Korean pop rides "Gangnam Style" into U.S. music scene

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - 'Gangnam Style,' the catchy Korean song by rapper Psy, may have danced its way into the American charts but the Korean pop industry isn't horsing around when it comes to capitalizing on the singer's phenomenal U.S. success.

With 'Gangnam Style' topping the current Billboard Digital Songs chart and becoming the most-watched video on YouTube ever with more than 800 million views, fellow Korean pop, or K-pop, artists are positioning themselves for similar U.S. breakthroughs.

Korea's pop music industry is thriving. Over the past two years, a handful of K-pop acts including girl group 2NE1, boy band Super Junior and nine-piece band Girls Generation have embarked on mini-promotional tours around the United States to build their audience.

'Psy has opened doors and is shining a spotlight on K-pop. People are paying attention to what's being done there,' Alina Moffat, general manager at YG Entertainment group, which manages Psy, told a recent entertainment industry conference in Los Angeles.

Psy's vibrant music video, featuring his invisible pony-riding dance, also featured K-pop artists Kim Hyun-a of girl band 4Minute, and Deasung and Seungri of boy band Big Bang, all of whom are attempting to crack the U.S. market.

'YouTube has really changed the awareness of K-pop. Both American kids and second-generation Korean American kids are discovering it,' Kye Kyoungbon Koo, director of the Korea Creative Content Agency, told a panel at a Billboard and Hollywood Reporter conference in Los Angeles in October.

MARKETING THE NEXT BIG THING

For U.S. companies looking to invest, K-pop is being marketed as the next big thing, boasting young, stylish and influential artists who command devoted fan followings.

Moffat said car companies and mobile phone brands were among those being courted at KCON, a convention held in October in Irvine in Southern California that showcased K-pop artists.

'Kids are coming, they're engaged, they want to spend money and sponsors saw that,' Moffat said.

Whether Psy or other K-pop artists can command a global following to rival Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber or Rihanna remains to be seen, but John Shim, senior producer at MTV World, believes it is the right genre to compete with pop music's biggest names.

'K-pop admittedly is a very niche genre but I also think it's the best equipped of Asian pop to cater to the U.S. audience,' Shim told Reuters.

Psy has helped to break down language barriers, keeping 'Gangnam Style' in its original Korean form instead of adapting it to English when it became an international hit.

The singer told Reuters he was persuaded to keep it that way by his manager Scooter Braun, the talent scout responsible for Justin Bieber's success, who signed Psy to his record label.

'I thought, 'Should I translate this or not?' because (the fans) have got to know what I'm talking about, and lyrics are a huge part,' Psy said.

CHATTING IN ENGLISH

But industry executives say at least one member of each K-Pop group is usually taught to be fluent in conversational English.

'The investment in language is costly, but effective,' said Ted Kim, president of South Korean music television channel Mnet. 'It really matters that Psy can go on the Ellen DeGeneres TV show and have a conversation.'

Psy said he was proud his song succeeded in Korean, but he now wants to branch out into English.

''Gangnam Style' is not the sort of thing that's going to happen twice. I've definitely got to make something in English so I can communicate with my fans right now,' the singer said.

In Korea, bands such as SM Entertainment's Super Junior and Girls Generation have became branding powerhouses, scoring endorsements ranging from cosmetics, fashion, video games, electronics and beverages.

In the United States, companies such as Samsung have already jumped on the K-pop train, sponsoring Korean boy band Big Bang's U.S. tour.

But while the genre is gaining steam in the charts, it has yet to spill into ticket sales for tours, according to Gary Bongiovanni, editor in chief at Pollstar.com, which tracks concert sales.

'Psy may be able to sell out arenas in Asia, but not yet here. For the American audience, he has to prove that he's more than a novelty act,' Bongiovanni said.

'K-pop has to prove itself before large companies spend money on it,' he added.

(Editing by Jill Serjeant and Eric Walsh)



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R&B star Mary J. Blige sued for defaulting on $2.2 million loan

(Reuters) - R&B star Mary J. Blige was hit with a lawsuit on Wednesday alleging the Grammy winner and her husband defaulted on a $2.2 million bank loan.

According to court documents filed in New York State Supreme Court in Manhattan, Signature Bank is seeking to recoup the original loan plus $58,000 in interest.

Blige, 41, who has sold more than 50 million albums worldwide, and her husband Martin Isaacs took out the loan in October 2011 and defaulted in July 2012, the suit alleges.

Blige's publicist declined comment on the lawsuit. The singer's attorney did not immediately return a request to comment.

The lawsuit also names Blige's production company, Mary Jane Productions Inc.

The lawsuit is the latest financial headache for the New York City native. The 'Family Affair' singer's charity, The Mary J. Blige and Steve Stoute Foundation for the Advancement of Women Now Inc, was accused earlier in this year of mishandling funds and cheating scholarship students.

Blige acknowledged the problems in a June interview.

'The lives of young women are at stake,' the singer told Reuters when asked about the allegations. 'I feel what they feel. I don't want them to suffer. I promised them something and I'm gonna deliver. Period.'

(Reporting by Eric Kelsey, editing by Jill Serjeant and Todd Eastham)



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Adele's "21" sells 10 million, Rihanna leads Billboard

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - British singer and Grammy darling Adele reached the 10 million sales mark in the United States on Wednesday with her heartbreak album '21' becoming the first by British woman to reach the milestone, Nielsen SoundScan said.

'21,' released in February 2011, produced the hits 'Someone Like You' and 'Rolling In The Deep' and became the top-selling album of 2011. Earlier this year, Adele swept the Grammy Awards with six, including song, record and album of the year.

'21' became the third album to cross 10 million in 2012, along with Linkin Park's 'Hybrid Theory' and Usher's 'Confessions.' But it is the only album to reach the milestone in less than two years in the last decade, Nielsen said.

'What an incredible honor,' Adele said in a statement. 'A huge, huge thank you to my American fans for embracing this record on such a massive level.'

'21' will receive the diamond certification from the Recording Industry Association of America, marking its 10 million milestone, joining the ranks of albums by artists such as Michael Jackson, The Beatles and Madonna.

'Adele's unique talent is a gift to music fans, and her success is certainly cause for a celebration of Diamond magnitude,' Cary Sherman, RIAA's chairman & CEO, said in a statement.

Adele, 24, is enjoying the success of her latest single 'Skyfall,' the official theme song for the James Bond film of the same name. It has sold more than 2 million copies worldwide. The singer also gave birth to her first child earlier this year.

On the Billboard 200 chart this week, R&B star Rihanna scored her first No. 1 album with 'Unapologetic,' selling 238,000 copies.

She held off new entries from 'American Idol' winner Phillip Phillips, who landed at No. 4 with his debut album 'The World From the Side of the Moon,' and country-rock singer Kid Rock, who rounded out the top five with his latest album 'Rebel Soul.'

(Reporting By Piya Sinha-Roy Editing by Jill Serjeant, Grant McCool and Andre Grenon)



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A Minute With: Pop star Ke$ha on new album "Warrior"

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Pop star Ke$ha made a name for herself with infectious dance-pop hits but the singer-songwriter is stepping out of her Auto-Tune comfort zone on 'Warrior', out this week.

Ke$ha, 25, stormed the charts with hit songs about drinking, partying and having a good time, such as 'TiK ToK' and 'Your Love is my Drug' from her 2010 platinum-selling album 'Animal'.

Ke$ha talked with Reuters about the pressures of following up the success of her first album and responding to her critics.

Q: Did you feel additional pressure while working on this album after the success of your debut, 'Animal'?

A: 'Everybody keeps asking me about pressure, and I think a lot of other people maybe are feeling pressure about this record, but I just want to make a good record. If I sat around trying to make a number one record, I'd just be too consumed with that. I just want to make an awesome, kick-ass record that I love and that my fans love.'

Q: Was there anything that you weren't happy with on the first album and that you wanted to change for the second?

A: 'I just wanted to make sure my entire personality was presented more accurately. I feel like people really got to know the super-wild side of me but then sometimes a more vulnerable side. I didn't really feel comfortable expressing it. So this time I kind of forced myself to express a little bit more vulnerability, less Auto-Tune, less vocal trickery. It's a little more raw.'

Q: You received a lot of criticism for your use of Auto-Tune, masking your true singing voice. Was that a valid criticism for you, when many others use it?

A: 'I remember having this conversation with my producer, and him saying, 'We're using a lot of vocal tricks,' and I said, 'People will get to know me as my career goes on, I just want it to sound really weird and cool and clubby right now, and super electronic.' I made a conscious decision to use Auto-Tune for effect, as ear candy, and vocoders and chop up my words.

