NEWS DESK ARCHIVE - 2009

Boy George Banned From Big Brother
George O’Dowd aka Boy George has lost his court battle to take part in the new series of Celebrity Big Brother in January. The singer has lost a reported £400,000 by not being allowed to take part. He was recently released from a spell in prison for false imprisonment but under his licence conditions, which run until 15th April, he can only do approved work. His probation officer must also be able to visit him. A court judge ruled that to let 48 year-old Boy George take part in the show would be wrong and will cause his victim distress. Boy George played the decision down saying he was in two minds about taking part in the show anyway.
POSTED: 27/12/09

Amy & Blake To "Marry"
It has been reported that Amy Winehouse and Blake Fielder-Civil will get “married” again over the Christmas period. The pair, who divorced in September, are expected to take part in a mock ceremony where they will recite their original vows.
POSTED: 27/12/09

X Factor To Move Final
After last weekends battle for Christmas number one, where a Facebook campaign stopped the X Factor winner reaching number one, show producers are reportedly considering an earlier final to allow the winner's song a better chance of making it to the top of the charts next year.
POSTED: 27/12/09

Madonna 'Most Written About' Of The Decade
Madonna has been named as the most written about celebrity of the past decade in Britain. Researchers have found that the 51-year-old singer featured in 45,633 national newspaper articles. Robbie Williams was the most written about male with 27,976 articles.
POSTED: 27/12/09

News Briefs- 27/12/09

• Re-formed band Spandau Ballet will play their first ever festival next year in the Isle Of Wight
• Aerosmith frontman, 61 year-old, Steven Tyler has checked himself into a rehab clinic to treat an addiction to painkillers
• Rolling Stone, Ronnie Wood was cautioned by police after recently assaulting his girlfriend in the street
• Meanwhile, Ronnie’s ex-girlfriend, Ekaterina Ivanova, is set to make £100,000 by appearing on the new series of Celebrity Big Brother
• Susan Boyle is still breaking records. She has the world fastest-selling album and also has the UK’s fastest-selling debut album
• Miley Cyrus has broken the attendance record at London’s O2 arena when she pulled in a crowd of 16,196 last weekend

POSTED: 27/12/09

Joe Misses Out On Christmas Number One
Joe McElderry has missed out on the Christmas Number One as Rage Against The Machine sold 50,000 more copies of Killing In The Name, after a Facebook campaign. The track has the largest first week digital sales ever and is the first ever download only Christmas Number One. This year is the first non-X Factor Christmas Number One for five years. Simon Cowell has said he is gutted and Joe didn’t turn up to Radio 1, as expected, to hear the result live.
POSTED: 20/12/09

Joe V's "hate mob"
Joe McElderry has not had it easy with his first release. He has been locked in a battle for the Christmas Number One with Rage Against The Machine, after a Facebook group urged X Factor haters to download the 1992 song ‘Killing In The Name’ to stop Joe from getting the top spot. Simon Cowell was furious saying the actions of the Facebook campaign was bullying calling the perpetrators a “hate mob”.
POSTED: 20/12/09

Joe Adjusts To Fame
Joe McElderry has been adjusting to a life of fame this week after winning the X Factor last weekend. He has been everywhere this week promoting his new single and giving interviews. He has been on radio, TV and doing performances around the country. He did have time to return to his home town of South Shields to a heroes welcome. The Geordie 18 year-old also gave a very personal interview to The Sun newspaper where he answered questions on his love life. He revealed that he was straight, after speculation about his sexuality. He also revealed he has not slept with anyone and said he does not fancy Cheryl Cole saying “she’s a friend”.
POSTED: 20/12/09

Amy & Blake Back Together?
Blake Fielder-Civil, the former husband of Amy Winehouse, has told a tabloid that they are back together and are engaged again. It is news that Amy’s worried Dad Mitch won’t be happy to hear. Amy and Blake only divorced back in September.
POSTED: 20/12/09

42% Of World Heard Slade Song
It has been revealed that nearly half of the world’s population has heard Slade’s song ‘Merry Christmas Everybody’. Music industry researchers say three billion people, 42% of everyone on the planet, has listened to the song. Even if it wasn’t by choice.
POSTED: 20/12/09

News Briefs- 20/12/09

• A Michael Jackson tribute concert in London next year is in doubt after the company organising the show dissolved
• Lily Allen has had to pull out of the Top Of The Pops Christmas special as she was suffering from a sore throat
• Elton John and his civil-partner David Furnish are still keen to adopt a child after their failed bid to adopt a Ukrainian child
• Speaking about the death of Stephen Gately, Boyzone’s Shane Lynch, who is very religious, has said he believes God took him “for a reason”
• Sir Terry Wogan signed off of his Radio Two breakfast programme for the final time on Friday after 27 years on-air

POSTED: 20/12/09

Joe Wins The X Factor
Joe McElderry has won The X Factor 2009. The 18 year-old beat Olly Murs to win the show. It means Cheryl Cole is the winning mentor on the show for a second year running. Joe’s debut single The Climb out this week and could be Christmas Number One at the weekend.
POSTED: 13/12/09

No 2010 X Factor Contract Signed
As this year’s X Factor draws to a close it has been revealed, in the tabloids, that Simon Cowell has not signed a contract for another series with ITV. He has apparently threatened to pull the programme if ITV don’t commit to shelling out an extra £3 million for the next series. He is hoping tonight’s final will draw over 20 million viewers which should support his demand for a higher budget. The discussions will take place after this series. Simon said "That's the conversation we'll be having next year with ITV. Genuinely, we make these decisions when we've had a break from the show, we're a bit too immersed in it at the moment."
POSTED: 13/12/09

N-Dubz Star In Court
N-Dubz singer Tula Contostavlos has told a court how she feared being shot during a confrontation with a hoodie gang that ended with a stabbing. She was giving evidence in defence of her ex-boyfriend who was accused of being involved in the attack. He was later cleared of involvement.
POSTED: 13/12/09

Boyle Speaks Of Bullying "Hell"
As Susan Boyle continues her reign at the top of the charts in many countries she this week spoke about her battle with depression. She said she was badly bullied at school and said “my life was made absolute hell”. She has had the last laugh as her album has sold three million copies in three weeks.
POSTED: 13/12/09

Downloads Top Music Poll
The invention of downloadable music has topped a poll of the most important music event of the past 30 years. The Music Choice poll saw the Live Aid concert in second place, the iPods launch in third and the death of Michael Jackson in fourth.
POSTED: 13/12/09

News Briefs- 13/12/09

• Radio broadcaster, Terry Wogan was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award at The British Comedy Awards last night
• Sir Elton John and his partner David Furnish are selling their clothes off to raise money for charity
• Michael Jackson’s brothers have said they are planning a world tour as the Jackson 4
• Ronnie Wood has been ignoring his ex-girlfriend Ekaterina after she has been trying to woo him back
• Paul Anka has filed for divorce after his wife called the police and claimed he pulled a gun on her
• Westlife met American President Barack Obama this week. He chatted to them about his Irish heritage

POSTED: 13/12/09

Ronnie Wood Arrested
Former Rolling Stone, Ronnie Wood had a huge argument in the street with his 20 year-old Russian girlfriend this week. He apparently threatened to stub a cigarette out on her face. He was arrested on suspicion of assault after witnesses claimed they saw him choking her and dragging her along the pavement while she was screaming. Ronnie recently divorced his long-term wife as he set up home with his new girlfriend that he met last year. Since this incident, the press have reported that Ronnie has asked his girlfriend Ekaterina to pack her bags and leave. He is unlikely to be in trouble with the police as she has refused to press charges.
POSTED: 06/12/09

Boyle Takes The World By Storm
Susan Boyle has been surprising everyone with the sales of her new album. The Britain’s Got Talent runner-up sold 411,820 copies of her debut album in the UK and is now selling out worldwide. She has the number one album in many countries around the world, including America.
POSTED: 06/12/09

Melua Plays Down Diving Incident
Katie Melua has played down a "small incident" that left her out of air while diving in a west London lake. The 25 year-old was diving in a lake near Heathrow Airport when she accidentally "breathed in and choked on a lungful of water".
POSTED: 06/12/09

X Factor Winner Vs Muppets?
This year’s X Factor winner could be challenged to the Christmas Number One by The Muppets cover of the Queen song Bohemian Rhapsody. Campaigns by fans of the YouTube viral video could manage to get the song released as a single.
POSTED: 06/12/09

News Briefs- 06/12/09

• Beyonce has been nominated for ten Grammy Awards this year followed by country star Taylor Swift, with eight nominations
• Rapper, 50 Cent has said he always keeps $25,000 in cash on him because it makes him feel secure
• P Diddy turned TV presenter this week when he presented a show on a Home Shopping Channel to promote his own products
• A year after finding fame, the JLS lads have finally had their first big payday netting £250,000 each as part of a publishing deal for the rights to their songs
• Blur fans will be able to relive the bands reunion in the summer with the release of a feature-length documentary about the reunion
• Busta Rhymes has been told to pay £45,000 to a man that claimed he was bottled by the rapper as he was leaving one of his gigs

POSTED: 06/12/09

Robbie Denies Engagement
Robbie Williams has said he is not engaged to his girlfriend, despite his mother appearing to confirm the news. The singer has written on his website "Hey all. We are not engaged. Rob." Speculation began when the singer made an off-the-cuff proposal to Ayda Field on an Australian radio show. His spokesman said it was a joke, but his mother Jan later told a national radio station he had been planning to pop the question. She said that her son had revealed his proposal plans to her "a week ago". She said she was "really pleased" for the couple, adding "I've always wanted a daughter-in-law."
POSTED: 29/11/09

U2 To Headline Glastonbury
U2 are to headline next year's Glastonbury Festival, helping the event celebrate its 40th anniversary with their first appearance there. It will be their first festival gig for more than 25 years and will see them make a flying visit to the UK in the middle of a North American tour.
POSTED: 29/11/09

X Factor Winner's Song Rumours
As this series of The X Factor draws near, there has been some speculation about what the winner’s first release will be. It could be a cover of the Miley Cyrus song ‘The Climb’ or ‘Don’t Stop Believin’ which was a hit for Journey in the eighties. Journey fans have set up a Facebook group against the re-release.
POSTED: 29/11/09

Lily Continues Her Internet Ban
Lily Allen has said she is still enjoying an internet ban she imposed on herself in September. She said “I wanted to see what life would be like without using the net for a bit. Quite liberating actually”.
POSTED: 29/11/09

News Briefs- 29/11/09

• A memorial concert is taking place in London today for Boyzone singer Steven Gately. Around 1,000 family and fans will attend
• The Doctor suspected of being responsible for Michael Jackson’s death returned to work
• Rapper, P Diddy spent a massive £1.8 million on his spectacular 40th birthday party in New York
• This year’s Mercury Music Prize winner, Speech Debelle no longer has a record contract after blaming her record label for her poor sales
• Katherine Jenkins recently needed hospital treatment after being hit by the norovirus stomach bug
• Blur have become the first band to win the PRS For Music Heritage Award

POSTED: 29/11/09

Jacko's Film Uses Old Recordings
It was rumoured in the press this week that some of the live songs on Michael Jackson’s This Is It movie are remastered versions of old recordings by the singer. Some vocals have been weaved into the movie by technicians from recordings up to 28 years-old. Two music studio experts have said the recordings have been altered. They said the Earth Song vocals we lifted from a 1991 demo which is also available on YouTube and the version of Billie Jean includes lyrics dropped from the final cut of the 1982 Thriller album.
POSTED: 22/11/09

N-Dubz Stars Assist With Rape Probe
Stars from, Hip-Hop act, N-Dubz have been helping police with their enquiries about a rape this week. Police spoke to Dappy and Fazer as witnesses in connection with physical attacks on two woman at an after show party. They are not being treated as suspects.
POSTED: 22/11/09

Ronan Reveals Steven's Last Text
Boyzone singer, Ronan Keating told a national newspaper this week the words on the final text message he got from his bandmate Steven Gately on the evening he went out and sadly died. Steven said on the text “Got the new songs, love them pal. Really excited about the new album.”
POSTED: 22/11/09

JLS Fan In Luggage
A huge fan of JLS packed herself into a holdall next to the band members luggage hoping she would get to meet them. They were leaving their hotel when a security guard noticed one of the bags moving. They found the girl inside the bag, in a JLS T-Shirt, close to passing out.
POSTED: 22/11/09

News Briefs- 22/11/09

• Lady Gaga is to sing for the Queen at the Royal Variety Performance at the Opera House in Blackpool on 7th December
• An accident which involved Miley Cyrus's tour bus killed one passenger, police confirmed. Miley was not on board at the time
• 50 Cent has had his arm tattoos removed as he is tired of having to cover them up for movies
• Lionel Richie’s daughter is in hospital in L.A suffering from pneumonia. She is responding well to treatment
• Lee Ryan, from Blue, was taken away from outside a hotel this week when a police officer suspected he was smoking a joint
• Susan Boyle’s first album has broken a world record for being the most pre-ordered album ever on the online music store Amazon

POSTED: 22/11/09

Robbie Rejoins Take That On Stage
The Children In Need charity concert took place this week. The concert was organised by Gary Barlow from Take That. Take That were one of the many performers too. Robbie Williams finally rejoined his old Take That bandmates on stage, which fans have been waiting for, for a long time. He didn’t perform with them though as the press had speculated but was introduced by his bandmates before they left him to sing solo. After the show Robbie said "I started tearing up just before I came on, and the lads were singing and knowing it was just about to happen and knowing what the reactions were going to be like, and then all my team were like 'Please don't cry”. £500,000 was raised from ticket sales, which were allocated by ballot.
POSTED: 15/11/09

Chipmunk Has A Break-Down
All of, rapper, Chipmunks appearances have been cancelled after he appeared to have a break-down this week. He posted some worrying Tweets on Twitter talking of suicide. They were eventually removed and then he tweeted "This has been the most difficult time for me... But I will get through it!"
POSTED: 15/11/09

