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| Travis Barker 'Trying To Stay Upbeat' After Crash Posted: 23 Sep 2008 02:09 AM PDT Drummer's friend also says assistant Chris Baker, who died in the crash, 'was like extended family.'
Travis Barker is trying to stay optimistic after multiple surgeries related to the plane crash that caused second- and third-degree burns on his torso and lower half of his body, according to friend Bill Nosal. "If you make it out of a crash of that magnitude, somebody's looking out for you," Nosal, who is also the spokesperson for Barker's clothing company, Famous Stars and Straps, told The Associated Press on Tuesday (September 23). "He's trying to stay upbeat." Nosal said that Chris Baker, Barker's personal assistant who died in the Columbia, South Carolina, crash on Friday, "was like extended family." Barker also lost his bodyguard, Charles Still, in the crash, although Nosal pointed out that the drummer didn't always travel with security. The pilot and the co-pilot, Sarah Lemmon and James Bland, also died. Barker's friend and collaborator DJ AM was also severely burned. Doctors from the Joseph M. Still Burn Center in Augusta, Georgia, said Sunday that the musicians are expected to fully recover from their injuries. Barker's clothing company has established a memorial fund for the families of Baker and Still. Lieutenant Josh Shumpert of the South Congaree, South Carolina, police department spoke to People.com about what he saw when he arrived at the scene. "[Barker and AM] told me that they slid down the wing on the right side of the plane," he said. "They said they were on fire and that they tackled each other and put each other out. "When I got there they were on the side of the road," he continued. "They were pacing and in shock. Travis was very shaken up." Federal investigators are looking into the possibility that a blown tire could have contributed to the crash. They've found evidence that one of the jet's tires may have blown moments before takeoff at the Columbia Metropolitan Airport. Audio from the jet's cockpit voice recorder indicates that the pilot and co-pilot informed air-traffic controllers they'd heard a tire burst and tried to abort the takeoff. If you'd like more information on the memorial funds set up to benefit Chris Baker's and Charles Still's families, visit the Famous Stars and Straps Web site. Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists |
| Travis Barker And DJ AM: Statements And Silence, In <i>Bigger Than The Sound</i> Posted: 24 Sep 2008 05:00 AM PDT Following a public tragedy, statements are useless but necessary.
On The Record: What's The Good Of A Statement, Really? This wasn't why I enrolled in Music Journalism Summer Camp way back in '96. Writing about rock and roll is supposed to involve complaining, nitpicking and allowing petty jealousies to seep into record reviews, not calling burn centers in Augusta, Georgia, waking up publicists to inform them that their clients may be dead, or writing apologetic-yet-persistent e-mails to bandmates seeking comment on their critically injured friends. And yet, that's how I spent my weekend — and the majority of this week — in the wake of the jet crash in Columbia, South Carolina, that injured Travis Barker and DJ AM and killed four others, including Barker's assistant Chris "Lil Chris" Baker and security guard Charles "Che" Still. It's been 96-plus hours of calling and e-mailing and basically feeling like a huge, insensitive jerk, five days spent doing horrible, decidedly morbid — yet in some ways necessary — work. I imagine this is just part of the game for the real, time-hardened reporters of the world. There is a reason I am not in that line of work. I knew Chris Baker, at first only through e-mails and phone calls. He was a genuinely sweet guy, joking that I called him so much on his cell phone that I should give him my number. When I finally met him in person — backstage during the Roots' Grammy party last year — I offered to do just that, telling him that he could call me at 3 a.m. if he wanted to. He declined, then offered me a beer. Everyone I've spoken to about him tells me the same thing: He was a good-hearted man, a practical joker, a guy who loved to laugh and looked out for those closest to him. Reporting on his death has been very, very sad ... the decided opposite of what music journalism should be. Thankfully, I've only been down this road three times previously: in December 2004, when "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott was shot onstage in Columbus, Ohio, and then last year, when Casey Calvert and Pimp C overdosed. I hated my job each of those times too. As was the case in those situations, the routine is slightly morbid yet always the same. You try your best to put personal feelings aside. You call publicists, you e-mail managers. You offer your condolences, you share brief stories about the