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Grammy-winning singer Etta James, who has been deemed terminally ill with leukemia, has been hospitalized in California and placed on a breathing machine, her long-time manager and friend said on Friday.

James, 73, best known for the blues ballad "At Last," was taken to the hospital near her home in Riverside, east of Los Angeles, earlier this week because she was struggling to breathe.

"They took her to the hospital. She was having trouble breathing, so they intubated her. She is on a breathing machine and is resting," Lupe De-Leon, the singer's manager for 30 years, told Reuters.

The singer has been in failing health for a number of years and suffers from leukemia, kidney disease and dementia but had previously been cared for at her Southern California home.

Her live-in doctor said last week that James was considered terminally ill, and that she communicates mostly with nods and simple words.
The three-time Grammy Award singer earlier battled obesity and was addicted to heroin for many years.

"It is really sad. She is like my sister," De-Leon said on Friday.
James was a key figure in the early days of R&B music with hit songs like "The Wallflower" and "Good Rockin' Daddy". But it was her 1961 recording of "At Last" that put her on the map.

(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte

Rapper Tyler, The Creator was arrested on suspicion of felony vandalism on Thursday, following a show at a nightclub on the famed Sunset Strip, police said.

The rapper, 20, whose real name is Tyler Gregory Okonma, was performing with his rap group Odd Future at the Roxy Theater Thursday night when an electric soundboard was destroyed, causing the venue's security team to call police.

"Suspect Okonma exited the location and was placed under arrest by deputies for felony vandalism, due to the value of the electronic soundboard," said a spokesman for the West Hollywood Sheriff's station. "As he was being escorted to a nearby radio car, the crowd exiting the venue became angry and rushed into the street towards the deputies."

West Hollywood is a Los Angeles-area city in which many of the Sunset Strip clubs are located.

Footage from celebrity showbiz website TMZ.com showed the rapper being jovial while sitting in the back of a police car, while amateur audience video showed the rapper kicking items around stage before leaving the venue. TMZ also reported that the rapper was taken into custody in front of his mother.

But Tyler, The Creator, who received the best new artist award at this year's MTV Video Music Awards, took to Twitter on Friday to deny the reports, saying "I Wasnt In No Jail Or Arrested Or Nothing," before posting a video that showed a raucous crowd jumping onto the stage during the Roxy show.

A representative for the rapper could not immediately be reached for comment at this time.

(Reporting by Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte

Wyclef Jean

In the months following the devastating earthquake in Haiti, a charity run by hip-hop star Wyclef Jean spent a pittance of the money it took in on disaster relief and doled out millions in questionable contracts.

Yele Haiti's coffers swelled to $16 million in 2010, the most the charity had ever received. But less than a third of that went to emergency efforts, and $1 million was paid to a Florida firm that doesn't seem to exist, The Post has learned.

Jean's charity, which he founded in 2005 with his cousin Jerry Duplessis, was already troubled when the earthquake struck Haiti on Jan. 12, 2010. The Post reported in 2008 that it had never filed a required tax form detailing its spending with the IRS.

The group lost $244,000 in 2009. But hours after the earthquake hit, Jean took to Twitter to beg for $5 donations. An avalanche of donations poured in.

Almost immediately, allegations surfaced that the former Fugees singer had used the charity's cash for his own benefit. Critics found that four years earlier Yele Haiti had steered $250,000 to a Haitian TV station controlled by Jean and Duplessis.

Jean held a Jan. 18, 2010, press conference to...Click to continue reading

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MARSHA AMBROSIUS RECEIVES 2 GRAMMY NOMINATIONS!!!
Best R&B Performance and Best R&B Song for "Far Away"

AMBROSIUS MEETS PRESIDENT OBAMA AND PERFORMS AT THE NATIONAL CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING CEREMONY IN WASHINGTON, DC

JOINS STELLAR LINE UP FOR VH1'S DIVAS CELEBRATE SOUL
Airs December 19 at 9pm / 8c

New York, NY - This month will be a December to remember for singer, songwriter, producer Marsha Ambrosius. On the heels of winning Soul Train Award's Record of The Year, The Ashford and Simpson Songwriter's Award for "Far Away," Marsha received two Grammy Award nominations - Best R&B Performance and Best R&B Song - for her hit single "Far Away" from her solo debut album Late Nights & Early Mornings.

The Grammy nominations came on the eve of Marsha's performance in the presence of President Barack Obama and the First Family at the 89th Annual National Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony, held yesterday (12/1) at the Ellipse at President's Park in Washington, D.C. The event will be broadcast nationally on public television throughout the month of December starting December 2nd. Check local listings or visit www.thenationaltree.org for more information.

Also this month, Marsha joins the stellar line up for VH1 Divas Celebrates Soul, airing on VH1Monday, December 19th at 9PM/8c. The special pays tribute to the great cities of soul music, including Marsha's adopted hometown of Philadelphia.

"I'm living my dreams! It's been an overwhelming year for me! I've worked extremely hard and I'm proud to say I have done so my way. The right support system is everything and I have that, from my manager J. Erving and RCA Records, to most importantly my family, friends and fans," says Ambrosius. "A nerve wracking couple of days leading towards performing in front of the President & First Family, topped off with Grammy nominations for which I received not one but two, proves that hard work and a passion for creating great music truly pays off."

Hailing from Liverpool, England, the now eight-time Grammy nominee's critically acclaimed solo debut album Late Nights & Early Mornings entered at #1 on Billboard's R&B Albums chart and #2 on Billboard's Top 200 Albums chart in March 2011. Amid glowing reviews and accolades for Late Nights & Early Mornings, Ambrosius has been nominated for several awards this year including American Music Awards and won BET Awards' Centric Award earlier this year.

NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution has sold "Steve Harvey" in more than 70% of the U.S., including in 40 of the top 50 markets, for its debut in national broadcast syndication next Fall 2012, it was announced today by Barry Wallach, President, NBCUniversal Domestic Television Distribution.

The new one-hour talk show, produced by Endemol USA and hosted by TV personality, comedian, radio show host and best-selling author, Steve Harvey, has already been sold in the nation's top markets to station groups including NBC Owned Television Stations, Fox Television Stations, CBS Television Stations, Hearst Television, Cox Communications, Capitol Communications Company, Sinclair Broadcast Group, Local TV and Lin Television. New station groups added over the past week include Gannett, Gray, Post Newsweek, Weigel, Young and more.

"'Steve Harvey' is the most versatile show to come to daytime syndication in a long time and the response that we have received in the marketplace in the past several weeks has been phenomenal," said Wallach. "This new talk show has a unique appeal in daytime as Steve's comedic approach to a wide array of relatable topics attracts a broad audience and allows all affiliates to benefit from his popularity."

In his new daytime talk show, Steve Harvey will bring his fresh, insightful and common sense approach to life's funny moments that we all experience. Each weekday, Steve will cover a vast range of relatable topics such as marriage, dating, parenting, workplace, friendship and the daily dramas we face throughout our lives.

"Steve Harvey" is produced by Endemol USA with Harvey and Rushion McDonald serving as executive producers. The show is distributed in broadcast syndication by NBCUniversal Domestic TV Distribution.

F.A.M.E. The Experience will have its next showcase on Friday, December 9 at The Calabash Lounge.

5561 Memorial Drive, Stone Mountain, GA 30083

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