Michael Jackson's family has delayed his burial until the cause of death is established. Although his brother Jermaine said he would like to see Michael buried on the grounds of his Neverland Ranch, the family has not asked for special permission that's required for burial outside of a cemetery. In other news, Nielsen Media Research reports that 31.1 million people in the U.S. tuned into the televised broadcast of Jackson's memorial on July 7. Millions more viewed Internet streams of the service. Eighteen networks carried the memorial live.
Jackson Children Custody Hearing to be Held July 13
The hearing to determine custody of Michael Jackson's three children is scheduled to take place on July 13. Michael's mother, Katherine, has temporary guardianship. A statement from the attorney for Debbie Rowe, who is the biological mother of the two oldest children, Prince Michael and Paris Katherine, says she hasn't decided whether she'll fight for custody.
Jackson Albums Hot Sellers on Billboard Pop Catalog List
According to Nielsen Soundscan, Michael Jackson's albums sold 800,000 copies during the past week, which gives him all of the Top 10 spots on Billboard's Top Pop Catalog chart (week ending July 18). Since Michael's June 25 death, his album sales have reached more than 1.2 million copies in the United States. Sales of his digital singles during the past week totaled close to 2.7 million copies.
Now That's What I Call Music 31 Tops Billboard 200 Chart
Six albums debut in this week's Top 10 on the Billboard 200 chart. The 20-track Now That's What I Call Music 31 compilation entered at Number One after selling 169,000 copies its first week of release. Brad Paisley's American Saturday Night followed at Number 2, Rob Thomas' Cradlesong came in at Number 3, Wilco's self-titled album entered at Number 4, and the self-titled collections by Jeremih and Killswitch Engage debuted at Number 6 and Number 7, respectively.
Daughtry Releases Sophmore Album
The follow-up to Daughtry's 2006 multi-million-selling, Grammy-nominated debut album will be released on July 14. The first single from Leave This Town is a track called "No Surprise," which lead singer Chris Daughtry wrote with Nickelback's Chad Kroeger. When describing the theme of the album, Chris said, "A lot of it is about how leaps of faith can set us free or tie us down, and how we often find heartache when we run from something and redemption when we run toward something."
Cher, Aguilera to Co-Star in 'Burlesque' Musical
Cher and Christina Aguilera will co-star in the upcoming musical Burlesque. The film tells the story of a small-town girl from Iowa who moves to Los Angeles and finds work at a burlesque club. Aguilera plays the role of the small-town girl and Cher's character runs the burlesque club. Filming is set to begin in November.
| New Album Releases - July 14 |
| "The Real Thing" - pureNRG |
| "Take Me Home" - Celtic Thunder |
| "Category F5" - Twista |
| "Signature" - Joe |
| "Addiction: Reality Music" - Chico DeBarge |
| "Life N Love" - Lisa Lisa |
| "Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince" - The original motion picture soundtrack |
| Musical Events/Festivals/Benefits |
On July 18, a tribute concert to honor human rights leader Nelson Mandela will take place at New York's Madison Square Garden. Performers include Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Alicia Keys, the Black Eyed Peas' will.i.am, Josh Groban, Wyclef, and many others. Previous "Mandela Day" events have taken place in South Africa, the U.K., Spain and Norway to celebrate Mandela's life and encourage people to address social issues through volunteer activities in their local communities. Whoopie Goldberg will host the first U.S. event, which is being held on Nelson Mandela's 91st birthday.
The Fray, Tool and Widespread Panic will headline the 2009 Mile High Music Festival in Denver, Colorado. The two-day event takes place on July 18 and 19. Other performers include Incubus, Ben Harper, Buddy Guy, the Wailers and India.Arie.
| Look Who's Going On Tour! |
On July 14, rap newcomers Asher Roth and Kid Cudi will begin a 19-city co-headlining tour in Boston, Massachusetts. Atlanta-based rapper B.O.B. will open concerts on the "Great Hangover Tour." Roth will support his debut album, Asleep In the Bread Isle. Kid Cudi's first release, "Man on the Moon: The End of Day," will be released on August 25.
On July 17, Paul McCartney will perform the first concert at the new Citi Field stadium in Queens, N.Y. Home to Major League Baseball's New York Mets, Citi Field replaced Shea Stadium, which was torn down this past January. McCartney will play additional sold-out shows at Citi Field on July 18 and July 21.
