Ray J Denies Explicit Whitney Houston Photos and Videos Reports

Sources extremely close to Ray J tell us the singer insists he NEVER took sexually explicit pics of Whitney ... or recorded ANY of their intimate encounters. more on this story

Katy Perry Enlists In Marine Corps For New Video

(popmusiclife) Katy Perry has released the new music video for her latest single, "Part Of Me."

The "relationship gone bad" song is mirrored in the clip, as Perry splits with her boyfriend and, while running away from the scene and still upset, she sees a bumper sticker that reads "All women are created equal. Then some become Marines" posted on a cork board at a gas station.

Katy then enlists in the Marines, goes through basic training and sings along the way. Check it out here.

Michael Jackson Estate Up For Grabs

(TMZ) The house where Michael Jackson died is up for sale -- for a whopping $23.9 million.

The estate went on the market Monday and we've learned a "major celebrity" will look at it today.

We're told the realtor -- Mauricio Umansky, the CEO and co-founder of The Agency in Beverly Hills -- will ONLY show the property to serious buyers who have pre-qualified ... which means they have the dough to buy the property.

The 17,000 square foot house is completely empty. It has 13 bathrooms, a pool, guest house and an elevator. more on this story

One Direction Plan North American Tour

(popmusiclife) UK X Factor stars One Direction have announced the first series of dates for their summer tour of North America.

The tour kicks off May 24 in Fairfax, Virgina, with dates running through July – with more to be announced.

This week, the band made history on the Billboard 200 albums chart as the first U.K. group to debut at #1 with their debut album. One Direction's "Up All Night" entered the chart on top after selling 176,000 copies in their first week, according to Nielsen SoundScan. more on this story

Madonna Releases Girl Gone Wild Video

(popmusiclife) Madonna has released her new music video for the song "Girl Gone Wild," from her new album "MDNA" which hits sores next Tuesday, March 26.

The "MDNA" clip was directed by fashion photographers and past Madonna collaborators Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott (aka Mert and Marcus).

The steamy black and white video features Madonna and several male dancers smoking, snuggling and doing a whole lot of bumping and grinding to the high-energy song. Watch the video.

George Strait Goes Straight To The Top For The 59th Time

(Gibson) Country music star George Strait has just scored his 59th No. 1 hit with his new single, "Love's Gonna Make It Alright."

The song comes form Strait's Here For a Good Time that debuted at #1 on the Billboard Country Album chart and now sits at #3 on Billboard Top 200 Chart.

In a 30-year career, George Strait has the most #1 singles of any artist in history, including Elvis Presley. He has sold nearly 69 million records and, with 33 different platinum or multi-platinum albums, has the most RIAA platinum certifications in country music and the third in all genres, behind The Beatles and Elvis Presley. Strait was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2006. more on this story

M83 Set New EP Release

Mute have set a May 8th release date for M83's Reunion EP on May 8th, 2012. The EP features the second single to be taken from the M83s fifth album Hurry Up We're Dreaming, the double album that hit number 15 on the US Billboard charts. Mute sent over these details and some news about some live performances:

The single will be released with a stunning and diverse remix package of 6 exclusive re-works of the track, which include Mylo, Sei A, The Naked And Famous, Polly Scattergood, and White Sea.

Mylo leads the Reunion remix charge with his trademark funky synth bass lines and beats, cleverly weaved into the spaced-out original vocal track to create a contradiction of sounds and another hit for M83. Sei A, the up and coming Glasgow based producer, is hailed as one of the most exciting producers in the techno-house scene, and has given Reunion a glimpse of Glaswegian industrialism through his loop filled minimalist mix. The White Sea remix is a spaced out dubstep nugget, whilst The Naked And Famous take an altogether different route with their rework by building the track into an electronic cacophony of synths, guitars and drums, much the way M83 do performing live. more on this story

X Factor's Chris Rene Delivers Young Homie Video

X Factor star Chris Rene has released the music video for his first single "Young Homie." We were sent over these details and a link to the video:

Following his charismatic performance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, "Young Homie" skyrocketed up the iTunes pop chart landing in the Top 20. The video for the feel-good, pop-driven track was shot in his hometown of Santa Cruz , CA by renowned director, Jeremy Rall (Jay-Z, Snoop Dog, Ludacris). The video gives viewers a snapshot of Chris' hometown, the places and people Chris grew up with and the inspiration for the song.