'This time around, I have heard so many different people say I can't sing, it's quite frankly irritating, so I ... made a five-song acoustic EP ('Deconstructed', out on December 4) that's kind of like my middle finger to all those people that said I couldn't sing, and there's more of my voice on this record. You know, haters are going to hate, you just have to do what you want to do.'

Q: Talk us through some of the collaborations on 'Warrior'. There's quite a variety, such as with Iggy Pop and Ben Folds.

A: 'Ben Folds is a friend of mine. He gave me a giant glitter grand piano that's in my house, so that one was natural. The Flaming Lips was probably surprising for a lot of people because we're two super-different genres of music but we had the most fun and we made so many songs, it was super insane. We're like best friends, we text everyday now, so that kind of came naturally. The one that I really have been working on for years was a collaboration with Iggy Pop. He's one of my favorite musicians and artists of all time, so that was super exciting for me, because I respect him so much.'

Q: You've written tracks for Kelly Clarkson and Britney Spears, and you've written all the songs for 'Warrior'. What did you want to bring out in your lyrics this time round?

A: 'I definitely wanted to maintain the irreverence, because that's why my fans like me. It's because I'm super honest, not always PG rated ... but I didn't want to let the haters somehow cramp my style or get the best of me, so I maintain my irreverence ... I also really wanted to show the other side of my personality, which kind of is more nerve-wracking to show people, being a real person and the vulnerable side of my personality and voice. So there are tracks on this record that are super vulnerable and were hard even to write. I had to force myself to sit down and write these songs.'

Q: You've carved a distinctive image and also just launched your latest collaboration with Baby-G watches. How do you want to evolve your career in the future?

A: 'I think that with this record, I really wanted to show that there are no rules or boundaries in art, at all, like I sing and I can use crazy Auto-Tune vocoders and I can rap and I can do a song with Iggy Pop. You can do all these things that make sense. You don't have to just be one thing, like, you don't adhere to any sort of stereotype or any boundaries or any rules, so for me it's really fun to break down these boundaries.'

Q: You came in at the forefront of the electronic dance music explosion in the pop charts two years ago. Why do you think EDM is doing so well?

A: 'Dancing is one of the ways we, as adult human beings, still get to play and it's socially acceptable. Little kids play all the time, but as we grow up, we're supposed to just not play anymore, so our version of that is going out and dancing, and I think it's one way people are still visceral and animal-like.'

(Reporting by Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Jill Serjeant and Dale Hudson)



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Rihanna's "Unapologetic" tops Billboard album chart

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - R&B singer Rihanna shot straight to the top of the Billboard 200 album chart on Tuesday with her seventh record 'Unapologetic,' scoring her first No. 1 album despite mixed reviews.

'Unapologetic,' which topped iTunes charts in 43 countries just hours after its release on November19, sold 238,000 copies according to Billboard, scoring the 24-year-old singer from Barbados her best opening sales week to date.

The album's lead single 'Diamonds' landed at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart last week, giving Rihanna her 12th No. 1 single and tying her with Madonna and The Supremes for the fourth-most chart-topping singles in Billboard history.

'Unapologetic' left some critics unsettled by the singer's harder sound and close-to-home lyrics. One track in particular that had everyone talking is 'Nobody's Business,' Rihanna's collaboration with ex-boyfriend Chris Brown, who was charged with assaulting her three years ago.

The album has been promoted extensively by Rihanna, who embarked on a seven day tour across seven cities around the world, accompanied by a plane full of fans and journalists.

The full Billboard charts will be released on Wednesday.

(Reporting By Piya Sinha-Roy, editing by Jill Serjeant)



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Rolling Stones turn back clock with hit-filled comeback

LONDON (Reuters) - The Rolling Stones turned back the clock in style on Sunday with their first concert in five years, strutting and swaggering their way through hit after familiar hit to celebrate 50 years in business.

Before a packed crowd of 20,000 at London's O2 Arena, they banished doubts that age may have slowed down one of the world's greatest rock and roll bands, as lead singer Mick Jagger launched into 'I Wanna Be Your Man'.

More than two hours of high-octane, blues-infused rock later, and they were still going strong with an impressive encore comprising 'You Can't Always Get What You Want' and 'Jumpin' Jack Flash'.

In between there were guest appearances from American R&B singer-songwriter Mary J. Blige, who delivered a rousing duet with Jagger on 'Gimme Shelter' and guitarist Jeff Beck who provided the power chords for 'I'm Going Down'.

Former Rolling Stones Bill Wyman and Mick Taylor were also back in the fold, performing with the regular quartet of Jagger, Ronnie Wood and Keith Richards on guitar and Charlie Watts on drums for the first time in 20 years.

'It took us 50 years to get from Dartford to Greenwich!' said Jagger, referring to their roots just a few miles from the venue in southeast London. 'But you know, we made it. What's even more amazing is that you're still coming to see us...we can't thank you enough.'

The Sunday night gig was the first of two at the O2 Arena before the band crosses the Atlantic to play three dates in the United States.

The mini-tour is the culmination of a busy few months of events, rehearsals and recordings to mark 50 years since the rockers first took to the stage at the Marquee Club on London's Oxford Street in July, 1962.

There has been a photo album, two new songs, a music video, a documentary film, a blitz of media appearances and a handful of warm-up gigs in Paris.

'STYLE AND PANACHE'

The reunion nearly did not happen. One factor behind the long break since their record-breaking 'A Bigger Bang' tour in 2007 has been Wood's struggle with alcohol addiction, while Jagger and Richards also fell out over comments the guitarist made about the singer in a 2010 autobiography.

But they eventually buried the hatchet, and Richards joked in a recent interview: 'We can't get divorced - we're doing it for the kids!'

Critics were fulsome in their praise of the first comeback gig.

'Keith Richards has said that the beauty of rock and roll is that every night a different band might be the world's greatest. Well, last night at the O2 Arena, it was the turn of the Rolling Stones themselves to lay claim to the title they invented,' wrote Neil McCormick of the Daily Telegraph.

'And they did it with some style and panache.'

The big question on every fan's lips is whether the five concerts lead to a world tour and even new material. The Stones sang their two new tracks 'Doom and Gloom' and 'One More Shot', which appeared on their latest greatest hits album 'GRRR!'.

Richards has hinted that the five concerts ending at the Newark Prudential Center in the United States on December 15 would not be the last.

'Once the juggernaut starts rolling, it ain't gonna stop,' he told Rolling Stone magazine. 'So without sort of saying definitely yes - yeah. We ain't doing all this for four gigs!'

The band has come in for criticism from fans about the high price of tickets to the shows - they ranged from around 95 pounds ($150) to up to 950 pounds for a VIP seat.

The flamboyant veterans, whose average age is 68, have defended the costs, saying the shows were expensive to put on, although specialist music publication Billboard reported the band would earn $25 million from the four shows initially announced. A fifth was added later.

'Everybody all right there in the cheap seats,' Jagger asked pointedly as he looked high to his left at the arena. 'They're not really cheap though are they? That's the trouble.'

Among the biggest cheers on the night were for classics including 'Wild Horses', 'It's Only Rock and Roll' and 'Start Me Up'.

There was even time for the odd reference to their advancing years.

'Good to see you all,' said Richards with a mischievous grin. 'Good to see anybody.'

(Reporting by Mike Collett-White, editing by Paul Casciato)



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U.S. musician Marcus Miller hurt in Swiss bus crash

ZURICH (Reuters) - U.S. jazz musician Marcus Miller was injured on Sunday along with members of his band when their bus crashed in Switzerland, killing the driver, police said.

The two-time Grammy winner was travelling with 10 members of his band from Monte Carlo in Monaco to Hengelo in the Netherlands when the bus crashed on the highway near the town of Schattdorf in central Switzerland.

A Swiss police spokesman said the driver died from his injuries. The reserve driver, Miller and the members of his band were all injured but not seriously, he said, declining to give further details.

Miller, who plays keyboard and clarinet as well as electric bass, has collaborated with Miles Davis and Luther Vandross and was on tour to promote his album Renaissance.

Earlier this year, 22 children and six adults returning from on a ski trip organized by a Belgian school were killed in a bus crash in Switzerland.

(Reporting by Emma Thomasson; Editing by Jon Hemming)



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Rolling Stones fans pack O2 for return on 50th

LONDON (Reuters) - Rolling Stones fans packed out London's O2 stadium on Sunday to see one of rock and roll's greatest and most enduring bands take to the stage to celebrate their golden jubilee.

