Dave M. Benett/Getty ImagesMadonna's movie W.E. was disliked by critics, but it did receive an Oscar nomination -- for Best Costume Design. And its chances of winning that particular award this Sunday night may have increased, now that it's just picked up an trophy at the 14th Annual Costume Designers Guild Awards, held Tuesday night in Beverly Hills.
Deadline.com reports that W.E.'s costume designer, Arianne Phillips, received the award for Excellence in Period Film, since a large portion of the movie takes place in the 1930s.
Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio
Lloyd Bishop/NBCAretha Franklin is scolding the media for reports alleging that she was removed from the guest list of goddaughter Whitney Houston's funeral after comments she made to NBC's Today supposedly angered Whitney's mother, Cissy Houston.
The Queen of Soul was a no-show at the funeral, explaining that leg spasms kept her from attending the service. But several media reports speculated that she had been "uninvited" after the Today interview.
"Extra TV, the New York Post and Newsday (New York) should stop the BS," Aretha says in a statement. "I have four invitations and parking passes that were sent to me for the funeral."
Shaking a finger at news organizations that are "more interested in sensationalism and negative speculations than the truth," Aretha goes on to say, "The intelligent and the thoughtful thing to do would be to respect and have some sensitivity to the moment." Speaking of her friend of almost 50 years, Aretha says, "Cissy does not need ridiculous speculation and neither do I -- particularly at this time."
Ms. Franklin closes her message with a note about her Today interview, in which she said, "Parents really have to talk to their children before they leave home. They have to make sure when they leave home, they have all the right things. She left home with all the right things, but she just kind of lost her way along the way." Some people saw the comment as a criticism of Whitney and her family, but Aretha says it wasn't. She explains, "... my entire statement was pretaped. However, the Today Show did not air the part of my statement, which said, 'This is no reflection on Cissy or Nippy's upbringing.' Knowing Cissy as well as I do, I know Whitney left home right and properly. I was generalizing and it was a well-intended statement for any young adult coming into the music industry. I was not speaking of anyone specifically."
Gus Stewart/RedfernsA second posthumous solo album from Ramones frontman Joey Ramone will be released on May 15, Rolling Stone reports. Ya Know? will feature unreleased 17 tunes that the singer recorded as demos, both for The Ramones and after the pioneering punk-rock group's 1996 breakup. The tracks were finished by a number of producers, including longtime Ramones collaborator Ed Stasium and ex-Plasmatics bassist Jean Beauvoir. In addition, a variety of guests artists contributed overdubs to the recordings, including E Street Band guitarist Steve Van Zandt, Joan Jett, one-time Ramones drummer Richie Ramone and members of Cheap Trick and The Dictators.
The completion of the project was delayed by negotiations involving Daniel Rey, who produced some of the original demos. Joey's brother, Mickey Leigh, helped oversee the making of Ya Know? and also appears on the album, which follows Ramone's 2002 solo debut, Don't Worry About Me. In a Facebook post, Leigh explained that he chose the title because it's a phrase that Joey used constantly in conversation. He also reported that Ya Know? will be available as a standard CD, a two-disc vinyl set and a digital download. A two-track single will precede the album's release on April 21.
Joey Ramone died on April 15, 2001, after a battle with lymphoma.
DeenCastronovo.netJourney drummer Deen Castronovo agreed to a plea deal on Thursday in connection with his arrest last month in Oregon following an apparently violent dispute with his former girlfriend. According to StatesmanJournal.com, the agreement calls for the rocker to attend anger-management classes and do 80 hours of community service.
Castronovo was arrested on January 20 at a home in West Salem after a local resident reported to police that a man and woman were fighting across the street. The drummer was charged with four misdemeanor counts -- harassment, criminal mischief, recklessly endangering another person and interfering with making a police report. Castonovo initially pleaded not guilty to the charges in an Oregon circuit court on January 31.
Photo: Ash NewellA trio of rock luminaries from Middle America, Styx, REO Speedwagon and Ted Nugent, will team up for a major U.S. tour in the coming months. The trek, aptly dubbed the Midwest Rock 'n Roll Express, is scheduled to make 30 stops across the country during the late spring and early summer. The tour will get under way on May 1 in Hidalgo, Texas, and currently is mapped out through a July 7 concert in Gilford, New Hampshire.
"Forget all those TV shows with glee clubs singing rock songs," Styx guitarist James "JY" Young said in a statement. "It's time for mega-platinum Illinois bands Styx and REO Speedwagon in a battle to the end of the Mayan calendar with the Motor City Madman!"
