News

A Few Words From The Queen Mum

2009-11-21T01:01:00Z

It’s hard to believe that it’s been 18 years since the world lost the inimitable Freddie Mercury. As the people of Feltham, the west London neighborhood where his family lived for many years, prepare to honor him with a Hollywood Walk of Fame-style star, his 87-year-old mother shares some of her favorite memories of him.

Speaking from her home in Midlands, Jer Bulsara reminisced about her son’s lifelong love of music, his desire to be an English teen and the family’s move from Zanzibar (where Mercury was born Farrukh Bulsara in 1946).

“He used to love playing records all the time and then sing – any sort of music, folk, classical or Indian music,” Bulsara told BBC Asian Network’s Dil Neiyyar.

Even though he was initially unhappy when he was sent to boarding school in his parent’s hometown of Mumbai, Mercury’s talent for live performance soon manifested itself.

“Any sort of music in the school he used to play and sometimes he used to play at the weekends because it was [near] a holiday resort,” Bulsara explained.

“So foreigners used to come to the hotel and he was asked to play piano for them, and all just for a free dinner. He used to do that. He used to love it and it was great.”

Although he had already formed a band, The Hectics, at boarding school, his parents pushed their then 16-year-old son to pursue a career other than music when they relocated to Britain, something Freddie had dreamed of for a long time.

"He really wanted to come to England," Mercury's mother said. "Being a teenager, he was aware about these things in Western countries and it attracted him.

“He knew we wanted him to be a lawyer or an accountant or something like that, because most of his cousins were. But he’d say, ‘I’m not that clever Mum. I’m not that clever.’”

Bulsara revealed to BBC that the world came close to losing some classic Queen tunes because of Mercury’s rather unusual hiding place for them after they were written.

“He used to write some of the songs down and tuck them under the pillow before going to college. I used to tell him, ‘Don’t you put rubbish underneath or I’ll throw it away!’ He used to say, ‘Don’t throw it away Mum, it’s very important.’”

When the singer’s rehearsing at home began to elicit complaints from his parent’s neighbors, he decided it was time to strike out on his own and he found an apartment in the central London neighborhood of Kensington. His mother said there was one thing, however, that her soon-famous son couldn’t find in his new life.

“He used to phone me because he used to love home cooking. He’d say, ‘Mum, I’m coming home’ and he’s come home in his Rolls Royce and the neighbors were all excited about it.

“But nobody bothered him, they were all very good and used to respect us and him.”

And when Mercury returned to his life of fame and high style in Kensington, he didn’t go empty handed.

“When he used to go to studio for his music, he loved the cheese biscuits that I used to bake,” Bulsara explained.

The singer’s Mum told Neiyyar that she couldn’t be prouder of him and is thrilled that the people of his old neighborhood have chosen to honor him – although she apparently couldn’t resist throwing in a little guilt for good measure.

“I thought that they’d have done it earlier, a lot earlier. A long time earlier. But anyway, I’m very proud.”

Listen to Dil Neiyyar’s complete interview with Freddie Mercury’s mother Jer Bulsara on BBC iPlayer.

Scheduled To Appear – 11/20

2009-11-21T00:04:00Z

If you’ve ever wanted to help pick the set list for The Pixies, here’s your chance. Sort of.

The band will drop by “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” Tuesday night, where they’ll perform the classic “Debaser” from 1989’s Doolittle.

But as regular viewers of Fallon’s show know, it’s become something of a tradition for his musical guests to perform a second song for streaming exclusively on the “Late Night” Web site.

That’s where you come in. Fallon and The Pixies are asking fans to vote via Twitter to pick the band’s second selection. Tweet your choices to @jimmyfallon from now until 6 p.m. EST on Monday.

