Rock Hall Broadcast: Dedicated to Adam Yauch of Beastie Boys

HBO's broadcast of the 2012 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, which debuts at 9 p.m. ET Saturday (May 5) will be dedicated to Adam "MCA" Yauch of the Beastie Boys, who were inducted on April 14 in Cleveland.

An HBO spokesperson tells Billboard.com that the show's ending has been changed to include a photo of the rapper and musician -- who passed away on Friday at the age of 47, following a nearly three-year battle with cancer -- with text that reads "In Memory of Adam Yauch." The two-and-a-half-hour show had already been altered to include Levon Helm and Dick Clark during the In Memoriam section, even though both died during the week following the event.

Yauch did not attend the ceremony at Cleveland's Town Hall but sent a letter that was read to the audience by fellow Beastie Boy Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz. Yauch's parents, Frances and Noel Yauch, attended the ceremony and were thanked for their support in their son's letter as well as by Horovitz and Mike "Mike D" Diamond. The other two Beastie Boys chose not to perform during the ceremony; instead Kid Rock, Gym Class Heroes Travie McCoy and the Roots delivered a well-received medley of the group's favorites.

HBO has 14 other airings scheduled for HBO and HBO2, while HBO Signature will air the special for 24 hours on Sunday, May 6.

The bulk of Yauch's Rock hall induction letter went as follows:

I'd like to dedicate this award to my brothers, Adam and Mike, who've walked the globe with me.

To anyone who's been touched by our band, who our music has meant something to, this induction is as much ours as it is yours. To Kate Schellenbach. To John Berry. To John Berry's loft on 100th St. in Brooklyn where John's dad would come busting in during our first practices screaming, "Would you turn that f***ing s*** off already!"...

To my loving and supportive parents, Noel and Frances Yauch, and to our home in Brooklyn where we used to practice on hot Brooklyn days after school, windows wide open to disturb the neighborhood...

But most of all I'd like to thank and dedicate this honor to my smart, beautiful and loving wife Dechen and our sweet, talented, loving daughter Tenzin. Never has a man felt more blessed than I to be able to spend my time with my two soulmates. I love you guys more than you know.

I wish I could name everyone who deserves to be named, but of course there's too many names to name. You know who you are, and I sent my love out to all of you.

Your friend, Adam Yauch.

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'Glee' Covers One Direction's 'What Makes You Beautiful': Watch

by Sarah Maloy, N.Y.  |   May 04, 2012 7:15 EDT

This time last year, the "Glee" cast covered Rebecca Black's viral sensation "Friday" for their junior prom, and now that they're wrapping up senior year, the Fox crew has taken on the latest song to sweep the nation: One Direction's "What Makes You Beautiful."

In the video above, Artie (Kevin McHale), Sam (Chord Overstreet), Mike (Harry Shum, Jr.), Joseph (Samuel Larsen) and Rory (Damian McGinty) take the stage at McKinley High's prom, performing the British boy band's hit. Screaming girls and choreographed boy band moves are, of course, in no short supply. The tuxedoed quintet dances on stage while their peers celebrate senior prom, barely changing the sound or style of the original version.

The dinosaur-themed "Prom-asaurus" episode will also feature Selena Gomez's "Love You Like a Love Song," Ke$ha's "Dinosaur," Berlin's "Take My Breath Away," and Fergie's "Big Girls Don't Cry."

After the prom episode airs on Tuesday, May 8, only two episodes of "Glee" season three remain; the two-hour "Props/Nationals" episode airs on May 15, with the finale, "Goodbye," airing May 22. With several cast members graduating, it's still unclear what the future of "Glee" -- which has been renewed for a fourth season -- will hold.

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Mystikal Plays Jazz Fest Show Before Jail Return

Thousands turned out Friday to see New Orleans rapper Mystikal perform one last time before returning to jail on a probation violation.

The rapper, whose real name is Michael Tyler, was released from a Louisiana prison in 2010 after serving six years for sexual battery and extortion. He returns to jail May 14 following a February arrest on a misdemeanor charge of domestic abuse battery.

In April, the rapper's attorney, Roy Maughan Jr., said Tyler and the victim in the domestic battery case were longtime domestic partners.

The rapper alluded to his legal problems on stage Friday

"I'm going through some things, but it's gonna be all right," Mystikal said to cheering fans. "Fellas if you get into it with your girl, just walk away. Me? I'm gonna run."

He also shouted: "Eighty-one days and I will be back," referring to the length of his pending jail term.

State District Judge Tony Marabella of Baton Rouge ordered Tyler to serve 90 days in jail for the violation but gave him credit for the nine days he was detained after his Feb. 22 arrest.

Mystikal thanked his fans for their continued support and, in between a few water breaks, pushed through a set list that included fan favorites "Bouncin' Back, "Danger (Been So Long)," and "Here I Go."

"He's been through a lot, but I like artists who keep pushing past their struggles," said Erik Hamilton, of New Orleans. "A lot of people focus on an artist's problems and forget that he's a regular person and regular people sometimes have problems.