Peter Andre Burke Rumour
It has been rumoured that, last year’s X Factor winner, Alexandra Burke and Peter Andre are dating. The pair met when he interviewed her when he was a guest presenter on The Paul O’Grady Show.
POSTED: 15/11/09

Robbie Reveals Soppy Pet-Names
Robbie Williams has revealed some very strange pet-names that he and his girlfriend call each other. He calls her “brains and boobs” and she refers to him as “Boozy-woohoo” or “tickles-a-noozy”.
POSTED: 15/11/09

News Briefs- 15/11/09

• A strand of hair from Elvis Presley, saved by his personal barber, has raised £1,055 at auction
• Usher has ended his two year marriage by filing for divorce, meanwhile Ronnie Wood’s divorce took just 40 seconds this week
• Lee Mead and his girlfriend Denise Van Outen are said to be ecstatic about Denise being pregnant with her first child
• The only singer to appear on this year’s I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here line-up is Sabrina Washington who used to be in Mis-Teeq
• Boyzone have said they will release a tribute single for Steven Gately next year with him singing lead vocals
• Susan Boyle has been given extra security after a crazed stalker, who had been sending her letters, turned up at her home

POSTED: 15/11/09

MTV Europe Music Awards
The MTV Europe Music Awards took place in Berlin on Thursday and was hosted by Katy Perry. Katy’s clothing caused a lot of gossip as she changed her clothes at least five times. The prize winners were mainly females. Beyonce was the biggest winner picking up three gongs. She won Best Song with ‘Halo’, Best Female and Best Video for her single called ‘Single Ladies’. Lady Gaga won Best New Act and the Best Push Act was won by Pixie Lott. The Best Group went to Tokio Hotel, Best Male to Eminem, Best Urban went to Jay Z and Best Rock went to Green Day. A full list of winners can be found on the Music Awards page of this website.
POSTED: 08/11/09

Take That Reunion For Owen Wedding
Take That have been reunited for the wedding of Mark Owen. The singer today married his fiancee Emma Ferguson at Cawdor Church, near Inverness, followed by a reception at Cawdor Castle. Mark also hinted on his website that the band may sing together at his reception.
POSTED: 08/11/09

U2 Build New Berlin Wall
A U2 show marking the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall ran into controversy after organisers built a wall around the venue. A two metre barrier was erected around the Berlin venue and some people who travelled miles to the gig say it blocked their view.
POSTED: 08/11/09

Walliams Apologises To Ronson
David Walliams apologised to Mark Ronson after humiliating him in front of 3,000 people. David was playing the role of his Little Britain character Des Kaye and pulled down Marks trousers and pants. David later said “to put him in that position was out of his comfort zone”.
POSTED: 08/11/09

News Briefs- 08/11/09

• Morrissey stopped a concert halfway through the second song after he was hit by a bottle of beer thrown from a member of the crowd
• Former Stone Roses singer, Ian Brown was arrested on suspicion of assaulting his wife at a house in London
• A strand of hair from the late Elvis Presley, saved by his personal barber, is to be auctioned in Wiltshire
• Ronan Keating has confirmed that Boyzone will continue to finish the new album they were working on when Steven Gately died
• Jamelia is divorcing her husband, Darren Byfield, just 18 months after they got married

POSTED: 08/11/09

Q Awards 2009
The Q Awards took place at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London this week. Winners this year included Lady Gaga who won Best Video for Just Dance, Mr Hudson won the Best Breakthrough artist, Lily Allen won The Best Track with The Fear, The Best Live Act went to The Arctic Monkeys, The Best Act In The World Today award went to Muse and The Best New Act award went to White Lies. Amy Winehouse was invited to present The Specials with the Q Inspiration award but she got "stuck in a lift" and arrived on stage after they had been given the golden Q prize. A full list of winners can be found on the Music Awards page of this website.
POSTED: 01/11/09

Elton Cancels More Concerts
Sir Elton John has been forced to postpone three concerts in America this month because of ill-health. A statement on his official website said the 62-year-old singer had a "serious case" of E.coli bacterial infection and influenza. His spokesman said today "He has flu and is absolutely fine."
POSTED: 01/11/09

Liam Won't Go Solo
After the recent split of Oasis it has been revealed that Liam will not go solo like his brother Noel. Liam said “I don’t want to do anything solo. I want to be in a band. It will definitely be rock ‘n’ roll”.
POSTED: 01/11/09

Dappy Gets Dippy
N-Dubz rapper, Dappy made a fool of himself while recording quiz show Never Mind The Buzzcocks this week. He mistook Martha Wainwright for Ceryls from Catatonia and serenaded her with a chorus of the Catatonia song Roadrage. He also told her she was a massive influence on him when he was growing up.
POSTED: 01/11/09

News Briefs- 01/11/09

• Robbie Williams has pulled out of performing at the MTV Europe Music Awards on Thursday due to a “scheduling conflict”
• Amy Winehouse has told friends that she is back with Blake Fielder-Civil just three months after they divorced
• Comedian, Matt Lucas visited Steven Gateley’s partner to offer him a shoulder to cry on
• Around 2 and a half million people watched the free U2 concert which was broadcast on Youtube last weekend
• Michael Jackson’s This Is It film earned more than £12 million on it’s first day in cinema’s around the world

POSTED: 01/11/09

Robbie To Receive Brits Honour
Robbie Williams will receive the outstanding contribution to music prize at next year's Brit Awards. The 35-year-old star has already won 11 Brits as a solo artist which is more than any other singer. Ged Doherty of the Brits committee has said Robbie is "one of the outstanding artists and performers of his generation". Robbie won his first Brit award as a member of Take That, when ‘Could It Be Magic’ was named best single in 1993.
POSTED: 25/10/09

Lloyd Webber Cancer Diagnosed
It was revealed this morning that, Composer, Andrew Lloyd Webber, aged 61, has been diagnosed with prostate cancer. His spokesman said in a statement that the condition was currently in its very early stages. The statement said that "Andrew is now undergoing treatment and expects to be fully back at work before the end of the year."
POSTED: 25/10/09

Timberlake Granted Restraining Order
Justin Timberlake has been granted a temporary restraining order against a woman described by his lawyer as "an obsessed, mentally unstable stalker". Documents filed in an LA Court said Karen McNeil broke into the singer's Los Angeles home for the third time last week. She has been ordered to stay at least 100 yards away from the singer.
POSTED: 25/10/09

McFly Into The Universe
McFly’s music has been played in space. The bands single called ‘Star Girl’ was played on the International Space Station, that is orbiting the earth, after fans bombarded NASA with Tweets on Twitter.
POSTED: 25/10/09

News Briefs- 25/10/09

• Morrissey has been discharged from a Swindon hospital after collapsing on stage with breathing difficulties last night
• Rapper Lil Wayne faces a year in prison after pleading guilty to gun charges arising from a 2007 arrest
• Sir Elton John had to cancel a concert at short notice on Friday after being diagnosed with flu
• Former Sugababe Mutcha Buena has apparently been trying to reform the first Sugababes line-up with her, Keisha and Siobhan
• Steven Gately ended a ten-year feud with his mother shortly before he died two weeks ago
• N Dubz had to beg their record company for more time after missing the deadline to get their new album to them

POSTED: 25/10/09

Gately Laid To Rest
Saturday saw the funeral of, Boyzone singer, Stephen Gately at St Laurence O'Toole's church in Dublin. The 33 year-old died last weekend while on holiday in Majorca. Several of Stephen’s bandmates carried his coffin into the church. There was then a very emotional service which was played out on speakers to crowds outside. Ronan Keating gave a very moving speech as he choked back tears. He said "We will carry on but it will never be the same without him. Forever young and never forgotten. A man, a friend, a brother, a son a husband and a hero. I'm gonna really miss you brother. We love you and always will. And we know you have found peace. Perfect peace". Earlier this week the tabloids claimed that forensic police have revealed that Stephen smoked cannabis on the night he died.
POSTED: 18/10/09

Leona Punched In The Face
Leona Lewis was punched at a book signing in London this week. Police arrested a man at the scene. Leona was left very shaken but did not need hospital treatment. The man who punched her was later sectioned under the mental health act. Leona cancelled her appearance on the BBC’s One Show later that evening.
POSTED: 18/10/09

New Jacko Song Not New?
It has been said that Michael Jackson’s new song, This Is It, was actually written in 1983 with music legend Paul Anka. Paul said that the song was even released by singer Sa-Fire in 1991. Paul said “they have a major major problem on their hands. They will be sued if they don’t correct it”.
POSTED: 18/10/09

Cheat Again To Be Released
It is bad news for Marvin Humes from JLS. His ex-girlfriend has recorded her own version of the JLS song Beat Again with her own lyrics about when he cheated on her. Cheat Again will now be released on 8th November.
POSTED: 18/10/09

News Briefs- 18/10/09

• Pop group, A-ha have announced they are to call it a day after 25 years together
• Al Martino who had the UK’s first ever number one single died this week aged 82
• Whitney Houston is to tour the UK for the first time in more than a decade. She has five arena dates planned for next April
• Matt Willis has hinted on Twitter that he would like to give Busted another go but he wouldn’t want to work with Charlie Simpson again who left the band to join a new one
• Madonna has said her busy schedule stopped her from suicide after her marriage to Guy Richie broke down last year
• Sugababe singer, Amelle Berrabah is being treated for severe depression and will receive three weeks care in a clinic

POSTED: 18/10/09

Steven Gately Dies
Boyzone singer, Steven Gately has died, aged 33, while on holiday in Majorca. The group's tour website confirms he has "tragically died" and that the rest of the band are flying out to Majorca. The singer was on holiday with his long-term partner Andy Cowles when he died on Saturday night. Boyzone's manager Louis Walsh said "We're all absolutely devastated.”, "I'm in complete shock. I was only with him on Monday at an awards ceremony. We don't know much about what's happened yet. "I only heard after The X Factor and we will rally around each other this week. He was a great man". Police have said that there are no suspicious circumstances around his death. Rumours are he went out for drinks with his partner and then went to sleep in his hotel room where he never woke up again.
POSTED: 11/10/09

Sugababes Cancel Gig Due To Legal Issues
The new Sugababes had to pull out of what should have been their first live UK appearance because of "legal issues". The band were due to headline at the Scottish Royal Variety Performance in Glasgow. There is a rumour that former band member Keisha owns the some of the rights to the band name which could force them to change the band name.
POSTED: 11/10/09

Robbie Talks Of His Former Drug Addiction
Robbie Williams revealed that he was only 24 hours from death at the height of his addiction to prescription drugs saying “I was on my way out”. He has also refused to tour again because the last tour gave him a nervous breakdown.
POSTED: 11/10/09

Ozzy Gives Sharon Stolen Flowers
Ozzy Osbourne has revealed how he once stole flowers from a grave to give to his wife Sharon. He didn’t get away with it though because Sharon found a label on the flowers saying “In loving memory of Mary”. Needless to say Sharon hit-the-roof at him.
POSTED: 11/10/09

News Briefs- 11/10/09

• Amy Winehouse performed as a backing singer for her goddaughter Dionne Bromfield on BBC One's Strictly Come Dancing
• Liam Gallagher has confirmed that Oasis are definitely over saying "It's a shame, but we had a good run at it."
• Rolling Stone, Ronnie Wood has been sending vicious texts messages to his estranged wife Jo saying she is “cheapening” herself for being on Strictly Come Dancing
• Katy Perry and Russell Brand have both separately claimed, in the tabloids, that they are in love and have enjoyed a break to Paris
• Madonna is buying her lover, toyboy Jesus Luz, his own place in New York with a price tag of £1.7million

POSTED: 11/10/09

MOBO Awards 2009
N-Dubz won two awards at the Mobos winning best UK act and best album. But group JLS also picked up a pair of awards for best song and best newcomer. Other winners included Chipmunk, Keri Hilson and Beyonce. The awards honour music by black artists and were held in Glasgow. The hosts were Reggie Yates and U.S R&B act Keri Hilson, with the winners chosen by public vote.  There was no success for Dizzee Rascal or Tinchy Strider, despite each being nominated for three awards. N-Dubz's MC, Dappy, said rapper Tinchy Stryder should not have been overlooked. "There's no-one like Tinchy, nobody's doing what he's doing, nobody's got his swagger," he said. "I'm really upset. He should have won something." He later accused JLS of miming on stage. JLS have refused to comment on Dappy’s outburst.
POSTED: 04/10/09

Jacko Was "Fairly Healthy"
Michael Jackson had a strong heart and was a "fairly healthy" 50-year-old, according to an autopsy report obtained in the US. His weight was in the acceptable range for a man of his height, according to the Associated Press. Jackson's death was ruled as homicide caused by a powerful anaesthetic.
POSTED: 04/10/09

Sugababes Under Attack
The Sugababes have had another unusual week. Amelle has received hate mail from fans of Keisha who left the band last week after a series of arguments. Meanwhile, Keisha’s replacement, Jade Ewen had to close her Twitter page after a dispute with Keisha’s fans turned nasty.
POSTED: 04/10/09

Britney Blows Thousands On Sweets
Britney Spears celebrated the end of her American tour by spending £2,000 on sweets. She took her sons for the sticky treat before her final gig in Las Vegas. She bought buckets of Halloween sweets and chocolate treats.
POSTED: 04/10/09

News Briefs- 04/10/09

• Tickets for next year’s Glastonbury Festival have gone on sale today but only to fans that registered for tickets online by Friday
• Aaron Fagen, the N-Dubz drummer, was arrested over claims he indecently assaulted a girl at a student gig
• Katy Perry has been rumoured to be dating womaniser Russell Brand after apparently sending him a picture of her breasts
• Kanye West has cancelled his U.S tour with Lady Gaga. But no reason was given for the cancellation
• Madonna has claimed that one of the reasons she left Britain was because she cannot stand her nickname Madge
• Liam Gallagher from Oasis, who recently split up, has this week been campaigning to save the honey bee as he believes that humanity would be wiped out if they were to become extinct