Friday, Nov. 20
Chris Hardwick, Maz Jobrani and Loni Love – “Chelsea Lately”
Lyle Lovett, Paula Poundstone – “Late Show With David Letterman”
Bon Jovi – “The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien”
Elvis Costello – “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon”
Death Cab For Cutie – “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”
David Gray – “Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson”

Saturday, November 21
Pearl Jam – “Austin City Limits”
Dave Matthews Band – “Saturday Night Live”

Monday, November 23
Norah Jones – “The View”
David Cook – “Live with Regis and Kelly”
Kris Allen – “The Ellen DeGeneres Show”
Jen Kirkman, Brad Wollack, Lawrence Leung – “Chelsea Lately”
Lady Gaga – “The Jay Leno Show”
John Cleese, Timbaland, Nelly Furtado, So Shy – “The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien”
Weezer – “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”
Margaret Cho – “Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson”
Brett Dennen – “Last Call with Carson Daly”

Following The Michael Jackson Drug Trail

2009-11-20T23:04:00Z

Some of the drugs believed to have caused Michael Jackson’s death were purchased by the singer’s personal physician from a pharmacy in Las Vegas, according to court documents released today.

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Receipts for purchases of the powerful anesthetic propofol were found in Dr. Conrad Murray’s Las Vegas office, according to search warrant records. The receipts were dated May 12, more than one month before Jackson’s death June 25.

Police traced the lot numbers of propofol bottles found in Jackson’s home to the pharmacy and discovered Murray bought five 100 milliliter bottles as part of a $853 order.

Evidently someone wanted the drugs ASAP. Murray paid $65 to have the order overnighted to him.

Investigators don’t know whether the amount of the order indicates how much of the drug Jackson took. Or, for that matter, how long it would take him to consume the entire amount.

“Whether it was a week’s worth or a month’s worth, we have no way of knowing,” Clark County prosecutor David Schubert said.

Other documents show Murray as having told police he gave propofol to Jackson to help him sleep. However, Murray has also maintained that at no time did he give anything to Jackson that could kill him.

The search of Murray’s Las Vegas office was conducted Aug. 11, but the records were sealed until today. Police wanted the records to remain sealed until Jan. 18, saying any disclosure beforehand would jeopardize the investigation.

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But attorneys representing Associated Press, Los Angeles Times, TMZ Productions and Las Vegas Review-Journal parent company Stephens Media successfully argued there was no reason to keep the documents sealed. Clark County District Court Judge Valerie Adair decided yesterday to release the docs, and signed the order making it official today.

Murray is still the focus of a homicide investigation into Jackson’s death, but the 56-year-old cardiologist has not been charged with any crime.

Iggy Kicks It ATP-Style

2009-11-20T22:01:00Z

Organizers of the increasingly popular music festival All Tomorrow’s Parties have announced the dates for next year’s ATP New York and unveiled a partial lineup that includes Iggy and The Stooges and Mudhoney.

ATP New York, which is marking its third year in 2010, will once again return to Kutsher’s Country Club in Monticello, NY. However, this year’s party will take place over Labor Day Weekend, running from Sept. 3 to Sept. 5.

Kicking off the weekend on Friday night is ATP’s “Don’t Look Back” series featuring seminal albums performed in their entirety by Iggy & The Stooges (Raw Power), Sleep (Holy Mountain), Mudhoney (Superfuzz Bigmuff plus early singles) and, in their first U.S. show ever, The Scientists (Blood Red River).

Friday night will also feature a lineup of guest DJs, a comedy stage and cinematic gems curated by the folks at Criterion Collection.

Additional acts for the rest of the weekend will be announced in the coming weeks.

Tickets, priced at $250 plus booking fee for the weekend and $110 plus booking fee for Friday only, are available via Paypal direct to ATP by sending an email to feedback@atpfestival.com with NEW YORK TICKET BUY in the subject line.

Presale accommodations at Kutshers ($150 plus room tax per person for groups of 3,4,5,6 or 7) are also available via ATB by email to feedback@atpfestival.com with NEW YORK ROOM BUY in the subject line.

General ticket sales begin Nov. 25 at ATPFestival.com.

