Pop/R 'n' B singer Stacy Ferguson a.k.a. Fergie showed to her fans that she has the thing for rock music by tapping Velvet Revolver and ex-Guns N' Roses' guitarist Slash at one of her concerts on July 19. On the show held at Pacific Amphitheatre in Costa Mesa, California, Fergie and the renown guitarist collaborated on two rock songs, GNR's hit track "Sweet Child O' Mine" and Heart's "Barracuda".

Before collaborating, Fergie introduces Slash to the crowd, saying, "Some of you little ones may know him from 'Guitar Hero', but I know him from a band called Velvet Revolver and a band called Guns N' (bleeping) Roses!" Their collaboration was also caught on video by a fan and has been streamed via YouTube on July 20.

Unfortunately, her bold effort on performing two famous rock tracks received critics from The Orange County Register writer Kelli Skye Fadroski who suggested that Fergie should stay out of rock music. "Despite the acrobatics, Fergie should stick to doing what Fergie does best - pop-tart tunes-and stay away from rock," Kelli said.

Meanwhile, the R 'n' B singer who is also one of the members of Black Eyed Peas, is still promoting her re-released record "The Dutchess [Deluxe Edition]", outed on May 27. On the repackaged LP, she added four new tracks that weren't available on the original version. Those songs were, "Labels or Love", "Barracuda", "Party People" featuring Nelly and "Clumsy.

Check out Fergie featuring Slash performing "Sweet Child O' Mine" live video:

A star prosecution witness cried today (June 2) as she alleged at R. Kelly's child pornography trial several three-way sexual encounters with the R&B superstar and the alleged victim, some of which she said Kelly videotaped.

Lisa Van Allen, 27, the last witness before prosecutors rested their case, also told jurors in more than three hours of graphic and dramatic testimony that Kelly last year offered her $250,000 to recover a tape of one of the trysts.

During cross-examination, a defense attorney accused Van Allen of plotting to extort money from the singer, a claim she denied. Under further questioning she admitted she once stole Kelly's $20,000 diamond-studded watch from a hotel.

"Van Allen is an admitted thief and liar who wouldn't know the truth if she tripped over it," Kelly's business manager, Derrel McDavid, said in a statement.

Kelly, 41, faces as many as 15 years in prison if convicted of child pornography on suspicion of videotaping himself having sex with a female prosecutors say was as young as 13. He has pleaded not guilty and both he and the alleged victim, now 23, deny being on the video -- which is separate from those Van Allen testified to being on.

The state, which called more than a dozen witnesses over two weeks, rested its case after Van Allen's testimony. Jurors will get Tuesday off before the defense begins its presentation on Wednesday.

Van Allen told jurors today she first had sex with Kelly and the alleged victim in 1998. Kelly would have been around 30 years old at the time, Van Allen about 18 and the alleged victim would have been 14, according to prosecutors' estimates.

Van Allen said Kelly told her at the time that the alleged victim was 16. The age of legal consent in Illinois is 17.

The three-way sex took place in the same home on Chicago's North Side where prosecutors say the sex tape at the center of the case was made, Van Allen told jurors.

She said she began crying during a second sexual encounter in 1999 with Kelly and the alleged victim, causing an upset Kelly to pick up the video camera and leave the room. She said that encounter took place at the house's basketball court.

"I started crying ... because I didn't want to do it," Van Allen testified. She said Kelly complained that her crying ruined the footage and that he never kept tapes during which she cried.

A final three-way encounter took place in a trailer during a video shoot in Chicago in 2000, Van Allen said. When someone came to the trailer door, the alleged victim "had to run into the bathroom naked" because Kelly did not want others to see her there, she told jurors.

Several months pregnant, Van Allen, from Georgia, initially appeared relaxed on the witness stand and smiled frequently. But she wept when she discussed the second alleged encounter. Prosecutors paused for two minutes as she dabbed tears from her face and regained her composure.

