Dan's Music News Info and comments on hitmakers and the bizarre industry they work for. SOURCES: Rolling Stone, The Aquarian Weekly, Musician, MTV, Entertainment Weekly, Spin, The Daily News, and numerous WWW sites. 2001 Music News Archives. 2000 Music News Archives. 1999 Music News Archives. 1998 Music News Archives. 1997 Music News Archives. Music News 2002 February Rapper Snoop Dogg wants No Doubt's Gwen Stefani to star in his new movie LADY T AND MOJO SLIM. (The horror.) Mr. Dogg, who faces marijuana and drug-related charges, will play a small-time crook (there's a stretch) who hooks up with the girl before going on a law-breaking spree. "It's actually a black and white love affair, but the woman that I see in my mind should look like Marilyn Monroe because it's set in the sixties. Stefani could do that." The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's seventeenth annual induction ceremony will take place March 18th in New York and air on VH1 on the 20th. This year's entrants are The Ramones, the Talking Heads (both inducted on their first eligible year), Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Isaac Hayes, Brenda Lee, Gene Pitney, Chet Atkins and Jim Stewart. Famous rat-trap club CBGB's gave birth to both The Ramones and The Talking Heads in the mid-1970s. Both bands had a major impact on the punk and alternative-rock genres, respectively, for the next two decades. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers are still recording today, driven by their mix of southern rock and Byrds-like guitar textures, who inspired 20 years of jangly-guitar "college rock" bands, notably through the 80s. Beyonce Knowles, the Destiny's Child that everyone knows, announced the skin-baring singing group will take a 12 month break in 2002 to work on solo projects. But worry not, cleavage fans, they are not breaking up. Kelly Rowland, one of the non-Beyonce singers, says, "The mind is going to expand as far as creativity is concerned, and when we come back together, it's going to be like a BEATLES kind of thing, and that's what we want to happen." Sure, if they learn to play the instruments, write all their own material, and revolutionize the sound of pop music. Isaac Hayes was a staff songwriter, producer and keyboardist for Stax Records in the Sixties, writing hits like "Soul Man" "B-A-B-Y." His solo career included some of the early breakthroughs of the soul genre, as well as the classic "Theme From Shaft." Hayes is currently the voice of Chef on TV's South Park. (I'm sure it was Chef that got him the nomination. No one can sit still to "Hot Lava.") Brenda Lee had hits in the 60s with "I'm Sorry" and "I Just Want to Be Wanted," and the ever popular holiday tune, "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree." She crossed over to the country charts in the 70s, and will now be the first female member of both the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Gene Pitney's scored big hits in the 60s with "(The Man Who Shot)Liberty Valance" and "Only Love Can Break a Heart." He also wrote "He's a Rebel" for the Crystals and collaborated with luminaries like Phil Spector, George Jones and the Rolling Stones. Chet Atkins is a country/rock guitar legend, with not only a prolific solo career, but also recorded with Hank Williams, Elvis Presley, the Everly Brothers and Waylon Jennings. Atkins died of cancer at 77 last June. Jim Stewart co-founded Stax Records in Memphis in 1959. Stax's brand of soul was more gospel rooted and less polished than the Motown sound of the time, featured stars like Otis Redding and Booker T. and the MG's. January Beyonce Knowles, the Destiny's Child that everyone knows, announced the skin-baring singing group will take a 12 month break in 2002 to work on solo projects. But worry not, cleavage fans, they are not breaking up. Kelly Rowland, one of the non-Beyonce singers, says, "The mind is going to expand as far as creativity is concerned, and when we come back together, it's going to be like a BEATLES kind of thing, and that's what we want to happen." Sure, if they learn to play the instruments, write all their own material, and revolutionize the sound of pop music. Florida police arrested four teens on charges of burglary and grand theft after they broke into Britney Spears' and Justin Timberlake's vacation house and stole $5,000 worth of video equipment, liquor bottles and clothing. Police recovered the items, including a "personal" videotape one of the thieves tried to copy. No info on the tape, so forget about finding the next Tommy and Pamela Lee. As far as Spears' squeaky-clean virgin/temptress image, her publicist said the booze belonged to their vacationing families. The stage where John Lennon first met Paul McCartney is up for auction, as well as the Bechstein Grand Piano played on The White Album and "Hey Jude." St. Peter's Church Hall in northern England is expected to reach $72,000, the piano up to $501,000, because of its historical place in pop-music history. Despite some protest by Beatles fans who said the items should stay in Liverpool, the auction will proceed. The money raised will be spent on the hall. A good cause, but am I the only one who still thinks it's a little ironic that people with half a mil in pocket change are buying up part of the group that sang "Revolution?" The times, they are a-changin'. "This is the world tour for this album, 'Goddess in the Doorway.' You can say you were at every gig, OK?" Mick Jagger announced onstage at LA's El Rey Theatre near Hollywood, the only "concert" to promote his new solo album. Concert organizers paid a bunch of young models $100 each to surround the stage to swoon and grab at the 58 year-old singer as he passed by in mid-strut. The rest of the audience was a collection of celebrities, including Kate Hudson, Billy Corgan, Meg Ryan, and Naomi Campbell. Among the throng was guitarist Jimmy Page who commented "(Mick) looked great." Isn't that what people usually say at funerals? Bruce Springsteen played five holiday benefit concerts here in New Jersey December 3-4 and 6-8 to benefit local charities. Springsteen donated several pairs of tickets to local radio stations that will be auctioned off to the highest bidder, the price to be added to the benefit money. Let's hope that Santa finally brought Clarence that new saxaphone. Stone Temple Pilots frontpiece Scott Weiland was arrested on November 19th in Las Vegas, and no, it wasn't a drug charge. Weiland allegedly was leaving their room at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino to pick up a prescription for an injury. Mrs. Temple Pilot, worried about his drug history, tried to stop him, and Weiland pushed her against a wall and stepped on her. He was booked on domestic battery and released after twelve hours and $3,000 bail. Elton John has been working on his weirdness factor lately. His new video for "This Train Don't Stop There Any More" stars 'N Sync's Justin Timberlake and Paul "Pee Wee Herman" Reubens. He's also coming out with his own brand of lip gloss in January, which I guess he'll be wearing when he and Billy Joel continue their Face to Face tour into mid-February 2002. Bruce Cockburn will release, "Anything Anytime Anywhere," his first ever best-of compilation on January 15th, which will feature the best of his critically-acclaimed music that people regularly pass up on their way to the Britney display at their local music store. Blues Traveler, Phil Lesh and Friends, and Drivin' N' Cryin' performed at Warren Haynes' (Gov't Mule) 13th annual Christmas Jam in Asheville, North Carolina, on December 21st; net proceeds will be donated to Habitat for Humanity. Here's something really cool. Concept Zero, a West Milford, NJ unsigned band of four high schoolers, have done a tribute for drummer Drew DePalma's mother (and honorary "band mom") who was among those lost in the WTC on 9-11. He asked their singer/bassist Tom Kafafian to "write a song for her, that will remember her." Tom did just that and wrote "In Loving Memory." The band sent their 4-track demo to the local radio station, which began playing it. The song became a local hit. "We must have given away over 300 copies," Drew says. Not basing their new-found fame on a single song and diminishing its emotional value, the band omitted it from recent live gigs. Heartfelt songwriting, integrity...I now have a little hope for rock's future. Carry the flame, guys. 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