John Lydon boosts his Public Image with new album

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - As bad boy lead singer of the anarchic, trail-blazing and short-lived 1970s punk band the Sex Pistols, John Lydon (then Johnny Rotten) snarled and spat his way across a shocked society and music scene still pleasantly half-high from the mellow 1960s. Never one to let the grass grow under his feet, Lydon left the Pistols in 1978 to form the more experimental - if less commercially successful - Public Image Ltd., and for the next 15 years the band's shifting lineup released a dozen albums and toured the world. ...

Disco queen Donna Summer dies at 63

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Disco queen Donna Summer, whose sultry voice and pulsing rhythms on hits like "Last Dance" and "Love to Love You Baby" defined the 1970s disco era, died of cancer on Thursday at age 63. Summer, who won five Grammys and sold more than 130 million records worldwide, died surrounded by her family in Naples, Florida, publicist Brian Edwards said. He declined to specify what type of cancer caused her death. "Early this morning, surrounded by family, we lost Donna Summer Sudano, a woman of many gifts, the greatest being her faith. ...

Power ballad Sanchez vs. "genius" Phillips on "Idol"

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Jessica Sanchez, the teen with the big voice, chose power ballads while Phillip Phillips went with an indie vibe as the two diverse "American Idol" finalists sang on Tuesday for the hearts and votes of America. Sanchez, 16, bidding to become the youngest ever winner of America's most-watched TV show, was deemed ahead after performing songs made famous by Whitney Houston and Celine Dion. But it was acoustic guitar-playing Phillips who brought all three judges to their feet at the end of the performance finale. ...

Britney is back - and so are the brickbats

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Britney Spears hasn't even taken her seat as the new judge of "The X Factor," but the pop icon is already getting a lesson in the media glare of live, talent show television. Spears had barely wrapped up an appearance in New York confirming she is joining the singing contest before the celebrity knives were out, raising the question of how well the singer, who went through a public meltdown in 2007, can handle all the newfound attention. ...