The sea of fans gathered round a stage in the shape of the giant red lips logo synonymous with singer Mick Jagger, guitarists Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood and drummer Charlie Watts may be mostly silver-haired, but then the Stones are also in their 60s and early 70s.

Joining them at the O2 on Sunday will be former band members Bill Wyman and Mick Taylor, the first time the two ex-Stones have performed with the group in more than 20 years. American R&B singer-songwriter Mary J. Blige and guitar great Jeff Beck have also been added to the lineup as special guests.

There has been talk of a wider tour, but for the time-being the only confirmed concerts are the five that have been announced. Two will be played at the O2 Arena in London, the first on Sunday and another on Thursday with three others in the United States next month.

The flamboyant veterans behind a string of hits including '(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction', 'You Can't Always Get What You Want' and 'Jumpin' Jack Flash' have promised a 'stunning' gig lasting more than two hours.

A sellout crowd of some 20,000 people was expected in spite of widespread complaints from fans at ticket prices that ranged from 95 pounds ($150) to up to 950 pounds for a VIP seat.

Costs went far higher on secondary ticketing websites, although by Friday eBay was offering several seats to Sunday's show at below face value and there were places still officially available at around 400 pounds apiece.

The band has defended the prices, saying that the shows are expensive to put on, although Billboard, a specialist music publication, reported that the quartet would be paid $25 million for the four shows first announced. A fifth was added later.

BURST OF ACTIVITY

The concerts are the culmination of a busy few months of events, rehearsals and recordings to mark 50 years since the blues-infused rockers first took to the stage at the Marquee Club on London's Oxford Street in July, 1962.

There has been a photo album, two new songs, a music video, a documentary film, a blitz of media appearances and a handful of warm-up gigs in Paris.

The O2 Arena was where another top band of the 1960s and 70s, Led Zeppelin, staged an eagerly awaited one-off reunion in 2007, and while the Stones have appeared together far more regularly, it is their first arena performance in six years.

One factor behind the long break has been Wood's struggle with alcohol addition, according to Rolling Stone magazine, while Jagger and Richards also fell out over comments the guitarist made about the singer in a 2010 autobiography.

'We can't get divorced - we're doing it for the kids!' joked Richards in a recent interview after apologizing to Jagger.

While the rock and roll excesses of the swinging 60s and 70s are in the past for the band, and their very best songs may be behind them, music critics praised their recent single 'Doom and Gloom' from the 'GRRR!' greatest hits album just released.

And there have been hints from the band that the five gigs which wind up at the Newark Prudential Center on December 15 may not be the end of their reunion.

'Once the juggernaut starts rolling, it ain't gonna stop,' Richards told Rolling Stone. 'So without sort of saying definitely yes - yeah. We ain't doing all this for four gigs!'

(Reporting by Mike Collett-White, editing by Paul Casciato)



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Rolling Stones return to mark 50 years in music

LONDON (Reuters) - The Rolling Stones take to the stage later on Sunday after a five-year hiatus to celebrate the golden jubilee of one of the most successful and enduring bands in rock and roll history.

Now in their mid-60s to early 70s, lead singer Mick Jagger, guitarists Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood and drummer Charlie Watts will perform five concerts - two at the O2 Arena in London on November 25 and 29 and three in the United States next month.

Joining them at the O2 on Sunday will be former band members Bill Wyman and Mick Taylor, the first time the two ex-Stones have performed with the group in more than 20 years.

And in a fresh announcement on Saturday, American R&B singer-songwriter Mary J. Blige and guitar great Jeff Beck have also been added to the lineup as special guests.

The flamboyant veterans behind a string of hits including '(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction', 'You Can't Always Get What You Want' and 'Jumpin' Jack Flash' have promised a 'stunning' gig lasting more than two hours.

A sellout crowd of some 20,000 people is expected, in spite of widespread complaints from fans at ticket prices that ranged from 95 pounds ($150) to up to 950 pounds for a VIP seat.

Costs went far higher on secondary ticketing websites, although by Friday eBay was offering several seats to Sunday's show at below face value and there were places still officially available at around 400 pounds apiece.

The band has defended the prices, saying that the shows are expensive to put on, although Billboard, a specialist music publication, reported that the quartet would be paid $25 million for the four shows first announced. A fifth was added later.

BURST OF ACTIVITY

The concerts are the culmination of a busy few months of events, rehearsals and recordings to mark 50 years since the blues-infused rockers first took to the stage at the Marquee Club on London's Oxford Street in July, 1962.

There has been a photo album, two new songs, a music video, a documentary film, a blitz of media appearances and a handful of warm-up gigs in Paris.

The O2 Arena was where another top band of the 1960s and 70s, Led Zeppelin, staged an eagerly awaited one-off reunion in 2007, and while the Stones have appeared together far more regularly, it is their first arena performance in six years.

One factor behind the long break has been Wood's struggle with alcohol addition, according to Rolling Stone magazine, while Jagger and Richards also fell out over comments the guitarist made about the singer in a 2010 autobiography.

'We can't get divorced - we're doing it for the kids!' joked Richards in a recent interview after apologizing to Jagger.

While the rock and roll excesses of the swinging 60s and 70s are in the past for the band, and their very best songs may be behind them, music critics praised their recent single 'Doom and Gloom' from the 'GRRR!' greatest hits album just released.

And there have been hints from the band that the five gigs which wind up at the Newark Prudential Center on December 15 may not be the end of their reunion.

'Once the juggernaut starts rolling, it ain't gonna stop,' Richards told Rolling Stone. 'So without sort of saying definitely yes - yeah. We ain't doing all this for four gigs!'

(Reporting by Mike Collett-White, editing by Paul Casciato)



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Pussy Riot protester alone in cell after inmate tension

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Jailed Pussy Riot punk protester Maria Alyokhina has been moved to a single-person cell for her own protection because of tension with other prisoners, her lawyer and Russia's federal penitentiary service said on Friday.

Alyokhina, 24, is serving a two-year sentence for a raucous protest against President Vladimir Putin in Moscow's main Russian Orthodox cathedral. Activists said her trial, and that of two band mates, was part of a crackdown on dissent.

'There was a conflict' between Alyokhina and other inmates and 'she was transferred to a individual cell,' her lawyer Irina Khrunova said by telephone. She said it was not yet clear what caused the conflict.

Prison authorities said Alyokhina was moved at her own request.

'Some tensions arose in relationships and, apparently to prevent this situation from escalating, she decided to submit a request to the prison leadership and they moved her to a one-person cell,' a federal prison service spokeswoman said.

The spokeswoman dismissed Russian media reports Alyokhina argued with inmates over religion at the Ural Mountains prison about 1,150 km (715 miles) northeast of Moscow. Pussy Riot's protest offended many members of Russia's Orthodox Church.

The spokeswoman also said she had no information regarding a report on the tabloid-style Life News website that Alyokhina had received violent threats from cell mates.

Alyokhina's main meal is taken to her cell and she is accompanied by a guard when she leaves it, the spokeswoman said.

Alyokhina and two band mates were convicted in August of hooliganism motivated by religious hatred for their 'punk prayer', which the dominant Russian Orthodox Church has cast as part of a concerted attack on the church and the faithful.

The women said the protest, in which they burst into Christ the Saviour Cathedral and called on the Virgin Mary to rid Russia of Putin, was not motivated by hatred and was meant to mock the church leadership's support for the longtime leader.

Putin, a former KGB officer who has cultivated close ties with the church over 13 years in power, has rejected criticism from the United States and European leaders who called the two-year sentences disproportionate.

Alyokhina, who has a young son, argued with the judge and cross-examined witnesses during her trial.

Her band mate Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 23, is serving her sentence in a different prison. Yekaterina Samutsevich, 30, was freed last month when a court suspended her sentence on appeal.

(Additional reporting by Ludmila Danilova and Steve Gutterman; Writing by Nastassia Astrasheuskaya; editing by Jason Webb)



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Russian female punk rock band protester alone in cell after inmate tension

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Jailed Pussy Riot punk protester Maria Alyokhina has been moved to a single-person cell at her own request because of tensions with follow prisoners, Russia's federal penitentiary service said on Friday.

Alyokhina, 24, is serving a two-year sentence for a raucous protest against President Vladimir Putin in Moscow's main Russian Orthodox cathedral. Activists said her trial, and that of two band mates, was part of a crackdown on dissent.

