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

Maroon 5 Singer Poses Nude- Michael Jackson Doctor Tried To Hide Drugs?- Kanye Vs Photographer- Aretha Franklin Recovering- Snoop Movie- Harry Potter Case Dropped- more

The Day in Pop Digest for 1/7/11: (Jam!) Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine has stripped off to pose naked for a top U.K. women's magazine in a bid to raise awareness about prostate and testicular cancer. more

(Jam!) Without confirming reports that she has been battling cancer or even saying why she was sick, soul icon Aretha Franklin said in a magazine interview Thursday that she is now "feeling great" after recent surgery. more

(Billboard) A paramedic testified Thursday that he saw the doctor charged in the death of Michael Jackson grab three bottles of painkillers and place the vials in a bag during futile efforts to revive the pop star at his mansion. more

(Jam!) Beastie Boys rapper Adam Yauch has been given the all-clear in his cancer battle, 18 months after he was diagnosed with the disease. more

(NME) Kanye West is being sued by a photographer, who claims he was assaulted by the rapper in New York two years ago. Michael Vasquez is alleging that West and his security team "assaulted, battered, beat and threatened" him at Guastavino's restaurant. more

(Billboard) Snoop Dogg revealed in a recent radio interview that he and up-and-coming rapper Wiz Khalifa are working on a movie together. "High School" will be released straight to DVD more

(BBC) A Los Angeles judge dismisses the drug conspiracy convictions of the boyfriend and psychiatrist of late model Anna Nicole Smith. more

(Billboard) Rap music made a 3% comeback last year, driven by the top-selling album of the year, Eminem's "Recovery," and the non-traditional store sector became the No. 1 retail channel. more

(Yahoo) The wife of rapper T.I. is no longer facing charges for possession of ecstasy after she finished a drug diversion program. more

(BBC) A US judge has dismissed legal action accusing Harry Potter author JK Rowling of copying the work of another author. more

(BBC) Oscar-winning Taxi Driver star Robert De Niro will head the jury at this year's Cannes Film Festival, organisers announce. more -

George Jones Hospitalized- Miley Hacker Arrested- Gwyneth Paltrow and Cee Lo Redo F**k You- Major American Idol Changes- Michael Jackson Revelations- Kanye Lied?- more

The Day in Pop Digest for 1/6/11: (Yahoo) George Jones is hospitalized in Nashville. A statement from his publicist, Kirt Webster, says Jones went in for an annual checkup on Wednesday, and doctors required him to stay overnight to continue monitoring him. more

(Yahoo) A man who bragged about hacking into Miley Cyrus' e-mail account and distributing revealing pictures of her has been arrested on unrelated charges, according to court documents. more

(Billboard) Gwyneth Paltrow will host "SNL" on Jan. 15, just over a week after her film "Country Strong" opens in theaters, with Cee Lo Green joining the episode as a musical guest. The booking could also mean an on-air collaboration between Green and Paltrow more

In related news: Cee-Lo and Gwyneth Paltrow are confirmed to have recorded a new version of his viral hit single "F**k You". The Gnarls Barkley star praised her, "She sings like a natural." more

(Yahoo) Rapper Gucci Mane has been ordered to undergo psychiatric tests, following an Atlanta court appearance on a charge he violated terms of his probation. more

(Billboard) In the latest issue of The Hollywood Reporter, some major revamps to the new season of American Idol are revealed, including a new living arrangement for the contestants, the option for them to perform original songs, and the release of their music while the season is still underway. more

(Jam!) Two of Michael Jackson's children watched horrified as the pop star lay motionless on his bed the day he died, a bodyguard for the pop star said in emotional testimony Wednesday. more

In related news: A bodyguard to Michael Jackson testifies the singer's doctor ordered him to clean up medical paraphernalia in the moments after he died. more

(FMQB) On New Year's Eve, Kanye West said on-stage that his collaboration with Jay-Z, Watch The Throne, would be out within a week. However, a rep for Def Jam Records told FakeShoreDrive that the album is currently scheduled for a March 1 release date. more

(Billboard) Eminem's comeback reached another landmark today, as his "Recovery" LP was officially confirmed as the United States' best-selling album of 2010 more

(Jam!) Huey Lewis is set to be exposed as the biggest man in music - below the belt - in a saucy new TV documentary. more

(Billboard) On the premiere of Paula Abdul's dance competition show, "Live to Dance," viewers were treated to what they presumably expected -- a wide variety of dancers both talented and otherwise. But they also saw what appeared to be a truly gnarly face plant from one dancer. Watch it here

(Jam!) Rihanna started off the new year with a big bang, despite the usual post Christmas retail blues on the charts. Her fifth studio effort, "Loud," remained at No. 1 in Canada for a second straight week. more

