Rock News Two: The week in pop music

VAN HALEN

Van Halen and Warner Bros. Records have parted ways after 25 years, 11 studio albums and three lead singers.

AllStar.com Music News quotes Brad Starks, the Webmaster of Van Halen's official Web site (van-halen.com) saying the split occurred approximately a month ago but the band chose not to share the news on their site.

David Lee Roth fronted the band from its signing with Warner Bros. in 1977 until 1985. The band then hired Sammy Hagar, who left in 1996 after a falling out with the rest of the group. Lead singer No.3, Gary Cherone, is also now gone.

No word on whether Van Halen will hire a fourth vocalist. It's also been rumored variously that Roth, or possibly Hagar, might return to the band.

CREED

A death in the family forced Creed to postpone Friday's show at the Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, N.J. Guitarist Mark Tremonti's mother has died.

The concert has been rescheduled for Feb. 23. All tickets for the original engagement will be honored then, and refunds will be available at the point of purchase.

In lieu of flowers, the Tremonti family asks that contributions may be made to the "With Arms Wide Open Foundation" at 525 East College Avenue, Tallahassee, FL 32301 or online at witharmswideopen.org.

Creed's "Weathered Tour" resumes Monday in Toronto.

OLYMPIC CONCERTS

Alanis Morissette, Goo Goo Dolls, and Nelly Furtado have been added to the Hallmark Olympic Celebration concerts being held during the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, RollingStone.com reports. The series kicks off with the Dave Matthews Band on Feb. 9, a day after the opening ceremonies, and continues through Feb. 24, the day of the closing ceremonies, with Martina McBride.

The one-hour shows will be held in the Olympic Medals Plaza.

Other music-related Olympic festivities include Sting, Dixie Chicks, LeAnn Rimes, the Band's Robbie Robertson, Yo-Yo Ma and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir performing at the Feb. 8 opening ceremonies, and 'N Sync, Bon Jovi, Christina Aguilera, Charlotte Church, Josh Groban and Harry Connick Jr. taking part in the closing ceremonies.

Concert schedule:

Feb. 9: Dave Matthews Band

Feb. 10: artist TBA

Feb. 11: Foo Fighters

Feb. 12: Macy Gray

Feb. 13: Barenaked Ladies

Feb. 14: Sheryl Crow

Feb. 15: Smash Mouth

Feb. 16: Brooks & Dunn

Feb. 17: Train

Feb. 18: Nelly Furtado

Feb. 19: Creed

Feb. 20: Marc Anthony

Feb. 21: Alanis Morissette

Feb. 22: Goo Goo Dolls

Feb. 23: 'N Sync

Feb. 24: Martina McBride

RECORDING ARTISTS COALITION

The Recording Artists Coalition (RAC) has updated the list of performers scheduled to appear at its first series of all-star concerts on Feb. 26 in and around Los Angeles. Billboard magazine reports the Dixie Chicks, Emmylou Harris, Trisha Yearwood and Dwight Yoakam will perform at the Universal Amphitheater, while Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder, Beck and Social Distortion's Mike Ness will headline at the Wiltern Theater.

They join the Eagles, Billy Joel, Sheryl Crow and Stevie Nicks, who will perform at the L.A. Forum; and No Doubt, Offspring and Weezer, who will headline at the Long Beach Arena.

The RAC says other artists may be added to the line-ups, and it's hoped another venue can be employed.

Observers say the four concerts may be the biggest effort ever undertaken in one market on the same night. More shows are being planned in other cities for later this year. The proceeds will fund the RAC's artists rights activities both in federal and state legislative matters and as non-partisan recording artist representatives in private-sector negotiations.

KID ROCK

Kid Rock is hitting the road. His U.S. tour is set to kick off Feb. 22 in Saginaw, Mich. That show is already sold out, Allstar.com reports.

Kid Rock tour dates:

Feb. 22 -- Saginaw, Mich., Wendler Arena

Feb. 24 -- Toledo, Ohio, Toledo Sports Arena

March 1 -- Savannah, Ga., Savannah Civic Center

March 2 -- Fayetteville, N.C., TBA

March 3 -- Roanoke, Va., Roanoke Civic Center

March 8 -- Shreveport, La., CenturyTel Center

March 10 -- Lafayette, La., Cajundome

March 14 -- Grand Rapids, Mich., Van Andel Arena

March 15 -- Chicago, Allstate Arena

March 16 -- Detroit, The Palace of Auburn Hills

March 21 -- Huntington, W.V., Huntington Civic Arena

March 22 -- Indianapolis, Conseco Fieldhouse

March 23 -- Louisville, Ky., Freedom Hall

March 28 -- Kansas City, Mo., Kemper Arena

March 29 -- St. Louis, Savvis Center

March 30 -- Little Rock, Ark., Alltel Arena

April 4 -- Denver, Magness Arena

April 5 -- Salt Lake City, E Center

April 6 -- Las Vegas, TBA

April 12 -- San Jose, Calif., Compaq Center at San Jose

April 13 -- Los Angeles, Universal Amphitheatre

April 14 -- Phoenix, Ariz., Dodge Theatre

April 19 -- Houston, Woodlands Pavilion

April 20 -- Dallas, Starplex Theatre

April 21 -- Oak City, Texas, TBA

April 26 -- Miami, James L. Knight Center

April 27 -- Tampa, USF Sun Dome

April 28 -- Jacksonville, Fla., Veterans Memorial Coliseum

May 3 -- Memphis, Beale Street Music Festival

May 4 -- Atlanta, Music Midtown 2002

GARBAGE

Garbage is taking to the road in the United Kingdom. The British Web site Music Goes On reports that the six-date tour, which begins April 1, is the band's first U.K. tour in three years.