"Young Homie," produced by JR Rotem, is a fresh take on the original song penned by Chris became a fan favorite throughout X Factor's debut season. Chris Rene won over America 's hearts from day one with his inspirational story, charisma and original songs, finishing third overall. The road to success has not been an easy one. The Santa Cruz , California native has struggled with numerous addictions, but with the support of his family and drive to change his life, Chris made a decision to enter into rehab. With just 70 days sober under his belt, Chris took a leap of faith to pursue his dream and auditioned for The X Factor performing "Young Homie." His audition and performance footage became the most watched out of all The X Factor contestants and has since seen over 25 million views on YouTube. Watch the video here.

Cody Simpson Covers Jack Johnson

(AR) Cody Simpson covers Jack Johnson's "Taylor" in a new web video which he filmed in his own room.

Cody also recently debuted his brand new song, "So Listen" Feat. T-Pain. It is available for purchase on iTunes and at all DSPs with Cody's debut full length album arriving everywhere this summer.

Cody will also be out on the road this summer as main support on the "Big Time Summer Tour" with Big Time Rush. The tour is set to make stops at the 50+ dates in the US / Canada and will kick off on July 5th in Columbus, OH with stops in New York, Chicago, Boston and more. Check out the video here.

NY Jets Players Shocked at Tim Tebow Trade?

(TMZ) Tim Tebow's impending arrival to the NY Jets came as a complete shock to several members of the organization ... and TMZ has learned the news has already created a rift between the players.

Sources connected to the Jets tell TMZ ... a bunch of players were working out in the gym at the Jets training facility when the news broke that Tebow had been traded.

We're told several players got into a pretty heated conversation about the move .. with multiple Jets complaining he's "overrated."

But Tebow DOES have supporters ... we're told multiple players argued that he's a good guy with real potential ... and will be a good backup for Mark Sanchez.

As one player put it, "If nothing else, he will make us a more holy squad." more on this story

Gallagher Out of the Hospital

(TMZ) TMZ has the ONLY video of legendary watermelon-basher Gallagher leaving a Texas hospital yesterday ... proving the only thing killer about his recent heart attack ... is the new material he came up with during his recovery.

As we previously reported, Gallagher suffered a mild-to-serious heart attack before a show last week -- and was put into a medically-induced coma.

Just a few hours ago, the comic was finally cleared to leave the hospital ... but not before cracking a few jokes on his way out. more on this story

Willie Nelson, Uncle Kracker and Needtobreathe For BamaJam

Willie Nelson, Uncle Kracker and Needtobreathe have been added to the lineup for BamaJam 2012.

The annual music festival will take place on Thursday, June 14 through Saturday, June 16 in Enterprise, Alabama.

These performers join previously announced stars Kid Rock, Tim McGraw, Zac Brown Band and Alan Jackson for the event. More info

Tegan and Sara Recording New Album

Warner Bros sent over word that Tegan and Sara are in the studio recording their as-yet-untitled seventh studio album. They had these details:

The Quin sisters are working with three separate producers on the album: Greg Kurstin (The Shins, Lily Allen, Sia), Mike Elizondo (Regina Spektor, Mastodon, Rilo Kiley), and Justin Meldal-Johnsen (Neon Trees, M83, Moving Units).

"Sara and I are trying to step outside of our comfort zones and push ourselves to the extreme with this one so get ready for a whole new T+S sound!" Tegan says. "We strive to keep things fresh and exciting with each new record and I definitely feel like we're accomplishing that so far."

Tegan and Sara have already finished up with Elizondo and are currently working with Kurstin before beginning sessions with Meldal-Johnsen in early May. Fans can keep up with their progress via an online web series "Carpool Confessional," which captures them in the car as they travel to and from the studio each day. New episodes (which have featured such special guests as fun., Sia, and AFI's Hunter Burgan) are posted every Tuesday on www.teganandsara.com.

