Report: Queen to Tour Europe with Adam Lambert This Summer

Peter Muhly/AFP/Getty ImagesQueen is preparing to hit the road this summer with former American Idol finalist Adam Lambert filling in for the late Freddie Mercury.  Lambert revealed to UK tabloid the Daily Star that he'll join Queen guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor for a series of performances on the touring Sonisphere Festival, which will stop in a number of European cities before wrapping up in Knebworth, England, in early July.

"The intention is to pay tribute to Freddie and the band by singing some f***ing great songs," Lambert notes about the upcoming Queen gigs.  "It's to keep the music alive for the fans and give it an energy that Freddie would have been proud of."

Lambert previously sang with May and Taylor at the MTV Europe Music Awards this past November in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and in 2009 during the finale of American Idol.

The flamboyant vocalist says he knows that it's "impossible" to replace Mercury, but he's excited to get the chance to perform Mercury's music.

He tells the newspaper, "The way I'm choosing to view it is that it's a great honor and one I'm in no way going to shirk…Being asked to front Queen is the best thing that can possibly happen."

Meanwhile, although the Queen members haven't announced any plans to work on new music with Lambert, the singer maintains, "It'd be cool to record with Brian and Roger."

A rep for Lambert tells ABC News Radio that there's "no confirmation" of the shows with Queen.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

Mötley Crüe’s Nikki Sixx: “I Don’t Love Vegas”

Eleven Seven MusicWhile fans of Mötley Crüe are excited to check out the band's shows during its residency at The Joint in the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, bassist Nikki Sixx is less enthusiastic about being in Sin City. “To be honest -- I don't love Vegas,” Sixx told the Huffington Post.  “I'm sober so it doesn't make sense for me.  It is hard for me to appreciate.  There are so many people there and so many people are drunk.”

But Sixx added that performing shows in one location has its benefits.  “To play in one place is really different because we can do all sorts of crazy stuff we can't usually do because certain pyrotechnics and pieces of equipment are not movable” noted Sixx.  “I’m happy that people can go stay at a Vegas hotel and enjoy our band.  I want people to relax and go over the top in Vegas with Mötley Crüe.”

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

Report: Adam Lambert to Perform with Queen in Europe This Summer

Peter Muhly/AFP/Getty ImagesDuring the American Idol finale in 2009, Adam Lambert sang with Brian May and Roger Taylor of the legendary rock group Queen, and he performed with them again this past November at the MTV Europe Music Awards.  Now it looks like Adam will continue his association with the band -- he apparently told the UK tabloid the Daily Star that he'll join May and Taylor for a series of performances this summer on the touring Sonisphere Festival, which will stop in a number of European cities before wrapping up in Knebworth, England, in early July.

"The intention is to pay tribute to [late Queen frontman] Freddie [Mercury] and the band by singing some f***ing great songs," Adam is quoted as saying about the upcoming Queen gigs.  "It's to keep the music alive for the fans and give it an energy that Freddie would have been proud of."

Adam adds that he knows that it's "impossible" to replace Mercury, who was even more flamboyant than he is, but he's excited to get the chance to perform the late singer's  music. He tells the newspaper, "The way I'm choosing to view it is that it's a great honor and one I'm in no way going to shirk…Being asked to front Queen is the best thing that can possibly happen."

A rep for Adam tells ABC News Radio that there's "no confirmation" of these shows.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

Randy Travis Launching 25th Anniversary Celebration Tour February 10 in Oregon

Warner Music GroupRandy Travis is hitting the road this year to celebrate his 25th anniversary with a new tour starting February 10 in Oregon. The trek will take Randy to more than 30 cities across the country. He kicked off his 25th anniversary celebration last summer with the release of his appropriately-titled album, 25th Anniversary Celebration. That project featured Randy singing with stars ranging from Brad Paisley and Alan Jackson to Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw.  Head over to RandyTravis.com for a complete list of his tour dates.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

Wiz Khalifa Headlining This Year's Preakness InfieldFest

Facebook.com/WizKhalifaOrganizers of this year's Preakness -- the annual thoroughbred horse race -- announced on Friday that Wiz Khalifa will headline this year's InfieldFest, along with Maroon 5.  The special event takes place on May 19 at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore.  Other acts will rock the crowd on a second stage, but they'll be announced later.

