This Week's Top Pop Stories

Here are the top stories from this week's Day in Pop and the top Day in Pop digest stories

Lady Gaga Sets CD Release- New Britney Spears Song This Week- Zsa Zsa To Have Amputation- Shania Marries- Michael Jackson Autopsy- Biggest Twits of 2010- more

The Day in Pop Digest for 1/3/11: (Billboard) Lady Gaga rang in the New Year with a major announcement for her little monsters: "Born This Way," the highly anticipated follow-up album to her breakthrough debut, "The Fame," will be released on May 23, 2011. The set's title track and first single will premiere on Feb. 13. more

(Spin) Britney Spears will premiere the first song from her upcoming album on January 7. "Hold It Against Me" is produced by Dr. Luke and Max Martin more

(Yahoo) Actress Zsa Zsa Gabor was in hospital in Los Angeles following complications with one of her legs and will have to undergo a partial amputation, CNN reported. more

(Yahoo) Hungary's media authority National Media and Infocommunications Authority is investigating a small radio station for playing Ice-T songs "Warning" and "It's On" make which make direct references to violence or sexuality" at an inappropriate hour. more

(Billboard) Shania Twain married Swiss businessman Frédéric Thiébaud in Puerto Rico on New Year's Day, People reported. more

(Jam!) Lindsay Lohan's estranged father Michael has commissioned a singer from the Grammy-winning group All-4-One to write a song dedicated to the troubled actress. more

(BBC) The Discovery Channel says it will not air a re-enactment of Michael Jackson's autopsy, amid concerns the programme was distasteful more

(BBC) Take That scored the biggest-selling album of 2010 in the UK, beating Michael Buble into second place, the Official Charts Company reveals. more

Spin looks at the biggest Twitter events of 2010. 5: Lady Gaga dies… on Twitter, anyway. 4: Snacks the Cat becomes an indie icon 3: Jay Reatard's last days are documented in tweets 2: About a hack not worth mentioning here. 1: Kanye West joins Twitter. Read all about it here

(Yahoo) A house fire appears to have killed actor Per Oscarsson, a giant of Swedish cinema who won a best actor award at Cannes in 1966 and appeared in films based on Stieg Larsson's "Millennium" trilogy, and his wife, police said Sunday. more -

Jay-Z and Kanye West Album In A Week- Justin Bieber Photographed Kissing Selena- Lady Gaga Bare Bottom- Michael Jackson Manslaughter Hearing- 24 Film Rejected- more

The Day in Pop Digest for 1/4/11: (Jam!) Jay-Z and Kanye West are serving up a New Year's treat for their devoted fans - they are set to release their joint album within a week. more

(Billboard) Images of Justin Bieber, 16, and Selena Gomez, 18, apparently kissing and embracing on a private yacht in St. Lucia surfaced on the web forum Anything Disney over the weekend. The two sport bathing suits in the photos, and in one shot, Bieber is seen with his hand on Gomez's backside. more. She better be careful, he is jailbate!

(Jam!) Lady Gaga has teased fans with news of her forthcoming album release by posting a cheeky shot featuring her bare bottom on her Twitter.com blog more

(Yahoo) Prosecutors are set to unveil their case against the man hired to look after Michael Jackson's health during rehearsals for his comeback tour as a judge determines whether the doctor should stand trial in the superstar's death. more

(Billboard) Rapper Waka Flocka Flame has turned himself in on drug and gun charges. He faces charges of possessing marijuana and a controlled substance, possessing a firearm by a convicted felon and possessing a firearm during a crime. more

(NME) Brad Pitt has signed on to star in Cogan's Trade, which tells the story of a gangland enforcer. more

(Jam!) The Black Eyed Peas were left in the dark during a New Year's Eve performance at a private party in the Caribbean after the venue was hit by a blackout. more

(Billboard) Toni Braxton will appear in "Braxton Family Values" on the WE network starting in April. Braxton's sisters - Traci, Towanda, Trina and Tamar - are all aspiring singers. more

