Destiny's Child, *NSYNC, Brad Paisley Join Grammy Performers List
(01.29) Source - Allstar: Destiny's Child, *NSYNC, and Brad Paisley, who will duet with Dolly Parton, have been announced as the next wave of performers scheduled to strut their stuff for the 43rd Annual Grammy Awards. The three acts join Madonna and U2, the first two artists to be announced as performers for the show.
�����Destiny's Child, between the members individually and as a group (including former members LeToya Luckett and LaTavia Roberson), grabbed five nominations for music's biggest night, including Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, and Best R&B Song for "Say My Name" (allstar, Jan. 3); *NSYNC is vying for three awards, including Record of the Year and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group for "Bye Bye Bye"; and Brad Paisley is taking on the competition in the Best New Artist category.
�����The 43rd Annual Grammy Awards are slated to air live on CBS from the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Feb. 21 at 8 PM EST.
*NSYNCers Bound for Film
(01.27) Source - Rolling Stone: Lance Bass's first foray into the role of movie producer has paid off. The *NSYNC star's production company, A Happy Place - which is geared to developing projects for music and sports stars - has optioned the rights to their first project to Miramax Films.
�����That film, On the Line, will also star none other than Bass and *NSYNC-mate Joey Fatone. The band's label, Jive Records, will provide the soundtrack, sure to feature a few *NSYNC songs.
�����The film centers around Bass's character, who sees the girl of his dreams on a train, but before he can get her phone number she's gone. His friend, played by Fatone, tries to help him find the girl. As yet, the film has no director but is scheduled to begin filming in March in Toronto.
�����Bass has made cameos in several TV shows, including 7th Heaven and Touched By An Angel. This will be Fatone's third film; he's had roles in the upcoming My Big Fat, Greek Wedding and The Brothers.
Viacom's CBS, MTV Collaborate For Super Bowl Weekend
(01.26) Source - Billboard: Once Sunday rolls around, Sting and Styx will provide pre-game entertainment for 72,000 fans as they assemble at the stadium. Ray Charles and the Backstreet Boys will sing "America The Beautiful" and the national anthem, respectively, prior to kickoff at 6 PM ET.
�����The MTV-produced halftime show will feature boy band *NSYNC and veteran rockers Aerosmith. Daly will also host this event, which will begin with a 90-second film starring actor/comedians Chris Rock, Adam Sandler, and Ben Stiller. Each band will perform two songs before teaming up for a rendition of Aerosmith's "Walk This Way." Additional musical star-power will be provided by teen queen Britney Spears, R&B diva Mary J. Blige, and rapper Nelly.
�����"It certainly will be the loudest halftime show that has ever been done in the NFL," says Daly. "There will be a lot less puppets and baton twirlers and a lot more pyros and screaming people." Daly will also host a Super Bowl edition of "Total Request Live" at Noon ET on Sunday.
Destiny's Child Leads Blockbuster Entertainment Awards Nominees
(01.26) Source - Allstar: Destiny's Child leads the pack of nominees for the 7th Annual Blockbuster Entertainment Awards as the pop/R&B trio snagged five nods, including Favorite Group of the Year, it was announced on Friday.
�����The girls' other nominations are for Favorite Group - R&B and Favorite Group - Pop for The Writing's on the Wall, Favorite Single ("Say My Name"), and Favorite Song from a Movie ("Independent Woman Part 1").
�����Close behind Destiny's Child with four nominations each are pop darlings *NSYNC, country bombshell Faith Hill, and rock and roll torch-carriers Creed. *NSYNC has lined up nominations for Favorite Group of the Year, Favorite CD and Favorite Group - Pop for No Strings Attached, and Favorite Single ("Bye Bye Bye").
�����A slew of artists followed with three nominations each, including Eminem, Santana, Christina Aguilera, Madonna, Marc Anthony, Britney Spears, Ricky Martin, and Sting.
�����The 2001 Blockbuster Entertainment Awards will air from the Shrine in Los Angeles on April 11 from 8-10 PM EDT/PDT on Fox. Winners of the awards are voted for by fans through participation in Blockbuster stores worldwide as well as voting online at the Blockbuster Awards' official Web site. Voting ends Feb. 19.
Misc. *NSYNC News
(01.25) Source - Various: Here's some minor news tidbits for those of you who don't know:
�����~*NSYNC, with their chart-topping album No Strings Attached, is up against Enrique Iglesias [Enrique], Creed [Human Clay], Eminem [Marshall Mathers LP], & Britney Spears [Oops! ...I Did It Again] in the Juno Awards, set to be handed out in a live broadcast from Hamilton's Copps Coliseum on March 4. The five diverse artists are all up for the Best Selling Album Award.
