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Rock News: Music's high and low notes

By PENNY NELSON BARTHOLOMEW, United Press International
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BRITNEY SPEARS, JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE

It would seem out of character for Britney Spears to get married, but that's the word from People magazine. It reports she will tie the knot with long-time beau Justin Timberlake of the Backstreet Boys at a time yet to be announced.

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Spears made the announcement to the assembled media at an international music and film festival in France. She and Timberlake are both 20.

For months, each has been adamant about the fact that they were not engaged and had no plans of marrying. Part of the subterfuge might have been an attempt on the part of Spears to be able to retain her sultry, bedroom-eyed, single status. Being single allows her to move in ways that hubby Timberlake might not like ... a kind of modern-day version of husband and wife Jack Benny and Mary Livingston just "being friends" so Jack could flirt on their show, or Roy and Dale -- until late in the run of their series -- living separate on-the-air lives.

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Spears and Timberlake met on the set of the new "Mickey Mouse Club" show when they were both 11.


GEORGE HARRISON

It's been a long time since former Beatle George Harrison rocketed to the top of the international charts with the song "My Sweet Lord." Now, according to the people who track record sales around the world, some 31 years after its original release, the song is again on British pop charts. The reason, of course, is a renewed interest in the singer/songwriter in the wake of his death last November.

The song, first released in 1971, was re-released recently by Harrison's widow, Olivia, through a special arrangement with EMI. When the song was played on radio stations and heard in documentary retrospectives at the time of Harrison's death, the haunting, repetitive creation of the enigmatic Harrison was discovered by a whole new generation of music lovers. One proviso that Olivia Harrison put on the re-release of the record is that profits go to a charity formed by her late husband in 1973, the Material World Charitable Foundation.

(The above two items thanks to UPI Feature Reporter Dennis Daily)

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THE GRAMMYS

U2 and Alicia Keys are the first performers confirmed for the 44th Grammy Awards, which will be handed out Feb. 27 in ceremonies airing live on CBS.

Janet Jackson, Diana Krall, and Britney Spears are the first confirmed presenters, according to Billboard.com. As was previously reported, comedian Jon Stewart will host the Grammys for the second year in a row.

U2 leads the field with eight nominations, including album of the year and best rock album for "All That You Can't Leave Behind." Keys earned six nominations, including best new artist and four separate nods for her No. 1 hit "Fallin'."


SANTANA

Santana is taking to the road March 21 for a spring U.S. tour before heading to Europe for a few months of dates in May and June. Allstar.com reports the American trek will include nine dates through April 2, while the European tour runs from May 15 in Denmark through June 16 in Italy. Meanwhile, Carlos Santana has been hard at work on his next album, which is due sometime this year.

Santana U.S. tour dates:

March 21 -- Tampa, Ice Palace

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March 22 -- West Palm Beach, Fla., Mars Music Amphitheatre

March 23 -- Orlando, TD Waterhouse Centre

March 25 -- Atlanta, Philips Arena

March 27 -- Greenville, S.C., Bi-Lo Centre

March 29 -- Morrisville, N.C., Entertainment and Sports Arena

March 30 -- Charlotte, N.C., Charlotte Coliseum

April 1 -- Washington, D.C., MCI Center

April 2 -- Hampton, Va., Hampton Coliseum

European tour dates:

May 16 -- Copenhagen, Denmark, Parken Stadium

May 17 -- Nurburgring, Germany, Rock Am Ring Festival

May 18 -- Nuremberg, Germany, Rock Im Park Festival

May 20 -- Arnhem, the Netherlands, Gelredome

May 21 -- Paris, Palais Omnisports

May 24 -- Essen, Germany, George Meiches Stadium

May 26 -- Hannover, Germany, Niedersachsenstadion

May 28 -- Berlin, Germany, Waldbuhne

May 31 -- Leipzig, Germany, Festweise

June 2 -- Zurich, Switzerland, Letzigrund Stadium

June 4 -- Budapest, Hungary, Kissstadion

June 5 -- Vienna, Austria, Schloss Schonbrunn

June 9 -- London, Crystal Palace

June 12 -- Santiago de Compostela, Spain, Monte De Gozo

June 13 -- Madrid, Spain, Palacio Vista Alegre

June 14 -- Barcelona, Spain, Palau Sant Jordi

June 16 -- Italy


METALLICA, JA RULE

Metallica hasn't gone rap-metal but the band is releasing a song with rapper Ja Rule.

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"We Did It Again" will come out May 14 on "Ghetto Stories," a hip-hop compilation by Ruff Ryders producer Swizz Beatz, reports MTV News. The Metallica track will be the only mega-rock tune on the album, which will also feature Ronald Isley, Shyne and others.

The song features Ja Rule rapping over two 12-bar verses. The rest of the song is instrumental and does not feature James Hetfield, who was in rehab when the mix was recorded last August.

During Hetfield's absence, drummer Lars Ulrich and guitarist Kirk Hammett also worked on Metallica's next album with producer Bob Rock, who played all the bass parts since the band has still not replaced bassist Jason Newsted, who left the group a year ago. The band is currently on hiatus and will return to the studio later this year, Metallica's publicist said.


PEGGY LEE DIES

Singer/songwriter Peggy Lee -- whose career covered six decades, more than 650 songs and some 60 record albums -- has died. She was 81.

Family members said Lee had a heart attack on Monday and died at her home in Bel Air, Calif.

Lee was nominated for 12 Grammy Awards and won twice for "Is That All There Is" in 1969. She was probably best known for her song "Fever." Her other hits included "It's a Good Day," "What More Can a Woman Do?" and "Lover."

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While Lee appeared in a handful of films, she's better know for writing the lyrics and performing the soundtrack voices for such movies as Disney's "Lady and the Tramp." Lee sang several songs and provided the voices for four characters in "Tramp," and when Disney released the hit movie on videocassette, she sued for breach of contract, claiming the studio sold the cassettes without her permission under terms of a 1952 contract. A jury awarded her several million dollars.

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