Joe Kavanagh's Music News

The Vatican issued a pardon of sorts last week to the late John Lennon, for comments that he made over 40 years ago. During the height of Beatle-mania in 1966, the outspoken singer told an interviewer: "Christianity will go. It will vanish and shrink. I do not know what will go first, rock 'n' roll or Christianity... We're more popular than Jesus now. Jesus was alright, but his disciples were thick and ordinary. It's them twisting it that ruins it for me." The comments caused outrage among Christians around the globe, but particularly in the US, where Beatles records and paraphernalia were burned by the truckload at public gatherings. Last week, however, the Vatican pardoned Lennon, through an editorial in its official newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano, where it claimed: "After so many years, it sounds merely like the boasting of an English working-class lad struggling to cope with unexpected success." Even more remarkable is the fact that this particular edition of L'Osservatore Romano was dedicated to the 40th anniversary of the release of the Beatles' White Album, and the same editorial claimed that only "snobs" would dismiss Beatles' songs. I still can't help but think that Jesus might have taken a little less than almost half a century to forgive him...

Madonna has posted a video on her website pleading with her fans to contribute to a school that she plans to build in the African country of Malawi, where she and ex-husband Guy Ritchie adopted a boy named David Banda. In the video the Material Girl says: "There are very few girls in Africa in general who are encouraged or allowed to go to secondary school so after spending a lot of time there I realized that one of the ways I could help was to build a girls' school, I would really be grateful if you would get involved and help me in any way that you can with donations, spreading the word, visiting my website, reading about the progress that we've made so far.... I would appreciate any help you could give us." Considering the fact that Madonna just got a quickie divorce last week with her entire estimated fortune of $850 million completely intact, wouldn't you think that she might be able to afford to build the school herself, or ten of them for that matter. The woman has the nerve to charge ticket prices that range from $100-750 for her current Sticky & Sweet Tour and then go back to the same well to ask her fans to help her build a school. You didn't hear Oprah running around asking for donations when she built her school for women in South Africa and hip hop artist M.I.A. just built two schools in the African country of Liberia with a $100,000 fee she received from MTV. Each school caters to 1,000 students and cost $52,000 to build, and M.IA.'s bank account is several digits shorter than Madonna's. I just think that Madonna's fans have already paid for her lifestyle so it's only fair that she foots the bill on this one. You can be sure that whatever happens, she'll take all the credit...

Mick Hucknall was in the news last week, after becoming embroiled in a war of words with Simon Cowell that stems from comments Hucknall made regarding music and reality TV shows, when he asserted: "It's benefited one or two individuals - like Slimy Cowell - who've made a fortune, but I wonder how much the actual artistes will make or if anyone will know who they are in 10 years?" Cowell fired back last week, stating: "The most repulsive celebrity I've ever met is Mick Hucknall. Unlike me he doesn't realize why all the chicks love him. And he's really ugly." In tennis parlance, I'd say that's game Cowell because Hucknall is so ugly that Medusa would double bag him. And probably wear one over her own face in case his slipped off. Obviously unaware of the motto about quitting when you're behind Hucknall also had a pop at the Gallagher brothers, claiming that the Oasis duo present a bad image of Manchester, telling one journo: "I love that Harry Enfield sketch when Kathy Burke comes back from a weekend in Manchester walking with a Liam gait and goes, 'F**kin' sound. Bangin'. They've made a cliché out of presenting Northerners, especially Mancunians, like that." Noel Gallagher was quick to respond, writing an open letter to the Sun newspaper, which read in part: "You still going now? Wow. The last time I heard of you, Fanta-Pants, you were getting slung out of Knebworth for being s**t and fat. What you have to say about Manchester and its righteous natives is irrelevant as you are from Warrington. Much Love, Noel Gallagher." I do believe that's set and match...

During an interview with website Spinner last week, Tom Jones revealed the story behind the track Sugar Daddy, on his recently released album, 24 Hours. The crooner claimed that the song, which was written by Bono and the Edge, was written for him after he met the pair in Dublin a few years but he was not exactly sure of what to think of it when he first heard it. According to the Welshman: "I said, 'Is that what you think of me?' Bono said, 'I just like the sound of sugar daddy.' When I first heard it, I said, 'I hope it [doesn't] come across [like I'm] blowing my own trumpet.' And Bono said, 'Well, you're the only guy that's got balls enough to sing this thing.' So, I said OK." He's definitely at the top of the list of people that could sing a track with that title. Incidentally, has anyone else noticed the fact that Tom Jones has had so many facelifts and botox injections that his facial expression has now taken on the look of someone that appears permanently surprised? ...

While we're on the subject of Welsh singers, Katherine Jenkins has denied that the reason she has been dropped from singing the national anthem before Welsh rugby matches in Cardiff's Millennium Stadium is down to her recent admission that she used to use ecstasy and cocaine a few years back. The critically-acclaimed mezzo-soprano, who has performed the duty almost 30 times in recent years claimed: "It has been well over a year since the Welsh Rugby Union adopted a choirs-only policy for its pre-match entertainment. Naturally, being a massive fan of Welsh rugby, if they asked me again I'd be more than happy to sing for them." Even if it did have a bearing on the matter, you can't tell me that not one of those people in the choir has ever had their own dalliance with the old devil's dandruff...

The family of Amy Winehouse is apparently furious with the singer for her decision to foot the bill for her husband's recent stint in rehab, after his release from prison earlier in the month. What ever happened to respecting marriage vow about "good times and bad" or "sickness and health"? A source close to the family was quoted in on UK tabloid as saying: "Amy's nearest and dearest are exasperated by her decision. While Blake was inside it finally looked like she was getting her life back on track. Blake's influence is entirely destructive for Amy. A crisis meeting has been held and a number of options have been discussed to sever contact for good." I know that he's not exactly prince charming but he can't take the blame for the past year because he was in prison. That would be the same year that saw Amy develope emphysema from smoking crack cocaine, get charged with several assaults and such is her look lately that any day now I'm expecting her to shout out "I'll get you my pretty and your little dog too!" Amy deserves at least a little of the blame for the mess she's in...

I read where creepy looking, former Eurythmics main man, Dave Stewart, has just released a song called, Let's Do It Again, which can only be downloaded if you buy a vibrator called "Little Something", which it is designed to promote. Aside from the fact that I don't think people really are motivated into buying sex toys by purchasing music (and certainly not music by confirmed has-beens), if I were Dave Stewart I don't think I'd want my name attached to a vibrator known as a "Little Something". No wonder he can't seem to hold on to the women in his life. And here was me thinking it was his mundane personality that was the problem.