POSTED: 04/10/09

Keisha Exits The Sugababes
The Sugababes line-up changed again this week. Last week we revealed that Amelle Berrabah quit the band after a series of rows with bandmate Keisha Buchanan. Well this week it was announced that in fact Keisha is the one who has left the band and Amelle is staying. Keisha has been replaced by the UK’s Eurovision entrant this year Jade Ewen. Keisha will pursue a solo career but claims that she didn’t leave the band by choice. Keisha posted online "Sometimes a breakdown in communication and lack of trust can result in many different things. I would like to state that there were no arguments, bullying or anything of the sort that lead to this”. The Sun newspaper claimed that Heidi Range, from the band, was the chief plotter to get Keisha out of the band because she thought they stood a better change of cracking America with Jade.
POSTED: 27/09/09

Number One Record Was Offered To Cheryl Cole
Taio Cruz who went to number one last week with ‘Break Your Heart’ has said that the song was offered to Cheryl Cole, from Girls Aloud, to start her solo career. But her record company took so long to get back to him he recorded the track himself.
POSTED: 27/09/09

Beyonce Concert Targeted By Extremists
Beyonce Knowles is being targeted by Islamic extremists trying to make her stop a gig. A right-wing Muslim party claims that the singer’s sexy outfits and provocative dancing is immoral and a danger to the young. They threaten to take action to stop her performing in Kuala Lumpur on 25th October.
POSTED: 27/09/09

Cowell More Important Than The Queen?
Simon Cowell is replacing the Queen as the symbol of modern Britain. Research has shown that almost two out of five under 18-year-olds think that the music mogul is a more important British figure than the monarch.
POSTED: 27/09/09

News Briefs- 27/09/09

• Chas and Dave have split after 35 years together. Dave Peacock is to retire from the music business and Pianist Chas Hodges said he will honour their touring commitments.
• Spandau Ballet have signed a new record contract and are set to release their first single in 20 years
• Coldplay have donated £1 million to a children’s charity that helps under-privileged children
• Wayne Rooney has apologised after some of his drunk friends acted up at a recent Stereophonics concert
• Lily Allen maybe quitting music. She blogged this week that she has not renegotiated her record contract and has no plans for another record

POSTED: 27/09/09

MTV Video Music Awards
The MTV Video Music Awards took place last weekend and winners included Beyonce who won three awards, Lady gaga who also won three awards, Eminem, Britney Spears, Green Day and the Beastie Boys. Kanye West shocked the crowd when he jumped on stage and interrupted Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech. She had won the award for Best Female Video and started her speech when the rapper took the microphone off her and told the crowd that Beyonce should have won the award. Kanye was asked to leave and was boo’ed by the audience. Beyonce looked embarrassed and, during one of her speeches, called Taylor back to the stage to finish her speech. America’s president, Barack Obama even branded the rapper a “jackass” for his actions.
POSTED: 20/09/09

Amelle Quits The Sugababes
The Sugababes line-up is changing again after Amelle Berrabah has quit the band for good after a series of rows with bandmate Keisha Buchanan. Her replacement will be Jade Ewen who represented the UK at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest.
POSTED: 20/09/09

Elton's Adoption Bid Fails
Elton John was disappointed to learn that he can’t adopt a little boy from the Ukraine who he says has “stolen my heart”. Ukrainian law says that Elton is too old to adopt and also bans gay couples from adopting. It is thought that Elton may now put in a bid to be the child’s guardian instead.
POSTED: 20/09/09

Cascada Loves Mini Golf
Dance singer Cascada has become a fan of mini golf. She apparently warmed up for her gig at Ibiza’s Clubland by challenging her dancers at pitch and putt. She said she wants to play again and can see why Kylie enjoys it so much.
POSTED: 20/09/09

News Briefs- 20/09/09

• Glastonbury has announced the festival will stick with the same ticket registration system as this year and tickets will cost £10 more
• Avril Lavigne and her rock musician husband Deryck Whibley have split up, she has announced on her website
• Robbie Williams has said he may go and live in Australia with his girlfriend. He has also said that he would love to appear on the TV show ‘I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here’
• A crowd turned violent after a nightclub party for Pixie Lott, to celebrate her number one, was wrecked by fire before the star even turned up
• 62 year-old Rolling Stone, Ronnie Wood has apparently moved into a fairytale castle with his 20-year-old girlfriend Ekaterina Ivanova

POSTED: 20/09/09

Sugababe Goes Missing
Amelle Berrabah, from the Sugababes, went missing for several days this week. Her family were frantic and feared she had been kidnapped. She went missing after an apparent argument with Sugababes bandmate Keisha Buchanan. It is rumoured that Keisha is jealous of Amelle’s recent solo number one with Tinchy Stryder, Amelle provided vocals for the song ‘Never Leave You’. During her disappearance she missed lots of public appearances and failed to respond calls from her management. Police eventually tracked her down to her north London home where she had locked herself away. She told the police that she was desperately unhappy and needed a break. Keisha has since been on Twitter and furiously denied that she is a bully.
POSTED: 13/09/09

Mercury Music Prize 2009
The Mercury Music Prize winner was announced this week. It is a prize chosen by a panel of judges to acknowledge the best album of the past year. This year’s winner was hip-hop star Speech Debelle, who won with her album called ‘Speech Therapy’. To date the album hasn’t sold many copies but that is expected to change off the back off this award.
POSTED: 13/09/09

Beatles Mania Returns
Beatles mania swept the nation this week, 46 years after the band first shot to fame. Hundreds of fans queued outside shops to buy the new Beatles Rock Band video game and the band’s re-mastered back-catalogue.
POSTED: 13/09/09

Kylie Inspired By Bed Sheets
Kylie Minogue says she baffles her boyfriend because when they stay in hotels she studies the bed sheets. Kylie has her own range of sheets and checks out the competition for inspiration.
POSTED: 13/09/09

News Briefs- 13/09/09

• The tribute concert for Michael Jackson set to take place in Vienna this month has been rescheduled for June 2010 and will now take place in London. Ticket holders have been offered a refund
• Robin Gibb has revealed that the surviving members of the Bee Gees are to perform together again
• Whitney Houston has revealed, on the Oprah Winfrey show, that at the height of her drug addiction she spent seven months in her pyjamas
• Amy Winehouse’s dad, Mitch, has apparently caught her in bed with her ex-husband Blake Fielder-Civil
• Leona Lewis is devastated after her cousin was jailed for a brutal robbery
• Gabriela, from The Cheeky Girls, has been declared backrupt due to unpaid tax bills
• The guitarist from Texas, Ally McErlaine is seriously ill in hospital with a brain aneurysm. Lead singer Sharleen Spiteri is keeping a bedside vigil

POSTED: 13/09/09

Jackson Laid To Rest
Friends and family of Michael Jackson paid their last respects to the singer at a funeral ceremony outside Los Angeles this week. Dame Elizabeth Taylor, actor Macaulay Culkin and music producer Quincy Jones were among the 200 invited guests. Michael’s family arrived in a motorcade of 31 vehicles. Jackson's brothers, Randy, Jackie, Tito, Jermaine and Marlon acted as pallbearers as his gold-plated coffin was removed from a hearse. A statement from the Jackson family said the pop star's casket was interred at 21:43 local time. "The Jackson family wishes to once again thank all of Michael's fans around the world for their generous outpouring of support during this terribly difficult time."
POSTED: 06/09/09

Music Videos Return To YouTube
YouTube has lifted a block on users viewing official music videos after the website reached an agreement with songwriters' group PRS for Music. In March, the service blocked videos to UK users after failing to reach agreement.
POSTED: 06/09/09

LeAnn Rimes Divorcing
LeAnn Rimes has announced on her website that she and her husband are getting a divorce. In a message to fans, the 26-year-old country singer wrote that she and Deane Sheremet had "agreed to move forward with dissolving our marriage".
POSTED: 06/09/09

Lady Gaga Blasts Internet Rumours
Lady Gaga has blasted internet rumours that she is a hermaphrodite. She has called the rumours, which she started herself, “ridiculous”. She recently claimed in a blog that she has “both male and female genitalia”. All the rumours started after a recent controversial concert photograph.
POSTED: 06/09/09

News Briefs- 06/09/09

• Jake Brockman, a former keyboard player with Echo and the Bunnymen has been killed in a motorbike crash on the Isle of Man
• Dizzee Rascal has slammed the 2012 Olympics and said that the games has turned his East London birthplace into a “hole”
• Chris Brown has said that he still loves Rihanna and is hoping that they can still be friends
• Pete Burns, from eighties act Dead Or Alive, has won £450,000 in damages from his former surgeon for lip implants that went wrong
• Duffy has a new man in her life. She is dating the British Lions rugby player Mike Phillips who has dumped his girlfriend for her

POSTED: 06/09/09

Noel Quits Oasis
Noel Gallagher has quit rock band Oasis, saying he can no longer work with his brother Liam. Noel, the group's lead guitarist and chief songwriter, has recently been involved in a series of rows with frontman Liam. The guitarist said: "It's with some sadness and great relief to tell you that I quit Oasis tonight. "People will write and say what they like, but I simply could not go on working with Liam a day longer." Referring to the remaining shows of their current world tour, he added: "Apologies to all the people who bought tickets for the shows in Paris, Konstanz and Milan."
POSTED: 30/08/09

Jacko Death WAS Homicide
Michael Jackson's death was homicide, primarily caused by the powerful anaesthetic Propofol, the Los Angeles coroner has confirmed. Propofol and the sedative Lorazepam were the "primary drugs responsible for Mr Jackson's death", but four further drugs were also found, the report said. The coroner's verdict increases the chances of criminal charges being brought against Jackson's doctors.
POSTED: 30/08/09

Chris Brown Sentenced
Chris Brown has been sentenced to 180 days' community labour and five years' probation for assaulting pop star Rihanna. The 20-year-old R&B star pleaded guilty in June to beating Rihanna, his former girlfriend. The judge said Brown must do physical labour, not community service, and attend domestic violence counselling. Brown must also stay at least 100 yards from Rihanna for the next five years. The judge said violation of the terms would be taken "very, very seriously".
POSTED: 30/08/09

End Of The World For Muse
Matt Bellamy, from Muse, became so convinced that the world was about to end, after researching conspiracy theories, that he went on a panic-buying spree. He stocked up on baked beans and armed himself with an axe. He had read that the UK could run out of food in 2 weeks.
POSTED: 30/08/09

News Briefs- 30/08/09

• The death of former Rolling Stones guitarist Brian Jones is to be reviewed following new evidence, it has been revealed
• Former Stone Roses frontman Ian Brown has said he would reunite with the band only if he found himself "begging on the streets"
• Rod Stewart has had to cancel several gigs after being hit with a nasty throat infection
• An MTV poll has placed Robbie Williams as the number one superstar with his former band, Take That, in second place
•  Amy Winehouse is suing her former mother-in-law for selling one of her love letters

POSTED: 30/08/09

Authorities Probe Leona Leak
As the new series of The X Factor started, this week Simon Cowell call in the authorities to investigate how an unreleased track by, the 2006 winner, Leona Lewis was leaked on to the internet. There has been speculation that the stolen duet, featuring Justin Timberlake, could be her album's lead single. Jeremy Banks, the head of the IFPI's internet piracy unit, said the organisation was "actively monitoring and removing illegal copies of this track from the internet to minimise the disruption caused by the leak". He added that the body was working with the record company and police forces in Europe and the US to trace the individuals who stole the track.
POSTED: 23/08/09

Jackson To Be Buried In September
Michael Jackson's family this week revealed plans to bury the star on what would have been his 51st birthday, on 29th August. However it has since been confirmed that the burial will take place on 3rd September. He will be laid to rest at the Forest-Lawn memorial park in Glendale.
POSTED: 23/08/09

Black Eyed Peas Break U.S Record
The Black Eyed Peas have broken a US chart record by notching up 20 weeks on top of the singles countdown. The R&B act's song ‘I Gotta Feeling’ claimed an eighth week at number one, following 12 weeks at pole position with ‘Boom Boom Pow’.
POSTED: 23/08/09

The Prison Hitlist
Duffy, Dido, Cat Stevens and Mika are among the stars that have an accolade they would rather not have. It has been revealed they are on the playlist of background music requested by murderers and rapists at the maximum security prison Broadmoor.
POSTED: 23/08/09

News Briefs- 23/08/09

• Liam Gallagher has revealed that he doesn’t know the future of Oasis after relations with his brother Noel has hit rock bottom
• Oasis pulled out of their headline performance at the V Festival in Essex today after Liam Gallagher contracted viral laryngitis
• The first episode of this year’s X Factor, last night, pulled in massive audience figures of 9.9 million viewers
• Robbie Williams was checked out by doctors after fearing he had swine flu. It turned out he had nothing more than the sniffles
• Rapper, Chipmunk got his A Level results. He got a B in drama, C in sociology and a D in critical thinking
• Cerys Matthews, formally of Catatonia, is expecting a baby at the age of 40. The father is her long-time manager Steve Abbott

POSTED: 23/08/09

George Michael Arrested After Crash
George Michael crashed into the back of a lorry, near Newbury, this week. He was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs after he crashed his 4x4 at high speed into the back of a lorry and then twice bounced off the central reservation. It was said to be a miracle that he survived the crash. The star has since released a statement saying he was questioned on suspicion of driving under the influence of drink or drugs, but released without charge a few hours later. He said "Neither of us was charged because we were both stone cold sober.”We both think the other is to blame so this is just an insurance fight. "I don't want my fans or my family worried by what they are reading all over again."
POSTED: 16/08/09

Monkeys Hide Festival Tickets
The Arctic Monkeys have hidden "golden tickets" to this year's Reading And Leeds Festivals inside two copies of their new single. People who buy the vinyl versions of ‘Crying Lightning’ from Oxfam could see the band headline the festivals.
POSTED: 16/08/09

Jacko Estate Grows
Michael Jackson’s estate is expected to make £120 million this year alone and is soon likely to be the top earning dead star. Executors of Jacko’s legacy have already made £60 million from merchandising contracts and a deal to make a film from footage of his rehearsals.
POSTED: 16/08/09

