Rock News Two: The week in pop music

CREED

Creed frontman Scott Stapp said the police report on his car accident two weeks ago noted no injuries because at first he thought he was OK and refused treatment.

"I did that against my manager's wishes and against the doctor's wishes," he admitted to MTV News. "I have a personal doctor, and I had him come and see me at my house because it immediately becomes big news if I'm in the hospital. I was trying to avoid the press."

Since he had already committed to work on the video for "One Last Breath" the next day, Stapp dragged himself to the shoot against his better judgement.

"I had medication to help me with the pain because my back and my spine and my neck and my head was killing me," he said. "And I had a very bad headache. So I shot the video. A doctor and a masseuse were on site. They actually had to use a body double a couple times for some things I just could not do."

When Stapp's pain didn't get better, he went back to the doctor, who found he had a bulging disc between two vertebrae in his neck and a smashed disc in his lower back. He's expected to recover with proper rest, physical therapy and exercise. But he's currently in no position to tour.

The April 19 accident on Interstate 4 near Orlando, Fla., caused Creed to call off the second North American leg of their "Weathered" Tour.

LISA 'LEFT EYE' LOPES

Thousands of fans packed a suburban Atlanta church and the streets outside during Thursday's public funeral services for hip-hop star Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes.

The services were attended by several celebrities -- including Janet Jackson, Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown.

The New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia, Ga. -- which holds 10,000 people -- was packed with a few thousand more waiting outside or watching a closed circuit television in a nearby building.

Inside, Lopes's mother, Wanda Lopes Coleman, read a poem to her daughter. She spoke emotionally during the two-hour service, calling her daughter's life short but rewarding.

"It would be a mockery of her life if we didn't celebrate," said Bishop Eddie Long. "And so we come to celebrate with this family."

The gospel group Mary Mary sang "Shackles," a favorite of Lopes.

The Grammy-winning recording artist with TLC was considered the wilder of the all-girl trio. In 1994, she was charged with burning down the house of ex-boyfriend Andre Rison, a wide receiver for the Atlanta Falcons at the time.

Rison attended Wednesday night's private wake, calling her an angel.

Lopes, 30, died of head injuries April 23 when the sports utility vehicle she was driving went out of control on a Honduran road. Seven other people were injured, including a sister and a brother.

The surviving members of TLC, Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins and Rozonda "Chili" Walters said they would continue as a duet.

Lopes's family has established a fund in honor of the TLC singer/songwriter.

In lieu of flowers, they'd greatly appreciate offerings of condolences be sent in the form of a charitable donation to: The Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes Fund, c/o The Multiple Sclerosis Foundation, National Headquarters -- Special Donations, 6350 North Andrews Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. 33309-2130. Please include the words "Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes Fund" on the memo line of all checks sent to the foundation.

R. KELLY

Declaring "the cash machine is closed," attorneys for R&B star R. Kelly say their client is innocent and will fight the latest allegations that he had sex with underage girls.

Tuesday's declaration follows Monday's filing of a civil lawsuit accusing Kelly of impregnating a 17-year-old girl and then forcing her to have an abortion. Lawyers for the singer -- best known for the hit, "I Believe I Can Fly" -- said though he has settled previous lawsuits alleging he engaged in sex with underage girls, he never has admitted any wrongdoing and just settled to avoid a "degrading" court process.

"But enough is enough," attorney Gerald Margolis told a news conference. "Perhaps ... people have gotten the idea that R. Kelly is some sort of walking ATM machine they can hit up for cash. The cash machine is closed. R. Kelly is no angel but he is no monster either. This latest suit is a collection of half-truths, distortions and outright lies that we intend to fight and beat."

The suit was filed in Cook County Circuit Court by Susan Loggans, who is representing Patrice Jones, 20, and who filed the two previous lawsuits. It alleges Jones met Kelly at a McDonald's in December 1998 and engaged in a 9-month relationship during which she became pregnant at the age of 17. The suit alleges Kelly had one of his associates take the girl to an abortion clinic and forced her to undergo the procedure despite her pleas not to.

Loggans said settlement talks broke off when the two sides could not agree on a dollar figure.

The suit comes amidst a Chicago police investigation of a tape purported to show Kelly engaging in sexual relations with a 14-year-old girl. No charges have been filed.

PAUL MCCARTNEY

A London judge has ruled in favor of Paul McCartney, blocking the auction of handwritten lyrics to "Hey Jude."

The former Beatle said the lyrics had disappeared from his home, NME.com reports.

The lyrics were to be sold at a pop memorabilia auction at Christie's in London Wednesday. The lyric sheet will now stay at Christie's headquarters until ownership is established by trial or agreement.

The lyrics belonged to F;prrent Tessier, who bought them when he was a student in 1971 or 1972. He said he didn't realise the lyrics were authentic until he had them appraised by Sotheby's six years ago.

