On July 13, Jimmy Buffett's first album for RCA Records will be released. The 16-track features nine duets with some of today's biggest stars. Kenny Chesney joins Jimmy on the title track. Buffett also recorded songs with Toby Keith, Martina McBride, Clint Black, George Strait, Nanci Griffith and Bill Withers. Buffett and Alan Jackson had one of the top songs of 2003 with their duet . That track appears on Jackson's collection.
On July 13, Elton John will begin a five-night engagement at New York's Radio City Music Hall. The shows will mark Elton's first Radio City appearances as a solo performer. He'll be backed by a full orchestra and choir of students from London's Royal Academy of Music and New York's Juilliard School. Proceeds from the first night will go to the schools' scholarship funds. The Bravo cable channel will tape the concerts for a special that will air later this year.
David Crosby and Graham Nash are working on their first album as a duo in nearly 30 years. Sanctuary Records plans to release the 20-song double CD, titled , on August 10. Their last album as a duo was , released in 1976.
On July 14, CBS-TV will air the special "CMA Music Festival: Country Music's Biggest Party." The two-hour program will showcase highlights from the CMA Music Festival, formerly known as Fan Fair, which was held in Nashville last month. Among the featured artists in the special are Brad Paisley, LeAnn Rimes, Montgomery Gentry, Keith Urban, Gretchen Wilson and Wynonna Judd. This year's event drew a record number of Country fans. More than 132,000 people from the U.S. and 20 other countries attended.
The Associated Press reports that 57-year-old David Bowie is recuperating from heart surgery for a blocked artery that doctors found on June 25. The legendary rocker complained of a pinched nerve in his shoulder during a recent European tour and sought treatment at a hospital in Germany. He hopes to be back to work in August.
Michael Jackson's defense lawyers have filed a motion to have their client's grand jury indictment on molestation charges dismissed. Attorney Robert Sanger said, "There is no case in the history of the state of California that has condoned anything like the abuse of power demonstrated in this grand jury proceeding." Jackson's lawyers accuse District Attorney Tom Sneddon of demonstrating "outrageous misconduct" during his investigation.
Canadian stars Alanis Morissette and Barenaked Ladies will kick off a co-headlining tour on July 13 in Cleveland, Ohio. Alanis will be promoting her latest CD , and the Barenaked Ladies will support its 2003 release . They'll end the 24-date trek in Cincinnati, Ohio on August 14.
On July 14, ten finalists from this year's competition will begin a North American concert tour in Salt Lake City, Utah. The first two finalists voted off, Matthew Rogers and Leah LaBelle, will not take part in the outing. It was just announced that Tamyra Gray will appear as a special guest at most of the shows on the 49-city tour, which features Fantasia Barrino, Diana DeGarmo, Amy Adams, Jennifer Hudson, George Huff, Jon Peter Lewis, LaToya London, John Stevens, Jasmine Trias and Camille Velasco. Tamyra placed fourth in the first season of . The "American Idol Live" tour will wrap up in Honolulu, Hawaii on September 30.