(NME) The script for the film version of TV show 24 has reportedly been rejected by 20th Century Fox more

(Yahoo) An Academy Award-winning songwriter's son has been indicted on a murder charge in the death of his swimsuit designer girlfriend, who was found in a posh hotel bathtub, according to court records that show the upgraded charges. more

(BBC) Actress Anne Francis, who played the love interest in the 1950s science-fiction classic Forbidden Planet, dies aged 80 more

(Gibson) On this day in 2004, Britney Spears had her surprise marriage annulled less than 55 hours after tying the knot at the Little White Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas with childhood friend Jason Alexander. They couple married on Saturday morning, during a night out in Las Vegas, but immediately her lawyers filed for an annulment, saying Spears 'lacked understanding of her actions to the extent that she was incapable of agreeing to the marriage.'

On this day in 2005, the owner of a recording studio where Eminem recorded his Slim Shady LP was found shot dead. AJ Abdallah, who was 36, was discovered by a business colleague at the Detroit studio, it was thought he had been dead for at least two days. Police suggested that a robbery might also have taken place. Mr. Abdallah had lived in a apartment above the studio on Eight Mile Road, the Detroit street which inspired the title of Eminem's 2002 film 8 Mile. Find out what else happened on this date in music history here
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Kanye Muppet- Celebrity Rehab Encouraged Leif Garrett To Relapse?- Josh Groban Sings Kanye's Tweets- Taylor Swift Single Again?- Michael Jackson Sick Before Death?- more

The Day in Pop Digest for 1/5/11: Check out the Muppified video for Kanye West's Monster jam, which just might be better than the twisted circus of the original. Watch out for that Piggy Minaj verse here

(Billboard) Leif Garrett checked into the latest season of VH1's "Celebrity Rehab" to battle years of drug abuse, but according to the pop singer and actor, the reality show had just the opposite effect. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Garrett claims that the "Rehab" producers encouraged him to relapse for dramatic purposes. more

(Billboard) Josh Groban performed a glorious commercial-style skit on Jimmy Kimmel Live advertising his "new album," "The Best Tweets of Kanye West," schooling us all on how to playfully take a jab at King Kanye. It includes 752 original songs on 48 CDs. Wait, what? See it here.

(Billboard) A choreographer who worked with Michael Jackson on his ill-fated concert tour told a judge Tuesday he clashed with Jackson's doctor and others over the superstar's health six days before he died. more

BBC reports that Michael Jackson's doctor tried to conceal having given the singer a powerful anaesthetic shortly before he died, prosecutors say at a hearing more

Meanwhile Yahoo reports that a bodyguard who prosecutors say was ordered by the doctor charged in Michael Jackson's death to conceal syringes and other items before calling 911 is expected to shed light on the chaotic efforts that failed to revive the King of Pop. more

You thought Axl Rose was bad? Lauryn Hill showed no remorse after keeping devotees waiting for almost four hours at a recent comeback concert in New York, telling disgruntled fans she was "worth the wait". more

(FMQB) Rapper Rick Ross told WWPR (Power 105.1)/New York this week that his next album will be titled God Forgives, I Don't. more

(Billboard) After a brief, whirlwind romance, Taylor Swift and Jake Gyllenhaal have apparently called it quits. more

(Billboard) American Idol seventh season winner David Cook has released a new teaser video for his still-untitled sophomore album, which will follow his 2008 self-titled debut. more

(Yahoo) Kellie Pickler has gotten married. Her label, BNA Records, says in a statement that she wed songwriter Kyle Jacobs on New Year's Day. They held a small ceremony on a private island in the Caribbean more

(ASB) Soulja Boy has sparked controversy in the world of Twitter.com after declaring he is the man responsible for the catchy lyrics to Willow Smith's hit song Whip My Hair.

(BBC) Character actor Bill Erwin, best known for his role as the grumpy old man in US sitcom Seinfeld, dies aged 96. more

And the joke of the day: Justin Bieber's goal in life is to reach the same level of fame as his idol Michael Jackson. more -

Swollen Members Madchild Banned from US

(PR) Madchild, from Vancouver based hip-hop group Swollen Members, has been denied entry to the United States by US custom officials.

The Canadian based emcee is currently unable to enter the United States to tour or record until the matter has been resolved with US customs.

Madchild has released the following statement about the incident: "I was on my way to meet my brothers in Swollen Members to perform some shows in the United States. I went to go through customs at the Vancouver Airport, and I was pulled into the Customs waiting room. I must have sat there for three hours before I was even called up to the desk, which was odd considering there was hardly anybody else in there waiting. When I was finally called up, the agent started questioning me about being a member of the Hells Angels motorcycle club and when I replied, 'No', he just continued to repeat the question over and over again. After five more hours of waiting, watching him go back and forth, looking on the internet and asking me the same questions over and over again, I was finally called to the front desk. He asked me another series of questions and after a total of eight and a half hours of questioning I was told that I was officially banned from entering the United States." - more on this story

Lady Gaga and Betty White Go Comic

(PR) One is an outrageous pop maven; the other, an octogenarian TV legend. But both are celebrities that captivated the public imagination in 2010 and are subjects of Bluewater Productions' biography comic books releasing this week.

"Fame: Lady Gaga" and "Female Force: Betty White" are scheduled to hit newsstands, comic bookstores and online venues on Wednesday, January 5.

"Fame: Lady Gaga" follows the unknown Stefani Germanotta as she crafted a glam-rock persona and began her climb up the pop music charts with monster hits like "Poker Face" and "Just Dance." The issue also promises to showcase Gaga in some of her more unusual and extraordinary fashion choices as well as her legendary performances. - more on this story

Jersey Shore's Pauly D Web Event Today

Jersey Shore's DJ Pauly D will stop by Billboard for a live Q&A today, Wednesday, Jan. 5 at 5:00PM ET/2:00PM PT.

Livestream will broadcast this exciting event as Pauly takes questions directly from fans via Twitter (#bbpaulyd).

He will discuss his newly announced MTV spin-off about his "life outside of the shore," his energetic first single "Beat Dat Beat," and the upcoming season three of "Jersey Shore."

Fans can tune into the live interview on Billboard's Livestream page - here

New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys Add More Dates

(PR) With shows continuing to sell out, New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys have responded to the demand from their fans by offering more opportunities to see them together on one stage for their historic NKOTBSB tour.

The groups announce 16 new shows for a total of 41 confirmed dates for the highly anticipated 2011 boybandbananza!

The extraordinary NKOTBSB tour, produced by Live Nation, begins June 2nd with confirmed shows through July 30th. Tickets for the newly announced dates go on sale beginning Saturday, January 15 at Ticketmaster.com and LiveNation.com. - more on this story

Starlings, TN Come Out of Hurricane Katrina Induced Hiatus With New Album

Starlings, TN returns from a five-year hiatus with a new album of odd country sounds. The Steve Subblefield project emerges from Katrina with "How Dark It Is Before The Dawn."

Since hurricane Katrina ravaged the gulf coast in late August of 2005, Steven Stubblefield has been working on a new Starlings, TN record. "That storm was like a bad acid trip," Stubblefield says. "It lasted as nearly as long too. It was eight hours of chaos that left years destruction in its wake."

With more than $10,000 worth of damage to his home from Katrina, Stubblefield spent the next three years helping others recover from the storm. He worked for the first ten months in Biloxi, MS with the humanitarian organization, Samaritan's Purse. But, when a job working for the American Red Cross opened up in his home town of Hattiesburg, MS, he made the move back home. - more on this story

Andy Friedman To Deliver Laserbeams and Dreams

(conqueroo) Andy Friedman will release his third studio album, Laserbeams and Dreams, on April 5, 2011 via City Salvage Records.

Produced by noted guitarist and producer David Goodrich (Chris Smither, Peter Mulvey), the album was recorded in Friedman's Brooklyn neighborhood and cut in 24 hours with one overdub and mixed in the studio.

Andy Friedman first hit the road as a self-described "Slideshow Poet" in 2002, leaving his day job as an office assistant in the Editorial Department at The New Yorker to accompany projections of his paintings, drawings, and Polaroids with readings of his poetry in dive bars and rock clubs around the nation. - more on this story

Grown Ups Set Spring Release

(PR) Grown Ups will be releasing a 4-song 7-inch through Doghouse Records this spring.

The band released their debut EP Songs in 2009 and their first full-length More Songs was re-released by Top Shelf Records.

Grown Ups are currently on tour. All upcoming tour dates are listed - here

Ray Charles Trumpeter David Hoffman Releases New Album

Ray Charles Trumpeter David Hoffman brings a 'Calmness of Sprit' with his new CD release.

David Hoffman approaches music from several perspectives. Traveling the world as trumpet soloist/arranger with the legendary Ray Charles, and his extensive experience in the world of Jazz formed an artistic platform, that enhanced his performance on stage and in recording projects. His current environment plays an important role in the inspiration behind his passion for music and nature to gently flow together. Having played with Ray for the last 13 years of his illustrious career, Hoffman moved back to his Midwest home, located in a converted rural Congregational Church, living and making music in the recording studio located in the former sanctuary. Corn, Pumpkin, and Soybean fields, with their mixture of colors, the sounds of the wind rustling through the meadows, and the scents of the seasons, offer a "Calmness of Spirit".

It's this environment that inspired Hoffman's most recent CD, 'Calmness of Spirit'. "My desire was to merge the sounds of the neighborhood with calming music, but in a different way than is standard. I feel like with much music of this type, the nature sounds are added on without really being a part of the music". On the first cut on the CD, "The Singing Frogs of Guadeloupe", Hoffman started with a track recorded in his back yard on a late summer's night. "The tree frogs were singing, and I sat outside with a digital recorder, enjoying their songs. Some other neighborhood animals joined in. You can distinguish at least two types of frogs, crickets, and a lone coyote in the distance. When I took the recording inside and listened to it, I discovered a very musical 'whir' caused by a small bug flying dangerously close to the microphone." It wasn't until Hoffman had listened to this "neighborhood" music that he started on his part of the project. "What I wanted to do is to accompany the frogs, which took figuring out their general rhythm and key center". What results is an integration of nature and music. The last part of the equation was the addition of Paul Adam's Hulusi, which is a wind instrument native to China. Somehow it fit in, giving a lighthearted feel to the finished track. - more on this story

Jenny O. Bootleg Residency

Jenny O. has announced a Monday night February residency at The Bootleg Theater in Los Angeles.

Jenny's been quite busy as of late, between release her EP Home in November via Manimal, as well as two holiday singles (including one on Target's holiday soundtrack).

Jenny O. defines the laid-back sound of Southern California, combining elements of 60's & 70's pop; sometimes folky, sometimes not, but always irresistible. One spin of her debut EP will prove that. Jenny writes, records, and performs original material reminiscent of those classic early influences. - more on this story

Tim McGraw Announces Tour and TV Appearances

Tim McGraw and his band, the Dancehall Doctors, will return to the road this spring.

The "Emotional Traffic Tour" will feature special guests Luke Bryan and The Band Perry.

McGraw co-stars alongside Gwyneth Paltrow, Garrett Hedlund and Leighton Meester inScreen Gems' Country Strong, which will be released in theatres nationwide this Friday, January 7th. - see him on TV

Annie Lennox and Richard Thompson Get Royal Honors

(Gibson) Queen Elizabeth has released her 2011 New Year's Honors List and included among the ranks of British citizens receiving special merit are singer Annie Lennox, singer-songwriter-guitarist Richard Thompson and producer-performer Trevor Horn. Each musician has been made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE), according to Spinner.com.

Thompson and Horn (known to many for his work in The Buggles) were honored for their catalog of musical work. Horn told the Arbroath Herald that he thought the letter that came in the mail was a notice about taxes. "It's not something you ever think about in my line of work because it so enjoyable anyway – you don't look for any other rewards," he said.

Lennox was not recognized for her solo work or time with The Eurythmics, but for her charitable efforts. One of her great concerns has been working with Oxfam on AIDS initiatives in Africa. The singer said she was "genuinely honored" on her website. - more on this story

Shania Twain's Wedding Announcement

Sandbox Entertainment released the formal announcement about Shania Twain's wedding on New Year's Day. Here you go:

Shania Twain and Frederic Thiebaud were married at sunset on the island of Puerto Rico on January 1, 2011 in front of 40 of their family members and closest friends.

The bride wore Lorraine Schwartz jewelry, Calvin Klein shoes and bought her dress from a small boutique in Lausanne, Switzerland. - more on this story

The Gray Lions Release Mark Hudson Produced Debut

The Gray Lions release their debut CD 'Run Wild' produced by the legendary Mark Hudson

Mark Hudson, well-known record producer, musician and songwriter, received notoriety as a performer, songwriter and TV personality in the 1970s. Starting out as a member of the Hudson Brothers trio, Mark achieved independent success as a record producer and songwriter working with an array of artists such as Ringo Starr, Ozzy Osbourne, Aerosmith, Harry Nilsson, Hanson and the Baha Men to name a few.

Marc Rubinstein and his Pig Light Show thrilled and amazed concert goers of the Fillmore East in NY and the Capitol Theatre in NJ in the late '60s and early '70s. Behind legendary bands like the Grateful Dead, Jethro Tull, Santana, Yes, Black Sabbath, Fleetwood Mac, the Allman Brothers and many, many others. Pig Light Show's visuals were like nothing ever seen before and since - more on this story

Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles Announces Intimate Solo Show

Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles will perform a rare, intimate solo show at the Murchison Performing Arts Center in Denton, Texas on January 15, 2011, to benefit Attic Community Playground, a non-profit organization supporting the performing arts.

"Attic Community Playground is one of my dearest charities," Nettles says. "Art programs within schools continue to be cut. To me this is a very sad fact. I not only enjoy a career in the arts, but I also enjoyed and benefited from the performing arts as a kid. Music, band, chorus, drama—each of them provided me with outlets of emotional exploration and self expression, and offered me an avenue to develop self confidence."

Proceeds from the show will go to the Ponder High School Band and Choir Program in Ponder, Texas, and the music program at The Museum School of Avondale Estates, Georgia—a suburb of Nettles's adopted hometown of Atlanta. - more on this story

Rehab Announce Lack Of Luxury Tour

Rehab will be hitting the road again for the 2011 Lack Of Luxury Tour in support of their latest album release, Welcome Home, which hit stores in September 2010.

"I anticipate that Rehab fans all over the world will get more from their favorite band this year than ever before," said the band's Demun Jones. "I can't wait to go from Charlotte, North Carolina to Seattle, Washington and everywhere in between to connect with our fans!"

Supporting acts on the 2011 Lack Of Luxury Tour include the Moonshine Bandits and Brian "BD" Desind. - more on this story

Rod Stewart Great American Songbook Collection Coming Next Month

Rod Stewart will release The Best Of…The Great American Songbook on February 1st, 2011 via J Records.

The Best Of…The Great American Songbook presents the highlights from five albums, recorded across eight years, which have become nothing less than a musical and cultural phenomenon.

In addition, this new "Songbook" collection features one, newly recorded, never before released track "You'll Never Know," produced by one of Rod's longtime collaborators Richard Perry, along with brand new mixes of "Someone To Watch Over Me" and "Bye Bye Blackbird." - more on this story

Roxette Releasing New Song

(Gibson) Swedish duo Roxette are teasing fans with snippets of their new single, "She's Got Nothing On (But the Radio)," ahead of the song's full release on January 10.

The track, from the forthcoming album Charm School, features an electro-tinged poppy chorus and multi-layered, intricate guitars courtesy of Per Gessle.

After a portion of the track was featured, much to the band's surprise, on www.amazon.de, the band released its own preview, writing on their website, "Snippet #2 of our soon-to-be-famous single is out. Piece them together and you have almost a third of a hit!" - more on this story

Ashton Shepherd Talks New Single

"Look It Up," the debut single from Ashton Shepherd's sophomore album on MCA Nashville, will be available for purchase at all digital partners today.

"'Look It Up' is a song about somebody who is officially done with something to the point that they are really over it," Ashton says. "It's almost like they aren't that mad anymore, just ready to be through with it, just done. 'Done' is a good word.

"People are having so much fun with it," she says. "They are embracing the thought of somebody being in that place in their life that the song is describing, which I think is wonderful. Everybody's reactions have been very positive, and they're laughing and clapping their hands and just tickled over it. I'm just left smiling after singing it because people are grabbing a hold of it. - more on this story

Over the Rhine Announce New Album and Tour

(Conqueroo) Over the Rhine announce a new release and spring tour dates that will take them to theaters throughout the Midwest and the East Coast.

The Long Surrender, the new studio album from the southern Ohio-based husband-and-wife team of multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Linford Detweiler and vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Karin Bergquist, is something rare and wondrous — an intimate epic.

The record, to be released February 8, 2011 on OtR's own Great Speckled Dog label (named for the couple's Great Dane, Elroy), marks 20 years since their 1991 debut. It's the bountiful result of a collaboration between the couple and producer Joe Henry, whose songs they've long admired. - more on this story

Andrew de Torres New Song with Cady Groves

(Doghouse) Andrew de Torres, lead singer of The Scene Aesthetic and Danger Radio, has announced the release date for his new solo single, "All That I Need Is You."

The digital single features guest vocals from RCA recording artist Cady Groves.

"All That I Need Is You" will be available on January 18th via iTunes. -

Creep Debut Announced

Creep will release their debut single, Days, on Tuesday, January 25 2011 through Young Turks.

Featuring guest vocals by The xx's Romy Madley-Croft, "Days" is a ghostly blend of Romy's ethereal voice and Creep's sinister beats, blending tones of goth, shoegaze and R&B to create darkly prophetic and orchestral soundscapes.

Creep are producers/DJs Lauren Flax and Lauren Dillard. Lauren Flax is an internationally renowned house DJ and producer. - more on this story

Thirstin Howl the 3rd Releases New Single

Thirstin Howl the 3rd's first single of the New Year is "What It Iz Brother Lo" featuring the late Professor X of X-Clan, and produced by Anger Bangers.

His next album , Natural Born Skiller, will be released later this year on his own imprint Skillionaire Enterprises.

With the production team called Anger Bangers consisting of E-Boogie, Ronny Ray-Gun And Thirstin Howl The 3rd. They are responsible for the hits throughout the entire Skillionaire catalogue. Not to mention numerous of other well know artist in English and Spanish. - Check out the video here

Carrie Underwood Taking Time Off in 2011

(Gibson) Following a busy 2010, country star Carrie Underwood says she plans to take some time off in 2011.

"After the tour's over, it's kind of like we've slept, ate, breathed the tour," said Underwood to Nashville.com. "It's been all about the tour, so next year I think just being able to kind of stay still for a minute and unpack my bags and live like a person for a little bit, it will be some good medicine."

The 27-year-old has nurtured not only a whirlwind American Idol-propelled career in the music industry, but she also scored a Golden Globe nomination earlier this month for her contribution of the song "There's a Place for Us" to the film Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. - more on this story

Michael Jackson's Autopsy TV Special Protest

(Gibson) Michael Jackson estate executors John Branca and John McClain say the Discovery Channel's plans to re-enact Jackson's autopsy with a program entitled Michael Jackson's Autopsy: What Really Killed Michael Jackson are "in shockingly bad taste."

"Your decision to even schedule this program is in shockingly bad taste and insensitive to Michael's family," wrote Branca and McClain in a public letter.

The show is currently scheduled for broadcast in Europe in January, but Jackson's co-executors have asked that the show never be aired. "On behalf of Michael's family, fans, common sense and decency, we urge you to reconsider and cancel this program," Branca and McClain said. - more on this story