The Grammy-nominated Wiz is up for two awards this year: Best Rap Song and Best Performance for his ode to Pittsburgh pro teams, "Black and Yellow."

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

Ledisi, Bobby Brown, More Headlining Upcoming Funk Fest Dates

Facebook.com/LedisiLedisi, Bobby Brown, Charlie Wilson and KEM are set to headline the Orlando, Florida, leg of the upcoming Funk Fest.  The March 31 showcase in Orlando is the first stop on the five-city annual trek.  In April, the show moves to the St. Petersburg/Tampa, Florida area, then in May, the event heads to Jacksonville, Florida, and Atlanta.  The last stop will be in Memphis this June.  Erykah Badu, Fantasia, New Edition, Raheem DeVaughn, SWV and others are slated to appear on select dates during the special series.  Tickets are already on sale.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

Black Sabbath Ready to Continue Without Founding Drummer

Facebook.com/BlackSabbathBlack Sabbath singer Ozzy Osbourne, guitarist Tony Iommi and bassist Geezer Butler have announced that they are prepared to move forward with their upcoming reunion album and tour without drummer Bill Ward.  The three rockers made the decision in response to a message Ward issued Thursday declaring that he wouldn't participate in the band's reunion activities unless he's offered a "signable contract."

A note from Ozzy, Iommi and Butler on Black Sabbath's official website reads, "We were saddened to hear yesterday…that Bill declined publicly to participate in our current Black Sabbath plans.  We have no choice but to continue recording without him although our door is always open."

The band mates added, "We are still in the UK with Tony.  Writing and recording the new album and on a roll.  See you at [the] Download [Festival]!!!"

Black Sabbath's upcoming tour is scheduled to kick off May 18 in Moscow and will stop at England's Download Festival on June 10.  A new studio album is expected to be released in the fall.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

James Taylor to Headline DNC Fundraiser, Announces U.S. Tour Dates

JamesTaylor.comNext month in Charlotte, North Carolina, James Taylor will be one of the star attractions at two fundraisers for the upcoming Democratic National Convention.  According to the Charlotte Observer, James and first lady Michelle Obama will appear at the events, both of which will be held March 2 at the Ballantyne Hotel. 

The first event is an afternoon luncheon, where James will perform.  Tickets to that cost $12,500 per couple.  That night, he and Mrs. Obama will appear at a reception, where James will perform again. Tickets to that are just $250.   Proceeds go to Charlotte’s host committee, to help raise the amount needed to mount the convention.

In other James Taylor news, he's announced a new set of U.S summer tour dates, with most tickets going on sale February 10.  He's spending March, April and May overseas in Europe. Here are the dates:

6/20 -- Pittsburgh, PA, Petersen Events Center     
6/21 -- Syracuse, NY, Oncenter Complex     
6/23 -- Holmdel, NJ, PNC Bank Arts Center     
6/24 -- Portland, ME, Cumberland Co. Civic Center     
6/28 -- Montreal, Canada, Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier     
6/30 -- Manchester, NH, Verizon Wireless Arena         
7/02 -- Lenox, MA, Tanglewood        
7/03 -- Lenox, MA, Tanglewood        
7/04 -- Lenox, MA, Tanglewood        
7/06 -- Atlantic City, NJ, Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa        
7/09 -- Cleveland, OH, Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica        
7/12 -- Nashville, TN, Bridgestone Arena        
7/15 -- Memphis, TN, Mud Island Amphitheatre        
7/17 -- Springfield, MO, JQH Arena        
7/18 -- Tulsa, OK, BOK Center        
7/20 -- St. Louis, MO, Fabulous Fox Theatre         
7/21 -- Kansas City, MO, Starlight Theatre        
7/23 -- Morrison, CO, Red Rocks Amphitheatre

