JOHNNY MARR TO MAKE DEBUT AS LECTURER.

Former THE SMITHS guitarist JOHNNY MARR will begin his tenure as a British university lecturer next month (Nov08). The rocker, who was appointed to the position last year (07), will return to Salford University's Maxwell Hall - one of the final venues The Smiths played in 1986 - to give his first masterclass on 4 November (08).

The lecture, which will be open to both students and the general public, will be titled Always On The Outside: Mavericks, Innovators and Building Your Own Ark.

Let's face it. I wanna go back to school and be in Johnny's class. LOL!

BYRNE BUILDS BIKE RACKS FOR NEW YORKERS.

TALKING HEADS rocker DAVID BYRNE is helping New Yorkers pedal around the Big Apple, by designing a range of arty bicycle racks. The nine installations have been places in various locations around the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn. The shapes include a man, a dog, a mug, a guitar and a dollar sign. New York resident Byrne came up with the idea to help promote a Department of Transportation competition to design indoor and outdoor bike racks. Byrne's creations will be on show for a year, before being sold as art pieces.

DEF LEPPARD ROCKER: 'PIRACY IS KEEPING US ROCKING'

DEF LEPPARD rocker VIVIAN CAMPBELL has credited music piracy with helping the band find a new, younger audience. While many big names in the music industry condemn illegal downloading and file sharing, the guitarist claims it is responsible for introducing the band to fans. And he insists the unlawful habit is keeping many classic bands rocking. Campbell tells LiveDaily, "I think it's very positive.

A lot of younger kids get turned on to classic bands because they're trading files. They have 4,000 or 5,000 songs on their iPod, that's $4,000 or $5,000 on their iPod, at iTunes' prices, at least. "A 12 year old can't afford that. When kids trade files, it's actually a good thing for classic bands such as us. It's not such a good thing for up-and-coming artists who need to sell records."

Now that makes sense!

MORE GIRLICIOUS INTERVIEWS FROM KJ--OUR HIPHOSSIP KIDS CORRESPONDENT.

BON JOVI JOINS DETROIT CHARITY PROJECT.

JON BON JOVI appeared in a poverty-stricken area of Detroit, Michigan on Monday (07Jun08) to launch a new homes-building initiative. The Bon Jovi star has been involved in rejuvenating rundown areas of north Philadelphia with his charity - the Philadelphia Soul Charitable Foundation which aims to provide affordable housing for the country's poorest communities.

And now the organisation has joined forces with Detroit based-retailers, Saturn, and the Habitat for Humanity Detroit charity to build five new homes on the city's dilapidated East Side. Bon Jovi told the crowds, which gathered to watch the demolition of the old houses, "I wanted to come back and give something back to you. "We really want to revitalise the neighbourhood...so that the kids can play in these streets. That's what America is all about."