setlist Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel NYC Obama fundraiser

Final setlist that I got before our caller was lost

the bill will be in the mail tomorrow...


1. In the Name of Love - John Legend
2. This Time - Legend
3. ?? - Legend and India Arie
4. ?? - Legend
5. ?? - Bruce, Patti, Legend, Arie

6. The Promised Land (solo acoustic) -- Bruce
7. This Hard Land (solo acoustic) -- Bruce

8. Miami 2017 -- BJ
9. Baby Grand- Billy & Alexa

10. 10th Avenue Freezeout -- Bruce, Patti and BJ, being backed by a band of some kind

11. Movin Out- Billy & ????
12. Thunder Road Bruce & ??
13. Matter of Trust Billy & ??
14. Spirit In the NIght Billy/Bruce
15 Allentown- Billy/ ???
16. The Rising Billy/Bruce
17.NYSOM Billy
18. Glory Days Billy/Bruce
19.RIver of Dreams
20. Born to Run

21. People Get Ready
22. Sign Sealed Delivered

Bruce Springsteen to perform at Super Bowl Halftime show in Tampa FL. 2009

yes dreams do come to

Tixx.com can confirm that the NFL has signed Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band to perform at the Super Bowl Halftime show in Tampa Fl. Feb 1st 2009

So how do we know this is true, well We grew up in Freehold and We know people.

I am sure a smile is on Jim Steeg's face he tried to get Bruce to play the SUper Bowl for the last 20 years!

So it is no surprise that Super Bowl XLIII advertisinf rates are thru the roof

NBC is selling Super Bowl spots in next year's game for $3 million per 30-second unit, sources familiar with the situation said. That's about 11 percent higher than the average $2.7 million that Fox commanded for this year's game.

While Fox sources indicated it received $3 million for one or two spots late in the selling process leading up to the February 2008 telecast, NBC has just begun selling units (outside of multiyear packages) and could achieve close to an average of $3 million per unit. So far, 30 percent of the inventory in the 2009 game has been sold, mostly in multiyear deals struck earlier, with clients such as Anheuser-Busch, which purchases time in the game years in advance. And it buys close to 10 spots per game so its prices are lower per unit than sponsors buying one or two ads.

"Right now $3 million is the benchmark," for individual units, said a source familiar with the numbers.

Site: Raymond James Stadium - Tampa, Florida
Date: February 1, 2009
Game time: 6:00 p.m. EST
Stadium Capacity: 72,500
Television: NBC
Radio: CBS Radio/Westwood One (English and Spanish)

Check back often as game day approaches. We will continue to post important news & announcements.



The Super Bowl is here and so are the biggest parties of the year. Football, celebrities, models and open bars. What more could you ask for in a Super Bowl Party. Dont miss your chance to party with some of the biggest celebrities & sports stars around.

Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa, FL
Now is your chance to get premium Super Bowl XLIII tickets as well as tickets to all the hottest Super Bowl parties before the game. Be in Tampa on Feb 1st 2009!


The Maxim Super Bowl party is one of the biggest parties of the year. Celebrity guests and Maxim cover girls are just some of what you are is store for at the Maxim Super Bowl Party.
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Hef and the Girls Next Door are ready to party. Get into one of the biggest parties of the year. Complete with the biggest celebrities and Playboy Playmates.
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At the Sports Illustrated Super Bowl Party the biggest names in sports, movies and music will be there. Not to mention plenty of Sports Illustrated swimsuit models.
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Rub elbows with NFL sponsors, team owners and celebrities at this prestigious party.
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What is Super Bowl XLIII?
Super Bowl XLIII is a professional football championship game conducted by the National Football League. Participants include the champions of the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC) of the National Football League. The winning team wins the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

When will the game be played?
Sunday, February 1, 2009 at 6 p.m. (EST)

Has a host city team ever played in the Super Bowl in their home stadium?
No host city team has ever played in the game in their home stadium. The 49ers played in Super Bowl XIX, but the game was played at Stanford Stadium - not their home stadium of Candlestick Park.

