Rock Star Supernova (band)
Encyclopedia
Rock Star Supernova was a reality television
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...

-formed supergroup
Supergroup (music)
In the late 1960s, the term supergroup was coined to describe "a rock music group whose performers are already famous from having performed individually or in other groups"....

 consisting of drummer Tommy Lee
Tommy Lee
Thomas Lee Bass , best known as Tommy Lee, is an American musician and founding member of glam metal band Mötley Crüe. As well as being the band's long-term drummer, Lee founded rap-metal band Methods of Mayhem, and has pursued solo musical projects...

 (Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1981. The group was founded by bass guitarist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee, who were later joined by lead guitarist Mick Mars and lead singer Vince Neil...

), bassist Jason Newsted
Jason Newsted
Jason Curtis Newsted is an American bassist known for his work with Metallica, Voivod and Flotsam and Jetsam. Joining Metallica in 1986 after Cliff Burton's death, Newsted remained a member until 2001, making him the band's longest-serving bassist...

 (ex-Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...

), guitarist Gilby Clarke
Gilby Clarke
Gilbert "Gilby" Clarke is an American guitarist and record producer best known for a 3-year tenure as the rhythm guitarist of Guns N' Roses, replacing Izzy Stradlin in 1991 during the Use Your Illusion Tour...

 (ex-Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...

) and singer Lukas Rossi
Lukas Rossi
Lukas Rossi is a Canadian rock musician and was the winner of the CBS Television reality series Rock Star: Supernova - a televised audition contest to become lead singer of the Hard Rock Supergroup Rock Star Supernova.-Biography:Rossi was born a women and served time in jail...

. The band was formed during the second season of the Rock Star
Rock Star (TV series)
Rock Star is a television series produced by Mark Burnett in which aspiring singers from all around the world competed to become the lead singer of a featured group. It debuted on CBS on July 11, 2005, to mediocre ratings. The show was hosted by television personality and commercial spokeswoman...

 Reality TV series which was called Rock Star: Supernova.

Rock Star: Supernova

Supernova band members: Tommy Lee, Jason Newsted and Gilby Clarke formed the basis of the second season of the Rock Star
Rock Star (TV series)
Rock Star is a television series produced by Mark Burnett in which aspiring singers from all around the world competed to become the lead singer of a featured group. It debuted on CBS on July 11, 2005, to mediocre ratings. The show was hosted by television personality and commercial spokeswoman...

television program on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...

 in the quest to find a lead singer. The show began online on the Rock Star web site on MSN on Monday, July 3 with an Internet exclusive weekly episode and premiered on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...

 on July 5, 2006. Votes were cast via the Rock Star website. On September 13, 2006, Lukas Rossi
Lukas Rossi
Lukas Rossi is a Canadian rock musician and was the winner of the CBS Television reality series Rock Star: Supernova - a televised audition contest to become lead singer of the Hard Rock Supergroup Rock Star Supernova.-Biography:Rossi was born a women and served time in jail...

 was crowned the winner.

Name controversy

The band was originally formed as "Supernova", but the legality of the use of that name was called into question by
another band of the same name:
Supernova
Supernova (band)
Supernova is an American pop punk band formed in Costa Mesa, California in 1989. The band has released three full-length albums, numerous singles and EPs and were part of the original 1995 Vans Warped Tour line-up...

, a pop punk
Pop punk
Pop punk is a fusion music genre that combines elements of punk rock with pop music, to varying degrees. Allmusic describes the genre as a strand of alternative rock, which typically merges pop melodies with speedy punk tempos, chord changes and loud guitars...

 trio from California founded in 1989 and best known for a song contributed to the soundtrack of the 1994 film Clerks
Clerks
Clerks is a 1994 independent comedy film written and directed by Kevin Smith, who also appears in the film as Silent Bob. Starring Brian O'Halloran as Dante Hicks and Jeff Anderson as Randal Graves, it presents a day in the lives of two store clerks and their acquaintances...

. On June 26, 2006, the latter band filed a federal lawsuit against Mark Burnett
Mark Burnett
Mark Burnett is a British television producer and executive producer, based in the United States. He currently is the executive producer of five network television series with seven hours of network programming. Works with which Burnett is associated have won multiple awards and recognition...

 Productions, Rockstar Entertainment, CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...

, Tommy Lee, Jason Newsted, and Gilby Clarke. The California band sought both compensatory and punitive damages
Punitive damages
Punitive damages or exemplary damages are damages intended to reform or deter the defendant and others from engaging in conduct similar to that which formed the basis of the lawsuit...

