Rock News: Music's high and low notes

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OZZY SWITCH SAVES MINER

Ozzy Osbourne saved miner Rodger Shaffer from being trapped in the Pennsylvania mine where nine men suffered a 77-hour ordeal, reports U.S.A. Today. When Osbourne's wife Sharon had emergency surgery for cancer Ozzy canceled the first dates of his Ozzfest tour to be with her, rescheduling a Pennsylvania concert for July 24. Shaffer took the day off from work to attend the concert, the same day his co-workers were trapped.

"I have to thank Ozzy and family, because if the events in their life weren't going on, my events would have been a lot different," Shaffer said.

NO DOUBT A FASHION STATEMENT

No Doubt's Gwen Stefani, whose unconventional stage outfits mix clashing elements for dramatic effect, is planning to design a fashion line. Stefani announced her plans to design her own clothing label based on her stage outfits in Women's Wear Daily. She told the fashion bible the new line would be ready for the fall 2003 season.

NELLY THE TEEN CHOICE

Rapper Nelly's "Hot In Heere" won the Song of the Summer award at the Teen Choice Awards taped in Los Angeles Sunday for broadcast Aug. 19 on the Fox network. Nelly performed the song live to open the show. Britney Spears, her younger sister Jamie Lynn and her ex-boyfriend Justin Timberlake all attended the show.

BRIDES OF JESUS RETURN

Brides of Jesus, pioneers of New Orleans jam-funk, have reformed after a three-year hiatus to release a powerful album, "Saints and Sinners." Led by guitarist Bill Iuso, the band on "Saints and Sinners" features an all-star cast of New Orleans musicians including Russell Batiste on drums, Charlie Dennard on organ and bassists Nori Naraoka and Marc Pero. The album also includes guest performances by Ian and Ivan Neville, Mark Mullins, Theresa Anderson and "Mean" Willie Green. Brides of Jesus helped pioneer the jam band movement and have immediately begun playing live shows on that circuit.

HOOTIE GOES IT ALONE

Hootie and the Blowfish lead singer Darius Rucker thinks his new solo album, "Back To Then," will be a tonic for an ailing pop music scene. "The one thing I hate about a lot of today's R&B, pop and country music is that it sounds exactly alike," Rucker said. "With my songs, I want people to know it's Darius Rucker."

Rucker's solo debut mines contemporary R&B and rap, with guest shots from Musiq, Lil' Mo, Snoop Dogg, Jimmy Cozier, Ryan Toby and Jazzy Jeff.