Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Madonna's Missing Millions
Before Madonna “adopts” another child from Malawi, maybe someone should ask her where the money went from her big star studded 2008 fundraiser for that country.
We tried: this column has tried to ascertain from The Gucci Foundation and from Madonna’s Kabbalah-backed Raising Malawi where the estimated $3.7 million has gone from the February 6, 2008 extravaganza. So far: No answers.
The fundraiser had some problems, however. Even though Raising Malawi had been in business for two years, it was still not approved as a sanctioned non profit at the time. Instead, Gucci formed its own Foundation — known as a 501 c3 — to collect the money. They brought UNICEF on board to give the event a feeling of legitimacy. But in the end, the efforts expended were for Raising Malawi, an organization founded by the Kabbalah Center of Los Angeles. Raising Malawi teaches the Kabbalah curriculum, called Spirituality for Kids, to Malawi orphans.Now, fourteen months after the fundraiser, there’s no accounting for the money that came in. At the time, Gucci claimed that they’d underwritten the entire event, that $3.7 million had been raised and that it had been split between Raising Malawi and UNICEF
Queen Latifah Sued!
AP | March 31, 2009 at 09:12 AM
NEW YORK — A makeup artist and a fashion stylist claim in coordinated lawsuits that they got ugly treatment from Queen Latifah when she cheated them out of $1 million.
Celebrity cosmetology consultant Roxanna Floyd says she lost $700,000 when the rapper-actress failed to pay her for work she did between July 2005 and February 2008.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Miley Cyrus to Perform
Following her country-toned debut with pal Taylor Swift at this year's Grammys, Miley Cyrus will perform – solo this time – at the 44th Annual Country Music Awards on April 5.
Cyrus, 16, will deliver her hit "The Climb" from the Hannah Montana: The Movie soundtrack, PEOPLE has learned exclusively. Climbing the Billboard Hot 100 and country charts, the song will easily fit in with the sound of the evening.
Could Miley be headed for a future in country music? Only time will tell.
The teen sensation will share the stage with a star-studded line-up that includes Lady Antebellum, Reba McEntire, John Rich, Lee Ann Womack and Jamey Johnson.
The 44th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards, hosted by McEntire, will air live on CBS from Las Vegas's MGM Grand on Sunday, April 5, at 8 p.m. ET and PT.
Robert Pattinson's Romantic 'Memoirs'
Sexy 'Twilight' and 'New Moon' vamp Robert Pattinson is in talks to star in a new romantic drama, reports Variety. Read on for details…
'Memoirs' would reteam Pattinson with 'Twilight' saga producer Summit Entertainment for a story about lovers whose fresh relationship is threatened by family tragedy.
Director Allen Coulter ('Hollywoodland,' "The Sopranos" and "Damages") is in talks to helm the project, which is being rewritten by Jenny Lumet ('Rachel Getting Married').
Pattinson is currently focused on the sequel 'The Twilight Saga: New Moon,' scheduled for a November 20 release.
'American Idol''s Top 10 Sing Motown
"American Idol"'s top 10 flew to the Motor City (Detroit) to get their groove on for this week's theme: the Motown song book. Then back in Los Angeles, they were mentored by no one less than Motown-great and Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winner Smokey Robinson.
Matt Giraud launched the night playing piano and singing to Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On." Randy Jackson enthused, " Yo, man. You set this off on a tone. I know there are some other boys that are the frontrunners, but that run you did at the end and how strong your falsetto is, you are challenging them for the top." Kara DioGuardi agreed, adding, "I think there are a lot of girls out there going, 'Let's get it on.' You are coming out of your shell. I think you could have pushed it more, but it was a solid performance." Paula Abdul praised, "You showed a sexy cool vibe. Most pop artists today over-riff. Yours fit the melody." And Simon Cowell made it unanimous, saying, "It was a great choice of song. It was a cool performance. Your voice absolutely suits that kind of song. That is what you should be doing. You are one of the frontrunners in this competition."
Kris Allen strummed the guitar as he put his own spin on "How Sweet It is to be Loved By You." Kara told him, "You didn't do James Taylor, you didn't do Marvin Gaye, you did Kris. At this point, the competition is about artistry. How you put your mark on the song. And you did it. You did everything right with that song." Paula added, "It is really nice seeing you come into your own. You picked a great song. Technically speaking the note you hit at the end was brilliant." Simon agreed, saying, "I thought it was smart that you did your version, but you need to start believing in yourself. You don't have the swagger. To be a star, you have to be conceited. It is about self belief." Randy simply said, "You have hit your zone. It is all good, baby."