deceased. You try to be polite and understanding yet, at the same time, firm. You are required to get information, track down bandmates, press just enough to get the story before anyone else does. Most of the time, all you get are statements — typed remembrances and memorials from bands who shared beers and backstages with the recently dead — which you compile into a story. You repeat this process the following day. And possibly the day after that. Then, more than likely, you move on. It's always seemed odd to me that we care so much about the statements. They are little more than the sidebar to the main story, words e-mailed by publicists or posted on MySpace pages. They are often interchangeable: "We are deeply saddened," "Our prayers go out to____," "____ was a great friend and will be deeply missed." They most certainly cannot undo what has been done or bring comfort to those hurting from the unexpected loss of a friend or loved one. They are, at the root of all things, essentially worthless. Except, to most people, they are anything but. In fact, they might just be the most important part of the grieving process ... if only because they reveal so much more about the living. After Abbott was killed, former bandmate Phil Anselmo famously issued a rambling statement about the loss of his "best friend," one that also included insinuations that he was kept away from the funeral by Dimebag's family. The statement proved that some rifts — in this case, the long-standing feud between Anselmo and Abbott's brother (and former Pantera drummer) Vinnie Paul — were too wide to ever be closed, even by tragedy. It was ugly and unfortunate, and everyone who ever worshipped at the altar of Dimebag knew it. And this brings up one rather glaring thing about the Barker and AM situation ... and the very nature of statements themselves. In the hours following the crash, tributes poured in not just from the worlds of rock and hip-hop, but Hollywood too. Everyone from the Game to Cobra Starship to Lindsay-freaking-Lohan issued a statement about the incident, because they all knew it was the proper, right thing to do. They realized their position in the world and that their fans — and fans of Barker and AM — rely on their statements to help them make sense of tragedy and get through the tough times. This may seem a tad bit bizarre but, if you think about it, isn't the entire concept of fandom (and, for that matter, of mourning those you know solely though music or movies) equally odd? Regardless, it wasn't the outpouring of statements that makes this tragedy particularly noteworthy; it was the complete lack of statements from two particular camps. I'm not going to name either of them — because, really, issuing a statement (or not) is their prerogative — but suffice to say, if you are in anyway familiar with Barker's musical career, you know who I'm talking about. A statement from each of them might be forthcoming, it might not be. All I know is that it's been five days since the accident, and we've still heard nothing from either of them, leading many to believe that — like the Abbott situation — old wounds cannot be healed. And that, given the entire situation, seems pretty lousy. I, for one, am conflicted. On one hand, their silence strikes me as being incredibly odd, if not somewhat coldhearted. After all, how difficult is it to release a statement? All it takes is a few lines on a MySpace page or a personal Web site ... just a couple of words to let fans know that we're all in this together, or that, yes, "Lil Chris" was a good guy and he will be missed. You know, just some common decency. On the other, that same silence also reminds me that these two individuals are, in fact, just human. They have every right to ignore the media requests and to grieve in private, at their own pace. They have every right to do so. Think about it: If your best friend were killed, would you want to get on the phone with a reporter asking for a comment? Would you feel like updating your blog? Probably not. Then again, if I've learned anything in dealing with these situations, it's that being human somehow goes right out the window. When terrible things happen, we turn into robots, we struggle with ways of expressing our emotions, because finding the right words is tough. Which is why we're reduced to statements. Because words are necessary. They help us heal and, often, they're all we have. It's stupid and unfair but necessary. Just like death. Questions? Comments? BTTS@MTVStaff.com. Related Artists |
| Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz Calls Upcoming Single 'I Don't Care' A 'Narcissist's Anthem' Posted: 24 Sep 2008 05:00 AM PDT Bassist sheds some light on more tracks from Folie à Deux, due November 4.
On Monday, MTV News posted an extended interview with Fall Out Boy frontman Patrick Stump, in which he discussed life, celebrity and songs from the band's upcoming Folie à Deux album.