Jersey Shore's The Situation In Rehab For Alcohol and Prescription Drugs

(TMZ) The Situation is in rehab not just for prescription drugs, but also for alcohol, TMZ has learned, and this turn of events could pose big problems for next season's "Jersey Shore."

Sources involved in the situation (sorry) tell us ... the Situation went through detox at a facility before he checked into Cirque Lodge in Utah, and the detox involved alcohol.

Our sources also say The Sitch is "very open" with other patients at Cirque about his drinking. He discusses how his club appearances escalated his alcohol use.

Now here's the problem for "Jersey Shore." The Situation and alcohol have been tied at the hip for 5 seasons. If the show allows The Situation to fall off the wagon to make the show better in season 6, they will look like crass enablers. If they don't let him drink, there's a good chance they will lose viewers. more on this story

Charlie Sheen Thrilled Kathy Bates Playing His Ghost on Men

(TMZ) If casting Kathy Bates as Charlie Harper's ghost on "Two and a Half Men" was supposed to be an insult, it failed miserably -- because Charlie Sheen is telling friends ... he's "honored" Bates will be playing his old character.

In case you didn't know -- Charlie Harper is scheduled to make a cameo on "Men" on April 30th, and exec producer Chuck Lorre thought it would be funny to cast Kathy Bates instead of Charlie Sheen.

But the jab backfired ... because sources close to Charlie tell TMZ, the Warlock LOVES Kathy. We're told Charlie thinks she's an incredibly funny, talented actress -- and is "honored" the two now share a connection.

According to sources, Charlie can't wait to see Kathy's portrayal -- and will definitely be watching the upcoming episode. more on this story

DMX Problems Prevented Tour?

(TMZ) DMX is on the hook for another $630,000 -- this according to a booking agency which claims X's legal problems torpedoed a lucrative international comeback tour ... and now, it's suing to get its money back.

The booking agency in question -- a company called Heavy Rotation -- filed the lawsuit in New York, claiming it struck an exclusive year-long deal with DMX in 2011 to book the rapper's concerts ... anywhere on the planet.

But according to the lawsuit, DMX was plagued with legal problems from the start -- a traffic violation in August, and two nasty child support disputes ... which led to a lien on the rapper's passport, preventing him from performing overseas.

According to the suit, HR bent over backwards to fix the legal issues -- coughing up nearly a hundred grand to cover bail, child support, and a slew of other legal bills ... hoping it would clear the way for the tour, a task that included lifting the lien on X's passport.

But HR claims its efforts were in vain -- because DMX continued to cause problems, hiring outside management that tried to book DMX on shows within the United States ... violating X's agreement with HR. On top of that, X couldn't resolve his passport issues ... and all concerts had to be canceled.

X's manager Jason tells a different story -- claiming DMX chose to sever all ties with HR after it put the rapper at risk with some unsavory business practices.

Still, HR claims it lost $749,285 on the deal gone bad -- and it wants the money back, stat. more on this story

Cee-Lo Greene On New EP From The Constellations

429 Records have released a new digital three track EP from The Constellations. The new digital EP, "Sold Out," is available exclusively through iTunes now.

The package includes a video for their hit single "Love Is A Murder" featuring Cee-Lo Greene.

Led by Elijah Jones, the six member band reinforce their reputation for hard swinging alt beats and gritty imagery on the EP which is a teaser for their upcoming full length, "Do It For Free," which will be released June 12. more on this story

Early Academy of Country Music Awards Winners Announced

The Academy of Country Music have announced the winners of special awards that will not be presented during the live telecast of the 47th Annual Academy Of Country Music Awards

The telecast LIVE will take place from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, April 1, 2012 at 8:00 PM live ET/delayed PT on the CBS Television Network.

Special Awards, Industry Awards, MBI (Musician, Bandleader, Instrumentalist) and Songwriter of the Year honorees will be feted at the 6th Annual ACM Honors event on September 24, 2012 in Nashville. more on this story