I'm not surprised by the following words of Bill Ward drummer of Black Sabbath.  Ozzy has said, in the past, that they always treated him poorly from several practical jokes to alledgedly setting him on fire as a joke.  They said he always took it like a good sport.  Now would be a good time to give a little restitution to the man and a decent contract. 

Bill Ward has announced that he will not be able to participate in the recording of the reunited band's new album or perform with them on tour unless he is presented with what he described as a "fair agreement" and a "signable contract" that financially reflects his contributions to Sabbath's history and his standing as a founding member of the band.  He said in part, "At this time, I would love nothing more than to be able to proceed with the Black Sabbath album and tour.  However, 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."

 "Several days ago, after nearly a year of trying to negotiate, another 'unsignable' contract was handed to me." The drummer, who played on 10 of Sabbath's first 11 studio albums, emphasized, "Although this has put me in some kind of holding pattern, I am packed and ready to leave the U.S. for England. More importantly, I definitely want to play on the album, and I definitely want to tour with Black Sabbath."

 "The place I'm in feels lousy and lonely because as much as I want to play and participate, I also have to stand for something and not sign on. If I sign 'as is,' I stand to lose my rights, dignity and respectability as a rock musician."

THE SAG AWARDS WERE SUNDAY.  THE TWO ENSENBLE CASTS THAT WON WERE "THE HELP" FOR FILM AND "BOARDWALK EMPIRE" FOR TELEVISION ( 2nd year in a row).

HERE'S A LINK DIRECT TO SAG CENTRAL:

http://www.sagawards.org/

BRIAN JOHNSON IS RACING IN THE HIGHWAY TO HELP CAR AT THIS WEEKEND'S ROLEX 24-THE 24 HOUR RACE AT THE DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY IN FLORIDA.  HE'S TRYING TO RAISE A MILLION BUCKS FOR FAMILIES AFFECTED BY PEDIATRIC CANCER.  YOU CAN TEXT 2232 TO 501501 TO DONATE $10 OR VISIT HERE FOR MORE INFO:

http://www.hatcherfoundation.org/

Van Halen's new single, "Tattoo," has hit #1 on Billboard's Hard Rock Singles chart.

The track also earns the title of #1 Most Played Song at Classic Rock Radio in its first week and the #1 Most Added song at Mainstream and Active Rock Radio.

Since its January 10 release, "Tattoo" has been played on more than 160 stations across the States.

EASY ACCESS LINK TO ALL THE ACADEMY AWARD NOMINATIONS:

http://movies.msn.com/academy-awards/nominees-list/?ocid=ansent11

Players will be able to rock out to 12 classic AC/DC hits including "Back in Black," "Highway to Hell" and "You Shook Me All Night Long" on the brand new AC/DC pinball machine.

Other exciting game features include two separate ramps, a lower play field, ball shooting cannon, eight drop targets, a mechanized Hell's Bell and animations of the AC/DC band. Players can also join the party with a TNT detonator and the Devil's Jukebox.

"The combination of classic rock and pinball can't go wrong," said Gary Stern, founder, CEO and chairman of Stern Pinball. "The music and play of the AC/DC machine delivers nothing less than the ultimate rock experience that both AC/DC fans and pinball players can appreciate.