WEAKLY WORLD MUSIC NEWS

THE GRAND DELUSION
Founding Styx member Dennis DeYoung, who took control of the group during their heyday, filed suit this week against his former bandmates for going back on the road as Styx without him. DeYoung, who founded the band 35 years ago, said a partnership contract he renewed in 1990 with Tommy Shaw, James Young, Chuck Panozzo and the late John Panozzo required all five to agree unanimously on matters concerning the band and its trademark. "This is the most painful decision of my professional career," said DeYoung, who wrote and sang the hits "Lady," "Come Sail Away" and "Babe." Most Styx fans disagreed, citing the band's conceptual, theatrical "Kilroy Was Here" tour as far more painful.

TAKING HIS BITCH-SLAPPIN' ON THE ROAD
Eminem's legal worries will not interfere with the first leg of the upcoming "Anger Management Tour" with Limp Bizkit, Papa Roach and Xzibit. The rapper remains free on bond after a hearing in Macomb County, MI, over charges stemming from a fracas between him, his wife and another man. Circuit Judge Antonio Viviano Tuesday (10/10) set a pretrial hearing for Dec. 8 on charges of assault and carrying a concealed weapon, and extended the musician's $100,000 bond. "I can now follow in Puffy's footsteps and commit more crimes while I'm out on bond," he said.

ROASTED "NUT"
Lee Ann Womack's "I'd Give My Right (Nut) To Save Country Music," with so-called (and possibly fictional) prison inmate Ray Driskoll, has been pulled from Nashville's Tower Records shelves, the only store to which it was distributed, by the singer's record company, MCA Records, Launch reports. The song was included on the album "Ailin'" on Skronk Bonk Records, technically a violation of the singer's MCA contract, giving the label cause to request that the album be pulled from the shelves. "We just didn't want to give people the impression that Lee Ann had nuts," an MCA spokesman said. "Now, had she sung ‘hooter' or ‘ovary,' that would have been fine."

CHER AND CHER ALIKE
Cher is planning to release "Not.comm.ercial," her first self-written album, exclusively on the Internet. The album comes with a warning label because of what is termed its dark and personal nature lest people confuse it with Cher's normally friendly material. It goes on sale Nov. 8 at www.cher.com, while a more acceptable Cher album hits stores in March. "It's dark, heavy, sober, savvy, insightful, clairvoyant, absorbing, creative, brilliant, momentous, grandiose and so risky … it's just so Cher," the star of "La Cage Aux Folles" said. "You go girl."

IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE CRAPPY SERVICE OR THE HIGH-PRICED DRINKS
A New York nightclub owner is blaming the zany antics of Sean "Puffy" Combs and his posse for a drop in business. Club New York proprietor Michael Bergos filed a $1.8 million suit in New York against Combs, rap protege Jamal "Shyne" Barrow, bodyguard Anthony "Wolf" Jones and Wardel Fenderson, in connection with the Dec. 27, 1999 shooting involving the four men. Bergos claims the negative publicity after the melee caused attendance to drop and corporate clients to cancel events. He maintains the club has sustained damages exceeding $600,000. Said Bergos: "I'm just disgusted, basically. There were damages to the club, but the main thing is my name." Bergos, who has no cool nickname, told sources he would use any financial judgment to change his name. "Preferably to something like ‘Shecky' or ‘Soupy,'" Bergos said. "Or ‘Crazy Legs,' if that's not too presumptuous."

GIVE ME JUST ONE MORE LAWSUIT
Popsters 98 Degrees have been slapped with a $25 million lawsuit by a management company that claims it plucked the band from obscurity. In the suit filed Wednesday (10/12) in U.S. District Court, Top 40 Entertainment stated company officer Paris D'Jon met the fledgling act in Oct. 1995 and signed the band a month later. D'Jon and his company financed the band, arranging recording contracts, promotional tours and TV appearances, the lawsuit alleges. In December 1999, the band terminated its contract, even though it was required to honor the terms of the deal through October 2001, the suit says. Band lawyer John J. Rosenberg said they plan to file a countersuit, claiming loss of revenue after his clients were passed over for the part of the Meaty Cheesy Boys in the Jack in the Box commercials.