Police Seize Heroin During Nelly Tour Bus Raid

Nelly and the remaining five were let go. more on this story

Legal Drama Over Steven Tyler's American Idol Deal

(TMZ) Steven Tyler is caught in the middle of a raging dispute between his former manager and current lawyer ... a dispute that has now turned into a major lawsuit.

Here's the way it went down ... Kovac Media Group served as Tyler's personal manager. They negotiated a great deal for the Aerosmith frontman to judge "American Idol." At some point, Kovac brought in a lawyer -- Dina LaPolt, to help negotiate a new deal for Tyler at the end of last season.

Kovac claims LaPolt was the ultimate Benedict Arnold, trashing Kovac to both Tyler and the honchos at "A.I." The lawsuit Kovac filed against LaPolt -- obtained by TMZ -- alleges she sucked up to "A.I." execs by disclosing Kovac's negotiating strategy, which ironically also hurt Tyler.

As for what that strategy was -- the suit claims Kovac was gunning to get Tyler an additional 6-8 million bucks in the current season.

According to the suit, LaPolt was so poisonous and underhanded, Tyler fired Kovac and kept her. The suit claims LaPolt screwed the negotiations up so badly, "A.I." offered Tyler no raise and he decided to walk, but he got a severance check from "A.I." and agreed to give Kovac its fair cut. The suit claims LaPolt screwed Kovac out of that commission as well.

The suit never mentions Tyler by name, but informed sources tell us he is indeed the artist who is at the center of the case. Tyler is not named as a defendant.

Kovac, which is represented by attorney Skip Miller of Miller, Barondess, LLP, wants a minimum of $8 million from LaPolt. more on this story

Sarah Brightman To Be First Pop Star In Space

Sarah Brightman sent out the following word that she plans to launch on a future orbital spaceflight mission to the International Space Station (ISS) in partnership with Space Adventures, Ltd., the world's leading private space experiences company.

Brightman will be part of a three-person crew travelling to the International Space Station on board a Soyuz rocket. Once on the ISS she will orbit the earth 16 times daily and intends to become the first professional musician to sing from space. The final scheduling of her trip to the space station will be determined by Roscosmos and the ISS partners in the coming months.

"We are very enthusiastic to announce Sarah Brightman 's desire to launch to space. I have deep admiration for Sarah, not only for her well deserved title of being the world's best-selling soprano, but for the young girl who was inspired by Yuri Gagarin and Neil Armstrong to reach for her own star. We look forward to working with her to make her dream a reality," said Eric Anderson, Chairman of Space Adventures, Ltd. more on this story

Rihanna Sets New Album Release

(popmusiclife) Rihanna has announced that her new album, "Unapologetic," will be released November 19.

"Diamonds," the first single from the new album debuted at the top of the UK singles charts last week, while only managing a No. 18 entry on the Billboard Hot 100.

On Monday, October 15, the singer will launch Rihanna7.com, an interactive gaming experience featuring weekly trivia and assignments to bring fans closer to the album's release. more on this story

Scissor-Wielding Miley Cyrus Intruder Convicted

(TMZ) The scissor-wielding man who allegedly snuck onto Miley Cyrus' property last month has been convicted of trespassing, TMZ has learned.

Jason Luis Rivera was also found guilty of resisting arrest on Thursday in an L.A. courtroom. Jason had pled "not guilty" to the charges following his arrest but was still ordered to stay 500 yards away from the singer and her home.

As we reported, cops believe Rivera jumped the fence surrounding Miley's L.A. home and was carrying a pair of scissors when they apprehended him.

He told cops he wanted to see the pop star ... and that's why he was on her property.

His sentencing is scheduled for today. more on this story

Kelly Clarkson Debuts Catch My Breath

(popmusiclife) Kelly Clarkson premiered her new single, "Catch My Breath," on Ryan Seacrest's national radio show Wednesday morning.

The track is one of three new tunes set for inclusion on Kelly's forthcoming "Greatest Hits – Chapter 1" collection, which is due November 19.

The single is co-written by Clarkson, Jason Halbert and Eric Olson. "It's been a decade now since I won American Idol," says Clarkson. "Sometimes it feels longer because, although it has been exciting, that was a lot of pressure to have as a 19 year old girl. To own a company, lead an organization as a business woman, and be able to create music I'm proud of has been tough but inspiring for me." Listen to it here.

Yo Gabba Gabba Peter Bjorn and John Premiere

NPR have premiered Peter Bjorn and John's "I Wish I Was A Spy," which is featured on the latest installment of the Yo Gabba Gabba! soundtrack.

This fourth volume of songs from Yo Gabba Gabba! features popular musical artists like Peter Bjorn and John, who contribute "I Wish I Was A Spy," in which PB&J pretend to be spies.

