Entertainment News

PILTON, England (Reuters) – Pop star Beyonce Knowles fulfilled her dream on Sunday, romping through songs old and new to the delight of a huge crowd at the close of this year's Glastonbury music festival.

The 29-year-old "Crazy in Love" singer was making her debut at one of the world's biggest live music events, three years after her husband Jay-Z proved the doubters wrong with a set that helped put hip-hop on the Glastonbury map.

"I want you all to know right now you are witnessing my dream," she called out to tens of thousands of people crammed in front of the main Pyramid stage, including Jay-Z.

"I always wanted to be a rock star and tonight we are all rock stars ... I want you to get lost in this music tonight."

Introduced by fireworks, she produced more on stage to lift the spirits of festival goers who have struggled through rain and mud to see their favorite acts over the last three days.

Wearing a short gold sequin jacket, she performed a string of hits starting with Crazy In Love and including "Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)" and "Naughty Girl."

"I still can't believe I'm performing at Glastonbury," she said to a sea of screaming fans.

Beyonce matched her dancers step for step in a slick, high energy set, which only fell slightly flat when she performed songs from her new album "4" released this month.

There were nods to Annie Lennox with "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)," to Prince with an ultra-slow version of "The Beautiful Ones," to Lady Gaga with their duet "Telephone" and her former band Destiny's Child with a medley of their hits.

MUDBATHS AND PROTESTS

Around 180,000 people crammed on to Worthy Farm in picturesque southwest England for the festival, and the abiding memory for many this year will be the mud.

Heavy rain on Friday and before turned the 900 acre site into a giant bog, although raincoats were swapped for bikinis on Sunday when the sun broke out on a scorching day.

Friday night's headliners U2 impressed critics with a string of their greatest hits performed in the driving rain.

A small pressure group called Art Uncut inflated a large balloon with the words "U Pay Tax 2?" in protest against the band's decision several years ago to relocate its operations from Ireland to the Netherlands for tax purposes.

Campaigners complained of rough handling by security guards who forced them to take the balloon down, but festival founder and dairy farmer Michael Eavis shrugged off the criticism, saying the story had been exaggerated.

"It was only one balloon," he said. "It was all churned up as being a huge thing, but it wasn't at all."

Coldplay played the main Pyramid stage slot on Saturday, cheered as they worked their way through a mixture of familiar hits and less well known tracks from their upcoming album.

Pulp were surprise guests on the smaller Park stage, and drew a record crowd there of around 30,000. London rapper Tinie Tempah was one of the most popular performers this year, as were the Chemical Brothers, blues veteran B.B. King and Elbow.

Casting a shadow over the event, Christopher Shale, chairman of West Oxfordshire Conservative Association, was found dead in a portable toilet in the VIP camping area on Sunday morning.

Prime Minister David Cameron said he and his wife Samantha were "devastated" at the loss of their friend.

Glastonbury has grown from a humble gathering of 1,500 people on Eavis's dairy farm in 1970, each paying one pound ($1.60) and receiving free milk, to a giant celebrat

GLASTONBURY (AFP) – US soul diva Beyonce on Sunday brought Britain's Glastonbury festival to a flamboyant finale with a greatest hits and covers set before of 100,000 sun-baked revellers.

The Bootylicious singer, whose husband Jay Z played a famous set at the 2008 festival, performed her solo repertoire, hits from her time as a member of Destiny's Child and an eclectic mix of cover versions.

The crowd helped the superstar through "Say my Name", "Survivor" and "Independent Women" along with her interpretations of the Eurythmics' "Sweet Dreams", Alanis Morisette's "You Oughta Know" and "Sex on Fire" by the Kings of Leon.

Addressing the massed ranks, the singer said: "I want you all to know right now you're witnessing my dream.

"I always wanted to be a rock star and tonight we are all rock stars," she added. "I still can't believe I'm performing at Glastonbury."

Earlier in the day, veteran singer-songwriter Paul Simon took to the main stage to perform hits "Diamonds on the soles of her shoes" and "You can call me Al", with a huge crowd seemingly unperturbed by his illness-affected voice.

British rapper turned soul crooner Plan B cemented his reputation as one of the country's hottest talents with an epic early evening set on the main Pyramid Stage.