Passport Problems For Naked Andy
Andy Hopkins, who is bassist in the band The Enemy, has cost the band thousands of pounds after losing his passport in an embarrassing way. He went skinny dipping with a female companion in Ibiza but when they came out of the sea all of their belongings and his passport had been stolen. The band had to payout to get a replacement passport sorted out quickly.
POSTED: 16/08/09

News Briefs- 16/08/09

• Jennifer Hudson and her fiance, David Otunga, were "ecstatic" about the arrival of their "beautiful and perfect" baby boy
• Kasabian have been put in isolation on their own tour after frontman Tom Meighan was struck down with swine flu
• Madonna and Robbie Williams have been confirmed to appear on this year’s X Factor as mentors to the contestants
• Beyonce has revealed that she is shy and insecure about her figure. She blames not having a “normal social life” when growing up
• Pussycat Dolls singer, Nicole Scherzinger has asked Gary Barlow, from Take That, to write some songs for her next solo album
• New boyband, JLS seem to be doing alright for themselves. Aston and Marvin from the band recently run up a bar bill of £6,612.50

POSTED: 16/08/09

Jacko's Friend Could Be Father Of Paris
Mark Lester, a former child star and long-time friend of Michael Jackson, says he could be the father of Michael’s daughter called ‘Paris’. Speaking to the News Of The World, he said he had donated sperm to Jacko and was willing to take a paternity test. On Monday Michael’s mum was officially granted custody of his children. Meanwhile a psychiatrist for Michael has said that the star showed “signs of cracking up” over his UK gigs just days before he died. His family are apparently hiring private investigators to probe his death. Michael’s Dad Joe has also slammed concert organisers AEG saying he only wanted to do 10 shows, not 50.
POSTED: 09/08/09

Coxon Reveals Blur Could Be Back
Last week, Damon Albarn, from Blur, said they were no plans for the band to record again or even perform again. This week, fellow bandmate Graham Coxon said different. Graham let slip, in a radio interview, that fans may be seeing more of Blur and with a bit of luck hearing new tunes too.
POSTED: 09/08/09

Kerrang! Awards
Slipknot collected two Kerrang! awards at a ceremony in London. They collected awards for Best Live Act and Best International Band. Other winners included Metallica, The Prodigy, Linkin Park and Limp Bizkit. A full list of winners can be found on the Music Awards page of this website.
POSTED: 09/08/09

Beatles Fans Reconstruct Crossing Picture
Hundreds of Beatles fans have gathered to mark the 40th anniversary of when the zebra crossing shot from the band's ‘Abbey Road’ album cover was taken. People crowded around the crossing and celebrated by singing Beatles songs, causing traffic chaos in the process. Four Beatles lookalikes then strolled across the road for the picture reconstruction. The event was organised by Richard Porter, a Beatles tour guide and owner of the nearby Beatles café.
POSTED: 09/08/09

News Briefs- 09/08/09

• Robbie Williams revealed his forthcoming new album is “a killer”. He said it will include "old Robbie, new Robbie and a Robbie that neither of us have met"
• Will Young has been cast in a new Miss Marple film for ITV. The 30 year-old will star alongside Nigel Harman and Caroline Quentin
• Former S Club 7 singer, Rachel Stevens married her childhood sweetheart and walked down the isle to S Club 7 hit ‘Never Had A Dream Come True’
• 16 year-old Miley Cyrus won a restraining order against a 53 year-old stalker who believes they are secretly engaged
• Girlband, The Saturdays have threatened to go on strike if they don’t start getting star treatment. They have had to fly economy class and have to share hotel rooms

POSTED: 09/08/09

Macca To Quit Touring
Beatles legend Paul McCartney has revealed he is hanging up his tour guitar for the final time. He plans to mark the event with a farewell tour. After his success with The Beatles Paul went on to have a long solo career which included two number ones in the eighties. The star, who is approaching 70 years-old, now plans to mark the end of his live touring career with some spectacular shows at venues he has never played before. A source has said that “Paul wants to go out with a bang”, “he realises that the older he gets, the less his body will be able to cope with the demands of extended periods on the roads”. A farewell tour is expected to start around April time.
POSTED: 02/08/09

Black Eyed Peas Break U.S Chart Record
Hip-hop group The Black Eyed Peas have set a new record for the longest successive stay at the top of the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart by a duo or group. Having spent 12 weeks at the top of the chart with ‘Boom Boom Pow’, the group are now celebrating their fifth week at number one with ‘I Gotta Feeling’.
POSTED: 02/08/09

U2 Gig Protests
People who live close to the Croke Park stadium in Dublin protested this week over what they describe as "intrusion" caused in the aftermath of three U2 concerts last weekend. The residents are angry that Dublin City Council permitted continuous 44-hour works from midnight on Monday to dismantle the band's huge stage and then re-turf a pitch. They picketed the stadium and blocked the exit of some lorries on Tuesday.
POSTED: 02/08/09

Coldplay On The Simpsons
Coldplay are to be turned into cartoon characters to appear in an episode of The Simpsons. They will star in an episode of the 20th anniversary series which starts in September. Apparently Homer invites the group to his house after winning the lottery.
POSTED: 02/08/09

News Briefs- 02/08/09

• A lawyer for Michael Jackson’s mum, Katherine, has told an American TV channel that she will be awarded custody of the singers three children
• Mathew Fisher who co-wrote the song ‘A Whiter Shade Of Pale’ won a court case that now gives him a share of the royalties from now on
• Former Atomic Kitten singer, Natasha Hamilton has had her nightclub closed down, for the second time, after three men where knifed
• Wet Wet Wet star, Neil Mitchell is to face trial after allegedly battering his lover and pulling out clumps of her hair
• Leona Lewis has sought help from hypnotist Paul McKenna to help her keep on top of her nerves ahead of her global gigs

POSTED: 02/08/09

Jackson's Doctor On Manslaughter Investigation
Michael Jackson's personal doctor has been identified as the target of a manslaughter investigation into the singer's death, US court papers say. Dr Conrad Murray's medical clinic in Houston, Texas, and another site rented by him were searched on Wednesday. Police have said previously that Dr Murray is not a suspect but the search warrant allowed the authorities to seek evidence of manslaughter. The doctor was at Jackson's mansion and tried to revive him before he died. Dr Murray has already been interviewed twice by police, who had asked for medical records in addition to those already provided. He has not been arrested or formally charged.
POSTED: 26/07/09

Mercury Nominations Revealed
La Roux, Kasabian, Florence and the Machine and Friendly Fires are among others that have been nominated for this year’s Mercury Music Prize. The prize aims to promote the best British and Irish albums of the last 12 months. This year's award winner will be announced on 8th September.
POSTED: 26/07/09

Winehouse Found Not Guilty In Court
Amy Winehouse reacted with "unjustifiable violence" when a dancer asked her for a photograph at a charity ball, a court was told this week. She is alleged to have punched Sherene Flash last September. However, Amy was found not guilty by the court.
POSTED: 26/07/09

Leona Buys A Rabbit From A Tramp
Leona Lewis has bought a rabbit from a tramp after he threatened to eat it. The star was so mortified after hearing the homeless man say he would probably eat the rabbit she gave him $100 for it and told him to spend the money on food.
POSTED: 26/07/09

News Briefs- 26/07/09

• Chris Brown has publicly apologised for attacking his ex-girlfriend Rihanna. In a two-minute video on his website
• JLS have apparently all dumped their girlfriends in recent months after pressures of stardom made it impossible to stay together
• Blur frontman, Damon Albarn has said there are no plans for the band to record new material or even perform again following their recent comeback gigs
• Sugababes singer, Keisha Buchanan has been banned from driving for three weeks after being caught speeding at 85 mph in a 50mph zone
• Beastie Boys rapper Adam Yauch has revealed he has cancer and is suffering what he calls a “very treatable” tumour in a saliva gland
• Jermaine Jackson has confirmed that the surviving members of the Jackson 5 will put on two spectacular memorial shows at the O2 stadium next month

POSTED: 26/07/09

Madonna "Devastated" After Stage Deaths
Two people died following the collapse of a stage being constructed for a Madonna concert in France. Technicians had been setting up the stage at Marseille’s Velodrome stadium when the partially-built roof fell in on Thursday, bringing down a crane. Madonna’s concert, planned for tonight, has been cancelled. Eight other people were seriously hurt and more than 30 people injured. Madonna said "I am devastated to have just received this tragic news," "My prayers go out to those who were injured and their families, along with my deepest sympathy to all those affected by this heartbreaking news."
POSTED: 19/07/09

Ne-Yo Unwell On Stage
There were doubts about whether Ne-Yo will be able to perform at his three remaining UK shows after he was taken ill and left the stage in tears during a gig in Manchester. The R&B singer was crying after struggling to sing on stage for more than half an hour. He told fans he had never not completed a show before but couldn't continue with his performance.
POSTED: 19/07/09

Amy & Blake Divorce
Amy Winehouse and, husband of two years, Blake Fielder-Civil divorced this week. It emerged that she had admitted adultery to him before he started his jail sentence. The disclosure came in divorce papers that were made public during their “quickie” divorce. Neither of them was present in court.
POSTED: 19/07/09

Cowell Hunts Hackers
Simon Cowell is hunting internet hackers who hacked into producer’s computers and stole unfinished songs from the likes of Leona Lewis and then sold them on dodgy download websites.
POSTED: 19/07/09

News Briefs- 19/07/09

• Michael Jackson’s sister, Janet has offered to bring up his children because she loves them like her own
• Kylie Minogue had a blazing row with lover Andres Velencoso at a trendy bar in New York
• Lady Gaga was not pleased when GMTV bosses stopped her doing a raunchy dance while singing her song called ‘Paparazzi’
• Britney Spears refused to take her sons on tour to Russia after she received a series of email death threats
• Duncan James, from boyband Blue, revealed that he is bi-sexual and admitted “I was living a secret life”
• Girls Aloud reassured fans that they are not about to split up as their contract guarantees at least another three albums

POSTED: 19/07/09

Michael Jackson Memorial
On Tuesday Michael Jackson’s memorial took place in LA. The family had a private service at the Forest Lawn cemetery and then Michael’s coffin was then transported to The Staples Centre for his memorial service attended by his family, a host of celebrities and the 8,750 fans that were chosen in a lottery for tickets to the event. Mariah Carey opened the service singing Michaels song ‘I’ll Be There’ as Michael’s coffin sat just below the stage. Lionel Richie fought back tears when he sang. Other stars to sing were Jennifer Hudson, Stevie Winder and Usher, who stroked the coffin before breaking down at the end of his song. Britain's Got Talent finalist Shaheen Jafargholi also sang. Michael’s brother Jermaine sang Michaels favourite song ‘Smile’ which was very moving. There were speeches from Queen Latifah, Smokey Robinson, Berry Gordy and Brooke Shields. Then Michael’s siblings, children and parents took part in a chorus of ‘We Are The World’ and ‘Heal the World’. His family, with the brothers each wearing a single jewelled glove in Jackson's honour, then took to the podium where Michael’s daughter Paris made a surprise and emotional speech. She said "I just wanted to say, ever since I was born, daddy has been the best father you can ever imagine," "And I just wanted to say I love him so much". It has not yet been confirmed where Michael will be buried.
POSTED: 11/07/09

Urban Stars Record Together
Some of the biggest names in urban music, including Pixie Lott, Tinchy Stryder, N-Dubz and Chipmunk, have joined forces to record a new single for the War Child project, calling themselves Young Soul Rebels. The single will be released in August.
POSTED: 11/07/09

Barlow To Stage A Charity Gig
Take That singer Gary Barlow will stage a concert at the Royal Albert Hall to kick off the BBC's Children In Need annual charitable event in November. "I can promise a night to remember, a night that will, I hope, play a small part in changing the lives of disadvantaged children," Barlow said. A full line-up has not been announced yet.
POSTED: 11/07/09

News Briefs- 11/07/09

• Alesha Dixon will join the Strictly Come Dancing judging panel, when the seventh series begins this autumn, the BBC has announced
• Eighties pop star Sinitta has revealed that she is divorcing her husband after he moved to Hong Kong last year
• Ozzy Osbourne was left devastated and stunned when his pet dog was eaten by a coyote in the grounds of his L.A mansion
• Peter Andre’s friends have said that he will be returning to his native Australia when he has divorced his wife Katie Price
• Jon McClure and Laura Manuel, from Reverend & The Makers have announced that they are getting married in August

POSTED: 11/07/09

Jacko Equals Chart Record
Michael Jackson has five singles in the top 20 which equals Belfast singer Ruby Murray's record for the most singles in the top 20 in the same week, which was set back in March 1955. He has a total of eight singles in total in the top 40. He has also secured five albums in the top 10 of the album chart this week.
POSTED: 06/07/09

Blur Reunite In Hyde Park
Britpop stars Blur have had their official reunion in Hyde Park this week. Frontman, Damon Albarn revealed to fans that the park was the inspiration for their signature song ‘Parklife’. The reunited band played a two-hour set. Fans were treated to 25 songs, in a show that was almost a track-by-track recreation of their headlining slot at Glastonbury last weekend. Damon was visibly moved when he told the crowd "We feel really privileged to be able to do nothing for years, then come back to this."
POSTED: 05/07/09

Michael Jackson's Will Is Filed
More news about Michael Jackson’s death has been filtering through this week. It has been said that his home was filled with a cocktail of painkilling drugs and that he spent £30,000 a month on prescription drugs. It was also said that he survived on just one meal a day. Meanwhile his will was filed in a Los Angeles court, giving his entire estate to a family trust. The Family Trust would benefit his three children, his mother and unnamed charities, according to Reuters. His will also named Diana Ross as guardian for his children in the event that his mother was unable to fulfil her duties. 17,500 tickets have been made available for his memorial service in L.A on Tuesday. Fans have been entering an online lottery to try and get a ticket to the event.
POSTED: 05/07/09

Take That Win Second Silver Clef
Take That have won their second coveted Silver Clef award, recognising an 18-year chart career. They first received the prize in 1995. The trophy is awarded each year to raise funds for music therapy charity Nordoff-Robins.
POSTED: 05/07/09

