Billy Bragg and Slash have added their tributes to rocker Levon Helm, who lost his battle with cancer on Thursday.

The Band drummer fell ill last month and was forced to scrap a series of concert appearances. Earlier this week, his wife posted a plea for fans to pray for her husband as he battled the "final stages" of his cancer.

And following heartfelt tributes from Sheryl Crow and Helm's once-estranged The Band pal Robbie Robertson, Bragg and Slash offered their respects.

British folk star Bragg took to Twitter with his tribute to "the greatest singing drummer that ever lived," adding,...

"Sin City" director Frank Miller has taken aim at the Occupy Wall Street protesters in a furious new blog post, urging the anti-corporate greed activists to get organized or go home.

While many celebrities are supporting the movement, which began in New York over two months ago and is now spreading worldwide, the writer/director is far from impressed with what he's seen and he considers the individuals taking part nothing more than "losers."

He writes, "The 'Occupy' movement... is nothing but a pack of louts, thieves, and rapists, an unruly mob, fed by Woodstock-era nostalgia and putrid f...

Artists including Radiohead, Robbie Williams and Blur's Dave Rowntree have voted against penalties for fans who illegally download their music.

A number of high profile musicians came together for a meeting of the Featured Artists Coalition (FAC) in London on Wednesday, to discuss artists' rights in the music industry.

The meeting included a ballot over whether internet users should be prosecuted if they are caught downloading music without paying for it, but the majority of the artists present all voted against such a move.

British rocker, Billy Bragg, says, "What I said at ...

It's been a long eight years for America…longer for some than others (see New Orleans). Luckily, we have some very creative musical artists out there suffering along with us. For them, the first amendment is expressed through their music.

These 30 selections may relate to the War in Iraq, the Katrina debacle, our shaky mantle as "The Greatest Country In The World," our desire to have a President smarter than us (see "nucular"), and the list goes on.

As we all hopefully look forward to our next President, let's take one last look back (and good-bye) at George W. Bush, and some so...

British songwriter Billy Bragg has paid tribute to U.S. President-elect Barack Obama's campaign win last week - claiming the future American leader will be "good for rock 'n' roll".

Veteran rocker Bragg was inspired by American youth's enthusiasm for the Democrat whilst on tour in the U.S.

And the star - famed for his politically-motivated music - believes Obama's victory is important for the global community.

He tells NME Radio, "I've never seen young people so charged up, so engaged. I thought it might be to do with the release of High School Musical 3, but it actually turn...

Rocker Billy Bragg's initiative to bring musical equipment to British prisoners has dramatically reduced the number of criminals who reoffend.

Bragg's Through The Guitar Doors campaign - named after The Clash's 1978 track - encourages inmates to express themselves musically in sessions with the star, and has already been proven to reduce the risk of prisoners being sent back to jail.

Only 10-15 per cent of convicts who engaged in the program before parole have reoffended, as opposed to the national average of 61 per cent.

Bragg, 50, says, "It seemed to me something that all m...

Happy Birthday to teen singer JoJo (1990), Black Crowes singer Chris Robinson (1966), British folk singer Billy Bragg (1957), "The Practice" actor Michael Badalucco (1954), "Law & Order" creator Dick Wolf (1946), late "The West Wing" actor John Spencer (1946; d. 2005), KISS drummer Peter Criss (1945), and Blood, Sweat and Tears drummer Bobby Colomby (1944).

British rockers the Arctic Monkeys have been named the Best Act In The World at the Q Awards on Monday. The ceremony, which took place at London's Grosvenor House, also honored Paul McCartney and Kylie Minogue, who were lauded as Q Icon and Q Idol respectively.

Troubled singer Amy Winehouse triumphed in the Best Album category for her critically-acclaimed sophomore effort Back To Black - but was not at the ceremony to collect her award.

Late British music mogul Tony Wilson - who lost his battle with kidney cancer in August - was posthumously honored with the Q Hero award.

Th...

Former The Clash guitarist Mick Jones and Billy Bragg performed in a London prison on Friday as part of a campaign to encourage inmates to take up music. Jones played The Clash's classic Should I Stay Or Should I Go to an audience of convicted criminals at Wormwood Scrubs prison, before handing out five guitars.

Bragg's Jail Guitar Doors organization, which takes its name from a 1978 Clash B-side aims to reduce re-offending among prisoners by offering an outlet through playing an instrument.

Jones said, "Music is a way to get away from things, a way of expressing yourself. And if ...

Happy Birthday to teen singer JoJo (1990), Black Crowes singer Chris Robinson (1966), British folk singer Billy Bragg (1957), "The Practice" actor Michael Badalucco (1954), "Law & Order" creator Dick Wolf (1946), late "The West Wing" actor John Spencer (1946; d. 2005), KISS drummer Peter Criss (1945), and Blood, Sweat and Tears drummer Bobby Colomby (1944).

Happy Birthday to teen singer JoJo (1990), Black Crowes frontman Chris Robinson (1966), British folk singer Billy Bragg (1957), disco singer Anita Ward (1957), "The Practice" actor Michael Badalucco (1954), Logan's Run actress Jenny Agutter (1952) Kiss drummer Peter Criss (1947), and late West Wing actor John Spencer (b. 1946, d. Dec. 16, 2005)