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

"Girls Gone Wild" Creator Threatens Madonna

Interscope RecordsNow that Madonna has unveiled the track listing of her new album MDNA, everyone knows that it includes a song called "Girls Gone Wild" -- including Joe Francis, the guy who created the soft-core Girls Gone Wild brand.  And according to TMZ, he's not happy about it.

TMZ says that Francis has sent Madonna a cease-and-desist letter, threatening to sue her if she sings her new song at the Super Bowl.   According to the letter, which TMZ claims to have seen, Francis threatens to sue Madonna for trying to get a "free ride on the valuable consumer goodwill and brand recognition" of his company. 

Francis is willing to let Madonna off the hook, claims the letter, if she "negotiates an immediate licensing agreement" for the use of "Girls Gone Wild," "accounts for the number of times she's already used the trademark" and agrees not to perform the song at the Super Bowl.  According to TMZ, he also sent the letter to NBC and NFL, because he claims they are Madonna's "co-conspirators" in this case of trademark misappropriation.

The whole point is likely moot, since Madonna said she would only sing one new song during the halftime performance, and she pretty much confirmed that it will be "Give Me All Your Luvin'."

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

Chris Daughtry Unveils Pictures of Twins on Twitter

DaughtryOfficial.comIn November of 2010, Chris Daughtry and his wife Deanna welcomed twins Adalynn Rose and Noah James.  Now, at long last, Chris is giving fans a look at his babies.  On Friday, he wrote on Twitter, "Before they turn into teenagers & don't want they're picture taken, here they are! Noah & Adalynn."  He included links to a photo of each one -- Noah is shown in daddy's studio, sitting at the piano pretending to play.  Adalynn is shown standing outside in a stylish coat, with a little bow in her hair.  

Chris added, "Despite what the pictures may indicate, right now, Addy is the one who shows more promise as a singer/musician :) She sings all the time!"

Unfortunately, Chris will have to leave the twins, as well as his two older children, in March, when he and the rest of Daughtry kick off their Break the Spell tour.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

Credit: Chris DaughtryCredit: Chris Daughtry

Jack White, Beck, Bon Iver to Headline Sasquatch Music Festival

SasquatchFestival.comThe producers of the annual Sasquatch Music Festival have assembled a stellar lineup of artists for their eleventh installment. Jack White, Beck and Bon Iver will headline the event, which will be held from May 25-28 at The Gorge in George, WA. Other artists appearing at the fest include Tenacious D, The Shins, Silversun Pickups, Beirut, Feist, The Walkmen and St. Vincent, plus more. To see the complete festival artist roster, head over to SasquatchFestival.com.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

Rodney Atkins and Gloriana to Perform Country Music Marathon Post-Race Concert in Nashville

Curb RecordsRodney Atkins and Gloriana have signed on for the post-race concert following the 12th Annual St. Jude Country Music Marathon & 1/2 Marathon in Nashville April 28. The show takes place at the Bridgestone Arena, with proceeds from entire event going to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis.

"For all these people to come out and push themselves to this great of a length for such a good cause is exciting and definitely something to celebrate," says Rodney. "It will be a fun night, and I'm looking forward to being a part of it all."

Tickets for the concert are now on sale through Ticketmaster.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

Lady Gaga to Reveal New Stage Design on Tuesday

Interscope RecordsLady Gaga's next big project is a tour in support of her album Born This Way, and she's been tantalizing her Little Monsters will Twitter messages about how hard she and her team are working.  Now, she's announced that she will unveil her stage design on Tuesday, and is in the process of putting the set list together.

