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One man largely symbolizes the divergent fortunes of sister stations MTV and VH1. Can you believe it’s Ozzy Osbourne? MTV has him, and the reality sitcom starring the frazzled heavy-metal legend and his family has become the kind of water-cooler hit that cable executives only dream of. “The Osbournes” has helped MTV build the biggest audience in its history. VH1 doesn’t have him. It doesn’t have much of anything else that people are talking about, and that’s reflected in sinking ratings and management uncertainty over the future. The two Viacom-owned companies are racing in opposite directions. “Things seem to be… Read more »

The German media giant Bertelsmann has confirmed publicly that it intends to buy Napster, the music-swapping service that was ruled illegal last year in federal court. “Our solution now is to completely take over Napster,” Thomas Middelhoff, Bertelsmann’s chief executive, said in an interview published yesterday in the German newspaper Die Welt. “We want to buy out the original shareholders. We have made them an offer, because we believe that our strategy is the right one for the future of the company.” However, Middelhoff added that negotiations are “at a standstill” because of a legal dispute between Napster’s major shareholders… Read more »

Showing his deep admiration for Ryan Adams, Sir Elton John addressed the young rock and roller as “fabulous one” during a taping Tuesday night for “CMT Crossroads.” In Studio A at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, John told an invited audience how Adams’ 2000 solo debut, Heartbreaker, prompted him to reassess his own approach to recording. “If I hadn’t heard Heartbreaker, I’d probably be lost in overproduction somewhere,” John said during a question-and-answer segment of the show, which explores the common country music roots of artists from diverse backgrounds. “I was completely and utterly floored by the simplicity… Read more »

Ernest Hemingway once described courage as “grace under pressure.” Rush drummer Neil Peart liked the phrase so much that he used it as the title of the band’s 1984 album. Now, having experienced devastating family tragedy and a subsequent rebirth, Peart has become the living definition of courage. In 1997, the drummer’s 19-year-old daughter died in a car accident. The following year, his wife Jackie passed away from cancer. At that point, Rush had just released their third multi-disc live album, Different Stages, and the band took an extended hiatus to allow Peart time to heal. Now, five years after… Read more »

“I only heard it quite recently,” says French composer Jacques Loussier. “In fact, my son had heard it and told me that was my music played on this record, so that is why I’ve been listening to it. And, of course, it’s so obvious that it was a copy of my music.” Loussier is speaking of Eminem’s “Kill You,” a track from the rapper’s 8 million-copy selling The Marshall Mathers LP that Loussier claims contains music lifted from his own composition, “Pulsion.” Loussier filed suit against the rapper and Interscope Records last week in federal court in New York City,… Read more »

The inspiration for “She Loves Me Not,” the first single from Papa Roach’s upcoming album, Lovehatetragedy, didn’t come easy to frontman Jacoby Shaddix. The track is about his sometimes-turbulent relationship with his wife, Kelly, who recently gave birth to their first child, Makaile Cielo Shaddix. The chorus, which includes the lines, “I don’t know if I care/ I’m the jerk/ Life’s not fair/ Fighting all the time/ This is out of line/ She loves me not,” illustrates the stress of trying to juggle your relationship and your band. “I feel like anything I do is just not enough,” Shaddix, formerly… Read more »

For the first time in five years, the Grammy Awards will be held in New York. The Grammys’ return to the Big Apple was announced at a press conference Wednesday (April 3). The 45th annual Grammy Awards will take place at Madison Square Garden on February 23. Recording Academy President/CEO Michael Greene and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Sen. Charles Schumer were among those on hand for the media event. The awards ceremony and Grammy Fest – a monthlong series of events leading up to the Grammys that features performances, exhibits and workshops – are expected to draw $35-$40… Read more »

Blink-182 side project Boxcar Racer played their debut show Monday night, exhausting their supply of songs as well as their frontman, singer/guitarist Tom DeLonge. Halfway through the band’s 40-minute set at the Mira Mesa Epicentre, a sweat-drenched DeLonge moaned, “F-, I’m tired. I’m out of shape.” Though more likely he just wasn’t used to being the sole focus of attention. Peering from behind a curtain of hair that hid his eyes, early on DeLonge said of the club’s low ceiling beams: “I like the rafters. It kind of hides my face from you guys.” Still, without Blink-182 singer/bassist Mark Hoppus… Read more »

Lil’ Romeo is definitely a boy of the people. In his new video for “2 Way,” he braved the indignity of soaring to new heights only to be left hanging. And for his upcoming album, Game Time, due June 4, he dug deep in the crates, looking for old records so he could put kids up on who was hot back in the days. “I sampled a little bit more on the album,” Romeo, who uses Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock’s “It Takes Two,” for the LP’s first single, “2 Way,” said Saturday. “I like sampling because a lot… Read more »

Paul McCartney has nothing left to prove. He’s a Beatle. He’s a knight. He’s an honorary American. He’s been everywhere, done everything. But in Oakland Monday night, he showed up simply “to rock ‘n’ roll.” And after a 2 1/2-hourlong feast for the eyes and ears, McCartney had done his job. He left a sell-out crowd of 15,000 satisfied. With a non-stop set dominated by Beatles tunes from “Can’t Buy Me Love” and “Yesterday” to “The End” and “Getting Better,” which McCartney claimed had never before been performed in concert, he rocked, he rolled, he paid tribute to John Lennon… Read more »