Rihanna takes the Number One spot on this week's Billboard's Hot 100 chart from Katy Perry, whose smash hit "I Kissed A Girl" spent the past seven weeks at the top of the list (week ending August 23). Rihanna's latest single, "Disturbia," sold 148,000 digital downloads to become her fourth Number One single on the Hot 100.
Springsteen to Perform at Super Bowl
The New York Post reports that Bruce Springsteen will perform the half-time show at Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa, Florida. The game will be played on February 1, 2009. Springsteen's spokeswoman Marilyn Laverty told the Associated Press she won't confirm or deny the report.
Lawson Wins 'Nashville Star'
Melissa Lawson, 32, has been named the winner of NBC-TV's Country music reality show Nashville Star. The mother of five makes her Country chart debut this week (week ending August 23) with her first hit "What If It All Goes Right." She traveled to Beijing to perform at the Olympics, then returned to the States and sang for the first time on Nashville's famous Grand Ole Opry stage. Next on her agenda is a tour with the three other "Nashville Star" finalists. Dates begin on September 12 in St. Louis, Missouri.
Legendary Music Producer Wexler Dies
On August 15, legendary producer Jerry Wexler died of congenital heart disease at a Florida hospice. He was 91. In the 1940s, Wexler worked as a journalist for Billboard magazine. He coined the term "rhythm-and-blues" to describe what was once known as "race records." Wexler later became a partner at Atlantic Records with the late Ahmet Ertegun, guiding the careers of Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin and others. He also worked on albums with Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Wilson Pickett, Dire Straits and George Michael. Wexler was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.
Allman Brothers Sue Universal Music
The Allman Brothers have filed a $13 million lawsuit against Universal Music's UMG Recordings. The Southern rock group is claiming unpaid royalties from sales of its CDs, digital downloads and ringtones. The suit specifically states that UMG "refuses to pay Plaintiffs at the correct royalty rate for its digital exploitation of the Capricorn Masters."
New Album Releases - August 19
"The Illusion of Progress" - Staind
"Shwayze" - Shwayze
"Greatest Hits, Vol. 2" - Goo Goo Dolls
"This Is My Life" - Amy MacDonald
"How To Walk Away" - Juliana Hatfield
"Burn Your Playhouse Down: The Unreleased Duets" - George Jones
"Open Book" - Evelyn "Champagne" King
"The Cheetah Girls: One World" -original motion picture soundtrack
Musical Events /Festivals/Benefits
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Radiohead and Jack Johnson will headline the Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival, which takes place in San Francisco, California August 22-24. Dozens of other acts will make appearances at the three-day event, including Wilco, Beck, Steve Winwood, Lupe Fiasco, The Black Keys, Ben Harper, Widespread Panic, Steel Pulse and Toots & the Maytals.
Awards, Presentations and Winners
Nominations for the 19th Annual International Bluegrass Music Awards have been announced. First-time nominees Dailey & Vincent lead the list with 10 nods, including Entertainer of the Year, Album of the Year for their self-titled Rounder Records release and Vocal Group of the Year. Blue Highway, Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder and the Dan Tyminski Band each received six nominations. Close behind with four mentions apiece are Rhonda Vincent & The Rage, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, The Del McCoury Band and Grasstowne. This year's IBMA ceremony will take place in Nashville, Tennessee on October 2nd.
Look Who's going on tour!
The Music Builds Tour, featuring performances by Jars of Clay, Third Day, Red, Robert Randolph & the Family Band and Switchfoot will kick off on August 21 in Detroit, Michigan. One dollar from each ticket sold will go to Habitat for Humanity groups in each city. The tour will stop in 23 cities before wrapping up in Denver, Colorado on October 12.
On August 23, Madonna will begin her "Sticky & Sweet" world tour in Cardiff, Wales. She'll be supporting her new album Hard Candy. After the 17-date European leg ends on September 27, Madonna will launch North American shows on October 4 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. According to her web site, she'll end her 2008 itinerary with two sold-out concerts in Mexico City on November 29 and 30.
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