Where have other Super Bowls been held?
Click here http://www.nfl.com/superbowl/history to view information on the history of past Super Bowls. Super Bowl XLIII will be the fourth time Tampa Bay has hosted a Super Bowl. Tampa Bay previously hosted Super Bowl XVIII in 1984, Super Bowl XXV in 1991, and Super Bowl XXXV in 2001.

Where will Super Bowl XLIII be held?
Super Bowl XLIII will be held at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.

Who is responsible for the Pre-Game and Halftime show?
The Pre-Game and Halftime show are developed by the National Football League.

What is the television network for Super Bowl XLIII?
NBC

What is the radio network for Super Bowl XLIII?
CBS Radio/Westwood One (English and Spanish).

What is the seating capacity of Raymond James Stadium?
For the Super Bowl, the seating capacity of Raymond James Stadium will be 72,500

How are game tickets distributed?
The demand for tickets to Super Bowl XLIII greatly exceeds the NFL's ability to accommodate the majority of fans interested in attending the game. The vast majority of Super Bowl tickets (approximately 75%) are distributed to the 32 NFL teams. The participating teams each receive 17.5% of the tickets, the non-participating teams receive 1.2% and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, as the host team, will receive 5%. The remaining 25.2% are controlled by the NFL and are distributed primarily to NFL affiliated companies, the broadcast network, corporate sponsors, media, VIP's charities, fans and the Host Committee.

Are tickets sold to the general public?
The NFL distributes approximately 1% of the tickets to fans through an annual Super Bowl random drawing. The drawing is not considered a lottery (there is no charge to enter). This is the NFL's only method of distributing tickets to the general public. The NFL does not sell tickets to travel or ticket agents.

Requests for the random drawing are accepted between February 1st and June 1st of each year, preceding the game. For Super Bowl XLIII the drawing will be in 2008. All entries must include name, address, phone number and email address, and must be sent via certified or registered mail. Requests for tickets to Super Bowl XLIII, to be played February 1, 2009 in Tampa, Florida, will be accepted beginning Feb. 1, 2008. You will be notified by mail in October or November if you are eligible to purchase Super Bowl XLIII tickets.

Requests should be sent to:
Super Bowl Random Drawing
P.O. Box 49140
Strongsville, OH 44149-0140
Please note: Only one request per address is accepted. Duplicate requests will be ineligible.

Where are the locations of future Super Bowls?
Super Bowl XLII - February 3, 2008
Glendale, Arizona

Super Bowl XLIII - February 1, 2009
Tampa, Florida

Super Bowl XLIV - 2010
South Florida

Super Bowl XLV - 2011
Dallas, Texas

Springsteen gives Lynchburg man time of his life

Springsteen gives Lynchburg man time of his life
Photo


SUBMITTED PHOTO
Bruce Springsteen (center), poses for a photo with Roger Rudder (from left), Jeff Maxwell, Mike Ion and Joe Esposito. Rudder’s friends set up the meeting with Springsteen earlier this week.


By Catherine Chapman Mosley/THE NEWS & ADVANCE
Published: May 2, 2008

Roger Rudder was diagnosed with chronic pancreatitis nearly four years ago. At the same time, several masses were also found on his pancreas. The 48-year-old, however, doesn’t like for people to feel sorry for him.

“Now that I am getting closer to the end,” Rudder said, “I want to make the most of what time I have.”

He got some help from his friends this week to do just that.

Rudder and several friends drove to Greensboro on Monday to see Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band. Rudder wasn’t feeling well after five songs, so his friends urged him to leave, taking him to the emergency facility at the coliseum.

Upon reaching Rudder’s truck in the coliseum parking lot, his friends discovered it had been broken into, and 96 of Roger’s CDs, many Springsteen ones, had been stolen.

Rudder, of Lynchburg, has shopped for years at Plan 9 Music (formerly The Record Exchange) at Candlers Station. “Just by seeing what he buys and conversations we’ve had, I knew he was a huge Bruce Springsteen fan,” said store manager Adam Lee.

Lee knew Rudder and his friends were going to try again on Wednesday to attend Springsteen’s concert in Charlottesville.

