The Wall Street Journal is reporting that later today, MTV Networks will announce that it’s merging its digital-music store into a joint venture with RealNetworks, the company that runs Rhapsody; the venture will also have mobile content, which will be distributed by Verizon Wireless. More »
– Thanks to a persistent throat infection, Morrissey has canceled tonight’s show in Baltimore; in a super-classy move, ticketholders for this Thursday’s Atlantic City show are trying to flip their tickets to non-diehards on eBay. More »
– Michael Jackson’s publicist released a list of eight random denials, noting that he is not bedridden, and that he is not selling his Sony/ATV publishing stake. More »
– Usher’s going to be a father. Expect the child to be born with a velour blazer and a six-pack, and to immediately hit on the nurse. [Rush & Molloy] – The Used’s Bert McCracken has a node on one of his vocal cords, forcing the band to cancel two months’ worth of shows. More »
– Moz’s voice was mozerable during a Boston performance last night, forcing him to cancel two shows this week. [Boston Herald] – The 2007 Fashion Rocks! More »
– The Verve is reuniting, with a few catches: Guitarist Simon Tong will not be performing, and on select dates, Richard Ashcroft will be replaced by John Ashcroft. More »
– Amazingly, the “Foxy Brown may or may not have been assaulted by three women who were friends with Brown’s alleged-pimp boyfriend” story just keeps getting more and more confusing. More »
– The New York Post reprints the oldest Van Halen backstage-sleaze story known to man. [Page Six] – Matthew Knowles fired Beyoncé’s 400-pound, $500,000-a-year bodyguard, apparently because he didn’t intimidate enough Oscar voters to get her a nomination for Dreamgirls. More »
– Mutt Lange will reunite with Def Leppard to record a few songs for the group’s new album. We’re so happy, we don’t even have a sub-par kicker joke to insert. [The Def Leppard Satellite Of Love] – Will.I.Am is designing the Hard Rock Cafe’s new uniforms, which come in size S, M and XXLame. More »
– Christina Aguilera may be pregnant. And here we thought she still had her virginity on lockdown! [Page Six] – The Florida radio-show billboards that featured unauthorized pictures of a bald-headed Britney Spears have been taken down. More »