Kelly looked on from across the room as Van Allen testified, at least once appearing to shake his head and other times leaning into the defense table, staring at his folded hands.

Van Allen told jurors that Kelly offered her $250,000 last year to recover a tape of one of the encounters with the alleged victim. She said acquaintances of hers took the tape from Kansas City to a Chicago hotel, where it was handed over to a Kelly associate who paid $20,000 in cash.

Van Allen portrayed Kelly as obsessed with videotaping his sexual exploits, testifying that he even carried around a duffel bag with his homemade sex tapes in it. "He carried it everywhere with him," she said. "Wherever he was at, the bag would follow him."

Van Allen said she first met Kelly at the making of a music video in Georgia about 10 years ago. She later appeared in several Kelly music videos, including one for the song "I Wish," in which she braids the singer's hair.

During a 1998 Kelly concert tour, Van Allen said, she simulated sex with the singer in front of the audience. "You didn't cry then, did you?" asked defense attorney Sam Adam Sr., who repeatedly suggested Van Allen's tears in court were disingenuous.

Before Van Allen took the stand, Judge Vincent Gaughan advised that she had been appointed an attorney, saying some of her testimony might be "self-incriminating." She was granted immunity by prosecutors.

Van Allen said she approached prosecutors about testifying in the case only several months ago -- six years after Kelly was charged. "It's the right thing to do," she explained to jurors.

But Adam said Van Allen had ulterior motives when she contacted prosecutors in March, including to help get a reduced sentence in a weapons case for a man she lives with.

Adam also noted that Van Allen told prosecutors only today that she stole Kelly's watch in 2001. "So the spirit didn't move you to do the right thing, this, until today?" Adam asked. He pointed across the courtroom at Kelly. "You tried to extort that man over there," he said.

Van Allen denied the accusation, saying Kelly asked her in 2007 whether she could hand over the tape of one of their three-way encounters.

Asked whether she knew of any other copies of that tape, Van Allen gestured at Kelly across the room, referring to him by his birth name.

"Robert would know," she said.

Britney Spears is not yet fit to participate in court proceedings in her conservatorship case, her lawyer told a Los Angeles Superior Court commissioner last May 29.

Samuel Ingham, Spears' court-appointed attorney, and attorneys for the pop star's father and conservator, James Spears, spent 90 minutes in Commissioner Reva Goetz' chambers.

Ingham told the court afterward that Spears' medical condition is "fluid" because her treatment is changing.

Spears' probate case is scheduled to go to trial July 31, but Ingham said it could be "harmful" for her to participate. Goetz agreed and said Spears' diagnosis is not complete.

The 26-year-old singer and her estate have been under the conservatorship of her father for four months.

Usher's "Here I Stand" (LaFace/Zomba) continues to charge its way towards a No. 1 debut on next week's Billboard 200 album chart, as it will once again lead Nielsen SoundScan's Building chart when it is released just recently (May 30).

Unweighted sales of "Stand" through the close of business Thursday (May 29) were 267,000. Depending on weekend sales, Usher has a chance to meet or possibly exceed the year's best sales week -- when Mariah Carey's "E=MC2" (Island) bowed with 463,000 in April.

The week of "E=MC2's" release, the album sang out with 295,000 on that week's Friday Building chart.

On the day of "Here I Stand's" release, Usher visited both MTV's "TRL" and BET's "106 & Park," while today he played "Good Morning America."

Billboard estimates the nine merchants who report to Nielsen SoundScan's Building chart -- Trans World Entertainment, Best Buy, Circuit City, iTunes, Starbucks, Borders, Target, Anderson Merchandisers and Handleman Co. -- comprise about 80% of all U.S. album sales.

Lil Wayne is No. 1 for a third week on the Billboard Hot 100 with "Lollipop," amid the debut of 14 tracks from "American Idol" contestants David Cook (11) and David Archuleta (three). As previously reported, "Idol" winner Cook's debuts are a record both here and on Hot Digital Songs, where he has 14 new entries.