Other artists featured on this new volume of music from Yo Gabba Gabba! include Metric, Belle & Sebastian, CSS, Cut Copy, The Roots, The Bird And The Bee, and more. The album is out now. Listen to the track here.

Jason Aldean To Have A Sirius Town Hall

Jason Aldean will celebrate the release of his new album, Night Train, by sitting down for a rare Q&A session with a select group of SiriusXM listeners at the SiriusXM studios in New York City.

"SiriusXM's Town Hall with Jason Aldean" will air live on The Highway, channel 59, on Tuesday, October 16 at 3:00 pm ET, the same day as Aldean's new album is scheduled to be released.

The special is part of SiriusXM's "Town Hall" series, intimate gatherings with iconic musicians and a studio audience of SiriusXM listeners. Previous "SiriusXM Town Hall" specials have featured Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, Coldplay, Ringo Starr, Roger Waters, Renee Fleming, Gregg Allman, Ronnie Dunn, Usher, Linkin Park, Ziggy Marley and the surviving members of Nirvana. more on this story

One Direction Make US Chart History

One Direction have made U.S. chart history after having the highest selling first week single sales by a UK artist with "Live While We're Young."

The track is the lead single from the band's forthcoming album, Take Me Home, and it entered the Billboard Digital Track and Song Charts at #1 with over 341k sold in its first week making it the biggest opening week sales for a single by a non-US artist ever.

'We're so happy with the success of the single in the USA and can't wait for everyone to hear our new album. Thank you to all the fans once again!'- Niall Horan of One Direction more on this story

Simon and Britney Do Not Really Own X Factor Mansions

(TMZ) "X Factor" producers tried to pull the wool over your eyes this week -- because TMZ has learned Simon Cowell and Britney Spears' mansions on the show weren't their homes at all ... in fact, one actually belongs to MLB star Alex Rodriguez.

In case you missed last night's episode, groups of contestants were invited to perform at four different homes around the country -- each allegedly belonging to one of the show's four judges.

But it was ALL A LIE -- "Simon's" Miami pad actually belongs to A-Rod. The baseball star listed the home in August for $38,000,000, but it's still on the market. Simon's real house is in Beverly Hills.

It's unclear who really owns the Malibu home Britney appeared in last night, but one thing's for certain -- Britney does NOT own that Malibu home. Her real home is in Calabasas, many miles away. more on this story

The Last Dragon Star Dies

(TMZ) Leo O'Brien, one of the stars of "The Last Dragon" ... has died in NYC, TMZ has learned.

Leo played Bruce Leroy's little brother Richie Green in the 1985 cult classic film.

Details surrounding O'Brien's death are unclear ... but law enforcement sources tell us the actor passed away Wednesday morning, and an autopsy was scheduled for Thursday.

Leo's "Dragon" co-star Taimak (sho 'nuff) says family members believe O'Brien had been in failing health recently.

As TMZ first reported ... O'Brien survived two gunshot wounds just over a year ago in Harlem. Police arrested a suspect who was charged with attempted murder.

O'Brien was 41 years old. Story developing ...

Lindsay Lohan's Foreclosure Bailout Of Her Mother Caused Fight?

(TMZ) Lindsay Lohan was telling the truth when she said her mom was on the verge of losing her house ...and Dina Lohan is not out of the woods yet ... TMZ has learned.

According to court docs obtained by TMZ ... JPMorgan Chase Bank filed documents in 2010 to foreclose on Dina's Long Island home because she had fallen behind on payments.

Now here's where it gets interesting ...The bank and Dina cut some sort of deal in which mama Lohan agreed to a new payment agreement that would prevent her home from going on the auction block.

Sources close to Lindsay tell us ... Dina didn't ante up on her own -- she got money from Lindsay to make the payments.

We're told Lindsay made payments that helped Dina dig out of the hole, but recently she fell behind again and Lindsay had to give her MORE bailout money -- $40,000. And that's the 40 grand that Lindsay and her mom were arguing over when things erupted in the limo early Wednesday.

One final thing. We're told Dina withdrew lots of other money from the Bank of Lindsay, including money to help pay for her kid brother's tuition. more on this story

La Toya Denies Raiding Michael Jackson's Home After His Death

(TMZ) La Toya Jackson insists ... she did not raid Michael Jackson's home just hours after his death, pillaging plastic bags filled with cash -- and now, she's threatening to sue a major magazine for saying otherwise.

La Toya has fired off a cease-and-desist letter to Vanity Fair, claiming its recent article entitled "Estate of Siege" is "replete with misstatements of fact, false innuendos, and defamatory insinuations."

According to La Toya's letter, the article falsely claims she showed up at MJ's Carolwood mansion shortly after his death and loaded plastic bags filled with cash into a duffel bag. The VF article goes on to describe La Toya's friend leaving the home in a moving van.

La Toya claims the article describes her visit as a "mad scramble for money" -- strongly insinuating she stole large sums of cash from MJ's house.

