Paul McCartney Streaming Live Performance This Week

Paul McCartney has a busy week ahead of him. In the midst of it, he'll perform a bunch of songs from his new album and stream the concert for all to hear via iTunes, according to NME.

On Thursday, the former Beatle will play songs from Kisses on the Bottom, his new album of (mostly) covers that is being released Tuesday (in the U.S.) and Monday in other parts of the world. The performance will take place at Capitol Records, where Kisses was recorded.

Lambert Denies Queen Rumors, Says He Hasn't Confirmed Tour

Adam Lambert has taken to Twitter to deny that he's preparing to take over for the late Freddie Mercury as the new lead singer of Queen.

"Oooh them clever reporters takin my quotes outta context," Lambert tweeted, not long after numerous sites reported that the 'American Idol' star would be joining the group for a summer tour. "I haven't confirmed any guest appearances. I was talking about the EMA'S. :)"

"That being said, I'm truly flattered by your jump to such glorious conclusions mr journalist!! :)" he added in a follow-up tweet, his emoticon underscoring that there are no hard feelings.

Rumors of Lambert's candidacy first started circulating back in December, when drummer Roger Taylor sung the 'American Idol' star's praises in an interview with Billboard. "He has grown into a really great performer with an astonishing voice with a range that's great. We would like to work with him again. There's nothing signed just yet but we're talking about live dates. It could be very exciting." Lambert teamed up with the rockers for a live performance on the 'American Idol' Season 8 finale, and again at the 2011 MTV EMAs.

Taylor and guitarist Brian May have been searching for a new lead singer for the band for some time now. Original frontman Freddie Mercury passed away in 1991 and Paul Rodgers took on lead singer duties from 2004 to 2009 in a new incarnation of the band called Queen + Paul Rodgers. But Lambert wasn't the only pop superstar that the rockers have considered for the position. Back in October, May mentioned his 2011 MTV VMAs collaborator Lady Gaga as a contender.

Glambert seemingly indicated that he would be joining the group in an interview yesterday (Feb. 3) with Britain's Daily Star, saying, "The intention is to pay tribute to Freddie and the band by singing some f---ing great songs. It's to keep the music alive for the fans and give it an energy that Freddie would have been proud of." Lambert has praised his fellow gay entertainer Mercury as a great inspiration on his own music and career.

However, the humble performer insisted he in no way wants to suggest that he could ever fill Mercury's stylish shoes, admitting, "After the EMAs, I heard faint little slithers of a backlash from people saying, 'You can't replace Freddie Mercury.' But I already knew that. There's no intention in my mind of replacing Freddie. That's impossible. The way I'm choosing to view it is that it's a great honor and one I'm in no way going to shirk."

"Being asked to front Queen is the best thing that can possibly happen," Galmbert gushed.

Tyler's National Anthem: Aerosmith Singer Defends His Rendition

Steven Tyler says he meant to sing the national anthem like that.

The Aerosmith frontman and "American Idol" judge endured plenty of jabs after his rendition of the anthem at the AFC Championship game last month, but Tyler says he doesn't understand what all the fuss was about.

"I don't know. As I said before, I put emphasis on, `In the land of the free' and I went up," Tyler explained. "Oddly enough I hit the note so I don't know what they are talking about. I emphasized `free' which was for freedom. It was well thought out prior to. I wasn't messing with American tradition."

Enduring negative criticism at that football game did not stop Tyler from enjoying pre-Super Bowl festivities with Carrie Underwood. The duo is in Indianapolis for CMT's "Crossroads," which brings acts from different genres together to perform. It's not the first time the two have sung together: They performed a duet at the Academy of Country Music Awards last year.

"I just love to sing and I love her stuff. A good friend of mine writes songs with her. When I heard `Undo It,' I said, `What is that?' That is an Aerosmith song, right? I am going to finish recording that with you. He said, `No, I wrote that with Carrie, it is coming out in a week,'" he said. "I met her and it was all over after that, once I looked into her eyes. She opened her mouth and sang and she is that good. I loved singing with her."

The two rehearsed Thursday evening in North Greenfield, just outside of Indianapolis, ahead of their scheduled Saturday show (it will air the same night on the network). The former "Idol" champ says she enjoys working with the lively Tyler because he "makes everybody all warm and fuzzy."

While Tyler, closely connected to Boston for years, made clear he was rooting for the New England Patriots in Sunday's game against the New York Giants, Underwood demurred when asked to name her pick. In her house, she says hockey is the main focus, since husband Mike Fisher is a professional hockey player in Nashville.

"He is Canadian so I have had to switch his focus from so much hockey to a little football because we watch a lot of hockey," she said. "I love watching him and I love watching the Predators."

Tyler Auctioning Off Guest Spot at Elton's Oscar Party

Steven Tyler has teamed up with the website CharityBuzz.com to auction off two tickets to join him and his fiancee, Erin Brady, at Elton's super-exclusive party later this month in West Hollywood.

If you win, you'll have to pay your own way to Hollywood, but you'll get to attend the event, which includes a cocktail reception, a gourmet dinner by Iron Chef Cat Cora, a live auction and an after-show performance by Sir Elton and Grammy-nominated group Foster the People. CharityBuzz.com puts the hard cost of the tickets at $11,000 but throwing Steven into the mix, the website says, makes them "priceless."

In a statement, Tyler said of the auction, "How would you have to dress if you were sitting next to me at a table at Elton John's Oscar Party?  Sounds like a loaded question, eh?  Put your money where your mouth is and arrive as you will and come as you are to help me support the Elton John AIDS Foundation!"  The auction closes on February 21 and when we last checked, bidding was up over $13,000.