Christie's had proposed that McCartney bid for the lyrics himself. The judge called that a "highly unattractive proposal." He added that he hopes the case could be resolved without coming to court.

THE WAGES OF DYSFUNCTION

Ozzy Osbourne and family could be collecting $20 million for two more seasons of their breakout reality-comedy hit on MTV.

The cable network is prepared to pay that much to bring back "The Osbournes." MTV did not confirm reports about the dollar amount being offered to the Osbournes, but a report in Daily Variety suggested it might not be an unreasonable price to pay.

"The Osbournes" has become the most-watched series on basic cable. Close to 8 million viewers tuned in two weeks ago, and some episodes of the voyeuristic series have attracted larger audiences of younger viewers than some of the over-the-air broadcast networks.

The Osbournes were paid $200,000 for the first 10-episode season of the show, which is also spawning a soundtrack album.

Commercial success has also raised the celebrity profile of Osbourne, who has been famous since his band, Black Sabbath, crashed into the heavy metal world three decades ago. The Osbournes reportedly will be Fox News Channel's guests of honor this weekend at the annual White House Correspondents Association dinner.

Variety also reported that Osbourne's home was the location Friday for the final day of shooting on "Austin Powers in Goldmember." Mike Myers told Army Archerd the scene was "an extravaganza." Myers said he and director Jay Roach are "huge fans" of "The Osbournes."

Meanwhile, Thursday night on "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno," Osbourne and his wife, Sharon, confirmed their show will be back for a second season.

(Thanks to UPI Hollywood Reporter Pat Nason)

CHER

What Cher says will be the last tour of her career kicks off June 14 in Toronto.

"Living Proof -- The Farewell Tour" will stop in more than 50 cities across North America. It comes in support of her current Warner Bros. Records album "Living Proof," which debuted in the Top 10 on the Billboard album charts.

A portion of the proceeds from the tour will be donated to the Children's Craniofacial Association (ccakids.com).

Prior to the tour, Cher will be making TV appearances Friday on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" and "Dick Clark 50th Anniversary," as well as the "Will & Grace" season finale (in which she plays God) May 16 and "VH-1 Divas Las Vegas" on May 23.

Tour dates:

June 14: Toronto

June 15: Detroit

June 18: Cleveland

June 19: Columbus, Ohio

June 21: Uncasville, Pa.

June 22: Philadelphia

June 24: Boston

June 26: New York

June 29: Washington DC

June 30: Long Island, N.Y.

July 2: East Rutherford, N.Y.

July 3: Manchester, N.H.

July 5: Atlantic City, N.J.

July 9: Indianapolis

July 10: Pittsburgh

July 12: Grand Rapids, Mich.

July 13: Milwaukee

July 15: St. Louis

July 16: Kansas City

July 18: Chicago

July 29: Seattle

July 30: Vancouver, Canada

Aug. 1: San Francisco

Aug. 4: Portland, Oregon

Aug. 7: Los Angeles

Aug. 9: Las Vegas

Aug. 12: Phoenix, Ariz.

Aug. 14: Salt Lake City

Aug. 15: Denver, Colo.

Aug. 17: Little Rock, Ark.

Aug. 18: New Orleans

Aug. 20: Oklahoma City

Aug. 21: Houston, Texas

Aug. 23: Dallas

Aug. 24: Austin, Texas

Aug. 27: Greenville, S.C.

Aug. 28: Atlanta

Aug. 30: Tampa, Fla.

Aug. 31: Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Sept. 2: Orlando, Fla.

Sept. 4: Birmingham, Ala.

Sept. 5: Louisville, Ky.

Sept. 7: Greensboro, N.C.

Sept. 8: Cincinnati, Ohio

Sept. 10: Champaign, Ill.

Sept. 12: Madison, Wis.

Sept. 13: Moline, Ill.

Sept. 15: Minneapolis, Minn.

(Web sites: cher.com, clearchannel.com, cc.com)

MOBY'S AREA: TWO FESTIVAL

Carl Cox, John Digweed, the Avalanches, Tiesto, DJ Dan, and Tim Skinner have been added to the line-up for Moby's Area: Two Festival, which kicks off July 28 in Bristow, Va.

Moby will also take the stage, as will David Bowie and Busta Rhymes.

Although this year's tour will be shorter than last year's Area: One trek, Moby says fans need not worry. "I will be going just about everywhere that Area: Two doesn't go," he writes on his official Web site. "So those of you in Texas, Florida, etc, please be aware that I will be visiting you on my own. Personally I want to go everywhere. But there are a lot of everywheres in the world, so I can't go everywhere. But I can try."