As for what sort of craziness fans can expect from Gaga, she may have given us a clue by tweeting a link to her video for "Born This Way."  In case you've forgotten, that video started with a lengthy introduction telling the story of the birth of both good and evil in outer space...we think.  The intro included plenty of special effects and bizarre costumes, so it seems that perhaps those themes may reappear in Gaga's new stage show.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

Elton John Pepsi Commercial Debuts Online; His Partner Won't Watch Madonna's Halftime Show

Facebook.com/EltonJohnYou won't have to wait 'til Sunday to see Elton John's Super Bowl commercial for Pepsi -- it's just debuted online.  The clip casts Elton as a king, presiding over a throne room full of colorfully costumed courtiers.  After a jester performs an extremely lame version of rapper Nelly's song "Hot in Herre," King Elton pronounces, "Enough! No Pepsi for you!"  He pulls a lever, causing the jester to drop through the floor.

Then, a hooded figure approaches the throne.  "And what do you do?" bored King Elton asks.  "I sing," replies the figure, dropping her cloak to reveal that she is actually X Factor winner Melanie Amaro.  King Elton laughs derisively, and Melanie busts out a club version of Aretha Franklin's classic "Respect," with her last note shattering the stained glass window above the throne. 

"All right," says King Elton.  "Pepsi for you."  "No," replies Melanie, grabbing the golden goblet out of his hand.  "Pepsi for all."  She tosses the goblet, and hits the lever, dropping King Elton through the floor, as everyone rushes to grab cans of the soft drink.  "Where there's Pepsi, there's music," reads the tagline.  We then see King Elton in the dungeon, being greeted with a "Yeahhh, boyee!" by former Public Enemy rapper and reality-show star Flava Flav, complete with Viking helmet and gold clock around his neck.

In a related story, TMZ asked Elton's partner, David Furnish, if he planned to check out Madonna's halftime show during the Super Bowl.  You may recall that Furnish went off on a profanity-filled rant against Madonna on Facebook after she won the Golden Globe for Best Original Song over Elton.  "I don't watch football," Furnish tells TMZ.  Since Elton is a massive football fan who's rooting for the Patriots, and he's also starring in the Pepsi commercial, we assume there's one word to describe the atmosphere at the John/Furnish household on Sunday: awk-ward!

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

Drake Makes "Billboard" History for Most #1 Rap Songs

Universal MotownDrake has raised the bar for other rappers trying to make history.  He nabbed his 11th #1 song on Billboard's Rap Songs chart, with "Make Me Proud," featuring Nicki Minaj.  According to Billboard, that gives Drizzy the title for most #1s on the chart since the list was created 23 years ago.  The rise of "Proud" puts Drake ahead of Diddy, who had ten top songs on the chart between "No Time," his 1996 song with Lil Kim, and his 2003 track "Shake Ya Tailfeather," with Nelly and Murphy Lee.

Drake's debut on the Billboard Rap Songs chart began with his first So Far Gone single, "Best I Ever Had," which sat at #1 on the rap list for 15 weeks.  It had the chart's second-longest reign, trailing Missy's "Hot Boyz," featuring Nas, Eve and Q-Tip, which held on at #1 for 18 weeks, starting in 1999.

Check out Drake's full list of #1 songs below:

"Best I Ever Had," 2009
"Forever," featuring Kanye West, Lil Wayne & Eminem, 2009
"Say Something," Timbaland featuring Drake, 2010
"Over," 2010
"Fancy," featuring T.I. & Swizz Beatz, 2010
"Right Above It," Lil Wayne featuring Drake, 2010
"Aston Martin Music," Rick Ross featuring Drake & Chrisette Michele, 2010
"Moment 4 Life," Nicki Minaj featuring Drake, 2011
"I'm on One,"  DJ Khaled featuring Drake, Rick Ross & Lil Wayne, 2011
"Headlines," 2011
"Make Me Proud," featuring Nicki Minaj, 2012

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

Day 26 Returns with New Video "Made Love Lately"

Atlantic RecordsDay 26 is hanging on to its deal with Atlantic Records, and the R&B foursome has released the video for new single "Made Love Lately."  It's the first song off the group's upcoming disc New Day. 