What's Occuring Tom Jones?
Script writers for the hit comedy Gavin & Stacey are busy creating a character that will be played by Tom Jones. He has been lined up for a cameo in the last ever series of the show starring Matt Horne and James Corden.
POSTED: 05/07/09

News Briefs- 05/07/09

• Speaking in an interview on a national radio station, Peter Andre says his break up with model Katie Price has been "the worst few months" of his life
• Abba's songwriting team Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus have confirmed that they will take part in an Abba tribute show in Hyde Park on 13th September
• Justin Timberlake has given Guy Richie his word that will star in one of the film directors big film projects
• A Rod Stewart fan has been awarded £12,700 after being left concussed after the star kicked a football into the crowd at a gig
• Kevin from the Jonas Brothers has broken his fans hearts after proposing to his girlfriend Danielle Deleasa

POSTED: 05/07/09

Jacko Rules The Charts
Following his death, Michael Jackson has six singles in this weeks top 40. Michael also has the new number one album with his ‘Number Ones’ album. The album first entered the album chart in November 2003. A total of 43 Michael Jackson singles re-entered the Top 100 singles chart this week as heartbroken fans downloaded their favourite songs. Meanwhile seven of his albums re-entered the Top 100 albums chart.
POSTED: 29/06/09

Glastonbury Festival 2009
The Glastonbury Festival has been taking place this weekend with a return to the famous mud. Thunderstorms on Thursday night turned much of the site into a mud-bath but fans have been treated to good weather ever since. News of Michael Jackson’s death quickly spread across the site on Thursday evening prompting tributes from many of the performers. This weekend has seen great performances from Lily Allen, Lady Gaga, The Ting Tings, Neil Young, Dizzee Rascal, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Jones, Status Quo, Prodigy and Blur closed the festival on Sunday night. A total of six people were sent home after testing positive for Swine Flu but organisers say “there is no more risk here than anywhere”.
Check out full coverage, including Music Mania’s very own pictures from the site, on the Glastonbury pages of this website.
POSTED: 29/06/09

Michael Jackson Dies
Michael Jackson died on Thursday evening after a suspected heart attack. Paramedics where called to his Beverly Hills mansion after he had stopped breathing and slipped into a coma. They rushed him to hospital where they are reported to have carried out CPR on the star for and hour and a half but unfortunately they failed to save him. His brother Jermaine revealed to the world that Michael had passed away. It comes just two weeks before Michael was due to start his 50 concerts in London’s O2 area. Some think the stress of rehearsals contributed to his heart failure while other blame the reported cocktail of pain killers he was taking. A post-mortem took place and results will take some time to come through. However it is reported today that his family have ordered a second post-mortem and it is believed this may have already been carried out. People with O2 concert tickets are expected to get a full refund unless they bought their tickets from third parties.
POSTED: 28/06/09

Cowell's Credit Card Declined
Millionaire Simon Cowell’s credit card was rejected when he tried to pay for a meal in a posh restaurant. He was told he has “insufficient funds”. Piers Morgan who was dining with him at the time said “it’s the greatest moment in my life”. Simon’s card had actually maxed out after a spending spree.
POSTED: 28/06/09

News Briefs- 28/06/09

• Chris Brown has pleaded guilty to assault on his former girlfriend, Rihanna. He was sentenced to five years' probation and ordered to do six months of community service
• Gary Barlow is planning to organise a gig full of stars, in October, at London’s Royal Albert Hall to raise money for Children In Need
• Former Busted star, Matt Willis has become a dad for the first time after his wife Emma Griffiths gave birth to a baby girl
• Madonna’s adopted daughter Mercy has been settling in with the star after arriving in the UK last weekend
• Madonna made more money in royalties last year than any other musician. She made £73 million which is £200,000 a day
• Jack Osbourne was attacked by drunken yobs in London as he returned from a wedding. He managed to fight them off though

POSTED: 28/06/09

Top 40 Changes To Come
The Top 40 is facing a shake-up as chart bosses consider incorporating songs from music streaming sites. Offering free, legal access to millions of tunes, online jukebox services like We7 and Spotify have taken off in 2009. Users can listen to tracks without paying to own them, as they have had to with vinyl, tapes, CDs and downloads. The Official UK Charts Company said the Top 40 was "bound to" incorporate songs from streaming services at some point, but not for at least another 12 months.  The chart has always been based purely on sales, with each individual purchase, whatever the format, treated equally. But the streaming and subscription services may soon become too popular to ignore.
POSTED: 21/06/09

Noel Brands Fans "Cheeky"
Noel Gallagher has criticised the 20,000 fans who asked for their money back after his band's homecoming gig was marred by technical problems. The Oasis guitarist called them "cheeky", and wrote of his surprise that so many took him up on his offer of a refund. In his blog, he wrote: "So you were genuinely disappointed? There wasn't a 20,000 gap in the crowd."
POSTED: 21/06/09

Amazon Price Blunder
People were able to download albums by top artists for just 29p on Wednesday after a mistake by Amazon. The mistake, which was publicised by several consumer websites, was rectified after about four hours.
POSTED: 21/06/09

Puddles & Make-Up Don't Mix
Rocker, Marilyn Manson was left smudged faced after he fell face first in to a puddle when he arrived at a bash to collect an award. He then had to send his aide on stage to collect the award because his mascara started running.
POSTED: 21/06/09

News Briefs- 21/06/09

• Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora of rock band Bon Jovi have been inducted into the US Songwriters Hall of Fame at a ceremony
• Cher has vowed to "support" her daughter, who recently revealed she had undergone a sex change to become a man
• Singer Sonique, who had a number one hit with ‘It Feels So Good’ has found out she has breast cancer which has spread and will undergo a second operation
• Britney Spears is apparently going to marry her agent Jason Trawick. It will be the third time she has married
• Kelly Rowland has said that she would love to work with Dizzee Rascal and also said that she would love to tour again with her former band Destiny’s Child
• Simon Cowell has revealed that this year’s X Factor auditions will be recorded in front of a live audience

POSTED: 21/06/09

Madonna Adoption Appeal Successful
Madonna has won her appeal to adopt a second child from Malawi, a high court has ruled. The star was appealing against an earlier decision in April that she could not adopt Chifundo "Mercy" James, aged four. Judge Esmie Chondo ruled out the adoption saying prospective parents had to be resident in Malawi for 18 months. The rule was waived in 2006 when Madonna adopted a boy, David, from the southern African state. Mercy has been living in an orphanage since her 18-year-old mother died shortly after giving birth. The 50-year-old entertainer also has two biological children, Lourdes, 12, and Rocco, aged eight. The star is said to be delighted by the success of the appeal.
POSTED: 14/06/09

Promoter Suing Jackson
A promoter is suing Michael Jackson for £24.4m for allegedly breaching a contract to play a reunion concert in the U.S with other family members. Allgood Entertainment claims it made a deal in November with Jackson's then-manager to produce the gig this summer. It says the deal called for Jackson not to perform elsewhere before the event or for at least three months after it.
POSTED: 14/06/09

Yoko Given Mojo Honour
John Lennon's widow Yoko Ono was given a lifetime achievement honour at Mojo magazine's awards in London. Other acts honoured included Fleet Foxes, Elbow and Paul Weller. Blur made their first public appearance together, ahead of reunion gigs, to collect the inspiration award. All full list of winners can be found on the Music Awards page of this website.
POSTED: 14/06/09

Myleene Gets Stuck To Her Bed
Musician, Myleene Klass had to call hotel staff to her room after she became stuck to her bed. She is currently in America presenting the U.S version of I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here. Apparently insect repellant on her foot reacted with the varnish on the bedposts which glued her foot to the frame.
POSTED: 14/06/09

News Briefs- 14/06/09

• Rachel Stevens was ambushed on Tuesday afternoon as she entered her flat and was robbed of jewellery by three men
• Britney Spears has announced she will tour Australia in November for the first time in her career
• Rihanna's lawyer has said she has been ordered to appear in court at her ex-boyfriend Chris Brown's assault trial on 22nd June
• Lily Allen posted a picture on Twitter of her and some of the cast of Neighbours after her guest appearance in the Australian soap
• It has been revealed that Robbie Williams will not be rejoining Take That after all because it could wreck his solo career
• Pete Doherty was arrested and taken to a police cell on suspicion of drink driving and drug possession

POSTED: 14/06/09

Oasis Fans Offered Refund
Oasis frontman Noel Gallagher promised 70,000 fans their money back after two major power cuts during their gig in Manchester. Technical problems plagued the band's first homecoming gig at Heaton Park on Thursday night, with the show being disrupted for half an hour. Fans paid £45 for tickets for the show, the first time Oasis had performed in Manchester in four years. Noel said "Thank you very very much, this is a free gig, let's have it. "Anybody who has kept their ticket will get a full refund." If all fans returned their tickets, it would cost at least £3m to fully refund them. Some fans, however, said they would not be asking for a refund because they said it was still "well worth it". Oasis had returned to Manchester as part of their Dig Out Your Soul world tour.
POSTED: 07/06/09

Kanye Angers Pink
Singer, Pink has voiced her anger at rapper, Kanye West. She explained how she was at a fashion show with the vice president of People For The Ethical Treatment Of Animals when Kanye said “They need more fur in this show”. Pink said “he just wouldn’t shut up about how he loved fur”, “I was so grossed out at him. I’m like, you’re an idiot”.
POSTED: 07/06/09

Beatles Rock Band Launch
Sir Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr appeared on stage for the first public viewing of The Beatles Rock Band. The karaoke-style game lets users use adapted game controllers to play along to various songs.
POSTED: 07/06/09

Eminem Speaks Of New Addiction
Eminem, who in the past has been treated for drug addiction, has revealed a new addiction. He has told how he loves the children’s cartoon Hey Arnold. He said he got into the cartoon while watching it with his daughter Hailie.
POSTED: 07/06/09

News Briefs- 07/06/09

• Britain's Got Talent runner-up Susan Boyle was taken to a private London clinic suffering with exhaustion. She is now out and OK
• Take That started the biggest tour the UK and Ireland have ever seen, playing to more than a million people at 20 stadium concerts
• Tinchy Stryder has asked Diversity, the dance group who won Britain’s Got Talent, to appear in a video with him
• A feature-length movie about the success of Britpop group Blur is in the pipeline and could be shown at cinema’s across the country
• Duncan James was rushed to hospital after giving himself hernia during rehearsals for the comeback gigs for boyband Blue
• Michael Jackson has said he was furious after promoters booked 50 gigs for him at London’s O2 arena this summer, he thought it would be just 10 gigs

POSTED: 07/06/09

Glastonbury Line Up Revealed
On Monday, The Glastonbury Festival line-up was revealed with Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen and Blur all headlining the Pyramid stage. While the line-up appears to be dominated by older acts, there are plenty of younger bands for fans to see including Bat for Lashes, Bloc Party, White Lies and Glasvegas who will all be performing on the Other Stage. The John Peel stage will be headlined by Jarvis Cocker, Doves and Echo And The Bunnymen. Glastonbury organisers are refusing to name a "top" act who are appearing ,because of health and safety concerns. They say they have booked a "huge" band but are scared of attracting too many people wanting to watch their set. A full line up can be found via the Glastonbury page on this website. The festival takes place from Friday 26th June.
POSTED: 31/05/09

Chris Brown Says He Is Not A Monster
Chris Brown spoke out about claims he hit his ex-girlfiend Rihanna. He posted a video of himself online and said "Everybody that's haters, they just been haters. All my real fans, I love ya'll. I ain't a monster." Meanwhile it has been revealed the Rihanna may be forced to testify against Chris in court next month.
POSTED: 31/05/09

More Jacko Concerts Could Be Delayed
It is possible that more of Michael Jackson’s O2 gigs may be postponed due to his health. The singer is being treated for a form of skin cancer and if he needs radiotherapy he may be too exhausted to rehearse or perform.
POSTED: 31/05/09

Lily Allen To Star In Neighbours
Lily Allen is going to make an appearance in the Australian soap Neighbours. She will film in the famous Ramsay Street in June between her Australian tour gigs. It has not yet been confirmed if Lily will play herself but U.K fans of the soap will have to wait until September to see her in it.
POSTED: 31/05/09

News Briefs- 31/05/09

• Depeche Mode singer Dave Gahan has had surgery to remove a cancerous tumour in his bladder
• Unknown singer Susan Boyle, who was predicted to win last nights Britain’s Got Talent final, came second to dance group Diversity
• American music producer, Phil Spector was jailed for 19 years after being found guilty of murdering his wife back in 2003
• Ozzy Osbourne is suing his fellow Black Sabbath band mate, Tony Iommi over a dispute about royalties
• Former Westlife singer, Brian McFadden has postponed his Christmas wedding to Delta Goodrem blaming “increased work commitments”

POSTED: 31/05/09

Elbow Collect Two Ivor Novello Awards
Elbow celebrated a double win at the Ivor Novello awards, including the main award for best song. The awards honour excellence in music writing. Elbow won Best song musically and lyrically and Best contemporary song. The PRS most performed work went to Duffy with ‘Mercy’ while the Best-selling British song was ‘Viva La Vida’ by Coldplay . The Album award went t to ‘We Started Nothing’ by The Ting Tings and the Ivors Inspiration award went to Edwyn Collins. A full list of winners can be found on the Music Awards page of this website.
POSTED: 24/05/09

Jacko Concerts Postponed
Michael Jackson has delayed the opening four nights of his ‘This Is It’ U.K tour at London's O2 arena. Concert promoters AEG Live said the delay was necessary because the singer needed more time for dress rehearsals. The first show, on 8 July, has been pushed back by five nights. Three other July dates will not take place until March 2010. Fans, who were told of the rescheduled dates in an email, have reacted with a mixture of anger and support.
POSTED: 24/05/09

Kanye Pleads Not Guilty
Kanye West has pleaded not guilty to charges stemming from a scuffle with a photographer at an airport last year. The next scheduled hearing will be on 15th July. He could face two and a half years in jail if convicted.
POSTED: 24/05/09

