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Self-proclaimed “king of pop” Michael Jackson will dust off a 13-year-old hit song during the American Music Awards Wednesday night – even though it might jeopardize his chances of performing at the more prestigious Grammys seven weeks later. Grammys boss Michael Greene, who is being sued for $10 million by American Music Awards producer Dick Clark for allegedly blackballing acts who appear on the earlier show, said Tuesday he would see what the Gloved One does during the ceremony before deciding whether to send him an invite. “We have 980 nominees and only 14 performance slots. So who in their… Read more »

Freddy Fender, nominated for a Grammy for Latin pop album of the year, will undergo surgery on Jan. 24 in Texas to receive a kidney donated by his 21-year-old daughter. The transplant surgery is scheduled at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. Fender is to receive the organ from daughter Marla Garcia of Jacksonville, Fla., the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences announced Saturday. Fender, whose hits include “Before the Next Teardrop Falls” and “Wasted Days and Wasted Nights,” is battling health problems including hepatitis C, NARAS said. The 44th annual Grammy Awards ceremony is… Read more »

Forget Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant, a sure bet to impress audiences at next month’s NBA All-Star weekend is Britney Spears. The pop star will be shooting out lyrics – not basketballs – when she performs during a television special organized by the National Basketball Association to promote literacy, according to Spears’ spokesperson. Spears and other artists to be announced will perform at the Pennsylvania Convention Center on February 9 for the “The NBA All-Star Read to Achieve Celebration.” NBC, TNT, Nickelodeon, BET, NBA.comTV and Canada’s MuchMusic will broadcast the special live simultaneously at 11 a.m. ET. (MTV’s parent company,… Read more »

Irish rock band U2, which enjoyed a triumphant 2001 playing to sold-out crowds in support of its acclaimed new album, led the list of nominees Friday for the Grammy Awards, the music industry’s top prizes. U2 picked up eight nominations, including the key album, song and record of the year categories, organizers announced at a news conference in Beverly Hills. The group’s four members were “thrilled and really excited, and not at all blase,” U2 manager Paul McGuinness told Reuters from the band’s Dublin base after he tracked them down across Europe to break the good news. “There’s a lot… Read more »

Forget Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant, a sure bet to impress audiences at next month’s NBA All-Star weekend is Britney Spears. The pop star will be shooting out lyrics – not basketballs – when she performs during a television special organized by the National Basketball Association to promote literacy, according to Spears’ spokesperson. Spears and other artists to be announced will perform at the Pennsylvania Convention Center on February 9 for the “The NBA All-Star Read to Achieve Celebration.” NBC, TNT, Nickelodeon, BET, NBA.comTV and Canada’s MuchMusic will broadcast the special live simultaneously at 11 a.m. ET. (MTV’s parent company,… Read more »

Veteran rockers U2 grabbed a leading eight Grammys nominations Friday, including record, album and song of the year. But the day’s biggest surprise was neosoul newcomer India.Arie, who nabbed seven nominations. Her debut “Acoustic Soul” was nominated for album of the year, while her breakout song “Video” received bids for record and song of the year. She was also nominated for best new artist. “I don’t know what to do,” said India.Arie, who help announce the nominations. “My spirit is flying and I want to jump and shout.” The numerous nominations were surprising because India.Arie’s disc was only a moderate… Read more »

Britney Spears, Kid Rock, Usher, Mick Jagger and Cher will all perform on next week’s American Music Awards, while Sean “P. Diddy” Combs tries his hand at being a television host. But none of that promises to be quite as fun as the backstage bickering that has consumed music’s two big awards shows. The bad feelings burst into the open last month when Dick Clark, executive producer of the American Music Awards, accused the Grammy Awards of essentially blacklisting artists who appear on Clark’s show. Clark said in a lawsuit that Michael Greene, head of the National Academy of Recording… Read more »

The suit filed against Arista Records for royalties from the re-release of Whitney Houston’s “The Star-Spangled Banner” was dropped Monday (December 17), according to a spokesperson for Arista Records. “It was the shortest lawsuit in history,” the spokesperson said. “It was an administrative oversight from [Houston’s] Greatest Hits album.” Leonard David Stone, executive director for the orchestra, said until a resolution has been reached, he was prohibited from commenting on the matter. The Florida Orchestra, which recorded the national anthem with Houston in 1991, filed a suit Friday (December 14), asking a judge to ensure that Arista honored an agreement… Read more »

Dick Clark says Michael Jackson would be on the American Music Awards, but Michael Greene won’t let him. The TV personality/producer filed a $10 million lawsuit on Wednesday (December 19) against Greene, president and CEO of the Recording Academy, claiming that Greene’s Grammy booking policy prevents top artists from appearing on Clark’s American Music Awards. Clark’s suit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleges that Greene’s policy of refusing to book artists who perform at the AMAs – which will take place seven weeks prior to the Grammy Awards – caused a breach of contract by forcing Jackson to back… Read more »

Music and broadcasting companies told the U.S. government on Friday that they have tentatively settled on royalty rates that radio stations should pay when they stream their broadcasts over the Internet. In a filing with the U.S. Copyright Office, attorneys for recording companies, performing-rights groups and radio stations said they had reached a tentative settlement on what those rates should be, but did not offer any specifics. The two sides requested that the settlement be approved by the Copyright Office and removed from an ongoing arbitration hearing known as the Copyright Arbitration Royalty Panel, or CARP. “The Settling Parties hereby… Read more »