In a behind-the-scenes video on their official website, the crew talked about needing to find their next hit quickly to avoid getting dropped by their label.  Things seem to be working out, of course, with the guys popping up on 106 and Park on Thursday.  They say they've been busy writing and arranging music in the studio, and plan to do some touring soon.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

Frontman Justin Vernon Explains Why Bon Iver Won’t Perform at Grammys

D.L. AndersonWhile Bon Iver is up for four Grammy awards this year, you won’t see them performing at the event. In a recent interview with Billboard.com, frontman Justin Vernon explained why the band decided to turned down the offer to play at the awards show.

"We wanted to play our music but were told that we couldn't play,” revealed Vernon. “We had to do a collaboration with someone else. We're getting nominated for this record that we made…and all of a sudden we were being asked to play music that had nothing to do with that. We kind of said 'f**k you' a little bit, and they sort of acted like they wanted us to play, but I don't think they wanted us to play." 

Vernon added that even though the Grammy producers wanted him to perform with “awesome people that I would love to play a song with,” the frontman felt that it wouldn’t be right. “F**kin' rock n' roll should not be decided by people that have that job,” noted Vernon. “Rock n' roll should be the f**king people with guitars around their backs. And their friends. And their managers."

We'll see how many awards the band takes home when the 54th Annual Grammy Awards airs live on CBS on February 12 at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

Garth Brooks' Attorney Takes Issue with Email Integris Hospital Sent to Donors

Pearl RecordsAn Oklahoma jury recently awarded Garth Brooks a million-dollar decision in his case against Integris Healthcare, but the war of words between the two parties isn't over just yet. Brooks won the lawsuit claiming that Integris refused to return his $500,000 donation after they failed to make good on a promise to name a women's center for his late mother, Colleen Brooks.

Integris sent out an email to their donors claiming they tried to return the donation to Brooks before the trial, but Brooks refused to accept it. According to the Tulsa World newspaper, Brooks' lawyer John Hickey calls foul, saying, "Their position before the petition was filed and even after the petition was filed was they were never going to return the money." Hickey also take issue with Integris disclosing to their donors the details of confidential settlement negotiations.

Integris claims they are trying to keep their donors informed and feel Brooks' "one-sided viewpoint" could diminish their donors' continued support.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

Coldplay Premieres “Charlie Brown” Video Online

Capitol RecordsOn Friday, Coldplay posted online the video for “Charlie Brown,” the next single from their latest album, Mylo Xyloto. The five-minute video tells the story of young man who steals a car in order to take his girlfriend to a Coldplay concert. Filmed in London, the video was directed by Mat Whitecross, who also directed the video for the band’s single, “Paradise.”

In other Coldplay news, fans will be able to check out the band performing “Princess of China” with Rihanna at this year's Grammy Awards. Coldplay is nominated for three awards, including Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for "Paradise," and Best Rock Performance and Best Rock Song for "Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall."

The 54th Annual Grammy Awards, hosted by LL Cool J, will air live on CBS February 12 starting at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

Lady Gaga to Reveal New Stage Design on Tuesday

Interscope RecordsLady Gaga's next big project is a tour in support of her album Born This Way, and she's been tantalizing her Little Monsters with Twitter messages about how hard she and her team are working.  Now, she's announced that she'll unveil her stage design on Tuesday, and is in the process of putting the set list together.

As for what sort of craziness fans can expect from Gaga, she may have given us a clue by tweeting a link to her video for "Born This Way."  In case you've forgotten, that video started with a lengthy introduction telling the story of the birth of both good and evil in outer space...we think.  The intro included plenty of special effects and bizarre costumes, so it seems that perhaps those themes may reappear in Gaga's new stage show.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio