The late ’70s, when punk exploded and disco imploded, were tumultuous years for the music industry. A time bomb embedded in legislation from that era, the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, could bring another round of tumult to the business, due to provisions that allow authors or their heirs to terminate copyright grants.
LOS ANGELES – Michael Jackson’s arms were covered with punctures, his face and neck were scarred and he had tattooed eyebrows and lips, but he wasn’t the sickly skeleton of a man portrayed by tabloids, according to his autopsy report obtained by The Associated Press. In fact, the Los Angeles County coroner’s report shows Jackson was a fairly healthy 50-year-old before he died of an overdose. His 136 pounds were in the acceptable range for a 5-foot-9 man. His heart was strong with no sign of plaque buildup. And his kidneys and most other major organs were normal. Still, Jackson… Read more »
Fueled By Ramen recording group Paramore has announced details of their hugely anticipated third album, Brand New Eyes, which will land in stores Sept. 28. Produced by Grammy Award-winner Rob Cavallo (Green Day, Kid Rock, My Chemical Romance) and co-produced by the band, Brand New Eyes is the long-awaited follow-up to 2007’s US platinum certified, and UK gold certified, second album Riot!, which has now sold over 2 million copies worldwide. The new 12-track collection is unquestionably Paramore’s brightest album to date, fit to burst with all the exuberant melodies, breathless hooks and irrepressible energy that has made the Nashville-based… Read more »
Musicians Ryan Ross and Jon Walker, both of Panic at the Disco fame, are leaving the band behind according to a posting on Panic’s Web site: Ryan Ross and Jon Walker will be leaving Panic at the Disco to embark on a musical excursion of their own. Though the four of us have made music together in the past, we’ve creatively evolved in different directions which has compromised what each of us want to personally achieve. Over the years, we have remained close and honest with each other, which helped us to realize that our goals were different and that… Read more »
LOS ANGELES — The powerful sedative Diprivan was found in Michael Jackson’s home, a law enforcement official said Friday as the city planned for a massive crowd at the singer’s memorial service. Diprivan is an anesthetic widely used in operating rooms to induce unconsciousness. Also known as Propofol, it’s given intravenously and is very unusual to have in a private home. The law enforcement official spoke on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to speak about the matter. A Los Angeles Police spokesman, Lt. John Romero, declined to discuss the case. “It’s an ongoing investigation,” he said.… Read more »
The publishing rights to most of the Beatles’ biggest hits are owned by one entity, a joint venture between the late Michael Jackson and the music arm of Sony Corp called Sony/ATV. Sony/ATV also owns the rights to songs written by Bob Dylan, Neil Diamond, Taylor Swift and, oh yes, the Jonas Brothers. But Sony/ATV does not handle the recordings of Beatles songs. Two other companies do that, so whether you’ll ever download “Come Together” off of iTunes has nothing to do with M.J.’s death. Jackson was, according to reports, mired in some truly epic financial drama. Even the value… Read more »
The show’s era as an icon ended with the death of Johnny Carson, but as long as his “hi-yo” sidekick, Ed McMahon, was still with us, some part of the era was as well. Tuesday, at age 86, McMahon died, taking what was left of the old Tonight Show with him. McMahon put himself through college pitching products on the Atlantic City boardwalk, which may have been a more useful education than college itself. In a way, that’s what McMahon did with startling success for 30 years: He pitched Carson to the public. His laugh made Carson’s jokes seem funnier;… Read more »
Miley Cyrus took a break from shooting “The Last Song” on the Georgia coast by borrowing a guitar and treating fans to an impromptu, two-song performance on the patio of a beachside seafood restaurant. “By the time she finished the first song, there must have been 50 little girls and their moms who came rushing up,” said Ray Rogers, owner of StingRay’s restaurant on Tybee Island. He caught Miley’s surprise gig on video. Rogers said the 16-year-old “Hannah Montana” star dined on snow crab legs with a friend after wrapping up Monday’s first day of filming of the Walt Disney… Read more »
TV stations across the U.S. started cutting their analog signals Friday morning, ending a 60-year run for the technology and likely stranding more than 1 million unprepared homes without TV service. The Federal Communications Commission put 4,000 operators on standby for calls from confused viewers, and set up demonstration centers in several cities. Volunteer groups and local government agencies were helping elderly viewers set up digital converter boxes that keep older TVs functioning. Any set hooked up to cable or a satellite dish is unaffected. “When you’re alone like me, that’s my partner,” Patricia Bruchalski, 82, said about her TV.… Read more »
A group of DJs allegedly used stolen credit cards to buy their own songs on iTunes and Amazon, boosting their chart ratings and netting them nearly £200,000 in royalties. The nine musicians are believed to have provided 19 songs, described by police as of ‘indeterminate quality’, to a distribution company which uploaded them to the music websites. They then used 1,500 stolen or cloned US and British credit cards to buy almost £500,000-worth of the songs. As the tunes soared up the charts, more and more people bought them and the DJs even came to the attention of big record… Read more »
