Sweden Bound - Pop duo Joe and Jake have been selected to represent the UK at May's Eurovision Song Contest in Sweden. The singers, both former contestants on The Voice UK, won a public vote with You're Not Alone, an uptempo, piano-driven song "about unity and love". The duo will be hoping to avoid the fate of last year's entrants, Electro Velvet, who came third from last, scoring just five points.
In The Courtroom - A lawsuit filed by producer Quincy Jones against Michael Jackson's estate over royalties on his hits can go to trial, a judge has ruled. Jones sued the estate and Sony Music Entertainment in 2013, seeking at least $10m (£7m). He claims songs were re-edited for the This Is It film and Cirque du Soleil shows to deprive him of royalties and production fees. Jones is also seeking a credit on the film that was made by using Jackson's final rehearsals for a planned series of comeback concerts in London.
The producer worked with Jackson on three of his most popular solo albums, Off The Wall, Thriller and Bad. Jackson's estate and Sony Music have denied wrongdoing and sought dismissal of the case. Superior Court Judge Michael Stern said a jury should decide the numerous factual disputes about whether the hit-making producer is owed any money.
In The Saleroom - A demo record by The Beatles which spent years in a loft is to go on sale next month. The 1962 original recording of Till There Was You and Hello Little Girl is expected to attract global attention and fetch around £10,000 at auction. The disc was pressed at the HMV record store on Oxford Street before the group's manager Brian Epstein handwrote the title tracks and presented it to record company boss George Martin in 1962. The record is being sold on behalf of Les Maguire of Gerry and the Pacemakers, who was given it by Epstein in 1963 after the disc had been returned to him by Martin. The 10-inch, 78 RPM record will go up for sale at Omega Auctions in Warrington on 22 March.
(Jim Evans)