'Some tensions arose in relationships and, apparently to prevent this situation from escalating, she decided to submit a request to the prison leadership and they moved her to a one-person cell,' a prison service spokeswoman said.

The spokeswoman dismissed Russian media reports Alyokhina argued with inmates over religion at the Ural Mountains prison about 1,150 km (715 miles) northeast of Moscow. Pussy Riot's protest offended many members of Russia's Orthodox Church.

The spokeswoman also said she had no information regarding a report on the tabloid-style Life News website that Alyokhina had received violent threats from cell mates.

Alyokhina's main meal is taken to her cell and she is accompanied by a guard when she leaves it, the spokeswoman said.

Alyokhina and two band mates were convicted in August of hooliganism motivated by religious hatred for their 'punk prayer', which the dominant Russian Orthodox Church has cast as part of a concerted attack on the church and the faithful.

The women said the protest, in which they burst into Christ the Saviour Cathedral and called on the Virgin Mary to rid Russia of Putin, was not motivated by hatred and was meant to mock the church leadership's support for the longtime leader.

Putin, a former KGB officer who has cultivated close ties with the church over 13 years in power, has rejected criticism from the United States and European leaders who called the two-year sentences disproportionate.

Alyokhina, who has a young son, argued with the judge and cross-examined witnesses during her trial.

Her band mate Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 23, is serving her sentence in a different prison. Yekaterina Samutsevich, 30, was freed last month when a court suspended her sentence on appeal.

(Additional reporting By Ludmila Danilova; Writing by Nastassia Astrasheuskaya; editing by Jason Webb)



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Russian court throws out Madonna anti-gay compensation claim

ST.PETERSBURG, Russia (Reuters) - A Russian court rejected a $10 million compensation claim against U.S. pop star Madonna on Thursday by a group of anti-gay activists who accused her hurting their feelings by promoting homosexuality at a St.Petersburg concert.

Performing in black lingerie with the words 'No Fear' scrawled on her back, Madonna attacked a city law adopted in March that imposed fines for spreading homosexual 'propaganda'. She had earlier called the law a 'ridiculous atrocity'.

The activists based their case on a video recording where they claimed Madonna could be seen trampling on an Orthodox cross and asking spectators to raise their hands with pink bracelets in support of the gay movement.

Judge Vitaly Barkovsky did not explain his decision but also ruled the activists should compensate legal expenses to companies which organized Madonna's concert. The activists said they will appeal the court ruling.

'Our position is the same. We believe there was a case of the breach of law, namely gay propaganda among minors,' said activist Darya Dedova.

Homosexuality, punished with jail terms in the Soviet Union, was decriminalized in Russia in 1993, but much of the gay community remains underground as prejudice runs deep.

(Reporting by Liza Dobkina; Editing by Jon Hemming)



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Rolling Stones aim to roll back years with reunion

LONDON (Reuters) - The Rolling Stones return to the stage on Sunday for a mini-tour they hope will prove that advancing years and bad blood are no barriers to satisfaction for sellout crowds.

In a burst of activity to celebrate 50 years in business, the veteran British rockers with an average age of 68 have produced a photo book, written two songs, collaborated on a documentary, released a greatest hits album, played warm-up gigs in Paris and committed to five concerts.

They also faced questions about high ticket prices to the two gigs in London and three in the United States that have given some followers the impression they are more interested in banking cash than bashing out the hits.

Yet that has done little to dampen broad enthusiasm for their return to the big stage five years after the 'A Bigger Bang' tour became the most lucrative in pop history at the time, earning nearly $560 million.

Adding to the sense of occasion, the full-time quartet of Mick Jagger on vocals, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood on guitar and Charlie Watts on drums will be joined by former members Bill Wyman and Mick Taylor at London's O2 Arena on Sunday.

Even before they step out for the first of two gigs in the British capital, the question on every Stones fan's lips is what more they have up their sleeves, amid hints of a full tour and the possibility of a new studio album.

'It would be nice to think that wouldn't be it,' said Paul Sexton, a music journalist who has met and interviewed the band in the run-up to the latest concerts.

'Once the machine gets fired up again, it's hard to imagine there won't be more live shows to come. If these dates went well, you could imagine sufficient momentum for some kind of recording project.'

BICKERING, BUT NO DIVORCE

The Stones first played at the Marquee Club in London in 1962, and with a changing lineup that settled with today's foursome the band who had to compete with the Beatles quickly became one of the biggest groups in pop history.

Their blues-infused output slowed from the 1980s, and some critics argue they peaked in the 1960s and 70s, but the Stones' longevity and a catalogue of hits like '(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction', 'Jumpin' Jack Flash' and 'Honky Tonk Women' have ensured the music world still cares.

Despite the promise of a major payout and another chance to enhance their legacy, the 50th anniversary celebrations were not always a certainty.

Jagger and Richards have bickered in the past and were at it again recently with Richards calling the charismatic frontman 'unbearable' amid a stream of insults in his 2010 memoir 'Life'.

He eventually apologized, clearing the way for the reunion.

'If you was married to somebody for 50 years, you can have your little spats here and there, and we don't mind having them in public occasionally,' the guitarist told Rolling Stone magazine. 'We can't get divorced - we're doing it for the kids!'

The Stones will play two gigs at the O2 Arena, where tickets cost 95 to 950 pounds ($1,500) for a VIP seat, before crossing the Atlantic for a show at Barclay Center, Brooklyn on December 8 and two at the Prudential Center, Newark on December 13 and 15.

Jagger has been quick to defend the pricing, saying that the shows were expensive to stage and tickets being traded on secondary sites for greater than their face value did not mean more money for the band.

As to what the five concerts could lead to, Richards said in a recent interview: 'My experience with the Rolling Stones is that once the juggernaut starts rolling, it ain't gonna stop.'

Jagger and Richards are the only two members of the Stones who were there at its inception in 1962. Watts joined in early 1963 and Wood was recruited in the mid-1970s to replace Mick Taylor when he left.

They are widely acknowledged as the greatest rock and roll band in history, producing more than 20 studio albums, selling an estimated 200 million copies, conquering the United States and charting the social and sexual mores of their time.

Their longevity is all the more surprising given their reputation for living in the fast lane. Wood is in his third year of sobriety after struggling with alcohol addiction and Richards said he is drinking less and 'gave up smack' (heroin).

(Reporting by Mike Collett-White)



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McCartney, Houston, Dylan lead Grammy Hall of Fame inductees

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Music by Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan, Elton John and late singers Whitney Houston and James Brown will be inducted into the 2013 Grammy Hall of Fame, The Recording Academy said on Wednesday.

Paul McCartney & Wings' 1973 album 'Band on the Run,' long credited with reigniting McCartney's career following the Beatles' split in 1970, was one of the 27 new inductees into the Grammy Hall of Fame, on display at the Grammy Museum in downtown Los Angeles.

Houston's self-titled 1985 debut album was also named an inductee, following the singer's sudden death aged 48 in February this year. Australian hard-rock band AC/DC's top-selling 1980 'Back in Black' album was also named a new entry.

The Recording Academy, which also runs the Grammy awards, picks songs and albums from all genres that are at least 25 years old, with either 'qualitative or historical significance' to be considered annually for the Grammy Hall of Fame by a committee.

'Memorable for being both culturally and historically significant, we are proud to add (the 2013 inductees) to our growing catalog of outstanding recordings that have become part of our musical, social and cultural history,' The Recording Academy President and CEO Neil Portnow said in a statement.

As well as albums, the Grammy Hall of Fame also includes songs of historic and cultural significance and the inductees for 2013 see a range of classic American songs.

Iconic Dylan song 'The Times They Are A-Changing' from 1964, R&B singer Ray Charles' 1961 tune 'Hit the Road Jack,' Rat Pack star Frank Sinatra's 1980 'Theme from 'New York, New York'', and 'Godfather of soul' James Brown's 1965 classic 'I Got You (I Feel Good)' were all honored.

Other 2013 inductees include Elton John's 1970 self-titled second album and American debut, Billy Joel's 1973 hit 'The Piano Man' and Willie Mae 'Big Mama' Thornton's 1953 R&B classic 'Hound Dog,' later covered by Elvis Presley.

(Reporting By Eric Kelsey; Editing by Piya Sinha-Roy and Andrew Hay)



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Country singer Kristofferson looks to end of road

GENEVA (Reuters) - Kris Kristofferson -- Oxford scholar, athlete, U.S. Army helicopter pilot, country music composer, one-time roustabout, film actor, singer, lover of women, three times a husband and father of eight -- seems ready to meet his maker.

