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Record executive Lance Rivera was stabbed in the shoulder and abdomen last night during a star-studded party at New York City's Kit Kat Club celebrating the release of Q-Tip's new album, Amplified. Rivera, who heads the late Notorious B.I.G.'s label, Untertainment Records, was rushed to Saint Vincent's Hospital, along with an unidentified man who was punched in the face during the fracas. Rivera, 33, was treated and released earlier today. Rolling Stone has learned that police are currently seeking rapper Jay-Z for questioning in connection with the incident; the rapper's lawyers told MTV News on Thursday afternoon that their client had nothing to do with the stabbing and is cooperating fully...
COURTNEY LOVE has agreed to play a forensic expert
in the movie Darker Saints, but that doesn't mean she's
slowed the search for a new HOLE bassist.
According to band manager Janet Billig, the group is still sifting
through tapes, but has put off the decision regarding
MELISSA AUF DER MAUR's replacement until after the
first of the year. And no, they're not considering hiring
ex-SMASHING PUMPKIN D'ARCY
WRETZKY, despite rumors to the contrary. As for the flick,
Billig said it was premature to talk about Saints, but did
allow that Love has agreed to act in the dark thriller, which will
begin filming next spring in Toronto and New Orleans. "We haven't
found a director yet, but we're going forward with it." Love is
also set to co-produce...
We knew that KID ROCK had fans in high places, but
who knew that PRESIDENT CLINTON was an admirer of
the raunchy rapper. On Tuesday night (Nov. 30), Rock posed for
pictures with Clinton at a reception for the sixth anniversary of
the passing of the Brady Bill, put on by the Center for the
Prevention Against Hand Gun Violence in Hollywood. According to a
spokesperson for the musician, Kid Rock asked the nation's leader
if he minded if he gave the universal heavy metal salute when they
were photographed. "Do anything you want," Clinton reportedly told
Kid Rock...
The Tuesday night debut of the ironically named "WTO Band," which
was to feature former DEAD KENNEDYS frontman
JELLO BIAFRA, ex-NIRVANA bassist
KRIST NOVOSELIC and former
SOUNDGARDEN guitarist KIM THAYIL,
at Seattle's Showbox venue was cancelled due to the curfew imposed
by the city's mayor Paul Schell. The curfew was in response to the
riots that grew out of protests of the World Trade Organization
meetings. The show was to be a benefit the Institute for Consumer
Responsibility . . .
TOMMY HILFIGER may have JEWEL,
and CALVIN KLEIN has SHIRLEY
MANSON and KIM GORDON, but now
DONNA KARAN has her own rock star. The prolific
designer has just signed up BRANDY as the
spokesperson for her new DKNY Jeans Juniors line. "I have been a
huge fan of Donna Karan forever. She's one of my favorite
designers," Brandy said in a statement. The singer-cum-actress will
appear in campaigns for the jeans this spring and fall 2000, and
will also make a handful of in-store appearances and sponsor a
national sweepstakes contest where the first prize will be a trip
to the set of the singer's UPN sitcom Moesha . . .
The memory and musical legacy of the late DOUG
SAHM will live large this weekend with a two-day memorial
jam at the Austin, Texas, club Antone's. Friday's lineup of
eclectic performers -- many of them close friends of Sahm --
includes AUGIE MEYERS, JOE ELY,
LUCINDA WILLIAMS, CHARLIE SEXTON,
KIM WILSON, DAVID GRISSOM,
LITTLE JOE, SPEEDY SPARKS, the
WEST SIDE HORNS, LAZY LESTER,
DENNY FREEMAN, JOHN REED,
ALVIN CROW and more. Saturday will feature
JOE "KING" CARRASCO, THE
MAVERICKS, LEE ROY PARNELL, PAUL
RAY, LOS JAZZ VATOS, and Sahm's sons
SHANDON and SHAWN. The money
raised will be used for a memorial. Sahm died of heart trouble on
Nov. 18...
As if the K-Mart ads weren't enough, the recently reunited country
music ma and daughter team known as THE JUDDS have
announced a nineteen-date U.S. tour to begin Feb. 4 in Denver and
wrap up March 31 in Atlanta. The duo was previously only planning
to reunite for a New Year's Eve show in Phoenix, which will be
their first show since 1991, when WYNONNA JUDD's
mother, NAOMI, retired due to her battle with
acute hepatitis. Blood tests now show that she is free of the
virus, so it's back to business for both of them...