Tour dates:

4/1 -- Portsmouth Guildhall

4/2 -- Bristol Colston Hall

4/3 -- Wolves Civic

4/5 -- Edinburgh (Scotland) Corn Exchange

4/6 -- Manchester Apollo

4/7 -- Brixton Academy

'OZZFEST 2002'

System of a Down will headline Ozzfest 2002, which is expected to kick off in July. The band is slated to perform just before Ozzy Osbourne's closing set.

System of a Down has played Ozzfest twice before -- in 1998, the band appeared on the Second Stage and the following year, it opened the Main Stage.

System, which has just returned from a tour of Australia and New Zealand, will kick off a 12-city headlining U.S. tour on Feb. 14. Dates, cities, and other details for Ozzfest 2002 will be announced shortly by the Ozzfest camp.

The band is up for a Best Metal Grammy for its single "Chop Suey," off its "Toxicity" album.

NEW ALBUM NEWS

-- Alicia Keys, U2, Nelly Furtado, Backstreet Boys and Outkast are among the artists who'll appear on the seventh annual Grammy CD compilation. Billboard.com reports the 17-track 2002 collection -- on Universal Music Entertainment's (UME) UTV Records -- will also features hits from India.Arie, Train, Bob Dylan, the Soggy Bottom Boys, David Gray, Craig David, Michael Jackson, Elton John, Brian McKnight, James Taylor, Five For Fighting, and R.E.M. It hits stores Feb. 5.

-- Disturbed, Papa Roach and Marilyn Manson are among the artists whose music appears on the soundtrack of the upcoming motion picture "Queen of the Damned." The album features five original recordings crafted by the songwriting team of Korn's Jonathan Davis and former Oingo Boingo keyboardist Richard Gibbs. Guest vocalists also include Chester Bennington of Linkin Park, Wayne Static from Static-X and Jay Gordon from Orgy. The CD hits stores Feb. 19. The movie -- based on Anne Rice's "Vampire Chronicles" -- opens nationwide Feb. 22. It was the final film project of the late Aaliyah, who stars in the title role as the vampire queen Akasha.

-- Jennifer Lopez's remix album, "J To Tha L-O! -- The Remixes," includes a new track. "Alive" was written by Lopez with her new husband, Cris Judd, and frequent collaborator Cory Rooney, reports Billboard.com. It will appear in the artist's upcoming film, "Enough," which opens May 24. The album hits stores next Tuesday.

-- Sade is releasing her first live album, "Lovers Live." The 13-song CD was recorded last year in Inglewood and Anaheim, Calif., during Sade's first live dates in seven years. Nine extra tracks are to be included on the DVD and VHS version of the album, which will come out later.

-- Chris Isaak, whose popularity has been enhanced by his Showtime cable television series, has a new album coming out in mid-February called "Always Got Tonight." In January, Isaak's self-titled show began a second season of 17 new one-hour episodes.

-- A double Patti Smith album, "Land 1975-2002," is scheduled for release in mid-March, with one disc of greatest hits and a second disc of previously unreleased material, including her recording of Prince's "When Doves Cry." Smith is planning a national tour in conjunction with the album's release.

U2

U2 may be soon looking for a new recording studio to call home.

NME.com reports the neighborhood is undergoing gentrification, and Dublin officials want to tear down the building so the area can be redeveloped to incorporate retail, residential and recreational facilities.

Fans claim the studio should be preserved as a landmark to the Irish rockers, although a statement hints that U2 would be willing to move if "change is inevitable."

"U2 love the docklands area and have always worked here," the statement reads. "Although they are very happy in their present studio, and would very much like to stay, they appreciate that change is inevitable and often for the best. They would definitely consider moving to somewhere in the vicinity, should a suitable property be offered as an alternative."

U2 has recorded four albums at the studio and currently is working on the follow up to the last CD, the Grammy-nominated "All That You Can't Leave Behind."

BILLY JOEL

Garth Brooks has been added to the list of artists who'll perform at a gala dinner honoring Billy Joel Feb. 25 in Los Angeles.

Joel is the 2002 MusiCares Person of the Year. Also performing at the dinner, hosted by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, will be Tony Bennett, Diana Krall, Rob Thomas and Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora, among others, reports country.com. Proceeds benefit The MusiCares Foundation, established by the Recording Academy to help people in the music community with financial, personal or medical needs.

Brooks has recorded Joel's "Shameless" and "You May Be Right," and Joel joined the country superstar on stage at his Central Park concert in 1997.

COURTNEY LOVE

A trial date of June 11 has been set for Courtney Love's battle with Universal Music Group (UMG) over contractual issues.

Allstar.com reports that on Monday, a U.S. Court of Appeals judge denied an appeal by UMG to stop the proceedings. The ruling gives the green light for the fight to move forward in the courts.

Love is challenging a California state labor code that exempts entertainers from its "Seven-Year Statute."

DAVE MATTHEWS BAND

Fans who miss the Dave Matthews Band on its spring tour can get a taste of their favorite band at a nearby grocery store. The group is the inspiration for a new flavor of Ben and Jerry's ice cream, the band's publicist tells SonicNet.com.

One Sweet Whirled -- available in Ben and Jerry scoop shops now and in grocer's freezers in February -- riffs off the song "One Sweet World" and combines coffee ice cream with caramel and marshmallow swirls.

"One Sweet World" appears on DMB's 1993 live album, "Remember Two Things," and 1999's "Live at Luther College," a bootleg featuring Dave Matthews and his friend, guitarist Tim Reynolds.

Others who've had Ben and Jerry flavors named for them include the Grateful Dead's Jerry Garcia (Cherry Garcia), Phish (Phish Food) and Wavy Gravy, court jester of the Woodstock Nation.

The Dave Matthews Band kicks off its tour April 4 in Washington, D.C.