�����~Britney Spears will be joining Aerosmith and *NSYNC for the Super Bowl halftime show. Two other surprise guests whom MTV will not reveal also will be on the card. The halftime performance will last about 11 minutes and the bands actually will sing, rather than lip-synch to a pre-recorded soundtrack.
�����~Britney Spears will be filming a movie in the near future, but against popular belief, it isn't her first. Her first movie, 'Longshot,' (Originally titled 'Jack Of All Trades') is to come out late spring. Along with Britney it features cameos from Justin Timberlake, O-Town, Kenny Rogers, and LFO.
�����~*NSYNC has been nominated for four awards in the 2001 Blockbuster Entertainment Awards. The nominations include Favorite Group of the Year - Overall, Favorite Group - Pop, Favorite CD - "No Strings Attached" and Favorite Single - "Bye Bye Bye." Beginning January 30th, head to blockbuster.com to vote. The Blockbuster Entertainment Awards Show airs April 11th on FOX.
Field Goals
(01.24) Source - Entertainment Weekly: Forget head butting men in tights; the most memorable clashes of Super Bowl XXXV may involve the entertainment. CBS has hired the Backstreet Boys to croon the National Anthem and - in a savvy display of corporate synergy - they've got MTV, another Viacom owned company, producing the Jan. 28 halftime show featuring the boy band's rivals *NSYNC, as well as Britney Spears, Mary J. Blige, and Aerosmith.
�����MTV's done its share of megaconcert broadcasts (like Woodstock '99 and Live Aid) but it has never before been involved in the globally hyped sporting event. However, the music network plans to put its stamp on the annual football championship, which will be held at Tampa's Raymond James Stadium and is likely to be watched by some 750 million people worldwide. "I don't think [last year's halftime creator] Disney would have been knocking down Steve Tyler's door," Alex Coletti, a producer for MTV, tells EW.com. "The show totally is about who we are."
�����Unlike previous halftime organizers, MTV has opted not to give the 11 minute entertainment break a specific theme. (Perhaps they learned a lesson from six time producer Disney, whose 2000 "Tapestry of Nations" extravaganza suffered much post game heckling from critics.) Instead, the network is hiring local extras to pose as fans to create the look of a genuine rock show on the football field. "In years past, you always get cheerleaders and marching bands, and we're more of a mosh pit kind of place," says Coletti. "The whole thing we want to do, in the flick of a switch, is turn that sporting event into a rock and roll concert."
�����Coordinating the mini rockathon will be tricky, though. The bands have three days of studio rehearsal time this week - but they have a scant six hours to practice assembling the show on the actual football field. "It's nerve racking," says Coletti, "especially for my staging guys. There's going to be a game going on. The stage is in pieces, and it's got to fit through the stadium tunnels, which aren't huge. It's got to go together in the time of a commercial break. It's a real science." Even the set list is uncertain, he says. Each group has ideas about which song they will perform, but "when we finally get the two bands together, I'm sure we'll have to start all over again."
�����Coletti brags that the network's rock show know how helped convince *NSYNC and Aerosmith to participate. "Joe Perry told me, 'When we got the phone call we said no way.' But after they heard it was us producing, they had a band meeting and said, 'Sure we'll do it,'" says Coletti. Of course, the chance to promote their first album in nearly four years, "Just Push Play" [due this spring], probably also appealed to Tyler and co. Don't be surprised if they choose to perform their first single, "Jaded." "What's better than showing [a new song] to the world during the Super Bowl?" says Coletti.
�����Likewise, the show's combination of hard rock and teen pop is a potential bonus for CBS and the National Football League. Ad buyers are predicting a 4 percent decline in ratings for the game (compared to last year's), but Paul Schulman of Schulman/ AdvanswersNY thinks this halftime show could help reduce that slide. While Aerosmith grabs the attention of the NFL's beer swilling core audience, *NSYNC and Spears may tease hefty numbers out of the far more fickle teen crowd. "The toughest audience in the world is between ages 12 and 24," says Schulman. "The only way to keep them lassoed to the screen is to offer the biggest acts for their age group." Sorry, BBMak.