Fans feeling the crunch can use the festival’s layaway plan, allowing them to pay $125 now with the second installment due by March 31. For details or to sign up email deposit@atpfestival.com with NEW YORK LAYAWAY in the subject line.

Miley Cyrus Fatal Tour Bus Crash

2009-11-20T21:01:00Z

One of Miley Cyrus’ tour buses crashed and overturned outside Richmond, Va., early this morning, killing the driver. The singer was not on board.

The bus had departed from Uniondale, N.Y., where Cyrus performed a two-night stand at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum Nov. 18-19, and was traveling towards Greensboro, N.C., where Cyrus is set to perform Sunday. The accident occurred around 8:15 a.m. EST in Dinwiddie, Va., about 40 miles south of Richmond.

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Sgt. Thomas Molnar said the black-and-maroon luxury tour bus, which was one of four tour buses traveling together, overturned after it ran off the left side of Interstate 85 and struck an embankment. The Prevost tour bus apparently skidded for several hundred feet and landed on its side in a ditch off the highway. Passengers exited the bus through the front windshield.

Virginia State Police noted that the roads were wet from heavy rain Thursday night, but speed and weather weren’t considered factors. The cause of the crash is under investigation.

The tour bus was transporting Cyrus’ production lighting crew.

WTVR CBS 6 News out of Richmond reported that the victim who died was the driver, William Douglas, 53, of Austin, Texas. According to the TV station, Douglas was trapped inside the bus and died at the scene. A passenger, Marty Zilio, 48, of Canada, was taken to a local hospital for minor injuries. There were eight other people on the bus.

A wrecker hauled the tour bus to the next exit off 1-85 where two other tour buses were parked outside a restaurant. Cyrus was not traveling with the caravan at the time of the accident.

After performing at the Greensboro Coliseum on Sunday, Cyrus continues on her U.S. fall tour with shows in Charlotte, N.C.; Nashville; Columbia, S.C.; Atlanta; Tampa, Fla. and Miami. Dec. 7 the teen pop star kicks off her U.K./Ireland tour with dates through Dec. 29.

Click here for the AP story.

Click here for the WTVR story.

Aerosmith Members: Tyler “Needs Help”

2009-11-20T20:01:00Z

While everyone debates the future of Aerosmith following frontman Steven Tyler’s announcement that he’s taking two years off, several members of the band are opening up about recent developments that leave them uneasy.

“I think that [Steven] needs help and that attention needs to be put to his health,” Aerosmith drummer Joey Kramer told People magazine.

And while at first glance that statement might appear to be simple concern for Tyler following a fall from the stage that left the 61-year-old with a broken shoulder, Kramer hinted it’s about something more, telling the magazine the singer has “isolated himself.”

“He’s got some bad influences in his life right now and he’s making poor choices,” the drummer explained.

Although no one in the band will come right out and say that Tyler, who waged a very public battle with alcohol and drugs more than two decades ago, is off the wagon, statements by Kramer and guitarist Brad Whitford would seem to hint at just that.

Whitford told People the singer’s behavior during Aerosmith’s recent tour was increasingly “erratic” and “unpredictable.”

“It wasn’t an overnight change. It’s been progressively getting out of hand,” Whitford explained, noting the problem resulted in “loads of cancellations, canceled tours and canceled dates.”

The guitarist admits he has had little contact with Tyler following the sudden end of Aerosmith’s tour in August, saying, “I don’t know where he is and what he’s doing” and adding that he’s “concerned about [Tyler’s] well-being and health.”

Tyler and his reps insist that the break from Aerosmith is to give him time to work on his memoirs and a possible solo album. The singer also took pains to deny he’s doing drugs again in an August Rolling Stone interview.

In the meantime, despite the fact that Tyler categorically denies he’s leaving the band permanently, speculation continues to build that the other members of the band are mulling over the idea of finding a replacement, something Kramer says is practically unthinkable.

“It's hard for me to imagine getting on stage without Steven,” the drummer told People. “He needs to take care of his health first and get help in order for there to be a future for an Aerosmith that includes him.”

