Staples Center Hosts Jackson Memorial Service
The Hollywood
Reporter, says the memorial service for Michael Jackson will take place on July
7 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Concert promoter AEG Live,
which owns the arena will also use its Nokia Theater for the service.
Michael's 2002 will designated his 79-year-old mother, Katherine, as
guardian of his three children. In the event that anything would
prevent Katherine from caring for the children, Michael named his
lifetime friend, singer Diana Ross, as the backup guardian. Four days
after his June 25 death, a judge gave Katherine temporary custody of
the children. Michael left his estate to the Michael Jackson Family
Trust. Nothing was left to ex-wife Debbie Rowe, who is the mother of
his two oldest children.
Fans who bought tickets to Michael
Jackson's 50 sold-out London concerts are being offered a full refund
or the option to keep the commemorative ticket, which Michael
designed. The tickets come in eight different designs with a
holographic image of Jackson on the front.
Jackson Tops Billboard Album Chart
This
week (week ending July 11), the Top 10 spots on Billboard's Top Pop
Catalog Albums chart include eight of Michael Jackson's solo
collections, plus one Jackson 5 compilation. Jackson's Number Ones
album takes over the top spot, followed by The Essential Michael
Jackson, Thriller, Off The Wall, Bad, the Jackson 5's Ultimate
Collection, Dangerous, Greatest Hits: HIStory, Vol. 1 and
Michael's 2004 box set The Ultimate Collection. Sales of his solo
albums in the week following his death totaled 422,000 copies in
the U.S. In other news, Sony Music CEO, Tommy Mottola, has announced
that "There are dozens and dozens of songs that did not end up on his
albums." He told Billboard, "People will be hearing a lot of that
unreleased material for the first time ever. There's just some genius
and brilliance in there." In addition to leftover solo tracks, the
vaults contain songs Michael recorded with Akon and will.i.am of the
Black Eyed Peas.
Bon Jovi, Iranian Singer Team Up for Blues Duet
Jon
Bon Jovi and exiled Iranian singer Andy Madadian recently recorded a
new version of Ben E. King's classic hit "Stand By Me." The duet, sung
in Persian and English, can be viewed on YouTube. Co-producer Don Was
says the video is meant to send "a musical message of worldwide
solidarity" to Iranians following the recent controversial presidential
election. He added, "It is not for sale. It wasn't intended to be on
the Billboard charts, wasn't meant to be a hit record or even pressed
on a CD. It's intended to be downloaded and shared by the Iranian
people. The whole idea was to get it into Iran and tell them… to carry
on, that the world is watching and we're with you."
Jonas Brother Engaged
21-year-old
Kevin Jonas of the Jonas Brothers is engaged. People magazine reports
that on the morning of July 1 he arrived at girlfriend Danielle
Deleasa's home in New Jersey and proposed. Kevin said, "She said yes,
yes, yes like 500 times super-fast in a row." Kevin met Danielle in
2007 while both families were vacationing in the Bahamas. A wedding
date hasn't been set.
New Album Releases July 7
"BLACKsummer's Night" - Maxwell
"Persona" - Queen Latifah
"Music From the North Country: The Best of the Jayhawks" - the Jayhawks
"Rock of Ages" - the original Broadway cast
"Hannah Montana, Volume 3" - the original motion picture soundtrack
Musical Events/Festivals/Benefits
On
July 11, Sheryl Crow will headline a free concert in St. Louis,
Missouri to kick off the Major League Baseball's All-Star Game
festivities. Elvis Costello will also appear at the concert, which
will benefit Stand Up To Cancer. The charity funds cancer research.
Major League Baseball is donating $1 million to the organization. Crow
was born in Kennett, Missouri and is a cancer survivor.
Look Who's Going On Tour!
The
52-date "Idols Live" tour kicked off on July 5 in Portland, Oregon.
The outing features this year's Top 10 American Idol finalists Kris
Allen, Adam Lambert, Allison Iraheta, Danny Gokey, Michael Sarver, Lil
Rounds, Megan Joy, Matt Giraud, Scott MacIntyre and Anoop Desai. Tour
producer/director Raj Kapoor says, "There are some duets in it, there's
a group number, there a couple of solo spots, but each of those Idols
is featured." The tour wraps up on September 15 in Manchester, New
Hampshire.
Ne-Yo will began a European tour in Cork, Ireland
July 6. Shows are also planned in Dublin, Ireland and London, Glasgow,
Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and Newcastle upon Tyne in the U.K.
He'll be supporting his latest album, "Year of the Gentleman." Later
this year, Ne-Yo will perform concerts in Japan and Australia.
Coldplay
will kick off a North American tour on July 10 in Portland, Oregon.
Nineteen shows are scheduled through August 9. One week later, the
band will begin a month-long European tour in Herning, Denmark.
Coldplay's latest album, Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends,
has sold three million copies in the U.S. It also won this year's Best
Rock Album Grammy Award.
News