DEF LEPPARD OPEN TO PERFORMING WITH CRUISE, NEW ALBUM PLANS, KEEPING TEAM SPIRIT

Def Leppard guitarist Phil Collen says he wouldn't mind having Tom Cruise guest with the band once they hit the road later this year. Collen told Music Radar that he and his bandmates were floored by Cruise's performance of their material in the upcoming movie version of the Broadway hit, Rock Of Ages, explaining, "We were just knocked out by his singing, which he was doing for real. We said, 'We didn't know you could sing.' He smiled and said, 'I couldn't -- I just learned five months ago.' He was having lessons and practicing five hours a day -- crazy stuff. Extremely impressive."

When asked if Cruise would be welcome to pop up on the road to sing with Def Leppard, Collen laughed and said, "We'd let him! Absolutely. That would be amazing. Him singing 'Pour Some Sugar On Me?' Totally! Hey, he knows the words."

Collen admitted to us that after all these years, there are tunes that Def Leppard is just sick of running through without the electric buzz of a live audience: "There's songs that we hate playing in rehearsal, like 'Pour Some Sugar On Me' or 'Rock Of Ages.' Y'know, obviously, in a rehearsal room, you're not getting anything back, and you're going, 'Jesus Christ, I've played this song a million times, and this is a drag!'"

Phil Collen says that during his three decades with Def Leppard, the band always has retained their team spirit. The guitarist was asked what he learned in the wake of the car accident, 27 years ago, that robbed Leppard drummer Rick Allen of his arm.

"What I soon learned about the band was that it was always about the people in the band, not just about the business," Collen said. "When bands lose that personal element, when they stop looking out for one another, that's when they run into all kinds of problems. We were a team – still are. We don't have egos and any of that crap."

Collen was also asked if plans were in place for a new Def Leppard album. "Recording, yes, but it'll probably [just] be a Def Leppard song or two," Collen said. "We're going to go on tour this summer, so we're going to try to have a new song together. Coming up with material shouldn't be a problem – I wrote two new songs this week. A whole album won't happen this year. I can be pretty sure on that."

SABBATH MEMBERS WILL WORK WITHOUT ORIGINAL DRUMMER; WARD THANKS FANS FOR SUPPORT

Original Black Sabbath members Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Ozzy Osbourne have issued a response to founding drummer Bill Ward's statement, released last Thursday (February 2nd), that he would not participate in the reunited band's new album and tour unless he was given a fair contract. In their statement, the other three members wrote, "We were saddened to hear yesterday via Facebook that Bill declined publicly to participate in our current Black Sabbath plans. We have no choice but to continue recording without him although our door is always open . . . We are still in the U.K. with Tony. Writing and recording the new album and on a roll."

Ward said in his statement that he could not participate in the reunion, which was announced last November, unless presented with what he described as a "fair agreement" and a "signable contract" that financially reflected his contributions to Sabbath's history and his standing as a founding member of the band.

He wrote, "I am unable to continue unless a 'signable' contract is drawn up; a contract that reflects some dignity and respect toward me as an original member of the band . . . after nearly a year of trying to negotiate, another 'unsignable' contract was handed to me."

The recording sessions for the original band's first new album in 33 years were recently moved to London so that Iommi, who is undergoing treatment for cancer, could be close to his doctors.

Ward also wrote, "The place I'm in feels lousy and lonely because as much as I want to play and participate . . . if I sign 'as is,' I stand to lose my rights, dignity and respectability as a rock musician."

It is not known who would replace Ward in the lineup at this time, although both Vinny Appice and Faith No More's Mike Bordin have been named as potential candidates.

Sabbath is scheduled to release its new album later this year and is confirmed to play the U.K.'s Download Festival in June. All other tour plans, however, are up in the air pending Iommi's ability to overcome his illness.

Ward’s latest open letter to fans, posted yesterday (Feb. 4), read as follows:

“Dear Sabbath Fans,

This is Bill. I just wanted to humbly thank you all. Your support from across the world has given me further strength and hope for a positive resolve. I have been moved and overwhelmed by the thousands of messages. I love you all.

Rock forever,

Bill

METALLICA TO MAKE 'SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT' ON TUESDAY

Metallica will make a "special announcement" this Tuesday (February 7th) at 2:00 p.m. ET, according to a post at the band's official website. A teaser video posted at the site features text which reads, "You've seen them at festivals across the world. But you've never seen them . . . Tune in Tuesday, February 7 at 11 a.m. PST. Metallica.com."

Metallica is known to have several potential projects or events in the works. Drummer Lars Ulrich hinted during the band's 30th anniversary concerts in December that the group would make an announcement in January about a special interactive fan event to take place in June. He told us a while back that there never seems to be enough time for the band to do everything it wants: "We always kind of have big picture ideas, we always look ahead, we always, you know, got all these balls in the air, and our application for 28-hour days has so far been rejected, so we're still stuck at 24. You know, there's only so much time."

Ulrich told Rolling Stone last month that the band was "seven, eight songs" into the writing of its next album, adding that the songs on the new disc will be "shorter, more to-the-point" than the material on 2008's Death Magnetic.

Meanwhile the band will play the 'black album' -- its 1991 self-titled fifth effort that has sold nearly 16 million copies -- in its entirety at selected European festivals this summer.

Another looming project is a recently announced 3D Metallica movie, which Ulrich explained to Rolling Stone as a narrative feature film set against the backdrop of a Metallica concert. The band recently hired a Hollywood producer to work on developing the film.