For the past few weeks, the rumor mill has been running over with
talk of unrest in the TLC camp, largely as a
result of two Entertainment Weekly articles: In the first
article, ROZONDA "CHILLI" THOMAS and
TIONNE "T-BOZ" WATKINS complained about
LISA "LEFT-EYE" LOPES; in a subsequent issue,
Lopes challenged her sisters to each record a solo album, to see
whose was best. But, anxious to clear the air, ROZONDA
"CHILLI" THOMAS told a radio interviewer: "No, we're not
breaking up. It was just one of those days, and the [writer] caught
us, me and T-Boz, on that day. You know, it's like we're sisters.
So, that day the two big sisters were mad at the little sister...
We all go through our little changes, we all overall love each
other. That's what's so special about our little group."...
R.E.M. is sending off a special stocking stuffer
-- a limited edition CD -- to their fanclub members. The holiday
treat will contain a version of "Country Feedback," featuring
NEIL YOUNG on acoustic guitar, as well as Young's
"Ambulance," with Ol' Neil on vocals, backed by R.E.M. Both songs
were recorded live at the 1998 Bridge School Benefit...
THE ROOTS rethought their New Year's Eve plans and
decided to say "The hell with Radio City Music Hall!" Instead of
playing on the Rockettes' stage with ERYKAH BADU
and D'ANGELO, the esteemed live rap group will
play with less pomp and circumstance at the small New York club
Life. According to a spokesperson for the band, they're expected to
hit the stage at 3 a.m. Also scheduled to rock the party are
GRANDMASTER FLASH, KID CAPRI and
FUNKMASTER FLEX...
Former SMASHING PUMPKINS bassist D'ARCY
WRETZKY has made good on her promise to break into movies
by landing a role in Peaces Of Ronnie, starring opposite
bad boy/part-time pugilist MICKEY ROURKE.
According to Chicago writer Steve Knopper, who interviewed her for
Chicago Magazine, the cool blonde bassist will portray a
"comedic Mafia hit woman" which certainly plays against her rather
wry, humorless persona. Not only that, Wretzky put together a
compilation of songs for the film's soundtrack, which she calls
"the ultimate soundtrack for my generation." This will be the third
screen outing for Wretzky. Prior to her role in Ronnie,
she had appeared in the 1994's Vieuphoria, a Pumpkins
concert film. She has also appeared with her old mates on The
Simpsons...
Record buyers might not always love The Bodyguard
soundtrack, but they certainly did during this past decade.
According to "Billboard," the album is not only the best-selling
soundtrack of all time, but was the highest-selling record of the
Nineties, period. Take that, Titanic!...
The love for NOTORIOUS B.I.G. continues flowing,
with his second posthumous release, Born Again, set to hit
record stores on Dec. 7. The album's just-announced tracklisting
and guest lineup go as follows: "Born Again (Intro)"; "Notorious
B.I.G." (feat. Lil' Kim & Puff Daddy); "Dead Wrong" (feat.
Eminem); "Hope You Niggas Sleep" (feat. The Hot Boys & Big
Timer); "Dangerous MC's" (feat. Mark Curry, Snoop Dogg & Busta
Rhymes); "Biggie" (feat. Junior M.A.F.I.A.); "Niggas"; "Big Booty
Hoes" (feat. Too $hort); "Would You Die For Me" (feat. Lil' Kim
& Puff Daddy); "Come On" (feat. Sadat X); "Rap Phenomenon"
(feat. Redman & Method Man); "Let Me Get Down" (feat. G-Dep,
Craig Mack & Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott); "tonight" (feat.
Mobb Deep & Joe Hooker); "If I should Die Before I Wake" (feat.
Black Rob, Ice cube & Beanie Sigel); "Who Shot Ya"; "Can I Get
Witcha" (feat. Lil' Cease); "I Really Want to Show You" (feat. K-Ci
& Jo-Jo, & Nas); "Ms. Wallace (Outro)"...
Todd McFarlane may be bringing out ALICE COOPER
and JANIS JOPLIN action figures next year, but
it's the BRITNEY SPEARS doll that's tops with the
gift givers this year. Dick Dibble, girls toy buyer at Kay Bee Toys
revealed said that he "can't keep them in stock." A similar
sentiment is echoed by Bob Weinberg, Senior VP at Toys'R'Us.com.
