Rock News

--Former KISS guitarist Vinnie Vincent (The Ankh Warrior), was arrested at his home in Tennessee on Saturday and charged with aggravated assault charges after his wife walked into a police station covered in blood, claiming Vincent had punched her, thrown her down and dragged her through broken glass. A search of Vincent's home also found the bodies of four dogs kept in sealed containers in the basement. Vincent was a member of KISS from 1982 to 1984, replacing original lead guitarist Ace Frehley. Vincent spent the night in jail before being released on $10,000 bail.  

--HBO has announced that it is making a film based on record producer Phil Spector's murder trial, with Al Pacino set to play Spector. Also announced in the cast are Bette Midler, who will play Spector's defense attorney Linda Baden, and Jeffery Tambor who will play Spector's other attorney Bruce Cutler.

--A play based on the life of AC/DC singer Bonn Scott, titled “Hell Ain't A Bad Place To Be” is set to open in Australia in July.  Scott fronted the iconic hard rock band from their inception until his tragic death at the age of 33 in 1980.

--Rolling Stones lead singer Mick Jagger has announced the formation of a new group called Super Heavy. The super-group, which is already in the studio, features Jagger, former Eurythmics songwriter/producer Dave Stewart, singer Joss Stone, reggae artist Damien Marley and film composer A.R. Rahman. Jagger even hinted a possible Super Heavy tour, saying, “If people like it we will [tour], if they don't, we won't” The album is slated for release in September.

--Actress Gwyneth Paltrow's deal with Atlantic Records to record a country album, has fallen apart. Paltrow was rumored to be close to signing a deal with Atlantic, following her turn as country singer in the film Country Strong, but is now no longer in talks with the label. While no official reason has been given for Atlantic's reported “cooling” on the deal, a source at the record company says that Paltrow's asking price of $1-million was more than the company felt comfortable in offering an untried singer. A spokesperson for Paltrow noted that  “Atlantic was not the only company perusing her.”

--In better movie-star-becoming-country-singer news: Jeff Bridges, who won an Oscar for his portrayal of a down-and-out country singer in the film Crazy Heart, is set to release his self-titled album in August. The album is produced by Crazy Heart soundtrack T-Bone Burnett and features guitarist Marc Ribot and backing vocals from Rosanne Cash.