"I came here in 2000, broke in, and watched Cypress Hill on the main stage," the singer told BBC. "To perform there and look from the other side was mental."

Despite a wet start to festivities on Thursday and Friday, the weather gods smiled on the 170,000 ticket holders with unbroken sunshine greeting artists performing at the farm in Somerset, south west England, on Saturday and Sunday.

Rockers Coldplay occupied the coveted Saturday night headline slot, while Irish megastars U2 kicked off proceedings at the world's largest performing arts and music festival with a two-hour set on Friday.

Crowd violence marred the band's debut Glastonbury performance as security guards stamped out a protest against the rockers' tax status.

As the band came on stage, campaign group Art Uncut inflated a 20-foot (six-metre) balloon emblazoned with the message "U Pay Your Tax 2."

But as they tried to release it over the crowd, a team of security guards swooped into the crowd and tackled them to the ground before confiscating the balloon.

"Bono is well known for his anti-poverty campaigning but Art Uncut is accusing him of hypocrisy," campaigner Charlie Dewar said.

The group highlighted U2's decision to switch their tax affairs from Ireland to the Netherlands to pay less tax following a change in the law in 2006.

On a sombre note, the body of Christopher Shale, chairman of West Oxfordshire Conservative Association, was discovered Sunday morning in a portable toilet in the festival's VIP backstage area.

British Prime Minister David Cameron and his wife Samantha said they were "devastated" to hear of the death of their "great friend".

PARIS – Paris' spring-summer 2012 menswear shows melted into the past on Sunday, wrapping up in a pool of perspiration on the year's hottest day yet.

The five-day-long menswear extravaganza kicked off Wednesday under cloudy skies and usually chilly temperatures for June, but by Sunday thermometers had soared to 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius) — a nightmare scenario for a crowd of elaborate dressers reluctant to remove blazers, corsets or any other essential but asphyxiating element of their looks.

After the last show — a solid display by Swedish jeans-maker Acne — the fashion elite raced back to their hotels to pack their bags and get the hell out of Dodge before temperatures climb to a sweltering 93 degrees Fahrenheit (34 degrees Celsius) on Monday.

The heat wrecked havoc on shows from Paul Smith — where listless editors, stylists and journalists gave up taking notes to fan their reddened faces instead — to U.S. designer Thom Browne, whose sumptuous velvet-walled venue was transformed into a sauna.

Lanvin showed early enough in the morning — and delivered such a gorgeous collection — that it was among the sole shows of the day where the clothes managed to outshine the beating sun.

Besides the weather, the other main topic of conversation throughout the week was the ongoing saga of disgraced former Dior designer John Galliano, whose daylong trial on anti-Semitism charges Wednesday coincided with the start of menswear week here. He faces up to six months in prison and euro22,500 ($32, 175) in fines for allegedly showering racist and anti-Semitic insults on a couple seated next to him at a Paris bar — an incident which cost him his job as creative director at Christian Dior, as well as at his own signature label.

In emotional testimony, Galliano blamed pressures of a pitiless industry for pushing him off the brink and into prescription drug and alcohol addictions. While he said he didn't remember the specifics of the incident or another alleged clash at the same bar, the once-flamboyant Galliano apologized for any pain caused by his words and actions.

Two days later, Galliano's longtime aide Bill Gaytten was named creative director at the Gibralter-born designer's eponymous label after a lackluster show there that felt like Galliano Lite.

Though the fashion elite might make a break for it now, many top editors, stylists and journalists will re-converge on Paris in a week's time for the city's rarified haute couture displays, where made-to-measure dresses start at the price of a small car and go vertiginously up from there.

THOM BROWNE

Normally models grumble when they have to wear something that hides their faces, but at Browne's cross-dressing, "Cabaret"-infused show, the relief of those whose features were obscured behind the fringed lampshade hats was almost palpable.

You could hardly blame them: Even for male models, who are used to donning both the hideous and the sublime, photos immortalizing them in beaded flapper dresses worn with sock garters are a hard thing to live down.

There were also hourglass-shaped trench coats in navy pinstripes, with a swishy fringe in lieu of epaulettes, shrunken bowler hats hung with a bride's veil and beaded jumpsuits accessorized with knee-length ropes of pearls.