(Yahoo) "Twilight" again stole the limelight at the People's Choice awards on Wednesday, on a night that also saw big wins for singer Katy Perry and actor Johnny Depp at the start of the Hollywood awards season. more

(BBC) Crocodile Dundee star Paul Hogan plans to sue the Australian government for damaging his reputation. A five-year investigation into suspicions he was using off-shore banks to conceal his earnings and evade tax was dropped in November. more

(BBC) Around 300 works of art and memorabilia owned by the late actor Dennis Hopper are to go under the hammer in New York next week more

(BBC) A US federal court overturns a $1.2m fine imposed on TV network ABC for airing an episode of NYPD Blue containing female nudity. more -

Katy Perry Scores Biggest Song of 2010

EMI sent over word that Katy Perry's "California Gurls" was the No. 1 best-selling digital song of 2010, according to Soundscan.

The track, featuring Snoop Dogg, sold 4,398,212 million downloads in the U.S., and 8 million singles, digital tracks, mobile tracks and videos worldwide.

After much speculation, Katy has confirmed that "E.T." will be the fourth single released from Teenage Dream. Currently available on iTunes, "E.T." will go to radio in mid-February. - more on this story

2011 Grammy Nominees Album

Grammy Recordings has partnered with Jive Records to release the 2011 Grammy Nominees album.

This 17th edition of the best-selling series, highlights artists and songs nominated for the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards.

The 19-song collection will be available Jan. 25 and a portion of the proceeds from the sale of the album will benefit the MusiCares Foundation and the Grammy Foundation. - more on this story

Raphael Saadiq Sets New Album Release

Columbia Records has announced the release of Raphael Saadiq's fifth solo album, Stone Rollin', on March 22, 2011.

Known for defying the confines of working within one genre, this standard bearer for "old school" R&B returns with a new release that celebrates the classic sounds of 60's and 70's soul with a futuristic twist.

Raphael is set to debut the video for the track "Radio" today at www.rollingstone.com. The song will be available on iTunes starting next Tuesday, January 11th. - more on this story

Sugarland To Continue The Incredible Machine Tour

Sugarland will continue their The Incredible Machine Tour into 2011 and return to the road this spring with guests Sara Bareilles, Little Big Town and Matt Nathanson (each guest performing in selected cities).

The Incredible Machine Tour was one of Pollstar's Top 50 North American Tours of 2010 and has been described as "stunning," "fantastically fun" and "not one to be missed."

The tour will kick off in Houston, TX on March 3rd and travel to over 59 cities nationwide. - more on this story

George Clinton Joins The Big Ol' Nasty Getdown

(PR) George Clinton, Michael "Clip" Playne and Belita Woods are among the greats joining the ranks of new funk band The Big Ol' Nasty Getdown.

Get ready for the Big Ol' Nasty Getdown -- the biggest, baddest, bombastic dose of pure funk you'll ever hear. The 60-plus musicians and singers that make up Big Ol' Nasty Getdown are led by ring leaders John Heintz and JP Miller and features an all-star line-up of greats including George Clinton, Michael "Clip" Payne, The Gift of Gab, and P-Funk sirens Belita Woods and Kendra Foster as well as Reverend Desmond D'Angelo, and Laura Reed. The project is guided by the spirit of Garry "Starchild" Shider who, until his untimely passing earlier this year, was a major catalyst in the birth of the band. The band's debut CD, Big Ol 'Nasty Getdown Volume 1, is scheduled for release on the Getdown Entertainment imprint in May 3.

"Working on this record was a dream come true," said Belita Woods, who contributed several songs to the project. "The bond and trust between all the musicians gave us the freedom to be creative and have a lot of fun. I think that shows on the album." - more on this story

An Acoustic Cafe Evening Tour

This year's an Acoustic Café evening tour will feature Northampton lit/pop darling and multi-instrumentalist Erin McKeown, award-winning Nashville Americana-folk artist Mary Gauthier (Feb 13-17 only) and Austin-based multi-instrumentalist Carrie Rodriguez.

"We're thrilled to have Carrie and Erin returning to the Acoustic Cafe Evening Tour," said Rob Reinhart, producer and host of the syndicated radio program Acoustic Café. "And Mary Gauthier has been a guest on the show many times over the years, so we're honored to have her lending her talents to the tour in 2011. These artists represent precisely what Acoustic Cafe is all about!"