Lady Gaga Mistaken For A Lady Of The Night
Lady Gaga was recently mistaken for a prostitute when she posed for pictures in Russia’s Red Square wearing only a leather leotard. She asked her driver to stop and take pictures of her as they were passing the landmark. Even Police turned up and had a word although she did not speak their language.
POSTED: 24/05/09

News Briefs- 24/05/09

• It is rumoured that Blur are also planning some American comeback gigs around the same time as the UK gigs
• Estelle came within moments of the shoot-out in the L.A shopping centre where rapper Dolla was gunned down. She was there just moments before
• Maximo Park are hunting for a guitar that was stolen from their studio. It used to belong to The Clash legend Joe Strummer
• Britney Spears spent a quarter of her earnings on legal fees last year. The singer earned £7,944,737 last year
• Sir Paul McCartney’s London house has been removed from Google Street View after he made a complaint that fans could find his house online

POSTED: 24/05/09

Norway Win The Eurovision Song Contest
Norway won the Eurovision Song Contest, held in Moscow last night. Singer and violinist Alexander Rybak, 23, smashed the record for the most points awarded ever during the competition. The UK did considerably better than of recent years when Jade Ewen, singing the Andrew Lloyd Webber song, ended in fifth position. For the first time, voting in the final was split between televoting and new panels of musical experts, which was supposed to reduce political voting and the predictable neighbourly votes. A total of 42 countries voted on the 25 songs, with Norway scoring a record 387 points. Graham Norton was making his debut as commentator for the BBC, replacing Sir Terry Wogan, who bowed out last year. Before the contest Graham said "Terry rang me to wish me good luck."
POSTED: 17/05/09

Michael Jackson Has Skin Cancer
It has been reported that Michael Jackson has got skin cancer. The singer has been told that his condition is treatable and he is apparently determined to be well for his mammoth spate of gigs at the O2 area from July.
POSTED: 17/05/09

Will Young Has Voice Problems
Will Young is not recovering very quickly after his recent operation to remove his tonsils. He is apparently having singing lessons to get his voice back to its best. He was hoping to make a quick recovery so he could perform at The Isle Of Wight Festival in a few weeks time.
POSTED: 17/05/09

Jarvis V British Pop
Jarvis Cocker, who used to be in the band Pulp, has said that living abroad means he doesn’t need to get “gummed up” with songs like Alesha Dixon’s Let’s Get Excited. It appears that he is far from a fan of modern pop.
POSTED: 17/05/09

News Briefs- 17/05/09

• Boy George was released from prison four months into a 15 month sentence and will where a tag for the rest of his sentence
• The Manic Street Preachers album is being displayed in supermarkets in a plain case because its artwork has been deemed "inappropriate"
• Maximo Park are to launch 2009's Glastonbury festival with an appearance on a brand new stage on Thursday 24th June
• Former musician Peter Andre finished with his wife Katie Price after a four year marriage, meanwhile Charlotte Church’s family denied rumours that she was having marriage trouble
• Eminem has revealed that Elton John helped him to conquer his drug addiction. He said he spoke to Elton a lot during his rehab
• Rihanna’s new single, called Silly Boy, is supposed to be a dig at her ex boyfriend Chris Brown who apparently assaulted her recently

POSTED: 17/05/09

Glastonbury Cancellation Fear
The Glastonbury Festival could be cancelled if the Swine Flu outbreak becomes worse. Michael Eavis called the festival organisers to an extraordinary general meeting to discuss the prospect of cancelling the event amid fears of a pandemic. Planners are worried that the government will advise the festival should not go ahead if the spread of the, potentially fatal, Swine Flu gets worse. An official Glastonbury spokesman said “We are monitoring all developments. At this stage the festival is going ahead and we are continuing to work flat out to make it a success”.
POSTED: 10/05/09

Danni Will Return To X Factor
Danni Minogue will return, as a judge, on The X Factor again this year. It was reported that Simon Cowell was looking to replace her but she is expected to sign a contract for the 2009 series this week after Simon failed to find a suitable replacement.
POSTED: 10/05/09

Madonna Appeal Delayed
Madonna was left upset again this week when an appeals court in Malawi delayed its decision on if they should let Madonna adopt another child from the country. It is also thought that her recent divorce will play a part in the courts decision.
POSTED: 10/05/09

Tom Jones' Big Gig
Tom Jones is being paid £1 million to sing for less than an hour. He and Mariah Carey have been asked to perform at the opening of Europe’s most expensive resort, Mardan Palace in Turkey. One of the rooms in the brand new hotel costs £13,000 a night.
POSTED: 10/05/09

News Briefs- 10/05/09

• After spending time in hospital, N-Dubz singer, Tulisa Contostavlos has been given the all-clear on Swine Flu
• A former publicist for Michael Jackson says she is suing the singer for £29m for his alleged failure to pay her for her services
• Girls Aloud star, Cheryl Cole was left shocked after an overexcited fan bit her on the lip outside a hotel in Belfast
• Former Spice Girl, Geri Halliwell launched a campaign this week to stop woman suffering injuries in childbirth
• Doctors have warned Michael Jackson that he needs to gain weight before the start of his 50 gigs at the O2 arena which starts in July

POSTED: 10/05/09

Swine Flu Affects Music Stars
The worldwide outbreak of swine flu has been affecting some music stars this week. Liam and Noel Gallagher, from Oasis, had to “shelter” in a hotel in Venezuela and when they did venture outside they had to wear surgical masks to protect themselves from the potentially fatal virus. They did manage to play the gig that they were in the country to do. Meanwhile it has been reported that the 20 year old female lead singer from N-Dubz has contracted the virus. Tulisa Contostavlos was pictured in The Sun newspaper on her hospital bed looking unwell. She apparently flew to Spain and fainted and then her doctor recognised the swine flu symptoms and had her admitted to hospital. She is expected to make a recovery and be discharged from hospital within a few days.
POSTED: 03/05/09

Blue To Reform
Boyband Blue, who went their separate ways in 2005, are getting back together to perform at a summer concert. Band member Simon Webbe refused to confirm whether the group will release new material, saying "We don't want to give anything away."
POSTED: 03/05/09

Coldplay CD Giveaway
Coldplay are to give away a free CD at every remaining live show in 2009, the band have announced. The band said the giveaway was meant as a "recession-busting mark of gratitude" to their fans for supporting them.
POSTED: 03/05/09

Lily Allen Pops The Question
Lily Allen has admitted phoning a member of the band Kings Of Leon and proposing to them. The problem is she was drunk at the time and has no idea which one she proposed to. She got the number from a member of the bands management team.
POSTED: 03/05/09

News Briefs- 03/05/09

• Take That have released 15,000 extra tickets for their UK stadium tour in the summer
• Kylie Minogue and her boyfriend spent £40,000 on golfing gear after they flew into a sleepy English town to make the purchases
• Lady Gaga has been given a month off by her record company as they fear her heavy schedule could lead to a breakdown
• Will Young is in a race against time to get his singing voice back after he recently had his tonsils out
• Madonna’s ex-husband, Guy Richie, has bought a home just 200 yards from the singers London Mansion

POSTED: 03/05/09

Oasis Set To Break For Five Years
Noel Gallagher has revealed that Oasis may take a five-year recording break after their stadium tour this summer. Noel has said it is to get his relationship with Liam, his brother and fellow band member, back on track. Apparently their relationship is as bad as it’s ever been and Liam hasn’t even met Noel’s 19-month old son Donovan. Noel said “you wouldn’t have him in the house if he spoke to you the way he speaks to me and my family”. He also described Liam as “the angriest man you’ll ever meet. He’s like a man with a fork in a world of soup”.
POSTED: 26/04/09

Novello Nominations Revealed
Duffy and Coldplay lead the nominations for this year's Ivor Novello awards. The duo have both been nominated in the categories of Album, Best British Selling Song and PRS For Music. Dizzee Rascal, Elbow, The Ting Tings, MIA and Gabriella Climi also receive nominations in the awards designed to honour excellence in "British music writing." The winners are announced in London on 21st May.
POSTED: 26/04/09

Music Stars Feel The Pinch
Britain’s richest music stars are not escaping during the recession. Sir Paul McCartney and Elton John both had £600 million wiped off their fortunes according to The Sunday Times Rich List. Mick Jagger has lost £35 million and Robbie Williams has lost £25 million.
POSTED: 26/04/09

Cheryl Is The World's Sexiest Woman
Girls Aloud and X Factor star Cheryl Cole has been named the world's sexiest woman by readers of FHM magazine. The singer, 25, is the first Briton to top the annual chart in three years.
POSTED: 26/04/09

News Briefs- 26/04/09

• Boyzone are looking at a new style of music for their next album. They have asked Mark Ronson, The Chemical Brothers and Daft Punk to help them on them out
• Madonna was rushed to hospital after being thrown from a horse while performing jumps for her friends
• Lady Gaga threw a tantrum after losing her favourite cup and saucer that she takes everywhere with her. It was later returned to her
• Robbie Williams is confident that his next album will be a success. He says he has never felt so “positive” about a release
• Rihanna has asked the LA police to return jewellery taken as evidence the night she was allegedly attacked by her boyfriend Chris Brown

POSTED: 26/04/09

Robbie Won't Be Back For Good
Robbie Williams will not be rejoining Take That despite recent media speculation. Gary Barlow has said "People constantly ask if Robbie will rejoin us but nothing has changed". "We're a happy band right now. Robbie won't be joining." Last month press reports quoted Robbie as saying a reunion was "more likely by the week" but the singer has himself gone on to deny that. Gary Barlow and band members Howard Donald, Jason Orange and Mark Owen launched a successful comeback in 2006 after the release of ‘Patience’, which went to number one. Robbie meanwhile is currently back in the studio recording his new solo album, which is due out in the autumn. It will be his last album under his current contract with EMI.
POSTED: 19/04/09

Eminem Talks Of Drug Problems
Eminem has spoke about how his failed rehab stint, for a drug habit, put him off writing songs for three years. The Oscar winning musician said “at the time I felt like I wanted to pull back because my drug problem had got so bad”.
POSTED: 19/04/09

Blur Mini Tour Warm-Up
Blur have announced two small UK club gigs in the run up to their huge summer shows. Damon Albarn and co will play the East Anglian Railway Museum in Colchester on Saturday 13th June and London Goldsmith's College on Monday 22nd June. Tickets are on sale now to members of Blur's fanclub.
POSTED: 19/04/09

Keith Has His Fingers In Too Many Pies
Former Rolling Stone, Keith Richards is a bit of a Shepherd’s Pie fan but goes berserk if he doesn’t get the first slice. Stereophonics support act star, Stuart Cable said that he once beat Keith to the first slice and he was told to take the tray back to be re-crusted.
POSTED: 19/04/09

News Briefs- 19/04/09

• Procol Harum's ‘A Whiter Shade of Pale’ is the most played song in public places in the last 75 years, according to a chart compiled by licensing firm PPL
• Former Beatle, George Harrison has been honoured with a posthumous star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles
• Police have arrested two of Leona Lewis’ cousins for allegedly storming a drugs den and beating up three dealers to rob them
• Sixties music producer, Phil Spector was found guilty of murdering his wife and faces 15 years in prison as a result
• Adele has been given a guest role in the U.S TV show Ugly Betty next month
• Mark Owen will have another shot at a solo career after Take That release their final album in their current three-album deal

POSTED: 19/04/09

Chris Brown Pleads Not Guilty
Chris Brown has pleaded not guilty to two charges of assaulting and threatening his girlfriend in a brief court appearance in Los Angeles. The 19-year-old was arrested in L.A in February after a row with his pop star girlfriend Rihanna on the way to the Grammy awards. This week he spoke softly to enter his not guilty plea. He is due to return to court again in three weeks' time. He recently said that he was "sorry and saddened" and was seeking counselling. Rihanna's lawyer, Donald Etra, has said she will testify if called as a witness in the case. The 21-year-old star, whose real name is Robyn Rihanna Fenty, has not commented on the case or a photo of her injured, on police advice. Chris faces almost five years in prison if found guilty.
POSTED: 12/04/09

Coldplay In Court
Coldplay have denied, in a US federal court, that they copied parts of another musician’s music on Viva La Vida. Lawyers for the band argue that any similarities between the songs were not enough to warrant damages.
POSTED: 12/04/09

Glastonbury Sold Out
The Glastonbury Festival has now completely sold out. The final tickets went on sale last Sunday. Tickets that were not paid for in full or refunded went on sale again and completely sold out by the end of the day.
POSTED: 12/04/09

Do You Have Fatboy's Hipflasks?
Zoe Ball is appealing for the return of Norman Cook’s treasured hip flasks. Norman is Zoe’s husband and is known as Dj Fatboy Slim. She took all his drinking memorabilia to charity shops when he was admitted into rehab recently. He wasn’t happy to see them all gone when he got home.
POSTED: 12/04/09

News Briefs- 12/04/09

• Gareth Gates has become a father for the first time after his wife Suzanne gave birth to a baby girl
• Former guitarist from The Who, Pete Townshend divorced his wife of 40 years this week
• Pink and ex-husband Carey Hart revealed that they are giving their relationship another go. They originally divorced last year
• Spice Girl, Geri Halliwell has organised security at her home after being stalked by a man who keeps hanging around outside her house
• Britney Spears stormed off stage for 40 minutes, at her gig in Canada, because some people in the crowd were smoking marijuana
• Madonna has given £340,000 to the town where her grandparents lived in Italy. It suffered lots of damage in the recent earthquake

POSTED: 12/04/09

Madonna's Adoption Bid Fails
A Malawian court has ruled that Madonna has failed in her bid to adopt a second child from the country. "I must decline to grant the application for the adoption of the infant," the judge said after a closed-door hearing on Friday. Madonna's application was rejected because of a requirement that prospective parents be resident in the southern African state for 18 to 24 months. The rule was waived in 2006 when Madonna was allowed to take her adopted son, David Banda, to London before his adoption was finalised in 2008. The judge also said that if they did allow the rules to be changed for Madonna the courts "could actually facilitate trafficking of children by some unscrupulous individuals." Madonna’s lawyer said she would lodge an appeal.
POSTED: 05/04/09

