Rock News Two: The week in pop music

GRAMMY AWARDS

The 44th Annual Grammy Awards turned out to be a big night Wednesday for the neo-soul of Alicia Keys and the old-time sound of bluegrass -- as Keys and the soundtrack from the Coen brothers movie "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" grabbed five awards each.

"Fallin,'" the hit single from Keys' debut album "Songs in A Minor," won for record of the year and song of the year, as well as for best R&B song. The album won for best R&B album, and Keys won for best new artist and female R&B vocal performance.

Keys tied Lauryn Hill's record for most Grammys by a female artist, which was set in 1999.

Album of the year honors went to the "O Brother" soundtrack, which picked up five Grammys -- even though country stations across the country gave it the cold shoulder and largely kept it off their playlists. "O Brother" also won for best compilation soundtrack album and its producer, T Bone Burnett, was named non-classical producer of the year.

Two songs from the album were also singled out. Ralph Stanley, the 75-year-old bluegrass legend, won for male country vocal performance for "O Death," and Dan Tyminski, Harley Allen and Pat Enright -- The Soggy Bottom Boys -- won for country collaboration with vocals for "I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow."

The Recording Academy showed a lot of love for bluegrass music all around -- awarding three prizes to Alison Krauss & Union Station. The band won for best bluegrass album ("New Favorite") and best country song and Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for "The Lucky One."

Veteran Irish rockers U2 picked up four Grammys -- one more than they took home last year for the same album, "All That You Can't Leave Behind." "Walk On" won for record of the year, "Elevation" won for rock performance by a duo or group with vocals, "Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of" won for pop performance by a duo or group with vocals and the album won for best rock album.

The single "Beautiful Day" won three Grammys last year -- for record and song of the year and rock performance by a duo or group with vocals.

The Recording Academy presented 2002 Lifetime Achievement Awards to Count Basie, Perry Como, Rosemary Clooney, Al Green and Joni Mitchell. Producer-recording engineer Tom Dowd and pioneering rock and roll deejay Alan Freed were honored with Trustees Awards, in recognition of "outstanding contributions to the industry in a non-performing capacity."

The rock/pop/R&B/rap winners:

Record of the Year: "Walk On," U2

Album of the Year: "O Brother, Where Art Thou?," soundtrack, various artists; T Bone Burnett, producer

Song of the Year: "Fallin,'" Alicia Keys (Alicia Keys)

New Artist: Alicia Keys

Female Pop Vocal Performance: "I'm Like a Bird," Nelly Furtado

Male Pop Vocal Performance: "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight," James Taylor

Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal: "Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of," U2

Pop Collaboration with Vocals: "Lady Marmalade," Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Mya & Pink

Pop Instrumental Performance: "Reptile," Eric Clapton

Dance Recording: "All for You," Janet Jackson

Pop Instrumental Album: "No Substitutions -- Live in Osaka," Larry Carlton & Steve Lukather

Pop Vocal Album: "Lovers Rock," Sade

Traditional Pop Vocal Album: "Songs I Heard," Harry Connick Jr.

Female Rock Vocal Performance: "Get Right with God," Lucinda Williams

Male Rock Vocal Performance: "Dig In," Lenny Kravitz

Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal: "Elevation," U2

Hard Rock Performance: "Crawling," Linkin Park

Metal Performance: "Schism," Tool

Rock Instrumental Performance: "Dirty Mind," Jeff Beck

Rock Song: "Drops of Jupiter," Charlie Colin, Rob Hotchkiss, Pat Monahan, Jimmy Stafford & Scott Underwood, songwriters (Train)

Rock Album: "All That You Can't Leave Behind," U2

Alternative Music Album: "Parachutes," Coldplay

Female R&B Vocal Performance: "Fallin'," Alicia Keys

Male R&B Vocal Performance "U Remind Me," Usher

R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal: "Survivor," Destiny's Child

R&B Song: "Fallin'," Alicia Keys, songwriter (Alicia Keys)

R&B Album: "Songs In A Minor," Alicia Keys

Traditional R&B Vocal Album: "At Last," Gladys Knight

Rap Solo Performance: "Get Ur Freak On," Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott

Rap Performance by a Duo or Group: "Ms. Jackson," OutKast

Rap/Sung Collaboration: "Let Me Blow Ya Mind," Eve featuring Gwen Stefani

Rap Album: "Stankonia," OutKast.

