LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Oklahoma country singer Blake Shelton is planning a televised benefit to raise money for victims of the massive tornado that swept through Moore, Oklahoma, this week, music magazine Billboard reported Wednesday. "The Voice" judge Shelton, a native of Ada, Oklahoma, which is 75 miles northwest of Moore, said he would have more information on the NBC concert in the next 24 hours. "I'm hoping it will raise a lot of money. Obviously it will be televised and will happen really quickly," Shelton told Billboard after the conclusion of Tuesday's "The Voice. ...

By Eric Kelsey LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Indie rock band Vampire Weekend on Wednesday grabbed the top spot on the weekly Billboard 200 album chart, besting new albums from country legend George Strait and pop singer Demi Lovato. "Modern Vampires of the City" sold 134,000 copies in its first week, according to figures compiled by Nielsen SoundScan, and became the second album to debut at the top of the weekly Billboard 200 for the New York-based rockers. It was also the first independently distributed album to debut at No. ...

By Ira Teinowitz LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Washington is truly feeling the earth move this week as singer-songwriter Carole King is honored with the Library of Congress's Gershwin Prize for popular song and then saluted in two concerts, one in the White House. King is becoming the first female songwriter to win the prize, which was won by Stevie Wonder in 2009, Paul McCartney in 2010, and the songwriting team of Burt Bacharach and Hal David in 2012. ...

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Soul music legend Aretha Franklin postponed three June concerts, the singer's spokesman said on Wednesday, a week after health issues caused her to cancel two shows in May. Spokesman David Brokaw said the "Queen of Soul" did not give a reason for postponing concerts in Clarkston, Michigan, as well as Ottawa and Montreal, Canada, which were scheduled for late June. "She's going to resume her schedule in July," Brokaw said. Franklin, 71, canceled concerts in Chicago and Connecticut last week to undergo undisclosed medical treatment between May 20-26, organizers said. ...

By Zorianna Kit LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Rapper Pitbull has taken his blend of American pop music fused with Latin beats from the clubs of Miami to international pop charts, but he now is crossing into film with his first acting role as an animated character in the upcoming movie, "Epic." Pitbull, whose real name is Armando Perez, has become a staple in the pop music field with lively dance-floor tracks including recent chart hits "Feel This Moment" with Christina Aguilera and "Live it Up" with Jennifer Lopez. ...

By Maxim Duncan BEIJING (Reuters) - Dissident Chinese artist Ai Weiwei made his first foray into the musical world on Wednesday with the release of the top single from his debut album, a song called "Dumbass" that takes inspiration from his detention in 2011. The video for the heavy metal song, which was directed by Ai with cinematography by acclaimed filmmaker Christopher Doyle, depicts Ai's 81 days in secretive detention in 2011, which sparked an international outcry. "There was one thing I thought was interesting. ...

LONDON (Reuters) - British singer George Michael remains in hospital under observation for head injuries, five days after a car accident, his publicist said on Tuesday. "I can confirm that George remains in hospital but purely as a standard precaution for observation because he suffered some bumps and cuts to his head. But he's making good progress, he's fine and he's really looking forward to getting home," the spokeswoman said. ...

BERLIN (Reuters) - A monkey which belonged to popstar Justin Bieber has become German national property after the singer failed to provide authorities with the documents needed to reclaim the pet seized by customs officials. Bieber had until Friday to hand in the necessary paperwork which included health and species protection certificates after "Mally" his capuchin monkey was confiscated at Munich airport in March while the singer was on tour. ...

By Eric Kelsey LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Ray Manzarek, a founding member and keyboardist of 1960s rock group The Doors, died on Monday at a medical clinic in Germany at age 74 following a battle with cancer, the group's manager Tom Vitorino said. Manzarek, who lived in Northern California's Napa Valley wine country for the past decade, had been seeking treatment in Germany for bile duct cancer, Vitorino said. He died in Rosenheim, Germany, surrounded by his wife and brothers. ...

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Pop singer Kelly Rowland and Mexican singer-actress Paulina Rubio have signed onto "The X Factor" judging panel replacing Britney Spears and music mogul L.A. Reid, the Fox television talent competition produced by Simon Cowell said on Monday. Rowland, who rose to fame with R&B group Destiny's Child, and Rubio will be charged with re-igniting the Fox series that failed to stave off falling ratings after giving Spears a reported $15 million salary last year. Rowland, 32, and Rubio, 41, will join Cowell, 53, and pop singer Demi Lovato, 20, on the judging panel. ...

LONDON (Reuters) - Singer Prince has signed a new deal with Kobalt Music Group to market and distribute his future work without giving up control over his rights, the company said on Monday. The singer-songwriter, who is famed for changing his name to an unpronounceable symbol in a wrangle over musical rights, will release his own work as well as a slate of new music by other artists that he produces, Kobalt said. ...

(Reuters) - Pop stars Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift won the big prizes on Sunday at the Billboard Music Awards, which also honored legendary performers Madonna and Prince. Bieber, who was named top male artist, also performed at the show at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. He also took home Billboard's first Milestone Award, chosen by fans, for musical innovation and ingenuity. "I'm 19 years old. I think I'm doing a pretty good job, Bieber said. "It should really be about the music. This is not a gimmick. I'm an artist and I should be taken seriously. ...

