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ROUNDING UP THE MUSIC LIKE
SO MANY ANNOYING KIDS

Litigation, Foul Language, Personnel Changes: Just A Day In The Life Of Rock & Roll

RUBBED HER THE WRONG WAY
Popster Christina Aguilera is the focus of a $7 million lawsuit. Publicist Ruth Inniss filed suit in New York State Supreme Court Wednesday (7/19) against Aguilera's mother, Shelly Kerns, and music industry attorney Normand R. Kurtz for allegedly swindling her out of her share of the pop tart's fortune. Inniss claims she saw Aguilera's chart-topping potential back in 1993, when the singer was a Mouseketeer on the Mickey Mouse Club, and struck a deal with Kerns to manage the future hitmaker's career. According to court documents, Inniss approached Kurtz and his son for guidance, but they instead cut her out of the girl's career. Inniss claims she is owed at least $2 million in earnings from Aguilera's debut album, which generated two hit singles, "Genie in a Bottle" and "What a Girl Wants." Inniss also wants her orange pants and bottle of peroxide back.

THE SILVER-TONGUED DEVIL STRIKES AGAIN
Despite telling the Houston Chronicle recently, "I'm on the show, period; the crybabies lose—I win," rocker Ted Nugent will not return to Houston's Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion as an opener for Kiss on Aug. 22. While opening for the band on April 1, Nugent had angered locals and venue officials with his "if you're not gonna speak English, get the fuck out of America" statement. Venue officials originally banned Nugent but changed their stance to allow him to perform if he chose to abide by certain rules. Those rules apparently rubbed The Nuge's finely tuned sense of Constitutional rights the wrong way and now it looks like he'll beg off the bill after all. Citing the rocker's First Amendment rights, Nugent's manager Doug Banker told Launch.com, "We won't compromise Ted's principles to get a bunch of money to play a gig." Who knew that "Wang Dang Sweet Poontang" was actually a metaphor for the principles upon which this country was founded?

HIS FORMER CAREER IS ONLY A MEMORY
Former Smithereens frontman Pat DiNizio has announced his candidacy to run for the U.S. Senate for New Jersey under the Reform Party ticket. There hasn't been this much excitement in the political ring since Fred "Gopher" Grandy announced his candidacy.

HOOKED ON A FEELING OF VICTORY
B.J. Thomas
, Gene Pitney, Hank Ballard and the Shirelles emerged victorious in their battle for back royalties. The artists were awarded nearly $1.2 million by a U.S. District Court in Nashville after filing breach-of-contract suits in 1995 against Gayron "Moe" Lytle. The musicians claimed Lytle, owner of Nashville record labels including Gusto Records and GML Inc., broke contracts regarding foreign royalties, stemming back to their career heydays in the '50s, '60s and '70s. "This is shocking," said the judge, "to find that a label owner would try to bilk money out of artists."

HEY HEY, MY MY BOOTLEGS
Leave it to the ever-outspoken Neil Young to voice his opinion on the Napster debate in a unique fashion. Not surprisingly, the evergreen artist is against downloading, but "Neil Young's Position on Artist Rights and Napster" is more humorous even than. An 18-minute film shot in the early ‘70s, titled "Harvest Barn Nashville Trip," is available on Young's Web site. The clip features Young record shopping in a Nashville used record store that specializes in LPs and 8-tracks, when he discovers a Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young bootleg disc. Young explains to the store clerk that he will take the contraband without paying for it, since, as he sees it, it's really his. Later, he buys a candle. The clip closes with shawn fanning',390,400);">shawn fanning',390,400);">Shawn Fanning's parents telling Young that one day they'd get him back for not paying for the record. Eerie.

IT MUST JUST BE THEIR DESTINY
Destiny's Child
is once again facing a lineup change. The quartet, who just booted LeToya Luckett and LaTavia Roberson in February in favor of Michelle Williams and Farrah Franklin, has now handed
Franklin her walking papers. The R&B girl group will continue for the time being as a trio. Columbia Records gave no reason for the lineup change and no indication of who might replace Franklin. However, HITS has learned of the top candidate for the position.

FUCKING MICHAEL JACKSON?
Responding to criticism lobbed his way by Creed lead singer Scott Stapp, Limp Bizkit's fred durst',390,400);">fred durst',390,400);">Fred Durst said, "Creed should take a hint and spend more time signing autographs than writing about me." Last month, Durst went off on Stapp during a K-ROCK New York show, telling the crowd, "That guy is an egomaniac. He's a fucking punk, and he's backstage right now acting like fucking Michael Jackson. Fuck that motherfucker and fuck you too." Stapp's response was to challenge Durst to a boxing match, the proceeds of which would go to charity. Durst responded, "The boxing match sounds like fun, but I'd rather not resort to violence, since I'm busy doing a free tour." Don't you just hate it when mommy and daddy fight?

SUGAR, SPICE AND EVERYTHING NICE
A London High Court ruled that the Spice Girls will only have to repay about $600,000 to Italian scooter manufacturer Aprilia, rather than the $1.5 million the company was seeking. The suit stemmed from a deal Aprilia made with the then quintet which previous to the group's North American "Spiceworld" tour. The company sued for damages once Ginger Spice (Geri Haliwell) left the group. "It wasn't so much that they screwed up the endorsement deal," a spokesman for Apilia said. "But that ‘Spiceworld' was so disappointing."

NEAR TRUTHS: SPRING BLOOMS
Here come the big guns. (3/28a)
THE COUNT: COLDPLAY IS HOT, COUNTRY'S COOKIN' IN THE U.K.
The latest tidbits from the bustling live sector (3/28a)
CITY OF HOPE TAPS MARCIANO FOR TOP HONOR
This year's philanthropic model (3/28a)
TRUST IN THE TOP 20
Hip-hop is no longer hibernating. (3/28a)
UMG BROADENS SPOTIFY OFFERINGS
Sir Lucian and Daniel are in harmony. (3/28a)
THE NEW UMG
Gosh, we hope there are more press releases.
TIKTOK BANNED!
Unless the Senate manages to make this whole thing go away, that is.
THE NEW HUGE COUNTRY ACT
No, not that one.
TRUMP'S CAMPAIGN PLAYLIST
Now 100% unlicensed!
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