“You could tell that he (Rudder) thought this was his last concert or the last time he would see Bruce Springsteen.”

On Tuesday, Lee said he walked out of the store with Rudder, put his arm around him and prayed for him, his health, and God’s will.

“My heart was stirred,” Lee said. After a series of phone calls, he sent an e-mail Tuesday afternoon to Sony BMG. Subject line: “Urgent Bruce Springsteen fan request.”

Wednesday morning arrived with a call from a Sony BMG representative who said, “Let’s make this thing happen.”

Rudder still didn’t know anything about it, and throughout the day, plans were put in place for him to meet Springsteen, his “lifetime hero.”

And Rudder did exactly that — along with friends Mike Ion, Jeff Maxwell and Joe Esposito — shortly after the concert Wednesday night.

“He met us and signed things for us,” Rudder said on Friday. “He went out of his way to treat me as a friend, with familiarity. He gave me a stack of CDs and gave me the set list he wrote up before the concert. He made sure I had an experience I would remember forever.

“I felt like I knew him forever, and I was not just meeting him.”

Springsteen recently lost a friend and longtime member of the E Street Band. Danny Federici, organist and keyboard player for 40 years, died on April 17 after battling melanoma.

Rudder recalled the concert’s opening tribute to Federici in Charlottesville. The band played “Blood Brothers” in darkness with a huge screen showing images of Federici.

“It choked me up,” Rudder said, “… knowing where I am in my life. Knowing that Bruce made the effort to meet me.”

“(This experience) has touched my heart,” he said. “I couldn’t have asked for a better gift.”

Or better friends.

“Roger said it was the highlight of his life,” Lee said. “The smile on his face is all I wanted.”

“What it all boils down to is friends,” Rudder said. “(Mike Ion) didn’t care about missing the concert (Monday night). He cared about getting me home. To have Mike get to meet Bruce — that meant the world to me.”

“I still have a smile on my face. I feel terrible, but I have a smile on my face that just won’t go away.”


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Fidelity Fined $8 Million in Probe of `Lavish' Gifts (Update3)

By David Scheer and Sree Vidya Bhaktavatsalam

March 5 (Bloomberg) -- Fidelity Investments will pay $8 million to settle U.S. regulatory claims that Vice Chairman Peter Lynch and a dozen employees accepted Super Bowl tickets, private-jet travel and other gifts from brokers.

The world's largest mutual-fund manager failed to seek the best terms for trades as employees took gifts and had ``romantic relationships'' with outside brokers, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission said in a statement today. Lynch, former manager of the flagship Fidelity Magellan fund, former head trader Scott DeSano and 11 other current and former employees accepted more than $1.6 million in perks, the agency said.

``The broker-selection process on Fidelity's equity trading desk was compromised when gifts and lavish entertainment swayed the flow of brokerage business,'' Walter Ricciardi, the SEC's deputy enforcement director, said in the statement.

The settlement ends a three-year investigation that tainted the Boston-based money manager, which oversees $1.6 trillion for 24 million customers and is known for strict internal standards. The closely held company's independent trustees fined Fidelity $42 million in December 2006 after probing what Chairman Edward Johnson III called ``this improper behavior.''

Independent Probe

The trustees' 2006 investigation, released by the SEC today, shows the stakes involved. In one case, a trader used a broker to buy 8 million shares in Tyco International Ltd., days before the broker flew him on a private jet to the Super Bowl in Houston in 2002, the report says. The trades cost the funds $18 million, though that may have been partly due to unpredictable market events, it said.

``While no one can say that Fidelity could have obtained better execution from some other broker,'' the size of the costs show why traders should pick brokers objectively, it said.

Illicit drugs and luxury vacations were also listed among gifts in the SEC's 39-page order.

Former Fidelity trader Thomas Bruderman, 39, allegedly received ecstasy pills and marijuana from brokers ``on a number of occasions,'' the agency wrote. In 2003, his three-day bachelor party in Miami cost brokers $160,000, it said.