Latin Pop Album: "La Musica De Baldemar Huerta," Freddy Fender

Latin Rock/Alternative Album: "Embrace the Chaos," Ozomatli

Remixed Recording, "Thank You (Deep Dish Vocal Remix)," Deep Dish, remixer (Dido)

Short Form Music Video: "Weapon of Choice," Fatboy Slim featuring Bootsy Collins, Spike Jonze, director, Vincent Landay & Deannie O'Neil, producers

(Thanks to UPI Entertainment Reporter Pat Nason)

BACKSTREET BOYS

On the heels of breaking from their management company, the Firm, the Backstreet Boys may be facing another break.

PageSix.com reports Nick Carter has hired the Firm and is planning to release a solo CD in August -- one month before the boy band's next album. Carter told the London Sun newspaper, "I'm really psyched (for the solo project) and want to do something different by myself."

Stay tuned.

P. DIDDY

Another artist is trying to leave P. Diddy's Bad Boy recording label.

112 -- the label's current best-sellers -- wants to move over to Def Jam.Def Soul, MTV News reports. In response, P.Diddy has filed a restraining order in Manhattan Supreme Court, leaving the quartet in limbo until a judge decides if they can lawfully leave.

"I am shocked that someone who I considered a close friend for 15 years is attempting to steal one of my acts," Diddy said about Def Jam CEO Lyor Cohen in a statement last week, adding that he felt "betrayed."

No comment from Def Jam, 112 or their managers.

A little more than a week ago, Diddy said he was leaving his distributor, Arista, and Arista announced it would be handling Faith Evans' recordings from now on.

DESTINY'S CHILD

On the same day Destiny's Child was taking home Grammy gold, the trio was being sued by two former members.

E! Online reports LeToya Luckett and LaTavia Roberson, two of Destiny's original singers, filed a federal lawsuit in Houston Wednesday, claiming they were dissed in song by Beyonce Knowles and Co.

Luckett and Roberson say a lyric in Destiny's Grammy-winning monster hit "Survivor" caused them irreparable harm. As a result, they're suing for defamation and breach of contract for failing to adhere to the settlement between the band and the singers when they left the group. The suit also names Destiny's label, Sony Music.

Additionally, Luckett and Roberson want to keep "Survivor" from ever being played on the radio or performed in concert again.

The bad blood between Roberson and Luckett and the other two original members of Destiny's Child, Knowles and Kelly Rowland, dates back to 1999, when the two began complaining about their perceived second-class treatment. They eventually sued the band and its manager, Matthew Knowles -- who happens to be Beyonce's father and Rowland's guardian -- and were kicked out of the group in 2000. That lawsuit was settled out of court, with the stipulation that neither side make "disparaging" public statements about the other.

A lawyer for Destiny's Child calls the latest allegations "ridiculous."

At the Grammys Wednesday, Destiny's Child won Best R&B Performance by a Duo/Group with Vocals for "Survivor."

EAGLES

Jackson Browne and fellow songwriters Jack Tempchin and J.D. Souther are suing Warner-Chappell Music Inc. for more than $10 million, claiming they were underpaid for their contributions to one of the Eagles' most popular albums.

The Jam! Showbiz Web site quotes court documents saying the songwriters were supposed to receive a fluctuating royalty rate that's currently 7.5 cents per song for their contributions to "Eagles -- Their Greatest Hits, 1971-1974." Instead, they've gotten only about 2.5 cents per song. The lawsuit was filed Monday in Los Angeles.

The album, meanwhile, has sold 26 million copies, according to the lawsuit, which seeks $10 million in back royalties plus punitive damages. Eagles members Don Henley and Glen Frey co-wrote the songs but are not included in the legal action.

R. KELLY

R. Kelly's lawyer has said there is no tape showing his client having sex with an underage girl. But MTV News reports footage allegedly showing just that has surfaced on the streets of New York and on a number of Web sites.

The females on the tape making the rounds are unidentified, but the content of the footage in terms of setting and activities matches what's been described as the nearly 27-minute tape currently under investigation by Chicago police.

A spokesman for one of the sites offering the footage for free said the decision to post the material was for "journalistic purposes, to prove that the tapes do exist."

But representatives for a sex site charging $2.99 per download claim they're offering it to prove that it's not R. Kelly. "It's a fake tape," insisted Dennis Johnson of DH Industries. "I just put it up there to show that it's not him."

BRITNEY SPEARS

Concerts West has announced that Britney Spears will add a second leg to her "Dream Within a Dream" tour, due to popular demand. The tour will kick off in Las Vegas on May 24 and make stops in 30 North American cities -- including Chicago, Vancouver, Houston, Boston, Portland and Los Angeles. It's scheduled to wrap up in Dallas on July 22.

Before taking the show on the road again, Spears will travel to Italy, Germany and England in March to promote the release of her movie-starring debut in the teen comedy "Crossroads."

