Music Essence

Sarah Harding from the Girl’s Aloud band will make her acting debut in a new movie. Though a small role, it is a big step forward for the singer, who will play a character called Emma in the British movie Runners With Cars. For Sarah, it was doing something different from the usual that had her thinking on these lines. She, however, is committed to her singing career with the Girls Aloud band. The Girls Aloud new single Something Kinda Ooooh will be released on October 23 (Monday), followed by the release of their album The Sound of Girls Aloud on October 30 (Monday).

Mark Chapman, who murdered John Lennon of The Beatles fame on December 8, 1980 outside his Manhattan apartment, has been denied parole. He has been told to remain in prison for at least another two years because of the bizarre nature of the crime. This is a fourth refusal of parole for the killer. The three-member panel during the 16-minute hearing observed: “The panel remains concerned about the bizarre nature of this premeditated and violent crime.” The panel further observed: “While the panel notes your satisfactory institutional adjustment, due to the extremely violent nature of the offence, your release would not be in the interest of the community.” Chapman has been lodged in jail for 25 years now.

The cat was out of the bag when Outkast rapper Andre 3000 said that he always had a gun by his side. Putting forth his viewpoint, Andre said that a gun was what Americans needed to carry all the time. Being quite positive about the weapon he carried, the rapper defended the importance of protecting his son Steven, age nine, at their home. If Andre had his way, he will be buying a gun for his son as soon as he was old enough to use it.  He expressed his displeasure at having bodyguards to protect him and his son; hence the need for the gun.

The Killers made it to the top of the album chart with their LP Sam’s Town showing the way. The competition was tough with rockers Evanescence breathing down their neck. The Open Door by Evanescence claimed the second spot this week. Scissor Sisters were merrily placed at number one for two weeks, but they were relegated to third position. The fourth spot was occupied by another relegated album Razorlight from Razorlight, despite the success of their single America. Lily Alllen’s Alright Still was perched on fifth place.

Pop star Justin Timberlake may be planning to quit music finding it tough to perform onstage. After joining US boy band ‘N Sync, Justin has had two solo releases Justified and FutureSex / LoveSounds. He is reported to have said, “I’ve had bottles of pee thrown at me, and had girls try to tear my clothes off. I don’t want to be jumping around on stage ten years from now.” He said that he no more enjoyed performing on stage because it wasn’t good fun. Having already starred in films Alpha Dog and Edison, Justin could be planning to opt for acting as a career.

News is that US rapper Cassidy is in serious condition after the car in which he was traveling met with an accident. The collision took place on the night of October 4 in New Jersey, when the SUV in which Cassidy seated as a passenger was rammed on its side by a U Haul truck. According to a J Records spokesperson, Cassidy was on his way to a studio in Yonkers, New York, as he was working on his third album. The rapper, who suffered a fracture in the skull, was immediately hospitalized, where his representatives stated that the injuries were not life threatening. The other passengers in the SUV escaped unhurt.

Beyonce Knowles and her mother are undergoing embarrassing moments ever since a video interview faux pas  made it to the Internet. While showcasing their ‘House of Dereon’ line in Chicago, there were some annoying moments for the twosome when a reporter insisted on asking some questions relating to sizing problems. Dorothy Tucker of WBBM TV asked for the reason why some stores had returned some consignments due to poor fit. Beyonce’s mother Tina cut her off mid-sentence and wanted to know why she was doing that. She insisted that the reporter ask questions about the clothes in positive light.  Tina said, “Yeah, but I don’t want to talk about that on the air.” By the time she ordered the filming to stop, all that had been recorded… and found its way to a number of websites.

Hardly had the tennis fans finished rejoicing the pairing of the hottest tennis stars Maria Sharapova and Andy Roddick that rumors come afloat linking singing wannabe, socialite and hotel heiress Paris Hilton with Roddick. If the grapevine is to be believed, both Andy and the Hilton babe are dating. They were seen last week at the Hyde nightclub in Los Angeles followed by their sighting at the Tao and Pure club in Las Vegas. Onlookers say that were enjoying vodka together and there was no denying that they were a couple. Paris was clearly very touchy-feely, while Andy was glued in attention to his lady. Never knew Andy was that good at mixed doubles, especially when it came to changing partners!

It was a show on a small scale, which the Sugababes trio of Keisha Buchanan, Heidi Range, and Amelle Berrabah performed in London on Tuesday night. A mini kick off of sorts, it was a night that launched their new greatest hits collection. They held their mini promotional campaign for Overload: The Singles Collection at The 100 Club in London. The pop stars regaled the audience with their past hits including their first hit Overload. They even performed their forthcoming single Easy. Overload: the Singles Collection has been slated for release on November 13. Sugababes are set to perform at the Dominion Theatre in London on October 29.

The Irish band U2 have announced that they are coming out with a compilation of their greatest recent hits to be released before Christmas. According to the U2’s official website, their “Best Of” compilation will be available to their fans from November 20 onwards. The 16-track album will include their latest single – a cover of ‘The Saints Are Coming’ by The Skids – recorded with Green Day as a fund raiser for musicians affected by hurricane Katrina. The album is said to have another of their newest songs recorded at London’s Abbey Road with producer Rick Rubin last month. There is suspense on which other 14 tracks will form the album.