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Tuesday, March 13, 2007 By Web Bryant, USA TODAY ©2007 MasterCard
Lifeline Rock Hall honors inductees, legends
Victory for Spartan ‘300’ Ronettes thank can culture.”
To underline that point, an-
snort and omitted her former
spouse from her lengthy list of
The computer-generated tale of the brawny Spar- all but Spector other icon Ertegun champi-
oned, Aretha Franklin, livened
acknowledgements, which also
included Richards, Eddie Mon-
tans in 300 outmuscled all other films this weekend. up the proceedings with an ex- ey, George Harrison, Joey Ra-
Amazing Grace, a well-reviewed historical biography By Elysa Gardner uberant Don’t Play That Song mone and her current partner,
about William Wilberforce, who fought to end slavery USA TODAY (which Ertegun co-wrote and Jonathan Greenfield.
in England, snuck back into the top 10 in its third week which she dedicated to him). Other inductees set to follow
in theaters. The top 10: NEW YORK — The list of new Franklin was followed by a were Patti Smith, inducted by
members welcomed into the group of female singers whose Zack de la Rocha; Grandmaster
Box office (millions) Avg. Pct. Weeks
Film Wkd. Total per site chg. out
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame rise, many believe, relied more Flash & the Furious Five (by Jay-
Monday night was short but profoundly on male support. Z), R.E.M. (Eddie Vedder) and
1 300 $70.9 New $22,844 1
eclectic, including a pop/R&B But presenter Keith Richards Van Halen (Scott Weiland and
2 Wild Hogs $27.6 $77.0 $8,374 –30% 2
girl group, a punk poet, hip- gave Phil Spector’s protégées Slash). With Eddie Van Halen in
3 Bridge to $6.8 $67 $2,112 –24% 4 hop pioneers and darlings of The Ronettes their due, noting rehab and unable to attend and
Terabithia
both classic and modern rock. that the ladies could “sing right David Lee Roth declining to
4 Ghost Rider $6.7 $104.0 $1,993 –42% 4
At the 22nd annual induction By Scott Gries, Getty Images
through a wall of sound.” perform, second Van Halen
5 Zodiac $6.6 $23.6 $2,792 –50% 2 dinner at the Waldorf-Astoria, Livening things up: Aretha Franklin sings That Song for them. Ronettes spokeswoman and singer Sammy Hagar was
6 Norbit $4.3 $88.3 $1,708 –33% 5 time was put aside to honor Spector’s ex-wife, Ronnie Spec- scheduled to sing Why Can’t
7 The Number 23 $4.0 $30.2 $1,640 –37% 3 two previous inductees who tic Records and Hall of Fame “true, complete original” tor, expressed no direct hostil- This Be Love with the Paul Shaff-
8 Music and Lyrics $3.7 $43.8 $1,642 –23% 4 died in December: soul legend founder. The evening began on whose “contribution to this ity. She did, however, pointedly er-led house band, and Stone
9 Breach $2.5 $29.0 $1,665 –31% 4 James Brown and industry leg- a pensive note as Stephen Stills society has been to make sure thank “Stu Phillips, our first Temple Pilots were to play a
10 Amazing Grace $2.48 $11.4 $2,478 –12% 3 end Ahmet Ertegun, the Atlan- remembered Ertegun as a . . . that black culture is Ameri- producer,” with a meaningful pair of Van Halen hits.
Source: Nielsen EDI
New music releases 2
on your cellphone 4 6 8
Send text message to 44636
(4INFO) with NEWMUSIC. 1
The finalists:
Tall order: Starbucks forms record label 1. Gina Glocksen
Starbucks has teamed with Concord Music Group to 2. Chris Sligh
form a record label, Hear Music, the same brand that 3. Haley Scarnato
has been stamped on Starbucks compilation CDs since 3 4. Jordin Sparks
1999. The Los Angeles-based company will work with 7 5. LaKisha Jones
established and new artists alike, and it will distribute 5 6. Phil Stacey
the music at the coffee giant’s locations as well as tra- 7. Stephanie Edwards
ditional music channels. The partnership’s best-known 8. Sanjaya Malakar
hit to date is Ray Charles’ Genius Loves Company, which 9. Melinda Doolittle
has sold more than 5.5 million copies. 10. Brandon Rogers
11. Blake Lewis
‘American Inventor’ tries again 9 12. Chris Richardson
If you have a great product idea, American Inventor
is looking for you. The second-year ABC reality show,
produced by American Idol’s Simon Cowell, will hold
casting calls in Los Angeles, Sunday (Los Angeles Con-
11
vention Center); San Francisco, March 25 (Regency
Center); Chicago, March 31 (Navy Pier); New York,
April 4 (Broad Street Ballroom); Orlando, April 9
10
12
(Contemporary Resort); and Houston, April 13 (TBA).
The winner gets $1 million and the chance to market
the product worldwide. For more information, visit
AmericanInventor.tv or call 888-703-7728.
Rock directs Red Hot video
Chris Rock joined with the
Red Hot Chili Peppers to direct
a music video for their upcom-
ing single Hump de Bump from
the album Stadium Arcadium.
