TLC stars plan farewell

TLC stars plan farewell

The two surviving members of R&B act TLC will stage their farewell live performance on 1 June at a New York radio station's annual Zootopia concert.

Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins and Rozanda "Chilli" Thomas have made sporadic public appearances but have not performed together since Lisa "Left-Eye" Lopes' April 2002 death in a car accident.

The trio were working on a new album, 3D, before Lopes died. The collection was released late last year.

The pair's set is also expected to include tributes to two other musicians who have died recently, Aaliyah, and Run DMC's Jam Master Jay.

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Skynyrd man given OK to tour

Lynyrd Skynyrd's founding lead guitarist Gary Rossington has been cleared to by doctors to tour with the southern rock band from June after heart bypass surgery.

Rossington, 51, underwent the quintuple bypass surgery in February in an Atlannta hospital.

A band spokesman said doctors had given him the green light to return to the stage on 13 June in Karlsruhe, Germany.

The first eight European shows, set to begin 29 May in Belgium, will be rescheduled.

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Presley album enters US chart

Lisa-Marie Presley's debut album has entered the US chart at number five.

To Whom It May Concern sold 142,000 copies in its first week of release.

The singer penned most of the lyrics herself but the songs were written with the help of Glen Ballard, who worked on Alanis Morissette's album Jagged Little Pill.

Presley pays tribute to her famous father on a track called Nobody Noticed It.

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Rap show protest

An Islamic activist group has criticised new US soap opera Platinum for glorifying the "violence and brutality" of the hip hop world.

The show is about two brothers who run a rap record label and has fared well in the ratings since its debut on Monday.

But Project Islamic Hope said the soap was undermining efforts to end a feud between Eminem and 50 Cent and their rival Ja Rule.

Programme-makers UPN defended the show as "a very honest behind-the-scenes look at aspects of the hip hop industry."

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Strikes close Portugal museums

Portugal's state museums will be closed over the Easter weekend because of a museum workers' strike.

Museum employees say government cuts have left them understaffed, forcing them to close some buildings during lunchtime.

State-owned palaces and castles will also be affected.

The Portuguese government say that spending cuts are needed to to reduce the country's budget deficit.

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Etheridge to marry partner

Rock musician Melissa Etheridge is to marry her partner, actress Tammy Lynn Michaels.

The ceremony will take place in Los Angeles later this year.

Etheridge, 41, has been dating Michaels for two years. She is best known for her Grammy-winning track Ain't It Heavy, and for her work for gay rights organisations.

The musician shares custody of her son and daughter - whose biological father is musician David Crosby - with former partner Julie Cypher.