Gerald Levert -- he of the voice that
makes the ladies swoon, he of the soulfulness that leaves
R&B's other crooners in the dust -- has just been announced
as one of the headliners of the 2002 Essence tour. Besides
Gerald's showstopping performance, you'll be able to see
Luther Vandross, Angie Stone, and other big names that we
aren't allowed to say yet. The tour runs from August 15
through September 22, with exact dates to be announced soon.
Gerald's working on a new album, by the way, which is due to
be released right around the time he's on the tour. More
info as we get it... http://www.gerald-levert.com
"I'm just an everyday person and I sing
about the same things that everyday people go through,". So
says Tweet in the 5/9 issue of Rolling Stone. The slender
R&B star says she's 'lived' stories in songs from her
acclaimed new album Southern Hummingbird, admitting that she
even used to save her pennies to buy 40 oz. bottles of malt
liquor. Hey, we still do that. She goes on to say that her
smash hit "Oops (Oh My)" is about 'self love' (and yes, we
still do that too) so go out and get Tweet's new disc and
let the auto-love-fest begin. By the way, Tweet is taping
Soul Train this weekend, which will air sometime in the not
too distant future, so stay tuned. 
Billy Bragg is always up for a good
quote. When he was asked recently if he thought surveillance
is necessary to deter crime, Mr. Bragg had this to say: "We
used to go to the Soviet Union and do gigs in the old days,
and we would always wonder if our rooms were bugged. And
then we used to think 'well, if everything's bugged and
everything's being filmed, what kind of army do you need to
go through all this stuff?" I think you have to try and keep
it in perspective." Or make a poopy right in front of the
camera. They always fast forward through that kind of stuff.
Check out Billy's new album English, Half-English and learn
a few things why don't ya? 
Lil' Mo is having a baby! You heard it
right, she finally put an end to all the rumors on her
message board when she called in and left a message. In
fact, she's even asking for your help with baby names --
check out the message boards to post your ideas! She's also
working on a new album (again, proving her Superwoman
status), and she wants your help with album titles, too.
Again -- check out the message board. Lastly, you'll get a
lil' refresher course on Mo when you hear her sing the hook
on the new single from Angie Martinez, called "If I Could
Go," which will be hitting the airwaves in the next few
weeks. Everybody wants a Lil' Mo... 
Third Eye Blind are working furiously on
their third disc, reportedly to be called Crystal Baller. No
word yet on the song titles etc. etc., but Stephan Jenkins
did make a cryptic reference to one of his idols - Lou Reed
- in a recent press release. Good to see Lou getting
name-checked by someone these days. Check out 3EB when they
play a hometown gig on 5/4 at San Francisco's Palace Of
Legion Of Honor. Sounds like a spiffy joint. 
We on the Hot News staff ask, who are
these people who show up at their idols' houses? What do
they think is going to happen? Are these people crazy, or
deluded, or what? If anyone can tell us, we'd like to know.
At least Billy Bragg doesn't have it so bad:
April 19, 1986: Few artists can claim the
worldwide superstar status of Simply Red. Led by the
effortlessly soulful vocals of Mick Hucknall, Simply Red's
music brims with supple grace, exuberant swing and danceable
grooves. Since exploding out of Manchester, England in the
mid-1980s, they've made some of the most memorable music in
all of pop, including their very first single, the #1 smash
"Holding Back The Years, " which on this date had just begun
its climb to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart.
Their debut album, Picture Book, debuted on the Top 200
Albums on this day as well, eventually selling well over a
million copies in the US. 
Natalie Merchant - Motherland (in stores
now)