He has the top debut on the Hot 100 this week at No. 3 with "The Time of My Life," which sold 236,000 downloads. Leona Lewis remains No. 2 with "Bleeding Love," while Rihanna's "Take a Bow" slides 3-4 and Jordin Sparks' "No Air" featuring Chris Brown holds at No. 5.

Usher's "Love in This Club" featuring Young Jeezy drops 4-6, Ray J & Yung Berg's "Sexy Can I" falls 6-7, Madonna's "4 Minutes" featuring Justin Timberlake is down 7-8 and Natasha Bedingfield's "Pocketful of Sunshine" slips 8-9.

Coldplay's "Viva La Vida" explodes 41-10 and is the top digital gainer after selling 139,000 downloads. The song is prominently featured in a TV ad for Apple's iTunes Music Store.

Chris Brown's "Forever" is the greatest airplay gainer this week, although is drops 20-23. Besides the "Idol" debuts, the only other new Hot 100 entries this week come from Taylor Swift's "Should've Said No" at No. 84, Julianne Hough's "That Song in My Head" at No. 88, Lloyd's "Girls Around the World" featuring Lil Wayne at No. 93 and Kanye West's "Homecoming" featuring Chris Martin at No. 96.

"Lollipop" is in a fifth week at No. 1 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, where his guest turn on "Girls Around the World" is the top airplay gainer and jumps 28-22.

Brad Paisley starts a second week atop Hot Country Songs with "I'm Still a Guy." On that chart, Sugarland enjoys its career-best debut at No. 27 with "All I Want To Do," the first single from its July 22 Mercury release, "Love on the Inside."

On Billboard's rock chart, Weezer is No. 1 on Modern Rock with "Pork & Beans" for a fourth week, and Disturbed's "Inside the Fire" tops Mainstream Rock for a fourth as well.

Season seven "American Idol" champion David Cook will set a record for debut entries on the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot Digital Songs tomorrow as 11 titles enter the former, while 14 songs jump on the download tally. The onslaught is led by a No. 3 Hot 100 start for his original recording "The Time of My Life," which shifts 236,000 downloads to easily take the No. 1 spot on Hot Digital Songs.

"Idol" runner-up David Archuleta lands three songs on both charts, led by his cover of John Lennon's "Imagine" (No. 36 Hot 100, No. 16 on Hot Digital Songs, 71,000).

Cook's takeover of the Hot 100 shatters the mark for debuts set by Miley Cyrus (as Hannah Montana) in the Nov. 11, 2006, issue, when she placed six new titles on the list. The 11 songs on the chart are the most in a week by any artist in the Nielsen Music era, which began in December 1991 when the chart converted to Nielsen BDS and Nielsen SoundScan data.

His haul also marks the most placements on the list since the Beatles charted 14 songs on the Hot 100 in the week of April 11, 1964.

The 14 tracks on Hot Digital Songs also gives Cook a record for debuts and total songs on that three-year-old chart, besting Hannah Montana's total output (8) on the Nov. 11, 2006 chart, and Bon Jovi's six debuts in the May 19, 2007, issue.

This is the first week of the 2008 season that "American Idol" downloads counted toward Billboard's charts. In cooperation with the show's producers, Apple withheld reporting iTunes sales of those songs until the week of the final episode.

Cook's debut album for 19 Recordings/RCA is due in the fall.

A trio of new releases top The Billboard 200 this week, with 3 Doors Down's self-titled Universal Republic effort leading the charge at No. 1. The effort moved 154,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan, making it the band's second chart-topping album.

3 Doors Down's last effort, "Seventeen Days," also started in the penthouse in 2005. So far, all four of the group's releases have reached the top 10 and have collectively sold 11.4 million copies.

UGK rapper Bun B's "II Trill" debuts at No. 2 with 98,000. The Rap-A-Lot/Asylum set is led by the single "That's Gangsta" featuring Sean Kingston and comes on the heels of the appropriately titled "Trill," which debuted and peaked at No. 6 on The Billboard 200 in 2005 with an opening sales frame of 118,000.

