Beckhams Move to US; Fender to Sell Limited Edition Eric Clapton Guitars
By Mary Morningstar
Washington
13 July 2007
On July 20, Universal Music Group will release Now That's What I Call Music! Vol. 25. The latest compilation in the "Now That's What I Call Music" series includes 20 hits from some of the biggest names in pop, rock, rap and rhythm-and-blues. Featured artists include Avril Lavigne, Gwen Stefani, Justin Timberlake, Ne-Yo, Kelly Clarkson, Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood and Daughtry.
Barry Manilow
Arista Records has announced that Barry Manilow's next album will be The Greatest Songs of the Seventies. Due out September 18, the album will include his versions of songs made famous by The Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel, the Carpenters, Carole King, Elton John, the Hollies, and other 1970s stars. Manilow recorded two duets for the collection. He sings with former talk show host Rosie O'Donnell on "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" and with Melissa Manchester on "You've Got A Friend." The collection features acoustic bonus tracks of several Manilow classics, including "Mandy," "I Write the Songs," "This One's For You," "Copacabana," and more.
Avril Lavigne
Tommy Dunbar, founder of the 1970s pop band the Rubinoos, and his former road manager James Gangwer have filed a lawsuit against Avril Lavigne. They claim Lavigne's hit "Girlfriend" resembles a song they wrote in 1978, called "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend." On her web site, Avril dismissed the claims saying, "I had never heard this song in my life and their claim is based on five words! All songs share similar lyrics and emotions. As humans we speak one language." She added, "Let it be crystal clear that I have not ripped anyone off or done anything wrong. I take pride in the songs I write and appreciate the opportunities to work with some great writers and musicians."
Eric Clapton
The Fender Guitar company has teamed with Eric Clapton to sell limited edition guitar and amp packages of the new Eric Clapton Crossroads Stratocaster and Crossroads '57 Twin-Amp. A one-day sale will take place on July 20 at
http://www.fender.com with proceeds going to Clapton's Crossroads Center in Antigua. He founded the drug and alcohol rehabilitation center in 1997. Only 100 guitars and 50 amps, crafted to Clapton's specifications, will be sold. The guitars feature a unique "Crossroads Antigua" graphic, which was designed and originally hand-drawn by Clapton. The amp has a custom engraved "Crossroads 2007" badge autographed by Clapton and the "Crossroads Antigua" graphic on the grill cloth. 50 guitars will be paired with amps for a price of $30,000. The remaining guitars will be offered for $20,000.
Victoria and David Beckham arrive at Los Angeles International airport, 12 Jul 2007
Victoria Beckham (a.k.a. Posh Spice of the Spice Girls) and her husband, soccer star David Beckham, are moving from Europe to the U.S. On July 16, NBC-TV will air a one-hour special "Victoria Beckham: Coming to America," which will reportedly center on their preparations for the move. Victoria told the Associated Press, "There are people that are much more famous in L.A. than David and myself. We're not out every night. We're probably a lot more boring than people think." She added, "Myself and David are huge, huge fans of America. This is a new chapter in our lives. (The kids) think they're moving to Disneyland." Their children will not be seen in the television special. David's first game with the Los Angels Galaxy will be played on July 21.
NEW ALBUM RELEASES
New albums scheduled for release on July 17 include: "Absolute Garbage" by Garbage, "We Are The Night" by The Chemical Brothers, "Free" by Bone Crusher, "Seastories" by Minnie Driver, "Beauty & Crime" by Suzanne Vega and "I Love The Bay" by Too Short.
MUSICAL EVENTS/FESTIVALS/BENEFITS
Charlie Daniels
The Charlie Daniels Band, Toby Keith and Brad Paisley will headline this year's "Jamboree In The Hills" festival, which takes place in St. Clairsville, Ohio July 19-22. Others scheduled to appear at the four-day event include The Wreckers, Kellie Pickler, Miranda Lambert, Taylor Swift, Jack Ingram and .38 Special.
Bon Jovi will open the 111th "Cheyenne Frontier Days" in Cheyenne, Wyoming on July 20. From July 21-29, some 2,000 rodeo contestants will compete for nearly $1 million in prize money. Concerts will take place nightly. This year's performers include Reba McEntire, Trisha Yearwood, Big & Rich, Gretchen Wilson, LeAnn Rimes and Def Leppard.
TOUR DATES AND INFORMATION
The 2007 "Family Values" tour will begin on July 16 in St. Louis, Missouri. Korn and Evanescence will headline the main stage. Joining them on the 30-city trek are the rock bands Atreyu, Flyleaf, Hellyeah, Neurosonic, Droid, Five Finger Death Punch, Invitro, Twin Method, Through You and Trivium.
source:
http://www.voanews.com
