What happened on Feb 27th, 2009

 

Veteran rock act Def Leppard will return to the U.S. this summer, Billboard.com can reveal. Joining them on all 40 dates will be Poison and Cheap Trick. Live Nation will produce the tour.

Public on-sales begin March 6.

June 26: Darien Center, N.Y.

July 4: Toronto, Ontario

Ticketmaster CEO Irving Azoff said his company received a warning from AEG Live, the owner of 130 venues including the Staples Center in Los Angeles, that it may cancel its contract with Ticketmaster if it merges with Live Nation Entertainment Inc.

Jerry Seinfeld is reteaming up with NBC to create his first reality series.

The show, tentatively called The Marriage Ref, will feature celebrities, comedians and athletes who will judge couples in the midst of marital disputes will recommend various strategies to resolve their problems.

The inspiration? Seinfeld's own marriage with wife Jessica. "The concept is so universal and accessible, and obviously it works so well when it comes from somebody with a point of view and nobody has a stronger point of view on this subject than Seinfeld,"

Fox announced yesterday that The Simpsons has been renewed for two additional seasons.

That will bring the ground-breaking animated series through its 22nd season, in 2011. The 44-episode pickup ensures The Simpsons, which airs Sunday nights on Global and Fox, will reach an incredible 493 episodes.

SLASH: Riff Master

 

Slash has listed his choices for the "All-Time Great Rock and Roll Riffs" on his MySpace page. Among his favorites are Aerosmith's "Back in the Saddle" and "Walk This Way"; Jimi Hendrix's "Purple Haze" and "Dolly Dagger" as well as tracks by Black Sabbath, The Yardbirds, Jeff Beck, Cream and the Eagles.