Break-In At Kanye West's Home

The LAPD is investigating. more on this story

Three Basketball Wives Getting Dropped From The Show?

(TMZ) Dwight Howard can finally relax because his baby mama Royce Reed just got axed from "Basketball Wives" ... along with two other stars on the show.

Sources connected with production tell TMZ, Jennifer Williams and Kesha Nichols also got the chop -- and will be replaced next season. It's unclear who's in line to take their spots.

According to sources, producers will be giving the girls their walking papers any day now to drop what they called "dead weight" from the show.

We're told Royce was cut because she wasn't legally allowed to talk about Dwight due to a 2009 gag order, blocking her from discussing her ex in any way. The other girls on the show had also decided to ostracize her, so Royce couldn't shoot scenes with the rest of the cast.

A rep for VH1 tells TMZ, "We don't comment on casting until everything is final. Thanks for checking in." more on this story

Kris Humphries Reportedly Accused Ex Of Running Brothel

(TMZ) Kris Humphries sicked his lawyer on the fancy New York City hotel his ex-girlfriend works at, telling the manager that Myla Sinanaj ran a brothel out of the hotel and had sex with hotel guests ... so claims Myla's lawyer.

Joe Tacopina, who now reps Myla, tells TMZ ... Kris and his lawyer have been on a search and destroy mission against his client, trying to hide the fact that they have been in a relationship for 5 months.

Tacopina says Kris' lawyer called the hotel manager last week and made the claims. Tacopina believes Kris and his lawyer wanted to get Myla fired, to make a point that she had better shut her mouth about her relationship with Kris ... or else.

By the way, sources connected with Kris confirm his lawyer made the call.

We're told hotel management investigated and quickly determined the allegations were baseless.

Tacopina tells us ... a defamation case against Kris now looms large, and he had better apologize quickly for what he says is shameful, vindictive conduct.

But a source connected with Kris tells TMZ, "He will not be apologizing." more on this story

Courteney Cox Responds To David Arquette's Divorce Filing

(TMZ) Courteney Cox has filed legal docs responding to David Arquette's divorce petition, and just like David ... she did it without a lawyer.

The most interesting thing about Courteney's papers -- there is no mention of a prenup. Sources connected with the couple have indicated to TMZ, no prenup exists, and if that's the case the money they both earned in the 12 1/2 years they were together would be community property and divided 50/50.

That's especially important because for the last 5 years of "Friends" Courteney was pulling in a fortune -- and David would be entitled to half. She's reportedly worth $75 mil. He's worth $18 mil.

Courteney, like David, is asking for joint physical and legal custody of 8-year-old Coco.

Courteney also wants her name restored to Courteney Cox -- in other words, she wants to 86 Arquette.

Courteney filed the docs last Friday -- the same day David did. And there are signs from the documents that she and David filled them out together. For example, they both say they are represented by "SELF." more on this story

Little Big Town's 6th Annual Ride For A Cure A Success Despite Weather

Little Big Town's 6th annual Ride For A Cure event raised over $55,000 for the T.J. Martell Foundation, which specializes in finding cures for Leukemia, Cancer and AIDS.

This increases the total amount of money Ride For A Cure has raised since inception to over $310,000.

The event took place this past Sunday, June 10th in Franklin and Columbia, TN. The annual motorcycle ride portion of the event was cancelled due to inclement weather but the pre-ride Jam Session at Mickey Roo's and All-Star Jam Session at the Harley-Davidson Columbia Superstore continued as planned. more on this story

Duran Duran To Premiere New Concert Film on Facebook

Duran Duran will be premiering their latest concert film, A Diamond In The Mind, on Facebook on July 8th, 2pm EST with and Exclusive Audio Commentary and Live Q&A. We were sent these details:

Produced by Eagle Rock Entertainment using a custom Qello application, the Digital Premiere of this new concert film will make it instantly accessible to a global audience.

Directed by Gavin Elder, A Diamond In The Mind captures the electrifying performance and stunning visual style of Duran Duran's show at Manchester's MEN Arena on December 16th, 2011. more on this story

Pet Shop Boys Preview New Album Track

Astralwerks have set a September 18th release date for the Pet Shop Boys new album, Elysium.

Recorded in Los Angeles, the album was co-produced by Pet Shop Boys and engineer/producer, Andrew Dawson, who has won three Grammy awards for his work with Kanye West.

