IMAGINE DRAGONS’ “RADIOACTIVE” HITS NEW HIGH
LOS ANGELES (AP) Radioactive” by Imagine Dragons has just set a new record for longest run on the Billboard Hot 100. It just fell off the chart after 87 weeks. It beat out the record held by Jason Mraz for “I’m Yours,” which spent 76 weeks on the chart. Awolnation’s “Sail” nearly was the record-holder, with 79 weeks on the chart, but it was on the chart at the same time that “Radioactive” beat the “I’m Yours” record.
“AMERICAN IDOL’S” JESSICA MEUSE SAYS SHE’S “A BIG BABY”
LOS ANGELES (AP) â It’s a bit ironic that “American Idol” contestant Jessica Meuse broke down in tears when she was voted off last week, when all season the judges kept wanting her to express more emotion. Meuse admits she’s “a big baby.” She says showing emotion in her performance was her weak spot but she feels she got better at it. She had a lot of stress that had nothing to do with what the judges said. Meuse says she broke up with her boyfriend a month ago because he couldn’t handle her being away on “Idol” for so long.
”AMERICAN IDOL” TOP 3 GET HOMETOWN WELCOMES
ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) â What we learned when “American Idol” contestant Caleb Johnson went home to Asheville, North Carolina: his classmates used to call him “Babyface McGeezik.” The Asheville Citizen-Times reports Johnson received a key to the city as he returned to his hometown as a top three finalist. The Detroit Free Press reports five thousand people turned out to hear Jena Irene perform at her high school outside Detroit on Saturday. Irene also made a trip to the restaurant where she used to be a waitress. The Manchester Union Leader reports Alex Preston returned to his hometown of Mont Vernon, New Hampshire, to perform and be in a parade in his honor. Footage from the hometown visits will be on this week’s show.
QUESTLOVE PRODUCING A MUSIC PROGRAM
NEW YORK (AP) Questlove is doing the equivalent of a mash-up on TV. The Roots leader will be executive producer for a music series for VH1 that will feature three artists performing together on one stage. It’s called “SoundClash” â and the first show in July will feature Lil Wayne, Fall Out Boy and British group London Grammar.
CHRIS BROWN ADMITS TO PROBATION VIOLATION, GIVEN MORE JAIL TIME
LOS ANGELES (AP) A judge in Los Angeles has given Chris Brown another 131 days in jail. But the singer’s attorney says he thinks Brown should be a free man by now. Superior Court Judge James Brandlin has tacked the additional time on Brown was ordered to remain in a Los Angeles jail Friday after the R&B singer admitted he violated his probation by getting into an altercation in Washington D.C. Brandlin gave Brown a year in the county lockup, but gave him credit for nearly 8 months. Sheriff’s officials will calculate his sentence and determine whether he’s up for early release. Brown’s attorney Mark Geragos says if Brown doesn’t go free, he’s “getting special treatment.” It’s unclear how his admitting he committed a crime in D.C. will affect that case in Washington, which is pending.
MICHAEL JACKSON EXPERIENCE AT BILLBOARD MUSIC AWARDS
SANTA MONICA, California (AP) Michael Jackson, the hologram? No one is saying that. But the people plugging the Billboard Music Awards are hinting something like that for this year’s show, set for Sunday. A release from the awards say Jackson’s estate has created and approved a “Michael Jackson world premier experience” to take place at the live show. And that it will make “television history” and will be “Michael Jackson like you’ve never seen him before.” We’ll leave it up to you to decide what that all means. You might also want to know that tomorrow, Jackson’s estate will release an album of new music by Jackson, who died nearly five years ago.
SEAN COMBS GETS HONORARY DEGREE AT HOWARD
WASHINGTON (AP) He dropped out of Howard University. But now Sean Combs has an honorary degree from the historically black school. He delivered the commencement address at the university over the weekend â one of five people who got honorary degrees from the school. Combs attended Howard in the late 1980s, although he did not graduate. That caused some in the university to question whether he should get an honorary degree. But University President Wayne Frederick says Combs’ entrepreneurial spirit was sparked at Howard, where he studied business.
JIMMY PAGE GETS BERKLEE COLLEGE DOCTORAL DEGREE
BOSTON (AP) Jimmy Page says when life puts you through changes, crank up the music. That’s the message the former Led Zeppelin guitarist gave at the commencement exercise at Berklee College of Music in Boston. Page spoke on Saturday to nearly 900 graduates of the private college, which is known for its music program. Besides the honorary degree that went to Page, Berklee presented honorary doctorates to R&B songwriter Valerie Simpson and two others.
PETER GABRIEL PULLS THE PLUG ON UKRAINE SHOW
UNDATED (AP) Peter Gabriel abruptly called off his show in Ukraine this weekend. Gabriel’s Web site announced Friday that yesterday’s show in Kiev was canceled because of ongoing unrest in the region. A statement on Gabriel’s site says they gave such late notice because his management tried everything to make the show happen. Gabriel is giving refunds and plans to give those who bought tickets to his Kiev show a DVD copy of a concert taped on the tour.
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