"I'm disappointed to hear he has to go back (to jail) but he'll have some time to sit back and realize what he's done and hopefully he will be a better man when he comes out."

Hamilton's wife, Frenchell Pannell-Hamilton, said she enjoyed the rapper's performance.

"We have to support our local musicians and stand behind them," she said. "That helps keep New Orleans strong."

Tony Jones, visiting from Hawaii, said he didn't know what happened to get Mystikal a return ticket to prison, but hoped "the judge was lenient."

Jason Foster, a Charlotte, N.C. native now living in New Orleans, said he grew up with Mystikal. This was his first time at the Jazz Fest and his first time seeing the rapper's live show, which included music by his full brass band "Hot Sausage."

"He played all his hits and gave a great show," Foster said.

Tyler pleaded guilty in 2003 to forcing his hairstylist to perform what a judge called "continuous sex acts." The victim in that case accused Tyler and two bodyguards of making her perform oral sex after accusing her of stealing $80,000 worth of his checks.

The woman denied stealing any money.

Copyright 2012, The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Jimmy Fallon Debuts 'Blow Your Pants Off' Album Cover

by Sarah Maloy, N.Y.  |   May 04, 2012 11:00 EDT

Last night NBC's "Late Night," Jimmy Fallon unveiled the cover for his upcoming "Blow Your Pants Off" album, which will feature appearances from Justin Timberlake, Paul McCartney and Bruce Springsteen.

The risque cover shows Fallon baring his backside atop a bearskin rug, but in the name of propriety and marketing, the suited-from-the-waist-up host is covered by a "June 12" sticker as he sips a glass of red wine and relaxes by a crackling fire. But if you buy it, Fallon pointed out seductively, it doesn't come with a sticker.

"I don't remember taking this photo at all," Fallon said on the show, holding up the album cover. "It's just a guy relaxing at home with a nice glass of wine. Starts listening to the album and his pants blew off."

As The Roots' Questlove fell into a fit of laughter on the side of the stage, Fallon added, "I don't know if this is my butt or a stunt butt. There's rumors going around that it's the 'Mona Lisa' of album covers."

Dave Matthews and Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder are also featured on the comedy album, which drops June 12. We'll have to wait to see if any skittish big-box stores take issue with Fallon's bare bum and pull it from shelves.

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Chuck D 'Teary-Eyed' Over Adam Yauch Death

by David Greenwald, L.A.  |   May 04, 2012 10:32 EDT

A quarter-century ago, the Beastie Boys helped Public Enemy get their start on the road, history that wasn't lost on the hip-hop group's Chuck D on Friday.

"Last night, I took a 14 hour flight to Sydney, Australia from LA, embarking on PE's 80th tour in 25 years. I just landed to 65 texts with the news," he said in a statement, addressing the death of Adam Yauch, better known as MCA.

"Adam and the Boys put us on our first tour 25 years and 79 tours ago. They were essential to our beginning, middle and today. Adam especially was unbelievable in our support from then 'til now, even allowing me to induct them into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame," he continued. "I consider myself a strong man and my father says be prepared to lose many in your post-50 path of life. Still, I'm a bit teary-eyed leaving this plane. R.I.P. Adam aka MCA."

Adam Yauch's Death: Hip-Hop Stars React on Twitter

Hip-hop stars from across the spectrum paid tribute to the late MC on Friday, with Rev Run, one of the group's early collaborators, adding to the memories.

"A couple years ago, me and a couple of people that were working on filming 'Run's House' on MTV went to their show in Brooklyn, and I came out on onstage and waved to the audience right before 'No Sleep Till Brooklyn.'" he told MTV. "I did so much with them over the years that I just want to keep the love alive. My tribute to them is just to tell them that I love them and what they did for hip-hop culture is legendary.

"He had a really incredible style of rhyme, and I was like, 'This dude is amazing,'" Run added of the Beasties' early days. "Adam Yauch has this special type of rasp in his voice that made him incredible to me, so he stood out as a real vintage type of incredible MC. It was intriguing to see white guys rapping like that, being so cool, plus sticking to their roots, so they were true to themselves."

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Beastie Boys Blazed Billboard Chart History

B eastie Boys' Billboard chart history is as eclectic as the group itself.

The trio's (Mike Diamond, Adam Horovitz and the late Adam Yauch) "Licensed to Ill" album made history in 1987 as the first rap album to hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. The blockbuster set reached the top on March 7, 1987 and spent seven straight weeks at No. 1.

The album spun off two Billboard Hot 100 hit singles, the No. 7 smash "(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party!)" and the No. 48-peaking "Brass Monkey." Other tracks from that monumental set also saturated radio, such as "Fight's" B-side "Paul Revere," "Hold It Now, Hit It," "It's the New Style" and "No Sleep Till Brooklyn."

"Licensed to Ill" was a monster seller, spending 73 weeks on the Billboard 200 and selling nine million copies in the U.S. according to the Recording Industry Association of America.

