Just days following the death of the Who's bassist John Entwistle on June 27, the music industry lost two more legendary artists. On June 29, Rosemary Clooney lost her battle with lung cancer. She was 74. And, on July 2, 75-year-old jazz bassist Ray Brown died in his sleep while on tour in Indianapolis. During his early career, Brown played with such jazz giants as Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and his former wife Ella Fitzgerald. Brown's trio with guitarist Herb Ellis and pianist Oscar Peterson was one of the most popular jazz groups in the 1950s. His latest album, Some of My Best Friends Are…Guitarists, was released last month.
The week ending July 13, rapper Nelly debuts at Number One on Billboard's Top 200 chart with his second CD, Nellyville. It sold 714,000 copies to knock rap star Eminem's The Eminem Show out of the top spot after a five-week run. Nelly's new album and single, Hot In Herre, occupies the Number One spot on 10 Billboard charts this week. His debut album, Country Grammar, has sold eight million copies.
Michael Jackson and Sony Music have acquired Country music publisher Acuff-Rose from Gaylord Entertainment for $157 million. Acuff-Rose's 55,000 song catalog includes works by the Everly Brothers, Hank Williams and Roy Orbison. Jackson and Sony also own copyrights to The Beatles, Bob Dylan and Miles Davis.
TLC's remaining members Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins and Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas are back at work on their fourth album. Recording sessions had begun before the death of member Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes in April. Watkins and Thomas say they'll continue as a duo. Their new album is scheduled for release later this year.
NEW ALBUM RELEASES - JULY 9:
LOOK WHO'S GOING ON TOUR!
Sheryl Crow and Train will headline the Jeep World Outside Tour, which begins on July 10 in Charlotte, North Carolina. O.A.R. and Ziggy Marley will open shows on the 24-city outing. Five For Fighting, Silver Crush, Tonic, Howie Day and others will appear on a second stage.
July 10 - Dolly Parton will kick off a 14-date club tour in New York in support of her new CD Halos & Horns. The bluegrass album is the third in her acoustic series that also includes 1999's The Grass Is Blue and last year's Little Sparrow. Parton's current tour is scheduled to wrap up on August 31 in Kansas City, Missouri.
July 11 - Creed will resume its North American tour in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The group canceled twenty dates after lead singer Scott Stapp's car accident in which debuted at Number One and remained in the top spot for eight weeks.
July 12 - rock singer-songwriter Lenny Kravitz will begin a U.S. tour in Virginia Beach, Virginia. He'll be promoting his latest CD Lenny on the 33-city tour, which runs through September 2nd. Opening acts include Pink and Abandoned Pools. Kravitz will head to Japan on September 28 to perform eight concerts in Osaka, Tokyo, Hiroshima, Fukuoka, Nagoya, and Toyoama.