IN THE NEWS:
Neil Diamond has unveiled the itinerary for a long-awaited North American trek in celebration of his decades of classic hits.
For the first time in more than three decades, Neil Diamond is heading to Hawaii for a pair of February performances, but before that, he'll appear on a Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade float.
The 27th annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, held Monday night (3/14) at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City, switched it up a bit this year. Rather than mix musical performances in with the induction ceremony, the awards were presented first followed by a concert featuring honorees, presenters and others.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame officially announced the class of 2011 inductees Wednesday (12/15) -- Neil Diamond, Alice Cooper, Tom Waits, Dr. John and Darlene Love -- adding Leon Russell in the sideman category and Specialty Records' Art Rupe and Elektra Records founder Jac Holzman under the heading of non-performers.
Neil Diamond, Alice Cooper, Tom Waits, Dr. John and Darlene Love will be inducted as the class of 2011 at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, according to the industry website Hitsdailydouble.com.
Taylor Swift's "Speak Now" held onto the top slot on the nation's album sales chart this week, selling 320,000 copies in its second week of release, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
When it comes to media attention, there is probably not a worse release date than Election Day. Neil Diamond, Elvis Costello, Huey Lewis and the News and Jason Alden will need some voter apathy to cut through the returns, analysis and party coverage. 
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced its list of 15 nominees for induction, reaching back to the 1950s for Chuck Willis and the mid-1980s for Bon Jovi and the Beastie Boys. To be eligible, an artist's recording debuts had to occur in 1985 or earlier.
Neil Diamond, himself one of the top composers of the rock era, will turn his focus to songs he personally admires on his forthcoming album, "Dreams," due Nov. 2.
