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Randy Rhoads Honored
Blabbermouth reports: Legendary OZZY OSBOURNE guitarist Randy Rhoads' induction into Hollywood's RockWalk earlier today turned downright embarrassing when the bronze bust unveiled during the ceremony and later installed along the RockWalk posthumous inductee wall displayed the guitarist's often-misspelled last name as "Rhodes" (an error that has since apparently been corrected). 

About 200 fans turned out to see the ceremony and hear from Ozzy Osbourne himself, who praised Rhoads' virtuoso brand of heavy metal guitar playing, according to the Associated Press. 

"I will never forget Randy, he was a small guy with giant talent," Osbourne said. "Not a day goes by that my family doesn't think about him. He will never die in our hearts." - Click Here for the Full Story 

Today marks the 22nd anniversary of Randy's death, and we dedicate today's Day in Rock in his memory. He was an extremely talented player but also very passionate about learning more, especially classical guitar. So much so that he would seek out guitar teachers in the towns the tour played in. His playing really took metal beyond the blues and also showed that a guitarist could display virtuosity and still remain within the melody of the song. The world lost a true great on March 19, 1982 and while many have tried, no one has taken his place. 

FCC Vs. Bono
AP reports: Federal regulators opened a new front in their crackdown on offensive broadcasts Thursday, saying that almost any use of the F-word on over-the-air radio and television would be considered indecent. 

The Federal Communications Commission overruled its staff and said an expletive uttered by rock singer Bono on NBC was both indecent and profane. It marked the first time that the FCC cited a four-letter word as profane; the commission previously equated profanity with language challenging God's divinity. 

The FCC on Thursday also proposed maximum fines for the broadcast of the Howard Stern radio show and for a program on two Florida radio stations owned by a Clear Channel Communications subsidiary. 

Commissioners said they did not propose a fine for Bono's expletive during the 2003 Golden Globe Awards because they had never before said that virtually any use of the F-word violated its rules. The FCC specifically rejected earlier findings that occasional use of the F-word was acceptable. [lots more - click the full story link]- Click Here for the Full Story 

JJ Jackson RIP
MTV reports: J.J. Jackson, remembered as one of the first faces of MTV, died Wednesday night in Los Angeles of an apparent heart attack, according to friends and former business associates. He was 62. 

Jackson helped define the term "VJ" as one of the first on-air personalities on MTV when the channel launched in 1981. During his five-year tenure with the network, Jackson interviewed some of the top names of the day and was part of some key music milestones. Jackson covered the 1985 Live Aid benefit concert in London and helped to "unmask" Kiss during a 1982 interview. He also hosted the debut episode of MTV's long-running "120 Minutes" in 1986, and brought music titans like Robert Plant and Pete Townshend to the then-fledgling channel. [Jackson was also one of the leading personalities in "free form" radio in the 70s. You can read more about him, including tributes from MTV and his fellow VJ Mark Goodman by clicking on the full story link.]- Click Here for the Full Story

Great White Fuming Over CD Title
Electric Basement reports: (Press Release) The label Horizon–Italy has recently released an unapproved album titled “'Burning House of Love.” This album is not approved by GREAT WHITE. Rather the band condemns this release and asks all fans and friends to not purchase this album. They feel that the label is insensitive to the victims of the fire and are trying to capitalize on a tragic situation. This type of practice is called repackaging; Record Companies take previously released songs, put on a new cover with a new title. 

The band and their Attorneys are working on stopping this release, as it is being sold under the Great White name without Great White's permission. Great White wants to apologize for any discomfort this may have caused, as they found out about this release much the same way as the fans – via the internet. It was of great shock to the GW camp. - Click Here for the Full Story 

Now that is really in bad taste. 

Fuzzy RIAA Math
Azoz reports: George Ziemann over at Azoz has been scratching his heading try to match the RIAA reported sales numbers with those of SoundScan, as well as reconcile some other inconsistencies. Click the full story to see his findings. [thanks to tinfoil.music] - Click Here for the Full Story 

MTV Strike
MTV reports: Real-world labor issues apparently were too much for the producers of a popular MTV reality show. 

Bunim/Murray Productions said Tuesday it had given up plans to tape the 15th season of "The Real World" in Philadelphia. Taping had been set to begin in three weeks. 

The production company had angered labor unions by hiring a nonunion company to renovate the former Seamen's Church Institute in Old City, where it planned to have seven strangers live together and have their lives videotaped. Members of the building trades unions picketed outside the building. - Click Here for the Full Story 

MTV just can't win these days. 

