'I have not been approached to fill in for Robert Plant on the Zeppelin tour, but that isn't to say I won't be,' singer says.
By Chris Harris
Former Soundgarden and Audioslave frontman Chris Cornell has spoken out for the first time about rumors that he's been asked to fill in for Robert Plant on a proposed Led Zeppelin reunion tour. The trek would feature original guitarist Jimmy Page, original bassist John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham taking over on drums for his late father, John Bonham.
Cornell has been mentioned — along with Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl, former Van Halen frontman Sammy Hagar, White Stripes mastermind Jack White and Alter Bridge's Myles Kennedy — as a potential Plant fill-in. Plant has already said that he wouldn't take part in the tour.
"I have not been approached so far to fill in for Robert Plant on the upcoming Zeppelin tour, but that isn't to say I won't be," Cornell told MTV News. "I've heard that from about 200 people now, and it might be one of those situations where it's just an online rumor or it might be true. But if you see anyone from Led Zeppelin around, let me know. I think I should actually fill in for Jimmy Page on the Robert Plant/ Alison Krauss tour."
Cornell's denial comes just a day after Aerosmith guitarist Brad Whitford confirmed reports that frontman Steven Tyler recently met with Zeppelin for an impromptu jam session. "They did it for fun," Whitford said during an appearance on the syndicated show "Todd N Tyler Radio Empire." "I actually think Jimmy wanted Steven to come over and play a little bit because I think he was trying to light a fire under Robert."
Rumors of a Zeppelin reunion tour have abounded since the iconic band played a single reunion set last year at London's O2 Arena. Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider added fuel to the fire last month when he revealed that the group was thinking of touring, with or without Plant.
According to Snider, the rest of the band told Plant, " 'We're all rehearsed, we're ready to go. Here's a gazillion dollars on the table. If you don't do it, we're going out with this kid [Myles Kennedy].' "
"And he can sing the sh-- out of Zeppelin," Snider added. "They're going to hope that Robert, at the last minute, will go, 'OK,' and step in."
In a recent interview, Jones told BBC Radio Devon that a new singer was being sought to take over for Plant. "We are trying out a couple of singers," he said. "We want to do it. It's sounding great, and we want to get on and get out there."
But Jones insists that he, Page and Bonham aren't interested in finding a Plant clone. "It's got to be right," he said. "There's no point in just finding another Robert. You could get that out of a tribute band, but we don't want to be our own tribute band. There would be a record and a tour, but everyone has to be onboard."
Of course, even if Zeppelin were to approach him, Cornell might be too busy to take over vocals for the band. His upcoming Timbaland-produced solo LP, Scream, will be released within the next few months. Cornell told MTV News last month that some of his fans might consider Scream something of a departure, but he doesn't see it that way.
"It makes me happy that there's this perception that I have a group of fans that I'm now sort of throwing a curve at and what their reaction will be," he said. "But I've been in this situation so many times already. When I put out [1999's] Euphoria Morning, my main goal was to create an album that sounded like nothing I'd done in Soundgarden, and I did that. I also had that with Temple of the Dog, where I showed up with songs that weren't necessarily riff-based. And then, of course, the pairing of me and members of Rage Against the Machine had everyone sort of speculating about what that would sound like.
"It feels like I've done this so many times that when it's presented to me as being a departure, I feel that's a misconception," he added. "I feel like that's my theme at this point."
Related ArtistsSource: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1598367/chris-cornell-debunks-led-zeppelin-rumors.jhtml
Shakira Shana Hiatt Shania Twain Pamela Anderson Paris Hilton Patricia Velásquez
Murray to head to trial in death of Jackson following Tuesday hearing.
By Gil Kaufman
Dr. Conrad Murray
Photo: Frederick M. Brown/ Getty Images
Cardiologist Dr. Conrad Murray, the only person charged in the June 2009 death of Michael Jackson, will be arraigned on Tuesday morning (January 25) on an involuntary manslaughter charge. Murray, who was serving as the 50-year-old pop icon's personal physician at the time, is expected to plead not guilty in the case.
According to CNN, the hearing in front of Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor, is only slated to last a few minutes. While Murray has the right to demand a trial within 60 days, it is not expected that a date will be set for one on Tuesday.
After more than a week of testimony, Pastor ruled during a preliminary hearing in early January that there was enough evidence to bring Murray's case to trial. In the meantime, Murray remains free on $75,000 bond, but Pastor blocked the doctor from using his California medical license until the trial is completed.
"Michael is not with us today because of an utterly inept, incompetent, reckless doctor — the defendant Conrad Murray," Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney David Walgren said in his final arguments in the preliminary hearing, where a series of witnesses recounted Murray's actions during the minutes and hours before and after Jackson's death. The King of Pop died as a result of what the Los Angeles County coroner's office called acute propofol poisoning, a reference to a powerful surgical anesthetic that the singer reportedly requested as a sleep aid to combat chronic insomnia.
While prosecutors appear to be building a case that Murray acted recklessly in attending to Jackson in the singer's final hours, CNN reported that the doctor's lawyers appeared satisfied with the results of the preliminary hearing thanks to some testimony they got from prosecution witnesses that might help raise some reasonable doubt about their client's guilt at trial.