Former Fidelity trader David Donovan, 45, took 24 trips in which brokers covered most expenses, according to the complaint. Travel included at least two first-class flights on the supersonic Concorde airliner, it said.

Lynch, 64, received ``numerous'' free tickets to concerts, theater and sporting events via Fidelity's traders, according to the SEC. He agreed to forfeit more than $20,000, representing the value of the enticements, plus interest.

Romantic Relationships

DeSano knew some of the firm's traders steered transactions to brokers who provided entertainment, travel and gifts, or with whom they had family or romantic relationships, the SEC said.

The agency's claims are still pending against DeSano, Bruderman, Donovan and seven other past and current employees.

DeSano's attorney, Jeffrey Rudman in Washington, and Bruderman's attorney, Thomas Kiley in Boston, didn't return phone calls seeking comment. Donovan's lawyer, Raipher Pellegrino, declined to comment.

Fidelity and Lynch didn't admit or deny wrongdoing in agreeing to settle.

``We do recognize the seriousness of the misconduct,'' even though the SEC didn't find Fidelity harmed shareholders or its funds, the company said in a statement. ``The behavior that led to these settlements is not at all indicative of the ethical standards of our company.''

Fidelity disciplined employees involved and took other steps to prevent future misconduct, it said. Most of the employees cited by the SEC have left the company, and none remain on the trading desk.

`The Lion King'

Lynch said in a statement that he had asked the trading desk for ``occasional help locating tickets.'' Events included performances of ``The Nutcracker'' and the ``The Lion King.'' He also got 14 three-day passes to the Ryder Cup golf tournament at the Brookline Country Club in suburban Boston, where he had once been a caddy.

``I never intended to do anything inappropriate, and I regret having made those requests,'' Lynch said. He never worked at the trading desk, and has not placed trades on behalf of Fidelity for the past 17 years, he said.

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band Tour dates

Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band itinerary:

for tickets call 1-800-688-4000 www.tixx.com February 28 Hartford, CT HCC Arena
March 2 Montreal, PQ Bell Centre
March 3 Hamilton, ONT Copps Coliseum
March 6 Rochester, NY Blue Cross Arena
March 7 Buffalo, NY HSBC Arena
March 10 Nassau, NY Nassau Coliseum
March 14 Omaha, NE Qwest Center
March 16 St. Paul, MN Xcel Center
March 17 Milwaukee, WI Bradley Center
March 20 Indianapolis, IN Conseco Fieldhouse
March 22 Cincinnati, OH U.S. Bank Arena
March 24 Columbus, OH Schottenstein Center
March 28 Portland, OR The Rose Garden
March 29 Seattle, WA Key Arena
March 31 Vancouver, BC GM Place
April 4 Sacramento, CA Arco Arena
April 5 San Jose, CA HP Pavilion at San Jose
April 7-8 Anaheim, CA Honda Center
April 13 Dallas, TX American Airlines Center
April 14 Houston, TX Toyota Center
April 18 Ft. Lauderdale, FL Bank Atlantic Center
April 19 Orlando, FL Amway Arena
April 21 Tampa, FL St. Pete Times Forum
April 25 Atlanta, GA Philips Arena
April 27 Charlotte, NC Charlotte Bobcat Arena
April 28 Greensboro, NC Greensboro Coliseum
April 30 Charlottesville, VA John Paul Jones Arena
May 22-23 Dublin, IRE RDS Arena
May 25 Dublin, IRE RDS Arena
May 28 Manchester, UK Old Trafford Stadium
May 30-31 London, UK Emirates Stadium
June 14 Cardiff, UK Millenium Stadium
June 16 Dusseldorf, GER LTU Arena
June 18 Amsterdam, NET Amsterdam Arena
June 21 Hamburg, GER HSH Nordbank Arena
June 23 Brussels, BE Koning Boudewijnstadion
June 25 Milan, ITA Stadio San Siro
June 27 Paris, FRA Parc Des Princes
June 29 Copenhagen, DEN Parken
July 4-5 Gothenburg, SWE Ullevi
July 7-8 Oslo, NOR Valle
July 11 Helsinki, FIN Olympia Stadium
July 15 San Sebastian, SPA Estadio De Anoeta
July 17 Madrid, SPA Santiago Bernabeu
July 19-20 Barcelona, SPA Camp Nou
July 27-28 E. Rutherford, NJ Giants Stadium
July 31 E. Rutherford, NJ Giants Stadium

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band Tour 2008 NYC tickets

Springsteen tickets go on sale Saturday for Nassau call 1-800-688-4000

BRUUUCE!! Springsteen & The E Street Band play the Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, New York.
for tickets go to www.wwwtixx.com

Bruce Springsteen Adds More Dates in ‘08

Bruce Springsteen Adds More Dates in ‘08


By Bob Grossweiner and Jane Cohen

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band this week released the first series of additional tour dates for 2008, which will start Feb. 28 in Hartford, CT and wrap up April 30 in Charlottesville, VA.

The current leg of the tour, which finished in the States earlier this week and will take the band to Europe through the middle of December, has been a rousing success, in part due to the strength of Springsteen's 23rd album, "Magic." The critically acclaimed album was released Oct. 2 on Columbia Records and debuted at number one on Billboard's Top 200 Albums chart.


Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band 2008 tour itinerary:

February 28 Hartford, CT HCC Arena
March 2 Montreal, QC Bell Centre
March 3 Hamilton, ONT Copps Coliseum
March 6 Rochester, NY Blue Cross Arena
March 7 Buffalo, NY HSBC Arena
March 10 Hempstead, NY Nassau Coliseum
March 14 Omaha, NE Quest Center
March 16 St. Paul, MN Xcel Center
March 17 Milwaukee, WI Bradley Center
March 20 Indianapolis, IN Conseco Fieldhouse
March 22 Cincinnati, OH U.S. Bank Arena
March 24 Columbus, OH Schottenstein Center
March 28 Portland, OR The Rose Garden
March 29 Seattle, WA Key Arena
March 31 Vancouver, BC GM Place
April 4 Sacramento, CA Arco Arena
April 5 San Jose, CA HPPavillion at San Jose
April 7-8 Anaheim, CA Honda Center

April 13 Dallas, TX TBA
April 14 Houston, TX TBA
April 18 Ft Lauderdale, FL Bank Atlantic Center
April 19 Orlando, FL Amway Arena
April 21 Tampa, FL St. Pete Times Forum
April 25 Atlanta, GA Philips Arena
April 27 Charlotte, NC Charlotte Bobcat Arena
April 28 Greensboro, NC Greensboro Coliseum
April 30 Charlottesville, VA John Paul Jones Arena

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Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band

Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band tickets go on sale this weekend for the shows in Phila. Pa



Friday, October 5, 2007

Wachovia Center

Doors: 6:30 pm | Show: 7:30 pm



3601 South Broad St

Philadelphia, PA 19145

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band Tour 2007 tickets on sale Saturday 26th

Ticket will be on sale this Saturday for 10 cities including the tour opener in PHILADELPHIA ful

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band Tour 2007

tour dates and tickets for Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band Tour 2007 Magic Tour

Oct 2= Hartford
Oct 4= NY Madison Square garden tickets Oct 6= NY
Oct 9= Charlotte
Oct10= Atlanta
Oct13= Houston
Oct14= Dallas
Oct17= Denver
Oct19= Phoenix
Oct22= L.A
Oct23= L.A.
Oct25= Oak
Oct27= Portland
Oct28= Seattle
Oct31= St. Paul
Nov1= Milwaukee
Nov3= Chicago
Nov5= Auburn Hills
Nov6= Cleveland
Nov8= Pittsburg
Nov11= D.C.
Nov12= D.C.
Nov14= Philly
Nov16= Philly
Nov18= Boston
Nov19= Boston


>From there on to Europe for three weeks before Christmas


starting on Nov 29 in Barcelona

Springsteen, E Street Band to reunite for a bit of "Magic" tour 2007 tickets

Springsteen, E Street Band to reunite for a bit of "Magic"
Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 08/16/07
ASSOCIATED PRESS

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NEW YORK — Bruce Springsteen is back with the E Street Band — and a bit of "Magic."