Pop Stars Catch Acting Bug
(01.24) Source - Billboard: The current batch of chart topping pop artists is producing a new crop of actors. *NSYNC's Lance Bass and Joey Fatone, Destiny's Child's Beyonce Knowles, and Dave Matthews are the latest hit music stars to sign onto acting projects.
�����Bass and Fatone will star in Miramax Films' romantic comedy "On The Line," according to The Hollywood Reporter. The film is slated to start shooting in Toronto before a possible actors strike against producers begins this summer. Bass will play a young man who meets a girl he believes could be his soul mate, but misses the opportunity to get her phone number. His best friend, played by Fatone, will help him try to find her.
�����Knowles will play the lead role in "Carmen: A Hip-Hopera," a new MTV project due to premiere this spring. Set in Philadelphia, the story will be narrated by Da Brat, and feature Mos Def, Jermaine Dupri, and Lil' Bow Wow.
�����Dave Matthews is also said to be considering a move to the world of acting. The bandleader, who was cast in last year's ill-fated "Where The Red Fern Grows," which ran out of funds before the project could be completed, may take a role opposite Charlize Theron and Courtney Love in "24 Hours," according to published reports. The film is being co-produced by Glen Ballard, who produced the Dave Matthews Band's forthcoming RCA album, "Everyday."
�����Britney Spears will make her film debut as a student in an as-yet-untitled coming-of-age film. This side of the entertainment biz is not exactly new for Spears, who began her career on Disney's "The Mickey Mouse Club," which incidentally included *NSYNC's Justin Timberlake and JC Chasez in its cast.
Super Bowl Is TV Endurance Test
(01.24) Source - Popcentric: Can MTV actually make CBS announcer Jim Nantz look hip � even after he introduced rock band Third Eye Blind as Third Blind Eye at halftime of the AFC Championship Game?
�����Will Orlando's Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC defend the honor of boy bands everywhere against competition from time-tested icons Ray Charles and Aerosmith?
�����Will the Baltimore Ravens and the New York Giants produce a game that people might remember longer than the commercials?
�����During breaks in the action, look for beer, soda and car ads to compete for attention among the commercials, which are going for roughly $2.4 million per 30-second spot.
�����Anheuser-Busch again is the biggest advertiser, with eight 30-second spots, including the coveted post-kickoff slot. Expect the brewer to expand its "Whassup?!" campaign and feature *NSYNC in its annual message about drinking responsibly.
�����Read the article.
*NSYNC Singer Pulling Strings in Hollywood
(01.24) Source - Reuters: Lance Bass, a member of singing heartthrobs *NSYNC, is saying Hi, Hi, Hi to the movie business.
�����Bass has teamed up with a former executive at Tom Hanks' production company to make soundtrack-driven feature vehicles for pop stars, athletes and musicians.
�����The banner, called A Happy Place, is developing its first project, "On the Line," a $10 million film that will star Bass and fellow *NSYNCer Joey Fatone. Although no director is attached, production is slated to begin in March. Miramax Films is in final negotiations to pick up distribution rights.
�����The romantic comedy is about a couple who meet briefly on their city's train system and must then find a way to reunite. It is based on a short film, "On the L."
�����In addition to Bass and Wendy Thorlakson, lately of Hanks' Playtone Co., Happy Place producer/partners include *NSYNC manager Johnny Wright, producer Richard Hull and attorney Joe Anderson.
�����Happy Place is also recruiting rap and hip-hop stars for "Shooting From the Heart," an independent film based on a magazine piece "The Best Team You Never Saw" written by "Tuesdays With Morrie" author Mitch Albom.
�����Happy Place's overhead and production costs will be covered by venture capital backing for the next three years.
*NSYNC's Lance A New Movie Star
(01.23) Source - Allpop: *NSYNC's Lance Bass is falling for a mystery girl.
�����Lance has just signed on to star in his first film through his own production company, Fox News reports. The movie will be called "On The Line". It will follow Lance's character as he falls in love at first sight while riding the Chicago train. Lance's *NSYNC pal Joey Fantone will also appear in "On The Line". Lance made his deal with Miramax on Monday at the Sundance Film Festival.
�����In more *NSYNC news, the "Bye Bye Bye" boys are working on a follow-up to their smash hit album "No Strings Attached". The next *NSYNC record is expected to be released early in June and will feature many songs penned by the group members themselves.
�����Lance also addressed the issue of pop lip-synchers during his Fox interview. "It seems like all the girls have major lip-synching," he said, "and it's because there's so much dancing. Maybe because there are five of us, someone can always fill in a voice when we're dancing. But we never lip-synch."
