Billboard Bits serves up the best bite-sized nuggets of music news and gossip.
How Do You Get Backstage At A U2 Concert? Give A Lift to Hitchhiking Bono
Gilbert Brule, a hockey player for the Edmonton Oiler, and his girlfriend, Kelsey Nichols, were driving around West Vancouver Tuesday afternoon when they picked up a hitchiker: U2 frontman Bono. After driving past Bono and U2 manager Paul McGuinness once (the two had been out for a walk before it started to rain), Brule was sure it was the singer and convinced Nichols to turn the car around. As a thank you, Bono gave Brule, Nichols and Brule’s mother tickets and backstage passages for a U2 show in Edmonton. (Edmonton Journal)
Moby ‘Mildly Electrocuted’ During Amsterdam Show
According to Moby’s official blog, the artist was electrocuted during a show this week. He writes: “Yes, I was mildly electrocuted during an acoustic show at the Reflex Gallery in Amsterdam.” However, Moby insists that the minor incident will not affect his touring schedule. (Moby.com)
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Demi Lovato Back in the Studio
Following her stint in rehab, Demi Lovato is back in the studio and focusing on her upcoming album. Feeling “stronger and healthier than ever,” she says, the popstar hopes to channel her experiences into positive creative energy and inspire girls everywhere facing similar issues. (Seventeen)
Eminem, Royce Da 5’9″ And Bruno Mars Release ‘Lighters’
Eminem and Royce Da 5’9″ dropped their “Hell: The Sequel” track “Lighters,” which features the omnipresent Bruno Mars earlier this week. The crooner interrupts Eminem and Royce Da 5’9″‘s verses by calling for “a sky full of lighters.” Listen below. (Idolator)
Frank Sinatra’s ‘New York, New York’ Back at Belmont
The New York Racing Association is returning to Frank Sinatra’s classic version of “New York, New York” when the horses step onto the track for next Saturday’s $1 million race at Belmont Park. The decision was announced today (June 3), a year after NYRA replaced Sinatra’s tune with the Jay-Z/Alicia Keys rendition of “Empire State of Mind.” (Associated Press)
Doris Day To Release 29th Album
Legendary actress and singer Doris Day will release a new record on September 5 in the U.K. via Sony Music. Titled “My Heart,” the album features six previously unreleased tracks produced by her late son Terry Melcher, and the new songs feature orchestral arrangements from British producer Ted Carfrae. More so, these recordings are the result of the last recording sessions Day did in the mid 1980s.
(Reporting by the Associated Press, Jillian Mapes, Jon Blistein and Carly Wolkoff)