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Ozzy Osbourne will not receive the Freedom Of Birmingham, the highest honor that can be awarded to a citizen of the British city, according to the icbirmingham.co.uk website. City Councillor Tony Kennedy led a campaign to bestow the award upon Ozzy by claiming that his battle to overcome drug and alcohol addiction could be a model for residents of the city. But other councillors shot the idea down, saying they wouldn’t vote for the heavy metal legend. Councillor Coun John Hemming said, “Frankly, the idea of Osborne as a role model is laughable. I can’t see many parents wanting their… Read more »

Zakk Wylde tasted instant success when he became Ozzy Osbourne’s guitar player at age 20, but now he’s steadily coming out of his mentor’s shadow to ride the resurgence of heavy metal as a band leader. His group, Black Label Society, has been building a dedicated following around the United States, releasing four studio albums of aggressive guitars and raw vocals. The band’s first DVD, “Boozed, Broozed & Broken-Boned,” a performance filmed in Detroit last year, reached No. 3 on Billboard magazine’s music video chart in late August, behind Led Zeppelin and the Eagles. “With Black Label I get to… Read more »

The battle-weary music industry surveyed the wreckage of another dismal six months on Wednesday as global data showed music sales tumbled almost 11 percent, piling more pressure on music companies to do deals to survive. Despite big hits from pop queen Christina Aguilera and rapper 50 Cent, Internet downloading and CD-burning continued to ravage the industry, dragging music sales down to $12.7 billion in the first half of this year, a leading industry body said. However, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) indicated the rest of the year may not be so gloomy, with a strong release schedule… Read more »

A week after announcing plans to host an on-stage suicide by a terminally ill euthanasia advocate, Florida industrial rockers Hell on Earth have lost their booking at a Ft. Lauderdale venue. David Hundley, owner of the State Theater in St. Petersburg, said on Wednesday that he would not host next Saturday’s show. Unclear whether the planned suicide was a publicity stunt or an “illusion,” Hundley said during a press conference that his concern for what effect the stunt might have on young fans forced his hand. “We deal with a lot of kids here and we don’t want their parents… Read more »

American rap-rock band Linkin Park has received the government’s permission to perform next month in Malaysia – but it won’t be allowed to scream, jump around or wear shorts onstage. The Ministry of Culture and Arts said Wednesday it has approved plans for the band to hold a concert on Oct. 15 at a 50,000-seat stadium in this conservative, predominantly Muslim Southeast Asian country. “The government believes the performance will provide an alternative type of entertainment in Malaysia,” the ministry said, while warning that the rock stars must abide by a strict code of “artist performance ethics.” “Male artists must… Read more »

Years of discussion about a new studio album from the surviving members of the Who appears to be finally giving way to action. A post on guitarist Pete Townshend’s official Web site (http://www.petetownshend.co.uk) reveals that he and frontman Roger Daltrey will begin demoing new material “before the end of the year” and plan to hit the studio in March. Songs intended for the group’s first studio album in 21 years “will be based on story, now complete, ‘The Boy Who Heard Music.”‘ The set is being targeted for a summer 2004 release date on an as-yet-undetermined label and will be… Read more »

Multi-platinum superstar Usher has issued the following statement about his management team: “Contrary to earlier reports and rumors, I am still managed by Jonnetta Patton of JPat Management. JPat Management is my primary management team and has guided my career for over 10 years since the very beginning. I am pleased to announce that Tommy Mottola and his company Champion Entertainment have been brought in as an additional arm to JPat Management to co-manage my career. I am excited to have Tommy Mottola work in tandem with Jonnetta Patton, both of whom are amazing and brilliant executives.” Jonnetta Patton of… Read more »

A couple of years ago, a crazed Mooney Suzuki fan bum-rushed the band during a show and squirted mustard on singer/guitarist Sammy James Jr.’s fuzz box guitar pedal. The guy was apparently pissed that the garage rockers had “sold out” and signed with tiny indie label Estrus Records for their 2000 debut, People Get Ready, so he shouted, “Why don’t you have Estrus buy you a new one!” If that’s how he felt then, things could get much uglier next year when the band releases its as-yet-untitled third album, the first under its new deal with Columbia Records. Not to… Read more »

Stop the presses: ’80s metal band Quiet Riot has apparently called it quits after more than 20 years. Fans surfing to the band’s website, quietriotforce.com, were undoubtedly crushed to find the following message: “Thank you for 20 years of rock and roll. Goodbye, Quiet Riot.” Drummer Frankie Banali was contacted for confirmation, and he responded with a cryptic message of his own: “I can only confirm that Quiet Riot with members Kevin DuBrow, (bassist) Rudy Sarzo, (guitarist) Carlos Cavazo, and myself has ceased to exist and further dates will not be performed.” Quiet Riot was formed in 1975 by lead… Read more »

Arista recording artist P!nk is in the final stages of completing her hotly expected third album, entitled TRY THIS – in stores November 11th, it was announced today by Antonio “L.A.” Reid, president and CEO, Arista Records. The first single (and opening track) on TRY THIS will be “Trouble,” co-written by P!nk with Tim Armstrong (of alt-rock heroes Rancid), who also produced the track. Impact date at radio is set for September 29th. The ‘wild west’ concept video for “Trouble” was recently shot on location in Los Angeles. It was directed by Sophie Muller, known for previous clips with P!nk… Read more »