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Rolling Stone?s Top Stories
• Jackson’s Public Memorial Confirmed
• Watch Jackson at His Final Rehearsals
• Jackson Memorial Proposed for July 7th
• Drake Debuts Kanye-Directed Video
• What Should Happen to Neverland Ranch?
• DEA Joins Jackson Investigation
• Reznor Honored For Helping Fan
• Foo Fighters to Rock D.C. July 4th Bash
• Play: Moby’s Track by Track Guide
• New Music Report: Regina Spektor
• Obama Calls Jackson “One of Our Greatest”
• Film Featuring Jack White Goes to Comic-Con
• Rihanna Moonlights as Tattoo Artist
• Steve Howe Talks Yes/Asia Tour
• Weekend Rock List: American Tunes
• Jackson’s Will Names Diana Ross Guardian
• U2 Launch 360 Tour With Call to Space
• Aerosmith in Boston: Backstage Photos
• Watch Britney Spears’ “Radar” Video
• Inside DJ Hero With Grandmaster Flash
• Jay-Z Talks Ditching Def Jam, New Deals
• Kevin Jonas Gets Engaged
• Crosby, Stills and Nash on 40 Years of Music
• Breaking: Screaming Females
• Al Jardine: “Fleet Foxes Are Awesome”
• Sharpton Defends Jackson at Apollo Tribute
• Stevie Wonder Ignites Montreal Jazz Fest
• Mariah Dresses Like Eminem for “Obsessed”
• Hear Levon Helm’s Take on “Tennessee Jed” Scroll down for full news stories, commentary and much more in Rock Daily.
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Michael Jackson Memorial Confirmed for July 7th in L.A., AEG Announces Ticket Information
 Michael Jackson’s public memorial will be held Tuesday, July 7th at 10:00 a.m. at Los Angeles’ Staples Center, the sight of the superstar’s final rehearsals for his This Is It! run of London concerts. A family spokesman told the Los Angeles Times yesterday that 11,000 tickets will be passed out for the free event and a press conference hosted by concert promoter AEG today confirmed how those tickets will be distributed.
Fans interested in attending the Jackson memorial can log on to StaplesCenter.com today through 6 p.m. PT Saturday. 17,500 tickets total will be made available: 11,000 for entrance to the Staples Center and 6,500 for neighboring Nokia Theatre, which will simulcast the memorial on three screens. 8,750 registered fans will be selected at random and receive two tickets apiece; they will receive a Ticketmaster code on Sunday between 11 a.m. and 8 p.m. that will allow them to pick up tickets and wristbands on Monday at an undisclosed location. No tickets will be physically distributed at the Staples Center or Nokia Theatre. “It was our wish to allow as many of Michael’s fans to be part of the memorial, and we wish to thank everyone for their support and understanding at this difficult time,” Jackson Family said in a statement. (Look back at Michael Jackson’s life and career, in photos.) Questions over who will foot the bill for the memorial and its associated costs — particularly police deployment — remain partially unanswered as of today. “There’s no precedent for this,” Councilwoman Jan Perry, who is stepping in as mayor for a vacationing Antonio Villaraigosa, told the L.A. Times. At the press conference today, Perry said the event had “the potential to impact public safety” and urged fans to watch the memorial on television; a pool feed will provide footage to all the major networks and a Webcast will also be available. All tickets to the event are free, and AEG’s Tim Lieweke discouraged scalping: “Those who would take advantage of this, shame on them.” At 11:30 a.m. PT today, the Staples Center site had received 500,000,000 hits, forcing an additional server to be added to handle the registration demand. No details about the memorial service itself — who will perform or attend — have been released. Original plans to hold Jackson’s memorial and burial at Neverland Ranch were abandoned for legal and logistical reasons. Read more about the potential futures for Neverland here.