A sneak peek of the album track "Invisible" may be viewed as a short film by renowned artist/filmmaker Brian Bress at www.petshopboys.co.uk. Elysium was recorded earlier this year during the three months Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe spent in Los Angeles. more on this story

Meat Loaf Taking Katrina On Tour

Katrina has signed on as a support act for Meat Loaf on the North American leg of his "Mad, Mad, World" Tour this summer.

Katrina will be performing on 16 U.S. dates beginning July 21 though September 2.

Katrina has been on a U.S. tour behind her debut album In the Blink of an Eye and latest single "So Eden." more on this story

Brandi Carlile Hits Career High With Bear Creek

Brandi Carlile has scored the highest-charting album of her career after her new album, Bear Creek, debuted as No. 10 on The Billboard 200.

The recordshot to No. 1 on the iTunes Store upon its release last week. Named for the studio where it was recorded - the rustic Bear Creek Studios located outside of Seattle - the album was produced by Brandi, band mates/co-writers Tim and Phil Hanseroth ("The Twins") and GRAMMY winning engineer/producer/mixer Trina Shoemaker (Sheryl Crow, Emmylou Harris, Queens of the Stone Age).

Carlile will kick off an extensive tour next week with a sold-out, two-night stand at Weesner Amphitheater in Apple Valley, MN (6/20 & 21). The run will include a headline show at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, CO on July 14 and six dates on Dave Matthews Band's summer tour. more on this story

Foster The People Working On Next Album

(popmusiclife) Foster The People are writing material for their sophomore album, and things will kick into gear once the band finishes its world tour with a series of late summer dates in the Middle East.

"I think it's going to take a lot of left turns," Frontman Mark Foster tells Billboard. "It's going to be really celebratory -- a lot like our first record (2011's 'Torches') is, but in a different way. I think there's going to be more grit, and I think it's gonna be extremely percussive. I've been listening to a lot of The Clash lately, and a lot of '60s, The Kinks. I think those bands are going to influence the next record heavily."

Foster says he's "starting writing on the road" with a portable studio. "I've got a lot of ideas," he notes. "I've just been writing down lyrical ideas, writing a lot of poetry and stuff like that." more on this story

You Oughta Know The Lumineers

VH1 says you You Oughta Know The Lumineers are set to be the featured artists in the network's promotion this coming July and August.

VH1 has tapped The Lumineers as a "You Oughta Know" artists alongside Rebecca Ferguson for two months, rather than the typical one artist for one month each.

Launched in 2004, VH1's "You Oughta Know" franchise introduces promising new artists on the rise to VH1's base of music lovers. Many "You Oughta Know" artists have gone on to win industry awards and accolades including "Best New Artist" Grammy Awards and nominations. more on this story

Allen Stone Releasing Album Through ATO Records

(TFS) ATO Records have inked Allen Stone and released his new single, "Sleep," to radio and will release his self-titled album on July 31.

When Stone released the album digitally on his own stickystones label last fall, it shot into the Top 10 of Billboard's Heatseekers chart and the Top 5 of iTunes' R&B/Soul charts. With the wide release, Allen Stone will be available at physical retailers for the first time.

The CD will contain the album's original 10 tracks, while the new digital edition will also include "Figure It Out," a bonus track that Stone recently recorded live at Robert Lang Studios in Seattle, WA. Fans who purchase the vinyl edition will also receive a bonus 12" containing "Figure It Out" and another newly recorded track, "Six Years" (cover of a song by Tingsek) - plus live versions of "Satisfaction" and "Unaware," which were recorded during Stone's sold-out, two-night stand at Los Angeles' legendary Troubadour earlier this year. more on this story

'Songwriter's Guardian Angel' Frances Preston Dead at 83

(Gibson) Billboard is reporting that Frances Preston, who was in charge of the Nashville BMI office from 1986 to 2004, has died of congestive heart failure. She was 83.

Frances Preston was the first female executive in Nashville and legendary songwriter Kris Kristofferson called her the "songwriter's guardian angel."

