News Breakers: Evanescence, Killers, Kid Rock, Bowie, Borat, Doherty

Band members fired; singer's wife pregnant; Ritchie lands clubs for teens; Bowie to get Webby; Cohen's publicist denies reports; Doherty arrested.

Evanescence members fired

The revolving door around Amy Lee continues. Evanescence guitarist John LeCompt announced that he's been fired from the band, and he also said drummer Rocky Gray is out, the latest of several roster shake-ups for the popular goth-rock act. "I'm done, and I'm pretty upset about it," LeCompt told MTV News. "[Singer] Amy Lee called and fired me today. There's absolutely no loyalty in this band."

In a blog post, Gray wrote, "Amy Lee's management emailed me last night to tell me that, in their view, the contract I signed to record, perform and tour with the group says I'm not allowed to have any free speech in regard to Evanescence. They way they spin it, I'm not even allowed to say I quit the group, I guess. But the news is out there, so, there ya' go. I need to have a lawyer read over all that mess to tell me what, when and how I can tell you all- the REAL FANS- what really went down, if I ever can, haha."

Evanescence is on a short break from its tour in support of its second major release The Open Door, which sold nearly 500,000 copies in the US in its first week and debuted at No. 1 on Billboard. It's sold about 4 million worldwide. The band has two dates scheduled later this month before plans to tour Europe, beginning in Paris on May 25. LeCompt and Gray plan to form a new band called Machina. In 2003, Evanescence guitarist and cofounder Ben Moody quit while the band was touring in Europe. Last July, bassist Will Boyd quit.

Killers singer's wife pregnant

The Killers' frontman Brandon Flowers is reportedly set to become a dad. The Sun reported today that Flowers and his wife Tana are expecting their first child in July. The couple married in Hawaii two years ago. "I'm 25 now and so many things have happened," the singer told the paper. "I'm married, I want to have kids and I feel this album [Sam's Town] is a great interpretation of what's happened up until now. Kids are planned for soon--we just don't want to have them while I'm on the road. The Killers are currently on tour in the US and will be in the UK to play Glastonbury in June, and T in the Park in July.

Kid Rock helps golf team get clubs

Kid Rock and a high school girls' golf team are the makings of a lascivious tale, but the Detroit rocker has stepped up to deliver a philanthropic tale instead. Early last week, six sets of golf clubs were stolen from the car of Claire Neff, the coach of the Milan High School team in the Detroit area. After hearing of the theft, Kid Rock--real name Bob Ritchie--contacted his friend, pro golfer John Daly, who suggested calling TaylorMade Golf, the Detroit Free Press reported. TaylorMade came through, sending Neff the clubs late last week. "I was just stunned," Neff told the paper.

Bowie to get lifetime Webby

David Bowie is set to receive a Webby Lifetime Achievement Award on June 5 at an awards gala next month in New York City. The Webbys, the leading international award honoring excellence on the Internet, including Web sites, interactive advertising, online film and video, and mobile Web sites, are honoring Bowie's digital efforts, including BowieNet, the seminal Internet service provider he launched in 1998, and UltraStar, his digital media company that creates cutting edge online content for artists like The Rolling Stones, The Police, and Mariah Carey.

Cohen publicist denies Mercury report

It was too good--or odd--to be true. The publicist for Sacha Baron Cohen has denied media reports that the comic is in line to play Freddie Mercury in a biopic of the late Queen frontman. A rep for the actor and Borat mastermind called the reports "absolutely untrue" and "pure hokum." Late last week, the Daily Mirror cited an anonymous source as saying, "filmmakers are working flat out to get the best possible script. Sacha loves the idea he can get away with playing Freddie after modeling Borat's look on him."

Doherty arrested again

And he was doing so well. Pete Doherty reportedly was arrested this weekend on suspicion of possessing illegal drugs. He was released on bail pending investigation and was ordered to return to a police station next month. Doherty, frontman for Babyshambles and formerly coleader of The Libertines, has been undergoing drug rehab under court supervision following a number of arrests for possession of drugs, including cocaine, and heroin.

At a court appearance April 18, the rocker said people close to him were insisting that he kick his addiction. "The people I'm closest to have had enough," Doherty said at the time. "They've said it's drugs or them." Doherty had recently undergone a series of promising public events, including a reunion show with Libertines cofounder Carl Barat and praise from the judge overseeing his rehab.