EMI Simply Sued
Simply Red are suing record company EMI for more than £300,000. The company sold 51,000 copies of Simply Red’s Greatest Hits Album to a firm that went into administration. Now the band is trying to get any money they are owed plus damages.
POSTED: 05/04/09

Lady Gaga American Success
Lady GaGa has become the only artist in nearly a decade to top the U.S charts with her first two singles. Poker Face, the second release from her album, climbed to number one this week. Her first single, Just Dance had the same success.
POSTED: 05/04/09

Jay-Z Goes All 'Metrosexual'
Rapper, Jay Z and his wife Beyonce visited the posh Kim Vo salon in Beverly Hills so HE could get a manicure. Apparently Beyonce waited for him while he had his pampering session.
POSTED: 05/04/09

News Briefs- 05/04/09

• Kylie Minogue has admitted trying most things to stop her ageing and that includes Botox injections
• Alesha Dixon will make a world record attempt at having the most backing dancers on stage for a new Sky TV programme
• BBC music boss, Andy Parfitt has said that Top Of The Pops will not make a full comeback and will only return for specials and at Christmas
• Ali Campbell, the former frontman from UB40 is furious that his old band mates are using his image to promote a winter tour
• Sir Paul McCartney has backed plans for school children to have meditation lessons as he thinks it makes people more intelligent
• Green Day’s album called American Idiot will be made in to a musical in California

POSTED: 05/04/09

"Timing Could Be Right" For Robbie To Rejoin Take That
Robbie Williams has said he is ready to rejoin Take That. He told The Mirror newspaper the reunion was "looking more likely by the week", adding he is in "regular contact" with them. He explained both he and the band had put their differences behind them "We've matured now. We'd have a laugh." Speaking at the opening night of the musical We Will Rock You in Manchester he said "The lads seem up for it and some people think it's a done deal. "Let's see what happens, but my head's in the right place so the timing could be right if Gary calls. I think it would be fun." Robbie is currently signed to the EMI label, while Take That are with Polydor. EMI had no comment on the interview, while Polydor said there were no plans. He is working on a new solo album and his spokesman said "There are no plans for a Take That reunion."
POSTED: 29/03/09

Madonna Back In Malawi
Madonna is thought to be in Malawi in a bid to adopt a second child. She was expected to arrive during this weekend and attend a procedural hearing at the High Court tomorrow. She recently told Malawian newspaper ‘Nation’ that she had been considering another adoption. Madonna's spokeswoman Liz Rosenberg and her lawyer in Malawi both declined to comment.
POSTED: 29/03/09

Spandau Ballet To Reform
Spandau Ballet will reform for a comeback tour. The band will begin a world tour in the autumn, announcing an initial eight dates across Ireland and the UK, starting in Dublin on 13th October.
POSTED: 29/03/09

Timberlake Tequila
Justin Timberlake is to launch is own brand of alcohol. He has spent two years developing a tequila called 901. It has been named after the area dialling code of his home city Memphis, Tennessee. The drink goes on sale in America in May.
POSTED: 29/03/09

News Briefs- 29/03/09

• Natasha Bedingfield married businessman, Matthew Robinson, in a 30-minute outdoor ceremony last weekend
• Amy Winehouse has persuaded Mark Ronson to help her with her third album after her record company were unimpressed with her own efforts
• Simon Cowell turned down a dinner invite from US President Barack Obama because he was too busy
• Joss Stone’s mum has closed her music academy in Wellington, Somerset, because of complaints about noise. Mama Stone’s may now relocate to Exeter
• Katy Perry has dumped Travis McCoy for another American singer Josh Groban
• U2 smashed a sales record on Monday by selling 6,700 tickets, for their summer Wembley gig, in just 60 seconds

POSTED: 29/03/09

Madonna To Adopt Another Baby?
Madonna may adopt another child from Malawi, she has told the country's newspaper called Nation. She took baby David Banda from an orphanage in the region in 2006. His adoption was confirmed in 2008, despite some criticism from within the country. Madonna told the paper that Malawian friends had suggested she adopt again. She said "It's something I have been considering, but would only do if I had the support of the Malawian people and the Government". Writing in response to emailed questions from the paper's readers she said: "Many people, especially our Malawian friends, say that David should have a Malawian brother or sister."
POSTED: 22/03/09

Winehouse Denies Assault
Amy Winehouse appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court and denied attacking a woman after a charity ball in central London. Amy is accused of assaulting the woman in Berkeley Square on 25th September. The case was adjourned until 23rd July.
POSTED: 22/03/09

Borrell's Fury At Burrows Deal
Razorlight frontman, Johnny Borrell is furious that the bands former drummer, Andy Burrows, has been signed up by the Universal label as Razorlight were preparing to break America.
POSTED: 22/03/09

Katy's Mercury Tattoo Plans
Queen fan, Katy Perry has revealed that she nearly got a tattoo of Freddy Mercury’s face on her back. She said “It’s probably for the best that I didn’t get it done, but I still want to do it”.
POSTED: 22/03/09

News Briefs- 22/03/09

• Pete Doherty has admitted "he would love" The Libertines to reform it is down to his former bandmate Carl Barat
• Oasis rocker, Liam Gallagher is about to launch his own clothing range calling it Pretty Green in tribute to his favourite record by The Jam
• U2 star, The Edge has caused uproar in his Malibu neighbourhood by planning to build a 1,000 acre development
• Girls Aloud singer, Cheryl Cole’s brother could be sent to prison after he admitted a vicious assault by spraying CS gas in a mans face
• The 2007 X Factor winner, Leon Jackson has been dropped by his record label after just one album. Leon said “every artist knows these things can go either way”
• Adele has said that she received a letter of congratulations from The Prime Minister Gordon Brown after winning two Grammy Awards

POSTED: 22/03/09

YouTube remove music videos
YouTube has blocked all premium music videos to UK users after failing to reach a new licensing agreement with the Performing Right Society. The site has since been accused of trying to "bully" British songwriters in a growing row over pay for music videos. Feargal Sharkey, the head of industry body UK Music, said it was a "blatant, cynical, manipulative" negotiating tactic. YouTube dismissed the comments and said it wanted to pay artists a fair price.
POSTED: 15/03/09

Touts anger Jacko fans
Michael Jackson fans have been left furious after most of the tickets for his UK gigs in July sold out in minutes, many of which were snapped up by touts. Within minutes some touts were trying to sell the tickets for £2,500.
POSTED: 15/03/09

Georgia's Eurovision song axed
Georgia's Eurovision entry has been ruled unacceptable by organisers of the Eurovision Song Contest in Moscow, because of some of its lyrics. ‘We Don't Wanna Put In’, appears to poke fun at Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.
POSTED: 15/03/09

Intelligence linked to music taste
A PhD student’s research has found that fans of Beethoven, U2, Radiohead and Bob Dylan are among the most intelligent people. Fans of Queen, The Beatles and Frank Sinatra are about average while fans of rapper Lil’ Wayne are rock bottom in the intelligence stakes.
POSTED: 15/03/09

News Briefs- 15/03/09

• Tickets for a one-off gig, in Las Vegas in April, by Sir Paul McCartney sold out seven seconds after going on sale this week
• The Klaxons have been forced to re-record their new album after record bosses deemed it too experimental
• Status Quo legend, Francis Rossi has stunned fans this week by cutting off his famous ponytail after 35 years because his hair has become to thin
• Erasure singer, Andy Bell has said he hopes they will be put up for an Outstanding Contribution To Music award at the Brits
• Madonna and, ex-husband, Guy Richie reached a settlement which will allow their children to live in America
• Geri Halliwell has split from her Italian fiancé of three months after she apparently realised “she just wasn’t the marrying type”

POSTED: 15/03/09

Michael Jackson reveals his UK "curtain call"
Michael Jackson was at the O2 arena this week to announce 10 gigs he will play there in July. He called the gigs "the final curtain call". He told fans at the venue: "This is it. I just want to say that these will be my final show performances in London."
POSTED: 08/03/09

Celebrity climbers reach the summit
Gary Barlow, Alesha Dixon, Ronan Keating and Girls Aloud stars Cheryl & Kimberly joined other celebrities this week to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa to raise money for Comic Relief. They reached the summit this weekend. They endured harsh weather and altitude sickness and as of this afternoon had raised £1,294,760.
POSTED: 08/03/09

Chris Brown charged with assault
R&B star, Chris Brown has been charged with assault and making criminal threats after an argument with his girlfriend, pop star Rihanna. His alleged victim was named in court only as "Robyn F". Rihanna's real name is Robyn Rihanna Fenty. He was arrested in Los Angeles last month after a row with the singer in a parked car. He is expected to be formally charged by a Los Angeles court later. He remains free on $50,000 bail. One of the charges is of assault likely to cause great bodily injury. If convicted, the possible sentence could range from probation to four years and eight months in a state prison.
POSTED: 08/03/09

Blur forgotten their old tunes
Blur have said that they are having trouble remembering their old songs as they rehearse for their summer comeback. Alex James said that he and Graham Coxon are having problems remembering their chords.
POSTED: 08/03/09

News Briefs- 08/03/09

• DJ Norman Cook has checked himself into rehab to battle an alcohol addiction, his manager has confirmed
• Glastonbury Festival organisers are planning to mark its 40th anniversary next year by booking 40 bands from the past 40 years to play the 2010 event
• Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr are to appear at a charity concert in New York on 4th April
• The future of Razorlight is in doubt after the drummer Andy Burrows quit the band following an argument with Johnny Borrell
• Robbie Williams is set to make a comeback on TV on Friday night. He will appear in a Little Britain sketch on Comic Relief
• Kelly Clarkson has revealed that she would like to duet with Grammy winner Adele

POSTED: 08/03/09

NME Awards 2009
The NME Awards took place in London on Wednesday. Winners included Oasis who picked up Best British Band and Best Band Blog. The band were booed because they were not present to collect their awards. MGMT collected Best Band and Best Track for ‘Time To Pretend’. Best Live Band went to Muse and Best Album to Kings Of Leon. The Outstanding Contribution went to Elbow and the God Like Genius award went to The Cure. The big surprise of the night was a performance by Blur. It was their first performance since they split nearly ten years ago. Dizzee Rascal won Best Dance Floor Filler for ‘Dance Wiv Me’ and jumped into the crowd when he collected his award. He said it was a good job the crowd caught me. A full list of winners can be found on the Music Awards page of this website.
POSTED: 01/03/09

Stevie Wonder handed Gershwin Prize
American President, Barack Obama has honoured Stevie Wonder, his musical hero, with America's highest award for pop music at a ceremony at the White House. He presented him with the Library of Congress' Gershwin prize.
POSTED: 01/03/09

Eavis hints Blur will be at Glastonbury
Michael Eavis has announced that Bruce Springteen will play at the Glastonbury Festival in June. Later in the week Michael also hinted that Blur will perform too. He said "You can look forward to that yeah, but it's not officially announced yet".
POSTED: 01/03/09

Tom Jones V Technology = Confusion
Tom Jones has revealed that he is not good with technology and can’t use the internet and has never sent a text message from his mobile phone. He does own an iPod but has to get help with downloading music to it.
POSTED: 01/03/09

News Briefs- 01/03/09

• The Killers are countersuing their former manager Braden Merrick, claiming he lost them millions of dollars
• Joss Stone has been dumped by her boyfriend, Danny Radford, after struggling to cope with her celebrity lifestyle
• Spice Girl, Mel C has become a mum for the first time. The 35 year-old is the last from the band to have a baby. She named her new daughter Scarlet Starr
• It has been rumoured that Kate Nash is about to marry her indie rocker boyfriend Ryan Jarman
• It has been announced that Will Young will headline at The Prince’s Trust Spring Ball on Thursday.

POSTED: 01/03/09

Brit Awards 2009
The Brit Awards took place in London on Wednesday night hosted by Kylie Minogue, James Corden and Matt Horne. The big winner of the night was Duffy who collected three of the four awards she was nominated for. She won Best Female, Best Album and Best Breakthrough. Girls Aloud won their first ever Brit for Best Single with ‘The Promise’, Paul Weller won Best Male and Elbow were Best Group. Iron Maiden were voted Best Live Act. Kings Of Leon picked up two awards for Best International Group and International Album while The Pet Shop Boys picked up the gong for Outstanding Contribution To Music. The night saw some great performances from U2, Take That, Duffy, Girls Aloud and Kings Of Leon. Coldplay also performed and were the shock of the evening. They went home empty handed despite being nominated for four awards. For a full list of winners and a full review go to this websites Brit Awards page.
POSTED: 22/02/09

Chris Brown speaks of arrest
Chris Brown has said in a statement that he is "sorry and saddened" by his arrest on suspicion of attacking a woman and is seeking counselling. He said he was "committed, with God's help, to emerging a better person". It comes a week after he was arrested for an altercation with a woman who some believe was his girlfriend Rihanna.
POSTED: 22/02/09

Barlow hopes to be fit for climb
Take That singer, Gary Barlow has been laid up in pain after obtaining a back injury. It is worrying because it is less than a week before he joins other celebrities in climbing a mountain for Comic Relief. He is said to be determined to be fit in time for the charity trek.
POSTED: 22/02/09

Lady Gaga wants pants job
Lady Gaga begged St Tropez spray tanners, back stage at the Brits, to give her a job. She said “I’d love to do your job, you get to see all the celebrities in their pants”.
POSTED: 22/02/09

News Briefs- 22/02/09

• Coldplay's ‘Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends’ was the best-selling album of 2008 worldwide selling 6.8m copies
• M.I.A has had a baby boy. She revealed on her Myspace page that she went into labour just hours after performing at The Grammys
• Intimate details about Madonna and Guy Richie’s divorce could become public after they will be aired in court in legal proceedings about their sons
• The Eurovision song chosen by Georgia mocks the Russian Prime Minister and organisers of the contest may order changes to the lyrics after they have a meeting
• Michael Jackson is on the brink of signing up for a 30 gig tour in London as he struggles to cope financially

