Briefly: Velvet Revolver, Johnny Ramone, Billy Joe Shaver, Coheed and Cambria
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"Contraband," the debut album from rock supergroup Velvet Revolver , sold about 256,000 copies during its first week, enough to top the U.S. album chart.
Fronted by former Stone Temple Pilots singer Scott Weiland, Velvet Revolver also features former Guns N' Roses members Slash, Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum, and Wasted Youth's Dave Kushner.
Velvet Revolver pushes Usher's "Confessions," which has logged nine weeks at No. 1, down one slot to No. 2, according to Billboard.
Avril Lavigne's "Under My Skin" falls one place to No. 3, and Gretchen Wilson's "Here for the Party" slips a spot to No. 4.
Rounding out The Billboard 200 album chart's Top 5 is Prince's "Musicology," which is also down one place from the previous week.
RollingStone.com reports that Ramones guitarist Johnny Ramone, 55, has prostate cancer, and is hospitalized in Los Angeles.
"Johnny's been a champ in confronting this, but at this point I think the chances are slim," his former bandmate Marky Ramone reportedly said.
Ramones frontman Joey Ramone died of lymphatic cancer in 2001, and bassist Dee Dee Ramone died of a drug overdose in 2002.
Billy Joe Shaver has completed an unfinished album that his late son, Eddy Shaver , was working on before his death. The set, titled "Billy and the Kid," will be issued by Compadre Records on Aug. 24.
The set was only half completed at the time of the younger Shaver's death. "[Producer] Tony Colton and I have had visits and instructions from Eddy to create this album," Billy Joe Shaver said in a statement. "The album is full of love, talent and dedication with the tracks that Eddy left Tony and me to finish."
Eddy Shaver died on New Year's Eve in 2000 of what was ruled an accidental heroin overdose.
Columbia Records will re-issue "In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3," the sophomore effort from rockers Coheed and Cambria, on June 29. The set was released independently in 2003, and has sold more than 150,000 copies to date, according to Columbia.
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