Search Results for: against the current

Prince and his Paisley Park Enterprises are the subject of a defamation lawsuit filed by his former girlfriend, Charlene Friend, in Los Angeles Superior Court on Friday (April 19). The plaintiff, Friend, was “romantically involved” with Prince in 1991, and was the recipient of several gifts from the singer, including a jacket worn by him in a 1991 concert, an audiocassette, a Christmas card, a comic book, and the video Gett Off, according to court papers. Friend claims in the suit that she retained ownership of the items after the couple “discontinued their relationship,” and that Prince had never requested… Read more »

The parents of the members of Dream Street have filed a lawsuit against the teen boy band’s creators, alleging that their children were exposed to booze, women and pornography. The lawsuit, filed in state Supreme Court in Manhattan, alleges that Louis Baldonieri and Brian Lukow “have engaged in a wide range of conduct and activities that plainly threaten and impair the minors’ well-being,” according to an affidavit from band manager John Stuart. Baldonieri and Lukow denied the charges, with Baldonieri saying the parents were the ones setting a bad example. The adults were “teaching kids you can sign anything, then… Read more »

Since the alleged R. Kelly sex tapes first hit the media two months ago, the primary question has been if the girl featured on the 27-minute tape, currently under investigation by the Chicago police, was actually underage, since her identity had been kept hidden. While her immediate family – as well as the girl herself – have yet to step forward, a former protégé of R. Kelly has told a Los Angeles radio station that the girl on the tape is her niece, whom she says was 14 at the time the tape was made. Sparkle, who had a hit… Read more »

Even in a world saturated by mass-marketed hard rock bands, no one can accuse Flying Tigers of manufacturing angst. The band’s tuneful, turbulent self-titled debut was born of frustration and hard times, and the group profits from the pain. The disc chronicles the former lives of frontman Ryan Martin and drummer Gary Benson in their grungy power-pop band Frankie Machine, and what happened in the days following the release of that band’s debut album, One, in 2000. “The week it came out everyone at the label got fired, then we got dropped,” Martin recalled. “At the time we thought it… Read more »

It’s been five years since the murder of Notorious B.I.G., one of Los Angeles’ most infamous unsolved crimes. Biggie’s family, however, doesn’t consider it such a mystery. His widow, singer Faith Evans, and his mother, Voletta Wallace, along with other heirs, filed a federal civil suit including wrongful death charges on Tuesday, accusing current and former police chiefs of interfering with the murder investigation because it would have revealed corruption within the force. The theory behind the suit isn’t a new one. In June it was the subject of a lengthy feature in Rolling Stone: “The Murder of the Notorious… Read more »

Web music firm FullAudio on Thursday said it reached a licensing deal with the Harry Fox Agency Inc., a licensing agent representing more than 160,000 songwriters, for the online subscription service FullAudio plans to launch within weeks. Under this nonexclusive agreement, FullAudio will have access to every musical work authorized by participating publishers licensed by Harry Fox, a subsidiary of the National Music Publishers’ Association. Terms were not disclosed. The agreement also allows FullAudio subscribers to transfer tracks from their PCs to portable devices. FullAudio earlier this week announced it had licensed Warner Music, clinching its third licensing deal with… Read more »

Web music firm FullAudio on Tuesday said it licensed Warner Music, clinching its third licensing deal with a major record label for a subscription service it plans to launch this month through Clear Channel Communications Inc. radio stations. FullAudio plans to include Warner-controlled tracks, along with recordings from EMI Group Plc and Vivendi Universal’s Universal Music Group on its service through Clear Channel, which will be called MusicNow. Warner Music is a unit of AOL Time Warner Inc. The service, which enables users to download songs for a monthly fee, is currently being tested in Phoenix. FullAudio is providing the… Read more »

Eminem has settled the civil lawsuit brought against him by the man he allegedly assaulted for kissing his then-wife Kimberly Mathers. The rapper will pay John Guerra $100,000 minus attorney fees, an amount determined by a panel of three impartial attorneys who heard evidence from both sides in what is known as a case evaluation. Although Eminem’s attorney, Peter Peacock, told The Macomb Daily the settlement was more than his client hoped to pay, and Guerra’s attorney, John Gaber, said it was less than his client wanted, both agreed to the sum rather than taking the case to trial. Neither… Read more »

The 16th annual South by Southwest music conference drew to a close Sunday, and the only thing that lasts longer than the seemingly perpetual hangover that results from four debauched days of a music industry on spring break is the buzz emanating from the bands and key moments that defined this year’s festival. Of the more than 1,000 bands showcasing their chops before press, radio programmers, managers, lawyers, label execs and promoters in 48 venues strewn throughout Austin, Texas, a handful traditionally rise above the chaff to become the targets of hype hucksters and topics of critical discussion for weeks… Read more »

Tower Records Argentina is refusing to sell albums by Epic artist Shakira, in protest of the appearance of her boyfriend, Antonio de la Rua, in her latest video, “Underneath Your Clothes,” Billboard Bulletin reports. De la Rua is the son of former Argentine president Fernando de la Rua, who resigned in December in the midst of profound economic and political turmoil in the country. Antonio de la Rua was his father’s closest advisor; his inclusion in Shakira’s video has caused a stir in the local media. Tower Records marketing manager Maroa Ferrero says the decision to ban Shakira’s albums was… Read more »