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Mariah Carey Readies Summer Tour
MARIAH CAREY will announce a summer tour in the coming days, according to her Web site, mariahcarey.com. Fans should join the Honey B. Fly fan club when the site relaunches this Friday to take part in a presale of four dates -- in the Northeast and the Midwest -- set to begin Monday morning. Carey will be touring behind last year's Grammy-winning blockbuster, The Emancipation of Mimi, which has sold more than six million copies.
Billy Corgan Jumps Onstage With Alice in Chains
Thursday night in Los Angeles, a reformed ALICE IN CHAINS were joined by BILLY CORGAN, VELVET REVOLVER bassist DUFF McKAGAN and ex-SCREAMING TREES frontman MARK LANEGAN as they officially kicked off their world tour. Corgan joined the band -- now featuring COMES WITH THE FALL's WILLIAM DUVALL as guest vocalist -- for "Down in a Hole," while Lanegan and McKagan appeared for "Rooster." The band will finish up their North American run through the end of the month, before heading to Europe and Japan.
Wu-Tang, Mos Def Lead Hip-Hop Fest
Some of the most respected MCs in hip-hop -- including the WU-TANG CLAN, MOS DEF, TALIB KWELI, REDMAN, DE LA SOUL and AESOP ROCK -- will perform at the Rock the Bells festival, set for August 5th in San Bernardino, California. There will also be turntablist and MC battles, surprise live performances and a screening of Rock the Bells, a documentary about the 2004 installment. SUPERNATURAL will also attempt to break the eight-hour-and-forty-five-minute world record for the longest freestyle rap held by Canadian rapper D.O. Tickets for the event go on sale this Saturday, with information available at rockthebells.net. Plans for taking the festival on the road are in the works.
Nelly Furtado Hits Up "SNL"
Canadian singer-songwriter NELLY FURTADO will make an appearance as the musical guest on NBC's Saturday Night Live this Saturday, performing both her current singles, "Promiscuous" (featuring TIMBALAND) and "Maneater," each off her upcoming album, Loose, due June 20th. Details of a July U.S. tour will be announced soon.
Nas' Hip-Hop Post-Mortem Hits This Fall
Hip-Hop Is Dead, the latest effort from NAS, will hit stores in September. The album will be the outspoken New York MC's first for JAY-Z's Def Jam Records. For years, the two rappers were involved in a heated feud, but they put aside their differences last November, two months before Nas signed to the label. Nas' last record, 2004's Street's Disciple, peaked at Number Five.
Ozzfest Boasts Avenged Sevenfold, Beauty Pageant
California hard rockers AVENGED SEVENFOLD have joined this year's Ozzfest, alongside acts including a solo OZZY OSBOURNE, SYSTEM OF A DOWN, DISTURBED, HATEBREED, DRAGONFORCE and LACUNA COIL. System of a Down recently told MTV that the band will take an indefinite break after this tour . . . Ozzfest organizers are also hosting a new kind of beauty contest: the first-ever Miss Ozzfest pageant. Contestants will be judged not on gown or swimsuit competitions, but in categories including tattoos and piercings. Beginning this Friday, contestants in twenty-six cities can submit photos to be posted online. Fans can then vote for their favorite contestant in each market at ozzfest.com. The top three contestants in each city will be presented onstage for fans to vote on when Ozzfest hits their town. The winners from each city will then be decided on August 7th and 8th, with the winner being flown out to the tour's final show on August 13th in Florida to be crowned Miss Ozzfest 2006.
Allman Brothers Keep "Ramblin'"
THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND, having recently concluded a fourteen-night, sold-out stand at New York's Beacon Theatre, are heading out for a twenty-six-date summer headlining tour, kicking off June 16th in Cincinnati. The jaunt will also include a handful of August performances in support of TOM PETTY AND THE HEARTBREAKERS. Several groups featuring current and former Allman Brothers members will also join the band on the road, including the DERECK TRUCKS BAND, GOV'T MULE and OTEIL AND THE PEACEMAKERS.
Lynyrd Skynyrd Frontman Undergoes Emergency Surgery
LYNYRD SKYNYRD frontman JOHNNY VAN ZANT underwent emergency surgery to remove his appendix Thursday. Van Zant had been feeling ill for several days, but continued to perform until Thursday, when a doctor determined surgery was necessary. The singer's recovery is expected to take at least a week, which means the band will be forced to cancel a string of performances, and Van Zant will be unable to attend the Academy of Country Music awards ceremony Tuesday, where he and his brother DONNIE, founding member of .38 SPECIAL, are nominated for Duo of the Year as VAN ZANT.
Having Hit the Beatles, Cirque Du Soleil Does Elvis
Cirque du Soleil, the Canadian acrobatic troupe famous for its elaborate sets and costumes, will soon begin work on a series of shows based upon the life of ELVIS PRESLEY -- and featuring his music. The troupe will also be involved in the design of "Elvis Experience" museums, which will feature interactive, multimedia exhibits on the legendary singer. Touring performances are expected to begin in late 2007, with the first museum set to open in late 2008. Earlier this year, the Cirque du Soleil received the blessing of PAUL McCARTNEY, RINGO STARR, YOKO ONO and GEORGE HARRISON's widow, OLIVIA, to work on the first-ever musical production of BEATLES songs. That show, "Love," will open in a custom-built theater in Las Vegas' Mirage Hotel and Casino.