People: U2’s new tunes free for iTunes users

Surprise! U2 just put out a new album, and the renowned rock band is giving it away for free to iTunes users.

U2 made the unexpected announcement Tuesday at Apple’s unveiling event in Cupertino, California. All customers with iTunes accounts could download the 11-song “Songs of Innocence” for free Tuesday afternoon.

There was much speculation over whether the band would release an album earlier this year when news leaked about the band potentially postponing the highly anticipated new LP’s release to 2015.

The Irish band played at Apple’s event and CEO Tim Cook announced the new album would be given to the company’s 500 million iTunes users. A news release says the album will be released to everyone else Oct. 14.

Another birth for Lady Antebellum

Lady Antebellum’s family keeps growing as singer and guitarist Dave Haywood became a new father.

Cash Van Haywood was born on Sunday in Nashville, Tennessee. A publicist for the country group says the boy weighed 7 pounds and was 19 inches long. Band vocalist Hillary Scott had a baby girl in July 2013.

No apology for Fox host’s remark

Fox News Channel host Brian Kilmeade insists the network’s morning show isn’t making light of domestic abuse after it was criticized for comments made about the video showing football player Ray Rice hitting his future wife.

Kilmeade, on Monday’s show, had said the lesson to be learned from the incident was “take the stairs.”

Kilmeade addressed but did not apologize for the remark on Tuesday’s show. He said the remarks made some feel like the “Fox & Friends” hosts were taking the situation too lightly.

Kilmeade said: “We are not. We were not. Domestic abuse is a very serious issue to us, I can assure you.”

The birthday bunch

World Golf Hall of Famer Arnold Palmer is 85. Singer Jose Feliciano is 69. Former political commentator Bill O’Reilly is 65. Rock musician Joe Perry (Aerosmith) is 64. Actor Colin Firth is 54. Retired MLB All-Star pitcher Randy Johnson is 51. Movie director Guy Ritchie is 46. Actress Hannah Hodson is 23.