Michael Stipe

Peter Buck to release solo album

Music Gossip

15 Mar 2012

Former R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck has started work on his first solo album. The musician is to be the first member of the 'Losing My Religion' group to release his own record following their split last year, with the material reportedly very…

R.E.M. planned split since 2008

Music Gossip

25 Nov 2011

R.E.M. had been planning their split since 2008. The 'Losing My Religion' rockers - Peter Buck, Mike Mills and Michael Stipe - first thought about the end of the group while touring their album 'Accelerator' in 2008, almost three years before they…

Peter Buck's R.E.M. release panic

Music Gossip

14 Nov 2011

Peter Buck used to "panic" every time R.E.M. released an album. The guitarist - whose group announced in September they were to disband after 31 years - admits he has always been "driven and ambitious" and is constantly striving to make "great" new…

Michael Stipe cured Snow Patrol writer's block

Music Gossip

4 Nov 2011

Snow Patrol's Gary Lightbody was lifted by Michael Stipe while suffering writer's block. The singer and songwriter of the 'Chasing Cars' group was writing "a lot of rubbish" as he struggled to come up with the words for the band's sixth album…

Michael Stipe won't go solo

Music Gossip

28 Oct 2011

Michael Stipe's R.E.M. bandmate does not expect him to launch a solo career. The 'Everybody Hurts' group announced last month that they are to separate after 31 years together but bassist Mike Mills thinks the singer will concentrate on other…

Michael Stipe's unsuccessful efforts to save Cobain

Music Gossip

6 May 2011

Michael Stipe tried to save Kurt Cobain's life by asking him to collaborate with R.E.M. The singer revealed he was so worried about his friend Kurt's heroin addiction he "reached out to him" with a musical project which never came to…

Michael Stipe 'ignorant of music'

Music Gossip

15 Apr 2011

Michael Stipe was "ignorant of music" for the first four years he was in R.E.M. The singer said he didn't even realise basic things about being in a band, such as the difference between the bass and lead guitar, until the group were recording their…

Michael Stipe gives up on pens and paper

Music Gossip

23 Mar 2011

Michael Stipe writes all R.E.M.'s songs on his mobile phone. The 'Mine Smell Like Honey' singer said the facilities on his cell phone - which include being able to write notes and record his voice - enabled him to write all the words to current album…

Michael Stipe formed R.E.M. to be 'cool'

Music Gossip

15 Mar 2011

Michael Stipe didn't realise being a musician was such hard work when he founded R.E.M. The singer - who has just released the group's 15th studio album, 'Collapse Into Now', with bandmates Peter Buck and Mike Mills - admitted he only started the…

R.E.M. won't tour with new album

Music Gossip

8 Mar 2011

R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck doesn't believe the band should have to tour to sell their new album. The musician revealed that the 'Losing My Religion' hitmakers have no plans to play a series of concerts to promote their latest album 'Collapse Into…

R.E.M restrict recording

Music Gossip

4 Oct 2010

R.E.M guitarist Peter Buck refuses to do more than three takes when recording songs. The 'The Great Beyond' rocker has been in the studio with the band recording their 15th album in Berlin, and while he likes to record fast, he had to compromise with…

REM's geek pride

Celebrity Gossip

26 Jul 2008

REM are proud to be geeks. The band's frontman Michael Stipe is happy he and his bandmates are not considered cool. He said: "We are always going to be an imperfect, weird and geeky outfit. We were that way to begin with and, to a large degree…

Rock of Ages

3 Jul 2008

In a bid end that long-standing argument about just how old that guy from The Prodigy really is, Josie Balfour digs out the birth certificates of those appearing at T in the Park.