Read Kramer and Whitford's conversation with People here.

Odds & Ends: Elton / Billy, Chris Brown’s Probation Report and J-Lo / Anthony's Dog Problem

2009-11-20T19:04:00Z

The latest chapter of the Face2Face touring saga means more postponements for Elton John and Billy Joel. Meanwhile, J-Lo and Marc Anthony’s guard dog needs counseling and Chris Brown reportedly works well with others.

More changes for the Elton John / Billy Joel tour. Latest update shows the Oklahoma City date, originally scheduled for Nov. 25, now happening Feb. 25 and the Kansas City show moved from Dec. 1 to Feb. 27.

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The North Little Rock show scheduled for Nov. 28 at the Verizon Arena has been canceled.

Illness is the culprit. At first it was only John’s health causing postponements of the tour’s first few dates. But almost as soon as John recovered from a bout of flu mixed with an E. coli infection, co-headline partner Joel took sick.

Chris Brown’s Probation Report Card

Chris Brown appeared in a Los Angeles courtroom yesterday to update the judge on how his probation is going, and received an “extremely favorable” report from officials.

For those who just fell off the turnip truck after being born yesterday, Brown pleaded guilty in August for the February beating of his then-girlfriend Rihanna and was sentenced to five years probation, six months community labor and ordered to undergo domestic violence counseling.

It was the singer’s first probation report. Evidently he was in a pretty up mood – laughing and joking with his lawyer before the 10-minute hearing.

According to Brown’s attorney, Mark Geragos, the star has already done 100 hours of his court-ordered community labor. Brown is scheduled to give another progress report Feb. 18.

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Who Let The Military-Trained Guard Dog Out?

An animal behavior expert says Jennifer Lopez and hubby Marc Anthony are to blame for their military-trained guard dog’s behavior. The couple is being sued for the dog’s alleged attack on a flight attendant.

Veterinarian Dr. Karen Overall says the couple knew the dog was a menace,” according to the New York Daily News.

“It is clear to me that Floyd, Mr. Anthony’s personal protection dog, behaved inappropriately, aggressively and in a manner that consistently endangered humans,” wrote Overall in a report.

Overall was hired by lawyers representing flight attendant Lisa Wilson who is suing Lopez and Anthony in Brooklyn Federal Court, claiming the dog growled then attacked her while onboard a private Gulfstream IV jet in 2006.

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Apparently Floyd has silverware issues. According to Overall, a personal chef had trouble with the dog whenever he carried sharp objects.

In her lawsuit against the celeb couple, Wilson claims the dog headbutted her leg, causing her to fall and injure her back. Wilson also says Anthony ordered her not to make eye contact with the animal and to call him by his name if she needed to pass by him.

“The dog was obviously dangerous and we will prove at trial that it was only a matter of time before he hurt someone,” said Wilson’s lawyer William Cafaro, according to the Daily News.

Click here for the complete New York Daily News article.

Nickelback’s Dark Horse Journey

2009-11-20T18:01:00Z

Nickelback brings its Dark Horse tour to North America in April 2010, playing four Canadian and seven U.S. cities.

At least, that is what’s currently on the schedule. Canada dates are April 6 in London, Ont., at the John Labatt Centre; April 8 in Toronto at Air Canada Centre; April 9 in Montreal at Bell Centre and April 11 in Ottawa at Scotiabank Place.

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U.S. dates are April 13 in Washington, D.C., at Verizon Center; April 14 in Hampton, Virginia, at Hampton Coliseum; April 16 in Greenville, S.C., at Bi-Lo Center; April 17 in Greesnboro, N.C., at the Coliseum; April 19 in Orlando at Amway Arena; April 21 in Atlanta at Philips Arena and April 24 in Tulsa at BOK Center.

Breaking Benjamin appears on all dates. Shinedown appears on all dates except Hampton, Greenville, Greensboro and Orlando. Additional dates as well as an opening act will be announced.