Amen Free
BW&BK reports: As previously reported here, AMEN leader Casey Chaos recorded a total of 73 songs for the band’s upcoming Eat Ur Music/Columbia release Death Before Musick (out May 18th). 

While 15 of those tracks will appear on that album and others will used as B-sides, many are available as free downloads from the band’s website at http://www.comaamerica.com/fmc.html. 

“We have a thing on our website called the Free Music Campaign where we give away songs,” explained Chaos. “Sometimes they’re up there for a week, sometimes they’re up there for a day. Sometimes we do really tricky stuff where a track is up there for an hour. We put up a lot of different material that way.” - Click Here for the Full Story 

Drummer Borgir
siN's metal news reports: DIMMU BORGIR have recruited the talents of Asgeir Mickelson, who has ties to bands like BORKNAGAR and SPIRAL ARCHITECT to fill in as the session drummer for their upcoming live appearances. - Click Here for the Full Story 

Censors of Wayne
AP reports: Fountains of Wayne are the latest victims of MTV's super-sensitivity following the infamous Super Bowl halftime show. 

Fountains of Wayne made a video for the song "Mexican Wine" that originally showed twin ten-year-old girls jumping up and down saying they were going to perform "'Mexican Wine' by Fountains of Wayne!" 

The new version doesn't have the girls saying that, and while they do lip-synch the song, at no point does it show them lip-synching the words "Mexican Wine." A source tells the New York Post that MTV wouldn't show the video because the girls were saying the word "wine." - Click Here for the Full Story 

If they only had the two little girls kissing, it would have been ok. 

Idol Scam
AP reports: Federal regulators settled a case Thursday with companies that took advantage of thousands of "American Idol" fans trying to vote for their favorite contestants on the TV show. 

According to the Federal Trade Commission, three Utah-based companies bought dozens of phone numbers very similar to the toll-free numbers that "Idol" fans call to place their votes. Viewers who misdialed and got one of the numbers were directed to dial a 900-number to place their vote. A message on the 900-number then gave the correct toll-free number to call. 

The FTC said about 25,000 consumers were charged up to $3 per call during the 2002 and 2003 seasons. - Click Here for the Full Story 

...and others got the 900 number wrong and ended up calling the 'Claymates' sex line.

Elvis Robbed
Rolling Stone reports: Thieves broke into the Elvis-A-Rama museum in Las Vegas earlier this week and made off with more than a quarter-million dollars worth of Elvis Presley memorabilia. 

The heist took only five minutes as the perpetrators rammed a stolen tow truck into the back door of the museum and broke into three display cases with lead pipes. Among the loot taken were a trio of rings (Presley's 1953 high school class ring, an Elvis Day memento ring from the Louisiana Hayride radio show and a diamond ring bought in Vegas), a gold-plated pistol, and other assorted belongings. 

One of the museum's prized possessions, a pair of the King's blue suede shoes, was not pinched during the robbery. [see full story for more] - Click Here for the Full Story 

Rock & Soul
Pollstar reports: Get ready for some blue-eyed soul and funk when the Rock & Soul 2004 Revue rolls in this summer. Comprising Daryl Hall & John Oates, Michael McDonald, and the Average White Band, the tour hits mostly East Coast amphitheatres and arenas between June 23 and July 18.- Click Here for the Full Story 

Ashcroft Surprise
NME reports: RICHARD ASHCROFT joined DAVID AXELROD onstage last night (March 17). 

The unlikely collaboration took place at the orchestral beats pioneer's rare solo show at London Royal Festival Hall. 

Midway through the show Axelrod announced: "I have a special guest. This man says my music makes him feel sane. Ladies and gentlemen, Richard Ashcroft." 

The former Verve star then sang on a version of the Electric Prunes song 'Holy Are You', at the end of which he got down on his knees. The Verve regularly used the song as their intro tape. - Click Here for the Full Story 

Sharon O Late Night
MTV reports: When the cancellation of "The Sharon Osbourne Show" was announced in February, the host suggested that TV might not have seen the last of her. 

Barely a month later, Osbourne has signed on for her return — but not in America. "I'm doing a series for Channel 4 in England," she said recently. "I'm going over to do 13 weeks at the end of September." 

The as-yet-untitled, live talk show will have similarities to "The Sharon Osbourne Show," but a few major differences as well. 

