Rumor Bust: Bowie… again, James Brown, Usher, James McCartney, Bonnaroo

Who says gossip isn’t good? It gives us more to write about! For the benefit of your supreme music knowledge (so you can know more random music factoids than your friends), here are the latest confirmed/denied rumors flying around out there:

First and foremost, let’s get David Bowie out of the way, because he’s been hogging the spotlight for too long already. In answer to the multitude of rumors being exchanged about the music icon, here is the quick-and-easy breakdown:

• Bowie is not playing Coachella or reviving Ziggy Stardust.
• Bowie may or may not be recording new material Berlin (he didn’t confirm or deny this, although the Twitter message was apparently a hoax).
• Bowie does not have a Twitter account, according to his official website, so don’t trust any news reports that pop up from a Twitter impostor (that’s where these rumors were coming from).

Now that you know, leave Bowie alone! Maybe he’ll actually reward us with some new shit if we give him some piece and quiet.

• Director Spike Lee announced at the Sundance Film Festival that Wesley Snipes is slated to play James Brown in a film about the singer’s life. Snipes said that the project is “going to happen.” Sounds righteous, but cross your fingers that Snipes doesn’t pull a Joaquin Phoenix and quit acting after a brush with the music biz.
• For those of you keeping up with southside urban reality TV, Tameka Raymond, wife of R&B singer Usher, will not be appearing on the second season of Real Housewives of Atlanta. Raymond said she declined the position after recently being offered a spot on the show. Too bad. It could have been a selling point for Usher, who is, quite frankly, trying to make it in a cruel music world where R&B is popularized by clowns like R. Kelly.
• Paul McCartney‘s son James has reportedly completed 20 tracks for an upcoming solo project. This is a fact, but who will be accompanying the Beatles-offspring is still under scrutiny. However, one source claims that James is writing alongside members of rockers The Dead 60s, who split in May 2008. We’ll be sure to let you know when we get the official scoop on this one!
• Let your speculation and anxiety subside… Bonnaroo has revealed the date for its line up unveiling! Feb. 3 is the day we find out if all the rumors are true. Either way, it’s unlikely that the results will be disappointing. Check back on Beatcrave Feb. 3 for the initial artist announcement!