Music Notes: MTV Celebrates 20th Anniversary

ByABC News
July 13, 2001, 11:47 AM

July 13 -- The teen music channel is no longer a teenager. MTV is turning 20.

The network will celebrate its two decades of trend-setting by bringing back its founding veejays Martha Quinn, Nina Blackwood, JJ Jackson, Mark Goodman and Alan Hunter for an all-star bash airing live on the channel.

Mariah Carey, whose dance-filled videos were in heavy rotation on the network in the 1990s, is billed as headliner. Rocker Billy Idol is also on the bill. He was an early poster child for MTV with his hits "Eyes Without a Face," and "White Wedding."

Aerosmith, Blink-182, Jane's Addiction, Sugar Ray and newcomers Sum 41 are also expected to participate in the Aug. 1 event in New York.

Rocking the Emmys

Actors are not the only ones celebrating Emmy award nominations.

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band and Barbra Streisand are both up for six of the awards for the broadcasts of their live performances. The rockers and the balladeer will compete in the category of Oustanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special.

Elton John made the grade in a less obvious category his music special is up for Outstanding Multi-Camera Picture Editing for Miniseries, Movie or Special. The Beatles TV special, Revolution, was recognized in the technical category for sound mixing.

The awards will air Sept. 16 on CBS.

Gabriel Talks to the Animals

Peter Gabriel has stopped trying to "Shock the Monkey." Now he's trying to teach apes.

The singer reportedly has been lending his musical talents to Atlanta's Georgia State University, where he's teaching apes how to play the piano.

He tells London's Financial Times the primates can understand 4,000 English words and can distinguish rhythm and melody.

Moreover

Britney Spears' Web site says the pop star's new album is due out Nov. 6. Jeff Lynne's Electric Light Orchestra will play arenas in its first tour since 1986. And The Cure is working on a greatest hits album that will include two new tracks, according to Rolling Stone.com.