The heavily inked arms of a tattoo-embellished model emerged from a crop top covered in pearly white beads, and you could practically smell his relief that he was also wearing one of the face-shrouding lampshade hats.

But say what you will about Browne's clothes — which this se

PILTON, England (Reuters) – Pop star Beyonce takes the main stage at Glastonbury on Sunday as the closing act, hoping to repeat husband Jay-Z's success in 2008 and help a huge crowd banish thoughts of mud and the long trip home.

Around 180,000 people crammed on to Worthy Farm in picturesque southwest England for three days of music and fun at one of the world's biggest music festivals. The abiding memory for many this year will be the mud.

Heavy rain on Friday and before turned the 900 acre site into a giant bog, but it failed to dampen the mood among music lovers who came to see a bewildering choice of hundreds of acts across dozens of stages.

"We managed to survive in the most adverse conditions," said festival founder Michael Eavis. "We are survivors, after 41 years," he told reporters.

The sunshine broke out on Sunday and bikinis replaced raincoats as the festival geared up for its Sunday night climax.

Jay-Z headlined in 2008, causing controversy among some of British rock's biggest names who said hip-hop had no place at the revered event. But the performer silenced his critics and rap is now a major part of the Glastonbury schedule.

Fans speculated that Jay-Z might join Beyonce on stage and that she may also reunite with members of her former band Destiny's Child.

Eavis was briefly distracted by questions about the death of a senior member of Britain's ruling Conservative Party, who was found in a luxury accommodation area on Sunday morning.

He did not name the deceased, but British media said he was Christopher Shale, chairman of West Oxfordshire Conservative Association. Initial reports gave the cause of death as a heart attack, but Eavis said he understood it was suicide.

U2 PROTEST GRABS HEADLINES

Friday night's headliners U2 impressed critics with a string of their greatest hits performed in the driving rain.

A small pressure group called Art Uncut inflated a large balloon with the words "U Pay Tax 2?" in protest against the band's decision several years ago to relocate its operations from Ireland to the Netherlands for tax purposes.

Campaigners complained of rough handling by security guards who forced them to take the balloon down, but Eavis shrugged off the criticism, saying the story had been exaggerated.

"It was only one balloon," he said. "It was all churned up as being a huge thing, but it wasn't at all."

"We didn't want to upset anyone," he said, adding that U2 lead singer Bono had been aware of the protest. "It was all done very, very gently."

Coldplay played the main Pyramid stage slot on Saturday, watched by tens of thousands of people as they worked their way through a set of songs old and new.

Pulp were surprise guests on the smaller The Park stage, and drew a record crowd there of around 30,000. London rapper Tinie Tempah was one of the most popular performers this year, as were the Chemical Brothers, blues veteran B.B. King and Elbow.

Glastonbury has grown from a humble gathering of 1,500 people on Eavis's dairy farm in 1970, each paying one pound ($1.60) and receiving free milk, to a giant celebration of music costing 195 pounds for a basic ticket.

There will be no festival in 2012, but Eavis said he already had three major acts lined up for 2013.

(Editing by Jan Harvey

PILTON, England (Reuters) – The sun shone and the good times rolled on Saturday at the Glastonbury music festival, where London rapper Tinie Tempah had a huge crowd jumping and Coldplay closed with the packed headline slot.

This year's festival, one of the highlights of the live music calendar, has been blighted by rain and mud, but the feelgood factor was back as Glastonbury neared its climax on Sunday in the form of Beyonce on the main stage.

Manchester's Elbow wowed an audience of tens of thousands while Pulp were surprise guests and electronic dance duo Chemical Brothers drew a large audience at the Other Stage.

"We're so happy the sun came out for you," said Coldplay lead singer Chris Martin during his night time set, introduced with a short fireworks display. "What it means to us you can't even begin to imagine."

The band behind hits "Yellow," "Fix You" and "Speed of Sound" mixed the old and fresh, giving the crowd of over 50,000 a chance to sing along to old classics while showcasing newer works ahead of the release of a new album.

Earlier in the day, Elbow launched a charm offensive that saw lead singer Guy Garvey order beer on stage and the Pyramid Stage crowd singing the band a raucous "Happy Birthday" to mark its 20th anniversary.

