More Top Stories: 'Glee,' Will.i.am, and Ice Cube

Some more details about Glee's upcoming Britney Spears-themed episode have emerged: Glee creator Ryan Murphy revealed today that the Circus singer will in fact make a guest appearance on the episode. According to castmate Harry Shun Jr., the Glee crew will perform Spears hits like "Oops ... I Did It Again," "Toxic," "Baby One More Time" and possibly "I'm a Slave 4 U." It's also rumored that Glee teacher Matthew Morrison will shave his head in homage to Spears' infamous, umbrella-wielding incident. [ Us Weekly ]

Black Eyed Peas' Will.i.am has been added to the board of directors of the Grammy Foundation, a nonprofit organization that promotes the appreciation and advancement of music. [All Hip Hop]

Having already won an Best Actress Oscar for her portrayal of June Carter Cash in Walk the Line, Reese Witherspoon will once again star as a music legend when she takes on the role of Peggy Lee in an upcoming Nora Ephron-directed biopic about the jazz singer. [ Variety ]

To mark the release of Katy Perry's Teenage Dream in Australia on August 27th, Baskin Robbins and the current Rolling Stone cover starlet have teamed up to give fans who simply mention Perry's name at their local Baskin Robbins a free cotton candy ice cream. [Billboard.biz]

Producer RedOne, one of the songwriters responsible for Lady Gaga hits like "Bad Romance," "Just Dance" and "Poker Face," has signed with Universal to launch his own record label, called 2101. RedOne will sign artists, write songs and produce tracks for the fledging imprint. [BBC]

Ice Cube has quashed rumors of a reunion between himself and his former N.W.A. cohort Dr. Dre. Dre will not appear on Cube's upcoming album I Am the West because Dre, Cube says, "has been M.I.A. for a couple months now…I gotta turn my shit in by Aug. 20th to make street date…I can't wait." Dr. Dre is reportedly still working on his long-delayed Detox. [All Hip Hop]

American Idol Season Three winner Fantasia Barrino was hospitalized last night after overdosing on a combination of "aspirin and a sleep aid" in an apparent suicide attempt. Fantasia's manager called the overdose non-fatal. The incident came just hours after a divorce hearing where a woman accused Fantasia of having a year-long affair with a married man and claims that the Idol winner might have a sex tape. "Fantasia is heartbroken and is sorry for any pain she may have caused. Yesterday, she was totally overwhelmed by the lawsuit and the media attention," Fantasia's manager said in a statement. [CNN]

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Song Stories

“1999”

Prince | 1982

“I don’t consider myself a great poet,” Prince told Rolling Stone. “I just know I’m here to say what’s on my mind.” In the case of the apocalyptic party anthem “1999,” he was worried about then-president Ronald Reagan’s foreign policies. The song’s melody is based on a riff borrowed from the Mamas and Papas’ “Monday, Monday,” and Prince originally envisioned the first verse with three-part harmony but later split the vocals between himself and members of the Revolution. Because Warner Bros., with whom Prince was locked in a contractual battle, owned the original’s masters, Prince rerecorded the song and appropriately released that version in 1999.

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