Musician Gerry Rafferty Dies

Scottish rocker Gerry Rafferty has died at the age of 63 after what was described as a long illness.

I happen to have some Gerry Rafferty in my music collection and on my iPod. 

Rafferty was perhaps best known for his hit single, "Stuck in the Middle with You," which was featured in a pivotal scene in Quentin Tarantino's 1992 film Reservoir Dogs.

Despite the hit song, which came from the 1972 album Can I Have My Money Back?, Rafferty kept a low profile in recent years. He was also known for the catchy '70s songs "Baker Street" and "Right Down the Line,"  his last album was released in 2000.

A little known fact about Rafferty was he got his musical start from comedian-in-the-making, Billy Connolly back in 1969. Connolly invited Rafferty to join his band, the Humblebums. He recorded two albums with the Humblebums (The New Humbelbums and Open the Door) but the group split up when it became clear that Connolly’s ambitions lay more in comedy than music. “It was getting awkward on stage,” Rafferty would later recall. “When I did a solo piece, just voice and acoustic guitar, Billy would walk off stage. And his jokes were getting longer and longer while the songs were getting shorter and shorter. It made sense to part when we did.”

Other musicians are calling Rafferty a musical genius and he will be missed.

Top Grossing Concerts of 2010

Rockers Bon Jovi head the list of the top earning concert tours of 2010

Following closely behind at #2 and #3 are fellow veteran acts AC/DC and U2, concert tracker Pollstar reports.

The New Jersey act sold an impressive $201.1 million worth of tickets worldwide this year in a concert economy that was on the downslide. Around the world, ticket sales for the top 50 tours dropped 12 percent to $2.93 billion, and in North America, they dropped 15 percent to $1.69 billion.

Bon Jovi beat out 2009's top two acts, bumping AC/DC, who grossed $177 million in ticket sales, to #2, and U2, with $160.9 million (impressive, considering they had to postpone their North American leg to 2011 due to Bono's back surgery), to #3 on the list. But hot on the heels of the aging rockers is Lady Gaga, the only woman in the top 10 tours for 2010.

Gaga and her Monster Ball tour placed fourth on the list. According to the report, Gaga's over-the-top spectacle grossed $133.6 million over the course of 138 shows, most of which took place outside of North America. Gaga may have only placed fourth, but she played more shows than the top three: Bon Jovi played only 80 shows, AC/DC played 40 and U2 played 32 shows.

The rest of the top 10 is rounded out by Metallica at #5 (netting $110.1 million), pop crooner Michael Bublé was # 6 with $104.2 million; the live show "Walking With Dinosaurs" placed #7 with $104.1 million; Paul McCartney is #8 with $93 million; the Eagles are #9 with $92.3 million and Roger Waters is #10 with $89.5 million.

iPad Holiday Gift Ideas: Ho: A Dan Band Xmas, MP3 Album Download

If you aren't familiar with The Dan Band, you should be.  Let's just say their music is unique.  You may have seen The Dan Band on Jay Leno, or numerous other televison shows and movies, but this is their Christmas album. 

The Dan Band is famous for taking other group's hits and adding their own spin to them.  Their Christmas album is a bit different, they are all original tunes.  Download this album and keep it on your iPad all year long to keep the laughs coming.  Songs like I Wanna Rock You Hard this Christmas" and Ho Ho Ho" will get the Christmas spirit flowing.

Get it here now:

Julianne Hough's New Video Banned for being too Racy

Julianne Hough's  video for her latest single, 'Is That So Wrong,' has reportedly been deemed too steamy for Country Music Television (CMT). The video features the former 'Dancing With the Stars' beauty playfully meandering.

The video has also been pulled off You Tube and other internet sites, but a "Making of" clip gives us a peek to the making of the steamy video.  Then the actual video itself.

Here is the making of clip, it appears to be nothing worse than what you might see on any episode of "Dancing With the Stars."

CMT denies any ban has occurred, and the station told CNN that it isn't playing the video because of a snag in the contract negotiations.

And here's the actual video.  The video doesn't tell much of a story, unlike most country videos that seem to be an actual "mini movie".  It does feature Julianne dancing around in various states of undress and at the end a guy appears at her door.  Judge for yourself.  i know I'm not complaining.

Julianne Hough - Is That So Wrong - Official Video found on Pop

Get Julianne's Christmas CD here:

And her new Dance DVD:

Dudes from India Singing 'California Girls'

This is horrible, but I couldn't stop watching it.  The guy singing is so serious, I think he's proud of his effort.

Oh well, if you haven't seen it already, give it a go.