"It's for late night, and in Europe you can do anything on TV. It's like cable TV here, you're not restricted at all," she said.- Click Here for the Full Story 

Jack White Dylan
MTV reports: Jack White joined Bob Dylan onstage Wednesday at Detroit's State Theatre. The White Stripes frontman played guitar and sang backup vocals to Dylan's cover of "Ball and Biscuit," a track off the Stripes' latest album, Elephant. - Click Here for the Full Story 

Wylde iTunes
Electric Basement reports: (Press Release) ZAKK WYLDE's BLACK LABEL SOCIETY & iTunes have teamed up to offer fans an opportunity to download music from the “Slightly Amped Tour” recorded in 2002 at Westwire Studios in Allentown PA. This tuned downed acoustic, sometimes electric performance is a rarity. This offers Zakk Wylde & Black Label Society fans another side of the band seldom seen or heard. 

The new Black Label Society album "Hangover Music Vol. VI" on Spitfire Records will be released on April 20th, 2004. Hangover Music Vol. VI is an album that will change all preconceptions about Zakk Wylde & Black Label Society. Hangover Music, Vol. VI is an emotionally fueled work of genius, mixed with brilliant piano concertos and guitar solo mastery that has become Zakk Wylde’s signature. - Click Here for the Full Story 

New Cake
I Ate Your Microphone reports: Cake are currently working in their home studios in Sacramento, California on a follow-up to 2001's "Comfort Eagle", for which they are currently looking at a summer release. It will feature eleven tracks- Click Here for the Full Story 

Cave In Followup
I Ate Your Microphone reports: Cave In guitarist Adam McGrath recently told Billboard.com that the band were 80% complete towards the making of their next studio album, which sees the band resuming the heavier direction which was somewhat left behind on their more recent output. Some song titles which are expected to be included on the record are: 'Spiderwarp', 'The World Is In Your Way', 'Moshtrocity', and 'Trepanning'.- Click Here for the Full Story 

Three Days Fame
Net Music Countdown reports: Three Days Grace frontman Adam Gontier says that while the band is glad they’re finally catching on outside Canada, celebrity doesn’t come without the occasional pain in the behind. Especially when they’re mistaken for an overnight sensation by US press. 

“It’s tough when you’re a band trying to make it in this industry and no one will listen to you,” Gontier says. “When you couple that with people who aren’t willing to give you a fair chance, it doesn’t help much. We put a lot of work into this band to get it to this point and while I feel incredibly lucky to have this chance right now, it does become frustrating to think that people assume it just happened for us all of a sudden” - Click Here for the Full Story 

Jet Hit
Net Music Countdown reports: Australian band Jet has beaten Celine Dion’s weeks-in-a-row record on Canadian radio. The single “Are You Gonna Be My Girl” has been in the number 1 spot for 17 weeks, legendary status previously known only to Celine Dion.- Click Here for the Full Story 

Do You Stutter
New York Daily News reports: Wanted: a general gofer, able to multi-task, get up extremely early, ask silly questions of befuddled celebrities and be the brunt of jokes day after day. 

Stuttering could be a plus. 

Howard Stern launched an on-air search yesterday to find a replacement for Stuttering John Melendez, the long-time show staffer who bolted to become an announcer for Jay Leno on NBC's "Tonight Show." 

Stern described "Win Stuttering John's Job" as not being a contest, although it sounds really close. 

He and his team will select 10 candidates from the applicant pool, who will each work for a week on the show. At the end of the 10-week period, listeners will vote on who sticks around longer. [see full story for more]- Click Here for the Full Story 

Finch Cancel
Punkbands.com reports: from the official Finch website: 

Finch would like to give their apologies to all of their fans and the people at Concerts East/Max Cruise for having to cancel their apperance at Surf and Skate Fest this year. Finch will be in the Studio at the time working on their new album, the follow up to 2002's What It Is To Burn. Look for a Finch tour this July. Once again we apologize to everyone and we hope to see you all as soon as the new record is finished!- Click Here for the Full Story 

Ozzy's Daughter Fueding With Simple Life Star
Blabbermouth reports: Ozzy Osbourne's eldest daughter Aimee has prompted Los Angeles police to launch an investigation into "The Simple Life" star Nicole Richie after claiming Richie is harassing her. 

The reclusive Osbourne has told cops that Richie, the daughter of soul star Lionel Richie, has been making harassing phone calls to her. 

West Hollywood Police Sergeant Neil Murchison confirmed to World Entertainment News Network, "Aimee Osbourne came into the station to file a police report against Nicole Richie. 

"The report claims that Richie and a friend, Casey Johnson, made numerous annoying phone calls to Aimee." 

Murchison revealed that, as a result of the complaint, he is now heading up an "active police investigation" into Osbourne's allegations. - Click Here for the Full Story 

Dennis "Motley" Miller
BW&BK reports: Nikki Sixx will be a guest on The Dennis Miller Show this Friday, March 19th. The show airs on CNBC. Check your local listings for air times. - Click Here for the Full Story 
 

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