Nickelback is touring on the strength of its best selling album Dark Horse. The band is also nominated for a 2009 American Music Award in the pop/rock category for favorite band, duo or group.

Tour promoter Live Nation says tickets go on sale in select markets Dec. 4. For more information, please click here for the Nickelback Web site.

Friday Fun: I’d Like To Bring You A Friend Of Us All…

2009-11-20T17:01:00Z

Is that Eric Clapton? What’s Jack White doing here? And, hey! Is that really Billy Corgan?

You can go to a thousand concerts and see what’s printed on the ticket – the headliner plus a support act – and nothing more.

But then there are those magical moments when the featured act invites a friend or two onstage, resulting in one of those legendary surprise appearances most people only read about.

How about it? Have you ever witnessed a surprise walk-on? Were you in the audience when Springsteen brought out Jackson Browne, when Mary J. Blige dropped in on Jay-Z or Paul McCartney joined Billy Joel?

Surprise guest appearances at concerts is this today's Friday Fun topic. It’s time to share those astonishing moments by letting your memories flow into the comment thread below.

Alice In Chains 2010 North American Tour

2009-11-20T16:01:00Z

Alice In Chains has announced dates for its 2010 North American headlining tour. The alternative rock band plans to show off classic tunes in addition to songs from its latest release, "Black Gives Way To Blue."

Black Gives Way To Blue is the band’s follow up to its self-titled album and its first studio album in 14 years.

The tour kicks off Feb. 2 at the Orpheum in Vancouver, British Columbia, and wraps up March 21 at The Roy Wilkins Auditorium in Saint Paul, Minn.

Additional dates include Fillmore Auditorium in Denver (Feb. 19), The Pageant in St. Louis, Mo. (Feb. 22), DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. (March 3), Orpheum Theatre in Boston (March 14) and Aragon Ballroom in Chicago (March 20).

Tickets go on sale Dec. 4 and 5. More information will be posted on Alice in Chains’ website early next week.

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Alice in Chains is currently touring the U.K./Europe with dates through Dec. 7. Tonight the band plays Trix in Antwerp, Belgium, followed by shows in Austria, Germany, Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, France and U.K.

Dec. 11 the band performs at Las Vegas’ The Joint as part of 107.5 Xtreme Holiday Havoc. The next day Alice in Chains takes part in the KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas show at the Gibson Amphitheatre At Universal CityWalk in Universal City, Calif. Proceeds go toward two local charities – Para Los Niños and the Al Wooten Jr. Heritage Center.

You can also catch Alice in Chains online at Yahoo! Music Nov. 24 as the band performs three songs acoustically for a special Yahoo! Maximum Performance.

Click here for Alice in Chains’ website.

Adam Lambert: “Whataya Want From Me?”

2009-11-20T01:01:00Z

After “American Idol” runner-up Adam Lambert came out in the pages of Rolling Stone magazine last June, the issue of his sexuality was settled and he could begin his post “Idol” career free from controversy, right? Wrong. And ironically the trouble comes from the last place anyone would ever expect – the pages of a gay & lesbian lifestyle magazine.

Lambert sat down early last month to do an interview with Out writer Shana Naomi Krochmal for the magazine’s annual “Out 100” cover feature, which profiles the people (gay and straight) currently making the biggest impact on the LGBT community. Others pictured on the issue’s cover include comedian Wanda Sykes, singer Cyndi Lauper, producer Rob Marshall and Iraq War vet and “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” opponent Dan Choi.

The interview marked the first time the singer had officially graced the pages of the influential publication. And given the outcome of his first visit with the staff at Out, it might just be the last.

According to an open letter written by Krochmal about the fracas, the first sign of trouble came when she arrived at the offices of Lambert’s label.

“Despite plenty of back and forth between the magazine and the label about the cover and the photo shoot, I still wasn’t prepared for what happened when I showed up at the 19 Entertainment offices for the interview,” Krochmal explained.

“I briefly met Adam, and then the publicist and I walked out to the balcony, at which point I was cautioned against making the interview ‘too gay,’ or ‘you know, gay-gay.’ Specifically I was discouraged from asking about the March on Washington that upcoming weekend or other political topics.”

