B. B. King will headline a May 24 tribute to rhythm-and-blues artist Rufus Thomas [ tickets ], who died in 2001. Dubbed "Legacy: A Tribute to Rufus Thomas," the event will take place at The Orpheum in Memphis, TN, and will also include performances from Marvell Thomas & Memphis Soul Stars Rhythm & Blues Orchestra, Carla Thomas, Vaneese Thomas, Eddie Floyd and Average White Band. The concert will benefit the Band Aid Trust/DATA (www.data.org)--which directs relief and aid efforts in Africa--as well as The Rufus Thomas Scholarship Fund, which provides financial support to qualified music students in the Memphis area.

The concert follows the planned April 26 release of "Just Because I'm Leavin' ...," Thomas' final recording for Sun Studio, which he recorded more than 14 years ago, according to a press release.

Motley Crue bassist Nikki Sixx [ tickets ] announced Friday (2/11) that he had won his lawsuit against Vans, the sneaker company which owns a majority interest in the annual Vans Warped tour and was recently acquired by Vanity Fair.

According to a press release, a jury found that photos of Sixx and pro skater Tony Trujillo from a San Francisco "Skater of the Year" award ceremony organized by Thrasher magazine and sponsored by Vans were used by Vans without Sixx's permission as part of a national ad campaign for Trujillo's signature shoe line. The photo appeared in eight mainstream publications, including Revolver, Maxim, Stuff, FHM, Blender and Alternative Press with the caption, "Live Fast, Die Young," which bore a resemblance to the title of Motley Crue's first album, "Too Fast for Love."

Sixx, whose own clothing line--dubbed "N. Sixx by Dragonfly"--targets the same youth market as Vans, said in a statement, "I'm happy, not so much for myself, but for all artists who are unfairly taken advantage of by major corporations. I hope this encourages other performers to stand up to those who would exploit them without securing the necessary rights."

The judgment came days before the Feb. 14 kick-off of Motley Crue's reunion tour.