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• Supreme Scherrie Payne says even she will miss Mary Wilson and Cindy Birdsong during the Return to Love tour with Diana Ross, opening tonight (June
14) in Philadelphia. "Mary and Cindy should've been on the tour," Payne told Wall of Sound. "They were Diana Ross & the Supremes. The world knew the Supremes as Mary and Cindy - and Florence [Ballard], of course. I really feel bad it isn't them."
She also explained that she and Lynda Laurence, who were both Supremes after Ross left the group in 1969, are only an element in a concert that promises to be all about Diana. "I think so many people were under the impression that it was a reunion tour, and it was never a reunion tour," she said. "It was Diana's tour, and they were going to do a Supremes segment."
Singer Sam Moore ("Soul Man"), however, had a different take on Wilson's refusal to participate in the tour over money issues. He said, "If they're gonna give me $4 million just to say, 'Stop! In the Name of Love, woo-woo-woo-woo,' and 'Someday We'll Be Together,' or whatever you have to say, take the money, shut your mouth, and go to the bank before the check dries!"
• Do you like the Billy Bragg/Wilco collection of songs set to Woody Guthrie lyrics Mermaid Avenue? How about Mermaid Avenue Vol. II? Bragg says there's even more in the can. "There is another 15 tracks," he told the Jam! Showbiz Web site. "We recorded 40 songs when we were originally in Dublin [in 1997], and Wilco recorded another five [for Vol. II]. I haven't sat down and counted, but with the way things are with streaming and downloading, all of it will see the light of day."
• Attention. Public Enemy's Flavor Flav delivers his verdict on Bruce Springsteen's controversial song "American Skin." "Bruce Springsteen, he sees the picture. Can't no one blame a man for seeing reality the way that it is. And y'know what? I'm with my man all the way." Seems like in New Jersey they know what time it is.
• There was plenty of clowning around on the final night of the touring George Strait Country Music Festival, which was marred by controversy when stars Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney were arrested after Chesney ran off on a Buffalo, N.Y., policeman's horse. On Sunday, June 11 in Houston, McGraw's wife, Faith Hill, came out during his set disguised as a Houston cop and led McGraw off in handcuffs. Kinky.
• Britney Spears is signing up with Youtopia.com to become their spokesperson. She's going to be paid off in shares that could add further millions to her already swelling coffers. Britney immediately started talking up the Canadian site. "I'm very excited to be involved," she said. "We should be able to play games, check out hip clothes, chat, and hang out at virtual parties." A terrifying prospect.
• She may be retired from music for a while, but Celine Dion is getting ahead in advertising. She has signed to represent LiFizz vitamins for two years. "Like many people, I don't find taking vitamins a lot of fun," says the medicinally challenged diva. "But with LiFizz, it's different. The first time I tried them I liked LiFizz so much that I ordered 144 cartons for my people to take on tour. I'm proud to be associated with this innovative company." We're proud we remained awake during this item.
• Wonder where the Backstreet Boys have been recently? Well, they've been keeping a low profile while working on the hotly anticipated follow-up to Millennium. A.J. McLean told MTV that they were in the process of making their own musical contributions and he threatened that the Backstreeters might go country. "We're actually just writing right now," he said. "Howie's working with Babyface." And that was it.
• So will the Who get onstage to jam with the Black Crowes and Jimmy Page during their every-other-night tour? Pete Townshend said, "No, I think. I'm really looking forward to them being days off. You know, I'm definitely going to go and watch. I'm kind of more of a fan of Black Crowes than I am of Jimmy Page, but that's because I grew up with Jimmy Page."
• Believe or not, the Dixie Chicks actually missed an opportunity to promote themselves. But it wasn't their fault. They were going to fly from Portland, Ore., to Nashville's Fan Fair autograph-signing festival. But the Learjet they chartered experienced a mechanical failure that kept them in the Northwest. The Chicks regretfully canceled their Monday, June 12 appearance at the Fair.
• Kansas City, Mo.'s KPRS is celebrating its 50th birthday in style. America's oldest African-American-owned and operated radio station is holding an anniversary concert featuring Chaka Khan, Boyz II Men, Smokey Robinson, and Eric Benét. The bash will happen on July 22 at Bartle Hall in Kansas City.
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