MADONNA SNAGS NUMBER ONE ALBUM

Madonna's Hard Candy snagged the Number One spot on the album chart this week, moving 280,000 copies. According to Billboard.com, it marks her seventh chart-topping set, which puts her right behind fellow female artist Barbra Streisand, who has eight Number One releases. Hard Candy gained momentum after the release of the single, "4 Minutes" featuring Justin Timberlake.

Madonna's chart debut knocked Mariah Carey's E=MC2 to second place with 95,000 units sold. Leona Lewis' Spirit fell to Number Three, followed by Lyfe Jennings' new album Lyfe Change. Def Leppard's Songs from the Sparkle Lounge debuted at Number Five, followed by the Roots' ninth album, Rising Down. Portishead's first studio effort in a decade, called Third, entered at Number Seven. The Top Ten was rounded out by Tom Petty's side project Mudcrutch, the Now 27 compilation and a new Tim McGraw collection.

Madonna has plans to tour in the fall. Her album also features Timbaland and the Neptunes.

AMY WINEHOUSE ARRESTED, AGAIN

Amy Winehouse was arrested in London on Wednesday (May 7th) as part of an ongoing investigation into video stills which show the singer using drugs. In the photographs, which were published by The Sun in January, Winehouse is shown smoking crack and admitting to have taken six Valiums. The singer's spokesman issued a statement which read, "Amy Winehouse voluntarily attended a London police station today by appointment. She was arrested in order to be interviewed and is cooperating fully with inquiries." He added, "The interview relates to a video handed to police earlier this year."

It has been a bad week for Winehouse. Just days ago it was announced that Winehouse had to withdraw from recording the new James Bond movie theme because, as producer Mark Ronson said, she's "not ready to work on music yet."
Last month Winehouse spent a night in jail and was cautioned after assaulting a man during a night out in London.

JOHN MAYER TALKS ANISTON PHOTOS

John Mayer has commented on the photos of him and Jennifer Aniston that have recently emerged. According to the Associated Press, he said “You know what I did? I looked at it and I said, ‘That’s about right.’ What am I going to say, ‘That’s not me?’” The heartthrob singer-songwriter also told Entertainment Tonight, “Listen, this is not a scandal, this is not an issue, this is not a problem, this needs no spin control. This is me living my life and a guy with a really powerful lens and I don’t fault him.”
 

JASON WADE GETS HONEST

While being a rockstar has its perks, there’s one part of the songwriting process that isn’t so great: sharing your soul with the world. Lifehouse frontman Jason Wade once told us about baring his deepest thoughts. “I think that people like it when you just write honest lyrics, you know, and I think that’s just the best you can do, it’s harder to do that because they’re more personal and you’re opening yourself up for criticism on lyrics that are very personal to you but that’s what music is about. You write music to connect to people so you kind of have to go there.”
 

MARIAH CAREY IS MARRIED

Okay, so the marriage is official after all. People magazine has published pictures of the happy Mr. and Mrs. Nick Cannon, known separately as Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon. The pair wed in secret in the Bahamas and hadn’t confirmed their nuptials till now. People has pics of the newlyweds as well as a post-wedding interview where Mariah says she and Cannon feel they “are soulmates.” 

GAVIN DeGRAW STRIPS

Gavin DeGraw is in love with a girl and when that happens, we all know what comes next… you strip things down. That’s right, Gavin is one of the latest artists to go bare bones after he performed an exclusive Stripped down version of “In Love with a Girl.” To check it out, visit GavinDeGraw.com. The singer-songwriter’s new self-titled album was just released on Tuesday.

BRYAN ADAMS TO SIGN SOME CDS

Bryan Adams’ new album, 11, is set for release on Tuesday, and all next week, the singer will be appearing at select Wal-Mart’s across the country to sign the disc. Bryan is set to please fans in Bartlett, Tennessee on Tuesday; Kissimmee, Florida on Wednesday; Columbus, Ohio a week from today; Maple Grove, Minnesota a week from tomorrow; Union City, California next Saturday and Porter Ranch, California on the 19th. For exact addresses, visit BryanAdams.com. Bryan plays Rochester, New York today.
 

POLICE GIVE GIFTS TO NYC: LAST SHOW EVER, TREES

In a press conference in Times Square on Tuesday, The Police announced that their last concert ever is scheduled to take place somewhere in Manhattan.  The show will take place in August but further details are still unknown.  And to commemorate that show, the band will be donating one-million dollars to MillionTreesNYC, Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s initiative to plant trees all over the five boroughs that make up New York City.  Sting told the gathered crowd that trees were the perfect gift to commemorate their last performance.  “We wanted to leave a gift for our last performance that would keep on giving year after year, decade after decade, the gift of trees does do that.”

The trees aren’t Sting’s only effort to help the environment.  He is holding a benefit concert at New York’s Carnegie Hall tonight with Billy Joel, Brian Wilson, James Taylor and many others.  Meanwhile, The Police next play Chicago on Saturday. 

BILLY IDOL TO OPEN FOR DEF LEPPARD

While they’ve been touring America, Def Leppard has mostly received support from Styx and REO Speedwagon, but on select dates this August, the band will get help from another singer.  Billy Idol will open for the boys from August 6th through August 20th, as they play select dates in Canada as well as in Grand Rapids, Michigan and Fort Wayne, Indiana.  For more info, head to DefLeppard.com.