Happy Spring out there all you ravenous rockers! With all this Governor rock-and-roll-type insanity happening here in New York of late, here at Rock Wrap Up I’ve got all the latest news from the inside of our MUSIC world to get back to relative normality!
Of course, on the heels of his top rated VH1 reality show “Rock of Love,” Bret Michaels has been selling out crowds across the country with his solo tour featuring not only the Poison hits but some of his new solo music. If you haven’t heard the new songs yet, head over to his website to check out his new soon-to-be power ballad called “Fallen.” OMG, it’s going to be the next tear jerking love song from this frontman who has sold more than 25 million records with Poison and is sure to get that gold from his solo CD that is coming out next month. Go to www.bretmichaels.com
And if only Mr. Michaels bottled up some of that energy that keeps him rocking nearly every night in concert, man! His solo band was out on the road all last month, then Poison headed to New Zealand for a week in late March. Bret then comes back home to the USA and hops right back on that rock and roll the road solo again through July! As a heads up for all you Cali peeps, The Bret Michaels Band (BMB) will be playing a few shows out there starting on April 4 at Viejas Casino in San Diego, April 10 in the Bakersfield Dome, April 11 at the Fox Theatre in Salinas, and then he’s hopping across the border on April 12 to play in Henderson to play at Sunset Station. You gotta catch this show, I hear the after-parties get totally out of hand! (AND I also hear Bret’s got a tell-all biography coming out by Simon &Schuster in the fall that should be a real sizzler. Can’t wait to get a peak into that must-read!)
Does anyone else think there’s some hanky-panky going on between Madonna and Justin Timberlake?? The material girl got inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of fame recently, and Justin introduced her telling a story on how she ordered him to “drop his drawers” before giving him a shot of vitamin B12 for energy while they were recording together in Europe last year. Seems like she’d need the energy boost, eh?
But as always, Madonna is always full of steam. She’s starring in a new Sunsilk shampoo TV ad featuring her new “4 Minutes to Save the World.” The song, collaboration with Justin Timberlake, is one of the new tunes from her upcoming album. You go Madge!
And speaking of injections, my friend and “The Writer from Hell” Christine told me about DiabeticRockstar.com that’s a website dedicated to breaking down stereotypes and beliefs commonly associated with diabetics. As they say on their site, “Blending the Community with the Charity, we can make a huge difference in the lives of many Rock stars that are fighting every day to make a difference in the world.” Check them out at www.diabeticrockstar.com.
On April 11th Whitesnake is releasing its first album in 11 years. (Can that be possible?!?!) It celebrates the band’s 30th anniversary, and marks Coverdale’s long awaited return as one of rock’s most powerful and gritty vocals. A HUGE fan, I am stoked to hear it! As Coverdale says in his press release, “It’s a very solid, muscular, melodic rock record with a couple of fine ballads, so there’s a little tenderness when the moment calls for it, and of course the ballads help balance out the chest beaters! I find it a very complete piece of work, actually. It covers a lot of musical ground, a positive chapter in the Book of Whitesnake.”
Speaking of next chapters, Heather Mills is finally getting her oft-labeled “gold-digger” butt on the road after winning a mind boggling $48.6 million after a judge settled the years-long divorce battle between her and ex-Beatle Paul McCartney. Not bad for a few years investment, now move back off into relative obscurity honey.
R.E.M. is finally back on the scene, and they actually played a concert at Stubb’s BBQ at South By Southwest a few weeks ago in a preview to their new album called "Accelerate" set to be released April 1. I for one cannot wait to get some Michael Stipe back into my life and onto my iPod!
Speaking of SXSW, our friend Perez Hilton branched out as he hosted 'One Night in Austin,' that included among others, Pharrell Williams of N.E.R.D. Coming out, sorry about the pun, into the media with hosting stints on TV lately, does this mean that Perez is branching out even further from behind his laptop computer and getting into the music industry? Time and talent will show I suppose!
Speaking of coming out, oh gawd another horrible pun, it’s confirmed that my Idol crush Bo Bice and his wife are expecting their second child due in August. They’ve got one son, two year old Aiden, and let’s hope this blessed event will bring Bo back on to the music scene to earn some baby-raising cash. From the first time I met him shortly after his Idol stint, he’s had a more than rocky road with illness and then a tiny bit of legal woes. So Bo get yourself back out on the music scene big time where you belong!
I’m hitting the road as we wrap up this month. As always, if you have any music news, shoot me an email at CAS11099@aol.com
© Copyright Carol Anne Szel