"Play Along's Britney doll is one of our top toys this Christmas,
and all indications suggest that Britney will continue to perform
well into next year." Her record company certainly hopes so. There
are six 11 1/2" dolls in the collection licensed by Signature
Network. Each doll has been constructed to resemble Spears in each
of her three hit videos, and in her live performances. They retail
for $14.99 to $19.99 ...
"I'm not like other guys," Michael Jackson says to former
Playboy Playmate Ola Ray in his "Thriller" video. While
the quote may be the understatement of the millennium, the video
itself has topped TV Guide and MTV's list of "100 Greatest
Videos Ever Made." "Thriller" clawed its way past MADONNA's "Vogue"
for the top spot. The list will appear in TV Guide's Dec.
4 issue, and MTV will air interviews with artists and directors
behind the videos Dec. 6-11. Rounding out the top ten are
NIRVANA's "Smells Like Teen Spirit," PETER
GABRIEL's "Sledgehammer," RUN-DMC (with
AEROSMITH)'s "Walk This Way," GUNS N'
ROSES' "Sweet Child of Mine," BEASTIE
BOYS' "Sabotage," ROBERT PALMER's
"Addicted to Love," 2PAC's "California Love" and
Madonna's "Express Yourself" ...
There's still a whole lotta love for LED ZEPPELIN.
The band, who managed only one Top 10 U.S. hit, 1969's "Whole Lotta
Love," just became the third act in history to have four or more
albums certified diamond, for sales of at least 10 million units,
by the Recording Industry Association of America. Zeppelin's big
four are Led Zeppelin IV (22 million), Physical
Graffiti (15 million) Led Zeppelin II (12 million)
and Houses of the Holy (11 million). GARTH
BROOKS, also with four diamond albums, and the
BEATLES, with five, are the only others to
accomplish this feat ...
"My name is Hooooooo-mer!!!" KID ROCK will guest
star and perform on The Simpsons next spring. The episode
will feature Homer, all loaded up on Duff, crashing a spring break
party where the Detroit madman and his crew are rockin' the house
...
PUBLIC ENEMY's resident clock watcher
FLAVOR FLAV will release his first solo album,
It's About Time (get it!), on Jan. 11. And the puns keep
comin', as Flav covers Chicago's 1970 hit "Does Anybody Really Know
What Time It Is." The first single, "Flav 2K," is currently
available as a free download at Flav's site, www.flavorflav.com.
Yeah boyee!...
Being careful not to lend too much credence to what's reported in
the British tabloids, we are nonetheless intrigued by the recent
flurry of, uh, "news" about OASIS bad boy
LIAM GALLAGHER. By now you may have already heard
the story that Gallagher went missing for three days late last
week. While reports indicate that he turned up on Sunday night,
The Mirror has reported that his return wasn't greeted
with open arms by his family. They say Gallagher's wife, Patsy
Kensit, and his mum, Peggy, were so miffed about his disappearance
that they asked him to shove off, and he is supposedly lodging at a
London hotel until he's sufficiently repented. The Mirror
also speculates that Liam's vanishing act was the result of his
disappointment and outrage upon hearing that Alan McGee, the head
of Oasis' U.K. label, Creation Records, had announced his imminent
retirement...
Plans are afoot for MADONNA's long-overdue world
tour to kick off in Sydney, Australia, during the second half of
2000, to coincide with the Sydney Olympics. In Music &
Media reports that not only will the Material Girl materialize
in the seaside town, but that she'll also put in an appearance in
Weipa, North Queensland, where every year the local male population
run through the town to raise $3,000 for the Royal Flying Doctor
Service. Organizers of the event explained that Madonna's agent
gave them assurances that she would attend. The Flying Doctors are
a nonprofit charitable organization that provides aeromedical
emergency and health care services, communications and educational
assistance to people who live, work and travel in Australia's
country areas ...
Kyle James Eastern Jr. and Michael Sheldon Pierson, both of rap
group DIGITAL UNDERGROUND, were arrested Sunday
night in Little Rock, Ark., for alleged first degree sexual abuse,
according to a spokesperson for the Little Rock police department.
Eastern and Pierson are accused of having kissed and touched a
woman against her will in a bathroom at the Arkansas State
Fairgrounds, where the group was performing that night. Eastern was
also charged with drug possession (marijuana), but was reportedly
released along with Pierson after each paid a $2,500 bond. Digital
Underground had a hit in 1990 with their song "Humpty Dance"
...