Erin McKeown spent 2010 touring in support of her latest release Hundreds of Lions, her first album of original songs since 2005's We Will Become Like Birds. The year also marked a decade since the release of her critically acclaimed debut Distillation on Signature Sounds. In September, Erin embarked on the "Distillation 10th Anniversary Tour." A constant on the road, she regularly holds down a rigorous tour schedule of 200 shows a year.
Acclaim has followed Mary Gauthier on every step of her remarkable journey. Her breakthrough album, Mercy Now (2005) was continuously "discovered" and lauded for the two years following its release, earning mentions on a score of year end "best of" lists. Since its 2010 release, Gauthier's sixth album, The Foundling has garnered widespread critical acclaim and has been called "electrifying" by The Los Angeles Times, "a stunning new concept album" by The Boston Globe. - more on this story

Young Chris and Karina Bradley Get Loose

Young Chris and Karina Bradley have released their new club track "Get Loose".

Karina Bradley wanted to drop a hot club track in Philadelphia with some of the hottest Recording Artists in Philly so she reached out to Jay Bezel of Doe Stackaz Entertainment (formerly of Dipset) and Young Chris of Universal / Division 1 (Formerly of Roc-A-Fella Records).

Both of the Hip Hop artists immediately agreed to collaborating on the track. Everything came together very quickly. The track was recorded in Philly at CertiFYD Production Group - Check it out here

50 Cent Gets Sleek

(Sleek Audio) The Sleek by 50 Cent line offers headphones designed by 50 Cent and engineered by the award-winning acoustic experts at Sleek. They are the first headphones to offer Wireless Hybrid technology using military-grade metals and the latest in fit and performance.

50 Cent, widely recognized as one of the most talented and prolific music artists, has become a force to be reckoned with in the business industry having encompassed an arsenal of successful endeavors in fashion and lifestyle, fragrance, publishing, video games and film among others.

As a rapper, 50 Cent realized the need for a U.S.-made audio device that offered powerful, accurate sound reproduction without the limitation of cables. This idea led to the partnership with Sleek Audio and as a result, in a deal structured by his business manager Greg Collins and Financial Advisor Brad Feinstein, 50 has become an equity partner in the company. - more on this story

Celebration Of Gospel '11

Celebration Of Gospel '11 a two-hour special will premiere on BET Sunday, January 30 at 8:00 p.m.*

The special pays tribute to the rich history of gospel music in a unique format that combined today's leading gospel and secular artists.

Hosted by popular comedian, author, game show host and syndicated radio personality Steve Harvey, the inspirational and uplifting presentation packed a powerful punch by some of the industry's top players. - more on this story

Toya Returns to BET With New Series

(BET) Toya, who made her debut on BET's hit series TINY & TOYA, is back with a new series TOYA: A FAMILY AFFAIR, premiering Tuesday, April 19 at 10:00 p.m.*

Viewers will follow her fearless journey as she continues to carve out a personal and professional path for herself while dealing with the burden of keeping her troubled family together and out of the perils of street life.

The season is full of surprising and challenging moments as Toya continues to balance her life while supporting her mother through drug addiction and watching over her four brothers: Walter, Rudy, Casey, and Josh, at very pivotal turning points in their lives. - more on this story

Justin Bieber Clone

As if one wasn't enough, Celebuzz has this: The new year of 2011 officially has its first viral star, and it's 17-year-old Jamie Laou.

The 17-year-old Australian teenager has won over hundreds of thousands of YouTube viewers thanks largely to his nearly mirror-image resemblance to Justin Bieber. Tapping into Bieber's fanbase, Laou has even taken over Twitter and caused Bieber himself to throw a few words his way.

Celebuzz chatted exclusively with Laou via email to get his take on his newfound web stardom, what he plans to do with it, and what he thinks of Bieber's alleged romance with Selena Gomez. Also, he weighs in on why people should leave Justin alone, and what he'd say to Baby Biebs if he ever bumps into him.

The (verbatim and gramatically uncorrected) e-mail conversation can be read - here

Bright Eyes Giving Away New Song

Bright Eyes have released the first track from their seventh studio album The People's Key as a free download via Saddle Creek's website. The embeddable widget provides streaming and downloading of first single "Shell Games". The People's Key will be released on February 15th.

Along with the free download Saddle Creek are offering the album for pre-sale via their site. The album is available in various packages with additional tracks. Those purchasing via iTunes will receive the non-album track "Singularity" and those purchasing certain packages direct from Saddle Creek will receive "Singularity" plus another bonus track "In The Real World".

Bright Eyes recently announced their first tour dates in over three years, including two nights at Manhattan's famed Radio City Music Hall. The People's Key was recorded in Omaha, Nebraska at the band's own ARC Studios. Produced by band member Mike Mogis and engineered by Andy LeMaster critics are already calling the album "the best thing singer Conor Oberst has ever recorded."

Download "Shell Games" - here

Vanessa Carlton, El DeBarge and More To Get Icon Treatment

Universal Music Enterprises kick off the new year with more than a dozen new releases in the Icon series.

