Just three days after the launch of the Up in Smoke tour, performers Nate Dogg (born Nathaniel Hale) and Snoop Dogg (Calvin Broadus) have both run into trouble with the law. Snoop's touring van was stopped the morning of June 16 outside the Temecula, Calif., border checkpoint when officers smelled marijuana coming from the van. According to a spokesperson for the border patrol, officers seized "300 grams of high-quality Humboldt sinsemilla -- or as Snoop would call it -- chronic." A member of Snoop's entourage claimed possession of the drug and was charged with misdemeanor possession of marijuana. The following day, Nate Dogg, Snoop's cousin, was arrested in Pomona, Calif., for allegedly kidnapping his ex-girlfriend and setting her mother's car on fire. Nate was released from a Los Angeles County jail late Saturday after posting $1 million bail. Nate will answer to charges of domestic violence and arson, although no court date has been set. The Up in Smoke tour is scheduled to resume on Monday night in San Jose . . .

Randy Newman has been chosen as this year's recipient for the Billboard Century Award. Newman is the ninth recipient of the Billboard Award's highest honor; past recipients include George Harrison, Buddy Guy, Billy Joel, Joni Mitchell, Carlos Santana, Chet Atkins, James Taylor and last year's winner, Emmylou Harris. The Billboard Awards will take place in December in Las Vegas . . .

Hole drummer Samantha Maloney will fill in for ailing Motley Crue drummer Randy Castillo while he recovers from emergency stomach surgery. "With the tour starting in one week we didn't want to cancel shows on fans," Motley Crne bassist Nikki Sixx said in a statement. "Our first practice together last week was great -- she already knew most of the songs." Samantha added, "Playing with M÷tley Crne has been a lifelong dream for me -- it's like winning the lotto" . . .

Creedence Clearwater Revival are getting the royal revival treatment from Fantasy next week with reissues of their seven albums as well as the CD debut of The Concert which captures the band in a 1970 performance. The remastered albums (in stores June 27) will also feature new liner notes written by rock critics Ben Fong-Torres (Creedence Clearwater Revival), Joel Selvin (Bayou Country, Pendulum), Dave Marsh (Green River), Ed Ward (Willy and the Poor Boys), Robert Christgau (Cosmo's Factory) and Craig Werner (Mardi Gras). Also on Fantasy's schedule at year's end is a three-disc box set from the late soul-great Johnnie Taylor, who died on May 31. The set will feature Taylor's early gospel recordings, his later work for Vee-Jay and Malaco as well as his career defining work for Stax . . .

The announcement of the seventy-third and seventy-fourth inductees into the Country Music Hall of Fame made for a bittersweet evening on June 16. Charlie Pride, who already had a number of country music firsts to his credit, became the first African-American inducted into the Hall. "I had no idea this was going to happen," a teary Pride said. "I'll talk later. I'm too happy to express myself now." Also inducted was the late "Hello Walls" singer Faron Young. The Louisiana-born, Nashville stalwart committed suicide in 1996. Pride and Young will be officially inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in a ceremony on October 4 . . .

Emmylou Harris, Jackson Browne, Linda Ronstadt, Bonnie Raitt, David Crosby, Graham Nash and Warren Zevon are among the artists slated to perform at a benefit concert for Westwood Music owner Fred Walecki on Aug. 8 at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. The concert, dubbed "Friends of Fred Walecki," is the brainchild of former Eagle Bernie Leadon and producer Glyn Johns; proceeds will help cover Walecki's medical expenses resulting from his recent surgery for throat cancer. According to Leadon, the evening's house band will include himself, Ry Cooder, Jennifer Condos, Andy Fairweather Low, Ethan Johns and Wix. Tickets go on-sale Saturday through Ticketmaster.

ANDREW DANSBY, GABRIELLE SCHAFER, RICHARD SKANSE, JAAN UHELSZKI
(June 20, 2000)