Music Industry News

• Madonna pays tribute to Michael Jackson in concert (AP)
  

  AP - Madonna paid tribute to Michael Jackson on Saturday night in the same arena where he was to stage his comeback, dancing along with an impersonator doing Jackson's distinctive moves.

  
  
• More than 1 million seek tix for Jackson memorial (AP)
  

  AP - More than 1.2 million people have now registered to get tickets for Michael Jackson's memorial service next week.

  
  
• AP Interview: Jackson adviser Tohme breaks silence (AP)
  

  AP - Dr. Tohme Tohme vividly remembers the first time he met with Michael Jackson to discuss the pop star's finances. It's not the money talk that stays with him now, but his enchantment at entering Jackson's world of love.

  
  
• Networks to offer live Jackson memorial coverage (AP)
  

  AP - The memorial for Michael Jackson may be a tough ticket live, but it shouldn't be hard to find it on television.

  
  
• Former Beatles, Stones manager Allen Klein dies (Reuters)
  
  Reuters - Infamous record label owner Allen Klein, who played a key role in the demise of the Beatles and also nabbed control of some of the Rolling Stones' best-known songs, died in New York on Saturday after a battle with Alzheimer's disease, a spokesman said. He was 77.
• Fans overlook Michael Jackson's dark side (Reuters)
  
  Reuters - Just as people choose to forget that Elvis Presley was a bloated drug addict when he died, so Michael Jackson is now the subject of posthumous veneration that overlooks the dark side of his life.
• Recession adds to challenges for suburban arts (AP)
  
  AP - When he hired Itzhak Perlman as artistic director of the Westchester Philharmonic in 2007, Joshua Worby thought he'd hit a grand slam.
• Jackson Memorial Service Details Revealed (E! Online)
  

  E! Online - Family, friends and fans of Michael Jackson are finally being given the opportunity to celebrate the life of the King of Pop.

  
  
• Michael Jackson book a headache for Jackie O (Reuters)
  
  Reuters - Michael Jackson crossed swords with a lot of people when he was alive, but perhaps none more important than Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.
• Massive demand for Jackson memorial tickets (Reuters)
  

  Reuters - More than half a million fans from around the world applied for 17,500 free tickets to Michael Jackson's public memorial service next week, organizers said on Friday as a massive security operation got underway.

  
  
• Jackson was loving and attentive father, many say (AP)
  

  AP - When Rabbi Shmuley Boteach brought his children to play with Michael Jackson's kids at Neverland Ranch some eight years ago, the rabbi's youngsters naturally made a beeline for the fabulous rides — the Ferris wheel, the roller coaster, the bumper cars.

  
  
• Jackson kids face hurdles to coping with his death (AP)
  

  AP - No matter how unusual their lives may have been so far, Michael Jackson's children now face a universal trauma felt by all kids who suddenly lose a parent.

  
  
• Pixies planning Hollywood-themed new album (Yahoo! Music)
  
  Yahoo! Music - Pixies frontman Black Francis has revealed that he is planning to record the band's first new album since 1991's Trompe Le Monde with a Hollywood film director.
• How Jackson's "Thriller" changed the music business (Reuters)
  
  Reuters - In early 1984, when Epic Records executives presented their slate of upcoming releases at the convention in Hawaii of parent company CBS Records, they couldn't resist playing up the success they were experiencing. So between the pitches for new albums, Epic inserted stock footage of semi trucks and a voice-over that thunderously announced, "There goes another load of Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' albums!"
• The Killers announce plans to release covers album (Yahoo! Music)
  
  Yahoo! Music - The Killers' Brandon Flowers and Ronnie Vanucci have told NME.COM that the band are planning to record an album of covers before the end of the year.
• Jackson Memorial Set for Staples Center, Funeral Plans Falling Into Place (E! Online)
  

  E! Online - UPDATE: E! News has learned exclusively that AEG Live will make next Tuesday's memorial service for Michael Jackson free to the public.

  
  
• Michael Jackson was working on two albums (Reuters)
  

  Reuters - At the time of Michael Jackson's death last week, it was well-known that he was preparing for a 50-show concert series at London's O2 Arena later this month.