Scott MacIntyre did an up-tempo version of Diana Ross' "You Can't Hurry Love." Paula told him, "I think you pleased both Simon and I. You did do something different. I loved the beginning, the chord changes. When you feel it, the audience feels it, too." Simon disagreed, saying, "There was a line in the song when you sang: 'How much more can you take.' It wasn't a good version. The piano was too honky-tonk. I thought it was completely the wrong song for you. I think you are better than that as an artist." Randy pointed out, "I don't agree with Simon often, but today I am. It wasn't the right song for you. Nothing great happened. It was just average for me. Kara said, "I think you brought tempo tonight, which I wanted to see from you, but the thing I wasn't crazy about is you took liberties with the melody, but you didn't nail it."
"For Once in my Life" was the Motown song choice of Megan Joy. Randy criticized: "That song was a train wreck for me. That song that fast doesn't fit what you do." Kara advised her that she should have sung "My Guy." "You hit bad notes all over the place. The song took you over," she pointed out. Paula complimented her on her appearance, saying, "Your stunning beauty takes my breath away. The camera loves you, but I am going to have to agree this was not the right song for you." Simon said, "The good news is you look good; the bad news is it was horrible. Whoever is advising you, I would fire. It was a horrible arrangement. I think you could be in serious trouble after tonight's performance."
Anoop Desai went mellow with The Miracles' "Ooo Baby Baby." Kara told him, "It has to be one of the most beautiful songs ever written and one of the hardest to sing. You did a pretty good job. You really can sing. You have a skill set." Paula stated, "I think you have a new-found confidence, but your phrasing, your delivery and your falsetto is not just spot-on, but sweet." Simon thought it was a great vocal, but "I think you looked as if you were half asleep. It is one thing being serious, another being boring. You have had two good weeks in a row now," he said. And Randy advised him to turn it back up next week. "I see you more like that than the balladeer guy," he said.
Michael Sarver interpreted The Temptations' "Ain't too Proud to Beg." Paula had bad news for him, saying, "It felt a little Las Vegas-lounge-y for me -- the way you were working the microphone. You need to be driving that song and not let the reverse happen." Simon said, "Let me make this easy. Actually, I couldn't wait for this to end because you were shouting the song. You have no chance of winning this competition based on that vocal. In the real world, it just isn't good enough." Randy also had a criticism, pointing out, "The song was too big for you. You are not an R&B kind of dude. You made it a little corny because you were trying to do too much with it." Kara added, "At this point in the competition, it is not about singing, it is about artistry. It is about making it your own. That is what we need from you. That is what I didn't feel from you this week."
Lil Rounds belted out Martha and the Vandellas' "(Love is Like a) Heat Wave." Randy wasn't thrilled by the performance, saying, "It wasn't the right song for you. I felt you were rushing through. Not your best performance." Kara agreed, saying, "I've got to say, you were the diva tonight that everybody was waiting to hear. If you don't nail this week, I don't know what to tell you. I don't think you picked the right song." Paula completely disagreed. "I do agree with the fact that you look unbelievable. It is what you do vocally that feels fresh." Simon told her, "I think what you did tonight was an authentic tribute to the sound of Motown, but I wouldn't have chosen that song. It didn't give you a moment. I agree with Randy, it was too fast. You are one of the best singers we have in this competition. I am dying for you to do what you did a few weeks ago when you blew everybody away. You can't do it with a song like this.
Smokey Robinson's "Tracks of My Tears" was Adam Lambert's song selection and he got a standing ovation from Kara, who raved, "One of the best performances of the night. You showed artistry on that stage." Paula enthused, "What I love about this season is that someone like you comes along who is completely in his own league." Simon teased, "I am going to disagree with Kara, because it was the best performance of the night. You were able to sum up everything we have said about originality and picking a good song. You emerged tonight as a star." Randy pointed out, "From day one, I thought, 'This guy has the range. He can do anything.' You are not just a cool indie rocker, you can pull it down. You had such tender moments using what is in your arsenal. The bomb tonight!"
Danny Gokey rocked the house with "Get Ready" made famous by The Temptations. Paula declared, "You are undeniable and always reliable, giving us a first-class performance." Simon told him, "We know you are a good singer, but I thought that was clumsy and amateurish." Randy felt it wasn't Danny's best performance, but "I loved the energy of it," he said. Kara added, "I loved your personality tonight. It was good not great, but I am still a huge Danny fan."
