Janet Jackson complained to SOHH.com that Island Def Jam Records isn't
promoting her debut album for the label. Discipline has sold only
392,000 copies in the U.S. Two of its singles, "Feedback" and "LUV,"
failed to crack the Top 30. "Rock With U" never made it onto the
chart. An Island Def Jam representative told Billboard magazine,
"Unfortunately we haven't experienced the results we would have liked
with this new album. But we respect and support Janet."
The
Police kicked off their reunion tour in May 2007. They've just
announced their final show together will take place on August 7 at New
York's Madison Square Garden. The show will benefit two New York
public television stations. The Police will also contribute $1 million
to New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's environmental initiative,
MillionTreesNYC.
Illinois-based rock group Disturbed debuts at
Number One on the Billboard 200 this week with its latest CD Indestructible (week ending June 21). The album sold 252,000 copies
its first week of release. This marks Disturbed's third consecutive
Number One debut. According to Billboard.com, only six other rock
bands have debuted in the top spot with three consecutive studio
albums. They include Van Halen, U2, Metallica, the Dave Matthews Band,
Staind and System of a Down.
On June 17, Mick Hucknall, lead
singer of the British pop group Simply Red, will release his solo debut
album. Tribute To Bobby features Hucknall's covers of 12 songs
popularized by American blues legend Bobby "Blue" Bland. Hucknall
says, "His music has this sophistication to it, a jazz tinge. There's
also the darkness of his lyrics - Bobby sings with a really twisted
pain and sorrow. He's one of the vocalists who influenced my singing
style long before I became a slave to pop success."
The 39th
annual Songwriters Hall of Fame inductions will be held in New York
City on June 19. This year's inductees include songwriter Desmond
Child, Country legend Loretta Lynn, British songwriter Albert Hammond,
Academy Award-winning composer and lyricist Alan Menken and
singer-songwriter John Sebastian. In addition, Goo Goo Dolls leader
John Rzeznik will receive the Hal David Starlight Award, which is given
to songwriters who make a significant impact in the music industry with
their original songs. Previous Starlight Award winners include Rob
Thomas, Alicia Keys, John Mayer and John Legend. And, Canadian singer
Anne Murray is this year's recipient of the Howie Richmond Hitmaker
Award. That award honors artists who have had a substantial number of
hit songs for an extended period of time. Clive Davis, Garth Brooks,
Chuck Berry, Whitney Houston, Michael Bolton, Gloria Estefan and Diana
Ross are among the previous Hitmaker Award recipients.
NEW ALBUM RELEASES
New
albums scheduled for release on June 17 include: Viva La Vida by
Coldplay, Before the Amplifiers, Live Acoustic by Sister Hazel, Rise
& Fall, Rage & Grace by The Offspring, Good Girl Gone Bad:
Reloaded by Rihanna, Love The Woman by Chante Moore, No Rules by
Rebecca Lynn Howard, Greatest Hits, Volume Two by the Goo Goo Dolls, Nostradamus by Judas Priest and One Of The Boys by Kate Perry.
MUSICAL EVENTS/FESTIVALS/BENEFITS
The
35th annual Telluride Bluegrass Festival will take place June 19-22 in
Telluride, Colorado. This year's lineup includes Ryan Adams, Ani
DiFranco, Arlo Guthrie, the Del McCoury Band, Ricky Skaggs and Bruce
Hornsby with Kentucky Thunder and Tift Merritt, among many others.
TOUR DATES AND INFORMATION
On
June 15, Melissa Etheridge kicked off her "Revival" tour in Clearwater,
Florida. She'll be supporting her latest album The Awakening.
Etheridge told Billboard.com that the 12-week tour will "musically take
you through my life story. I'm going to tell you that story and show
you how I have come to where I am now."
British pop singer
George Michael begins a 21-city North American tour on June 17. Shows
start in San Diego, California and wrap up on August 3 in Sunrise,
Florida. Michael's latest album, Twenty Five, is a 29-track, double
CD anthology with several new songs. They include new duets he
recorded with Mary J. Blige and Paul McCartney.
On June 19,
Country star Toby Keith will kick off his "Biggest and Baddest" tour in
Birmingham, Alabama. Opening the 43-date outing are Carter's Chord,
Mica Roberts and Trailer Choir. All three are new acts signed to
Toby's Show Dog Records. Toby is reportedly working on a new studio
album for release later this year.