The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer returns Oct. 2 with a new album, titled "Magic," his first collaboration with his longtime New Jersey mates since the Sept. 11-inspired "The Rising" in 2002, Springsteen announced through his publicist today.

The album, other than its atmospheric title track, is billed as Springsteen's return to rock 'n' roll after his solo "Devils & Dust" and the folk-inspired "The Seeger Sessions." Fans can expect Clarence Clemons' familiar saxophone, Danny Federici's soaring keyboards and Max Weinberg's pounding drums — along with a lot of guitars.

The 11-song album is Springsteen's first of all-new material since April 2005, when he released the acoustic "Devils & Dust." Springsteen's 15th studio album follows last year's "The Seeger Sessions," where the Boss and a 17-piece backing band played reconjured versions of songs associated with folkie Pete Seeger.

For this album, recorded with producer Brendan O'Brien in Atlanta, Springsteen reunited with the full E Street Band to recreate its Garden State wall of sound: guitarists Steve Van Zandt and Nils Lofgren, bassist Garry Tallent, drummer Weinberg, keyboardists Federici and Roy Bittan, sax man Clemons, violinist Soozie Tyrell and vocalist Patti Scialfa.

Last year, Springsteen said he'd already written a "whole book of songs for the E Street Band." He assembled the band earlier this year and they finished the album in two months, about the same amount of time spent recording the multi-platinum "The Rising."

Songs include the title track, the album opener "Radio Nowhere," "You'll Be Comin' Down," "Livin' in the Future," "Your Own Worst Enemy," "Gypsy Biker," "Girls in Their Summer Clothes," "I'll Work for Your Love," "Last to Die," "Long Walk Home" and "Devil's Arcade."

Details on a worldwide tour featuring the band were expected to follow. Springsteen and the E Street Band sold out arenas and stadiums around the globe during a 15-month tour behind "The Rising."

The Jersey Boys Meet the Ultimate Jersey Boy: Bruce Springsteen!

Who's the Boss? Bruce Springsteen, of course! The Garden State's most celebrated native son made his way to the August Wilson Theatre on August 8 to check out Jersey Boys, the story of the Four Seasons, the pop quartet that paved the way to superstardom for the pride of Asbury Park. Springsteen came backstage during intermission to meet the starstruck Broadway cast and pose for a few photos. And tramps like us, baby, we tagged along to capture the scene!
Photos by Bruce Glikas/Broadway.com

more here

Bruce Springsteen to Release New E Street Band Album in Fall

Bruce Springsteen to Release New E Street Band Album in Fall
Wednesday, July 11, 2007

By Roger Friedman


Bruce Springsteen | Michael Jackson | Kelly Clarkson | Odds 'n' Ends

Bruce Springsteen to Release New E Street Band Album in Fall

The general disarray at Sony Music's Columbia Records may have a savior: Bruce Springsteen.

The Boss, as we still call him, is apparently planning a new album for release in late fall. Some sources insist that this will be an E Street Band album, and not another side project like the "Seeger Sessions" or a solo collection of introspective songs.

An E Street Band album means a big rock 'n' roll sound with Springsteen's featured players like Steve van Zandt, Max Weinberg and Clarence Clemons.

Sources tell me that tracks have been recorded with the group, and that the hope among Bruce insiders is that he will choose their project over several others he may have cooking.

"You never know," one observer said, "but it's looking better and better."

Sony insiders definitely confirmed in the last few days that Springsteen is scheduled to release new music before the end of the year. He would have to be, since last year, former Sony Music CEO Andy Lack helped the rock legend land a contract worth $100 million over several years.

Another and very important player would be Springsteen's wife: rocker Patti Scialfa. The timing would be perfect since Scialfa — one of my favorite female rockers — already has an album set for release in early September.

"Play It As It Lays" is Scialfa's first new set of songs since "23rd Street Lullaby," which was released three years ago. Patti is already booked on "Letterman" and the "Today" show as well as "The View," where she may have to co-host if Barbara Walters doesn't find replacements for her departed panelists.