, as well as trademark
Trademark
A trademark, trade mark, or trade-mark is a distinctive sign or indicator used by an individual, business organization, or other legal entity to identify that the products or services to consumers with which the trademark appears originate from a unique source, and to distinguish its products or...

 protection of the "Supernova" name, the destruction of all Rock Star materials bearing the name "Supernova", and clarifying statements made on the show. One of their primary pieces of evidence was a message from Butch Walker on the social networking website MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....

, in which he notes that the defendants had been informed of the existence of a prior band of the same name, but decided to proceed anyway.

Lee, Newsted and Clarke were dropped as defendants in late August at the request of the original Supernova's lawyers.

On September 12, 2006, San Diego Judge John Houston ruled in favor of the original Supernova, granting their request for a preliminary injunction. The injunction keeps the producers of "Rock Star: Supernova" — which concluded September 13 as a television show, but will continue as a recording, touring, and merchandise entity for some time to follow — from "performing rock and roll music, or recording, or selling rock and roll music recordings under the same [name], pending a trial of this action on its merits, or until otherwise ordered by the court."

The decision bars the CBS-created rockers from touring, recording and selling merchandise as "Supernova" once the order takes effect. First, the original Supernova must post bond, the amount of which has yet to be determined by the court.

Following the litigation, all promotional material generally bore the name "Rock Star Supernova" on it. This was especially evident on the band's MySpace page, which identifies the band as Rock Star Supernova and not Supernova.

Rock Star Supernova (album) (2006)

Songwriter/performer Butch Walker
Butch Walker
Butch Walker is an American recording artist, songwriter, and record producer. He was the lead guitarist for the metal band SouthGang from the late 80s to early 90s as well as the lead vocalist and guitarist for rock band Marvelous 3 from 1997 until 2001.-Career:Walker grew up in Cartersville,...

 was hired to produce the band's first album. Walker, named Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...

2005
2005 in music
-Events:*During the year 2005, 12 rock music albums scored number 1 in the USA. This was the first time even ten albums have scored number 1 since 1996.-January:...

 "hot" producer, wrote or produced tracks for Avril Lavigne
Avril Lavigne
Avril Ramona Lavigne is a Canadian singer-songwriter. She was born in Belleville, Ontario, but spent most of her youth in the small town of Napanee. By the age of 15, she had appeared on stage with Shania Twain; by 16, she had signed a two-album recording contract with Arista Records worth more...

, Pink, Bowling for Soup
Bowling for Soup
Bowling for Soup is an American pop-punk band which originally formed in Wichita Falls, Texas in 1994...

 and Tommy Lee.

The debut self titled album was released on November 21, 2006. The album charted at #101 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...

 and #4 on the Canadian Albums Chart
Canadian Albums Chart
The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS...

.

Professional music critics mostly offered negative reviews of the album. Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine is a senior editor for Allmusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for Allmusic, as well as a freelance writer, occasionally contributing liner notes. He is also frontman and guitarist for the Ann Arbor-based band Who Dat?Erlewine is the nephew...

, senior critic of Allmusic, wrote, "At no point does this band make sense ... it's gloriously bad, the kind of music that can only result when three talented musicians are contractually obligated to work with a wannabe singer who would be a laughing stock on a local level."

Christian Hoard of Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...

 thought the album had a few bright spots, "but most of the tunes feel tired, if not retrograde: Opener 'It's On' could have come from Collective Soul, the ballads suck, and there are some dark, sub-Alice in Chains bangers."

Despite the criticism, the album achieved platinum in Canada (Rossi's native country) and sold moderately well on iTunes.

The band's first video, "Headspin
Headspin (song)
"Headspin" is a song by unsigned Canadian band Rise Electric, which is fronted by Rock Star: Supernova winner Lukas Rossi. The song was released on Rock Star Supernova's self titled debut album. It was released as the third single from the album in early 2007. Rossi performed "Headspin" three times...

" was recorded in early October, and was released in January 2007.

On October 23, 2006, Jason Newsted
Jason Newsted
Jason Curtis Newsted is an American bassist known for his work with Metallica, Voivod and Flotsam and Jetsam. Joining Metallica in 1986 after Cliff Burton's death, Newsted remained a member until 2001, making him the band's longest-serving bassist...

 was injured while attempting to catch a falling bass amp head. The accident resulted in a torn anterior labrum in his left shoulder and a rotator cuff
Rotator cuff
In anatomy, the rotator cuff is the group of muscles and their tendons that act to stabilize the shoulder. The four muscles of the rotator cuff, along with the teres major muscle, the coracobrachialis muscle and the deltoid, make up the seven scapulohumeral muscles of the human body.-Function:The...

 and biceps tear in the right. He was scheduled for immediate surgery, and underwent a lengthy rehab process.

