ABC received 1500 complaints over 2009 American Idol runner-up Adam Lambert's provocative performance on the November 22 American Music Awards. That led ABC to cancel his November 25 live appearance on Good Morning America. ABC released a statement that said, "Given his controversial live performance on the AMAs, we were concerned about airing a similar concert so early in the morning." Lambert responded to the complaints by saying, "There are a lot of double standards as far as that goes. We've seen female pop and rock performers do that for the last 10 years. They've been very provocative, owning their power and sexuality. You just don't see men doing it very often. And I'm hoping to break down that double standard with this number."
Michael Jackson Items Auctioned
A Hong Kong businessman paid $350,000 for the white glove Michael Jackson wore during his performance at the 1983 "Motown 25" television special. It was among hundreds of rock and roll items up for bid by Julien's Auctions on November 21. The auction took place at the Hard Rock Café in New York's Time Square. A black jacket Jackson wore during his 1989 "Bad" world tour drew $225,000.
New Mayer Album Tops Billboard Album Chart
John Mayer sold 286,000 copies of his new album Battle Studies its first week of release. That was enough for the collection to debut in the top spot on the Billboard 200 (week ending December 5). Several other albums enter in this week's Top 5, including Norah Jones (Number 3 with The Fall), Casting Crowns (Number 4 with Until the Whole World Hears) and 50 Cent (Number 5 with Before I Self Destruct).
LL Cool J, Black Eyed Peas to Perform in Grammy Nominations Concert
On December 2, CBS-TV will air "The Grammy Nominations Concert Live - Countdown To Music's Biggest Night." Hosted by two-time Grammy winner LL Cool J, the one-hour special takes place at Club Nokia in Los Angeles. Performers will include the Black Eyed Peas, Sugarland, Maxwell, Nick Jonas & The Administration, and others. This marks the second time Grammy Award nominations will be announced live on primetime television.
Carrie Underwood Hosts Television Special
Other television specials airing this week include "Invitation Only: Carrie Underwood" on Country Music Television December 1. The one-hour show will feature Carrie singing some of her biggest hits, plus a question-and-answer segment with the audience. And, the 12 annual "Christmas in Rockefeller Center" will air on December 2. Aretha Franklin, Barry Manilow, Alicia Keys, Shakira and the Radio City Rockettes will perform.< /p>
Beach Boys, Jose Feliciano Among New Grammy Hall Of Fame Inductees
The Recording Academy has announced the latest additions to its Grammy Hall of Fame. Among the 25 inductees are classics by the Beach Boys, James Brown, Jose Feliciano, Bob Marley & the Wailers, Bo Diddley and Judy Garland. President/CEO of The Recording Academy Neil Portnow says, "This year's Grammy Hall of Fame inductees highlight a diverse array of masterpiece recordings that have had a profound impact on our musical history. The selections are timeless staples that span six decades and represent a wide range of genres from comedy to rock, reggae, jazz and R&B. They all greatly deserve to be memorialized." The Grammy Hall of Fame now includes 851 titles. (Complete list can be found at www.grammy.com)
New Album Releases December 1:
"Just Like You" by Allison Iraheta (2009 fourth place American Idol finalist), "Untitled" by R. Kelly, "An Evening With Il Divo - Live In Barcelona" by Il Divo, "Stir The Blood" by The Bravery, "Cocky & Confident" by Juvenile, "Thalia en Primera Fila" (first live CD/DVD) by Thalia, "Eye Of An Eagle" by Primal Fear, "Don't Stop" by Annie, "The Very Best of Enya" by Enya and the original motion picture soundtracks to "Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel" and "Up In The Air."
Look Who's Going On Tour!
On December 2, 67-year-old Paul McCartney will kick off his first European tour in five years. He'll perform eight shows on the tour, which begins in Hamburg, Germany. The former Beatle will also play concerts in the Netherlands, France and Ireland before wrapping up the outing at London's O2 arena on December 22.