Okay, let me just interject for a moment here. As a writer who has done dozens of interviews with artists both big and small (plus their managers and agents), I can say that there have been numerous times when a publicist or handler has inquired about the nature of the interview. And, on rare occasions, I have even been asked to submit questions in advance.

Since Pollstar isn’t exactly known for its hard-hitting stance, I’ve been quite puzzled by both requests. While I have consented to discussing the general tone of the piece beforehand, I have steadfastly refused to submit questions. This is because in my experience an interview is far more interesting when it’s candid and is a conversation between two people – not an inquisition. (This is not “60 Minutes” and I’m not Mike Wallace.)

If I ever encountered an artist like Lambert who has made a concerted effort to make his sexuality public and was told flat out that certain topics – like gay rights – were off limits, I, like Krochmal and her editors at Out, would definitely take offense. However, even though I can’t say for certain, I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t respond by publicly attacking the artist.

(By the way, what exactly is “too gay”? That’s absurd. There is no such thing. You’re gay or you’re not. It’s like saying someone is (with apologies to the Monty Python gang) “mostly dead.”)

Back to Krochmal’s story: The writer said she took pains to explain the difference between Out, a lifestyle and fashion magazine, and its sister publication Advocate, which is much more news and politics oriented, but made no promises about where the interview might go.

“It was pretty awkward, as if we were discussing two totally different people – an Adam who doesn’t seem to have any real filter when talking about his life or his opinions, and an Adam who could sometime be contained, made safe for mainstream America,” Krochmal said.

“I still wish I’d been more surprised when I was met with such a ludicrous and offensive request. I am a journalist. I ask questions. Out is a magazine whose primary audience is gay men. Is anyone confused about that? I’ve been doing this a long time and though I’ve been generically warned in a similar fashion before – ‘let’s make it upbeat and fun!’ reps often say, or ‘just talk about the album/movie/TV show!’ – it’s never been quite so egregious or with such an obvious expectation that I would comply.”

If Krochmal was angry about the incident, Out Editor in Chief Aaron Hicklin was off the charts. Hicklin fired off his own open letter to Lambert in which he praises the singer for “playing by his own rules” and refusing to let his “sexuality be a barrier to success” and then lambasts him and his handlers for what he obviously sees as their recent hypocritical behavior.

“We’re curious whether you know that we made cover offers to you before ‘American Idol’ was even halfway through its run. Apparently Out was too gay, even for you. There was the issue of what it would do to your record sales, we were told. Imagine! A gay musician on the cover of a gay magazine. What might the parents think! It’s only because this cover is a group shot that includes a straight woman that your team would allow you to be photographed at all – albeit with the caveat that we must avoid making you look ‘too gay.’ (Is that a medical term? Just curious.) Luckily, you seemed unaware that a similar caution was issued to our interviewer.”

Hicklin goes on to ponder if the cover might have been more acceptable to the label if Lambert and Lauper were shown making out like in a recent Details photo spread, which the editor points out featured the singer “awkwardly grabbing a woman’s breast and saying, ‘Women are pretty.’”

Criticism also goes to the author of the Details piece for creating an article that would lead the public to believe Lambert’s “entire fan base was made up of women and heterosexual men, or ‘straight dudes’ as the writer describes them” and fails to mention the singer’s gay fans at all.

And Lambert’s response to all of this? He took to his Twitter account Tuesday to tell Hicklin and company to “Chill!” and suggest that they “refrain from projecting your publication’s agenda onto my career.”

While Hicklin raises some valid points in his letter, the overall tone comes across as undeniably bitchy. I think perhaps a better way to handle the incident would have been to include an intro to the interview piece calmly describing the “conditions” under which it was conducted. That way, readers wondering why certain topics weren’t addressed would be left to draw their own conclusions about Lambert and his agenda.