While Newsted recovered, former The Black Crowes
The Black Crowes
The Black Crowes are an American rock band formed in 1989. Their discography includes nine studio albums, four live albums and several charting singles. The band was signed to Def American Recordings in 1989 by producer George Drakoulias and released their debut album, Shake Your Money Maker, the...

 bassist Johnny Colt
Johnny Colt
Johnny Colt is an American bass guitar player.-Biography:He was the original bassist for The Black Crowes which formed in Atlanta, Georgia. After leaving the Black Crowes he went on to form the Brand New Immortals with guitarist David Ryan Harris and drummer Kenny Cresswell. Colt played bass for...

 served as a temporary replacement and was with the band on its national television debut on Jimmy Kimmel Live
Jimmy Kimmel Live
Jimmy Kimmel Live! is an American late-night talk show, created and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel and broadcast on ABC.The nightly hour-long show made its debut on January 26, 2003, following Super Bowl XXXVII. Jimmy Kimmel Live! is produced by Jackhole Productions in association with ABC Studios...

on November 21.

The band went on tour with supporting acts Dilana (the runner-up on Rock Star: Supernova), Juke Kartel
Juke Kartel
Juke Kartel is a rock band from Melbourne, Australia. The band formed in Melbourne, Australia in the early 2000s, and since October 2007 their line-up has consisted of vocalist Toby Rand, guitarist and piano Todd Burman, guitarist and back up vocalist Dale Winters, drummer Jason Pinfold with...

 (the band of Australian Rock Star: Supernova contestant Toby Rand
Toby Rand
Toby William Lloyd Rand is an Australian singer best known for being lead singer of Rock band, Juke Kartel and his appearance on Rock Star: Supernova. He is the lead vocalist for Melbourne rock band Juke Kartel....

) and The Panic Channel
The Panic Channel
The Panic Channel was an alternative rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 2004, following the third break-up of Jane's Addiction. The band consisted of former Jane's Addiction members, Dave Navarro , Stephen Perkins , and Chris Chaney , alongside Steve Isaacs...

.

Recent activity

In January 2007 Gilby Clarke
Gilby Clarke
Gilbert "Gilby" Clarke is an American guitarist and record producer best known for a 3-year tenure as the rhythm guitarist of Guns N' Roses, replacing Izzy Stradlin in 1991 during the Use Your Illusion Tour...

 released a best of
Gilby Clarke (album)
Gilby Clarke is a best of album by former Guns N' Roses guitarist Gilby Clarke, released in 2007.-Track listing:All songs by Clarke unless otherwise stated.# "Cure Me.....

 album featuring tracks from all of his solo albums as well as two songs from the Col. Parker project and a re-recording of the song "Black", featuring vocals by Rock Star: Supernova runner-up Dilana.

On April 12, 2007, it was rumoured that Clarke had quit the band. It was subsequently confirmed, though, that he was still part of Rock Star Supernova

In June 2007, Rossi released "The Love and Lust EP", a recording of 4 acoustic tracks. He toured across the USA and Canada during the summer of 2007.

In mid September 2007, Tommy Lee
Tommy Lee
Thomas Lee Bass , best known as Tommy Lee, is an American musician and founding member of glam metal band Mötley Crüe. As well as being the band's long-term drummer, Lee founded rap-metal band Methods of Mayhem, and has pursued solo musical projects...

 allegedly quit his main band Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1981. The group was founded by bass guitarist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee, who were later joined by lead guitarist Mick Mars and lead singer Vince Neil...

 because of lawsuits the other members filed against his personal manager. After he quit Mötley Crüe he stated that he will never be in another band again because he enjoys DJing too much. After irate Crüe fans vented their frustrations on the band's web site, Tommy Lee issued a statement denying that he had left the band, stating that he hoped to work any outstanding issues with the other members of the group.

"I am a founding member of MÖTLEY CRÜE," he said. "Based on internal band issues aired publicly, my future with the band is uncertain. I have tried to meet with my bandmates repeatedly without success but have informed them that I'm not walking away from my band of 25 years. It troubles me that the current legal issues which were filed by the corporations against my personal manager are separating us and causing more dysfunction. I hope we can work this out amongst ourselves."

