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Music News: Auction of intimate Madonna items halted

Madonna performs at the Xcel Energy Center in 2015.
Madonna performs at the Xcel Energy Center in 2015.Nate Ryan/MPR

by Jay Gabler

July 19, 2017

An online auction of nearly two dozen items of intimate Madonna memorabilia was scheduled to begin on Wednesday, but on Tuesday night a New York Supreme Court judge granted the singer an injunction blocking the sale of the items. Madonna calls the items "extremely private and personally sensitive," and that seems like a pretty fair way to describe a pair of "personally worn" satin underwear and a romantic note from Tupac Shakur.

The would-be seller is a woman named Darlene Lutz, who's described by the auction house as a "longtime personal friend" of the singer. Madonna agrees that she formerly had regular interactions with Lutz, but says she never "sold, gifted or otherwise transferred" ownership of the items in question.

Lutz's attorneys say that Madonna's claims to have the right to stop the auction are baseless, and that a dispute between Lutz and Madonna was satisfactorily resolved after a prior lawsuit ten years ago. "If Madonna truly wanted privacy," Lutz's legal team said, "then mailing her lingerie was not the way to go."

The auction has attracted widespread attention in large part because of the Shakur letter, the contents of which have already been made public. (New York Times)

Remembering Bill Diehl

Bill Diehl, perhaps the most influential rock and roll DJ in Minnesota history, has died at age 91 after complications from a fall. Remembered by local baby boomers as the self-described "Rajah of the Records, the Deacon of the Discs, the Purveyor of the Platters and the Wizard of the Wax, with all the musical facts." In his decade at WDGY, Diehl championed local bands along with national and international rock stars. He also wrote extensively for the Pioneer Press and had a TV career, as well as being a popular live emcee. (Pioneer Press)

Radiohead play controversial Israel show

Radiohead took the stage on Wednesday night in Tel Aviv, over the objections of peers including Roger Waters, Brian Eno, and Tunde Adebimpe. Waters and others, including additional musicians and human rights activists, argued that Radiohead should steer clear of Israel due to its occupation of Palestine. Others, including Michael Stipe, argued that a decision to perform in Israel did not necessarily amount to an endorsement of the Palestine situation. (NME)

Fleetwood Mac named MusiCares Person of the Year

The MusiCares Person of the Year for 2018 is Fleetwood Mac. Is that Mr. Mac? Ms. Mac? M. Mac, in the French style? The charitable organization will have to figure that out, as the British-American rockers are the first band (rather than individual) to be named "Person of the Year" since the honor was inaugurated three decades ago. Recent years' honorees have included Tom Petty, Lionel Richie, and Bob Dylan.

The MusiCares Person of the Year is traditionally the guest of honor at a gala and tribute concert held shortly before the Grammys. Next year's MusiCares gala will be held Jan. 26, two days before the Grammys are awarded. Both the gala and the Grammys ceremony are returning to New York this year, after a 15-year stint in California. (Billboard)

Monica Lewinsky has a good word for JAY-Z

Lots of people have been enjoying JAY-Z’s new album 4:44 — and one of them is Monica Lewinsky, who praises the rapper for his willingness to be vulnerable. In an essay for Vanity Fair, Lewinsky praises JAY-Z along with Prince Harry and Brad Pitt, who she also credits for opening up emotionally.

Referring to JAY-Z's response to Beyoncé frank album Lemonade, which deals with her response to his seeming infidelity, Lewinsky writes, "Jay-Z could have ignored it all. But, instead, he chose a path of candor."

Quincy Jones sues over proceeds Jackson collaborations

Producer Quincy Jones was an integral part of Michael Jackson’s classic albums Off the Wall, Thriller, and Bad — and he wants to receive what he says is his due. Jones is currently in court over a dispute with Jackson's estate, arguing that the estate owes over $30 million dollars due to a breach of contract with the producer. Legal wrangling between Jones and Jackson's team dates to 2003, when Jones first sued Jackson and Sony Music, arguing that he was being cut out of proceeds for remixes of songs like "Billie Jean" and "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough." Despite the dispute, Jones has made many millions of dollars on his collaborations with Jackson — $18 million since Jackson's 2009 death alone, it was revealed in court this week. (Billboard)

Maple Grove musician makes good

Pop R&B star Sisqo, who's been a resident of Maple Grove, Minnesota for the past several years, has remade his iconic "Thong Song," complete with a new NSFW video. As BuzzFeed puts it, "the track itself — despite being a remake of a song from 1999 — feels VERY 2017 and might be something you end up playing on repeat over and over all summer long."