Always the funnyman, WILL SMITH has made sure that
the upcoming The Will Smith Video Collection, due out on
Dec. 7, will not only include clips of "Men in Black," "Gettin'
Jiggy Wit It" and "Wild Wild West," but every blooper, pratfall and
embarrassing moment in the making of the vids. The tape will also
feature the requisite behind-the-scenes footage and outtakes . .
.
BLONDIE have filed a breach of contract lawsuit
against EMI Records. The suit, filed Nov. 24, contends that EMI has
failed to adhere to royalty rates established in 1996 for the
band's 1977-1982 output for EMI predecessor Chrysalis Records. In a
statement from the band's new label, Beyond Records, Blondie's
DEBORAH HARRY said, "The reality of what musical
artists actually earn is extremely disheartening. An artist's work
is repeatedly repackaged and marketed, and the artist rarely sees
increased income" . . .
LIVE fans who were bummed out when the band
members got sick and cancelled a few shows earlier this month are
about to get their due. The group has rescheduled the four nixed
shows for Jan. 3 at Detroit's State Theater, Jan. 22 at Cleveland's
Agora Theater, Jan. 28 at Toronto's Maple Leaf Gardens, and Feb. 6
at SUNY Cobbleskill. Plus, in addition to a hometown New Year's Eve
show at Hershey Park Arena in Hershey, Pa., they've added the
following new dates: 12/30, Asbury Park, NJ, Convention Hall; 1/23,
University Park, Pa., Pennsylvania State University; 1/26, Ottowa,
Ont., Robert Guertin Arena; 1/27, Montreal, Que., Molson Centre.
Expect more dates to be added soon . . .
U.K. news sources are reporting a blossoming friendship between
PRINCE WILLIAM and BRITNEY
SPEARS. According to the Daily Mail, the
seventeen-year-old heir to the British throne has been a fan of
Spears for some time. When the former Mousketeer got wind of his
adoration she had her management send the royal teen a copy of her
album and some photographs. Her generosity did not go unnoticed,
and a few weeks later, she received a note from William inviting
her to contact him when she next visits the U.K. The two didn't
hook up when Spears was in Dublin for the European MTV Awards, but
she's told pals that she plans to be in touch the next time she's
on British soil. "She's been walking around on Cloud Nine since
receiving a thank you note and can't stop showing people her note
from a real prince," said one insider . . .
DOUBLE TROUBLE drummer CHRIS
LAYTON and bassist TOMMY SHANNON are
putting out their first album since the tragic helicopter death of
their compatriot STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN in 1990.
They've already enlisted long-time friends and supporters like
JONNY LANG, KENNY WAYNE SHEPHERD,
DR. JOHN, DOYLE BRAMHALL II,
CHARLIE SEXTON and JIMMY VAUGHAN
for the disc, which they are producing themselves . . .
RICKY MARTIN is going back to the soaps: The
twenty-seven-year-old was a one-time regular on ABC's General
Hospital in his salad days and wants to play doctor again.
Martin just signed on for a guest spot on top-rated medical drama
ER to be filmed next year. Martin told reporters, "Believe
it or not, I'm a frustrated doctor, and it would be a great place
to let my frustration go. I love medicine . . .
AUGIE MEYERS, JOE ELY,
RAY WYLIE HUBBARD, FLACO JIMENEZ
and LITTLE JOE HERNANDEZ were among the thousand
mourners who gathered at the Sunset Memorial Funeral Home in San
Antonio, Texas, last Tuesday to bid farewell to the late, great
DOUG SAHM. Sahm, who fronted the SIR
DOUGLAS QUINTET and the TEXAS TORNADOS,
died of heart trouble on Nov. 18 . . .
OZZY OSBOURNE is moving on up. The old bat-biter
has just purchased his second mini-mansion in Beverly Hills, for a
cool $6.5 million. According to the Los Angeles Times' Hot
Properties column, the fifty-year-old rocker snapped up the
Mediterranean-style house the first day it went on the market,
explaining that he wanted more space and a better location than the
9,000 square-foot home that he bought last January. Osbourne's new
home not only has five bedrooms, but a maid's room and guest
quarters. Ozzy and wife Sharon have put their former home on the
market for $4.5 million.
BILL CRANDALL, JENNY ELISCU, RICHARD SKANSE, JAAN UHELSZKI
(December 2, 1999)