Disco Queen Donna Summer Dead at 63

Summer won five Grammy Awards and became a member of the Dance Music Hall of Fame in 2004. She has been nominated for inclusion into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, although she has not yet been chosen for induction. more on this story

John Travolta Did Not Pay Off Accusers

(TMZ) John Travolta didn't cough up a red cent to the two male masseurs who accused him of sexual battery -- despite the fact that both dismissed their lawsuits just days apart.

Travolta's lawyer, Marty Singer, tells TMZ, "Not one penny has been paid nor do we have any intention to pay any money for these ridiculous and false claims."

As we reported, the second accuser fired his lawyer -- just two days after the first accuser filed papers dismissing his lawsuit. The second accuser is also expected to file papers dismissing his lawsuit.

It's unclear why accuser #2 is ending his Travolta war.

Accuser #1 called it quits after TMZ posted photos proving his story was bogus. more on this story

Taylor Swift Donates $4 Million To Country Hall of Fame

(Gibson) Country music's biggest-selling superstar Taylor Swift has donated a cool $4 million to Nashville's Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

The Washington Post reports that this is the largest artist donation ever given to the Hall of Fame and the money will fund the Taylor Swift Education Center that will open at the museum in 2014.

Museum director Kyle Young said: "It will allow us to do what we do better, serve more people, develop new programs and I'm happy to say that as we talked through this opportunity with Taylor, she very much wants to be involved in an advisory capacity in what we do. Is there a better person out there who's in touch with a young audience? more on this story

Adam Lambert Returns To American Idol

(popmusiclife) Adam Lambert returned to the American Idol stage Thursday night. Adam was the runner-up on Season 8 of the Idol series, where he came second to winner Kris Allen.

Lambert was on hand as part of the weekly results show, which would see the final two contestants confirmed for next week's season finale.

Adam performed his new single, "Never Close Our Eyes," from his new album, "Trespassing," which was released this week. Check out his performance here.

Boys Like Girls Returning From Hiatus With New Album and Live Shows

Columbia Records sent out word that Boys Like Girls are off of their hiatus and are currently in the studio finishing recording a brand new album for fall release.

Crazy World is Boys Like Girls' third studio album and the follow-up to 2009's Love Drunk. After years of recording and touring and a brief hiatus, the new album finds frontman Martin Johnson approaching songwriting with a more grown-up perspective, showcasing his skills as a mature songwriter capable of stretching beyond the pop-rock genre the band came up in as teenagers.

Crazy World was produced by Johnson and mixed by Chris Lord-Alge (Bruce Springsteen, Green Day, U2.) more on this story

Kenny G and Rahul Sharma Team Up For New Release

Concord Records have set a June 26th release date for Kenny G and Rahul Sharma's new collaborative release, Namaste.

The new album combines the exotic, sultry sounds of santoor and saxophone, with a chill mix by Kid Tricky. We were sent this background:

Namaste is a collaborative album crafted by Rahul Sharma – a native of India's Kashmir region and a third-generation master of the exotic, 100-string santoor – and saxophonist Kenny G, a multiple Grammy-winning titan on the contemporary jazz landscape for more than two decades. This unusual and daring project captures the best of these two musicians – with a chill ambiance set up by mixer/producer extraordinaire Kid Tricky, (along with Walter A. and Soul Seekerz) – is set for release on June 26th, 2012 by Concord Records. more on this story

Donna Summer Memorial To Be Held in Nashville

(TMZ) Donna Summer's family has scheduled a public memorial for the Disco Queen -- and TMZ has learned, it will take place next Wednesday in Nashville.

Donna and her family moved to Nashville in 1994 -- and sources tell TMZ, Donna's family chose the city specifically because it was her home and was always extremely close to her heart. Nashville's also a cultural epicenter in the music world, so it just makes sense.

TMZ broke the story ... Donna passed away yesterday in Florida due to complications from lung cancer. She was 63. more on this story

Dave Stewart Plans Solo Tour

Dave Stewart plans to perform four shows in the UK in support of his forthcoming solo album, The Ringmaster General.

"I'm excited to play live in England again," Stewart says. "It's been a long time, and to kick off in my hometown the day my new album is released will be a golden moment for me."

The tour kicks off September 3 with a special homecoming show at the Empire Theatre in Stewart's Sunderland hometown and includes stops in Birmingham, Manchester and London. more on this story

Charlie Daniels Classic 1980 Rockpalast Release Coming To CD and DVD

MVD have set a June 19th release date for the Charlie Daniels Band "Live At Rockpalast" DVD and CD. They sent over these details:

In 1977, the West German broadcasting corporation WDR set a milestone in show biz with the very first Rockpalast night which has been trendsetting to this day - an all-night marathon rock show aired live on TV, free of all restraints.

Right from the beginning, the makers of Rockpalast had a soft spot for featuring musicians who were little known in Germany but who were top acts in their home countries, in most cases, the US. Charlie Daniels was one of them. more on this story

Funk Legend Chuck Brown Dead at 75

(Gibson) Funk, soul and Latin guitarist and singer Chuck Brown has died. He was 75. The BBC reports that it was Brown, best known for his "Bustin' Loose" hit, who helped create the influential go-go sound in Washington, D.C. in the '70s. Brown said the style was so named because "the music just goes and goes."

Washington, D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray paid tribute: "Go-go is D.C.'s very own unique contribution to the world of pop music. Today is a very sad day for music lovers the world over."

