By Jeff Sneider LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Rocket Pictures' Elton John biopic "Rocketman" will be taking off at Cannes, with Good Universe launching the international sales effort at the upcoming Cannes Film Market. Michael Gracey is directing from a script by Oscar nominee Lee Hall ("Billy Elliot"). Steve Hamilton Shaw and David Furnish ("Gnomeo and Juliet") will produce, while Sir Elton John will executive produce. ...

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Veteran "American Idol" judge Randy Jackson said on Thursday he was leaving the Fox TV singing contest to focus on his other business ventures. Jackson, who has been a judge on the show since its start in 2002, made the announcement amid falling ratings and rampant rumors about the future makeup of the celebrity panel. "Yo! Yo! Yo! To put all of the speculation to the rest, after 12 years of judging on American Idol I have decided it is time to leave after this season," Jackson told entertainment news outlet E! News. ...

By Ross Kerber CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts (Reuters) - South Korean rapper Psy said he "partied hard" when his dance number drew its first 10 million views on YouTube last summer. Little did he know "Gangnam Style" would become the most-viewed video in the online service's history, with a global following and nearly 1.6 billion views as of Thursday. ...

By Marty Graham VISTA, California (Reuters) - Heavy metal singer Tim Lambesis, the frontman for Christian rock band As I Lay Dying, pleaded not guilty on Thursday to a charge of soliciting the murder of his estranged wife. North San Diego County Superior Court Judge Martin Staven set bail for Lambesis at $3 million. He ordered Lambesis to surrender his passport, stay away from his wife Meggan and their three children and remain in San Diego county except to meet with his attorney. If convicted, Lambesis faces up to nine years in prison. ...

By Tim Kenneally LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Justin Bieber is once again airing his thoughts on history-making figures. With about as much success as he did last time. "Boyfriend" singer Bieber, who caught heat last month when he wondered whether Anne Frank would have been a fan of his, has now turned his gaze toward anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela. Bieber's deep thoughts on Mandela? He's "the man. ...

By Jill Serjeant LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Viewers are gearing up to crown the first female winner of "American Idol" in six years, but the biggest drama at the once-dominant Fox TV singing contest is taking place backstage over which of the celebrity judges will be voted off. Audiences for what was the most-watched TV show in the United States for eight years have slumped to new lows in the current 12th season, despite the addition of singers Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj and Keith Urban to the judging panel. ...

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Veteran "American Idol" judge Randy Jackson said on Thursday he was leaving the Fox TV singing contest to focus on his other business ventures. Jackson, who has been a judge on the show since its start in 2002, made the announcement amid falling ratings and rampant rumors about the future makeup of the celebrity panel. "Yo! Yo! Yo! To put all of the speculation to the rest, after 12 years of judging on American Idol I have decided it is time to leave after this season," Jackson told entertainment news outlet E! News. ...

By Vernell Hackett NASHVILLE, Tennessee (Reuters) - Lady Antebellum are growing up and getting sassy with their fourth studio album, "Golden," embracing a stripped-down sound to showcase their vocal strength as they prepare for an upcoming tour with a baby on board. The country band, formed by vocalists Hillary Scott, Charles Kelley and guitarist Dave Haywood in Nashville, Tennessee, released its latest album this week, which saw band members drawing on their live tour experiences. ...

NEW YORK (AP) — Even though a cowboy hat sighting on Fifth Avenue is still pretty rare, country music has made an important move into New York City.

She & Him, "Volume 3" (Merge Records)

NEW YORK (AP) — Fantasia is feeling the love — and says she hasn't felt this good since winning "American Idol" in 2004.

NEW YORK (AP) — Usher will be the spark for Macy's 4th of July fireworks show.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The attorney for Michael Jackson's estate on Wednesday described as "outrageous and pathetic" a fresh claim of child molestation against the dead pop star, made by one of his close friends. Choreographer Wade Robson, who testified in defense of the "Thriller" singer in a 2005 child sex abuse trial, filed a creditor's claim against Jackson's estate last week, alleging he had been abused by the singer when he was a minor, according to sealed legal documents seen by celebrity website TMZ.com. "Mr. ...

By Piya Sinha-Roy LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Country singer Kenny Chesney landed his seventh No. 1 album on the weekly Billboard 200 album chart on Wednesday with his latest record "Life on a Rock." The album sold 153,000 copies in its first week, according to figures from Nielsen SoundScan, giving Chesney the second-most No. 1 country albums, behind Garth Brooks. Last week's chart-topper, Michael Buble's "To Be Loved" slipped to No. 2, while Justin Timberlake's "The 20/20 Experience" held steady at No. 3 for the fourth consecutive week. ...