October 7, RCA Records will release the Elvis Presley collection, Elvis 2nd To None. The album contains the current Number One pop sales single Rubberneckin'. Also included is a previously unreleased song called I'm A Roustabout, which Elvis recorded nearly 40 years ago. The track disappeared after being rejected as the theme song for Elvis' 1964 film, Roustabout. It was recently found in the home of co-writer Winfield Scott.
October 10, Gloria Estefan will begin a series of concerts at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Seven "Live & Unwrapped" shows are scheduled through October 19. Estefan's new album, Unwrapped, includes duets with Stevie Wonder and the Pretenders' Chrissie Hynde. The release also features a 40-minute DVD directed by Gloria's son, 23-year-old Nayib, a recent film school graduate.
This week, Madonna's first children's book, The English Roses, tops the New York Times' children's picture books list. It sold 57,369 copies its first week in stores. The 48-page book deals with friendships between five schoolgirls in London. Madonna says "the lesson is about how destructive feelings of envy and jealousy are." Her next book, Mr. Peabody's Apples, will be released on November 10.
Speaking of books, Mariah Carey has given New York publishers a 30-page proposal for an autobiography she hopes to write. The book, which she'll co-author with music journalist David Ritz, will reportedly focus on her childhood and overcoming adversity to rise to fame. And, hip-hop star Jay-Z will have his autobiography published early next year. The Black Book will deal with his difficult childhood in a dangerous Brooklyn housing project and how the experience prepared him for his career in rap music.
A British newspaper reports that Michael Jackson's next single will be a track written by R. Kelly. Kelly wrote Jackson's 1995 million-selling hit You Are Not Alone, which was included on his HIStory album. The new song, titled One More Chance, will appear on Jackson's upcoming anthology, Number Ones. Eighteen tracks will be included on the CD, 15 on the DVD version. In late-November, CBS-TV plans to air a one-hour special featuring videos from the collection, a performance of One More Chance, and Jackson's career highlights. The single will be shipped to radio on November 10 and the full CD is due out on November 17.
New York's Radio City Music Hall is taking modern technology a step further with a 10-date engagement by the late Frank Sinatra. Sinatra: His Voice, His World, His Way will show three-dimensional images of Sinatra projected on giant screens, giving the appearance that he's performing a live concert. A 40-piece orchestra conducted by John Pizzarelli, a choir and the Radio City Rockettes will back him on stage. The engagement runs from October 8-19.
NEW ALBUM RELEASES / OCTOBER 7:
AWARDS PRESENTATIONS/WINNERS:
Bluegrass favorite The Del McCoury Band won the Entertainer of the Year honor at the 14th annual International Bluegrass Music Awards, presented in Louisville, Kentucky on October 2. Rhonda Vincent earned the Female Vocalist of the Year award for the fourth consecutive year and Dan Tyminski took home his third Male Vocalist of the Year trophy. In addition, Album of the Year honors went to Alison Krauss & Union Station for "Alison Krauss & Union Station Live," Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver were named Vocal Group of the Year, Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder received the Instrumental Group of the Year award and this year's Song of the Year honor for "Blue Train (of the Heartbreak Line)", and the Instrumental Album of the Year trophy went to Aubrey Haynie for The Bluegrass Fiddle Album."
Justin Timberlake leads the nominees for the 10th annual MTV Europe Music Awards. The singer earned five mentions, including Best Album for Justified, Best Song for Cry Me A River and Best New Act. His recent touring partner, Christina Aguilera, received four nominations. Also up for four awards is the rock group White Stripes. Aguilera will host the awards show, set to take place on November 6 in Edinburgh, Scotland.
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October 7, David Bowie will kick off his "A Reality" world tour in Copenhagen, Denmark. He'll be promoting his new album Reality, which debuted at Number 29 on last week's Top 200 chart (week ending October 4). Bowie is scheduled to perform throughout Europe, North America, Australia and Japan before wrapping up shows in March 2004.