Added REO Speedwagon frontman Kevin Cronin, "In the Midwest we work hard, play hard and rock hard. I am proud to join my brothers in Styx and Ted Nugent to celebrate Midwest rock 'n roll and represent the greatest rock fans in the world."
Not surprisingly, Nugent also had something to say about the trek, declaring, "The heart and soul of American R&B&R&R has always gushed forth from the heartland of America. REO, Styx and the Nuge have always celebrated the power of our special music and on the mighty Midwest Rock 'n Roll Express, the energy, attitude and spirit is more intense than ever. This is the soundtrack for the hardcore."
Check StyxWorld.com, REOSpedwagon.com and TedNugent.com to find out when tickets for the shows go on sale.
Here are the confirmed dates for the Midwest Rock 'n Roll Express tour (*denotes that Ted Nugent will not appear):
5/1 -- Hidalgo, TX, State Farm Arena5/3 -- Albuquerque, NM, Hard Rock Casino Albuquerque Presents The Pavilion*5/4 -- Tucson, AZ, Anselmo Valencia Amphitheatre (no Ted Nugent)5/5 -- Las Vegas, NV, Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino5/6 -- Los Angeles, CA, Greek Theatre5/8 -- Denver, CO, Red Rocks Amphitheatre5/10 -- Council Bluffs, IA, Mid America Arena5/11 -- Oklahoma City, OK, Zoo Amphitheatre*5/12 -- Houston, TX, Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion (no Ted Nugent)5/13 -- Corpus Christi, TX, Concrete Street Amphitheatre5/17 -- Charlotte, NC, Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre5/19 -- Virginia Beach, VA, Farm Bureau Live Amphitheatre5/20 -- Alpharetta, GA, Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre6/21 -- Kansas City, MO, Starlight Amphitheatre6/22 -- St. Louis, MO, Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre6/23 -- Ft. Knox, KY, Godman Army Airfield6/24 -- Chicago, IL, Charter One Pavilion6/26 -- Cincinnati, OH, Riverbend Music Center6/28 -- Detroit, MI, DTE Energy Music Theatre6/29 -- Scranton, PA, Toyota Pavilion at Montage Mountain6/30 -- Cleveland, OH, Blossom Music Center7/1 -- Atlantic City, NJ, Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa Event Center7/3 -- Verona, NY, Turning Stone Resort Casino7/5 -- Uncasville, CT, Mohegan Sun Arena7/6 -- Big Flats, NY, Summer Stage7/7 -- Gilford, NH, Meadowbrook U.S. Cellular Pavilion
CarnegieStones.comMore stars have been added to the impressive lineup of musicians who will perform at the Rolling Stones tribute concert scheduled for March 13 at New York City's famed Carnegie Hall. Jackson Browne, Ian Hunter, John Sebastian of Lovin' Spoonful fame and New York Dolls singer David Johansen are the latest luminaries to join the event's bill. Among the previously announced artists who will appear at the show are Art Garfunkel, Ronnie Spector, Marianne Faithfull, Rickie Lee Jones, Black Crowes guitarist Rich Robinson, Taj Mahal and Rosanne Cash.
The concert will commemorate the 40th anniversary of The Stones' Hot Rocks 1964-1971 album, and will feature 21 acts performing the 21 tunes featured on the compilation.
The event is the latest in a series of all-star tribute shows organized by entrepreneur Michael Dorf that have been held at Carnegie Hall in recent years. Proceeds raised by the concert will be distributed between eight charities that provide music education to underprivileged youths.
Facebook.com/TheBeatlesNow, instead of saying "hello" and "goodbye" on your mobile phone, you can have the Beatles do it for you. For the first time ever, Beatles ringtones are now available -- you can buy them exclusively on iTunes. Twenty-seven of the band's classics have been turned into ringtones, including "Hello Goodbye," "From Me to You," "Let It Be" and -- especially for those calls you make to apologize to your significant other for being a jerk -- "We Can Work It Out."
Here's the full list of Beatles ringtones available:
1. "Love Me Do" 2. "From Me To You" 3. "She Loves You" 4. "I Want To Hold Your Hand" 5. "Can't Buy Me Love" 6. "A Hard Day's Night" 7. "I Feel Fine" 8. "Eight Days a Week" 9. "Ticket to Ride" 10. "Help!" 11. "Yesterday" 12. "Day Tripper" 13. "We Can Work It Out" 14. "Paperback Writer" 15. "Yellow Submarine" 16. "Eleanor Rigby"17. "Penny Lane" 18. "All You Need Is Love"19. "Hello, Goodbye" 20. "Lady Madonna" 21. "Hey Jude" 22. "Get Back" 23. "The Ballad of John and Yoko" 24. "Something" 25. "Come Together" 26. "Let It Be" 27. "The Long and Winding Road"
Pascal Le Segretain/Getty ImagesA Los Angeles judge on Tuesday dismissed concert promoter AEG Live from a wrongful-death lawsuit brought by Michael Jackson's father over the King of Pop's passing. The judge cited a law requiring all heirs file a single wrongful-death complaint. Michael's mother, Katherine Jackson, has also filed a wrongful-death suit.
AEG Live organized the London concerts Michael was rehearsing for at the time of his death.
Joe Jackson's lawsuit still lists as defendants Conrad Murray, who was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in Michael's death, and Applied Pharmacy Services in Las Vegas, which sold the powerful anesthetic propofol to the doctor. Michael died of acute propofol intoxication in June of 2009.
Also on Tuesday, Los Angeles prosecutors responded to Murray's request to be released from jail while he appeals his case. According to TMZ.com, prosecutors argued that he could pose a danger to the public if he were to be released.
Sandra Rose/Getty ImagesWith Whitney Houston's death still fresh in fans' minds, her ex-husband may try to revive a memoir he worked on years ago. An unnamed publisher tells The Huffington Post that Bobby Brown shopped a tell-all book in 2008 but didn't draw much interest at the time. However, the publisher says, "Now is the time for a book that details an honest look into the life of Whitney."
A friend of Whitney's believes Bobby would want to write a memoir just so he can make some money. However, The Huffington Post speculates that Bobby might not go ahead with the project out of consideration for the ex-couple's teen daughter, Bobbi Kristina. The report also states that he signed a confidentiality agreement when he divorced Whitney.
Photo: LeAnn MuellerChickenfoot is getting ready to hit the road this spring for the Different Devil Tour 2012, which will take the supergroup across North America during May and June. As frontman Sammy Hagar revealed recently to ABC News Radio, the trek will kick off on May 4 and 5 with a two-night stand at Harrah's Hotel & Casino in Lake Tahoe, Nevada.
Hard-rockers Black Stone Cherry will open for the 'Foot at its upcoming shows, which are scheduled through a June 10 concert at Los Angeles' Greek Theater. The outing will include a previously announced May 27 set at the Rocklahoma festival in Pryor, Oklahoma. Pre-sale tickets for the shows will be available starting next week.
Here are all of Chickenfoot's confirmed North American dates:
5/4 -- Lake Tahoe, NV, Harrah's Hotel & Casino5/5 -- Lake Tahoe, NV, Harrah's Hotel & Casino5/9 -- Denver, CO, The Fillmore Auditorium5/11 -- Minneapolis, MN, The Brick5/12 -- Chicago, IL, Chicago Theater5/14 -- Detroit, MI, The Fillmore5/16 -- Boston, MA, Orpheum Theater5/18 -- Atlantic City, NJ, House of Blues5/19 -- Uncasville, CT, Mohegan Sun5/21 -- New York, NY, Beacon Theater5/23 -- St. Louis, MO, Fox Theater5/25 -- Thackerville, OK, Winstar Casino5/27 -- Pryor, OK, Catch the Fever Festival (Rocklahoma)5/29 -- Houston, TX, Bayou Music Center5/31 -- Tucson, AZ, Anselmo Valencia Amphitheater6/1 -- Las Vegas, NV, The Joint6/3 -- Portland, OR, Schnitzer Hall6/5 -- Vancouver, Canada, Queen Elizabeth Theater6/6 -- Seattle, WA, WaMu Theater6/10 -- Los Angeles, CA, Greek Theater
ABC NewsBefore her tragic death, Whitney Houston was excited about the release of the movie Sparkle, which would've marked her return to the silver screen as an actress. But now comes word that Whitney was also planning another movie -- one that would've told her life story.
Actress Meagan Good, who stars in Californication, tells E! Online that she and Whitney were discussing a biopic before her death, and Good would've starred in it. "We were fairly in the beginning stages," Good tells E! Online, noting that she and Whitney were supposed to have met Monday about the project.
Good also reveals that the plan was for the movie to end on a high note. "My feeling is because she has the film Sparkle coming out and she's brilliant in it and she looks beautiful and healthy, my feeling was that's how we should end the movie -- as a new beginning for her," Good told E!.
Good says it's too soon to start thinking about making the movie, but she says if it did come to pass, she wouldn't attempt to do her own singing in the project. "When people see someone's life story they want to hear that person's voice because they connect with it, in their spirit and their soul," she explained. "So you would have to use her voice."
