This week, Eminem becomes the 16th artist in SoundScan history to debut at Number One on the Hot 100 chart. His new hit, "Not Afraid," sold 380,000 digital downloads its first week of release. "Not Afraid" is the debut single from Eminem's upcoming album, "Recovery," which will be released on June 22. The last artist to debut at Number One on the Hot 100 was Britney Spears, who entered the list in October 2009 with "3." Others who have achieved that feat in the 51-year history of SoundScan include Michael Jackson, Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston. See the complete list at www.billboard.com.
With the May 12 exit of 26-year-old Florida native Michael Lynche, "American Idol" is down to the final three contestants. They are Crystal Bowersox, Casey James and Lee DeWyze. The May 18 show will feature the top three's return to their hometowns, where they'll be honored with parades.
Six new albums debut in the Top 10 on the Billboard 200 chart for the week ending May 22. Toni Braxton's "Pulse" comes in at Number 9. Court Yard Hounds enter at Number 7 with their self-titled collection. Deftones' "Diamond Eyes" lands on the list at Number 6. "Live at the Troubadour" by Carole King and James Taylor debuts at Number 4. In at Number 3 is "The Generous Mr. Lovewell" by MercyMe. And, Godsmack earns its third consecutive Number One debut on the Billboard 200 with "Oracle."
The third album by former "American Idol" finalist Bo Bice will be released on May 18. Appropriately titled "3," the album includes Bo's new single "Long Road Back." He's donating all of his proceeds from the song to Nashville-area flood victims. Bo says, "Nashville was hit hard by the flooding and we lost a large portion of our historic city, but we are going to make it through this hard time together." "Long Road Back" is available exclusively on iTunes.
NEW ALBUM RELEASES:
New albums scheduled for release on May 18 include: "Distant Relatives" by Nas & Damian Marley, "In Hi-Fi Stereo" by Mindi Abair, "Brothers" by the Black Keys, "New Traditionalists" by Devo, "The Jayhawks" by The Jayhawks, "Anomaly" by Lenny White and the "Glee: The Music, Volume 3 Showstoppers" soundtrack.
MUSICAL EVENTS/FESTIVALS/BENEFITS:
On May 16, Brad Paisley, Lady Antebellum, Dierks Bentley and Rodney Atkins headlined "Music City Keep on Playin' - A Benefit for Flood Relief." The concert took place at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium. Others taking part in the event included Kellie Pickler, CeCe Winans Jaci Velasquez and Will Hoge. The first national telethon for Nashville flood relief will be broadcast commercial-free on the GAC (Great American Country) channel. Nashville Mayor Karl Dean said, "Nashville has endured historic flooding, but we are resilient, recovery efforts have already begun and I am confident we will come out of this stronger than ever. Music is the heart and soul of this city and as such it will play a critical role in its recovery. This collaborative effort is just one example."
AWARDS PRESENTATIONS/WINNERS:
Jason Aldean, Lady Antebellum, Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood each received three nominations for this year's fan-voted CMT (Country Music Television) Music Awards. Ten artists are named in the Video of the Year category. They include Jason Aldean for "The Truth," Kenny Chesney for "Out Last Night," Toby Keith for "American Ride," Lady Antebellum for "Need You Now," Miranda Lambert for "White Liar," Brad Paisley for "Welcome to the Future," Taylor Swift for "You Belong With Me," Carrie Underwood for "Cowboy Casanova," Keith Urban for "'Til Summer Comes Around" and the Zac Brown Band for "Toes." The final nominees in that category will be announced during the live telecast, with voting to be held online at CMT.com. A total of nine awards will be presented on June 9 in Nashville. Kid Rock will host the ceremony, which will air live on the CMT cable channel.
TOUR DATES AND INFORMATION:
On May 18, the cast of the popular television series "Glee" will perform the first of 10 U.S. concerts in Phoenix, Arizona. Cast member Leah Michele said, "This has been such an extraordinary year for 'Glee' and I can't think of a better way to finish up the first season than performing live on stage with the cast." A second show will take place in Phoenix on May 19. Stops are also planned in Universal City, California (May 20-22), Rosemont, Illinois (May 25-26) and New York City (May 28-30).
The Bamboozle Roadshow 2010 tour will begin on May 21 in Columbia, Maryland. The lineup includes Third Eye Blind, Boys Like Girls, LMFAO, All Time Low, Good Charlotte and Hanson, among others. The 29-city North American trek comes to an end on June 27 in Boston, Massachusetts.
On May 21, R&B singer Maxwell will kick off a 20-city U.S. tour in Cleveland, Ohio. The opening slot will be filled by Jill Scott. Maxwell is supporting his first new album in eight years, "BLACKsummers'night." The tour will wrap up with a show at New York's Madison Square Garden on June 25.
Country star Brad Paisley will launch his "H2O World Tour" on May 21 in Virginia Beach, Virginia. During the next 12 months, he'll perform in 75 cities throughout the U.S., Canada and Europe. Brad says, "I've never been this excited about a tour. After one of the worst winters I can remember, we're going to make up for it this summer." Joining Brad on the tour are Darius Rucker, Justin Moore, Easton Corbin, Steel Magnolia and Josh Thompson. In addition to the music stages, the tour will offer several water-themed activities, including a fishing simulator and dunking booth.