"Elbow bring graceful celebrations of love and friendship and an emotional directness that floors you," wrote Guardian critic Dorian Lynskey in a five-star review. "The crowd radiate goodwill; Elbow respond with gratitude and generosity."

Also popular was 22-year-old London rapper Tempah, part of a wave of rap and hip-hop artists embraced in recent years by a festival best known for indie guitar music.

"Glastonbury 2011, this is officially the greatest day of my life!" Tempah shouted, and performed popular hits including "Written in the Stars," "Invincible" and "Frisky."

CAN BEYONCE MATCH HUSBAND?

The closing headline act on Sunday night is Beyonce, following in the footsteps of her husband Jay-Z who won over the Glastonbury doubters with a rousing set in 2008.

Rumours have circulated among music journalists that former band mates from Destiny's Child may join her on the dairy farm in southwest England where the festival is held, and possibly perform together on stage.

On Friday, the opening headline act were Irish rockers U2, who faced both driving rain and protests about their tax status but managed to put on a performance that impressed most critics.

Protesters angry about the group's decision to move operations from Ireland to the Netherlands for tax purposes raised a large inflatable with the words "U Pay Tax 2."

The balloon was forcibly removed, causing a brief scuffle, but witnesses said the incident was relatively minor and went unnoticed by most of the crowd.

Whatever happens on and off the stage, the abiding memory for most of the 150,000 paying attendees this year is likely to be the ubiquitous mud.

Rainfall and huge crowds reduced the 900-acre site in picturesque southwest England to a mudbath, making even the shortest journey on foot across the sprawling site a major undertaking.

"I'm going to have the strongest legs in the world," joked Duncan from Doncaster. "I've never done so much exercise - lifting up two hundredweight of mud on my feet. It's just incredible. Other than that it's fantastic."

The event has grown from a humble gathering of 1,500 people on Michael Eavis's Worthy Farm in 1970, each paying one pound ($1.60) and receiving free milk, to a giant celebration of mus

US singer Will.I.Am, frontman of hip-hop group The Black Eyed Peas, wowed locals in a Paris neighbourhood park on Saturday, rapping for them personally in a surprise appearance.

The global star freestyled for several minutes on stage in front of a few hundred fans assembled for a local hip-hop festival -- a contrast to the tens of thousands who have paid to see him in three concerts this week at the Stade de France national stadium.

His surprise turn in the Square Sarah Bernhardt park, eastern Paris, drew wild cheers from residents of Paris's largely immigrant and working class 20th arrondissement district, at the start of the Paris Hip Hop festival.

"In the 20th district... the pleasure that you want... Don't forget it," he rapped, before making way for French rappers and breakdancers.

"Coming here to the 20th district is so special because it reminds me of my neighbourhood where I grew up" in east Los Angeles, the star, dressed in dark aviator shades and bright yellow sports shoes, told the crowd.

Earlier he gave an inspirational address to young aspiring musicians and dancers at a community centre, on a visit forming part of cultural outreach efforts by US diplomats and local authorities.

He told them of his rise to stardom with the Black Eyed Peas after growing up in an LA neighbourhood stricken, as French suburbs have been, by violence between youths and police.

Hip-hop and rap music are popular in France's poor urban districts, where young people complain of being excluded and disrespected by politicians and the police.

"People are always going to tell you you can't do it, but you can't listen to that," Will.I.Am told the youngsters.

He spoke also of his childhood friends who were killed due to crime or clashes with police.

"You can tell he's speaking from experience," said Yannick Fred, 19, a member of a local community association who attended.

"He is like us. He talked about lots of things he has experienced. It's the kind of thing we have experienced ourselves."

The singer's visit was organised by the town hall of the district in northern Paris and Charles Rivkin, the former Hollywood executive who is now the US ambassador to France.

Rivkin has launched various cultural projects to reach out to France's run-down urban districts since his appointment by US President Barack Obama in 2009.

The projects aim partly to improve the United States' image in France after it was dimmed following the Iraq war.

"Mr Rivkin is Barack Obama's representative in France," local Mayor Frederique Calandra told the crowd, drawing huge cheers.

"We are so happy that the United States is taking an interest in our neighbourhoods."