*NSYNC's Lance Slams O-Town
(01.23) Source - Wall Of Sound: The self-titled debut album from O-Town � the male vocal group formed on the ABC-TV series Making the Band � is arriving to the excited expectations of teen pop fans around the world. But saying a decided "ho-hum" are the members of *NSYNC, a smidgen of whose success the upstarts of O-Town would be happy to achieve.
�����There's baggage there, of course; O-Town was put together by Lou Pearlman, the former *NSYNC manager who parted ways acrimoniously with the group amid a flurry of legal actions during 1999. So it's not surprising that *NSYNC's Lance Bass would term O-Town "stupid" and "not real." But Bass says it's not just because of the group's association with Pearlman.
�����"A lot of older people watch that show and say, 'Oh, that's how you got together,'" notes Bass, who's in the process of making a new album with his *NSYNC mates. "We weren't put together by anybody. We didn't go through a boot camp audition. There was no training like that whatsoever. That's why I think it's really just a bunch of stupidity. I don't think it will ever last."
�����The five members of O-Town feel differently, of course. But they take a politic course in answering such criticisms.
�����"Honestly, I would completely understand any criticisms," says 19-year-old Ashley Parker Angel. "We don't expect that everybody in the music industry right now will welcome us with open arms. We're a group that is being put together on television; of course it's going to be different than how *NSYNC came together, or how Backstreet came together. Maybe those groups are misconstruing what Making the Band is. It's not the story of how they came together; it's a story of how we came together. It's an opportunity for people to view a group from its very beginning. No one is trying to say this is how *NSYNC or Backstreet came together."
�����Adds Dan Miller, 20, "We know how hard other people have worked to get where they're at. We're just lucky. We've met a lot of the other groups, and everybody's been cool. I don't think there's been any reason for them to show us any attitude, at least not to our face. I hope they don't go back and badmouth us behind closed doors."
Rosie Returns To Host 'Kids Choice Awards'
(01.23) Source - Zap2It: Rosie O'Donnell is returning for a fifth year to host Nickelodeon's 14th Annual Kids' Choice Awards. She will be joined by an array of stars from film, music, sports and television. The show will air live from the Barker Hanger in Santa Monica, CA, on April 21 at 8 PM.
�����"I always have a blast doing the Kids' Choice Awards and this will be the only awards show I plan to host this year," said O'Donnell. "Kids' Choice is a great way for me to combine my love for kids and comedy."
�����"We are delighted with our continued relationship with Rosie O'Donnell, who brings her kid-friendly brand of humor and fun to the show each year," said Albie Hecht, President of Film & Television at Nickelodeon and an executive producer of the annual awards show. "Rosie is a rare breed of talent who can connect just as easily with 10,000 screaming kids as she can with Hollywood's hottest celebrities."
�����The nominees for Nickelodeon's 14th Annual Kids' Choice Awards [in the Music category] are:
�����Favorite Song
�����Bounce With Me - Lil' Bow Wow
�����Bye, Bye, Bye - *NSYNC
�����Oops, I Did It Again - Britney Spears
�����Who Let The Dogs Out - Baha Men
�����Favorite Male Singer
�����Lil' Bow Wow
�����Ricky Martin
�����Sisqo
�����Will Smith
�����Favorite Singing Group
�����Backstreet Boys
�����Baha Men
�����Destiny's Child
�����*NSYNC
�����Favorite Female Singer
�����Christina Aguilera
�����Jennifer Lopez
�����Pink
�����Britney Spears
�����Favorite Band
�����Blink 182
�����Creed
�����Dixie Chicks
�����Red Hot Chili Peppers
�����See complete list.
*NSYNC May Soon Be Short One Member
(01.23) Source - Chicago Sun-Times: Britney Spears may be having a bigger influence on her beau Justin Timberlake than previously realized. According to several sources inside the *NSYNC camp, the pop princess is advising Timberlake to forge ahead with his solo career as soon as contractually possible. The singer may even go it alone - careerwise - shortly after the summer release of *NSYNC's new album.
�����"It doesn't necessarily mean a total end to the group," said an *NSYNC insider. "Justin might do some things on his own, but still come back and work with the other *NSYNC guys as well. He definitely wants a big solo career. That's a given."