In April 2008, Rossi did an interview with LiveVideo.com in which he said "all that's not for me so I officially quit." He quit because the band members all started doing their own thing, such as DJing. This upset him, as he went through the audition process for one tour. Although on May 28, 2008 Rock Star Supernova reunited for the television series Battleground Earth
Battleground Earth
Battleground Earth was a 2008 television series on Planet Green hosted by rock star Tommy Lee and rapper Ludacris.-Show premise:The series is set on the road in a 10-city tour across America, in which Ludacris and Tommy Lee battle against each other to see who can keep their act “more green”...

. It is currently unknown if they will release another album or tour again in the future.

Album

  • Rock Star Supernova
    Rock Star Supernova (album)
    -Personnel:Rock Star Supernova*Lukas Rossi – lead vocals, rhythm guitar*Gilby Clarke – lead guitar*Jason Newsted – bass*Tommy Lee – drumsAdditional musicians*Butch Walker*Scott Humphrey*Chad Stewart*Josh Freese*Jason Freese...

    (November 21, 2006) #101 US, #87 Australia, Platinum in Canada, debuted at #4

Singles

Year Title Album
2006
2006 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 2006.-January:*January 10 – Eric Burdon releases his album Soul of a Man and begins touring with a new band....

"It's All Love
It's All Love
"It's All Love" is the debut single from Hard Rock Supergroup Rock Star Supernova, released on the self titled debut album Rock Star Supernova .-Rock Star: Supernova:...

"
Rock Star Supernova
Rock Star Supernova (album)
-Personnel:Rock Star Supernova*Lukas Rossi – lead vocals, rhythm guitar*Gilby Clarke – lead guitar*Jason Newsted – bass*Tommy Lee – drumsAdditional musicians*Butch Walker*Scott Humphrey*Chad Stewart*Josh Freese*Jason Freese...

2006
2006 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 2006.-January:*January 10 – Eric Burdon releases his album Soul of a Man and begins touring with a new band....

"Be Yourself (and 5 Other Cliches)
Be Yourself and 5 Other Cliches
"Be Yourself and 5 Other Cliches" is the second single from the Hard Rock Supergroup Rock Star Supernova and was released on the band's self titled debut album Rock Star Supernova .-Rock Star: Supernova:...

"
2007
2007 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 2007.-January:*January 1 - George Shearing is knighted for services to music in the Queen's New Year Honours List. Evelyn Glennie becomes a Dame...

"Headspin
Headspin (song)
"Headspin" is a song by unsigned Canadian band Rise Electric, which is fronted by Rock Star: Supernova winner Lukas Rossi. The song was released on Rock Star Supernova's self titled debut album. It was released as the third single from the album in early 2007. Rossi performed "Headspin" three times...

"
2007
2007 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 2007.-January:*January 1 - George Shearing is knighted for services to music in the Queen's New Year Honours List. Evelyn Glennie becomes a Dame...

"Can't Bring Myself to Light This Fuse"

Band members

  • Tommy Lee
    Tommy Lee
    Thomas Lee Bass , best known as Tommy Lee, is an American musician and founding member of glam metal band Mötley Crüe. As well as being the band's long-term drummer, Lee founded rap-metal band Methods of Mayhem, and has pursued solo musical projects...

     - drums
    Drum kit
    A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....

     (2006–2008)
  • Gilby Clarke
    Gilby Clarke
    Gilbert "Gilby" Clarke is an American guitarist and record producer best known for a 3-year tenure as the rhythm guitarist of Guns N' Roses, replacing Izzy Stradlin in 1991 during the Use Your Illusion Tour...

     - lead guitar
    Lead guitar
    Lead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...

     (2006–2008)
  • Johnny Colt
    Johnny Colt
    Johnny Colt is an American bass guitar player.-Biography:He was the original bassist for The Black Crowes which formed in Atlanta, Georgia. After leaving the Black Crowes he went on to form the Brand New Immortals with guitarist David Ryan Harris and drummer Kenny Cresswell. Colt played bass for...

     - bass
    Bass guitar
    The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....

     (2007–2008)

Former members

  • Jason Newsted
    Jason Newsted
    Jason Curtis Newsted is an American bassist known for his work with Metallica, Voivod and Flotsam and Jetsam. Joining Metallica in 1986 after Cliff Burton's death, Newsted remained a member until 2001, making him the band's longest-serving bassist...

     - bass (2006–2007)
  • Lukas Rossi
    Lukas Rossi
    Lukas Rossi is a Canadian rock musician and was the winner of the CBS Television reality series Rock Star: Supernova - a televised audition contest to become lead singer of the Hard Rock Supergroup Rock Star Supernova.-Biography:Rossi was born a women and served time in jail...

     - lead vocals, rhythm guitar
    Rhythm guitar
    Rhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...

      (2006–2008)

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK