We Are the World II- Spice Girls The Musical- Andy Dick Arrested for Sexual Assault- Jean Simmons RIP- Avatar To Sink Titanic Record?- Erykah Badu Delay and more

FMQB reports: Quincy Jones and Lionel Richie are planning a 25th anniversary re-recording of "We Are the World," and this time it will benefit Haiti relief. The duo is summoning lots of talent from Grammy weekend to stay in L.A. for an extra night until Monday, February 1, and come to the Nokia Theater to record. So far the artists invited include Usher, Natalie Cole and John Legend more

NME reports: A musical about The Spice Girls is being planned by the band's manager Simon Fuller and Mamma Mia! producer Judy Craymer. Tentatively titled Viva Forever, the musical is likely start in London's West End. more

Actor and comedian Andy Dick has been charged with two felony counts of sexual abuse in West Virginia, reports the Associate Press. Dick was arraigned Saturday afternoon in Cabell County Magistrate Court. Court documents say he's accused of grabbing a bouncer's crotch and groping and kissing a male patron earlier in the morning at a bar in Huntington. more

Agent Judy Page told The Associated Press on Sunday that Veteran actress Jean Simmons died of lung cancer at her home in Santa Monica on Friday, surrounded by her family. Simmons was 88. more

Two men administering Michael Jackson's estate are seeking 10 percent of profits they're able to generate from the late pop superstars work, court documents filed Friday show. more

The foundation of Wyclef Jean says it has hired a new accounting firm after the Haitian-born rapper acknowledged "mistakes" had been made by the organization. more

Erykah Badu tweeted that her fifth studio album, New Amerykah, Part II: Return of the Ankh, has been pushed back to a March 30 release date. more

Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds has won its biggest award so far after taking the top prize at the Screen Actors Guild Awards. more

James Cameron's "Avatar" is on a course to sink "Titanic" at the box office. No. 1 for the sixth-straight weekend with $36 million, the 20th Century Fox sci-fi spectacle lifted its domestic total to $552.8 million, according to studio estimates Sunday. more

Black Eye for Black Eyed Peas: The 11th Annual NRJ Music Awards has been held on Saturday night, January 23 in Cannes, France with Kelly Rowland, Dita Von Teese and Pharrell Williams in attendance. During the announcement of International Group/Duo of the Year winner, singer Ke$ha and French choreographer Kamel Ouali mistakenly said that Black Eyed Peas got the prize. To add insult to injury, check out who actually won here

Film director Roman Polanski has lost his bid to be sentenced in a US court without having to return. He faces an arrest warrant over his conviction, 32 years ago, for unlawful sex with a 13-year-old girl. more - more on this story

Kings Go Forth Set Debut

On April 20 Luaka Bop will release the debut album by Kings Go Forth, the Milwaukee based soul band co-founded by Andy Noble, proprietor of the fabled Lotus Land record shop, and long time Milwaukee area R&B performer Black Wolf.

Following a string of seven inches lauded by soul music blogs and spun by the likes of DJ Shadow, the new album features artwork by Mingering Mike - the first time the celebrated artist has ever created art for a recording that actually exists - and a mix by Tom Moulton, the legendary producer and originator of the remix and 12-inch single format. The band's music has been featured as the soundtrack to the popular Funny or Die clip "High Five Inauguration" (viewed hundreds of thousands of times), and Noble, along with his family of cultural instigators, was the subject of the documentary 'Super Noble Brothers,' eight years in the making.

The album features 10 original songs written by Noble and Wolf including the Moulton mix "Don't Take My Shadow" and features Andy Noble on bass, Dave Wake on keyboards, guitarist Dan Flynn, percussionist Cecilio Negron, Jr., the explosive drummer Jeremy Kuzniar, Trombonist Dave Cusma and trumpeter Jed Groser. - more on this story

Rhythm & Blues Foundation Tribute Teddy Pendergrass

As R&B and Soul legend Teddy Pendergrass was laid to rest this weekend, the Rhythm & Blues Foundation - the pre-eminent non-profit organization dedicated to Rhythm & Blues music - spoke today for the entire R&B community in not only expressing its sympathy to the Pendergrass family, but its love and appreciation for the lasting impact its former Board member continues to have on the lives and careers of countless artists for generations to come.

Damon Williams, newly elected Chairman of the Rhythm & Blues Foundation, joined several Board members in citing Teddy's overall contribution as a musician and humanitarian who helped others with spinal cord injuries through his own foundation, as an outstanding example of the Rhythm & Blues Foundation's vision.

"Teddy Pendergrass was a one-of-a-kind voice and a one-of-a kind person whose contributions and impact on R&B music cannot be measured," said Williams. "His dynamic voice, impeccable style, and warm personality were truly a gift to the world. Teddy was a dear friend and colleague of the R&B Foundation, who served diligently on our Board of Directors for several years. We're especially proud that his home town of Philadelphia is our home as well, and we applaud and cheer Teddy for his life's work. He was truly, as one his many hit songs reminds us, one of our 'greatest inspirations.'" - more on this story

Ralph Covert Announces New Album and Select Tour Dates

Bar/None Records is proud to announce the signing of family music star Ralph Covert and his Ralph's World to an exclusive worldwide multi-album recording contract. With seven full-length albums (including the Grammy-nominated Green Gorilla, Monster & Me), a CD/DVD anthology, an award-winning DVD and four books geared towards children already under his belt, Ralph Covert is a force to be reckoned with in family entertainment. Ralph's World's new album, All Around Ralph's World, will be released via Bar/None on February 9th, 2010. All Around Ralph's World features 16 songs dealing with all sorts of travel – from around the block all the way to outer space.

Bar/None Records Head Of Marketing Mark Lipsitz commented, "My family has been listening to Ralph's World since my son, Max, learned how to rock at 2. We have been to a bunch of shows and I am delighted for Bar/None to be part of Ralph's World."

Over the past few years, there has been an explosion in musical offerings for children, but for nearly a decade, Ralph Covert and Ralph's World has been at the forefront of the movement. A benchmark of Covert's success was his multiple sellout performances at the Ravinia festival, the only children's artist ever to have done so. He is also the first children's music artist to headline a coast-to-coast tour of the House Of Blues chain. In February, a major national consumer promotion complete with television featuring Ralph's World music (properly tagged) and print will begin. In the meantime, Ralph's World will be playing select tour dates around the country - more on this story

You Say Party! We Say Die! Hitting The Road

Canadian outfit You Say Party! We Say Die! have indeed been off to a busy 2010 already. Kicking off the new year by resuming the #1 and #2 campus radio spots in Canada, as well as featured airplay on KEXP, the band are set to kick off their North America tour.

To celebrate their upcoming release and tour, You Say Party! We Say Die! are set to release a digital single for "Laura Palmer's Prom" on February 16th with two exciting remixes

You Say Party! We Say Die! began their days opening up for local bands in a church basement of their hometown of Abbotsford, just a short drive away from Vancouver, Canada. It was there that they steadily gathered a growing legion of loyal fans extending far beyond the basement, yielding a successful national tour and independently releasing their debut EP, 'danskwad' (pronounced: "dance-squad") in 2005 -- soon after they signed to Sound Document who sent them back to the studio to work on their debut album.

Two full lengths later, with plenty of lengthy and enjoyable yet equally exhausting tours behind them, the band decided to take some time off from the road in 2008 to record their newest album, XXXX. Set for release February 9, 2010 with Paper Bag Records, this dark dance-pop five piece will embark on a full national tour across the U.S. to promote this exciting release. - more on this story

Lookie Looky at D.C. Don Juan

Battery/Jive recording artist D.C. Don Juan has wasted no time getting his career in full swing. Shortly after signing his major label deal, the D.C.-raised rapper who has previously honed his skills under the driving motivation of NBA stars DerMarr Johnson, Allen Iverson, and Carmelo Anthony, released the video for his exciting new single, "Lookie Looky," receiving both commercial and critical acclaim. Proud of the video's early success, D.C. Don Juan and Battery Records are proud to announce the release of the single to radio as well as the release of the mp3 and video to all digital retailers, including industry leader iTunes.

Built around a descending, staccato synthesizer line, the infectious "Lookie Looky" quickly kicks into high gear as strings, bending synthesizers, and bouncy, bass-heavy drums back up the rapper's infectious, sing-along chorus and winding verses.

Not to be outshined by the song's catchy beat, the video pits D.C. Don Juan as the clear star of the show, as the up-beat, club-ready song receives the perfect visual treatment - D.C. Don Juan intermingles with attractive women, rolling cars, and fun, visually tantalizing special effects. Scanning from scene to scene, the video's innovative, sidewalk-chalk-inspired look offers a popping, light-hearted cartoon emphasis to illustrate the song's phrases and imagery, including, of course, the song's ever-contagious catch phrase, "Lookie Looky." As D.C. Don Juan's star continues to rise, we're pretty sure having people look at him will be the least of his concerns. - Lookie Looky Official video

Semi-Precious Weapons for After Grammy Jammy

The original New Music Seminar (NMS) and Raise Up Music announce the exclusive NMS "After Grammy Jammy" Opening Night Party at The Roxy in Los Angeles on Monday, February 1st, 2010. NYC based filthy glamour rockers Semi-Precious Weapons, described by Spin Magazine as "like the Sex Pistols if they had emerged from Warhol's downtown Factory scene," will be headlining the party on a night off from their special guest spot on the Monster Ball World Tour with Lady Gaga.

NMS' "After Grammy Jammy" will kick off the official NMS LA conference, set to take place first thing the following morning, Tuesday, February 2nd 2010 at The Henry Fonda Theater.

The evening's stellar line-up will also feature the harmonizing indie folk band, Family of the Year, one of Spin Magazines "25 Must-Hear Artists" from the 2009 CMJ Music Festival, and U-N-I, the indie Hip Hip kids voted "Best Break-Out LA Artist" by MTV and featured in URB Mag's "Next 1000" and Billboard's "Artists to Watch" among others. Chicago's DJ Dan Morell will keep the music flowing between sets with his signature spinning skills. - more on this story

Kate Miller-Heidke U.S. Debut in March

Following her recent Fall US tour opening for Ben Folds, for which she received rave reviews, platinum-selling Australian singer-songwriter Kate Miller-Heidke will release her US debut album "Curiouser" on March 16th on SIN/Sony Australia.

London-based Miller-Heidke is well known in her native Australia for her innovative, occasionally-operatic, sci-fi pop music. She also has an ever-growing hoard of devotees worldwide thanks to her viral hit, "Are You F**king Kidding Me? (The Facebook Song)"

"Curiouser" went to #1 in Australia and immediately struck a chord with fans and critics when it was released in Kate's home country last year. The platinum-selling album was her first top 10 record, debuting at #6 on the ARIA Top 10 Albums chart and is her first record to go to #1 at iTunes. The record also received multiple nominations at the 2009 ARIA awards (Australia's Grammys). - video link

Chalie Boy I Look Good Contest

Continuing to build on his rising star, Chalie Boy, the Calvert, Texas rapper behind the infectious new single "I Look Good," is having no trouble staying busy. Chalie has recently released I'm Here, a street album comprised of all original material.

Part title, part proclamation for the rapper, the 18-track I'm Here is hosted by DJ Mr. Rogers and offers fans, old and new alike, a chance to check out Chalie Boy's vast abilities outside of "I Look Good," which has been left off this new project in favor of providing fans with all new material, including "Call Me," featuring fellow Texan and frequent collaborator Chamillionaire. Sure to never stray too far from his Texas roots, I'm Here also includes a second disc, I'm Here: Slowed-N-Chopped, put together by DJ Luis and featuring all of the street album's tracks at a Southern syrup-sipping-friendly pace.

Continuing to build upon the success of his new single, Chalie Boy is also in the midst of promoting his very own I Look Good Contest. Now open, the contest will be accepting entries until February 15th, at which point Chalie Boy will personally judge each submission. Choosing the five best submissions, Chalie will select four runners up, who will each receive free outfits from Puma and one grand-prize winner, who will not only win a free Puma outfit but they will see their winning video submission posted on Chalie's MySpace page, and receive a personalized video message from Chalie, along with an official "I Look Good" t-shirt, and more. In the coming weeks, be sure to follow Chalie Boy on Twitter where Chalie will be offering free giveaways, including signed "I Look Good" t-shirts and more, to the first five contest entries each week. - http://twitter.com/D3chalieBoy

Daniel Merriweather Sets U.S. Debut

Australian singer and songwriter Daniel Merriweather will release his debut album, entitled Love & War, in the U.S. on February 23, 2010 on J Records/Allido Records.

Daniel has been garnering global recognition for his musical artistry and songwriting talent as he builds towards the US release of his debut album. He was just nominated this week for the 2010 Brit Award for 2010's Best International Breakthrough Act, has won the ARIA Award (Australia's "Grammys") for Best Male Artist, nominated for two European Music Awards and has been chosen as VH1's "You Oughta Know" featured artist premiering February 1st, with his debut single "Red."

The album's first single "Red," already certified platinum, was #2 most-played song in the UK and debuted Top 5 on the Singles chart, and features stellar guitar work from Sean Lennon and Harper Simon. "Red" also held the #1 spot in Hong Kong and was Top 10 in Ireland and Malaysia. The first UK single, "Change" (featuring rapper Wale) peaked at #3 on the British airplay chart, debuted Top 10 on the Singles chart, and was a Top 5 airplay hit in Germany, Switzerland, Japan, Denmark, and Austria. The album also features "Water and a Flame" — a sultry duet with Grammy Award-winning soul singer Adele. - more on this story