"Dancing with the Stars" champ-turned-country-singer Julianne Hough's self-titled Mercury Nashville debut enters at No. 3, moving 67,000. The single "That Song In My Head" rises 32-29 on the Hot Country Songs chart this week.

Reprise's retrospective Frank Sinatra collection "Nothing But the Best" falls 2-4 with 54,000, a 45% slip in sales. Last week's No. 1, Death Cab For Cutie's "Narrow Stairs" (Atlantic), descends to No. 5 with a 63% dip to 53,000. Leona Lewis' Syco/J set "Spirit" falls a notch 5-6 with 50,000 (-20%).

Selling 45,000, Mariah Carey's Island Def Jam album "E=MC2" is down 6-7 with a 23% sales hit, while Duffy's "Rockferry" (Mercury) endures a 38% sales decrease, moving 44,000 and falling 4-8. Madonna's "Hard Candy" (Warner Bros.) descends a notch 8-9 with 39,000 (-28%), and Neil Diamond's "Home Before Dark" (Columbia) slips 7-10 with 36,000 (33%).

Five other efforts bow in the top 50 on the chart this week. Jesse McCartney's third studio set, "Departure" (Hollywood), starts at No. 14 with 30,000. The new album was preceded by the single "Leavin'," which recently became his first top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. He also earned a No. 1 this year on the Hot 100 as a co-writer of Leona Lewis' "Bleeding Love."

Other debuts include Donna Summer's "Crayons" (Burgundy) at No. 17 with 23,000, the not-so-secret Green Day side project Foxboro Hot Tubs' "Stop Drop and Roll!!!" (Reprise) at No. 21 with 19,000, the compilation "Disneymania 6: Music Stars Sing Disney ... Their Way" at No. 33 with 16,000 and the John Williams soundtrack to "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" (Concord) at No. 39 with 14,000.

Album sales this week are down 3.1% from last week's sum with 7.2 million units and down 13.3% from the same week last year.

Ne-Yo the artist is busy these days, touring with Alicia Keys and preparing for the Aug. 15 release of his third Def Jam album, "Year of the Gentleman." But Ne-Yo the songwriter is equally, with rash of high-profile tracks either just out or coming.

One surprising entry on his docket is an uptempo track called "Bossy" the he worked on with Stargate for Lindsay Lohan's next album. "I gotta admit, we were like ... Lindsay Lohan?'" Ne-Yo says with a laugh. "I mean, I've written for Beyonce, Mary J. Blige, Rihanna, Celine Dion and ... Lindsay Lohan? But I will say this; we gave her a quality record and she did a ridiculously fabulous job. I was so shocked I had to call her and apologize for what I was thinking because she did so good. I think the world is gonna be surprised."

Just out is the Ne-Yo-penned "Spotlight," the first single from ex-"American Idol" contestant and "Dreamgirls" Academy Award-winner Jennifer Hudson's self-titled debut, due in September. Ne-Yo says "they're still putting the (album) together right now" but that he's "really, really proud" that his song was chose to be its calling card.

"They were really trying to figure out where to take her," he explains. "The main issue with Jennifer Hudson is her voice is so huge, so how do you take that and radio-ize it, make it radio-friendly. She can't do ('And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going') every song 'cause you'll eventually be tired of it. So ('Spotlight') is kind of a classy midtempo, and I hope and pray it does well 'cause Jennifer is an amazing talent."

Ne-Yo also wrote for Leona Lewis' "Spirit" album and says he's "not surprised at all" by her success. "Her voice is incredible. She's beautiful. She kinda has all the ingredients to be a major star." He co-wrote the track "His Mistakes" for Usher's new album, "Here I Stand," and is happy that "I actually got to sit down wtih Usher and talk to him and see where his head is at now so I could write the right record."

As for the forthcoming Michael Jackson project he's been linked to, Ne-Yo says "there's nothing new. I'm submitting songs and I... still don't know anything about a release date or any of that."

