Entertainment News:
Queens of the Stone Age reign atop Billboard 200 album chart
By Piya Sinha-Roy LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Rockers Queens of the Stone Age scored their first No. 1 album on the U.S. Billboard 200 album chart on Wednesday, knocking electronic duo Daft Punk off the top spot. "...Like Clockwork," the sixth studio album from the California band, sold more than 90,000 copies in its first week, according to figures from Nielsen SoundScan. French duo Daft Punk's "Random Access Memories," which held the top spot on the chart for two consecutive weeks since its May 17 release, dropped to No. 2 this week with sales of 62,000 copies. ...
Bassist Kim Deal leaves alt-rock band the Pixies
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Kim Deal, the bass player behind some of the Pixies' biggest hits, has left the 1980s alternative rock band, its remaining members said on Friday. Deal's pulsing bass and understated singing punctuated the influential group's early songs, which won critical acclaim for their quick bursts of sound and wild guitars. "We are sad to say that Kim Deal has decided to leave the Pixies," the band's singer-guitarist Black Francis, drummer David Lovering and guitarist Joey Santiago said in a statement posted on their Facebook page. ...
Broadcast Music Inc sues Pandora over license fees
(Reuters) - Broadcast Music Inc (BMI), a songwriters' rights organization, is suing Pandora Media after the Internet radio company rejected a request to pay a higher license fee for playing songs across various devices, including mobile phones. In a lawsuit filed with the Manhattan federal court on Thursday, BMI said it had proposed an increase in Pandora's fees "consistent with market rates to reflect the explosive growth of the Internet music streaming marketplace. ...
Tony Awards broadcast scores best ratings since 2009
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Sunday's broadcast of the annual Tony Awards honoring Broadway's best productions and performers scored its best ratings since 2009, with viewership up 20 percent over last year's show, CBS said on Monday. The three-hour show hosted by Neil Patrick Harris and boasting appearances by big name stars such as Tom Hanks, Jake Gyllenhaal, Scarlett Johansson and Sally Field, came in second to game two of the NBA finals on ABC, according to preliminary Nielsen ratings for the night. The awards ceremony drew 7.2 million viewers. ...
British singer George Michael writing new album
By Constance Watson LONDON (Reuters) - British singer George Michael is writing a new album while he recovers from head injuries sustained during a car accident last month, his spokeswoman said on Thursday. The 49-year-old former Wham! frontman has been recuperating at home after nearly two weeks in hospital. British media reported that Michael fell out of a car at speed on a busy motorway outside London during rush hour on May 16. "He's doing extremely well," Michael's spokeswoman said. "He is writing a new album." There was no release date for the new material. ...
George Jones Biopic in Works at 28 Entertainment
By Todd Cunningham LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - 28 Entertainment has begun work on a movie about iconic country music singer George Jones and his wife Nancy, the company announced Tuesday. It has acquired the rights to the project, written by Dennis L. Baxter and produced by Baxter and 28 Entertainment's Jay Hoffman and Brian A. Hoffman, which depicts George's life as a country music legend while battling his personal demons. Nancy Jones will executive produce and consult on the project. ...
Mumford & Sons cancel U.S. gigs as bassist undergoes brain surgery
LONDON (Reuters) - British folk-rockers Mumford & Sons have canceled three sell-out concerts in the United States this week after announcing on Tuesday that bassist Ted Dwane needed emergency surgery for a blood clot on the brain. The band, which won Album of the Year for "Babel" at the Grammy awards in February and the British Group award at the BRIT awards, said Dwane had felt unwell for a few days and was taken to hospital on Monday for emergency treatment. "The scans revealed a blood clot on the surface of his brain that requires an operation," the band said in a statement on its website. ...
Veteran bands Motorhead, Black Sabbath top UK metal music awards
By Ellen Sowerby LONDON (Reuters) - Veteran British rock bands Motorhead and Black Sabbath were crowned the kings of heavy metal on Monday, winning the top accolades at the UK's top metal music awards, the Metal Hammer Golden Gods. Motorhead, best known for its 1980 hit "Ace of Spades", received the Golden Gods awards at the 11th annual ceremony for making a significant contribution to the rock and heavy metal industry over nearly four decades. Black Sabbath won the award for best album for "13" which soared to No. ...
As Music-Competition Shows Slide, What Does It Take to Make a Hit?
By Tim Molloy NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - With "The Voice" finale hours away, tell us if this scenario sounds familiar: A give-it-your-all reality competition becomes a national fascination, and people agonize over whether their favorite competitors will be voted off. Other shows mimic its formula - and eventually another show becomes the nation's reality spectacle of choice. It outpaces its predecessor and makes many of us forget just how original the original once seemed. ...