(Thanks to UPI Hollywood Reporter Pat Nason)

PAUL MCCARTNEY

Additional dates have been added to Paul McCartney's upcoming "Driving USA" tour, Billboard.com reports. The road trip -- which is slated to begin April 1 in Oakland, Calif. -- originally only encompassed 12 dates but has now been expanded to 20 shows in 19 North American cities, closing May 18 in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.

It's McCartney's first major tour since 1993.

Tour dates:

April 1: Oakland, Calif. (Oakland Arena)

April 3: San Jose, Calif. (San Jose Arena)

April 5-6: Las Vegas (MGM Grand)

April 10: Chicago (United Center)

April 13: Toronto (Air Canada Center)

April 16: Philadelphia (First Union Center)

April 17: East Rutherford, N.J. (Continental Airlines Arena)

April 19: Boston (FleetCenter)

April 23: Washington, D.C. (MCI Center)

April 26: New York (Madison Square Garden)

April 29: Cleveland (Gund Arena)

May 1: Auburn Hills, Mich. (Palace of Auburn Hills)

May 4: Los Angeles (Staples Center)

May 5: Anaheim, Calif. (The Pond)

May 7: Denver (Pepsi Arena)

May 9: Dallas (Reunion Arena)

May 12: Atlanta (Phillips Arena)

May 15: Tampa, Fla. (Ice Palace)

May 18: Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. (National Car Rental Center)

MORE PAUL MCCARTNEY

Paul McCartney remembered his former band mate, George Harrison, by performing the classic Beatles tune "Yesterday" at a tribute concert in the Fab Four's hometown of Liverpool, England.

McCartney took to the stage at the end of Sunday night's show and dedicated his a cappella version of the hit to the man he called "my baby brother," CNN.com reports.

"I thought I should just come on and say how much George would have loved this," McCartney told the crowd at the Empire Theatre.

McCartney altered the lyrics slightly in Harrison's memory, singing: "Why he had to go, he would not say."

The concert -- which benefited cancer charities -- was held on the anniversary of the birth of Harrison. The former Beatle, who died of cancer on Nov. 29, would've been 59.

Gerry and the Pacemakers and other Liverpool musicians also performed.

The Beatles Story Museum in Liverpool unveiled a tribute wall to Harrison Monday and is planning a "fitting and more permanent form of tribute."

THEY HOPE TO AMUSE THE QUEEN

Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, Brian Wilson, and Phil Collins are among the artists confirmed for a June 3 concert to mark Queen Elizabeth's Golden Jubilee, marking her 50th anniversary as Britain's monarch. The event -- which will include a classical music concert June 1 -- will be the first public concerts to be held in the Buckingham Palace gardens, Billboard.com reports. Beatles producer George Martin will serve as creative director.

Also on the bill -- Aretha Franklin, Tom Jones, Atomic Kitten and S Club 7. The concerts will air live on BBC TV and radio.

Meanwhile, McCartney's "Drivin' USA" tour is slated to kick off April 1 at the Oakland (Calif.) Coliseum. It'll include 27 shows, including stops in Dallas, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C. The full schedule will be announced soon.

LIMP BIZKIT

Limp Bizkit's nationwide search for a new guitarist has ended, and the rockers has invited several of the people they met during the process back to Los Angeles to work on the band's next album, Billboard.com reports.

"We are so excited to bring several of the people we jammed with on the tour back to L.A. to see what could possibly become of it," says frontman Fred Durst on the group's Web site. The singer -- a vice president at Interscope Records and the head of the Flawless imprint -- also said he plans to sign two or three bands whose demos he heard through the talent search.

DIO

Former Black Sabbath lead singer Ronnie James Dio has a new axeman for his band, Dio. His publicist says Doug Aldrich has replaced guitarist Craig Goldy, who left the band due to family commitments.

Aldrich has worked with bands such as Burning Rain, Bad Moon Rising, House of Lords, Hurricane, and Lion. Most recently, he participated on the "Little Guitars -- Tribute To Van Halen" compilation album released in 2000.

Dio's new album is due out in May, to be followed by a U.S. tour starting June 1 in Las Vegas.

(Web sites: ronniejamesdio.com, dougaldrich.com)

'UNITED WE SING'

India.Arie, Hootie and the Blowfish's Darius Rucker, Mya, Master P and Rita Marley -- the widow of Bob Marley -- are among the artists lending their voices to "United We Sing," a benefit single to aid the Families of Freedom Scholarship Fund.