  
  
• Michael Jackson bringing Neverland to U.K. (Yahoo! Music)
  
  Yahoo! Music - Michael Jackson is set to turn the Kent house he'll be renting during his London O2 Arena residency into a replica of his Neverland Ranch.
• Don't Count Out Debbie Rowe: "I Want My Children" (E! Online)
  

  E! Online - UPDATE: A judge has postponed next week's custody hearing until July 13 at the request of Rowe's attorney, according to the Los Angeles Superior Court public information officer. Matters pertaining to Jackson's estate will still be addressed at the originally scheduled hearing on July 6.

  
  
• Jermaine Jackson Talks Michael: "I Wish It Was Me" (E! Online)
  

  E! Online - Exactly one week after Michael Jackson's death, brother Jermaine Jackson became the first member of the still-mourning musical family to sit down for an in-depth interview about the late icon, speaking to the Today show this morning from the grounds of Neverland Ranch.

  
  

• TV One to begin Sunday show aimed at blacks (AP)
  
  AP - Roland Martin will anchor a new Sunday public affairs show aimed at a black audience that will debut in September on the TV One network.
• Madonna pays tribute to Michael Jackson in concert (AP)
  

  AP - Madonna paid tribute to Michael Jackson on Saturday night in the same arena where he was to stage his comeback, dancing along with an impersonator doing Jackson's distinctive moves.

  
  
• Networks to offer live Jackson memorial coverage (AP)
  

  AP - The memorial for Michael Jackson may be a tough ticket live, but it shouldn't be hard to find it on television.

  
  
• Guests for the Sunday TV news shows (AP)
  

  AP - Guest lineup for the Sunday TV news shows:

  
  
• Powerful sedative found in Michael Jackson's home (AP)
  

  AP - 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.

  
  
• Michael Jackson's videos set a new standard (Reuters)
  
  Reuters - A seldom-seen 1989 music video for Michael Jackson's song "Liberian Girl" is a good indication of the pop star's clout.
• Michael Jackson book a headache for Jackie O (Reuters)
  
  Reuters - Michael Jackson crossed swords with a lot of people when he was alive, but perhaps none more important than Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.
• Turkish TV gameshow looks to convert atheists (Reuters)
  
  Reuters - What happens when you put a Muslim imam, a Christian priest, a rabbi and a Buddhist monk in a room with 10 atheists?
• Unscripted TV fare balances real with "reality" (Reuters)
  
  Reuters - When the Oxygen network green-lighted the reality series "Addicted to Beauty," the idea was to chronicle the day-to-day workings of a trendy California medical spa via the lives of its married co-owners, a socialite and a doctor.
• Neil Patrick Harris closes in on Emmys gig (Reuters)
  
  Reuters - CBS is close to signing "How I Met Your Mother" co-star Neil Patrick Harris to host this year's Emmys.
• SYTYCD Results Show: Cat Deeley, Still Adorable (E! Online)
  

  E! Online - Is it just us, or have all of the So You Think You Can Dance eliminations this season been perfectly righteous and reasonable? We haven't yet had to face the elimination of a really wonderful dancer (Melissa Sandvig) or a totally endearing personality (Evan Kasprzak). All in all, this season has been pretty copacetic, and tonight brought no change to that standard...

  
  
• ABC in search of "Funniest" comedians (Reuters)
  
  Reuters - In "The Fast & the Funniest," a new reality competition show that ABC is developing, comedians have to be funny on the fly.
• Gossip Girl Father Fodder: Who Should Play Papa van der Woodsen? (E! Online)
  

  E! Online - When last we saw our favorite Upper East Siders on Gossip Girl, Serena van der Woodsen was heading to Fiji to find her dear old dad.

  
  
• Jermaine Jackson Talks Michael: "I Wish It Was Me" (E! Online)
  

  E! Online - Exactly one week after Michael Jackson's death, brother Jermaine Jackson became the first member of the still-mourning musical family to sit down for an in-depth interview about the late icon, speaking to the Today show this morning from the grounds of Neverland Ranch.