MickJagger.comMick Jagger, Jeff Beck, Buddy Guy, B.B. King, Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks joined other notable musicians Tuesday night at the White House for a celebration of the blues. President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama hosted the concert in the East Room in recognition of Black History Month.
Obama joked at the start of the event that as president, he can't take a walk or go for a drive. However, he continued, "There are other nights where B.B. King and Mick Jagger come over to your house to play for a concert. So I guess things even out a little bit."
Obama said blues music was the forerunner to the rock and roll, R&B and hip-hop genres. He said the blues had "humble beginnings -- roots in slavery and segregation, a society that rarely treated black Americans with the dignity and respect that they deserved. The blues bore witness to these hard times and like so many of the men and women who sang them, the blues refused to be limited by the circumstances of their birth."
B.B. King got the music portion of the concert started with renditions of "Let the Good Times Roll" and “The Thrill Is Gone.” Jagger performed “I Can’t Turn You Loose” and “Miss You.”
Obama, fresh off his performance of Al Green's "Let's Stay Together" at a New York fundraiser a few weeks ago, demonstrated his vocal chops again Tuesday night, joining the other musicians for a performance of "Sweet Home Chicago" in a nod to his hometown.
The concert will air Monday night at 9:00 p.m. Eastern time on PBS as part of the PBS' In Performance at the White House series.
EMI MusicJudging by comments guitarist Ronnie Wood made recently, The Rolling Stones may be close to finalizing plans for a 2012 tour to celebrate their 50th anniversary as a band. In a new interview with Radio Times, Wood revealed that he and his band mates are "all ready to go" on the much-speculated-about outing.
"[It's just] a matter of tying up loose ends," the rocker told the magazine.
Wood also confirmed that The Stones got together to jam in London in December. "It was great," he declared. "Keeping our chops together, that's what we love. Basically, get the boys feeling comfortable with each other. We're all happy -- we were happy before Christmas. It's getting better each time."
Wood did point out, however, that the trek still isn't set in stone, noting that "each week brings a new development."
Robert Cianflone/Getty ImagesGuns N' Roses fans in Pennsylvania and Florida just got some good news. On Monday, the band announced that it's added two more dates to its series of intimate shows. Guns N' Roses now will play at The Electric Factory in Philadelphia this Monday and at the House of Blues in Orlando, Florida, on March 3.
Fans can purchase pre-sale tickets for the show in Philadelphia right now, before they're made available to the general public on Wednesday. For the Orlando gig, ticket pre-sales begin Wednesday at 10 a.m. ET, while tickets will be made available to the general public on Thursday. For more info, including VIP packages, check out GunsNRoses.com.
TeenageCancerTrust.orgPaul McCartney will headline the second night of the 2012 Teenage Cancer Trust benefit concerts, which will take place from March 28 through April 3 at London's Royal Albert Hall. To kick off this year's edition of the annual fundraising series, The Who's Roger Daltrey will perform on a bill that also will feature former Jam frontman Paul Weller and Stereophonics singer Kelly Jones.
The concerts raise money for the Teenage Cancer Trust, a UK charity that helps support medical facilities and programs for young people suffering from cancer. McCartney is expected to perform selections from his new standards album, Kisses on the Bottom, at the March 29 gig.
Daltrey, a longtime Teenage Cancer Trust patron and one of the organizers of the events, said in a statement, "Every year my team and I work really hard to make these concerts…something special. This year is no exception and the lineup of artists donating their time and talent is incredible."
Tickets for the concerts go on sale on Friday.
Columbia RecordsAs the March 7 release of Bruce Springsteen's Wrecking Ball approaches, the Boss has begun treating fans to a preview of his upcoming album a little bit at a time. Springsteen is allowing one song from the record to be streamed on a different website each weekday for 24 hours from midnight to midnight ET through March 2.
The preview began on Monday, with the tune "Easy Money" being made available at the Backstreets.com fan site. On Tuesday, "Shackled and Drawn" made its online debut at RollingStone.com. Check BruceSpringsteen.net each day to find out the Web location that will host the next track.
Here is schedule for the remaining songs that will be streamed at various sites and the day that they will premiere:
2/22 -- "Jack of All Trades"2/23 -- "Death to My Hometown"2/24 -- "This Depression"2/27 -- "Wrecking Ball"2/28 -- "You've Got It"2/29 -- "Rocky Road"3/1 -- "Land of Hope and Dreams"3/2 -- "We Are Alive"
MickJagger.comJust a reminder that The Rolling Stones' Mick Jagger will be giving his first ever performance at the White House as part of a star-studded blues music celebration taking place in conjunction with Black History Month. President Barack Obama will be on hand for the event, dubbed "In Performance at the White House: Red, White and Blues," which also will feature blues greats B.B. King and Buddy Guy, as well as guitar icon Jeff Beck and Allman Brothers Band members Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks.