At least, that was the clear impression he left with an audience of middle-aged-and-upwards fans at a concert in Geneva this week, a message underscored by his 28th and latest album, 'Feeling Mortal' and its coffin-dark cover.

At a frail-looking 76, his ample beard more straggly than ever and his always gravel-laden voice gasping out the familiar lyrics of his great classics from 'Bobby McGee' to 'Rainbow Again', the hereafter appears at the front of his mind.

'I've begun to soon descend, like the sun into the sea,' runs the title song of the new CD.

On the stage without backing group in Geneva, the first leg of a solo European tour to promote the disc from his own record company, 'God' trips off his lips like a punctuation mark.

Even the old songs that made him -- as well as other country artists like Willy Nelson, Johnny Cash, and his one-time girl-friend Janis Joplin -- internationally famous, sound shaped by the fading voice to underscore a spiritual dimension.

'Sunday Morning Coming Down' emerges less as an ode to elderly loners facing old age without family and children and more as a call to prepare for the next life.

Religiosity was never that far from Kristofferson, son of a major-general in the U.S. Air Force, grandson of a Swedish army officer and in the 1ate 1950s a Rhodes Scholar in English Literature at England's Oxford University.

CRUCIFIXION

In the 1971 'Jesus was a Capricorn' he predicts the Christian savior would be crucified again if he came back preaching peace and love among all races and creeds.

In the new album, 'Ramblin' Jack' is semi-autobiographical -- a song about a wandering singer 'with a face like a tumbled-down shack' of 'wild and righteous, wicked ways' who 'ain't afraid of where he's goin'.'

Kristofferson is adored by many believers, probably the vast majority of U.S. country fans and performers. But his fans among the unreligious and the atheists were also happy just to relish the poetry of his lyrics and the idiosyncrasy of his voice.

In Geneva, despite its Calvinist past as secular today as any major European city, the ageing 1,000-odd audience in a theatre seating twice that number, were certainly ready to enjoy anything he gave them.

They cheered and applauded his political declaration, an aside injected after a song line: 'nobody wins.' 'But somebody has just won. Obama won, so the whole world has won!' he rasped, waving his electric guitar in the air.

SELF-MOCKERY

They loved his self-mockery when, overcome briefly by a sniffle and pulling a blue bandana -- cousin of the red one in 'Bobby McGee'? -- from his jeans pocket, he asked them if they minded having paid $100 'to watch an old fart blow his nose.'

And they laughed with him when -- in the full flood of lyrics on the pleasure of being around 'a lot of lovely girls in the best of all possible worlds -- he confided: 'I wrote this song a LONG time ago.'

His 22-year-old angel-faced daughter Kelly, a banjoist and vocalist, joined him on stage for a handful of numbers, while in the hall outside son Jesse manned a stall selling the new CD and the black 'Feeling Mortal Tour' t-shirts.

Children -- their dreams and the dreams of their parents for them -- have also long been a central theme of his music.

'I wrote this for my little girl,' he says of a father's song pledging he will be 'forever there' for a daughter through life, and after. 'Spread your wings,' he tells her.

More prosaically, he recalls a rebuke from Jesse at age five over his 1970s hit: 'The Silver-Tongued Devil': 'That's a bad song. You're blaming all your troubles on someone else.'

After the concert, the Kristofferson family left for Zurich and Vienna to continue the tour. 'This may be our last goodbye,' he sang in a final song. 'We may not pass this way again.'

'We'll miss you,' called a voice from the audience.

(Reported by Robert Evans)



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Aussie rockers AC/DC's music to be sold on iTunes

NEW YORK (Reuters) - AC/DC'S entire catalogue, including 20 studio and live albums and three compilations will be available on iTunes for the first time worldwide, Columbia Records and Apple said on Monday.

Until now the Australian heavy metal group that was formed by two brothers, Angus and Malcolm Young, in 1973, had refused to put their music on Apple Inc's online music store.

'AC/DC's thunderous and primal rock and roll has excited fans for generations with their raw and rebellious brand of music, which also resonates with millions of new fans discovering AC/DC everyday,' Columbia Records and Apple, said in a statement announcing the deal.

'Their growing legion of fans will now experience the intensity of AC/DC's music in a way that has never been heard before,' they added.

The group's 1976 debut album 'High Voltage,' its classic 'Back In Black' and 2008's 'Black Ice' are among the albums available on iTunes.

All the of music has been mastered for iTunes and fans can download entire albums or individual songs.

(Reporting by Patricia Reaney; editing by Paul Casciato)



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Metal singer Aaron Lewis finds second home in country music

NASHVILLE, Tennessee (Reuters) - Aaron Lewis stands as one of the more unusual crossovers into country music, but the singer of the metal band Staind believes it was a fit made in the cradle.

'It's been quite the pleasant eclectic mix of tattoos and black eyeliner, and Stetsons, cowboy boots and big shiny buckles,' Lewis said in an interview after the release of his first full-length country studio album, 'The Road,' this week.

Lewis, 40, was raised on what he terms his grandfather's country music: Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Charlie Daniels and George Jones. He collaborated with Daniels and Jones on his country EP, 'Town Line,' released last year.

This made the transition from the angst-ridden world of metal to the laid-back country scene an easy step for him, but perhaps not so much for his head-banging fans.

'A few fans are really having a hard time with it,' Lewis said. 'I can't make everyone happy. Music is about making me happy first. For those who wish I would stick with Staind, they'll get what they want, too.'

Lewis, who sold seven studio albums over a 17-year career with Staind, says he has two musical careers because he is 'creatively bipolar' and suffers from attention deficit disorder.

'I need to switch it up a little bit,' he said. 'It's kind of nice to write a song about taking my daughters to the beach instead (of) about something that's tearing me apart from the inside.'

For Lewis, each song on 'The Road' is the opportunity to explore his creativity in music, while winding down a road filled with new country listeners and taking Staind fans along for the ride.

'The Road' includes 'Forever,' a thoughtful song of life on the road, and 'Endless Summer,' a simple track about digging up clams and casting for striped bass with his daughters.

'If we catch a keeper we throw it on the grill,' he says. 'The beauty of the adventure that I'm on now is I can write songs about stuff like that. I could never bring a song like that to the table for Staind.'

He describes writing 'Endless Summer' as a 'refreshing and a nice change' from his metal past.

'I remember having a big smile on my face the whole time I was writing it,' he said. 'In the past, what's usually coming up for lyrics is not smiley material. The song wrote itself in 10 minutes.'

In contrast, 'Party in Hell,' which has fans up and dancing, was the last song Lewis wrote for the album and was inspired by a stint in Las Vegas.

'Las Vegas really is, in a metaphorical sense, a party in hell; you can get into anything you want to,' he said. 'It was like well, 'OK, I'm going to hell, who else is going to be there? We might as well have a party with it.''

SAME PROCESS

His previous country EP, 'Town Line,' featured the gold-selling single 'Country Boy,' a collaboration with Daniels and Jones that hit the top of the 'Billboard' album charts and topped off at No. 7 on the Top 200.

'That's crazy, right?' Lewis asks, shaking his head. 'It was pretty amazing for me, pretty surreal. I was actually in the studio with Charlie, which was a lot of fun. We have become good friends.'

The writing process for country or rock is the same, according to Lewis.

'The music is always first, then the melody, and the lyrics third,' he said. 'I need the music to know what the landscape is that I'm singing over, and I need the melody to fit the words in, and then the words come last.'

But the lyrics do not come while he is writing on a piece of paper. 'They come with me standing in front of a microphone with the song playing in the background and singing,' he said. 'It's total improv, right off the cuff.'

As with recording, Lewis does not approach a rock performance differently from a country performance.

'I go out on stage and perform those songs I recorded to the best of my ability to sound just like the recording,' he said. 'I have always tried to approach every show like it's the only show that I have. That's kind of how I've gone about this crazy career I've had now coming up on 15 years.'

(Reporting by Vernell Hackett; Editing by Christine Kearney and Lisa Von Ahn)



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Bieber sweeps American Music Awards with big wins

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Canadian pop star Justin Bieber swept the American Music Awards on Sunday, topping strong competition from Rihanna and Nicki Minaj, and sending newcomers British boybands One Direction and The Wanted home empty-handed.

Bieber, 18, won all three categories in which he was nominated, including the night's biggest award, artist of the year, over Rihanna, Katy Perry, Maroon 5 and Drake.

'This is for all the haters who thought that maybe I was just here for one or two years, but I feel like I am going to be here for a very long time,' Bieber said on stage, dedicating his first win of the night to his mother, Pattie Mallette, who accompanied him after his widely reported split from girlfriend Selena Gomez.