Rock wanted the group to have
a funky, “Rolling Stones-type” Meet the
video, which was shot from the contestants,
Los Angeles set of his CW show see what
Everybody Hates Chris. In the they have
Getty Images clip, the group mingles with to say, 3D By Dan MacMedan,
Rock: Video goes neighbors, cheerleaders and a USA TODAY
Hump de Bump. marching band at a Brooklyn
block party. According to a state-
Women dominate the field
ment by Rock, “I said, ‘OK, I’ll direct it, but you have to
agree to be the only white people in the video.’ ”
CMT names Kristofferson a ‘Visionary’
Kris Kristofferson will be honored with the Johnny
Cash Visionary Award at the CMT Music Awards April
16 in Nashville. Rosanne Cash, daughter of the late
Johnny Cash, will present the award to the singer/ By Bill Keveney and Edna Gundersen finals that ended last week, Idol judges said only four
songwriter. Kristofferson, 70, has written some of USA TODAY men deserved to make the finals. To echo judge Paula
country music’s most enduring hits for artists such as Abdul’s warning, they need to raise their game.
Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Sammi Smith and Janis Joplin. WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — Keep your bags “The women are definitely stronger than the boys
Previous recipients include Cash, Hank Williams Jr., packed, guys. You may be out in the cold before your vocally,” judge Randy Jackson said at the Top 12’s red-
Loretta Lynn, Reba McEntire and the Dixie Chicks. voices warm up if American Idol’s finals are at all like carpet debut after Thursday’s elimination show.
the semifinals. But Jackson and Abdul say it’s too
MTV, Yahoo search for the spoof
MTV and Yahoo Movies are giving aspiring filmmak- For the So far, singing’s battle of the sexes is a
gender smackdown comparable to Billie
Jean King’s domination of Bobby Riggs
Cover story early to count the guys out, especially
considering the unpredictability of Idol
voters. By making it through the semi-
ers a chance to win an MTV movie award in the new
“Best Movie Spoof” user-generated category. Starting
April 23, fans can submit their own original movie
first time, in tennis. The safest bet going is that the next Idol will
be a she.
finals, a top Idol milestone, the men may see their
nerves settle, Abdul says.
shorts parodying films from the past year to an inter-
active site on Yahoo! Movies. The winner will be an- guys could After weekend mentoring from Motown legend Di-
ana Ross, the six female contestants face their six male
counterparts tonight (Fox, 8 ET/PT).
“It’s like a psychological thing where we’re shooting
them down, (saying) the girls are better, and it be-
nounced during the 2007 MTV Movie Awards live
broadcast June 3. be shut out With the women dominating the separated semi- Please see COVER STORY next page u
New memoir all about Mia
Mia Tyler, daughter of Aerosmith frontman Steven
of top 5
Tyler, will write a coming-of-age memoir titled Cre- Idol coaches
weigh in, 3D Gene Rona
ating Myself: How I Learned That Beauty Comes in All
Shapes, Sizes and Packages, Including Me. The plus-size Christina Don
model will discuss her troubled youth as the daughter
of a rock star and her struggle with weight and body
image, and she will offer advice for women and men.
Movie theaters look to keep the streak alive
A release in spring 2008 is planned.
By Cindy Clark with staff and wire reports
E-mail lifeline@usatoday.com
USA TODAY Snapshots® Customer relations, chief Dan Glickman is expected to point
to an increase in sales in 2006 and tout Ticket sales over the decades
“Our members are doing an excellent
job of improving the moviegoing expe-
not just technology, digital cinema as the savior of the movie
business.
Despite a three-year decline in attendance rience,” he says. “The numbers bear that
out.”
Pet-friendly hotel grrrowth from 2003 to 2005, moviegoing on average
The number of North American hotels that allow could be the answer What he and other exhibition officials
are less inclined to talk about is what
has been steadily increasing over the past
four decades. Average tickets sold, by
When digital technology allows
theaters to show, say, the Super Bowl
pets has increased 28% since 1999. the public complains most about: the decade: on simulcast, “any of the naysayers who
By Scott Bowles moviegoing experience. 1.5 are giving us a B will soon be giving us
Number of 1.3 billion
hotel properties: 1999 10,784 USA TODAY “I do think it’s still fun to go to the 1.1 billion
an A.”
movies,” says Rob Moore, head of 980 billion But Paul Dergarabedian of industry
2000 10,992 LAS VEGAS — Sure, movie ticket sales worldwide marketing for Paramount/ million tracker Media By Numbers warns of the
are up. High-tech projectors and stadi- DreamWorks. “But if I were to give it a dangers of being myopic.
2001 11,843 um seating offer better pictures than grade, I’d have to say it’s a B-plus. We “It’s not just seeing a movie,” he says.
2002 11,327 ever. And the surge of animated movies can do better.” “It’s investing a lot of time and money in
has given families entertainment they And the key, he says, may be custom- an entire experience.”
2003 12,634 can enjoy together. er relations, not just technology. 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s And Moore concedes that digital pro-
2004 13,532 But why is a $6 bucket of popcorn “Everyone wants a movie with a great Source: National Association of Theatre Owners jectors, hot popcorn and friendly ushers
stale? And why won’t anyone shut up picture and great sound, and I think By Karl Gelles, USA TODAY won’t save the industry if the movies are
2005 13,884 the guy yapping on his cellphone? we’re doing that,” he says. “But it’s im- no good.
As the head of the Motion Picture portant to keep other things in mind, about is simply adding more ushers.” “Someone who spends $10 on a good
2006 13,890 Association of America addresses the too, like making sure people are polite John Fithian, head of the National As- movie is going to come out feeling pret-
ShoWest convention of theater owners and respectful and off their cellphones sociation of Theatre Owners, takes issue ty good,” he says. “Anyone spending
Source: Traveling With Your Pet: The AAA PetBook
this morning, much bragging will occur when the movie is playing. with those who give the moviegoing $10 on a bad movie is going to feel
By Mary Cadden and Alejandro Gonzalez, USA TODAY about numbers and technology. MPAA “Maybe one of the things we think experience a grade lower than an A. ripped off.”