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Rewind: The Week in Rock Daily
 Photo:Kevin Mazur/AEG Live via Getty Images
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Random Notes & The Week?s Best Live Shots: U2, Van Halen, More
 Photo courtesy of EVH & JVH via High Profile Media
Eddie Van Halen tied the knot again this week, marrying Janie Liszewski, who walked down to Van Halen’s “When It’s Love” performed by the Sonus Quartet. A familiar reverend (Alex Van Halen) performed the ceremony, and Van Halen bassist (and son) Wolfgang gave his dad away. Mariah Carey also got dressed up this week — as a man — to shoot her video for new single “Obsessed,” and Jamie Foxx donned his best Michael Jackson jacket while performing an homage to the King of Pop during the BET Awards. On the live front, Bob Dylan took the stage as his ballpark tour kick-off draws near, and U2 debuted their innovative stage Claw in Barcelona. Plus we’ve got amazing live shots of MGMT, Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young, the Feelies and Explosions in the Sky. Check out both sets of photos right here: • Random Notes: Van Halen, U2, Mariah Carey, Stevie Wonder and the Week in Rock
• The Week in Live Shots: U2, Bob Dylan, Kid Rock, MGMT and More
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Inside the Rock Hall?s Woodstock 40th Anniversary Exhibit
As the August anniversary of Woodstock approaches, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland is taking a look back at rock’s historic fest in a new exhibit that opens tomorrow called “Woodstock: The 40th Anniversary.” Go behind the scenes with curator Howard Kramer as he outlines some of its highlights — like the vest fest co-producer Michael Lang wore all three days of peace, love and rock & roll as well as the documents listing who was playing and how much they were paid. The exhibit, which runs through late November, also includes a press release from when the fest was scheduled to go down at Wallkill, New York (”Woodstock does not figure on gate crashers”) and Lang’s original handwritten plans for the event. Plus, go inside the new book The Road to Woodstock in exclusive excerpts here: • “The Road to Woodstock”: The Stories Behind Rock History
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New Music Report: Regina Spektor
The New Music Report’s Christian Rock! kicks off this week with Regina Spektor, who scored her highest chart debut with her new third album, Far. The New Yorker via Moscow is a classically trained pianist as well as an appealing weirdo, like Fiona Apple and Bjürk combined, says Christian Hoard. Her vocal hiccups (there’s even a dolphin impression on the record) can be indulgent, but she has pop songwriting gifts. Spektor’s confessionals grab you by the lapels without getting maudlin or overly emotional. Hoard says Far is a brightly produced album, but it’s also pretty straightforward, featuring piano, strings, percussion and keyboards. This time around Spektor’s lyris are deep and open — she’s sad on “Laughing With” but also whimsical on “Dance Anthem of the 80’s” where she wanders around the city with her slip showing. Hoard says he’s a fan because Spektor doesn’t try like she’s trying hard. Jon Dolan concurs in his four-star review of the album: “Spektor is a woman who doesn’t need much excuse to have an emotional Chernobyl (in one song, it’s finding a wallet with a Blockbuster card in it). But she’s also the rare screwball who gets more universal as she gets weirder.” >>Watch every episode of our weekly New Music Report video podcast by subscribing via iTunes (when prompted, click “Launch application”). Every Tuesday, a new episode will be delivered to your iTunes. [If you don’t have iTunes, download it here.]
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Rihanna Moonlights As Tattoo Artist, Angers Health Dept.
 Photo: snitcherdesk.com/Splash News
Rihanna’s love of tattoos is no secret, as it seems like every time the “Umbrella” singer is photographed, she’s sporting new ink somewhere. According to MTV, RiRi took her painful hobby to a new extreme yesterday at New York tattoo parlor East Side Ink, trying her hand at being a tattoo artist by inscribing the letter “R” into the bodies of the parlor staff. MTV says Rihanna initially came in to get lessons from her personal tattoo artist BangBang, but the student soon became the teacher when Rihanna tattooed BangBang and two other artists, plus East Side Ink owner Yadira, who got an “R” on his leg as well. “We had a blast,” Yadira told MTV. “It was so funny and cute.” And, apparently, illegal.
TMZ reports that, following news of Rihanna’s tattoo clinic, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene said they’d go to East Side Ink to investigate the incident. “Only licensed tattoo artists can administer tattoos in the city according to the City’s Health Code. We are sending someone down to follow up on this,” the NYC Health Department told TMZ, who have video of Rihanna putting her permanent art on the parlor workers. The whole tatting incident might cost Rihanna, literally: If the singer is charged, the misdemeanors carry fines of $300 for the first offense, $500 for the second and $1,000 for the third. If an investigation is opened up, East Side Ink might face some fines from the New York Health Department as well.
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Michael Jackson?s Neverland: What Should Happen to the Superstar?s Ranch?
 Photo: Wong/Getty
Throngs of fans and media descended on Neverland Ranch following Michael Jackson’s death last week, demonstrating once again how the 2,800-acre property in California’s Santa Barbara County is synonymous with the King of Pop. However, plans for a Neverland public memorial and burial have been abandoned, and it’s unclear what will become of the cultural landmark now. Jackson himself left the land after his second trial for child-molestation charges (the police search of his home “violated” it, he said), and in November 2008 the ranch’s deed was transferred to Sycamore Valley Ranch Company, LLC and billionaire Thomas Barrack, a casualty of Jackson’s mounting debt, according to the Santa Barbara EdHat. The property’s amusement park rides were removed, and Jackson memorabilia headed to the auction block.