"I think the prosecution is going to change their tactics in this case," defense lawyer J. Michael Flanagan said after the preliminary hearing. "It's not the same as what they gave in opening statements." The defense reportedly is set to argue that it was Jackson himself who administered the final, fatal dose of propofol after waking in a panic from a fitful night of sleep. One of the prosecution's expert witnesses in the case admitted under cross-examination that he made a math mistake and that the recalculation supports the defense theory that Jackson may have given himself the dose of propofol that killed him.
CNN reported that Dr. Richard Ruffalo, an anesthesiologist hired by the prosecution, was the last witness to take the stand and his admission about making a mistake on the calculation of the level of propofol in Jackson's stomach fluid reportedly elicited gasps from the members of Jackson's family who were sitting in the hearing room.
Murray's lawyers have suggested that a frustrated Jackson may have poured the anesthetic — which is administered intravenously — into his juice bottle while the doctor was out of his bedroom. "Now it doesn't make sense unless he ingested it orally in a huge amount," Ruffalo testified. The anesthesiologist added that Murray could still be at fault for leaving dangerous drugs near a patient who was allegedly addicted to sedatives and sleep aids.
"It's like leaving a syringe next to a heroin addict," Ruffalo stated. "If he's not getting what he wants, when you leave the room he might reach for it himself ... Either way, it doesn't matter. He abandoned his patient and didn't resuscitate appropriately." Ruffalo said Murray should have anticipated that Jackson, who had previously asked to inject himself with the drug, might potentially administer it to himself. "He gets upset if he doesn't get his milk," he said, explaining that Jackson often referred to propofol as his "milk."
In addition, the pathologist who conducted Jackson's autopsy acknowledged it was possible, though improbable, that the singer gave himself the fatal propofol dose. Speaking to police two days after Jackson's death, Murray told investigators that a sleepless Jackson had begged him for more propofol on the day he died. The King of Pop was in the midst of a grueling series of rehearsals for his planned "This Is It" comeback shows at London's O2 Arena at the time of his death.
A civil lawsuit filed last year by Jackson's mother against the producer of the concerts, AEG Live, alleged that the company had warned the entertainer several weeks before he died that if he missed any more rehearsals they were going to "pull the plug" on the gigs, which the cash-strapped Jackson was depending on to revive his stalled career.
Related ArtistsSource: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1656583/michael-jackson-doctor-arraigned.jhtml
Rachel Hunter Rachel McAdams Rachel Nichols Rachel Perry Rachel Weisz Radha Mitchell
Billy Brasfield takes to his Twitter account to heap praise on Gaga's upcoming clip.
By James Montgomery
Lady Gaga
Photo: David Wolff-Patrick/ Getty Images
We may not know what it looks like, but we know it's coming soon, and, from the sound of things, it's going to be quite the experience.
We're talking, of course, about Lady Gaga's hotly anticipated "Born This Way" video, which she apparently shot this past weekend, and, according to her makeup artist Billy Brasfield, it's the kind of thing that defies explanation. And adjectives. (Though that didn't stop him from heaping 'em on.) In fact, the "BTW" video is apparently so awe-inducing that it brought Brasfield to tears.
"Have you ever been a part of something that was so profound, so inspiring, so incredibly beautiful, that as it was happening, it brought tears to your eyes and you had been given a gift, and you were thankful?" he tweeted on Monday. "It happened to me [and] I am thankful. 1/22, 1/23, 1/24- 2011 LADY GAGA--#BORNTHISWAY."
Brasfield then followed that message up with another tweet Tuesday morning (January 25), in which he continued to pile praise on the "Born This Way" clip.
"After days of sensory overload, of amazing song, ridiculously beautiful imagery, fashion, beautiful People, great friends, and a life changing experience, I am awake again after 24 hours of sleep," he wrote. "Hello New York City and snow."
Of course, Brasfield isn't the only member of Gaga's team hyping the "Born This Way" video these days. On Monday, LG's fashion director (and Thierry Mugler creative director) Nicola Formichetti took to his Twitter account to praise the shoot, writing, "Ok kids, get ready for ['Born This Way']. We've just created the most amazing thing ever."
Related ArtistsSource: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1656606/lady-gaga-born-this-way.jhtml
Sara Spraker Sarah Gellman Sarah Michelle Gellar Sarah Mutch Sarah Polley Sarah Shahi
'The Late Show With David Letterman' begins and ends week with Biebs.
By James Dinh
Justin Bieber
Photo: MTV News & Docs
David Letterman has officially caught Bieber Fever, as his late-night talk show will begin and end next week with appearances from the teen superstar.
According to CBS, Justin Bieber will visit "The Late Show With David Letterman" for a sit-down interview Monday, then return the following Friday to present the broadcast's Top 10 list. The pop star, who will also appear on Sunday's episode of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," is making the rounds to spread the word about his new 3-D feature film, "Never Say Never," hitting theatres February 11.
This isn't the first time the pop star has visited Letterman: In March of last year, Biebs visited the show to perform his hit single "Baby."
2011 may have just started, but the teen heartthrob has already dominated magazine covers and news headlines. From his girl-crazy photo spread with Vanity Fair to his hush-hush relationship with Disney starlet Selena Gomez, Bieber shows no signs of stopping. He's also shot his second episode of "CSI" (airing February 17) and has found time in the midst of his hectic schedule to discuss some star-studded collaborations for his sophomore album.
What do you want to hear Justin Bieber talk about on "Letterman" next week? Share your comments below!
Related ArtistsSource: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1656742/justin-bieber-david-letterman.jhtml
Scarlett Johansson Selita Ebanks Shakara Ledard Shakira Shana Hiatt Shania Twain