*NSYNC, Spears Private Party
(01.23) Source - Salt Lake Tribune: While stargazers and gossip columnists are lamenting the absence of the usual hordes of Hollywood stars at this year's festival, it appears the hottest young pop artists in the country thought the festival was cool enough to stop in. Pop group *NSYNC and singer Britney Spears reportedly played a private party in Deer Valley Saturday night. Given that both artists' mondo-theatrical live tours played Salt Lake last summer, the disbelief factor in this story is not that they were there at all but - *NSYNC and Britney the acoustic living room set? Offstage, *NSYNC's Justin Timberlake was spotted by local high schoolers strolling Main Street with Spears.
'O-Town': Some Assembly Required
(01.23) Source - Washington Post: Every week O-Town performed an unimaginable miracle: it made *NSYNC seem thrillingly gifted. Honest. To watch Ashley, Dan, Erik, Jacob and Trevor struggle all season to sing in harmony, or move in unison, or just get along, even while coached by the best voice and dance instructors money could buy and tempted with near-certain fortunes, was to appreciate just how tricky these concoctions really are.
�����Read the article.
Britney's Chaste 'Honeymoon'
(01.22) Source - New York Post: Britney Spears spent three nights holed up in the honeymoon suite of a posh Rio hotel with her hunky *NSYNC boyfriend, Justin Timberlake, it was reported last night.
But the sexy pop queen - who says she'll remain a virgin until her wedding night - is insisting her chastity is still intact, according to London's News of the World.
�����Last week, Britney and Justin, both 19, flew first class to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to perform at the Rock in Rio III Festival. They checked in to the exclusive suite at the plush Intercontinental Hotel, the newspaper says.
�����The lovebirds then spent virtually all of their time shut away in the $800-a-night suite, but Britney's spokesman insisted the couple was simply "relaxing" together before their big concert - and that there was absolutely, positively, no sex.
�����Justin, too, claims to be a virgin and, like Britney, vows not to have sex until marriage. This month, rumors have swirled that the red-hot couple may soon be tying the knot. Last week, Britney - with Justin's guidance - bought a $3 million mansion in Beverly Hills.
Rio At Rest As Mega Rock Festival Comes To An End
(01.22) Source - Excite: Rock n' roll may never die, but it finally went to sleep in Brazil as the giant "Rock in Rio" festival wound up seven days of mega-shows that drew 1.2 million fans for a good time and a "better world."
�����Exhausted but thrilled concert-goers were still streaming home early Monday after Red Hot Chili Peppers topped off the biggest-selling night of a festival that featured 159 bands from around the globe but avoided rioting and major violence.
�����The third "Brazilian Woodstock" failed to out-sell the original "Rock in Rio," which drew 1.38 million fans in 1985 making it the world's biggest festival ever. But it was still one of the largest music events of recent years.
�����SEVEN DAYS OF ROCK AND NO RIOTS
�����"You have to take your hat off to the organization since there was no violence or assaults or deaths. ... Brazil succeeded in doing what not even Americans can do," said Pedro So, a Brazilian music critic and entertainment writer.
�����Woodstock III, the 30th anniversary show in 1999, ended in riots, looting and sexual assault. Deaths and clashes have also marred other international shows in recent years.
�����But in Rio, fans from Brazil and around the globe turned out to see Guns N' Roses relaunch its career after a seven-year absence from stages and tens of thousands of teeny-boppers converged on the specially built City of Rock to cheer on *NSYNC and Britney Spears.
�����Still, the festival did have its music casualties. Antsy Guns N' Roses groupies pelted Brazilian pop star Carlinhos Brown with plastic bottles during his show and fans booed Spears when the American flag appeared on a giant screen during her act.
A Long Wait With No Handshake
(01.22) Source - Washington Post: Tom Price and Brian Downs huddled all night under a plastic tarp strung across two chairs in a snowstorm. They figured it was worth it to get a few of the 2,200 tickets allotted for the public tour of the White House yesterday and a chance to shake hands with their political hero, President Bush.
�����Instead, what they got was a dose of cold, hard reality. Price, Downs and dozens of others who slept outside the visitors center for the first batch of tickets didn't get to meet Bush or anyone else from the first family when they toured the White House. It was a jarring disappointment for Downs, Price and the others who had heard about average folks meeting with President Clinton and Bush's father during post-inauguration open houses.
�����But others in the jovial crowd, like Packer, said the long wait for tickets was all about celebrity for them. Packer said he has greeted Clinton at least four times, and he said he also has gone to great lengths to pose for pictures with New York Yankees Manager Joe Torre, the pop music group *NSYNC and supermodel Elle Macpherson.
�����Read the article.