John Lydon boosts his Public Image with new album
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - As bad boy lead singer of the anarchic, trail-blazing andshort-lived 1970s punk band the Sex Pistols, John Lydon (then Johnny Rotten) snarled and spat his way across a shocked society and music scene still pleasantly half-high from the mellow 1960s. Never one to let the grass grow under his feet, Lydon left the Pistols in 1978 to form the more experimental - if less commercially successful - Public Image Ltd., and for the next 15 years the band's shifting lineup released a dozen albums and toured the world. ...
"Idol" finale slumps, but Phillips tops iTunes
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The "American Idol" finale audience slumped to a record low, but the show's newly crowned champion Phillip Phillips hit No.1 on iTunes on Thursday with his first single "Home." The 11-year-old Fox singing contest, once a TV industry juggernaut whose finale attracted more than 30 million viewers in 2006 and 2007, was watched by just 21.5 million viewers on Wednesday night, according to ratings data. Viewers in the 18-49 age group most-coveted by advertisers dropped by about 32 percent compared to last year's "Idol," although the program was still the top show on U.S. ...
Elton John cancels Vegas dates due to infection
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Singer Elton John was treated in hospital in Los Angeles for a serious respiratory infection that forced him to cancel performances this weekend of his "The Million Dollar Piano" show at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. In a statement posted on his website on Thursday, the British entertainer, whose hits include "Rocket Man," "Your Song" and "Bennie and The Jets," apologized for the decision and told fans he hoped to be performing soon. The singer said he developed a serious respiratory illness while performing on Sunday. ...
Singer Doc Watson in critical condition, hospital says
WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina (Reuters) - Grammy winning folk musician Doc Watson is in critical condition at a North Carolina hospital, a representative for the medical facility said on Thursday. The 89-year-old Watson is a singer of bluegrass, country, blues and gospel who is famous for his flatpicking style on the guitar and his interpretations of folk songs from bygone eras. Watson, a native of North Carolina, is in critical condition at Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, said Karen Richardson, a spokeswoman for the hospital. ...
Founding member of 3 Doors Down leaves band
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Matt Roberts, a founding member of Mississippi rock band 3 Doors Down, is leaving the group after nearly two decades due to health issues, the band said on Thursday. "3 Doors Down will always have a special place in my heart and it saddens me to take this time off ... But my health has to be my first priority," Roberts said on the band's official website. Roberts did not elaborate but the website said his problems stemmed from circulation issues exacerbated by the band's performance schedule, playing nearly 300 dates a year. ...
Sade brings it home with concert film and live CD
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Sade fans have had to learn to be very patient. After a decade-long hiatus, the soulful jazz band led by Nigerian-born British singer Sade Adu, 53, returned to the stage with their "Bring Me Home" tour last year. And for those who couldn't make it to a show, there is now an album and film. This week, Sade released "Bring Me Home - Live 2011," a live CD and concert film directed by frequent collaborator Sophie Muller shot over several stops on the tour. ...