For Bruce, a new album would be the first E Street Band release since "The Rising," his magnificent recording about 9/11. That album sold better than any previous Springsteen albums and picked up a number of Grammy nominations. Springsteen lost the award for best album to Norah Jones' debut, if you recall.

If you never tried it, pick up "The Rising" or download some of its amazing tracks like "Empty Sky" or "You're Missing."

The latter song, which had a serious message, could also be the theme song at Sony these days. Quite a few people are missing — and they're not coming back. I'm told that layoffs are continuing, with several departments in publicity and marketing gutted.

When I mentioned this to a Sony higher-up the other day, the person replied: "You are the last one writing about the record business. Don't you realize it's over?"

Maybe, but if so, what do I do with my 1,200 45s and thousands of CDs? Not everything fits in a computer. And when the Springsteen album comes out, I don't want to listen to it on earbuds, but through my Rogue tube amplifier and Sequerra Met 7 speakers. Loud, baby, loud.

Beatles Songs 'Safe for Now'

I have been telling you for some time now that on May 31, 2008, Michael Jackson will lose the Beatles catalog. Sony has the right to buy it all out from him, thanks to a 2006 refinancing deal.

But sources tell me that Sony isn't so eager to pony up the $300 to $600 million this purchase would entail. For now, at least, my sources say, "the company is happy with its passive partner. Michael isn't bothering us and we're not bothering him."

Recently, Sony/ATV Music Publishing has made some excellent strategic purchases, thanks to new president and financial partner Martin Bandier. They picked up the Famous Music catalog and will continue to expand in the next year.

So Jackson is safe, but this also means he can't raise cash against the catalog anymore. He would have to go back to work to do that.

And stories about Jackson on the Maryland shore last week were amusing. But Jackson was also buzzing around Virginia, as this column reported. For the first few days, he was in northern Virginia's 540 area code checking out shopping malls. There's nothing like a good food court when your career is tanking.

Kelly Clarkson 60 Percent Off

Kelly Clarkson's "My December" dropped off around 60 percent in sales for its second week, bringing the pop star's self-penned collection to a decent 416,000 copies. Next week is the one to watch, especially if "Sober" doesn't appeal to kids as a summer hit.

I'm glad I'm not a kid now. In 1975, the big summer hit was "Get Down Tonight."

Odds 'n' Ends

Russell Simmons was looking thin and trim as he entertained friends at the Waverly Inn for dinner. He skipped the meal himself. He's a vegan. ...

If you love music and film — in particular rock music and great films — you don't want to miss the Mods and Rockers Festival starting this weekend in Hollywood. Check it out at modsandrockers.com.

The choices are varied and fantastic, including a first-ever showing of a documentary about the late and very great Harry Nilsson and a free rock concert featuring Spencer Davis ("Gimme Some Lovin'"), Stephen Bishop ("On and On") and — this is really a must-see — the Records, the cult British New Wave group from the late '70s whose "Starry Nights" is a classic on every level. ...

Also this weekend in La La Land: Hollywood Roadshow is auctioning off over 750 movie props from "Dreamgirls," "Transformers," "1408," "Disturbia," "Blades of Glory" and other films. There's also lots of film memorabilia, and you can bid on it online as well at hollywoodroadshow.com.

Bruce Springsteen photog takes the offical photos of The Queen

How queen of the lens snapped a royal portrait for American visitWill Pavia
She has photographed Whoopi Goldberg in a bath of milk, Clint Eastwood bound with ropes and the actress Roseanne Barr mud wrestling, but when America’s leading celebrity photographer arrived at Buckingham Palace, Her Majesty probably had something more traditional in mind.

Annie Leibovitz, who made her name with outlandish photographs of America’s most famous people, had been commissioned to take an official portrait to mark the Queen’s forthcoming state visit to the US.

The photographer drew up at the Palace with her retinue on March 28 and was shown into the White Drawing Room.

Leibovitz’s shoots are noted for their extravagance: typically she commands vast budgets and fleets of panicking assistants. She has been known to charge more than $100,000 (£50,000) a day.

I like the photo, do you ?

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