'It's hard growing up with everything going on, with everyone watching me. I wanted to say that as long as you guys keep believing in me, I want to always make you proud,' Bieber said at the end of the night.

Bieber, who also won favorite pop/rock male artist and favorite pop/rock album for 'Believe,' took to a bare stage to sing an acoustic stripped-down version of his latest single 'As Long As You Love Me' before livening up the show with Nicki Minaj for 'Beauty and a Beat.'

The American Music Award nominees and winners are voted online by fans, and the awards are handed out during a live three-hour broadcast featuring performances by artists.

R&B singer Rihanna, 24, and rapper Minaj, 29, led the nominees going into Sunday's awards with four apiece.

Minaj won favorite rap/hip hop artist and rap/hip hop album of the year for 'Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded.' The singer, known for her extravagant on-stage performances, sang her latest hit 'Freedom' in a winter wonderland-themed set.

Rihanna came away with one win. She couldn't make the show because she is in Berlin, midway through a seven-day tour across seven cities around the world promoting her upcoming 'Unapologetic' album.

Canadian pop singer Carly Rae Jepsen, 26, picked up the coveted new artist-of-the-year award over One Direction, Australian artist Gotye, indie-pop band fun. and rapper J. Cole. She performed her hit 'Call Me Maybe.'

'I am floored,' the singer said, thanking Bieber along with her fans in her acceptance speech.

ELECTRONIC DANCE MUSIC AWARD

Newcomer British-Irish boy bands One Direction, which had three nominations, and The Wanted, which had one nomination, went home empty-handed, losing out in the favorite pop/rock group category to well-established Los Angeles group Maroon 5.

French DJ David Guetta won the first-ever American Music Award for electronic dance music over DJs Calvin Harris and Skrillex.

'It's wonderful also to see electronic music recognized at this level in the U.S.,' Guetta said in a taped acceptance speech.

Only 13 of the 20 awards were handed out during the live broadcast. Katy Perry was named favorite female pop/rock artist, Shakira was named favorite Latin artist, while Beyonce was voted favorite soul artist. None of the three attended the show.

Country-pop darling Taylor Swift, 22, scored the favorite female country artist award before performing her latest single 'I Knew You Were Trouble' from her chart-topping album 'Red,' on a masquerade ballroom-style stage with dancers in tuxedos, gowns and Venetian masks.

R&B star Usher kicked off the night with a medley of his hits on a laser-filled stage, while pop-rocker Pink teamed her performance of her latest single 'Try' with a dramatic interpretive dance covered in paint with a male dancer on a stage filled with burning debris.

1990s ska-punk band No Doubt performed 'Looking Hot' from their first album in a decade, 'Push & Shove,' while rockers Linkin Park performed their latest 'Burn It Down' after winning favorite alternative rock band over The Black Keys and Gotye.

Korean rapper Psy didn't score any nominations, but he was named the AMA new media honoree for his viral hit music video 'Gangnam Style,' accompanied by his trademark horse-riding dance.

The star closed out the show with his hit song, joined by surprise guest MC Hammer, one of the pioneering rappers from the 1980s, who was known for his catch phrase 'Hammer Time.'

Singer Brandy paid tribute to the late Whitney Houston, who died suddenly at age 48 on the night before the Grammy Awards in February this year from accidental drowning.

AMA founder Dick Clark, who also passed away earlier this year, was given a touching tribute by veteran soul singer Stevie Wonder, who sang a medley of hits including 'Hotter Than July' and 'My Cherie Amour,' against a backdrop of pictures of Clark. Wonder was introduced by 'American Idol' host Ryan Seacrest, who also paid homage to Clark's influence.

'Dick loved the power of music and the ability to create pure joy,' Seacrest said.

The awards show, which marked its 40th anniversary this year, treated the audience to some of its greatest moments, including R&B star Beyonce performing 'Single Ladies' at the 2008 show, Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff at the 1989 awards show, and various clips of AMA regular, the late singer Michael Jackson.

(Additional reporting by Jill Serjeant, editing by Christine Kearney and Philip Barbara)



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One Direction top British single and album charts

LONDON (Reuters) - Boy band One Direction topped Britain's singles and album charts on Sunday, outselling new releases from rock veterans Rod Stewart and the Rolling Stones, the Official Charts Company said.

The English-Irish quintet shot to number one in the album charts with 'Take Me Home', with one of its tracks, 'Little Things', also taking first place in the singles rankings.

Singer Rod Stewart had to settle for number two for his new collection of seasonal classics 'Merry Christmas Baby', while the Rolling Stones were third with their 50th anniversary compilation 'GRRR!'.

Also new in the album lists were British tenor Alfie Boe at number six with 'Storyteller', while American punk band Green Day entered in tenth place with '¡Dos!'.

American singer Bruno Mars took second place in the singles charts with 'Locked Out Of Heaven', just ahead of 'DNA' at number three from British girl group Little Mix.

(Reporting by Tim Castle; Editing by Will Waterman)



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Juanes, Jesse & Joy take home top Latin Grammys

LAS VEGAS (Reuters) - Colombian rocker Juanes and the Mexican brother and sister pop duo Jesse & Joy took home the top Latin Grammys on Thursday in Las Vegas on a night in which the contemporary triumphed over the traditional.

Juanes, one of the most well known Latin American stars worldwide, won the coveted album of the year with his 'MTV Unplugged,' which also won best long-form video. Dominican singer and songwriter Juan Luis Guerra won producer of the year for Juanes' album.

'Here's to the maestro Juan Luis Guerra for making this possible,' said Juanes, 40, who now has won 19 Latin Grammys, tying him with reggaeton group Calle 13 for the most awards.

Guerra, who made the romantic Bachata music famous and is known to sweep the awards from the Latin Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, led the nominations with six nods this year. But he lost out on the big awards for record and song of the year with his 'En El Cielo No Hay Hospital' (In Heaven There Is No Hospital).

Those two awards went to 'Corre!' (Run!) by Jesse & Joy, the duo from Mexico City who won best new artists in the same Las Vegas venue in 2007. Their third studio album Con Quien Se Queda El Perro? (Who Is The Dog Staying With?) lost out on album of the year, but won best contemporary pop vocal album.

'Viva Mexico!,' said Jesse upon accepting record of the year, a phrase repeated several times by winners at the 13th edition of the Latin Grammys Thursday night.

Like Jesse & Joy five years earlier, Mexican pop group 3BallMTY won best new artists with their musical style known as 'tribal guarachero,' a mix of Mexican cumbia and electronic dance music.

The trio, barely beyond their teenage years, found success on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border with their debut album 'Intentalo' (Try It). They dedicated their Latin Grammy to Mexican DJs.

Mexico's Carla Morrison won best alternative music album with 'Dejenme Llorar' (Let Me Cry). Wearing a red dress and sporting multiple tattoos on her arms, she let loose an expletive on the live broadcast after crying out 'Viva Mexico!'

Among the top performances of the night were Juanes playing with veteran guitarrist Carlos Santana. The show opened with Miami-born rapper Pitbull, who sings in both English and Spanish.

Brazilian singer and songwriter Caetano Veloso was honored as the Latin Recording Academy's person of the year in a ceremony on Wednesday. A founder of the 1960s musical movement known as Tropicalia, Veloso continues to to be one of Brazil's most popular and innovative artists at 70 years of age.

(Writing by Mary Milliken; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)



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Psy, Drake, Gotye join American Music Awards birthday bash

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The American Music Awards rings in its 40th year on Sunday, with top nominees like Rihanna and Nicki Minaj battling for the top trophies and Stevie Wonder leading a tribute to the show's late founder, Dick Clark.

Variety is the key to this year's three-hour ceremony from Los Angeles, with performers including Canadian pop star Justin Bieber, 1990s ska-punk band No Doubt, alt-rockers Linkin Park, country-pop darling Taylor Swift, Korean Internet sensation Psy and British-Irish boyband The Wanted.

'The AMAs reflects pop culture, which is all forms of music, all genres, pop, rock, country, hip hop, alternative ... all these things that normally don't together. It's our job to make it flow,' producer Larry Klein told Reuters.

R&B star Rihanna, 24, and Minaj, 29, tied for the most nominations this year, with four apiece, and will battle each other in the hotly contested female pop-rock category.

Rihanna will also face stiff competition for the top award of the night, the artist of the year accolade, where she will compete with Bieber, Katy Perry, Maroon 5 and Drake.

