Show" (Web/Aftermath/Interscope) slipped to the No. 3 spot but has sold more than 4 million units to date. "Nellyville" has sold more than 1.5 million copies and also tops Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart for a third consecutive week. The single "Hot in Herre" is No. 1 on the Hot 100, Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart, and the Hot Rap Tracks tally. "Hard Candy" by the Counting Crows (Geffen/Interscope) debuted at No. 5. "A Gangster and a Gentleman," by rapper Styles of the Lox was No. 6, with sales of 135,000 units. DR. JOHN PRODUCES SHEMEKIA COPELAND Blues diva Shemekia Copeland currently is finishing work on a follow-up to her Grammy-nominated compact disc, "Wicked." The still untitled album was recorded in New York and produced by Dr. John, and is to be released on Sept. 17. The CD features members of both Dr. John's and Copeland's touring bands. Copeland was named Best Blues Artist (Female) in the 2002 Living Blues Readers Poll, less than two months after winning the W.C. Handy Blues Award for Contemporary Female Artist Of The Year. 8X10 CLUB TO CLOSE WITH A BANG Baltimore's historic music venue the 8 x 10 Club will close its doors for good on Aug. 3 but not before some of the greatest musicians to play there over the years return for one more party. The club's "Farewell Celebration Month" is a 12-night party with shows from The Radiators (Aug. 1), Baltimore's top blues band The Kelly Bell Band (Aug. 2) and a grand finale on Aug. 3 starring the Jarflys, featuring Jimi Haha of Baltimore's Jimmie's Chicken Shack and a host of special guests. The runup to the last weekend features performances by Baltimore's Lake Trout, George Porter Jr., Johnny Vidacovich, June Yamagishi, Deep Banana Blackout, Acoustic Syndicate and Mambo Cambo. MANZAREK OPENS DOORS Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek has collaborated with British musician and actor Darryl Read on a project combining poetry and music entitled, "Freshly Dug." The album features 16 new poems by Read, performed by the author, accompanied on piano, organ and keyboards by Manzarek. The compact disc package includes photography by Gered Mankowitz (Rolling Stones, Kate Bush, Giles Giles and Fripp) and an essay by journalist Pete Feenstra of Soundcheck magazine. The session took place in Los Angeles. Manzarek taped Read's poems to his music stand and improvised off basic themes he created for each of Read's works. "I'm glad this CD is finally available in the U.S.," Manzarek said. "Darryl and I had a great time recording together. He is down, funky and a very Beat poet! All in all, I think of this as a very cool disc." Manzarek also is working on a concert scheduled for Los Angles in the fall reuniting the surviving members of the Doors. Ian Astbury is slated to provide vocals for the group. PITTSBURGH BLUES FEST Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, Sean Costello, John Hammond, Keb' Mo', Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys and Sugar Ray & the Bluetones featuring Monster Mike Welch will be the featured acts at this weekend's Pittsburgh Blues Festival. The eighth annual event, which runs from July 19-21, also includes The Pawnbrokers, Ana Popovic, Eugene & the Night Crawlers, Rude Mood, Erin Burkett & the Mean Reds, the Pittsburgh All-Stars, Jill West & Blues Attack, The Love Dogs and Memphis Mike & the Legendary Tremblers. More information is available on the Web site PghBlues.com. SPRINGSTEEN ANNOUNCES DATES Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band announced the opening dates of a two-year world tour, which will kick off on Aug. 7 at Continental Airlines Arena in Springsteen's home state of New Jersey. The first leg of the tour will consist of 46 dates running through December. The 46 shows will take place at 46 different venues, insuring high demand in key markets. Multiple dates in major cities during the summer of 2003 will be announced at a future date.Sevenmid-October shows will take place in Europe, with the rest of the dates in North America. Thetour will resume at the beginning of 2003 in Europe and Australia. On July 30 Springsteen'sfirst new album with the E Street band in 18 years, "The Rising," will be released. NELLYVILLE STILL TOPS "Nellyville" held down the top spot on Billboard's Top 200 for the second week in a row, elbowing aside Eminem's "The Eminem Show," which doggedly held onto second place. St. Louisrapper Nelly's album sold 447,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan. "Nellyville" alsoholds the top spot on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. Nelly's "Hot in Herre" is alsoNo. 1 on Billboard's Hot 100, Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks, and Hot Rap Tracks charts. MADONNA TO 'DIE ANOTHER DAY' James Bond is about to meet Madonna on the silver screen. The Material Girl traveled to England this week to shoot her scenes for "Die Another Day," the 20th Bond flick. She plays a fencing instructor in the film. Madonna also sings the title track of the film. ENTWISTLE FUNERAL HELD IN ENGLAND A small private funeral was held Wednesday for Who bassist John Entwistle at St. Edward'schurch in Stow-On-The-Wold, England. Guitarist Pete Townshend, vocalist Roger Daltrey, anddrummer Kenney Jones, who replaced Keith Moon in The Who after his death in 1978, were inattendance. The Who tour, with Pino Palladino replacing Entwistle, resumes July 26 inMansfield, Mass., and is scheduled to run through Sept. 28 in Toronto. The June 29 show in Irvine, Calif., postponed in the wake of Entwistle's death, has been rescheduled forSept. 15. ROBERT RANDOLPH JAMS WITH VIDA BLUE Steel guitarist Robert Randolph sat in with the jam band supergroup Vida Blue on the opening night of the band's summer tour at The Moore Theatre in Seattle. Randolph sat in on "CJ3" and"Manic Depression." The set also included covers of Pink Floyd's "Sheep" and Led Zeppelin's "NoQuarter." Vida Blue is the combination of Page McConnell of Phish, bassist Oteil Burbridge of the Allman Brothers Band and drummer Russell Batiste of Papa Grows Funk. Today is Tuesday, Oct. 2, the 275th day of 2001. There are 90 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On this date: In 1780, British spy John Andre was hanged in Tappan, N.Y. In 1835, the first battle of the Texas Revolution took place as American settlers defeated a Mexican cavalry near the Guadalupe River. In 1919, President Wilson suffered a stroke that left him partially paralyzed. In 1941, German armies began Operation "Typhoon" _ an all-out drive against Moscow. In 1944, Nazi troops crushed the two-month-old Warsaw Uprising, during which a quarter of a million people were killed. In 1950, the comic strip "Peanuts," created by Charles M. Schulz, was first published in nine newspapers. In 1958, the former French colony of Guinea in West Africa proclaimed its independence. In 1961, the medical drama "Ben Casey," starring Vince Edwards and Sam Jaffe, premiered on ABC. In 1985, actor Rock Hudson died at his home in Beverly Hills, Calif., at age 59 after a battle with AIDS. Ten years ago: Ousted Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide asked the Organization of American States in Washington to send a delegation to his homeland to demand that the newly installed military junta surrender power immediately. Five years ago: Mark Fuhrman was given three years' probation and fined $200 after pleading no contest to perjury for denying at O.J. Simpson's criminal trial that he'd used a certain racial slur in the past decade. An AeroPeru Boeing 757 crashed into the Pacific Ocean, killing all 61 passengers and nine crew members on board. One year ago: In his first public address since a disputed election, Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic branded his opponents puppets of the West. A wave of unrest aimed at driving him from power swept Yugoslavia, and the government responded by arresting dozens of strike leaders. |