Ne-Yo will be on the road with Keys through June 18 in New York.

British punk-dance duo the Ting Tings conceded top spot on the U.K. singles chart yesterday with "That's Not My Name" (Columbia) to Rihanna's "Take a Bow" (Def Jam/Universal), but had the major consolation of debuting atop the album chart with "We Started Nothing."

The duo of Jules De Martino and Katie White are now at No. 2 with the current single and also debuted at No. 33 with its predecessor, "Great DJ." The two songs were first released together as a double A-side by the group's former indie label Switchflicker last May. "Shut Up and Let Me Go," yet another track from the new album, entered the singles chart on download sales at No. 49.

The group's debut album replaced Columbia labelmate Neil Diamond's "Home Before Dark" at No. 1, as the veteran singer/songwriter fell to No. 2. "Pretty Amazing Grace," the lead track from Diamond's album, slipped 49-50 after last week becoming his first U.K. singles chart entry for 16 years.

As a fresh wave of recognition for Diamond accompanied his promotional U.K. visit ahead of a tour beginning June 5, MCA/Universal's re-promoted "The Best of Neil Diamond" entered at No.8 to give him concurrent top 10 titles.

A varied set of top 10 debutants on the album chart also included blues and jazz-tinged singer/songwriter Beth Rowley, in at an impressive No. 6 with her debut set "Little Dreamer" (Blue Thumb/Universal). The Cistercian Monks, a group formed from members of the Roman Catholic religious order, entered at No. 9 with "Chant -- Music for Paradise" (Universal Classics & Jazz). Just outside the top 10, UMTV/Universal's latest TV-advertised release, "The Very Best of the Osmonds," (timed to coincide with the family's U.K. tour) debuted at No. 11.

Rihanna's chart-topping singles success follows last year's epic 10-week run at the top with "Umbrella" featuring Jay-Z. The Barbadian singer has now had five singles reach the top two on the U.K. chart. As the Ting Tings's "That's Not My Name" fell to No. 2 and "4 Minutes" (Warner Bros.) by Madonna featuring Justin Timberlake held at No. 3, the new top 10 welcomed Duffy's "Warwick Avenue" (A&M/Universal), up 13-7.

"4 Minutes" tops Eurochart Hot 100 Singles for a fifth week, and its parent album, "Hard Candy," leads the European Top 100 Albums roundup for a third.

After a three-week break, Lil Wayne's "Lollipop" featuring Static Major returns to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 this week. It's the longest chart-topping hiatus since Usher's "U Got It Bad" went four weeks between No. 1 stints in January 2002.

Leona Lewis' "Bleeding Love" is No. 2 for a second week, while last week's chart-topper, Rihanna's "Take a Bow," slips 3-1 despite being the fastest-growing track at radio. Usher's "Love in This Club" featuring Young Jeezy rises 5-4, trading places with Jordin Sparks' "No Air" featuring Chris Brown.

Ray J & Yung Berg's "Sexy Can I" holds at No. 6, and Madonna's "4 Minutes" featuring Justin Timberlake remains No. 7. Natasha Bedingfield's "Pocketful of Sunshine" rises 9-8, trading places with Mariah Carey's "Touch My Body." Danity Kane's "Damaged" holds at No. 10 to round out the top tier.

Another new Usher song, "Love in This Club, Part II," soars 63-18 in its fourth week, thanks to digital sales of 44,000.

The Hot 100's greatest digital gainer is Duffy's "Mercy," which sold 59,000 downloads en route to a 66-27 climb. The U.K. artist's debut Mercury album, "Rockferry," debuted yesterday at No. 4 on The Billboard 200.

The week's top debut comes from the reunited New Kids On The Block with "Summertime" at No. 57. The song shifted 39,000 downloads and is off to a strong start at top 40 radio, moving 40-35 this week on the Pop 100 Airplay tally.

