Bon Jovi tour is No. 1

The stock market is in the tank, the plant is closing, and the neighbor is losing his home - the perfect time to go to a concert, by one measure. The concert business grossed just under $4 billion worldwide in 2008, the most ever for a year and up almost 13 percent over last year, according to Billboard magazine. "Overall, it's been a pretty good year for touring," said Ray Waddell, who covers the industry for Billboard. "I'd never say it's recession-proof, but it's resilient." In North America, the average box office gross was up 18 percent and the average attendance up 6.3 percent. Bon Jovi's tour was the year's highest-grossing, based on the trade publication's data from Nov. 14, 2007, to Nov. 11, 2008. It grossed $210.6 million and drew nearly 2.2 million fans. Bruce Springsteen was second ($204.5 million gross) followed by Madonna ($162 million). (AP)

"The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" will have to sail without Disney. While declining to elaborate, Disney and Walden Media confirmed that for budgetary and logistical reasons the studio is not exercising its option to coproduce and cofinance the next "Narnia" movie with Walden. The third entry in the series, based on the classic books by C.S. Lewis, was in preproduction and set for a spring shoot for a planned May 2010 release. The development puts the participation of the talent attached in doubt. Michael Apted was on board to direct a script by Steven Knight. The key players of the second installment, "Prince Caspian" - Ben Barnes, Georgie Henley, William Moseley, and Anna Popplewell - were to return for the third film. (The Hollywood Rreporter)

Patrick Halling is fighting to keep the few pence he earns every time the Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby" airs on the radio. The song was released in 1966 and under European Union law will enter the public domain in 2016, meaning Halling's violin-led string background on the song will lose its copyright protection and royalties will end. Halling is among about 40,000 UK artists who are pushing lawmakers to change the rules and extend the paydays. (Bloomberg)