Samantha Ronson Swaps Lindsay for Julia Roberts...for a Good Cause
Samantha Ronson may be spending most of her time making headlines with a Razzie winner, but soon she's going to be spending at least one night with the possessor of a more prestigious piece of hardware.
The celebrity spinner has been tapped to get the VIP crowd primed for Oscar winner Julia Roberts and the Dave Matthews Band, who will be taking the stage Sept. 10 at Madison Square Garden as part of the Stand Up for a Cure's 2008 concert series.
Keith Urban Adds More Pain to Whole Crazy Thing
These 14 seconds are worth watching just for the little head roll Keith Urban does at the end when describing how he might look performing with a slipped disc in his back.
But although the New Zealand-born country star was hurting, he still showed up early Saturday night at the Konocti Harbor Resort & Spa in Kelseyville, Calif., to do his own sound check.
He went on to sing a combo of greatest hits and lesser-known gems—including a stellar version of "Shine," from Love, Pain and the Whole Crazy Thing—and otherwise rock the house.
The artist's rep says that Urban isn't planning on letting his injury affect any upcoming dates on his North American tour, which touches down next on Aug. 30 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Sir Paul Gets Back to Israel
More than 40 years after the Beatles were banned from playing in Israel, Sir Paul McCartney will reportedly take the long and winding road back to Tel Aviv next month.
Israeli media is buzzing that the 66-year-old legend will take the stage Sept. 25 for his first-ever performance in the Holy Land as part of the country's 60th birthday celebration. Although the gig hasn't been confirmed, the official announcement is expected in the next few days.
The Fab Four was refused entry in 1965 amid concern their lyrics could corrupt the morals of Israeli youth. Earlier this year, Israel's ambassador to Britain, Ron Prosor, sent formal letters to McCartney, Ringo Starr, and the families of John Lennon and George Harrison, that said, "There is no doubt that it was a great missed opportunity to prevent people like you, who shaped the minds of the generation, to come to Israel and perform."
No word yet on whether McCartney's allowed to jump, shout, hug and kiss onstage.
Avril Lavigne's Show Goes On in Malaysia
Looks like Avril Lavigne can prove she's "The Best Damn Thing" in Kuala Lumpur after all.
The Malaysian government has given the go-ahead for the wannabe punk rocker's gig on Aug. 29 as scheduled, despite scrapping the concert last week for being "too sexy."
The decision was reversed after Lavigne's promoters assured the performance wouldn't corrupt the mainly Muslim country's youth or disrupt its independence day celebration on Aug. 31.
Givenchy Outfits Madonna Tour
Looks like Madonna's Sticky and Sweet tour is gonna come with a side of French dressing.
Continuing her penchant for partnering with haute couturiers for her stage shows—Jean-Paul Gaultier provided the wardrobe for 1990's Blonde Ambition tour, Dolce & Gabbana took the reins for 1993's Girlie Show—the "Vogue" singer has teamed up with venerable French fashion house Givenchy to provide at least two costumes on her upcoming world trek.
One of the outfits will be donned during Madonna's opening number, a coat dress in black stretch satin, keeping in line with the fashion house's dark and gothic bent.
Sean Paul Busy With Swedish Cops
This year it was the cops who got busy at the Uppsala Reggae Festival.
Sean Paul was arrested on suspicion of marijuana possession Friday after getting swept up in a police raid at the annual Swedish music fest, which takes place in the town of Uppsala, about 110 miles north of Stockholm.
Kinda like shooting fish in a barrel, though, isn't it?
Anyway, per TMZ, the Jamaican artist was one of 200 to 300 people—including 10 performers—who were hauled off to a local police station for questioning. Police said that they collected evidence at the scene and an investigation into the allegedly smoky shenanigans is currently underway.
The Police Quit Their Day Job
Whether Sting, Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland really are ready to call it a career or not, they can return to their separate corners for now knowing they played one hell of a 151-show reunion tour. (Plus they've got $358.8 million, minus costs, to split among them, having just put on the third-highest-grossing tour of all time.)
They had planned for awhile to close things out in New York, the scene of the original crime—their first U.S. gig nearly 30 years ago at the recently deceased punk-rock club CBGB.
"It's been a huge honor to get back with my good friends," Sting, who at one point was shown backstage via video screen getting a shave and a mani-pedi, told the audience tonight. "The real triumph of this tour is that we haven't strangled each other—that doesn't mean it hadn't crossed my mind. Or Andy's or Stewart's."
Sheryl Crow Not Flying With Fleetwood Mac
Sheryl Crow and Fleetwood Mac have stopped thinking about a shared tomorrow.
Just as frontman Lindsey Buckingham was confirming that his band's 2009 tour would proceed without the "All I Wanna Do" songstress, Crow came full circle on the rumor that she started in March, when she told a music website that she and the '70s-era hitmakers "definitely" had plans to collaborate.
"No, that was those Rumours—to quote the album," the singer-songwriter told a group of Nashville college students Wednesday at a Grammys Foundation Q&A session when asked about her future Fleetwood plans.
Alanis Entangles U.S. in a Tour
Rather unironically, Alanis Morissette is headed back on the road.
The Canadian songstress kicks off a 38-city theater tour Sept. 18 in support of her latest album, the nicely conflicted-sounding Flavors of Entanglement.
After spending the rest of the summer entertaining European crowds, Morissette and her angst will touch down first at the Charlottesville Pavilion in Virginia. She'll strum her way across the U.S. and Canada before wrapping things up in Oakland, Calif., on Nov. 17.
Tickets for the North American leg of her tour go on sale July 25. The full itinerary is on Morissette's website.
Called a "career highlight" by some critics, Flavors of Entanglement debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard 200 last month and has sold about 130,000 copies.
A postbreakup Morissette said in May that the record "chronicles the rock bottom finally being hit."
Jordin and Jesse Hitting the Road Together
Jordin Sparks is getting in touch with Jesse McCartney and his Beautiful Soul.
The tween favorites are teaming up this summer for a 16-date North American tour, kicking off Aug. 5 in Sacramento, Calif.
"I am really excited to be going out and sharing the stage with someone as talented as Jesse McCartney," Sparks said. "He brings a soulful voice, heart of gold and his good looks to the stage every night, and I can't wait to share it with him."
The 21-year-old McCartney, whose latest glory has come from behind the scenes as cowriter of the Leona Lewis hit "Bleeding Love," readily returned the compliment to the 18-year-old American Idol winner.
"Jordin has the most incredible voice," the former Summerland star said. "She's one of those pure talents you don't see a lot of in this business. I can't wait to get out there with her."
Jesse & Jordin Live will also include stops in Los Angeles, New York, Boston and Sparks' hometown of Glendale, Ariz.
Exclusive
Set Issues Derail Britney's Madonna Shoot
Britney Spears and Madonna's latest hookup has been temporarily derailed by a technical glitch.
Spears had been scheduled to begin shooting a video montage for Madonna's upcoming tour this morning at the Lots soundstage in Hollywood. But production insiders say that because the set was not finished in time, cameras will not roll until tomorrow.
The set features an elevator, in, around and on which Spears will dance.
"The video will be very deep," a source in the Spears camp tells E! News. "You've never seen Britney like this before. It will blow your mind."
ABBA Puts Kibosh on Reunion Talk
No amount of money, money, money will put ABBA back together again. Group masterminds Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson tell the London Telegraph that "we will never appear onstage again."
"There is simply no motivation to regroup," Ulvaeus said. "Money is not a factor and we would like people to remember us as we were: young, exuberant, full of energy and ambition."

