(Get a look at Neverland’s historic contents.) So what should become of Neverland now? A few suggestions: Neverland, the Graceland: While the mayor of Gary, Indiana lobbies for the Jackson family to establish a museum dedicated to their lives in Jackson’s former hometown, turning Neverland into a public museum much like Elvis Presley’s Graceland seems like the most obvious idea, given the fame surrounding the property. It’s probably the most cost-feasible option as well, as it would just require the Ranch to be restored to its previous state prior to Jackson’s departure. Decades after Presley’s death, Graceland continues to attract fans and earn money, so it’s a given Neverland could operate the same way. However, California law prevents an individual from being buried at a private residence, so the site would have to serve more as a museum than a final resting ground. Neverland, the Amusement Park: The Ranch previously housed a kiddie roller coaster, Ferris wheel, merry-go-round and many more rides to entertain its young visitors. Southern California is already a hotbed for theme parks, from Disneyland to Six Flags to Universal Studios, and Neverland could be the latest addition to the club. Imagine, a roller coaster called Moonwalker or Dangerous: The Ride. They can even resurrect the 3D Captain EO attraction that was at the Epcot Center and Disneyland. Neverland, the National Park: It would probably the favorite option to the quiet residents of Santa Barbara, the plan would mean restoring the Ranch to its original, scenic state. Without the frills of the previous two options, the Ranch would be similar to the Strawberry Fields memorial dedicated to John Lennon in Central Park. Maybe once a year, on Jackson’s birthday or the anniversary of his death, a public concert could be held on the land to pay tribute to the singer. Neverland, the Children’s Hospital: This is probably the closest thing Jackson had in mind when he established the Neverland Ranch, and it’s most likely the best way to honor his memory. Even as Jackson was preparing for his This Is It! tour, his spokesman told Rolling Stone that Jackson was returning to the stage not for the money, but that “he’s doing it for his children and the children of the world.” What better way to honor his legacy as a humanitarian than with a children’s hospital on the site, complete with the rides? What would be a fitting fate for Neverland? Leave your suggestions for Jackson’s former home in the comments.
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Obama on Michael Jackson: ?One of Our Greatest Entertainers?
 Photo: Wong/Getty
President Barack Obama has commented publicly about the death of Michael Jackson, telling the AP “I grew up on his music — still have all his stuff on my iPod.” Obama added that Jackson “will go down in history as one of our greatest entertainers.” As Rock Daily previously reported, Obama personally sent a letter of condolence to the Jackson family, the contents of which were not revealed.
“I think that his brilliance as a performer also was paired with a tragic and, in many ways, sad personal life,” Obama said. “I’m glad to see that he is being remembered primarily for the great joy that he brought to a lot of people through his extraordinary gifts as an entertainer.” The President’s comments today mark the first time a news agency has asked him to speak publicly about Jackson. Obama was prepared to address Jackson’s death during a press conference with the German chancellor last week, but no one asked the President to comment on the King of Pop. “The president obviously believes that he was an important and magnificent performer,” Obama’s senior adviser David Axelrod told Meet The Press last weekend. “Obviously, he led a sad life in many ways as well but his impact is undeniable.” Obama’s press secretary Robert Gibbs spoke on behalf of the President after Jackson’s death, saying “I talked to [Obama] about it this morning. He said to me that obviously Michael Jackson was a spectacular performer, a music icon, and I think everybody remembers hearing his songs, watching him moonwalk on television during Motown’s 25th anniversary.” Related Stories: • Barack Obama Sends Condolences to Michael Jackson’s Family
• Music World Mourns Michael Jackson’s Death
• Inside Barack Obama’s iPod
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Weekend Rock List: American Songs
 Photo: Mazur/WireImage
The stars and stripes will be out in full force as Independence Day is upon us, and to celebrate the July 4th weekend this Rock List to dedicated to the Land of the Free and Home of the Brave. The songs don’t necessarily have to be patriotic; they just need to have “America” in the title. On Monday, we’ll count up the Readers’ favorites and reveal the Rock List: American Songs. Before you get distracted by fireworks and barbecues, check out our picks:
• Estelle – “American Boy”
• Prince – “America”
• LCD Soundsystem – “North American Scum”
• Tom Petty – “American Girl”
• David Bowie – “I’m Afraid of Americans”
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