According to La Toya ... the allegations are nothing but lies and she wants a full retraction asap.

If Vanity Fair doesn't oblige, La Toya says she'll sue. more on this story

Gary Clark Jr Plans TV Blitz For Blak And Blu

Gary Clark Jr has lined up some high-profile television appearances to promote the October 22nd release of his new album, Blak And Blu.

Clark will perform the album's first radio track "Ain't Messin 'Round" on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno the day Blak And Blu is released - October 22nd.

Later that week, Clark will travel to New York to perform on The Late Show With Jimmy Fallon. Clark will perform two songs, one that will air during the show and another that will be featured exclusively on The Late Show's website. more on this story

Sheriffs Deny Conrad Murray Prison Inhumane Treatment Claims

(TMZ) The L.A. Sheriff's Dept. is pooh-poohing a letter it received from Dr. Conrad Murray's lawyer, saying claims that Murray is being treated inhumanely are just plain false.

Murray's lawyers, J. Michael Flanagan and Valerie Wass, fired off the letter, obtained by TMZ, in which he claims the 5' by 7' cell in which Murray has been confined is so small -- given his 6'5" height -- that he may have developed permanent and uncorrectable blood circulation issues that could lead to a fatal embolism.

Flanagan and Wass go even further, saying, "Dr. Murray's cell is proportional to that of a travel cage used for short term transportation of an animal. If one were to keep a dog in a space just a few inches larger than the dog's length, for any extended period of time, contentions of animal cruelty possibly leading to prosecution would likely result."

But the Sheriff's Dept. tells TMZ, "Mr. Murray is receiving the appropriate level of care and we are taking into consideration his medical concerns and working with him." more on this story

Michael Vick Explains Reason For Family Dog

(TMZ) Michael Vick has finally said squarely ... his family does indeed have a dog. There's been a lot of controversy over whether Vick -- who served hard time for brutally killing multiple dogs, should own one again.

Vick says, "I understand the strong emotions by some people about our family's decision to care for a pet. As a father, it is important to make sure my children develop a healthy relationship with animals."

Vick goes on, "I want to ensure that my children establish a loving bond and treat all of God's creatures with kindness and respect. Our pet is well cared for and loved as a member of our family."

Vick continues, "This is an opportunity to break the cycle. To that end, I will continue to honor my commitment to animal welfare and be an instrument of positive change." more on this story

Bow Wow Sued Over Repossessed Lamborghini

(TMZ) It costs roughly $25,000 to repossess and sell a rapper's Lamborghini -- at least according to a Georgia bank, which is now suing Bow Wow for money it spent flipping his ride.

SunTrust Bank filed the lawsuit against Bow Wow -- real name Shad Moss -- claiming he took out a business loan worth $300,165 and agreed to make 84 monthly payments of $4,730.

According to bank records filed with the lawsuit, Bow Wow fell behind on payments last year ... with a remaining balance of roughly $160,000.

The docs show the bank repossessed the rapper's Lamborghini Murcielago to settle the debt -- and managed to get $161,000 for the exotic car.

You'd think that would be the end of it -- but the bank tacked on over $25,000 for "repossession expenses."

According to the lawsuit, Bow Wow still owes the bank $21,371 -- and the bank's suing for every last penny.

TMZ broke the story ... Bow Wow is also being chased down by a collection agency over a $283,000 judgment against him, stemming from a Ferrari he stopped making payments on.

Sources close to Bow Wow tell us, the rapper attributes all his money issues to his ex-management team. We're told he has since cleaned house and is now working to fix his financial mess. more on this story

Nicki Minaj Posts Up The Re-Up Cover

(popmusiclife) Nicki Minaj took to twitter Thursday morning to reveal the album cover for "Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded - THE RE-UP".

Last month, the singer released "The Boys ft. Cassie," the lead track from the forthcoming album reissue of her spring 2012 project of the same name.

Due November 19, the reissue is expected to have five to eight new tracks including one featuring Lil Wayne. You can see the cover here.

American Music Awards Nominations Announced

Christina Aguilera will not only be performing at The 40th Annual American Music Awards, she announced the nominations this week from the J.W. Marriott Los Angeles L.A. Live.

This year's awards show will be broadcast live from the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on Sunday, November 18th (8:00-11:00 p.m. ET /PT) on ABC.

Nicki Minaj and Rihanna both lead this year with four (4) nominations individually. While Drake, Justin Bieber, One Direction and Usher follow with three (3) nominations each, and Carrie Underwood, , fun., Gotye, J.Cole, Katy Perry, Kelly Clarkson, Luke Bryan, and collected two (2) nominations respectively. This year's 2012 Artist of the Year nominees are: Justin Bieber, Drake, Katy Perry, and Rihanna. This year also marks the creation of the new Electronic Dance Music Category. Nominees include David Guetta, Calvin Harris, and Skrillex. more on this story