Alex Chilton dies, and other top stories...

Alex Chilton has died of a heart attack at the age of 59. The singer-guitarist was best known for fronting the 1970s power-pop group Big Star. He died on the day that NME placed him second in their list of top 20 cult heroes. Although he never achieved mainstream success, an impressive range of musicians, including Jeff Buckley, Cat Power and Yo La Tengo, covered his songs. He was also a well-regarded producer...

Michael Jackson's estate has signed a steaming $250m record deal to cover the next seven years. The debts this will go towards paying off are substantial - not least the $35m owed to concert promoters AEG, organisers of his O2 comeback shows scheduled to begin last July. There remains a substantial profit to be made from the unlimited repackaging of his music, as well as the ten new recordings to be released...

A painting by Picasso owned by Andrew Lloyd Webber will finally be auctioned for charity. Portrait of Angel Fernandez de Soto (The Absinthe Drinker) was owned by a German-Jewish banker who, it is claimed, was forced to sell it by the Nazi regime. A settlement has been reached with the man's family whereby Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation retains ownership of the painting. It will be auctioned at Christie's and profits will go to the foundation, which benefits arts, cultural and heritage causes in Britain. It's estimated to reach £30-40m...

Radio presenter and DJ Charlie Gillett has passed away. The BBC Radio 3 and World Service presenter managed Ian Dury's first group, Kilburn and The High Roads, in the mid-1970s and was renowned for championing world music. Although he brought the likes of Youssou N'Dour and Salif Keita to public attention, his greatest achievement may have been airing Dire Straits' impossibly smooth Sultans of Swing on his Radio London show in 1976, having received a demo copy...