Music News Headlines

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A singer who competed on the second season of "American Idol," filed a libel lawsuit on Thursday against MTV Networks for more than $40 million, claiming he was unfairly ridiculed by one of its news reporters. The lawsuit claims that after Corey Clark was disqualified from "American Idol," having reached …

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A New York man has admitted to a break-in this spring at Sean "Diddy" Combs' Long Island estate, where he helped himself to some of the hip hop mogul's liquor to wash down a meal he had brought along with him, officials said Friday. Quamine T. Taylor, 30, pleaded guilty late Thursday to criminal trespass …

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - U.S. album sales for the first half of 2012 slumped after seeing growth last year, while digital track sales rose, according to music sales figures released by Nielsen SoundScan on Thursday. At mid-year 2012, album sales were down 3 percent from 2011 at 150.5 million units sold over the last six …

(Reuters) - Pitbull, the gravelly voiced rapper known for hits "I Know You Want Me" and "Give Me Everything," may be going to a far-flung Alaska town after a promotional contest that promised he would pay a visit to the most-liked Wal-Mart store on Facebook. The Wal-Mart on the island of Kodiak, which can only be reached …

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - For a guy who's primarily known as "the one who's not Paul Simon," Art Garfunkel has amassed a pretty impressive body of work. And that catalog will get a thorough revisiting with "The Singer," a two-CD retrospective spanning his work as one half of Simon & Garfunkel as well as his solo material. …

MONTREUX, Switzerland (Reuters) - Lana Del Rey gave a Fourth of July concert at the Montreux Jazz Festival that left fans wanting more of the American chanteuse, who swept to fame last year on the back of her haunting 'Video Games' single. The New York native, looking like a vintage-inspired bride in a white lace mini dress …

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - It started as just another concert film, but as Katy Perry's marriage to comedian Russell Brand unraveled, her new documentary transformed into what she called a "warts and all" depiction the pop star is happy to show her fans. "Katy Perry: Part of Me," which debuts in 3D on Thursday, is anything …

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Singer Frank Ocean, a rising star who is part of the rap collective Odd Future, has revealed online that his first love was a man, an admission of same-sex attraction that is seen as groundbreaking for the world of hip hop. Ocean late on Tuesday posted on Twitter a link to his writings on his Tumblr …

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Universal Music Group has been given two extra days to allay EU concerns on its planned purchase of an EMI unit, two people familiar with the matter said on Wednesday after regulators warned that the combined entity would hit competition. The European Commission, which has been assessing the $1.9 billion …

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - R&B; singer and rapper Chris Brown may be trying to redeem his tarnished image, but he has failed to impress critics with his latest album "Fortune," which was released on Tuesday. Brown's fifth studio album follows on the heels of his 2011 record "F.A.M.E," which debuted at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard …

MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) - The Stone Roses staged one of the most eagerly anticipated reunions in British pop over the weekend, and despite rain and an overloaded transport system to and from the gigs, the Manchester band left hundreds of thousands of fans wanting more. Lead singer Ian Brown, guitarist John Squire, …

LONDON (Reuters) - Album sales in Britain fell 13.8 percent to 43.6 million units in the first half of 2012 compared with 50.5 million in the same period of last year, according to figures from the BPI record industry body published on Monday. The overall decline came despite continued growth in digital album sales, which …

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The BET Awards on Sunday split top honors among several artists, including Beyonce and Chris Brown, in a telecast filled with lively performances and an emotional tribute to late singer Whitney Houston. Beyonce was named best female R&B; artist, while Brown, who performed his hit single "Turn Up the …

LONDON (Reuters) - American rapper will.i.am went straight to the top of the singles charts with "This is Love", featuring Eva Simons, the Official UK Charts Company said on Sunday. Making way was Maroon 5, the American pop rock band which dropped to number two with "Payphone", featuring rapper Wiz Khalifa. Chris Brown …

KIEV (Reuters) - Elton John used an AIDS charity concert in Kiev on Saturday to make an emotional appeal to Ukraine to stop what he called persecution of gays. The 65-year-old singer broke off during a two-hour performance, part of the Euro 2012 soccer tournament co-hosted by Ukraine, to speak about reports of physical …

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - British Grammy-winning singer Adele is expecting her first child with boyfriend Simon Konecki, the singer said on her official website on Friday. "I'm delighted to announce that Simon and I are expecting our first child together. I wanted you to hear the news direct from me. Obviously we're over …

NEWARK, New Jersey (Reuters) - Grammy-winning singer Lauryn Hill pleaded guilty in federal court in Newark, New Jersey, on Friday to three counts of failing to file federal income tax returns. Hill, 37, a hip hop singer and rapper best known as a former member of the Fugees and for a Grammy-winning 1998 solo album, pleaded …

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - EU regulators have told Universal Music Group that its plans to buy an EMI unit will significantly impede competition, signaling a possible veto unless it offers major concessions, three people familiar with the matter said on Tuesday. The European Commission, which has been examining the $1.9 billion …

MONTREUX, Switzerland (Reuters) - Quincy Jones brought the future to the famed Montreux stage as young musicians from Azerbaijan, Cuba, North America and Slovakia stole the show from veteran openers Bobby McFerrin and Chick Corea. "This is the future, the young ones, they've turned it around and taken it back up top....It's …

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Celine Dion is being sued by a former employee who claims that he was illegally denied overtime compensation by the singer, and says that there are other people in Dion's employ who've been similarly stiffed. In a complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Florida, Keith Sturtevant, who says that …

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Federal Trade Commission has approved a Sony-led consortium's purchase of EMI Music Publishing, without having to make any divestitures, the FTC said on Friday. U.S. antitrust regulators gave the nod to the $2.2 billion deal in a brief letter to the companies. The agency is expected to issue a …

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Oklahoma rockers The Flaming Lips broke the Guinness world record for most shows performed in 24 hours this week, taking the title from previous record holder Jay-Z. The band performed eight shows in eight different U.S. cities, kicking off in Memphis, Tennessee on Wednesday, playing through Mississippi …

DUBLIN (Reuters) - A former personal assistant to U2 bassist Adam Clayton was found guilty on Friday of stealing 2.8 million euros ($3.5 million) from the musician to fund a lavish lifestyle. Carol Hawkins, 48, from Dublin, was convicted in a unanimous jury verdict after an 18-day trial at Circuit Criminal Court in the …