POSTED: 22/02/09

Chris Brown Music Ban
All Chris Brown music has been banned by some American radio stations after allegations that he beat up his musician girlfriend Rihanna. Chris Brown, 19, was arrested over a complaint of assaulting a woman. He was charged last Sunday with making criminal threats. He was released on £35,000 bail. He has since been dropped from a chewing gum publicity campaign in the US after being quizzed by police. Rihanna cancelled a concert in Jakarta due to be held on Thursday. Tour promoter Showmaster said the singer pulled out "because of an assault case involving Rihanna's boyfriend", Chris Brown. Prosecutors have said they want more evidence from police before pressing assault charges against Chris Brown.
POSTED: 15/02/09

Grammy Awards 2009
The Grammy Awards took place last Sunday. Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant was the big winner, taking home five prizes for his collaboration with bluegrass singer Alison Krauss.  Other winners included Coldplay, Adele, Duffy, Radiohead and Peter Gabriel. A full list of winners can be found on the Music Awards page of this website.
POSTED: 15/02/09

Pet Shop Boys Panic
The Pet Shop Boys were in a late panic this week preparing for their performance at the Brit Awards. They are searching for 50 oriental male dancers to join them on stage. It was confirmed that Lady Gaga will perform with them also.
POSTED: 15/02/09

No money fears for Lily
The credit crunch does not appear to be affecting Lily Allen at all. She has revealed that she spent more than £100,000 on clothes and jewellery in the past year.
POSTED: 15/02/09

News Briefs- 15/02/09

• Bob Marley merchandise could soon appear after his family struck a deal with a private equity firm to capitalise on his name and songs
• X Factor winner, Alexandra Burke has signed a £3 million American record deal. She has signed with the Epic record label
• Bob Geldof’s daughter, Peaches has ended her 186 day marriage as she has become “besotted” with another man
• Michael Jackson is apparently suffering from an acute MRSA type skin infection which threatens to eat his flesh
• Sophie Ellis-Bexter has given birth to her second child nine weeks early due to a life-threatening pregnancy complication
• Teen singer, Miley Cyrus looked shocked as she appeared to forget the words to her single as she sang live on Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway last night.

POSTED: 15/02/09

Glastonbury sold out
This summer's Glastonbury festival has sold out, nearly five months ahead of time and with no headliners confirmed. Organisers launched an early ticket deposit scheme in October and say the majority of fans completed their payments by the deadline of 1st February. Any cancelled or returned tickets will be re-sold on 5th April. The sell-out is completely different to last year when 3,000 tickets remained unsold just a day before gates opened to the public. Emily Eavis, who runs Glastonbury with her father Michael, said: "We're chuffed to bits, especially when you look at the weather outside.”It's shaping up to be another vintage year with a brilliant line up to be unveiled in June." Headliners for the June event are rumoured to include Bruce Springsteen and recently re-formed Blur.
POSTED: 08/02/09

Music stars to climb mountain
Many musicians have been confirmed to be part of the nine celebrities to climb Mount Kilimanjaro for Comic Relief. They are Take That’s Gary Barlow, Alesha Dixon, Ronan Keating and Kimberley and Cheryl from Girls Aloud. They have been warned that several of them may not make it to the summit of the tallest mountain in Africa. People are being asked to sponsor the team on their 10-day trek, which will be shown on television on 11th March.
POSTED: 08/02/09

Will Young on Question Time
Will Young joined the panel of BBC Question Time on Thursday night. Amongst other topics, he spoke about the disruption caused by this week’s snow. He said he liked the idea of the schools closing for a few days and children having fun with their parents in the snow.
POSTED: 08/02/09

Lily's text mistake
Lily Allen has revealed that she accidently propositioned Simon Cowell. She said she was sending a joke text to her godmother saying “maybe my next conquest should be Simon Cowell” but she sent the text to Simon by mistake. He replied with the word “Sorry?”
POSTED: 08/02/09

News Briefs- 08/02/09

• Britney Spears is said to be suffering from paralysing panic attacks ahead of her world tour and is “in danger of not going on tour”
• Recovering drug-addict, Amy Winehouse is apparently moving to Jamaica. She wants to record her new album on the island
• Kylie Minogue’s relationship seems to be going well. She has now met the family of her latest squeeze Andres Velencoso
• Tom Jones unveiled a new look this week. He has now stopped dying his hair and it is now it’s natural grey colour
• Holly Willoughby may have to take a break from presenting X Factor spin-off show The XTra Factor this year because it will clash with her giving birth
• Take That singer, Gary Barlow has been voted the greatest British song writer in a poll. Beatles legend John Lennon came second

POSTED: 08/02/09

Jade Ewen to represent the UK at Eurovision
The singer who will represent the UK in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest has been chosen. For the past month, six contestants, chosen by Andrew Lloyd Webber, have been battling it out on a live show. The public vote eliminated one act each week. Last night, on the final of the show called Your Country Needs You, Jade Ewen was crowned the winner. The singer from East London was previously signed to Sony BMG with girl band Trinity Stone. One of the other members of the group was Mica Paris's niece Cherry, who is still one of Jade's best friends. Jade will fly the flag for the UK at this year’s Eurovision in Moscow on 16th May. She will perform a track that has been written by Andrew Lloyd Webber, especially for Eurovision, called ‘It’s My Time’.
POSTED: 01/02/09

NME Awards nominations revealed
Oasis have notched up seven nominations for the 2009 NME awards, including best and worst band. Kings of Leon are up for four of the awards, including best international band and best track for the UK number one ‘Sex On Fire’. The awards take place on 26th February.
POSTED: 01/02/09

Danni faces the axe
It has been rumoured that Danni Minogue will be axed from the X Factor this year but only if they can find a suitable replacement to take her place on the judging panel. Apparently the favourite to take over from Danni is Charlotte Church.
POSTED: 01/02/09

Elton makes a spectacle of himself
Elton John has been voted Britain’s most iconic specs wearer. A poll of 2,000 people for Specsavers put John Lennon in second place and Dame Edna in third. The winner Elton has owned 20,000 pairs of glasses over the years.
POSTED: 01/02/09

News Briefs- 01/02/09

• The Killers and Coldplay have announced plans to play a one-off charity gig on 18th February for the War Child organisation
• The Sun newspaper revealed that Alexandra Burke’s brother works in the UK illegally and he has “never had the right visa to work here”
• Girlband, The Saturdays will be releasing this year’s official Comic Relief single. It is a cover of the Depeche Mode track ‘Just Can’t Get Enough’
• Madonna has extended her ‘Sticky & Sweet’ tour and will take it on an extra 16 dates across Europe in July and August
• It has been reported that Michael Jackson is being sued for £700,000 by the director of the ‘Thriller’ video who claims he is owed a fortune from spin-off projects
• West-End star Lee Mead proposed to his girlfriend Denise Van Outen and then took her for a romantic Caribbean holiday

POSTED: 01/02/09

Music stars celebrate Obama inauguration
Bono from U2, Beyonce, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Queen Latifah, Shakira, Bruce Springsteen and Jay-Z were some of the musicians that were in Washington DC this week to celebrate the inauguration of Barack Obama as the new American President. Barack Obama himself attended 10 official balls on inauguration night. Beyonce Knowles had the honour of performing the first dance for the famous first couple. For many the song she sang summed up a sentiment many Americans feel about the inauguration of Barack Obama. It was the Etta James classic ‘At Last’.
POSTED: 25/01/09

Brit Awards nominations revealed
The Brit Awards nominations were revealed this week and Duffy and Coldplay were nominated for four awards each. Up for three awards is Elbow, Scouting For Girls and last years Critic’s Choice Adele. The Ting Tings, Radiohead, Girls Aloud and Estelle are up for two awards each.
POSTED: 25/01/09

Coolio is the top musician on Celebrity Big Brother
Musicians have been filtering out of the Celebrity Big Brother house this week. Former Liberty X singer, Michelle Heaton left in a surprise eviction on Monday night and Latoya Jackson was evicted on Wednesday. During the final on Friday night, former A1 singer, Ben Adams came in fifth place while, rapper, Coolio came third. The winner was Ulrika Jonsson.
POSTED: 25/01/09

Estelle to use Stevie's keyboard
Estelle was lost for words when she was told that she would be using the same keyboard that Stevie Wonder used to record ‘Superstition’ when she records a cover of the track soon. She will record it with Busta Rhymes in the Electric Lady studios in New York.
POSTED: 25/01/09

News Briefs- 25/01/09

• Oasis had to cancel a gig in Germany this week as Liam was suffering from a sore throat
• Same Difference had to cancel their first tour just one week after announcing it, this is thought to be because of lack of interest
• Michael Eavis has said he may have four headline acts for the three day Glastonbury festival. If that is the case there could be two headline acts on the Saturday
• Rapper 50 Cent has said that he would like to work with Robbie Williams, meanwhile Take That have said again that they will take him back
• Spice Girl, Geri Halliweel has found herself a new man. Rumours say she is dating a rich Italian yacht tycoon called Fabrizio Politi

POSTED: 25/01/09

Boy George jailed
Boy George has been jailed for 15 months for falsely imprisoning a male escort in his flat in east London. The singer denied the charge and claimed the victim, Norwegian Audun Carlsen had stolen photos from his laptop. O'Dowd, 47, admitted handcuffing him to a wall in April 2007 but said he did so in order to trace the missing property. Judge David Radford told the former Culture Club singer he was guilty of "gratuitous violence". O'Dowd's family and supporters reacted emotionally as the singer was handed the jail sentence at Snaresbrook Crown Court.
POSTED: 18/01/09

X Factor losers sign record deals
The runners up of the recent series of X Factor have been offered record contracts but surprisingly not from Simon Cowell. JLS have signed a deal with Epic Records and Eoghan Quigg has signed with the RCA label.
POSTED: 18/01/09

Sharon attacks Danni
Sharon Osbourne has launched a vicious verbal attack on her former X Factor judge Danni Minogue. In an ITV interview she called Danni’s plastic surgery “appalling” and claimed that Danni only went on the X Factor because she “wanted to f**k Simon Cowell“.
POSTED: 18/01/09

Cheryl is a girls' best friend
Girls Aloud singer, Cheryl Cole is the celebrity that woman would most like as their best friend it has been revealed in a poll. Jennifer Aniston came second with Davina McCall in third place.
POSTED: 18/01/09

News Briefs- 18/01/09

• Take That star, Gary Barlow and his wife Dawn have had their third child. Their daughter was born on Wednesday
• Amy Winehouse's husband is seeking a divorce on the grounds of her alleged adultery, his solicitor has said
• Mutya Buena has walked from this year’s series of Celebrity Big Brother claiming she was missing her child
• Simon Webbe has landed a deal to put together the soundtrack for a new 50 Cent movie
• Will Young has said he will not release singles in CD format any longer. They will only be available on download
• Leona Lewis is set to cover ‘I Will Always Love You’ as a duet with Justin Timberlake
• Charlotte Church and husband Gavin have named their newborn son Dexter Lloyd Henson

POSTED: 18/01/09

Leona signs a book deal
Leona Lewis has signed a book deal to tell the story of her journey from pizza waitress to X Factor winner and international star. She said the two years since winning the talent show had been "an unbelievable experience".
POSTED: 11/01/09

Three albums from Prince in 2009
Prince says he wants to release three albums in 2009 without the help of a record label. The musician told the LA Times he was in "final negotiations" with a major US retailer to distribute the music.
POSTED: 11/01/09

Alexandra hits a million
Alexandra Burke has broken a new record with her single ‘Hallelujah’. She is the first British female solo artist to sell a million copies of a single making the track the best-selling single from a UK female ever.
POSTED: 11/01/09

Estelle missing her favourite fried food joint
Estelle has told friends that she wants to return to the UK because she misses her favourite London fried food restaurant. Her friend said she misses her friends and family and Chicken Cottage.
POSTED: 11/01/09

News Briefs- 11/01/09

• Kylie Minogue is starting the year on a snowboarding holiday in the French Alps with her new toyboy Andres Velencoso Segura
• The MBE medal that John Lennon gave back in an anti-war protest has been unearthed in a royal vault in St James’ Palace
• The Hit40UK chart has announced that from this weekend they will only count downloads, and not CDs, when compiling the chart
• Madonna's Sticky and Sweet show was the highest-earning tour of 2008, taking £193m worldwide
• Cheryl Cole has revealed, in a Vogue magazine interview, that Ashley cheating on her last year was “horrendous” but he is learning to behave

POSTED: 11/01/09

Celebrity Big Brother attracts music stars
The Celebrity Big Brother house has opened its doors again on Friday, after it’s year off last year. Quite a few musicians are in the house this year and they are LaToya Jackson, Rapper Coolio, Former Sugababe Mutya Buena, Michelle Heaton formally of Liberty X and Ben Adams from nineties boyband A1.
POSTED: 04/01/09

Alexandra & Duffy are biggest sellers of 2008
Duffy and Alexandra Burke were the UK's top-selling musicians of the year. Alexandra's version of Hallelujah was the year's biggest-selling single. Duffy's debut album Rockferry came top of the year-end album chart.
POSTED: 04/01/09

Musicians on New Years Honour list
Robert Plant from rock group Led Zeppelin, is recognised for services to music in the New Year Honours List. The singer of rock becomes a CBE. Jazz musician Courtney Pine also picks up a CBE.
POSTED: 04/01/09

News Briefs- 04/01/09

• John Lennon is featuring in a charity's One Laptop Per Child TV advertisement in America, 28 years after his death
• Paolo Nutini performed at two Hogmanay gigs on New Year's Eve. He opened the celebrations in Edinburgh and then went on to play in Glasgow
• Amy Winehouse wants to be a fashion designer and claims she is in negotiations with the Fred Perry label
• Take That’s album ‘The Circus’ has now become the fastest selling album of this decade so far
• Joss Stone is dating a new man. She has started a relationship with a man she grew up with called Danny Radford

POSTED: 04/01/09

Click HERE for the News Desk archive for 2008

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