Taylor Swift Donates $4 Million To Country Hall of Fame

Billboard reports that Taylor Swift has donated four million dollars to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

It's the largest donation given to the museum by an artist and the second largest from one person. It will help fun the Taylor Swift Education Center, an exhibit and classroom that will open in 2014.

Museum director Kyle Young said: "In terms of what it will allow us to do, we do education very well now. It will allow us to do what we do better, serve more people, develop new programs and I'm happy to say that as we talked through this opportunity with Taylor, she very much wants to be involved in an advisory capacity in what we do. Is there a better person out there who's in touch with a young audience? I think not. I was joking we should be paying her to do that. I was only joking."

The education center is a part of the museum's "Working on a Building" expansion project. It will increase space by over 200,000 square feet to 350,000. This is part of a new convention center project in Nashville and will have a new concert theater, more room for exhibits and archives, and a shared entrance with a new hotel.

Swift's education center will have it's own outside entrance. It is 7,500 square feet and two stories. It will have three classrooms and exhibit space and will help the museum add to the youth education programs. It will have interactive activities like a musical petting zoo and a "wet" classroom for concert posters and other art projects. The expansion lets the museum have new programs and workshops for teens and senior citizens as well.

Swift is the top selling artist in country music and an ambassador to the world. She is a six time Grammy winner and a two-time winner of the Country Music Association and Academy of Country Music entertainer of the year awards. She has taken country to Asia, Europe and Australia and made it to the top of the US pop charts. One of her first public performances was at the plaza of the museum and she signed her record contract there. She has also volunteered for the "All For The Hall" fundraisers.

Young added: "For Taylor to want to engage herself in the life of this place in such an appropriate way ... every way you slice it and dice it, it's great for this place."

Jake Owen Reveals Real Story Behind Run-In With Police

Jake Owen has apologized for his behavior following a run-in with police earlier this month in his hometown of Vero Beach, Fla. But the country singer still insists his actions didn't warrant all of the backlash that came after he was handcuffed and detained.

"I did nothing, actually!" he tells Chicago's US99.5 radio with a laugh. "I had a good time -- that's all that really matters."

Jake was wearing a mask as he walked into a Steak 'N Shake restaurant after a May 5 concert, admittedly intoxicated from his Cinco de Mayo celebrations. "People made a big deal out of that, and I was like, 'Uh, it's Steak 'N Shake at midnight. I can't remember the last time I ever went to a Steak 'N Shake where I even remembered what I ordered at midnight,'" the singer jokes.

The night of the incident, Jake tweeted a photo of himself in handcuffs and has since removed the picture. He also deleted a Twitter post berating police for embarrassing him in front of his family and another one that said, "You give a guy a gun and a badge and he thinks he's John Wayne."

Jake was not officially arrested nor charged with any crime. But he now admits he was wrong to mock the officer, who was just doing his job.

"They're awesome, they're great," he says of the Vero Beach police. "It was just a huge misunderstanding ... I was with my mom, my dad, my sister, my brother-in-law, all my nieces and nephews -- we were just at a show. We all rode my tour bus to the Steak 'N Shake. I looked at my bus driver and was like, 'Hey, watch this. I have this old man mask, it's pretty funny.' I didn't know there was a law that you're not allowed to go into a public establishment with a mask on ... I could understand [the suspicion] if I got out of like a getaway van or something. But I got out of a tour bus!"

After removing his offending tweets, Jake took to Twitter again the next morning to make peace with police, family, friends and fans. "I want to publicly apologize again for bringing to light a situation that I overreacted to," he tweeted. "I embarrassed myself and my family and most importantly the great people of my hometown. The sheriffs were doing their jobs and I made an immature decision to announce it to the world. This is me talking. Not some puppet that is reciting what he 'should' say. I take full responsibility. Again, what's done is done, but I am truly sorry."

The "Alone With You" singer may not have a squeaky-clean image, but he insists he's never been a troublemaker. "I'm a lover, I'm not trying to create any problems," Jake promises. "But I do like to have a damn good time, that's how I roll!"

His good times continued to roll into the following week, when he tied the knot in a surprise, beachside wedding just two days after the Steak 'N Shake snafu. Jake is now husband to model Lacey Buchanan, whom he met after she was cast in his "8 Second Ride" video. Read all about their romantic wedding here.

Katy Perry to Perform at Billboard Music Awards

Katy Perry will debut a new song at the Billboard Music Awards. Billboard reports that Perry will perform "Wide Awake," written for her upcoming film Katy Perry: Part of Me, live on the show, which airs May 20th on ABC at 8 PM EDT from Las Vegas.

