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Nick Haley took just 30 minutes to pluck the Brazilian band CSS from obscurity and hurl it into the national spotlight. In September, Haley paired the band’s dance-pop song “Music is My Hot, Hot Sex” with his 30-second amateur video, displaying the capabilities of Apple’s new iPod Touch. The video ends with the lyrics, “My music is where I’d like you to touch.” “I was like, ‘This song is too perfect,’ ” said Haley, 18, by phone from the University of Leeds in England, where he studies politics. “It’s punchy, loud, fast and naughty.” Marketers at Apple headquarters in Cupertino… Read more »

Timbaland’s next musical collaboration might be a lullaby. The rapper-producer and fiancée Monique Idlett welcomed a baby girl a few days ago, People reported Tuesday. “They’re both really happy together,” a source told the magazine. “They’ve known each other for years.” Timbaland, whose real name is Tim Mosley, has hit the studio with a mind-boggling number of artists ranging from Dr. Dre to Duran Duran to Björk, but the visionary who helped bring “SexyBack” with Justin Timberlake hasn’t had much to say as far as his nonprofessional partnerships go. Although apparently he doesn’t mind taking a little business home with… Read more »

There’s a new kid on Joey McIntyre’s block. The former boy bander and his wife, Barrett, welcomed their first child together, a baby boy, on Tuesday in Los Angeles, People reports. “The family is happy and healthy,” McIntyre’s rep said. “Everyone’s doing well, and they’re excited he made it here in time for Thanksgiving.” The proud parents are reportedly still deciding on a name for the 7-pound, 12-ounce tyke. The couple met in 2002 and tied the knot in August 2003. McIntyre, 34, announced the pregnancy on his Website in June. “It’s been a huge year so far and it… Read more »

It’s been nearly 15 years, and they’re no longer youngsters, but the Backstreet Boys are still around and have just released a new album. The youngest of the four-member group, Nick Carter, joined the ensemble at the age of 12 and is now turning 28. Their sixth album, “Unbreakable,” is near the top of the Billboard 200 charts. “We’ve been so blessed to have so many fans worldwide that are still keeping us around,” said band-member Howie Dorough, who is getting married next month. Members of the group have kept busy putting out solo albums, managing other artists and doing… Read more »

Donda West, the mother of Kanye West and former chairwoman of Chicago State University’s English department, passed away Saturday from undisclosed causes, according to a spokesman for the family. She was 58. According to multiple sources, West was in Los Angeles and her death may have been the result of complications from a surgical procedure; more specific information was unavailable at press time. Although widely known as the mother of Kanye, Dr. West was a noted scholar and an active college professor for 31 years; she left the profession in 2004 to assist with Kanye’s career, according to her biography… Read more »

Of all the members of ‘N Sync, who would have guessed that Lance Bass was the first to take the marital plunge? But the former boy-bander has revealed exclusively to E! News that back in “like, ’99, 2000,” owing to “one of those crazy moments,” he tied the knot with a girlfriend after a wild night in Sin City. “People do stupid things in the heat of the moment. I’ve been in Vegas where I’ve gotten married for, like, five minutes,” he said. “No one talks about that though.” Bass, who announced his homosexuality to much fanfare last year, declined… Read more »

According to a report in the venerable entertainment industry trade rag Variety, Zucker, president and CEO of NBC Universal, asked Apple for a cut of iPod revenue as part of the failed negotiations between the two companies over a contract extension for the right to sell NBC’s shows on iTunes. (Thanks, Valleywag.) If that’s true, wow. A source familiar with NBC Universal’s negotiations confirmed that the company asked for a slice of iPod revenue but only after Apple refused to budge on variable pricing. “Apple sold millions of dollars worth of hardware off the back of our content and made… Read more »

Relationships in the entertainment world can be famously fraught. And few are more so these days than the one between Steve Jobs and Universal Music chief Doug Morris. You may recall that Morris recently refused to re-up a multi-year contract to put his company’s music on Apple’s iTunes Music Store. That’s because Jobs wouldn’t ease his stringent terms, which limit how record companies can market their music. Now, Morris is going on the offensive. The world’s most powerful music executive aims to join forces with other record companies to launch an industry-owned subscription service. BusinessWeek has learned that Morris has… Read more »

Just as he’s reached the top of the album charts for the first time, Kid Rock has made a major change at the top of his business operations. Rock’s manager, Detroit-based Ed “Punch” Andrews, who also handles Bob Seger, has resigned after seven years of working with the Michigan rocker. Sources tell Billboard.com that Andrews has decided to retire after shepherding Rock’s latest album, “Rock N Roll Jesus,” to release last week. “Rock N Roll Jesus” is Kid Rock’s first No. 1 album on The Billboard 200, selling just over 170,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Kid Rock has reportedly… Read more »

If Madonna leaves Warner Bros. for an all-encompassing $120 million deal with Live Nation — as the Wall Street Journal reported this week — the concert promoter will struggle to make money on the deal, according to a Billboard analysis of the numbers. The 10-year deal reportedly includes: $50 million in cash and stock for the right to promote Madonna’s concert tours; a signing bonus of $17.5 million; and advances totaling $50 million-$60 million for three albums. The deal is virtually unprecedented, likely driven by touring potential, but sources say it doesn’t obligate her to tour. Last year, Madonna was… Read more »