The new artist category is expected to be a tight race between rapper J. Cole, indie-pop band fun., Australian singer Gotye, British boyband One Direction and Canadian popstar Carly Rae Jepsen, who will also be performing on Sunday. The ceremony will be shown live on ABC Television.

Unlike the Grammy Awards, which are decided on by music producers, songwriters and others working in the industry, the American Music Awards are determined by fans.

'It's the public who watches, who decides, who votes. This is an awards show where the public decides the nominees and winners, so our shows are more about pop culture,' Klein said.

This year sees a new category for the growing electronic dance music market, which Klein said he couldn't ignore. DJs David Guetta, Skrillex and Calvin Harris will compete for the trophy.

REMEMBERING DICK CLARK

This is the first time Klein will be running the show without the input of influential music and TV producer Dick Clark, who died in April at the age of 82. Clark created the American Music Awards in 1973 as an alternative to the Grammys, and Klein said his absence felt bizarre.

'Last year, he loved the show, he was very happy. He loved LMFAO when they closed the show, it was all a fun party of music, dance music, Dick loved it,' Klein said.

Clark, who also hosted 'American Bandstand' and 'New Year's Rockin' Eve,' will be remembered on Sunday in a tribute led by Wonder and 'American Idol' host Ryan Seacrest.

'I wanted to make it classy, elegant and meaningful, with something that truly summoned the relationship that Dick had with so many people,' said Klein, who has been involved in the show since its inception.

Klein said the show will look back on its 40-year history, showcasing some of its most memorable moments. Klein's personal picks included performances from late singer Michael Jackson, funk-pop star Prince, and Jay-Z and Alicia Keys' rendition in 2009 of 'Empire State of Mind.'

'I was very close to Michael Jackson, so every time Michael was on the show, it always made me happy. The Prince number we did was outrageous, Jay-Z and Alicia Keys...it really was epic, it was just extraordinary,' Klein said.

With more than fifteen individual performances, or 'mini-shows' scheduled for Sunday, Klein said audiences can expect surprises.

'Live TV is the best, it's unpredictable. Without a doubt there will be some unpredictable moments, I promise you,' the producer said.

(Reporting By Piya Sinha-Roy, editing by Jill Serjeant)



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"Avengers", Adam Levine lead People's Choice nominations

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - 'The Avengers' led the movie nominations for the annual People's Choice Awards on Thursday in a field packed with action films, while Maroon 5 and frontman Adam Levine won six nods in music and television categories.

Justin Bieber, Channing Tatum - People magazine's latest 'sexiest man alive' - and actresses Jennifer Lawrence and Emma Stone also received multiple nominations for the only Hollywood awards show covering film, music and television that is voted on entirely by the public.

The People's Choice Awards ceremony, set for January 9, is the first in the busy Hollywood awards season, which culminates with the coveted Academy Awards on February 24.

Summer blockbuster 'The Avengers' won eight nominations including favorite movie, favorite action movie, and multiple nods for its stars Robert Downey Jr., Anne Hathaway, Scarlett Johansson and Chris Hemsworth.

It will compete with superhero movies 'The Amazing Spider-Man' and 'The Dark Knight Rises', fantasy film 'Snow White and the Huntsman' and futuristic thriller 'The Hunger Games' for favorite movie.

The last of the popular 'Twilight' films - 'Breaking Dawn-Part 2' - released this week, did not fall within the eligibility period for the People's Choice Awards.

But its avid 'Twi-hards' picked up a nomination for favorite movie fan following, along with those of 'Harry Potter', 'The Lord of the Rings', 'Pirates of the Caribbean' and 'The Hunger Games'.

In music, Adam Levine leapt to the top of the pile on the back of his stint as a judge on TV singing contest 'The Voice'. Maroon 5 won nominations for favorite band, song, album, and music video, while Levine was nominated for celebrity judge - along with Christina Aguilera and new 'X Factor' judges Britney Spears and Demi Lovato. 'The Voice' was among the contenders for competition TV show.

On the small screen, network comedies 'The Big Bang Theory' and 'Glee' face off against 'Modern Family', while 'Gossip Girl', 'Grey's Anatomy' and 'Grimm' are among the TV drama nominees.

The nominees were chosen by the votes of more than 93 million fans. Voting for the winners in all 48 categories begins on Thursday on website www.PeoplesChoice.com, where a complete list of nominations can be found.

(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Patricia Reaney and Dale Hudson)



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Judge throws out Justin Bieber paparazzo chase case

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Criminal charges filed against a photographer who pursued teen pop star Justin Bieber at high speeds on a Los Angeles freeway in July were thrown out on Wednesday, striking a blow to California's crackdown on overly aggressive paparazzi.

Celebrity photographer Paul Raef was the first person to be prosecuted under the state's 2010 law that criminalizes dangerous driving when taking photos commercially.

Raef was charged in July with two counts of violating the law stemming from a July 6 incident on a freeway in Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley.

Dismissing the charges, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Thomas Robinson called the state's anti-paparazzi law 'problematic' and 'overly inclusive.'

The law 'sweeps very widely and would increase the penalties for reckless driving' in unintended cases, Robinson said.

Robinson faulted the law's vague definition of commercial photography, saying that it could also apply to a photographer who was speeding to reach an arranged photo shoot with Bieber.

Raef could have faced up to a year in prison and $3,500 in fines, if convicted. His attorney, Brad Kaiserman, said the law is 'about protecting celebrities.'

A message left with Bieber's publicist requesting comment was not immediately returned.

Raef still faces lesser charges of misdemeanor reckless driving and failing to obey police orders after he allegedly pursued Bieber, 18, at high speeds. He will be tried on those charges at a later date.

Bieber, who was pulled over by police for driving 80 miles per hour in a 65 mph zone, told officers at the time that he was being hounded by paparazzi, and police said they noticed Raef's car following the 'Boyfriend' singer.

About 30 minutes after the traffic stop, Bieber called police to report that Raef continued to follow him. Police later found Raef and other paparazzi together in downtown Los Angeles.

The Canadian singer received a speeding ticket at the time.

(Reporting By Eric Kelsey, editing by Jill Serjeant and Sandra Maler)

Billy Joel, Rihanna fight Pandora over compensation

(Reuters) - Some of music's most notable names including Billy Joel, Rihanna and Missy Elliott have signed an open letter to Pandora Media Inc opposing the online music company's push to change how artists are compensated.

Pandora is currently lobbying lawmakers in U.S. Congress to pass the 'Internet Radio Fairness Act,' which would change regulation of how royalties are paid to artists.

A group of 125 musicians who say they are fans of Pandora argue the bill would cut by 85 percent the amount of money an artist receives when his or her songs are played over the Internet.

'Why is the company asking Congress once again to step in and gut the royalties that thousands of musicians rely upon? That's not fair and that's not how partners work together,' said the letter, to be published this weekend in Billboard, the influential music industry magazine.

A statement with an advance copy of the letter was released on Wednesday by musicFirst, a coalition of musicians and business people, and SoundExchange, a nonprofit organization that collects royalties set by Congress on behalf of musicians.

A representative for Pandora did not immediately respond to a request for a comment.

The issue of how musicians are paid for Internet streaming of their songs has been a flashpoint for Pandora.

Pandora is a mostly advertising-supported online music company, founded more than a decade ago, that streams songs through the Internet. In October, it said its share of total U.S. radio listening was almost 7 percent, up from about 4 percent during the same period last year.

Pandora's success has been double-edged - the more customers it gains, the more money it has to pay overall for rights to stream music.

So far, that rate is set until 2015.

Pandora, along with other music services such as Clear Channel Communications, is supporting the bill on grounds that different providers, such as satellite and cable, pay different rates.

'The current law penalizes new media and is astonishingly unfair to Internet radio,' Pandora said on its website.

'We are asking for our listeners' support to help end the discrimination against internet radio. It's time for Congress to stop picking winners, level the playing field and establish a technology-neutral standard.'

The Internet Radio Fairness Act is a bipartisan bill sponsored by U.S. representatives Jason Chaffetz and Jared Polis along with Sen. Ron Wyden.

Shares of Pandora were down 3.4 percent at $7.40 on Wednesday afternoon on the New York Stock Exchange.

(Reporting by Jennifer Saba in New York; editing by Matthew Lewis)



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She's got the voice, now Christina Aguilera looks for hits

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Christina Aguilera has the vocal chops, the look, the strut and millions of new fans thanks to her stint as a judge on TV singing contest 'The Voice.'

But can she still sell records?

