Morrissey has a new deal

Jonathan Cohen, N.Y.

Less than a month after splitting with U.K.-based ie: music, Morrissey has signed with Irving Azoff for management, according to TrueToYou.net. Before that, the former Smiths frontman was represented by Merck Mercuriadis.

Morrissey is presently without a U.S. label. His already completed new album, "Years of Refusal," is due Feb. 2 internationally via Universal.

Coming a week before via BMG is a reissue of the artist's 1995 album "Southpaw Grammar," with the previously unreleased songs "Honey, You Know Where To Find Me," "Fantastic Bird" and "You Should Have Been Nice To Me" inserted into the original sequence.

In January, Morrissey will play four shows in New Zealand, followed by gigs in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide, Australia, with dates to be announced.

Meanwhile, the Smiths retrospective originally titled "Hang the DJ" and due Oct. 7 via Rhino has been renamed "The Sound of the Smiths" and is now arriving Nov. 11.

Beyonce's album is just a tad bit behind...

Beyonce’s album was due at her label yesterday morning for review, but Beyonce did not make the deadline and says she is running behind. The album is due in stores on November 18th, but by the looks of it, it may be postponed. “It’s not going to be completed,” a source close to the album has been saying. “She’s got to get it out early in the fourth quarter, when there’s so much competition among artists.” Although there are some issues, Bey’s first singles, “If I Were a Boy” and “Single Ladies,” are still scheduled to drop on Tuesday. Rush & Malloy, entertainment columnist, said that the album delay may be because Bey’s duet with Justin Timberlake didn’t come out too good and they wanted to do it over. We also are hearing that Beyonce is not getting along with the Vice President of her father’s company. Beyoncé’s dad, Matthew Knowles said when asked about Max Gousse, “How would he not be involved? He’s the vice president of my company, and she’s recording with my company.”

Beyonce hubby, Jay-Z has been giving his girl some advice regarding production. A source said: “Jay-Z encouraged Beyoncé to bring in Jay Brown and Ty Ty [Tyran Smith]” - both of whom have worked with singer Rihanna.”

The chief of Sony BMG Music, Rob Stringer, tells Rush & Malloy: “She has an enormous number of very talented people doing whatever they can to make it the best record possible.

“Normally I would lie low, but we think the first two singles will be utterly huge. They’re two of the best songs of her career. Beyoncé is incredibly hardworking, and [the album] is 97%-98% done. It’ll be out before Nov. 20. Frankly, we think the whole record is going to be huge.”

In related news, R&B superstar Beyonce Knowles will return to the UK to perform at the MTV Europe Music Awards, the organizers have announced.

Courtesy of Missxpose.com