Perry joins Chris Brown, Justin Bieber, Carrie Underwood, LMFAO, CeeLo Green, Kelly Clarkson, Usher, The Wanted, Linkin Park and Nelly Furtado as a performer on the show. Tickets for the award show can be purchased via Ticketmaster.com and MGMGrand.com.

Demi Lovato Set To Earn Over A Million Dollars For The X Factor

TMZ reports that Demi Lovato will earn just over one million dollars for her role as a judge on The X Factor.  The 19-year-old singer isn't earning nearly as much as Britney Spears, who will get $15 million.  Cowell recently praised Lovato and her accomplishments at this point in her life, and said she will connect with younger viewers.  Lovato has set up her upcoming tour around her X Factor tapings in order to accommodate producers. 

Lady Gaga Forced To Cancel Show In Indonesia

Billboard reports that Lady Gaga is being forced to cancel a concert in Indonesia after protests from Islamic citizens and conservative lawmakers. The country has 240 million people, with more Muslims than any other country in the world. It has a history of religious tolerance, but there is a small extremist fringe that is becoming more vocal.

One of the complaints was that Gaga's sexy clothes and dance moves would "corrupt the youth". It was believed that her concerts would "undermine the country's moral fiber". There were some who threatened physical force to keep her from getting off the plane. Religious leaders and those in government also criticized her.

National police spokesman Boy Rafli Amar said that the permit for her June 3 Born This Way Ball was denied. Local police recommended this after concerns that they could not guarantee her safety.

The concert would have been the biggest on her Asian tour, as the 52,000 seat Gelora Bung Karno venue in Jakarta was sold out. Half of the seats were sold in the first two hours of sales. Permits are typically given three weeks before a concert, so tickets are sold before the permit is granted. There is no word on if the sales will be refunded. Billboard could not reach local promoter Michael Rusli for comment.

One fan, Mariska Renata, said: "I'm very disappointed." She said by going along with "troublemakers," authorities only give them more power.

She added: "We are mature enough to be able to separate our own moral values from arts and culture."

Gaga's tour of Asia started last month and many shows are already sold out. The concerts in South Korea were limited to fans eighteen and older because conservatives in the country had similar objections.  

Paris Hilton To Make DJ Debut At Pop Music Festival

Billboard reports that Paris Hilton will make her debut as a DJ at the Pop Music Festival in Sao Paulo, Brazil on June 23. The festival has a capacity of 30,000 people. Hilton's set will last for one hour and will follow performances from Jennifer Lopez and Kelly Clarkson.

Hilton said: "I cannot wait to DJ for the first time in front of thousands of people. I have been a part of the music scene and club scene since I was 15. It's something I have been passionate about and have come to respect very much. I am very excited to share all of my hard work with the world."

Hilton has appeared on the international EDM circuit for clubs and festivals everywhere from Las Vegas to Ibiza, sometimes with her boyfriend Afrojack. The two hit Miami in March, and she was in the booth beside him during his performances, including one at the Ultra Music Festival where he played to 50,000 people.

Hilton has never performed as a DJ in public before, but tried to be a dance music artist. She released "Stars are Blind" from her 2006 debut album Paris, and it was remixed by EDM stars like Chus & Ceballos, Tracy Young and The Scumfrog. That song hit #1 on the Dance Club/Play Songs.

She was in "Drunk Text," a collaboration and video with DJ/producer duo Manufactured Superstars last year.

Her DJ set will have "custom-made remixes of the best tracks." It will not just be a one-off show. Hilton added that it will "be the first of many". 

Whitney Houston to Receive Billboard Millennium Award

Whitney Houston is being posthumopusly honored with the Billboard Millennium Award. Billboard has announced that Houston will be honored with the award at the Billboard Music Awards on Sunday in Las Vegas. Bobbi Kristina Brown and Houston's sister-in-law Pat will make an appearance to accept the award.

Jordin Sparks and John Legend will perform a tribute to Houston, who died in February, at the show. Sparks plays Houston's daughter in the upcoming Sparkle remake.

The Billboard Music Awards will air live on May 20th on ABC at 8 PM EDT. 

Slash Denies that Scott Weiland Is Rejoining Velvet Revolver

Slash is denying Scott Weiland's claim that he's rejoining Velvet Revolver. After Weiland talked with ABC News Radio yesterday and said he had reunited with the band, Slash took to 93x and said that the claims weren't true.

"He's out of his mind," said Slash. "There's been a common rumour going around, I know that he's been positive on that subject. Maybe they know something I don't know." He added: "I have absolutely no intention of going back to that…We have no intention of going backwards."

Velvet Revolver has been on the hunt for a new frontman since they kicked Weiland out of the band in 2008. Weiland had also claimed the band was writing their next studio album, which Slash also denied.