The singer, who had global hits with 'Genie in a Bottle' and the female empowerment ballad 'Beautiful' more than 10 years ago, bids to reclaim her status as one of the world's biggest pop stars with her new album, 'Lotus,' released on Tuesday.

Aguilera, 31, says the title and the mixture of dance-pop, ballads and rock-tinged tracks reflect the hopes and disappointments of recent years that saw her 2010 tour for album 'Bionic' canceled, a divorce and the box-office flop of her debut feature film, the musical 'Burlesque.'

'Lotus represents the unbreakable flower that stands the test of time. No matter the roughest of weather conditions, it remains strong and continues to thrive. (The album) is a nod to my fans who have been here with me the whole journey, and a nod to myself,' she said.

'It is a record of freedom and embracing that...It is very artistic at times, it is very fun at times, it is very free. I think that's how music and life should be, away from all the negativity,' the four-time Grammy winner said in an appearance at a Billboard Film and TV Music conference in Los Angeles last month.

Aguilera will perform one of the tracks - 'Make the World Move' - with her fellow judge Cee Lo Green live on 'The Voice' this week for the show's more than 10 million viewers.

But music industry experts say Aguilera's popularity on 'The Voice' - where her powerhouse performances leave aspiring pop stars in the dust - may not guarantee huge album sales and won't give the singer a No. 1 hit.

This week also sees new releases from British boy band One Direction and singer Susan Boyle as well as the new 'Twilight' film soundtrack.

NOT A BLOCKBUSTER

'I think 'Lotus' will certainly debut in the top 10 on the Billboard 200 album chart. But we don't see it as being a blockbuster out of the gate,' said Keith Caulfield, associate director of charts at Billboard.

'It is a long road to rebuilding Christina as a brand and as a musician, after the last album didn't so very well,' said Caulfield. 'But it's not always about first week sales.'

Much like Jennifer Lopez on 'American Idol,' Aguilera has seen her star rocket in her 18 months on 'The Voice.' Just a few months before the TV show made its debut in spring 2011, Aguilera was arrested for being drunk in public in West Hollywood, and her 2010 album 'Bionic' had sold a disappointing 312,000 copies.

''The Voice' has reinvigorated her entire career. A lot of people think she is the star of 'The Voice' - the judge you tune in for,' said Lyndsey Parker, managing editor at Yahoo! Music.

Yet the first single - 'Your Body' - from the new album failed to make a big impact when it was released in September. It peaked at No. 34 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and never really caught fire on radio.

'It came and went, which surprised me because I think it is a very strong song. And pretty much everything I have heard on this album is strong. I think it's a real return to form,' said Parker.

'There are very few people in pop who can sing like her. I do think there is a renewed appreciation for great singing that can be done live and that isn't just about flash. And Christina is coming back to prove that. I think some people are looking at her to take back her crown,' Parker added.

'Lotus' includes duets with both Green and Aguilera's fellow 'Voice' judge, country singer Blake Shelton. It also features the piano-driven ballad 'Blank Page,' which is reminiscent of her 2002 hit 'Beautiful' and rock-tinged tracks like 'Army of Me.'

Aguilera says she hopes to inspire a new generation of singers who were not around in 1999 for her first big hit 'Genie in a Bottle.'

'It's so exciting for me to show them what I do as an artist,' she said. 'I've been through a lot over the past few years, going through 'Burlesque,' a divorce...having a few setbacks....Stuff happens! This is the business. It's not going to be all cute and pretty and tied up in a bow.

'All of that combined is in 'Lotus.' It embraces the woman that I've become, and embracing myself coming full circle as a pop star,' she said.

(Additional reporting by Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)



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U2's Bono to urge U.S. politicians not to cut aid programs

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Irish rocker and anti-poverty campaigner Bono will appeal to Democrats and Republicans during a visit to Washington this week to spare U.S. development assistance programs from cuts as Congress tries to avert the looming 'fiscal cliff' of tax hikes and spending reductions early next year.

The U2 lead singer's visit comes as the Obama administration and congressional leaders try to forge a deal in coming weeks to avoid the economy hitting the 'fiscal cliff' - tax increases and spending cuts worth $600 billion starting in January if Congress does not act.

Analysts say the absence of a deal could shock the United States, the world's biggest economy, back into recession.

Kathy McKiernan, spokeswoman for the ONE Campaign, said Bono will hold talks with congressional lawmakers and senior Obama administration officials during the November 12-14 visit.

During meetings he will stress the effectiveness of U.S. foreign assistance programs and the need to preserve them to avoid putting at risk progress made in fighting HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, she said.

Bono, a long-time advocate for the poor, will argue that U.S. government-funded schemes that support life-saving treatments for HIV/AIDS sufferers, nutrition programs for malnourished children, and emergency food aid make up just 1 percent of the U.S. government budget but are helping to save tens of millions of lives in impoverished nations.

The One Campaign would not elaborate which lawmakers and senior Obama administration officials Bono will meet.

On Monday, Bono will discuss the power of social movements with students at Georgetown University. He will also meet new World Bank President Jim Yong Kim for a web cast discussion on Wednesday on the challenges of eradicating poverty.

(Editing by W Simon)



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Swift, Bieber win three apiece at MTV Europe awards

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber shared the spoils in Frankfurt on Sunday at the MTV Europe Music Awards, each scooping three prizes at one of the biggest nights in the pop calendar outside the United States.

American country singer Swift, who left the Country Music Association awards empty-handed less than two weeks earlier, picked up honours for Best Female, Best Live and Best Look.

'Drei? Drei? I can't believe you gave me three awards,' Swift, who was nominated in five categories, told the boisterous crowd of 7,000, trying out her best German.

One of the night's most popular performers was dance sensation Psy with his record-breaking hit 'Gangnam Style', which won Best Video.

Skipping through the venue and on to the main stage in a sparkly blue jacket with his horse riding-inspired dance, he became the first South Korean artist to perform at the annual awards.

'This is beautiful. This is my very first time to participate, perform, be nominated, as an Asian artist, as a Korean artist, so I don't know what to say,' he told journalists backstage.

He added that his next album would have more English songs on it.

Gangnam Style has been viewed more than 670 million times on YouTube and received a record-breaking 4.9 million 'likes' on Facebook since being released in July.

Host Heidi Klum, who this year filed for divorce from singer husband Seal, also teamed up with Psy for a tongue-in-cheek performance of the dance.

'It was pretty,' Psy said of the duet.

EMPTY-HANDED

Rihanna, who led the nominations with six, failed to pick up a single award.

Canadian teen heartthrob Bieber matched Swift's tally, claiming Best Male for the second year in a row as well as Best Pop and Best World Stage.

Compatriot Carly Rae Jepsen went home with two awards for Best Song ('Call Me Maybe') and Best Push recognising up-and-coming talent.

MTV chose a circus theme for this year's awards at the 100-year-old Festhalle venue, and Rita Ora opened the show by belting out her No. 1 British hit 'R.I.P.' from a giant bird cage.

Swift embraced the concept for the show's finale, popping out of a magician's box and passing her top hat to a clown riding a miniature bicycle.

'I had a blast during the performance,' Swift said. 'All the circus acrobats and everything like that. It was so much fun.'

Before the show began, performers on the red carpet included rapper Ludacris, who debuted his new video 'Rest of My Life'.

'The fans are ecstatic right now. Hopefully we'll be back at the EMAs next year performing this track,' Ludacris told journalists amid the din of screaming fans.

Stars like the Jonas Brothers, who received one of the biggest cheers from fans on the carpet, and Kim Kardashian said they were looking forward to Thanksgiving dinners.

'There's always a lot of food, but we're still figuring out how to get all of us together,' said Kim, referring to the sizeable celebrity Kardashian clan.

Despite being billed as the Europe Music Awards, the majority of nominees are traditionally North American, and 2012 is no exception.

Alongside Psy, acts who took the stage at the show included Swift, 14-time Grammy winner Alicia Keys, the Killers, newly reformed No Doubt and Jepsen.

MTV honoured the late Whitney Houston with a Global Icon award. Houston, who was found dead in a Beverly Hills hotel bathtub on February 11, was the third artist to be given the award, following Bon Jovi and Queen in 2010 and 2011.

'We will always love you Whitney. Forever!' Keys said, presenting the prize.

Last year's awards in Belfast attracted 23 million viewers on all platforms, while this year's nominations attracted a record 184 million votes online and on mobile devices to decide the winners.

(Reporting by Victoria Bryan and Maria Sheahan; editing by Mike Collett-White)



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