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Roy Scheider, a one-time boxer whose broken nose and pugnacious acting style made him a star in “The French Connection” and who later uttered one of cinematic history’s most memorable lines in “Jaws,” has died. He was 75. Scheider died Sunday at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences hospital in Little Rock, hospital spokesman David Robinson said. The hospital did not release a cause of death, but Scheider had been treated for multiple myeloma at the hospital’s Myeloma Institute for Research and Therapy for the past two years. Scheider earned two Academy Award nominations – a best-supporting nod for… Read more »

Kanye West loves the Grammys. The rapper has never hidden his lust for awards or his pleasure in the shine of a ceremonial spotlight. At the 50th annual Grammys on Sunday night, West, as usual, made his presence felt. Accepting one of his four awards, West went so far as to say: “It feels good to be home here at the Grammys.” West had a leading eight nominations going into the ceremony and took home four: best rap album for “Graduation,” best solo performance for “Stronger,” best rap song for “Good Life” and best rap performance by duo or group… Read more »

Universal Music’s publishing division has overtaken EMI as the world’s leading major music publisher, according to market research on Monday. Music & Copyright (M&C), which is published by Informa said Universal’s market share among major music groups rose to 24 percent in 2007 from 11.9 percent a year earlier. Over the same period, EMI’s music publishing share remained steady at 17 percent. Independent publishers account for around one third of the global market. EMI was bought by private equity firm Terra Firma, which earlier this month announced plans to cut up to 2,000 jobs at the music company as part… Read more »

Universal Music Group said on Monday that rap artist and hip-hop mogul Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter is stepping down as president of its Def Jam Records unit, effective by the end of the year. Carter, 38, has been president of the rap label since 2005, and has signed acts including R&B singers Rihanna and Ne-Yo. Universal said Carter, a top-selling rapper who performs as Jay-Z, will continue recording for its Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam label. But the company did not give a reason for his decision to quit the executive suite. “Now it’s time for me to take on new challenges,” he said… Read more »

Nokia Oyj said on Tuesday it has agreed with the world’s largest music group Universal to offer free 12-month access to Universal artists’ music for buyers of Nokia’s music phones. The world’s top cellphone maker said it has signed up Universal Music Group International, owned by French media giant Vivendi, for its new “Comes With Music” offering and is eyeing similar deals with other labels before the offer starts in the second half of 2008. “We are in talks with all major labels. The response from labels has been very, very positive,” said Nokia spokesman Damian Stathonikos. Nokia said the… Read more »

Heavy metal fans aren’t usually seen making bids at high-end auctions, but they turned out in numbers to snatch up a coat with embroidered bats, sneakers with skulls on them and other items put up for sale by Ozzy Osbourne. “We had Ozzy fans bidding against these sophisticated fine art buyers, which you don’t see every day,” said Darren Julien, whose company, Julien’s Auctions, ran the charity sale Friday and Saturday. “For the most part the metalheads were outbidding the art crowd.” Bidders came from as far as Germany to try and buy belongings from the Beverly Hills mansion formerly… Read more »

Executive said on Monday the music company’s business was poised to rebound as it tapped new revenue streams to counter the decline in sales of traditional CDs. Warner Music, the only publicly listed major music company in the United States, has seen its share price decline as CD sales have fallen. People are increasingly buying music through online downloads rather than physical CDs and records. The company’s third-quarter earnings report, for the three months to June 30, showed a 2 percent revenue decline as growth in digital revenue failed to make up for declining CD sales. To counter this, the… Read more »

The U.S. music industry is becoming more open-minded about working with online music stores from the tiniest start-up to Amazon.com, hoping to boost digital music sales and erode the dominance of Apple Inc’s iTunes. U.S. music companies, once paranoid about the wide-scale piracy enabled by Web-based companies like Napster and KaZaa, are now embracing new business models such as giving away free song downloads. Their goal is: to increase digital revenue as CD sales drop more sharply than anticipated; and to create alternatives to iTunes to boost their negotiating power against Apple when licensing contracts are renewed. “Any viable music… Read more »

Is the hardest button to button the one when you’re on diaper duty? Such are the thoughts undoubtedly preoccupying Jack White and his British model missus, Karen Elson, as the couple welcomed a new son on Tuesday. “Karen Elson and Jack White are now the proud parents of a healthy baby boy,” said Chloe Walsh, publicist for the White Stripes frontman. “The new child and his mother are both feeling very healthy and happy.” The infant, named Henry Lee White, is the second ankle biter for the couple. Henry’s sister, Scarlett Teresa White, was born in May 2006. The 32-year-old… Read more »

Prosecutors have again dropped charges against a man accused of shooting Ray Davies during a holdup in the French Quarter, and for the same reason: Davies wasn’t in court. The lead singer and co-founder of The Kinks said prosecutors notified him only a few days earlier that trial was scheduled for Thursday. He just didn’t have time to get to New Orleans from London, he told The Times-Picayune. “I am very disappointed with the way this case has been handled,” Davies said Thursday. “I intend to pursue it further.” Davies was shot in the leg Jan. 4, 2004, when he… Read more »