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Here’s one “guitar greats” list that Jimi Hendrix did not top: “the 100 greatest metal guitarists of all time.” According to Guitar World magazine, the No. 1 metal guitarist is Tony Iommi, the God-fearing axeman with pioneering English heavy metal band Black Sabbath. Six musicians claimed the next four spots: Metallica’s James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett tied at No. 2; AC/DC siblings Angus and Malcolm Young at No. 3; Randy Rhoads, the late sideman for Ozzy Osbourne, at No. 4; and Eddie Van Halen, of the foursome that bears his name, at No. 5. Hendrix was No. 12, six places… Read more »

After 11 years of planning, backers of a National Music Center and Museum pledged Thursday to open the facility in the nation’s capital five years from now. “We will be having our grand opening in 2008,” said singer Nancy Sinatra. She has been working to build support for the project since her father, Frank Sinatra, died in 1998. He had enthusiastically backed it during the last years of his life. “The energetic, unstoppable Federal City Council has been working to make his dream of a national museum of American music a reality,” Sinatra told a news conference called to announce… Read more »

What everyone always wants to know is: who’s the worst? Meaning: which really famous person out there is a berk whose lack of personality is in inverse proportion to their abundance of fame? And the answer is, of course, all of them. No, it’s not. It’s Jon Bon Jovi. The next question – who’s the best, of course – is more difficult. The interviewees I like are the ones that turn out to be more than you expected, whether that’s more intelligent, or honest, or bonkers, or fun, whatever. And there are plenty of those. Madonna (sharper), Björk (wilder), James… Read more »

They’ve already finished their next record and they won’t be hitting the road with Kiss for another three weeks, so Aerosmith have been keeping busy with various side projects. Last week frontman Steven Tyler and guitarist Joe Perry contributed music to a piece that Public Enemy’s Chuck D wrote for the introduction to the ESPY Awards. The cut, “Let’s Get Loud,” features music by the Aerosmith members and rapping by Chuck, Busta Rhymes, MC Lyte and Fife. The ESPYs will air July 16 on ESPN. Also, look for Perry hamming it up on the Food Channel. On June 27, the… Read more »

Proving that no one does Metallica better than Metallica, acts such as Sum 41, Limp Bizkit, Korn and Avril Lavigne gamely covered songs by the hard rock group at MTV’s annual tribute concert on Saturday while fans impatiently awaited a set by the honorees themselves. Playing in public for the first time with new bassist Rob Trujillo, Metallica ran through a fast and furious medley of songs, including “Creeping Death” and “Sanitarium,” before unveiling the speed-metal song “Frantic” from their upcoming album, “St. Anger.” Still a little rusty from a long layoff, Metallica performed “Frantic” twice after deciding that the… Read more »

A jury in Santa Monica, California, has found Tommy Lee not negligent in the death of a 4-year-old boy who drowned during a pool party at his Malibu home in July 2001. “Although I am relieved that the court has found me not negligent, there are no winners in this sad situation,” Lee said in a statement issued late Thursday. The jury of nine women and three men deliberated for an hour on Wednesday and less than two hours on Thursday, according to a court clerk at the Los Angeles Superior Court. The parents of Daniel Karven-Veres had sought millions… Read more »

In what the recording industry called the largest judgement ever in a U.S. copyright case, a federal jury in Los Angeles has fined a California CD maker more than $136 million for music piracy, officials said Friday. The jury handed down its multi-million dollar verdict against Media Group, a Fremont, California-based CD manufacturer, Wednesday, requiring it to pay $90,000 for each of more than 1,500 songs it copied illegally since 1995. Media Group declared bankruptcy last year after the judge in the case found the company and its then-chief executive, Jimmy Chan, guilty of “willful” violation of copyright laws. While… Read more »

John Mellencamp, Sheryl Crow and James Taylor are among the performers expected at two concerts that will benefit the family of Timothy White, the Billboard editor in chief who recently died of a heart attack. White was just 50 when he was stricken in his Manhattan offices on June 27. He left behind a wife and 10-year-old twin boys. One concert is set for Oct. 7 at Boston’s Fleet Center, with the other the next day at Madison Square Garden. Mellencamp, Crow, Don Henley and Sting will perform at both concerts. Billy Joel and Taylor will be at the Boston… Read more »

The thought of anyone from block rockers Stone Temple Pilots working with Rhinestone Cowboy Glen Campbell might at first seem as absurd as porn star Jenna Jameson advocating abstinence. On further examination, it doesn’t seem so bizarre. STP bassist and songwriter Robert DeLeo has spoken in interviews about his love for the country-pop performed by Johnny Cash, Jimmy Webb and especially Campbell. And last year, Campbell’s budding musician son Cal introduced his dad to the music of the Pilots. Soon after one of Campbell’s Los Angeles shows, the band went backstage and met the legendary singer/songwriter. They all got along… Read more »

Universal Music Enterprises (UME) and Disc Marketing, Inc. have entered into a multi-year agreement to create compelling music “premiums” for many of the world’s major consumer brands, it was announced today by Bruce Resnikoff, President, Universal Music Enterprises. Under this agreement, UME, through its Special Markets division, will become the principal supplier of music content for music premiums developed by Disc Marketing for its wide range of corporate clients. UME will also provide manufacturing services for Disc Marketing. The agreement additionally calls for Disc Marketing to become the exclusive supplier of enhanced content for UME’s premium CD music packages. Utilizing… Read more »