MONTREAL (AFP) – Montreal's jazz festival this year promises to breach the banks of its genre, with an eclectic cast of performers ranging from Tony Bennett and Dave Brubeck to Robert Plant and Prince.

The festival officially opens on Saturday with an open-air show from French soul singer Ben l'Oncle Soul.

He will be preceded Friday evening by a sold out performance by Prince, who asked to perform late night concerts at the last minute and was to take the stage at 11:30 pm on Friday and Saturday at the 2,000-seat Metropolis.

Plant will also perform a sold-out concert on Friday, which is a national holiday for Francophone province Quebec.

The festival, the 32nd of its kind, will feature some 500 performances, around 350 of them free, and will run until July 4.

Known for taking a broad view of the genre, the festival this year will welcome Diana Krall, Oliver Jones, Dee Dee Bridgewater -- for an homage to jazz legend Billie Holliday -- all in traditional indoor venues.

But it will also feature American guitarist Marc Ribot, known for his ethereal strumming, who will give three performances, including a highly anticipated one with Los Cubanos Postizos.

Tunisian oudist Anouar Brahem, with melodies inspired by Sufi Islam, will also perform with his short-necked lute on three occasions.

The B-52s will headline a "grand closing event" on July 4.

Coca-Cola’s Under-the-Cap Summer Promotion Awards Visit to “106 & PARK” as Grand Prize

Atlanta, GA (PRWEB) June 23, 2011

Teens, it’s time to twist and text with Coca-Cola for a chance to “wild out” on the hottest music video show on television, BET’s “106 & PARK” this fall.

Throughout the summer, teens across the country can Open Happiness and win cool music-oriented prizes through Coca-Cola’s under-the-cap contest. It’s as simple as purchasing a 20-ounce bottle of Coca-Cola and texting the code provided under the cap.

Every two minutes someone will win a prize, including concert tickets and music downloads, and 10 people will receive the grand prize a trip of a lifetime to New York City to attend a live studio taping of “106 & PARK.”

“With this summer promotion we’re making it easy for teens to Open Happiness. All they have to do is grab a Coke for an opportunity to win big,” said Seth Freeman, senior brand manager, African American marketing, Coca-Cola North America. “This contest celebrates the passion that teens have for music, BET and Coca-Cola, and gives them a chance to experience one of the coolest shows on television.”

As part of the partnership with BET, Coca-Cola will be the sole sponsor of “106 & PARK’s Wild Out Wednesdays” through August 25. Teens will be encouraged to participate in the under-the-cap promotion through on-air mentions, on-set branding, an online Coca-Cola photo gallery and exclusive video content showing unaired, behind-the-scenes footage of “106 & PARK” every Thursday on bet.com.

In addition, Coca-Cola is the featured sponsor of this year’s “Viewers’ Choice Award” at the “BET Awards,” airing June 26. Viewers can vote for their favorite nominated artist by logging onto http://www.bet.com, where they will be directed to Coca-Cola’s http://www.mycoke.com for the chance to win additional prizes.

About The Coca-Cola Company The Coca-Cola Company is the world’s largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with more than 500 sparkling and still brands. Led by Coca-Cola, the world’s most valuable brand, the Company’s portfolio features 15 billion dollar brands including Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Coca-Cola Zero, vitaminwater, Powerade, Minute Maid, Simply and Georgia. Globally, we are the No. 1 provider of sparkling beverages, juices and juice drinks and ready-to-drink teas and coffees. Through the world’s largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy the Company’s beverages at a rate of 1.7 billion servings a day. With an enduring commitment to building sustainable communities, our Company is focused on initiatives that reduce our environmental footprint, support active, healthy living, create a safe, inclusive work environment for our associates, and enhance the economic development of the communities where we operate. For more information about our Company, please visit our website at http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com.

About 106&PARK A powerful presence in the music industry since 2000, 106 & PARK has maintained its spot as the #1 music variety show for 13 consecutive quarters. Over the past 10 years, the top names in music, sports, television and film have graced the 106 & PARK studio including Denzel Washington, Madonna, Will and Jada Smith, Tom Cruise, Janet Jackson, Diddy, Beyonce, LeBron James, Missy Elliott, 50 Cent, Chris Brown and Ciara. For more information, log on to http://www.bet.com/shows/106-and-park.html.