Tour dates:

July 28: Bristow, Va. (Nissan Pavilion)

July 30: Camden, N.J. (Tweeter Center)

July 31: Holmdel, N.J. (PNC Bank Arts Center)

Aug. 2: Wantagh, N.Y. (Jones Beach)

Aug. 3: Mansfield, Mass. (Tweeter Center)

Aug. 5: Toronto (Molson Amphitheatre)

Aug. 6: Clarkston, Mich. (DTE Energy Music Theatre)

Aug. 8: Tinley Park, Ill. (Tweeter Center)

Aug. 10: Denver (Pepsi Center)

Aug. 13: Irvine, Calif. (Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre)

Aug. 14: Mountain View, Calif. (Shoreline Amphitheatre)

Aug. 16: George, Wash. (the Gorge)

(Web site: moby.com)

THE CRANBERRIES

On May 14, to mark the 10th anniversary of their debut album, The Cranberries will release "Treasure Box: The Complete Sessions 1991-1999" (Universal Music).

The boxed set includes full digitally re-mastered versions of the Irish rock band's original first four albums, "Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We?," "No Need to Argue," "To the Faithful Departed" and "Bury the Hatchet" as well as 21 bonus tracks containing studio B-side recordings, a remix of "Zombie" by the Orb and two compilation recordings.

The release of "Treasure Box" will precede an upcoming North American tour in support of the band's fifth album, "Wake Up and Smell the Coffee" (MCA Records). This is the first time the Cranberries have toured with their full production since their "Bury The Hatchet" tour ended in September 1999.

Tour dates:

May 10: Montreal, Quebec Molson Centre

May 11: Toronto, Ontario Massey Hall

May 13: Upper Darby, PA Tower Theatre

May 14: Boston, MA Fleet Boston Pavilion

May 16: Wallingford, CT Oakdale Theater

May 18: New York, NY Hammerstein Ballroom

May 25: Rochester, MI Meadowbrook Amphitheater

May 26: Chicago, IL Rosemont Theater

May 28: Vienna, VA The Filene Center

May 30: Atlanta, GA Chastain Park Amphitheater

June 1: Pompano Beach, FL Pompano Beach Amphitheater

June 9: San Juan, PR Coliseum Roberto

June 25-26: Mexico City, Mexico National Auditorium

June 28: Guadalajara, Mexico Auditorio Benito Juarez

July 2: Las Vegas, NV Rain In The Desert

July 3: San Francisco, CA Warfield Theater

July 5: Los Angeles, CA Greek Theater

After a short break, the band will travel to South America and Southeast Asia before the end of August.

(Web site: cranberries.com)

ELBOW

After a very successful tour with Pete Yorn and a spot on the Coachella Music Festival, Elbow will once again hit the road -- this time with longtime friends The Doves. The British band has spent a great deal of time state-side promoting its latest release "Asleep In the Back."

Tour dates:

6/3: Seattle, Wash. Graceland

6/5: San Francisco, Calif. Great American Music Hall

6/6: Los Angeles, Calif. Mayan Theatre

6/10: Denver, Colo. Bluebird Theatre

6/12: Minneapolis, Minn. Fine Line Music Café

6/13: Chicago, Ill. Vic Theatre

6/15: Toronto, Canada Palais Royale

6/16: Philadelphia, Pa. Theatre of Living Arts or Trocodero

6/17: Boston, Mass. AXIS

6/19: Washington, D.C. 9:30 Club

6/20: New York, N.Y. Hammerstein Ballroom

(Web site: v2music.com)

OTEP

Otep has confirmed plans to spend the summer again as part of the annual Ozzfest tour.

The band -- Otep Shamaya, vocals; Evil J, bass; Moke, drums; and Rob, guitar- - will be among the Ozzfest's Second Stage lineup beginning July 6 in Bristow, Va., with dates running though Aug. 7 in Clarkston, Mich.igan (see attached itinerary). The band will get ready for the tour with a mainstage performance at the Ozzfest UK, slated for May 25 at England's famed Castle Donington and in Ireland on May 26 at Dublin's Punchtown Race Course. Once again, Otep will be the only female-fronted act on the Ozzfest roster

Otep's Capitol Records debut album, Sevas Tra," hits stores June 18.

N.E.R.D.

N.E.R.D. -- otherwise known as the songwriting/production geniuses Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo -- launch their first-ever headline tour beginning May 30. Hugo and Williams -- who've worked with diverse superstars such as No Doubt, Fred Durst and Jay-Z -- will be joined on stage by rapper/vocalist Shay and the Minneapolis-based band Spy Mob, who is confirmed as the tour's opening support act. N.E.R.D.'s debut album, "In Search Of...", was released March 12.

