New Queen movie coming in November

QUEEN:  Bohemian Rhapsody  movie will hit theaters in November

After numerous starts and stops, not to mention changes in who will play Freddie Mercury and a few directors, the Queen bio-pic Bohemian Rhapsody will open in theaters on November 2nd instead of the original date of December 25th.

The film, which originally had Sacha Baron Cohen playing Mercury, now has Rami Malek in the lead role. Brian May and Roger Taylor are the executive producers. 

CHER:  Lead actress named to play Cher on Broadway

Stephanie J. Block will be one of three actresses playing Cher on Broadway.

In a strategy similar to the upcoming Donna Summer musical, Block will play Cher during the "Star" phase of her career. Other performers will appear as "Babe" and "Lady."

Currently co-starring in the NBC series Rise, Block's New York stage background includes The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Anything Goes, 9 to 5, The Pirate Queen and Wicked. She made her Broadway debut in The Boy From Ozstarring Hugh Jackman.

The Cher Show has a five-week preview run in Chicago beginning June 12th and is expected to open in New York this fall. (Playbill)

JOHN LENNON:  Figurine on the way soon

You'll soon be able to have a little John Lennon in your own home.

In a licensing deal with Yoko Ono, Molecule 8 will sell a "museum grade," one-sixth scale "Imagine-era" figurine. Mounted on a while glass base, the stainless steel internal skeleton is covered by soft skin material and can be adjusted to several different poses, including playing the piano. There's even an alternate head to be mounted that depicts John singing.

You'll also get several different outfits and accessories, such as John's iconic green army jacket and signature round tinted eyeglasses.

Available in April, this premium product will sell for just under $300.

YVONNE ELLIMAN:  Drug sentence in Hawaii

Yvonne Elliman and her husband will serve 14-day "day sentences" for drug possession in Hawaii.

The singer, best known for the Saturday Night Fever hit "If I Can't Have You" and singing backup on Eric Clapton's "I Shot the Sheriff" and "Lay Down Sally," was arrested in Guam last August for trying to bring 6.8 grams of methamphetamine onto the island.

Her attorney Mike Phillips said the sentence, where Yvonne and her husband Allen Alexander will alternate serving days in a Hawaii jail, is "doable. They will do it and get through the two weeks and get on with their lives."

Though they were hoping for probation, the attorney says the plan will enable the couple to care for Elliman's elderly mother without interruption. (Pacific Daily News)

DAVID BOWIE:  Statue vandalized two days after it was unveiled

The David Bowie statue that was unveiled Sunday in Buckinghamshire, England has been vandalized.

Some moron or morons took spray paint to it, writing, "Feed the homeless first” and “RIP DB."

Deputy Mayor Mark Willis wants it known that no public money was spent on the statue, saying that it was "entirely funded through crowdfunding, by members of the public, myself included. David Stopps, who led the effort to erect the statue, adds, "I do quite a lot for the homeless, which is the irony of the whole thing.”

The paint should be removed this week.

Toto guitarist Steve Lukather says the publication of his memoir has been pushed back to June due to delays with photo clearances. But the good news: “New deal was made in U.S.A., so it’s a worldwide release translated in many languages, including Japanese.”

The Carlos Santana-produced documentary Dolores, about activist Dolores Huerta, is now being shown on PBS.

Neal Schon says his upcoming album, Universe, will contain instrumental versions of Jimi Hendrix’s “Voodoo Chile” and “Third Stone From the Sun.”

Numerous artists posted 70th birthday video wishes to Steven Tyler, who hit the milestone on Monday. But none were better than Alice Cooper’s -- he tossed knives at a photo of the Aerosmith singer.

Carla Cooke, the youngest daughter of the late soul music icon Sam Cooke, performs at The Space in Las Vegas on Thursday night. She tells the Las Vegas Sun she waited until her kids had grown up to launch her performing career. Carla recently performed in a Daughters of Legends tour with Rhonda Ross Kendrick(daughter of Diana Ross) and Robyn Charles (daughter of Ray Charles).  

Elvis Presley's all-time certified album sales and streams in the U.S. are approaching 150 million units. Expect a bump in sales next month once the HBO documentary Elvis Presley: The Searcher debuts.

Dee Snider will be the guest vocalist in the Broadway rock and roll revue Rocktopia from April 9th through the 15th.

Ace Frehley will open for Gene Simmons on his Australian tour in August and September.

Olivia Newton-John’s spokesperson tells us there’s no deal to air the biographical mini-series on U.S. TV. The film will debut on Australian TV in April.

The CMT Crossroads episode pairing Smokey Robinson with California country singer Cam premieres tomorrow (Wednesday) at 10 p.m. [ET/PT].

Night Ranger have joined Roger Daltrey, Dave Davies and Kansas in the lineup for next February’s Rock Legends Cruise.

Van Morrison’s only two announced U.S. dates so far this year will take at the Masonic in San Francisco on August 14th and 15th. His daughter Shana will open.

Yoko Ono has long been criticized for her singing, but apparently one of her songs is good enough for a national TV commercial. PetSmart is using “Yes, I’m Your Angel” off of Double Fantasy in a new spot.