The Beastie Boys' Adam "MCA" Yauch has been diagnosed with cancer and will undergo surgery, he announced in a video posting on the group's website this morning. The band has canceled its summer tour plans and delayed the release of its forthcoming album, "Hot Sauce Committee Part 1," in order to allow time for his recovery.
Sony Corp.'s movie studio has bid $50 million to acquire the worldwide distribution rights to a film based on rehearsal footage for Michael Jackson's "This Is It" comeback concert series, according to a person familiar with the bid.
Alt-rock acts Florence & The Machine and Kasabian have emerged as the bookmakers' favorites for the 2009 Barclaycard Mercury Prize, the U.K.'s album of the year award.
Jackson Browne is hopeful that the protection of music copyrights will be bolstered by the settlement of his lawsuit against U.S. Sen. John McCain and the Republican Party over unauthorized use of one of his songs in the 2008 U.S. presidential campaign.
Sources have confirmed to Billboard that a deal between the Michael Jackson Estate, AEG Live and Sony for a theatrical release of the Michael Jackson rehearsal footage from the ill-fated This Is It concerts could close today.
Norwegian rock duo Kings Of Convenience will break a five-year silence this fall with its third studio album, "Declaration of Dependence," due Oct. 20 from Virgin.
John Fogerty's "The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again," a new collection of Fogerty recordings of some of his favorite classic songs, is set for release Sept. 1 on Fortune Son/Verve Forecast. The album, recorded under the guise of the mythical group of his 1972 solo debut, includes guest spots from Bruce Springsteen and members of the Eagles, and features covers of songs by John Prine, Buck Owens and John Denver, among others, as well as Fogerty's own "Change in the Weather."