  
  
• American Idol Record Deals: What's Up With the Others? (E! Online)
  

  E! Online - So far, American Idol winner Kris Allen, runner-up Adam Lambert and fourth-place finisher Allison Iraheta have all inked recording contracts. But what about the others?

  
  
• Viral video a stealth promo for "Robot Chicken" (Reuters)
  

  Reuters - A viral video billed as "Breckin Meyer Responds to Perez Hilton" plays like a parody of Hilton's video statement about his recent run-in with the Black Eyed Peas in Toronto. But in fact it's a stealth promo for an upcoming "Robot Chicken" DVD release.

  
  
• The Bachelorette: Jake Spills More Dirt on Wes & Laurel Speaks Out (E! Online)
  

  E! Online - "Shall God strike me down with lighting if I am mistaken or he did not tell me that," former Bachelorette contestant Jake Pavelka told reporters this morning about his claims that fellow contestant Wes Hayden has a girlfriend.

  
  
• Friday Night Lights: Season Four Spells Disaster for the Couples of Dillon (E! Online)
  

  E! Online - There's trouble brewing in Dillon, Texas, and it's not just caused by the literal split of the town. There are other splits coming, including a few of our favorite TV couples, who have some rocky roads ahead.

  
  
• CW's `Gossip Girl' recruits Hilary Duff (AP)
  

  AP - Hilary Duff is joining the cast of "Gossip Girl" — but not on a regular basis.

  
  
• Christian Slater closes in on role in ABC series (Reuters)
  
  Reuters - Christian Slater is in negotiations to star in the new ABC series "The Forgotten."

• Fans overlook Michael Jackson's dark side (Reuters)
  
  Reuters - Just as people choose to forget that Elvis Presley was a bloated drug addict when he died, so Michael Jackson is now the subject of posthumous veneration that overlooks the dark side of his life.
• Michael Jackson, Pepsi made marketing history (Reuters)
  
  Reuters - Essentially two kinds of people existed in the '80s: Coke drinkers and Pepsi drinkers. And if you loved Michael Jackson, you had good reason to fall into the latter group.
• Michael Jackson sales surge expected to last months (Reuters)
  
  Reuters - In the days following Michael Jackson's June 25 death, fans flocked to record stores and digital music outlets to purchase one last memory. And merchants say they expect the Jackson sales surge to last for weeks -- maybe even months.
• Michael Jackson on track for more chart records (Reuters)
  

  Reuters - After a record-breaking chart week, the late Michael Jackson will shake up next week's charts, too.

  
  
• Hollywood Reporter veteran Steve Brennan dies (Reuters)
  
  Reuters - Steve Brennan, a 20-year veteran reporter and editor at The Hollywood Reporter, died Thursday at Cedars-Sinai Hospital Medical Center in Los Angeles after a yearlong battle with cancer. He was 57.
• Potter is back: box office big bucks assured (Reuters)
  

  Reuters - Boy wizard Harry Potter is back in cinemas later this month with the sixth installment of the movie franchise, and another box office bonanza looks assured for the Warner Bros. studio.

  
  
• Aerosmith's Joe Perry turns to fans for album title (Reuters)
  

  Reuters - Aerosmith's next album might be "on the bench, in pieces," waiting for the group to resume recording after it finishes touring in mid-September, but guitarist Joe Perry's next solo album is just about ready to go.

  
  
• Concert promoter expects to erase Jackson's debts (Reuters)
  
  Reuters - The concert promoter for Michael Jackson's canceled London shows said on Thursday that audio and video tapes made before the King of Pop's death could generate hundreds of millions of dollars and erase debts on the singer's estate.
• Web advertisers propose self-regulation principles (Reuters)
  
  Reuters - Online advertisers are proposing a mix of consumer education, disclosures about what information is being collected and special protections for children and sensitive information in an effort to head off tough legislation.
• Deal chatter heats up in Hollywood (Reuters)
  

  Reuters - Dealmaking in Hollywood could get hot and heavy in coming months as movie studios explore ways to fight tumbling DVD sales and distribute entertainment in new formats.