Del Bryant, President and CEO of BMI said: "Frances Williams Preston was a force of nature. She was smart, beautiful, tenacious, and generous. She put BMI on the culture map and shaped the careers of many: especially mine. Though we mourn the loss of a great leader and friend, she lives on through a legacy that is literally set in stone. The BMI Nashville building and her wing at Vanderbilt Hospital are two monuments that were erected by her and stand in tribute to her passion and drive for those she loved. God speed, dear friend." more on this story

Carly Rae Jepsen Takes Call Me Maybe To The Top

Carly Rae Jepsen's debut U.S. single "Call Me Maybe" has captured the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Schoolboy Records/Interscope sent out these details: The platinum-certified track, which Jepsen co-wrote, is also No. 1 on the Billboard Pop chart this week. Jepsen is the first female artist to top the chart with a debut single since Ke$ha's "TiK ToK" in January 2010.

"Call Me Maybe" has sold over 3.2 million singles and spent four consecutive weeks atop the Billboard Digital Songs chart. more on this story

Singin' in the Rain Returning to Theaters For 60th Anniversary

Singin' in the Rain will celebrate its 60th anniversary with a return to movie theaters for one day only on Thursday, July 12 at 7:00 p.m. local time, with special matinees in select theaters at 2:00 p.m.

Turner Classic Movies (TCM) Presents 'Singin' in the Rain' 60th Anniversary Event begins with a Turner Classic Movies original production, featuring TCM host Robert Osborne in an exclusive specially-produced interview with star Debbie Reynolds. In this interview, audiences will be taken behind the scenes of one of the greatest musicals of all time, as Ms. Reynolds shares memories of working with the late great Gene Kelly and Donald O'Connor.

Immediately following these exclusive behind-the-scenes extras, audiences will be carried away by the songs, story and romance of one of the greatest musicals of all time - fully remastered and more beautiful than it ever has been before.

Tickets for the Singin' in the Rain 60th Anniversary Event are available at participating theater box offices and online here.

Rich Kidd and SonReal Preview Collaborative EP

Rich Kidd and SonReal are joined forces to release a collaborative EP through Black Box (Shad, Classified).

The EP is just the beginning, both artists will be releasing solo LPs through Black Box in early 2013.

Further details about the EP, including release date and music are expected later this summer. For now, the duo have given us a sneak peek into the studio where they are hard at work. Check it out here.

Tennis Release Remix As They Prepare For Summer Tour

Tennis will kick off their summer tour with a hometown show on June 16 at The Chautauqua Auditorium in Boulder.

Tennis have also released Vacationer's remix of their track "Petition." And fans are invited to download or stream the remix here.

The band will tour with Sharon Van Etten with select solo dates including The El Rey Theater and festivals including Outside Lands and Pygmalion. more on this story

Ben Taylor Streaming New Song Online

Sun Pedal Recordings/ILG have set a August 14, 2012 release date for Ben Taylor's new full-length studio album, entitled Listening.

This is Taylor's first album of new music in four years, following his critically acclaimed 2008 release The Legend Of Kung Folk - Part 1 (the Killing Bite).

Taylor will hit the road this summer to preview new music but you don't have to wait as Ben is offering fans a stream of the album's first single "Oh Brother" here.

more on this story

Mindy Smith Maps Out Closer Tour

Mindy Smith will be hitting the road next month for the first leg of her "Closer" tour which will begin on July 1 at 3rd & Lindsley in Nashville.

Touring in support of her self-titled fifth album out June 26 on Giant Leap/TVX Records, the 20-city tour includes stops in Birmingham, Atlanta, Philadelphia, New York, Chicago, Minneapolis and Knoxville, among others.

"I spent the last several years trying to get my bearings and investing in myself," says Smith, "I think unless you're willing to do that, it's going to be very difficult to convince other people that they should invest in what you're doing. I stepped back and regained control of the things that I could, which were publishing—the current songs that I'm writing I own my publishing on—as well as masters and recordings. People don't realize that unless you own those masters, you really don't own anything. You get to own your personality, I suppose, but that doesn't pay the bills necessarily." more on this story

HavocNdeeD Streaming New Song Online

HavocNdeeD are streaming a new track online ahead of the July 10th release of their new EP, Distoria.

Fans can now listen to the EP tracks "Waiting Game" via an online stream at Soundcloud.com right here.

Distoria will feature five tracks, including "Waiting Game" and the recently released EP opener "Where Do We Go." more on this story

Haim Announce Mumford & Sons Dates and Release New Video

Haim has been hand picked by Mumford & Sons to tour with them on select dates this summer.