It was unique, because, well, it was probably the first FOB-related story in history that didn't contain a single quote from bassist/mouthpiece Pete Wentz. So, not willing to deny you your daily dose of Wentz, we reached out to him for his take on some tracks from Folie, an album that he's previously compared to AC/DC and hinted would head into decidedly political territory. Clearly, he'd have something to say this time too. And though he and director Alan Ferguson were furiously editing the video for the album's first single, "I Don't Care," Wentz — not surprisingly — was good enough to respond, dissecting a handful of songs, though he cautioned that the album is still very much in flux. There's no firm track list yet, and any and all song titles are subject to change. But, as he put it, that's just sort of the way Fall Out Boy operate. "We have been editing the 'I Don't Care' video relentlessly for the last three days. I feel as though my eyes are going to fall out," he wrote from an L.A.-area editing suite. "I am not sure of the track order or listing or even titles of the songs on the record as of yet, but this is the context that Fall Out Boy seems to thrive in the most." While he's not certain about most of the song titles, it seems like a 100 percent lock that "I Don't Care" is still gonna be called "I Don't Care" when Folie hits shelves November 4, so we decided to ask him about that one right off the bat. "It's more of a narcissist's anthem than ... a nihilist's anthem, you know? 'I don't care as long as you're thinking about me,' " he wrote. "To me, it's like a YouTube anthem for the YouTube generation, just about how our attention span is about seven seconds, maybe twice that if you have a Red Bull and fast broadband, so you really have to slam people in the face. But at the same time, [it asks,] 'Why can't we get people to pay attention for two minutes and 35 seconds?' " After that, things get a little bit hazy. The next song Wentz wrote us about is — in theory — destined to be the album opener, a track he calls "a billboard." "It says 'hate me' or 'love me,' it's obvious," he wrote. "That is its purpose, and it serves it well." And finally, there's a song tentatively titled "Mr. Benzedrine," which seems to be the haziest song on the record ... and not just because the title will probably change between now and November. No, from the sound of things, it's unlike anything Fall Out Boy have attempted before, and it just so happens to be about futuristic desert combat. "The song that stands out to me the most is called 'Mr. Benzedrine' on the dry-erase board in the studio. I am sure the title will change, but the song is intact," Wentz wrote. "Brendon [Urie] from Panic plays keyboards on this one, which is the most political yet least lucid and self-aware Fall Out Boy song to date. It centers on the idea of Benzedrine and [a] revolving typewriter paper of the beats, musically. The lyrics are about a war in the desert in a far-off time, but maybe not." Related Videos Related Artists |
| Ciara Insists: 'I Wasn't Nude' In <i>Vibe</i> Photo Shoot Posted: 23 Sep 2008 02:14 AM PDT 'Go Girl' singer calls magazine cover 'very, very upsetting and somewhat misleading.'
R&B chanteuse Ciara would like to set the record straight about the photo spread she shot for the October issue of Vibe magazine: She was not nude, and yes, she's very upset by the magazine's depiction of her as such — but she is not planning any legal action against the urban glossy. "I think, at this point, I'd rather just be quiet about things such as that but I definitely want to make it clear that I was going in to do something artistic, and I was upset that when I saw the photos, everything was gone," the singer told MTV News last weekend, from the set of her forthcoming music video for "Go Girl," which features a cameo from T-Pain. "It's very, very upsetting and somewhat misleading." Online rumors have suggested that the singer was not nude during the photo shoot but instead wearing underwear, which the magazine allegedly airbrushed out. Vibe Editor in Chief Danyel Smith recently commented to New York's KISS-FM radio station that not only was Ciara shot au natural, the entire idea behind the spread was the singer's. "I'm actually really sad," Smith said. "Almost any photo you see on the cover of Vibe or any magazine is airbrushed [to some degree]. What I was thinking of doing, actually, was releasing the untouched photos [on Vibe's] Web site, so people can see what the hullabaloo is all about. I have so much respect for Ciara, and Ciara was so happy when she pitched this idea to us, and the photos are actually