Mar 24, 2006 5:02 PM

From Shakira to Ringo

SHAKIRA will be awarded with the Spirit of Hope Award at this year's Billboard Latin Music Awards, broadcast live from the Seminole Hard Rock in Hollywood, Florida, on the Telemundo network on April 27th. The Latin pop queen, who also garnered eight nominations for the event, is being recognized for her work with Fundacion Pies Descalzos, which strives to improve living conditions in her native Colombia. Shakira will launch a world tour this June in Spain, then hit the U.S. and Latin America before returning to Europe. The singer's latest effort -- and second English album -- Oral Fixation, Vol. 2 debuted at Number Five on the chart.

Korn Offer Live and Rare Tracks

On May 9th, KORN will release an album of live cuts, covers and B sides titled Live and Rare. Among the album's thirteen tracks are cuts from a 2003 performance at New York's legendary CBGB venue, covers of Pink Floyd's "Another Brick in the Wall" and Metallica's "One," and two performances from the 1999 Woodstock festival. Korn is currently on tour in support of their last release, 2005's See You on the Other Side.

Game Over for Suge Knight, Death Row

A Los Angeles judge announced Thursday that he would take control of rap mogul MARION "SUGE" KNIGHT's assets -- including the Death Row Records, the label responsible for launching the careers of SNOOP DOGG and TUPAC SHAKUR -- if Knight does not appear in court April 1st to fully disclose his finances. Last year, Knight was ordered to pay $107 million to Lydia Harris, who says she helped start the label. Since then, Knight has repeatedly failed to make good on the payment. Knight's lawyers maintain that Harris signed a settlement agreement and was paid $1 million last May.

Godfather of Soul Rambles On

JAMES BROWN returns to the road this summer, starting May 6th in Thackerville, Oklahoma, and heading East through June. Following a July jaunt in Europe, the Godfather of Soul will return to the States to play the West Coast. Brown's nine-piece SOUL GENERAL band will back him on all twenty-nine American dates.

Keane, Hoobastank Drops CDs

KEANE will drop their sophomore album, Under the Iron Sea, on June 20th. Their last release, 2004's breakthrough Hopes and Fears, has sold more than 800,000 copies in the U.S. . . . HOOBASTANK will release Every Man for Himself, the follow-up to 2003's multiplatinum The Reason, on May 16th. The quartet will then hit the road for the free Every Fan for Himself tour, kicking off April 11th in Boston. Local bands can log onto Hoobastank.com or PureVolume.com for a chance to win an opening spot on the tour. Tickets are available only through local retailers and the band's site . . . Los Angeles rockers BUCKCHERRY will drop their first album in four years, Fifteen, on April 11th. The re-formed five-piece are now touring behind their single "Crazy Bitch." The outing draws to a close in Kansas City, Missouri, June 10th . . . On June 6th, experimental New York quintet HEAD AUTOMATICA release their sophomore effort, Popaganda, produced by HOWARD BENSON (MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE, ALL-AMERICAN REJECTS). The band embarks on a month-long trek this week, through April 26th in San Jose, California.

Radiohead Get Rasta Makeover

RADIOHEAD is getting an unusual remix. On August 15th, New York's Easy Star Records will release Radiodread, a compilation of all-reggae covers of songs off the band's classic 1997 album, OK Computer. Contributors include TOOTS HIBBERT of TOOTS AND THE MAYTALS, CITIZEN COPE, SUGAR MINOTT, JUNIOR JAZZ and TAMAR-KALI. In 2003, Easy Star released Dub Side of the Moon, a reggae tribute to PINK FLOYD's classic, Dark Side of the Moon.

Snoop Knows Doggiestyle

SNOOP DOGG has licensed his name for a dog accessories line from Jakks Pacific Inc. The collection, due to hit pet superstores and mass retailers later this year, will include toys, beds, leashes, clothing and treats.

Gotti Associate McGriff Faces Death Penalty

Prosecutors in the murder trial of KENNETH "SUPREME" McGRIFF and four of his associates will now seek the death penalty. McGriff, a Queens crack dealer, and members of his entourage are accused of gunning down aspiring rapper E. MONEY BAGS (Eric Smith) in 2001, as retaliation for the killing of a McGriff associate. The judge, who will rule on whether or not he will allow the death penalty by April 10th, has postponed the trial until April 17th. In January of last year, IRV "GOTTI" LORENZO, CEO of embattled rap label the Inc., and his brother CHRISTOPHER, were accused of laundering more than $1 million to help sustain McGriff's heroin and crack business. The two were recently acquitted.

Drew Lachey to Host Miss USA

DREW LACHEY -- former member of 98 DEGREES and brother of NICK LACHEY -- will co-host the 2006 Miss USA pageant with Access Hollywood's NANCY O'DELL. NBC will broadcast Miss USA live from Baltimore on April 21st. Lachey appeared regularly on his brother's hit MTV reality show, Newlyweds, and last month he won the second season of ABC's Dancing With the Stars. In more news, Lachey and his wife Lea welcomed their first child, Isabella, into the world on Thursday in Los Angeles.

Buena Vista Composer Dies

Cuban singer and composer PIO LEYVA -- member of the BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB -- died of a heart attack Thursday in a Havana hospital. He was eighty-eight. Leyva, a noted singer for Cuban bandleaders BENNY MORE and BEBO VALDEZ in the Fifties, rose to prominence again in 1996 through American guitarist RY COODER's Buena Vista Social Club album. The production was documented by director WIM WENDERS in an Oscar-nominated film named for the group.

Ringo Dusts Off Starr Band

RINGO STARR's 9TH ALL STAR BAND have confirmed almost two-dozen North American dates for this summer. Starr's band will include SHELIA E., RICHARD MARX, BILLY SQUIER, EDGAR WINTER and the ZOMBIES' ROD ARGENT. The summer tour will include stops in Chicago, Los Angeles, Dallas, Atlanta and New York . . . After canceling their spring tour this week due to frontman DOUG MARTSCH's eye surgery, BUILT TO SPILL have promptly unveiled a four months of rescheduled North American dates, kicking off in Canada June 9th . . . KELLER WILLIAMS will launch a month-long tour in support of this year's Grass, on March 29th in Philadelphia, wrapping April 30th in Bellingham, Washington . . . Southern rockers DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS will hit the road behind their April 18th release, A Blessing and a Curse, starting April 20th in Charlottesville, Virginia.

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