After being in the bottom three last week, Allison Iraheta brought down the house on The Temptations' "Papa Was a Rolling Stone." Randy complimented, "You might be 16, but you are one of the dopest singers this season." Kara advised, "America, you've got to vote for her. Amazing. You sing like you've been singing for 400 years. That is from God. You can't teach that." Paula told her, "You kept your rocker edge. You are awesome. You belong in the competition." Simon made it unanimous, saying, "Allison you are a survivor. You had a terrible week last week. This was one of your best performances."
For more "American Idol" coverage, tune in to ET. Then check out "Idol" Wednesday night at 9 p.m. on FOX when Smokey duets with Joss Stone, and Stevie Wonder performs a Motown medley. Then find out who received the lowest number of votes and comes to the end of their "Idol" dreams.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Friday, March 6, 2009
American Idol Star Mandisa Drops 75 Lbs.
From People Magazine: Suffering Simon Cowell's barbs about her weight during season 5's American Idol auditions – he cracked that the show would need a "bigger stage" to accommodate her – was a "worst fear come true" for the singer Mandisa, but that pain was nothing new.
The Grammy-nominated Christian singer's weight battle was borne of early trauma – she was sexually molested as a child and raped at 16. "A lot of girls turn to men to fill that void and some turn to drugs," Mandisa, 32, tells PEOPLE. "I turned to food as my drug of choice."
Her weight left her open to ridicule and health problems. Mandisa recalls her humiliation when she performed a routine with her high-school drill team and a classmate joked that she caused the whole gym to shake. "I still remember that like it was yesterday," she says, adding that she was even denied health insurance because of her weight.
Making a Change
After a visit to Mt. Rushmore last summer that left her so short of breath she had trouble making it to the viewpoint, she set herself a goal to lose 100 lbs. by the March 24 release date of her new album, Freedom, on March 24. "I thought I couldn't get up and sing about freedom when I had been chained for so long," she says.
Following a routine of cardio workouts five days a week, a diet heavy on salads, lean meats and fiber, and counseling to work on her childhood issues, she's dropped more than 75 lbs. "Being able to fit into clothes I couldn't before is great," she says. "To be able to walk into a room and not feel self-conscious, I don't ever remember feeling this way."
She plans to continue her new routine for life but remains realistic. "I want to be healthy, and I believe my body will get to whatever it's supposed to be," she says. "It could be a size 8 – but personally I like a girl with a little meat on her bones! I don't need to look like the models on the magazine covers in order to be beautiful."
American Idol 13
ET was on the red carpet to speak with the remaining "American Idol" contestants Thursday night, but in a surprise move this season the judges let an additional contestant through!
Before the show went off the air on Thursday night, "Idol" judge Simon Cowell made a surprise announcement: "We decided recently we're going to make this a Top 13."
"Making the top 13 is incredible," Michael Sarver tells ET. "Number one the top 13, it's history -- it's never been done before. I think the incredible thing about that is the one person who always slips through the cracks didn't slip through tonight."
"The pressure's definitely on," Adam Lambert says. "But I think once you reach this point of being in the top 13, you've arrived to a certain level. There's almost a sigh of relief as well as the impending pressure weighing on me."
Watch the video to hear how the successful singers feel to be part of the first ever Top 13, and whether they are already getting a taste of stardom by getting recognized on the street.
Contestants Lil Rounds, Scott MacIntyre and Jorge Nuñez made it to the Top 13 on Wednesday, joining Alexis Grace, Michael Sarver, Danny Gokey, Allison Iraheta, Kris Allen, Jasmine Murray, Megan Corkrey, Matt Giraud, Anoop Desai, and Adam Lambert.
Alicia Keys as First Lady Michelle Obama???
Alicia Keys is taking on the role of the first lady of fashion.
The singer posed as Michelle Obama alongside look-alikes of first daughters Sasha and Malia for a Glamour magazine photo shoot.
"She has worked hard for everything she's accomplished, and done so with grace and humility. So many women and girls can identify with her story," Alicia said of the first lady.
In the photograph, Alicia is wearing a blue Carolina Herrera dress, a black Michael Kors belt, Miriam Haskell necklace and black Christian Louboutin shoes.
Glamour magazine's 70th Anniversary/American Icons issue hits newsstands March 10.
Kelly Clarkson Returns to 'American Idol'
"American Idol"'s very first winner, Kelly Clarkson, will be taking to the "Idol' stage for an encore performance.
The Grammy Award winner will perform her new hit single, "My Life Would Suck Without You" on Wednesday, March 11 on the results show, airing at 9 p.m. on FOX.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Monday, March 2, 2009
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