Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger [ tickets ] was knighted by Prince Charles during a Friday (12/12) ceremony at London's Buckingham Palace.

Jagger was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire, or MBE, for his musical contributions. Fellow grizzled rockers Gerry Marsden of Gerry and the Pacemakers and Gary Brooker of Procol Harum were knighted on Thursday (12/11) for their charity work.

R&B singer-songwriter Carl Thomas [ tickets ] will release his sophomore album, "Let's Talk About It," on Feb. 10, according to Bad Boy Records.

The first single, "She Is," was the most-added song at urban radio in the last week, the label said.

Sony Music and BMG have come to terms on a deal to merge their music businesses. If the merger passes muster with U.S. and European regulators, the 50-50 joint venture would create the world's second-largest record label--dubbed Sony BMG--which would control about 25% of the worldwide music market.

Pop heartthrob Aaron Carter [ tickets ], 16, announced this week that he is firing his co-manager--who also happens to be his mother. He accused his mother, Jane Carter, of taking more than $100,000 from his bank account without his permission.

"I feel betrayed by my own mother," Aaron Carter said in a statement. "I worked hard for 10, 11 hours a day, not including school and press appearances, and I come home and I owe money!"

Carter--who reportedly is filing to be legally emancipated from is mother--has been co-managed by his parents, who separated in March, for 10 years.

Country music mainstay Clint Black [ tickets ] is scheduled to issue a new album titled "Spend My Time" on March 2, according to his publicist.