That being said, after re-reading Krochmal’s interview with the singer – which is extremely lengthy and wandering and is broken down into two parts – I’m left wondering if this whole thing doesn’t come down to some kind of image game being played by Lambert and his handlers.

Aside from the Details piece, which I’ll admit I too found a pretty odd way for a self-professed “out and proud” gay man to allow himself to be depicted, there’s this statement:

“What’s funny is that in the ’70s a lot of the glam artists – like Bowie, T. Rex, Iggy Pop, Alice Cooper, KISS – they were gender bending with their image, but most of them were pretty hetero. Even though they looked really flamboyant. Bowie was the one guy that kind of made you wonder. But he was straight, right? … At the heart of it, the question was, ‘Are they gay?’ And I think it would be kind of fun to toy with the imagery of, ‘Is he gay’ but the other way around.”

So it seems what might going on here is simply a sales pitch – a cynical marketing campaign aimed at selling as many records as possible to goo-goo-eyed middle-American housewives fantasizing about Lambert.

Besides that unwitting admission, there are a couple of other interesting things that come up in the Out interview that I think need to be addressed.

After telling Krochmar that he just happens to “be a gay man – and I’m not ashamed of that at all,” and discussing spending time with his boyfriend, the singer says (without a hint of irony, mind you), “One of the things that I don’t like about the gay community is that people define themselves by their sexuality – and that’s bullshit. It shouldn’t be about that.”

If that’s the case, why did Lambert feel the need to do a big cover spread for Rolling Stone – complete with provocative photos – to publicly out himself? And why keep talking about it at all, if it’s not germane to the conversation?

The singer goes on to criticize the gay community's "outdated" attempts to segregate itself, an accusation which I, as a 44-year-old out gay man, find to be patently ridiculous. (Okay, soapbox moment coming up here.) If there’s any segregating going on, it’s coming from the other side, like it always has.

I have to say that I like Adam Lambert and I thoroughly enjoy his debut album. I’m thrilled that he’s been able to achieve as much success as he has to this point and I’m hoping he’ll have a long career. But at 27 years old, I hardly think the singer qualifies as an expert on the history of the struggle for rights and acceptance faced by the gay community and does himself a disservice by pretending to be.

What he apparently fails to realize is that if it weren’t for the brave men and women who came before him who defiantly made their sexuality a part of their identity despite the costs, there would be no Adam Lambert, rising pop star.

Read part one of Adam Lambert’s Out interview here and part two here.

Read Aaron Hicklin’s open letter to Adam Lambert here.

Read Shana Naomi Krochmal’s open letter about her experience with Lambert and his label here.

Scheduled To Appear - 11/19

2009-11-20T00:04:00Z

The wait is almost over for Stateside fans of Internet and “Britain’s Got Talent” sensation Susan Boyle. Now if they can all figure out how to get themselves to New York City before Monday.

That’s when Boyle and NBC’s “Today” show will take over the city’s Rockefeller Plaza for her first public performance in the U.S.

Fans who want to catch the singer performing tracks from her debut album, I Dreamed a Dream, are encouraged to arrive by 6 a.m. EST, as viewing is on a first-come, first-served basis.

Besides “I Dreamed a Dream,” Boyle is expected to sing “Wild Horses,” “Cry Me a River” and a special surprise selection.

Thursday, Nov. 19
Leona Lewis – “The Ellen DeGeneres Show”
50 Cent, Heather McDonald, Chris Franjola and Jo Koy – “Chelsea Lately”
John Mayer – “Late Show With David Letterman”
Leona Lewis – “The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien”
Obits – “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon”
Carrie Underwood – “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”

Odds & Ends: Cancellations, Postponements and MJ Stuff

2009-11-19T23:01:00Z

Yet another Elton John / Billy Joel postponement while Dio cancels the U.K., and Janet Jackson talks about denial.

We spoke too soon this morning in a posting about Elton John and Billy Joel having to postpone their Salt Lake City date originally scheduled for tomorrow night. While the show is definitely postponed until Feb. 19 at the EnergySolutions Arena, we just couldn’t leave it at that. Instead we had to go out on a limb and mention the tour’s next scheduled play date is this Sunday in Denver.

