Performances from the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize Concert will be broadcast Dec. 23 in the United States as a two-hour special on cable network E! Featuring Tony Bennett, Andrea Bocelli, Chris Botti, Diana Krall, Patti Labelle, Cyndi Lauper, Sondre Lerche, Baaba Maal, Polyphonic Spree, Joss Stone and Martin Yates, the Dec. 11 concert in Oslo, Norway, will be hosted by actor Tom Cruise and talk show host Oprah Winfrey.

The event is the second part of a two-day celebration honoring 2004 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Dr. Wangari Maathai of Kenya. The first woman from Africa to receive the award, Maathai was selected by the Nobel Committee for her “contribution to sustainable development, democracy and peace.”

- Billboard

Nick Lachey is slated to host VH1′s “Big in ’04″ special, which will be taped at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on December 1 and air on December 5 at 9 p.m. Presenters include P. Diddy, Mandy Moore, Joss Stone, Jamie Foxx and Donald Trump. The Black Eyed Peas, Maroon 5, Outkast and Usher are up for Big Musical Artist. Up for Big Family, no surprise, are the Simpsons and the Hiltons. Paris Hilton is nominated for another award as well, Big Catchphrase for “That’s Hot”; she’ll be vying against Dave Chappelle’s “I’m Rick James, Bitch,” Donald Trump’s “You’re Fired” and Arnold Schwarzenegger’s “Economic Girlie Men.”

- MTV.com

TEENAGE soul star Joss Stone has been forced to slash her workload after her doctor warned that her voice is in danger of being ruined.

The 17-year-old blonde was told she could lose her trademark husky tones permanently unless she took a long rest.

Otherwise, Joss was further warned, career-threatening nodules could develop – leading to surgery.

She was also advised to spend time practising singing from her chest, rather than her throat, to protect her voice.
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Joss is scheduled to appear at the upcoming VH1 Big in ’04 awards show. This year’s show tapes on Dec. 1 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, but will air on VH1 on Dec. 5 at 9PM (ET). For more info, visit the Big in ’04 website.

THE re-recording of Band Aid’s classic hit by a Who’s Who of contemporary stars was broadcast for the first time yesterday – and received a mixed reaction from fans.

The likes of Coldplay’s Chris Martin, Dido and Robbie Williams are heard on the track, which originally featured George Michael, U2, Banana-rama and Duran Duran.

Radio Five Live’s Nicky Campbell, who played the record yesterday morning, said it had “a more melancholic feel than the original and was more soulful”.

The new version of Do They Know It’s Christmas? does not have jingle bells ringing through it and is a little longer than the original, which was made 20 years ago.

Mercury Prize winner Dizzee Rascal raps near the end, and Joss Stone‘s voice also rings out.
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BOOKIES have paid out �10,000 to relatives of teen chart sensation Joss Stone � after they backed her to have a No 1 album.

The bets were laid a year ago before Joss, 17, became a huge star.

One aunt staked �100 at 25-1 that the soul singer would top the charts before next April.

Bookies Ladbrokes paid out after Joss’s second album Mind, Body & Soul shot to No1 last month.

A close pal of the star said last night: “Joss is absolutely delighted that family and friends have been able to make some money out of her success.”

- The Sun

Don’t worry! I will be making an image update soon with pics from Joss’ UK tour, so be sure to keep checking back!

Q94′s A-”Q”-Stic Christmas with Bowling for Soup, Gavin DeGraw, Joss Stone and Skye Sweetnam, Dec. 7 at Science Museum of Virginia. Visit the radio station’s website for more information.

Influential New York City public radio station WFUV (90.7 FM, wfuv.org) releases the seventh volume of City Folk Live, a compilation of live in-studio performances recorded at WFUV’s famed Studio A, on November 24, 2004. City Folk Live captures the American radio debuts of The Thrills, Joss Stone, Jamie Cullum, Rachael Yamagata and Ricky Fante.

Here is the tracklisting:

SIDE 1:
Edie Brickell – ‘Take A Walk’ (accompanied by Charlie Sexton on guitar)
Fountains of Wayne – ‘Hackensack’
The Thrills – ‘Santa Cruz’
Steve Forbert – ‘The Pretend Song’
Old 97′s – ‘Won’t Be Home’
Dixie Hummingbirds – ‘Someday’ (accompanied by Larry Campbell on guitar)
Emmylou Harris – ‘Can You Hear Me Now’ (accompanied by Buddy Miller on guitar)
Rachael Yamagata – ‘Worn Me Down’
The Damnwells – ‘I Will Keep the Bad Things From You’
Willy Mason – ‘Oxygen’
Suzanne Vega – ‘Penitent’

SIDE 2:
Ani DiFranco – ‘Bliss Like This’
Rufus Wainwright – ‘Beauty Mark’
The Bad Plus – ‘Now We Test Our Powers of Observation’
Rickie Lee Jones – ‘Mink Coat at the Bus Stop’
Ricky Fante – ‘I Let You Go’
Jamie Cullum – ‘Twentysomething’
Mocean Worker – ‘Right Now’
Joss Stone – ‘Super Duper Love’

AT first glance, Joss Stone seems too good to be true. Blonde, bright and blessed with a preternaturally impressive voice, this Devon teenager also comes with rock-steady musical references. Her debut album The Soul Sessions was a vinyl-digger’s dream of choice cover versions which slow-burned its way up the charts, plus she came ratified by genuine soul legend Betty Wright, who co-produced the record.

Add in the fact that she’s cabbage-patch cute and vaguely hippified, and it’s a knockout package, which avoids the plasticky preservative smell of pre-packaged pop. Perhaps the only whiff of record company spin is the soul-ification of her name � she’s really called Jocelyn Stoker.
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