Billboard Bits: Chris Brown, Elton John, Rihanna, Liam Gallagher
March 15, 2010 3:57 EDT
Billboard Bits serves up the best bite-sized nuggets of music news and gossip every afternoon.
Chris Brown may be at the end of his ropes, pleading with fans to request his music in last ditch attempt to offset diminishing radio air-play. According to TheYBF.com, the singer reached out to fans via his Say Now account to address declining radio support and to ask for their help.
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Sir Elton John’s status was elevated from pop-icon to terrorist target after his off-handed comment that Jesus Christ was “a super-intelligent gay man” led a Georgia man to make threats against his life. According to Rollingstone.com, Neal Horsely was arrested after posting a video in which he stands outside the singer’s Atlanta condo complex making the threats while holding a sign that reads “Elton John Must Die.”
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Rihanna is branching out with the help of Jay-Z, who has hooked the singer up with British boy-band JLS. The Barbados-born singer told The Sun she’s excited at the prospect of working with the band and hopes it will broaden the boys’ US exposure.
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Following his acceptance at the Brit Awards during which he completely failed to mention his brother Noel — the band’s principle songwriter — Liam Gallagher told NME.com his negligence was simply an effort to give the band’s oft-overshadowed other members their due credit. Furthermore he added his controversial offering of both the trophy and microphone to the crowd was not intended as insult but rather as a means of paying tribute to the fans.
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Adding to the ramping arrest tally for musicians as of late, the lead singer of blackened-death-metal band Behemoth was arrested after ripping a bible onstage in Poland, earning him a charge of “insulting Catholics.” According to WatchMojo.com, the All-Polish Committee for Defense against Sects originally attempted to bust the singer for “promoting Satanism,” but with only one complaint the charges were dropped.
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