Booker T. Jones of Booker T & the MGs is musical director for the show, which will be streamed live from the East Room of the White House starting at 7:15 p.m. ET at WhiteHouse.gov/live, PBS.org/WhiteHouse and BlackPublicMedia.org/WhiteHouseBlues. Highlights from the extravaganza will be shown as a special this Monday at 9 p.m. ET on local PBS stations.
On Monday, Jagger posted a message on Twitter that said, "Met President Obama who listened to a few tunes during rehearsal, he seemed really relaxed and happy!" Attached to the tweet was a photo that showed the rock star and his longtime girlfriend, L'Wren Scott, at the White House.
Matthew J. Lee/The Boston Globe via Getty ImagesBob Seger and Gordon Lightfoot lead the list of 2012 inductees for the Songwriters Hall of Fame, which also will welcome Jim Steinman, the team of Tom Jones & Harvey Schmidt and Don Schlitz.
Seger obviously needs no introduction, with a catalog of classic tunes that includes "Hollywood Nights," "Night Moves," "Turn the Page," and "We've Got Tonight." The same goes for Lightfoot, the Canadian folk-rock icon known for such hits as "If You Could Read My Mind," "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" and "Sundown."
Steinman's achievements, meanwhile include writing all the songs on Meat Loaf's classic album Bat out of Hell, and its sequel, Bat out of Hell II: Back into Hell. Among Steinman's other compositions: Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse of the Heart," Air Supply's "Making Love Out of Nothing at All" and Celine Dion's "It's All Coming Back to Me Now."
Schmidt and Jones wrote the music for The Fantasticks, the longest-running musical in history, as well as other Broadway shows. Schlitz penned a string of country music classics, with the best known probably being the Kenny Rogers smash "The Gambler."
This year's inductees will receive their honors at a gala ceremony in New York City on June 14.
PETER MUHLY/AFP/Getty ImagesQueen's Brian May and Roger Taylor have officially confirmed that they will indeed be joining forces with ex-American Idol finalist Adam Lambert again for a special one-off concert performance this summer. On July 7, the legendary rockers and the up-and-coming singer will headline the second day of the touring Sonisphere Festival's stop at Knebworth Park in Stevenage, England. The set will be a homecoming of sorts for May and Taylor, as Queen played its very last concert with late singer Freddie Mercury at Knebworth in August 1986.
The July show also will mark the first time that the Queen members will give a full-length performance with Lambert, who previously sang with May and Taylor on the 2009 American Idol finale and at the 2011 MTV Europe Music Awards last November.
In a statement, May said about the upcoming collaboration, "Judging by my incoming mail, this decision will make a lot of people very happy. It's a worthy challenge for us, and I'm sure Adam would meet with Freddie's approval! And what better place to revisit, and walk those emotional paths than Knebworth? It will be a rush."
Added Lambert, "I'm completely in awe of the Queen phenomenon. The thought of sharing the stage for a full set is so beautifully surreal. I'm honored to be able to pay my respects to Freddie's memory. He's a personal hero of mine and I am deeply grateful for the chance to sing such powerful music for fans of this legendary band."
The confirmation of the performance comes after a recent report in a British newspaper quoted Lambert as saying he would be singing with Queen at this summer's Sonisphere Festival, and a subsequent message from the singer insisting that his comments were taken out of context.
After the announcement broke Monday, Lambert wrote on Twitter, "Sorry to be coy about the details the past few weeks, but I made a promise to keep it under wraps as best I could."
Facebook.com/EltonJohnIf you're an Elton John fan who's been saving all your ticket stubs from his concerts over the years, the folks who run his archives want you to get in touch.
A request has been put out on Elton's official website for ticket stubs -- not the actual stubs, but scans of them. Specifically, the archive is looking for hi-res scans of ticket stubs from any of Elton's concerts, anywhere in the world, but particularly ones from the 1970s. Since John has performed more than 3,000 concerts in his career, that's a lot of stubs. The collected scans will be used to compile a "visual history" of Elton's live work, so if you've got stubs stashed away in a shoebox in your closet, haul them out, scan them and email them to Editor@website.eltonjohn.com with the subject line "Ticket Scans."
Not long ago, the website appealed to fans for scans of tickets from Elton's first-ever performances in Las Vegas, and got a great response, which is why they're reaching out once again.