In other news, Haim has released a brand new video directed by Austin Peters for the title track off their Forever EP, available for free download here

The Mumford & Sons dates include shows with St. Vincent, Dawes, Justin Townes Earle and kick off on August 4th in Portland, ME. more on this story

Manny Pacquiao Responds To Timothy Bradley Fight Decision

(TMZ) Manny Pacquiao doesn't seem to care that he lost that ridiculous decision to Timothy Bradley this weekend ... because according to Manny, EVERYONE knows who REALLY won the fight.

Manny was leaving Kabuki restaurant in Hollywood Tuesday night when we asked if he felt the boxing judges were unfair when they crowned Bradley the new champ ... even though Manny outpunched his opponent by a landslide.

Manny replied, "That's their decision, dude ... hard to change." He added, "I respect that decision, but WE KNOW in our hearts." more on this story

Floyd Mayweather Receives Knock Out Ruling From Judge

(TMZ) Floyd Mayweather just got knocked out by a Nevada judge ... who scoffed at the boxer's claim he is withering away in jail ... essentially ruling Mayweather is acting like a baby.

Floyd had begged the court to let him finish out his sentence for domestic violence on house arrest ... because he's dehydrated and malnourished and it's taking a toll on his body and putting his boxing career in jeopardy.

But a judge DENIED Mayweather's request -- ordering him to serve out the remainder of his 3-month sentence behind bars.

According to court docs obtained by TMZ, the judge called B.S. on Mayweather's claim that he's dehydrated behind bars -- saying the boxer's condition is "self-induced as water is made available to [Floyd] twenty-four hours a day."

As for Floyd's gripe that he's only consuming a fraction of the calories he needs -- the judge says it's because "[Floyd] chooses not to eat the food provided."

The judge also balked at Floyd's complaint that he can't train at a world class level while serving his time -- saying, "While the training areas and times provided to Floyd may not be consistent with his prior regimen, he is indeed provided sufficient space and time for physical activity if he so chooses."

T.K.O.
more on this story

Tanning Mom Salon Owner To Fight Health Dept Fines

(TMZ) The owner of the salon where Tanning Mom allegedly scorched her 5-year-old's skin plans to fight $5,200 in fines levied by the local health department -- TMZ has learned.

The Department of Health and Senior Services in Nutley, NJ announced this week ... it's fining City Tropics Tanning for violations including consumer overexposure and misusing sunlamp equipment.

According to the health department, inspectors discovered the salon's customers were exceeding the legal weekly limit for UV exposure.

But City Tropics owner Anthony Ruccatano tells TMZ he's refusing to pay -- and wants to take the health department to court over the fine.

Ruccatano insists his business never broke the law and wants a judge to dismiss the fine entirely.

Calls to the health department weren't returned. more on this story

Jersey Shore Star Fires Bat At Hecklers

(TMZ) Deena from "Jersey Shore" doesn't like being heckled ... in fact, she WENT OFF on a couple of troublemakers in Jersey this weekend ... and then attacked 'em with a basketball.

Deena was TRYING to shoot a scene for the MTV show while playing a basketball carnival game on the boardwalk on Sunday ... when a couple of hooligans started harassing her from a distance.

Deena flipped out -- stopping production to [respond to the hecklers] and then firing a basketball at them.

Eventually, the hecklers shut their mouths and let Deena do her thing ... and we all know how that turned out ... 'cause she was arrested for disorderly conduct a short time later. more on this story

More Miss USA Ugliness

(TMZ) Miss Colorado and Miss South Carolina shouldn't have made the Top 16 at the Miss USA pageant this year because they lacked in the face ... this according to ex-Miss Pennsylvania Sheena Monnin.

Miss USA organization sources gave TMZ text messages it claims Sheena sent to a pageant official during the Miss USA competition ... in which Sheena first says the competition was rigged.

In the text exchange, Sheena writes, "Colorado? South Carolina? I'm done. This is ridiculous. It's obviously rigged so the girl they want can shine; they kept several beautiful girls out for that reason."

Miss USA sources believe the text messages show Sheena's conspiracy theory is emotionally-motivated ... NOT based on any facts ... and is therefore [not legitimate].

Sheena has recently claimed she learned another contestant saw a secret Miss USA document which contained the names of the Top 5 finalists before they were announced ... and even though Sheena never personally saw the document, she refuses to admit she could be wrong.

(The Miss Universe organization has filed a defamation claim against Sheena for making the allegation.)

The texts don't exactly disprove Sheena's rigged theory -- but they DO show how shamelessly catty pageants are behind the scenes. more on this story