The act continued to release successful albums all the way through last year, with the bow of "Hot Sauce Committee Part Two," which debuted and peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. All told, the group claimed six top 10 albums, with four of those reaching No. 1. After "Licensed to Ill" claimed the pole position, they returned with the chart-toppers "Ill Communication" (1994), "Hello Nasty" (1998) and "To the 5 Boroughs" (2004).

Since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking sales data in 1991, Beastie Boys have sold 20 million albums -- making them the biggest-selling rap group in that span of time. In the so-called SoundScan-era, "Licensed to Ill" has sold 5.5 million in the U.S. Since the firm began tabulating digital sales in 2003, the Beastie Boys have moved 5.9 million song downloads. Unsurprisingly, their biggest selling download is "Fight For Your Right," with 746,000 sold.

After the breakthrough with "Fight For Your Right," Beastie Boys would occasionally return to the Hot 100 chart later in their career, but found success on many genre charts. Throughout its career, the band placed hits on the Pop Songs, Alternative, Rap, Mainstream Rock, Dance/Club Play Songs and R&B/Hip-Hop charts.

On the Alternative tally, the group hit No. 1 once, with 2004's "Ch-Check It Out" from the "To the 5 Boroughs" album. Over on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, they tallied top 40 hits with "It's the New Style" (No. 22 in 1986) and "Paul Revere" (No. 34 in 1987). And on the Dance/Club Songs chart, they managed a total of four hits, going as high as No. 15 with the funky "Hey Ladies" in 1989. "Ladies" was also a No. 10 Rap hit for the act in 1989.

Beastie Boys' Top Five Billboard Hot 100 Hits:

Rank - Title - (Year) - Hot 100 Peak Position

1. "(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party!)" - 1987 - No. 7

2. "Intergalactic" - 1998 - No. 28

3. "Hey Ladies" - 1989 - No. 36

4. "Brass Monkey" - 1987 - No. 48

5. "Ch-Check It Out" - 2004 - No. 68

Beastie Boys' top Hot 100 hits ranking is based on actual performance on the weekly Billboard Hot 100 chart. Songs are ranked based on an inverse point system, with weeks at No. 1 earning the greatest value and weeks at No. 100 earning the least. To ensure equitable representation of the biggest hits from each era, certain time frames were weighted to account for the difference between turnover rates from those years.

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Norah Jones, B.o.B and Marilyn Manson Top 10 Bound on Billboard 200

by Keith Caulfield, L.A.  |   May 04, 2012 10:05 EDT

Carrie Underwood is going to blow away the competition this week, as her "Blown Away" album should easily top the Billboard 200 chart -- so say industry sources. The country diva's fourth studio album is on track to sell between 275,000 and 300,000 copies by the end of the tracking week on Sunday, May 6.

The new Billboard 200 chart's top 10 will be revealed on the morning of Wednesday, May 9.

But Underwood isn't the only big name that dropped a new album this week. Norah Jones' "Little Broken Hearts" is aiming for the No. 2 slot with around 90,000 to 100,000 in sales, while B.o.B's "Strange Clouds" may make a top five start with 65,000 to 75,000 copies.

All four of Jones' previous studio albums have reached the top three on the Billboard 200. Her first three efforts hit No. 1 -- "Come Away With Me," "Feels Like Home" and "Not Too Late." Her last set, 2009's "The Fall," debuted and peaked at No. 3 off a 180,000 start, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

B.o.B's second studio album, "Strange Clouds," is the follow-up to 2010's "The Adventures of Bobby Ray," which debuted at No. 1 (84,000). His new release is led by the album's title track, which hit No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100, and the new single "So Good" (No. 11).

The new "Now 42" compilation will also make waves next week, giving the long-running hits franchise yet another top 10 set. It should sell about 90,000 to 100,000 -- and might block Jones from the No. 2 position.

Marilyn Manson may grab his seventh top 10 album with the arrival of "Born Villain" -- his first album after departing Interscope Records. The new set may sell around 30,000 to 40,000.

On Nielsen SoundScan's Building chart (below), Underwood is No. 1 while Jones, "Now 42" and B.o.B are in the Nos. 2-4 slots, respectively. The Building tally is a precursor to the final Billboard 200 ranking, reflecting the first four days (Monday through Thursday) of SoundScan's tracking week as reported by six major merchants.

As for the rest of the Building Chart: Adele's "21" is No. 5, followed by Lionel Richie's "Tuskegee" at No. 6 and Jack White's current No. 1 album, "Blunderbuss," at No. 7. Marilyn Manson is in the No. 8 spot, with One Direction's "Up All Night" and Lee Brice's "Hard 2 Love" at Nos. 9 and 10.

Nielsen SoundScan Building ChartThe Building Chart reflects the first four days (Monday through Thursday) of SoundScan's tracking week (which ends Sunday) as reported by six major merchants: iTunes, Trans World Entertainment, Best Buy, Starbucks, Target and Anderson Merchandisers. Billboard estimates that they make up about 85% of all U.S. album sales.

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