John Legend

Some major artists have provided songs to help launch (Red)Wire, a new digital music service working in conjunction with (Red) and Product Red, all aimed at raising awareness and funds to fight AIDS in Africa. On Monday, World Aids Day, songs and videos from artists such as Coldplay, Death Cab for Cuties, the Dixie Chicks, Jay-Z, John Legend, U2 and Elton John will be showcased during the (Red)Wire unveiling at red.msn.com. (Red)Wire subscribers will download a special custom player for their computer and will receive a weekly digital music offering, including an exclusive song from a major artist, a less well-known song that (Red)

AC/DC's "Black Ice" topped the 1-million-sales mark during the album's second week of release, holding on to the No. 1 spot on the national sales chart with 271,000 copies. It sold 784,000 the previous week. It finished well ahead of the week's No. 2 album, Pink's new "Funhouse," which sold 180,000 copies in its first week. John Legend's third collection, "Evolver," debuted at No. 4 with sales of 133,000. Toby Keith's "That Don't Make Me a Bad Guy" started off at No. 5 with 91,000 copies, just ahead of Rascal Flatts' "Greatest Hits Volume 1" compilation, arriving at No. 6 with sales of 89,000 copies, according to Billboard.

Ryan Adams & the Cardinals "Cardinology" Lost Highway . 1/2 Ryan Adams' prodigious songwriting gift has yielded an ever-growing body of work that's better viewed as a series of snapshots of his thoughts and feelings at a given moment than as definitive pronouncements on life as he sees it. On "Cardinology," under his contract for the taste-making Lost Highway label, Adams and his band explore the many faces of loss -- loss of love, of...

Sen. Barack Obama's presidential campaign, which has inspired a multitude of songs by stars and amateurs alike, is now getting an official soundtrack. "Yes We Can: Voices of a Grassroots Movement," which takes its title from an Obama campaign slogan, features Kanye West, John Legend, Sheryl Crow, Stevie Wonder and others. It will be available for sale exclusively through Obama's campaign starting Friday. The campaign of Obama's rival, Sen. John McCain, said it had no plans to release a CD of its own and greeted news of Obama's with a dig. "It's ironic that on a day when the economy is in turmoil, Barack Obama fails to release an economic plan but instead chooses a celebrity rock album," said spokesman Tucker Bounds.

The second "American Idol" charity event is set for April 9, with a lineup that includes Bono, Brad Pitt, Miley Cyrus, Fergie, Chris Daughtry and Carrie Underwood. Last year's "Idol Gives Back" show raised $76 million to benefit underprivileged children. It also earned the producers a special Emmy Award. The Fox network announced the celebrity roster Monday. Football stars Peyton and Eli Manning are also scheduled, along with John Legend, Mariah Carey, Annie Lennox, Reese Witherspoon and Snoop Dogg.

John Legend has landed himself a truly captive audience. Legend, the R&B star whose career took off with the 2004 album "Get Lifted," plans to perform an acoustic concert at 30,000 feet to promote the 50th anniversary of the Grammy Awards. The plan is for Legend, who won the Grammy for the best new artist of 2005, to serenade 50 contest winners and their friends aboard a Feb. 7 flight from New York to Los Angeles, where the Grammys are scheduled to take place Feb. 10. The flight will be aboard a Boeing 757 in the Delta Airlines fleet that has been painted with the award show's gramophone insignia.

The bling was blinding at the Conde Nast-sponsored "Movies Rock" taping at the Kodak Theatre on Dec. 2, where Beyonce, Carrie Underwood, Queen Latifah and Fergie performed famous songs from films. But Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger out-did 'em all with $3 million in Neil Lane jewels for her performance of "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend." Presenter 1. Jennifer Lopez bellied up to Kate Hudson backstage; 2. John Legend reached out and touched Mary J.

As the road crew finished preparing the stage for John Legend's show at the Wiltern LG on Thursday, a stagehand wiped the grand piano with a towel, and then a colleague sprayed the instrument with furniture polish and rubbed it to a burnished glow. Only later did the reason for the housekeeping become evident.

Record of the year "Boulevard of Broken Dreams," Green Day Album of the year "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb," U2 Song of the year "Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own," U2 Best new artist: John Legend

CALL it a fairy tale come true for Kanye West protege John Legend. A little more than a year after being turned down for a record deal, the Ohio-born singer-songwriter-producer landed eight Grammy nominations Thursday, including new artist, song of the year for his ballad "Ordinary People," and R&B album for his debut, "Get Lifted."