striking and beautiful. It was pitched to me in a way that it was time [for her] to grow up and be beautiful and be free and be all the things she wanted to be." Ciara said she's still hurt by the photos and was quite shocked when she finally got her hands on the October issue. "I walked into the Vibe photo shoot very excited about making an artistic expression," she said. "And when I saw the photos, I was a little bothered because the photos appear as if I was nude, and I wasn't nude. I reached out to [Smith] — I sent her a letter — and I was a little upset, too, in the fact that she didn't respond to me, and that happened prior to me reading her quote on the Internet. That definitely bothered me, just because of the fact that I wasn't nude. I walked into the photo shoot to do an artistic photo shoot, so I was excited about that. I just didn't like the fact that I saw the picture and now, stuff is gone." Ciara said the idea behind the entire shoot — at least on her end — was a celebration of the human form and that she'd walked away from the shoot thinking that everything had gone great. "When I saw the pictures, that wasn't what was discussed or what we were going in to do, so that definitely bothered me," she said. "I think the body is something beautiful, and I wanted to celebrate that. And unfortunately, it wasn't exactly what it was in the photo shoot, and I'm looking forward to moving forward." No matter what Smith or anyone from Vibe says about the shoot, Ciara said she knows exactly what went down that day. "I know what was there, I know what was taken, and I know what was done. And then to look at the book and go, 'It's gone' — it was just very upsetting to me," she said. Related Videos Related Artists |
| 'Gossip Girl' Stars Leighton Meester, Ed Westwick Parlay TV Success Into Music Careers Posted: 24 Sep 2008 05:03 AM PDT You know you love them ... but will you buy albums from Blair and Chuck?
When they're not out on the town, becoming fodder for New York's real-life gossip rags, most of the "Gossip Girl" castmembers have been honing their acting chops in movies. But stars Leighton Meester and Ed Westwick — a.k.a. on-again, off-again item Blair Waldorf and Chuck Bass — are taking a stab at music careers. It's a road frequently taken by up-and-coming actors, but these two seem to be attempting a fresh approach. Meester, 22, is currently working on an album she recently described as "a good mixture of hip-hop-sounding, very vibe-y music." Of course, MTV News tried to speak to Meester herself, but her rep thought it was too soon for interviews about her new project, which they hope to release next year. This actually isn't the actress' first foray into singing: She sang the growly rock track "Inside the Black" for the 2007 teen horror flick "Drive Thru" (which also featured "GG" star Penn Badgley). And Meester already seems savvy to the music business. Instead of going with a record label, she's opted for a production-company deal that will allow her more "creative freedom," her rep tells MTV News. "I've always done [music]," Meester told "Access Hollywood." "It's so cool because it's a completely different creative process." Before he was setting off sparks with Meester onscreen, 21-year-old Westwick and his mates back home in London formed the punk outfit the Filthy Youth in 2006. The guys were inspired by the Rolling Stones, the Doors and more contemporary artists like the Kings of Leon. Westwick's publicist also fears the curse of "overexposure" in the press (too late?), so MTV News spoke to bandmate Jimmy Wright instead. He said Filthy Youth are happy to benefit from Westwick's TV success. Two of the band's songs — "Come Flash All You Ladies" and "Orange" — were used in the season-one episode "School Lies." "It's great to get involved in 'Gossip Girl,' crossing over both mediums," Wright said. The band is unsigned, and four of its five members are still in the U.K. But Westwick's presence in New York has no doubt helped them book gigs on this side of the pond. "It's very different out [in America] as we have gained a younger audience due to 'Gossip Girl,' which is great," Wright said. "But we formed the band before there even was a 'Gossip Girl,' so perhaps that's why we have an older audience at home. Two of our songs were on one of the 'Gossip Girl' episodes, which have also gained us more fans, who perhaps before had never had the chance to listen to us." |
| Travis Barker Recorded Drums For Remix Of Lil Wayne's 'Got Money' A Day Before Plane Crash Posted: 23 Sep 2008 02:27 AM PDT Production duo Play N Skillz also have Game, Bun B, Slim Thug lined up for unofficial remix.
ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico — When production duo Play N Skillz started putting out feelers for people to appear on the remix of Lil Wayne's "Got Money" — a track they produced — Travis Barker was one of the first people to respond and record his drum part for it. One day before his recent plane crash, Barker was in the studio, giving "Got Money" a beautiful beat-down with brand-new thunderous drums. "We talked to Lil Chris [Baker], his assistant who died in the crash," Play said Sunday in Albuquerque, where the brothers were performing as part of the third annual New Mexico Takeover. "[Chris] was lining up the remix thing with Travis. I'd never met Travis, but we spoke two days before this happened. He went in the studio, did the 'Got Money' remix. We were really excited about that. Then you wake up one morning, and it's like, 'F---!' " "It shows how fast something can happen," Skillz added. "The day before his crash, he had just did the drums to the 'Got Money' remix." Play N Skillz said they took it upon themselves to try to spearhead a remix to the smash single. They have not yet spoken to Wayne personally about the new song but have talked to members of his camp. "We're slowly working on the remix to the song," Play said. "Bun B committed to it, Slim Thug committed to it, the Game committed to it, and a couple of other people committed to it. We've been trying to hurry and trying to continue while the heat is on the record. We reached out to a bunch of people and got a gang of calls back. Travis was one of the guys that reached back out. I don't know if it was his last recording before the plane crash. I don't know what we're gonna do with it now. Special shout-out to him and his family." (Watch Barker and DJ AM rehearse for their gig as the house band for the VMAs in the Newsroom blog.) There could be a few differences to Play N Skillz's "Got Money" remix. For instance, the duo might release a remix that just features Barker on the drums, a remix with Travis and some of the aforementioned MCs, or Weezy might decide to lay down some new vocals. "We took it upon ourselves," Play said of the remix. "So many people are doing remixes anyways. We spoke to [Wayne's artist] Mack Maine, who's on the record. We told him what was gong on. This whole process with Wayne has never been a very personal relationship. It's been so third-party, but it works. He probably doesn't want to be bothered with that type of thing. I guess he's like, 'Let me get in my space and do what I do.' If Wayne gets involved, even better. I didn't think he's not gonna wanna be a part of it. We're just trying to be innovative, and if anything, it can go to the Internet and to the fans." Besides the Wayne remix, Barker was also working on several songs for Paul Wall's upcoming new LP before the crash. Barker and DJ AM remain hospitalized in Georgia following Friday night's crash. They are in serious but stable condition. The two entertainers were the only two survivors of six passengers. In addition to Baker, Barker's bodyguard, Charles "Che" Still, and the plane's pilots died in the crash. Barker and AM suffered serious burns but are expected to make full recoveries. If you'd like more information on the memorial funds set up to benefit Chris Baker's and Charles Still's families, visit the Famous Stars and Straps Web site. Related Videos Related Artists |
| Travis Barker, DJ AM Escaped Crash By Sliding Down Plane's Wing: Police Posted: 22 Sep 2008 10:28 PM PDT 'They were pacing and in shock' when help arrived, says Lieutenant Josh Shumpert.
One of the first emergency personnel to arrive at the scene of the plane crash that killed four people and seriously injured Travis Barker and DJ AM has spoken with People.com about the accident. Lieutenant Josh Shumpert of the South Congaree, South Carolina, police department, one of the first people to arrive at the crash scene in nearby Columbia, described Barker and AM's escape. "[The two] told me that they slid down the wing on the right side of the plane," he said. "They said they were on fire, and that they tackled each other and put each other out. "When I got there they were on the side of the road," he continued. "They were pacing and in shock. Travis was very shaken up." He added that Barker was given Gatorade after he asked for water. "Travis was wearing some kind of shorts and no shirt," Shumpert said, adding that Goldstein was wearing shorts or boxers as well. "Travis had one sock on. And a black hat on his head." Killed in the crash were Barker's assistant, Chris Baker; his security guard, Charles Still; and Sarah Lemmon and James Bland, the plane's pilot and co-pilot. Barker's clothing company, Famous Stars and Straps, has established a memorial fund for the families of Baker and Still. Federal investigators are investigating the possibility that a blown tire could have contributed to the jet crash. Investigators have found evidence that one of the jet's tires may have blown moments before takeoff at the Columbia Metropolitan Airport. Audio from the jet's cockpit voice recorder indicates the pilot and co-pilot informed air-traffic controllers they'd heard a tire burst and tried to abort the takeoff. Doctors from the Joseph M. Still Burn Center in Augusta, Georgia, said Sunday that Barker and AM are expected to recover fully from their injuries. Related Videos |
| Clay Aiken Apparently Announces That He's Gay Posted: 23 Sep 2008 03:18 AM PDT People magazine cover bearing announcement is posted on perezhilton.com; mag neither confirms nor denies accuracy.