Tour dates:

5/30 Norfolk, VA Norva Theatre

5/31 Washington DC 9:30 Club

6/01 Philadelphia, PA Trocadero Theatre

6/03 Boston, MA Paradise Club

6/04 New York, NY Irving Plaza

6/06 Detroit, MI St. Andrews Hall

6/07 Chicago, IL Metro

6/08 Minneapolis, MN Quest

6/11 Portland, OR Plan B Complex

6/12 Seattle, WA Showbox

6/14 San Francisco, CA Fillmore

6/15 Los Angeles, CA House of Blues

NEW ALBUM NEWS

-- The hard-rock band Poison -- Bret Michaels, C.C. DeVille, Bobby Dall and Rikki Rockett -- will release their new studio CD, "Hollyweird," on May 21. "'Hollyweird' is a crank-it-up and hard-core rock 'n' roll record," said frontman Michaels. "As always, Poison chases no trend. We stay true to our style, true to ourselves and true to our fans. That's what's kept Poison rocking the arenas for 17 years." "Hollyweird" is Poison's ninth album and will be supported by the band's Hollyweird World Tour, which kicks off May 14 at the BancorpSouth Center in Tupelo, Miss.

-- Joe Satriani's eighth studio album, "Strange Beautiful Music," is due out June 25. "Strange Beautiful Music" is a departure from his previous album, the Grammy-nominated "Engines of Creation." Satriani took a new route by employing bassist Matt Bissonette and drummer Jeff Campitelli and creatively allowing both players to add their own arrangements, as would a traditional rock band. This new creative process resulted in one of the most elaborate recordings Satriani has done to date. The guitar virtuoso will perform his patented riffs on stage this summer during his upcoming world tour, which begins in Sofia, Bulgaria.

-- Although he never scored a Top 40 hit in America, Matt Johnson of the ambiguously named The The wrote and performed numerous chart singles in his native England since his debut in 1979. All of those hits, plus a wealth of other fan favorites, are collected on the limited edition double-CD set "45 RPM: The Singles Of The The," which hits stores May 21. The package will also include three brand-new tracks which have never appeared anywhere before. All three songs will be released in England as singles in the coming months: "Pillar Box Red," "Deep Down Truth," and "December Sunlight (Cried Out)."

DAVID BOWIE

David Bowie is now the stuff of museums. The Museum of Television and Radio in Los Angeles and New York will feature the Bowie retrospective "Sound + Vision" from June 7 to Sept. 15th. The exhibit commemorates the 30th anniversary of the release of "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars," RollingStone.com reports.

More than 50 music videos -- including "Life on Mars?," "Ashes to Ashes," "Let's Dance," "Jazzin' for Blue Jean" and "Thursday's Child" -- are featured in the exhibit. There also is rarely seen performances, outtakes, documentaries and interviews. Bowie provided some of the material from his own personal library, while the rest was culled from various archives.

MTV VIDEO MUSIC AWARDS

The 2002 MTV Video Music Awards will remain home in New York City this year -- airing live from Radio City Music Hall. This marks the fourth straight year that the VMA's will emanate from New York City.

It was also announced Wednesday that out of respect for the one year anniversary of the events of 9/11, MTV's most visible awards show will move, for this year only, up one week to Aug. 29 (at 8 p.m. ET/PT). Historically, the Video Music Awards have aired on the first Thursday in September.

"Our plan is to throw the last big bash of the summer with the Video Music Awards occurring right here in our own backyard," said Van Toffler, MTV & MTV2 president. "By bringing together artists, fans and the city's creative community for MTV's biggest night of the year, we hope to show our love and support for the place we truly call home every day."

NEW AIDS PSA

Alicia Keys, Destiny's Child, 'NSync's Justin Timberlake and Nelly talk to young people about HIV and AIDS in a series of four new YouthAIDS public service announcements.

The PSAs -- produced by Artists Against AIDS Worldwide -- present dire AIDS statistics and solid hope for future generations, against the background music of the re-recorded "What's Going On" single, written by Marvin Gaye.

The primary mission of YouthAIDS is to inform and educate 15-24 year olds about the dangers of HIV and AIDS. It promotes abstinence, decreased sexual activity and safer sex to teens around the world.

(Web site: YouthAIDS.org)

BLINK 182

Blink 182 is going where such groups as Aerosmith, the Who, Spinal Tap and the Red Hit Chili Peppers have gone before -- on "The Simpsons."

Members of Blink-182 recorded their voice parts for the 300th episode of the animated Fox series last month, MTV News quotes a network spokesperson saying. Skateboarding legend Tony Hawk is also set to appear in the same tricentennial show.

In the episode -- scheduled for broadcast in February -- Bart learns that he had acted in commercials as a baby but that Homer has squandered all his money. Frustrated, Bart leaves home after being legally emancipated from his parents and lands in a loft, where the show's guest stars are also living. Somehow everyone winds up at the Skewed Tour, a parody of the rock-meets-extreme-sports festival the Warped Tour.