Items that don't need to be fat or naked to be worthy of a million bucks ...
" Wedding bells may be in store for Madonna later this year. The British Web site Ananova reports that the Material Girl's
paramour, Guy Ritchie, plans to marry the Music maven, who bore their son, Rocco, on August 11. Film producer Erin Berg, a friend of the British movie director, says that Ritchie "loves Rocco and Lourdes and intends to marry Madonna by Christmas." She added, "He has been over the moon since the birth of his son. The man is gushing." Madonna and Ritchie, according to Berg, plan to split their time between Los Angeles and London. Aside from being bowled over by his wee lad, Ritchie is busy promoting his new film, Snatch'd.
In other Maddy news, the Material Girl is in a fierce battle for top-selling song honors in the U.K. Her album title single, "Music," is a mere 160 copies ahead of Spiller's "Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)," which features the crooning of Sophie Ellis-Baxter. The song also spoiled Victoria "Posh Spice" Beckham's attempt at her first non-Spice Girls No. 1.
" After a revolving membership that has seen three singers hit the road, top-selling R&B/pop group Destiny's Child have announced they are going to remain a trio. Following last month's departure of singer Farrah Franklin, lead singer Beyonce Knowles told Sonicnet at the Source Hip-Hop Music Awards that the group was going to "keep it a trio." The group is currently touring with Christina Aguilera and has the lead single, "Independent Woman, Pt. 1," on the forthcoming Charlie's Angels soundtrack.
" The surviving members of John Lennon's original skiffle band, the Quarrymen, are going to play their first gig in 40 years, according to the Bigmouth Web site. The group, which Lennon fronted, will play as part of a Beatles celebration on Saturday, August 26 at their old school, the Quarry Bank (since renamed Calderstone's), in Liverpool, England. As the legend goes, Paul McCartney was so taken with the band's performance that after the show he introduced himself to Lennon. After George Harrison and Stu Sutcliffe joined the duo, the band underwent several incarnations, including Johnny & the Moondogs and the Silver Beatles. Which of course begs the question, is there no end in sight to the seemingly eternal Beatlemania?
" What does it take to make a hit movie these day? In two words, Will and Smith. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the actor/rapper/loving father is working with writer/director Gary Ross (Pleasantville, Big) and author Walter Mosley (Devil in a Blue Dress) on a story based around the nation's first interracial hotel and casino, the Moulin Rouge. The Vegas hot spot attracted everyone from the Rat Pack to legendary performers like Louis Armstrong and Lionel Hampton. Moulin Rouge action figures should soon be available at fast-food restaurants everywhere.
" Just in time for the holiday shopping blitzkrieg, the Eagles are readying their long-awaited boxed set. Launch.com reports that the as-yet-untitled four-disc collection is on the Elektra release schedule for November 7. The box will supposedly organize music from the "Life in the Fast Lane" country-rockers according to style, not order of release. Glenn Frey recently told Launch.com that he was listening to live tapes, including the group's New Year's Eve show, as part of assembling the set. At this time, it's unknown whether live cuts will come from the group's two existing concert recordings, previously unreleased live tracks, or a combination thereof. Previous plans for a new Eagles studio album were axed to allow Don Henley to promote his new album, Inside Job.
The man with the golden ears, former Arista head honcho Clive Davis, announced yesterday (August 24) that his new music venture with BMG Entertainment, called J Records, will be an "instant major label." Davis, who was the force behind Santana's hit album Supernatural and who signed Bruce Springsteen, Patti Smith, and Janis Joplin, has yet to announce who will be on the roster.
" Hoboken, N.J.'s favorite indie rock trio, Yo La Tengo, recently taught a rock and roll legend a thing or two about his own music. The Kinks' Ray Davies, whom Yo La Tengo accompanied Wednesday night (August 23) in New York, said, "I'm humbled ... I stand before you in the presence of people who know my work better than I do." According to Sonicnet.com, Yo La "blackmailed" Davies into playing obscurities that he hadn't "played since we recorded it." The "Waterloo Sunset" singer is in town playing songs from a forthcoming solo album.
" Just when you thought your flight horror story was the tops. Aqua were stuck on a plane for 26 hours. The Danish "Barbie Girl" popsters were on their way from Amsterdam to Mexico City when an exceedingly bizarre set of circumstances prevented them from getting off the plane. According to Aquarian Soren Rasted on the Undercover Web site, a combination of bad weather, low fuel, expensive race horses, hijacking fears, and a mandatory crew change kept the group and the rest of the plane's passengers aboard a 747 jet for some 26 hours. Wonder if the drinks were free.
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