After years of speculation and rumors about his sexuality, Clay Aiken has apparently confirmed that he's gay in the forthcoming issue of People magazine. In an unusual string of events, the apparent cover of the magazine was posted on PerezHilton.com on Tuesday afternoon (September 23). The cover bears a photo of Aiken with his new son, Parker Foster, and a headline proclaiming, "Yes, I'm Gay," with a subheadline that continues: "The Idol star opens up about his emotional decision to come out: 'I cannot raise a child to lie or to hide things.' " Asked by MTV News for confirmation, a representative for People neither confirmed nor denied the cover's accuracy, saying only: "We can confirm that Clay Aiken and his son are featured on the next issue of People. For the complete story, please visit www.people.com at 7 a.m. [Wednesday]." The news comes just weeks after the birth of Parker Foster Aiken, whom the singer has said he intends to raise with the child's mother, his friend and musical producer Jaymes Foster. Aiken and Foster met while he was a contestant on "American Idol"; the child was conceived via artificial insemination. In the past, Aiken has been apprehensive and even defensive on the topic of his sexuality. In an interview with Diane Sawyer in 2006, he famously called her "really rude" for asking. "I don't understand why it's any of your business." When MTV News caught up with Aiken after the Sawyer interview in 2006, he talked about why he feels so strongly about keeping his life private. (Watch the uncut 2006 interview here, in which Aiken addresses rumors about his sexuality.) "[Knowing] who I'm dating and what kind of cereal I eat ain't gonna benefit anybody else," he said. "That kind of thing is not important. I think there's a distinction. "I told you what mine is, and I think for each person, you do what's right for you," he continued. "For me, part of the reason that I have anxiety is the fact that I feel like people are always staring at me. So it's important for me to make sure that I have my friends and vacation, and what I do at home with my family and that type of thing [stays private]." |
| Jay-Z Quietly Launches StarRoc Label With Norwegian Production Duo Stargate Posted: 23 Sep 2008 09:24 AM PDT Hova's latest venture will develop new talent through 360 deals.
What if one of the biggest stars in the music world launched a new record label and barely anyone noticed? That appears to be the case for Jay-Z's latest venture, StarRoc, a label pairing the Jigga Man with Norwegian songwriting/production duo Stargate (Mikkel S. Eriksen and Tor Erik Hermansen), the pair who've given us everything from Ne-Yo's "So Sick" to Rihanna's "Unfaithful" and "Take a Bow" to Beyoncé's "Irreplaceable." According to a spokesperson for Jay, the new venture will be located at the rapper's Roc the Mic recording studio in Manhattan and will develop new talent through the kind of 360 deal — covering everything from touring to record sales and merchandise — that he signed with Live Nation earlier this year for a reported $150 million. The label is a 50/50 partnership between Jay's Roc Nation company and Stargate. The rapper is slated to deliver The Blueprint 3, his 11th and reportedly final album for Def Jam — where he stepped down as president last December — before the end of the year. A small mention of the deal appeared in The New York Times on Saturday, noting that the new venture will also include a music-publishing arm. Jay-Z joined the likes of Madonna and U2 by signing the massive Live Nation deal — one of the biggest in history — which was to include financing for his own entertainment venture, Roc Nation, in addition to the rights to his recordings and tours for the next 10 years. The deal also reportedly included financing for a label, music publishing, talent consulting and management services. Related Artists |
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