Also new this week are Kate Voegele's "Hallelujah" at No. 66, Three 6 Mafia's "Lolli Lolli (Pop That Body)" at No. 79 and Jason Mraz's "Lucky" featuring Colbie Caillat at No. 82.

Lil Wayne's "Lollipop" is No. 1 for a fourth week on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, where Kanye West's "Homecoming" featuring Chris Martin is the top new entry at No. 68.

Brad Paisley's "I'm Still a Guy" moves 2-1 to overtake Hot Country Songs, his fourth chart-topper from the album "5th Gear."

On Billboard's rock chart, Weezer is No. 1 on Modern Rock with "Pork & Beans" for a third week, and Disturbed's "Inside the Fire" tops Mainstream Rock for a third. The Cure has the top debut on Modern Rock with "The Only One" at No. 35.

For mp3 download see related post HERE!

Originally due June 24, Ne-Yo's third Def Jam album, "Year of the Gentleman," has been pushed back to Aug. 5 while the artist completes additional songs for the project.

As previously reported, the album features production by longtime Ne-Yo colleagues Stargate, Christopher "Tricky" Stewart, J.R. Rotem and members of Ne-Yo's Atlanta-based Compound Entertainment crew.

The set's lead single, the Stargate-produced club track "Closer," is currently No. 54 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 41 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

"I wanted the third album to be something a little different from the first and second as far as the essence and the sound of what I was doing," Ne-Yo told Billboard last month, emphasizing that he'd become a bit bored by the R&B-heavy sound of his earlier work.

Ne-Yo remains on Alicia Keys' tour as a support act; the trek pulls into Memphis on Thursday (May 15).

As tipped here yesterday, Rihanna's "Take a Bow" makes a near-record-breaking jump on the Hot 100 this week to overtake Leona Lewis' four-week No. 1, "Bleeding Love." "Take a Bow" soars 53-1 thanks to digital sales of 267,000 units, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

"Bleeding Love" slips to No. 2 this week, with Lil Wayne's "Lollipop" featuring Static Major down 2-3. The next six songs on the chart are all down one position from last week: Jordin Sparks' "No Air" featuring Chris Brown (3-4), Usher's "Love in this Club" featuring Young Jeezy (4-5), Ray J & Yung Berg's "Sexy Can I" (5-6), Madonna's "4 Minutes" featuring Justin Timberlake (6-7), Mariah Carey's "Touch My Body" (7-8) and Natasha Bedingfield's "Pocket Full of Sunshine" (8-9).

Danity Kane's "Damaged" inches up 11-10 to round out the top tier, its first top 10 hit since 2006. The week's top debut belongs to Coldplay's "Viva La Vida," which is available as an immediate download with pre-orders of the band's forthcoming Capitol album, "Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends."

"Viva La Vida" debuts at No. 15 after selling 101,000 downloads. Another Coldplay track, "Violet Hill," starts at No. 40, with 44,000 downloads.

As his self-titled sophomore set lands at No. 7 on The Billboard 200, Gavin DeGraw's "In Love With a Girl" surges 34-24 as this week's biggest digital sales gainer. Keyshia Cole's "Heaven Sent" is this week's greatest airplay gainer and rockets 83-59.

Other tracks new to the Hot 100 this week include DJ Laz' "Move Shake Drop" at No. 56, Maroon 5's "If I Never See Your Face Again" remix with Rihanna at No. 57, T.I.'s "No Matter What" at No. 72, Katy Perry "I Kissed a Girl" at No. 76 and Alicia Keys' "Teenage Love Affair" at No. 78.

James Otto's "Just Got Started Lovin' You" continues to lead the Hot Country Songs tally, while Lil Wayne's "Lollipop" tops the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart for a third. Flex's "Te Quiero" crowns Hot Latin Songs stays at No. 1 for a sixth week.

Weezer holds on to the summit on the Modern Rock Tracks chart with "Pork & Beans" for a second week. Disturbed follows suit on Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks as "Inside the Fire" sits at No. 1 for a second frame.