While Brown, and his group the Soul Searchers, failed to make a huge national impact, his influence continues to be felt with rappers Nelly and Eve sampling Brown's "Bustin' Loose" and "Blow Your Whistle," respectively. more on this story

Jon Cleary Hitting The Road With Dr. John

Jon Cleary will be returning to the road where he will join Dr. John's Locked Down tour across the U.S. and Europe as a featured player in Mac's band, The Lower 911.

Jon Cleary's sixth solo CD, Occapella!, now in its fourth week of release, became one of the best selling records during Jazz Fest 2012, second only to Anders Osborne's latest, according to the Louisiana Music Factory, carrier of the widest selection of New Orleans music in the world.

Cleary will join the Dr John Tour beginning on June 1st in Alexandria, Va at The Birchmere. more on this story

Sarah Jaffe Spring Tour

(SC) Sarah Jaffe will be hitting the road next month for a string of headlining tour dates in support of her latest album, The Body Wins.

The album follows in the footsteps of her debut album Suburban Nature and has received widespread critical acclaim.

In addition to being featured in Vogue, Paste Magazine, Marie Claire, Billboard and more, the single "Glorified High" saw adds on Sirius XMU, WFUV and more. more on this story

Bluegrass and Country Rock Pioneer Doug Dillard Dead at 75

(Gibson) Bluegrass, country and country-rock banjo pioneer Doug Dillard has died in the hospital in Nashville. He was 75.

Billboard.com reports that Doug and his brother Rodney rose to fame in the folk revival of the 1960s with modern-sounding bluegrass as The Dillards. Doug also ventured into the then-pioneering country-rock realm when he formed Dillard & Clark with former Byrds member Gene Clark.

The Dillards were inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Association Hall of Fame in 2009. Doug had been ill for some months before his passing. more on this story

John Cena's Wife Wants Divorce Tossed Out

(TMZ) John Cena's wife REFUSES to let the wrestler file for divorce -- at least the way he's doing it now -- and to prove she means business, she's asking a judge to throw out the WWE legend's divorce papers.

Elizabeth Cena just filed legal docs in Florida, claiming John's recent divorce petition is riddled with errors ... and should be dismissed.

According to Elizabeth, John inaccurately refers to her by her maiden name (Huberdeau) instead of her legal name (Cena). As a result, Elizabeth says John fails to bring "a proper dissolution of marriage action" against her.

Elizabeth also claims John failed to attach the prenup he references in his initial divorce filing -- a copy of which MUST be attached in order for the filing to be valid.

Elizabeth also takes issues with John's claim that there's no marital property -- Elizabeth insists there is ... and she wants her share.

For all these reasons, Elizabeth wants a judge to dismiss John's petition and force him to re-file ... if he dares. more on this story

Ryan Seacrest Pays Almost $40 Million for Ellen DeGeneres' Estate

(TMZ) It's official ... Ryan Seacrest is the owner of Ellen DeGeneres' epic, Beverly Hills estate. We've learned title was officially transferred to Ryan on Wednesday.

We have now learned exactly what Ryan paid for the property. Ellen listed it at $49 million, and although one of our sources told us Ryan paid close to the asking price, we have now confirmed Ryan paid just under $39 mil.

We broke the story Ryan snagged the estate, which covers a city block and is just shy of 3 acres. In addition to the 9,200 square foot main house, there are 3 other houses on the property. The gym is the size of a large health club.

As for Ellen, she bought the main house from "Will and Grace" producer Max Mutchnick for $29 mil and then purchased the surrounding properties. Bottom line ... we're told Ellen lost money on the deal, but given the real estate slump, she still did ok.

Forbes says Ryan raked in $59 mil last year, so he can afford it. more on this story

Snooki Lookalike Assaulted at Rockfest

(TMZ) She looks like Snooki ... she talks like Snooki ... and this weekend, a woman who bears a striking resemblance to the MTV star took a brutal shot to the face ... like Snooki.

TMZ obtained footage from Saturday's Rockfest concert in Kansas City, MO ... where Slash was performing ... when an unidentified Snook-alike took a hard boot to the face from a very angry, very large male.

Sources at the scene tell TMZ ... the man had already gotten physical with other concertgoers when the Snook-alike decided to tell him off with a few choice words.

The man -- who didn't appreciate the criticism -- responded by planting his foot right in her grill ... dropping her to the floor like a sack of potatoes ... and igniting a massive brawl involving a bunch of scary looking individuals.

Eventually, the fight was broken up ... and sources at the scene tell us the Snook-alike appeared to be OK.

We called police ... who told us they didn't receive any calls about the incident. more on this story

Mary Kennedy Was Still Married to Robert Kennedy Jr. at Time of Death

(TMZ) Mary Kennedy was legally married to her estranged husband Robert Kennedy Jr. at the time of her death ... TMZ has learned.

RFK Jr. had filed for divorce back in 2010 ... but according to court records, the divorce proceedings were still in progress ... and the judge had NOT yet finalized the split.

In fact, court records show in March the divorce case was headed to trial ... though it's unclear what issues were still in dispute. FYI -- the couple had 4 children together.

But Mary's legal problems didn't end there -- on April 30, just two weeks before she died, Mary was served with a lawsuit filed by American Express ... though the details surrounding the case are unclear. more on this story

Octomom Questions Tanning Mom's Parenting Skills

(TMZ) Octomom told TMZ's photog Tanning Mom needs some serious parenting classes.

Octo, fully clothed, said she doesn't feel that Patricia Krentcil should lose her kids, but she does feel Child Protective Services should step in to give Krentcil some parenting tips.

When a woman who does "self-pleasure" for living expenses is calling you out for mothering skills ... clearly things have gone south. more on this story