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Guess what?

That’s right. Denver at the Pepsi Center is postponed until Feb. 22. An announcement on EltonJohn.com says Sunday’s tickets are good for the rescheduled date, but you can get refunds at point of purchase if the new date doesn’t fit into your 2010 calendar.

The first few Face2Face dates were postponed because of John’s bout with flu and an E. coli infection. However, recent postponements have been attributed to Joel suffering from, well, something.

The tour’s next scheduled stop is Oklahoma City at the Ford Center Nov. 25. Yeah, we know. Another step out on that limb.

Dio Ailin’

Illness has canceled Dio’s United Kingdom tour.

From RonnieJamesDio.com:

“Ronnie has been hospitalized and we are waiting for further news,” said Ronnie’s wife/manager, Wendy Dio.

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Yet Another Janet Jackson Quote

ABC sure is getting a lot of mileage out of its interview with Janet Jackson. Although the interview didn’t air until last night, quotes were leaking as early as Monday, including Ms. Jackson blaming Michael Jackson’s personal physician – Dr. Conrad Murray – for her brother’s sudden death.

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The latest JJ quote was in response to questions about the King of Pop’s drug problem, which she answered saying her brother rebuffed attempts from friends trying to help him.

“I wish he could answer this question for you and not me,” Jackson told ABC’s Robin Roberts. “I felt that he was in denial.”

Jackson also said she hasn’t seen the concert flick – “Michael Jackson’s This Is It” – which details the dress rehearsals for her brother’s planned 50 show residency at London’s O2.

“I definitely won’t, not right now,” Jackson said. “I don’t know if I will ever see it.”

Bonnaroo 2010

2009-11-19T22:01:00Z

Although no lineup has been finalized, organizers of the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival have confirmed the dates for next year’s event.

The festival, which will once again return to a 700-acre farm in Manchester, Tenn., 60 miles south of Nashville, will take place June 10-13.

Ticket presales for the event begin Nov. 27 at 12 p.m. EST and continue through 11:59 p.m. EST Dec. 31.

In a nod to the continuing economic struggles faced by fans, organizers are once again offering general admission tickets for five payments of $50, plus applicable fees.

Fans who purchase tickets before Dec. 16 will receive a Bonnaroo holiday greeting card featuring a unique photo from past events. A limited edition 2010 Bonnaroo calendar will also be available during the presale period.

The initial lineup for Bonnaroo 2010 will be announced in late January or early February.

Visit Bonnaroo.com for tickets, details and updates.

STP Postpone Dates

2009-11-19T21:01:00Z

Stone Temple Pilots has postponed its December and January dates so the band can wrap up work on its upcoming studio album.

The postponed shows include a Dec. 29 gig at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Biloxi in Biloxi, Miss., and a Jan. 1 show at Winstar World Casino in Thackerville, Okla.

The hard rock band posted the announcement on its website, explaining that its “highly anticipated record … will be coming out in the early spring of next year.”

The new album will be STP’s sixth and the first release since 2001’s Shangri-La Dee Da.

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Back in May frontman Scott Weiland told the Las Vegas Review Journal the band had already written 18 tunes and that “we’ll probably whittle it down to the best 12. But then they’ll be a lot of songs ready for the next record.”

He added that STP is working on the album with producer Don Was.

“And if he could make records with the [Rolling] Stones and all their shenanigans ... then he can handle STP.”

Before Weiland and co. head to the studio the band has four more dates left on its fall Canadian tour. Tonight STP play The John Labatt Centre in London, Ontario, followed by a Saturday show at K-Rock Centre in Kingston, Ontario. The guys then head for New Brunswick, playing Moncton Coliseum Complex in Moncton, Nov. 23 and Halifax Metro Centre in Halifax the following day.

Click here for Stone Temple Pilots’ website.

Click here for the Las Vegas Review Journal article.