On July 12, Bon Jovi will perform a free concert in New York's Central Park. 60,000 tickets will be given away for "The All-Star Concert in Central Park, which is being staged in conjunction with Major League Baseball's "All-Star" game at New York's Yankee Stadium on July 15. Bon Jovi wraps up their current U.S. tour with two shows at Madison Square Garden on July 14 and 15.
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers are using the rest of their tour dates to raise money for victims of the Midwest floods. The best seats at the band's remaining shows will be auctioned, beginning with an opening bid of $1,000. Proceeds will go to Habitat for Humanity.
The first holiday album by pop/rock group Sixpence None The Richer will be released on October 14. The Dawn of Grace features eight traditional Christmas songs and two originals. The group is also working on a second studio album, which is expected to be out in early 2009. Sixpence None The Richer is best known for its 1999 Number 2 hit "Kiss Me." Group member Matt Slocum announced the band's breakup in 2004. After meeting with lead singer Leigh Nash in late 2007, they decided to reunite the band.
Taylor Swift is one of today's most popular new Country stars, but she lists Def Leppard among her favorite rock bands. In October, Swift will perform with Def Leppard at an invitation-only Nashville show that will be taped for Country Music Television's (CMT) "Crossroads" series. CMT will air the concert on November 8.
31-year-old Colombian pop star Shakira has signed a 10-year deal with promoter Live Nation. The agreement covers touring, endorsements, recordings and music distribution. Live Nation recently struck similar deals with Madonna, U2 and Jay-Z.
2008 American Idol finalist Kristy Lee Cook is now a labelmate of American Idol season four winner Carrie Underwood. Cook signed a deal with Arista Records, which is expected to release her debut album later this year. She'll record the album with Nashville producer Brett James between dates on the current "American Idols Live! Tour."
NEW ALBUM RELEASES
New albums scheduled for release on July 8 include: "L.A.X." by The Game, "The Lowdown" by Nickelback, "Modern Guilt" by Beck, "Two Men With The Blues" by Willie Nelson & Wynton Marsalis, "It Won't Be Soon Before Long" (Deluxe Edition) by Maroon 5, "Country Sings Disney" by various artists (including Brad Paisley, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Trisha Yearwood and other Country superstars), "The Last Temptation of Chris" by Chris Difford and "Como Te Llama?" by Albert Hammond, Jr.
MUSICAL EVENTS/FESTIVALS/BENEFITS
The 3rd annual "VH1 Rock Honors" will take place on July 12 at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion. This year's event will honor The Who with performances by Pearl Jam, Foo Fighters, Flaming Lips and Incubus. The Who will also perform. Previous honorees include Genesis, Ozzy Osbourne, ZZ Top and Heart. VH1 will air the tribute as a two-hour special on July 17.
TOUR DATES AND INFORMATION
The "Soundtrack of Your Summer" tour will begin on July 8 in Chicago, Illinois. Good Charlotte and Boys Like Girls will co-headline the 33-date outing. Metro Station and the Maine will share the opening slot.
On July 8, Midwest rocker John Mellencamp will kick off a U.S. tour in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He'll be supporting his upcoming album "Life, Death, Love and Freedom," which will be released on July 15. Mellencamp was among this year's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees.
Legendary rock band Journey will begin its North American tour on July 9 in Denver, Colorado. The group features new lead singer Arnel Pineda. Journey's guitarist Neil Schon discovered Pineda on the Internet video site YouTube. Shows are scheduled to wrap up on October 11 in British Columbia. Also on the bill are Cheap Trick and Heart.
On July 11, Country star Martina McBride will kick off her 29-city amphitheater tour in Clarkston, Michigan. Her latest album, "Waking Up Laughing," was released last year. Its hits include "Anyway," "How I Feel" and "For These Times." Martina's tour ends with a show in West Palm Beach, Florida on October 11.