The fund was started by the Citizen's Scholarship Foundation of America to help the children and spouses of victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

The recording session took place Thursday, RollingStone,com reports, and also included actresses Christina Applegate and Carmen Electra. The song was co-written by Nile Rodgers and is being produced by Full Force, who have worked with 'N Sync, the Backstreet Boys and Britney Spears.

Former President Clinton and former Senator Bob Dole are co-chairs of the fundraising effort for the Families of Freedom Scholarship Fund.

FARMCLUB.COM

A live version of the Limp Bizkit song "N 2 Gether Now" with rapper Method Man can be found on the "Live and Unreleased from Farmclub.com" album, which hit stores Tuesday. It's one of 16 tracks performed by up-and-coming artists and the hottest bands on the USA Network TV show that aired from 2000-2001.

The CD also features a reunion of N.W.A. -- Dr. Dre, Ice Cube and MC Ren -- joined by Snoop Dogg on of Dre's hit "Nuthin' But A 'G' Thang," as well as performances by Eminem of "The Real Slim Shady" and Eminem proteges D12 of "*hit on You," Nelly's national television debut with the title track to "Country Grammar," and soon-to-be superstars Staind with "Mudshovel."

RAMONES TRIBUTE ALBUM

Billy Corgan, Marilyn Manson, Static-X and Motorhead have joined the list of artists who'll contribute songs to "We're A Happy Family," the upcoming Ramones tribute album. They join previously confirmed participants including the Offspring, Green Day, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Eddie Vedder, according to RollingStone.com.

The album is due out this summer.

Rob Zombie, who is directing the project with Johnny Ramone, said they're still waiting on artists like U2, Bruce Springsteen and Joe Strummer, who all expressed interest in the project but have yet to commit to recording a track.

MORE ALBUM NEWS

-- Korn has a new album coming out. "Untouchables," the band's fifth release, is due to hit stores May 14 -- nearly three years after the band's last offering, 1999's "Issues." RollingStone.com reports the first single will be "Here to Stay." The band is in Los Angeles this week shooting the video with the Hughes Brothers directing. A short tour of Central and South America begins Saturday in Mexico City.

-- Pearl Jam is planning to release two albums this year, according to Undercover. The Web site reports the band has begun work in Seattle on its next studio album but is also compiling a rarities record. A posting on Pearl Jam's official Web site, tenclub.net, said it's "still way too early in the process to speculate about a timeline" for the albums' release dates.

-- Before Linkin Park releases a follow-up to the band's debut CD "Lybrid Theory," it's planning an album of remixes. "It's basically reinterpreting all of the songs from the 'Hybrid Theory' record," guitarist Brad Delson told RollingStone.com, "collaborating with a number of different people in the hip-hop, dance and rock worlds, and really creating all new songs for pretty much our hard-core fan base that wants new music." The remix album is due this summer, and, although the lineup is still tentative, among those helping Link Park retool their tracks are Marilyn Manson, Alchemist, Jay Gordon of Orgy, Evidence of Dilated Peoples and Canada's Humble Brothers. Delson said the band also hopes to recruit Pharoahe Monch, the Crystal Method and Prince Paul.

-- In the early 1990s, a Chattanooga, Tenn., quintet known as NuBeginning released its debut album, available only regionally. It featured a young singer named Usher Raymond IV, now simply known as Usher. Now Usher fans can hear the first recordings of the R&B/ pop singer on "NuBeginnings Featuring Usher Raymond IV" (on Hip-O Records). It hits stores April 16.

-- A new album, "Johnny Gill" Ultimate Collection" (on Hip-O Records) covers the career of former New Edition member Johnny Gill. The CD, which is being released March 26, spans 1983 to 1996 and features nine Top 10 R&B hits, including four No.1 singles. Drawn from Motown, MCA, Cotillion/Atlantic and Epic, the 17 selections comprise Gill's solo hits as well as key tracks with New Edition, Stacy Lattisaw, Shanice, Shabba Ranks, and Zapp's Roger Troutman.

KURT COBAIN

New York-based Riverhead Books has acquired the rights to publish a book based on the personal journals of the late Nirvana lead singer Kurt Cobain. The yet-untitled work will be published in hardcover later this year, Julie Grau, co-editorial director of the imprint announced Tuesday.

Cobain began keeping his journals -- which consist of 23 notebooks with some 800 pages of writings, lyrics and drawings -- prior to the Seattle-based band's formation until 1994, the year of his death.

"The journals are an intimate, unadulterated portrait of an artist of great influence," Grau said. "They reveal Cobain's vision and design, they document his creative and personal struggles. They are insightful, provocative, moving, funny, and show him to be very smart and very aware."