Sandy West [ tickets ], co-founder and drummer of the influential, all-female '70s rock group The Runaways [ tickets ], died Saturday (10/21) following a lengthy bout with lung cancer.

"I started The Runaways with Sandy West," her former bandmate Joan Jett said in a prepared statement. "We shared the dream of girls playing rock and roll. Sandy was an exuberant and powerful drummer. So underrated, she was the caliber of John Bonham. I am overcome from the loss of my friend. I always told her, we changed the world."

Runaways vocalist Cherie Currie, in a statement, said: "Sandy West was by far, the greatest female drummer in the history of rock and roll. No one could compete or even come close to her, but the most important was her heart. Sandy West loved her fans, her friends and family almost to a fault. She would do absolutely anything for the people she loved. It will never be the same for me again to step on a stage, because Sandy West was the best and I will miss her forever."

Country great George Jones [ tickets ] fractured his wrist Friday (10/20) when he fell while entering producer Keith Stegall's studio, and was scheduled to undergo surgery today (10/23) to make sure the injury heals properly.

As a result of the injury, Jones, 75, canceled three planned performances--in Murray, KY; Cumming, GA; and Columbia, SC--that were scheduled to take place last weekend.

Jones is expected to resume his tour schedule Halloween night at New York's Carnegie Hall.

John Mellencamp [ tickets ] played his new song "Our Country," the first single from his upcoming album "Freedom Road," prior to World Series Game 2 in Detroit Sunday night (10/22). The song, which is also featured on a Chevrolet trucks commercial, is now streaming at Mellencamp's official website.

"Freedom Road" is expected to hit stores in January.

Rapper Bow Wow [ tickets ] will issue his fifth studio album, "The Price of Fame," on Dec. 19. The lead single, "Shortie Like Mine," is streaming at Bow Wow's MySpace page.