  
  
• Prime-Time Metered Market Tuesday Ratings: CBS Wins; NBC Expected to Dominate Among Adults 18-49 (Mediaweek.com)
  
  Mediaweek.com - -Yesterday's Winners: NCIS R (CBS), America's Got Talent (NBC), The Mentalist R (CBS)
• Jay Leno wins right to Web name for his new show (AP)
  
  AP - Television host Jay Leno has won control of a Web address using the name of his new show.
• National Ratings in Prime-Time: Week of June 22, 2009 (Mediaweek.com)
  
  Mediaweek.com - Three networks shared low-rated leadership on the sleepy week of June 22, with CBS first in households and total viewers; NBC No. 1 among adults 18-49 and adults 25-54; and Fox tops in the adult 18-34 demo. CBS had now been the most-watched network in four of the last five weeks. Coverage of the death of Michael Jackson flooded the airwaves at the tail-end of the week, with the passing of both Jackson and Farrah Fawcett accounting for five hours of Friday's line-up (including an encore telecast of NBC documentary Farrah's Story).
• Lemonheads' Dando sues GM over alleged song copy (AP)
  

  AP - Lemonheads founder Evan Dando (DAN'-doh) is suing General Motors, saying the auto giant copied one of his songs for an ad.

  
  
• Ratings Box: What's Hot/What's Not (Mediaweek.com)
  
  Mediaweek.com - The live airing of the BET Awards '09, which was dedicated to Michael Jackson, broke the record books at BET with a whopping 10.65 million viewers. Comparably, this is now the top-rated cable telecast of the year, and the No. 1 awards show on cable also for the year in total viewers and adults 18-49. In addition, there were also record performances on BET for the 106 & Park pre-show (3.1 million total), the BET Awards '90 After Party Fashioned by My Black is Beautiful Post Show (5.2 million) and the sneak peek of new BET series Tiny and Toya (3.8 million).
• TV Tidbits: Notes of Interest (Mediaweek.com)
  
  Mediaweek.com - ABC has removed failed midseason sitcom In the Motherhood for the second time and will fill the Thursday 8 p.m. half-hour with another episode of Samantha Who?
• Prime-Time Metered Market Monday Ratings: CBS Wins; Viewers Do Not Embrace an American Idol Encore (Mediaweek.com)
  
  Mediaweek.com - -Ratings Breakdown: CBS led this final June Monday in the overnights, followed by NBC, ABC, Fox and the CW. But, as expected, the Eye net's relocated How I Met Your Mother may not be strong enough to anchor the evening. An encore telecast of the sitcom was third in the 8 p.m. half-hour, with a 3.5 rating/6 share. Next was a repeat of Rules of Engagement (#3: 3.7/ 6 at 8:30 p.m.), which returns in midseason, followed by encores of Two and a Half Men (#1: 6.1/10), recently moved The Big Bang Theory (#1: 5.2/ 8) and CSI: Miami (#1: 5.6/10) from 9-11 p.m. ...
• Prime-Time Ratings: Weekend Highlights (Mediaweek.com)
  
  Mediaweek.com - -Friday's Losers (excluding repeats): Surviving Suburbia (ABC), The Goode Family (ABC), 20/20 – 9 p.m. (ABC), Virtuality (Fox)
• Prime-Time Metered Market Thursday Ratings: Five Hours of Airtime Devoted to the Passing of Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett (Mediaweek.com)
  
  Mediaweek.com - -Ratings Breakdown: Needless to say, it was a very atypical night of television on this fourth Thursday in June, with coverage of the passing of Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett flooding the airwaves. Five hours of the Big 3 network line-ups in total were devoted to these two icons. CBS finished first overall in the metered markets, with an 18 percent advantage over second-place ABC. NBC and Fox were tied for the No. 3 spot, followed by lowly The CW.
• Hipster factor poses challenges for movie marketers (Reuters)
  
  Reuters - Batten down the hatches -- the hipsters are coming.