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EMQ Networks launches the BlackGreek.TV Mobile app, BlackGreek, for iOS and Android devices on July 1st at the 2011 ESSENCE Music Festival with a chance to win a pair of tickets to performances for all three nights. The BlackGreek.TV Mobile app is the first app dedicated to the lifestyle and experiences of the Black Greek Lettered Organizations in the Divine Nine.

Washington, DC (PRWEB) June 23, 2011

EMQ Networks, the online media network dedicated to the African American collegiate experience, is unveiling the BlackGreek Mobile App on July 1st and giving its audience a chance to join the excitement of the 17th Annual 2011 ESSENCE Music Festival presented by Coca Cola in New Orleans, the Ultimate Party Weekend.

Visit http://www.facebook.com/blackgreektv for a chance to win tickets to the 2011ESSENCE Music Festival and to get updates on the BlackGreek app.

The BlackGreek Mobile App was designed to put "The Yard" right at your fingertips and is the first app featuring news, step shows, stroll off videos, and alerts from: Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc., Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., and Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.

BlackGreek.TV was developed out of the question, "Are Black Greek Lettered Organizations still relevant today?" Lillian Jones, Content Director of EMQ Networks, suggests they are, “These organizations still hold fellowship, scholarship, and service as its main pillars and are constanly working in our communities. The problem is more people see the parties than the community outreach.” EMQ Networks' goal with developing BlackGreek.TV was to create a space to showcase and share a well rounded depiction of the Black Greek lifestyle and experience. Programming for the network will include spotlights on top under-graduate and graduate chapter members, special events, service projects, and more.

EMQ Networks welcomes everyone to the unveiling of the BlackGreek Mobile App on July 1st at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, LA. Activities will include games, give-a-ways, trivia, and the 2nd Annual BlackGreek Stroll Off Competition. Visit http://www.facebook.com/blackgreektv to connect with BlackGreek and stay tuned to launch updates.

About EMQ Networks EMQ Networks is an interactive media company that consists of Blackcollegemix.com, Blackgreek.TV, and the BlackGreek Mobile App. EMQ is an interactive media company that specializes in creating digital experiences for and about current and perspective African American college students and alumni. Those digital experiences are centered on their lifestyle and their collegiate experiences in a highly entertaining and engaging format. EMQ provides a new voice to this market and is dedicated to portraying a positive and accurate view of the African American collegiate experience and lifestyle. EMQ positions itself for growth by expanding its college lifestyle concept into other platforms, live event management, brand licensing and its reach into other ethnicities and international opportunities. EMQ Networks is a division of E-Mackqulent, LLC.

For more information on BlackGreekTV Mobile App visit: http://www.facebook.com/blackgreektv For more information on EMQ Networks visit: http://www.emqnetworks.com To participate in the BlackGreek app launch activities on July 1st send an email to eyoung(at)emqnetworks(dot)com

Contact: Erin Z. Young 202-642-9709 eyoung(at)emqnetworks(dot)com

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Erin Z. YoungEMQ Networks202-642-9709Email Infor

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Rap star Missy Elliott says she has Graves disease, a thyroid problem that caused her hair to fall out and shut down her nervous system.

But the condition is rarely life-threatening, and the 39-year-old Grammy winner is exercising regularly under medical supervision.

"My nervous system shut down, you know," Elliott said in an episode of the VH1 show "Behind the Music" airing June 29 on the cable network.

"Your skin is dry, your hair falls out, you wake up, your eyes feel like they've got rocks in them," she said.

Graves disease cannot be cured, but its symptoms can be handled with treatment, according to medical organization the Mayo Clinic.

Elliott, who is known for the hit songs "Get Ur Freak On" and "Work It," was diagnosed with Graves disease in 2008 but kept her condition private, her publicist Anne Kristoff told Reuters on Thursday.

She said Elliott "pretty much exercises every day, so she's committed to her health."

Patients with Graves disease have a thyroid gland that overproduces the hormone thyroxine, which increases the metabolic rate and can affect a person's appearance and energy level.

Elliott gained fame in the 1990s and won four Grammys, but has not released an album since 2005's "The Cookbook." She is working on an album tentatively titled "Block Party," with producer and rapper Timbaland.

(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis, Editing by Dean Goodman)