By Mia Shanley MALMO, Sweden (Reuters) - Denmark's Emmelie de Forest won Eurovision on Saturday before an international TV audience of around 125 million, clinching the coveted crown of euro-pop with a folksy ballad backed by a wall of fire, flutes and drums. The barefoot 20-year-old blonde stole the show as predicted by bookmakers with "Only Teardrops" in a final that saw 26 countries battle it out in the southern Swedish city of Malmo for the top prize in glitzy European pop music. ...

By Alex Dobuzinskis LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A custom-made electric guitar played by the late John Lennon and George Harrison of the Beatles sold at a New York auction on Saturday for $408,000, said officials with the company behind the event. The semi-hollow-body guitar, manufactured by the VOX company, was sold to an unidentified U.S. buyer at the "Music Icons" event organized by Beverly Hills, California-based Julien's Auctions and held at the Hard Rock Cafe in Manhattan. ...

By Josie Cox LONDON (Reuters) - Even with one of the world's most athletic opera singers at her side and plenty of practice, American mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato reckons the latest London production of Gioachino Rossini's "La Donna Del Lago" is the challenge of a lifetime. DiDonato and Peruvian tenor Juan Diego Florez told Reuters at the Royal Opera House production's opening on Friday night that performing their technically demanding roles in the John Fulljames interpretation is almost like an elite sport. ...

By Harriet McLeod CHARLESTON, South Carolina (Reuters) - "American Idol" winner Candice Glover, whose powerful voice clinched the title of the popular TV singing show, comes from a sea island culture made up of descendants of West African slaves. "I speak another language," she said during the Fox TV show. "It's called Geechee." Some 14.2 million TV viewers tuned in to watch Glover beat Kree Harrison to win the season 12 "American Idol" crown on Thursday. Glover, 23, is a native of rural St. Helena Island in the coastal South Carolina Lowcountry. ...

LONDON (Reuters) - British singer George Michael has received medical treatment after a car crash on Thursday, his publicist said. The 49-year-old former Wham! frontman was being treated for "minor cuts and bruises" after the accident, Michael's spokeswoman said. "George Michael was a passenger in a vehicle involved in a traffic accident yesterday evening, no third party was involved," a spokeswoman said on Friday. "He is being treated for superficial cuts and bruises but is fine." British media reported that the accident occurred just outside London on a motorway during rush hour. ...

By Mia Shanley STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Bare-chested Irish drummers, a Ukrainian giant and a much-discussed lesbian kiss will be on display at this Saturday's Eurovision final in Sweden which - love it or hate it - promises plenty of pop, kitsch and barefoot ballads. Some 26 countries will compete for the jewel in the crown of European pop in the homeland of former Swedish supergroup ABBA, one of Eurovision's most successful winners. ...

By Jeremy Gaunt LONDON (Reuters) - If Kat Edmonson ever becomes a household name, she can put it down not just to her talent as a jazz singer, but to some decidedly modern financing as well. The 29-year-old Texan, an old-school chanteuse with a contemporary lilt, has funded production of her second album via a community workshop and through crowd-sourcing, essentially getting the people who like her to pay for it. The album, "Way Down Low", has now been picked up by Sony which is "launching" the singer outside the United States as an up-and-comer in a more traditional manner. ...

By Patricia Reaney (Reuters) - Candice Glover, a soul singer from rural South Carolina, was named "American Idol" on Thursday, becoming the first female singer to win the television singing competition since 2007. Glover, 23, defeated country singer Kree Harrison in the popular vote with her powerful voice in what judges deemed a close contest to take the title on season 12 of the Fox network show. "You are officially our American idol," host Ryan Seacrest said as the crowd of more than 7,000 at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles cheered. ...

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Singer Bob Dylan was made an honorary member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, joining the ranks of leading writers, composers and artists in the prestigious 115-year-old group. Henry Cobb, the president of the academy, said honorary members are people of great distinction in the creative arts. ...

LONDON (Reuters) - British boy band One Direction, one of the pop industry's biggest acts of the last 18 months, are working on an "edgy" third album and will start a world tour next year. The five singers told a press conference in London that their new album, which the music press speculated would share the same name as their upcoming "Where We Are" 2014 tour, will depart from the teen pop that has had young girls screaming around the world since they first emerged from a talent show. ...

By Mia Shanley MALMO, Sweden (Reuters) - Denmark's Emmelie de Forest won Eurovision on Saturday before an international TV audience of around 125 million, securing the coveted crown of euro-pop with a folksy ballad backed by flutes and drums. The barefoot 20-year-old stole the show as predicted by bookmakers with "Only Teardrops" in a final that saw 26 countries battle it out in the southern Swedish city of Malmo for the top prize in glitzy European pop music. "I could feel the fans and all the energy in the arena. ... It's a once in a lifetime experience. ...

MALMO, Sweden (Reuters) - Denmark won the Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday before an international TV audience of around 125 million, winning with the annual competition with a barefoot performance backed by flutes and drums. The 20-year-old won with the song "Only Teardrops", competing against 25 other countries in a final held in Malmo in southern Sweden. (Reporting by Mia Shanley)