The 2007 class of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame will be announced on January 8, 2007. As previously reported, this year's nominees are Chic, the Dave Clark Five, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, R.E.M., The Ronettes, Patti Smith, The Stooges, Joe Tex and Van Halen. Only five inductees will make the cut and be inducted on March 12, 2007 at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City.

While The Stooges wait to find out whether they will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame, Iggy Pop and co. will release their first album in 33 years on March 20. The Weirdness will feature three of the four original bandmembers – Iggy, guitarist Ron Asheton and drummer Scott Asheton – along with ex-Minutemen and fIREHOSE bassist Mike Watt and original Stooges sax player, Steve Mackay. The band recorded The Weirdness with producer Steve Albini (Nirvana, Pixies) and it is being mastered at the legendary Abbey Road Studios in London. Tracks on the album include "Trollin'," "Greedy Awful People," "Claustrophobia," "Mexican Guy," "I'm Fried," "ATM," "O Solo Mio," "She Took My Money" and "End Of Christianity."

Stuntman Evel Knievel is suing Kanye West for trademark infringement over his video for "Touch the Sky." The clip finds Kanye playing a daredevil named "Kanyievel" who is depicted jumping over the Grand Canyon in a mini-rocket. But Evel Knievel apparently is not impressed. His attorney, Richard Fee, told MTV News that his client does not consider the video a homage, but "more as a rip-off." "Mr. Knievel has a trademark on Evel Knievel and an extraordinarily well-recognized white jumpsuit. Kanye West and Roc-A-Fella Records are undoubtedly familiar with intellectual property rights," Fee said. "Mr. Knieval is not too happy with it. He wants to be compensated for uses of his likeness and trademark." The lawsuit also seeks to prohibit further airings of the video.

Puddle of Mudd have reportedly finished recording their third album, which is slated to be released in the spring. The album will be the follow up to the band's 2001 monster debut, Come Clean, and 2003's Life on Display. Most recently, Puddle of Mudd could be seen performing for troops on an airforce base in Germany.

Next year's edition of the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival has been set for June 14-17. The sixth annual version of the festival will once again take place in Manchester, TN. Some tickets are already being made available at bonnaroo.com. The 2006 Bonnaroo featured Radiohead, Beck, Elvis Costello & Allen Toussaint, Phil Lesh & Friends and many, many more.

Meat Loaf will tour early next year behind his most recent studio album, Bat Out Of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose. The Seize The Night tour begins on February 23 in Pala, CA, before spending much of March in Canada and wrapping up in New York City on April 12.