The 14 new collections of greatest hits, signature tunes and fan favorites, released January 4, 2011, embrace pop, rock, R&B, jazz and country.

From the first two-CD retrospective for Sheryl Crow to Vanessa Carlton's first compilation; from albums from a resurgent El DeBarge to love song collections just in time for Valentine's Day from Motown legends Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, jazz immortals Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald, and R&B's Brian McKnight to "best ofs" from pop diva Cher; The S.O.S. Band, Alexander O'Neal and Cherrelle, three Tabu artists now exclusive to UMe; country's Lee Ann Womack and Jerry Clower, and the eccentric Imogen Heap & Frou Frou, their Icon editions are the ultimate fan-friendly albums. Each boasts 12 tracks except for 16 for Clower and the added 24-track double-CD for Crow. - more on this story

Disney's Bridgit Mendler and Adam Hicks To Be Part of SchoolJam USA

(PR) Disney stars Bridgit Mendler and Adam Hicks will participate in the second annual SchoolJam USA.

The NAMM event is here the nation's top 10 teen bands will perform for the title of the nation's best teen band on Saturday, January 15.

SchoolJam USA is a national program that rewards aspiring teen music makers, between the ages of 13 and 19, and their respective school music programs with music funding and prizes, as well as the opportunity to perform live before the public and a panel of music industry professionals. - more on this story

Duffy To Perform at Mobile World Congress Party and Awards

(PR) Duffy will perform at the Mobile World Congress Party and Awards Celebration on Tuesday 15 February 2011 in Barcelona.

The Global Mobile Awards 2011 will be presented in a two-part ceremony, with the main body of awards presented as part of the Mobile World Congress conference programme on Tuesday afternoon, and with select awards including the "Best Mobile Device" and the "Global Mobile App Awards" being presented at the evening Congress Party and Awards Celebration.

Honouring excellence and innovation in mobile communications worldwide, the mobile industry's leading annual awards also include categories for "Best Marketing and Advertising", "Best Mobile Innovation", "Best Mobile Enterprise Product or Solution", "Best Technology", the "Green Mobile Award", "Best Mobile Contribution to Social and Economic Development", the "Government Leadership Award" and the annual "Chairman's Award" for outstanding contribution to the industry. - more on this story

Free Download of Guy Kawasaki's The Macintosh Way

Guy Kawasaki sent over this announcement on Wednesday: A long time ago (1987 exactly), I published my first book, The Macintosh Way. I wrote it because I was bursting with idealistic and pure notions about how a company can change the world, and I wanted to spread the gospel. Here's what a reader said about it:

It is hard to believe this book is now over 20 years old. Guy Kawasaki does a marvelous job of conveying key traits of effective "Macintosh Way" companies and managers. The key, really, is to do the right thing, the right way. Seems common sense enough, but even 20 years later, it appears as elusive as ever. (Edward J. Barton)

I recently re-acquired the rights for this book, and I'm making it freely available from the fan page of my upcoming book, Enchantment: The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds, and Actions. - more on this story

The 87 Stick Up Kids Set Album Release

(PR) The 87 Stick Up Kids' debut full-length album, Car Keys & Rabbit's Feet, will be self-released April 5.

Comprised of Deacon Trillionaire, Nashville, Squish and resident producer DJ Rockwell, the record features a host of collaborators including production prowess from the likes of Ro Blvd, Tate La Rock, Troublemaker and Rah Groove with guest appearances from foulmouthed femme fatale Amanda Blank, true school wordsmith Diz Gibran, smart house rap impresario Micah James and suave MC Jams F Kennedy of Widows/Brother Reade fame.

The result of nearly three years of crafting their sound, Car Keys & Rabbit's Feet, deftly showcases the foursome's impressive range of styles while paying homage to their far-reaching influences from hip-hop's yesteryear and today. - more on this story

Al Bell Receives 2011 Trustees Award in Grammy Awards

(conqueroo) The Memphis Music Foundation and the Stax Museum of American Soul Music, located at the original site of Stax Records, proudly congratulate Al Bell on receiving the highest honor the music industry offers, the Trustees Award, given by the Board of Trustees of the Recording Academy.

Bell now joins the pantheon of musical icons who have received the prestigious honor, including the Beatles, Walt Disney, George and Ira Gershwin, Berry Gordy, Duke Ellington, and Stax Records' co-owner Estelle Axton.

For Bell, the honor represents a milestone in his lifetime love of music and work in the industry and will be presented at an invitation-only ceremony during GRAMMY Week on Saturday, Feb. 12, 2011, and a formal acknowledgment will be made during the 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards telecast. - more on this story