Last updated April 28, 2008 7:07 p.m. PT

People in the News: Coldplay gives fans a freebie


	Martin

Coldplay is giving fans one week to download free the new single off the band's forthcoming album, "Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends."

The song "Violet Hill" will be available at coldplay.com starting Tuesday. In addition to the download, music magazine NME will have a 7-inch vinyl version of the song available in its May 7 issue.

The band also announced free shows at Brixton Academy in London June 16 and at Madison Square Garden in New York June 23. Preliminary details about the concerts are posted on the Web site.

"We're still obsessed with making songs that can be sung to the rafters," Coldplay frontman Chris Martin told Billboard.com. "We just wanted to present them differently."

"Viva la Vida ..." is set for release June 17.

The father of TV comic Cheri Oteri was stabbed to death in Nashville and a country songwriter has been arrested, police said Monday.

Richard William Fagan, 61, has been charged with criminal homicide in the Saturday night death of 69-year-old Gaetano Thomas Oteri, police said. Authorities said the victim's daughter, a former member of the "Saturday Night Live" cast, had been notified.

Police say Fagan and the victim were roommates.

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Police said Fagan had been arrested Saturday night on a charge of driving under the influence, and shortly after he posted bail on Sunday a friend of the roommates told police their door was locked, the house appeared to be in disarray and Oteri wasn't answering the door.

Emergency medical technicians found Oteri dead in the house.

Fagan is listed as co-writer on hits by singer John Michael Montgomery, including "Sold (the Grundy County Auction Incident)," "Be My Baby Tonight" and "I Miss You a Little." Fagan told police his songs have been recorded by several country artists.

-- P-I staff and news services

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