Billboard Bits serves up the best bite-sized nuggets of music news and gossip every afternoon.
It’s official – the cast of the MTV’s hit reality show “The Jersey Shore” will return for a second season this summer. Six of the seven cast members appeared on the “Today” show this morning (Feb. 1) to announce the completion of their contract negotiations. “The situation is, we’re all in agreement: We’re all going to be coming back for a second season, and we’re all pretty excited,” Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino said, adding that Ronnie Magro was so excited about the show’s return “he slept in” and missed the “Today” interview.
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Jack Johnson is letting the sun shine on his new album. The singer-songwriter has been holed up for the last six months in his eco-friendly studio, the Mango Tree, on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. The album, Johnson’s sixth full-length, is being recorded entirely with solar energy. According to Spinner, a June release is expected on Johnson’s own Brushfire Records label.
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The Milli Vanilli biopic is moving full-speed ahead, with the full support and assistance from actual fake singer Fabrice “Fab” Morvan. In an interview with USA Today, Morvan insisted the legendary Grammy scandal was a misunderstanding. “We wanted to give the Grammy back,” he said. “We felt in our hearts that it would be a good gesture to do that. But they made it look as though (the academy) wanted it back. They could have come to my house and gotten it.”
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The Red Hot Chili Peppers’ latest guitarist made his debut appearance with the band this past weekend in Los Angeles. NME reports that Josh Klinghoffer, who is widely rumored but not yet confirmed as John Frusciante’s replacement, was onstage with the band at the 2010 MusiCares Person Of The Year event honoring Neil Young, performing the “Harvest” classic “A Man Needs A Maid.”
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Michael Jackson’s brother Tito is being sued for a tribute concert performance that never happened. According to TMZ, a Detroit concert promoter is looking for $7500 from the King of Pop’s sibling, which he was allegedly paid for a benefit concert performance in Michigan that never happened. Tito insists he never saw the money.